So… I knew this was going to be a weird one. I expected it to be. But after writing the last chapter, I figured this chapter could be slightly lighter, maybe something a bit sillier. And growing up on magical girl anime, well, you could say it had a chokehold on me for a while. So I wondered, OMORI x magical girl shenanigans–fun, right?

Takes place in an AU where Mari never passed away and the crew is in highschool, Kel, Aubrey, Sunny, and Basil being freshmen and Mari and Hero being juniors. And Basil has a secret: he's a magical boy. And none of his friends know. Trigger warnings below.

Song: Sorry for Being an Ordinary Magical Girl - mikitoP ft. Miku Hatsune

Sorry For Being an Ordinary Magical [Boy]

From the start of the story, the season when the sakura petals scatter about is fine, right?

A petite, blonde boy walks down the pathway leading up to the school doors, the soft spring wind blowing his hair gently. He smiles as a petal brushes against his nose, ticking him for an instant. He pauses as he hears a noise behind him and turns.

That boy making his way to school is me, Basil!

I'm just a regular high school freshman making my way to Faraway High School. The school year is almost to an end in a month and everyone is excited for the year to close off, me included. I smile at the planted flowers along the sidewalk. Springtime. In my opinion, the best season of the year.

I turn back and look up at the soft yellow and pink morning sky above. Well, maybe I'm not such a normal high school student. I do have one thing that sets me apart from others. A secret that only I know.

I'm a magical boy.

Hoping to make that "paradise word" a reality,

Just aiming for the perfect ordinary

At school, I keep up the facade. I attend all my classes, turn in my homework, stress over tests, have lunch with my friends, and worry over any small or big things that any regular highschooler would worry about. I keep up my grades well enough to not raise any red flags and try to keep updated with my friends' get-togethers, but sometimes I do ask for a raincheck.

Oh, my friends, you ask?

"Hey Aubrey, can you spot me a pencil for first period?"

That's Kel. Silly, goofy, athletic Kel. He's always sporting a wide-spread grin and outwardly expressing his opinion, or whatever pops into his head first. He's fun to hang around with and easy to talk with, not judgemental at all. And while we all give him a hard time for the things he says sometimes, he's got a heart of gold and would do anything for us. I know he tries to be earnest and genuine.

"Kel, you're telling me you came to school wITHOUT A PENCIL?!"

And that yelling voice now scolding Kel is Aubrey. Strong-willed and cheerful Aubrey. She's usually arguing with Kel over one thing or another. But as often as you see her yelling, she's got a soft spot inside and cares about her friends deeply. She can take things pretty emotionally, but that side of her is what makes her so easy to approach and befriend, and exactly what helped her open me up and introduce me to the group years ago. It's thanks to her that I have this amazing group of friends.

I laugh as Aubrey slaps Kel upside the head, grumbling about how it was no wonder his backpack was always so light, there's never anything in it. Kel groans and turns to his brother instead.

"Hero! Come on bro, I'm sure you have a bazillion pencils?"

The junior sighs, digging into his front pocket and brandishing a pencil out for his brother. "I do, but Kel, you really do have to come to school prepared. What were you expecting to do today without one?"

That's Hero. Charming, amicable, and peaceful Hero. Kel's older brother, he's also like an older brother to the rest of us who are three years younger. He's typically the level-headed one in the group and is well-liked by most people, not just us. He's nearing the end of his junior year and has already gathered accolade after accolade, seeming to look near perfect for upcoming college essays. When he's not busy studying or being involved in some kind of club activity, however–

"Find one on the ground, honestly," Kel responds and throws a thumbs up to his brother. "Thank you, Hero! May you live a thousand happy years with Mari!"

Hero blushes bright red as his girlfriend walks up to him and throws an arm across his shoulder. "Thanks for the support, Kel! That means a lot!"

He's usually with Mari. That's his girlfriend. Lovable and sisterly Mari. Along with Hero, she takes care of the group and is always there to lend a listening ear and give the best advice. She's kind, gentle, and has a bit of a mischievous side when it comes to teasing her friends. She's great at nearly everything she does and always helps to remind us how loved we all are.

And walking up beside her, expression monotone as his sister begins making kissing sounds to her boyfriend, is Sunny.

Sunny.

Sunny.

Quiet and shy Sunny. But also, introspective. Observant. Thoughtful. Intelligent. Creative. Kind. Adorable. Cute. Handsome–

I bloom as red as Hero as he waves a silent hello to the group, shouldering his black backpack on his left side. Y-Yes, this is Sunny, my childhood crush. Crush since I had first seen him across the playground, honestly. And that affection and interest has only grown since the day Aubrey introduced me to Kel, Aubrey, Mari, Hero, and Sunny. And me.

I wave back hello with a smile. "How's your morning been, Sunny?"

Sunny shrugs, his tired eyes speaking for him. "Didn't get much sleep."

Mari turns from teasing her poor boyfriend to softly pinching Sunny's baby cheeks. Adorable-! "That's because you stayed up all night trying to catch tarantulas in Animal Crossing!"

Aubrey gasps and runs up to Sunny, asking if she can see his island. As the two continue talking about their recent changes in their islands, I feel the same breeze from earlier and the same distant sound now much closer. My peridot necklace pulses underneath my pink shirt, alerting me. Oh no, not right now? Here?

Along comes that air-headed friend after lunch

And I run off, saying, "I gotta help her out!"

My eyes dash to the side, watching as a figure rushes into the foyer leading to the art classrooms. There.

"U-Uh, guys I gotta run real quick–" I stutter out, not even sure if anyone is listening. I dash the same direction, hoping no one would notice as I ducked out of conversation.

The foyer is empty as I run in, coming to a stop and noting how cold the temperature has dropped. It's beginning to happen. My eyes scan the walls, trying to find the cause behind it all. Hopefully I got here early enough. Hopefully the soul hasn't been corrupted–

"W-Why can't I make something of value… nothing ever works out…"

My head snaps to the shelves holding the school's previous art awards and plaques. Nestled to the side sits Mincy, knees curled up to her chest. She burrows her head into her hands, shaking her head back and forth and speaking to herself. As I squint and focus, I can see her soul splitting inside.

"I'll never get in, I'm no one special…"

Everyone has a soul inside. When experiencing extreme emotions, our souls react. They can shine from elation and happiness, wither with sadness, and shake with anger. And when you leave negative emotions to sit, or get a sudden pang of high pain–

Mewo poofs before me. "Got here as fast as I could! Basil, she's–"

"Yes. I can see the sadness stirring inside, but the cracks aren't too deep yet," I respond, nodding and approaching the girl. I'm here just in time.

Mewo softly floats on top of Mincy's head, causing her to lift her head in confusion. She sniffles, her eyes and nose red from crying. Her mouth trembles as she quickly tries to cover herself again, embarrassed to be seen so vulnerable.

"B-Basil? What are you doing here?" she asks, now trying to wipe her face with her sweater sleeves. "I'm sorry, I didn't think anyone was in here–"

"Mincy," I begin, grabbing her attention enough for her to stop. "Not everything you tell yourself is true."

She looks up at me, half in confusion and half in mistrust. "W-What-?"

I sit down next to her on the ground. The tiled floor is nice and cool. "I've seen your art before in class. I know I'm mainly into photography, and don't know much about traditional art, but from what I've seen, you've got something special. And others agree."

Mincy sniffles. "They do?"

"You should see how the main art teacher brings up your previous submissions for State! She loves showing us your stuff as inspiration to join that and the art club for the school."

"But those pieces didn't win," Mincy softly says, tugging at her sleeves. "They got to State, but ultimately they didn't score highly enough."

"But still, it's hard to even get to State, right?"

She pauses for a moment before nodding. I don't know Mincy very well, as she usually keeps to herself in any class we have together, usually covering her face with her sketchbook. I know I've never heard her openly praise herself.

"So don't give up yet. You've got great potential, a lot of people supporting you, and if you continue to try, who knows what will happen this year? If you continue to work and practice, you can only get better. But if you don't even attempt, there's nothing for you to fix."

I watch as this sinks in, her face softening at the words. Mewo meows above her head, feeling as her soul begins to restore some of the cracks and lighten up. She looks back up, confused by the pressure on her head, but not able to see Mewo.

"Thanks, Basil," she says at last. I shift my backpack in front of myself and pull out a napkin, extending it out to her. She smiles and accepts it and loudly blows her nose into the tissue.

As I stand up, Mincy pushes herself off the floor and gestures to the girl's bathroom. "T-Thanks again. I'll see you in art class later?"

"Yeah, and maybe you can show me what you're thinking of submitting this year?" I ask, beginning to walk towards the doors. She nods and I watch as she walks to the bathroom door, a smile on her face as she pushes her bangs to the side and adjusts her glasses.

I turn around and nearly smack face-first into Sunny, who just opened the door with an expectant look.

Hey! Tell me the truth!

All that whispering of yours, it's pretty hurtful!

"Ah, Sunny!" I say, trying not to seem too surprised, but being unable to hide the pink in my cheeks at the short distance between us. I stumble back for more comfort. "I was just meeting up with Mincy before classes began!"

Sunny looks over at the empty foyer.

"O-Oh, she just went to the bathroom…"

"Oh."

I can hear the disbelief and slight sadness in his voice. Is he upset?

I don't like keeping this a secret from others and I could have easily lied and just said I was comforting Mincy. Thankfully this time, I didn't need to transform or tackle anything more serious. The cracks aren't completely healed, but steps in the right direction and checking up on Mincy should lead to progress.

I chew the inside of my cheek as Sunny looks back up at me. I hate keeping this away from my best friend. But I'd hate to worry him. He looks like he has a question to ask.

I ask instead. "Ready to head to class?"

The question dies in his mouth–he presses his lips closed and nods, following me as I push the other door open and we walk outside. Mewo follows us shortly behind, keeping a watchful eye on Sunny.

Don't say, "I can't do it," for even if it takes a while,

It's beginning to go round and round and round–

YOU&ME

Near the end of the day, I receive a text from Sunny asking to hang out after school. He doesn't have violin practice on Wednesdays and he wants to get some ice cream because of the hot weather.

I'm torn. Normally, I head over to the city after school and get an update on any other soul breaks or previous cases from the days before. I constantly have to deny Sunny's or anyone else's requests or tell them I'm too busy. I can sense my necklace buzzing lightly, but… it's only lightly. Hanging out with my crush for an hour or two won't kill anyone, right?

I quickly text back with a "yes" and a flower emoji. Sunny messages back instantly, probably surprised at my response. His emoticon shows a thumbs up with the "uwu" face. I chuckle and slide my phone back inside my backpack as my teacher comes by to collect our papers.

We meet up by the band hall shortly after the last bell rings. I half expect for someone else in the crew to be trailing along with Sunny, but he meets me at the bench alone.

"I-Is everyone else busy?" I ask. He shrugs.

"I didn't ask them. Just wanted some alone time with you."

Oh. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh.

"O-Oh," I respond, inwardly cursing myself as I feel my smile spread and my body begin to tingle. Is this, like… a date?

"Should we get going?" Sunny asks, pointing over to the pathway where other students are walking back home, to the bus, or to their cars. I quickly nod and stand up straight, nearly toppling myself over in excitement.

The walk begins silent as I try to calm my rapidly beating heart. The cool breeze helps fan my warm cheeks. After a moment, we begin to talk about our day, how much homework we have even with school being near its end, and slowly move onto our hobbies. As we enter the ice cream shop, we peer down at all the new ice cream flavors available. I point at how close the coffee and orange flavor are to each other, saying how if Kel was here, he'd get a double scoop of the two. Sunny cracks a smile at this and lightly laughs, pointing over at a strangely purple ice-cream.

"That one reminds me of Mr. Plantegg."

"Oh my god, yeah! I haven't seen him in so long, but he's that exact color."

We laugh and deduce what flavors the others would get before deciding on one for each other as a surprise. After we pay, the worker hands me a cone filled with two scoops of pistachio ice cream and Sunny a cup with two scoops of Rocky Road ice cream.

We pull off to the side outside and enjoy our treats next to the large windows of the shops. I wish times like this could slow down. I want to see Sunny's smiling face more often. The way he laughs with airy wheezes, the playful slight twist of his smirk after a tease, and the strange flushed look on his face after we try each other's ice creams. The sun is beginning to set itself lower in the sky, the sky shifting from a bright blue to its evening colors. The golden rays hit his black hair from behind, lighting up the dark brown pieces and beginning to melt the last remaining pieces in his cup. I near the end of my cone, feeling his feet slowly kicking back and forth under the table. I begin to lightly kick my feet back, purposely bumping into his. Sunny raises his eyebrows mid bite, moving his feet together to grab my left foot.

"H-Hey!" I shriek, blushing and nudging his shoes off.

"You started it," he smirks and pulls away from that one foot, but continues to play footsie with both my feet. I know my cone is melting and I should take the last bites before I end up with sticky hands, but I'm too focused on melting inside. How is it that this boy can make me feel this way and not even know? How can he be so cute without even trying?

No matter how much the night bares its fangs and brings trouble,

A "hero of justice" keeps those tears hidden away

Even pretending like it's "nothing special, no big deal."

Later that night, I lie in my bed, smiling like a fool at my phone as Sunny and I message each other back and forth absentmindedly. We had just hung out all afternoon, but after we arrived back at our respective houses, we instantly messaged each other about how much fun we had. Now we are sending memes back and forth, talking about the group chat, and every now and then, sending each other streams of emojis and emoticons.

I wish more days could be filled like this. I wish I could give more of myself and my time to Sunny. If I wasn't a magical boy, who knows where our relationship would have developed by now?

I sigh and set my phone down as I wait for a reply. I don't regret the decision I made, but sometimes, keeping this identity up is hard.

When the call comes, no matter how reluctant…

If the phone rings at 2 AM,

I'm in a rush, saying, "I gotta change clothes and be off!"

I awake again at my desk, my room lights still on. The digital flower clock by my bedside reads 2:03 AM. What woke me up?

My necklace buzzes again, even stronger this time. It begins to pulse against my chest, warning me of the impending doom. I swallow the lump in my throat and slip the gem out from under my shirt. Sure enough, there's the pulsing against my palm.

Mewo nudges my foot, meowling with worry. I glance down with a frown and nod. Placing my phone in my back pocket, I grab a jacket from my closet and head downstairs, straight outside into the dark night. Polly has left for the night and won't be back until tomorrow morning, so no one will wonder where I am.

I follow the pulsing as the gem glows brighter and brighter. The stone leads me up north, near Faraway Park. I turn to the right, starting to head to the plaza, but then I see him.

Sitting down on the ground, a cool blue light shining down on his body from the night park lights above. Sunny.

I rush over to his body and turn to his side. His dark eyes are open. He's been crying.

"M-Mari, she's–"

I hear metal creaking and raise my head up at the noise. A figure stands by the tetherball pole, working at the ball attached to the rope. A girl with dark black hair, white dress whispering in the cool night, anxious fingers picking over and over with a chant:

"It's not enough. It's not enough. I'm not enough. I'm not enough."

Sunny uneasily sits up and tries to stand up again, struggling to wobble back over to his sister. "She was acting weird at dinner and snuck out when she thought I was sleeping. I followed her over and I've been trying to talk to her, but she seems out of it, like she can't even hear me. R-Right before you came, she pushed me."

Mari… pushing Sunny? No, the Mari I know wouldn't do that. But also, the Mari I know wouldn't sneak out of the house late at night. She also wouldn't be saying such strange things like she's saying now…

"Basil."

Sunny's voice clears me out of my thoughts. His dark eyes are dripping with fear. His soul shrinks inside.

"What do we do?"

What do I do?

Mewo reappears next to my side, floating over and sitting down on Sunny's shoulder. To my surprise, Sunny flinches and stares at the cat beside him.

Looks like there's only one thing to do.

I didn't expect Sunny to learn this way, but if this is the way it has to be, so be it.

"Leave it up to me, Sunny," I say, nodding over at Mewo as I watch Mari's body slump to the ground and a black orb begin to encase her. Scribbly dark lines surround her body, pulling her in, pulling it tight, before we hear a crack–her soul–and a screech.

Sunny covers his ears and stumbles back just as Mewo jumps towards me.

"Ready, Basil?"

"Ready!"

I raise my hand up to the air with my peridot in hand as Mewo zaps a light orb into my gem. A golden scepter forms, vines growing around its sides and a rose emerging its bud from the end. My body is covered with the same light, touching down from my feet up to my head, glittering and shimmering in the moonlight. I fling my head back as my hair fades into a soft green color. The glitter cascades down by body, replacing my clothes with a white collared shirt, golden cape, and white peplum shorts hemmed with a green lining. A leaf pattern works its way up my legs to create long, sheer socks and creep up to the clothes on top. At last, my peridot reappears attached to the middle of my collarbone, a golden necklace lined against my throat with a small wing design on each side.

I land back on the ground gently, a soft glowing pair of wings shining behind the cape. Sunny stares at me, mouth agape. With no time to respond with any sort of explanation, I settle with:

"I'm a magical boy. I save people's souls before they change into monsters, and sometimes, when they've reached that point. I think Mari's soul–i-it's broken. Her extreme emotions seem to have taken hold and are trying to form into something else. If I don't act fast, this can escalate into a monster form, or worse."

Sunny pauses, but nods, a million questions probably running through his head.

I press my lips closed and angle my scepter back at the form that now was Mari. The vines spike with thorns, unharming me but enlarging the rose at the end as it begins to glow with power. Best thing to do now, try to beat down the dark form to clear Mari out. From there, Sunny can try to speak to her as I work to maintain a sort of homeostasis with her physical being.

The scepter radiates from my back hand to the outer, the rose petals opening up to reveal a beam forming. I press down my feet against the hard ground, securing my footing for the harsh laser.

"Spirit Petal Beam!" I yell out, digging my feet in deeper as the wide white beam sprouts out from the center of the rose and onto the black orb. The light brightens up the park for a few seconds as I aim it directly. It should only last a few seconds, but something's wrong, there's resistance. Before I know it, my beam is split in two, throwing me off balance and knocking me back a couple feet. When I recover my stance, I see that the darkness is now a solid figure, rising further and further into the sky.

Hey! Tell me properly!

I can't fight this burning urge, to see the real you.

"Mewo-"

Mewo floats beside me, worried. "Basil, this is a strong one. She's past the point of just using words or simple attacks. It's going to form a space, and fast."

I curse out loud, watching as the figure in the sky explodes, creating a rift in the open space before us. It's dark, so dark that no outside light permeates it or bounces back to reflect. The black is solid, unwavering. From deep inside, we can hear a sobbing distorted with a depressive chant.

"Basil!"

"Basil," Mewo calmly says, glancing at Sunny. "You're going to need help with this one. We need his help."

"No!"

I can't drag Sunny into this. I can protect him by myself. I can protect Sunny!

Mewo grimaces. "Don't act rash. He knows his sister better than anyone else. And this beast… this creature in her, it's not going to go down easily."

I quickly glance at Sunny. His eyes are glued to me, pleading, desperate.

No.

No.

No.

I shake my head back and forth, but Mewo begins to approach Sunny.

If he accepts, this will be more than just this fight. His soul will be forever confined into a soul gem. His "normal" life as he knows it will be long gone. He will die to his old self.

And why, why is there a small, selfish part of me that wants him to say yes? To not be so alone in this world?

"Basil," he pleads again, bringing me back to reality. The more he says my name, the more my heart resists. "I have to. For Mari. You have to understand."

Right, this is Mari. I can't imagine the pain he must be feeling right now, watching as his sister is overcome with this deep-seated emotion. I'm an only child. Maybe I'll never understand the bond of a sibling. But I think, if Sunny were in the same position, if I could save him from disaster, I too would do anything.

I shut my eyes and bow my head, finally shaking my head again in agreement this time. Fine. If it needs to be done, so be it. But I can't watch it unfold.

Through my tight clenching, a bright light protrudes after Mewo asks Sunny the question: "Do you want to sign a contract with me?"

He responds with no hesitance. "Yes."

My hands shake as I try to block out the image forming in my head. I can just feel the wind shift and swirl around us. Sunny's transformation kicks up the dirt and rustles the leaves. Before I know it, a soft hand is grabbing mine. I open my eyes… and look up.

It's still Sunny. He wears a similar outfit as mine, but a stark black. He has no wings, but wields two long swords, the helm hard and black, one metal a dark gray and the other a vibrant red. His shorts extend down longer, and his legs and arms are covered with white bandage tape. His gem sits on his collarbone, attached with a silver collar–a ruby.

Mewo meows to break my silence. "Waiting for something to happen?"

I swallow and shake my head. "Right. We've got to act fast."

Sunny nods, tightening his hold on my hand. We turn to face the figure that has changed to reveal a black door. With resolve, we head inside.

The beginning of the story,

It's always painted onto that pure-white wall.

We arrive in a white space. The door behind us vanishes to reveal another door, a purple one, right across. The room is silent, save for the buzzing of a lightbulb above our heads.

Sunny takes the first step forward, navigating us through the next door.

The heavy door opens into a dark purple hallway. The carpeted floor feels wet, you can hear the squish as we begin to descend down the corridor. There seems to be no end to the hallway, it's always out of our reach, forever shrouded with darkness.

"What is this place?" Sunny whispers, looking at the drawings framed on the walls. Mari's most prized possessions: photorealistic drawings of her family and friends.

"This is Mari's Dreamspace," I answer as we approach the first door. "Try to stay beside me, it's easy to get lost in places like this. This is basically a physical assemblent of Mari's innermost desires and feelings. Some things are distorted, so don't trust everything you see."

The music begins, a low, melodic tone. Solemn. As we walk, it grows louder.

"Moonlight."

I turn to Sunny. He continues. "Beethoven. Moonlight, Piano Sonata no. 14. She's played this before, at home."

Right. Given his classical training and connection to Mari, of course he would recognize the song. I wonder what the meaning behind it could be. It sounds sad, like a funeral march, almost. There is this free-form to it, like the song is supposed to flow, but it seems too rigid. Like whoever is playing is trying too hard. We stop at the door and pause as the first note goes array. A slamming sound and a curse follow.

"Not again. I should know this by now."

We open the door to a black room. A shadow sits by a piano, playing the same song again and again. There's a red stain on the piano keys, blood flowing from the leftover nubs of her fingers–

I close the door behind us and usher Sunny ahead. He draws back, looking at me in confusion.

"But Mari–"

"That's not Mari. That's just a figment of her imagination. The true Mari is deeper in."

I can't let him stay too long. He will go mad too.

We continue down, checking the doors one by one with haste. Sometimes, we need to stand in the doorway for our eyes to adjust to the image. Other times, we close the door immediately by the first look. The playing of the piano grows louder, more chaotic with each mistake. The second movement commences.

The next door, an older Mari slowly walks up the aisle. She pauses as she nears the middle, realizing her groom isn't waiting for her by the pew. The crowd whispers. Where is Hero? Who had last seen him?

Kel pulls Mari to the side and whispers to her, handing her a small note. "I'm so sorry, Mari. I tried to speak to him. He left this when I went to grab the rings."

Mari tears open the letter, sobbing as the words sink in.

'My dearest Mari, I have to apologize… you're not who I thought you were… I can't go on with this wedding…'

The next door, Mari by the lake at night, lying on her picnic blanket all alone. She stares up at the stars, feeling the lightness of her existence.

"What if I wasn't here, what if it was better for everyone that I wasn't here, what if everyone knew how much of a fake I was, what if they wouldn't have to suffer, what if Sunny had a strong sister, if Mom and Dad had the perfect daughter, if Hero had someone who deserved his love…"

She drones on with her "what ifs."

The next door, the birds chatter with the loud music. A tree stands in the middle, lonely. There's an uneasiness as our eyes are drawn to the biggest branch, a branch heavy enough to withstand weight. A rope lies on the ground.

"I never would. I'm too much of a wimp. But, the thought of it… if I could take myself out of the equation…"

Sunny slams the door on that one.

Each door is darker and darker than the next. Mari ruining her piano performance. Sunny and Mari's father standing beside her as she grips the red, inflamed spot on her cheek and stares at the ground. Hero, turning away from her and avoiding to acknowledge her. Aubrey and Kel snickering at her report card, wondering how they always looked up to her before. They follow her sobbing noise. The erratic breaths, unable to breathe. The last door shows Sunny. I crack the door open first, already afraid to see 's footsteps rushing. Shouts as Mari struggles to get to the front of the building, hears the crack on the concrete ground. There's an animalistic noise that erupts from her voice. I regret the decision and slam it closed. I will never speak of the image again.

Don't say, "That's no good," as for form and style,

It's settled and unclear no matter the person

SICK&YOUTH

I had no idea Mari was being plagued with all these worries and fears. I can read Sunny's face clearly. He feels guilty, almost at fault for not knowing before. All I can do is hold his hand.

Mari is always harsh on herself. From the smallest of things, from us making simple flower crowns in the park, to her devout passion, music, something she's always expressed at wanting to further into a career. She gets embarrassed whenever she messes up around us and covers it with humor, a joke, or shyly turning away. But when she's alone, is this what she's like? Is this how lowly she thinks of herself? Is this how much pressure she's been dealing with alone all these years? This imposter syndrome, the constant stage of burnout, and no one who knows?

No matter how gentle and tender the night,

Something's always gonna be troubling that person.

We approach a dark hole on the ground as the hallway finally nears an end. There is no other direction to go from here. All the doors have been checked.

Sunny hears Mari's choked cries below. "M-Mari!" he yells, jumping in instinctively, letting go of my hand.

"Sunny, wait!" I yell out, tripping over myself and following him down.

There's darkness. The third movement begins.

Then, my eyes are blinded by a disorienting screen of flashing lights. I roll myself into the fall, skidding to a stop and trying to catch a glance of Sunny. He's above me, being held up by the creature above, dangling him by a rope.

"Nice of you to join us!" the being screeches, tightening its hold on Sunny and causing him to yelp. "The more, the merrier!"

My heart constricts. "S-Sunny! Let go of him!"

"Sunny? Who's that?" it laughs. "Oh right, Mari's most precious brother. Well, soon enough, she won't remember any of that. It's all a hindrance anyways. Why create connections with anyone when you're just eventually going to hurt each other? I'm just quickening the process–think of it as a favor!"

"You bastard," I growl, beginning to charge at the form. I squat and push my legs forward, letting my wings expand as I jump up and strike the rope with my scepter, the thorns growing 10x their size and slashing through.

The monster squeals with excitement and drops Sunny, a purple ooze dripping from its threads. "Oo, you're a feisty one! Well, why not make this even more fun since we're all here?"

I catch Sunny from his fall, tapping his cheek and asking if he's fine. He nods, apologizing for jumping down first. He says he thought Mari would be down here.

"That's fine, I understand," I say. "But Mari's still inside that… thing. We have to defeat it before we can get access to her."

Sunny nods and sits up as I let him go. He winces where the ropes tightened around him, but then turns his dark eyes to the monster. It must be disorienting, to think that his sister is inside there, something that looks and acts nothing like Mari.

"Time to start the party, boys!" it yells, thrusting two more of its rope hands towards the ground at us. I jump to the right to dodge and Sunny swiftly avoids the attack, sticking up his sword from his right hand and allowing the rope to slice through the sharp blade. The purple liquid splashes on his face, but he quickly wipes it with the back of his hand.

Finally, after disappearing on us for what seemed like forever, Mewo appears running back with us as we charge to get closer to the creature, dodging its attacks left and right.

"Sunny, Basil, Mari's still in there! Try to distract the monster and pull her out, then when it's finally distracted, slice it through its neck where it's most vulnerable!"

As that precious, irreplaceable time flows past

Traversing 1000 nights

Just wanting to protect you

"Talk to it?" Sunny yells out, jumping onto a set of huge piano keys, continuing to move as they fall behind him. The sonata continues to play in the background, even faster and more disordered.

"Just let her know you're here!" I respond, pausing at a spot where I can aim a beam at three ropes headed my way. "Remind Mari that she doesn't need to carry all of this alone! She's got us! We'll understand!"

Sunny bites down his lip as he jumps down from the last key and yells out. "Mari! I know you're still in there! It's me, Sunny, your brother! Look, I know you try your best to hide it, and you don't want us to see you like this, but you have to know, we're here for you!"

"Ha, if you were such good friends of hers to begin with, why didn't you see the signs?!" the monster screeches again, turning around in a circle and kicking up dirt to hide its next attack. I stumble back and cough.

"That's not true! We didn't know it was to this extent, but that doesn't mean we don't care!" I yell back. "Of course there's things we all hide from each other. I do it too! But that doesn't mean any of you are less of a friend to me! That's on me to remember that you guys won't leave me behind! Right, Sunny?"

Sunny doesn't pause. "He's right, Mari! I want to know more about what's going on! I know I'm just your little brother, and I'm usually the one that needs saving, but I want to be there for you just like you're there for me! That's what friends do! That's what family does!"

The monster groans and stomps its feet as we approach even closer. It's losing more blood. The ropes are beginning to unravel. We can hear Mari's voice, trying to call out to us. "Sunny? Basil?!"

"Don't listen to them, you foolish girl! They only say that because they love the person you pretend to be! If anyone knew who you were inside, who you really were when no one was watching, they would all abandon you! You are incapable of true love! You will never amount to anything worthwhile! And why stick around if you already know the ending!"

"No!" Sunny's voice yells out, displacing the wind around us. I stop running as I come up behind him. He stands directly in front of the creature and watches as its one eye finally opens up to look down at him. "That's not true! It's not true, Mari!"

"It is–!"

"It is NOT! I know who my sister is, not you! I know the real Mari! The real Mari cares about her loved ones to a fault. The real Mari has helped me with my own issues, to calm down, to persist, but she needs to practice them on her own! The real Mari shows grace and forgiveness to everyone she knows, but needs to accept the same for herself! There is no definite ending! Do not give up, Mari! PERSIST!"

The eye squints down, beginning to fully unravel and revealing a floating Mari inside. Sunny gasps, nearly caught off guard. The creature's voice booms now, distorted and uneven.

"I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOUR LIES. THIS ENDS. NOW."

Mewo jumps to the scene, shining between us. "It's time! You need to hit its critical point with a combined attack! Sunny, Basil, join hands!"

Come now,

Don't let go of my hand,

Don't let go of my hand.

Sunny and I look at each other and grab each other's hands. My wings flap open again, rising us up evenly and towards the darkness. Sunny grips my hand as his red blade begins to pulse in beat with my scepter. I aim my scepter at its eye and nod with Sunny. He nods back, ready.

"Dual Attack: Searing Flare and Fiery Twin Blades!"

I pull us up higher, exacting my aim and sending a harsh flame to its eye, blinding the monster. It lets out a fierce cry as its skin begins to bubble at the heat, the eye closed tight from the fire. As it screams, I swing around with Sunny in hand and let go at the exact moment, near its head. Sunny free falls, gripping his swords and bracing himself for the blow. He slashes away at the creature's neck watching as the purple oozes onto his blade as he digs in. He drags the blades down with his body as he falls, letting it rip into the being until it cries out and explodes within itself.

"Basil!"

Last minute, I swoop down below and dive to grab Sunny, avoiding a harsh fall onto the ground. The world is beginning to crumble and the music is distorting to random piano notes.

"Mari!" Sunny yells, pointing as Mari begins to also fall from the dark orb and to the ground. I dive back again, shifting Sunny's weight to my side. I can make it. I'm slower now, because I have him to carry, but I can make it. I have to make it.

I reach my free hand out and catch her just in time.

The world gives out with a final note before disappearing into the night air. Me, Sunny, and Mari sit at Faraway Park again, near the tetherball pole, with Mari slumped against our shoulders. Sunny shakes his sister softly and raises her chin up. Is she fine? Dear god, I hope it wasn't too much for her–

Mari cracks open her eyes and gives us a tiny, exhausted smile. One that reads: thank you.

Sunny pulls his sister back into his chest and sobs. "I thought I was going to lose you."

No matter how much the night bares its fangs and brings trouble,

A "hero of justice" keeps those tears hidden away

And now here we are.

Sunny walks beside me the next morning as we walk to school. Mari stays home to rest up for the day, claiming to be sick and offering up believable coughs and sniffles to pass by. Before we leave his house, she thanks us again for last night and squeezes Sunny's hand. She wants to tell us all about it soon, she says. And she's going to try to ask for the appropriate help. She's got us to vent to and needs a professional for the deeper things.

Her soul is weak, but mended, for now. Over time, it will heal.

Our soul gems cling against our necks, hidden underneath our shirts. As we walk, I explain to Sunny the ins and outs of this new world, a world that had long only been mine, but is now shared. Mewo trails behind us, yawning and only viewable to the two of us. The air feels different. Faraway Town looks the same, nothing touched from the night before, nothing new in the news, but I feel different.

…honestly showing them to no one.

"I wish you told me sooner," Sunny mutters as we stop at a crossroads.

I hold onto his hand, a book on my other. "I know. I wish so too."

"I understand," he says. "I guess it's similar to what happened with Mari. It's scary, opening up to people. About feelings and emotions and parts of ourselves that we don't know if they'll accept."

I nod. Exactly. And I was afraid. But fear shouldn't be a motivator for my decisions. I was scared to get him sucked into this cruel world of mine. I wanted to shield him from it. I wanted the best for him.

"Do you regret it?" I ask, afraid of the answer.

Sunny shakes his head no. After a silence, the light turns to signal us to go. "Everyone needs a friend to support them. In whatever it is they do."

We cross the street silently. As we near the next sidewalk, I let go of his hand.

"Right, a friend…"

Sunny turns, his hand empty now. "Hm?"

"Oh, it's n-nothing!" I reassure, giving him a fake smile and beginning to walk again. Sunny extends an arm to block me. His eyes know I'm not telling the truth.

"S-Sunny?" I start. He's not dropping his arm to let us go. Instead, he grabs my shirt and pulls me closer, greeting my lips with his. My backpack slides off my side as he continues the kiss, furthering the pressure before pulling away and parting his lips.

Mewo meowls with joy and watches as our necklaces flash and brightly light up.

"Not just friends only, of course," he explains, turning and beginning to walk forward to leave me to my thoughts. I scramble to gather my backpack again, my body on fire from the sudden kiss. My heart beats fast against the gem, beating over and over with happiness. I wish I could store this feeling in my heart forever.

"By the way, has anyone ever told you that your transformation kinda looks like an angel."

"S-Sunny, stop!"

…well, at least managing to hide them sometimes.

Trigger warnings: implications of suicide, suicidal ideation, implied child abuse, depression, blood, violence.

Aaaand that wraps it up! This turned out a little darker than I thought, but as soon as I got going, I couldn't stop. I managed to fit in all kinds of references from magical girl anime from my childhood, so see how many tropes you can spot. And if anyone is inspired enough to make art about these magical boys, please share! You can comment your account or send it to me on Twitter at my handle karenkagamine.

Thanks again for reading!