Disclaimer: I do not own the copyright on any of this. Nor did I invent any of the people or places. Except some of the soldiers. And Zhuzhen's soul mate. And maybe a few more. But, you know, not much.

It's All Relative

Albert Einstein

So, we make a plan. Margarite remembers the spell - she thought it might be useful – so we do not need to fetch the émigré manuscript. We left it with Roger, after the events with Albert.

I am glad of this. I do not want to touch the émigré manuscript. I do not want to hold it in my hand, feel its power tempting me. I do not want to revive Yuri anymore. Revive him and let him watch my soul disappear? Fail and let my heart break over again? I couldn't take it.

Margarite tells us that she did some research, and that the sacrifices were only to build power. My father told me once that black magic takes its power from the unnatural. Dying is natural, but torture, pain and fear are not.

I ask Margarite how we are to do this without sacrifice. Between the three of us, I am the strongest mage, and I am not nearly powerful enough. We will not ask Kato. It…it wouldn't be fair.

Margarite tells me that Yuri asked Roger to help him. At this I interrupt her.

"Yuri used the émigré?"

She looks at me. "Yes,"

I look at her beseechingly, wanting to know, but unwilling to ask.

"It didn't work," she says. Then her expression changes, "Well…"

"What?"

"Your soul came back. Just for a moment. You told Yuri you loved him. He replied that he loved you too,"

I cannot speak at this, but my expression tells her everything.

She smiles at me. We continue with our plan. I do not want to ask Roger. I do not want to retrace Yuri's steps exactly. It…it would be painful. Does that sound odd? It is how I feel.

Margarite suggests asking Saki and Koudelka to help. Yuri's aunt is an accomplished soothsayer, and Koudelka is a very powerful psychic. We ask Saki and she agrees to help us. Then I send a telegram to Koudelka, explaining the whole situation. It was expensive, and no doubt the operator who read it thought we were crazy, but she received it and sent a reply, telling us she would meet us in Rouen.

Saki tells us of a place near to here, sacred to the Inugami. The Inugami are the leaders of this village, and it is named for them. Saki is the last matriarch of the Inugami family (by marriage. By birth, of course, she is a Hyuga). Kurando is the next in line. Yuri's cousin, Kurando. We do not meet him. I ask Saki where he is, and she tells us that he is with Naniwa. We do not go back and look for him. It may create a worse paradox.

No, that is not the reason; that is an excuse. I do not want to look at a close relative of Yuri's. Saki is female, and she does not resemble him. She is not a harmonixer either, the power being passed to the male line, though it can be carried by females. Kurando, however… he may resemble Yuri.

It is odd. I do not understand myself. My mood seems to swing, from happy to unhappy, from wanting to be close to Yuri, to wanting to be far away. Right now, I do not want to be near anything that reminds me of Yuri. I can't bear to think of him. It hurts me too much. I can barely talk to Karin. I keep watching her now, looking for resemblances, physical features or habits she may have passed on. But, when I find any – her accent when speaking German is the same as Yuri's, for example – it hurts me.

Margarite agrees with Saki about the sacred place. She tells me that it is where Kato preformed the spell. So, we leave Saki waiting here, in Inugami village and travel to Rouen in the helicopter to meet Koudelka.