Author's Notes:Starting now till sometime in the future, Chapters 5-10 will be undergoing revisions for consistency and to smooth out some of the kinks I have come across. I hope this isn't too much of an inconvenience. Thanks!

[July 8, 2012 – Revised Act III]

[July 14, 2012 - Revised Act IV]

[July 17, 2012 - Revised Act V and VI]

[July 18, 2012 - Assigned 1st and 2nd Interludes. Revised Act VII]

Magia, Pacem, Bellum Terrarum

We Choose To Fight

Act III – Advancing in a Different Direction

December 15th, 1941 was a day many at the Clark Air Base did not live to see while those who survived gladly embraced it. The base, by then, was now little more than a graveyard of countless planes and men and women and a maze of fire-gutted buildings, army tents and makeshift sandbag pillboxes – a somber sight for somber men fighting a somber war. This base, though, awoke to an awe-inspiring sight.

Headed southewards from the plains of Pampanga was a seemingly endless line of men, army trucks laden with weapons and supplies and tanks of the US Army. This was the vanguard of Maj. General Jonathan Wainwright IV's North Luzon Force which was making its way down the old paved military highway that ran alongside the base proper. The weary pilots of the Fourth Composite Wing and the few subdued survivors of Clark's garrison and maintenance crew watched the brigade cross the highway from their tents and pillboxes and cheered merrily.

"U.S.A! U.S.A!"

They waved US flags and saluted the vanguard with respect. Maj. General Wainwright watched the cheering garrison of the airbase from his army jeep and returned the salute. The cheerfulness and liveliness, though, was unrequited. Wainwright and his officers stopped by the airbase while the vanguard carried along down the military highway to the Bataan Penninsula.

"Good day, sir." The commanding officer of the Clark garrison came out to meet Wainwright. "We have matters to discuss, I believe."

Wainwright nodded, albeit grimly. He and his officers then joined the Clark's CO* in his command tent for a briefing. The CO had hoped that the North Luzon vanguard would be there to stay – or at least a few army units be transferred to support the garrison. These hopes, though, would be apologetically crushed.

The North Luzon Force was retreating southwards to the Bataan Peninsula. Within a few days, the Clark garrison too would have to retreat.

A bottle of whiskey would be passed amongst the men before Wainwright delivered this sobering news to the CO. Even though Douglas MacArthur, commander of the USSAFE, called this retreat as 'advancing in a different direction', the calm and optimistic Wainwright thought it was a bad joke.

"So—so you're saying—Clark is a lost cause?" The CO asked, stunned and speechless.

"I wish it weren't the case..." Wainwright said, "But those Japs are breaking through our lines faster than a hot knife through butter. Percival* and the Brits at Malaya don't seem to be doing that well either – they're making their last stand at Singapore too."

"If you're writing off Clark, then what will become of the Fourth Composite Wing? Nay! What will become of USAFFE's air force?"

"The Wing and the rest of our air elements will be transferred to the Royal Australian Air Force – the RAAF." Wainwright answered as gently as he could. "Doug tried to keep our flyboys here in the Philippines, but he can't disobey an order from FDR himself. Even the Pacific Fleet won't be staying at Sangley Point, Cavite for very long."

The CO, even after a few heavy pauses, was only able to manage a weak "It's a shame… War Plan Orange, then…"

The CO took one big swig of whiskey then gasped, trying to wash Wainwright's news away from his mind.

"Never thought I'd see the day."

Outside the command tent, the surviving pilots of Clark's Fourth Composite Wing were lined up. They had been summoned earlier by their CO for inspection and were growing rather impatient. Once Wainwright stepped out with his officers and the CO, the American pilots quickly gave sharp salutes. The CO gulped. He could tell that these men were hoping for good news. Instead, he repeated Wainwright's report to them - The Fourth Composite Wing was going to Australia.

Some of them quietly sighed in relief, but the rest were silent. They took the news with heavy hearts.

"So, gentlemen." Wainwright then said, as soon as the officer finished, his gaunt face turning to look at the men lined up, "I know did not bring the best of news just now, but there is some silver lining in these clouds."

The Maj. General smiled.

"Which one of you is Mr. De la Cruz? He's been nominated to receive a Distinguished Flying Cross."

The American pilots looked among themselves with fidgety eyes, weakly shaking their heads as if they didn't know who this 'Mr. De la Cruz' was.

"Where is Mr. De la Cruz?" Wainwright repeated with confusion, "I was told he was personnel here at Clark. He flew a Peashooter in the middle of the Japanese bombing of this base and rallied some Warhawks to drive the Japs out that day."

Still, the pilots intentionally kept their silence. They wanted to hide the identity of this Filipino mechanic. Maybe one of them could masquerade as Mr. de la Cruz and snatch the medal away for himself – a handful of them were actually planning to do so. Nicanor De la Cruz was just a mechanic after all, not to mention a poor Filipino man. Surely, someone of his caliber was not worthy to receive an American award, let alone a coveted Distinguished Flying Cross.

A tongue clicked disdainfully nearby, snapping the pilots' attention from their scheming. They turned to where the sound came from and saw an American woman in her early twenties leaning against the command tent. A lit cigarette sat in her hands and an M1911 pistol hung by her hip. The pilots' collective silence irritated her, so she spoke out.

"General Wainwright." She started politely, calling out the Maj. General "The person you are looking for is Mr. Nicanor De la Cruz. He's just a mechanic here at Clark, but the rumors about him are true. He was the first man to respond to the Japanese attack."

"Oh?" Wainwright himself was surprised to find her standing there, "And where might this Nicanor De la Cruz be?"

In a distinctly Filipino fashion, she pointed towards the charred mess hall with her lips. It made Wainwright wonder how an American girl of her age could be so accustomed to Filipino mannerisms. Still, Wainwright turned to the mess hall to find a young Filipina girl and her father clearing out the mess hall. Drenched in sweat, they salvaged what materials they could find and were building up a makeshift machinegun nest from the debris for the garrison to use.

The father and daughter were so engrossed in their work that they didn't stop to watch the North Luzon Force going through the military highway. They didn't even know Maj. General Wainwright was visiting them as they worked. In stark contrast with the somber surroundings and the tough, tough work they were doing, Ligaya and her father were in good spirits.

"Ligaya! Ginoong De la Cruz!" Audrey called out with her hands cupped together, in Filipino, no less "Hinahanap ho kayo– someone's here for you!"

Hearing Audrey's call, Ligaya and her father set their tools aside then wiped their sweat from their brows. They turned towards the sound of Audrey's crisp voice to find her standing with the Maj. General and the pilots. Also, this Maj. General was making his way towards them. The father and daughter were naturally surprised.

The two hastily scrambled up to give the Maj. General a salute. The major general returned the gesture while carefully weighing Ligaya and her father with kind eyes. Ligaya felt like she was shrinking.

"My dear, you don't have to salute." Wainwright chuckled, patting Ligaya's shoulder. "It's us adults who'll be doing the fighting."

Ligaya pouted at Wainwright's comment.

"But your spirit is admirable – I'll tell you that much. It's a refreshing sight." Wainwright added, defusing Ligaya's irritation somewhat. The Maj. General then turned to the father standing beside Ligaya.

"You're Mr. Nicanor De la Cruz?" Wainwright asked.

Nicanor nodded then gave a heavily accented 'yes'.

The Maj. General extended his hand to Nicanor and the two men shook hands. Nicanor, though, didn't seem to understand why? Seeing Nicanor's confusion, Wainwright finally told the mechanic about his nomination – a nomination for the Distinguished Flying Cross. Stammering in disbelief, he gratefully thanked Wainwright. Ligaya couldn't help but feel happy for her father.

"On top of the Flying Cross, I would like to make you an offer, Mr. de la Cruz." Wainwright then said. "Would you like for me to move you and your daughter here to Australia with the Fourth Composite Wing? It would be much safer, and honestly, wouldn't be very hard for me to arrange."

Ligaya's father thought for a moment, but then gave a firm, albeit accented, reply.

"Thank you sir—but Philippines is home, me and my daughter." He said, making gestures to supplement his broken English, "We want to stay, fight beside countryman. We want, win war against Japanese!"

"Yes!" Ligaya confirmed, sharing her father's enthusiasm, "We fight for homeland!"

Wainwright looked at the father and daughter with admiration before smiling again.

"Well then, Mr. De la Cruz…" Wainwright said, rubbing his chin, "If that's the case, then I guess my Philippine Scouts (PS) platoons could use some more Filipino-speaking NCO's. The Scouts are great fighters, yes, but having to translate in the heat of battle isn't something we'd want to do often. How does a promotion to Sergeant sound?"

"In Army?" Nicanor asked, his eyes growing even wider.

"Yes, sonny, in the Philippine-US Army."

Nicanor and Ligaya turned to each other, unable to believe what they had heard.

"It be an honor!" Nicanor then said.

Then, Ligaya jumped and hugged her father as tightly as she could. The father and daughter thanked Wainwright over and over and were absolutely overjoyed. The sight was a bit out of place in the grim Clark AFB, but it was a glimmer of hope everyone there was happy to see. Audrey smiled as she watched them from afar, puffing on her cigarette casually. The scene warmed her heart, she thought. It was a sort of warmth that she didn't feel much of – back then. The thought made her feel a little bitter, but she shook her head. She then turned her eyes up to find the sun shining up in the blue sky.

Audrey's free hand reached up to the sun as if trying to grasp it. The ring encrusted with her bright, amber gem shone brilliantly in the sunlight.

"I have to be strong." She whispered to herself.

Kyuubey, who had been watching everything unfold from a comfortable perch on the tent, jumped down to Audrey's shoulder. The creature curled easily around her neck like a little white scarf.

"It was nice of you to point the major general in the right direction." Kyuubey said

"Well, that girl's father deserved that medal " Audrey snorted, folding her arms as she leaned back against the tent. "These ingrates were even hoping to snatch the award from him without him knowing."

"Recognition seems to be a valuable thing to people, is it not?" Kyuubey asked Audrey, "That's why there are medals like that in the first place."

"That may be…" Audrey pondered, "But this is the US military. They're on the same team, aren't they? They shouldn't be ripping each other off like that. It's disgusting when people do that – I hate it."

Kyuubey just looked up at her with his permanently vague smile.

"In any case…" Audrey then said, turning slightly to eye the line of troops and vehicles going down the military highway. "It seems we'll be headed back to Bataan soon too."

She turned to the direction of the peninsula and muttered softly, "Back home."

Act IV – Mount Samat

The next few days in the Philippine Islands passed laden with disheartening news. Whatever radio stations that remained operational continually blared reports of the Japanese divisions that had landed in Appari and Lingayen Gulf winning battle after battle, pushing the defensive lines of Wainwright's North Luzon Force further and further south.

There were new reports of fresh Japanese landings in southern Luzon advanced northward broadcast as well. From Ligayen to Legazpi, the defenders fought valiantly but could simply not hold back their superior foe. The Japanese military's objectives were clear – they wanted to take the capital city of Manila and the main US naval base in the Philippines of Sangley Point, Cavite.

In the advent of the worsening situation in all fronts, General Douglas MacArthur finally authorized a special USAFFE battle plan that had been drafted since the relations of the US and Japan soured in 1939. It was a fundamentally defensive battle plan that concentrated the entire might of the USAFFE at two key points; the Bataan Peninsula and Corregidor Island.

In effect, the rest of the archipelago would be forced to fend for itself.

Manila would be declared an Open City to prevent unneeded destruction, but would deny the Japanese use of the strategic Manila Bay from Bataan and Corregidor. It was a plan that required for so much sacrifice for so little gain.

Once Bataan and Corregidor were firmly fortified, the USAFFE would have to hold out for at least six months. Bataan and Corregidor were strategic and defensible positions, after all, and the Allies were sure to sweep the Japanese out of the Pacific before long. Thus, War Plan Orange was designed to be a plan that would work no matter how bad the situation in the Philippines became.

This, however, was a grave overestimation of the plan.

Put into practice, the defenders found themselves in a situation far worse than terrible. They were in a horrendous state.

Overcrowding was the first plague of the defenders of Bataan. With seventy thousand soldiers and countless more civilians from Manila and the neighboring provinces, housing was terribly hard to provide. The food stockpile too would not last for more than four months under severe rationing. Ammunition was plentiful, but the weapons the soldiers carried were dated and modern small arms and artillery guns were sorely lacking.

The ageing M1917 Enfield rifles were the standard issue guns, not the fabled M1 Garand the soldiers had hoped to wield. Even M1903 Springfield Rifles, dating back to the First World War, were handed out to fill the gaping backlog in small arms. Bolo machetes, meanwhile, were given to those who had failed their marksmanship tests or were unfortunate enough to not be issued even a handgun.

Companies that would normally have artillery pieces of their own would have to rely on divisional-level batteries – not that the batteries were that well equipped either.

Whatever downtrodden tents the USAFFE had were provided for officers and civilians. Foot soldiers had to make do with sleeping half-dug trenches with their worn, tattered raincoats for blankets. An infantryman's life was never meant to be easy, but this was a definitely somber state.

At the southern foot of Mount Samat in Northern Bataan, a platoon of Philippine Scouts set up camp in the same state as the rest of the defenders. It was a reserve unit that supported the USAFE I Corps settled in the West of the mountain and the Philippine Army II Corps in the East.

Though the unit was technically part of the battle-hardened Philippine Scouts, there were only a handful of professional, veteran soldiers in its ranks. The rest of them were fresh volunteers and militia who came from all walks of life. There were students under the ROTC programs of the University of the Philippines and the Ateneo de Manila University, former Manila street vendors, fishermen from coastal provinces, farmers and criminals to name a few.

The platoon members eyed their new comrades with disdain. The professional soldiers and the university students looked down upon the peasants, beggars and criminals they would be fighting alongside. It didn't sit well with them at all. The somber state of the defenders didn't help ease the tensions either.

"This isn't so bad." Nicanor de la Cruz hummed in Filipino, watching the defenders set up camp. "With a little work, I'm sure we can make it a little better."

"That's going to be quite the feat, dad." Ligaya noted, "We're a reserve unit, alright, but I don't think we'd be ready to face the Japanese if they made it around the mountain…"

"We're not yet ready." Nicanor replied confidently, emphasizing the 'yet' as he patted his daughter's hair. "Give me some time and I'm sure I can make something of this assignment."

Nicanor then straightened himself up then approached his platoon with a confident gait. The soldiers looked at him and were a little displeased. Here was the Sergeant that had been assigned to them – a mechanic with less than a week of officer training under his belt Still, Nicanor reassured his men that he would turn this platoon into a competent fighting force. A handful of the men laughed at Nicanor's assurance, calling him a crazy man.

"Well now…" Nicanor shifted gears, "Weren't the partisans who fought against the Spanish, and the Americans even, made up of units similar to ours? Diverse backgrounds, chronic disadvantage, itchy uniforms!"

The men now chuckled at the joke rather than at the man. Thus, Nicanor grew confident.

"The partisans of Katipunan were outgunned and were poorly trained, but they made their foes pay dearly for every inch of land. They became famous in the provincias and were infamous to the Spanish and the Americans as brave bastards who just wouldn't quit!"

Now, the depressed platoon started to look a tad bit more hopeful.

"So, if our forefathers could take up arms against overwhelming odds and make a difference – I'm sure we can too."

Ligaya smiled as she watched her father rouse his soldiers' hearts. Her father had adjusted to his new role quite well. Nicanor dismissed his troops to have their lunch rations and he returned to Ligaya who smiled at him.

"Aguinaldo* would have been proud if he heard you." Ligaya cheered, "And so would Gregorio del Pilar*!"

"They were legends, anak." Nicanor smiled, "Your grandparents – my parents and your mother's parents – served under them, after all."

Then, a memory bled into Nicanor's mind. He saw the smile of his wife flashing for but a moment. Ligaya noticed this lapse and was tempted to ask her father some questions. The distant sadness she saw in her father's eyes, though, made her hold her tongue.

"Let's go get some lunch, itay." Ligaya said instead. Nicanor was happy with that suggestion.

Side by side, the father and daughter lined up with the troops for the communal rice pot further up the rocky mountain. They were handed metal plates but no utensils which was no big deal. Many of them were used to eating with their hands, after all. Rice and hot tamarind broth with kangkong spinach were carefully piled onto their plates once they reached the pot.

One of the kitchen staff members, a Filipino man, scraped the last bit of kangkong onto Nicanor's plate and the mechanic-turned-sergeant thanked him with a smile. The man looked up to smile back.

The man suddenly stared. Nicanor paused, a little confused by the shock over the man's face.

"You're Nicanor De la Cruz, right?" The man hurriedly asked in Filipino, "The man who flew a Peashooter at Clark against the Japanese? The one who's up for the Distinguished Flying Cross? You're that guy, right?"

Whispers went around the line as people watched the little scene unfold. Ligaya answered for her suddenly bashful father with a proud voice. "Oho*~! Tatay ko yan! (Yep~! That's my dad!)"

The kitchen staff man grinned suddenly and grabbed her father's hand, pumping it up and down. "I'm very pleased to meet you, kabayan…este… sir! And your daughter too! Thank you for whipping those Japs' asses! Thank you!"

He then leaned down into their faces.

"Psst*! We have a bit of roasted boar we were saving for the Yank officers coming for inspection later. Do you want a piece? It's no lechon, but it's still pig, eh?"

Nicanor hesitated, so he quickly added, "Don't worry, they won't even miss it! Think of it as the kitchen staff's thanks!"

Ligaya looked up at her father, her eyes dazzled by the thought of eating fresh pork for once, but her father kept his composure and kindly refused.

"It's alright, kabayan! Save that boar for those hungry Yanks! They know when anything's gone, believe me." Her father chuckled before smiling, "Besides, your thanks are better than any boar!"

"That's very considerate of you, Mr. De la Cruz." A pretty American girl neatly flourished her plate in front of the surprised kitchen staff. "But those officers have a lot of meat rations reserved for them already – front-liners like us deserve a bit of meat too."

Ligaya gasped. "M-Miss Audrey?"

"Audrey will be fine, dear." Audrey requested with a kind voice and a warm smile, "We'll be seeing each other more often from now on – we can do without the formalities."

"Eh?" Ligaya was surprised. "More often?"

"She said she wanted to pitch in for the war and lend a hand to our troops." Nicanor explained to his daughter in Filipino, "Can't turn down help with the way things are going."

"It's not much, really." Audrey waved her hand, trying to be humble, "I'll just be teaching the radiomen and corporals some English basics – they'll be coordinating with the Yanks regularly, so a little English would do them good. I might even lend a hand with the radio and signal flags from time to time."

"Oh!" Ligaya noted happily, "That would be a good idea!"

"I could even teach you some English too, Ligaya." Audrey offered

"That nice!" Ligaya said in her best English.

"That would be nice." Audrey corrected, patting Ligaya's head, "I'd be happy to teach you as well. If you want, you can even by my assistant!"

Ligaya then turned to her father and asked him for permission with bright eyes.

"Well now." Nicanor laughed, "I can't say no to those pleading eyes now, can I?"

Ligaya was stoked.

"I'll have my hands full working this platoon into shape these next few weeks so please take care of my Ligaya, Ms. Burnham." Nicanor added, "And teach her good English too!"

"I'll do my best, Sarge." Audrey said in her surprisingly good Filipino. She and Ligaya then smiled at each other, excited by the news. Nicanor just watched them with glad eyes, happy that Ligaya had made a friend. It gave him some peace of mind.

"I hope you two girls get along well."

They certainly did.

Act V – Audrey and Ligaya

Starting the next day, Ligaya became Audrey's assistant-in-training and the two girls helped out around the platoon's encampment. The two girls started the day doing little tasks like distributing food or supplies or running errands for the officers. Meanwhile, the new Sergeant Nicanor kept himself and his troops busy, giving them some rifle marksmanship, showing them how to disassemble and reassemble their rifles for maintenance then going around the mountain for morning jobs.

Audrey and Ligaya, along with the civilians, were tasked with building up the encampment – digging up the trenches and building storage sheds and sleeping quarters for themselves and for the troops. In the afternoon, the two girls sat with the Filipino corporals and signal officers to teach them basic English – even Nicanor would drop by to listen for a while whenever he was free. Audrey and Ligaya taught with gusto, but Ligaya usually spent most of the time learning rather than teaching English.

The two girls would then eat their meals together in a small rocky nook under the shade of an acacia tree, talking freely, sharing jokes and laughing heartily. They swapped gossip and told each other stories, talking in an ever-changing mix of English and Filipino.

"You're from Mariveles?" Ligaya gasped, nearly spilling her tamarind broth all over the plywood and cinder-block table they had set over the rocks of their nook. "The rich seaside town in South Bataan? That Mariveles?"

"Yup!" Audrey said, bringing out a small case of cigars from the pocket of her travelling skirt and showing it to her assistant. "My relatives and I manage a small hacienda and made a living growing and selling tobacco and sugarcane. I'd tell you that we roll the best cigars and grow the sweetest sugarcane around, but our 'influential' neighbors will always beg to differ."

Audrey re-pocketed the pack of cigars and smiled at Ligaya.

"You know, I've actually been thinking... I've heard about shortages in the USAFFE's supply stockpile. You can't eat tobacco, and sugarcane won't really fill stomachs properly, but maybe after the next harvest, my relatives and I could grow actual food crops - you know, like rice or corn. Or even sweet potatoes!"

"Sweet potatoes would be great! We would all appreciate some more food around here."

"I think I will do just that." Audrey decided, "But enough about me... you and your father are Batangas folk right? Batangueños* are tough people, I heard!

Ligaya sheepishly smiled. "Well, yes. You've probably heard some strange things about our people. They say every Batangueño keeps a balisong* knife in their pockets – but that's not true."

From where they sat, they could see Nicanor showing his corporals his pocket knife – a balisong, no less. He was twirling it around skillfully and was proud of the Batangas blade. Ligaya blinked, then blushed. Audrey found this particularly amusing.

"It's just a saying though." Ligaya hastily added, "Balisong knives are made and are popular in Batangas, yes… But it's really just about… how can I put it… fighting spirit. Yeah! That's right, weBatangueños are brave and unafraid to fight!"

"Unafraid to fight, huh?" Audrey's smile grew mildly, "Well then, it sounds like having a Batangueña fighting alongside me would be an excellent idea!"

"Eh?" Ligaya asked, confused. "Dad's platoon is a reserve unit –we're camped quite far away from the front lines. And even if the fighting did get here, we aren't going to be issued guns to fight the Japanese."

Ligaya looked a little disappointed by her own words then fell silent.

"No, silly." The soft white creature Audrey called Kyuubey trotted into the light of the kerosene lamp "She's talking about fighting Witches!"

"You again…?" Ligaya asked. For some reason, the strange creature unsettled her.

"I can see it in your eyes, binibini." Kyuubey said knowingly, boring into her eyes with its unblinking red ones, "You want to do your part in this war too – you want to fight. So sign a contract with me, and become a Puella Magi!"

An image of the twisted paper crane swooping across the bizarre sky of its barrier flashed into her mind. She couldn't help but shiver. "Um…"

"Of course," the creature continued, still looking into her eyes, "you'll be amply compensated. If you agree to become a Puella Magi, I'll grant your wish."

"A wish?"

"Yes, a wish! Any wish. I can make even miracles happen, you know! Think about it, binibini!"

"Don't rush the kid, Kyuubey." Audrey smoothly halted Kyuubey, picking it up, setting it on her lap and scratching behind its ear, "Give her time to decide – signing a contract isn't something that should be taken lightly."

Audrey then leaned back into her chair.

"Puella Magi like myself have our roles to play in this war too, it seems. But… fighting Witches isn't exactly a safe job, as you've already seen…"

The powerlessness and the fear that Ligaya had felt in the barrier of the Witch was still fresh in Ligaya's memory.

"You still have your father to live for. I'm sure Mr. De la Cruz wouldn't want his daughter to go fighting in a war nobody else knows about." Audrey's tone was suddenly serious. "It's quite awesome to be able to fight Witches, but a family you care for and cares for you as well is something you should treasure more."

Ligaya looked down into her lap and at her hands, tightly clasped together and turning white.

"… I know." She finally said.

"Besides," Audrey insisted, grinning proudly, "I'll swat those Witches like flies! If you want to become a Puella Magi too, I'd welcome it, but I assure you I can stand on my own."

Kyuubey opened his eyes and silently looked up at Audrey, its red eyes unreadable.

"I see, then." Ligaya conceded, "We'll just have to trust in your strength, Audrey!"

Ligaya smiled and her admiration for the American girl grew. Audrey, as a Puella Magi, was tasked with fighting Witches and the monsters they spawn whenever they manifest – a war most people wouldn't even know about. It made Ligaya look up to her, aspire to be as brave as her, but the Filipina suddenly gave a frown.

"But… what do your parents say about you being a Puella Magi… since it's dangerous and all…"

Audrey's face quickly soured and Ligaya knew she had brought up a sensitive topic. The Filipina girl looked away from the American. Why did she just suddenly blurt out the first thing in her mind? Audrey never mentioned anything about her family and only talked about her relatives in Mariveles – Ligaya felt ashamed.

"It's a long story. Boring really." Audrey said, her voice growing a tad bit icy. She reached into her pockets, hoping to take out a cigarette, but came across her cigars instead. Sighing she brought it out, lit one with a match and took a long puff. "I'd rather not burden you with that tale tonight."

Ligaya nodded weakly. "I… understand. I'm sorry."

Audrey's eyes looked out to the distance, almost as if cursing some invisible specter that hung about there. Then the American saw Ligaya shrinking there beside her and the iciness in her tone melted away.

"Oh, don't beat yourself up over it, my friend. I'm the one who should be apologizing!" Audrey reassured, slowly returning to her normal, pleasant voice, "I really shouldn't let something like that get to me… Maybe someday I'll be ready to get all this off my chest. When I do, will you listen?"

"Yes, I definitely will." Ligaya replied, regaining her cheer as well, "For sure, I will!"

"So let's put this behind us for now, okay?" Audrey asked happily, "If we don't, we'll get behind on making that lesson plan of ours!"

"You're right!" Ligaya nearly jumped out of her chair. "We have work to do!"

The two girls then huddled closer together around the kerosene lamp, spread papers over their makeshift table and worked into the night to make the next day's lesson plan. Kyuubey stayed with them for a while, closely watching Ligaya.

The Filipina couldn't help but see the creature in the corner of her eye. What did he want? He must have wanted to make a contract again. Just what did this creature see in her?

Ligaya almost agreed to become one when she was caught in the Witch's barrier at Clark Air Base. The thing is, she has been perfectly content ever since – she didn't need or want to become a Puella Magi. Somehow, Kyuubey realized this too as he decided to lay down on Audrey's lap and sleep.

Act VI – Homecoming

Two weeks later, the Philippines celebrated Christmas of 1941. Instead of strings of lights, star-shaped parols* or those traditionally decorated trees, though, the Filipino people celebrated with their spotlights pointed towards the skies. The defenders of Bataan were on high alert for the Japanese who were sure to come bearing 'gifts'.

Santa Claus never came to the Bataan Peninsula, and it wouldn't have been a pleasant memory for him if he did. With the practical no-fly zone the defenders had made over the Peninsula, the fabled reindeers and sled might have been shot out of the sky. That did not stop the Japanese, though, from taking to the skies.

The Japanese planes came bearing gifts of hundred-pound bombs for the Americans and Filipinos alike. The Imperial Army brought no sleds and made do with their fleets of Type 95 Ha-Go light tanks fresh from the Japanese mainland. Japanese troops too tested the Bataan line with their newly issued rifles and heavy guns and were more than happy to shower the defenders with gifts of fire and shrapnel.

Not wanting to be outdone, the Filipinos and Americans generously matched the gifts they received and welcomed the invading Japanese with volleys from their weapons. The cracks of Enfield rifles and the shots of Browning machineguns filled the jungles and mountains like a round of Christmas carols in Manila – and the defenders eagerly gave their 'guests' riveting encores.

Barrages of flak, however, naturally crowned off the holiday celebration as anti-aircraft artillery and machineguns illuminated the skies. Fireworks would have been nice, but artillery blasts would have had to make do that season. That Christmas in Bataan, there was a lot of fire – warmed hearts and charred bodies.

"Sheesh…" Audrey sighed, watching this display of fire going on around her. "If only the Witches took holidays too."

She took a quick look around the camp and found everyone crouched down in the trenches. Seeing that no one was looking, she pushed aside her paperwork then took out her M1911 pistol. With a quick, skillful motion, she loaded the gun and slid it into the holster at her hip. Amber light coated her, transforming her clothes into her Puella Magi attire then she bit onto a fresh cigar.

"A Puella Magi's work is never done!"

While the fighting between the defenders and the Japanese raged over the Bataan peninsula, Witches sprouted out rather often. Behind the scenes of the fierce battles, Audrey sought out and destroyed these Witches. With Kyuubey guiding her through the Witches' barriers and her trusty baseball bat, fire ax and handgun to supplement her array of artillery guns, Audrey swept away the Witches with ease.

Slowly but surely, Audrey managed to earn a surplus of Grief Seeds. Seeing her stockpile grow like it did, Audrey gained confidence in her skills. She had only been a Puella Magi for a little over a year, after all. She still felt as if she hadn't completely harnessed the full potential of her magic.

Both Audrey and the USAFFE fought their battles valiantly that month and were able to win without breaking a sweat. The Witches manifested less and less often and the Japanese withdrew from the offensive.

Disheartened by the sturdy defenses of the Bataan Line, the Japanese commanders realized that the defenders were more organized than they had thought. Thus, Bataan survived the first month and a half of their supposed six-month ordeal. 1941 ended well and 1942 began on a very high note.

The news of the Japanese retreat was received gladly in the Mount Samat encampment. Lively cheers met Nicanor as he read the news to his men. These cheers grew ecstatic as their new assignment was read to them as well. Effective immediately, Nicanor's platoon was to be put in charge of a refugee camp in Mariveles. The seaside town would be a welcome change from their stuffy mountain encampment and the camp was as far away from the frontline as anyone could get.

On top of this news, their platoon received a good deal of materiel for their transfer. A pair of army trucks arrived at the Samat encampment hours later along with an M3 Stuart tank to be assigned to their unit.

"We finally get some armor to tinker around with." Nicanor folded his arms as he walked around the tank with wonder, "It's damaged in many spots and the engine seems to be stuttering out, but that can be fixed."

Seeing her father inspect the tank so eagerly made Ligaya smile a little – her father really was still a mechanic underneath the uniform. Nicanor turned to Ligaya then spoke excitedly,

"Ligaya! What do you say we mount a 90mm M3 gun on this baby?"

"Eh…" Ligaya scratched the back of her head, "I don't think the suspension can handle that."

Her father then grinned jokingly at Ligaya, making her chuckle a little bit. Perhaps she too was a bit of a mechanic herself, she thought.

Whatever the case, everyone in the encampment was happy that morning, especially Audrey.

When the transports bound for Mariveles came by, Ligaya accompanied the American girl to their camp's telegraph station. Audrey sat down and wrote a telegraph to her relatives, smoking her cigar as she keyed in the words. She tried to act cool in front of Ligaya but she couldn't hide the happiness in her shining eyes. She was happy to get to go back to Mariveles.

"Oh, my dear Ligaya." Audrey said, turning to her assistant, "If only you've gotten to taste my auntie's apple pies and deviled eggs, you'll understand why I'm so giddy."

"I didn't know you could make pies out of apples – I only know about coconut pies." Ligaya groaned innocently, scratching her head in confusion. She then gasped. "And you guys eat devils?"

"Devilled eggs are boiled eggs with mayonnaise and mustard, silly!" Audrey explained, laughing heartily, "We don't eat devils, Ligaya! And I'm pretty damn sure devils wouldn't taste that great to begin with!"

The two girls laughed happily – the excitement from the rest of the platoon had rubbed off on them.

With a happy flurry of keystrokes, Audrey finished sending her telegram.

"Done!"

She then joined Ligaya and lined up with the other civilians for a seat on the transport trucks. The soldiers of the platoon, meanwhile, would follow later that evening once the civilians had settled in. Crammed into the back of the truck like sardines, the two girls kept each other company all throughout the ride.

Audrey and Ligaya traveled southwards through the rolling hills of the Bataan peninsula. After a few hours of travel, their truck finally arrived at Mariveles – the coastal town of gentle slopes, open plains and a sparkling ocean spreading out as far as the eye can see. Plantation houses were scattered around at the sides of the main paved road, separated by the large fields they governed. Among these houses was the Mariveles estate of Audrey – a welcoming house that seemed more kindly than grandiose. It was here that Audrey asked to be dropped off.

Ligaya, though, seemed quite hesitant to part with her new friend.

"Don't worry, Ligaya, the refugee camp is just half an hour's walk away from here." Audrey reassured, "Plus, I'll be back serving the platoon the moment we finish planting the food crops – if my uncle and auntie agree with my plan, that is."

"But…" Ligaya fidgeted, "What if a Witch attacks the refugee camp?"

"Then I'll come running." Audrey promised, patting Ligaya's shoulder, "And if you want, you can take Kyuubey with you."

"Ah, that makes sense." The little creature said, walking towards Ligaya and sitting down before her. "If worst comes to worse, you, binibini, can become a Puella Magi and fight the Witch! Of course – it's all up to you."

Ligaya frowned at Kyuubey's reasoning.

"Fine." she finally said, picking up the creature as she headed back into the back of the army truck, "But I believe in Audrey – she can handle any Witch that comes her way!"

"Hehe, yeah." Audrey grinned, "So, I'll see you soon, Ligaya, Kyuubey."

"Goodbye!"

The truck then rolled on down the highway, disappearing from sight.

Audrey gave off a sigh of relief then turned her eyes to her estate. She fixed the knapsack slung over her shoulder and walked down the house's cobblestone pathway. The pressing of the stones against her shoes felt rather nostalgic.

At the front door of the humble estate, Audrey was welcomed back with great fanfare. Awaiting her return were her relatives – her aunt, uncle and their little boy – along with her hired Filipino farm hands and maids.

"My God, Audrey!" Her brawny uncle cried, dashing forward and embracing the tall American girl in a huge hug, "Thank goodness you're safe!"

"You should telegraph more often, my dear!" Her aunt added, running up behind her husband. "The last telegraph we got from you was when you arrived in Pampanga! That was a month ago!"

"I wrote you guys a letter from Clark on the 13th." Audrey explained, breaking free from her uncle's bear hug to kiss and embrace her aunt, "But… I guess the post office wouldn't really prioritize sending mail around with the Japs attacking the country all of the sudden."

Audrey's cousin toddled up to the adults' reunion with a freshly cut sugarcane from their fields in his hands, "Tita*Audrey! TitaAudrey! Harvest time is here!"

"Oy… I'm not your tita. I'm your pinsan*!" Audrey smiled as she took the offered piece of sugarcane "Gosh, you've lived here for eight years. Learn your Filipino properly!"

"Oho!" Her cousin said obediently. He turned his big brown eyes up to Audrey and cheered, "Give the sugarcane a try!"

Audrey obligingly broke off the tip of the sugarcane, brought it to her lips and drank the juice before chewing on it leisurely at the stalk. Just as she thought, their hacienda grew the sweetest sugarcane in the peninsula. The gaggle of farmhands and servants surrounded her and her relatives as they walked up the cobblestone road to their large white plantation house overlooking the Manila Bay.

They were going to have lunch together.

First Interlude

Lunch, for Audrey, was a lovely and pleasant affair.

With a lively appetite, Audrey ate the homemade American food served at the dining table. It had been a while since she had that apple pie she so loved and the deviled eggs she boasted about to Ligaya.

"So tell us, Audrey…" the uncle started, a cup of coffee steaming in his hands, "How was Pampanga?"

"Rough." Audrey replied, wiping her mouth with a napkin, "But no one really saw any of this coming. The Japs blew up Pearl Harbor first. Now they're picking a fight with the Yanks here… sheesh."

Just thinking about the sudden attack ticked Audrey off, causing her to dig into her food more hungrily.

"But it's good that you were able to stay with this Sergeant de la Cruz in Samat." Her aunt then added, "The fighting never got that far, no?"

"Yeah…" Audrey nodded, avoiding her relatives' eyes. Even though the platoon didn't see action, Audrey was busy fighting a battle on her own.

"Anyways." Audrey said, changing the subject, "There's something I wanted to talk to you guys about."

Audrey then brought up her idea of growing food for the USAFFE after the harvest season was over. To her relief, her relatives were quite supportive of her plan. They even suggested talking to the other Mariveles hacienderos to organize a crop-growing effort. Audrey happily accepted their suggestion.

"Thanks, you guys." Audrey smiled happily, "I knew I could count on you guys."

These relatives of hers had always been there to support her. She was glad to have relatives like them who she could rely on. After all, they helped her a great deal back in the past.

Her uncle then suddenly smiled, taking Audrey aback a bit.

"You've become quite the noble, responsible young woman, Audrey." The uncle then said, "I'm really proud of you."

"We're all proud of you, Audrey. You've grown up so well, my dear." Her aunt smiled, her kind eyes watching her niece. "My, my… to think you ran away from your home in the US. You showed up on our doorstep one evening with nothing more than a week's set of clothes stuffed in your carpet bag and your travel documents."

"Hah! I remembered that too!" Her uncle leaned back into his chair and laughed, "Audrey sure looked like a bum!"

He then suddenly became more serious.

"But look at you now, Audrey – young, beautiful and successful! You're a self-made woman, turning our humble little house and lot into a full-fledged hacienda! If it weren't for this goddamned war, we'd be millionaires by the time the Philippines achieves independence from the US."

"Heh… it'd have been nice to be a millionaire." Audrey agreed, her mind then sinking down into distasteful memories.

Her aunt noticed Audrey's sudden frozen silence and figured out what was on her mind. It was a relatively recent incident after all – a scar that had yet to heal.

Her aunt reached over the table and grasped Audrey's hands.

"Harvest starts early tomorrow morning, Audrey. We'll need your help for this little plan of yours to work. You don't mind, do you? I know you'll have to return to Mr. De la Cruz's platoon, but we'll only keep you until the seeds are sown.

Audrey looked at her aunt's eyes. "I-I don't mind. That's sounds great, Auntie."

Her uncle smiled softly at Audrey. "Welcome home, Audrey."

After the late lunch, Audrey fetched a bottle of Coca Cola from their icebox then retired to her room in the second floor of the plantation house. She let her bag fall to the rich mahogany floor and heard her ax and baseball bat clink dully together.

Audrey removed and unloaded the holstered handgun on her hip then hid them all in her drawer. She then traded her dirty, dusty traveling clothes for a more comfortable dress. With her new clothes and the Coca-Cola bottle in hand, she stepped out to her balcony, cast in warm colors as the sun started to sink.

She opened up the Coke bottle and leaned onto the balcony railings, looking out to the ocean. From the balcony, Audrey had a perfect view of every hectare of land she and her relatives owned and toiled over. She usually liked to gaze upon that land and take pride in all of their hard work. That day, she just kept watching the slowly descending sun. She was tired from her travels, after all, but heavy thoughts also filled her mind.

"If only you could see me now, dad." She muttered somberly to herself, "And if only you gave a damn… mom."

She downed the bottle quickly and gave a refreshed sigh, thinking and planning for the start of the sugarcane and tobacco harvest.

Just as Audrey was about to go back inside to fetch a cigar, the American girl spotted a thin young girl in tattered, dirty clothes staggering down the main road that connected the haciendas. Dark circles were etched heavily under her eyes and she seemed flushed with fever. Audrey tilted her head, trying to figure out who this girl was and why she was staggering like that.

Had she wandered off from the refugee camp or was she fleeing from another town? Audrey watched the tired girl, but the staggering girl disappeared behind the tall shrubbery of her neighbor's lands.

"I wonder what that was about…"

Audrey shrugged then got her cigars. She had other things to worry about.

Second Interlude

Audrey and her relatives met with their haciendero neighbors the next day and discussed Audrey's plan to grow food for the USAFFE. The neighbors, Audrey would find out, were not against the plan at all. As a matter of fact, with Manila in the hands of the Japanese, they had no ports to ship the sugarcane and tobacco out from – they were already thinking of switching to foodcrops to grow for themselves. Audrey was relieved as the hacienderos all agreed to her plan.

Things were starting to look up, but something still bothered the American girl.

"By the way..." Audrey then asked her neighbors, "did a fatigued young girl come around to your gates to ask for help?"

The neighbors all shook their head. Apparently, none of them had come across this girl. Maybe the girl was just passing by and had moved on. Audrey just shrugged and got on to wrap up their meeting. A few days would pass and Audrey's plan was put into motion.

After every pound of sugarcane and tobacco grown in Mariveles had been harvested and stored, work began to prepare the fields for growing rice, corn and sweet potatoes. Audrey, eager to lend a hand, donned tall rubber boots and trousers like the rest of the farm hands and marched off to the fields to work.

Audrey skillfully guided a carabao* that pulled a plow through the muddy fields alongside her farm hands. Together, they planted seeds wherever they went and covered hectare after hectare of the vast estate.

They worked hard until lunch time when, once again, Audrey's relatives prepared some snacks and lemonade for them all. Even the workers of the other haciendas and the hacienderos themselves came by to eat, drink and chat. They all congregated at the backyard of Audrey's plantation house, finding shade from the hot midday sun.

Just as Audrey slipped off her work boots to grab a bite to eat, a loud, terrified scream rang through from the backyard. A maidservant from one of the distant haciendas burst into the backyard, panting heavily and looking absolutely wild.

"T-there's a girl!" cried the maidservant in Tagalog, "T-there's a girl who fell into the gutter!"

The girl, the maidservant would then shakily say, was dead. Everyone gathered there at the backyard was immediately on edge.

"Where did you find her?" Audrey asked the maid, doing her best to calm her down.

"Near the main road, just three haciendas east of here – at the intersection." The maid replied, "I… I thought she just collapsed, but she was cold."

"Damn…" Audrey cursed. It must have been that girl from earlier who passed by her hacienda – she was sure of it.

"And… and… she was holding on to this shattered gold trinket thing." The maid added slowly, "I don't know what it is, but she seemed to have been protecting it in her dying moments."

Nervous whispers flew around the backyard.

Audrey went white. The girl who had died had been holding on to a Soul Gem. The girl who had died was a Puella Magi. A Witch must have attacked her and killed her, leaving her corpse in the gutter.

"Even in Mariveles, huh?" Audrey clicked her tongue, "Those Witches just never give up, huh?"

Audrey retreated back into her house, running up to the second floor and into her room. She grabbed her bag with her baseball bat and ax and drew out her M1911 pistol and holster from her drawer. Hastily, she grabbed a handful of pistol magazines and stuffed them haphazardly into her knapsack.

Her conventional weapons had helped her through her encounters with Witches in the past, so she didn't want to fight Witches without them. She had no way to defend herself in melee combat otherwise. With all of her weapons in tow, she headed out in the direction the crying maid had pointed out.

"Audrey!" Her uncle cried out, wondering why his niece was running away with a knapsack stuffed with weapons and a handgun holstered at her hip, "Where are you going?"

Audrey didn't reply, choosing to run faster instead. Now far away from the crowds, she twisted the ring off her finger and let it materialize into her bright amber Soul Gem. Holding it firmly in her hands, she searched for the body of the girl. Her Soul Gem glowed and the body was nowhere to be found – the Witch that had killed the girl must have been close by, hiding the body. The tell-tale shine hovering above a crooked part of the gutter caught the American's attention.

"Found you." Audrey's eyes sharpened, "Now, get out of my town!"

The light of her Soul Gem wrapped around Audrey and her dirty work clothes turned into her neat Puella Magi attire. She dashed headlong into the barrier.

Act VII – The Battle of Mariveles

Pitch-black darkness welcomed the American girl as she dove deeper into the barrier. Audrey determinedly lurched forward, feeling the gravity lazily pull her down.

"What's up with this Witch?" She muttered apprehensively.

Ever so slowly, she floated down to an oblong board of wood sitting at the very bottom of the chamber. Two rows of seven pits were carved into the glossy, flickering mahogany wood that swirled around on the board. Audrey recognized this board – it was a Sungka* board.

Hiding in those pits, Audrey could see little round cowrie shells, jumping from pit to pit to some unheard, hypnotic beat – a beat that Audrey started to hear as she continued to float on down. These were the Witch's minions, Audrey thought.

"Father… Mother… why don't you notice me? I wanna play. Father… Mother… why don't you notice me? I wanna play." Each syllable was punctuated by the jumping of the white cowries.

Audrey's feet gently hit the board and the words were distorted into shrieks that echoed throughout the barrier. It was a girl's high-pitched voice that becomes more and more incomprehensible. Audrey stood up then looked around the Sungka board with cautious eyes.

At one end of the board, a nipa hut stood upon bamboo stilts. The voices seemed to come from the door of this nipa hut, urging Audrey to move towards it. She crept towards the door, her gloved hands tugging down her ranger's hat to hide her face from the cowrie shells bounding around the Sungka board's pits.

She reached for the hut's frail wooden door and the shrill voice became a demonic chant that screamed garbled words, making Audrey's head pound. Then, as Audrey stepped through the threshold, there was silence. The door opened with a subtle creak.

Audrey poked her head in through the threshold and found a long wooden pathway that stretched out endlessly towards consuming darkness. This pathway was supported by columns of bamboo that reached down to a solid wooden platform suspended in darkness. Sungka pits were carved into that platform. Cowrie shells sprouted up from the pits below and scrambled up the columns onto the pathway. The whole place was infested with cowrie shells.

That cowrie-infested pathway was the only way to the Witch, Audrey thought. She could only sigh.

Audrey gracefully reached behind her then pulled out her trusty baseball bat from her knapsack. With a practiced swing, she smashed a nearby shell into pieces. The shell broke open and crumbled into grey dust that bled down through the pathway's planks and onto the lower platform.

The other cowrie shells were shocked by the death of their comrade and angrily launched themselves at the marauding Audrey. The American just grinned and smashed the cowrie shells midflight. Once the first wave of shells crumbled away, she drew her M1911 pistol and shot at the mass of shells, emptying her magazine. The formation of shells crumbled and fled from Audrey in fright.

"Hey! I'm not done with you guys yet!" Audrey growled as she reloaded her gun.

Audrey watched the fleeing cowries as they regrouped a good distance away from her. A blast from her 57mm AT gun might do the trick, Audrey thought. Instead of coming together to attack her, though, the cowries hopped down the dock in the opposite direction, deeper into the barrier.

Suddenly, a loud, distant thump shook the pathway slightly. The shells in front of her desperately abandoned the pathway and jumped down to the safety of the lower platform. What was that all about?

Audrey squinted then saw a battle taking place a little further down the suspended wooden pathway. There were two girls who fought back to back against a mountain of shells. One, a short, willowy girl with eyes narrowed in delight, slashed at the incoming shells with twin knives. The other girl, a little taller than the knife-wielder, protected her partner's back while smashing at the shells with a large hammer – the hammer that had been making the walkway tremble.

"T-those guys are…"

Audrey had never seen other Puella Magi in action before, let alone two Puella Magi fighting side by side. She had fought her many battles on her own, so Audrey couldn't help but stare.

The girl with knives frightened the last batch of shells away with swings of her knives then spotted the amazed Audrey. She leaned over and tapped her partner's shoulder.

"Is she one we're supposed to take care of?" she asked in Filipino

The taller girl easily swung her large hammer over her shoulder and watched Audrey with her sharp eyes. "No, no… there's supposed to be four of them with some reinforcement for us – did you already forget?"

Her sharp eyes then grew crafty, "But, that doesn't mean we can't have ourselves some fun."

Raising her hammer up, she slammed it onto the wooden pathway. Many shells were sent flying into the air and the rest burst into grey dust. Now, only Audrey and the two Puella Magi were left on the boardwalk.

"What a show!" Audrey cheered as she walked down the path towards the two Puella Magi, "And here I was thinking this Witch hunt would take long."

She holstered her gun and extended her free hand towards the two girls.

"The name's Audrey, and I'm—"

The girl with twin knives smirked, hey eyes glinting as she tightened her grip on her knives. Her partner causally brought up her hammer to her side.

"A Puella Magi…"

Together, the two Puella Magi launched towards Audrey.

Audrey reflexively parried the knives of the first girl with the butt of her gun then shoved the willowy girl off her feet. The second Puella Magi followed with a backswing of her hammer but missed Audrey by less than an inch. Audrey stumbled back, nearly falling off the walkway.

"What the hell's the meaning of this?" Audrey demanded in English then in Filipino, her hand now on her neckerchief. She watched the willowy girl swing herself up on her feet and bounce up towards her. "You're both Puella Magi too, aren't you? Aren't we on the same side? Why the hell are you two attacking me?"

The two girls ignored her warning. Instead, they launched at her again in tandem. They were hell bent on fighting Audrey.

"You wanna fight with magic?" Audrey hissed aggresively, "Then we'll fight with magic!"

Audrey whipped her neckerchief off and flailed it desperately, calling forth her 20mm guns. In her haste, only six slammed down around her. Two of them were summoned too close to the edge of the walkway and rammed down into the lower wooden platform with loud crashes. The two Puella Magi nearly laughed at Audrey.

"Damn it!" Audrey silently cursed, "Take this!"

Audrey fired her four remaining flak guns at the two girls. The shots resounded in the dark emptiness and threw up a pathetically small cloud of shrapnel.

It wasn't enough.

Neither of the two mysterious Puella Magi had been harmed. The girl with the hammer easily withstood the light barrage, her costume barely scratched. She even sneered at Audrey, her sharp eyes taunting the desperate American girl. The girl with knives, on the other hand had danced away and evaded Audrey's attack altogether. The willowy girl then once again pounced at Audrey.

This time, the American had no time to prepare herself for the assault. She only managed to get her hand holding onto her neckerchief between her chest and the girl's blades.

The blades bit through the thin cloth and the golden neckerchief was stained crimson. A trail of blood then snaked down Audrey's left hand and she shivered in fright. In frightened desperation, Audrey took the worn bat she was holding and smashed with all her might into the willowy girl's ribs.

The knife-wielding girl's eyes widened in pain and wheezed heavily over the dull crunch. Before the willowy girl could recover her footing, Audrey took another swing and batted the girl away a good distance. The strong strike, though, splintered her bat. As the girl with the hammer inched closer to Audrey, she remorsefully parted with her splintered bat – it would protect her no longer.

She raised her bloody neckerchief up to the air and held onto it tightly, not minding the blood now running down her arm and staining the sleeves her cavalry jacket – she had one last card to play. The girl with the hammer easily stepped forward and the willowy girl picked herself off the ground, both girls glaring daggers at the American. Audrey took a deep breath and watched as the two angrily crept forward, tightening her grip on her neckerchief. Fighting in close quarters like this, she needed every second she could get.

Tired of the silent stand-off, the two girls dashed forward together again. Audrey closed her eyes as to brace herself then flung her neckerchief up into the air. Four dozen 2-inch medium mortars appeared around her – some landing on the walkway and the rest on the lower platform. All forty-eight mortars fired as one and their 'toffee apple' bombs shot up into the sky of darkness above them. The hostile Puella Magi realized what Audrey had done and were abhorred.

Odious whistling came from the dark sky as the mortar bombs came crashing down upon all three of them.

Once the dust had settled, the violent trembling of the pathway calmed down. All three girls lay down on the floor, blackened and bruised by the falling bombs. Audrey groaned and realized that she was still alive. She had survived her risky gambit. To her dismay, the two Puella Magi who attacked her, survived as well.

Audrey wiped the blood and soot off her face then picked herself up from the floor. Her opponents, crippled by the bulk of Audrey's bombs, could do no more than roll over in pain. Should she finish them off?

"Oy!" Audrey demanded the two girls in Filipino, "What the hell was that for? Who put you up to this?"

Before the girls could reply, the lower platform started to sink and the bamboo columns that held the pathway in place were pulled downwards. The wooden boards below came together and melded into a deranged swan-like head with a wide beak and a long body of mahogany wood. That platform that had supported the entire chamber was none other than the Witch itself. In its place was a dark, bottomless pit.

The twisted beak of the swan-head snapped at the pathway and its supporting columns, severing it in the middle. The walkway groaned and pitched downwards, tipped down into the open mouth of the swan's glossy head.

Still incapacitated by the mortar shower, the two hostile Puella Magi were unable to stand upright. The two of them screamed as they tumbled helplessly down the collapsing walkway and into the open mouth. The beak closed with a loud snap and the sickening crunch of bones reverberated in the chamber. Thus, Audrey's two opponents were forever silenced.

"Holy shit…"

Absolutely terrified, Audrey mustered whatever strength she had left and turned around to make a run for it. She pushed tired self towards the nipa hut threshold with all of her might. If she could get out of this chamber and get through the doorway, she would be safe.

The pathway, though, grew steeper and steeper. The injured Audrey found it harder and harder to clamber her way up the groaning walkway. Lower and lower, the pathway bent and the swan-head awaited its third meal for the day. Audrey knew she had to get out soon.

"Father… Mother… why don't you notice me? I want to play." Suddenly, the eerie silence was broken by the mocking voice from the first chamber of the barrier.

Audrey gritted her teeth desperately as she reached the doorway, stretching her hands to push the bamboo door out of her way. Then, the walkway gave one final shudder and collapsed as Audrey's hand grazed the door.

"Not now… not now… NOT NOW!"

With a desperate yell, Audrey fell.

She hastily fumbled for her ax at her side. Her heart raced and her mind was going dull, but she swung her ax at the remaining stretch of the wooden pathway. Somehow, she was able to lodge the ax into the wood. Audrey shakily stopped her fall with a jerk while the rest of the walkway tumbled into the darkness.

Audrey felt her arms burn. In her state, she was too weak to hold onto that ax and was too injured to climb up. The wood around the ax-head too was starting to crack from Audrey's weight. Fatigue quickly caught up with the American girl and her senses started to swim.

Suddenly, a pair of small hands reached down towards her. Audrey looked up to find the slim body of a girl in a blue kimono. The girl leaned down and extended her hand further, urging Audrey to hold on. The American girl gave in and grabbed onto the girl's hands. With surprising strength, the girl pulled Audrey back up to safe ground.

Audrey turned to look at her savior, hoping to thank her. Once she had a good look at the girl, though, Audrey recoiled in anger. She recognized the girl's features and her attire.

"A Jap? What's a Jap doing here?" Audrey glared at her savior with suspicion, "You're not one of them, are you?"

"One of who?" The Japanese girl said in passable English, giving Audrey a haughty look.

"Don't play dumb with me." Audrey rebuked, "You know who I'm talking about."

"I don't know who or what you are talking about." The Japanese girl turned her back to Audrey to face the bottomless pit. She then extended her hand behind her and summoned a peculiar weapon with a flash of blue light – a naginata. "Leave the chitchat for later and prepare yourself to fight."

"Are you going to turn on me too, Jap?" Audrey demanded, whipping her neckerchief into the air. Two 57mm guns appeared and nudged at the Japanese girl's back.

"Who turned on you?" The Japanese girl asked, still relaxed even with Audrey's guns digging into her.

"Puella Magi – two of them." Audrey continued causally. Dropping one arm, she called down another pair of 57's. "I wanted to help them, but they tried to kill me."

"Is that so?" The Japanese girl said, unmoved by Audrey's silent threat. "It's gotten this bad, huh. Serafina-san was telling the truth."

"What has?" Audrey's amber eyes narrowed dangerously. "And who's this Serafina girl?"

"That is none of your business." The Japanese girl said in her haughty monotone, "Now aim those guns in the right direction or I assure you, American, that your death will be swift."

"Why you…" Audrey let off on the pressure. Her entire body was sore from her injuries and her wounds stung awfully painfully. She wasn't in a position to argue with this Japanese girl. As instructed, Audrey turned her guns away from the Japanese girl's back.

"That Witch will be surfacing very soon." The Japanese girl said, gripping her naginata tighter. "Get ready."

Audrey felt the strain on her body grow, but she somehow managed to call down eight more 57mm AT guns. Now, she had a battery of twelve of her highest-caliber guns. All of these guns pointed towards the bottomless pit as well, ready to fire at her command.

A strong gale blew from the bottom of the pit and the entire barrier rattled violently. The Witch rose from the blackness and revealed itself to Audrey and the Japanese girl. The massive swan-head of Sunka boards rushed skywards while the hordes of cowrie shells carried on with their game, hopping from hole to hole unaffected by the shifting wood.

"Here she comes!" The Japanese girl cried. Audrey nodded and the two girls steeled themselves to face the surfacing Witch.

The moment the Witch poked her head from the pit, Audrey fired her barrage of twelve guns. The anti-tank guns bored large holes through the neck of the swan and tore off the lower half of its beak. Flaming chunks of hissing wood and charred cowrie shells fell from the Witch, illuminating the barrier with fire as they fell into the deep pit. Blood and saliva dripped down from the Witch's broken jaw and chunks of red flesh and clean, broken bones fluttered out along with scraps of clothing. They were remains of the two Puella Magi that Audrey had fought earlier and maybe the girl who had died in the gutter.

Enraged, the maimed Witch threw herself at Audrey and the Japanese girl. From the threshold, it looked as if a mass of towering and flaming wood was rushing towards them.

"Shit!" Audrey cursed sharply. She and the Japanese girl were trapped here on the remains of the pathway. She hadn't been able to prepare her guns for a second volley and her legs were starting to wobble wearily.

The Japanese girl, however, remained calm. She just walked calmly down the standing remains of the pathway with a calm pace before breaking out into a rapid run. Then, with a fierce cry, she jumped off the edge of the pathway and leapt up to intercept the Witch.

With practiced ease, the Japanese girl flew towards the Witch with her naginata's blade raised high. She rammed the curved blade straight into the gaping hole of the Witch's mouth, tearing through it.

Dull, cracking noises reverberated through the barrier as the wooden Sunka boards of the Witch's body split and crumbled into grey dust. The Witch shrieked its last and collapsed. Its barrier wavered wildly and flickered before settling back to the shoulder of the Mariveles provincial highway.

It was already night time when the two girls made it out of the barrier. Audrey's fatigue and injuries finally brought her to her knees, but she was glad to still be alive. Her eyes then turned to the Japanese girl whose kimono was stained in blood and sawdust. The Japanese girl was already walking down the roadside to look for the Grief Seed.

Just as Audrey called out to the Japanese girl, the American tasted smoke.

Audrey whirled around in horror. The distant sky glowed in bursts of orange and red against the darkening blue skies. The sound of artillery batteries echoed in the night, mixed with the sounds of shouting, screams and gunfire. Mariveles was under attack.

While Audrey was busy fighting the Witch that had manifested, Japanese marines pulled off a surprise amphibious assault on the coastal town of Mariveles and many other points in southern Bataan. The Japanese military figured that if they couldn't break the Bataan Line from the front, they would strike at it from the sea. Since the USAFFE was heavily focused on the Bataan Line, the Japanese thought they would earn themselves a swift victory and a handful of vital beachheads.

One unit of the USAFFE, though, was able to respond to the sudden attack – the Philippine Scouts platoon lead by Sgt. Nicanor de la Cruz who rode into battle on the M3 Stuart he had just refurbished. The platoon launched a daring counterattack against the landings that kept the Japanese marines from advancing significantly. The local hacienderos and their farm hands took up arms and joined the PS platoon, bringing their old Spanish-age Mauser rifles and any other firearm they could find in the storehouses to scramble to save a town that had fallen so suddenly to the Japanese.

The Japanese troops ransacked the plantation houses and its fields and garrisoned the buildings to try and do as much damage as they could. Though the small PS platoon and their hastily organized militia of farmers were outnumbered, they had the support of Corregidor Island's heavy coastal guns. The M3 Stuart tank too was an unwelcome surprise for the Japanese.

This small force was able to wrestle the Japanese out of the coastal town, but at a high price. The coastal town was utterly ruined.

Half of the estates were burned and nearly all of the newly-prepared fields were ruined. Audrey's estate, one of the most prominent estates in Mariveles, was not spared.

Audrey saw the flames gutting the estate she and her relatives built from the ground up and couldn't believe her eyes. She closed her eyes, trying to rid the sight from her memory, but it would not go away. The faces of her relatives too flashed in her mind, causing her to panic. She felt so helpless, kneeling down under the flaming sky.

The Japanese girl turned to Audrey for a moment but did not seem to mind her. She just silently went around, rooting for the Grief Seed.

Finally, Audrey's fatigue and injuries took their toll. She collapsed sideways, falling into the grassy gutter. The Japanese girl looked down at Audrey and watched her – utterly motionless. She then turned away, finding the Grief Seed in the intersection.

"Audrey! Where are you?"

A young Filipina girl ran towards the gutter, illuminated by bursts of gunfire. The young girl's face twisted in horror as she saw the American girl curled almost lifelessly in the gutter.

"Audrey!" She cried again, scrambling to Audrey's side. "Wake up, Audrey! Audrey!"

Audrey responded with a muffled, faint grunt.

"She's still alive, but she won't last long – not with injuries like that." A small white, ferrety creature cradled in Ligaya's arms eagerly piped up. "You can save her, binibini. Remember, I can make even miracles happen!"

"A miracle…" Ligaya repeated. Her dark brown eyes were contemplative as she set Kyuubey down. She took a deep breath and started, "You want a contract… or something, right? I'll…"

"Stop." The Japanese girl interrupted in English. "Don't make a contract."

"Ah." Kyuubey turned his round, red eyes to the Japanese girl, "Michi Hideyoshi. I haven't seen you in a while – not since Hokkaido. Have you finally decided to return to the world?"

The Japanese girl ignored the creature and turned to Ligaya, asking her to move aside. "I'll help her."

With a gentle grip on Audrey's injured arm, the Japanese girl laid a hand over the wounds and bathed them in a warm, blue light. Audrey's wounds quickly sealed with a slight fizzle. Audrey finally managed to open her eyes, much to Ligaya's relief.

"You!" Audrey promptly tried to struggle out of the Japanese girl's grip. Ligaya quickly held her friend down. The Japanese girl closed her eyes in disgust, but said nothing, continuing to heal Audrey's many injuries.

Once she was finished, the Japanese girl held out an expectant hand. "Your Soul Gem. Return to normal and give me your Soul Gem."

"My-Soul Gem? Why the hell would I do that?" Audrey coughed, scooting as far away from the girl as she could. The Japanese girl pointed at the now dark Soul Gem encrusted in the pendant of Audrey's necklace.

"You used a lot of magic. Your Soul Gem needs to be cleansed. Immediate."

"Immediately." Audrey weakly corrected. Very reluctantly, Audrey returned to her work clothes and handed her Soul Gem to the Japanese girl. The amber gem was dull and white stars and black stripes danced and flew around inside of it – it was at its very limit.

The Japanese girl took out the Grief Seed she had just picked up and set it beside Audrey's gem. Blackness quickly poured out of Audrey's gem, filling the Grief Seed to the point that the seed itself started to emanate a dark aura.

"Your gem can hold that much magic…" the Japanese girl silently whispered her thoughts, "That's unusual."

The Japanese girl then tossed the seed to the ground near Ligaya and Kyuubey.

"You're not going to keep that?" Kyuubey asked, eyeing the darkened Grief Seed. "That might be quite valuable, you know."

"I'm not stupid." The girl countered, reaching into her pockets for Grief Seed of her own to cleanse Audrey's gem further. "Dispose of it – that's all you're good for."

With that, Kyuubey hopped out of Ligaya's arms and trotted towards the corrupted Grief Seed. It picked up the seed with its tail then tossed it into the air. The red circle on its back opened into darkness and captured the seed.

"Did you just-" Ligaya stammered, "-did you just… eat that?"

"Ah… It's been so long." Kyuubey sighed, wagging its tail in satisfaction. "Don't mind me – carry on."

The Japanese girl kept cleansing Audrey's gem until it glowed bright amber again. She reverted back into her regular clothes, stood up from where she knelt then turned away from Audrey and Ligaya. "My job here is done."

She then started walking down the highway, away from Mariveles.

"Wait a second, you!" Audrey cried out. "Audrey Burnham – thanks."

"L… L… Ligaya de la Cruz!" Ligaya added, stammering hesitantly.

"Michi Hideyoshi." The Japanese girl said, not bothering to turn to the two. Then, she walked away. Audrey and Ligaya just watched. Neither of them dared to ask where she was going or why she was there. The two of them just watched until this Michi girl disappeared into the dark of the night.

Once the Japanese girl was out of earshot, Audrey croaked, "Ligaya… if you're here, then…"

"My dad's leaning the platoon against the Japanese." Ligaya said, returning to Audrey's side and pointing to the silhouette of a distant M3 Stuart tank rolling beside thirty or so soldiers of the militia platoon and the mass of armed farmers.

Audrey thought she could make out Ligaya's father, sticking his head out of the top hatch of the tank to give orders to his troops. "Your relatives are safe too – they made it to the refugee camp."

"Thank goodness." Audrey sighed with heavy relief. "But the estate is ruined, huh."

Ligaya regretfully fidgeted, nervously adding, "And… it looks like it will be a while before these fields can grow crops again."

Audrey shook her head sadly. She put arm over Ligaya's shoulder and asked her assistant to help her up.

"I guess I'll be living with you guys for now, then." Audrey said, hobbling forward with Ligaya's help. "The refugee camp is this way, right? Let's go home."

Ligaya managed a smile. "Sounds good to me."

...

.

...

Back in the study room at the library of Mitakihara Junior High, Homura Akemi let her formless screen fizz for a moment before turning it off with a flock of a finger. The school bell was ringing, echoing in the empty library, but Homura didn't know which period it was at the moment – or if classes had already ended for the day. She had been watching the screen so intently, adding a score of pages to her notebook about everything she had seen, that she had lost track of time. Apparently, she had lost track of Kyuubey as well – he was no longer in the room. Homura angrily ran her hands through her hair.

The creature was smart to get out of the room, disappearing before the curious Homura could interrogate him further. She finally saw them all, the American, the Filipina and the Japanese girls, but how did those three create Walpurgisnacht? Once again, Homura had been left high and dry – every paragraph of her notes ending with questions.

A knock on the door then stalled Homura's thoughts.

"Homura-chan?" A curious Madoka called out, peeking into the room. "Y-You've been here all this time?"

"What is it?" Homura nonchalantly asked, sliding her screen and her notebook into her book bag.

"Lunchtime just started…" Madoka replied, walking into the study room and letting the door close with a mild click behind her. "Homura-chan… you skipped third and fourth period."

"I was studying."

"… Really?"

"Why else would I be in the study room?"

Madoka studied Homura with narrowed eyes.

"You're not studying – you're looking for something, aren't you?" Madoka said finally, "I don't know what it is you're looking for, but you're searching very hard – I can tell."

Homura stared sharply into Madoka's eyes, but she didn't flinch. It would be useless to lie to her at that point.

"It's a matter for Puella Magi only." Homura stood up. "Stay out of it."

"I know… but, I'm sure… maybe you and Mami can find it together." Madoka said with an encouraging smile. Homura turned her eyes away from Madoka's bright ones, fighting to keep herself from smiling as well. Madoka saw this effort and her smile only widened. "Um… I'll tell the homeroom teacher that you were in the nurse's office. Is that… is that okay with you?"

"Please do."

"And—" Madoka added in a rush, "—and if you want, Sayaka-chan and I are havin lunch with Hitomi as well… uh… we noticed you never eat lunch with anyone and we thought that—Homura-chan?"

While Madoka fidgeted and spoke, Homura had already brushed past her. She had made her way out the door.

"I'll pass."

The door closed with a click, but Madoka was still smiling.

To Be Continued

Episode 6 Preview

"There is no sight more painful

Than the sight of your dreams crumbling in flames

While you still live and breathe.

Is fate cruel? Or is it kind?

I really want to know.

As days pass and as people die

I know we have to move on."

-Audrey Burnham-

Extra Translation and Notes

CO* - Commanding Officer

Percival* - Lieutenant General Arthur Percival of Britain's Malaya Command. His forces made their last stand in Singapore and surrendered to the numerically superior Japanese force.

Aguinaldo* - Emilio Aguinaldo, a Filipino revolutionary general who fought against the Spanish and the Americans. Also the First President of the First Republic of the Philippines. He surrendered to the Americans in 1901.

Del Pilar* - Gregorio del Pilar, one of the youngest Filipino revolutionary generals. His most famous battle, the Battle of Pasong Tirad, was his last. He died in combat against the Americans.

Oho* - Semiformal affirmative, less formal than 'Opo' which is also an affirmative

Psst* - Known as 'sitsit', it is a very informal way to call someone. Common among friends in the Philippines. Avoid using too often.

Batangueño* - Spanish, adopted into Filipino language. Masculine. Means a person from the province of Batangas. The feminine version is Batangueña.

Balisong* - A knife made in and popular in Batangas. Known as a butterfly or fan knife.

Parol* - A decorative star-shaped lantern hung by Filipino Christian families at Christmastime.

Tita* - Filipino for 'aunt'

Pinsan* - Filipino for 'cousin'

Carabao* - Beast of burden native to South East Asia. They usually pull ploughs or carts for farmers or are ridden like horses – very, very, very slow horses. Riding them is not recommended.

Sunka* - Ancient Filipino board game involving cowrie shells or dried seeds, akin to congkak. There are two rows of seven holes on the board and two large holes at each end of the board – one for each player. The point of the game is to have more shells or seed in your collection pit (the large one) than your opponent.