Notes: This was originally going to be two separate chapters, but as is becoming the trend for this fanfic, the chapters end up much longer than I originally planned. Anyway, this chapter was basically done and awaiting editing, when I got the horrible news about Magia Record. If you don't know, I don't wanna be the one to tell you. Times like this I'm so glad that I don't have a Soul Gem, and that we still have fanfic. But it's a shame that the name of this fanfic has never felt more appropriate. So I have to give Aniplex their props: when it comes to spreading despair, they're in third place, behind Junko, and that one guy that told us everything was fine while every governer ever was declaring a state of emergency. And seeing how we're even worse off now, I'm thinking the governers were right.

Chapter Summary: Seeking a reunion with Mifuyu, Yachiyo reluctantly joins the Wings of the Magius. Brainwashing isn't needed, however, because she is already under the control of a ruthless force that will do anything to realize its desires.

Misery Record
A Magia Record Fanfic by
Nate Grey (xman0123-at-aol-dot-com)
Chapter 2: Hollow Heart

Perhaps because the invitation had already been extended in the past, it was not all that difficult for Yachiyo to get her foot in the door, despite the trouble she'd caused them.

Iroha's letter had simplified things even further, so Yachiyo applied the exact same method: ambushing Tsukuyo after school, and demanding a meeting. Only, where Iroha had not been willing to use anything too heinous, Yachiyo threatened to kidnap Tsukuyo, or her twin, until the meeting was arranged. But as it turned out, none of that was necessary. Mifuyu had left standing instructions for immediate cooperation from the twins, if Yachiyo ever expressed any genuine interest in joining. And if Yachiyo was willing to kidnap someone, clearly she was serious. Naturally, however, the initial threat was never far from Tsukuyo's mind, and she remained uneasy around Yachiyo for some time. But Yachiyo didn't care about that. She couldn't.

All Yachiyo cared about was that a mere three hours after she made the threat, she was sitting at a table, having tea and cakes with Mifuyu, and one of the Magius. Though, she was already wishing they'd sent any other one. Despite Mifuyu introducing them at the start, this Magius insisted on not using Yachiyo's name. Yachiyo hadn't bothered to point this out, since it wasn't like she intended to be friendly, either.

"You aren't eating very much, Veteran-san," Touka Satomi noted with amusement. "It's not poisoned, you know." As if to prove this, she lifted her teacup to her lips, and sipped loudly. "Mifuyu made this tea herself. You don't want to hurt her feelings, do you?"

Mifuyu said nothing.

After a moment, Yachiyo tried the tea. She knew at once that Touka had been truthful on both counts. Yachiyo would know Mifuyu's tea anywhere. And if they meant to kill or drug Yachiyo, there were easier ways to do it.

"Mifuyu says you've finally changed your mind about joining us," Touka went on. "Why is that?"

"Do you have a best friend, Satomi-san?" Yachiyo asked. "One you cherish above all others? Or, maybe it's an important subordinate, in your case." She glanced at Mifuyu.

Touka frowned. "I do have a best friend, and it's not Mifuyu. But Mifuyu is still a vital part of our organization, and we treat her as such. Which is the main reason you're sitting here, now, in relative comfort, instead of being interrogated somewhere far less cozy. But if this isn't to your liking, I can have someone whip up a Labyrinth that closely simulates a dungeon."

Yachiyo shook her head. "I was only trying to make a point. Mifuyu is a friend I cherish above all others. We have been apart for too long. I mean to destroy the distance between us. And this seems to be the only way that I can."

"So it isn't that you've chosen our way. It's that you no longer want to be separated from Mifuyu." Touka closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them. "I believe you. And your position is not an unfamiliar one. Many of our Feathers followed a friend into our ranks."

"So it doesn't matter to you that I'm not... a believer?" Yachiyo asked.

"Oh, it matters. But so long as your actions support Mifuyu, arrangements can be made. Even if you do absolutely nothing but sit in Mifuyu's home all day, waiting for her to return, that is far better than actively working against us. With that understanding, we welcome you to the Wings of the Magius."

"That's it?" Yachiyo asked. "I don't have to pass a test or anything?"

Touka smiled. "You already know how it feels, to have your most precious friend snatched away, Veteran-san. You haven't come all this way to repeat the experience."

Lying in bed that night, Yachiyo found she could only stare at the ceiling. Sleep wouldn't come. But because it wouldn't, she could tell that the same applied to Mifuyu.

Finally, Mifuyu rolled over and stared into Yachiyo's face. "You can't sleep, either?"

"You haven't asked me a single thing about my decision."

"What should I ask, Yacchan? In the end, we're together. Maybe not the way we imagined, but still."

"So we go from enemies to friends, and you don't even-"

"Was I your enemy? Is that how you truly thought of me? Even when you were angry. Even when you yelled at me. Never once did I feel that you thought of me that way. And if I'm honest, I never saw you that way, even though I should have."

Yachiyo closed her eyes. "We were still on different sides-"

"We were looking for different solutions to the same problem, Yacchan. So what if we didn't agree? I could never hate you. And I hope the feeling is mutual."

"Mifuyu, that-"

"I was jealous."

Yachiyo opened her eyes. "What?"

"When I saw you had made those new friends. Of course I was. I wasn't really worried that they would die. I just didn't want to accept that you could have replaced me. Or that you'd stopped looking for me."

"I never-!"

"I know," Mifuyu interrupted, placing a calming hand on Yachiyo's arm. "I know that, now. But why, now, did you choose me over them?"

"They weren't you," Yachiyo said simply.

Mifuyu smiled and moved closer, resting her head on Yachiyo's shoulder. "No one here was you, either, Yacchan."

When Mifuyu opened her eyes, she was not surprised to find two versions of Yachiyo standing before her. But, having been dealing in hallucinations for so long, she knew what she was seeing was not exactly reality. Still, it was real enough.

"So. Is it time, now?" she asked.

"Yes," said the Yachiyo with the mask-like face, drifting closer. "Are you ready?"

"First, will you tell me your name? I've always wanted to know, but I knew Yacchan would never tell me, if she knew at all."

"Campanella."

Mifuyu closed her eyes. "I see. Thank you."

"You aren't afraid of me? Of what happens now?"

"You forget that I have one of my own." Mifuyu placed her hands over her heart. "And because of my unique power, we are able to converse, somewhat. When I finally understood what she wanted, I knew, instinctively, what you must have wanted. I have been waiting for this fated day. And if this is what will make Yacchan strong enough to survive what comes next, what choice do I have? As her best friend, I must support her. And it doesn't hurt that, in a way, this grants my wish, too."

Campanella drifted even closer. "I see now why she treasures you so. And you know something, Mifuyu?"

"What is it?"

Campanella's smiling mouth opened impossibly wide, revealing endless rows of teeth. "You smell delicious."

Yachiyo woke up alone, in a bed soaked with blood. She could not summon the energy to scream.

The Amane twins appeared in the doorway a moment later, their faces frozen in horror.

As much as Yachiyo wanted to scream, tear at her hair, pound her fists, or run headfirst into a wall, she did none of these things. "She... left instructions for you two?" Yachiyo asked hoarsely, hoping that whatever was stuck in her throat, it was nothing that belonged to her late best friend.

Tsukasa nodded weakly. "We are... to follow your orders, as if they were hers."

Yachiyo closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. "Did... she say why...?"

"Your Doppel. She said this would prove that it wasn't responsible for the fates of your friends. Because after her, it would never be hungry again. She was your heart's treasure. The only full meal it could ever have. Now you are whole."

Yachiyo opened her mouth, intending to ask how she could ever be whole again. But she saw the pain in their eyes, and knew that they had treasured Mifuyu, too. And no matter what Mifuyu had said, they would never forgive Yachiyo. But out of respect for Mifuyu, they would do as she'd requested.

"Make preparations for a raid," Yachiyo said, slowly getting to her feet. "If we hurry, we can capture them while they're asleep."

"Who?" Tsukuyo asked.

"The residents of Mikazuki Villa. Once we have them, the rest will be easy."

The Amane twins had their doubts about Yachiyo being an effective replacement for Mifuyu, but were soon shown the error in that way of thinking. There were precious few Feathers who had not at least heard of Yachiyo, and while they might have doubted her loyalty, her power and knowledge could not be questioned. And in any case, with her first target being her former home, it would serve as an excellent test.

It was, by far, the smoothest invasion any of them had ever witnessed.

There was no need to break into Mikazuki Villa. Yachiyo simply used her key. She insisted that only the Amane twins and two Feathers accompany her. Any more than that, and they might be detected.

Once inside, Yachiyo pointed out any areas where the floors would creak. Then she lead the way to the first bedroom, where two girls were sleeping. Yachiyo entered alone, and merely touched the forehead of the nearest girl. The transformation was complete in seconds, and the girl opened her now magenta eyes, rose silently from the bed, and nodded to Yachiyo.

Yachiyo touched the second girl. There was no transformation, but the second girl began to shift uneasily in her sleep. She did not wake up, however, not even when she was hefted onto the shoulder of the first girl.

"Take Felicia outside, Tsuruno," Yachiyo ordered. "We'll join you shortly."

"Yes, Shishou." Tsuruno brushed past the Feathers, barely seeming to notice them at all.

"How did you-?" Tsukasa began to ask, but she was cut off by her sister.

"You should know already," Tsukuyo hissed. "That was Mifuyu's power."

"Be glad that it was," Yachiyo responded. "Or did you want to start a fight with the mightiest magical girl, and risk waking the others?"

Tsukuyo glared at her, but said nothing.

Yachiyo walked out of the bedroom, then stopped. She closed her eyes. "I know you're there, Sana. I can see through magical illusions, now. There's no point in hiding from me." To prove this, she took six steps to the right, and reached out, causing the supposed empty air there to squeak in fright. "Sana. Please."

After a moment, the air shimmered, and Sana came into view, staring at Yachiyo's hand on her wrist. "How can you-?"

"I don't have time to explain that right now. All you need to know is that if come along quietly, nobody will get hurt."

Sana stared into Yachiyo's eyes sadly. "But... you're with them now? Even after everything?"

"Later. I promise. And I haven't been brainwashed."

Sana hesitated, but glanced at the Feathers behind Yachiyo. "You promise that you won't hurt Iroha?"

Yachiyo nodded. "I swear. There won't be any need to."

"I want to believe you, since you didn't hurt Felicia. But I need to see for myself." Unsaid went the fact that Sana didn't include what Yachiyo had done to Tsuruno to be not harming her. But it didn't need to be said. Along with illusions, Yachiyo was now much better at hearing what people didn't say, and what ideas lived behind their eyes. And she knew it would be a long time before Sana trusted her again. But Yachiyo intended to keep her word, all the same.

"That's fine." Yachiyo saw the Amane twins began to protest. "I'm the one who will be held responsible for any mistakes. And if I am, I doubt you'll ever have to take orders from me again."

The twins looked defiant, but neither one said a word.

Yachiyo released Sana's wrist and instead took her hand. It was a small thing, but she could tell immediately that Sana appreciated the difference. They proceeded quietly to Iroha's room. And though Yachiyo knew from experience that Iroha tended to be a heavy sleeper, when she opened the door, Iroha was sitting on the bed, waiting for them.

Iroha said nothing. Her gaze went briefly to Yachiyo, then Sana, then their joined hands, and then the Feathers behind them. Silently, she stood and approached them. After a few seconds of hesitation, she took Sana's free hand.

That was when it happened. Iroha's eyes widened, and she whipped her head toward Yachiyo. The horror in her eyes faded to extreme disappointment.

Yachiyo knew then that she didn't need to say anything. Iroha knew, and the how didn't matter. She knew Mifuyu was dead, and more than likely, how Mifuyu had died. But all that mattered to Yachiyo, in that moment, was that the fight had gone out of Iroha, and she came along with even less resistance than Sana had.

Yachiyo reassessed all that she knew as she prepared for bed that evening.

She didn't know if the Magius would approve of her plans for the residents of Mikazuki Villa, but she hoped there would not be much resistance. The Magius could have killed them, or forced them to turn into Witches, at various points, but hadn't. Yachiyo had to believe that meant something. She was still wary of Alina Gray, but even that girl, insane as she clearly was, hadn't come after them a second time. Either Alina had lost interest in them, or someone like Mami Tomoe had continued to talk or force her down. Infuriating as Touka was, she was the only Magius that Yachiyo felt even remotely comfortable dealing with. There had still been no contact with the last one, Nemu, if Yachiyo's information was accurate. It was hard to imagine Nemu being worse than Alina, anyway.

The Amane twins were still a concern, as the revelation during the mission had only made them more wary of Yachiyo. Perhaps it would have been better, before the mission, to have given them a firmer idea of how Yachiyo had changed. Mifuyu would have done it, and Yachiyo needed to keep such things in mind, especially now, when Mifuyu's people were all watching her closely. Yachiyo could only hope that she'd made a better impression on the other Feathers so far.

The Mikazuki girls were being held together, with the exception of Tsuruno, who was acting as their guard. Yachiyo had only concerned herself with not having to fight Tsuruno, but she knew that the illusion would require constant revision. For the time being, Tsuruno would see both Yachiyo and the Uwasa of Chelation Land as the same entity, but that could not last.

There was still so much to do. But the only thing she no longer had to do, was the one thing she wished she could: search for Mifuyu.

Yachiyo slowed her breathing and lightly touched her Soul Gem. She had already learned from Mifuyu that placing hallucinations on herself was a bad idea for several reasons. But it was different, now: the risks were not as great for Yachiyo, as she was. And, of course, Mifuyu's Doppel had a great deal of resistance, but naturally Mifuyu hadn't dared to depend on that type of power. But Yachiyo had no choice: illusions were the only way she could both communicate with Mifuyu's soul within her, and monitor the condition of each of the Doppels she now contained. At first, she hadn't understood why the two Doppels hadn't fused. But now, she had a theory.

Doppels reflected a deep, dark desire in their owners. Yachiyo's had been to find Mifuyu, and Mifuyu's, despite what she said, had been to be found. But it was more than that. Mifuyu had been Yachiyo's most precious friend, the one Yachiyo would have traded anything to save. Campanella had known that, and used it against her.

"I'll help you find Mifuyu. I don't want her to stay lost, either. All you need to do is join the Wings of the Magius."

But that wasn't the whole truth. Campanella had needed to fill the hole in her - no, in their hearts. But the way Doppels did that, or at least, the way Campanella did, was to devour the one thing that could fill that hole. And as much as Yachiyo hated Campanella for that betrayal, she now understood things so much better. Things Mifuyu had never, would never have told her, were so obvious now, because there were no longer any secrets between them. But the price... it was still too great, and always would be.

Yachiyo was jarred awake by the unfamiliar feeling of someone tearing open her nightgown. She stared up into the mad eyes of Alina Grey, but the first emotion that came over her was not alarm, but resignation.

"I must paint you," Alina whispered, panting softly.

Yachiyo blinked. "I see."

Without a word, Alina turned to set up an easel next to the bed. And then, just as she'd said, she painted. It took nearly an hour, and at no point was Yachiyo allowed to see Alina's work, but Alina was giggling happily when she left. All it had really cost Yachiyo was an hour's sleep, one nightgown, and a bit of shame. But despite appearances to the contrary, she did not believe that Alina's interest was in any way sexual, although if it had been, that would have been less surprising. And, too, if that was a way in which she could have manipulated Alina, Yachiyo would have had to consider it.

No, this was because of Mifuyu, or rather, because of what had happened to Mifuyu. Alina's fascination with life and death... Yachiyo really should have expected something like this. And modelling was not so different, but at least there, the ogling was more subtle.

The following morning, Yachiyo was summoned by the Magius. She was surprised that all three were present, this time. They had tea and cake again.

Nemu Hiiragi struck Yachiyo as being odd, but still more normal than the other two. Unfortunately, they did not seem to reach any common ground. It looked like Yachiyo would have to rely on Touka, and even Alina, for any sort of stability within the organization.

The Magius were oddly cordial. They praised her handling of the Mikazuki invasion, although Touka did nitpick here and there, but never stopped smiling, so she couldn't have been too upset. They also were content to leave Tsuruno to Yachiyo, for the moment. But Nemu did mention she had other Uwasa who might be able to better relate to Tsuruno as she was now, if needed. In fact, Nemu seemed to not be a fan of Yachiyo handling Tsuruno at all, but was apparently outvoted. And, curiously, Nemu seemed more than willing to fight with Alina, but backed down once Touka sided with Alina. That seemed odd to Yachiyo: she got the strong impression that Touka and Nemu were extremely close, and fought often. And, biased as Yachiyo probably was, she thought Nemu's pride in her own creations was the true issue, and that the other two had seen that clearly.

At the end, it was hard to say what bothered Yachiyo worst: Nemu being firmly against her, Touka insisting on now calling her "Double Veteran-san", or Alina practically drooling every time she met Yachiyo's gaze.

But the worst was yet to come.

Alina cornered Yachiyo after the meeting and whispered throatily, "I have a surprise for you."

Yachiyo thought they were going somewhere, but instead, Alina merely opened her cupped hands, revealing one of her green cubes. A feeling of dread began to build in Yachiyo's throat as she tried to find words.

"An old comrade, to replace the one you lost," Alina giggled, handing the cube to Yachiyo. "It doesn't matter what you do with her now, she's more than served her purpose."

The sickly-sweet odor in the Labyrinth was overpowering. Incense, and something else. A neon green mold lined the mirrored walls, providing both lighting and proof that cleaning had never been a concern. But the smell wasn't coming from the mold. It would have been easier, if it was.

The wall to wall veil helped, but it was mostly transparent, and even if it hadn't been, Yachiyo would have known the body behind it anywhere.

"Oh, Mel," she whispered sadly.

"Nostalgic," hissed an awful parody of a voice that still haunted Yachiyo's nightmares. "I haven't heard that name in so long."

Yachiyo swallowed hard. "You aren't Mel. You're the Witch."

"That is accurate. Greetings, Nanami-san. I suppose you will not be surprised to hear that I was expecting you."

Yachiyo glanced at the tarot cards, which the corpse was ceaselessly turning and shifting. "Right. You have no reason to be careful, now. Witches... don't do that sort of thing."

"Untrue. At least, in my case. I have been extremely careful. While the nature of my power has not changed much, my understanding of it, and how best to use it, has. As I said, I have been waiting for this day. It is not a coincidence that I am now in your possession. I foresaw this."

Yachiyo frowned. "Can you prove that?"

"Perhaps not in a way that you would accept, but please consider: the last time you saw me, I was a lone Witch. Now I have been handed to you by one of the Magius. Do you find that so likely a circumstance?"

"No," Yachiyo admitted. "How did you manage that?"

"I am an uncommon Witch. I see opportunities where others would see nothing at all." The corpse paused, and put down the tarot cards for the first time. "This body. A Witch would normally discard her previous form and never look back. Why do you think I kept mine?"

"Nostalgia?" Yachiyo guessed, even though she knew that had to be wrong.

"Nothing so sentimental. I cannot give predictions if I cannot communicate successfully. That has been vital to my survial. Alina Grey is the most tempermental and war-like of the Magius, and yet the only one who would protect me. Placing myself in her path was a calculated risk, and had I not been able to communicate effectively, she would have either destroyed me on the spot, or fed me to a more powerful Witch. It was the only way."

"To do what?"

"To reunite with you, Nanami-san. You, too, will play a role in my survival."

"You think I would help you?" Yachiyo demanded.

"What I know is that I can be useful to you, especially now. You, being a new recruit, require information. I, having been under Alina's care for some time, have that information. I am not opposed to giving it you. I require only two things as payment."

"Why should I trust you?"

"I will only make predictions upon request, on topics and targets that you approve. Also, I will pre-warn you of any actions that may result in mortal peril for you and your comrades."

Yachiyo's eyes narrowed. "How would you know we were in danger, unless-"

"I cannot undo predictions I have already made. All I can do is warn you of their content."

"What do you want in return?"

"First: combat is not my specialty, and this cube limits my battle power even further. But I accept that concealing my presence is, in itself, a worthwhile investment. Still, that only works if my owner conceals the cube. That includes telling no one else about me."

"Fair enough," Yachiyo agreed. "I don't think I want the others to know about you, anyway."

"Second: I understand that you may have some attachment to this body, but I require it. I will not allow you to dispose of it simply to satisfy human traditions."

In truth, the thought had not even crossed Yachiyo's mind. Whatever had been done to the body was preserving it fairly well, the smell aside. That would surely end if the Witch were removed. And, deep down, Yachiyo feared that if given the chance, Mel might have preferred an existence, even this one, where she could bask in her predictions. And so far, she had not harmed any of her former comrades. That counted for something, especially with Yachiyo. Especially now.

"This won't be a comfortable arrangement for either of us, will it?" Yachiyo asked.

"Debatable. You have far more reason to destroy me, but you are far less likely to. All things considered, I prefer you to Alina already. But in the interest of establishing trust, allow me to give you a warning. You must never attempt to kill Iroha Tamaki, Touka Satomi, Nemu Hiiragi, or Eve. To do so would invite an unavoidable fate that you would not survive."

Yachiyo laughed bitterly. "I take it that Alina is fair game, then?"

"That would fall under the category of warning you against actions that would likely result in mortal peril. But if you were adequately prepared, I would only advise you to never underestimate her."

Yachiyo decided to take the hint. Although, she couldn't help wondering what was so special about those specific four. But a few moments later, the truth hit her in the face like a slap. Iroha had only talked about those memories at every opportunity. It was so obvious, though only now, when a second entity that had no reason to prioritize such a life, inexplicably did. Ai had warned them, just in no way they had understood at the time.

And Yachiyo never would have known, she realized, if not for this Witch that had stolen Mel's future.

Why was she again cursed with a disgusting power she needed, at the cost of a precious friend?

The Amane twins sat close together, not quite clutching each other, but Yachiyo wouldn't have blamed them if they had. No matter what instructions Mifuyu had left them, working under the one responsible for her death could not have been easy.

"You deserve the truth," Yachiyo said. "Because you loved Mifuyu, too."

They didn't speak, but the color in their cheeks was answer enough.

"You seem to have no trouble depending on your Doppels. But it's different for the rest of us."

Tsukasa glared. "If you had listened any of the times Mifuyu invited you, your Doppel would-!"

"No, it wouldn't. You are twins. Each of your Doppels is essentially a half, but they have easy access to each other. They have no reason to betray you, they have what they want. Campanella is different, but not. She did not have what she wanted, because I did not have what I wanted. And we wanted the same thing: Mifuyu. But where I only wanted Mifuyu back in my life, Campanella wanted to devour her, to be whole. All I knew was that one day, Campanella promised to help me get Mifuyu back. She didn't say how, and I didn't care how. But anything... tasteless I would have had to do, suddenly became easier to stomach. I suspect that was how she helped me. I didn't realize then what her intentions were. I don't know how it is that you people are able to rely on your Doppels, but it wouldn't have changed anything: this has always been Campanella's desire. If I had known that before, I would have done everything in my power to stay away from Mifuyu, to keep her safe from me."

Tsukasa shook her head. "You might not be lying, but you could easily be mistaken. You clearly don't like your Doppel at all."

Yachiyo frowned. "If your Doppel ate Tsukuyo, would you still feel the same about it? Could you really still accept it?"

"There's no way," Tsukuyo said at once, before her sister could answer.

"That it could happen? Or do you mean that I'm right?"

"Both," Tsukuyo said uneasily after a long moment. "It wouldn't happen. But if it did, she would never-"

"Never dare to call on it again. Which is what I've decided with Campanella. I can't forgive that betrayal. She doesn't even see what she did as wrong. According to her, she never lied: she helped me find Mifuyu. But she never said what would happen after that. Can you blame me for my decision to never trust her again? I've lost too much already. Can't you understand that?"

The twins looked at each other.

"Mifuyu... talked about you often," Tsukuyo murmured. "She had to, since you and your friends kept getting in the way. But even when she should have been frustrated, it was easy to see that she was still fond of you. I don't think that would be possible, if you were the type of person to lie for no good reason. But what you're saying, it's... not easy to accept."

"Why should we believe you?" Tsukasa demanded abruptly.

"You know I have Mifuyu's power to produce illusions. But you worked closely with her. If anyone else could see through a falsehood created with that power, it should be you two."

"If you're going to show us a fake Mifuyu-" Tsukasa snarled.

"If I did, it would be just as authentic as, and no worse than, that shrine Uwasa that Nemu created to fool me," Yachiyo snapped. She paused, forcing herself to calm down. "But no, that's not what I was going to do. I won't show you Mifuyu. I'll show you her Doppel. Mine, now."

"You can't-" Tsukuyo began to say.

"It is already done."

The twins stared.

Though it had been Yachiyo's voice, it hadn't come from her mouth. The voice had come from the Doppel now hovering over the three of them. It was unmistakably Mifuyu's, but with one notable difference: where before Mifuyu's body would have been visible, there was now only a black outline of a body. And even more importantly, the Doppel was in no way connected to Yachiyo visibly. There was, however, now a white sash wrapped around Yachiyo's mouth.

"I am sorry. But Mifuyu knew if she had shared my desire with anyone, they would have tried to intervene."

"You can't have wanted to be eaten!" Tsukasa cried.

"What I wanted was for Mifuyu's suffering to end, and to support her most loved one with my power. I know it causes you pain to hear, but Mifuyu's death accomplished that. Because you two were dear to her as well, I asked Yachiyo to lend me her voice this one time. I wanted to explain myself. If you cannot forgive us, I will ask no more of you. But if your love is greater than your hate, then please stay with us. See Mifuyu's dream through to the end. And if you truly feel that Yachiyo has betrayed Mifuyu's ideals at any point, then do what you feel you must. As for me, I have made my choice."

Tsuruno was standing stiffly outside the cell when Yachiyo arrived. This just felt so wrong that Yachiyo immediately touched Tsuruno's shoulder.

"Shishou," Tsuruno murmured, nodding slightly.

"I need to talk to them. It may take a while."

Tsuruno placed her hand on the cell door and closed her eyes.

Yachiyo realized that Tsuruno was communicating with whatever Uwasa controlled the cell.

After a few seconds, the cell door swung open, and Yachiyo stepped inside.

For a cell, it wasn't bad. There were beds, a small refrigerator, a TV, and what looked like a closet that probably contained a toilet. Iroha and Sana were seated on one bed, while Felicia was asleep on another.

Yachiyo raised a hand as Iroha opened her mouth to speak. "I will make this as simple as I can. I have joined the Wings of the Magius. Currently, they have no plans to harm any of you. But I strongly suggest that you make yourselves valuable to them, so that they have no reason to change their minds."

"So we have to become like Tsuruno?" Iroha asked.

"Not necessarily. In your case, you may only need to learn to use your Doppel. I can help with that."

"Because you have Mifuyu's power now," Iroha said, staring at her.

"Yes," Yachiyo admitted. "But I don't want to talk about that right now."

"What did you do to Felicia?" Iroha asked. "She won't wake up, and keeps groaning."

"I trapped her in a nightmare. I didn't want to have to fight her."

"That's horrible!" Iroha cried.

"Can you guarantee that she won't attack the second I release her? Did you not hear what I just said about giving the Magius no reason to consider you expendable? If you want to help her, get strong enough to restrain her on your own."

"That will take time!" Iroha protested. "Felicia is suffering right now! I won't let you leave her this way!"

"Then stop me," Yachiyo invited. "I was simply going to use Mifuyu's power to help you all communicate with your Doppels. But maybe it would be better to force you under battle conditions. I won't try to kill you, of course, but I won't go easy on you. And you shouldn't even expect that much from anyone else around here, so consider yourselves lucky."

Much to Yachiyo's surprise, the Witch kept her word. At least, as far as Yachiyo knew.

They did not speak often, due to Yachiyo's preference and the Witch's need to stay hidden. It went without saying that they would only speak on urgent matters. Normally, this would be signalled by the cube pulsing rapidly, something that only Yachiyo could sense, even if she did not have the cube on her person at the time. That was only possible because the Witch had attuned the cube to Yachiyo's specific magical signature, which was brilliant, but had been done without permission. There was no room for anger: the Witch needed to be able to warn her ahead of time, and at a moment's notice. Getting vital information too late was no different from never getting it at all.

When the Witch appeared in Yachiyo's dreams, for the first and only time, there was no mistaking the importance of the interruption. It was an ability the Witch had never revealed, for one thing, so it meant that she was making herself vulnerable in the process.

"Nanami-san. There will be a meeting in three days," the Witch stated calmly. "You will be tasked with handling an impossible opponent. You must not refuse the order."

"If I do-" Yachiyo began.

"Death."

There was little point in asking, the Witch only ever gave that answer if it involved Yachiyo, or someone Yachiyo cared for.

"How is this opponent impossible?" Yachiyo asked.

"You cannot possibly defeat her."

That was actually helpful. "Female, then. Can anyone else-?"

"Iroha is the only one. And even she cannot win. But she will not lose."

Yachiyo was far less confident now. "Iroha has improved in the past few weeks, but she is far from the first person I would ask to fight someone I can't handle."

"You must convince her to fight. I will say no more."

"We have a big problem," Touka stated. For once, she was not smiling.

Nemu was glaring across the table at Iroha. Yachiyo had offered no explanation for this, and since Iroha was considered her subordinate, and Yachiyo had been asked to come alone, it was very strange, and bordering on disrespectful. Touka was no fan of Iroha, either, but at the moment, she was focused on bigger issues.

Yachiyo nodded. "I heard the rumors from the Feathers. Mami Tomoe fell in battle."

Touka scowled. "That's not what happened. If it were only that, we could work around it. Powerful as she was, Mami was also completely expendable. But she's not dead. She's on the other side."

Yachiyo blinked. "You mean, she's half-dead?"

"I mean she's back with those nonsensical girls who think they're doing the right thing by fighting us!" Touka snapped.

"Maybe you should take me through exactly what did happen, then," Yachiyo suggested.

"The Uwasa," Nemu said softly. "It had completely closed off Mami's heart. As it was supposed to. But then, Mami faced a certain magical girl who had trained under her. And this girl was able to break the Uwasa's hold, and open Mami's heart again. But instead of that forcing the Uwasa to separate from Mami, something impossible happened. The Uwasa was... swallowed up by the depths of Mami's heart. It is still attached to her, but now it, and she, fight for the other side. All because of this troublesome magical girl."

Though she already knew the answer, Yachiyo still asked. "Has this ever happened before?"

"No. Even with Tsuruno, a total shift in the way she thinks is necessary to activate the transformation. And the Uwasa is only present after the shift. No one has ever managed what Mami has done, via this girl."

"Did someone actually see this happen?" Iroha asked abruptly.

Nemu glared at her. "Why?"

"I've met some girls who trained under Mami. I might be able to identify this one. If I can, I might even know what her wish was."

Touka and Nemu glanced at each other.

Iroha shook her head impatiently. "Was she blue? Or pink? Or-"

"Pink," Touka murmured.

"Madoka," Iroha said at once. "You're in trouble, then."

"Why do you say that?" Touka asked.

"Her wish. It was to open lost hearts."

Touka's eyes grew wide. "What?!"

"She told me that she wanted the power to defeat any Witch. But more than that, she wanted to stop Witches from ever being born."

"This is terrible," Nemu groaned. "We can't let her near any Witch, or anyone who has an Uwasa attached."

"She really is impossible," Yachiyo sighed.

"No, she's very possible, and she's ruining everything!" Touka grumbled.

"She probably thinks the same about the Magius," Iroha pointed out. "I'm only cooperating with you because more people would be dying if I didn't."

"Could you talk her down?" Yachiyo asked, clearly startling Touka and Nemu.

Iroha frowned. "Maybe. She'd never trust the Magius, after what they did to Mami. But if I can convince her that it's for the greater good, she might at least stay out of our way. I'm probably the only one here she might still trust."

Touka seemed distinctly uncomfortable. "If you could do that," she said reluctantly, "I would not be entirely opposed to hearing more about your sister."

Iroha's eyes lit up. "Really, Touka-chan? You mean it?"

Nemu was not too subtly sending Touka every universally understood gesture for 'no' without actually saying the word, but Touka ignored her, with some effort.

"Yes," Touka murmured. "I mean it."

If not for the fact that Iroha had tried it several times already, no one would have been prepared when she leaped from her seat, ran around the table, and hugged Touka. Only this time, Touka actually allowed it, and shooed Nemu away when she rose from her seat to protest. Yachiyo had told them all along that not completely dismissing Iroha's questionable memories was the best way for them to control her, but only Touka had been willing to invest any effort into the idea, and only sparingly.

Yachiyo was more than a little annoyed, but she had to admit that the Witch had been entirely right.

Iroha never had any hope of defeating Madoka, despite the fact that Madoka had insisted on facing her alone. And for her part, Iroha had been more focused on talking than fighting. But it wouldn't have mattered either way.

Madoka's arrows didn't miss, even when they should have. It was as if the gods willed them to hit their targets perfectly. She only aimed to incapacitate, which was the main reason Iroha hadn't been killed by the first strike. Madoka hadn't been swayed by Iroha's words. Not enough to give up, anyway. But Madoka had always understood that Iroha wasn't her true enemy. That was why she'd made her wish, after all. Anyone Madoka's wish couldn't target, was not her enemy. Iroha's heart was far too open to be lost. Madoka even admired that.

With Iroha unable to fight, Madoka had intended to capture her, or at least, to keep her out of harm's way for a while. But the second Madoka touched Iroha, the ground shook, and Madoka's face went pale.

Nobody had a convincing explanation for it. But no one could deny it had happened, either.

Despite being in an entirely different location, and not yet near enough to completion, Eve had moved. And she didn't stop moving until she was crashing into the ground several yards from Madoka and Iroha.

Iroha had at least seen Eve before, but the sight, and depth of the surrounding impurities, had always made her feel violently ill. She also knew that Eve was not supposed to be capable of movement. Not yet, anyway. Eve's motivation became clear, as her familiars flooded the area. Several picked up Iroha and flew her to safety, while the others aggressively crowded Madoka, until Mami arrived to help her mow them down.

Iroha was left confused, and disturbed, by the fact that Eve had moved solely to save her.

Madoka, on the other hand, was horrified and saddened by what she had seen in Eve's heart, and hoped that Iroha was strong enough to bear it.

"Alina told me your name. Why didn't you?"

"I wasn't aware you thought of me as someone deserving of a name, Nanami-san. Anyway, it's what Alina decided to call me. I never protested, but I've never truly thought of it as my name. It's merely one of many labels to distinguish Witches from each other."

"I see. I was trying to thank you for your warning, by offering to call you by your name. But it seems like you don't care either way."

"I do not. The sentiment is appreciated, all the same. But I assume there is another reason you are here."

"You advised me not to tell Iroha the truth about Eve. I haven't, but the bond between them is becoming impossible to ignore, and her disgust for Eve is making that hard for her to accept."

"You cannot be the one to tell Iroha. She will resent you. The one who tells her will inspire no anger in her."

"That's impossible."

"As impossible as Eve moving before she was supposed to?"

"Point taken."

There was no point in trying to relocate Eve back underground. She had not yet mastered flight, so it would have been terribly easy for anyone to follow her, what with all the crashing. And once she was exposed, hiding her again would have been nearly impossible, and a huge waste of energy, which could not be spared at the moment. And it was not like anything that most magical girls could do, would actually harm Eve. So while leaving her out in the open might have seemed incredibly irresponsible, there really wasn't much choice. And Eve displayed no desire to move again, now that Iroha was safe. But Iroha could no longer go anywhere without a few of Eve's familiars gliding along behind her.

This was no longer something that Iroha could put out of her mind. And since the familiars were following her, anyway, it was not difficult to convince them to carry her, Sana, and Yachiyo.

The first time that Iroha and Sana had arrived in that place that no one else should have known about, Touka and Nemu had been more furious than confused. But when the Uwasa of the Eternal Sakura emerged to protect Iroha, and backed up her story, it had not been practical to dismiss Iroha's claims. Nemu certainly didn't want to admit that her creation could be flawed, and it was not as if the Uwasa was defying her in any other way. Iroha and Sana had continued to visit the Uwasa, both because of the peaceful surroundings, and because of her similarity to Ai. And perhaps it was that, and Ai's final message, that had finally convinced Iroha that there was more to the story, and that it had been right before her eyes the whole time.

As had become her habit, the Uwasa appeared as they approached the tree.

"Please, Sakura-san," Iroha pleaded. "Tell me the truth. Is Eve... really Ui?"

The Uwasa stared into Iroha's eyes. "My answer would depend on whether you make any distinction between a Witch, and her former life as a magical girl."

Iroha's eyes widened, and then she fainted. Sana thankfully managed to catch her.

Yachiyo stared at the Uwasa. "I have repeatedly heard Eve referred to as a Half-Witch. Her transformation is not yet complete. Does that mean there is still a chance to restore Ui?"

"I can only state my opinion as an Uwasa. If Ui did not still exist, there would be no possible way to fulfill my purpose. I would either cease to exist, or my creator would have unmade me to conserve expended lifeforce. I can only assume that Ui, at least, in a form that my creator would recognize as still living, continues to exist."

"But that would end if Eve completes her transformation?"

"A magical girl discards her humanity to become a Witch. I believe this is considered the same as physical death. If that were to happen to Ui, I could not consider her Ui anymore. There would only be Eve. Whatever lingering feelings allow her to respond favorably to Iroha's presence, would vanish. That, more than anything else, I think, would end her existence as Ui."

Yachiyo nodded. "Thank you. This information is vital to us."

The Uwasa blinked. "Is it? I wasn't sure. The people I was created for, have all changed so very drastically. Humans really are confusing to me. I suppose that is also what makes them so very fascinating, as well. Ai thought so, too."

Yachiyo dropped the pendants in a pile on the floor. "Smash them, Felicia."

Without hesitation, Felicia brought her hammer down, reducing the pendants to glittering dust.

Iroha watched in clear annoyance. "I've had enough! You've obviously been hiding something from us, and I want to know what it is!"

"We can deal with that at the appropriate time," Yachiyo replied, "but first I need to know: how many other girls got those pendants?"

"All of them," Sana answered. "Everyone at the meeting, anyway. Everyone but the Magius."

"I'm too late," Yachiyo whispered, then shook her head. "The Amane twins, too, Sana?"

Sana nodded.

Yachiyo closed her eyes. "Fine. There's no point in hiding this any longer, because you might not agree to do what I ask next, unless you know why I'm asking."

"Is this about what happened to Mifuyu?" Iroha demanded. "It is, isn't it?"

"Why are you bringing that up now?" Felicia asked.

Yachiyo sighed. "No, she's right, Felicia. The reason I refuse to trust Campanella anymore was because she ate Mifuyu. That's how I gained Mifuyu's power."

Sana's face turned a shade of green that matched her hair perfectly. Felicia looked horrified, but Iroha didn't seem that surprised. She'd only gotten confirmation of what she'd long suspected, Yachiyo knew.

"I already told this to the Amane twins, because I felt I owed it to them. They idolized Mifuyu, and she had somewhat warned them that this would happen. I don't think they ever forgave me, nor should they, but I'm sure they stayed to guide the Feathers as Mifuyu would have. But now they're out there with the other Feathers, attacking any magical girl they come across because these pendants are forcing them to. And if we don't act now, many people will die."

"So you're asking us to save the Amane twins, because you feel guilty-" Iroha began.

"Yes. But also because, in their right minds, they may still have the power and influence to reach all of the Feathers at once. I need you to save them. And as for why I can't do it myself: you were right, Iroha. I've been hiding something. I have an informant. Someone who has observed the Magius for longer than we've been with them, has saved our lives without any of you ever realizing it, and also told me about the pendants. That informant is no longer safe here. I need to get them out of Kamihama before things get even worse. It's the only way I can repay them."

"Is this informant a magical girl?" Iroha asked.

"No. And I would do this even if they were. Right now, what they know puts them at risk. But if they were exposed or captured, what they know would put everyone at risk."

Iroha frowned. "And you won't tell us who this person is."

"Knowing that would only create unnessecary problems, and we have enough to deal with right now as it is."

Iroha started to speak, but Sana gently touched her arm.

"Yachiyo-san, I understand the need to hide an informant, but was it necessary to hide them from us?"

"Yes, Sana. I know how this will sound coming from me, but the Magius have several ways of manipulating people. The issue isn't whether you are trustworthy. It's how much pressure the Magius would apply before you reached your breaking point. You've already seen what they did to the Feathers. Can you really not see why I had to do this? Anyway, you wouldn't believe me, if I told you who they were."

"Try it," Iroha snapped. "For once, be perfectly honest."

Yachiyo paused. "My informant is a Witch, and she can't stay here because two of the most powerful Witches in known history are going to fight in Kamihama, and any lesser Witch is going to be devoured to increase their power. So the less Witches there are when that fight starts, the better off everyone will be. None of which will matter if the Feathers slaughter so many magical girls that no one is left to fight the Witches."

Felicia was the first to speak. "Look, I get why you can't tell us the truth, but if your lies are gonna be that lousy, maybe you shouldn't say anything."

Iroha stared at her in shock. "But, she was-!"

"Whatever. We gotta go save the flute sisters, right? No point wasting time here." Felicia turned and left the room, eventually followed by Sana, who threw a nervous glance at Yachiyo over her shoulder.

"You really trusted a Witch?" Iroha finally asked.

"Not until she told me things that I wouldn't have found out otherwise. And by then, it would have been too late."

"Things like what?"

"Her not being here increases our chances of saving Ui."

Iroha's eyes widened. "What-?"

"Eve is the other Witch in that story. And she only becomes a full Witch if we fail to save Ui. You may not trust me, but I won't sacrifice Ui. If for no other reason than saving her might be our best or only way to defeat Eve. So if you won't help Felicia and Sana, then at least keep an eye on Eve."

Ultimately, it was a good thing that Yachiyo had told Iroha the truth, because the fastest way to reach the outskirts of Kamihama was to fly there. And the only thing willing to do it was one of Eve's familiars, and only then because Iroha convinced it to. Yachiyo strongly suspected that the closer Eve got to completion, the less cooperative the familiars would be with Iroha, so Yachiyo fully expected that the familiar might simply dump her off mid-flight, or worse, attack her as she fell.

The trip was made without issue, although the moment that Yachiyo climbed off the familiar's back, it immediately flew away, as she had feared it would. She had a plan for getting back, but it would take longer: Yachiyo would have no problem controlling the Sugar Geese of Hevelius, but Eve's familiars could move through the impurity-rich air faster. It was either a difference in composition, purity, or motivation. Touka could probably say for sure.

Yachiyo pulled out the cube and released the Witch. The sudden change in scenery clearly startled her.

"Nanami-san. What is this?"

"As far as I can tell, you kept your word. But I can't keep you safe anymore. I could die, and I don't think the others will protect you in my place. So I'm letting you go. You can take your chances here, or escape the city. You already know what's coming."

"I see." The Witch stared at her. "Would you care for one last reading?"

"No. I dare not risk it. If you want to do something for me, keep protecting Mel's body. You may not be moved by nostalgia, but I am."

"I may not have been entirely honest when I said that. I am an uncommon Witch, after all."

"So I've learned." Yachiyo turned away and summoned Hevelius. "Goodbye, Etteilla."

"Farewell, Nanami-san."

The Witch stood there for a few moments after Yachiyo flew away, then stepped out of the city, and into the waiting column of light.

"This doesn't have to be the end, you know," said the voice. "It could be a new beginning for you."

"But I would have to end my existence as a Witch. I'm right about that much, aren't I?"

"Whether that is a bad thing depends on your perspective. Unless you think it's better to become food."

"You could always let me go."

"I don't think I could. Uncommon you may be, but in the end, you are still a Witch. If you didn't want to deal with me, you would have stayed in the city. You knew I couldn't enter it."

"I strongly suspected. And it's true I have no desire to be eaten by them. So I can only hope being eaten by you won't be as painful."

"Change can be painful. But pain, you can learn from. There are no lessons for the dead." A hand in a white glove was extended. "Take my hand when you're ready."

Anyone else might have only seen that: a hand. But to the Witch, whose eyes were skilled at seeing numerous possibilities, it was hand of infinite futures. She took it without hesitation. The light dimmed, allowing her to see the face of the hand's owner for the first time, and she smiled. "Ah. So that explains it. This was the correct choice."

"Why do you say that?"

"It's not that you're impossible. It's that you are too possible. But if you could be anywhere except this city, then it is surely doomed. At least, every magical girl in it is."

"Not necessarily. If the person maintaining the barrier is defeated in time-"

"She won't be. I've already seen how this ends. Nanami-san really should have accepted that last reading. But you knew that. Just like you knew where to find me. And-"

"This isn't the best time for us to talk."

"Of course. I'm keeping you from your work. You have important things to witness. And I suppose I'd better get used to being called by my old name again."

When things began to go truly wrong, they did so in a hurry.

From the moment that Ui first opened her eyes, Yachiyo sensed a... wrongness in them. But she said nothing, because Ui was finally free, and Iroha wouldn't have listened, anyway, so lost in her joy.

Yet when Eve's eyes, now wide open, locked on Ui, and never moved away, it was clear: they were still connected by a single fate. So far, that did not make Ui a threat to them, but if she were returned to her former spot on Eve's chest, that would be entirely different. And both Ui and Eve sensed that, instinctively.

Alina controlling Eve only made a bad situation worse. Eve's directive changed: from mindlessly devouring energy, to setting in motion events that would produce the greatest amount of energy. At first, this meant firing on targets that would cause enormous explosions. But, without warning, Eve changed tactics again, although they should have been expecting it all along.

The eye lasers swept abruptly from a burning building, and centered on Kaede, who had no time to cry out as she was burned alive. For the fleeting few seconds that she remained alive, anyway.

Momoko shrieked in rage as she began to charge, but was knocked aside by an overwhelming blast. By the time she realized it had come from behind her, the resulting abomination was already towering over them. But Momoko could only see Rena's lifeless body, and not the Witch she had just become. And then the despair became too much, and Momoko was lost as well.

Eve drank in the energy from the double Witch transformations greedily, which only increased her desire for more. The eye lasers swept again, this time focusing on Sana, who lasted seconds longer than Kaede, but suffered the same tragic fate.

Screaming in outrage, Felicia launched herself at Eve, and delivered a massive blow with her hammer, rocking Eve's head to the side. It was the most damage any one magical girl had ever done to Eve. And if Felicia had been able to do it three, maybe four more times, she would have surely split Eve's head wide open. But the blow had only been so powerful because Felicia was halfway between transformation herself: black smoke was pouring from her eyes, and the sounds spilling out of her mouth were not recognizable as human speech. The only thing holding Felicia together was her will, and that would only last so long.

Yachiyo was stunned, unable to understand why the girls were turning into Witches, instead of releasing Doppels. Nothing was different.

Nothing except Ui no longer being trapped within Eve. Yachiyo didn't want to believe it, but she watched as the black smoke leaking from Felicia's eyes thickened. And, just for an instant, the smoke tried to change direction. Toward Ui. But instead, it circled around Felicia.

Was this it? Was this the final prediction that had been offered to Yachiyo, before she parted ways with Etteilla? There was no way to be sure. But Yachiyo knew there was something Ui either didn't know, or hadn't told them. And whatever it was, it was dangerous.

As if she had sensed the direction of Yachiyo's thoughts, Ui turned to her, and spoke two words.

"Her next."

Then Eve's eye lasers swept again, and the surviving girls could only watch in horror.

It was Mikazuki Villa, but it wasn't, Yachiyo knew. It had all the familiar comforts, however, and more importantly, it had-

"Here's your tea, Nanami-senpai," Mel said brightly, placing a steaming mug in front of her.

Yachiyo could not help following Mel's movement with her eyes. "Thank you." She could tell the difference immediately. There was a certain way that the Witch had moved the body that implied an amount of unfamiliarity with doing so. It was unnatural, even forced, to a degree. Only the hand movements had seemed even close to being crisp and practiced, for obvious reasons.

"I was told we should get started without her, she might be a while," Mel commented.

"And she would be?" Yachiyo asked warily. Inwardly, she was praying that the answer wasn't the Witch.

There was no negative tension in Mel's answer. "Madoka."

Yachiyo blinked, opened her mouth, and then closed it. Finally, she asked, "What?"

"You seem confused."

"Why is she the only other one? So many died."

"I could try to explain it to you, but it wouldn't make sense. My memories are separate from Etteilla's, and she really is the one who could give you the most information. But even if I knew a way to access her memories, I would never choose to. So I guess the best thing to say, is that Madoka is... special."

"You mean impossible," Yachiyo responded without thinking.

Mel stared at her. "Um... okay?" She seemed to be trying to determine if Yachiyo was being offensive, and if so, whether it was on purpose or not. "What I can say for sure is that Madoka is the one who brought us here, and that we can trust her."

"And how do you know that?" Yachiyo asked.

"Because it's the one thing I know for sure that Etteilla wanted to tell me. When I woke up here, this card was in my hand, and no one else could have made it."

Yachiyo watched as Mel slid what looked like a facedown tarot card across the table. It even had a sinister appearance that one might associate with a Witch. But when flipped over, the only thing on the other side was Madoka's face. There was no obvious emotion in Madoka's expression, and yet, Yachiyo felt a certain calm come over her as she looked at the picture.

"Madoka asked me to explain what happened in Kamihama," Mel offered. "She thought you would have questions."

Yachiyo frowned. "I assume she told you?"

"Yes. As I said, I have no memory of any of it. According to Madoka, the reason the girls started turning into Witches at the end is because Alina took down the city's barrier. The transformations provided excess energy for Eve."

"So she doomed all magical girls in Kamihama to their original fate, for the success of her pet project." Yachiyo glared at her mug. "All that time we wasted, trying to determine if there was some way for us to co-exist with the Wings of the Magius, and she was probably planning our destruction from the start."

"If you could truly call that a success. I seriously doubt it went how she planned it," Mel replied. "Once Alina was the last magical girl left, she was devoured by a Witch."

"Not Eve?" Yachiyo asked.

"No. When the dust cleared, there were only two Witches left standing among the ruins of Kamihama. Eve was one of them. All I know about the other, is that it wasn't Walpurgisnacht. I assume the other either didn't have a name yet, or Madoka wouldn't tell me what it was. Which is odd."

"Why?"

"Because the implication was that our memories would be edited as needed, anyway, so there would be little reason to conceal the Witch's identity. It's not like we could do anything about it now, even if we knew."

Yachiyo actually thought there was a very good reason to hide the Witch's identity: because it almost had to be one of the girls still alive when she was killed. Which included most of her closest friends. It was knowledge she felt she'd be better off without.

It happened with no warning: when Yachiyo looked up from the table, Madoka was sitting across from her. And so was Mifuyu.

"Did it go well?" Mel asked, apparently not alarmed by the sudden arrival.

"It wasn't the type of situation where a happy ending was possible," Madoka pointed out. "But there weren't any problems on my end, if that's what you mean."

"So you were a goddess when I met you before?" Yachiyo demanded, dragging her gaze from Mifuyu with some effort.

Madoka waved off that thought. "Different me. Well, different used-to-be me. Alternate timelines and stuff. Do you really want to get into that? We could, but I'd rather talk about you girls right now, and what comes next."

Yachiyo thought about disagreeing, but decided to wait. "What does come next? Reincarnation?"

"It's more like a second chance at the same life. But you can't keep your memories, not really. Some people manage to retain an instinctive awareness of certain events that will drastically change the course of their lives. And honestly, it would be more trouble for you, if you did go around knowing what was going to happen at every moment. You'd never be able to explain it to anyone's satisfaction, and that would attract attention you don't want."

"And we're supposed to... trust you? Just like that?"

Madoka blinked. "I can't force you, Yachiyo. If you'd like nothing more to do with me, that's your choice. But aren't you at all curious?"

"Of course I am. But that doesn't make you trustworthy."

"Let me guess," Madoka sighed. "You're thinking because I'm a goddess, if I was here the whole time, then things never should have gotten as bad as they did."

"That's one issue, yes."

"I'm not all-powerful. But I will admit that my specialty, which is saving magical girls, should have been exactly the sort of thing that would have saved a lot of grief."

"So you would have been what all the girls put their hopes in, and not the Magius?" Yachiyo asked.

"No. Because, for the most part, nobody realizes I've saved them. And even when they do, it's after I've saved them, and they don't even know that for very long. I'm not doing this for attention. And to answer your next question, no, my lack of activity wasn't mostly so I wouldn't be noticed. But that was a concern. I want you to imagine what the Magius would have done, if they'd known there was a goddess hanging around."

It didn't require much thought at all. "They would have fed you to Eve."

"They would have tried," Madoka corrected. "But there are various factors that would have ensured their defeat, and most of them would come into play because even the attempt would have required lowering the barrier around Kamihama."

"But the barrier did come down, and it only made things worse!" Yachiyo cried. "Name one good thing that-!"

Madoka carefully placed what looked like two small, black figurines on the table. One was instantly recognizable as Eve, but the other, Yachiyo had never seen before. But certain features on it stood out as familiar, and the longer Yachiyo stared at it, the more certain she became.

"The barrier was one of the things that kept me away. As great as my power is, it came from wishes granted by Kyubey. And like him, there are ways I can be defeated. I have no problem admitting that the Magius were smarter than me. At the same time, I had access to knowledge they could not possibly possess. Sometimes, you get matched up with an opponent who outclasses you. But that doesn't mean you can't still surprise them a time or two."

"And you're so confident you could have defeated the Magius?" Yachiyo asked.

"If nothing else, I would have had no problem taking away the bulk of their power. My wish, the one Kyubey granted, allows me to erase all Witches. And it doesn't matter, if you call them Half-Witches, or even Doppels. It doesn't change what they are, or where they came from. The Magius were very resourceful, but this wasn't a dream they could realize solely with their intelligence and their own power as magical girls."

"Could it have worked?" Mifuyu asked softly, surprising everyone. "Or were we blindly following a plan that had no-"

Madoka frowned at her. "There's no answer I could give you that wouldn't result in you feeling despair over it. You made the choices you felt were best, given your situation. I've met plenty of people who made worse decisions for even worse reasons. Don't beat yourself up over this. You girls have suffered more than enough for this lifetime."

"But even you can't save us, not really," Yachiyo pointed out.

"That's true," Madoka admitted with a sad smile. "All I can do is prevent you from dying as Witches. But only if that barrier is down. And unfortunately, you won't even remember this conversation in the next life, so you won't know what you need to do to give me access to the city. That is, assuming you trust me to help you."

Yachiyo sighed. "The Madoka I knew had different ideals, but she wasn't a bad person, and I would have trusted the city's fate to her before I would leave it in the hands of the Magius."

Madoka did little to hide her amusement when she asked, "Is that an opinion you formed before or after you joined the Magius and had Iroha confront Madoka?"

"It's not funny," Yachiyo snapped, but she could not deny feeling a little foolish.

"You can always make different choices, Yachiyo. Or the same ones. If something is truly important to you, I think you have a chance of remembering it. Even if you shouldn't be able to." Madoka grinned. "And, I might be able to give you a little hint, here and there."

"There is one thing I want to know," Yachiyo said.

"Yes?" Madoka prompted.

"Since I apparently wouldn't remember... how many times have we had a conversation like this?"

Madoka was quiet for a moment. Finally, she said, "This is the first time... that both Mel and Mifuyu have been here for it. Eveyone assumes I control who appears here and who doesn't. But really, it's more dependent on the state of your own soul. So ask yourself, what was it that happened in this life that made them being here possible? I'm sure, if you can find the answer, you won't ever forget it."

After the girls had gone ahead, Madoka gently laid a finger on each of the black figurines. "Time to wake up, you two."

Iroha appeared first, and immediately looked away, but Madoka gently took her hand.

Ui stumbled a little, but Iroha caught her.

"Are you ready? Can you bear it?" Madoka asked.

Iroha glanced at Ui. "Does it really get worse than that?"

"Yes. Some things you will have to bear alone. And some things are soul-damaging, no matter what world they occur in."

"I know why Ui needs to learn this, but why do I?"

"Iroha, do you really think you're the type of person who can easily tolerate not knowing what's happening to your little sister? I don't."

Hand in hand, as they waited, Yachiyo wanted to say something. Mifuyu had brushed off all of her apologies, so that was out.

"Hey, Yacchan," Mifuyu said suddenly, squeezing her hand. "Do me a favor?"

"Sure," Yachiyo agreed.

"If I ever try to run away or leave you behind... don't let me, okay? No matter what I say. Don't ever let things get this bad between us again."

Yachiyo had opened her mouth to agree when a blinding light washed over them.

End of Chapter 2.

Continued in Chapter 3: Overflowing Heart

Although she cannot recall her promise to Mifuyu, Yachiyo's heart is still guided by it, which reshapes both her mindset, and her fated path. But a Yachiyo who values friendship over all else means altered fates, and ends, for others, as well.

Endnotes:

I don't know what's with this story. The chapters end up completely different from how I start them off. Which is technically a good thing, as it means my inspiration is high, so I'm not hurting for ideas. If anything, I have way too many ideas, and chapters I want to start on next keep getting pushed back. Case in point, the next chapter is something of a continuation, set in a new timeline.

We could debate it, but for the sake of this timeline-slash-chapter only, Doppels aren't different enough from Witches that Madokami can't erase them. That's a big generalization, I know. But as the majority of the characters who have any "control" over their Doppels are antagonists at the time, while any protagonists who have Doppels are generally hesitant to use them... it fits. Yachiyo may be overly paranoid, or maybe every Doppel would automatically attack the Mightiest Magical Girl because she's that big a threat, but I wouldn't trust them blindly.