There were a lot of things that Kitsu was certain about. That she wanted to kill all the Incubators, that she would eventually die or become a Witch, and that Nanaka was a manipulative villain that just happened to have the same goals that she did. Knowing this, she had thought she would be able to guess what Nanaka planned to have her do. Whether it was training, hunting Witches, or talking about ways to kill the Incubator, it was something that Kitsu expected.

What she didn't expect though was to be dumped in a bookstore and told to work there for an entire day. That had caught her completely off guard and Nanaka had smiled when she dropped her off, like she knew she had surprised her. This happened more often than not nowadays.

It made Kitsu annoyed, but she also had to follow Nanaka's orders. So here she was stuck cleaning shelves in a tiny bookstore owned by Kako and her family.

Kitsu sneezed as a bit of dust got between the holes on her mask.

Ew. Now the inside was all gunky.

"Would you like one?"

Kitsu turned around to find Kako holding out a pack of wet wipes for her. "Thanks." She quickly grabbed a wipe, turned around to hide her face at a corner, and lifted her mask halfway so she could clean the inside. Once she was done, she put on her mask, firmly secured her hoodie to hide the rest of her head, and then turned the used wipe into Dust with a bit of failed Reinforcement.

"Your… Magecraft is really useful," Kako commented.

"It was hard to learn," Kitsu replied.

"How did you learn how to use it? Did someone teach you or did you just find it somewhere?"

"Someone taught me," Kitsu admitted as she went back to dusting the shelves. "I'm never going to see them again though."

"Oh…"

"What about you?" Kitsu asked. "How did you get involved with Magic?"

"Well… there was this person that wanted to buy our store after he bought all the other places in the district. He was a land shark that wanted to build a mansion in the area."

"Like the landsharks that messed with Meiyu?" Kitsu asked.

Kako nodded. "That was how Nanaka, Akira, and I met her, but anyway. One day, when I was coming home from school, I saw a man in a long hat and mask trying to burn down our store. I… couldn't do anything. I just froze when he saw me. I could only get help when it was already too late."

Kitsu knew what it was like to freeze in front of a scary man, but unlike Kako she knew to act in the end to protect what she cared about. But then again Kako's home also ended up getting burned down. But Kitsu didn't really think of that place as her home in the first place…

It was all just very confusing, so she didn't really know what to say.

"I told my parents and the police and no one was mad at me… but it just felt like I could've done something," Kako continued. "Then I met Nanaka and Kyubey. Nanaka asked if I wanted to catch the culprit and when I said yes she told me that the arson was because of a Witch. She told me about Magical Girls and Kyubey asked if I wanted to be a Magical Girl."

"And you took his contract," Kitsu said.

"I wasn't too sure at first, since it's dangerous to be one. But when Nanaka saved me from a familiar and was then surrounded by too many that she could handle, I realized that I could actually do something. So I made a wish to bring back my family's house and store." Kako looked around the store. "Now I'm happy I have my home back."

"That's good… I guess," Kitsu replied. She knew the basics of the story from Nanaka, but it was different hearing it from Kako herself. Was this another one of Nanaka's plan? To try and make her friendly with Kako.

Kako seemed like a decent person and all, but the fact that it felt like she was being forced to get along with her made her feel used. Then again there wasn't a moment with Nanaka that Kitsu didn't feel like she wasn't being used.

And here she thought she was just a weapon to kill Witches and the Incubator. Apparently, there was some part of her that had some pride after all.

"Are you fine with Nanaka and the others just leaving us here to do their own thing?" Kitsu asked.

"No, why?" Kako asked.

"Because we're the youngest. And they treat us like that. Now they're off doing… big girl things."

Kako giggled. "Big girl things?"

"I don't know," Kitsu said, annoyed. "What do they do?"

"I don't know," Kako admitted. "But they'll get us if they need us."

"You just trust Nanaka? Even though she puts us aside like… tools she can't use right now."

"She helped me, and I want to help her. I also want to do something to catch the person responsible for all this," Kako replied.

Kitsu opened her mouth to say something else, when she felt two presences approach the store's entrance before they even opened the door. Her senses were good enough that she could usually sense people that weren't actively hiding their presence around her, which was apparently something that a lot of Magical Girls figured out. It made her good at stalking people that didn't know she was there but when it was the other way around like with Oriko, or Nanaka's group, or that one girl that got a sword through her neck a couple months ago… well she probably needed to be more aware of her surroundings and not just the target in front of her.

Anyway, of the two people entering the store one was a Magical Girl and the other… felt human, but also not human. Like there was a part of her that wasn't entirely there.

The door opened and the bell rang, alerting Kako to the new customers. While Kako went to greet them, Kitsu kept her eyes firmly on the girl with grey hair.

It wasn't actually the first time they met, they saw each other briefly back in Emiri's counseling clinic. However, now that they were in a place that wasn't completely drowned out with the presences of Magical Girls, Kitsu could recognize that this girl wearing glasses was different.

Even if Kitsu had a hard time explaining it, she had learned to trust her instincts. She had always been sensitive to Magecraft and Magic and anything involving those two things was reason to be careful.

"Hi Kako!" The blond girl with pigtails greeted Kako. "Akira told me and Ren about this place, so we thought we'd visit."

"Ren and I," Kitsu muttered under her breath. Why did people always get that wrong?

Kako smiled. "Thanks for coming."

"I love going to family stores like these," Rika said excitedly. "Places like these just have that- Wow! Comfy homey atmosphere you don't get in those bigger places. It's like, super industrialized there. Isn't that right Ren?"

"Uh… yea," Ren said softly before noticing Kitsu staring at her. "Is there… something wrong?"

Now that Kitsu was paying attention to Ren, she finally noticed the gloves the girl wore. Gloves being worn in the middle of spring. That and the link she felt between Ren and some other outside force, no matter how faint it was at the moment, told her everything she needed to know.

"Kitsu is everything okay?" Kako asked.

"Are you human?" Kitsu asked Ren.

"Isn't that kind of mean to ask?" Rika still smiled but was quick to put herself in front of the taller girl. "And also, kind of weird?"

"We're Magical Girls," Kitsu pointed at Ren's hands. "And what's behind those gloves?"

Rika frowned and her gaze hardened. "That's Ren's business not yours. And I can ask the same about your mask."

Kitsu touched her mask before she could even think to stop herself. "I'm a Magical Girl. I know what I am." And what she would become.

"Then why does Ren have to say anything?" Rika asked sternly.

"Because she doesn't feel right, and she has a Servant," Kitsu replied.

Kako looked confused. "Servant? What's that?"

"Sorry Kako, we're going now." Rika grabbed Ren's hand and went for the door only to find that Ren was staying in place.

"How do… you know?" Ren asked Kitsu. "About them?"

"I met one," Kitsu replied.

"Where?"

"Outside this city"

"When?"

"… A long time ago."

Ren pointed at herself. "What do you see… when you look at me?"

This girl was strange. Not necessarily dangerous, but strange, so Kitsu was willing to answer. "Like a human that isn't entirely here. It's like you should be somewhere else."

Ren began to fiddle with her gloves, pulling on their ends. "I am… a Master." Her hands drifted up to her glasses. "And I… also exist… with the dead."

"The dead?" Kako asked.

"I can… see spirits… touch them… help them pass on."

"Spirits? You mean Witches?" Kitsu asked.

"No… those who died… and left something behind. Witches… aren't dead."

There were a lot of strange things in this city. So this girl could apparently see the dead… well Kitsu believed her. "Are you dead?"

"… Maybe."

Rika tugged on Ren's face and forced her to look her in the eyes. "You're alive. You're here now. Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise."

"Okay…"

Somehow this moment felt intimate, so Kitsu made sure to turn away along with Kako. And yet she couldn't help but shoot them on an occasional glance from behind her mask. It had been so long since she had been held like that. So long since she had shared a bed with someone that would rub her head and tell her everything would be fine. So long since she last felt loved.

Kitsu continued cleaning the shelf.

But that was the past. This was the path she chose, the person she was now wouldn't allow for those things anymore. No matter how much she missed it.

"What about you?"

Kitsu turned back to Ren who had finally separated from Rika.

"What are you?" Ren asked.

"I'm a Magical Girl… and a Magus," Kitsu felt compelled to give an answer. "I hope you find what you're looking for here," she said before moving on to clean the next shelf.

"Sorry about Kitsu," Kaka apologized to her customers. "She's a hard worker but she can be a bit… aggressive with new people."

"It's fine… she's a lot…. like someone I know," Ren replied.

"I know it's not Akira's fault, but I should really have her talk to Nanaka about Kitsu," Rika frowned as they made their way out of the bookstore. "I don't care if she is a kid, she didn't have the right to interrogate you like that."

"It's fine… she was just worried… I know… I'm different," Ren replied only to have Rika stop and glare at her.

"You're not different, you're you Ren. Do you trust Kitsu more or me?" Rika asked.

"You…" Ren replied as she looked down at the ground. She would've continued staring there had Rika not reached over and suddenly took the glasses off her face.

"Those glasses look good and all," Rika smiled. "But I think your eyes are prettier. I don't know what's been going on to change them, but you don't have to hide them from me."

Ren's hand hovered close to her own eye. Without her glasses to suppress her perception and conceal her eyes the change was apparent in a mirror. The blue in her eyes had changed, they became much brighter and much striking to look at even in the day and especially in the night.

She quickly grabbed her glasses from Rika's hands and put them back on face.

"Sorry," Rika apologized, now downtrodden. "I didn't want to make you uncomfortable."

"It's… not that…" Ren replied but couldn't say much else. It wasn't how people saw her that she was afraid of, but rather how she would see them. The black lines were scary but the complete absence of them on Rika's entire body was even scarier.

You're keeping secrets from her again.

Ren remained silent as she and Ereshkigal continued their nightly patrol. Ren had always found it necessary to take a nightly walk to gather her thoughts, so it wasn't difficult to adjust her habits to include patrols of the nearby wards for wayward spirits. However there were times, like now, where she had missed the silence of solitude.

You can't keep using your difficulty speaking as an excuse. I can't be the one telling her everything that you need to say.

Ren stopped at the bridge, deciding to take a break and watch the river flow underneath.

Especially if you love her.

… Do you know… what it's like… to love someone? Ren finally asked.

No… I have some ability recognizing it from dealing with my sister, either that or lust of some form… but I never experienced it myself.

I'm empty when I'm away from her… but when I'm with her… my heart hurts… It's just so hard to do anything… It makes me scared.

If you keep being scared, you'll be like me… alone in the Underworld. There's someone reaching out to you now. If you don't take that hand while you can… you might find yourself trapped in your own hell forever.

And if I end up dragging her down with me?

You just have to hope that she's strong enough to pull you both up. She cares about you enough to try at least.

… As a friend.

You won't know until you ask.

And if she doesn't?

Then you'll have an answer. And you'll know what sort of relationship that the two of you can have.

Everything hurts so much more… now that I care.

I know. It's because we have things to lose now.

"Ren's been acting weird lately. Do you think it's because she hates me?"

Hinano looked up from writing her college application to look at Rika with a blank face after hearing one of the most outrageous statements ever uttered by a Magical Girl. And she dealt with Emiri on a daily basis, that was saying something.

Thankfully that face was all that Rika needed to pick up on her feelings on the matter. "Ok, dumb question, but… am I doing something wrong? I tried asking her myself, but I think she's too nice to say anything. Even if I'm making her uncomfortable."

"I don't think it's anything you're doing," Hinano replied. "At least not by itself. Ren's just going through a lot."

"It is hard sometimes. Dealing with all this magic, not just if you're a Magical Girl," Rika replied. "But I don't know. It's because she's not one that I'm worried, ya know? She isn't as tough as we are… maybe I'm tiring her out by taking her around everywhere?"

"Ren's not as fragile as you imagine," Hinano commented as she went back to filling out the form. She already had her first choice in mind, a school that had an excellent chemistry department, but it wouldn't hurt to have some backups in case of an emergency. Not that she expected to fail the entrance exams but with Magical Girl duties and life in general, sometimes things happened outside of her control. Just had to look at Emiri for proof of that.

"I know… but am I a bad person for worrying?"

"No, you aren't," Hinano admitted. "And you're probably right that there is something that's bothering her, you just need to figure out what it is and where it's coming from rather than just immediately assume it's you." She looked Rika in the eyes. "You can't just keep blaming yourself for everything. You're not the same person you were back then."

"Am I really though?" Rika asked herself before sighing and looking back at Hinano. "You're right. I should probably look it up before I jump to conclusions. It's just that Ren has a hard time speaking, in general. And if it's something that she doesn't want to talk about, then getting her to say anything would be impossible."

"Well, then you can either wait for her to open up to you." Hinana put her pen down now that her form had been filled out. "Or you can ask someone else close to her."

Rika's eyes lit up in epiphany. "Ereshkigal!"

"Officials say that the cause of the explosions that littered the city the previous night were due to a faulty gas main. Any rumors of hooded figures jumping across rooftops are likely delusions caused by exposure to gas. If any reports seeing such things it is best to suggest they go to the nearest doctor for checkup."

The familiar sound of Ren's ringtone was enough to get Ereshkigal to mute the tv. Not that she needed to watch much more of it to figure out who or what might be involved with recent events. She quickly grabbed the phone and looked at the screen.

A call from Rika. Best to pick up for Ren.

With as much poise and elegance she could muster, the Goddess swiped the screen to answer the call. She then placed the phone against her ear.

"Hello," Ereshkigal greeted.

"Hi Eresh. It's Rika."

"Ren's in the bath, but I can pass on your message if you want."

"Actually, can I ask you something?" Rika asked.

Ereshkigal tilted her head. It wasn't often that someone other than her Master asked for her input. "Go ahead."

"Do you want to hang out tomorrow?"

"Sure. I'll let Ren know and the three of us can-"

"Actually, I just wanted it to be the two of us."

Ereshkigal blinked. She moved the phone away from her ear, looked at the screen blankly for a few seconds, blinked again, and then put the phone next to her ear.

"What?"

Ereshkigal sat at the bench and waited for Rika to arrive. She was poised, elegant, patient, and most certainly tapping her foot nervously.

She could do this. It wasn't very often that someone other than Ren asked for the Goddess specifically, but she could do this. She had been in this world long enough and absorbed enough of their culture, even if going to a mall wasn't something that she and Ren normally did.

… Why was she even here in the first place? Yes Ren encouraged her to come, bless her sweet little heart, but that didn't mean she had any idea why Rika wanted to hang out with her in the first place.

They were friends, right? Rika said they were friends, and she wasn't just being polite about it. Right?

"Wow, you and Ren really do like coming early." Rika's sudden arrival was enough to get the Goddess out of her thoughts. "Did I keep you waiting long?"

"No. I kept myself busy," Ereshkigal replied. As she stood up, she examined Rika carefully.

As always, the girl was immaculately dressed in bright clothes and wearing light yet carefully applied makeup. Pretty as a doll and dressed in the most popular fashions, she was certainly a sight for sore eyes.

Thankfully Ereshkigal was well prepared herself, matching her similarly bright hair with darker clothes that focused on elegance rather than cuteness.

"So… what do you have planned?" Ereshkigal asked.

"There's this nice little pancake shop," Rika said as she led the way. "Their pancakes are sooo fluffy. And their cream, I can never get enough of it."

"I never had pancakes before," Ereshkigal commented.

"What? Really?" Rika looked at the Goddess in surprise. "Don't you and Ren spend a lot of time together?"

"Ren and I… don't really do things like that," Ereshkigal admitted. "Most of the time we're just taking walks or eating at her house."

"Oh…" Rika turned back to the street. "Well, I took Ren to this place before. I'm sure you'll like it too."

It was only a walk around the block before they arrived at the store Rika talked about and less than a minute before they were seated.

Ereshkigal read through the menu she had been given. It was all so unfamiliar to her and a bit overwhelming. "So… what's good here?"

"Well, the pancakes," Rika replied with a smile.

"Right. Right."

"I mean they can serve it with fruits or drinks. You can pick out a set."

"Yes. That's a good idea." The Goddess pointed to the menu as the waitress arrived. "I'll have this. With the black tea and uh no sugar."

"I'll have the number three set with the royal milk tea," Rika gave her order.

"Royal milk tea?" Ereshkigal asked as the waitress left.

"It's a really creamy and sweet tea. They boil the leaves in milk and add a lot of fresh cream," Rika explained. "You can try some of mine when it comes."

The Goddess nodded. "That'd be nice." Underneath the table she began to tap her foot. "This is a quant place. Bright, vibrant and-" her eyes widened, and she covered her mouth in surprise as she watched a waiter pass by with a plate of pancakes. "My, oh my. Those pancakes are big."

It was the gesture and tone of voice of an elegant lady. One that Ereshkigal couldn't help but default to at that moment.

"They're super fluffy. I can eat like so many of them," Rika replied. "There's actually so much to do around here. I can show you around later."

"That would be… excellent," Ereshkigal relaxed as the shock wore off. "Ren and I don't really do these sorts of things. Though I did already tell you that."

"What do you and Ren do?" Rika suddenly asked.

"Well, we spend a lot of time at home, patrolling, or taking walks."

Rika's grin still remained on her face though her eyes showed her confusion. "Patrols?"

"Ren and I go out at night to look for any wraiths or apparitions that need to be put to rest."

"You mean like ghosts?"

"Yes, in essence. Occasionally the memories and souls of the dead remain attached to this world. It's part of my duties as a Goddess of the Underworld to help them pass on."

"And Ren comes along with you?" The worry was clear in Rika's eyes. "Isn't that dangerous?

"I keep her safe and she's quite good at dealing with the dead. She's actually become skilled enough that I mostly just supervise nowadays, it's rare that there's ever a danger that she can't handle herself."

"So, you and Ren put the dead to rest. I guess that really isn't so surprising since Witches and Magical Girls exist."

Their drinks arrived and Ereshkigal took a brief moment to inhale the scent of her tea before taking a sip. "Did Ren never tell you?"

"Ren… doesn't talk much about herself." Rika idly spun her spoon around and stared at her tea. "I asked a few times… but she usually doesn't say anything."

"Ren has a hard time speaking." Ereshkigal tapped the side of her head. "Even in our heads, she always thinks carefully before she says anything."

"But she does have an easier time speaking with you."

Ereshkigal nodded. "We know a lot about each other and it's not just because we're Master and Servant. Though I admit sometimes her reluctance with others can make me a bit… impatient."

"Do you know if there's anything that's… going with her?"

"What do you mean?"

Rika let go of her spoon and put her hands on the table. "Well… has there been something that's been bothering her?"

Ereshkigal took another sip of her tea. "You've noticed."

"Yea… It's just that I tried asking but Ren didn't tell me anything. I'm starting to think that I'm bothering her. Maybe I should keep my distance."

That was probably the last thing Rika should do for a lot of reasons. Though there was another question that the Goddess had to ask at the moment. "Did you ask me out so that I could tell you about Ren?"

Rika had the decency to look ashamed. "Sorry. I did want to ask you about Ren."

"You're free to ask me then. I know I'm not the best company. Ren's the only person that seems to like being around me-"

"No, I actually like spending time with you," Rika interrupted the Goddess. "Being around you makes me feel comfortable too … maybe it's because you and Ren are pretty alike."

"We are kindred spirits," Ereshkigal admitted.

"I know what I did seemed a bit rude, but I really do think of you as a friend too. We can hang out together again next week," Rika suggested.

Ereshkigal smiled. "I think you're a friend too… but what do you think about Ren?"

"Ren's a friend too."

Ereshkigal frowned. "Is that it?"

"I mean, Ren…" Rika smiled and looked back down at her cup. "Being with her makes me happy. I want to be with her, and I want to help her." She frowned again. "But I can't. I don't know how."

That was a good enough answer and hope for Ren should she ever decide to act on her feelings.

"I can't tell you what's wrong," Ereshkigal told Rika. "It's not that I think it should be kept a secret, but I don't want Ren to rely on me to say everything that she needs to say herself. I know she has a hard time speaking, but she won't get anywhere if she keeps using me as a crutch."

Rika nodded. "That's fair. I guess I'll have to be patient then."

"Just remember, it's not anything you're doing wrong. It's just that Ren's going through some changes that she's having difficulty processing. If anything, being around you helps."

Rika looked away from her tea and at Ereshkigal. "It does?"

The Goddess nodded. "There's only so much I can do. I lived an isolated existence. As much as I've come to learn about Ren… There's a lot I don't know about dealing with people in general, much less helping her. You on the other hand are better suited to that task."

"Wow well…" Rika looked away sheepishly. "I'll try to live up to those expectations."

"You already have. Ren mentioned that you saved her once. Thank you. It's because of you that I'm here now and that I have friends."

"You're welcome," Rika replied. "Did Ren tell you anything about that time?"

"I never pressed for details," Ereshkigal admitted. "I think it's something that she wants to keep between the two of you. She seems really fond when she remembers it though."

"It was a really important day for me too." Rika let out a sigh. "Scary too. Honestly, I've been scared for Ren ever since we met. She's a wonderful person but-"

"She has a tendency to make you worry about her, I'm aware." The Goddess shook her head. "Even I'm frightened for her too."