Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

The front door slides open, shining light outside now that the sun has gone down.

"Nii-san? Why are you with my classmates?"

The last person Izumi expects to see on the other side is one of her own classmates, yet here she is, staring at Todoroki because she's bringing his sister home after her attempt.

Honestly, he looks quite different than how she would expect him to dress outside of school, even though she doesn't really know him. Never had the need to connect during her looping. Still, for someone from an upper class family, he looks... incredibly casual. She would have thought he would wear something like a button up over a semi-tight t-shirt and fitted pants, not the loose sweater, shirt, and pants he has on now. It doesn't hug his body at all. Almost like he doesn’t want it to.

"Hello there, Todoroki-san." Yaoyorozu raises her free hand to wave at him, the other wrapped around Fuyumi's left. She's wearing her glasses now, but the cracked lenses from the fall likely make it hard to see.

Todoroki continues to stare at them, eyes still wide as he eyes them all. Ochako taps a foot on the ground while pushing on a pressure point, and even though Izumi doesn't have a good look at Ashido, she can guess that she's trying to put on a smile but failing to hide some of the awkwardness of the moment.

"It's a long story." Izumi scratches the back of her neck with her own free hand. "Besides, we shouldn't be the ones telling it." She glances over at Fuyumi, who's looking down at the ground as she bites her lip. Possibly to keep it from quivering?

Izumi removes her arm, Yaoyorozu doing the same. Fuyumi slowly walks up to her brother, wrapping him in a hug as she leans on him for support. Sniffles fill the air, along with the beginning of hiccups.

"Nii-san?" His whole body is stiff, yet he still reaches out for her, returning the hug.

"I'm sorry..." She croaks out. Her voice shakes, tears likely falling down her face. "I'm so, so sorry..."

"W-what happened?" His mouth hangs slightly open, and he tightens his embrace.

"I didn't mean to almost leave you and Natsuo behind. That wasn't my intent. I promise. I'm just... I'm just tired of having to stay strong, having to carry this family, especially after becoming the eldest. I’m supposed to be like our mother. I should know just what to say and do to make everything better. But it feels like no matter how hard I try, we're all still hurting, and I don't know how to fix it. I don't know how to repair our family, and I want it to end somehow. And I almost did, but it would have only ended for me, and I would have left you and Natsuo with even more to deal with and… and…" Her tears completely engulf her voice, ugly crying echoing throughout the night. Even with the awkwardness hanging in the air, Izumi can feel this sinking feeling in her gut, like her heart fell out from her rib cage. The pain is too real, too ugly, too easy to see herself crying in her Okaasan's arms for the same reason after the same events.

Fuyumi looks back, the sclera of her eyes completely pink. "They... they're all the reason I'm even here now. I don't know how, but they saved me. They saved me from myself and brought me home here to you."

Todoroki looks up at them as he bites his lip, pupils practically shaking. He tightens the grip on his sister's turtleneck, even as his hands shake. "I... thank you..." It's barely above a whisper, yet it rings clearer than a clock tower bell.

Izumi nods, her throat too clogged up to even attempt to whisper. Cold nerves still run up and down her body, but there's a warm feeling blossoming in her chest. It's quite foreign, yet at the same time, it's so familiar. She knows she's felt it before, just not in a long time. It feels somewhat like Ochako, but also more than that. Something possibly greater.

It's almost like fulfillment.

'The reason she's even here now...'

A saved life.

One of her original goals.

Fuyumi turns her head back, wiping away some tears. "We should probably find Natsuo so I can tell you both. You deserve to know what happened. Just... don't tell Father about this. Please. I don't know how he would take it."

"Of course."

Yaoyorozu bows ever so slightly. "We'll leave you two be. Please, get some good rest." She gently turns on her heel, footsteps barely echoing as she walks away.

Ashido doesn't waste much time following her, and Ochako gives a small wave before turning to leave.

"Deku-san? Are you okay?"

She knows it's technically intruding to watch Fuyumi and Todoroki embrace in their tearful silence, yet she can't help but continue. The warmth has spread out, melting away the chills yet still leaving her in some kind of frozen awe. She saved somebody, actually went in and saved somebody from harm. It wasn't just the usual Witch hunting; she directly helped out in saving somebody. Fuyumi just being here is tangible proof that she saved someone and spread some more hope into the world.

Izumi forces herself to turn towards Ochako, to not peer in any more than she already has. "Y-yeah. I think I am. Let's all head home now."

Ochako grabs her hand again as they leave, Izumi brimming with warmth. Except this time, this isn't any kind of romantic feelings at fault. It's something equally special.

Something she could get used to feeling again.

A loud boom vibrates through the area, the Familiar crashing into the metal structure in the park. Its static shape glitches back and forth in a vain attempt to escape. Not that Izumi would even let it. Something as small as a Familiar doesn't warrant the use of something like bullets or a flash grenade (despite this one being weak to light), but she'll gladly wear it down with her staff. Even if it eats away at her energy far faster than her normal ranged weapons. A few knives, both the normal and throwing kind, rest within her shield, but she'd rather not use those around Yaoyorozu. Daggers, while not ranged weapons, are too similar to knives, so those are out as well. Not even the small collection of Maka Pãhoa her Otousan sent her when visiting his family back in Hawaii will do; besides, she'd rather not waste them if she can help it. There are plenty of other weapons she can grab and use.

A bow completely out of the question. The arm strength isn't the issue.

It's the connection to Ochako that rules it out.

"Everything is just peachy! Now, Okochatel’nyy Vystrel!"

Yaoyorozu, who is standing on top of the lamppost, fires off her cannon, wiping out the Familiar with more force than is probably necessary. Still, at least overkill ensures it's down for good.

The weak Familiar Labyrinth fades away to reveal the limited stars in the city sky. Izumi tucks away her staff into her shield before releasing her transformation and sitting down on one of the park benches.

"Here, Deku-san."

Izumi looks up and finds Ochako leaning her way with a bottle of water in her hand.

"T-thank you." She takes the water out of her hands, pulling out a pill bottle from her sweater pocket. It doesn't take long for a few pills to land in her palm and then into her mouth, the refreshing water washing them down.

"It's the least I can do to help you out.” Ochako sits down next to her, the Incubator on her other side.

"It means a lot more than you realize."

"Another amazing fight, Yaomomo-san! Midori-san!" Ashido pumps her fist into the air, the one holding her non-stolen baseball bat.

"Midori-san?" Izumi takes another swig of water, breathing in nice and steady.

"Yeah!" Ashido lowers her fist and turns to face her. "You're my second magical senpai, no? It's only fair that you get a nickname as well! Though, the only green part of you when transformed is your hair. You got this blueish purplish color scheme going on." She raises her free hand to her chin. "Should I call you Murasaki-san then? Though, that's just as long as your surname..." A rather large groan escapes her.

"I'm glad you're bonding, but make sure to pay attention during these fights." Yaoyorozu must have jumped down from the lamppost before releasing her transformation given the fact she's standing right next to Ashido right now. Her own dress blows a bit in the light breeze.

"I'm totally learning from both of you!" Ashido states loud and proud. "Like how, uh, some Witches are really small. Like the one from tonight!"

Yaoyorozu shakes her head, but there's an earnest smile painted on her face. "A good attempt, but not quite on the mark. Tonight's hunt was just a Familiar, not a full blown Witch. Though, you are correct about Witches coming in all sizes. It's one of the reasons they're dangerous."

"Is that why you aren't holding a Grief Seed?" Ochako points at Yaoyorozu's empty hands. "Because there wasn't a Witch?"

"That's right, Uraraka-san."

"If they don't drop Seeds, then how come you still fight them?" Ashido casually asks.

The breeze feels chillier than it did a few seconds ago.

"Well, you see, it's because Familiars can become Witches themselves if left alone for too long." Yaoyorozu's voice still sounds poised and composed, but Izumi can hear it shake just the tiniest bit, unease hiding between each word. "If we don't take care of them, then people will get hurt."

Izumi grasps the edges of her sweater. She knows it's not the first time Yaoyorozu has been asked this, and there's no guarantee that it gets easier for her to answer every time.

She gasps when a warm touch covers her hands. Looking over a bit, she can see Ochako reaching out as she gently squeezes. Like she's trying to comfort her. That doesn't keep her from looking at Yaoyorozu, her brows arched as she watches more and more.

Did she pick up on the unease as well?

Ashido crosses her arms behind her head. "That's actually pretty smart. You're keeping people safe before something really bad can happen, being a real hero! I think I'm gonna do that as well when I become a Puella Magi! We'll be pillars of justice together!"

Yaoyorozu's shoulders relax, like her body is sighing. "I'm very glad to hear that, but don't rush into this, okay? After all, you should be able to pick out the exact kind of miracle you want to see happen. Midoriya-san and I will be waiting when you figure out what you want to fight for."

Izumi's grip tightens, and she bites her tongue while steadying her breathing. Yaoyorozu isn't wrong about the warning; she's quite grateful she gave it out so Izumi wouldn't have to repeat herself. No, it's the fight for justice via the erasure of every Familiar that makes her stomach tighten up. Her heart twists in response, as if the guilt stewing in her for not ensuring as much peace as possible is counteracting a need for survival. She swallows the lump in her throat before it can form any more, hoping and praying to a god she doesn't believe in that no one else saw a possible moment of weakness.

That doesn't shake off the hunch Yaoyorozu saw something from her.

"Would it be helpful to rest here a bit more before we head out?" Yaoyorozu asks, not giving a hint one way or another about what she may or may not have seen. "Or do you have enough strength to walk home with ease?"

"A few more minutes, if that isn't too much of a problem. I don't want to weigh you all down."

"Deku-san, it isn't weighing us down to make sure you're okay. We're all a team now, and that means looking out for each other. So don't feel the need to rush yourself for something that isn't true."

Izumi takes a deep breath in, the knots in her stomach unraveling with such kind words. Ochako seems to have that touch, able to heal her with the simplest of kindness, the simplest of respect. It's almost like she's an angel, or Polaris guiding all through the night.

"Here."

Izumi snaps out of her daze to look up at Yaoyorozu.

She rummages around in her pocket before pulling her hand out and towards Izumi. "The Grief Seed from a couple nights ago. You can use it if it would help."

"Thank you, Yaoyorozu-san." Izumi reaches out for Gertrude's Seed, regretfully pulling her hand out from Ochako's touch to bring her Soul Gem out. There really isn't much murkiness in it, but she uses the Grief Seed all the same. A little extra energy for possible healing wouldn't hurt.

She hands it back after the cleanse. "You should use it as well given your magic usage tonight. It's easier to protect people when you have a full battery, right?" She smiles, which should relieve any possible tension in the air.

"That's right." Yaoyorozu's Gem takes longer to clean, the larger magic usage leaving more blackness in it after the fight. The Grief Seed, which is somewhat close to pitch blackness, goes back into her skirt pocket. She smiles as well, though it's smaller compared to before.

"I think I'm ready to go now." Izumi actually isn't, but it's not a huge problem. She would have rested for about a minute more if the anxiety wasn't picking away at her, the subtle feeling of being on pins and needles running through her body. "Should we head to the nearest station?”

Yaoyorozu nods. "We should do so before the trains shut down for the night. Though, if that is the case, I would be more than happy to have my driver take each of you home."

"The fact she said it so casually..." Ochako whispers, and it sounds like she's holding in a sigh.

"Now I kinda hope we do miss the train!" Ashido states. "I've always wanted to go in a limo!"

"If not tonight, I'll try to take you all another time. But that doesn't mean we should all just dilly dally when it's dark and we have classes tomorrow. We all need rest to keep up with our lessons. Being a Puella Magi doesn't excuse you from school."

Ochako gets up, holding her hand out to Izumi. The Incubator climbs up her arm to rest on her shoulders all warm and snug. Of course it would use a kind gesture like for itself.

Izumi takes the hand and slowly stands up, groaning a bit as she stretches out her joints. There's a few pops, but nothing that requires sitting back down. "The nearest station should be not too far from the park."

Their footsteps echo in the night, the lamps illuminating the path. The breeze from before is still there, providing just the right amount of coolness for a walk.

"Going back to earlier, do either of you know what you want to wish for?" Yaoyorozu asks.

Izumi looks over at Ochako, her face slightly scrunched up as she looks a bit down to the ground.

"Not yet." She shakes her head. "Nothing strong enough has really stuck out in my mind yet."

'There's a part of me that feels like... like it's cheating to use Kyubey's wish to fix all my family's problems.' Ochako's previous words echo in Izumi's mind. 'Like all the work I've done up until now is useless because the solution I needed just had to find me.'

It's a nice source of comfort knowing the strongest possibility for a wish has been ruled out. It's easier to protect her.

"Nah, not really," Ashido says. "I mean, there are things I would like to have at the snap of a finger, but nothing that I want so badly that I'll enter a world of magic and battles to have it. Or at least, nothing that justifies such a result."

"Wishes are hard to make when you are given the chance for anything to happen," Yaoyorozu states. "There are so many options that it can be overwhelming. But I'm glad you are both taking the time to really think about this decision."

"You can say that again," Ashido sighs. "Hey, what kinds of wishes did both of you make? I'm thinking if I hear some examples, I'll get a better idea of what to do." She turns back to look at Izumi, and the chills run deep down her spine. No, not this again. No one can know what she wished for. It gives away too much, is too personal.

"Can you tell us, Midori-san?"

"I—"

"It was quite a simple wish, actually." Ochako buts in. "She wanted to be a hero that could protect people no matter what, so Kyubey gave her that ability!" She's speaking a bit faster than normal, hands tucked behind her back as she leans forward. Glancing over, she winks before turning back to Ashido.

She... just covered for her like that? When she could have finally learned for herself? But why?

'Was it because of how I responded back during lunch?’

Her heart twists, but it doesn’t hurt. Not when she feels all warm and soft throughout her whole body, the air gone from her lungs in the best way possible.

“Thank you,” she telepathically says. Even when thinking, her voice cracks, the vulnerability leaking through. Not that she minds this time. The cracks make it seem more honest, more sincere.

The Incubator stares at Izumi for a bit, as if to study her, but she turns her head away before the soulless shit can unnerve her any more. None of its thoughts can lead to positive things, and she’d rather not lose the warm feeling from just now.

"That's a good wish." Ashido pulls on a coil of hair. "Definitely gotta keep in mind something noble now when deciding. I bet Yaomomo-san made an equally as noble wish since she's such a hero of justice!"

Yaoyorozu takes a sharp breath in before stopping right in place. The rest of them stop as well, turning back to face her.

"If it's uncomfy to talk about, I won't make you!" Ashido raises her hands up in front of her chest. "Really, it's okay! I can come up with a wish on my own!"

"You're not prying in too much," she says, "it's just not my most pleasant memory. I can still talk about it, so don’t think that any of you are forcing this story out of me.

"By any chance, do any of you remember a report about a car crash over three years ago?”

"I'm sorry, really, I am, but I don't." Ashido's voice sounds softer than normal. It's loud enough to not count as a whisper, but quiet enough to stand out enough from the perky way she usually speaks.

Ochako shakes her head, one hand wrapped around a wrist and pressing on it. Izumi also shakes her head. It's not exactly a lie; She really doesn't remember the report. Maybe she looked it up in the past to really see the footage, but that possible memory is buried under piles of ones she knows she has.

What makes her denial of seeing the report technically not a lie is the fact she knows exactly what Yaoyorozu is about to say.

"It's not a problem that none of you already know. I don't blame any of you in the slightest. It wasn't exactly a top headline story. I just needed to know how much info I need to provide." She takes a deep breath in, though even that shakes a little.

"My mother and father had just come back from a business trip. I had been allowed to visit them at the airport and ride home with them. It was a simple trip in a simple vehicle. We were all so happy to be together again, and my mother even gave me a present wrapped with the most beautiful ribbons I had ever seen. She even let me start unwrapping it as we got closer to home.

"We were getting off the highway into minor traffic right when I had finished removing the ribbon. A semi-large supply truck was getting ready to drive onto the same highway. It should have been a simple action, but neither of us saw the car rushing towards us.

"It crashed into us, and we crashed into the truck. Footage shows how we all slid down into the street, one extra car running into the truck for good measure. The guy who sped slammed his door open and ran off."

She pauses for a moment, the wind's whistle preventing total silence. Another deep breath in, and this time it shakes even more.

"There was glass and smoke everywhere. I could feel something thick and wet running over me, but I was barely moving, much less processing how much everyone else was bleeding. I dared to open my eyes and found Kyubey there, standing on the broken window frame. He was shaking like everything else in my vision, but I still reached out to him. I think the ribbon was hanging off my hand. I can't remember the exact wording, just that my throat was raw.

"Outside of the person who hit and ran, I was the only one involved in that event to live."

Ashido gasps, and Ochako is crying, likely hot tears running down her frozen face. Even Izumi can feel her throat tighten and her body run cold.

This truth never gets easier every time she happens to hear it.

"The doctors said it was a miracle that I survived; they weren't wrong. I was given the chance for a miracle, and I took it. I suppose that makes Kyubey my guardian angel since he came right when I needed him the most. I just didn't get to think about my wish, that's all."

"Do..." Ochako's voice shakes with each word, like they're all made of glass about to break. "Do you regret it? Not being able to save them?"

She doesn't need to clarify who ‘they’ are.

Yaoyorozu looks up at the sky while tucking some hair back behind her ear. "It would have been nice to save them as well. Though, I wouldn't exactly call it regret. I did get my wish. I was saved. Besides, despite all its flaws, the life I live now is far better than dying back there would have been. I really can’t regret that."

Izumi bites her lip while stares at her, the wind blowing her own ponytail. 'All its flaws, huh...'

Yaoyorozu doesn't need to list them.

Not when Izumi knows exactly what she's referring to.

"But right now, neither of you are in a life or death situation where hesitating could seal your fate." Yaoyorozu turns toward both Ashido and Ochako. "That's why I want both of you to really think about what you both want from this offer. To get the chance I will never get."

"That makes a lot of sense..." Ochako states. "I'll do my best to find the perfect wish that won't leave me with any regrets."

"I'm gonna do the same," Ashido adds on. "Though, I am curious about something. Either one of you can answer it."

"I'm more than happy to answer, Ashido-san."

"What's on your mind?" Izumi doesn't need to ask, but it's still polite to do so.

"Does your wish have to help you out specifically? Or can you use it for someone else?"

"Hm?" Ochako cocks an eyebrow at her, head tilted just a bit.

"The wish is not limited to helping out only the contractee," the Incubator states, "there's an existing precedent for such wishes."

Yaoyorozu's whole body stiffens. "Keep going, Ashido-san."

"But I've answered her question. Doesn't she now have the knowledge she wanted?"

"Yes, but I would like to know more." She brings a hand to her chin and spreads her stance out a bit, looking more like a business woman or some sort of lawyer.

"See, I was just wondering if I would, ya know, possibly help out someone with it." Ashido tucks her hands behind her back while kicking one foot slightly into the air. "I'm pretty happy with the way my life is, so unless something super major suddenly pops up, I honestly don't know what I would change. But I wanted to know if I could use my wish to help someone I knew that could really use it, that looked like they really needed a miracle to help them out. I don’t think they need it right now, but just in case things change, I wanna know what you think. If it’s a bad idea or not.”

A floodgate of flashbacks play in Izumi's mind, each frame lasting less than a second as each story comes to the same, stupid conclusion.

"Like Kyubey said, you can use your wish for another," Yaoyorozu states. "But it can be risky. When you wish for another, the results are out of your control. You can't guarantee that the wish will result in good things, especially since you can never really fully understand someone else's mind. You can't predict exactly how they'll react to the wish, or how they'll respond to your choice to make it if they find out what you did. There's a far greater chance you'll come to regret it if it doesn't play out like you hoped it would.

"If you do decide to use your wish for someone else, you must absolutely be sure that you know exactly what you are wishing for."

"What I'm wishing for?" Ashido repeats, her body barely moving.

"Before you make that wish, ask yourself this: do you truly want to help them so their dream comes true, or do you want that dream to come true so they’ll be grateful to you for helping them achieve said dream, if not flat out achieving it for them?”

Ashido takes a sharp breath in, her pupils shrinking.

“They might appear to be quite similar to each other, but in reality, they’re actually two things that have completely different cores. Understanding that difference is the key to whether or not you end up with any regrets."

Izumi feels the air slip out of her lungs. The discussion may not be about her, but it's scarily close to home. Of course she wants Ochako to stay safe, to keep her soul and be able to live a long, fulfilling life. She wants to see her happy without any extra burdens or risks that come with being a Puella Magi. But she also wants to see Ochako with, well, her. She wants to see them staying together, to be able to fully thank her for what she did so many timelines ago.

It's not granting her dream for her, but it might be more self fulfilling than she originally assumed.

It's not exactly the most noble of motivations, is it?

But it will be okay, right? She can work even harder to be a hero and save people from Witches once Walpurgisnacht is dealt with for good. She can make up for past sins by pushing herself and giving her all to keep everyone safe. Ochako may come first, but that doesn't erase the desire to help. It just makes it more complicated.

"—but it's best to say it now rather than later."

Izumi snaps back to reality. Damn, did she zone out that bad? She definitely missed whatever the others might have been saying, along with the beginning of Yaoyorozu's sentence.

Yaoyorozu stares at her a bit. Did she notice her slip away from reality there?

"You're totally fine, I promise," Ashido says. "I know you're just looking out for us, and I can't blame you for that. I'll definitely think about what you said tonight."

"I think I'll mull over it too," Ochako tucks a strand of hair back. "After all, I only get one chance to make a wish. It helps to have as much knowledge as possible."

"Take all the time you need to do so," Yaoyorozu smiles. "Who knows? Maybe the answer will come when you least expect it, like you found the missing piece to complete the puzzle."

"I agree. Take all the time in the world," Izumi adds. "After all, the Puella Magi world is incredibly dangerous. You shouldn't force yourself to enter it just because you can. Make sure you know what you have before you change it."

"On the contrary, it's better for me if both of you make your wishes sooner rather than later," the Incubator states. Of course it would say something like that, the greedy gremlin. The last thing it would want is the chance to snag Ochako to slip away.

"You really shouldn't say things like that, Kyubey," Yaoyorozu chuckles. "After all, no one likes somebody who pressures them into things." She starts walking again, and it doesn't take long for four sets of footsteps to fill the night air.

Izumi stares at the back of Yaoyorozu's head, her stomach swirling around as tiny knots come and go. She forces herself to look away before the thick, bitter taste in her mouth grows anymore, only to catch the Incubator looking back at her. Its stare washes her mouth clean, leaving it totally dry and clammy.

'What do you want? And why are both of you concerned about me?’

The night always feels colder when the clock is ticking.

It snaps at Izumi, nipping her neck as if it's trying to slow her down, holding her back. There's no breeze tonight, but she can still feel air wrap around her like an itchy scarf. The silence almost mocks her, her footsteps barely echoing no matter how much force she puts into each step.

Nothing about tonight feels inviting.

But she doesn't need it to be to complete her task.

The gears in her head run on overtime, knowledge powering their movement as they click against each other with each touch of their pitch points. She's never seen this event happen before, but she knows it by heart. It always happens not long after Yaoyorozu fights Gertrud. When exactly it occurs is tricky to locate. It swings like a pendulum, sometimes occurring the same night Gertrud dies or as late as... well...

As late as the day that begins to devour the fantasy of the Puella Magi world.

But like with all pendulums, there's one date that occurs the most often, the middle point of swinging back and forth. It just so happens to be very close to right now, unless the anomaly nature of this timeline has caused the event to be one of the extremes. If it is, hopefully it's the latter. She can't change the current past, but she can change the future. She'll deal with the consequences of cutting classes once everything is secure and protected.

She could fake her condition acting up and just not go to school altogether.

No. She can't— she won’t— stoop that low. Why validate all the people that accused her of doing that in the first place?

Each footstep acts like the seconds hand in a clock, ticking away as she gets closer to her destination. Izumi knows this path well. She really shouldn't know the way to such a sketchy district, one where a fair number of organized crime syndicates carry out their dirty work. It's not like she minds this knowledge; if it helps her keep track of the timeline better, then she'll gladly hold it.

She passes a bus stop, the one with various flyers for a sweet shop stuck to the wall. There's a few with cheesecake front and center, some with the cake circled with a sharpie as well as statements about how good it is scribbled onto stickers that look too much like the ones on pill bottles. This setup must have inspired some sort of artist, for one of the sidewalls features a slender nurse with a candy head. A strangely tall chair rests right next to the waiting bench, as if someone needed more room to sit until their ride arrived and painted that spot. Somehow, the mess all comes together, like some sort of sweets themed hospital for people to wait in.

She's not too far off from her destination. Only about a dozen more blocks to go.

Izumi takes a deep breath in, trying to figure out what to do if she actually pulls this off. Obviously she needs to stop the future event linked to this from ever happening, but it's the question of how that trips her up. There's no easy plan, but nothing in her life has ever been easy. Maybe she can figure out a way to bring the target to safety so that—

"It's strange to see you out here, Midoriya Izumi."

—it doesn't show up.

Izumi doesn't bother holding back her groan as the Incubator walks up to her, the lamppost light revealing more and more of its body. It walks without a care in the universe, unchanging eyes still not giving a clue about what goes on in its mind.

"I could say the same for you, Kyubey." That name on her tongue makes her stomach churn like she's going to throw up, but she can't use its actual name. She still has to keep as many cards in her hand as possible. If that means putting on a candy coated voice, then she'll do it. "It's strange to see you alone. I've gotten used to you hanging off of Ochako-san's shoulder."

"She wanted to go to bed early tonight, so I decided to explore more of the city." It sits in the center of the spotlight, scratching behind one ear with a hind leg. "What are you doing at this hour?"

"Witch hunting." Technically not a lie, even if it's not the typical hunt.

"Alone? I thought you and Momo decided to become a pair."

"We did, but I couldn't exactly sleep myself. So I thought I'd get out and get some fresh air and possibly take down a Witch if I run into one." Her body begins to stiffen, and she calculates every breath she takes in.

"I haven't seen a Witch in this area tonight. Unless one shows up here soon, then you won't be successful going down this street."

Gears halt in place, one loud boom ringing out before they go silent.

No.

It can't be.

"Hm? You've been in this area for a while?"

"Further down, but yes. I didn't expect to find someone with strong enough Potential, but I suppose you can find what you need in the strangest of places."

Her heart nearly stops beating, and her legs give out. The concrete scraps her knees upon contact, but the pain doesn't matter.

'How could I have been too late?'

This shouldn't have happened, she shouldn't be in this position right now. She should be one step ahead of the Incubator, bending and twisting fate to her will to go the way she wants it to. This whole timeline is supposed to be an anomaly, where nothing is for certain and everything can be changed. If new events can happen that have never happened before, if she can accept offers she's never accepted before, then why did this happen like it always has!?

When in a time loop, you begin to notice that some events always occur, usually the major ones, as if they are key events in a story that need to go on to perform the fucked up show that is life. Even the most wild of timelines tend to obey these points, and it takes immense effort to break them.

Did she not put in enough effort?

Is this damned event a fixed point that the timeline must obey?

She feels the despair fill her Soul Gem.

Not enough to reach the tipping point, but it's bad either way.

Why did she have hope in the first place? Why did she allow herself to wish for the better here when she knew deep down that she was putting herself at risk? She's always played it safe, betraying the natural state of her heart to keep her emotions in line to have the best chance at victory. She could always feel at the end of the line, when she could finally escape from the loop she wove into existence.

Guess this really is an anomaly timeline if she let herself risk her survival so foolishly.

"Was it a good idea to make a Contract there?" Izumi's voice cracks on the last word. "She's not in a good spot to be a Puella Magi. You know she can't easily go and fight Witches."

"You seem so sure in your statement." The Incubator flicks its tail. "Though, I don't recall mentioning the living condition I found her in."

She bites her lip. Dammit. A card slipped out of her hand.

"We both know that area of town has lots of crime." She has to play clean up, and she better pull it off perfectly. "I'd imagine if there is a girl living within it, she wouldn't be living somewhere that would allow her to freely roam around. Witch Labyrinths can move from one place to another, and there's nothing stopping a Familiar from wandering in and making its own Labyrinth, but there's a far greater chance Yaoyorozu-san and I will find either one of them first. Or another Puella Magi could swoop in and take the kill."

"That's probably what will happen. However, just because it's a Puella Magi's duty to fight Witches doesn't mean that the ability to do so is a requirement to create the Contract. If she wanted to be free, she should have wished for it. But since she didn't, she'll need to figure out a way to gain that ability for herself." The Incubator stands up and walks right by Izumi. "After all, your heart condition should have left you unable to fight Witches, but you still found a way."

She forces herself to stand up, though that doesn't stop her legs from shaking. She turns slowly, watching the Incubator stop in the middle of the bus stop before it turns its head back at her.

"Though, that does raise up a point. I don't ever remember making a Contract with you, Midoriya Izumi. You've been in this city for at least as long as I have, yet you somehow made a Contract all on your own."

She keeps her mouth shut. There's not a single thing she can say that won't hurt her case, even if the silence is suspicious.

"You seem to hold a lot of secrets. Your magic, your Contract, your knowledge, it all makes no sense. Even with that said, it's not like it's impossible for the truth about you to slip out. You already seem to be revealing something about who you are. We just both have to wait to see what kind of picture you make.

“Honestly, you and Ochako give me the strangest puzzles to solve. I suppose it’s fitting you care so much about her, and that she wants to spend more time with you.”

“What does that mean?”

“I’ve already listed your peculiar qualities. You’re a Puella Magi that somehow slipped into this world, and a very capable one at that. I’d imagine you have lots of experience like Momo does. She’s grown quite a lot in her three years fighting Witches. I’ve seen her write down notes after each battle so can study all the types of Witches out there and what kind of magic works best again. She’s a smart girl, one who’s more than willing to help others that stay by her side and also share her beliefs. After all, I’ve seen her do just that.

“Yet Ochako somehow infinitely beats all of that work just by making a wish.”

What?

“I’ve never seen Potential like hers. It should be far smaller than it is given the ordinary life she lives. But somehow, the Potential is so large that you’d think she was a legend even more important than someone like Jeanne D’Arc. I don’t know how this is, but I wonder if the truth behind you will help me figure it out. We’ll just have to wait and see.” The Incubator turns its head back, this time running off into the darkness of the night.

She slams her right hand against the glass wall, the pain shooting up her arm as the glass echos from the tiny spider web of cracks she made. That stupid, soulless, secretive scumbag is right about her, and she hates that. The accidental time stop in Gertrud's Labyrinth. The knowledge of exactly where the Contract was made. It's only two things, but it's two things too many. She should be far smarter than this, needs to be so. Not if she wants to fail at protecting Ochako and keeping her safe without needing to go through another timeline.

And Ochako’s strength… Izumi has seen her grow more powerful in each loop, but to be able to so easily eclipse Yaoyorozu just like that?

Something isn’t right here. Something in the universe’s flow of time is broken, the universe’s relationship with Ochako, and it’s possibly by Izumi’s own hands.

Just how important to fate has Ochako become?

Izumi summons the true form of her Soul Gem, the dimmer color makes her stomach turn like a stormy sea. It's not pure enough to comfortably keep going, to try to salvage what she can of tonight. She can't predict how the newly Contracted Puella Magi will respond to her, even if she knows how young she is. No. She needs to go in at peak condition, to be able to smoothly handle anything that comes her way. Even trained power can fail in a moment of crisis.

Izumi reaches into her pocket for a Grief Seed, only to sigh upon her realization that the only Seed she has access to is with Yaoyorozu. She'll have to ask for it in the morning. Even with that, it doesn't erase the fact that they'll have to go hunting a full blown Witch very soon to ensure that they can continue to purify their Gems and protect themselves.

Especially since Izumi isn't sure how safe Yaoyorozu will be in just a few days.

She's already been working to protect her again, even if it's just a little, the now shaky hope of the opportunities from the anomaly timeline allowing her to focus on protecting more than just Ochako from the world of the Puella Magi. She just needs to push a little harder, focus more on Yaoyorozu until that event passes without tragedy.

She looks at the candy nurse painting. "I'm sorry, Yaoyorozu-san. But you'll have to forgive me for my selfishness. I'll let us share the lead again soon. You can hate me all you want after this, but I need to do this. I need to make sure you stay as safe as possible.”

Izumi barely knows what the Hell she's doing.

She pulls the window curtains open, the tiny sliver of the moon still shining in the night sky. Its light is almost comforting, the constant cycle always working without fail as it orbits the Earth.

Man, does she wish time was as simple as the moon.

Instead she's here, trying to go and correct her mistake from last night. Just because that Contract might be a fixed point in time doesn't mean she can't work around it. She can still keep Yaoyorozu safe by keeping the new Puella Magi as far away from the clutches of despair as possible.

Even if that exact process is still a work in progress.

At the very least her Soul Gem is back at a comfortable level of purity after borrowing the Grief Seed earlier during the school day. Sure, Yaoyorozu gave her a strange look about needing to use it, but she knows about how the Gems are tied to emotions. A simple white lie about why Izumi encountered some despair was able to do the trick.

The balcony door lock clicks open, her hand resting on the handle to slide it open.

'I need to somehow get her out of there without getting caught. Maybe bring her something sweet? Though, if she didn't wish for freedom, then she might have wished for something sweet to give some form of comfort.' A bitter taste fills her mouth as her throat grows tighter. How much fear is holding onto her that even using a miracle to gain freedom is deemed impossible? That using it that way is still too risky and may not even work?

She never should have been under such control in the first place, even in a world without Contracts or Puella Magi.

Carefully, she slides open the door. The cooler air begins to enter her room.

'Maybe if I show her some kindness, that I'm not a threat, she'll feel safe enough to come with me. I'll even bring her through frozen time to get some really good distance. But what do I do after that? I can't just leave her out on the streets. An orphanage or foster care isn't safe either; there's no way she can get Grief Seeds in either location, and that would just put more people in danger while still leaving Yaoyorozu at risk.' Izumi bites her lip. 'Maybe Yaoyorozu will accept her as a potential younger sister to take care of and teach? She could use more company to keep the loneliness at bay, especially someone that won't leave her side like what happened to her ex before. I just have to hope the fact I had to kidnap this child isn't a deal breaker.’

She walks out onto the small balcony, climbing on top of the railing before sitting on top of it. She summons the true form of her Soul Gem and lets it rest in her palm.

'It certainly would involve a lot less questions than keeping her at my place. Keeping my Puella Magi status is already hard enough. Keeping a child's Puella Magi status a secret would be ten times harder. And telling Okaasan about everything is basically impossible. It would be far easier to answer the thousands of questions she'd definitely have about the kid I brought home and why I'm asking her to live with and how I even found her in the first place. There's no telling how she'll respond to—'

"Izumi?"

The chills skyrocket down her back.

She knows exactly who that voice belongs to.

And it's the last person she wanted to see her right now.

Izumi quickly lets her Soul Gem return to its disguised form as she whips her head around to look her Okaasan in the eyes. Her heart pounds in her chest, and she can barely feel her face with how frozen it is.

"Izumi?" Inko repeats again, her voice shaking with every syllable. She wobbles with each step she takes, getting closer and closer to the balcony. "Izumi, dear? Were you about to..." She looks off into the night, eyes slowly lower them as if she was watching something fall off the ledge and towards the—

Oh.

Oh god.

Did she assume that Izumi was about to...?

When did she find out about those feelings of hers?

"Please rethink this." She reaches her arms out. "I know it's been hard for you, but you seem to be doing so much better. You have real friends and I've seen you smile like you used to. You still have your shoes on, so there has to be some part of you that doesn't want to do this." Sobs begin to fill the spaces between each word. "Please listen to it. Please don't leave me yet. I promise to show you more of my love and make you feel like you still belong in this world. But I need you here to do that."

Large tears run down Inko's face, and Izumi can feel the beginnings of hot tears descend down her own face. A small part of her is yelling at her for not leaving sooner and figuring out what to do along the way, but it barely stays afloat in the sea of guilt and shame that rocks back and forth like water during a storm. How could she have let something like this happen? How could she have hurt her Okaasan when, for once, she didn't want to do what was assumed?

She slowly climbs off the ledge, never taking her eyes off of Inko. Despite the thick, somber atmosphere weighing both of them down, she runs up to her, wrapping her up in an embrace as Inko begins to ugly cry.

Izumi's tears run down her face, each trail practically burning her skin as the despair travels with the salty streaks. That same despair mixes in with the guilt, and her Soul Gem nearly burns as the despair fills up the inside.

Another Grief Seed can wait until morning.

Emotional boundaries can wait until the sun shines again.

"I'm sorry," she whispers. "I'm so, so sorry to make you think I was about to do that."

"Please don't try to leave me like that again," Inko begs. "I'm always here to listen to you. I want to help you with your problems and help you recover from them."

Izumi simply squeezes her tighter.

"Can you please stay with me tonight?" She asks. "I don't think I can feel safe unless you're right by me."

Izumi swallows a lump in her throat. Not going out tonight would be risking the safety of the newly Contracted Puella Magi, risking the fate of Yaoyorozu. She should be running off to fulfill her mission for tonight, and then come home and clean up her mistakes.

But that's too cruel. It's utterly tone deaf to what's going on right now.

"I will," Izumi says. "I'll stay by your side all night. And I won't leave you, I promise."

'I'm so sorry I couldn't save you tonight, child. Please stay strong. I won't give up on you. Either of you. Not until time won't let me do anything.'

And that's a promise she will fight to keep.

The platform spins as it rises up, the Familiars flying about the closer both of them arise up to the Witch's bird cage. Bullets fly in the air, Yaoyorozu's ribbons wrapping the human bird fusions to choke them out while Izumi's bullets simply take them down. Familiar after Familiar chokes on ammunition, and multiple M1911s get chucked off to the side the moment they run dry. Occasionally one hits a Familiar, knocking it back a bit.

A rather aggressive Familiar charges toward Yaoyorozu, and Izumi twists her body around to fire off a shot from behind Yaoyorozu, her bullet snagging the kill only a second after Yaoyorozu fires off one of her muskets. The magical bullet flies off into the distance, luckily hitting a stray Familiar.

"Sorry," Izumi states, her stomach admittedly twisting a bit. "It looked to be coming fast. I didn't want to risk anything." She shouldn't be feeling like this. She should be protecting her without hesitation!

"It's alright." Yet Yaoyorozu doesn't sound completely alright, something hidden in her voice. "Besides, we're almost at the Witch."

Roberta shakes in her cage, her hips connected to the top as she stamps her feet like an angry child. The cage swings back and forth, and a dozen or so Familiars fly around as if trying to get her attention.

Yaoyorozu pulls out a couple of her guns out of her chest and jumps into the air onto the back of a Familiar. It picks up its speed tenfold, and Yaoyorozu has to push herself off of it to fire the first gun she made. The bullet flies through the cage's openings, right through one of Roberta's legs, and into one of the bars on the other side of the cage. She only stomps more and more.

"Dammit. Not quite where I wanted."

"Yaoyorozu-san!" Izumi bends down before shooting herself off the platform, almost flying through the air as Yaoyorozu hops onto another Familiar to try to ride it. This time it flies near one of the chains scattered all over the Labyrinth from one invisible wall to another, and she swiftly swings her arm out to wrap a ribbon around one of the loops. She's left hanging in the air as she fires off the last musket through the space between cage bars again. This bullet shoots right into the knee, and the ribbons begin to wrap the legs together.

Yaoyorozu turns her head right before Izumi clutches onto her, swinging them both up into the air. Izumi barely grabs hold onto one of the chains, but she luckily manages to secure her grip and land right on top, Yaoyorozu right by her side.

"What were you thinking!?" She yells. "Who knows how far you would have fallen if you weren't careful!? You can't just take a risk like that! Especially not without telling me!"

"We both know the platform wasn't close enough to that cage to get a good shot without hitting a Familiar," Yaoyorozu explains. "Especially with it shaking around. I just needed to close the gap enough to restrain her. Besides, I knew that if I kept jumping from Familiar to Familiar until I got a chain, I would be fine."

"But you..." Izumi tightens her fist as it shakes. "At least let me know you aren't just jumping into something blindly! You had me so worried. I thought I had to rush in to save and protect you! I thought you were gonna die! I can’t let that happen! I’m the one who’s supposed to be risking herself, not you! We should be a better team than this!"

Yaoyorozu stops, her eyes shrinking as her whole body freezes. She looks so open, so vulnerable. Izumi's own body goes cold, and she tries to drown out the sweet taste in her mouth before her eyes can water up.

Protect, don’t hurt, and repeat until you reach safety.

She reaches into her shield for her Remington and fires down towards the bottom of the cage, the rounds leaving multiple holes in Roberta's feet. The gun wordlessly gets replaced with a grenade, and she rests a hand on the pin as she turns towards Yaoyorozu.

Even if she can't look her in the eye without her stomach sinking.

"Can you tie a ribbon onto this chain loop?" She asks. "We're going to need to get down, and fast."

Yaoyorozu nods, though her movement isn't completely smooth, still stiff. A ribbon falls out of her hand and wraps around the loop several times, the other running up her arm and over her hand.

Izumi pulls the pin and tosses the explosive towards the top of the cage, the part she knows will leave it the most vulnerable. She holds onto Yaoyorozu's free hand, letting her safety rest completely in Yaoyorozu’s control. They jump off the chain together, their skirts and hair flying up as they fall down. The slack pulls them back up a bit, but after that, the ribbon lowers them towards the ground quickly. Izumi pulls out another grenade, pulls this pin off with her teeth, and throws it up into the air for the final strike.

The first grenade explodes, and shards of metal fly down everywhere in the Labyrinth. Some pierce into Familiars, some bounce off the chains, and one piece slices through part of the ribbon. They both swing back and forth as they plunge faster.

"Please don't break, please don't break, please don’t break.” Yaoyorozu looks up towards the tear, which only grows the more they descend.

The second grenade explodes, securing Roberta's death. The force sends wind flying toward both of them, rocking them back and forth even more than before. Unfortunately, the extra stress on the ribbon causes it to snap, and they fall further down towards the ground. Yaoyorozu brings her arm down before shooting it up again, a desperate ribbon racing against time to reach the first one.

The ground is getting closer.

And closer.

And closer.

Until it isn't.

They bounce up a good chunk before falling back down and rocking back and forth just a few meters above the ground. Izumi looks up, seeing the second ribbon knotted at the end of the first.

Oh thank whatever god exists for that.

Yaoyorozu twirls her hand, unraveling the remaining ribbon until they're only a couple of meters above the ground. Izumi lets go, and Yaoyorozu lets the ribbon fade away with the rest of the Labyrinth before she lands. Both of them release their transformations, though that doesn't erase the guilt ridden tension in the air.

The Grief Seed falls on the ground, and Izumi turns to pick it up. She turns her hand back and forth, hoping that faking an inspection would calm the storm in her stomach.

Protecting should be easy. She's been doing it with Ochako for so long that it's in her blood. So why is it suddenly so much harder?

"Let's rest together so you can recharge."

Izumi turns towards her answer.

Because this isn't Ochako.

It's Yaoyorozu. Someone who's been fighting to live for over three years now. Someone that will resist being shoved to the sidelines far more than Ochako does.

"I'd like that a lot. Thank you."

There's a grand fountain not too far away from where the Labyrinth entrance was, and it doesn't take much energy for Izumi to get there and sit on the edge. She nearly falls backwards as her muscles burn and her lungs nearly give out on her. The thrill of hunting is fun, for moving around so freely, but that doesn't keep it from being so draining.

She pulls out her pill bottle, and Yaoyorozu places down the bag she had brought with her. Izumi simply stares at it before looking in Yaoyorozu's direction.

She points down at it. "It's for you. You can have whatever you want in there. I wasn't sure what you would like, so I got an array."

Izumi places the bottle between them, picks up the bag, and looks inside. She shouldn't be surprised with how many kinds there are, but the variety of juice, tea, and even flavored water takes her by surprise. She reaches in for the first thing she grabs, pulling out a bottle of green tea as well as bringing a can of peach and apple soda to the surface. After staring at it for a bit, she takes it out as well. She doesn't need a lot to drink to take her meds, but it's nice to have an extra.

She hands the bag back to Yaoyorozu, who pulls out a can of raspberry melon juice. She opens it up, taking a thoughtful sip as she stares out into the distance.

Izumi opens her tea and swallows down the pills, and she stares into the bottle as the water fills the silence.

"That Witch tonight was rough, wasn't it?" Yaoyorozu asks, her voice soft. Like talking too loud would break something. "You think it came here all the way from Kamihama City?"

"Maybe, but I doubt it. Even putting the rumors aside, it would have to travel through Takarazaki first, and it's rather unlikely it could travel that far without someone else defeating it."

"That is a very good point." Another sip of her soda, and the only noise left is the fountain. It's almost mocking, the way it continues its cycle without interruption, working perfectly as its intended plan.

"I'm sorry for snapping back there," Izumi says. "There was just so much going on that my mind was going everywhere and I didn't know how to best protect you, how to best work with you."

"I should apologize as well, Midoriya-san. You're right about how I should have told you what I was doing. I was so focused on carrying out my plan, to not let my own mind hold me back, and I left you behind in the process." She takes another sip. "It's almost foolish how rusty I am working with a partner again. A year can really dull the edges on your skills, even if you spent just as much time working with someone else."

That exact partner flashes in Izumi's mind. They really seemed so close if said partner’s words were anything to go by whenever she talked about it.

"I understand that." After all, it's been so many loops since she last worked in a team. Even the alliance she practically always made later on was more for mutual gain than actual collaboration. "I just don't want to see you get hurt like I've seen others do so again and again. If I can keep you safe, I'll do whatever I have to so that will happen. So I don't have to be alone again..."

She slouches forward, rubbing a thumb over the plastic bottle. You'd think cycle after cycle of loneliness would make her used to it. But her heart still aches as the image of a near broken Yaoyorozu tattoos itself in the front of her mind. It hurts, and it feels like it's dug some skeletons out of the closet in the process.

"You... also feel alone?"

"After growing up isolated and a year practically by myself in a hospital? Yeah, I do." And that's not even mentioning her extra burdens. "It's just me and my Okaasan back home. Work put my Otousan over in the States, so I only really see him over video calls. Sometimes visits home when he’s allowed to. In a weird way, it’s almost ironic. He’s over in Hawaii, one of the closest States to Japan, a place where a part of me is from, yet he feels so distant.” She lets out a weak laugh. “There’s not a lot of people in my life that I'm close with. So to find someone else in this same world as I am?" Izumi looks up at Yaoyorozu, and her stomach doesn't tie into a knot. "I was hoping we could get to know each other better, that I could find someone to rely on and grow with. To feel whole again. To be able to protect you to keep you.”

So many nights alone, so many times she's had to push others away. It somehow gets easier but also is still so hard to do. But she can't drag them in, she can't let them get hurt and lose themselves because she was selfish and placed her burdens on them all. This is her fight, her choice, and she'll finish it all by herself for the sake of everyone.

The company of others is a blessing she must deny.

She can't rely on anyone but herself.

So why does working with Yaoyorozu feel so right? It can't just be nostalgia, can it? It feels so much stronger than that. Almost energizing.

No, she can't fall into old habits. It's not even just working with someone again. She knows the dangers of connecting with others. She gets too comfortable, treating them like she's known them forever because of all the memories, only for these new versions to alienate her before being hit in the pain that comes with being around her, from growing close to her.

Yet she wants more of this. To belong and be wanted. To have what should come after finally defeating Walpurgisnacht instead of now.

"I never noticed how big the house is until they weren't around anymore." Yaoyorozu looks up to the sky, as if she's trying to find heaven in the stars. "The hallways seemed bigger, the rooms seemed colder, and the whole place seemed quieter. All the same staff were still there, but it was like slipping into an alternate universe. No one would talk about it. It was as if the world was made of glass, and I was Atlas." She crosses her left leg over her right. "It didn't help that I had to start extra training to inherit the company at eighteen rather than twenty.”

“I can’t imagine dealing with that kind of pressure.”

“I thought I was used to it. I always knew I would grow up to someday take the place of my parents. But when it’s thrusted upon you, it feels almost suffocating. Especially when you were relearning how to walk while also getting used to wearing back braces.”

Izumi jolts up straight, something fluttering in her chest. “You deal with chronic pain too?”

She never said anything like this in a past timeline. But an anomaly timeline wouldn’t shake an event so far into the past. Would it? Would it really be so kind as to give her something to help bring her closer to Yaoyorozu? Someone else like her when everyone else has an able body?

“Dealt with it, if we’re being technical.” Yaoyorozu looks down at her feet. “The crash did leave me with chronic pain. I actually didn’t mind having it; I had my life, and that’s all I needed. Adjusting was hard, but the more I learned, the more sure I felt about everything. But I saw how the staff were looking at me, heard them whispering about how I’ll probably be taken even less seriously by other company heads. That being trans and disabled would be too much. One was deemed bad enough, so another thing...” She pauses a bit, swallowing a lump in her throat. “I didn’t want to give anyone else more reason to worry about me. I asked Kyubey about it, and he told me I could heal away the pain for good. So I did.”

Oh.

That’s why she never said anything about it before.

Because it no longer affected her.

Of course the universe wouldn’t give Izumi anything kind. Why would it, after it had continued to take away Ochako time and time again?

“I wasn’t brave enough back then. I let others dictate my life, and I changed it to fit their needs better. I wasn't brave enough to stand my ground and prove that my pain didn’t make me any less capable of eventually running a business.” She lets out a small chuckle while looking back up. “Not like you. I wish I could have been as brave as you are, not willing to bend yourself to fit whatever so-called ideal image is pushed your way.”

Izumi feels her cheeks warm up, the words evaporating in her lungs. She really thinks that? Gets that just because she can make an able body, she won’t compromise herself to do so?

She may be the first person to truly understand her decision.

“I guess completely healing the pain kept the girls from middle school from trying to fake sympathy— no, it would have been pity— my way,” Yaoyorozu continues. “I already felt like I was a burden to the family staff without anyone to turn to. I didn’t need others faking even more genuine interest to get closer to my family’s status rather than me.” She takes a sip of her drink. “I guess being a Puella Magi made it easier to push them away and create my own world to live in."

"Even though it hurt you?"

Her sclera turn slightly red. "Even though it still hurts."

Izumi takes a thoughtful sip of her tea before moving her hand closer to Yaoyorozu's. She gently squeezes it. It isn't much, but hopefully enough.

“Thank you. For telling me.”

“Of course.” She gives a gentle squeeze back. “I guess that's hurt why I offered to be a mentor to Ashido-san and Uraraka-san." She smiles as a tear runs down her face. "I thought that if I helped them to learn about the Puella Magi world, that if I was there from the start, I would have someone fighting alongside me again. That I could stand proud and confident without having to fake it. That I wouldn't worry myself to death while fighting because I know if the plan isn't just right, I could join my parents at any moment.”

A bitter taste fills Izumi's mouth. As much as she hates to admit it, it was always nice to fight alongside Ochako. Better than nice even. Not quite bliss, but it made Izumi feel valued. Like it would matter to someone if she ended it all and finally discovered if the afterlife existed or not.

But never again. Not when it would cost Ochako her own life, her own humanity, her own soul, to fulfill this stupid desire. Her safety is far more important than anything else.

"Are you sure that's the right idea?" Izumi asks, ignoring the emotional ache in her heart. "To bring them in like this? We both know there's no going back once you make a Contract, not unless someone else wishes for that."

"If they have the chance to join us, then I don't think it's a bad thing to do this. Plus, it seems like the universe is almost pointing towards Ochako making a Contract given the dream about a strange Witch and you she had before meeting you and this world.”

“She told you too?”

“And Ashido-san. Though, she took it as the two of you being star crossed lovers.”

Izumi chokes on her own spit. Star crossed lovers? With Ochako? Sure, she wants to date her, but that kind of conclusion from that anomaly dream?! That’s crazy!

Yaoyorozu pats her back, trying to help her recover.

“Thanks.” Izumi flashes her a thumbs up as her breathing steadies.

“Of course.” She pulls her hand back, smiles, and takes a swing of her drink before wiping away the tear streaks. “You know, if they can, they should be able to come into this world with an immediate support system, to have someone by their sides to help fight to protect people."

"That is the ideal situation, but that doesn't make it the wisest one."

She wipes under eye and stops. "How come you don't want them to make Contracts if you're lonely as well, Midoriya-san? I know you've agreed to help me, but I've still noticed how you're trying to push them away from bringing them in closer."

"I've just seen too much bad in this world, and I don't want them to possibly fall into it. You know you're an oddity. You actively seek out Familiars when they offer no reward, no way to clean your Soul Gem to restore your strength." To keep you alive. "It's not as much of a cost for you as it is for me. Even when I want to fight them and help people, I just can't." It's not even so much her body as it is her sanity. Letting her Soul Gem get completely tainted is unacceptable under any and every circumstance.

Even if it means turning on her personal beliefs, the fantasy she yearns for, to save everyone from getting hurt.

She can do that again once Walpurgisnacht is all gone and her goal is complete. Maybe if Yaoyorozu is still with her by then and doesn't completely hate her, they can both fight Familiars together again, helping each other and really growing together as a team.

Yaoyorozu curls her hand into a fist. "We can make this world brighter all together if you let them join. I know most Puella Magi tend to fight for themselves, but it could bring a lot of hope to people if we fight and push for it."

"Believe me, I want to do that. I miss taking out Familiars before they can reach people and grow into full blown Witches." She misses celebrations with Ochako and Momo afterwards as they review the fight and what they all did well. "But what happens when they see their first death? What if they arrive too late and see someone reach a horrible end thanks to a Witch's Kiss? Who's to say what comes next? How long can they keep smiling and pushing forward until it all weighs down on them too much and they join the common mindset Puella Magi have?"

"Until they only fight Witches and keep the rewards for themselves?"

"Yeah, that. When they lose that much spirit."

"Is that how you entered that very same mindset?"

Izumi jerks up, looking Yaoyorozu right in the eye. There are faint traces of pink left, but you can see her brows slightly arched in, her lips pressed together.

"I don't..." Izumi bites her lip. "It's complicated. I still take out Familiars when I can, but that isn't always possible. And I've been enjoying sharing Grief Seeds with you. It's a sort of a magical-like feeling that you can't find anywhere else. But you've seen me over the past few days. I find myself struggling with emotions and using too much energy that my Soul Gem becomes cloudy. After all, we had to fight again tonight because of me needing more Seeds. I don't like weighing you down like that. I'm genuinely trying to spread hope, but well..." She looks off to the side. "It isn't always easy."

"You're starting to sound a bit like her..." Yaoyorozu mutters. At least, that's what it sounds like. Her voice is so soft and her words so muddled that Izumi can't be completely sure.

"Hm? Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, it is." She puts on the most natural fake smile Izumi has ever seen. "Just a silly little thought, that's all. Nothing important."

"Alright then." Izumi takes another sip of tea. "I hope I didn't make you worry there, or do something stupid like ruining your image of me."

"No, you did nothing like that, I promise." It's hard to tell how honest Yaoyorozu is being right now. "Whether or not Ashido-san and Uraraka-san join us, let's keep working together, okay? Let's focus on becoming a better team and boost each other up. After all, if we keep improving, then we'll be able to keep supporting each other for as long as possible.I'll help provide enough strength for you to fight more Familiars with me, and you can help watch my back like you were talking about."

She'll do far more than just watch her back. She'll fight in her place as much as possible to keep her around.

"Yeah, I like that plan. Let's do it."

Yaoyorozu picks up the drink bag, slips it onto her shoulder, and stands up. She holds her hand out to Izumi, and she's left staring at her as her body goes numb. This situation seems... oddly okay. Almost too okay. There has to be something going over on Yaoyorozu's side, right? Especially given how she sounded sorta off back there.

Still, the promise of being in a genuine team is too enticing to pass up.

She reaches for her hand, holding onto it as she pulls herself up. Izumi grabs her other drink while Yaoyorozu picks up her soda.

"Do you think you can bring me home?" Izumi can feel her voice crack. "I, uh, gave my Okaasan a bad scare last night, and she only let me come out on the condition I was with someone the whole time.”

"I'm more than happy to do that." Yaoyorozu smiles. "I'll just call my driver, and he'll take us home. Shouldn't be more than fifteen minutes. We'll just meet him at the bus stop a couple blocks from here." She pulls out her phone, punching in a few numbers before bringing it up to her ear.

Izumi can't help but smile as she rolls her eyes. It's not the first time she's seen Yaoyorozu accidentally showcase just how well off she is, but it's always in such an innocent, adorable manner that Izumi can't be mad at her. She sorta missed this.

The smile doesn't last that long. Not when she can't completely shake off the feeling she's missing a brand new piece of the puzzle. Especially when it feels like the key to pulling everything off.

Being in the same room as Yaoyorozu should be normal. It should be like any other day, nothing extra hanging in the air as school goes through the same old routine for the hundredth time.

Yet here Izumi is, nervously drumming her fingers on her desk with one hand while the other twirls a lock of hair.

It’s not just the fact that today is the day where everything can go horribly wrong, where all her efforts to bend fate fall apart as required events snap back into place. The day reality begins to devour the magical fantasy. No. There’s just something from last night that doesn’t sit right, even after sleeping. Too many questions bounce in her mind, and her inability to answer any of them is, quite frankly, infuriating. Sure, this timeline has presented many things that leave her puzzled, but at least she can somewhat deal with those. Unlike this, where she feels like something is actively being hidden from her that will probably come to bite her in the ass. To screw over the attempts to use the anomaly to her advantage. Everything is becoming like… oh what’s the word? Something about a lack of predictability, a bunch of disorders appearing more and more. It’s on the tip of her tongue, but she can’t spit it out…

The teacher finishes writing on the board, the marker squeaking as it completes its final stroke. Izumi returns to reality, reading the board carefully in case she missed something.

The completed characters spell out a single word:

Entropy.

A lightbulb goes off in her head. Entropy! That’s it! That’s the word she was looking for! That everything feels like it’s slowly falling into entropy!

How fitting that it looks like they’re about to learn more about it.

"Entropy?" A boy calls out, one that's never really mattered to the timeline. He's just a background character that only really pops up at school. The most Izumi can recall about him is that he has a black streak in his hair. Probably. She's not totally sure about that.

"What the heck is that?" He continues. "It has to be easy to understand since it's at the beginning of the year, right?"

"It's the second law of thermodynamics, which is what we've been covering," their teacher, Kurose, responds. Izumi has always found herself liking this teacher, even though she's never gotten to know them. Maybe it's the pins they wear everyday. There's one shaped like an astronaut, one like Saturn, and one that’s the nonbinary flag. None of Izumi's middle school teachers would have come to school wearing pins, much less a pride one. This teacher is the opposite of middle school, and very much for the better.

"Now, does anyone here already know about entropy?"

A couple of hands go up, one firm and stiff while the other is relaxed.

"Todoroki-kun." Kurose points at him. "Could you share with the class?"

Izumi swears she could see Todoroki flinch a bit at the ‘kun’ suffix, but it's covered up before she can really get a good look at it.

"The energy used to create something doesn't equal the energy produced by the creation.”

Kurose smiles as they nod their head. "That's the most simplified explanation. The universe is running out of energy, though it's not quite because we're using up our supply of it. That is certainly happening, but the reality is that energy is slowly spreading out over the universe, which will make it harder to use in the future. Everything will be too far apart to connect, like branches on a tree. Because nothing will be able to connect, nothing will be able to react to one another. If you've heard of the heat death of the universe, it's referring to exactly this."

Pencils scribble to take notes. Izumi writes a bit in her own notebook, though it’s more to appear normal than to actually remember it. The lesson is ingrained into her mind at this point.

“So the universe is draining its energy?” Kirishima asks. “Like when you open the drain in a bathtub?”

“Another good way of looking at it,” Kurose states. “And the empty tub is all the spread out energy unable to connect with one another to power the universe.”

“So something needs to plug the drain, right?” Yaoyorozu asks.

Several pairs of eyes turn towards her, and Izumi is no exception. Plug the drain and stop the heat death of the universe? There’s no way that could actually happen. Not with how the universe actually works. Physics aside, nothing in the universe is easy to solve, especially something that large. It would take a damn miracle to do so, and a Contract might not be able to achieve that.

Yaoyorozu blushes a little bit. “If the issue is that the usage of energy for creation is causing energy to spread too far out, then something just needs to stop that growth, counteract it. Adding more energy to the universe would help, as long as we have some way to preserve it.”

“In theory yes…” Kurose brings their hand to their chin. “Though you’re also risking counteracting entropy so much that you end up canceling any future reactions, which would likely still lead to the heat death of the universe.”

“Then all there is to do is find a way to put more energy back into the universe!” Yaoyorozu claps her hands together. “Or at least, the universe has to find a way to do that.”

“I don’t think that’s possible.”

Izumi can feel multiple sets of eyes shift her direction, but none compare to the weight of Yaoyorozu’s. They feel… almost hurt in a way, the subtle shrinkage of her pupils suggesting something underneath the surface.

“Remember what Todoroki-kun said?” Izumi doesn’t bother checking to see his reaction to that honorific. “You never get the same amount of energy that was used to create something. Making more energy would break pretty much every scientific law out there.”

“That’s true, but with our limited understanding of the universe and what exists beyond our planet, it’s very well possible the proper materials to achieve that could be out there.” She taps her left hand on the desk, raising the middle finger up ever so slightly.

The Incubators did come from space.

And Puella Magi don’t lose their total limit of possible energy every time they transform or release said transformation.

Almost as if Izumi and Yaoyorozu are breaking the laws of the universe just by existing.

Then again, Izumi is already breaking the universe thanks to hijacking the flow of time, looping a specific period over and over.

Still, if her messing with time has created unintended consequences, then shouldn’t Puella Magi do the same? What about Witches and how they operate?

Something between them is awfully suspicious…

“Even with our limited understanding of the universe, it’s unlikely that something big enough to counteract entropy exists. After all, if it does exist, then shouldn’t we have at least found a sign of it? Something about the detection of energy? It just doesn’t seem that plausible that the universe would make something that would keep itself alive. Even religion has its own ending of the universe. Science should work the same, especially since it actually has rules that make sense.”

Everything has a cycle that balances itself out.

Hope cannot exist with an equal amount of despair.

Miracles always come with some sort of string attached.

The universe will have to give out someday. That’s its price for living. Just like how everything else dies. Why should the pure concept of the universe get to escape the rules it subjects everything else to? Life might be cruel, but not that cruel.

Then again, Izumi is looking at someone who escaped death, even if it will come for her someday.

“I suppose you have a point, but you cannot rule out your statement until every corner of the universe has been explored top to bottom.” Yaoyorozu sits up even straighter than normal, shoulders stiff. “The possibility that our understanding of entropy may be incomplete or even wrong still exists. With the right materials that could exist far beyond our current reach, we might be able to figure out how to use them to create more energy to use.”

There’s this strange emotion mixed in with her firmness, a sort of… masked vulnerability? Just the tiniest of shakes, ones so small Izumi’s not sure she’s imagining them being there or if they’re actually real. At the very least it’s fairly easy to better read Yaoyorozu’s eyes. Sure, her brows are arched in some, but her pupils are fairly big, almost shaking, far clearer than her voice.

She doesn’t quite look angry.

She looks more scared than anything else.

Yet she’s still sitting upright, shoulders back like a leader. It’s a rather determined image, possibly to keep some proper composure in front of her classmates. Though, she can’t fully rule out that Yaoyorozu is trying to appeal to her.

Why else would this classroom feel eerily like last night when they were talking about the Puella Magi world?

Kurose’s cough brings both of them completely back to reality. “An interesting theoretical discussion there. While I’m always happy to see students thinking deeper, right now isn’t the best time to do so. We don’t want to mix up the ‘what if’ with the confirmed facts.”

“Sorry, Kurose-sensei,” Izumi says.

“My apologies, Kurose-sensei.” Yaoyorozu bows just a tiny bit.

Izumi turns her head back to the front board, yet she can’t shake off the feeling that Yaoyorozu is still looking at her with that same complicated expression. She swallows a lump in her throat, letting her pencil mindlessly run all over the page as she tries to get the gears in her brain spinning properly again.

Something isn’t right. Things feel even more wrong than usual, and that never means well.

She’s just not sure how much time she has to set things right.

“Yeah, I’m down for walking home together! I don’t mind at all, and I’m sure Ochako-chan feels the same! So let’s get going!”

“Slow down, Mina-chan! There’s no need to pull my arm!”

Ochako slides her backpack straps on, giving them a little tug to make sure the bag is resting nice and comfortably. She gives the room an absentminded glance, only slowing down upon reaching Deku and Yaoyorozu. It doesn’t take long for Yaoyorozu to catch her eye, and she gives a friendly smile while she waves.

”Go on! I don’t mind at all. Our next lesson isn’t until tomorrow. Enjoy yourself.”

Ochako returns the smile before turning on her heel and walking out the classroom door.

Despite the number of people in the hallway, she makes it out just fine, though she adjusts her backpack again. It doesn’t take long for her to start rubbing the woven straps with her thumb and index finger, and she can feel the thread thin a bit from years of stimming. Hopefully it doesn’t fray or break away.

There’s a shuffle on her head, and a simple “kyu” noise confirms that Kyubey is still hanging on all snug. Ochako is pretty sure her hair is a bit flatter than normal with the extra weight on it, but it’s far better than carrying him in her arms or in her bag. Who knows if he can survive in a cramped space with it all zipped up? She’s not exactly keen on testing that out.

Besides, the current position is just fine to keep anyone else from raising an eyebrow at anything appearing strange with her.

Which is quite helpful with the given company she and Mina have now.

Ochako looks over at the red hair that points up to the sky (though she can’t see the front spikes Mina has lovingly nicknamed his horns), trying not to stare more than she should. It’s an easy trap to fall into. Why wouldn’t she stare when she’s so used to him having black hair? Boy, was it a surprise when he walked into the first day of high school with that new look. She felt like her eyes were gonna fall right out of their sockets. But if this is something he wants to do now, then she ain’t gonna stop him.

Even if it’s gonna take some getting used to.

‘Still can’t believe he didn’t tell us…’ Sure, just cause they’ve known each other for years doesn’t mean they have to expose everything to one another. Still, he’s always been the most upfront and forward out of the three of them when it comes to sharing personal things. He never lied about having two moms, about how he doesn’t have the smoothest relationship with his father and his new wife, about starting puberty blockers and choosing the name Eijiro to fit himself and his gender. It’s quite strange how the red hair wasn’t revealed until the change occurred.

Then again, it’s not like dying hair is something super important to be upfront about.

And she can’t be completely upset with him given the large secret she and Mina share. It doesn’t matter how hard Ochako thinks, but she can’t find herself ever casually telling Eijiro about the whole Puella Magi thing. It’s not easy to go ‘hey we were chosen by a guardian cat like creature to gain powers and a free miracle in exchange for fighting other worldly creatures that look like they came out of an art project so we can keep them from spreading despair and killing people.’ Who just drops the existence of magic onto someone willy-nilly like that? Definitely not her.

She can only ever see herself doing that if something huge went wrong, that everything fell apart and he needs to know this knowledge to understand the situation he found himself in. Luckily, the chances of that happening are practically none. At least she can dodge that bullet.

“I know it’s only been less than a week since we all went home together, but it kinda feels like forever ago!” Ochako can’t help but blush at her statement. Though, to be fair, it is sorta true. There’s a whole lot more she knows now than she did before.

“I never would have expected the both of you to spend so much time with Yaoyorozu-san,” Eijiro says. “Say, how did you get so close so fast?”

“Well, uh, you see…” Mina tightens her grip on her bag handle. “We just kinda sorta had a lucky run in with her one night? And we started talking with one another?” It’s not exactly a lie, just something missing vital pieces of info.

“Must have been a really good conversation! I probably shouldn’t be impressed ‘cause of how Mina-chan is pretty much a social expert, but it’s still super cool you both connected so much with her!”

“Hey, you’re gonna make me blush over here!” Mina playfully shoves Eijiro a bit, as he only has to take a few steps back to regain his footing.

“I mean, it’s not like I’m wrong there. You get along with everyone you meet without even trying. All you have to do is enter a room and start talking to start making friends, no planning at all. How can I not be amazed by it?” He closes his hand into a fist before pulling his arm in towards himself. It’s a swift and firm action.

Huh. An interesting add on to his statement.

“I mean, there is some kind of planning,” Mina says, “You gotta know who you’re talking with and how they vibe. And it’s not like I can figure out everyone right away. Otherwise I wouldn’t still be trying to piece together Midori-san.”

That catches Eijiro’s attention. “The transfer student?”

“Yep,” Ochako says, “I went over to her place to study one day, and we’ve been hanging out since.” Even if part of that reason is because Ochako found her in an alleyway trying to shoot Kyubey. “I’m sure if you spent some time with Deku-san, you’d both get along really well!”

A ‘hm’ sound escapes Eijiro. “Deku-san? Like how Bakugo-kun refers to her?”

“Yes? But also no?” Her face warms up while she scratches the back of her neck. Kyubey pulls his tail out of the way, and she can feel it rest on the top of her head rather than on the back of her hair. “It’s the same word, just not the same meaning. More like ‘doing your best’ than ‘worthless.’ She did all the work to change it. I’m just helping her recognize it, that’s all.”

“That’s pretty manly of you, Ochako-chan.” He flashes her a bright smile, an almost deterministic look on his face.

“It’s not all that much. I’m just helping in a small way, really.”

“Still, what you’re doing is pretty cool. I bet anyone would appreciate it.”

“I guess so!” Does Deku actually appreciate it? She doesn’t seem opposed to being referred to by the name, but Ochako can’t help but shake off her response when she pointed out the meaning change. It’s not like the realization wouldn’t come as a surprise, but one involving a panic attack? It doesn’t quite add up, but she’s not sure what puzzle pieces she’s missing.

Maybe if she gets to know her better she’ll learn.

Though, first Mina and now this? It’s not like comments are unusual from him, but these ones seem different than normal. Hopefully she's just worrying herself over nothing.

"Now don't shoot yourself down here, Eijiro-chan!" Mina points right at him. "You got a lot of great spirit to you, and I'm not gonna let you forget that!"

"I guess I do. Still, it's not like anything like you two. We haven't even been in high school for a month, and you've made great starts for yourselves. Meanwhile I just made an average one."

"You're not gonna get anywhere if you keep comparing yourself like this," Ochako lets her shoulders fall a bit. "Just keep pushing and everything will end up working out. That's how I try to tackle things." It's basically the only way she knows how to tackle things. Not like there's many other options on the table for her to help relieve some of the burdens off her parents shoulders. If she keeps pushing, she's sure to get to the end. Then she can relax a little.

"Right. I just have to keep pushing myself harder..." He looks down at his hands, this time clenching them both into fists. They seem too tight to be comfortable, too stiff as if they were made of hard stone. It's honestly hard to read him, something rather unusual.

"Let's just relax and not worry so much," Ochako states, clutching her drawstrings a bit tighter than normal. "You know, just goof off on the way home like we did back in middle school."

Eijiro's whole body stiffens.

And she catches it.

He tries to laugh it off, but his voice shakes just a tiny bit too much. "I guess us walking home together is kinda like middle school." He scratches a bit behind his ear, on the edge of his red hairline, something very much not like when they were back in middle school. Though, it's not the only difference. She doesn't remember Eijiro ever being so worried about his own skills and worth, or at least vocalizing it this much. You'd think he'd express it more when comforting him after one of his freeze ups, but it never went beyond a couple casual statements about needing to do better, be better. The closest they've ever gotten to that was Eijiro's declaration of confidence on the last day of middle school, about how things were going to be different, to be better at UA.

'Huh. Wonder if that has anything to do with him dying his hair.'

It doesn't take long for them to reach the familiar bus stop, the cherry blossoms falling off the trees and onto the ground. Said trees travel further down the road and into the, well, sketchier part of town. Avoiding it takes longer, but at least it brings more peace of mind.

Except Eijiro stops right in front of the road to said part of town.

"Hey, Eijiro-chan?" Mina kicks the ground a bit as she stops. "Something up?"

"Ah, I was just thinking we’d take this way home today." He points right down the street, and Ochako can't help but freeze a little.

"Wait, really?" She asks.

"Yeah, why not? It is the faster way home."

"I mean, yeah, it is, but you got to be at least a bit crazy right now. That or you somehow forgot about the Shie Hassaikai being right there!" Mina gestures down the street, waving her hands as if she's trying to point to every building at once. Which wouldn't be out of the picture at all. It's not exactly clear which building is just an ordinary business and which one actually hosts a yakuza base. Had she not grown up hearing reports of their activity, she never would have guessed they were here.

"I'm not crazy. And I haven't forgotten. I just think we shouldn't let that hold us back and make us take the long way home. It's not exactly a proper test of courage, but I guess it kinda is one? Though, it's not like any members are gonna randomly attack three high school kids. We're not really worth much of anything to them."

Despite him having a point, Ochako can't help but feel her throat tighten up, her heart beating louder than normal. It's always been common sense to dodge yakuza areas, common sense Eijiro has followed for years. It doesn't make sense to just throw that all away.

But why the mentions of courage?

Maybe this quest for more confidence is impacting him more than she realized. More than he's letting on.

"If we do it together, then I'm sure everything will be alright." Ochako puffs out her chest a bit, walking right up to the beginning of the street. She turns to face Mina, who's pouting while crossing her arms.

"All right, all right, let's do this." She runs up to them and a bit ahead, spinning some to better face them. Even as they all make their way down, she doesn't turn around, instead walking backwards all the way with ease. A small skill, but a cool one nonetheless.

Ochako can't help but look around at the buildings, the pit in her stomach slowly growing with each step she takes. It really shouldn't be bothering her as much as it is. She was recently in a pocket dimension full of other worldly creatures that could have quite possibly devoured her at any moment! If she can survive that, then anything thrown her way should be a piece of cake. Even if she has no magical abilities to protect herself with, like the ones used to protect her.

"You know, if you want to be able to protect yourself right now with magic, all you need to do is bring me a wish to make a Contract. We can do it right here, right now."

"Thanks for the offer, Kyubey, but I still don't know what to wish for. I shouldn't make an impulsive one just to feel more comfortable right now. I'll be fine, really."

"Besides, Ochako-chan has me to help protect her from any bad guys! I can still kick ass even without a baseball bat!"

"Ya know, Mina-chan, you seem to enjoy using that bat so much, I wouldn't be surprised if it ended up being your magical weapon!”

Both Ochako and Mina laugh a little at that, and Eijiro looks back and forth at them. "Did I miss something?"

"Ah, no, you're all good!" Ochako holds her hands up in front of her chest. They really should have kept the laughter in the telepathic link.

He still raises an eyebrow at her before relaxing his shoulders and smiling. "Guess I worked myself up over nothing there. Let's just keep going."

Their footsteps echo on the street, a weird tension hanging in the air. Sure, Eijiro looked to be fine, but Ochako can't help but worry. Not after all the little things he's done on this walk home.

The streets are as ordinary as the ones she’s used to, but just the knowledge of what’s in this area makes everything feel uneasy. Her head isn’t helping, thoughts about this place mixing with those about Eijiro, the results bouncing around as she passes building after building. It shouldn’t be getting to her like this, yet it is…

‘Come on. You’re worrying over nothing. Just keep going.’

Before she can think anymore, she feels Kyubey jolt straight up, his tail giving a hard, firm flick. "I felt something just now! There was a large burst of despair nearby! I think a Witch just hatched!"

"Wait, what?!" Ochako barely keeps herself from screaming out loud. A Witch? In this area? Didn't Deku say something about crime spots being prime spots for Witches to grow stronger fast? A stronger Witch probably means more powerful Familiars to leave more Kisses on people... people she likely knows from her neighborhood.

"Do you know where the Witch is?"

"I do. I can feel the energy. Follow my directions."

Ochako wastes no time, pushing hard down on her foot and giving herself a running start. She grabs Mina's hand, and it doesn't take long for her to match Ochako's pace and follow her. Eijiro yells out something, and the pit in her chest swirls around, likely from the new guilt. But she can't afford to focus on that, not when people are possibly in danger.

They run pass building after building, each one a blur. There's a large traditional style building standing proud between two Western ones, deep alleyways on both sides.

"Enter the second one! That's where the energy is coming from!”

She takes a sharp turn into said alleyway, letting go of Mina's hand as she gives herself one last push. There's nothing out of the ordinary here, trash cans and stray boxes lining the edges.

Except for what appears to be a Kiss marking a Labyrinth entrance.

The Kiss resembles the classic medical symbol, though there's a sort of plague doctor mask in the center with a long, thin beak extending down. Ribbons wrap around said beak, acting as the snakes from the original symbol. The wings here aren't made with feathers, but rather an arrangement of leaves. Overall, it's quite a pretty image, but right here, right now, just looking at it sends chills down Ochako's whole body.

There's really a Witch here.

Ochako crouches a bit to stare at it more, every flicker from the whole Barrier making her heartbeat ring louder in her ears. Photorealistic leaves line the edges, spinning around as they curve like ribbons. They even form a bow in one section of the circle, a chilling Christmas wreath present in March.

Mina leans in with her phone, and the camera lets out a 'click' sound. "It's not perfect, but it should work to send to Yaomomo-san and Midori-san."

Ochako forces herself to stand up, even as her legs shake. She watches as Mina's fingers fly on the keyboard, her eyes drifting to the attachment. The Barrier appears glitchy and slightly blurry in the photo, as if its magic and Aura is too much for technology to be able to capture. It's almost fascinating, if not frightening.

New footsteps echo in the alleyway, and Ochako nearly jolts as she turns around to find Eijiro there. Fear is painted all over his face, his eyes small and overall posture stiff.

"What's going on? Why are you both staring at a blank brick wall?"

Ochako and Mina look at one another, and Ochako doesn't need telepathy to know Mina is thinking the same thing: that it's far too complicated right now to try to explain everything to him.

"Eijiro-chan." Mina's voice is strong and firm. "We can't exactly tell you why, but you need to go home without us. We need to take care of something here, and it's something only we can do."

From the corner of her eye, Ochako catches Mina pressing 'send' on her phone.

"I'm sure you can tell me what's going on." Eijiro flashes a smile, but it's weak and missing his usual heart. "I'll understand, I promise."

Mina shakes her head. "I'm sorry, but I can't."

He turns towards Ochako, her smile shrinking a bit. He doesn't need to say anything for her to grasp how confused he is. It's written on his face.

Ochako swallows a guilt-flavored lump in her throat, her mouth quickly drying up. "Eijiro-chan... Mina-chan is right. It's too much to get into, and we need to deal with this now." Her stomach aches as everything swirls around, and trying to force it down only takes away so much of the pain.

Eijiro slouches in place, scratching the back of his head as his smile shakes a little. There’s something in his eyes she can’t quite pinpoint, but whatever it is, it doesn’t look to be serious. "R-right... I can wait to find out. I'll go on ahead so you can both take care of this..." He takes a couple steps back before turning around and walking out of the alleyway slightly slower han usual.

Ochako clutches her hand into a tight fist, though that doesn't stop it from shaking.

"Guess we wait for Yaoyorozu-san and Deku-san to arrive, huh?" She doesn't bother hiding how her voice shakes. A part of her wants to do more, but she doesn’t know what she wants to do, if she even can do anything meaningful here.

"There has to be something more we can do." Mina taps her foot on the ground, looking around before ultimately staring at Kyubey. "Say, Puella Magi can detect Witch Auras, right?"

"That's correct."

"What about you? Do you put out an Aura they can track?"

"I do. But what are you suggesting?"

"I want you to come with me to find the Witch in the Labyrinth."

"Mina-chan?!" Ochako grabs her tight by the shoulders. "What are you thinking?! That's crazy!"

"I can't just stand by and do nothing. If I go in and find where the Witch is now, then I can help Yaomomo-san and Midori-san get to the Witch faster later. The faster they take the Witch out, the less chance someone else gets hurt."

Ochako's hands slip off her shoulders, and her tongue feels heavy in her mouth. It is true a plan like that would probably work, but still... if something were to go wrong...

So why does she feel slightly ashamed for not being as brave as Mina? For not coming up with that plan?

"Don't do anything stupid in there, okay? If something happened to you, I don't know what I would do."

"Ochako..." Mina rushes in for a hug, and Ochako drinks in her warmth. "Trust me, I'll be careful. I don't want to end up on a Familiar's bad side. I'll avoid as many of those things as I can."

"Thank you, Mina." She squeezes back, and she can't help wanting this to last forever.

Yet she still lets go, cold swimming over her body. Kyubey jumps off her head and into Mina's arms. "You ready?"

"As I'll ever be." She takes a deep breath in, gives one last look and smile Ochako's way, and then charges into the Barrier, letting it consume her to what knows resides inside.

"Please stay safe, Mina." She says. "Please come quickly, Yaoyorozu-san. Deku-san.”