“Human Resources” Shouldn’t Be This Literal: A PMMM/ProjectMoon Quest

[Lepidoptera]

Chapter 64 - To Get Back There

Sunlight pours through the windows and over your body, signaling the arrival of morning. You knock twice on Mami's door and receive only a faint mumble from the other side. After a moment's silence you knock once more, and are this time rewarded with a loud thump followed by the sounds of frantic movement. You did let the kids sleep in a short while, since it's been a very eventful past few days and they don't have school today, but if you wait any longer you won't have time to prepare for the meeting. Seconds later, Mami bursts out of the door in a t-shirt featuring some video game character you aren't familiar with. She appears just the slightest bit disheveled, having only just gotten out of bed at your knocking. Well, you can't all be morning people.

"I'm up!"

You just smile and turn away, continuing on to Yuma's room. Your younger daughter wakes with much less commotion, although it appears that she too is not much of a morning person. Yuma rubs her eyes sleepily despite the fact that it's past eight as she stumbles out of bed. Regardless, her grin is nearly as wide as Mami's as the three of you head towards the kitchen. Maybe you should have them try and work on that? For Mami at least, being able to wake quickly would be more convenient in cases of emergency. It's not really a pressing issue, especially not in comparison to some of the other things looming over you. At least you'll have something to think about after this is all resolved.

—————————

After taking a few minutes to perform her usual morning routine at your insistence, Mami emerges looking far less weary and ready for the day. She wears her hair not in her usual ringlets, but instead a short braid you threw together practically as an afterthought. Surprisingly, it's Ayin's memories that guide your hands in crossing and weaving the structure. He, and by extension you, are actually rather good at it. You wonder how your creator could have acquired such a skill, but there is not enough time for further contemplation. Not today.

Mami practically skips into the kitchen, Yuma trailing behind her. The three of you begin preparing for the arrival of your guests, ready to dig deeper into Mami's stock of baking supplies. Your first meal to prepare for the day is in fact not for the upcoming party, but a simple breakfast for the three of you. Waffles are easy to make and go well with some sides, but most importantly leave the major appliances open for starting the baking process. Mami has far more pastries and pastry supplies than a single person could ever eat, some of which have been in her pantry for a long time. You and her move from place to place in the kitchen, adjusting measurements and adding ingredients on multiple dishes at a time. While this would ordinarily be an easy way to ruin everything that you're baking, multitasking comes easy to you. Mami's no slouch either, and between the two of you everything is well on its way. Yuma mostly watches in barely restrained awe, although she does retrieve a tool or two that's been left out of reach.

By nine, the three of you are sitting at the small table in your living room and enjoying your breakfast while waiting for the various treats you've readied to finish.

"Thank you for the assistance, X. I cannot remember the last time I had a chance to cook alongside somebody." Mami says.

"It's nothing." you respond. "This whole meeting was my idea. It's only right that I should help prepare for it."

"Speaking of the meeting," you add, finishing off your last bite of waffle, "There's a few points I'm hoping to discuss that I want to run by you first. You remember how I told you I'm an Abnormality?"

Mami grimaces. "I've been trying not to think about it. I'm sorry, it just must be horrible to have your humanity taken away like that."

"I appreciate the concern, but it's not necessary." you say with a sigh. "I don't feel any different now than I did before. If anything, I'm stronger than I used to be. I should be happy about it."

"So you're like Mister Bird? Is that why he left Yuma with you?" the greenette chimes in. Right, Yuma didn't know about you being an Abnormality nor has she heard your explanation for what an Abnormality is.

"You're half-right. Abnormalities are either born naturally from the collective minds of humanity, like the Birds, or they're made using a specific idea extracted from a person. I'm closer to the second category than the first, but even so I'm not aware of any other Abnormalities who kept anything even close to recognizable from the people they were derived from."

Yuma and Mami stare in rapt attention as you speak. Without realizing it, you've slipped into the same tone you'd use for delivering announcements to your Agents. Not the same as when delivering orders, but instead a softer, warmer tilt. Announcements weren't a part of your job, but a personal decision that you kept up until the very end. They were usually for establishing missions for the day or just congratulating your employees on a job well done. Honestly, that's not too far off from what you're doing right now.

"Aside from some notable exceptions, Abnormalities aren't particularly friendly with one another. I have no clue why Punishing Bird believed I would be the best person to care for you. Not that I regret it." you add when the slightest hint of fear crosses Yuma's face.

"Abnormalities are almost universally dangerous to everyone around them. That's why they were kept contained before."

"We are very fortunate that you are one of those exceptions then, X." Mami says warmly. Her smile falls when you shake your head.

"Technically, I'm 'contained' right now. The reason I can look and act human is because I made a false body for myself to seal away my nature as an Abnormality. Because of that, I didn't even know I wasn't human anymore until a few days ago. If I were fully an Abnormality, I would be just as dangerous as any other."

"I'm sorry X, but I cannot accept that." Mami states resolutely. "I refuse to believe that you would willing hurt people, no matter what happened."

"You said you're still the same person you were when you weren't an Abnormality." Yuma adds before you can properly respond to Mami's insistence. "If you had met Yuma and Mami back then, would you have hurt us?"

And that's the question, isn't it? Were you always a monster? You want to say no, because you always tried not to be. The facility seemed almost designed to demand sacrifice. In the beginning, you lacked the force of will to resist that design. But the guilt grew and grew until you could bear it no longer, and your next iteration held the lives of their agents in higher regard. Even so, not every day was without sacrifice. Only in the very end could you take everyone with you. Had Mami and Yuma been among your agents, would you have been unable to save them as well? Would they have ended up like so many others, their lives given up for some 'higher purpose?'

How many people did you sacrifice?

"No." you say, without a trace of doubt. Because in the end, you would only accept one sacrifice. And it wasn't somebody else's.

"Then you shouldn't be worried. Yuma and Mami trust you, so you should trust yourself too! Besides," Yuma adds as almost an afterthought, "If you were really a scary Abnormality and wanted to hurt people, then why would you have made yourself human so you wouldn't hurt people?"

Heh. Leave it to the kid to make the most logical argument here so far.

"Yeah, you're probably both right." You admit. "What did I ever do to deserve the two of you?"

"If I remember correctly, it was because you were a kind person. Unless there's something I'm forgetting?" Mami says in a joking tone, though there is an underlying softness to her words.

"Thank you, really. I appreciate the confidence. Still, I feel like we've strayed from the point I was getting to." And then, with a bit of flourish that comes more from Chesed than Geburah, you ask "Have you ever heard of the Many Worlds Theory?"

—————————

It does take some time to explain the concept to Yuma, who hasn't yet reached quantum theory in her education yet. Much to your surprise, Mami is familiar with the concept. The two of you work in tandem to explain the concept to your youngest daughter, who enthusiastically absorbs as much information as she can. Though you can tell she doesn't really grasp the principles of "how" the theory works, she at least has the basic idea.

"So, now that we have that all established, I have a confession to make. I'm not from this world."

Mami and Yuma simply stare at you for a moment, before turning to one another.

"Yuma can believe that."

"Yes, it would explain quite a lot."

"Wait, just like that?" you exclaim. "I kind of expected to have to work to convince you of this."

"X, I have seen many strange things in my time as a Magical Girl." Mami answers. "Is it really such a surprise after learning that Magic is real that there could be other universes? Your story seems at least more understandable than Kyubey's wish-granting. So why wouldn't I believe you?"

"Is Kyubey from another world too?" Yuma asks.

"Technically, I think Kyubey's an alien. Haven't confirmed it, though."

"Is he now?" Mami says in a slightly unnerved voice. "He never told me anything about himself beyond him being a companion to Magical Girls."

You suppress the venom within you. If only she knew what else he never told her. And of course if any of you were to confront Kyubey, he'd just say that it "wasn't relevant information" or something along those lines.

A beep from the kitchen interrupts the conversation. It appears that some of your pastries are done. You and Mami excuse yourself from the table and head off to continue your preparations. Yuma trails behind, staring hungrily at the freshly-baked treats.

"You can have some once everybody's arrived." you chide. "It wouldn't be fair if you got to eat before everybody else." Yuma nods disappointedly, giving you the most pleasing expression she can muster. Unfortunately for her, you aren't going to cave that easily. She'll get some eventually, and in the meantime there is more work to be done. You and Mami make an effort to include the younger girl in the final predations, helping her frost and cut the various dishes that have been readied over the course of the morning.

"So," you say as you arrange plates of confections across the table, "I've been thinking about telling the others about Abnormalities. About myself. Is that a bad idea?"

"Yuma already said! Keeping secrets from people you care about is bad!" declares the younger child. If only it were that simple. "So you should just tell everyone everything."

"While I'm not as certain of that, I do believe that it would be better to keep everyone informed. Sayaka and Madoka are likely to encounter other Abnormalities, and as you have said information is key when it comes to combating them."

Any further discussion is cut off by the sound of a knocking at the door. Somebody has arrived.

—————————

Your first guest is…
[] Kyoko Sakura
[] Madoka Kaname, with Homura alongside her
[] Sayaka Miki

———————————————

Big Bird's Sapling - Observation Level 2/3
Der Freischütz's Sapling - Observation Level 2/3
Porccubus' Sapling - Observation Level 2/3
Punishing Bird's Sapling - Observation Level 1/2

Sorry this chapter took a little longer than usual, getting this conversation right was tricky. Writing dialogue has never been my strong suit.

And here we are! The last day of Act 1. I hope you're ready, because I can hardly wait.

 

[Lepidoptera]

Since Sidestories are important to the actual plot, here's a marker for any future readers who are using Threadmarks and might otherwise miss this chapter.

"Human Resources" Shouldn't Be This Literal: A PMMM/ProjectMoon Quest

 

[Lepidoptera]

Chapter 65 - Creeping Ever Closer

"Excuse me a moment," you say as you head to the door, "I should see who it is."

You open the door to see Madoka standing nervously outside the apartment, Kyubey resting on her shoulder. Homura stands behind her, glaring at the Incubator with an intensity that could melt iron.

"Hello, X! Are we-" Madoka's eyes drift to your arm for a moment. "Oh! I'm glad that you're doing alright. I know you said you'd be fine, but I was very worried."

"Yeah, I did say it'd grow back. You two sleep okay?"

"There were no issues." answers Homura, turning her gaze away from Kyubey to address you.

"What's this about you being okay?" Mami chimes in from the hall behind you. Before you can answer, she sees the guests standing at the door. "Oh! Madoka, Homura, Kyubey, good morning! Please, come in. X, Yuma, and I have prepared some cakes."

"Thank you very much!" Madoka says as she proceeds into the apartment. Homura stares at Yuma for a moment before following behind her classmate. Internally, you sigh in relief. It's not that you don't plan on explaining last night's events to Mami, but you'd rather wait until everybody's here first. That goes for most of the topics you're hoping to explain today, actually. That said, it would be better to at least introduce a few ideas individually. To break up the shock of things.

—————————

You sit at the head of the large glass table that Mami's rolled out into the living room to replace her usual smaller one. Your older child is seated beside you, pouring out tea for your new guests. Madoka and Homura are seated opposite you, looking down at the array of confections laid out before them. Gratitude overwhelms Madoka's slight air of nervousness, while Homura beside her has gone a shade paler than usual. The time-traveler stares forward, her expression cold and immovable as always but notably unfocused. Yuma is sprawled out over the couch to the side, already finishing the small cake slice you let her have.

"So, ah, you said you had important things to discuss? Is it about that monster from before?" Madoka asks. You pause to take a small sip of tea before you answer.

"Yes. At first I didn't expect Abnormalities to be a common threat, so I wanted to keep them a secret. Information can be dangerous, after all, and there's some things that are better left secret." You sigh. It would've been better for all your kids if they had stayed uninvolved, not just with you but with this whole business. Unfortunately, that's not an option anymore. "But now that they're showing up so often, it's better for you to be informed."

"I'll give a more detailed explanation once Sayaka and Kyoko get here, but for now I'll just go over the basics. Abnormalities are monsters unlike Witches, derived from a specific idea or concept instead of human grief. Even the weakest of them have unique traits that make them practically impossible to fight without prior knowledge. I already know the details for how to confront most of them, so don't rush in if you spot one no matter how urgent it is. Get in contact with everyone and wait to get more information. That's the only safe way to deal with Abnormalities."

"That creature from last night was able to take control of my body. Is that sort of power common for Abnormalities?" Homura asks, having shaken off whatever had come over her when stepping into Mami's apartment. Mami turns towards you, confused.

"X? Did something happen last night?"

It feels… wrong, hearing the worry in Mami's voice. You weren't the one hurt, there's no reason for her to be concerned. Before you can respond, Homura speaks again.

"While hunting, I found that Madoka had been entranced by a strange creature. I assumed it was a Witch and went to kill it, but fell under its control as well. Before I was completely taken, I sent a call for help to X. She arrived, and together we were able to defeat the creature."

"Oh." Mami seems shaken, lost in thought as to the disaster that went on while she slept unaware. But the moment passes and she regains her composure. "In that case, you have my thanks. Although if you had contacted me, I would have come as well."

Homura blinks, caught off guard. Silence settles over the table as the two Magical Girls stare at one another, unsure of what to say.

"Your assistance will be appreciated in the future." Though the words are detached as usual, you don't need your emotion sense to hear the tremor of sadness and gratitude in Homura's voice. Right, she and Mami are usually enemies, or at least opposed on principle. To be somebody she would lend aid to without a second thought… well, this is Mami, so perhaps not a very high bar to clear. Regardless, it still clearly means something to your fellow time-traveler.

"The point being," you say, ending the quiet moment once it has run its course, "Abnormalities are dangerous. Fighting them conventionally, without knowing how they work, should be a last resort." You pause, giving the kids time to digest your warning. For what you're about to tell them, they need as much context as possible.

"There is maybe one exception, although I'll go further into it once everybody's here."

"A-actually, I have a question." Madoka speaks up. "It's not related to Abnormalities, but I was wondering," she turns to Mami, "does X live here? I thought you only met the same day we did?"

It's not Mami, but Yuma who answers. "Mom adopted Yuma and big sis a few days ago! Kyubey said we could do it, and everyone thought it was a good idea, so now we're all family!"

Nobody speaks in the aftermath of Yuma's declaration. What is there that you can really say after that?

"Oh," Madoka lets out a small gasp, as if finally realizing something. "Then that means that you… I'm really sorry, that was inconsiderate of me to ask."

"No, it's perfectly alright." Mami assures the apologetic girl. "I was… I was able to care for myself. And I had Kyubey to look out for me. Even so, it's very nice to have somebody you know cares about you."

You almost miss the way Homura's grip on her teacup tightens. An emotion you can't quite place flares within her, but is smothered back into quiescence just as quickly as it appears.

"Speaking of, I don't know much about your family, Madoka. Would you mind telling me a bit about them?" you interject. Best keep the conversation light until everyone else gets here. You quiz the girls on their schoolwork, their music preferences, what jobs they might want when they grow up. Anything that isn't likely to trigger distress in one of your kids. They deserve some brevity before the heavier conversation. It's halfway through a discussion about which teachers are the best when Kyubey suddenly shoots awake.

"Yes, I had her two years ago. She-" Mami trails off when she sees Kyubey's sudden alertness. "Is something wrong?"

"The Abnormality previously identified by X as a significant threat has recently been spotted moving towards Kamihama City. I will be allocating all my available resources towards tracking it."

With the announcement made, Kyubey jumps over the couch and disappears on the other side. Those remaining in the room stare at one another, perplexed. The sole exception to this is Yuma, who sneakily took a second slice of cake when she thought you weren't looking.

Nothing There was spotted again. At least it's away from you and the kids right now, but it's a reminder that you'll need to do something about the monstrous imitator eventually. Planning how to topple an ALEPH, especially one with such straightforward strengths, will be an incredible challenge. Perhaps not one you are capable of. Still, you'll have time to contemplate this later. You can hear the sounds of an argument growing louder outside.

———————————————

Everyone will be here soon. What are you going to tell them?

[] Planned topic:
-[] Abnormalities
-[] You are an Abnormality
-[] Truth about Witches
-[] Truth about Soul Gems
-[] Your EGO Gifts
-[] Write-in.

———————————————

Big Bird's Sapling - Observation Level 2/3
Der Freischütz's Sapling - Observation Level 2/3
Porccubus' Sapling - Observation Level 2/3
Punishing Bird's Sapling - Observation Level 1/2

If there are any specific points you wish to include, specify them in the vote.

 

[Lepidoptera]

Chapter 66 - Not Meant To Know

"Seems like the rest of our guests are here." you mutter as you sit up from the table. "I'll go get them."

You can hear Mami getting up behind you as you make your way to the door, nearly muffled by the argument outside slowly increasing in volume.

"-ld words for someone who's been a Magical Girl for barely a few days!"

"I've met real Magical Girls. You don't hold a candle to either of them."

"Wanna test that theory?"

As amusing as it would be to let this argument continue, you should probably stop it from escalating. Wouldn't want a brawl at your front door, after all.

"Something the matter?" You open the door to Sayaka and Kyoko, both in full Magical Girl regalia, glaring at one another with their faces barely a hand's width apart. Neither have drawn their weapons yet, but they might have actually gotten to that point if you hadn't intervened.

"This crazy girl showed up here!" Sayaka yells. "She says she knows Mami, but she's got to be lying!"

"Actually, that's true." says Mami, stepping up behind you for the second time today. "This is Sakura Kyoko, a very old friend of mine."

"What? No way!" Sayaka squawks indignantly. Beside her, Kyoko smiles with a level of smugness you thought was reserved for Arbiters. "But she's so rude!"

Rather than be offended, an amused smile crosses Mami's face. "Perhaps, but though she can be belligerent at times Kyoko is a reliable partner. We fought together back when I was still a relatively new Magical Girl."

As Sayaka pouts, Kyoko addresses you. "So, you said you've got something important to talk about? Did you find out what that thing we fought earlier was?"

"Come inside, I'll explain everything once everybody's ready. Plus, we've got cake."

—————————

"Everyone, this is Sakura Kyoko. She's a fellow Magical Girl and a good friend of mine." Mami says as the four of you return to the living room. Homura is staring at Madoka, who was shifting uncomfortably in her seat before you entered.

"Hi! My name is Kaname Madoka, I'm very glad to meet you."

"Akemi Homura."

The two introduce themselves, one far more enthusiastic than the other. Yuma isn't paying attention at all, instead starting on a third slice of cake.

"And this is Yuma," you indicate to the greenette. "my youngest daughter. She won't be having any more cake, since she's on her third slice already." you add. Yuma freezes mid-bite, a look of guilt gradually creeping onto her face.

"You're not in trouble, just don't eat any more. You'll make yourself sick if you have too much sugar." you say with a sigh. Honestly, some things never change. It always falls to you to stop people from making poor choices. At least it's only cake this time.

"Wait, why've you got civilians here? I thought this was about some Magical Girl business." Kyoko asks. Homura seems slightly frustrated by the question, more than you expected considering it's one she raised herself only last night. Maybe it's just because she already knows the answer? You know she'd prefer if this were just a matter for Magical Girls, although even then that would probably still include Madoka. Her level of Karmic Potential means she'll be a part of that world no matter what.

"It is to an extent, but there's more to it than that. Sit down, this'll be a long conversation."

You return to your original seat at the head of the table with Mami at your side. Sayaka moves to sit down as well, stopping only to shoot Homura a skeptical glare before taking a seat at Madoka's other side. Kyoko takes the seat between Mami and Homura, immediately shoving a slice of cake into her mouth.

"This's great! Thanks!" the red-haired girl says between mouthfuls.

"I'm glad to hear it." Mami responds graciously. "X, Yuma and I all prepared it together for all of you."

"Thanks! It all looks delicious." Sayaka says before taking a small cake for herself. She's rather enthusiastic in her eating, although much more well-mannered than Kyoko and Yuma.

Everyone is here. You could stall a little more, enjoy the party, but there's no reason for it. You called everyone here with a purpose, and now it's time for that purpose to be fulfilled. Time to tear dow the veil of secrecy, one word at a time.

"So, now that everybody's arrived, here's a question for you all. How much do you know about the concept of alternate universes?"

—————————

"In another world, a crueler and harsher one, there existed a special technology. Well, there were a lot of special technologies back there, but we're focusing on this one in particular. They called it Cogito. The idea behind it was to transform an idea or a concept into reality. You can think of it a lot like how Kyubey's Contracts give you Magic depending on what you wish for. Kyubey can make desires into truth, and Cogito was able to make ideas real. In theory, it sounds wonderful."

Nobody dares speak but you. It seems as though the second you began telling your story, the warmth vanished from Mami's small apartment. Clouds have drifted over the sun, turning a bright noon into a dreary, ominous one. Even Yuma has ceased staring longingly at the remaining confections, waiting eagerly for you to continue.

"Ideas don't just exist naturally. They come from people. So if you wanted to turn an idea into reality, you need to have a person first. Barring a few exceptions, people don't survive this process. At least, not recognizably. In exchange, an Abnormality is extracted from the person's consciousness."

Abnormalities. The mention of them sends a ripple of uneasiness through the assembled group. The sole exception is Kyoko, who remains intently focused on your words. The others have all been touched, in one way or another, by an Abnormality's influence. They know that these creatures are a threat.

"Abnormalities are living concepts. That means that they can have all sorts of esoteric powers. Whatever idea they represent, an Abnormality will have powers that tie into that idea somehow. While these abilities differ from one Abnormality to the next, there are a few constants. First off, they're basically all harmful to everyone around them. Barring one, maybe two exceptions, even the ones that act like or believe that they're benevolent only hurt people around them." As you speak, Mami gives you a look of pity. She rests a hand on yours, and you turn to give her the most reassuring smile you can manage. She returns the smile and squeezes your hand before returning to her tea.

"All the Birds wanted to help people, but they ended up hurting them anyways, right?" Yuma chimes in. Recognition flashes in Homura's eyes, and for a moment you can see her sifting through the memories of her encounter with the Black Forest's Guardian.

"That's right, Yuma." you affirm. "Always keep your guard up, even around Abnormalities that look harmless. The same should go for Witches as well, but any of the veteran Magical Girls here could've told you that already."

"Second, Abnormalities can't die. No matter how much damage you do, how thoroughly you destroy one, it'll always get up again. They don't usually get tired either, at least in the long term."

"But we defeated the bird Abnormality only last night." Homura interrupts. "Is it similar to a Witch, where it is forced into an inactive state when it takes too much damage?"

"Sort of." you respond noncommittally. "Abnormalities normally would just get up on the spot. At the moment, though, it seems like whatever force sent them here doesn't want them to stay. If an Abnormality is defeated or willingly accepts it, it'll be banished."

"Cool," Kyoko chimes in. "So if we see an Abnormality, just bash its head in 'till it disappears? I can do that." Mami shoots her a disapproving glare, and she recedes back to her seat with barely a hint of shame.

"It's not quite that simple. As I mentioned before, Abnormalities are concepts embodied. They can control minds, instantly kill people when certain conditions are fulfilled, reflect attacks, or even just be practically impervious to harm. Madoka," you say, calling to attention the pink-haired girl slowly being filled with anxiety. She jolts back to focus as you toss a small book to her, which she barely catches after a few seconds of fumbling in the air.

"That there is a book with as much information about Abnormalities as I could transcribe. Since you're not able to go into combat, I'll be counting on you to play mission control for the others if I'm not available." Madoka stares at the booklet in her hands. With all attention in the room drawn in the schoolgirl's direction, she suddenly seems much smaller. She stares down at the notebook in her hands and everything it represents, uncertainty clear in her face. For a moment you think she might say no, but that moment passes as soon as it comes. Madoka looks up at you, a new resolve alighting from within.

"I won't let you down, X!"

"Hell yeah you won't!" Sayaka chimes in. "Don't worry, you're gonna do great."

"I'm sure you will, Madoka. We all have confidence in your abilities." Mami adds with a warm smile.

"I think it's decided then. Regardless, there is another reason I thought you needed to know about Abnormalities. I…" The words are stuck in your throat. Your voice trails off into a sigh. Mami and Yuma, as if sensing your distress, sidle closer and lean into you ever so slightly. Another breath, and you ready yourself. Just get it out and deal with what people think later. After everything else you've accomplished, you can do this much.

"I am an Abnormality."

There is no immediate effect. Homura tenses slightly, glancing over to Madoka beside her before settling again. Of course, she's assessing if you're a threat or not. Madoka herself radiates distress, an expression of mixed horror and pity on her face. It's kind of her, really, but you aren't the victim here. There aren't any yet, and you can only hope it'll stay that way. To her side, Sayaka stares at you, uncomprehending. Kyoko barely reacts, looking over at Mami as if to measure her response. An uneasy quiet settles over the table, the girls all glancing between one another, waiting for somebody to make the first move.

Kyoko breaks the silence. "Neat. Is that where all your weapons come from? 'Cause I know you said they aren't magic."

"Is that really all you have to ask?"

"What?" Kyoko seems legitimately surprised. "You haven't killed anyone so far. Mami seems to trust you, so that's good enough for me. Did you expect us to be freaked out or scared of you or something like that?"

To the surprise of everyone present, yourself included, it's Homura who speaks next. "You have already done more good than you know. Whatever your true nature, your presence in Mitakihara has been overwhelmingly beneficial."

"Yeah! It's just like Kyoko and the transfer student said," Sayaka affirms. "You're definitely a hero. So what if you're 'supposed to be' a monster? You aren't, and that's what matters."

That…

…wasn't- isn't-

You really should've expected this. Mami and Yuma did tell you, after all.

Your eldest daughter reaches up to place a hand on your shoulder. "It's just as I said to you before, X. The only person here who doubts you is yourself."

You sit back in your chair. You hadn't even realized you were leaning forward. It had been a bad habit, trying to get a better look at the screen when you felt the facility was going out of control. "Yeah, you're all probably right." you admit. "Still, you can't say I'm completely harmless. You remember the ID Cards?"

Sayaka and Homura both draw their EGO Gifts up from nowhere, presenting the emblem of Lobotomy Corporation clearly alongside their portraits and information.

"You made those… because you're an Abnormality?" Madoka asks.

"EGO Gifts are a phenomenon that occurs when a person fulfills certain conditions with an Abnormality. Usually affection, but not always. It's basically a little bit of the Abnormality's personality made into an item. Ordinarily they'd make whoever carried them stronger, but without the proper mental protection just carrying them around will do things to your mind."

"Mental protection…" Sayaka mumbles. "Can I get that somehow? I know you said these things are dangerous, but… it's a gift. I'd just feel wrong to throw it away or get rid of it. Plus, you said it'd make me stronger?"

"It's possible for me to apply the necessary protections," you admit reluctantly, "but that requires me to use one of my abilities as an Abnormality. It'll basically be magic brain surgery. Are you really comfortable with that?"

"You've done it before," Homura jumps in, solemn as ever. "When you cleansed my Soul Gem, correct?"

"That's right. Grief is psychological in nature, so it's within my bounds to remove. Although that reminds me, the process requires observing your entire 'self'. People might see your memories or feelings while it's happening. Are you really still sure about this?"

"I would prefer to have the operation done in private." Homura says. "There are some memories I would prefer remain unobserved."

"Well, I don't have anything to hide." Sayaka retorts. "I'd rather get this over with sooner than risk getting hurt because I couldn't swallow my pride. You can start whenever you want."

You almost choke. "Wait, you want me to operate right now? In front of everyone?" Sayaka shrugs.

"Why not? Like I said, I've got nothing to be ashamed of." You can hear the uncertainty in her words, though there is a resolute quality to them as well.

Sayaka's Operation
[] (Operation) Right now
[] (Operation) Suggest later

Soul Gems
[] (Soul Gems) The Truth
[] (Soul Gems) Another Time

———————————————

Big Bird's Sapling - Observation Level 2/3
Der Freischütz's Sapling - Observation Level 2/3
Porccubus' Sapling - Observation Level 2/3
Punishing Bird's Sapling - Observation Level 1/2

So very close to the end of the beginning. Are you excited?

I wrote this instead of sleeping. Apologies for any errors. I'll go back over this chapter tomorrow morning.

 

[Lepidoptera]

Chapter 67 - The Recesses of the Mind

"Alright, if you say so." you relent. If Sayaka's sure she wants to go through with this, who are you to tell her no? A palpable tension settles into the atmosphere around the table. Mami and Madoka aren't unhappy, but they do both seem slightly worried. Kyoko is staring at Sayaka in much the same way a person might watch a particularly amusing car crash. Only Homura seems unaffected, without even disappointment. She never expected anything better, after all. None of these are particularly surprising reactions. You did describe what you're about do as brain surgery. It'd be more unusual if they weren't concerned.

"So, how does this work?" asks Sayaka. "Are you going to actually have to cut me open? Should I lie down first? Is it going to hurt?"

"Answering in that order, no, probably, and no. You'll be unconscious for the duration, but I doubt you would feel anything even if you were awake."

"Neat!" the bluenette exclaims before sitting up and walking over to the other side of the table to lay down on the couch next to Yuma. "Alright, let's do this." And then, barely audibly, "I can do this."

The young girl settles into the couch as best she can, screwing her eyes shut and laying her hands across her chest as if trying to go to sleep. You pause for a moment to allow Sayaka to compose herself. It takes some time, during which the other children stare at you and the three-day Magical Girl in anticipation. When she's finally settled properly, all that's left is to reach out and begin the operation.

Coiling streamers of Light pour from Sayaka's now-unconscious body. They curve and trail through the room, arcing through and around walls and furniture alike. In each glowing branch you see a kaleidoscope of memories flickering in and out of focus. There is much music, and many conversations between Sayaka and a boy in a hospital bed. There is notably little of her parents, although not in the same way as Mami or Homura. Sayaka has many memories of her parents, many of those being recent, but they simply don't… stand out. They exist, and very little more. Even so, the overall impression is far less… somber than Homura or Mami's minds were.

Homura had fixated on a single person, making saving them the sole focus of her world. And she had given up everything else for the sake of that person. You saw memories Homura herself only faintly recalls, when she held tightly to each of her friends time and time again. And time and time again, they would be torn away. Homura gave up on everything she could afford to lose because she didn't believe she could keep it if she tried. Hers is a very careful, fragile emptiness that shields her from the suffering all around her.

Mami is in some ways the exact opposite. While Homura rejects connections she believes will only end in misery, Mami is desperate to connect with others. With every new abandonment, that desperation grows that much deeper. She clings to the idea of being a Magical Girl, to a standard she knows is impossible, because she cannot accept the alternative. That the task she has dedicated her life to is one that brings only suffering. And so she tries, with all her soul, to be somebody people will want to be around.

Sayaka is neither of the two, and her life is not defined by trauma and loss.

Instead, it is mostly defined by the last week or so.

Sayaka, you observe as you scrape away a filmy layer of Grief, is somewhat lacking in self-confidence. Not in the same way or degree as Madoka, but more in the sense that she holds herself to a higher standard than she can conceivably meet. Even before learning of Magical Girls and Witches and other monsters, she saw herself as the least of her friend group. Hitomi was prettier and more socially aware than Sayaka was. Madoka was smarter and kinder, even if she would never realize it. And at the time, Sayaka was okay with that. She was outgoing where the other two weren't and enthusiastic when they were reserved and that was enough for her to be pulling her weight. She wasn't perfect, but she was doing good enough.

And then everything changed.

For a Magical Girl, enthusiasm isn't enough. You need to be strong, you need to be useful, and Sayaka doesn't feel like she's either. From an objective standpoint, you know that this is wrong. The thought of increasing the dose of Prudence in hopes of giving the girl some self-awareness surfaces, but is immediately discarded. There's invasive, and then there's downright violating somebody's personhood by deciding they would be better if they were different. There are some lines you never want to cross. Regardless, Sayaka wants to do more. Needs to do more. And if you don't address it, she's going to get herself hurt.

"X? What…" Mami is, unsurprisingly, the first one to speak. You aren't sure how long the silence held since you began operating. Time is difficult to measure when you're like this. It may have been mere seconds since you started. It may have been minutes. It probably wasn't an hour, although you're only so sure because you doubt everyone else would have waited to speak for so long.

"Yes?" you return. "What is it?" You can hold a conversation and operate at the same time easily enough. Multitasking is something you mastered long ago.

"That… what was that thing you were clearing away? Just looking at it felt uncomfortable."

"That was Grief." you state plainly, eliciting shocked gasps from Madoka and Mami. Homura and Kyoko, it seems, are already privy to the secrets of Soul Gems.

"But there was so much of it! Sayaka's Soul Gem wasn't even that dark!" Madoka protests, as though the universe will somehow hear her plea and adjust itself accordingly.

"That's just how it is. The buildup gets much worse if you let the Soul Gem darken any further." you state plainly as you tear away another chunk of Grief to spread a foggy pink-white balm over the branch it was enveloping.

"In the future, please do remind me to keep my Soul Gem clearer." Mami asks you. "Seeing what it looks like in this way from even such a small expenditure."

"Speaking of seeing," you interrupt. "What does this all look like to you? My perception of things is altered in a way that lets me better interact with a person's mind, so I'm not sure how this all appears on the outside."

"None of Miki Sayaka's memories are visible to us." Homura states. Around the table, the other girls nod in assent. Interesting, although not unprecedented. You see and hear a lot of things other people can't.

"Feel a bit like having a conversation with the pipsqueak, if that makes any sense." Kyoko chimes in, earning her a disapproving glare from Mami which she effortlessly ignores.

"That should be it." You announce before an argument of any kind can break out. Mami has something else to speak with Kyoko about today, so it wouldn't be any good to put the other Magical Girl on edge. A wave of your hand and the now-clean ribbons of Light fold back into Sayaka's prone body. A light shaking from Yuma later and she rises groggily from the couch.

"Sorry, I think I zoned out for a second. Are we gonna start now?"

"Actually, I'm all done. Might wanna clean your Soul Gem first if we ever do this again, though. I had to spend most of the time just getting the Grief out of the way."

"Oh. Cool." Sayaka sits up, slightly nervous. "So… did you, y'know, see anything?"

"If you'd like to talk about it, I'm always available. There's nothing wrong with asking for support when you need it." you insist. "But only I saw anything clearly. Everyone else just got a vague impression."

"That may be so," Homura says, "but I would still prefer to have my own operation privately."

"That's completely understandable, Homura." Mami answers. "I too would be uncomfortable with having some of my more private feelings spread openly." It would likely be particularly upsetting for Mami to have some of her feelings aired to Madoka and Sayaka, who she's trying to impress. She already knows you don't think less of her for her loneliness, but even if you don't think any of the other girls would either Mami still needs more time.

Sayaka seems shocked by Mami's admission. "What? There's no way anyone would judge you! You're amazing!" Mami just shakes her head sadly. Sayaka doesn't mean anything by it, but you really need her to not push on this subject right now.

"Anyways," you interrupt. "There are few more pieces of information I believe you should know about, but as these will be rather heavy I'll leave it at just one more for today."

The attention in the room is once again drawn to you. Homura tenses in anticipation, expecting this to be the moment everything goes wrong. Historically, she would be correct. But you weren't there back then. This time, things will be different.

"We all know that Soul Gems accumulate Grief when you use magic. However, that brings up a contradiction. You just saw Sayaka's 'self' with Grief having accumulated on it." Sayaka glances down at her Soul Gem in suspicion while Madoka looks at her anxiously. Mami doesn't seem quite as disconcerted yet, although her calm smile has become ever so slightly strained.

"I've confirmed it both through my own observations and through interrogating Kyubey. Soul Gems contain a Magical Girl's consciousness." You stop and allow your revelation to sink in. Mami gasps and raises her hand up to her face, staring in horror at the tiny ring on her finger.

"That can't be right. Kyubey would-"

"Sorry, it's the truth." Kyoko cuts her off. She seems… tired somehow, lacking her usual vicious energy. "Almost found out by accident a few days ago. I wanted to scout out some other Magical Girls who were pushing into my territory, so I left my Soul Gem back at the church. Apparently, if you get too far from your Soul Gem, you pass out until you touch it again. Kyubey didn't actually explain why, though."

Sayaka stares almost hatefully at her Soul Gem in her hand. "This thing… are you telling me this is my soul? That I'm just some… walking corpse?" Her voice is tight and unsteady, like a bowstring pulled taut. The mood darkens as she speaks. Mami's worry becomes panic, glancing around the room. Yuma is leaning into her in comfort, a worried expression on her face. Homura has placed her hand over her Soul Gem, ready to transform at any moment. At Sayaka's side, Madoka seems almost paralyzed.

"That's not an entirely correct assessment." Your voice cuts through the gloom, and once more all attention is on you. "The mind and the soul are different things. From all my observation, I can only definitively tell you that Soul Gems contains a person's mind. The soul is an entirely different matter, and until I can properly determine the truth I don't think you should dwell on it."

"So what, we're still just magic rocks puppeting our bodies around, but at least our souls are probably fine? That's still… I can't even describe that!" Sayaka shouts. She's still clenching the crescent-moon shape of her Soul Gem in one hand, as if constantly confirming that it is, in fact, real. Madoka has paused halfway through reaching towards her friend, the aborted motion hanging in the air. Beside you, Mami has leaned back into Yuma while clutching her own Soul Gem to her chest. Kyoko's aggressive aura has completely vanished, replaced by a look of concern as she sits beside her old teacher.

"That's not quite right either. As long as you don't leave the range of your Soul Gem and you keep it cleaned of Grief, none of this should affect your lives. Your mind is clearly occupying your body, but it's also in the Soul Gem. Unless the two are separated, this won't hurt you any further." Because they all have been hurt. While this sort of consciousness transfer isn't uncommon in the City, that's not the issue at hand. Kyubey tore them out of their bodies and then hooked them back up without even telling them what was happening. He tricked them, lured them in with promises and gifts, and now they're going to suffer for it forever.

That is, unless you have any say in it.

"I just don't understand!" Mami says shakily. She's holding back tears, trying to appear strong for her students even now. "Why would Kyubey do this? Why would he trick us like this?"

"Survivability." Homura answers coldly. "As long as a Magical Girl's Soul Gem is undamaged, they cannot die. No matter what happens to your body, you will survive as long as the Soul Gem does."

"But why wouldn't he tell us?" Mami continues. Kyubey was her friend, or at least pretended to be. He was a supporter, a confidant, at least as much as the emotionless rat could manage. For Mami, Kyubey didn't just trick her. He betrayed her.

And she doesn't want to believe it.

"Kyubey needs Magical Girls to hunt Witches." You answer, wrapping an arm around Mami in assurance. You draw her and Yuma closer, muffling your daughter's half-choked sobs. "He knows fewer people would contract if they knew what it means to be a Magical Girl. So he just… doesn't tell people."

The room is silent but for quiet sobbing and the distant crackle of thunder. Sayaka withdraws her Soul Gem and dismisses her transformation with a shudder of revulsion. Homura, face blank and stern as always, lays a hand on Madoka's shoulder.

Kyoko fixes her own Soul Gem back below her throat and breaks the silence.

"So, Immortality huh?" A weak cheerfulness barely makes its way into her voice. "Pretty much everything about this sucks, but I can't complain about living forever."

"Living forever…" Mami echoes weakly.

—————————

To your mild surprise, none of your guests decide to leave after you finish with your reporting. Sayaka says something about not feeling "safe," and Madoka decides to stay with her. Kyoko and Homura remain as well for similar reasons. Conversation starts up again, although efforts to get involved are half-hearted at best. It started raining perhaps a minute or two ago, so it was probably for the best nobody chose to leave just yet. They'd have been absolutely drenched.

Kyoko is, unsurprising, the most active participant in any conversation. The truth of Soul Gems was news to neither her nor Homura, but your fellow time-traveler isn't exactly talkative even on the best of days. Mami's old student, on the other hand. Very much is. She asks Mami about what's been happening since they parted, lightly teases Sayaka about her overly-chivalric tendencies, and expresses more interest than you'd expected at Madoka's desire to become a doctor. You immediately recognize her attempt to draw everyone into a lighter conversation for what it is and join in, playing opposition to her broadly pessimistic view of the world. But by bit, the mood lightens. The haze of anxiety from before has not disappeared, but it's fainter than it was before. It seems like things might be alright.

And then Kyoko asks exactly the wrong question.

"So, what exactly happened to your parents? You're staying with X now, I can see that, but-"

"My parents are dead, Kyoko." Mami answers in a tone far more reminiscent of Homura than herself.

The atmosphere around the table is oppressive. Sayaka looks ready to transform again just so she can stab the older Magical Girl. Yuma looks about ready to join her, Magic or no. Homura actually looks shocked, a rarity for her as far as you understand. Not just because that's not the sort of question you should ask under any but the most delicate circumstances. But because-

"You should already know that. They were dead when we first met."

Kyoko's expression shifts rapidly from shame to confusion to frustration and back again. "I- No, I definitely remember- But we met-"

Mami's mask of sternness immediately melts into concern. "Kyoko? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine!" the red-haired girl assures, although her smile is strained. "I've just been having… memory issues lately."

"What sort of issues?" Mami insists. Kyoko waves her hands frantically.

"It's really nothing! I just forget things sometimes! That happens to everyone!"

"What sort of things?" Mami insists. You would be more on the fence as to your suspicions were it not for the answer Kyoko gives.

"I.. I couldn't remember very much about you. I know, it's horrible!" She adds when she sees Mami's shocked face. "I just- I knew you were a strong Magical Girl, and that we were partners, but there are- blank spots, I don't know!"

"X, can you do something?" Mami turns to you, fear overwhelming the semblance of calm she had reclaimed.

"Only if she agrees to it." You answer. "That particular ability is… invasive, and there are other, slower ways to check for mental tampering."

Kyoko holds up under Mami's gaze for barely a second before buckling. "Alright, I'll do it! But I… I want some privacy for it. I know nobody can actually see anything while X is doing that shit, I just- It feels weird, and there are some things I don't want to let out even a little bit."

Mami sighs, releasing much of the tension that was built up inside her. She really does believe that you can fix everything now. That this will pass without any issue. Personally, you have this uncomfortable feeling that this is only the beginning.

[] Give Kyoko her privacy while performing the scan.
The privacy of one's own mind is a basic right. Kyoko deserves it.

[] Allow others to observe Kyoko's scan.
Mami deserves to see this. Kyoko is her friend, and currently her judgement has been altered. Her choices can't be relied on.

———————————————

Big Bird's Sapling - Observation Level 2/3
Der Freischütz's Sapling - Observation Level 2/3
Porccubus' Sapling - Observation Level 2/3
Punishing Bird's Sapling - Observation Level 1/2
Sayaka Miki: Exposure II -> Exposure IV

The text above each vote doesn't necessarily describe X's thought process, it just describes the thought process they would use to come to the winning vote. Write-Ins are accepted.

I considered having a vote as to whether or not to use Lobotomy, but I decided most people would want to pursue this. If people feel strongly about it, I can change it.

 

[Lepidoptera]

Chapter 68 - The Almost Person

"Alright then. We'll move into my room for the operation." You day as you stand up from the table. Kyoko does the same. Mami shuffles in her seat uncomfortably beside you. Depending on what you see, it may be for the best that she isn't there to watch. Especially since it's unclear if you'll be able to patch Kyoko's memories back together.

"We'll only be in operation for a short time. Until then, I ask that the five of you please respect Kyoko's privacy and wait for us to finish." Mami flinches, though your words are directed far more at Sayaka and Yuma than they are at her. As worried as she is about her friend, you can say without a question she wouldn't intrude upon the procedure. While the two in question aren't malicious, they're definitely the least mature out of anyone here.

The tension in the air only thickens as you and Kyoko turn and walk away from the table. What was a bright morning originally has become cold and dark. It's as though the weather has shifted to match the mood. Every new thing you've had to tell the kids today has hurt them. Hopefully you'll be able to give them some good news this time.

"Let's just get this over with." Kyoko grumbles, and the two of you you step into your room and out of sight.

—————————

The second you've closed the door behind you, it feels as if all light in the room has been extinguished. With the sun blocked by heavy, dark clouds and the lights in the room off, the only source of illumination is the faint trickle from the other side of the door. Kyoko trails her hand from table to cabinet, eyes scanning the few photos left for something she does not find. Once she reaches the opposite wall, she stares out into the rain before falling back onto the bed.

"It's just so awkward." Kyoko mumbles at nobody in particular. She seems almost deflated, all emotion gone save for resignation. "I really don't wanna do this."

"I can wait." You say in return. "We can begin whenever you're comfortable. This can go at whatever pace you'd prefer."

And that is the moment before everything goes wrong.

Kyoko sits up suddenly, like a puppet on a string. Her smile has returned, but something about it has changed. Before, Kyoko was still a child. She could be hostile, predatory even, but never quite menacing. There was always something defensive about her aggression, as if she were hiding some great weakness. Now, any trace of that is gone. The smile you see now is gleeful, unrestrained, hungry. It is the smile of somebody who sees something beautiful and reaches out to take it, no matter what the consequences may be.

It is the smile of a monster.

"I mean, it's just embarrassing. You caught me so early! It's downright shameful!" Don't you think so too, Manager?

Only the sounds of the wind and the rain fill the pause that follows. Your hands clench involuntarily.

"You aren't Kyoko Sakura, are you?"

The thing squeals in glee and falls back onto the bed, clutching its arms to its chest. "Just like that! Honestly, I should've seen this coming. I didn't wanna get close until I was ready for you, but then I saw you with her body and I just couldn't help myself!" The creature giggles and leisurely pushes itself up off the bed and to a standing position, unconcerned by the sword in your hand burning with pale starlight. "I always knew you were supposed to be a genius or something, but you really are amazing."

"Well, I wanted to wait until I was done, but I'm close enough to give you a show right now. C'mon Manager, do you recognize me?"

With that final word, the image of Kyoko Sakura vanishes from the world like a candle being blown out. The illusion disperses in a final few curls of smoke, and in the girl's place is something else.

The person before you is tall, nearly your height. Dull red hair falls in messy curls down barely past their shoulders, a few trails of green and blue twisting together just above their left ear. Their skin is a bone-white that gradually transitions to a light tan towards the extremities. Mismatched eyes, sapphire blue and emerald green, stare at you in unrestrained glee. Around the creature's body is a heavy coat that resembles Kali's own, veins and muscle woven together in place of threads. Beneath, the creature wears a simple black shirt that seems slightly too coarse to be any ordinary fabric. The Abnormality smiles at you, as if everything is right in the world. You can say only two words, your voice flat and emotionless.

"Nothing There."

"Haha, I knew it! I knew you would recognize me! So, what do you think? I'm not quite done yet, but I still wanna know." the Abnormality chirps, unbothered by the grim expression on your face.

Why? That's the first question you can ask yourself. Why is Nothing There here now, and how did it manage to hide from you and Kyubey both? Why did they choose to keep up their act for so long, instead of attacking? Why aren't they attacking now, even after they've been unmasked? You need answers, and you need them fast. So you do the only thing you can do for now.

Keep the situation from getting any worse.

"That's a shell, isn't it? So Kyoko Sakura really is dead." Your voice is somber, though the Abnormality doesn't notice. It's entirely possible you never even met Kyoko. She was abrasive and pessimistic, the exact sort of person who allowed the City to exist as it does. But for whatever mistakes she might have made she was a child, a child whose life was taken from her by a monster for its own goals not once but twice. She was family to Mami, and if things had gone differently she might have one day been family to you as well.

To your surprise, Nothing There's excitement actually dims for a moment. But that moment ends as swiftly as it began, and the Abnormality once more breaks into a grin.

"Actually," Nothing There begins with savage glee as they extends a single hand. Sharp plates of bone twist themselves into existence around the extended hand, forming a vicious claw. The Abnormality digs their fingers into the skin just below their neck, then forces the other hand in after it. In a single, sickening motion, they tear open their flesh to reveal Kyoko's Soul Gem shining within a network of fleshy threads.

"…she's just fine!"

The Abnormality withdraws their hands, allowing the gaping wound to close. Not noticing both what would be a grievous injury to an ordinary human and your restrained disgust and horror, they continue.

"It's all~ because of your gift! 'Cause we got to follow you here, I've never been closer to being human!" Nothing There's eyes are practically glowing with manic energy as they step closer to you, pushing into your personal space. You consider attacking now, but stay your hand. Depending on how powerful Nothing There is right now, that could be tantamount to suicide. "Magical Girls put themselves back together, y'know? So as long as their Soul Gems don't break, each one keeps this shell together a little more. I can tell, I only need a few more and I'll finally be human. Then I can help you!"

You can't help it. With everything you've just seen, your ability to remain calm is being pushed to its limits. And so when Nothing There makes its final declaration, you deadpan a single word.

"What."

The Abnormality is practically leaning up against you now, like an over-affectionate puppy. "Yep! When I'm human, I can be one of your employees! Like those kids you found. I'll be great, the best you ever had!"

That's it? And yet, it makes sense. All Nothing There wants is to become human. They're not actively malicious, they simply either don't understand or don't care that they are hurting people in the process. If they could actually achieve that goal, why would they continue to kill? Of course, that premise requires two assumptions. First, you have to believe that Nothing There will actually lose their violent impulses when they become human. While it seems a logical conclusion, Abnormalities are very rarely that straightforward. More importantly is the question of if it's even possible for an Abnormality to become human. No matter what shell they wear, how perfectly it fits, how many people believe it to be real, an Abnormality will remain an Abnormality. It would take a miracle to change that.

And even if you found that miracle here, you can't accept the cost.

"How many Magical Girls did you hunt for that shell?" you say, your voice just barely not a growl. Nothing there remains unperturbed, sitting back down on the bed and staring up at the ceiling.

"I think it was… thirty-six? Thirty-seven? Yeah, thirty-seven. Some of 'em were actually pretty tough, all things considered."

Thirty-seven people. That's how many you'd be sacrificing if you accept Nothing There's offer. And not just to death. You remember days ago, when you were investigating at the church. Those Magical Girls aren't just alive, they're conscious. If you were to reach out right now, you could hear them crying out in agony. You wouldn't be able to accept not saving them. But is that even within your power to do? Nothing There's shells are typically fragile enough that a sufficiently powerful attack can incapacitate the Abnormality, but this is anything but a typical situation. You have no idea if you'd be able to match this amalgamated form of Nothing There. If it's anywhere near as strong as its true forms, then there's nothing you can do now. Whatever the case, you have to handle the situation properly. There's no room for errors, not with your kids sitting patiently in the room outside without a clue as to what's going on. You need to regain control of the situation, and the first step to that is clear: Treat Nothing There as you would a completely new Abnormality and gather more information.

"How are you keeping them cleansed? Shouldn't they all have become Witches by now?" you ask. Nothing There lights up at your question.

"I just sorta push myself in their Soul Gems. I used to just re-hunt the same few Witches over and over again, but one day I had an idea. If Grief builds up in a Soul Gem, then it has to go somewhere to do that. So if I just filled up that space where the Grief goes myself, then no more Grief can form!" the Abnormality declares proudly. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem like something you can replicate. Leaving aside if it's even possible or a unique trait of Nothing There having consumed those Magical Girls in some way, you simply can't accept it on a moral basis. Forcing your way into a Soul Gem and simply blocking the flow of Grief shouldn't prevent Grief from forming, so it's instead violating the function of the Soul Gem in some way. However the specifics, you can't imagine it's either safe or painless. The longer you wait, the higher the chance that Nothing There's victims will never be saved.

There is one option you could try. It's a minuscule chance, but barely a week ago you would have said the same thing about you becoming an Abnormality or having a friendly conversation with one.

Well, relatively friendly. The way Nothing There has started staring at you seems somewhere between adoration and hunger. They either want to eat you or are… what was the phrase? "Checking you out?" Whatever it is, it's not just mindless cheer. This whole deception already proved that Nothing There is far more cunning than you had believed back at the facility.

Regardless, your fellow Abnormality has been friendly so far. Maybe you can hold onto that?

"I'll accept it," You say with your usual managerial cadence. Nothing There leaps up and towards you in joy before you add "on one condition."

The Aleph immediately stops centimeters away from you, nervous energy apparent for the first time since you began.

"I can get you a human body. I can find you a shell that will never wear out or break. Give me some time, and maybe I can make you human." you say almost pleadingly. "But you can't keep those Magical Girls like that. They're suffering, and-"

"N̶̛̻̭̩̳͈̠͉͂̓̈́͘͝o̸̡̨̨̫͙͗!̶̩̱̣͕̲̮͑̒̔̃͋" Nothing There shouts in distress, their otherwise androgynous voice suddenly far more feminine and far younger. "I won't give them up. Not one of them." they hiss. "Not when I'm so close. Not when I'm so close to-" They suddenly cut themselves off, and for a second you think you see embarrassment at the outburst.

"I can be better than any of them. You need Kyoko, right?" A twist of light almost like a flickering flame, and Nothing There's human shell is once again replaced by the image of Kyoko Sakura. Even now, knowing the truth, you can't pick out a single detail in the Abnormality's disguise that might have hinted at their true nature. Nothing but their undisguised voice as they cheerfully chatter with a dead girl's mouth. "I can be Kyoko. I can be a better Kyoko than she'd ever be! You saw it already, didn't you? I can be a perfect sister for Mami. I can help calm the others down when they're too afraid. I'm not as strong like this, but I'll kill every Witch and Magical Girl who stands against you! And if anyone finds out, you can fix it!"

"I can be anybody you want, Manager."

———————————————

[] If Nothing There is still in its shell, you might have a chance. Fight.
-[] Tactics
[] You don't know if you can win this. Accept the offer.

———————————————

Big Bird's Sapling - Observation Level 2/3
Der Freischütz's Sapling - Observation Level 2/3
Porccubus' Sapling - Observation Level 2/3
Punishing Bird's Sapling - Observation Level 1/2

 

[Lepidoptera]

Chapter 69 - Humanity

"Would you really be okay with that?" you ask carefully. "Just… being somebody else for the rest of your life?" Nothing There actually pauses to think, letting their focus leave you for a moment to start up at the ceiling before snapping back a few moments later.

"Yep!" they say cheerfully. "I'd still be human. It doesn't matter what human, I can be anyone. And I'll do a great job, too!"

"But what exactly does that mean?" you counter. "As far as anyone here can tell, you already are human. Even back at the facility, you were good enough to fool most people."

"Yeah, but this body's waaay~ better than my old shells. They always fell apart after a while." Nothing There seems almost embarrassed again, although not quite ashamed as it was before. "That was kinda my fault. Normal bodies are complicated, I've gotta keep track of all the little details and stuff to keep one working. Plus, they're just not meant for me. But with the Soul Gems, it's way easier!" The Abnormality proudly declares. You let the sword in your hand fade into dust as they continue. You can't attack right now, not when you might risk damaging the Soul Gems within Nothing There's body. "Magical Girls are supposed to heal themselves or something like that. But when they're like this, they keep my body all fixed up! You can't even tell anything's wrong! Isn't it so cool?"

Luckily, Nothing There mistakes the horror on your face for awe. So they really are all still conscious in there. Not only that, but Nothing There will need at least one Soul Gem to maintain its shell. Judging by their earlier reaction getting the imitator to part with any of their victims would already have had a snowball's chance in Hell, but this confirms it. Although it does leave a few more avenues available to try and avoid combat.

"Oh?" You reclaim your impassive mask and raise an eyebrow at your fellow Abnormality. "If so, why did you take so many Soul Gems? A Magical Girl's Soul Gem should be able to heal their whole body, so it should only take one to keep you in shape. You said you had thirty-seven?"

"I probably could just use one, but there's a lot more to being human than just the body. There's feelings and relationships and language and death and love and all sorts of other things that make humans human." Nothing There lays their hands over their collar, and for a moment their enthusiasm fades into a sort of wonder. "I don't quite have all of it, but I'm getting closer. I only need a few more, I can feel it."

"Can you not feel those things right now?" You ask skeptically. "As I said before, you can already pass for human easily enough to anyone who doesn't already know you aren't."

"Mmmmh… I'm not human, though. Even if I can do all those things, it doesn't mean I'm human. Not yet. But don't worry! I'm really close, I can tell!"

You sigh. "Could you be more specific in how exactly you're getting closer? If it's not your body, then it has to be something else changing. Depending on what it is, I might even be able to help." And you really do mean it. You know well enough how impossible that goal is. You know that even if Nothing There did become human, it's no guarantee they'd be a good human. But if there's a possibility, if it really could happen…

Well.

You'll get to it if it's relevant.

"I'm not really sure what it is." Nothing There answers to your disappointment. "It was the same reason I've always done what I do. Humans have something special, something beautiful. And I can have that, too!" Nothing There insists, once again pressing themself up against you. "I can have that beauty, even better than they could!"

You gently push Nothing There back, their smile and persistence remaining undimmed despite your unwillingness to return any of their affection. In your experience, displays of affection by Nothing There tend to be followed immediately by severe violence. That and it's just too far into your personal space.

"I don't think I can accept you acting as Kyoko. However," you continue before the Aleph can react in any way, "that doesn't mean I'm rejecting you outright. When you become human, if I wasn't in the picture, what sort of human would you want to be?"

Your fellow Abnormality pauses, staring blankly into space as they think. It's disconcerting how little they seem to actually know what they want, and how they keep avoiding answering questions about it. While that sort of attitude isn't innately inhuman, under these circumstances it's a sign of Nothing There being driven more by their nature as an Abnormality than a real, personal goal. And if Nothing There is only following their natural instincts, then you're going to need to find some way to avoid catching those Soul Gems in the crossfire very quickly. Unfortunately, Nothing There's exact mentality has always been a mystery. They love humans, but show no hesitation at tearing them apart on sight. Of course, that begs the question as to why they're not doing so right now.

"I think… I wanna be like Kali. I wanna be someone strong, stronger than anybody else. I wanna enjoy every last bit of humanity once I have it! Other than that, I don't really care much about the specifics." they say casually.

"Not even a name?"

"You mean other than the one I already have?" Nothing There seems confused by the suggestion. "I've been Nothing There for so long, I can't really think of a different name I'd prefer. Besides," they continue in a chipper tone, "this name was sort of like a gift. It'd be rude to just get rid of it."

This is going nowhere. At least you have more than one plan for gathering information.

"That reminds me, there's something I'd like to try." you change topics and fish the emptied Grief Seed you created earlier out from a pocket. The purified object hovers aimlessly in your hand, devoid of thought or personality. At the very least, you won't be condemning anyone else to suffer for this.

"Catch." You fling the cleansed Seed up into the air. While the other Abnormality is distracted, you activate Lobotomy and reach out, this time fully prepared for the deluge of cries and warnings from Nothing There's victims. Kyoko's voice is at the forefront, completely unintelligible to you over the chorus. You can pick out the Abnormality as well now, a ravenous presence that tears into the flesh of the minds it has swallowed up and savors each scream and wail as if they were each declarations of true love. Ignoring the Abnormality itself, you scan through the voices of the Magical Girls as Nothing There's forearm splits open, blossoming like a grotesque flower lined with rows and rows of teeth that snap shut around the empty Seed.

"Interesting, but it's no good. It doesn't have any capacity for Magic, and I can't even hear anything from it."

"Hear anything?" You inquire further as you pick out a single voice and trace it back to its source. The Soul Gem sits tucked about where a person's right lung would be. One by one, you sort out the positions of each Magical Girl's remnant. Most are positioned around where vital organs should be, where they can be easily protected by the body.

"Yeah, I can hear all the Soul Gems. Isn't it amazing?" Nothing There once again leans towards you, this time leaving some space between the two of you. "Their voices are all so beautiful. It's part of why I just couldn't bear to let them go."

You nearly lose your focus. Not out of shock or fear. No, now that the surprise of being taken off-guard had faded it has been manageable to keep your composure. No, the emotion you're feeling right now is…

…disappointment.

You know very well that there are some benevolent Abnormalities. They're incredibly rare compared to the average, and even benevolent doesn't necessarily mean not dangerous, but they do exist. You even saw Army in Black earlier, being nothing but helpful. You'd like to think you fall into this category. More common are Abnormalities who are impassive, with mindsets that can be considered humanlike, such as Der Freischütz. Exactly how human their minds are varies, but you could actually work with some of them instead of against them.

Nothing There has never been either. They are a monster, and you know this. Their strange affection towards you hasn't made the other Abnormality any less brutal or violent, it's just insulated you and those directly connected to you. People have still suffered, and you never expected anything else.

So why does it hurt to know that Nothing There knows exactly what it's doing?

Maybe it was how friendly they were. It certainly threw you off in the beginning. You'd like to think that your loyalty isn't so easily bought, though. It's not about strength, the benefits of having Nothing There working under you are far outweighed by the effect it's presence would have on your children. Was it because they wanted to be human? That's not the same thing as wanting to be a better person, though. You know exactly how monstrous humans can be. Maybe you just…

…didn't want to feel alone in this.

———————————————

[] Conversation
-[] Ask about other Abnormalities
-[] Ask about yourself
-[] Write-in
[] Fight
-[] Write-in tactics

———————————————

Big Bird's Sapling - Observation Level 2/3
Der Freischütz's Sapling - Observation Level 2/3
Porccubus' Sapling - Observation Level 2/3
Punishing Bird's Sapling - Observation Level 1/2

X tried to get more information, but all they got was more depression. Being Manager is suffering.

 

[Lepidoptera]

Chapter 70 - An End To Stillness

You mentally shake away the malaise. You're no stranger to being alone in things, and you wouldn't want a serial murderer as a companion anyways. Besides, you have Mami and Yuma. The person most uncomfortable with your true nature is you, not anybody else. Whether Nothing There will connect with your experience or not doesn't matter. As long as they are still willing to accept what you are, you don't need for there to be others "like you". In the Corporation, it wasn't the fact that you were the Manager that defined you. There had been many before the iteration that could be recognized as you first appeared. It was that you were the best Manager, that you knew better than anyone else how to guide people. And now, being an Abnormality won't be what defines you either. For better or worse, you are still the same person you once were. And you have more important things to focus on than your feelings right now.

Of note is the fact that you have an Abnormality in front of you who is both willing and able to communicate with you. There's no guarantee that they'll know what happened to your coworkers and employees after your dispersal, but Nothing There should at least remember how they reached this world.

"Speaking of voices," you try your best to transition naturally, "what ever happened to all my agents after I disappeared?" If Nothing There notices the hint of emotion breaking through your neutral tone, they don't comment on it. You take a seat on the bed, allowing yourself to assume a familiar posture. "I've been here for the past few days, ever since the Facility went down."

Nothing There dismisses the illusion of Kyoko and causally seats themselves in your lap before spreading out over the bed, leaving your legs pinned beneath them. It's not a fantastic position to be in, but by the time combat breaks out the two of you will probably have moved. For now, you can let them have this.

"After that weird light showed up, we all got let out." Nothing There says absently. "It was that lady nobody really liked who did it. Angela, do you remember her? She and the creepy lady fought your Agents for a while, but then they must have done something because I ended up in a new cell." The Abnormality's face seems almost wistful, thinking back in that moment. You're not exactly sure why being locked up would be a pleasant memory, but then again most people wouldn't have considered a second of your life as a "pleasant memory" and yet here you are. Abnormalities are just weird like that.

Humans are weird too, just not quite as much.

"I stayed there for a looong~ time until the Librarians started asking for my help in fights. I wasn't allowed to go out, but I could still feel all the feelings they were feeling. It was great!"

"Hold up. Librarians?" you interrupt. Nothing There stares at you incredulously before remembering you have zero context for what they're describing.

"Right, you don't know about the Library. The Angela lady made a big tree in the middle of where the Facility was and put all the Abnormalities there. She kept all the agents and the other people, too. Now they're called Librarians."

Internally, you sigh in relief. Angela had never shown any concern or care for your employees, so you had expected her to simply get rid of them once they were no longer needed for the plan. There was still the possibility that she was planning on doing that later and just needed the help for now, but there's no point dwelling in that right now.

"They'd invite people from out in City, and then fight them. There was probably a lot more stuff going on, but it didn't really matter so I didn't pay any attention to it."

Well, that's frustrating. Helpful, certainly, but not as helpful as it could've been. Knowing what your counterpart has been doing would have been preferable, but this isn't information you expected to receive easily anyways. At the very least the worst case scenario hasn't come to pass quite yet. You will need to confront Angela one day, although that relies on you ever finding a way back to the City. Something else to focus on later. For now, your question remains unanswered.

"How did you get from there to here?" you ask, sounding far more calm and controlled than you really are. Nothing There shifts slightly on top of you.

"It was really weird. I was in my room like always, when a nice person started talking. They told me they would be helping out a mutual friend, and that they wanted me to try and find them. After that, it was sorta like I had a door in the back of my thoughts. Or maybe a window? I dunno." The Abnormality shrugs, or at least does so as much as a person can while lying down. "Things went on like normal until the first Witch showed up. I killed it, obviously, but nothing really happened. I hadn't found you yet, so I kept trying new things until something worked. Eventually, I figured it out!" they declare proudly. "While a Witch was attacking, its Barrier showed up. When I killed it, I would just pop right back into my room. But if I ignored the Witch and just left through the exit, I could get to here!"

So somebody sent the Abnormalities here to help you in some way. That person set up a link from the Library where they were being contained to Mitakihara, and they've been able to use that link to come seek you out. Well, whoever that supposed "friend" of yours is, you really don't appreciate their assistance. By bringing the Abnormalities here where they can exist at full strength without anybody strong enough to deal with them, they've already gotten many people killed. If any of the more large-scale Alephs had made their way into this world instead of Nothing There, humanity as a whole might very well have been wiped out. While you might hope that Kyubey would step in and do something at that point, only a fool would depend on him for anything so important at this point. All you can do is hope the situation doesn't deteriorate much further.

Nothing There, either oblivious to or simply choosing to ignore your internal monologue, continues. "I ran into Kyoko right away! It was pretty surprising when I figured out she was still alive, but after that I came up with my plan pretty quickly. So I've been patrolling the area for a while now, hunting all the Magical Girls who showed up. I've mostly stayed as Kyoko, since my shell still isn't perfect yet." They sit up, practically pouting. "I would've just kept an eye on things until I was ready, but I got caught early. But that's fine! I should've remembered that I could never really hide from you."

"To be fair," you counter, "I was the one who assigned work with you. It would have been stranger if I didn't know when somebody had died."

"Well, everything you've told me has been helpful so far. There is only one more thing I'd like to talk to you about."

You tense. This is your last chance to resolve things without conflict. You're not typically one to shy away from a challenge, but you're also not particularly fond of unnecessary risks. Still, you cannot allow Nothing There to continue as it is now. Unless you can impart some semblance of empathy into the Aleph now, then the only way forwards is to fight. And that fight will be a brutal one indeed.

"I'll need you to get off my first, though." You say sternly despite Nothing There's pleading look. They reluctantly push themselves up and take a seat next to you.

"Alright, what is it?"

"I believe I may have a way to make you more human." you announce. Surprisingly, Nothing There doesn't seem much more enthused than they normally do. You suppose that if they believe they already have a way to reach humanity, then your offer is only just speeding up the process for them at this point.

"Awesome! You mean that thing you wanted to try on Kyoko to fix her memories? Yeah, you can go ahead!"

With the Abnormality's assent, you shift Lobotomy's focus towards Nothing There themself. Leaving behind the still-screaming Magical Girls, you reach into the abyss.

Unlike previous cases, Nothing There does not lose consciousness as Lobotomy activates. They remain fully aware, staring in awe at the curling tendrils of red that now fill the room. These too are distinctly different than what you have come to expect. The light that spills from Nothing There is not the radiant, immaterial flesh you have come to expect. It is coarse and thick, twisting with hungry life. The feelings stored within are changed as well. There is something distinctly off about each one, like a photo taken at slightly the wrong angle. This must be the difference between a human's mind and an Abnormality's.

You can see the very story Nothing There just told you, in all of its horrifying detail. Facing off against Ferris, Tido, and River in the Facility, everything in utter chaos. Being consumed by the Light, not as you were, and placed in a world perfectly suited for them. Their will following Geburah as she drives Mimicry through a man shrouded in black. The Library sent away, consigned to the Outskirts.

The real Kyoko Sakura, torn in half in a single strike without even a chance to cry out.

You.

A person who had offered Nothing There so many chances to see humans, to become human, back during your time as Manager. Who had given them this chance now, to be closer than they ever were before. Who knows humanity better than anyone else. Somebody strong, in the image of the woman who Nothing There admired above all others.

And none of it matters.

Because you recognize immediately that you can't change any of it.

Maybe it's a feature of Abnormalities, their alien psychology preventing you from interfering. Maybe it's just because they technically aren't human, and so the Light isn't intended to interact with them. Maybe it's a unique property of Nothing There, obscuring their true nature as always. Whatever the reason, you cannot modify anything about Nothing There's self.

"Didn't work, huh?" your counterpart says in a muted tone, noticing your disappointment despite your best efforts to hide it. "Don't be too sad. I'll just have to do this the hard way, like I expected."

"Yes, you're right."

You turn Lobotomy back towards the howling of the imprisoned Magical Girls. It's a surgical tool, a way to shape minds, not a messenger, but with some effort it will carry your intent well enough. You'd like to say that you're going to save them all. That you can defeat the monster that hurt them. But life is harsh, and for all that you've done you will not lie to people who have already been deceived so harshly. There is only one assurance you can offer now.

"This will all be over soon. Please be strong for me until then."

You have a duty to fulfill. No matter what it takes, you will not allow the innocent to suffer for your failings. Not when there is something that you can do to help them.

Time to find out exactly how close your body is to the real thing.

———————————————

[] Combat
-[] Tactics
[] Accept the offer You cannot abandon them to their fate. Not when they're there because of you.

———————————————

Big Bird's Sapling - Observation Level 2/3
Der Freischütz's Sapling - Observation Level 2/3
Porccubus' Sapling - Observation Level 2/3
Punishing Bird's Sapling - Observation Level 1/2

 

[Lepidoptera]

Chapter 71 - Hello and Goodbye

A distant crack of thunder cuts through the thick silence of the dark room. You and Nothing There stare at one another, each waiting for the other to act. In a single step, you close the distance between the two of you and throw your arms around the other Abnormality. Nothing There's smile falls for a moment, returning quickly with a hint of confusion. All at once, the confusion disappears and they wrap their arms around you in turn. Their grip is tight, enough that an ordinary person would probably be dead already. Seconds pass, and Nothing There reluctantly lets go. You step away from your counterpart.

"I'm sorry."

"Eh? I already said not to worry about it. There are plenty of Magical Girls in the area for me to hunt. This is barely an inconvenience."

Mentally, you reach towards the Incubator. You're still not certain exactly how telepathy works, but you've called him like this before.

"Kyubey? Don't enter this room. I need a line of telepathy to Mami, Homura, Sayaka, Madoka, and Yuma."

The response is immediate.

"Of course, X. I would have communicated earlier, but I experienced a loss of data upon entering Kamihama City and it was decided that resolving the issue was deemed of higher importance than-"

"Brief me later. Right now, do what I tell you to."

The chimeric animal gives you no response, but you can suddenly feel the ripples of anxiety from the girls in the main room.

"Homura, use your Magic and bring everyone with you. A situation has arisen and I'll need your help to deal with it."

It only takes a moment before
-click-
the color drains from the world and you feel Homura's hand tugging on your sleeve. A thin golden ribbon around her waist connects her to Mami, in full Magical Girl regalia, who is in turn similarly tied to Madoka, Sayaka, and Yuma trailing behind her. The four girls' bewilderment at Homura's Magic gives way to frantic confusion when they see Nothing There's shell in the room with you instead of Kyoko.

"X, where is Kyoko? Who is this person?" Mami asks, distress clear in her voice. She isn't panicking quite yet, but she's close. Darkness trickles slowly into the bottom of her Soul Gem, turning the bright citrine into a dull amber. Not yet near what you'd consider the danger zone, but increasing at an uncomfortable rate. You are not the only one to notice.

"Mami, your Soul Gem…" Sayaka's voice trails off. The senior Magical Girl draws the flower-shaped jewel from her hat with shaking hands and stares at it, pulling out a Grief Seed with similarly unsteady grip and cleansing it after a short pause. She tucks the half-used Grief Seed away, and you feel a hint of thankfulness that so many Witches have shown up in Mitakihara. You've built up enough a stockpile that you're in no danger of running out of Grief Seeds any time soon.

"That," you indicate to Nothing There's frozen form, "is an Abnormality called Nothing There." Mami tenses as she steps up and affixes a ribbon to you. Madoka fumbles through her pockets for the book you gave her, opening to the Abnormality in question on the first page. She scans the description you've written, fear obvious on her face as she puts the pieces together.

"N-nothing There…" she begins shakily, "it steals people's bodies to make itself look human. Is this… somebody's body that it stole?"

"In a sense." you state. Nothing There has been stealing Soul Gems and using their Magic to create a fake body for itself." All but Homura gasp in shock, and the time traveler tenses visibly. Yuma buries herself in Mami's side, although which of them she's trying to comfort is not entirely clear.

"Then it was Kyoko… the whole time? She's…" Mami's voice trails off. Before she can begin to dwell on whatever horrible fates she's imagining for her old friend, you rest a hand on her shoulder.

"Alive." you declare. "All we need to do is defeat Nothing There and retrieve the Soul Gems they've stolen. Everything is going to be alright."

Nobody responds. You can see Mami, shaking with something between anger and sorrow. Uncertainty hangs in the air as you and the children stand within the frozen room. Despite your assurance, the horror of the situation seems overwhelming. Everyone here knew Kyoko, or at least thought they did. It's not the same as when Hitomi was poisoned by Porccubus, either. Kyoko might not be dead, but she lost her body and was reduced only to her Soul Gem. Will they really believe that somebody can be saved after that?

Sayaka steps forward and throws an arm around Mami. It's a subdued, gentle motion, far from the usual enthusiasm and bluster you've come to expect from her. "Hey, it's going to be okay. X hasn't let us down yet, has she? We've just gotta beat this monster like always."

"You're right, I'm sorry. As your senior, I- I should be more able to maintain my composure." Mami says in a choked voice. Homura, brushing away a hint of surprise, interrupts the other veteran.

"It is completely acceptable for you to feel uncertain right now. Even as a Magical Girl, you are still only human. It would be foolish to hold yourself to a standard beyond what you can achieve." Despite the critical wording, Homura's intent is clearly supportive. With her and Sayaka's encouragement, Mami draws a rifle.

"Of course, Miss Akemi." Her voice still shakes, but her hand is perfectly still as she aims her rifle directly at Nothing There's head. "This is… just an Abnormality. It's like a Witch." she assures herself. "We'll defeat it, and everything will be fine." Nobody points out the frailty of her words. She needs to believe this right now. You won't take that from her.

"Mami, you have the most flexibility here. Nothing There is primarily a melee fighter with some ranged options, so you should keep your distance whenever possible." you instruct. "Take a position at a long distance and keep an eye on Madoka and Yuma. Just because they're non-combatants doesn't mean they'll be ignored."

"Homura, Sayaka, you'll be with me. We'll be taking advantage of time stop to attack the Abnormality repeatedly without allowing them to ever respond. Stay at a distance normally and only get close when time is frozen. Mami and the others will use the time to stay in position. Is everyone clear on their roles?"

The five nod, and you summon your first sword.

—————————

Minutes later, and an array of magically-empowered swords float frozen around Nothing There's body. You couldn't double-check the locations of the Soul Gems for fear of drawing the Abnormality into Homura's time-stop with you, but your memory is good enough. You step back, and Homura silently turns her shield back to its upright position. Time grinds back into motion, and the battle begins in earnest.

Nothing There's face is overcome with emotion as color returns to their body. Not betrayal, sadness, or anger, but excitement. They grin so wide it tears the edges of their mouth as the swords surrounding them flash into motion. Nothing There's body twists unnaturally, a cracking sound signaling the shattering of bone as they disjoint to avoid the enclosing barrage. The swords scrape against the Abnormality's flesh, tracing lines of dark blue that sizzle and burn, but not one strikes directly. The swords crash into the walls and dissipate harmlessly as your enemy shapes two bony knives and tosses them at the Magical Girls remaining beside you.

At least they dodged. If Nothing There is actually trying to avoid getting hit, then they have something to be worried about if they don't.

Four soldiers already stand alongside you, filling the now-cramped room and remaining unflinching even as the improvised weapons Nothing There created sink into their bodies. Together, you and the soldiers fire directly at the Aleph's center mass even as they twist to avoid the last sword still flying. You can already see the plates of bone growing in place of the Abnormality's shirt, jaundiced white layered with deep crimson Magic. The composite enhancement is thick and heavy, giving the freshly-formed defenses the eerie impression of already being stained with blood.

The armor cracks slightly as five projectiles strike at once. But causing damage wasn't your aim. Nothing There, off-balance, is sent flying through the air and out the window. A thin line of bright gold traces through the heavy rain from a nearby building, deflected off another manifested weapon summoned by Nothing There.

Homura twists her shield again, and time flickers. When it resumes, you, her, and Sayaka stand atop another building kilometers away and a new set of empowered swords have appeared around your opponent. Nothing There's smile widens further as a minute gesture releases a burst of flame, allowing them to reposition even in mid-air and twist away from the piercing blades. Despite this trick, they haven't gotten out of this unscathed. Two swords strike Nothing There's left leg as they fly through the air, sending them crashing into another sword that pierces their shoulder. The wounded Abnormality, still smiling, tumbled to the ground in an empty park.

As Homura reaches again for her shield, a flash of lightning erupts from Nothing There's wounded form. The raindrops seem almost frozen as you deflect the crackling bolt, sending it scattering off into the surroundings. One of the deflected bolts strikes a nearby street lamp, activated early to help cars that are not here see through the heavy rain. As the light fades, you see behind it a sword of bone flying towards Homura. Before you can move to intercept it, another blast of lightning aimed this time at Sayaka forces you away. A gunshot rings out from the nearby rooftops and diverts the blade's course ever so slightly, causing the weapon to dig into Homura's forearm instead of cleaving off her hand completely. Homura simply hisses in pain, but Sayaka cries out and rushes to begin healing her.

Undeterred, Nothing There hurls a dart of fire towards the rooftops where Mami and the other girls are hiding. Another bullet strikes the projectile mid-air, releasing a raging inferno that disperses harmlessly in the air. You can see the rain turn to steam, forming a thick fog that Nothing There uses to cover their charge forwards.

Homura hasn't healed yet, and at this rate Nothing There will reach you before Sayaka finishes. You grimace and leap down from your perch, meeting Nothing There on the rainswept streets between them and the kids. They deflect a silvery pulse with a small explosion and leap through the smoke towards you wielding a spear of tangled sinew and bone. The two of you clash, savagery and viciousness greeting the Knight's refined poise. The world seems to stand still as you trade blows, countering Magic with EGO one by one. Nothing There never stops smiling, even when you sneak a gunshot past their defenses and through their eye. You raise your sword and block the overhead swing that comes in response, your bones screaming in protest at the sheer force of the impact. Nothing There's spear shifts, the tip curving down into a scythe-like blade that hooks around your sword, and a quick tug pulls your forward and out of position. As you regain your balance, the other Abnormality reaches forward with that ever-present grin and slams their free hand into your chest. You can feel their claws grind against your skin for a moment before piercing your flesh.

With a low growl, you dismiss the sword you were using and summon another stabbing directly through Nothing There's extended arm. They hardly flinch as you twist the blade and pull, leaving the limb hanging limp by a few scant strings of flesh. As the arm begins to stitch itself back together, a flash of light behind you signals Sayaka finishing her work.

Time lapses once more, and when it resumes a new wave of empowered blades surround your opponent. With their injuries, they barely manage to avoid being made into a pincushion by the starry rapiers. The swords cleave through Nothing There's body, cracking the armor of bone and scattering the layers of defensive Magic they've called up from the imprisoned Soul Gems. Time flickers again and you draw your sword across the deepest crack in Nothing There's body, leaving a gaping wound that you reach through to tear out three of the Soul Gems within. A moment of Lobotomy severs a few essential connections, and they fall into quiet before any Grief can build. The Soul Gems vanish into a pocket as you prepare for another round.

Nothing There turns to stare at you, their smile still present on their face. Only now, all traces of playfulness have vanished. This is the smile of a predator staring at their next meal. The Abnormality's foot slams into your side and you are lifted off the ground, flying into the air until you can see all of Mitakihara. They casually wave a blast of mixed elements towards Sayaka and Homura, who are forced apart to avoid the roiling devastation. With all their opponents separated for the moment, Nothing There leaps through the rain up to you just as you begin to fall.

You draw your rifle and fire, the shot casually deflected by a conjured knife that is then hurtling towards you. The next round slips past Nothing There's guard as they are forced to turn and deflect a barrage from Mami, leaving a gaping hole in their shoulder that they barely react to. You land carefully on a rooftop and jump back to avoid your opponent's pursuing descent. Of course things wouldn't go as planned.

The issue is the environment. With the heavy rain and clouds blocking out most of the sunlight, you had expected that putting distance between you and Nothing There between time stops would be enough to keep hidden in time for Homura to ready the next one. But the Aleph seems to have some way of finding you no matter how hidden you are. You had been nearly two kilometers away before the earlier clash, and they had crossed it effortlessly. You need cover, something to put between the Abnormality and you. Unfortunately, Mitakihara is a city. There are people living in these buildings, and Nothing There won't hesitate to tear through them to get to you.

You retreat further, keeping Nothing There's attention in you with occasional attacks and using Sound of a Star to disperse their ranged Magic. Bit by bit you draw them to the final staging area.

The industrial district is empty as always. Only faint traces of light illuminate the abandoned structures, forming imposing shadows in the rainy midday. Nothing There crashes through a shed, laving a crater in the ground where they land, just in time for another round of swords you hammer through them. This time, however, there is no move to evade. The swords cleanly Pierce the Abnormality's fake body, leaving it a mangled mess that disperses into smoke a second later. An illusion. You barely raise your sword in time to block the scything blow as Nothing There lunges from behind, but the force of the impact sends you crashing through a nearby building regardless. Your body tears through a support beam, and the massive atrium you landed in collapses into rubble on top of you.

Beams of silver light carve through the concrete and metal like nothing. Another pulse blows away the dust in time for you to see Nothing There facing Homura. The veteran Magical Girl aims a pistol at the Abnormality, who stands poised to attack but waiting. The reason becomes apparent when a flicker of flame returns the guise of Kyoko Sakura to Nothing There's body. When Homura doesn't react, the illusion switches first to Mami, then Sayaka, before finally settling on Madoka.

Nothing There's smile on Madoka's face grows even wider when Homura flinches. They push closer, still not attacking. Homura's hand shakes as her finger tightens around the trigger.

"Why do you want to hurt me, Homura?"

Homura's grip goes slack and she drops her gun, nearly falling over as she stumbles back from the illusion. She reaches for her shield, only for the illusion to vanish as Nothing There jams a bony spike into the weapon's clockwork. The Abnormality looms over Homura, drawing another spear that weaves itself from ribbons of muscle and sinew. You rush forward, but are cut off by a wall of what looks like paint bubbling up from the cracked earth.

Before Nothing There can strike, layers and layers of ribbons coil around them. Their spear flashes and the ribbons fall to the ground uselessly, but still more come. Soon, Nothing There is bound in gold and dragged away, left suspended upside down from a long-neglected crane. Mami stands across from the ensnared Abnormality, silently hefting an enormous cannon aimed directly at Nothing There. Right as she pulls the trigger, a flash of light signals the appearance of another illusion.

"Mami, why? I only wanted to-" cries the illusion of Kyoko. Mami lets out an anguished scream and tilts the cannon, the torrential beam barely missing its original target and carving through the nearby crane. Nothing There falls, kicking off of another blast of fire and effortlessly tearing through the ribbons restraining them. Their claws extend into vicious points as they reach out for Mami. The veteran Magical Girl stands frozen in horror, not moving even as Nothing There lands in front of them.

Before the Abnormality can strike, Homura wrenches the spike from her shield and turns it. Nothing There's claws hit nothing but air. Deeper into the district, Mami rests against you as you finish cleansing her Soul Gem. In the distance, you see Nothing There struck successfully by the most recent array of swords. Time flickers again and you once more crack open the imposter's armor, tearing free two more Soul Gems from the network of blood and bone.

Five out of thirty-seven. It's too slow. At this rate, you'll run out of Grief Seeds before you can save them all.

You don't have time to continue your thoughts. Another wave of lightning erupts from Nothing There's brutalized body, masking the lungs behind it. You feel your ribs crack as you are once again thrown into the air. You crash through buildings, driving your sword into the ground to decelerate and releasing a pulse of light to deflect the oncoming fireball. Nothing There emerges from the scattered flames, wielding a wicked scythe. The world seems to turn red, the approaching Abnormality's silhouette the only thing that exists in the world save for you. The scythe descends, burning as it tears through the air. You raise your sword to block, but it doesn't matter. You hear something shattering, though whether it is your bones or the earth beneath you you cannot tell. The ground shatters and you tumble down, crashing in a heap in the cavern below. Rain and dust flood into the empty subway, bleached purple lights seeming to focus on Nothing There as they land. The ground fractures and breaks when their feet hit the ground, the horrible screeching sound of twisting metal drowning out the rainfall for a second.

You slowly pull yourself to your feet, a conjured soldier helping you balance. Nothing There stands idle, smiling at you and rocking back and forth on their heels as you take an unsteady step forward. You reach out mentally for the kids. Being unable to see where they are feels wrong.

"Is everyone alright? Where are you?"

"There's some sort of weird wall stopping us from getting to you." Sayaka responds. "Mami and Homura are trying to get it down!"

You have no time to respond. Nothing There charges you, a straight sword forming from assembled flesh in their hand. You raise your rifle and take aim, only to see Mami standing in the rubble before you, terrified.

"X, please I thought you loved-"

You pull the trigger. The soldiers around you fire in concert, the illusion before you reduced to smoke that vanishes in the rain. Nothing There doesn't dodge, and the hail of bullets tear through their head and leave nothing but a bloody stump.

The first traces of Magic already begin to congeal. You need to work fast.

You tear free two, four, six Soul Gems. Each one sent to slumber and then carefully tucked away. Seven, eight. Nothing There's body begins to twitch. You still have time. Nine. The bone plating over Nothing There's most treasured prize, Kyoko's Soul Gem, begins to crack. Almost-

The pain is indescribable. You think you hear somebody screaming. The world has again lost its color, although that may just be you. Homura is desperately pulling on something, on the verge of tears. Strange. You look down, the small motion agonizing, and stare blankly at the twisted spear driven through your chest and into the subway wall. Blood gushes from the hole torn in your body, pooling beneath you.

"Oh."

That's all you can say. Across the tunnel, Nothing There is frozen half-healed, that damned smile the only feature to have been repaired so far.

"Hold on. I can heal this. Or Sayaka, she-" Homura says frantically. With what little strength you have, you raise a hand.

"No. Everyone has to leave."

You've stopped bleeding. Yet still, something flows from the gaping wound. The sickly green ichor smells of sterile chemicals, drowning out the stench of blood.

"I'm not going to-" Homura begins again, but you cut her off. You'll live. But you won't let anyone else get hurt because of you.

"I'll be fine. I can't actually die, remember? Just take everyone and get as far away from Mitakihara as possible."

Homura stares down at you as the seconds tick by. Reluctantly, she pulls away from your collapsed form. When time resumes, you and Nothing There stand alone in the subway.

"Kyubey, can you completely isolate the immediate area?"

"While possible, the required expenditure of energy would be outside of what is typically-"

"Unless you want to have to find another species to harvest, you'll do it. And hurry up!"

There is no further response from the Incubator. You can only hope that they took your threat seriously.

Nothing There is falling apart. They laugh and cry out and skin unravels and muscles tear. Their body dissolved until all that remains is a thick cocoon of flesh. You only have so much time left.

And that is when you feel yourself begin to break.

———————————————

AUTHORITY/GUIDANCE/CALAMITY/COMPREHENSION/REVOLUTION

 

[Lepidoptera]

Chapter 72 - The Qliphoth

Long ago, buried beneath centuries of duty, you remember how you would weep at the deaths of those who served under you. Each failure, each loss, left you begging and pleading for somebody to make it stop. Each time you too fell, you would cry out. You would weep and scream for somebody, anybody to help you. To save you. To save anyone. Until one day, you learned that it made no difference. No matter how you asked, how you cried, how you prayed, there was nobody who could help you. And so you stopped crying.

In a cold and indifferent world, there was no god to give you salvation. Only one person could put an end to the suffering that surrounded you. So there was no miracle that would rescue you from this pit? You would craft your own miracles. There were no commandments to guide you to freedom? You would give your own commandments. By your hand, you lifted those beneath you up from the depths and into the future with you. The future that you made, with your own will. And you loved it. For all the suffering, the death and pain, you cherished every small victory and step forwards. It was a purpose handed to you since you were made, but you would never dream of anything else. What greater cause could there be than helping others? That facility may have been your hell, but it was yours to rule.

You were foolish to think this world was any different. Kinder though it may be, it is still hell all the same. A part of your kingdom.

The first sensation you register is the cracking of your skin. Agony rips through you as flesh breaks off in stony chunks, the cracks spreading up your arms and running across the rest of your body. You do not scream as you fall apart, like a cocoon being torn open by an emerging butterfly. Beneath the fragments is a primordial lifeblood; the essence of divinity spilling onto the earth. Freed from structure, the pain fades into a dull emptiness. You collapse into an amorphous puddle, a hole in the world that twists and reaches outwards. You cannot see, cannot hear, cannot feel. Everything is but an empty void.

How inadequate.

A single clawed hand bursts from the mire, its warped metallic skin reflecting constellations that never were. The other soon follows, and your grip pierces the earth as you drag yourself up from the nothingness into being. Your body is twisted and monstrous, a towering mess of dull grey steel that branches and churns as if it had a life of its own, tracing infinitely complex patterns into your new flesh. Your upper half is still vaguely humanoid, featureless and twisted as it is. Metallic branches sprout from your skin, forming impressions of spines and horns. Your face is in contrast a smooth featureless plate, so pitch black it seems like a hole in space. Two moth-like antenna sprout from where your eyes would be. Your hair billows out behind you from between the boughs emerging from your skull in an immense cloud. In place of your coat ten stark white insectoid wings rest across your back, each one decorated with colorful patterns. Monstrous, yes, but still recognizably human.

Below your waist is a different story. Six enormous insectoid legs each end in something between a digitigrade claw and a hoof. The false wings line all along your back even as your body loses human shape and is twisted into something truly monstrous. A gnarled metal carapace encloses your abdomen, which ends in five whiplike tails that each terminate in a vicious spike dripping with iridescent fluid.

You take your first step forward. Your metal skin splits open all across your body, many-colored mechanical eyes staring out from the gaps. As your heel touches the concrete, it writhes and roils. The stone melts into sludge, which rises into the shape of flowers, which burn in impossible colors before collapsing back into formlessness. Another step, a new spring of creation bursts forth from the floor of the empty subway. The rain shimmers unnaturally, as if a million liquid prisms were falling from the sky. You exhale with lungs that you do not have, and a gentle breeze fills the stagnant tunnels. This world, kinder though it may be, is merely an extension of your old hell. And like the Facility before, it will obey your commands. Your very touch calls life from the nothingness. A thought could destroy it just as easily.

And yet, something is still missing. Could it be…

You spread your wings, and for a moment all is as it should be.

Not the false, useless things that drape across your back. They are beautiful, reminiscent of the nerve-like branches of glittering light revealed by Lobotomy. As you stretch, exploring the sensations that come with your true form's unveiling, they grow larger and longer until your radiance encompasses the sky. Each brilliant bough, each splayed nerve, grants more sublime clarity with which to see the world than you could ever imagined.

Your vision expands through Mitakihara, each street and building and person carefully witnessed and accounted for. You can feel your sight stretch further, clawing at the sky, but you reign it in. For now, all that you need concern yourself with is here. Instead, you focus your gaze and look deeper, peering into the world in a way you never could before. Your pinions claw at thousands of people all at once, carefully cataloguing the city's population. You are once again all-seeing, all-knowing. All secrets laid bare before a being who can comprehend anything.

With the exceptional clarity granted, the ecstasy of freedom drains away. There is no time to bask in your ascension. More urgent matters are before you, in need of resolution. Nothing There tears free of their cocoon, a towering figure of formless flesh dotted with misplaced features that could perhaps be contrived as human. Twenty-three of the thirty-seven Magical Girls, Kyoko among them, scream within the depths of the Abnormality's flesh. You ward away the chorus of chatter that inexplicably pours from the creature's body. Your work is not yet done. First you need to dispatch the Abnormality before you and retrieve their victims. Then, you'll need to begin working on repairing your seal. It wouldn't do to actually follow through on your threat to Kyubey.

Suddenly, reality shifts and ripples. The quarantine field closes in around you, cutting off the rest of the world. The crystalline structure folds in from nowhere, leaving only a small enclosure where you and Nothing There stand opposite one another on the ruined subway. You would gasp at the sudden loss of sensation if you still had lungs with which to breathe. Instead, you can feel only a wave of relief. It's too soon, too dangerous for you to exist freely. You're not stable yet. Within the containment, you aren't at risk of hurting anyone.

A single branch of your wings pokes at the field confining you. It's well-made, fully capable of restricting your reality-overriding effects to within its limits. Either Kyubey had been planning to use this against you ever since you were observed, the Incubators created it only in the time since your apotheosis, or they simply are used to confronting similar threats and already have countermeasures developed. None of the possibilities bode well. However, it has one critical flaw.

Your wing pushes through the barrier, as if it were not there. While you can't leave the field, Lobotomy can still reach through it. Nevertheless, it would do little good for you to circumvent the field now, while it serves your purposes. You will withdraw yourself, after you take care of one last issue.

You turn your attention to your children, gathered outside the crystalline void in space that is the outside of the containment field. Mami is on her kneees, weeping at the emptiness, Yuma pressing into her side. Homura stares blankly into space, on the verge of falling over. Madoka and Sayaka are saying something, but their smiles are fragile and desperate, about to break. You wish you could reassure them, console them, anything… but you cannot risk it. You have only enough time for one last gift.

A touch flenses the vile cancer of Grief from their souls. What would normally be an hours-long operation, completed in the space of a thought. You must learn how to harness this safely someday. It will be worth it, no matter what you must suffer in the process. With that last act, you withdrawn back into your temporary prison. Again, you are separated from the world.

There is only one thing here with you, and they're exactly where they need to be.

There is nobody here that you can hurt. Nobody but you. Everyone is safe.

Your fingers catch on the flesh of reality and tear it open. A multicolored wound in space opens, spreading and consuming the tiny world you and your foe are trapped in. Nothing There, no longer content to simply stand by, rushes forward a moment too late. In an instant, your facility swallows the tiny world.

The sun and moon enclose one another in the sky, ribbons of black and white stretching and entwining to engulf the horizon. Gouts of murky green liquid leak from the cracks between. The deluge crashes down to form an emerald sea which stretches as far as the eye can see. From the ocean rises islands of metal, half-formed fractal buildings peeking up from the depths. As they grow closer to your perch, the aberrant structures grow more distinct and properly-shaped. Between the offices and laboratories are trees of gleaming iron and fields of glass. This world is artificial, constructed, built by the hands of man.

You stand atop the largest of these great islands, looking down at the facilities you have always ruled.

Nothing There charges across the expanse, each step reducing islands of steel and silicone to dust behind it. You lash out, your wings raking through the earth and sky. The Abnormality opposing you turns, changing from a straight run to irregular, sharp bursts of speed. Even as you redirect the pinions of your wings, they dance through the burning lights with a feral sort of grace. The few that do strike send your foe tumbling, but they bear-instantaneously right themselves and resume their course. Ineffective, but irrelevant. All you needed to do was slow them down.

Nothing There reaches the isle where your 'throne' sits and extends an arm. The first swing hits the earth, scattering rubble in what seems like an explosion that fills the air with thick dust. To an ordinary person, it would be impossible to see their arm stretch and into an immense, horrible blade, letting them strike a moment earlier than they would have otherwise been able to. Fortunately, you don't even have eyes anymore.

You decide to be elsewhere, and the world responds to your order. From several islands away, you watch your previous perch cleaved into pieces by Nothing There's blow. The assault continues, the Abnormality twisting and hurling a barrage of bony spikes in all directions at speeds that should by all logic be impossible to achieve without instantaneously combusting. One of the spikes impacts your shoulder as you reappear, making a tiny crack in the metal bark of your skin.

Nothing There's victory is short-lived. The earth rumbles as the island it stands on cracks and crumbles in on itself, jaws that could swallow buildings whole tearing through the ground and closing around the targeted location. Your opponent leaps forwards, attempting to escape, but before they can reach the edge the jaws slam shut. The enormous worm, thick brown chitin covering its exposed head, sits idle in the middle of your domain. It won't hold. You know very well that Nothing There is undamaged, and they will dig themself out eventually. But in the meantime, you can make preparations.

Shrines to gods whose names were long forgotten ruse from the depths of the viridian ocean, the air already crackling and warping at their presence. Smaller edifices surface around them, radiating an unsettling amethyst glow. Around them ancient machinery whirs to life, already churning out hordes of mindless automata. The first are crude, metal and wood, with only the barest remnants of even the shape of a human. You reach into the machinery, and the next set of creation begins.

Effigies of the past, entombed in black steel and lit by sickly green light. Coils of wires form the shapes of hair, hammered plates the memory of faces. In their hands are spears, hammers, swords, scythes, guns. Scattered through the isles of your realm they may be, but the echoes of a formation already begin to take shape. Your agents have returned to you, even if only as memories.

"You know the drill by now, everyone." you whisper to no one. "We've got a short day ahead of us."

———————————————

Kyoko Sakura: Exposure 0 -> Exposure X
Mark of Qliphoth Designated
Homura Akemi: Exposure IV -> Exposure X
Mark of Qliphoth Designated
Mami Tomoe: Exposure V -> Exposure VII
Sayaka Miki: Exposure IV -> Exposure VI
Madoka Kaname: Exposure II -> Exposure IV
Chitose Yuma: Exposure 0 -> Exposure III
Humanity: Exposure 0 -> Exposure III
Incubators: Exposure 0 -> Exposure I