A/N: There are no notes up here. That is all. Enjoy.
-The Silence of Music-
Pop sat up on the bed. After questioning herself and getting no answers, she deemed that it was time to get moving.
She peered at the All-in-One and noticed a message on it.
Pop-chan! Hana-chan knows you can still read this, so I'll tell you. Onpu-mama has lost all hope of being saved. But Hana-chan knows you can save her, which is why you must catch her next! But she's also tough, much tougher than you think! And she knows things too! But if you can restore her hope, then you might have a chance! You must win, for all of us! We're all coun-
The message cut off right there.
I guess the All-in-One managed to keep a link for longer than usual, pop mentally mused, But if what Hana-chan's saying is true, then-
You're screwed if you don't know what you're doing, Kyoko's voice finished.
Thank you, Kyoko.
Pop sighed. She had a good idea as to who to go after next, but she wasn't sure if she could do it. Hana was not as hard as she could've been due to her own dislike of fighting and her being in control the whole time. However, Onpu was going to be hard, especially since she is easily the wisest and most skilled Ojamajo in their group.
She shook her head. No! I can't let her strengths stop me! I've come too far to quit and my ghost self and Onpu are the only ones left! A look of sadness crept onto her face. Maybe I can figure out which part of me Ghost Pop is…and find out why I'm becoming like this…
On that thought, Pop left the room and headed through the halls. She knew there was a door past the one she blew open earlier since Ghost Pop had obviously used it to survive that Witch. She made it in no time at all, but the door was locked.
Smirking, Pop pulled out her bag of keys and tried the lock. After a few failures, she found the right one and opened the door and found herself before another stairway. Staying cautious, Pop headed up the stairs and quickly found herself before another door.
It too was locked.
Figures, Pop mentally deadpanned.
She searched the bag once more and tried each key until she found the right one. She turned the knob and entered…
The room was as disturbingly familiar as it was unearthly cold. Pop had half-expected it by now but didn't think this room would be this high up in the Mansion.
The room was a replica of Onpu's room from her own house.
True to form, Onpu herself was floating over the bed. She quickly noticed Pop and turned to face her.
"You're late, Pop-chan," Onpu scolded, "Though I guess better late than never?"
Pop shook her head. "I'll go with 'never', Onpu-chan."
Onpu chuckled. "Do you really think you can defeat me?"
"I beat Hana-chan. Does that answer your question?"
"Hmph! Lucky. But no such luck will aid you here." Onpu curled her lips into a malevolent grin. "This isn't the place for us to fight, Pop-chan. Meet me in the Music Room on the first floor, okay?"
Onpu didn't wait for a reply. To Pop's surprise, the purple ghostified Ojamajo rushed and flew right through her body, laughing maliciously along the way. At once, the rose-haired girl found herself collapsing to the floor and her insides growing cold; she could've sworn that they had turned to ice. By the time she could even slightly recover, Onpu was long gone, her laughter fading into the walls.
Pop, panting heavily, struggled to her feet. It wasn't easy, especially since she now swore that her very life force was attacked as well, but she managed. It was clear that she wasn't going to move very far at the current moment and so decided to rest on Onpu's bed to recover further.
Shit! Pop muttered internally, To think…To think Onpu-chan…would've pulled something like this off? The red Ojamajo had no way of knowing if another part of her soul had been taken. If that was the case, then she might as well be facing two Ghost Pops or a single, more powerful one later on. No! I can't think that way- "Ech!"
A sharp pain erupted from the center of her chest. She instinctively clutched around the area, which was her heart. The pain went away, but Pop was still reeling from whatever it was and was unable to move around. All she could so was lie there on the bed and try to recover from Onpu's attack and whatever just happened.
"Looks like…I'm going to be here for a while," Pop mused gravely, "At least I can get some rest…"
"Damn, guys," Shadow Aiko said exasperatedly, "Since when did this game get so boring?"
The Shadow Ojamajos were once again playing a game of pool. Shadow Aiko, who was trying to get the solid balls in, only had two to go before going after the 8-ball. Her opponent, Shadow Hana, still had five of her striped balls left. Shadow Hazuki didn't trust her ability given that one of her eyes was covered by a bandage and Shadow Pop was busy rooting for Shadow Hana. Shadow Doremi was ignoring the game, focusing instead on her Light Half's portrait.
"Light Doremi," the pink Shadow muttered, "What would you do if you were in our position…?"
"Hey, Shadow Doremi-chan!" Shadow Aiko called. She had just managed to get her remaining balls in the holes and now had to get the 8-ball in. "Wanna play me next?"
Shadow Doremi turned toward Shadow Aiko and shook her head. "I…I think we should try pulling that…again."
The other four Shadow Ojamajos gulped in shock at her proposition. They knew what almost happened last time and weren't sure if it was possible to get away with it again. Black Queen had, after all, came in and gave a strict warning while dispelling their Shadow Stage that allowed Shadow Doremi to communicate telepathically with Pop.
"It's too risky, Shadow Doremi-chan," Shadow Hazuki warned.
Shadow Pop looked at her older sibling in worry. "I believe the only reason she didn't do anything else to us right then was because Shadow Tourbillon's keeping an eye on her for once. But if we push our luck then we could-!"
"I know the risks!" Shadow Doremi snapped, "But we need Pop to succeed and ruin the plan."
"It's already ruined," Shadow Hazuki deadpanned, "And we can use Shadow Stage to get a glimpse instead of wasting time here!"
Shadow Doremi shot a confounded look at Shadow Hazuki. The orange Shadow replied with a smug look of her own.
"Touché, Shadow Hazuki-chan," Shadow Doremi replied.
Pop sat alone by a tree in her dream. At some point, she had fallen asleep again, but bothering her with that was out of the question. She was miserable, reflecting on her dirty trick on Hazuki and her attempt to kill Hana's ghostly form. The dream world mirrored her despair, appearing dark, foreboding, and outright devoid of life.
"What am I?" Pop asked herself.
The forms of Sayaka, Mami, and Kyoko appeared before her.
"That's for you to decide, Pop-chan," Mami replied.
"You can't let others make that decision for you," Sayaka added.
"You're weak otherwise," Kyoko finished.
"I'm weak anyway," Pop replied miserably, "…I can't take this anymore…"
"But you can't give up!" Sayaka shouted, "You promised them! You promised to save them!"
"And you're well on your way to succeeding too!" Mami added, "You've saved Momoko, Aiko, Hazuki, and now Hana! That just leaves Onpu and Doremi."
"I…I…LOOK AT WHAT I TRIED DOING TO HANA-CHAN!" Pop shouted. At once, the dream world showed her memories of the battle, especially those where she was killing Hana, little by little, until she was barely able to float in the air. "I CAN'T DO THIS ANYMORE!"
"That's not true, Pop-chan!" cried another voice. Pop's eyes went wide, for she knew that it belonged to Doremi. Like the last time, it wasn't her imagination. "All throughout tonight, I've heard the Shadow Ojamajos talking about your progress. They are convinced you'll succeed…they even WANT you to succeed!"
Pop felt herself awaken as her dream world dissolved around her. She quickly found herself on the soft covers of the bed in Onpu's room.
But I can't succeed…not after what I just did, Pop lamented, I did something unforgivable when trying to catch Hana-chan…Onee-chan.
Even so, you can't just-!
I tried to kill her for good…and I didn't even feel bad about it…That's why I can't forgive myself… Pop heard a mental gasp from Doremi. She's in the Vac-Drive with Hazuki-chan, but that doesn't change a thing. She's hurt. Badly! And it's all my fault!
But, Pop-chan-!
I'm trying to feel bad about it! But the guilt…It just won't come!
Doremi stayed silent. Pop had a good idea why that was the case, but it did nothing to lift her mood.
Reluctantly, Pop crawled out of the bed and managed to walk toward the door. She still felt weak, but not to the extent that Onpu's attack and what she figured was a minor heart attack caused.
"Why am I even doing this anymore?" Pop mumbled to herself, "I've pretty much alienated Onee-chan by trying to kill Hana-chan…and I believe Hana-chan has already ratted me out to Hazuki-chan by now…"
She trudged onward, down the stairs, through the halls, and then made it to the first floor corridor. She paused before the door to the Music Room.
"Onpu-chan said she would meet me in here- wait!" Pop's eyes went wide. "The last time I was in there, the lights were on. So how can Onpu-chan be in there when all it would do is stun her and make her too easy?!" The realization and frustration quickly snapped Pop out of her despair. She then immediately blew open the door in frustration using a combined Dark, Fire, and Sky blast. The inside answered her question. "Ooooookay…?"
The inside of the Music Room was dark and had the unearthly chill. It was still just as damaged from when Shadow Onpu attacked her those hours ago but it didn't explain the darkness. Regardless, Onpu herself floated above the piano, eyeing Pop with a disappointed look.
"You're late again, Pop-chan," Onpu scolded. She then smirked maliciously. "And I thought you were more responsible than Doremi-chan?"
"Hmph! Maybe I would've been here sooner if you didn't freeze me from the inside out!" Pop retorted.
Onpu began chuckling at that. "I have to admit, Pop-chan: You're pretty tough to endure that and still keep on going. I guess it runs in the family since Doremi-chan is pretty strong herself…getting struck so many times, of course…"
Pop narrowed her eyes. "Talk is cheap, Onpu-chan! Just surrender-!"
"Hahahahaha!" Onpu floated over to the dresser in the corner. "You really suck at finding things, Pop-chan." The purple Ojamajo waved her hand over the dresser top. At once, the uppermost drawer opened…and a large purple coin emerged from it. "Do you know what this is, Pop-chan?"
Pop got a good look at it. Even though it was at a distance, the coin's features were discernible. It had the royal symbol of Majo Kai on it and it glowed with power.
"It…It couldn't be-!"
"It is! This is the Medallion of the Music Element!" The Medallion levitated into Onpu's open palm. "You recall that there are eight Elements, right? Fire, Water, Ice, Sky, Earth, Light, Darkness, and Music?" Onpu chuckled. "But you only had access to seven Elements from seven Medallions. Did it ever occur to you that there would've been eight of them total?"
Pop gasped. Such a thing did occur to her, but it was at the back of her mind and quickly ignored early on.
"But Majo Toron said there were only seven of them!" Pop replied.
"Then…I guess she didn't know about this one then!" Onpu replied, sweat-dropping, "But anyway, the Shadow Ojamajos were the ones who stole it and hid it here...and no one ever said they took it from Majo Toron, did they?"
Pop bit her lip. Onpu merely shot a smug grin at the red Ojamajo…right before putting the Medallion in her mouth and swallowing it, much to the pinkette's disgust. Immediately, the Medallion became visible through the purple Ojamajo's ghostly form, glowing brightly and giving something like a barrier inside her chest.
Getting out the All-in-One, Pop wasted no time and scanned her.
"I don't think that device of yours will help much, Pop-chan," Onpu taunted.
Pop just ignored the purple Ojamajo's comment and looked at the description that was now on-screen.
Onpu Segawa: Majo Ruka's former apprentice and the former rival to Doremi, Hazuki, and Aiko. Unlike the aforementioned Ojamajos, Onpu used her magic for selfish reasons and, thanks to a charm that Majo Ruka made, was able to use forbidden magic to change other's minds. She opened herself up after a time and became friends with them when they saved her from finally being punished. She was once weak to music, but the Music Medallion has nulled that. However, the weakness to the Music Element is unknown.
Damn it! But I'll find Music's weakness no matter what… Pop thought bitterly, "Looks like I have hard fight now…"
Onpu chuckled and smiled. "I'm surprised you beat Hana-chan. But you won't beat me."
Onpu immediately waved her poron around. Magic whirled from it and instantly destroyed all of the instruments, including the piano and disintegrated their remains. Pop looked on in shock.
"You…You cast your magic…without using your incantation?!" Pop said in shock.
"I guess it's because of the Music Medallion…it makes my magic even stronger than usual!"
Onpu sent a beam of magic right at Pop. She dodged it, but still got a scratch. But the purple Ojamajo was ready, unleashing a beam right into Pop's path, striking and knocking her to the ground.
"You're really getting sloppy, aren't you, Pop-chan?" Onpu taunted.
"Tch!" Pop glanced at the All-in-One's screen.
…
C'mon, Onpu-chan! Pop mentally begged, I need your help to win this battle!
Pop decided to launch a gout of flame at Onpu. The attack struck, but Onpu was clearly unaffected. Pop tried again, this time with Water…and got the same result. She repeated with all of the other Elements only to get the same result. Onpu never retaliated against either attempt, instead deriving amusement from Pop's clearly ineffective attacks.
"But…How…?!" Pop half-shouted desperately.
"Hahahahaha!" laughed Onpu, "You really seem to know nothing about how to effectively used those Medallions, Pop-chan. Let me show you how it's done!"
A long line of magic emerged from the tip of Onpu's poron, and with a flick of her wrist, the magical energy whip struck Pop, knocking her down. Several more flicks later, and Pop had been tossed around like a ragdoll. She managed to get up but was horrified at the sight: There in between her and Onpu were the Medallions.
"I do believe only a ghost can wield these properly," Onpu stated. She gestured for something to come closer…and the Medallions flew straight into Onpu's ghostly form. A brilliant light engulfed her as her ghostly form pulsed with power. When it subsided, the area around her chest had become a core of sorts. "Shall we take this someplace else?"
Pop didn't reply, opting instead to summon and mount her broom while Onpu used her magic. While the bright flash occurred, the red Ojamajo took the opportunity to put some distance between herself and the purple Ojamajo.
It was impossible to tell if it worked or not since Onpu could not be discerned. One reason was the distance Pop tried to add and the other was because there were pillars of Elemental energy surrounding them in some sort of arena. She looked at the All-in-One again.
…just surrender, Pop-chan. It's…It's only going to end one way…
"That isn't true, Onpu-chan!" Pop shouted, "I've overcome every obstacle tonight. I've defeated every foe, including the others! You're the only one left!"
Apparently Onpu heard her since she could now be seen flying right at Pop.
But I have all of the Medallions! You can't win! I don't want you to die by my hand! I beg you, Pop-chan! Give up!
"No!" Pop yelled, dodging Onpu's rush, "I'll think of something! But I can't win without your help!"
"My inner self lost all hope a long time ago, Pop-chan," Onpu replied, "She can't fight me off no matter how hard she tried!"
Pop bit her lip. I have to think of something! The red Ojamajo quickly scanned Onpu again. She got the same description as the last time, except…
…she is now a pseudo-Omni-Elemental attribute. Each-
Pop made haste and flew out of Onpu's path once again. This time, the purple Ojamajo was ready and quickly fired several volleys of fire balls at the red Ojamajo. Pop just barely dodged them, though she swore she had several burns.
-shell of her core is a different Element with Music always at the very center. Use Elemental attacks that are strong against the current layer and-
Onpu launched several more volleys, this time of Ice. Pop managed to catch the attack and dodge, though a sudden chill on her foot made it clear she had been struck.
-destroy them one-by one. Be careful though! If you wait too long, then the layers will regenerate and you will have to waste more Elemental energy trying to destroy them.
And I only have so much left… Pop bitterly thought. She tried to add more to it, but Onpu shooting her with gusts stopped that in its tracks. "SHIT!"
Pop wasted no time in trying to discern which Element the first layer of her core was, but it couldn't be done; Onpu was too fast and persistent and kept shooting her with various Elements, especially Ice. The red Ojamajo immediately tried flying upward to put more distance between herself and Onpu, but to no avail; Onpu simply trailed her and effortlessly kept pace.
"Pippitp Purito Puritan Peperuto!" Pop chanted, "Stop Time!" Pop's spell went off, but a grinning Onpu used her own magic to counter Pop's spell, preventing it from occurring. "N-No way!"
"It's simple really, Pop-chan," Onpu mockingly replied, "My magic is stronger than yours even without this Medallion. Do you really think you still have a chance?"
It was then that Pop saw it. Se wasted no time and shot a blast of Water at Onpu. The purple Ojamajo, caught by surprise, was struck…and part of her core seemed to evaporate. The pinkette smirked.
"Yes!"
"You got lucky!" Onpu immediately fired another round of Ice balls. It took Pop everything she had to evade them, but even then she still suffered a few scratches, but she managed to see the next layer and promptly fired a blast of Ice from point-blank range. It hit, and another part of Onpu's core shattered off. "Why you!"
This time, Onpu's counterattack was much more vicious and managed to drive Pop away. She looked at the All-in-One once again.
I'm…I'm starting to think I was wrong, Pop-chan. Yes…I was wrong! You can win this! …I think the combined might of all seven Elements is enough to defeat the Music Element, but I'm not sure.
"I will try, Onpu-chan," Pop replied.
With that, Pop flew right at Onpu. Not expecting that maneuver, the purple ghostified Ojamajo looked in surprise as she came in close and got a good look. By the time she got over her confusion, the pinkette managed to blast her with a Fire blast, causing another part of her core to melt. Unfortunately, Onpu was now the perfect position to strike Pop, and she did not squander that opportunity.
First, she telekinetically grabbed Pop and used it to hold her in place. Next, she blasted the red Ojamajo with jets of both Sky and Earth: A stream of sand. She followed up with beam of Light and Darkness before finally striking with a burst of magic. Chuckling, Onpu dropped the barely-conscious Pop.
That…could've gone…better… Pop thought.
You can't give up just yet, Pop! Sayaka's voice urged, Even if she did get that off-
I know…But I won't let that stop me!
Pop immediately recovered and once again mounted her broom mid-fall. Determination glinting in her eyes, the red Ojamajo flew back up to Onpu at a breakneck pace, even though her body was now in intense pain. Regardless, she managed to rush past a bewildered Onpu and glimpse her core again. Then, she fired an Earth blast at the purple Ojamajo.
The attack…missed. Not only was Pop a good distance away, but Onpu had snapped out of it much sooner than expected and had an easy time dodging the attack. Ultimately, this only got a mocking laugh out of the purple ghostified Ojamajo.
Onpu didn't reply. Instead she fired an Earth blast of her own at Pop. The red Ojamajo, in confusion, dodged the attack…and right into a Sky blast and therefore getting knocked off her broom.
"AAAAAAAAAAH!" Pop screamed.
"Hahahahaha!" Onpu laughed, "You're really doing better than I thought. Too bad even that's not enough!"
Pop's broom was well out of arms-reach. "Pippito Purito Puritan Peperuto! Return to me, Broom-chan!"
Pop's magic did the trick, pulling the broom back into reach. She grabbed and once again mounted it before going back after Onpu.
"You really do not know when to give up, do you?" Onpu inquired. She suddenly froze, causing her expression to change to one of confusion and shock. "Wh-what the-?!"
Pop looked at the All-in-One once again.
Hurry Pop-chan! I don't know…how long I can hold myself back!
The pinkette nodded and blasted the still Onpu with another blast of Earth energy. Her aim was true, and part of the purple Ojamajo's core was cast off. Unfortunately, that attack allowed her to break free from her freezing.
"Why you-!" Onpu shouted angrily.
The purple Ojamajo got into a position and gathered energy into a sphere in between her palms. With a final scream of rage, she launched the sphere, which turned into a thick beam of energy comprised of all eight Elements. It all happened within the space of three seconds, leaving Pop with little time to dodge.
She was fast enough to evade the gist of it, but the invisible energy surrounding the beam got her. It wasn't as damaging as the beam itself, but Pop felt it regardless and was nearly knocked off her broom.
The pinkette flew off with Onpu in hot pursuit. She didn't know if she could continue after that attack, given that it left her in a lot of pain and barely able to fly right. Indeed, her flight was sloppy, which enabled Onpu to circle her and launch one attack after another.
However, Pop was able to see which Element comprised the current outermost layer. Throwing caution to the wind, the red Ojamajo slipped in close, using the dust from an Earth attack to obscure her approach long enough to fire a Sky blast at point-blank range. It worked, and that layer was blown off.
Onpu was getting more and more desperate. Between the real Onpu holding her back and Pop's persistent attacks, she was losing more and more of her defenses; it was only a matter of time before Pop would break down the final layer and leave her vulnerable to stunning. Even though she could easily have killed Pop by now, she had already decided against it, having wanted to turn her into a ghost. She knew good and well that if she killed her without tearing her soul out, her soul would simply move on to the next world, sealing any chance of her being with them in undeath.
To that end, Onpu ramped up her attacks, but Pop was having none of it, even going so far as to fight dirty to evade Onpu's attacks and actually use magic to hinder the purple Ojamajo's movements. Finally, the red Ojamajo struck hard with a Dark blast, snuffing out the new outermost layer in a heartbeat.
This time, Onpu was dazed by the attack, allowing Pop to strike again with a Light blast. It struck too, vaporizing the next layer and exposing the Music element layer. However, Onpu recovered just in time and fired a beam of magic from point blank range.
Pop couldn't dodge it and was sent flying a good ways away from the purple Ojamajo. There was now some distance between the two, but the rose-haired girl remembered the warning in the description. One moment later, she recalled the real Onpu's theory about using all of the Elements at once.
It's all I have going for me right now, Pop thought, If this doesn't work, then…
The pinkette didn't dwell on the thought and instead prepared her attack.
Onpu raced over to Pop with the intent to ghostify her.
Pop waited as energy from all seven of her Elements gathered into the tip. She had a hunch that racing toward someone like this made them easier to hit.
Just like that, Onpu and Pop were now within striking distance of one another and closing fast. Pop gritted her teeth while Onpu arranged her magic into a drill-like weapon.
"NOW!" Pop shouted.
Just as Onpu was about to strike hard, Pop did the airborne equivalence of side-stepping and fired the massive, multi-Elemental blast from point-blank range. It struck true and overwhelmed Onpu's final defense, knocking her into a daze.
Pop wasted no time in drawing her flashlight and shining it on Onpu. The light did the trick, stunning her and finally leaving her vulnerable to the suction. And that was exactly what Pop did, callowing the suction to zero in on the purple Ojamajo.
"No way! No way! NO WAY!" Onpu screamed.
In an instant, the purple Ojamajo began flying frantically around the arena, causing the suction to drag Pop along for the ride. The pinkette wasn't letting go no matter what, despite Onpu's own resilience. It went on for several minutes, with neither side giving in.
Suddenly, a pulse of energy erupted from Onpu's chest, breaking the suction and knocking Pop back. Onpu's core was now back, and the purple Ojamajo was thoroughly angry with the rose-haired girl.
"You're…going to regret this!" Onpu shouted.
Pop flew off and looked at the All-in-One.
You almost got me, Pop-chan. But I've made sure that the layers are in the same place as before! Do you remember which ones they were? I do, so read my thoughts carefully: Fire, Water, Ice, Sky, Earth, Light, Dark, and Music.
"I gotcha, Onpu-chan," Pop muttered.
The pinkette wasted no time in charging Onpu once again.
The purple ghostified Ojamajo laughed at that. "You only got lucky, Pop-chan! Do you really-?" Pop interrupted her with several consecutive blasts, starting with Water, then Ice, and then Fire. Three of Onpu's layers were eliminated again. "What?!"
"I'm not finished yet!" Pop shouted. She fired a blast of Earth and then a blast of Sky, destroying two more of Onpu's layers. "These…Are the last ones!"
"No!" Onpu screamed. She quickly flew out of the way, but Pop managed to give chase. "Take this!" She fired a volley of Dark balls and Light beams at Pop. To her horror, the pinkette evaded the Dark balls but was delighted to see the Light beams hit their target…and was once again horrified when said target fought through the damage and kept coming. "N-no! …NOO!"
"This is it!" Pop fired another dual volley, the first of Darkness and the next one of Light. They struck true and both of their corresponding layers were vaporized. "Last one! Time to make it count!"
Onpu decided that Pop was too much trouble to be worth turning into a ghost. "Sorry, Pop-chan…but you're too dangerous to be left alive!" Pop looked on in shock as Onpu gripped her with her telekinesis and then prepared a beam of magic. "I hope you won't hold it against me in the afterlife, Pop-chan…"
Pop shut her eyes…and opened them back up when the expected killing blow never happened. To her surprise, Onpu floated there, frozen. She looked once again at the All-in-One.
Now's your chance! I can't hold her for much longer, Pop-chan!
"Time to set you free, Onpu-chan," Pop said. She charged up another multi-elemental blast. "You've suffered like this for far too long!" Pop took aim and fired. "Tiro…Finale!"
The blast struck true…and the Music layer was destroyed, leaving Onpu once more in a daze. Pop repeated with her flashlight and immediately began sucking her in. This time, there wasn't much of a fight…
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Onpu screamed as she vanished into the Vac-Drive.
And just like that…the fight was over. Pop had won. But just before she could properly appreciate the victory, a bright flash illuminated the arena…and she found herself back in the Music room. The lights were back on and the unearthly chill was gone.
To make sure everything was as it seemed, Pop looked at the All-in-One one last time.
You…You did it! You saved me! And Hazuki-chan and Hana-chan are here too! Please Pop-chan! Forgive me for doubting you! Forgive me for losing hope! I just wish I could've fought my ghost self more and truly helped you. But…Oh nevermind. You've saved us! But…Hana-chan is hurt! Please tell me that-
The message cut off right then and there. Pop looked at the last words in despair.
Just what I needed…a reminder of what I did to Hana-chan… Pop thought bitterly. She shook her head. No! I can't think of that! If I do, then I…then I!
Pop felt herself growing weak. She quickly called Majo Toron to tell her the news, if only so she wouldn't forget if she lost consciousness.
"Hello?" Majo Toron answered, "Pop-chan?"
"I got them!" Pop said, panting, "I got Hazuki-chan, Hana-chan, Onpu-chan!"
"But what about your ghost half?"
"Nevermind about her. I fear that…if I go on…then…then…"
Pop fell unconscious right then and there.
"Pop-chan? Pop-chan! POP-CHAN!"
A/N: I'm sorry if this was rushed, but I was on a tight schedule with this chapter. I technically promised someone to upload this either on or before the 30th of May. I will not break such a promise if I have the time.