A/N: I'm alive lol. Thanks for all the well-wishes. It's been kinda rocky but my brain hasn't completely dribbled out my ears yet. Not for lack of trying lol.

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SIEBENUNDSECHZIG

TIMELINE X + N + 1

Sayaka was glad to wake up to a text notification from Madoka saying she'd be dragging a "much better" Homura to school. Her mother looked at Sayaka oddly as she plowed through breakfast and practically skipped out the door even before the woman could leave for work. When she rounded a bend in the creek path to school and saw Madoka happily standing with Homura, who looked calm and damn near pleasant, Sayaka wanted to cry with relief. Instead, she joyfully shouted, "Heeey! Stranger Danger got a visit from the goddess of cheering people up!"

Madoka squawked and Homura actually gave a brief, quiet giggle. A giggle. Amazing.

If that wasn't an invitation to continue, nothing was. Sayaka ran up to them with stars in her eyes and her hands clasped to her chest as if in prayer, gushing, "Please bestow your blessing upon me, O goddess of all things loving and cheerful! I am your loyal servant! I worship you!"

Madoka's face was bright red and she was spluttering incoherently. Homura laughed outright. It was a good sound. Victory!

Smiling slightly, Homura rummaged in her bag and offered Sayaka a little cellophane bag of cookies tied with a blue ribbon. "A benediction upon thee," she said solemnly.

Sayaka squealed, let her bag fall off her shoulder, and threw herself to her knees in front of Homura, looking up in joking adoration and making glory hands around the suspended cookies. "All praise the goddess Stranger Danger!"

"You have problems," Hitsugaya's voice drawled behind her.

Sayaka whirled as much as she could on her knees and jabbed an accusing finger his direction. "Shun the unbeliever who rejects the sweet blessings of Stranger Danger! Shunnnn!"

Hitsugaya rolled his eyes. Beside him, Mami laughed so hard she cried.

"Awww, what did I miss?" Hitomi mourned as she came up the path.

"Miki invented a cult," Hitsugaya said.

"Religion!" Sayaka protested.

Hitsugaya stared her dead in the eye. "Cult."

"Rude!"

"So?"

"Oh, my." Hitomi covered a grin with one demure hand. "The cult of Stranger Danger?"

"Church!" Sayaka insisted.

"Is the temple an unmarked van?" Hitomi asked slyly.

Sayaka jabbed her finger at Hitomi in outrage. "Slander!"

"Do you want the cookies or not?" Homura asked mildly. "My arm is tired."

Sayaka gasped, turned back to Homura, grabbed the cookies, and cried, "A thousand apologies, my goddess!"

Mami's laughter approached breathless wheezing. Sayaka was winning at life today!

She floated through the school day, high on the contentment of the two magical girls. Both did still have subdued moments where they stared off into space and looked sad or blank or haunted, but they were much improved so Sayaka chalked it up as a win. It became her mission to make lunch on the rooftop as entertaining as possible. Some guy tried to tease Hitsugaya for eating lunch with a bunch of girrrlllllls in the hallway on the way back to class. Hitsugaya just rolled his eyes at the bait like a responsible and mature person, but Sayaka threw herself into his side and forcibly linked elbows with him while shoving him into Madoka and pulling Hitomi along on her other side, loudly saying, "WOW, JEALOUS MUCH?" with wide, mockingly innocent eyes. The boy who had shouted looked flustered as his classmates laughed at him, but the temperature dropped suddenly and Hitsugaya looked like he wanted to murder Sayaka with his mind or skewer her with icicles or something, so she let go of him and sprinted toward the stairwell. She dragged a spluttering Hitomi in her wake, not bothering to even try suppressing the ugliest laugh she had ever laughed in her life, and almost fell down the stairs.

Sayaka decided to be cautious and not rib Hitsugaya's avoidance of sweets at the café, also putting as many people between him and her as possible. His glaring technique really was champion-level. Once Hitomi hurried off to her Rich Girl Lesson of the Day, everyone headed to Madoka's house. The unmarked van she had seen parked behind High Spirits sat at the curb.

Turning to Madoka with joking awe, Sayaka gushed, "Madoka, you have your own temple to Stranger Danger?! Are you her secret priestess?!"

Mami giggled as Madoka and Homura kinda choked. Perfect.

"I thought Shizuki saying unmarked vans were temples for your cult was slander this morning," Hitsugaya said drily.

"Rude!" Sayaka declared.

"True," Hitsugaya countered.

"Ruuuuuuuuude!" Sayaka said stubbornly.

"Oh! Um, before we go in," Madoka interrupted, "Everyone should know Mama and Papa know everything. So we don't have to hide things."

This was news only to Sayaka. "What?! Since when?!"

Madoka's explanation on the slow walk to her front door was brief but fascinating. At least the others save Homura didn't seem to know the details— Sayaka hadn't been the only one left out of that loop.

When Madoka was done, Sayaka said, "Wow, your parents had secret lives! Like superheroes or spies or something!"

Homura rolled her eyes tiredly and Madoka hesitantly said, "Not— not really."

Sayaka was still snickering as they all removed their shoes and dropped their bags in the foyer. She could hear two male voices in the distance, speaking in a singsong talking-to-babies tone. Tatsuya must have roped them into something with his cuteness.

"Good afternoon, everyone," Madoka's mom said. "It's good to see all of you at once for a change."

The five of them turned to look for her and found her walking down the hall toward them with casual purpose. It was weird to see her in anything but business attire in the middle of the week. It was weird to see her in daylight in the middle of the week.

"Hi, Mrs. Kaname!" Sayaka said with a wave. "Good to see you, too! How's work?"

Mrs. Kaname lazily waved a hand to her side and nonchalantly answered, "Oh, just kicking corporate ass and taking idiots' names, as usual."

Sayaka grinned widely. Madoka's mom was a total badass. Also, she was the only adult Sayaka knew who didn't care about cussing. "Hell yeah!"

The woman gave a brief grin, then turned to look at the three newcomers to their circle of friends and stepped closer. She looked at each of them searchingly for a minute, then said, "Thank you."

They were all surprised. Mami stammered, "Wha-what for?"

Mrs. Kaname smiled. "For all you've done for Madoka and Sayaka. Teaching them, protecting them." She turned to Homura and stepped even closer. "Especially you, Homura."

"What?" Homura said blankly.

"Madoka told us just how much you've risked your life to protect her and the other girls. That you've nearly died twice in the last few weeks in fighting for them." Mrs. Kaname looked at her with genuine affection, head tilted to one side with a sad smile as she reached forward and brushed Homura's hair away from her face. "Thank you." She paused, then carefully said, "I heard from Kisuke that you... lost your parents. Awhile back. So I want to speak to you for them: I am so proud of you. I'm certain they would be, too."

Homura's eyes widened and her face slackened into dull surprise as her entire body tensed. Mrs. Kaname's lips quirked up more and she gave Homura a light hug. Homura was stiff and silent in the embrace, but didn't shove her away. Her face looked like she was so shocked she didn't think what was happening was real. Mrs. Kaname patted her cheek and turned to Mami.

"You, too," Mrs. Kaname said. "Madoka told me a bit of what she knows. That you protected her and Sayaka twice and went through something horrible. Thank you. And I'm proud of you, too."

Mami's stunned face crumpled and she teared up. She actually stepped closer to Mrs. Kaname to meet her hug halfway, shoulders hitching with suppressed sobs as she clung to the woman, who rocked her in place gently and made soothing sounds. Homura kept staring at Mrs. Kaname in bewilderment.

Sayaka smiled warmly at the scene and traded an equally warm glance with Madoka. Mrs. Kaname was a master of knowing just what to say. Both of them wanted to be as cool as her someday.

Once Mami pulled herself together, Mrs. Kaname wiped the tears from her cheeks with her thumbs and murmured a question to her. Mami nodded; Mrs. Kaname patted her shoulder and turned to Hitsugaya as Mami blotted her eyes on her sleeve. Hitsugaya had respectfully averted his eyes from Mami's crying and was staring at a wall with a neutral expression. Mrs. Kaname grinned and said, "You, too, Tōshirō. Thank you for helping."

Hitsugaya darted a glance at her and opened his mouth as if to object to her use of the name, but snapped his mouth shut and mumbled, "You're welcome."

Mrs. Kaname ruffled his hair with a grin and cooed, "Your father is very proud of you, by the way," as he squawked and batted at her hands.

"His dad?" Madoka said curiously.

"Yep! Wonderful man!" Mrs. Kaname said, backing away with a little laugh.

"You know him?" Mami asked.

"Just met him today," Mrs. Kaname said with a wink. "Come join us in the living room!"

They watched her go; then Sayaka whipped her head to look at Hitsugaya with delight. "You didn't say your dad would be here!"

"Yeah. Well." Hitsugaya refused to look at her, mouth closed in a tight line and face slowly flushing as he jammed his hands in his pockets. "We needed a fourth person to anchor the wards properly, so... yeah. He came from Tokyo."

"Why doesn't he live here?" Madoka asked.

Hitsugaya still avoided their eyes, frowning unhappily now. "Partly business. Partly to be near... his specialist. Doctor. Hospital."

Sayaka went still and thought of Nagisa and her mother. She swallowed hard and said, "Is he— is he—? Um..."

"Mr. Hitsugaya is much, much better than he was even a year ago," Homura said quietly. "He just needs to be cautious and prefers to be near the team familiar with his case because he occasionally has—"

"—Episodes," Hitsugaya muttered darkly.

"Hitsugaya did go to my school and did become my tutor, but we first met in the cardiac ward when he was visiting his father," Homura explained with a melancholy glance at her friend. "He and his uncle sensed me and got... curious."

"She was holed up in a waiting room with windows facing the botanical gardens to see the cherry blossoms," Hitsugaya added. "She didn't seem to realize she had power, so we didn't mention anything. Not until—" He looked directly at Homura and softly said, "We should have. Would have, had we known what would—"

"What's done is done," Homura said with a shrug. She pushed her hair over her shoulder and looked calmly back at him. "If you try to apologize again, I will tell Kikyo about the hallway scene this aft—"

"Shut up!" Hitsugaya screeched quietly. He looked down the hall and back, eyes paranoid. "If they find out—!"

Sayaka could feel her mouth turning up into a wicked grin despite herself.

Hitsugaya saw and snarled, "I will make your life a living, freezing hell if you say a word, Miki!"

Sayaka couldn't restrain another ugly laugh. When she had it under control, she made the hand motion of zipping her lip, turning a key, and throwing it away. "My lips are sea-sea-seal—" Nope. Giggles were too much.

Hitsugaya dragged his hands down his face in frustration. Mami stifled a laugh and patted his back, then turned to Sayaka and mirthfully said, "If you tell, I'll never bake you a cake. Ever."

Sayaka's face fell. She looked at Homura, who was coolly examining a lock of hair she was twirling around her fingers. "Stranger Dange—"

"Homura," Madoka interrupted cheerfully, "if Sayaka tells, don't give her anymore cookies or candy. Ever."

"All right," Homura agreed immediately, voice sly-pretending-to-be-casual.

Sayaka turned to Madoka in outrage. "How dare you use your priestessly influence for evil?!"

Madoka had the audacity to wink playfully. Then her face shifted into approval before she turned and beckoned them all to follow her. Sayaka grinned widely.

Gloomy mood successfully lifted!

They all trooped along after Madoka and went into the living room, where they found Mr. Urahara and Mr. Tsukabishi plus a pale man with long white hair in a low ponytail sitting on the floor around Tatsuya while Mr. and Mrs. Kaname watched with amusement from a couch. Tatsuya toddled around between the men and seemed most interested in Mr. Tsukabishi and Mr. Hitsugaya, repeatedly marveling at Mr. Tsukabishi's size and Mr. Hitsugaya's cheer and long hair. Mr. Urahara had his fan out and would goofily hide behind it whenever Tatsuya looked his way, making the boy squeal happily.

Mr. Hitsugaya turned to face them in the doorway, his face lighting up with joy. "Shiro—"

"NO," Hitsugaya interrupted.

"—chan!"

Hitsugaya put his face in his hands.

Sayaka slowly turned to look at him, an evil smile creeping onto her face. "Shiii-rohhh-chaaan?"

He glared at his father and sarcastically said, "A million thanks... Dad."

This just made Mr. Hitsugaya grin with even more intense cheer as he stood and approached them.

"Is that any way to greet your father?" Mr. Urahara teased from behind his fan. He got a dirty look for his trouble.

Mr. Hitsugaya laughed, then introduced himself. "Hello, girls. I'm Jūshirō Hitsugaya. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Everyone returned his greeting, but Sayaka followed her introduction with, "Wow, you have matching names!"

Mr. Hitsugaya looked beatific. "Yes! We're both—"

"DON'T," Hitsugaya snapped, going red in the face.

"—Shiro-chans!"

Sayaka giggled at Hitsugaya's grimace. His face changed to embarrassment as his father whipped candy out of his pockets and shoved it into his son's hands. Hitsugaya immediately shoved it at Homura, who looked at it blandly for a moment before shoving it at Sayaka, who squealed happily and juggled it into her school bag.

Mr. Urahara stood and clapped his hands loudly. When they all turned to him, he eagerly said, "Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats and I will present the Kisuke Urahara Spiritual Home Security System! Yours for the low low price of existing and being decent human beings!"

They all took positions on and against couches to watch Mr. Urahara's animated lecture. Sayaka found herself mostly staring blankly as he babbled. He used words she knew, but in a nigh-incomprehensible way.

"Application of force necessary to compromise cubic wards would be manageable for many entities, but compromising a dome or sphere would require drastic increase in force—"

"By nesting wards to force sequential collapse upon attack, failure of the cubic structure would serve as an alarm and delay tactic while the attacker has to work harder to compromise the interior dome—"

"Designed the initial dome anchors to serve as a dead man's switch, such that failure would rotate the ward to secondary anchors and trigger the catastrophic security response everything else is intended to partially disguise—"

"Partial rather than full disguise because, as in horror movies, knowing something is there but being unable to tell what heightens caution and fear response, serving as further deterrent—"

"Weaponizing a Sword of Damocles, in a way, ahahahahaha—"

Sayaka furrowed her brow. Wasn't... wasn't a sword already a weapon?

"Anyway, as in architecture—"

"Concentration of stress in corners causing material fatigue to the point of disastrous structural failure—"

"Even distribution of stress on curved structures—"

"Why airplane windows are rounded instead of cornered—"

"In-flight metal fatigue failure at square windows leading to explosive decompression and mid-air break-up of de Havilland Comet 1 airliners in the 1950s—"

Sayaka felt her face twisting in confusion. How the hell had airplanes become relevant?!

"Tensile strength translated from physical to spiritual— or magical, as it were—"

"Thus, even a modestly intelligent attacker would concentrate on overloading the corners of a cubic structure—"

"Monolithic dome—"

"Structural integrity—"

"Implies a sphere, though the bottom half is subterranean—"

"Interior of the Pantheon, for example— well, if the top of the vertical drum was at ground level—"

"Again, tensile strength—"

Sayaka traded a lost glance with Madoka, then looked at everyone else. Aside from Mami, Mr. Hitsugaya, and Mr. Kaname looking like they were following the gist of the lecture despite struggling with technicalities, no one but Sayaka and Madoka seemed completely out of their depth. Embarrassing.

Hitsugaya's dad must have noticed their glazed-over expressions because he looked like he had been startled out of a trance and smiled apologetically at her and Madoka.

Mrs. Kaname was next to notice. She grinned and summarized, "Round structures are stronger than boxy structures because science, so he's going to put a round shield inside a dummy boxy shield. Except the round one is also a dummy for the real round one, which he's leaving peeking out a bit to freak out the Incubator into not touching the whole mess."

"Oh," Madoka said.

"Why didn't you just say so, Magic Man?" Sayaka grumbled with a sideways glance at Mr. Urahara.

"I did," Mr. Urahara said with a spark of amusement in his eyes.

"Stop being a smart-ass show-off," Hitsugaya sneered. Sayaka thought his father might scold him, but he just peacefully sipped his tea. Cool. Another parent who was relaxed about language and politeness!

"You followed it," Mr. Urahara said with a pout.

Hitsugaya's cheek twitched in irritation. "I have previous instruction in warding and its relevance to physics and architecture, you idiot."

"Homura followed it."

"I study physics quite extensively," Homura sniffed.

"Why?" Sayaka demanded, mystified. She hated that subject.

Homura met her eyes, considered, and coolly answered, "Ballistics."

Mr. and Mrs. Kaname looked grim, but Sayaka didn't get it. "Say what?"

Mami nodded in understanding. "The physics involved in use of firearms."

"And other munitions," Homura added lightly.

"Gun science," Mr. Tsukabishi clarified.

Sayaka stared at the blonde. "You studied it, too?"

"Of course. I do use guns, after all," Mami said pleasantly. "I believe we told you being an effective magical girl requires diligent study. We weren't exaggerating." She gave a self-deprecating laugh and added, "My focus seems to have been far more narrow than Miss Akemi's, though."

"...Homura."

Mami blinked at the other magical girl, surprised. "What?"

Homura kept her gaze on her cup, studiously avoiding Mami's eyes, and murmured, "Call me Homura. If you want."

Mami's stunned face quickly blossomed into a beaming smile. "Only if you call me Mami!"

Awesome. It confused Sayaka that Homura was so... open today given how badly things seemed to have gone the night before, but whatever. Homura's mind was kinda twisty, anyway. She'd take it.

There was more Magic Man chatter that made more sense to her, then he said he'd explain other stuff after they put up the wards. So they all trooped outside to help unload little decorative garden lanterns that were way heavier than they looked and move them to the specific places Magic Man and Mr. Tsukabishi wanted them. The two shopkeepers wrangled something bigger into the house and shoved it in a closet in the middle of the building. Something something keystone. Then Mr. Urahara, Mr. Tsukabishi, Hitsugaya, and his dad went to the four corners of the property and each took a lantern. Homura hovered by Magic Man and attentively listened to his quiet description of what they were doing. Mami did the same by Hitsugaya and Madoka's parents stood by Mr. Tsukabishi. Sayaka and Madoka drifted over to Mr. Hitsugaya and must have looked completely lost because he smiled sympathetically again and explained some things in very simple terms between each step of muttering magical gibberish and glowing choreographed magic tricks. She and Madoka did end up understanding a bit more, at least.

Then everyone walked from the corners of the property line square to the points inside. Mr. Hitsugaya apologized and said he had to concentrate more for the stronger circle part, which was totally fine by Sayaka. She just appreciated the different colored lights and junk that happened. It was like a miniature fireworks show without the obnoxious booms. She glanced around at other houses and wondered what neighbors would think they were doing.

Madoka leaned over to her and murmured, "Did you feel that?" when the first dome of color flashed and disappeared.

Sayaka closed her eyes and leaned forward. She wasn't sure why, but it was like straining to hear something. Except not. Something felt a bit... odd, but she couldn't name it. Kinda reminded her of when a storm was coming in... but also not. The men must have done another thing because she did feel a sudden pulse of tingling pressure. Her eyes flew open and she gasped, "Whoa, yeah!"

Mr. Hitsugaya glanced at them over his shoulder. His face was thoughtful instead of scolding, but Sayaka snapped her mouth shut anyway.

By the time they were done, Sayaka recognized the feeling from crossing the property line into the High Spirits courtyard. She mentioned this to Madoka, who said it still felt different. They got another interested glance from Mr. Hitsugaya.

"How do you think it's different?" he asked Madoka.

"Ummmmm." Madoka closed her eyes and breathed slowly, face turning into a frown of concentration. Sayaka was relieved to see she also looked like she was listening to something. "There's... something missing?"

"Yes," Mr. Hitsugaya said. "Can you tell what?"

Madoka's lips turned down harder and her brow scrunched up. She opened her eyes, bit her lip, and looked up at him with embarrassment. "I don't know."

"Now, don't look like that!" Hitsugaya's dad grinned and patted them both on the shoulder. "Excellent for beginners with no training. Both of you. With time and study, you two could be formidable. Hopefully when you are much older."

"Why is something missing?" Sayaka asked.

"A couple of the friends who helped put up the other wards before the Incubator knew to watch out for this kind of thing either couldn't come or thought it wiser not to. The most noticeable difference probably comes from absence of one person who uses... a different kind of magic. We'd prefer not to let the Incubator know the identity of the person capable of using that kind of magic." The man smiled and added, "Don't worry. Tessai compensated for that in the ward design. They're just as strong as the others."

Once they were all inside and gathered in the living room again, Mr. Hitsugaya politely banished Mr. Urahara to sit in a corner to entertain Tatsuya and took over explaining other spirits to them— the kind that had nothing to do with magical girls and Witches. Mr. Kaname contributed a lot of experiences to the discussion and made Sayaka wonder if she would see the ghosts with chains on their chests if she went to Soma. I see dead people! That could be super cool.

"What I'm curious about is what the cursed spirits really are," Mr. Kaname said. "The ones with the masks and holes."

"Cursed is... one way of putting it," Mr. Hitsugaya said with a pensive glance at the ceiling. "Corrupted is probably a better word for it, though." And so he explained Hollows.

Annnd Sayaka wasn't so sure about going looking for ghosts anymore. I'm food for dead people! wasn't as cool.

"That's cruel," Madoka said tearfully. "Are they stuck like that forever?"

"No," Mr. Hitsugaya answered slowly. There was a long silence as Homura and everyone who had shown up in her wake traded glances, obviously if silently debating how much to say.

Hitsugaya heaved a deep sigh and said, "Defeating them with... magic by breaking their masks usually purifies them of the corruption and whatever sins they committed while a Hollow so they can cross over."

"Usually?" Mrs. Kaname said darkly.

"If they were... evil enough in life before they turned Hollow, the Gates of Hell appear and they get dragged in."

Everyone stared.

"It doesn't happen as often as a lot of living people would expect," his father added. "The standard for irredeemable evil is very high. It's... unsettling when it happens, though."

"So, like... what should we do if we run into a Hollow?" Sayaka asked after a long silence. "We're not magical girls and we can't make ice swords. Do we just run?"

"Running would be your first option," Mr. Urahara said from his corner. "But fighting is also available to you. Many people channel their magic through a physical object to use as a spiritual weapon. Metal is generally best, but you can improvise with almost anything you see lying around."

"Kikyo favors soccer balls," Hitsugaya said.

"I have used a golf club and a large piece of rebar," Homura added.

Mr. Urahara nodded at the examples and said, "And an employee at a previous shop of mine uses baseball bats. People who can't see Hollows assume he's acting out an imagined game."

"Which the idiot legitimately does whenever he's bored," Hitsugaya muttered.

Sayaka perked up. "Baseball bats?!"

"Oh! You were carrying one when I met you!" Mami said. She looked at Magic Man and explained, "I put my magic in it for her!"

"Can I do it myself?!" Sayaka asked eagerly.

"Most likely," Mr. Urahara said. "You just need to practice."

Mr. Hitsugaya smiled and said, "You were able to sense the wards. That's a good first step."

Homura was eyeing her thoughtfully. When she saw Sayaka notice, she said, "I could... teach you how to do it. I think. I have never taught someone who was not contracted."

"It'll be a learning experience for all of you!" Mr. Urahara said cheerfully. "If there aren't any more pressing questions, let's break out the food!"

"Food?" Madoka asked.

"For the housewarding party!" Mr. Urahara crowed with a grin as he waved his fan around.

What a dork. Sayaka loved it.

There turned out to be a feast waiting to be served in the kitchen. Mr. Tsukabishi had brought chafing dishes with amazing food to add to Mr. Kaname's amazing food. They ate in the living room instead of at the dining room table, finding perches everywhere and chattering merrily while the teenagers finished homework. Mr. Hitsugaya was wonderfully knowledgeable of history and taught them more interesting detail about the Shinsengumi in a single cheerful storytelling session than Sayaka had ever absorbed from boring schoolbooks.

Sayaka was reluctant to go home when her mom called looking for her after getting home from work late. Again. She felt like she belonged among the raucous group, but her mom wouldn't let her stay the night like Mami and Homura, who had been claimed as extra daughters by a slightly inebriated Mrs. Kaname. Sayaka had been claimed the same way years ago, of course, but her mom forcibly separating her from her friends when Mami looked unreservedly happy and Homura was actually freaking smiling made her feel resentful.

Everyone from the shop gave her a ride home, but of course Sayaka would laughingly tumble out of the unmarked van full of men and a teenage boy just as her father finally approached the gate to the apartment complex after his own late night at the office. She would never forget the stunned and appalled face he made. Mr. Hitsugaya headed off a volcanic eruption when he got out and smoothly steamrolled her dad with a charming introduction featuring epic aristocratic politeness and gushing about Sayaka asking smart questions about history and being some kind of good influence on his son to loosen up a bit. Said son objected from the van, but was silenced by his uncle's fan bopping him on the head. Her dad was thrown for just as much of a loop as when Mami had pulled something similar and parted from Mr. Hitsugaya to walk up to their apartment with her in a baffled silence.

He came to when they got inside and her mom frowned at her. They grilled her for half an hour before she finally snapped and yelled, "You have no problem with me being friends with Kyōsuke and hanging out with him and his family, so why is Tōshirō such a big deal?!"

Their mouths opened and closed in surprise before finding words and arguing with her, but she rolled her eyes and stomped off down the hall without listening.

Why couldn't her parents be more like Madoka's? And Tōshirō's, actually. It would be nice to have hers trust her judgment for once.

Ugh.

§ x § x §

Upon reaching High Spirits, the four shinigami immediately headed for the labs for a long discussion without having to account for Mami Tomoe's presence. Kisuke led them into the surveillance room, where Tessai had set up a card table for them before they left for the Kaname house. He glanced at the monitors as Hitsugaya disinterestedly asked, "How was the trip from Tokyo?"

"Oh, marvelous. Modern trains are really quite wonderful," Ukitake answered offhandedly while digging a sheaf of papers and file folders out of a suitcase. "Much smoother than the ones Shunsui insisted we ride atop a couple hundred years ago."

Kisuke turned to him with a grin. "I didn't know you two did that!"

Ukitake laughed. "I think most shinigami did at some point when they were new. And still do today, really."

Nostalgia made Kisuke smile. "They were so fascinating. One of the innovations that inspired me to go into science on top of kidō theory." Sighing fondly, he added, "Ah, the Industrial Revolution. So fun."

"Can we get started?" Hitsugaya grumbled.

Kisuke traded amused glances with Ukitake, but they both sat and got down to business.

"I brought copies of the last ten years of patrol and incident reports for the region," Ukitake announced as he set a stack of ten folders on the table. "I had my officers focus on intensively compiling, organizing, and annotating these before going further back. The next decade should be ready in another few days. I'll have my lieutenant bring them to you."

"Anything stand out?" Kisuke asked as he rifled through the stack.

"Two unseated soldiers MIA eight years apart on opposite outskirts of the Mitakihara metro jurisdiction with no Hollows found upon investigation," Ukitake replied. "Which does happen from time to time."

"I really want to know how much of our 'average' MIA rate among less-experienced soldiers is due to Witches instead of Hollows," Hitsugaya muttered.

Ukitake nodded grimly and added, "Five cases of moderate to extreme injuries."

"Only five in ten years?" Kisuke asked with interest. "That's low."

"We thought it was average because the data on spiritual density indicated low Hollow presence," the captain explained. "I had Rukia cross-reference with Fourth Division. Four from the very outskirts seemed normal and cited Hollows, except for one seventeenth seat nine years back who ventured closer to the center and returned saturated in Hollow reiatsu, badly injured, and semi-coherently rambling." Ukitake pulled out one particular file and glanced at a paper within. "Spoke about clouds with teeth, flying fish with bird wings, and a waterspout with arms." Frowning severely, the captain added, "I remember that one. He looked traumatized and... almost drugged, but didn't remember a thing when he recovered. His direct CO had to reassign him to desk duty. We all thought it was due to a head injury he had sustained. Retsu examined the scans again and remembers thinking it was more severe a reaction than she would expect from the degree of injury. So we've mutually agreed it's at least a possible Witch attack."

They continued in the same vein for another half hour when an alarm pinged from the surveillance equipment. Tessai was at the controls in a moment.

"The tweaks worked. One of the Kazamino drones near that church has a magical girl in sensor range." With a series of clacking keys, Tessai put the feed in question on the large main screen. "Strong Hollow-like reiatsu coming from her."

They all watched a girl stagger around a corner, cradling one arm to her abdomen and leaning on some kind of staff as she navigated the dim streets. Tessai hopped to another pigeon-camera further down the street when she disappeared from view. She dragged herself up the steps into the church and closed the door behind her. Switching to the drone hiding in the rafters, the interior lights let them see her costume more clearly: The main body was a short black smock almost entirely covered by a rust red pinafore with random white blotches on the skirt that reminded Kisuke of a red toadstool. The smock and pinafore flared out over puffy, knee-length cream bloomers. She had matching stockings, dainty little black shoes, shoulder-length black gloves, a ruffled capelet fastened to her collar with gold rosettes, and a black-and-cream bonnet decorated with large gold roses. She looked very much like a nursery rhyme shepherdess, especially with her gnarled wooden shepherd's crook wrapped in leafy gold vines. A gem at the clasp of her capelet sparked red and black. She leaned heavily on her crook and panted as blood spattered to the floor beneath her.

"Bethany Michaels?" Kisuke demanded.

Tessai stabbed at keys and brought up the girl's school photo. They glanced from it to the magical girl's features and lank honey-brown hair as she lifted her face to look at the church's altar. "I think so," Tessai said gruffly.

They watched in silence as the girl painfully made her way to the altar and fell to her knees. The shepherd's crook clattered to the floor and dissolved in red sparkles as she clasped her hands in prayer.

"Forgive me, Lord," she loudly hiccuped through her tears. "Forgive— forgive Marina. Please! W-we were tempted by— we— I—" Curling down and forward, she wailed, "Lord, please forgive us! Please save us! We never meant to become— w-we just wa-wanted to save the innocent fro-rom Witches in your na—!"

The Soul Gem at her throat burst into light and reformed as an egg, causing her costume to disappear and leave a school uniform. She only managed a gasp before the blackened Soul Gem exploded. They made out the growing hollow silver pendulum Yoruichi had described after Chiasa's fall just before the camera and other sensors were overwhelmed by static. When it cleared a minute later, the only thing on the screen was Michaels' beaten body, still partly bent in prayer with fingers tightly clasped despite having been blown aside into a pew.

Just like in the crime scene photos from the time before.

"Any readings that could be a labyrinth?" Kisuke asked.

"Negative," Tessai huffed in frustration. "Can't say whether or not the instruments are the problem. Whether flawed from the beginning or due to damage."

Kisuke took off his hat and tiredly scrubbed a hand through his hair. "I thought I hardened the drones enough. The sheer energy released by the transformation is greater than I anticipated." He had even taken into account the peak energy released by the Pumpkin Witch magical girl turning back into a Witch and frying his equipment. Maybe those instruments had fried too early to be accurate? Maybe proximity was still a factor? Bother.

Hitsugaya and Ukitake's disgusted outrage was palpable, the air charged with frost and lightning. Ah, both only knew the process in theory in this timeline.

"Make copies of this recording," Ukitake ordered. "One each for Kurotsuchi, a captain/lieutenant meeting, Isshin, and Ichigo's group. I'll have Rukia distribute them."

"Works for me," Kisuke said with a gesture at Tessai, who began the task. He turned to the other seething captain and said, "Hitsugaya, I'll send you and the girls hunting for this Witch after school, once I can show you news reports to avoid suspicion from the Incubator."

Hitsugaya gave one sharp nod and asked, "Any news on the Pleiades Saints?"

Kisuke looked at Tessai, who pulled up the footage of the fight. After viewing it, Ukitake asked for a repeat and watched with it even greater focus. "I want to know what that joint kidō is," he said with fascination. "If that's even what it is."

"The complexity is intriguing," Tessai agreed.

"Has anything else interesting happened?" Hitsugaya asked.

After explaining the oddities with comparing them to Abarai's report from the first timeline and the mysterious nonexistence of Kazumi Subaru, Tessai added, "And actually... I haven't seen the Incubator in any of the video."

Frowning, Kisuke said, "Keep watching. We have no idea how many bodies it has here. If there are only a few, it could take a bit to spot one."

"We should ask Tomoe if she can identify the Pleiades Saints by the video," Hitsugaya said thoughtfully.

Kisuke raised a brow at him. "And let her know we have surveillance?"

"Let her participate," Hitsugaya said evenly. "It will both give her purpose and show her we're serious about countering the Incubator. I also wonder if she'll have any information on that monster. She didn't see what happened to Miki. Maybe she knows something and we've just not explained what we saw properly."

"We can't tell her about it looking like Miki's potential Witch form, though," Kisuke said.

Hitsugaya shrugged. "Maybe that's a good thing. She can look at it without that bias and have other ideas we're distracted from seeing."

"Oh." Kisuke stared at him, then vaguely ceilingward. "This is true..."

Ukitake leaned over and poked his shoulder to bring him back down to Earth. "How goes the Soul Gem analysis?"

"Slow. Still looking at modifying equipment before I take risks," Kisuke answered. "How goes Kurotsuchi's research?"

"He's already broken three Soul Gems," Ukitake said distastefully. "He's in a temper. All of Twelfth is terrified."

Kisuke allowed his grudge to show on his face for once. "Terrifying researchers is not conducive to getting quick and effective results," he grit out. In his head, he faintly heard the clacking of the beater of the loom Benihime was working at get faster, louder, and more aggressive with their resentment. "It's a good way to cause procedural errors. The laboratory is a completely different atmosphere than the battlefield, were terror can actually induce learning in the right sort of person."

Ukitake and Hitsugaya eyed him in a frankly judgey manner, neither particularly liking what rumors they had heard of the crash course he had given Ichigo but unable to deny the existence of subordinates who didn't quite get things until their lives depended on them to survive a mission.

They soon wrapped up their discussion. Ukitake nodded his satisfaction and said, "We'll have to get together again once we know more. Keep up the good work. Now, I think we all need rest. Shiro-chan—"

"UKITAKE," Hitsugaya growled.

The man blithely ignored him. "—Has school in the morning and I have a train to catch back to Tokyo. And you have a long day of research ahead of you, Kisuke."

"I'm fine for another few hours," Kisuke said with a dismissive wave. "I can help Tessai go through more video, at least."

Tessai laid a heavy hand on his shoulder as Ukitake smiled in a way that reminded Kisuke of Unohana. "Go to bed, Kisuke." Or else, added the smile.

"You planned this," Kisuke complained with a pout.

"Of course!" Ukitake said cheerfully.

Kisuke sighed and acquiesced. If he made a breakthrough tomorrow, it would probably be best to be as alert as possible. Even so, it took a long time to fall asleep in defiance of the constant undercurrent of urgency he felt.

§ x § x §

Among clips that were glanced at in the dead of night but determined innocuous was one of a girl with curly brown hair throwing handfuls of seed to a flock of pigeons that contained one drone. Tessai had watched it with sound because the drone detected reiatsu and her mouth was moving as though speaking. It turned out she was just making adorable cooing sounds to the birds. She approached the drone, cooed at it, and gave it a curious look. After a moment, she declared, "You're a quuuiet little guy, aren't you? How cuuute!" with a giggle and tossed an entire fistful of birdseed for the drone to join the other birds in fighting to devour. The girl fondly watched the scramble of feathers, glanced at her phone, and wandered away.

Tessai's lips had twitched into a little smile as he noted the teen as a potential magical girl to follow up on later, then jumped to the next clip in search of the Incubator.

Perfectly innocuous.

§ x § x §

§ x § x §

§ x § x §

A/N: CLANK CLANK CLANK CLANK CLANK

Somewhere in the universe, Tōshirō fervently prays Sayaka never meets Rangiku and Karin.

This chapter was replaced with an edited version on November 1, 2019. Reviews with timestamps before that date refer to a slightly different version of the chapter.