"Koko!"

That was not Zofis's voice. It was Sherry's.

That was not Zofis's arms wrapping around her, it was Sherry's. Koko felt herself being pulled from the railing of the bridge, watching the raging water below her fall away from her view. She felt herself being sat down, Sherry soon coming into her view as well.

"Look at me, Koko! What happened?" Sherry's azure eyes narrowed in on her, trying to catch her gaze.

There was no way Koko could hide it anymore. She didn't want to hurt Sherry, but she couldn't keep it inside. Zofis planned this too, didn't he?

"Sherry…" She could only manage a breathless whisper, which only made her friend more concerned.

"Was it someone at the university? Is someone making you feel this bad?"

"Sherry…!" Koko tried again, shaking her head, trying to force the words from her mouth.

"You're shaking-! You're freezing, Koko! Here, let me-"

"Zofis lied, Sherry!"

That was enough words. Enough words to stop Sherry in her tracks immediately. Koko could only watch Sherry's expression grow completely helpless.

"No…" She first stumbled out, but realized there wasn't any way that Koko could be lying. The truth was out to both of them, and they had to face it.

"I remember… I remember everything…" Koko faced it long ago, knew that it was the truth and all the destruction was her fault.

"That bastard…" Tears began to form at Sherry's eyes. She couldn't help it; she wanted to save Koko for so many months and now that security was taken away from her.

"That damn bastard!"

Sherry damned Zofis to the depths of whatever Hell mamodos could go to. He lied to her. He had done enough by manipulating and controlling Koko's mind, but this? He had taken it too far. Because what he explained was exactly what happened. Koko couldn't take it. The guilt was too much for her, the words he used on her were too smart, it destroyed her.

If Sherry were a minute later, Koko would've been dead.

At that realization, Sherry reached out and drew her friend to her, embracing her as tightly as she could. She didn't care about the rain, nor the tears running down her face.

She cared about Koko.

They shared a hefty silence, finally lifting each other into Sherry's limo. It was silently decided that Koko was not spending her night alone. The women shivered in each other's arms, but Sherry knew that it was much much better than cradling a pale, lifeless Koko. After they arrived at Sherry's mansion, they were dried and given a change of clothes, finally then given time just for the two of them in the tea room. Koko watched the steam from her cup rise into the air before letting herself speak.

"It's okay if you… y'know, if you hate me for everything." Her gaze was brooding downwards, but she could see Sherry shake her head.

"It wasn't you, Koko, and I knew that the whole time. It was Zofis. It's him who I hate." She assured her friend quickly, trying to earn the brunette's gaze. Koko thought about it. Sure, it wasn't her, but there were much worse things she did than become evil.

She trusted Zofis. Zofis trusted her. They were both dependent on each other. But it wasn't just that. The worst part was the affection. Zofis's sweet, honeyed words and Koko's high, giggly words mingling together, just like that dying trust they put in each other. She remembered their contact, remembered every single place Zofis's hands had landed.

It was disgusting that she had such a bond with such a vile, sickening mamodo.

"Koko, you've been so strong. From now on," Sherry's voice was a heartfelt chime as her hands reached out to envelop her friend's. "We're going to be strong together, okay?"

Koko dreamt about Zofis. That wasn't too uncommon; the mamodo had left such an impact on her mind that he haunted her no matter the conscious state. He was crying. She didn't dare speak, only watched as his shoulders trembled and listened to the brief cries that fell from his lips.

"You…" Zofis began to utter out some words.

"You don't feel the same way about me anymore!" Those words of which were followed by a longer, louder sob. Koko wanted to talk then, remind him that the Koko he bonded with wasn't the real her, but the mamodo returned.

"It's Sherry you care about now… only Sherry!"

The woman's body moved towards Zofis, soon standing right behind his sitting figure. The mamodo let out a few sniffs, only to gasp when he felt feminine arms wrap around his shoulders. Koko wanted to strangle him. She wanted to remind him just what he did.

But she didn't.

Instead, her body ended up nestling her head onto his shoulder, relaxing onto him and speaking softly,

"Shh, shh, it's alright. Don't worry about a thing." She felt Zofis's body relax onto her as well.

"Because I…"

Sherry awoke to Koko's arms wrapped around her midriff and her head nestled into her shoulder. It surprised her. They had many sleepovers in their times as friends, but never had either of them been so close like this. The blonde bit her cheek to save herself from smiling. It was… cute.

If things were to stay like this, this bliss between the two of them, Sherry believed that Koko really would find her will to live.

"Do you ever dream about Brago?"

It had been almost a week since Sherry helped Koko off the bridge. Even after a couple days passed and Koko was able to convince Sherry she could go back to the university, they spent more time together than ever. Whether it be simply reading together in silence, taking strolls, or other activities, they were together much more often. Which definitely gave Koko better breathing room to think about the present instead of the past.

The sky wasn't miserable, but a little dark, sunlight occasionally trying to peek through the clouds. Autumn was always a varied season. On this certain day, the two women sat together in a homely cafe. With the both of them aware of Koko's memories, there were much more conversations to be had. Sherry took a moment before answering.

"More dreams than I'd like to admit… I'm assuming you dream about Zofis too." Koko nodded in response. She almost spoke again, if it weren't for Sherry,

"Do your dreams about him feel more real than usual dreams?" Sherry had beaten her to the same question, which was only proof that they felt the same way regarding that question as well. Koko nodded again.

"Yeah, but it sucks, because I can think on my own, but my body and voice ups and does things that I don't wanna do." That got Sherry's attention.

"Really? I always have nice conversations with Brago. It's almost like I'm lucid dreaming when I talk to him." She didn't really have to say that. Sherry knew the cause of Koko's inability to move, it was without a doubt Zofis's abilities. It clearly worked differently in a dreamspace, as he had control over the body instead of the mind, but it was still his doing.

Koko thought otherwise. Zofis had no more control over her. He was done for. But one thing wasn't done- the personality Koko created while under his control. That personality remained somewhere within her.

She thought herself to be lucky that that personality only returned to the surface in her dreams.

But she didn't say that. Koko didn't say anything. That possibility that the heartless, cruel, sadistic Koko still remained would be too much for Sherry to handle. She couldn't put more on her friend's shoulders than what was already there, it would be unforgivable!

But, Koko thought, there were definitely things she had done that were much worse.

Time passed. Koko began to think about the past less. She began to think less about hurting Sherry, more about becoming closer to Sherry than ever before. Began to think less about the crimes she committed, and more about the crimes she could prevent by informing others through journalism. Began to think less of what Zofis told her, and more of how much better of a person she was with Zofis gone.

However, the part of Koko that thought that this happiness couldn't last forever was right.

Whenever she dreamt of Zofis, it was dark. Pitch black almost, minus his waxen skin and pallid clothing. This time, it was quite the opposite. Zofis awaited her in a colorful, bright field that grew a plethora of small, blue flowers. The mamodo himself was holding some of the flowers, gazing at them with a dazed smile. The smile had brightened when he noticed Koko. Although, any smile from Zofis was menacing even if he tried to be genuine. The woman's body wouldn't cringe.

"Koko~!" He purred, tilting his head. She began to move towards him as he patted the ground next to him.

"Isn't it wonderful?" Zofis held up the tangled blue flowers in his hands as he spoke.

"Beautiful, just beautiful!" It was beautiful indeed, but Koko hated to hear the edge in her voice when she spoke. Her starry gaze ended up at her own hand, inspecting closely the small blue flower that landed on it. The moment she had done that, however, she could feel Zofis staring at her. The atmosphere went cold quick.

"You've forgotten about me." The mamodo's voice was dark, but no shiver went down the woman's spine. Koko tried to scream it. She tried to tell him that yes, she had forgotten about him, because she had Sherry and she was happy with her best friend.

"Huh? How could I forget about you?" Was what came out instead. She locked eyes with Zofis, while the "real" Koko felt like she was going to be sick at the intensity of his gaze.

"You only think about Sherry, Sherry, Sherry now." She frowned at his words, shaking her head quickly.

"Zofis, you know I hate her! Using her privilege to get herself whatever she wants… pah! She still does it too!" With a swift motion, the woman crushed the flower in her hand. The mamodo next to her let out a soft chuckle, the same childish snicker as always.

"It's always so much better when you speak your mind."

"Huh?" She didn't know what he meant. It wasn't Koko speaking, it was her fiendish self. She wasn't speaking her mind at all. Zofis got up from his sitting position, placing his hands behind his back.

"I know you want to be nice, and call Sherry your best friend, but your free will makes me so much happier!" He was levitating in front of Koko now, lips curled up in a smile. The mamodo reached out on top of her head and dropped a crown of the blue flowers on it. His hands lingered on her hair as he spoke,

"Koko… don't forget about me. Don't forget about all the things we did together."

She didn't.

Koko tried to think about Sherry instead of dwelling on that past, but Sherry was a part of her past. It was Sherry who she tried to kill. Sherry whom she spoke about despising. Sherry's heart that she broke.

She tried to focus on her studies then. Her dark eyes stared at the books, but her mind didn't register anything new. It could only register what already existed.

"No more…" The woman whispered to herself, hands on her hair. They began to grab firmly onto the strands as she cowered over her desk.

"No more! I can't- no more!" Koko began to panic. Her fingernails dug into her scalp as if they had the power to crush into her skull and kill her. Her breathing went haywire, and any breathing she did seemed to suffocate her more. She didn't need to feel the tears forming in her eyes. Everything was going through her brain at once.

Enslaving innocent people. Hurting innocent people. Hurting Sherry. Verbally abusing Sherry. None of it would leave her head, no matter how much she tried to think about how much better she had become. The woman stood up, despite the pounding in her ears, and proceeded to stumble backwards into the nearest wall.

She could feel Zofis again.

He was everywhere, his aura flooded the room and her mind. Koko knew she had to leave. Where she went didn't matter, how far she went didn't matter, she knew she had to leave her dorm. The woman stumbled out into fresh air, unable to see the strange looks she earned from lingering students.

She could still feel Zofis.

No matter where she went, his voice broke through. No matter how far she walked, his words echoed in her ears. The words she was able to hear when he was defeated by Brago.

"Koko will never find happiness."

"She'll receive so much pain when she remembers this that she'll want to die."
"She'll suffer with these sins for the rest of her life."

"She'll hate the idea of living."

Koko was thankful that the car slammed into her body at that moment.

She knew she wouldn't be able to handle it if she heard Zofis any more.