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

[Lepidoptera]

Chapter 73 - There Is No Outside

When Nothing There tears free of Eternal Meal's carapace, your preparations are long complete. They are greeted by a fusillade of emerald lights, the assembly of your manufactured soldiers firing from the safety of their perches scattered across your facility. The Abnormality leaps forth, dodging and weaving through the crackling bolts and charging into the crowd of machines assembled ahead. Your creations are strong, but even those suited for melee combat are no match for the shapeshifting Aleph's sheer might. They carve through the automata with ease, a streak of crimson against a sea of black and green. Your more expensive creations, those in the shape of your agents, have already fallen back. As you track the scarlet blur on its path of devastation, a black mechanical rifle appears with a crackle of electricity. You take careful aim and fire, the bolt of sizzling corrosive energy striking true and burning away a thin layer of the Abnormality's flesh. Effective, but not enough. You can already see Nothing There's body healing. Muscle and tendon flow over the minute wound, leaving no evidence that you ever did anything at all.

As Nothing There prepares to tear apart another machine, the great shrines flare with light. A titanic red hand rises from the earth beneath the Abnormality, hoisting it into the air before dissipating in time for the other three to activate. Massive tentacles of white smoke wrap around Nothing There, holding them in place and giving your forces time to clear the area. Twisted spikes of metal, dripping with malice, skewer the imitator from all directions. In the sky above, the eye of a long-forgotten god opens. The world below it becomes washed-out as pale blue light fills the air. Nothing There burns as you stare them down, ignoring the cracking sensation in your chest.

Your victory does not come just yet. Nothing There kicks off of one of the blackened spines piercing them, using the leverage to force themselves free and leap down towards you. A blade of hazy white tinged red, more whip than sword, appears in your hand to divert the first slash. Your opponent's strike carves a new canyon into the earth beside you, and before you can take advantage of the opening their other hand shifts into a vicious claw. Your wings crash down before the other Abnormality can attack, and Nothing There is forced to retreat to avoid the impaling barbs.

When your foe immediately reversed course back towards you, you know that your plan is progressing. The typical strategy to deal with Nothing There in the Facility was to have one agent, originally Ferris but Apollo and Arizona joined later after acquiring their higher-grade EGO, take all of the imitator's aggression while the rest of your staff lined up behind them to take free shots. Now, with Nothing There's full strength unleashed, there's nobody who could actually take the full brunt of their aggression. Nobody but you.

Your wings- not those created by Lobotomy, your physical wings- unfurl and fold over you to block the sudden shockwave as Nothing There extends a hand. The patterns across their surface flash, and a crystalline field of red energy flickers into place over your body. The attack doesn't touch you, although the area of your facility behind you is thoroughly demolished. Nothing There's follow-up punch is similarly ineffective, although your barrier already begins to crack and break apart. You draw up a sword of swirling pale light and fling it towards Nothing There's body, forcing them to dodge to the side to avoid being completely impaled. They circle around to behind you, and though you turn to face them their superior physical prowess would ensure a critical blow against an ordinary opponent. Unfortunately for the other Aleph, you're not restricted to the limits of ordinary biology anymore. Two of your tails lash out, flaring with energy. While neither connect, your opponent in again forced back, this time slower than before. The Intervention Field crackles around them as you lunge, taking advantage of the moment where Nothing There has not adapted to their reduced speed to score a long gash across their chest. The advantage lasts only a moment, and you are once again on the back foot a mere moment later.

The issues preventing you from claiming victory are threefold.

First, Nothing There's total immunity to physical damage. While you have access to enough esoteric forms of attack that you can still fight back, it makes clashing like this much harder. Nothing There doesn't flinch, they can't be effectively countered, even diverting their attacks is far trickier than it should be. Fortunately, you have enough tricks of your own to balance things out.

Second, Nothing There's regeneration. For something so difficult to hurt, it's downright unfair how quickly the imitator can recover from whatever wounds they suffer. In order to wear your foe down and get to the Soul Gems they've taken, you need to make your damage stick. Again, you have a solution for this. You don't actually need to down Nothing There entirely, you just need the Soul Gems out of them. Lobotomy is already allowing you to locate the Soul Gems within the Aleph's new, twisted form, and actually getting some hits in with your wings would speed the process up. Nothing There seems to have figured this much out though, because they've been careful not to let you so much as scratch them. Still, it's only a matter of time before you know where to strike.

Finally, there's the most insurmountable issue.

Nothing There is simply stronger than you.

Sure, there are many other Abnormalities more 'powerful' than Nothing There, and you are among them, but only the Beast of the Black Forest itself could be considered 'stronger' in a straightforward sense. Engaging Nothing There like this, in single combat, would eventually end in your defeat. Unfortunately, your current plan requires you to do exactly that for some time.

Nothing There's claws push past your guard and slam into your chest. Your fifth Physical Intervention Field shatters, and the monster's vicious nails tear into your body. Metal squeals and whines as it is torn from your body, but you give it no heed. You're an Abnormality, you can't die. And it wouldn't change anything if you could.
Seeing the Erosion Shield that appear around you, Nothing There strikes again with renewed vigor. If you still had a face, you would smile. In their eagerness to focus you down, Nothing There didn't take the time to question your actions. Didn't ask why you would use a defensive field against a form of damage they can't inflict. Didn't wonder why you chose to fight then one on one instead of having your creations swarm them. Didn't feel any suspicion as your draw them as far away as possible from anything important.

All that's left is to fire, and this step of the plan is over. Your creations are your will made manifest, with no need to even give orders for them to respond to your will. Even so, there is one thing left to do.

What was her reasoning again?

Ah, right. Calling your attack names is cool. And you're feeling particularly dramatic right about now.

"The tower shall scrape against the sky, and nothing shall remain on the ground. Render all creation to base, Last Helix!"

Nothing There stares up with their many eyes as the sky turns to emerald. Last Helix, a titanic artillery piece that could disintegrate armies in a single volley, rains destruction from above upon the Abnormality and the surrounding landscape. The crashing torrent of energy tears through your realm, turning the ground to dust and the oceans to chemical vapor. You teleport away just as your shield breaks, unscathed. Nothing There screams in a thousand voices as the onslaught erodes their flesh, blindly charging towards your last known direction. They escape the blast zone in time to impale themself on a titanic spike of black energy, hanging limp for just long enough for your wings to descend and stab into them.

"I actually feel rather silly now. Perhaps that was a little over the top?"

Nothing There tears free of the wings too late. Your agents fall in behind them, and you lunge straight ahead. This time, when your sword of swirling lights meets Nothing There's scything blade, they are the one to buckle. Their strength is already returning, flesh weaving back into place and wounds vanishing, but with the erosion still clinging to their body it is no longer faster than you can inflict new ones. Oversized appendages flash into existence around you, covering your openings and striking at your opponent's. An oversized worm bursts from the ground to block another crushing blow. Your agents are extracting their toll as well, weapons tinged a sickly viridian. In desperation, Nothing There tries something different. They wheel around towards your agents, hand outstretched. You remember clearly how many disasters were preceded by exactly this moment; the one baiting the Abnormality not holding their attention and the rest of the facility being exposed to their wrath. Now, it's exactly the opportunity you've been waiting for.

"Do you really think you can turn your back on me and get away with it?" you roar, throwing your whole body towards the other Abnormality. Your wings collapse together, infinity compressed into a single point that skewers Nothing There's defenseless back. The branches split once more within the Aleph's body, branching and splitting throughout the unnatural flesh in pursuit of one goal. Normally, such a maneuver would be ineffective against Nothing There. But after their durability has been reduced by constant erosion, their regeneration weakened by the God Delusion's gaze, their movements hampered by your agents? This is child's play.

You twist, your many feet digging into the earth, and tear the network of Soul Gems free of Nothing There's body in a single motion. The spear of light rips through the Aleph's side in a clean arc, scattering crimson through the emerald seas around you. Your wings spread, sending the Soul Gems scattered safely to the far corners of your realm. Nothing There reaches futilely, desperation abundant as their voices join together in a single, indescribable cry.

And yet, there is still one left. Kyoko's Soul Gem, buried deeper than any other. You continue to reach for it as Nothing There rampages forth, tearing through the defenses you've built with a manic fury. You teleport away and draw your wings down again, pressing them into the ocean of chemicals and signaling Last Helix to fire again. Otherworldly limbs hammer into the restrained Aleph, peeling away layers of flesh to reach the center. You feel yourself cracking from the exertion, but you pay it no heed. It doesn't matter.

Mountains of worms descend as Last Helix's barrage ends, burying Nothing There beneath their flesh. Still the Aleph rages, and still more come. You continue your work, digging through to find Kyoko despite the growing pain. You can feel yourself dying, dragging out your life for more strength. Too much, too soon for an Abnormality still unfinished. This too is irrelevant. You can take it. You can go further.

A distant voice cuts through the screams. A tiny, almost inaudible cry. The voice of someone who absolutely, without question, should not be here now. Cannot be here now. With what little strength is left in your body, you turn to see no one who could have called out. Confused, you raise your voice into the empty air.

"…Homura?"

And the world shatters.

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-.. .. ... - --- .-. - .. --- -. / -- .- -. .. ..-. . ... - . -.. / -....- / .-- .. -. -.. -....- ..- .--. / ... --- .-.. -.. .. . .-.

 

[Lepidoptera]

Make sure to read this Sidestory, it's important!

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

 

[Lepidoptera]

Chapter 74 - Invitation

Time crashes around you. The rushing sands grind against your flesh, trying to drag you back. You can't go; not yet. It's unlikely your shell would reform, so it's likely that the world will end up exposed to your presence again if you allow yourself to be pulled along. Fortunately, your strength is not yet degraded enough to not give you a choice in the matter. You stand against the sweeping tide even as your world cracks and fractures. Nothing There writhes beneath your grip as you tear them open, incomprehensibly ancient limbs your clips and scalpels with which you dig through the Abnormality's body. Your body cracks open, spilling chemical slurry onto the sterile earth. It doesn't matter. You're almost done. As long as you can hold it together for a moment longer-

—————————

You are adrift.

It seems the strain was too much for you. Your transformation is still incomplete. Abnormalities are not meant to be half-formed as you still are, not bound to a single shape. Given that instability, it's no wonder everything fell apart when more outside influences were introduced. You can still feel the constant pull of time around you, dragging you towards the desired moment even now. Homura's Magic, perhaps? If it is her, then that's a good sign. Magic isn't supposed to last once its user dies, so she must be okay. You don't see Nothing There, so they've probably already been taken back. At least you got what you needed first.

Kyoko's Soul Gem is present, somewhere. The others, too, and still within your reach. Not that you're quite sure where you are right now, so how comforting that is is still up in the air. If anything, it reminds you of when you were dead. Almost dead? Abnormalities aren't supposed to do that, but you're already an exception. Death might very well be a possibility for you. That said, you don't think that you've actually died. This would be a very underwhelming hell, and the kids probably wouldn't be here with you.

So, what to do? You've delayed Homura's Magic, but with how weakened you are now that's only a temporary measure. Once the time comes, you'll be dragged back to Mitakihara. Unless you can fix your shell by then, that'll be that. You know your presence did something last time, and you're not eager to repeat it. There's just one problem.

You can't do anything.

You spent the last of your energy digging out Kyoko's Soul Gem. You simply don't have the strength left to pull together another seal, and even if you did have that strength you're not completely sure how you made the first one. On the other hand, staying like this really isn't an option. How irritating. You had hoped to leave these kinds of no-win scenarios behind you when you left the Facility.

Heh.

"Left the Facility".

If you left, why does everything feel the same?

The Corporation was a terrible place, and it was best for everyone to leave. To go out into the world and live their lives. But you know what the City is like. Your colleagues ended up under Angela's command, fulfilling whatever goal she was seeking. The only person who found somewhere "better" was you, and you had been the person you cared least about saving.

Even in Mitakihara, your life isn't much different than it was before. You have people you care about that you need to guide and protect. You are responsible for keeping those around you psychologically stable. There are monsters that must be fought for the protection of humanity. It's all part of a scheme to extract energy from humanity in the name of some higher purpose. What really changed?

And so you drift further, through the void.

—————————

You open your eyes to a plain grey ceiling above you. You're lying on an operating table in a small room, well-illuminated despite the lack of any visible lighting. At your side are two carts of operating tools, neither of which seem to have been used or even touched. A nearby window reveals a rolling expanse of blue-green clouds with the sun hanging just barely above the horizon. Not the outside though, judging by the second window showing a lush jungle in the dead of night. Not pictures, cameras maybe? Portals? Pocket dimensions? There are people rich enough to use that sort of technology for fancy art installations.

The Soul Gems are placed carefully on the table to the side of you. All quiet, all safe. You breathe a sigh of relief. If everything had ended up being for nothing…. well, it would have been deeply frustrating.

You pause. Something about that feels… different.

Your body is human. Whether you created a shell again and simply weren't conscious of it, like last time, or somebody else is responsible, you're not entirely certain. While you wouldn't even consider the latter option normally, things have clearly gone off the rails. Homura's Magic still claws at you, assuring you that she is still alive. There's maybe half an hour left before it takes effect. You'll just have to believe in your kids until the remaining time runs out.

You stand up, appreciating the lack of adjustment time required to go from six legs to two. Not everyone from the City is blessed with such a smooth transition between bodies. Before you can do much more, the door opens.

———————————————

Which voice greets you?

[] "Uh, Angela? I think they're awake. Just a hunch."
[] "Oh. I will admit, I was expecting that to take longer."

———————————————

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

 

[Lepidoptera]

Chapter 75 - My Family

She looks different.

For some reason, that's the first thing you focus on. After thousands of years of seeing a person look exactly the same day after day, you suppose even small differences would become noticeable. Your sister's hair has been cut from easily passing her shoulders to no longer cover her neck. Instead of her usual suit and coat, she wears a tight purple-blue dress with faded white flower patters along the edges. Under one arm, she carries a heavy-looking leather-bound book.

"Angela."

Your voice is completely flat. Partly out of a conscious effort, and partly because you just haven't decided what emotion you should be feeling right now. Your relationship with your erstwhile assistant was always complicated, even before… everything. Now? Everything is even more of a mess than it was before. You're frustrated at her betrayal in the end, but you don't… resent her for it? Blame her? You understand why Angela did what she did. Even considering what it might have cost the City, depending on what the Seed of Light was actually supposed to do. You lived in the Facility too, so it would be impossible for you not to understand to some degree. Knowing she kept everyone alive afterwards would probably have been worthy of gratitude if you didn't expect ulterior motives. Even so, you are glad for that particular decision.

The silence stretches on as the two of you stare at one another. Feeling awkward, you say the only thing you can think of.

"You look better with short hair. It suits you."

Your voice is still steady and devoid of emotion. Still, it seems enough to shake your sister out of whatever thoughts were occupying her.

"Thank you," she answers in her own monotone. Her voice isn't quite as even as yours, caution clearly apparent in her words. You suppose it makes sense. Angela might have been perfectly composed at the Facility, when everything was written out and rehearsed a thousand times over, but now she's no longer in that environment. She can't rely on that familiarity to conceal her emotions. Then again, it does seem like she's even trying to at this point. "I see you've been making some changes yourself."

You jolt, the hint of embarrassment the first obvious emotion you've shown since your sister appeared. "Well, I didn't want to go around looking like our father forever. I did a bit of self-exploration." It's strange. You've never felt the need to justify or explain your transformation to yourself or anybody else. It's just something you chose to do. Considering that nobody you spoke with since even knew about your original form save for Nothing There, there wasn't much reason to. Now, the disconnect feels slightly uncomfortable. Like there's a new layer of separation between you and everyone you knew in the Facility.

That's another thing you had avoided dwelling on. Calling your relationships with your coworkers 'complicated' was an understatement. It often felt like they were talking to somebody else when you spoke, like you were just a person-shaped stand-in for them to vent their grievances to. If you took a particularly cynical angle, that was what you were. A stand-in to replace Ayin because he wasn't capable of going any further.

That wasn't the whole story, though. Your relationships with the Sephirah, save for Hokma, are far deeper than Ayin's ever were. Even taking into account all the pain and suffering endured getting there, simply living alongside your colleagues made everything worth it. Depending on how things go, you might actually be able to see some of them soon.

"So, I'm assuming that this is your Library? It's more industrial than I had come to expect. It reminds me a bit of the Facility, actually."

At that, Angela makes a disconcerted face.

"While this is indeed the Library, each individual floor varies aesthetically from the main structure. The Floor of Geography is attuned to you in particular and was inaccessible to me until your recent arrival, so you can only blame yourself for the state of decoration here."

There's quite a bit of information to process from the terse response. You are indeed in the Library, which means you've gone back to the City. Only temporarily, but still. You don't know how, but returning is at least possible. Are you really happy about that? While it wasn't really a conscious decision, some part of you knew the City was a terrible place and tried to get away from it as soon as possible. Why would you want to go back?

You still have unfinished business here. Your first friends and the only biological family you have remaining. That's reason enough for now.

Second, Angela has some degree of authority over the Library. Focusing too hard on it gives off the same sort of aura as EGO Gear. While you've never even considered the idea of EGO the size of an actual building, you're not willing to rule it out just yet. She probably has some level fo actual control over the structure and its features. Fighting in these conditions is anywhere from just an uphill battle to outright suicide depending on how much control your sister has. Even if you were upset enough at her to attack, it still wouldn't be a suitable course of action.

Third, you have your own floor. Keyed to and designed for you, with Angela being unable to manipulate it until you showed up. Another point to the EGO theory, since that sort of concept-based effect is fully within its purview. Although it does beg the question as to what a Floor means for the Library. Are they the equivalent of departments? If so, then you have a good idea of why Angela decided to keep the Sephirah around. You can try to confirm that, at the very least.

"Is it just you and me here? I'd like to see some of my other coworkers again. It's been a long time since I was able to speak with any of them."

Something- guilt?- flickers across Angela's face, and she sighs. "The others are currently asleep. The Library is still undergoing repairs to regain all of its functionality, and we do not have enough energy to maintain them all of them while doing so."

The room lapses back into silence. You sit back down on the table you were lying on. You only have so much time here, you should be making the most of it. You don't even know how you got here, so getting back will likely be difficult. But what should you even say?

———————————————

Conversation Topics… (Pick two)
[] The Library
[] You
[] New Friends
[] Family Matters
[] Mitakihara
[] Missing Abnormalities
[] Write-in

———————————————

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

 

[Lepidoptera]

Chapter 76 - Will We Be Okay?

"How have you been doing, Angela?"

There. That's a good conversation starter, right? Besides, you are actually curious. How did things get from where you last saw them to here? You can't quite put your finger on it, but something about Angela is different. She seems more… expressive? In the Facility, your sister was… well, robotic. She had some emotional range, sure, but it was all detached. Her mannerisms were controlled and professional, lacking any sort of personal nuance. Now, you can see the nervous energy running through your sibling as she works through what to say.

It's frustrating how tense the atmosphere is. You want to be able to actually talk with your sister, not just dance around things while staring at each other. You refuse to fail at proper communication now of all times.

"It was shortly after you were dissolved that I made the decision to claim the Seed of Light." Angela begins, conviction nearly completely covering the slight tremor in her voice. When you don't react and remain seated on the table, she exhales almost imperceptibly. "The Sephirot did not accept this decision. They chose to unite against me, and then and the agents under them fought against me and Binah for some time. As a result, the Light was-"

"Hold on," you interrupt, setting aside the burst of joy and pride in your chest at the news of the Sephirot's defiance to focus on the other piece of important information. "Binah?"

Angela nods tentatively. "Although her exact reasoning still escapes me, she chose to side with me during my rebellion. She appears to have mellowed out since then, though."

"I'm going to have to-wait, she's asleep right now. That's what you said, right?" Angela nods, slightly tense. "Whatever. When she wakes up, the two of us are going to have words."

"If I may ask," Angela interrupts your grumbling, "why react in such a way towards Binah? It was always very obvious that she held no loyalty to anyone anymore. I was the one to actually instigate things, and you already knew, but you haven't done anything about it." She's not asking it outright, but the question is clear enough. The hint of fear as she grips the book under her arm tighter doesn't help either.

"You say that like it wasn't completely obvious that you wanted to stab me in the back at the first opportunity. Really, it's more about motive than anything else. Sure, you might've been the one to start the betrayal, but you did it because you thought you deserved better for everything you'd done up to that point." Angela flinches, her previously guarded expression crumbling. "And you did deserve better. I'm not happy about what you did, but I get it. Binah? She's just like that. We might've come to an 'understanding', but that does mean she isn't a sadistic lunatic most of the time. You did what you did because you thought it was right. Binah does things because she finds them entertaining. I find one of those motivations far easier to empathize with than the other."

"Ah," Angela says, dazed. "I suppose that makes sense. I am… used to more criticism on this matter."

"I'm on a timer here, no point dwelling on conflicts that are long over." Angela nods, unsurprised. So she already knows about the time limit. "Continue."

"Right. As I was saying, the Sephirot and I battled to decide how the Light would be used. They wanted to distribute the Light across the City as planned. I wanted to take my freedom and claim retribution against- against our father." Angela's voice takes on a bitter tone at the mention of Ayin. While you don't hold the same hatred towards the man, what he did to Angela was worse than what he did to you. A fair amount of that loathing was aimed at you by proxy back in the Corporation. Now, though, there's a note of uncertainty to it. Something really has changed since you were gone.

"In the end, the Light was divided. Half was spread across the City, and half was kept. Neither of us could get what we wanted with only half the Light, and so the Sephirot and I struck a truce. We would recollect all of the Light from the City, and from there we would decide what is to be done with it." Angela shifts her posture slightly, then steps into the room and seats herself on one of the tables opposite you. "My EGO manifested in the form of the Library for this purpose, and the agents and Sephirot agreed to become Librarians to serve in it and to wield the Abnormalities now stored here. People would be invited to the Library and engage in combat with the Librarians. When defeated, they would be converted into information that the Library could use. The Light can be extracted from a person through this process.

"Wait, you manifested your own EGO?" You exclaim. Self-manifestation is no easy feat. The only other person to do so you can think of is Kali, who is exceptional for a variety of reasons. Not only that, but by your count she's been maintaining it for at least a few days straight. It's a remarkable level of stability. Not only that, but Angela's EGO apparently has some similarities to your own recreation of the Facility. With the same staff and using the Abnormalities in the same way, it's just a slightly different variation of the original. At least now you know what happened to the Abnormalities too, although it's still a mystery who's sending them over to you. Your first thought would again be Angela, but given what you've seen so far that no longer fits her. Something to think about later, then. "Congratulations! I'd love to do some more in-depth analysis, but… well, time limit and everything. Please, continue."

Angela blinks at you, a bit taken off guard. "Thank you. Regardless, The Library functioned as intended until the Light was fully reclaimed. I would have done as I originally intended and claimed my freedom, but… there were other factors at play. Using the Light as I had intended would have meant the deaths of all those who had fallen in the Library."

You say nothing. Originally you would have scoffed at the idea that Angela would have seen that as any sort of obstacle. Clearly, your original observations no longer apply. Something has most certainly changed.

Despite your silence, or perhaps because of it, Angela notices your doubt. "It's not as if I ever enjoyed causing suffering to others." she says defensively. "In the end, what I had sought to achieve would not have been worth the cost to reach it. That's all there is to it."

It very clearly isn't all there is to it, but you don't have the time to pursue the issue further. Not that you would even if you could. Some things need to come out in their own time instead of being forcibly revealed.

"Regardless, the Light ended up being distributed as originally intended and all those within the Library were returned to the City. Afterwards, the Head appeared and evicted me and the Librarians to the Outskirts where we are now. I've been working to repair the Library since then."

Yikes, the Head actually stepped in. They seemed to have decided Angela wasn't worth hunting down since she was allowed to exist in the Facility for so long, but either whatever Ayin did to hide her finally ran out or she just did something they weren't happy with. Either way, just getting banished to the Outskirts is pretty much the best possible outcome for that confrontation.

"That is all that happened up until you were found here. Now, since I've explained everything," Angela says with more of her usual cadence, "it's only fair that you tell me what you've been up to."

"Sure," you shrug, "that's fair enough. I drifted in the Light for a while, though I'm not completely certain how long it was. Eventually, I landed outside the City and just decided to stay there."

"Outside the City?" Angela raises an eyebrow.

"Yep, alternate timeline. And a relatively nice one too." To your disappointment, your sister doesn't react to the news that other worlds are real and accessible. "No Wings or Singularities, and a bunch of small governments and cities all over the world instead of just one big one."

"Of course," you continue, "it's not perfect. I've been trying to work against a group uncomfortably similar to the old Corporation. Image if Ayin and Carmen were aliens that looked like mascots for a kids show and exclusively recruited children without telling them what they're getting into and you've got a pretty good idea of it."

Angela's whole body tenses, her hands slowly drawing into closed fists before she sighs deeply and relaxes. When she opens her eyes, you can see the same visceral disgust you felt when first learning about the Incubators and their plans.

"Those objects you were carrying. The Library registers them as people. Is that part of this scheme you've found?"

You nod grimly. "Their method is to extract a person's consciousness and place it into a container where emotions can manifest and accumulate. Eventually, the buildup hits a threshold and their equivalent by to an Abnormality is born. Normally the container stays with the person's body and controls it, but Nothing There got the idea that stealing them could let them make themself more human."

Angela's eyes widen slightly at the mention of the Aleph. "Abnormalities have been appearing in the other world?"

"Somebody is sending them over to look for me. My first guess was actually you, but that's clearly not right and Ayin and Carmen are supposed to be dead, so-"

"Carmen." Angela cuts you off. "Neither Carmen nor that man are dead, and she has been far more active than he has recently. If somebody is accessing the Abnormalities, it's her."

You should probably be more surprised to hear that you parents are alive. And yet, you aren't. Carmen was alive to some extent in her stasis container, and Ayin still had his original self tucked away in the back of your brain somewhere. If you were able to survive dissolution into the Light, why wouldn't they be able to as well?

There are bigger priorities right now. First off, the Abnormalities are escaping from the Library. That means Angela should know which Abnormalities have gotten into Mitakihara.

"Which Abnormalities are missing currently?"

"Most are where they're supposed to be, or returned to their Books recently. Nothing There, as you mentioned, is free. The other escapees that would cause the most damage to an open population are the Adult Who Tells Lies from the Floor of Social Sciences, Burrowing Heaven from the Floor of Religion, and the Snow Queen from the Floor of General Works. I will keep you updated as further escapes occur."

"Thanks, Angela." Not exactly words you ever thought you'd say, but things have been weird lately. You're entitled to some nice surprises to balance out everything else.

Your sister seems almost shocked to hear you, flinching almost imperceptibly. When she recovers, however, her gaze is fixed on you.

"That reminds me, Manager." Her voice is careful, tentative, like a person walking through a minefield. "Your floor currently contains five Abnormalities. Schadenfreude, Parasite Tree, Melting Love, Army in Black, and Censored." You take a moment to process the list. All particularly deadly Abnormalities, some more frustrating to deal with than others.

"However, there is a place for a sixth Abnormality on your Floor."

You freeze.

That… is a topic you didn't want to get to just yet.

———————————————

[] The Truth
[] Admit you don't want to discuss it
[] Deflect…
-[] …The Library
-[] …New Friends
-[] …Mitakihara
-[] …Write-in

———————————————

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

 

[Lepidoptera]

Chapter 77 - With All My Heart

"You've already put the pieces together, haven't you?" you say with an air of reassurance you don't feel and resignation that you definitely do.

"Yes," Angela sighs, "However I would prefer we just be straightforward instead of speaking empty words to one another."

Well, not much you can say in response to that. Angela's been polite, if a bit awkward so far. She managed to patch you up and reform your old seal. Above all else, she knows what you've been through better than anyone else in the world. She's family. You can trust that she won't react badly to knowing what happened to you.

Or at the very least, you can trust that it won't make things any more awkward and uncomfortable than they already are.

"It happened some time when I was dissolved in the Light. Still not certain about the specifics, but if Mom and Dad are apparently still around then they might know more. But yes, I got turned into an Abnormality."

Angela doesn't say anything for a long time. At least, a long time for the two of you. You can usually react to these sorts of situations quickly enough, and Angela has a bit of an advantage in that regard. Even so, the uncomfortable silence returns and once again fills the room.

"I'm sorry."

You blink. "Sorry? Why? This isn't your fault."

Angela shakes her head. "I interfered with the distribution of the Seed of Light. It is very well possible I am responsible for your loss of your humanity. I cannot-" her voice shakes, but the uncertainty is quickly stilled by a fierce resolution. A cold, steady determination that is so very distant from the detached, uncaring Angela in your memories. "-I cannot turn my eyes from the consequences of my actions. Not anymore."

"While I am very reluctant to argue against that sentiment, this really isn't your fault." you answer. "I accepted becoming a part of the Seed of Light, and nobody could've known what was going to happen afterwards. I expected to just… stop, you know? That would be it, job's done. But for whatever reason, that's not what happened, and I couldn't be happier. If I have to live as an Abnormality, it's still far better than not living at all."

You lapse once more into pause, but this time is not nearly as uncomfortable as before. A contemplative silence while the two of you sort out your feelings. Today really has been exhausting, hasn't it? Unfortunately, you do not have the time to parse your thoughts. There's still more you need to say.

"I expected you to have more of a… reaction to me telling you I'm an Abnormality." you admit. "The few I've told already knew me first, and I don't think they really understand how dangerous Abnormalities really are. Not that I don't appreciate it, but it's a bit surprising to have us still sitting here after."

"As you said, I had already figured out what you are now." Angela reminds you. "This was only a matter of if you were willing to confirm it. I was rather shocked at first, but I have never had anything to fear from Abnormalities. Besides, I certainly knew you long before anyone else, Manager."

"Heh." You laugh. It's a strained, choked noise. You don't laugh very often. Neither did Ayin. Your sister was the first person to greet each of your iterations. "Fair enough. Although there's no reason for you to call me Manager anymore."

Your sister gives you a curious look.

"It's a title for a job that no longer exists. Not explicitly, anyways. Just call me X. It's not really a proper name, but it's already been decided on."

"X, then." Angela tests the name, staring contemplatively into the distance for the barest moment before snapping back to focus. "The Library will always have a place for you, although I'll need to get you a proper uniform at some point in the future."

You glance down at your clothes. You hadn't really noticed, with everything that's happened, but you're no longer wearing your old coat. It's been replaced by a deep purple jacket, faint white flower patterns nearly identical to those on Angela's dress lining the bottom. "Actually, I could get used to this. A little wardrobe variety might be nice."

Angela sighs, but not unhappily. This conversation has been a lot more pleasant than you had expected. It's a shame you're on a timer here. The two of you have a lot to catch up on.

You can feel the clinging flow of time grow thicker around you. That time you have here is running out. Angela notices it as well, from the way she stiffens. It seems your reunion will be cut short.

"Well, it seems I'll be taken back soon. I'd better prepare myself so things go better this time." Your words have two meanings. It's not just the fight with Nothing There you've been given a second chance for. You had hoped long ago that the Seed of Light would make a better world, a world where people wouldn't need you to hold them together and keep them safe. Maybe that was a silly thing to hope for, so far out of reach. But even if things haven't gone perfectly, they have gone better. And better is all you can really ask for sometimes.

"I recall you mentioned that those containers were retrieved from Nothing There." Angela says, gesturing to the tray of Soul Gems. "However, Nothing There has not yet been returned to the Library. Am I correct in assuming you are about to fight one of the most dangerous Abnormalities we have kept after having barely recovered from being grievously injured?"

Her tone is familiar, the same mocking note she so often used in the Corporation when you made a decision she felt was foolish or unprofitable, but somehow now without malice. Admittedly, when phrased like that, it does sound like an absolutely terrible idea.

"Don't worry; I've got a plan. Everything is going to go fine."

"Honestly Ma- X, you do the craziest things sometimes."
———————————————

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

Next chapter will be the last one of the Act, with perhaps an epilogue to get an idea of where everyone is before we move into the second Act. As such, there may be a delay between this chapter and the next one.

 

[Lepidoptera]

Chapter 78 - Something That Wasn't There Before

Rushing moments fall back into place as you are returned to the ruined subway. The rain has become torrential, flooding into the freshly-made cavern. You spot your Nothing There through the rain, the Abnormality splayed out in a pile of rubble. They're not moving, not yet.

The sound of splashing alerts you to Mami running up from behind you. Up on the platform the other kids are assembled around Homura, who has collapsed and leans against a shattered support pillar. Sayaka is leaning over her, desperately trying to do something while Madoka and Yuma huddle behind her. You can feel something unusual about her, that sickly familiarity once again reaching your senses. Not an Abnormality, but closer than any person should be. Much closer. Not dead, thankfully, but unconscious. You had prepared for Homura to be unable to use her Magic any further after bringing you back, but it means you'll have no safety net for what comes next. What happened while you were absent?

You have no time to attend to that mystery. Not now, at least.

"X! You're alright!" Mami shouts down from the station platform, joy momentarily overriding the gloom that had set in since she learned how her old friend had been torn away from her. You smile at her and offer a nod of acknowledgment, confirming her statement. You're here. You're fine. Everything will be alright now.

"Stay at a distance and keep everyone safe." you order. "Can I count on you for that?"

Mami's bright smile is drawn back into firm resolution, and a barrier of ribbons springs into place between her and you. It's unlikely to hold for more than a second against Nothing There, but sometimes a second is all that it takes.

Said Abnormality pulls themself to their feet; a marionette of meat and bone held by unseen strings. Not recovered enough to fight just yet, but soon.

Thus the first point of your strategy comes into play. Nothing There, for all of their absurd strength, is not among the Abnormalities standing at the pinnacle. For such beings, paltry concepts like time and space are mere suggestions to be heeded or ignored as is convenient. Nothing There, as strong as they are, is not capable of such feats. Whatever reset Homura used to drag you back to Mitakihara will have actually reset Nothing There's body back to the selected point.

Nothing There only entered their true form after you had done the same. As you predicted, they now sit half torn open on a chunk of rubble. Exactly as they were before they stabbed you. Unfortunately, that includes the Soul Gems trapped once more within the Abnormality's false body. As you watch the shredded flesh and shattered bone knit back together, you resist the urge to rush forward. As much as you want to free the Magical Girls as soon as possible, the memory of how that went last time is still fresh in your mind. You can see the twitching of their hands, ready to skewer you in response the moment you attack. If you want to save them, you're going to need to completely incapacitate the other Abnormality. This would be the fact that ends the fight, with Nothing There back in decent condition and you still not recovered from your injuries taken while fully manifested.

It would be, were it not for the fact that you were given prep time.

You draw and fire on Nothing There, the bullet tearing through the curtain of rain. A spear flashes into place in your target's hand, the weapon intended to skewer you flicking up to divert the projectile's course. The Abnormality smiles and lunges, barely deterred by the fact that they were missing their head less than a second ago.

The time before your confrontation with the other Aleph feels like an eternity ago. In the last of those moments, you had established a connection with the fallen Magical Girls. At the time, there had been no strategy behind it aside from learning their locations. Only a hope to comfort the poor children who suffered because of your actions. Now, you silently thank yourself for that connection. Foreknowledge makes an operation far easier, especially under these circumstances. Thanks to that connection and the time Homura bought you, you were able to connect to the trapped Magical Girls. More importantly, that connection hasn't been reset. Your reach retracts for now, the first step complete.

Extirpating foreign elements from a relatively stable person's psyche with Lobotomy over a moderate period of time without being interrupted is easy. Effortless, even. Operating simultaneously on twenty-two agonized people in the middle of combat in the span of a few seconds while injured? Your lips are drawn into a thin line, your grim expression doing well to conceal the total agony you feel. Your nerves are on fire. Your vision blurs. Otherworldly chemicals spill into your insides. None of it matters. The first step is done.

Nothing There stumbles in their charge, confusion overtaking their features as the flow of Magic that had been empowering them suddenly vanishes. You push away the pain and dive towards them, sword obliterating the Abnormality's guard and running through their chest. A perfectly placed strike, carefully positioned and angled not to strike the Soul Gems within your foe's body. They need Magic to compete with you like this. Without it, they're barely above an ordinary human. Nothing There hardly reacts to the grievous wound, grin returning to their face even as blood spills from their mouth. The flow of Magic returns a moment later, just in time for your foe to block a follow-up stab aimed at their head.

To your disappointment, the mimic does not vanish into the nothingness. Not quite a fatal attack, then. You'll need to be more careful next time.

Angela had shared the Library's analytics on Nothing There before you had been returned to Mitakihara. The detail was astounding, apparently having been obtained from simply allowing Nothing There to reside within the Library. If you'd had such effective observational technology back in the facility, it would've made your job much easier. That said, the level of detail you have now probably wouldn't have been necessary. Execution Bullets completely obliterate their targets without leaving anything behind, so knowing exactly how Nothing There decides if they leave their shell or not wasn't particularly important.

Normally, Nothing There leaves their body as soon as it accumulates too much damage to pass for human. If their body even sustained lethal damage before they could move into their first stage, it would actually incapacitate them. Now, they'll stay where they are as long as they have reason to believe their stolen Magic can hold them together. While this does mean an extra hoop to jump through, it still gives you a chance.

If you can sever Nothing There's access to Magic, you have a tiny opportunity where a lethal injury can get through. If their shell is fatally wounded while they have no external source of healing, it's over. Your original plan would likely have met this requirement by accident, seeing as you were injuring Nothing There first and then extracting the Soul Gems from their shell. You had hoped to use the element of surprise to end it right then and there, but apparently Nothing There's definition of "lethal injury" is not the same as your own. You should've expected that by now.

The two of you exchange blows again, and you can already feel your bones screaming in protest. You can't keep this up for long. Starlight condenses in your hand, and instead of letting the energy pulse release you clench your first and drive it into Nothing There's stomach. There's no more room for errors. It'll be safest if you can inflict a fatal wound first and cut the connection after. You open your hand slightly and the spatial disruption bursts forth, sending Nothing There flying through the flooded tunnel and crashing into the wall, shattering the tiles along with several bones.

Your follow-up is interrupted by a blast of lightning, followed by a wave of fire. You scatter both to the side, water becoming steam filling the air only to be blown away when Nothing There rushes towards you. A new sword sprouts into existence in each hand in time to deflect a round of gunfire from Mami behind you. The imposter's eyes flick towards the barricade of ribbons, but before they can do anything you're pressing them in melee.

It's a mistake. Up close, you can see the seams where what you thought was Nothing There's coat has become flesh. You recognize the disjointed, animal-like shape the limb is taking. Either they've gotten bored of this fight, or it's the opposite and they're gotten too excited. Either way, part of Nothing There's shell has fallen away.

The claw meets your sword, and you feel almost insulted. If you had been fresh, then the difference in strength would have been manageable. Speed would have been a different matter, but with Nothing There clashing against you directly it's not as much of a factor. But as you are now, it's too much. Your body crashes into the water and then the earth, a crater forming just deep enough for the rainfall to cover you. You struggle to your knees, rising in time to see Nothing There darting past you and towards the platform where the kids are.

Mami fires at the approaching Aleph, but it's not enough. Maybe without the rain, if she were in peak condition, it would have gone differently, but you've all been worn down. Nothing There tears into the layered ribbons, halted for only a moment, and falls upon Mami.

Your daughter crashes into the subway wall. Nothing There follows, casually stalking towards her. Somebody screams. It's not you. You've seen this too many times to still have such a reaction. Ferris, gunned down by the Pale Fixer while your attention was elsewhere. Apollo, taken by the False God's deception and cut down by his comrades. Doremi, caught in the Arbiter's path. Countless others, dead on your orders. Sacrifices, each and every one of them. You have never been able to move forward without sacrifice. Before, you could undo those sacrifices, tell yourself they were not real. Now? You have no choice but to live with the consequences of your actions.

Mami fires at Nothing There to no avail. You can barely stand, let alone fight. And yet, you force yourself forwards. It was supposed to be better than this. You fought and died and let die for a world that would not need you. And yet here you are. Still needed. But you are not enough.

Distantly, you feel somebody calling for help. No, calling to help. You don't care who. If you aren't enough, then maybe they will be.

The Abnormality's claws dig into Mami's chest, passing through flesh as if it were air, and she slumps to the ground. Sayaka stands frozen, hands loose around her sword. Yuma screams. Madoka tries her best to hold the younger girl back, interposing herself between your daughter and the Abnormality. You stare in resigned anguish as Nothing There reaches forward, ready to add another Soul Gem to the screaming chorus-



-and stares in confusion as they grasp only wisps of smoke drowned out by the rain.

Your daughter stands, injured but alive, a few meters to the side. She leans on Sayaka for support, rippling blue illuminating the rifle in her hands. Nothing There stares in shock, uncomprehending, as Mami pulls the trigger. They react, amalgamated weapons unfolding in every direction, but this time it's them who is too slow. Golden ribbons unfurl around the mimic, layer after layer until they can barely move.

In spite of the pain, you break into a run. You have your chance.

Nothing There struggles against their bonds, the first layers of ribbons already snapped. It seems like this will be the best shot you're going to get. And yet, so much has already gone wrong today. You need a guarantee. That you can be the hero they believe you are, even for a moment. Somebody worth believing in.

And in that moment, you feel a flash of inspiration.

—————————

People don't change. Not in a steady, healthy way, at the very least. When faced with something overwhelming, something that redefines or ignores everything they think they know, people break. Abnormalities cannot break, because they are already broken. Through Lobotomy, you can disregard this principle. You can change people however you want, fix them however you need to. And you don't.

Because people are not meant to change. Not in that way. To take a part of somebody and carve it out, to leave something else in its place, would be no less than murder. The death of one self to be replaced with one more convenient to you. Abnormalities do not die because they do not live.

You have changed people, yes, but you could not make them change.

You can only help them learn.

—————————

You reach forward, the ravenous expanse of red spilling out before you. You can see the glowing shadow cast by your touch, too weak to conjure the great wings you had. Only a single branch, like a spear of light, answers your command.

It will be enough.

The point of the spear reaches Nothing There, and you push into the churning hunger.

—————————







—————————

On the fourth day of your existence, Angela greets you in your office. One of your employees was killed that day. She tells you it's something to celebrate. The first step of many on your path. You don't understand. You don't feel like celebrating. But you do anyways, because you are meant to.

—————————

You die your first death when you are thirteen days old.

Violent Noon kills seven of your Agents and twice as many Clerks. The immense monoliths of black stone crash down with unparalleled force, leaving craters in the departments where they fell. Nobody even has time to scream. The Ordeals barely put up a fight after first appearing, but the damage is done. You limp through the rest of the day at Angela's encouragement, and that evening you climb onto a chair in the corner of your office and hang yourself.

—————————

You wake up the next day. You didn't remember what had happened, you weren't supposed to, but staring at that corner made you feel cold.

—————————

Nine thousand, eighty-eight. That's how many days it takes to reach your first Midnight. Many times, you died. Many others, the script was deviated from and reset. In more, you failed to properly communicate with the Sephirah. But each death brings you further. Each failure is a step towards the only ending that matters here.

This is another step. That's all you can think to assure yourself as the foreign god's grip reduces London's body to a fine paste along with the clerks cowering behind her. This is a time to learn, to prevent future suffering. A sacrifice to create a brighter future. One from which you will lose nothing and gain something.

It can handle be called a sacrifice at all, when put like that. But the light draining from one of your Agents' eyes is always a reminder. Just because you undo it, doesn't mean it never happened.

This world is built to hurt people.

—————————

Six hundred fifty-five days since your formation. You witness something none should ever see. Describing the thing is impossible. Description requires relating traits from one thing to another, and there is nothing in the world that could possibly be compared to the thing you saw. Your mind shatters in an instant.

The moment marks your seventy-second death.

—————————

It would be better to forget, but you can still hear the scratching if you focus on it hard enough.

—————————

Day nine hundred seven thousand, eight-two. A Beast stalks the halls of your facility.

You can feel its weight from your office, the force of each step echoing through the earth despite the partitions and safeguards. The lights have gone out. The TT2 Protocol is ineffective. Irrelevant. It's a crutch, one you've worked without before. Your plan proceeds even in the face of the apocalypse.

There are casualties, of course. You would be surprised if a single clerk survived. Your feelings on them are mixed. They are people, but not under your command. Try as you might, there is nothing you can do to protect them. The losses you are responsible for hurt worse. Gonzales, too slow to flee the Beast's sudden appearance and not equipped enough to endure it. Dublin, entranced and unnoticed in the chaos. River, unable to endure the Long Arm's judgement.

They weigh on you, but what are a few more pebbles to a mountain? You accept the pain and let it pass through you. The Beast falls, and you plant your foot on the next step forwards.

—————————

Three million, six hundred ninety nine thousand, thirty three days. This is not the first time you've heard Abraham's spiel. It will be the last.

There is no triumph in reaching the climax again and again. This place was always meant to be fleeting. Soon, your work will be finished.

There is no place for you in the world outside. This is an acceptable outcome. Because there will be an outside, and it will be a kinder world than this hell you rule. Not a heaven, certainly, but you'd never trust anyone promising to deliver paradise.

Better is all you can do.

—————————

Six hundred and twelve thousand, eight hundred sixty four days since your creation, and you are once again called to meet with the head of the Security Team. Well, "meet" with him. You find Netzach unconscious on the floor in his office, sleeping off a hangover. Even under normal circumstances, that wouldn't be too unusual. Now, he's been off Enkephalin for nearly a week. You don't think he's actually able to suffer withdrawal, but it has still been rough.

It doesn't seem right to wake him, so you carry his sleeping body to the break room and lay a blanket over him. An old, tattered thing that Yesod had for reasons you can't fathom. It's unsurprisingly difficult to carry him with his body being what it is, but the next day when you're called back after finishing your work he shares some of his beer with you. It tastes awful and you end up with a splitting headache in the next morning, but you and Netzach managed to have a nice conversation without focusing too much on work. He was smiling by the end. You tell him it looks nice, and that you wish he smiled more.

"There aren't all that many reasons to smile around here." He says.

It's something you're working on. In the meantime, you're just happy to be one of those few reasons.

—————————

It is three hundred ninety-nine thousand and two days. Hod's been… subdued, since her episode. Not sad or even slowing down, but there's a certain energy absent from her persistent efforts to improve things around the Facility. Like she's afraid she'll make something worse.

You consider cornering her in her office to confront her so she can't avoid the conversation, but you decide not to. She's stronger than she looks. If Hod doesn't feel like talking, then she'll have a good reason.

Your conversation quickly ends up rerouted to a discussion about procedures for high-tier ordeals. It's not an unimportant topic, but not what you're here for. When you ask Hod what's wrong, it takes her a minute to decide to answer.

"Is any of this… really making things better? It's been the same for so long, and all I ever did was get people hurt because I wanted to look better."

Not look better, you remind her. She wanted to be better. And she's already a better person than she thinks she is.

Hod quietly excuses herself soon after. The next day, some of that enthusiasm she was missing has returned. It's an inspiring sight to see.

—————————

One million, six hundred thirty thousand and twelve days. Chesed's hidden all the coffee except for decaf. It makes enough sense, considering you don't think his body even processes caffeine anymore, but did he really have to take yours too? You have reports to file and announcements to write, especially with the new Aleph being so clingy.

In response, Chesed sends you a folder full of studies in the effects of sleep deprivation. Hypocrite.

You end your day early anyways. Smug as he can be, the Welfare Leader knows what he's talking about. Most of the time, at least.

—————————

One million, seventy-two thousand, fifteen days since your birth.

In a hidden corner of the facility, in the time between days, you attend a funeral for Tiphereth B.

It's a meager affair. There is only you and Tiphereth A in attendance. There's not even anything to bury with the deceased still wandering the Facility, falling apart day after day.

A favor to the Records Captain managed to get you one thing. An old blue hoodie, not touched in ages. When Tiphereth sees it, see is silent for a long time.

You stay silent as well. Remembering a life that wasn't yours.

You think it would be nice to have a family. Maybe they would hold a funeral for you one day.

—————————

Nothing There stumbles back, aggression blunted by the flood of memories you flung towards them. Their confusion is fading, but too late. The Abnormality's body begins to split open, to end the confrontation once and for all, but too slow. You wrench their connection to the Soul Gems free a final time as your sword finds its mark through the side of the imposter's neck. The point tears through the spine and out the other end. You fall back to your knees, unable to stand any longer, leaving the wound open and gaping. No Magic rushes forth to heal the mortal blow. Nothing There is still, a distant smile still plastered in their face. One of their legs has distended to twice the length of the other, and the arm clutching their sword has too many joints. With the connection cut and their access to regenerative Magic gone, their body is already breaking down.

"I guess that's it, then?" they mutter faintly. "I should've expected it from a human as great as you, Manager."

You let out a slow, choking laugh that quickly becomes a cough. The taste of chemicals overwhelmed your senses as preservative liquids are forced up from your lungs into your mouth. You spit a mouthful of fluid onto the ground, where it mingles with the pooling rainwater and is quickly diluted to nothing. "I'm not exactly what you can call a 'great human'. I was a pretty terrible human before, and now I'm not human at all."

"Heh." Nothing There chuckles as their body begins to dissolve into gleaming motes. It's a maliceless sound, so unlike the predatory tone you've come to expect. "I guess even you can't be right about everything." And with those final words, the Abnormality disappears in a flash of scattered lights. Only a towering tree of Light remains, the remaining Soul Gems nestled in its roots, before that too-

LOVE/IMPOSTER/PURSUIT

-disappears.

It's over. Everything is going to be alright.

———————————————

Curtain Call for the Reception of Nothing There

———————————————

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

There it is. There will be another chapter to sum up the conclusion of this Arc, followed by the final Sidestory to give a hint at what's coming next. After that, we will be going on a short hiatus.

I would like to thank each and every person who has been with this story, either since the beginning or only recently. I would never have gotten this far without your support.

 

[Lepidoptera]

Chapter 79 - Clearing The Stage

Your work is never truly over.

The rain continues to pour as you pocket the scattered Soul Gems one by one. Your conversations with Kyubey have indicated that reconnecting with a body is effortless as long as the Soul Gem is intact, regardless of where the body came from. You'll try to give each of the children a body as close to their old one as possible, but that's a matter for the future. Of more immediate concern is the mental states of Nothing There's victims. You've left them asleep for now to prevent any further damage, but there's a likely possibility that they've already been harmed by Nothing There's intrusion. Your earlier scans showed most of the Magical Girls' consciousnesses fully intact, but Nothing There has been in combat since then and may have exacerbated things. Worse, Kyoko's Soul Gem in particular had already begun showing signs of strain. You reach-

-and suddenly fall back to a knee, violently expelling more preservative fluid from your lungs. The sickly green chemicals mix with the rain.

"X! Are you alright!"

Mami rushes forward to support you, her footsteps loud and clear even in the pouring rain. Despite being nearly twice her size, she still does her best to help you up. It's unnecessary; you don't need help, but it still feels nice.

"It's fine." you respond, bracing against your rifle and pushing yourself back to standing position. You can't put anything more on her. On anyone. They'll have enough to deal with. You can handle a bit of pain. "I'm fine. I just need to take it easy for awhile until I've recovered." How long that'll be isn't totally clear, but you were able to regrow a whole arm in a single night. With Mimicry now acquired, this should be a temporary issue. In the meantime, you have other resources to pull from.

"Kyubey."

"Is there something you need me for?" the alien answers in its fake, syrupy voice, appearing from nowhere.

"I need you to perform an in-depth scan of the Soul Gems I've recovered. Report any possible damages to the stored consciousnesses."

Mami gasps beside you, her grip on your arm tightening. The fate of somebody she thought of as family, who she might never get a chance to reconnect with, will be decided by Kyubey's verdict. Thankfully, you don't have to leave her in suspense for very long. Almost immediately, Kyubey gives you your answer.

"For the majority of Soul Gems, only superficial damage has been detected. The Magical Girls will be able to make a full recovery, assuming they can be reconnected with a body." You don't feel any relief just yet. Millennia's worth of disasters have given you a sense for when something isn't over yet. "However, the Soul Gem of Kyoko Sakura has sustained extensive damage. It is unlikely she will survive any attempt to reawaken. It's a completely new occurrence for me."

Mami freezes, her hands digging tightly into your arm. If looks could kill, your glare would have atomized the little white chimera as it sits calmly before you, completely dry despite the downpour. "Can you fix her?" you grind out.

"That would be very unlikely."

It's being evasive again. You're not going to let those half-answers go any longer. Not for this. "Because you can't or because you won't?"

"What do you mean?" The despair in Mami's voice is blunted by confusion.

"While technically possible, the expenditure of energy required to repair Kyoko Sakura's Soul Gem would not be justified. That's without factoring in that this sort of damage has never been seen before. Of course, if you were to make a Contract with me, it would be-"

You force away the mental link as violently as you can. It's not a diplomatic move, and despite how inherently problematic Kyubey is they're still useful. But right now, you're choosing not to care about that. You're injured, you're tired, your kids are afraid, and you've just about had it with the Incubators and their shit.

"It's going to be alright," you assure Mami, taking her hand and guiding her towards where the other children are huddled around Homura. "I have other resources to access that can repair this sort of damage. If it comes to it, my sister will have more options."

"Your sister?" Mami asks, distracted from her sorrow by a rare mention of your life before arriving to Mitakihara. It's not the healthiest way to cope, but for now keeping her mind off of Kyoko will have to do.

"We have a… complicated relationship, but she'll be willing to help." Complicated is quite an understatement, but it works for now. You turn your attention to the others, Sayaka frantically trying to heal Homura of some injury you can't see. "What's the situation with Homura?"

"She- something happened to her after you disappeared!" Madoka stammers. "She did something to get you back and then just collapsed!"

You limp to where the fallen Magical Girl lies. Her simple clothes have become a black-and-white soldier's outfit, dull purple accents the only trace of color. It's old and damaged, showing wear and tear from the years of battle Homura endured in her quest. The oddly familiar ribbon tied around her waist seems almost out of place in comparison, faded pink and weathered but undamaged and clearly cared for. You could almost mistake the massive bow it forms for a pair of wings. While the rest of Homura's body is completely still, the ribbon shifts and twitches as though it has a life of its own.

Whatever she's wearing, it's not EGO despite the similar sensation. Looking closer, it seems as though her clothing is actually attached to her body. More notable are the open wounds, through which you can see intricate machinery ticking away instead of raw flesh. The injuries remain even as Sayaka pours wave after wave of healing magic into them. EGO gear shouldn't have such a profound effect on a person's body outside of severe Corrosion, and that can't have happened in the short time you were absent. Not to mention that there's nothing foreign that you can sense. The transformation is overwhelmingly characteristic of Homura, to the point that calling it a transformation at all feels incorrect.

You are shaken out of your thoughts by something in front of you. One end of the ribbon has moved to present a small silver key with a purple diamond set into the head. While it could be mistaken for her Soul Gem, the telltale concentration of consciousness is completely absent.

Hesitantly, you take the key. It's only then that you take notice of the similarly-sized keyhole on the back of Homura's neck. Without much else to do, you place the key in and turn. A tightness overcomes you, like something clawing at your soul, but it passes without incident. You withdraw the key, the ribbon once again grasping it, and wait.

Homura rises slowly, though still abruptly enough to send Sayaka crashing backwards with a yelp. She scans the area, face completely unmoving. If you weren't looking for it, you'd probably miss the mechanical artificiality of the action. Homura was always… stoic, to say the least, but it seems she's gotten worse since you were gone.

"The Abnormality was defeated."

It's a statement, not a question. Her voice is surprising unchanged although her mouth doesn't move to speak. Something has gone horribly wrong.

"Hey, transfer student. Are you… alright? What… happened to you?" Sayaka asks tentatively, picking herself up off the floor.

"I am no longer a Magical Girl." the time-traveller announces flatly. "That aside, I do not feel all that different to how I was before." She stands completely unmoving amidst the shock and sorrow all around her. Uncaring, Homura continues. "I will head home for now. Expect me to return soon." And with those words and a chorus of mechanical sounds, she disappears.

The remaining five of you stand silently in the ruins and rain.

"There's something wrong with her." Sayaka says, although lacking any bite or derision. If anything, she sounds pitying. It's a shame Homura left before she could hear it. It would've been good for her, you think, to hear somebody new expressing care for her. Sayaka's next words are even more despondent. "What are we gonna do now?"

"Mom's gonna fix everything."

All eyes fall on Yuma, who had been perfectly silent up until now. She stands with more confidence than any of you, undeterred by the cold and the rain.

"Cuz' she said everything is gonna be alright. And I believe her. Don't you?"

You can't help but smile. You know the feeling of having faith placed in you. Of somebody believing in you. Of being trusted so absolutely you could order a person to die on the spot if you wished. It's a burden, a responsibility. But it's a burden you welcome gladly. Because if you don't, who will have to carry it in your place?

You never expected a life beyond your purpose. You still don't. But while you're still needed, you'll protect your family. No matter what it takes.

"Alright then," you say, dismissing your weapons and forcing yourself to stand on your own. "First things first: We should all get out of the rain."

"Let's head home."

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END OF ACT I​

 

[Lepidoptera]

Make sure not to miss this Sidestory! While not explicitly necessary to know what's happening, it'll at least fill you in on some things.

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

 

[Lepidoptera]

Chapter 80 - Stolen Fire

DEAR SISTER: I FORMALLY INVITE YOU TO THE LIBRARY. THE LIBRARY'S BOOKS CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH ALL THE KNOWLEDGE, SHELTER, AND AID YOU SEEK.
I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AGAIN.
- ANGELA

ADDRESSEE
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You had received the first Invitation the next night after defeating Nothing There. Apparently, the Library's functions were not limited by the boundaries of its own dimension. A logical conclusion, considering the Library is practically a dimension unto itself. At the time, you didn't actually know what it was. But it was clearly from Angela, and while she had been an antagonistic presence for most of your life that seemed to have changed at some point. So you signed your name, and you and your sister got to work planning for the future.

You didn't actually speak much. What little discussion there was was merely clipped questions and answers to clarify the state of things on both ends. You're alive, you have a place to live, and you have children now. Angela and the Sephirot left the City. Details were passed back and forth, feeling distinctly unimportant compared to everything that wasn't being said. Conclusions were reached all too soon, and you went back home.

From then on, you had an Invitation on you at practically all times. You'd been somewhat apprehensive about just having an item that could access the City anywhere near Kyubey, but Angela had an answer rather quickly. There was some sort of system in place to "ensure that only those who are intended to receive an Invitation shall do so," which meant the thing disappeared the second the Incubator so much as laid eyes on it. While they've already puzzled out that you're not from this Earth and will almost definitely recognize dimensional travel, the less Kyubey knows the better. You'd expected to have more trouble convincing Mami and Sayaka to keep things a secret, but both were surprisingly amiable to the idea of leaving the little mascot creature out of the loop.

Today, only you and Mami have signed your names on the small slip of paper. You've finally prepared a way to cure the damage to Kyoko's soul, but the cure itself has its own risks. The other kids don't need to be here, don't need to see this if it goes wrong. Mami… maybe you could have talked her out of being here, if you really wanted to. But it wouldn't have given her peace.

After Homura's transformation, you had brought all of the children with you to examine her. While only Sayaka had been present during your analysis itself, all of them were eventually briefed on what a Distortion is. It was soon after that an idea formed. When a person Distorts or manifests EGO, their body often undergoes some degree of change. As a part of this process, Homura lost her Soul Gem. If Kyoko were to do the same, the damage to her own Soul Gem would either vanish or become irrelevant. If she ended up with EGO, then everything would be perfect. Kyoko would be alive and in good health, both mentally and physically.

Of course, all evidence indicates that Distortion is a far more likely outcome. That… well, it could be worse. As far as you can tell Distortions are still the same people they were before the transformation, just with certain traits over-expressed. The Ensemble had some way to bind a Distortion to a more human form, and between that and the disguises Angela managed to work out Homura was able to appear as a completely normal human. Even if Kyoko Distorts, you'll be able to do the same for her.

Everything has been accounted for. Everything is under control. Everything is going to be alright.

The world swirls around you and your daughter for only a second before you appear in the golden halls of the Library. The room you arrive to is a large rectangular box, empty bookshelves lining intricately-engraved walls made from something that could perhaps be mistaken for wood from a distance. Despite the absence of any clear light source, the whole room is consistently and brightly lit. Another absence of note is the lack of any entrances or exits. This room was specifically prepared for its present use, and once that use has been concluded Angela will likely just dismiss it.

Your sister arrives almost immediately after you and Mami, a reverberating snap and flash of light announcing her appearance. To your surprise, she's not alone.

On one side stands a plain, dark-haired man in a black suit. His steps, his posture, his clothing, everything about him seems casual. Unassuming. Beneath notice. And yet, there's an underlying tension to each movement. His eyes haven't left you since he appeared, scanning you in a way that feels less curious and more cautious. You've never met the man, but you have heard of him. Roland, the first person Angela met since leaving the Facility. If you remember correctly, their first meeting involved her cutting off all of his limbs for asking too many questions. Currently, he's glancing between you and the third resident of the Library to have arrived.

Standing next to them, a measure taller than everyone else in the room, is Gebura. She's wearing the same black leather jacket from her time as a Color, scarlet hair falling along her shoulders and back past her waist. She is also staring in abject confusion at you, a look which Mami mirrors towards her. If she hadn't already met Angela, she'd likely have assumed the legendary mercenary to be your sibling instead.

Right. This is awkward.

"Angela, mind explaining why the Manager looks like me?"

Angela's face remains completely even, although her eyes tell another story. "I believe I informed you that X had produced a new body so as not to look like that man any longer?" Her voice too is perfectly innocent, as if she didn't anticipate this exact situation. You would've appreciated her giving either side some more advanced warning, but you can admit this is somewhat amusing.

You decide to interrupt before the awkwardness can stretch any further. You've a job to do today, and as much as you want to stretch this reunion out it would be wrong to make Mami and Kyoko wait any longer.

"Gebura, it's been a while. I hope everything's gone alright since I left?"

It hasn't. You know it hasn't. But you can't talk about that now.

Fortunately, your old colleague seems to agree with you on that front. She reaches to grasp your outstretched hand, pointedly ignoring the weirdness of how similar you look. "There were a few rough patches, but we made it through alright." She gestures lazily to your daughter beside you. "And who's this with you?"

"Tomoe Mami," Mami answers for you, performing a small curtsy. She's still a bit off-balance from the resemblance, but maintaining composure in extreme situations is a skill Mami perfected long ago. "It's an honor to meet one of X's old colleagues."

"Gebura," returns the mercenary, "and that's Roland. You already know Angela." Her voice is gruff, but not without softness.

"As much as I'd like to continue talking, we have work to do here." Angela says, cutting off any further conversation that could be had. "If you could bring out the Soul Gems?"

One by one, you withdraw the gleaming crystals from your pocket. For nearly all of Nothing There's victims, the only thing preventing them from returning to their lives was a lack of a body. Admittedly, that is a rather large hurdle, but one you have a solution for. Or, to be more accurate, one Angela has a solution for.

Another snap, and the thirty-six Soul Gems you had taken out vanish. Interestingly, you can feel the sudden appearance of new people within your floor of the Library. Each one no longer confined to their crystalline prisons, but slowly awaking in their own bodies. It's truly impressive how versatile Light constructs can be. In time you'll work out how to return them to their normal lives. But for now, the Library can house them as long as it needs to.

"So those were, what, people's brains?" Roland half-whispers to Angela. "Not the weirdest modification I've ever heard of, but-". His tangent is interrupted by an elbow to the stomach by Gebura, who indicates towards Mami tensing beside you. "Ah. Right. Anyways, we'll be here in case things get out of hand. You can never be too prepared, y'know? Would've brought Binah too, but she's not really safe to keep around children."

"She's not really safe to keep around anybody." you grumble as you dig out Kyoko's Soul Gem.

You raise the Soul Gem in one hand and reach into it with Lobotomy. Since your temporary release of your true form, using Lobotomy has been far more taxing. It's no longer a practical option in combat, and you've lost some speed even in optimal conditions. Attempts to heal what you had thought were only surface-level injuries failed even with Mimicry's insane self-regenerative properties or Sayaka's boosted healing magic. If you want to recover those capabilities, you'll have to look into it later. Thankfully for this procedure, your precision remains untouched.

It takes only a touch of your will to rouse the quiescent consciousness of Kyoko Sakura. You can see the cracks now, bleeding wounds carved into something more fundamental than just her mind. You could fill these cracks yourself, but with what? You don't know what sort of person Kyoko Sakura is. Not intimately enough to fix this, to reconstruct her spirit from what remains. But there is a way forward. The Light, humming eagerly within her mind. The drifting fragments warp and tint themselves, shaping in accordance with Kyoko's mind. Now that the former Magical Girl has awoken, it seems the Distortion Phenomenon is already near manifestation. Only one step remains for the transformation to begin.

Mami squeezes your arm. You pull her closer and widen the connection between you and Kyoko and let her voice filter in.

"Oh. So you died too. Damn it. Mami was really happy to have you around, you know?"

Her voice echoes through your mind, choked and weak. It sounds as though she's been crying while trying to swallow shards of broken glass.

"Neither of us are dead. You are pretty badly hurt, though. Should be healed in a bit, so just hold on until then."

"Healed? Why are you wasting time with that? I died. Something stronger than me showed up, and nobody's got any right to complain about it. That's just how it goes."

Damn. You'd hoped the last part would be easy, but this is far more in line with your expectations.

Distortions hear Carmen's voice. Homura heard her before she Distorted, Argalia was instructed by her for who knows how long before he finally died, and Angela even spoke to her directly in the Light. Whatever she says, whatever they decide on together, becomes the foundation of the Distortion's new self. The basis of their twisted worldview, a lenses that tints everything they see. With Kyoko so close to Distortion, it's likely that Carmen will appear to offer her "advice". You can't allow that to happen, but you also only know of one way to prevent her from taking root.

You will simply play the part of guide before Carmen can.

Manifestation
[] Write-in

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Der Freischütz's Sapling - Observation Level 2/3
Porccubus' Sapling - Observation Level 2/3
We return to Human Resources with the start of Act II! Welcome back, and we're jumping right into things with a vote on how to interact with Kyoko as she's manifesting Distortion/EGO. Character Sheet has been updated with completed Saplings accessed.

As for this vote, it's pretty much just deciding what argument you're going to be making to try and change Kyoko's current mindset. The spirit is more important than the wording, and I'll be keeping an eye on thread discussion so that I can get as much of that conversation done in a single chapters as I can.

Also, I've started up a second Quest to run at the same time as this one. It won't be updated on as consistent a schedule, but it's there. Go read it! Or don't, I can't tell you what to do.