A/N: If the last chapter was disappointing, then I will make sure this one makes up for it. That is all. Enjoy.
-Dual-Front Battle-
Pop stared in disbelief at what the two Possessors had done. Animating and controlling the Vac-Drive was one thing, but merging it with a wheel-like construct was, to put it mildly, crude. Still, she had to fight them if it meant getting her best weapon back.
The red Ojamajo drew her poron, but then the Possessed Vac-Drive Wheel Machine got on its side and spun at a tremendous rate. Pop was dumbfounded once again but snapped out of her stupor when bits of wood and carpeting began flying in all directions. She dove to the side, using the bed as cover to escape the barrage. It was then when she realized that the Machine was drilling a hole in the floor.
In seconds, a massive hole opened up underneath it, allowing the Machine to plummet into the room below. Noise not unlike crates being smashed quickly made its way up, alerting all who could hear it. Immediately, Pop left the room and made her way toward the door to the stairs; the sound of a wall being smashed and shaking the mansion stopped her.
She glanced at the stairway door and the previously-hacked at door. "I think…I think it'll be easier if I take that route!" Pop muttered to herself. She slipped through the large hole in the door and into the large room behind it. After summoning her broom, Pop took aim with her poron. "Pippito Purito Puritan Peperuto! Erase the window!"
Pop's spell did the trick, and the window vanished in a puff of smoke.
The battle between the ghostified Ojamajos and Shadow Hana and Shadow Pop raged on, but it wasn't going well for the two Shadow Ojamajos; they had been brought to their knees by the powerful stench that Ghost Pop was exuding and were gasping for fresh air. They looked up at the four ghosts who were now gazing at them with looks ranging from anger to confusion.
"Shadow Hana-chan…?" Hana asked, "Why are you helping Pop-chan get away? Hana-chan thought you wanted us to be ghosts?"
"Change…*gasp*…of plans…*gasp*…Light Hana-chan…"Shadow Hana chokingly replied.
"But-?"
"Will you Shadow Ojamajos please make up your minds?" Onpu demanded indignantly, "First, you turn us into ghosts, and now you're stopping us from finishing what you started?!"
"We'll do what we want, Light Ojamajos!" Shadow Hana spat. She fought through the stench and sent a blast of Shadow magic at the foursome. Hana replied with a blast of magic of her own. The two collided and were evenly matched, quickly canceling each other out. The white Shadow bit her lip. "W-what-!?"
"Oh, didn't Shadow Hana-chan know?" Hana playfully asked, "We're even tougher as ghosts!"
"We were going to turn you and the others into ghosts after we transformed Pop-chan," Hazuki explained, "But I guess we could turn you two…um…early?"
"Never!" Shadow Pop yelled defiantly.
Ghost Pop smirked. "Pipitto Purito Puritan Peperuto!" She sent a blast of magic at Shadow Pop. The red Shadow replied with one of her own. They, like with Hana and Shadow Hana's attacks, canceled each other out. "Nice try, Shadow Pop!"
"Tch!"
"Paipai Ponpoi Puwapuwa Puu!" Hazuki chanted. A beam of her magic struck Shadow Pop in the back, knocking her senseless.
"Pururun Purun Famifami Faa!" Onpu chanted. She fired a beam of her own. Shadow Hana tried to deflect it, but Hana fired another blast of her own, nulling the Shadow's defense and knocking the white Shadow for a loop. "Thanks, Hana-chan!"
Shadow Hana looked at the white Ojamajo in disbelief. Hana looked at the white Shadow with disappointment.
"Shadow Doremi-chan!" Shadow Hana telepathically called, "I don't think…I don't think we can actually win here! They're too strong!"
In the sanctum, Shadow Doremi heard every word. "Shadow Ai-chan. Shadow Hazuki-chan."
"Yes?" they both replied.
"You two go help Shadow Pop-chan and Shadow Hana-chan."
"What about you?" Shadow Hazuki asked.
"Someone has to stand guard and make sure nothing happens to Light Doremi's portrait. If it's destroyed, then Light Doremi dies!"
"Whatever you say, but I was going up there anyway!" Shadow Aiko spat, "I need to blow off some steam!"
Shadow Doremi nodded as the two melted into the shadows. Moments later, Shadow Aiko and Shadow Hazuki were appearing in the darkened room. At once, they each fired a beam at Onpu and Hazuki, respectively. The beams passed harmlessly through them, though the attack still surprised them.
"Whaaat…?" Shadow Aiko said in disbelief, "In that case, how about this!?"
Shadow Aiko leapt up at Onpu, her fist sheathed in Shadow magic. The purple Ojamajo simply smirked at the action, anticipating what was next. The blue Shadow swung as hard as she could…only for the attack to once again harmlessly pass through the ghostified Ojamajo.
"Silly Shadow Aiko," Onpu taunted, "Everyone knows you can't beat a ghost in a fist fight!" She chuckled. "But I can certainly hit you!"
Onpu grabbed Shadow Aiko's arm and threw her right into the wall, knocking the wind out of her. The blue Shadow got up, but was quickly knocked down by a swift kick to the face. This was followed by Onpu stabbing Shadow Aiko in the back with her poron.
Meanwhile, Shadow Hazuki was having serious problems of her own.
"I really miss the days when you were scared of ghosts, Light Hazuki," Shadow Hazuki groaned. She dodged a beam from her ghostified Light Half.
"Sorry, Shadow Hazuki-chan," Hazuki replied, "But you were the one who helped me finish overcoming that phobia!"
Shadow Hazuki loosed another beam at Hazuki. However, the ghost just floated there while the beam passed through her, again having no effect. The orange Shadow bit her lip; she enjoyed having the advantage when the two fought. Being on the receiving end was…different.
"Shit," Shadow Hazuki muttered.
A massive noise like something huge impacting with the ground echoed throughout the halls, catching everyone off guard. The mansion shook, and the lights began flickering. A door in the hallway burst right off its hinges and cracks appeared in a trail on the wall. It then it all stopped as suddenly as it began; the lights were dimmed slightly, however.
No sooner than the shaking stopped, the battle resumed. Onpu picked up the wounded Shadow Aiko and threw her out of the room and into the halls; the blue Shadow left spots of blood on the carpeting from her injury. Hazuki disarmed Shadow Hazuki and telekinetically threw her into Shadow Hana just as she was about to raise a barrier against one of Hana's attacks. Both were blown clear out of the room by the resulting blast…and the ghostified Ojamajos began approaching them. Shadow Hazuki lifted Shadow Pop and quickly went after them.
"Stay close," Ghost Pop warned. Her presence alone was again creating a short-range barrier against the dimmed light of the hallways.
"I have a better idea," Onpu replied, "Pururun Purun Famifami Faa! Short out those lights!" Her spell encircled the lights in the halls and immediately caused them to blow themselves out, blanketing the halls in darkness. "See? Much better!"
At once, the three ghostified Ojamajos left the darkness emanating from Ghost Pop and entered the natural darkness that now flooded the hall; they intended to fight the Shadow Ojamajos without being limited to Ghost Pop's presence.
"Oh…yeah?" Shadow Aiko retorted, albeit straining against her wound, "How about this?!" The blue Shadow waved her Shadow poron and immediately conjured a Blue Shaker. "Who said we…needed that machine to make these…Wraiths!?"
Hana smirked and glided up to the newly created Wraith. It glanced over at Shadow Aiko in confusion.
"Don't just float there! Smash her in!" Shadow Aiko ordered.
The Blue Shaker shrugged and immediately raised its hands. Just before it could strike the white Ojamajo, she caught the attack and actually held it in place. In surprise, the Blue Shaker tried to wrench its arm free but Hana's grip was too powerful.
"How rude," Hana chortled, "Hana-chan will have to punish you for that!" At once, the white Ojamajo drove her free hand right into the large Wraith, making it gasp in shock. Seconds later, Hana quickly drained and absorbed the now-screaming monstrosity into herself. Once she was finished, nothing remained of the Wraith.
The Shadow Ojamajos looked on in horror. "H…How…?!" Shadow Hazuki said in shock, "H-How is that…possible?! Y-You n-never demonstrated that power before!"
Hana looked over toward the Shadow Ojamajos. "Look what Hana-chan can do!" At that, she raised her own arms and then dove right for Shadow Aiko. The blue Shadow shut her eyes…
…and was pulled out of the way just in time by a freshly-recovered Shadow Pop. Hana's attack impacted with the ground, creating a small shockwave that managed to catch the two Shadows anyway and created a rather large dent in the floor.
Down below in the sanctum, Shadow Doremi looked up just as a few rocks fell from the ceiling. She gritted her teeth, knowing full well what would happen if it ever caved in. She looked at Doremi's portrait, pondering what to do. If she hadn't been through those events already, then she would easily have left the imprisoned Ojamajo to die; that was no longer possible for her. She knew she had to act fast, for the ceiling could end up coming down on her at any time.
Meanwhile, the Shadow Ojamajos were busy scampering out of the way of Hana's newly powerful fists. Everything she struck shattered like glass, including walls, doors, and even spells sent flying her way. Things were bad before, but now they were worse.
Shadow Hazuki was trying to take aim and use a spell to restore the lights, but her ghostified Light Half wasn't giving her that chance. She first knocked her Shadow poron out of her hand and then struck with a swift kick to her face. She quickly followed up with telekinetically slamming the orange Shadow against the ceiling; she fell to the floor with a loud thud just as Hazuki drove a diving kick right into her back. Shadow Hazuki stumbled back up, clutching her left eye; blood-stained shards of glass from her spectacles fell to the floor as she did so.
Things weren't much better for Onpu and Shadow Aiko. Between the bleeding hole in her back and Onpu's relentless and powerful attacks, the blue Shadow was barely getting anywhere. Then she saw what Shadow Hazuki was trying to do and got an idea of her own. She steeled herself for Onpu's next round of attacks and, when the purple Ojamajo made a diving kick, Shadow Aiko swiftly evaded and fired a spell at the lights.
It did the trick; the Shadow Magic went against its nature and repaired the fixtures. Immediately, the halls were bathed brilliant light. Onpu tried to shield herself from it, but it was too much; she froze in place. The Shadow Ojamajos, weary from the fight and barely standing, looked on with pride.
"YES!" Shadow Aiko shouted.
Onpu wasn't the only one who had been stunned; Hana and Hazuki were caught off guard by the sudden flash and found themselves unable to move as well. Unfortunately, thanks to her minions, Ghost Pop wasn't affected, and if she got close enough to them, her barrier would end the stunning.
Shadow Pop chuckled. "This…is one way we're still better than you…Light Ojamajos!" she said defiantly.
"You absolutely need the dark to keep moving whereas we don't," Shadow Hazuki continued.
"And now all we gotta do is-!" Shadow Aiko began, but was cut off.
Ghost Pop decided now to put her own plan into motion. Immediately, two of her Possessors returned to their normal forms and proceeded to expand her barrier. It managed to encompass Hazuki, freeing her from the light and allowing her to move once again. Not even one second later, it encompassed and freed Hana too.
"I don't think so!" Shadow Aiko shouted. She tried another spell to make the lights even brighter, but Hana reacted quickly and used a spell of her own to force the blue Shadow into close proximity. "Wahhh!"
The Shadow Ojamajos lost sight of Shadow Aiko as she was dragged into the barrier by Hana's magic. Shadow Hazuki used her own magic to try and pull the blue Shadow out. She succeeded, and Shadow Aiko was pulled out, stunned and wide-eyed.
"Th-thank you," Shadow Aiko stammered.
It was short-lived; the expanding barrier encompassed Onpu right then and there. All three ghostified Ojamajos quickly went closer to Ghost Pop while the Possessors seemed to return to being part of her armor; the foursome approached the shocked Shadow Ojamajos. Hana spoke first.
"Shadow Hana-chan?" Hana asked, "Hana-chan saved you from Black Queen's punishment by becoming a ghost." She inserted her hands into Shadow Hana's torso; the white Shadow seized up at the unearthly chill and began shivering from the spectral presence that was now poised to tear her soul out.
"Listen, Light Hana-chan!" Shadow Hana burst out, "I've been taking advantage of our blood deal for too long! You've saved one time too many!" She gathered her strength and began trying to oust Hana's hands. "This time…let me save you…from having to live like this!" The other Shadow Ojamajos shot their friend several looks of worry.
"But thing about it," Onpu continued, "You will never have to work for Black Queen again. Being a ghost is this: Freedom. Freedom from everything!"
"That's…that's the feature of that device talking!" Shadow Hazuki retorted, "So not a CHANCE!" She stumbled to her feet…and was knocked back to the ground by… "Sh-Shadow AI-chan!?"
Sure enough, it was her. She stood over the orange Shadow, glaring. Her eyes glowed red and something like a dark aura was emanating from her. "You should be more careful of who you trust." She chuckled. "It's hopeless for all of you, Shadow Ojamajos." Her voice was her own mixed in with the voice of Tatsuya…complete with a demonic undertone. "Just give up and let us turn you into ghosts. It'll be easier on all of you that way!"
Possessed, Shadow Hazuki thought bitterly, It couldn't have been more obvious. She turned to Shadow Pop and Shadow Hana. "This…really is hopeless…isn't it?" she asked telepathically, "We're really…going to see if we could become ghosts, aren't we?"
Shadow Hana turned back toward her ghostified Light Half. She hadn't tried tearing out the Shadow's soul yet, but her hands were clenched inside her body. The two looked into one another's eyes for what seemed to be an eternity. Finally, Shadow Hana closed her eyes in defeat.
Shadow Pop stared a pleading look at the ghostified Ojamajos. "W-We can turn you back to good!" she begged, "We can make you living again! I-If you just let one of us go and get the device, we'll-!"
"No way," Ghost Pop retorted, "We don't want to haunt this mansion by ourselves! I mean, come on!" The red Wraith-armored Ghost closed the gap between herself and the red Shadow. "Just the seven of us? It will get too boring! Besides, when you join our ranks, you'll be able to play all the pranks you want without Black Queen to boss you around! It'll be perfect!"
Shadow Pop looked at Ghost Pop with horror. So this was it; they were going to be turned into ghosts right here and now. With Shadow Aiko possessed and Shadow Hazuki and Shadow Hana already resigned to this fate, it really was hopeless. The promise of endless pranks and an enduring existence for the rest of eternity did seem nice on paper, but living as one of the undead wasn't a kind fate in the slightest. Any and all choices may as well be gone now; the ghostified Light Ojamajos weren't giving any options and weren't taking "no" for an answer.
Shadow Pop shut her eyes, expecting the inevitable.
Suddenly, a form materialized from the shadows and brandished a device; it looked like a remote with two antennae emerging from its top and had two knobs on the front. The figure could easily be identified as Shadow Doremi, and she quickly approached the ghostified Ojamajos.
"Don't move!" Shadow Doremi ordered, "I will-!" She was interrupted by the possessed Shadow Aiko grabbing her arm, throwing her into the wall, and sending the device flying out of her hands. "That…could've gone better…!"
The pink Shadow quickly got up and made a break for the fallen device. Unfortunately, the possessed Shadow Ojamajo was too fast for her, grabbing Shadow Doremi by the neck and pinning her to the wall with strength that was unreal, even for her. The possessed Shadow Aiko smirked and waved her index finger in a "tsk, tsk, tsk" motion.
Pop wasted no time in gliding down to the courtyard, intending to confront the Wheel Machine and finally take back the Vac-Drive. She glared angrily at the Wheel Machine. "Give back the Vac-Drive!" she demanded, "Right now!"
The Machine, or rather the possessors animating it, seemed to snicker at the red Ojamajo's defiant glare. It immediately began transforming. The dual spokes on either side extended out and rapidly formed into claws. The hose of the Vac-Drive emerged on the left side and attached itself to that claw. The lower part of the Wheel split down the middle and then into two halves and began acting as a set of legs. All of this happened in less than three seconds, leaving the red Ojamajo with only enough time to draw her poron and mount her broom once more.
Pop bit her lip. This is really not going to be fun, she thought, But I have to. I need the Vac-Drive if I am to save everyone.
At once, the Wheel Machine let out a grinding screech and rushed the rose-haired girl. She flew up above it, dodging the lethal attack. It was ready for it, rapidly aiming the hose and firing a thick cloud of dust right at Pop. By the time she knew it was coming, it was too late; the dust cloud encircled her and sent the red Ojamajo into a coughing fit, rendering her unable to react when it grabbed her.
Next thing she knew, Pop found herself being thrown right into the ground, and before she could get back up, the Wheel Machine blasted her with another dust cloud. The red Ojamajo was sent flying a good ten feet by the blast, right next to the fountain. It let out another grinding screech and quickly rushed her again. Luckily, Pop managed to shake off the impact and rolled out of the way…just in time to see the fountain reduced to rubble.
Ok, this…this is much harder than it should! she thought bitterly. She wasted no time in putting some distance between herself and the Wheel Machine while it recovered from its failed attack. Immediately after, Pop decided to chance it. "Pippito Purito Puritan Peperuto!" she chanted. The Wheel Machine got back on its legs and suddenly reverted to its base form. It immediately followed up by rolling after her with incredible speed. Pop just barely leapt out of the way, but lost her spell and suffered a scrape in the process. "Give me a break!"
It changed back into its unfolded form in a split second and quickly fired another dust cloud at the red Ojamajo. Pop shielded herself with her arms only for it to have scored enough time to grab and throw her again. She landed next to the well and was thankful that she didn't impact with it; she stopped being thankful when she saw it go into its base form again and roll after her. This time, she had more time to get out of the way…and she succeeded just as the well was smashed to bits.
To her surprise, it kept going a ways before finally stopping and turning around. By the time it did, Pop had already mounted her broom and took flight. The Wheel Machine tried to flatten her again, but it was too late; Pop was already too far out of reach. She smiled with both relief and a level of smugness.
It's in the bag! she thought, It can't fly and I can easily dodge those dust clouds up here! Pop took aim with her poron. To her surprise, the Wheel Machine transformed again. This time, the claws lengthened and flattened out; the arms extended and raised the claws above its top. It rotated its wheel, which now opened at the top and arranged itself into a rear rotor while the hose extended out and took aim at Pop. The claws began spinning…and the whole thing ascended like a helicopter. "You've gotta be kidding me! What kind of machine gains flight powers like this anyway?!"
The Wheel Machine didn't answer and instead began a series of rapid-fire dust cloud volleys at Pop. She quickly flew out of the way, but it was taking every bit of her concentration just to stay ahead of the machinegun-like barrage. All the while, the powerful machine pursued the red Ojamajo, though it was far from graceful.
The majority of the dust fired was settling to the ground, but a lot of it still remained airborne, interfering with Pop's breathing and making things even harder than they already were. The wind from the Wheel Machine kicking up the dust whenever it got near the ground just made things even harder, but the red Ojamajo couldn't do much about it as she was still busy with dodging more rapid fire blasts.
Did I really suck in this much dust while capturing Wraiths and my friends? Pop mused, Then I just gotta wait until all of it…is gone. Just as Pop finished her thought, the hose ceased shooting her with dust clouds. "Speak of the devil!" she shouted triumphantly. It was short lived in that she saw the hose begin sucking it the dust. Oh, come on! Then her eyes went wide with an idea. "Pippito Purito Puritan Peperuto!" she chanted vigorously, "Take this!"
Pop fired a beam of magic right into the top of the Wheel Machine. That seemed to do the trick, as the impact caused it to being sputtering and sparked began flying from it. It crashed to the ground, landing in a heap that it now struggled to recover from.
"This…is the finishing blow! Pippito Purito Puritan Peperuto!" Pop chanted once more, "Force the Possessors out!" The Wheel Machine had just recovered and returned to the air when the spell rocketed its way. It tried to bat it away, but the spell evaded and went inside through a gap. Something like an explosion rocked the machine and made it go into an uncontrolled spin before finally collapsing to the ground. At that time, the two Possessors flew out of the wreckage and, upon seeing Pop glaring at them, made haste and flew back to their mistress. "I…I did it! I got it back! I-!"
Pop stared at the now-smoldering wreckage and realized that this wasn't the time to celebrate. For starters, the Vac-Drive may as well be heavily damaged and then there was the fact that she would have trouble moving it as it is now. As such, the rose-haired girl decided it was time for a little call and pulled out the All-in-One. Majo Toron answered.
"Hello?" Majo Toron asked, "Pop-chan?"
"Yeah!" Pop replied, "Great news: I've got the Vac-Drive back!"
"That's great! But before you go and try capturing anymore ghosts or Wraiths, I'd like to install something that'll prevent this from happening again. So if you would-?"
"Um, yeah, about that."
Pop proceeded to explain what had just happened. When she was finished, Majo Toron was practically beside herself in shock…at least, that's what could be discerned from the sound of her voice. Fortunately, Shadow Ruka agreed to assist in getting the remains of the Wheel Machine back to the Magic Research Center for the much-needed repairs.
"So what now?" Onpu asked, "Should we smash that device or add our Shadows to our ranks first?"
Shadow Doremi glared bitterly at Onpu. She was pinned to the wall, but the possessed Shadow Aiko wasn't strangling her; she still kept a close eye on the pink Shadow regardless. At the same time, Hana hadn't torn out Shadow Hana's soul yet and was now debating about what to do about the device.
Onpu, Hazuki, and Hana all knew that as long as the device remained intact, the threat of being turned back to normal lingered. However, if they ghostify the Shadow Ojamajos, then the odds will fall by a significant margin. They wanted to add to their ranks more than anything at the current moment.
"Are you ready, Shadow Hana-chan?" Hana asked. Her grip on the white Shadow's soul tightened. "Just giving you the heads up."
Shadow Hana said nothing. Her mind was very much in a state of shock and hopelessness.
Suddenly, the Possessors resembling Misaki and Kazuhiro flew in quickly, blowing past Shadow Doremi and the possessed Shadow Aiko and returning to being Ghost Pop's armor. The expressions on their faces were rife with fear and failure and they were practically clinging and begging for mercy.
The possessed Shadow Aiko turned away from Shadow Doremi to see what the fuss was about.
"It's ok, you two," Ghost Pop comforted, "It wasn't your fault you failed. Living Me is just that tough." She glanced at Shadow Aiko. "Tatsuya-kun! Look out!"
The possessed Shadow Aiko turned just in time for Shadow Doremi to drive both feet into her stomach. Shadow Aiko was sent reeling back while Shadow Doremi swiftly retrieved the device. The possessed blue Shadow tried to intercept, but the pink Shadow spun around her and rushed toward Hana, device active. The white Ojamajo looked at her with horror but Ghost Pop intercepted and blocked the device's power.
"If Living Me has the Vac-Drive back, then we might want to retreat before she comes in!" warned Ghost Pop.
Immediately, Hana released her Shadow's soul and flew into the ceiling. She was quickly followed by the other ghostified Ojamajos. Ghost Pop tried to usher the Tatsuya Possessor to release Shadow Aiko and flee with them but Shadow Hana conjured several metal straps that trapped the possessed blue Shadow. The red Wraith-armored Ghost shut her eyes in regret and flew up to the second floor corridor.
"Alright, we gotta get this thing out of Shadow Ai-chan," Shadow Hazuki pointed out. Shadow Aiko struggled to get free but, even with the Possessor forcing her to use greater strength, the metal bands weren't breaking.
"I…I think we're gonna need to use…Shadow Stage for this," Shadow Hana said, panting, "With all four of us."
The Shadow Ojamajos nodded and quickly dragged the possessed Shadow Aiko away. In no time, they had slipped into the shadows and returned the sanctum.
Majo Toron gazed slack-jawed at the wrecked Wheel Machine. From what could be discerned, the Vac-Drive had been firmly integrated into the contraption and had been severely damaged. The hose was burnt, the bag was ripped, and the machinery was missing. A closer inspection revealed that said machinery had been moved to a different area of the wreckage.
"They…really did a number on this, didn't they?" Majo Toron inquired miserably. Pop nodded. "You weren't kidding when you said it would need repairs…"
"At least we have it back now," Shadow Ruka replied.
"But now what?" Pop asked.
Majo Toron clutched her chin in thought. "I'll see what I can do. But for now, uh, do as you will."
Pop sighed. She had no idea how long it would take to get the Vac-Drive free of the Wheel Machine's remains and felt tremendous worry as a result. If it took too long, then she would never save her friends from being evil ghosts and, least of all, she would be stuck with a permanently aged appearance. Regardless, she would be bored out of her skull while Majo Toron does her thing.
The red Ojamajo went over to Aiko's and Momoko's portraits and pressed her hands against them.
"Ai-chan? Momo-chan?" Pop asked.
"WAAAHHHH!" they both screamed in shock, causing Pop to withdraw her hands in surprise.
Pop, having been caught off guard by the reaction, quickly put her hand back on the portraits. "S-Sorry sorry! I was just-!"
"It's ok, Pop-chan!" Aiko replied quickly, "Ya just caught us off guard is all." She made a sound comparably to clearing one's throat. "So…what's happened so far?"
"Well…" Pop explained everything that had happened. As she did so, she felt the same emotions Aiko and Momoko were feeling, most notably surprise and bewilderment. The former turned into shock when she mentioned the Shadow Ojamajos saving her from being ghostified and allowing her to go after the Vac-Drive. Both were relieved and astounded that Pop was able to beat the possessed device and get it back to be repaired. "So here I am now. Is there anything else you can come up with that could help?"
Pop waited for a while, but silence was the only thing that replied. Finally, Momoko broke the silence. "Nothing's coming up, Pop-chan," she said sadly, "Sorry."
"But there has to be something!"
"If there is, then it's all locked up," Aiko replied, "And something tells me it won't come to us easily."
Pop looked at both portraits in despair. Indeed, this may very well be all that the twosome could tell and there would be nothing that could be done about it. Still, she needed answers, but the only other source could very easily refuse or, worst case scenario, give false and misleading information. She closed her eyes in thought before finally replying.
"Ok, I'll leave you two alone now," she said as she withdrew her hands from the portraits.
Pop decided she was going to take her time going to the cell holding Shadow Onpu and Shadow Momoko. After all, she needed to kill time and possibly relax while waiting. She noticed something out of the corner of her eye; curiosity took hold and she reached down to pick it up. It was an enclosed letter addressed to, of all people, Shadow Onpu and Shadow Momoko and claimed to come from the other Shadow Ojamajos.
The rose-haired girl wasted no more time in getting to the cell door. Using her broom to provide more height, she opened the barred window and peered inside. Within the cell, Pop saw Shadow Onpu and Shadow Momoko, sound asleep and in relative comfort. Grumbling, the red Ojamajo banged loudly on the door.
"Wake up!" Pop shouted, punctuating her demand with one final strike.
Both Shadows woke up with a start; Shadow Momoko ended up falling off the cot and landed on the hard floor. Shadow Onpu quickly recovered from her daze and, upon seeing the yellow Shadow on the floor, glared angrily at Pop. The red Ojamajo's expression softened a bit but ultimately didn't let up.
"I have something for you," Pop said sternly. She produced the enclosed letter and slipped it through the bars. "It claims to be from the other Shadow Ojamajos." She watched as Shadow Onpu, still glaring, reached down to pick up the letter. She opened it and began reading it as Pop turned away.
"Wait!" Shadow Onpu called. Pop returned to the door. "If they want us to tell you, then I guess we should." The purple Shadow took a deep breath. "We used a device called the Ghostifier to turn the Light Ojamajos into ghosts. We secretly conned Light Isabelle into making it and then stole if from her when we raided her lair…again."
Seriously? Ghostifier? Pop mentally deadpanned, "I guess that explains what happened to Majo Isabelle." She glanced at Shadow Momoko. "But weren't you calling me out on using Majo Isabelle's tech?"
Shadow Momoko shrunk away from Pop. "She was opposed to using the Ghostifier," Shadow Onpu continued, "I was the one who ghostified Light Onpu and Light Momoko." She noticed the scowl Pop now wore. "And I impersonated Light Rin to lure you guys to the mansion! There! Happy?!"
Pop shot Shadow Onpu a look of contempt. So that's why Majorin-san was acting strangely, she mused, But, how did she- Wait! Nevermind! Onee-chan and Shadow Doremi used a similar tactic when they were merged. The red Ojamajo's expression softened greatly. "I'm glad you confessed to what you did."
"Hey! I only did it because Shadow Doremi-chan doesn't want to continue the plan anymore. If I had my way, then I would've still kept it under wraps for attacking Shadow Momo-chan like that!"
"But how does the Ghostifier turn people into ghosts? And can it work on ghosts who weren't…ugh, converted?"
Shadow Onpu shot an incredulous look at the rose-haired girl. "In order: Yes, and no idea."
Pop's heart sank. She had no idea what she was going to do when she finally captured her Ghost half. Shadow Onpu not giving a straight answer wasn't helping either.
"Ok then. I'll go check and see if Majo Toron-san's done with the Vac-Drive. Thank you and…I'm sorry for attacking Shadow Momoko like that."
On that statement, Pop withdrew from the cell door and returned to the main room. Upon opening the door, she found Majo Toron right on the other side. She looked surprised.
"I was just coming in to let you know I've fixed it," the inventive Witch explained, "Come and see it."
Pop nodded and followed the wheelchair-bound Witch. On the other side of the scanner was the newly repaired Vac-Drive. New features had clearly been built into it and a small device now poked out of it. Unfortunately, the meters measuring how much Elemental Energy was still inside indicated nothing was left.
"It doesn't matter that there's no more energy left," said Pop, "I still have the Medallions right here, so I can just extract the energy and recharge it." She produced the seven Medallions as proof. "I didn't know if I could use them as they are, so I, uh…"
"What's done is done, Pop-chan," Majo Toron replied, "You need to get back to the mansion and finish saving them."
Pop nodded and left out the door.
"SHADOW STAGE!" the four gathered Shadow Ojamajos shouted. At once, their combined might surrounded the struggling and possessed Shadow Aiko and began to work on her. She let out a loud scream right before the Possessor controlling her was forced out. It took a glance at everyone; before they could react, it flew out through the ceiling and vanished.
"You guys…" Shadow Aiko began, panting, "Thank you…"
The Shadow Ojamajos then looked at the open space where Doremi's portrait was supposed to be hung. If it weren't for Shadow Doremi producing a miniature version of it and then returning it to normal size, the others would've sent her into hiding. The pink Shadow put the portrait back on the wall where it belonged.
"Why did you take it down in the first place?" Shadow Hazuki inquired.
Shadow Doremi closed her eyes. "If I were turned into ghosts, then we would've returned Light Doremi to normal and then turned her into a ghost," she said, "In the event where they would begin tearing my soul out, I would've stopped time and returned her to normal myself. I'm sure she can hear us, so I filled her in on the plan and hoped she would agree."
Shadow Aiko shot her a warning glance. "And if she didn't?"
"It was a chance I had to take." Shadow Doremi looked back at Doremi's portrait. "Light Pop's really been through too much by herself tonight. I think she's at least earned something…and I do believe Black Queen-sama isn't looking too!"
The other four Shadow Ojamajos gave disapproving looks.
Pop's pace had been reduced to a slow walk. Part of it was because she now had to carry the Vaxc-Drive once again. The other part…was because of depression. And then she stopped completely and collapsed to her knees, sobbing.
You've got the Vac-Drive back, Sayaka's voice said, You can't give up now!
"But what if I can't save them after all?" Pop replied, "What if-?"
Please! Mami's voice ushered, You're doing this for them! You mustn't give up! They're counting on you!
Yeah! Kyoko's voice continued, Unless you really wanna let'em down, that is.
Pop decided to ignore the voices in her head. They were, after all, just figments of her imagination. All they could do was tell her things she already knew in some way. They may have helped her an hour ago, but now they've done all they can. It wasn't like-
Pop-chan? Came a new voice. Pop recognized it, but quickly refused to believe its source. Pop-chan? Pop-chan!
WHY?! Why does my head think I need so much comfort?! Pop mentally yelled.
But, I'm not in your head! The voice urgently replied. It's me! Doremi!
Pop raised her eyebrow in suspicion. Okay, if you're really Onee-chan and not another figment of my imagination-
You don't have to be so paranoid, Pop-chan, the voice retorted, Fuu, Fuunu, FUU!
Pop's eyes went wide. She had felt Doremi puff up her cheeks and make her signature snort. She was certain even her imagination wouldn't make that good of an impression of her older sibling.
O-Onee-chan? I-It really is you, Onee-chan! A smile crept onto the red Ojamajo's face as tears of joy began streaming out of her eyes. SorrySorrySorry!
Pop-chan, please! Doremi replied, I don't know how much time I have to talk to you! I don't know what they're planning, but I don't think the Shadow Ojamajos want to go through with it anymore.
I don't think so either. But I cannot forgive them for what they've done to us tonight, which is why I have to make them pay.
But Pop-chan-!
No! Pop shook her head. I'm sorry, Onee-chan. I've…I've been through so much tonight. Too much…
It's ok. I'm here now…more or less. But anyway, I think I should tell you something I overheard. Something that Shadow Doremi's afraid of.
What?
She said something about a "Walpurgisnacht" and that it was something Black Queen would love to see unleashed on Majo Kai.
Pop closed her eyes. She…knew what Walpurgisnacht was. Among the memories she absorbed from the Witches she had been fighting, Walpurgisnacht seemed to stand out above all others. Mami, Sayaka, and Kyoko seemed to know a lot about it and how horrible such a battle was.
I think I have an idea of what it is. And I think it'll form right here…in the mansion. I just hope I'm strong enough to stop it. But first, I'm going to save the others. I've already saved Ai-chan and Momo-chan.
Pop felt Doremi breathe a huge sigh of relief. Then…good luck! I wish I could help you further, but-
Her voice was suddenly cut off. Apparently, Black Queen had regained her surveillance and shut down whatever spell the Shadow Ojamajos used to allow Doremi to speak to her with, but her words had done the trick; Pop's resolve had been renewed. The other voices were right; the others were counting on her to save them, even if they didn't look or sound like it.
With her renewed hope, Pop picked up the pace and stormed into the mansion.
"And, of course, I should thank you for blocking Black Queen when you did," Shadow Ruka said telepathically.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Shadow Tourbillon replied through her own telepathy, "But…I have to admit: It was really fun watching that worthless tyrant fume and tear her study apart when I shut off her surveillance." A chuckle could be heard. "The most fun I've had in a long time."
Shadow Ruka grinned. "Yeah. I wish I could've seen her face…"
Both exchanged telepathic laughs at that.
A/N: This really took time to finish. Between another fic I'm writing and the ideas I'm thinking about, I don't think the next story will be here until much later. Until then.