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Chapter Text

Umaru Doma made her way home from school. It had been a long day, and she was tired. She wanted nothing more than to kick back and play games. As she made her way home, she wondered what her brother Taihei would make for dinner. She had bought a plethora of snacks on the way home, and he would probably scold her if she ate too much, but she didn't really care. She knew her brother would give up any attempts to lecture her sooner or later. It was simply the way things worked. She walked up the steps that led to the apartment they shared. She made her way inside and closed the door behind her.

"Umaru's home!" she called, despite knowing the apartment was empty. Her brother, of course, wouldn't be home from work for a little while more. She kicked off her shoes and tossed her school bag aside. With a pop and an 'Umarun!' she changed to her indoor persona, appearing as a tiny child instead of a teenage girl.

She was just about to change out of her school clothes and into her favorite hamster hood, when she noticed something very odd. Sitting in the middle of her room was a small white creature that looked like a cross between a cat and a rabbit. It had bright red eyes and was looking up at her.

"Hello, Umaru Doma!" the creature said.

"Oh, wow!" Umaru exclaimed. "A talking cat-rabbit!"

"I'm Kyubey!"

"Hello, Kyubey." Umaru replied, bending down to pet him. She rubbed his head gently, and he seemed to enjoy it. "Oh, you're so adorable!"

"Thank you."

"Did you come here to visit?"

"Yes. I've been waiting for you, Umaru. I came here to talk with you. I want-"

"You did? That's nice. It's just my brother and me here usually, and he's not a cute little talking animal. I wonder…" Umaru trailed off and mumbled to herself. It wasn't every day a talking cat-rabbit showed up in one's apartment. Did her brother buy this pet and forget to tell her? Granted, Kyubey wasn't wearing a collar or anything, so she wasn't sure.

"Umaru?" Kyubey said.

Umaru looked back at him. "Yes?"

"Back to the reason I've come here: I want you to make a contract with me and become a magical girl!"

"A magical girl? You mean like one from an anime?"

"Yes, but real. You certainly possess the potential to become a magical-"

"Really? Me, a magical girl?" Umaru giggled and twirled around like a ballerina. "Umaru Doma, magical girl: savior of the people, defender of justice, drinker of cola!"

"And in return, I'll grant you one wish, anything you-"

"Wait." Umaru stopped twirling around and looked at Kyubey. "I become a magical girl, and you'll grant me a wish?"

"Correct. I-"

"Any wish?"

"Any wish," Kyubey confirmed. "It's-"

"Well, that sounds like a good deal. There's a lot of things I could wish for. But would I actually have to do the standard magical girl stuff?" Umaru asked. "Or is it all just cosplay and looking cute?"

"You'd battle witches. If you agree and make a contract, I'll introduce you to another magical girl, and she can mentor-"

"Wait, there are other magical girls already?"

"Yes, and they-"

"Do any of them go to my school? Because I try to keep my school life separate from my non-school life."

"No, there are none at your school. But, there are others around, and-"

"Oh. Maybe I should just let them battle witches then," Umaru shrugged. "That sounds like a lot of work. And I bet it would cut into my video game and manga time."

"That's likely. Furthermore, it's not an easy life and is often quite dangerous. You-"

"Hey!" Umaru cried suddenly. "I've got an idea!"

"What is it, Umaru?"

She picked Kyubey up. "Can you talk while I record you? I want to see how many views I can get from a video of a talking cat-rabbit! Maybe you could do a few tricks too. Can you actually perform any tricks?"

"That wouldn't do you any good, Umaru Doma. Normal humans can't see me. Anyway, if you're unsure about becoming a magical girl, then maybe-"

"I know! I can record myself dancing with you!" Umaru said, not paying any attention to Kyubey's words. She spun around, holding Kyubey out in front of her as she did. "I bet I look super-cute doing this! Ooh, that was a bad idea. I feel kind of dizzy now…"

At that moment, Umaru heard the front door of the apartment open. Taihei was home! She ran to the door to see her brother and to show him the little creature that had visited them.

"Hello, Umaru," he greeted her. Umaru saw that, in addition to his work briefcase, he was carrying a grey shopping bag. "How was school?"

"Welcome home, welcome!" Umaru held up Kyubey for her brother to see. "Look, a talking cat-rabbit! His name is Kyubey. Say hello, Taihei!"

Taihei frowned at her. "What are you talking about? Is that a manga reference?"

"Can't you see it?"

"See what?"

"I told you, Umaru," Kyubey said. "Normal humans can't see me."

Umaru grumbled and looked down at the floor, feeling silly. Taihei smiled reassuringly at her. "Don't worry about it, Umaru. Haven't you been under a lot of stress recently with exams and such?"

Umaru was unsure of what to say and didn't reply. It wasn't that Umaru minded looking and acting foolishly; she simply preferred to keep those instances to when she was trying to get something from her brother or when he was bugging her while she indulged in her hobbies. It was one of the ways she kept the upper hand in their relationship.

"Ah, but cheer up!" her brother continued. "You've done quite a bit lately. You aced all your exams at school once again, and I'm proud of the way you've been helping cook and clean lately. I think you've definitely earned something for your efforts, so I got you a present on my way home from work."

Umaru looked up. "A present?"

"Here," Taihei replied. He reached into the bag he was carrying, pulled out a video game, and held it out to her. "This just came out today, and you've been looking forward it, right? Enjoy."

Umaru's eyes lit up. Not thinking, she tossed Kyubey aside. He hit the wall with a thud and landed on the floor. Umaru snatched the game out of Taihei's outstretched hand and threw her arms around her brother, hugging him tightly. "I have been waiting for this game for a while! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"You're welcome, Umaru," Taihei chuckled, hugging her back. "You've worked very hard lately; please keep that up. But in the meantime, enjoy the game. It's a holiday weekend, so you'll have a lot of time to play, right? And just for this weekend, I won't say anything about how much you play."

"Whee!" Umaru cried. She bounded over to her console and plopped herself in front of it. She tore open the game box, slid the disc in, and started it up. Soon enough, she was engrossed in the game completely, paying little attention to anything else, only occasionally taking a hand off of the controller to munch on a snack or drink some cola.

Hours passed. Day turned into night. Kyubey wandered over and sat on the floor next to Umaru as she played the game, his eyes watching the screen. Umaru ignored him. Finally, he turned to her and spoke up. "So, Umaru Doma, have you decided on your wish yet?"

"Huh?" Umaru looked over. "Oh. You're still here." She turned back to the screen.

"I am," Kyubey said. "And I was wondering if you've decided on the wish that I'll grant you when you make a contract with me and become a magical girl."

"Uh, would you mind being quiet, please?" Umaru asked. "I'm trying to play this."

"But don't you want to make a wish and become a magical-"

"Yeah, yeah, when I feel like it," Umaru interrupted. "Maybe after I've beaten this. I don't have time for all that right now. Now, where is the exit for this level? Hmmm."

Umaru continued playing. Eventually, Kyubey stood up and headed for the front door of the apartment. He turned back to Umaru one time before he left. "This seems pointless. But if you ever want to become a magical girl, embrace a destiny of battle, and have your wish granted, then I'll be waiting, Umaru Doma."

"Whatever," Umaru replied, not taking her eyes off of her game.

Chapter Text

Author's note: This was originally meant to be a one-shot, but I decided to continue on with the story and see where it goes.

It was only the second day of summer vacation, and Umaru found herself in a mood that was lethargic even for her. She suspected the heat had something to do with it. So far, it had been the hottest summer she could remember. The heat made her feel listless. She was lying in the middle of the floor of the small apartment she shared with her brother, just staring at the ceiling. Of course, there was anime to watch and games to play, but Umaru didn't even have the energy to do those activities in this heat. She had cranked up the air conditioning earlier, but her brother had scolded her and had set it lower before he'd left for work. She knew if she turned it back on and kept it running all day, he'd be even more irate with her when he got home from work. That generally didn't stop her, but she felt too lazy to even find the remote and change it. The warmth that had settled in the apartment made her even lazier and drowsier still. It was a vicious feedback loop. But at the same time, she was unable to fall asleep in the heat. She was more or less stuck.

"Ugh," she said. She could just imagine what Taihei would say if he saw her like this. He would no doubt scold for her lying around and doing nothing. He'd say she was wasting her youth. And she'd ignore him as usual. Or perhaps with him around, she'd find the energy to convince him to play a game with her.

That sounds nice, she thought. I wonder if Kirie would like to come over and play games with me. But that would require getting up, finding her phone, and actually messaging Kirie. She instead just imagined her and Kirie sitting on the floor and playing a video game. That wasn't nearly the same as actually doing said activity, of course, but picturing them doing it passed the time. Thinking briefly about how silly and ridiculous she was being, Umaru giggled idiotically. Maybe I can just spend the rest of the day spacing out and play more tonight when it's cooler.

A sudden tap on the glass door snapped Umaru back to her senses. She looked up, and sitting outside on the balcony was a familiar-looking little white animal. It was Kyubey, the talking cat-rabbit that had visited her right before summer vacation had started. So that did actually happen, Umaru thought. The day Kyubey had visited her, she had gotten entranced in a new game and had figured that he had been something she had imagined. Yet, here he was again. Suddenly, Umaru didn't feel quite so tired. She got up and slid open the glass door to the balcony.

"Kyubey?" Umaru asked uncertainly.

Kyubey immediately spoke up. "Hello again, Umaru Doma."

"You're back," Umaru said. "I thought you were a figment of my imagination before. Or maybe that seeing you was a weird dream I had after eating too many gross bell peppers."

"No, I'm quite real," Kyubey replied.

"You are. And I don't think I entirely believed that before," Umaru remarked. "Meeting you was a bit surreal."

"That happens. It's often hard for humans to accept things that defy their pre-existing knowledge and worldviews."

"I see." As with the first time she had met him, Kyubey's voice was friendly enough. But it felt a little to Umaru like he was talking down to her.

"It's rather hot out here," Kyubey said, waving a paw. "May I come in?"

"Okay." Umaru figured this would ease some of her ennui. Maybe Kyubey could play games with her, somehow. He trotted around Umaru and into the apartment. She slid the glass door closed behind him. He hopped up and sat down on the little table in the middle of the room. Umaru wasn't quite sure how to begin, so she figured some basic hospitality was in order. Did this little animal like cola or maybe potato chips? There was only one way to find out. "Do you want some snacks?"

"Sure! That would be nice, thank you."

Umaru grabbed the bag of potato chips she had been eating from off and on earlier. Taking a few chips from the bag, she fed them to Kyubey, who crunched them happily and smiled up at her. It was a pretty cute sight. Umaru wondered how long he'd stick around. She figured she had enough snacks to satisfy both of them for the morning and afternoon if he didn't eat too much.

"Now that I look more closely at you, I wonder," Umaru said, peering at Kyubey intently as she ate some chips herself. "Are you a Pokéham?"

"No," he answered. "I'm just Kyubey."

"Right. Sorry, I had to check. I mean, if you were, I…uh, well, never mind. So, what brings you back here?"

"I've come back to make my offer to you again, Umaru Doma."

"Offer?" Umaru asked. "Oh, right! To become a magical girl. Wait, are you sure you're not a Pokéham?" If magical girls are real, why not Pokéham too?

"Again, I'm not. But you're otherwise correct. I'd still like for you to make a contract with me and become a magical girl. You've got great potential. Have you given it any thought?"

"Um…" The truth was that Umaru hadn't. Between her games and her suspicion that her encounter with Kyubey hadn't actually occurred, she had forgotten about him and his offer. She smiled sheepishly at the little animal.

"I guess you haven't," Kyubey said. "In that case, how would like to come with me and meet a magical girl today? You could learn a bit more about it from her. You can ask her whatever questions you like and find out what her experience as a magical girl is like. Perhaps all that would be worthwhile before you give your final answer to me."

"Go and meet a magical girl?" Umaru considered what Kyubey said. On the one hand, a trip out in the oppressive heat didn't exactly sound like the best time to her, but it was probably better than lying and staring off into space all day. Her brother would probably have been pleased that she had gone out as well. Aside from the fact that she wouldn't mess up the apartment so much, he was constantly encouraging her to go out instead of spending all her time sitting and playing games or watching anime. Still, this seemed a bit sudden. "Just like that?"

"Yes," Kyubey answered. "Don't worry, she's very friendly and loves meeting new people. She'll appreciate your company."

"I see." Umaru wondered a little what this magical girl was like. She had never met one that she knew of. Perhaps she was like the magical girls in anime series were – an otherwise normal girl who transformed to fight evil and protect people. Of course, if Umaru met her, that would mean Umaru would know her secret identity. Was that a big deal to real magical girls? If nothing else, meeting her would definitely be interesting.

However, Umaru was still pretty uncertain about Kyubey's offer to actually become a magical girl. She recalled him saying something about fighting witches. That sounded like a lot of work and possibly also scary. But even if she turned down his offer, she felt like going on this excursion might be a pleasant diversion. It did get a bit lonely by herself at home sometimes, and she figured that it at least might not be so bad to go out, meet an actual magical girl, and maybe even make a new friend. Having made up her mind, she said "Well, you have some good timing, Kyubey. I don't really have much to do today, so I suppose a trip out is in order."

Kyubey nodded at her. "Excellent!"

Umarun! Umaru changed form and appeared in her outdoor persona, her appearance going from a tiny size and childlike appearance to that of a normal teenage girl. Normally, that wasn't something she'd have purposefully done in front of someone other than her brother, but given that Kyubey already seemed to know quite a bit about her, she figured he probably knew about the two sides of her as well. Nonetheless, the little animal tilted his head at her and remarked "Interesting trick, Umaru Doma."

"Thank you," Umaru replied. "But please don't spread it around that I can do that."

"My lips, such as they are, are sealed."

Umaru smiled at him. In an instant, she threw off her hamster hood and quickly changed into clothes she could venture out in public in. She briefly considered tossing on her crimson hoodie and going in her UMR guise. But she figured she may as well attempt to make a good impression on this girl she was going to meet and opted instead for a blue skirt and matching blouse. She turned to Kyubey and said, "I think I'm almost ready to go and meet this magical girl of yours."

"Let's go!" Kyubey sprang up and landed on Umaru's shoulder. "Do you mind if I hitch a ride?"

Kyubey's fur was soft and tickled her neck. Umaru giggled. This was like having a pet she could hold conversations with. And Kyubey didn't seem prone to reprimanding her for trivial things. At least, not so far, anyway. She wondered if he'd stick around if she turned down his offer.

"Not at all," she replied. A thought suddenly occurred to her. "But won't I look weird walking around with you perched on my shoulder like this?" She wondered if it would be better to get a carrying case or something. As odd as that might have been for Kyubey, it would undoubtedly be much stranger for people to see Kyubey himself. He didn't exactly look like an ordinary animal.

"Nah. Remember that normal humans can't see me."

"What if we encounter people who aren't normal humans?" Umaru figured he meant magical girls and other potential magical girls like her but was curious if there weren't others who could see her furry companion. "Won't they notice you?"

"They would, but they'll already know who I am. Don't worry about that."

"Alright." Umaru figured she'd simply have to accept Kyubey's assurances. However, more possible issues occurred to her, ones she figured she should ask about before setting off. She started off with the most obvious one. "So, about this magical girl we're going to meet…where does she live? Here in town?"

"No. She lives in Mitakihara."

"That's not exactly close." Indeed, it would be a long train ride. It was a good thing nobody else could see Kyubey. She'd look on the odd on the train carrying him in her arms or on her shoulders. "Mitakihara isn't exactly small either. And I've never been there. I assume you can lead me to where I can meet her? I don't want to end up lost."

"There are lots of places to meet," Kyubey answered. "But I'll let her know that you're coming, and she'll undoubtedly want to have you visit her place. Hosting tea parties is one of her favorite activities."

Tea parties? Umaru wondered just what sort of person this magical girl was. Was she a prim and proper girl like Umaru herself often pretended to be? Or did she just like to drink tea? Regardless, Umaru was doubly glad she had dressed well. It was sounding like she'd definitely need to be on her standard 'outdoor' behavior today – the lovely, sweet, and polite high school girl. It was a tiresome act, but Umaru figured that was a small price to pay for something so interesting. Plus, if there was tea, there was bound to be snacks.

"You'll let her know I'm coming?" she asked Kyubey. "How?" Umaru had a brief image of the little animal holding a cell phone in its paws and talking on it.

Kyubey said nothing, but his voice suddenly echoed in her head. Like this, Umaru Doma.

Umaru raised an eyebrow at the little animal. "Uh…this might sound strange, but did you just say something in my head?"

Kyubey's voice spoke up in her mind again. Yes, I did. I can communicate telepathically with you and others as well. Isn't that convenient?

Umaru began to suspect there was far, far more to Kyubey than she had first thought. She wondered what else he was capable of aside from granting wishes, creating magical girls, and telepathy. She also wondered what roles he took on for magical girls – mentor, trainer, teacher, advisor, and perhaps others as well. She set those thoughts aside for the time being. She could ask the magical girl she was going to meet about all that. "So, this girl, you can get in touch with her via telepathy then?"

The message has already been relayed to her, Kyubey answered. Don't worry, she'll know to expect you. And you don't have to respond verbally to me, by the way.

I don't? Umaru thought.

No. I can hear you when you direct a thought at me.

Having Kyubey respond directly to her own thoughts was unnerving. His reply to her made Umaru jump a little.

"Careful!" Kyubey said aloud. "You threw me against a wall once before, and I would prefer not to be dropped."

"Ah, sorry. I didn't mean to. I was just a little surprised."

"Don't worry about it," Kyubey said. "Also, if telepathy makes you uncomfortable, we can communicate by simply speaking to each other. I've noticed some humans prefer that."

"No, no, that's alright," Umaru said, waving her hands. "I just need to get used to it, that's all. It's a bit unexpected." She also figured that, in public, she'd seem strange talking aloud to something few others could see. In that situation, Kyubey was right. It would be convenient. And he had already told this magical girl she was coming? Well, that was convenient too. Was he able to communicate over long distances? Or were there others like him who sent his message along? Umaru figured that didn't matter too much so long as this magical girl knew that Umaru was coming to visit. Still, now that she had decided to at least go and meet this girl, the questions she wanted to ask kept piling up. At the same time, she knew that if she kept asking them, they'd never leave.

Umaru was about to head off when one final matter occurred to her. This was a long way to go for a day trip, and she wasn't sure what time she'd be back. Would she be at the apartment before Taihei was home from work? She knew he'd worry about her if she wasn't around, as much as he wanted her to go out and do things. Just to be safe, she took a piece of paper from her brother's desk and scribbled out a note for him.

Onii-chan, I've gone out with a friend. I may be home a bit late. If I am, I'll call or message you. Please don't worry.

That seemed enough to Umaru. She figured there was no point in telling him she'd hopped a train to Mitakihara. That would only invite unwanted questions and probably make him angry with her as well. After she left the note where her brother was sure to see it, Umaru patted Kyubey on the head and smiled at him again. "Alright. Now I'm really ready."

Kyubey beamed at her. "Off we go then!"

With Kyubey draped on her shoulder, Umaru set off outside the apartment and down the street. The train station was, fortunately, only a short walk away. It was the same station where she had once hopped a train and followed her brother to Hamamatsu without his knowledge. And now she'd take yet another trip without his knowledge. Well, siblings needed to keep some things from each other now and then, didn't they?

When she reached the station, she purchased her ticket and waited for the train. She got the same admiring glances and murmurs she usually did when she went out in public in her outdoor persona, but thankfully, nobody seemed to notice her little white animal friend. Kyubey had told her the truth that few people could actually see him. She assumed that the magical girl she was going to meet, however, would be able to see him. When her train arrived, she quickly boarded it and grabbed a seat next to a window.

It wasn't long before the train left. As it departed, it occurred to Umaru that she ought to have brought something to do on the long ride. Hopeful for some more conversation and perhaps answers, she looked over at Kyubey, who had occupied the empty seat next to her. He was curled up and fast asleep though. Umaru considered sleeping herself but didn't want to oversleep and miss her stop. Plus, she no longer felt tired. Something interesting was happening. She'd never been to Mitakihara and she'd never met a magical girl. This was new to her in all sorts of ways. Umaru watched the cityscape roll by as the train sped on its way.

This is a nice-looking city, Umaru thought as she departed the train station in Mitakihara. I bet Onii-chan would like it. Maybe we could come here together sometime.

Aside from the heat, it seemed to be a good day to visit the city. The sky overhead didn't have a cloud in it. The streets were clean, and Umaru noticed that the city had quite a bit of green space in it. As she crossed a footbridge over a bright blue river, she decided that Taihei would definitely like this city. If nothing else, this trip has been worth it just to see this place, she thought. If I wanted to transfer to a high school here, I wonder if Onii-chan would come with me and find a job here. She also noticed a large and colorful game arcade and suddenly wondered if she should have come in her UMR guise after all. Still, she figured she probably wouldn't have time to play today. She noted its location for her next visit.

With Kyubey's guidance, Umaru navigated her way through a downtown area full of skyscrapers and shops. The magical girl she was going to meet apparently lived in an apartment building nearby. Umaru pictured a small two-story building like the one she and her brother lived in. She was not prepared for the tall, fancy-looking building at which Kyubey stopped her.

"Here's the place!" Kyubey said.

Umaru looked up almost in wonder. The building stretched far, far into the sky. It was almost as tall as the skyscrapers in the business district. The building almost shined, as if it just been recently built. Aloud, she asked Kyubey "Your magical girl lives here?"

"She does," Kyubey answered. "Her apartment is on the second floor, however, so it's not a long way up."

Umaru made her way through the front doors of the building. The inside was also fancy. Umaru didn't know if it was new, but it seemed to smell new. She wondered if the girl was rich. She walked up a flight of stairs and around a corner to one side of the building to the door Kyubey directed her to. There was a nameplate on the wall next to the door. Tomoe Mami, it read. Was that this girl's name? Or was it one of her family members, say, her mother? Well, only one way to find out.

Umaru reached out and pushed the button below the nameplate. She heard a doorbell ring. Shortly thereafter, the door opened, and a girl who looked to be only slightly younger than Umaru herself appeared. So, this is a magical girl, Umaru thought. Her height was nearly the same as Umaru's, and her blond hair was curled into two sets of ringlets on either side of her head. Umaru briefly wondered if that look was natural or if she permed it into that style. She was wearing what looked like a neatly-pressed school uniform – a tan blouse, plaid skirt, and red ribbon. That surprised Umaru a little. Didn't this girl have summer vacation as well? Maybe her school was different. Or maybe she just liked wearing her uniform. Her yellow eyes regarded Umaru thoughtfully.

"Hello there!" the girl said pleasantly, bowing to Umaru.

"Hello," Umaru said, bowing in return. "I'm Umaru Doma. I…" She trailed off, not quite sure how to continue. Showing up on a stranger's doorsteps unannounced wasn't exactly something she was used to doing, let alone a stranger who was a magical girl. She figured she should have composed herself better before ringing the bell, but fortunately, the girl smiled at her and spoke up.

"Pleased to meet you," the girl replied. "I'm Mami Tomoe. Kyubey told me about you." Her eyes flicked to Kyubey, still sitting on Umaru's shoulder. "Hello to you as well, Kyubey."

"Hi, Mami!" Kyubey chirped. Umaru was glad she confirmation that someone else could indeed see and talk to Kyubey. She figured that also meant that Mami Tomoe must have indeed received Kyubey's message about her coming to visit.

Mami Tomoe looked back at Umaru and confirmed just that. "I've been waiting for you. Won't you please come in?"

Chapter Text

The first thing Umaru noticed about Mami Tomoe's apartment was that it was enormous and quite extravagant. The furniture looked expensive, and the decorations on the walls were what most anyone would have described as classy.

Wow, if I lived in a place like this, she mused, just imagine all the places I'd have to store stuff – games, manga, my stuffed cats, everything! I wonder how much easier it is to find an apartment like this in Mitakihara than in Tokyo. Maybe I really ought to try and convince Onii-chan that we should move here.

The second thing she noticed was that its only occupant at the moment appeared to be Mami herself. Umaru wondered if she had siblings or if her parents were at work. Umaru recalled that it only her name had been on the nameplate outside the door. Did this girl live here alone? There was a staircase that led to the second floor of the apartment (Umaru wondered just how big this place actually was) but she didn't see or hear anyone else near there.

While looking around for signs of someone else, Umaru also noticed that Mami didn't seem to have any games. And there were no manga volumes on her shelves either, just a lot of regular books. At least, if Mami Tomoe did own any games or manga, she didn't have them out where Umaru could see them. She wondered what magical girls did for fun. Aside from having tea parties, that is. Well, I guess if you're fighting actual monsters, watching a show or playing a game about doing that might seem a bit odd. But there are comedy and romance stories, of course. She probably likes to read at least, given the number of books on her shelves though. Umaru recalled the times at school when her peers thought she spent her time at home reading classical poetry. Maybe this girl actually did that.

Umaru began to suspect Mami Tomoe was indeed the prim and proper girl she had imagined her to be. Her apartment certainly gave that impression with its lavish decorations and fancy furnishings. As she removed her shoes, Umaru remarked "What a lovely home."

"Thank you," Mami replied.

"My brother and I share an apartment in Tokyo," Umaru said. "I think you could fit two of our place into this one and still have a little room left over."

"Is that so?" Mami replied. "I imagine space is at even more of a premium there than here. Still, that sounds cozy."

Listen to how she talks, Umaru thought. Yes, she's definitely a prim and proper girl. Or, she's at least good at playing the part like I am. I really am going to have to behave the same way the entire time I'm visiting her, aren't I? Oh well. This is interesting, so I'll suck it up. Maybe it won't be much different from visiting, say, Sylphyn in that regard.

Umaru turned her thoughts back to what Mami Tomoe had said. Cozy. She thought of the all the times she and her brother had clashed because of the close quarters. Granted, Umaru pretty much always got her way in those conflicts and didn't have to do any of the cleaning or maintenance of their living space either, but Mami Tomoe didn't know need to any of know that. "It's cozy, I guess, but it can be a bit bothersome at times. You know how siblings can be. Do you have any brothers or sisters who live here also?"

Mami shook her head. "No. It's only me here."

Wow, she really does live by herself in this massive apartment. That sounds lonely. And how old is she? She doesn't look old enough to even be in high school yet. The list of questions Umaru had was again growing larger by the minute. Mami motioned for Umaru to follow her and stepped toward the back of the main room. Next to a large window (the view was rather for a second-floor apartment) stood a small triangular table.

"Please, sit down." Mami gestured toward the table. "Make yourself at home."

For Umaru, making herself at home would have meant throwing on her hamster hood, changing to her indoor persona, and lounging around eating snacks and playing games. Obviously, she couldn't do that here. She sat down on a cushion and smiled up at her host. "Thank you."

"I have tea and cake ready," Mami said. It was just as Kyubey had told Umaru. This girl liked tea parties. "Are you particular about either?"

"No, not at all," Umaru answered. If she's going to play the proper host, then I'll keep playing the proper guest, especially since there's cake involved.

"Alright, then. I'll be right back." Mami stepped over to a small kitchenette and began setting things on a tray.

Kyubey, who had followed the two girls, hopped up onto the table and stretched himself out. Umaru still thought of him as a cat-rabbit, but at that moment, he truly looked like a cat. Umaru figured he'd be joining their tea party as well. She recalled feeding him potato chips and wondered if he liked tea and cake. While Umaru was thinking on that, Mami Tomoe returned with a tray, two teacups, and two slices of white cake on some small plates. She set the tray down on the table, then placed a cup and a slice of cake in front of Umaru. The very sight of the cake elated Umaru. Mami poured both of them some tea and sat down across from her.

"So, you came here from Tokyo, Doma-san?" Mami asked as she sipped her tea.

"Yes," Umaru answered. She tried the tea. Generally, she wasn't big on fancy tea (which she assumed this was), but she still found it quite tasty. "And please, call me Umaru."

"Umaru, then. And in that case, please call me Mami. Anyway, that's a long way to go. I hope you had a pleasant trip."

Umaru shrugged. "It was a long, uneventful train ride. I had Kyubey to keep me company, but he slept the whole time."

"Train rides make me sleepy," Kyubey commented. "I usually avoid them, but sometimes that can't be helped."

"At least you didn't snore too loudly," Umaru said to him. "I would have been the only one who'd have to listen to it."

"I'm fairly sure I don't snore at all."

"You do, but quietly. It's kind of cute."

"Are you certain of that, Umaru Doma?" Kyubey asked skeptically, tilting his head.

"Should I record you the next time so you'll believe me?" Umaru asked.

"As I've told you before, that wouldn't do you any good," Kyubey replied. "I wouldn't show up in your video."

"Which is awfully convenient for you," Umaru retorted.

Mami chuckled. "It seems like you and Kyubey already get along well, Umaru."

"He's a bit like a chatty pet," Umaru said, reaching out to pat Kyubey's head. He smiled at her, enjoying it. "And we've had fun together so far."

"He's been a good friend to me as well." Mami looked at Umaru's plate. "Please, try the cake. It's a new kind that I've tried making. I hope you like it."

Umaru had been waiting for Mami to eat her cake before she started on hers. That had seemed like good manners. Of course, upon seeing the cake, her first impulse had been to wolf down the entire piece in one or two bites, just as she might have done at home. Instead, she now took a bite normal-sized bite. It was still a little warm. The cake itself was full of raspberries and cream, and it tasted absolutely amazing. Wow! Is this how magical girls eat all the time? And she made this cake herself? I could get used to this.

"Is it good?" Mami asked.

"It's delicious!" Umaru exclaimed, trying to avoid outright squealing with joy. Indeed, the cake was so fantastic that she almost changed to her indoor persona in front of this girl she had just met. Outdoor mode, she reminded herself. I need to keep things under control, even if this is some of the best cake I've ever tasted. If only I had some cola to go with it…but something tells me this girl probably doesn't have any cola in her refrigerator. "I love it!"

"Thank you again," Mami smiled. "I don't have company as often as I'd like, so I'm glad to hear that. Though of course, I know you didn't come here to simply eat cake and make small talk."

Umaru felt like the cake alone had made the visit worth it, and she'd have happily spent her entire time at Mami's place doing nothing but eating more of it. She briefly wondered how much more of it Mami had (or perhaps other things besides cake), but then reminded herself that she couldn't just stuff herself silly in a stranger's house, no matter how good the food was. She decided that she liked Mami Tomoe so far and hoped they could be friends. She seemed like a nice girl, if perhaps a bit stuffy. In a way, she reminded Umaru a little of her brother.

And of course, just as Mami had alluded to, they hadn't at all discussed the real (at least, nominally) reason Umaru had come to see her. She nodded at Mami. "Yes, um…Kyubey made an offer to me to become a magical girl. He told me that you're one already."

"I am," Mami said. She turned to the little animal. "How much else did you tell her, Kyubey?"

"About you or about magical girls in general?" Kyubey asked.

"Both."

"I only told her a little about you. Don't worry, it was all good things."

Mami chuckled politely at this.

"And I told her the basics of being a magical girl," Kyubey continued. "But it might be better if she heard more about it from someone with firsthand experience."

"That's a good idea," Mami replied. She turned back to Umaru. "As for you, Kyubey's told me that you've got great potential. I can see that as well. I suspect you have questions."

"I do. " That was an understatement. Umaru decided to start with what she felt like was the beginning. Let's see. How did you become a magical girl?"

"The same way as all the others. I made a contract with Kyubey. When you do so, he grants you one wish and from that, a soul gem is created that marks you as a magical girl and is the source of your power." Kyubey had told Umaru a little of that. She was curious as to what circumstances had led Mami Tomoe herself to become a magical girl but figured it might be a bit too soon to ask about her personal history. And then there was that word 'contract' again.

"A contract." Umaru mused. In all her time spent playing games and watching anime, Umaru would never have imagined becoming a magical girl would be so formal. Usually, it took a snap of one's fingers or it just happened. She pictured Kyubey in a suit and tie like the one her brother wore to work, presenting her with a large stack of papers.

Sign here to become a magical girl, said the Kyubey her head. And then sign again on pages four and seven. She had to stop herself from giggling at the silly image.

It's probably not that sort of contract anyway, she thought. And this doesn't sound like a laughing matter, so I should at least pretend to take it seriously. Hopefully, Kyubey didn't read my mind just now or something and see that.

"Yes, a contract," the real Kyubey said. If he had telepathically picked up on Umaru's silly fantasy, he gave no indication. "And in return, you accept a destiny of battle and fight against the witches that plague this world."

"Witches as in the cackling old women with warts and pointy hats who turn people into frogs?" Umaru asked. Of course, she thought they might be more like some anime witches and appear as normal girls, but those weren't always evil.

Mami laughed quietly, placing her hand over her mouth as she did. "Not quite. Witches are curse-born spirits of despair, hopelessness, and misery. "

That didn't really sound like any sort of witches that Umaru had ever heard of. In fact, Umaru had never heard of anything like that in real life at all. They sounded more like something from a game or an anime. Defeat the curse-born spirits and save the world! Were they like ghosts though? That idea scared Umaru more than she'd admit.

"And normal people don't notice these witches?" she asked, "Or try to fight them?"

"Normal people can't fight witches," Mami answered. "They can't even see them since witches hide in what are called barriers. Only magical girls can."

Only magical girls can see witches, just like only magical girls can see Kyubey, Umaru thought. Is there some connection? But before she could ruminate more on that, Mami continued talking.

"You see," Mami said. "Ordinary humans often meet their deaths at the hands of witches. Sometimes it's outright murder. Sometimes it's an induced suicide or a horrible accident."

"And as a magical girl, you can fight and defeat witches?" Umaru asked. These witches sounded pretty terrible. She wondered what it was like to go up against them.

"Yes. If you make a contract with Kyubey, you'll do the same. We magical girls hunt them and destroy them. But make no mistake. Battling witches is a dangerous and even deadly task. It's a difficult life."

"I see." Aside from still feeling a bit like this was an odd dream, hearing that also made Umaru hesitant to simply accept Kyubey's offer. Hard work that's also scary and hazardous? Yuck. I'm not super-excited about that. "So, back to the contract. Kyubey, do you really grant me a wish with it?"

"I do," Kyubey said. "You know, that's often the first thing potential magical girls ask about. You instead asked more about actually being a magical girl. That's a sensible attitude, Umaru Doma."

Mami Tomoe smiled at her. Umaru could just imagine her brother's reaction to being told that she had a sensible attitude. He'd be incredulous and would wonder how she had tricked someone into believing that.

"As for your wish itself," Kyubey continued. "Whatever your heart's desire, I can grant it."

"Anything?" Umaru asked. She recalled Kyubey saying the same thing when she had first met him, though she hadn't paid him or his offer much attention at the time. She looked down at her plate. She had finished her piece of cake and was wondering if Mami had more. But she knew it wouldn't polite to just ask. She wondered if magical girls ever wished for cake.

"Anything," he confirmed.

My heart's desire, Umaru thought. Well, that's an easy one. I can wish for games, manga, anime, and snacks. But I already have all that. Maybe I could wish for my brother to never scold me again, though I wonder just what that would do to him. I could wish for us to be with our father and for us to be a full family, but that would require an even bigger lifestyle change than being a magical girl – I wouldn't be able to laze about.

Umaru was as unsure about a wish as she was about becoming a magical girl in the first place. She considered asking Mami what she had wished for, but again, that seemed like a very personal question. Maybe she'd ask her after she had gotten to know her even better. She looked back up at Mami and Kyubey. "I see. But I don't know what I'd wish for."

"You don't have to decide right this instant," Mami said. "Obviously, it's a big decision. You should give yourself some time to think about it."

"Though it is easier for me if you make up your mind sooner rather than later," Kyubey remarked.

"Don't be impatient, Kyubey," Mami chided him, smiling. "You know as well as anyone that these matters can't always be rushed."

"Except in certain circumstances, as you know. But other than that, you're right, Mami."

They're both acting as if the only matter left here is for me to decide on a wish. I haven't even said if I'd actually accept this contract!

Still, Umaru wanted to know a little more about this wish, say, what limitations there were. She decided to ask the obvious question. She expected the answer would be 'no', but figured she had to try all the same. "Could I wish for more wishes?"

Mami politely chuckled again. "Are there that many things you'd like to wish for, Umaru?"

Kyubey shook his head. "In general, I'm not supposed to make suggestions about wishes, but I wouldn't recommend that, Umaru Doma. As Mami said earlier your soul gem is created from your wish, and thus your wish directly affects your power as a magical girl. Suffice to say that particular wish would cause many problems for you."

"I couldn't resist," Umaru smiled sheepishly, hoping that Mami and Kyubey didn't think her foolish for asking that question. Given Kyubey's words, she figured that had been tried before. She decided to change the subject and asked them what exactly a soul gem was. She was curious about this too. It sounded another thing straight out of a video game.

"It's this." Mami answered her. She removed a ring from her finger, and it changed into a smooth yellow jewel the size of a small egg. She set it down on the table in front of her.

Umaru was entranced. "It's beautiful. Do they all look like that?"

"Each one is unique to the magical girl to whom it belongs," Kyubey answered.

Umaru looked closer at the jewel Mami had placed on the table.

"I see," she said, not taking her eyes off of it. "But why is it called a soul-oh!"

Mami's soul gem had suddenly lit up, glowing with a soft yellow light. Umaru wondered what had happened. Did it respond to Umaru staring at it? She looked questioningly at Mami, who informed her "There's a witch nearby, perhaps in this very building. That's what it's reacting to."

"Really?" Umaru asked. Mami had told her that soul gems were the source of magical girls' power, but apparently, they also responded to the presence of witches. She wondered what else they did. She'd had many of her questions answered, but still had more to ask. "There's a witch so close to where you live?"

"Yes." Mami got up. "I apologize for ending our talk so soon, but I'll need to go and deal with it. It might harm people if I don't. Why don't you come along and observe? You'll get a clear picture of what exactly magical girls deal with."

"Isn't that dangerous?" Umaru asked, recalling what Mami had said about witches. She was intrigued, but more than a little frightened. "I mean, I'm not a magical girl, so I'm not exactly prepared to help fight."

"If you make a contract with me before we go," Kyubey said. "You'll be adequately prepared to help fight."

"Again, you shouldn't be pushy, Kyubey," Mami said. She smiled at Umaru. "Don't mind him; he's just doing his job. And don't worry. It'll be busy fighting me, and you can keep a safe distance. It will be dangerous, but I'll protect you."

"Alright, then. Thank you, Mami." The girl's words were reassuring. Umaru wondered just how skilled Mami Tomoe was at fighting witches. Maybe she's super-elite, like a level one-hundred magical girl or something. Though I guess that's harder to measure in real life. Well, time to go and see what exactly these witches are. She got up and followed Mami.

As they exited Mami's apartment, Kyubey trotted alongside them like a little chaperone. Umaru wondered if he helped fought witches. He was small, but she knew that meant little. Maybe he had a battle aura that strengthened magical girls or something like that. She peered down at him. "Are you coming with us, Kyubey?"

"Yes," Kyubey replied. "I don't fight, but I offer battle advice on occasion. Say, do you mind giving me a ride again, Umaru? It's easier for me to keep up with you two that way. And Mami will have her hands full."

"Of course not," Umaru replied, and the little animal hopped back up on her shoulder as he had before.

Ahead of them, Mami's soul gem was glowing even more brightly as she studied it intently. She led them down the walkway away from her apartment, through a side door back into the building, and then through another door that led to a stairwell.

"This way," Mami said. "Up."

"Do you ever fight side-by-side with other magical girls?" Umaru asked as they climbed the stairs. Magical girls seemed to always team up in anime. Maybe Mami Tomoe had combo attacks she performed with others.

"Occasionally, when others pass through. For a short time, there was another girl here with me, and I was a mentor of sorts to her…" Mami suddenly trailed off and appeared to be deep in thought. There was a slightly sad look on her face.

Is she thinking about that other girl now? I probably shouldn't distract her from her witch hunt, but I'd like to know more about other magical girls. "Um, but not anymore?"

"Ahem." Mami cleared her throat. "Excuse me, I was reminiscing. Yes, she's long since left the city. As such, I'm the only magical girl who resides here. And for the most part, I fight on my own."

Umaru still found herself a little curious about this other girl but decided that was another topic she could pursue when she knew Mami better. She nodded sympathetically. "That sounds hard."

"Sometimes, it is." Mami smiled at Umaru. "Though I suppose if you make a contract, then the two of us will fight alongside each other, at least until when you're ready to fight on your own. Well, unless you decided to stay here in this city, I suppose. There'd certainly be nothing wrong with that."

How in the world would that even work out? My brother and my school are both back in Tokyo. Why would she suggest something like that?

"It's good to have a teacher," Kyubey commented. "Especially someone as experienced as Mami. Not every magical girl starts out so lucky, you know."

He's not exactly trying to be subtle, is he? He's like a salesman trying to pitch a product to me.

They walked up one more flight of stairs before Mami led them out of the stairwell and down another walkway. After they turned a corner, Mami stopped them in front of an apartment door. She turned to Umaru. "Alright. We can enter here."

"You mean, we're going inside this person's apartment? Do you know them?" Had the witch already gotten the person who there? Were they too late to save them? Umaru hoped not.

Mami shook her head and raised her hand in front of her as though she was waving. "No, not the apartment. The witch's barrier."

"How-" Umaru began, but before she had the chance to finish, the air in front of the apartment door glimmered, and a strange black portal appeared. It looked like an oil slick hanging suspended in the air. Umaru started at it, dumbfounded. That wasn't at all what she had been expecting.

"There," Mami said. "Don't touch it. We'll go in together so that we don't get separated."

Mami passed her free hand over her soul gem. There was a flash of yellow light, and when it subsided, she had transformed. She was no longer wearing what Umaru was sure was her certain school uniform. Instead, she was wearing a beige skirt, white blouse, and yellow ribbon. A small brown hat sat atop her head.

She really is a magical girl, Umaru thought in amazement. And now she looks the part, though I'd have thought her transformation would take longer. Oh well, what does it matter? This is all actually happening. After everything she and Kyubey told me, I still didn't entirely believe it, but now I do. To think I knew nothing about any of this just a few weeks ago. She wondered if, as a magical girl, she'd be able to just snap her fingers and be ready for school. Or maybe even appear at school – were real magical girls capable of teleporting? That would definitely give her more time for sleeping in, though it would probably bug her brother.

"We're set to head inside the barrier," Mami said. "Once we're in, don't leave my side and do as I say. Understood?"

"Understood," Umaru replied. As if I'd be insane enough to do otherwise.

"Good. Here." She held out her hand to Umaru. Umaru took it, and Mami smiled at her.

Are we going to have to hold hands all the time? Or is this because she's a magical girl, I'm not, and so she's worried I'll get lost? This is probably for the best anyway. I've no idea what's in there, after all.

As Mami led the two of them through the portal, what Umaru saw was far beyond anything she could have anticipated. It was as though reality itself had shifted around her. The area around them was dimly lit with a red light, but beyond there seemed little but inky darkness. Random objects flew over their heads, but they seemed oddly blurred. Umaru saw a pair of eyebrow tweezers, a hairbrush, and what looked like a broken tube of lipstick.

This is a bit scary, but it really is like a video game! It's a dungeon, and there's a boss somewhere in here that we have to defeat!

"This way," Mami said, pointing in a direction that looked the same to Umaru as all the others. "Let's go."

As she followed Mami through this bizarre and surreal place, some of the excitement she had originally felt began to wear off. The constant waviness of the darkness made Umaru feel a little ill, and the blurry objects floating by made her head hurt just looking at them, never mind how badly it would probably hurt if one actually hit her. Additionally, Umaru found that the place smelled bad. She wasn't entirely sure what it was. It seemed like some odd mix of rotting meat and stale perfume, and it was foul.

"Is it always this gross?" Umaru asked, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

"Witches vary as much as magical girls do," Kyubey answered. "And so do their barriers."

"He's right," Mami said. "But to answer your question, in general, yes. Neither witches nor their barriers are pretty things. Wait."

Mami dropped Umaru's hand. She waved her own hand, and what looked like an old musket appeared in it. She raised the gun up, took aim, and fired it. It was so dark ahead that Umaru couldn't tell what she had fired at. Still, she heard something squeal loudly. It almost sounded like a teenage girl's scream to Umaru. Mami tossed the musket aside.

"That's….wow!" Umaru exclaimed. She was again amazed. "How did you do that?"

"Magic," Mami replied simply, still peering forward. It looked like she was scanning.

"Of course, sorry," Umaru said. That was a silly question. "Um, was that the witch?"

"No, that was a familiar. Be alert. There's likely more where that came from. Come on, let's keep moving." Mami's voice now sounded hard and serious, rather unlike how she had sounded when she was back in her apartment drinking tea with Umaru. The pleasant good-naturedness was still there, but now there was a steel edge beneath it. Mami, Umaru deduced, was decidedly tough. She no doubt had to be if she constantly did this.

Mami took Umaru's hand again and walked forward at a faster pace. As they continued their way through the barrier, Umaru noticed a number of round mirrors. In some of them, she could see her and Mami's reflection, but they appeared twisted and misshapen. She considered asking Mami what was up with that, then decided it would be better not to. They seemed to be surrounded by more and more of them. Umaru could have sworn she saw the shadow of a girl duck out of sight in one. Finally, Mami stopped in front of one of the giant mirrors and studied it closely.

"Is this the witch?" Umaru asked. She couldn't tell what any of this was supposed to be at this point. Maybe the mirror was the witch in disguise.

"Again, no," Mami answered. "But we're close. This is the way to the center, where the witch is hiding." Umaru was curious as to how she knew that, but she figured that Mami must have known these things from experience. Mami conjured another musket from thin air and fired directly at the mirror. It shattered, and behind it was a huge chamber, lit up with the same dull red light that had surrounded them as they had walked through the barrier. Umaru could see other mirrors on the wall inside. From some, large green eyes with thick eyelashes peered out at them.

Those aren't mirrors, not entirely. They're doors. But some of them have, ugh, things in them apparently.

"Stay back there, Umaru" Mami commanded, not turning around as she stepped forward into the chamber. She briefly waved her left hand behind her, and a wire mesh that looked like it was made out of yellow ribbon appeared in the doorway, blocking Umaru from entering the chamber. She tapped it, and it felt like it was made out of wound-up steel.

Stay back here, she says, but I've no choice. I couldn't break through this even if I tried. That must be one of her magical girl skills. What else can she do?

"The witch is in here," Mami said. Umaru watched as Mami stepped further into the chamber. A dozen shades that looked like the shadows of teenage girls appeared and rushed at her. Mami twirled gracefully, moving like a ballet dancer would, and a dozen muskets appeared from nowhere, floating alongside her. They all fired at once, and almost all of the little shades fell dead. Only one survived and ran out of the large chamber, crashing through one of the mirror-doors as it did. Umaru didn't know much about magical girls in the real world, but it looked as though Mami Tomoe was extremely skilled.

It really is as though she's from an anime! Her earlier image of Mami Tomoe as simply a straitlaced girl who liked tea parties had been wrong. She was that, of course, but she was also much, much more.

What looked like a giant hand rose up from the center of the chamber. The skin was pale, and the fingers were long and thin. There were far more fingers on it than a normal hand. But instead of fingernails, it looked like some of the fingers had different cosmetics instruments on the end. One finger ended in a makeup brush, while another ended in an eyelash curler. Umaru assumed this was the witch they had been seeking. The curled flexed toward Mami, and launched pink and red gobs of goop at her.

"Watch out, Mami!" Umaru yelled, but that was unnecessary. Mami skillfully dodged the weird projectiles shot at her. More muskets appeared next to her and fired at the hand in perfect unison. It quivered as bullet wounds appeared in it. Mami leaped up into the air, twirling a yellow ribbon around her. A giant flintlock revolver appeared in her arms, and she aimed it at the witch.

"Tiro Finale!" Mami cried, and the giant gun fired with a deafening bang. The giant hand exploded with bits of it scattering all over the place. Umaru's mouth hung open in shock. She was so beside herself from seeing Mami's amazing attack (not to mention her calling it out as she did it) that she ignored how gross the witch's demise was.

She's so awesome! This is better than I could have ever imagined!

The barrier started to fade. As the strange surroundings completely melted away, Umaru found herself suddenly standing back on the outside walkway in front of the apartment door where they had first entered the strange portal. All that seemed as though it had been years ago.

"And that's that," Mami said, calmly walking over to where Umaru was standing.

Umaru was still gaping. "You're…you're amazing. That was incredible!"

"Thank you," Mami replied. "Don't be fooled, however. I've been at this for a while, but my life was still on the line. Witches are always dangerous, no matter what. If you get distracted or overconfident, it can mean your end."

"Just how long have been you doing this?" Umaru asked. And how long would it take me to get to that level if I actually make a contract with Kyubey?

"More than a year," Mami answered.

"Wow, you really are experienced," Umaru said. A whole year and then some? Yeesh. No wonder she's so good. I don't know if I'd have the patience to stick with it for so long.

"And yet," Mami said. "One of its familiars got away from me. Did you see the one shade that ran off after I hit it? I imagine it's the same one that fled from us shortly after we entered the barrier. I'll have to do some hunting later, lest it goes and hurts more people."

"Those things were called familiars, then? Are like witches' helpers or something?"

"Essentially, yes. And when they break off from witches, they'll also attack innocent people, so they have to be destroyed as well."

"I see." Umaru looked at little black orb that Mami held in her hands. "So, what's that you picked up? Witch leftovers?"

"You're not far off. This is a grief seed. It's a sort of compensation or reward for defeating a witch."

Of course, there's a reward, Umaru thought. When you defeat a boss, there always is!

Umaru looked around and noticed it was now getting pretty late. Just how long had they spent inside the witch's barrier? The sun was still up but had gotten lower in the sky. "I feel bad for saying this, but I should probably start heading back. If I'm gone for too long, Onii-chan will wonder what's happened to me."

She decided not to mention that she hadn't even told her brother about taking a train all the way to Mitakihara or the fact that he'd be surprised she'd left their apartment in the first place. But she knew that he'd be long home from work by the time she would arrive back. He'd probably be irritated regardless, but Umaru could deal with that. Besides, she had gone somewhere just as he was constantly badgering her to do, and she'd left a note, right? He'd really have no real reason to complain.

Mami smiled at her. "Sounds like you and your brother are close."

"Oh, we are," Umaru answered. A brief image of her throwing a tantrum in order to convince her brother to buy her an anime DVD ran through her mind. "Very much so."

"Family's important," Mami said. "I'll walk with you to the train station if you like."

"Certainly!" Umaru said. "Though I don't think this will be the last time we'll see each other, Mami."

"Somehow, I don't think so either, Umaru."

As Mami escorted her through Mitakihara and back to the train station, Mami explained a few other things to her. She told her more about grief seeds, how they would cleanse her soul gem and even gave a demonstration of that to Umaru. Umaru was continually amazed by all the things Mami had shown and told her. She was still pretty uncertain about becoming a magical girl but decided that today had been completely worthwhile. She could have kept listening to Mami talk about being a magical all night and then some.

"And that's all there is to it?" Umaru asked as they stepped onto the train platform.

"What's you've seen is the general way things work, yes," Mami answered. "There's always more, but we can continue this on another day. For now, you should make sure you get home safely and avoid causing your brother any unnecessary worry."

"Yes. Onii-chan, he's-" Umaru suddenly stopped. An odd feeling passed over her. She could have sworn something weird was nearby or had passed them by, but she wasn't sure why or now. Was someone watching her and Mami? A shiver ran down her spine, and she shuddered. She looked around and saw nothing but the normal crowd one would see at a train station.

"Umaru?" Mami looked concerned. It didn't seem like she had noticed whatever Umaru had noticed. "Are you alright?"

"No, I'm fine. It's nothing." Umaru waved her hand in front of her face. The weird feeling had been brief, and she didn't want Mami to think she was going crazy or something. Besides, there were lots of people in the train station, so of course, people were seeing them. "Really. I just feel a bit sad leaving. I've enjoyed myself today."

"As have I," Mami said. "But you'd better board your train. I hope you have a pleasant ride home."

"Right. See you later, Mami!" Umaru stepped toward the train then turned and waved at her one last time. "It was great meeting you!"

"Likewise, Umaru," Mami said behind her as Umaru walked through the train doors. "I hope to see you again soon."

Chapter Text

It was early Sunday morning. Umaru rolled around on her bed, reading a manga about the magical girl Kajiki Maguro. She had read it before, but figured she was going to do a refresher course for herself on magical girls, so she had pulled out volumes of it, as well as several other different series from her shelves. Her brother would probably be annoyed that she had pulled out so many manga volumes at once and had made a mess, but her research was more important his irritation. When she was tired of reading, she'd watch the magical girl anime DVDs.

Maguro seems so different from Mami though, Umaru thought as she read. Mami seems more like the classical magical girl heroine. Maguro has a kind heart too, but she's really cold and aloof at first. Of course, she changes before the story ends, once she makes friends with the others. But she never got a wish granted when she became a magical girl.

Umaru thought more on the wish. What would she wish for if she made a contract with Kyubey? She still couldn't think of anything. Many of the things she might have wished for she already had. She could have wished to stay with her brother forever, but she already more or less intended to do that. There were things like world peace or wishing for an end to people starving in different places. She wondered if other girls had wished for things like that. She figured she could ask Kyubey on that one when she had the chance. Finally, it occurred to her that she still had no idea what Mami had wished for.

Umaru rolled off the bed and walked over to her brother's desk. He was engrossed in a book he was reading and didn't notice her at first. She tugged on his sleeve. "Onii-chan? Let's say someone gave you one wish, anything you wanted. What would you wish for?"

"One wish?" He scratched his chin, thinking. "I don't really know. I guess 'more wishes' would be a logical choice."

Umaru felt a little amused that she and her brother were on the same wavelength. "What if you couldn't wish for that, Onii-chan?"

"Hmmm." Taihei peered over at the bed and frowned, no doubt disapproving of the clutter Umaru had spread on there. "I'd wish that you'd shape up some, behave better, and keep things neater around here."

"That would be a pointless wish, Onii-chan!" Umaru laughed. "Umaru will never change!"

"Right," Taihei replied, turning back to the book he was reading. "That would be nothing short of a miracle."

Umaru laughed again. Her brother was being snarky today. "By the way Onii-chan, what are we having for lunch today?"

"I don't know yet," he answered, looking back at her. "Are you already that hungry, Umaru? We just finished breakfast."

"Umaru's invited a friend over!" she declared happily. "And she's going to have lunch with us."

"Ah, Kirie? Ebina?"

"No, this is a new friend, Onii-chan." Umaru had been constantly messaging back and forth with Mami since they had first met a few days before. She wanted to see her again, but it was hard when the two girls didn't live near each other and Mami presumably had a lot of witches to fight. Finally, though, Mami had accepted her invitation to come visit. "We should have something really good for her first visit here!"

"I see. Alright then," he replied, closing his book and getting up. He smiled at her. "I'll go to the store and buy some things. We'll make something special for her."

Umarun! Umaru changed to her indoor persona. "Thank you, Onii-chan! While you're doing that, I'll make sure everything is nice and tidy around here!"

Her brother raised an eyebrow at her. "You're actually going to clean?"

Umaru simply smiled happily at him and didn't reply. While her brother set off for the store, Umaru did indeed busy herself cleaning up their apartment. She was still doing that when her brother returned and began preparing lunch in the kitchen. When it was nearing noon, Umaru headed for the front door, knowing Mami's train from Mitakihara was due to arrive shortly.

"I'm off to the train station!" Umaru called to her brother. He stepped out of the kitchen, his apron on and a mixing spoon in his hand.

"I'm curious to meet this girl," he commented. "Considering your appearance and the effort you've suddenly put in today."

"Don't be silly, Onii-chan," she said. "I always put in effort when guests are involved."

Taihei shook his head at her. "I'm not even going to bother with that one. Be careful on your way there. I'll see you when you're back." He turned around and walked back into the kitchen.

Umaru slipped on her shoes and headed off to the train station where she'd meet Mami. The weather was still hot, but it was still early enough in the day that the heat hadn't yet become too oppressive. Umaru was glad for small favors; she wouldn't be completely soaked in sweat by the time she reached her destination.

When she saw Mami get off the train, Umaru noticed she was still wearing what Umaru thought of as her school uniform. She must really like that outfit. That's understandable. I like to dress comfortably at home as well. She's just able to wear her comfort clothes out in public. Mami was also carrying Kyubey in her arms. For her part, Mami was clearly happy to see Umaru and smiled widely when she greeted her. "Umaru. My friend."

"Hi, Mami!" She patted Kyubey on the head. "Hi, Kyubey."

"Hello, Umaru Doma!" Kyubey chirped back.

"It's not too long a walk back to our apartment," Umaru said. "And it'll be nice and cool there."

"That's good to hear," Mami said. "It was hot on the train, and it was uncomfortable."

"I'm sorry," Umaru said sympathetically. "What about you, Kyubey? How are you holding up?"

"I'm good either way," Kyubey answered. "Hot or cold, sunshine or rain."

"Would that it was so easy for all of us," Mami chuckled.

"We'll be having lunch with my brother," Umaru said as they exited the train station and headed back in the direction of Umaru's apartment.

"That sound nice," Mami replied. "I look forward to meeting him."

"He can be a handful at times, but I love him all the same."

"Is that so? Please, tell me more about your brother."

As they walked, Umaru did just that. She told Mami about her brother worked for Diamond Security, about how they had lived together since Umaru had started high school, and other things as well. There were, of course, some things she neglected to share (such as the fact that brother did all the cooking), but she figured she didn't have to tell Mami everything about her life immediately.

"There's our apartment building," Umaru said, pointing. "Just one block ahead."

"Alright." They stopped at a street crossing, and Mami turned to her. "Before I meet your brother, there's something else about being a magical girl that I ought to share with you."

"What is it?"

Just as she had heard Kyubey's voice in her mind, Umaru suddenly heard Mami's. This. If there's something that needs to go unspoken in front of other people, we can communicate like this.

"W-what?" Umaru asked. "You have telepathy too? Do magical girls develop telepathy after making a contract with Kyubey?"

This time it was Kyubey's voice who spoke up in her head. No, I'm acting as a transmitter and facilitating the communication between you two.

Umaru decided she might as well try this out again. She replied Oh, I see. If there was another magical girl or potential around, would she be able to communicate with us like this as well?

Yes, Kyubey answered.

That was interesting, but Umaru wasn't sure she wanted more voices in her head. The presences of Mami and Kyubey in there were already more than enough for her.

"You two can't hear everything I think, can you?" Umaru asked. She was pretty certain that was the case since she doubted she heard everything that Mami thought.

"Only when you direct thoughts at me or both of us," Kyubey answered. Umaru was relieved. And she definitely preferred communicating out loud as much as possible. When the trio had made their way to Umaru's apartment, Taihei was there to greet them at the door.

"Onii-chan, this is Mami Tomoe. " Umaru smiled her widest smile, looking every bit the perfect little sister. "Mami, this is my brother, Taihei."

"I'm very pleased to meet you," Mami said, bowing.

"Likewise," Taihei replied. "Please, come in."

"Umaru speaks very highly of you," Mami said as she stepped inside their apartment.

"Well, she can be a handful at times, but I still love her, of course. Thank you for being friends with her."

Hey! Umaru thought. Who's a handful, now? That's my line, Onii-chan!

"Yes, I'm very glad I've made friends with her," Mami replied. "I can see where you and she take after each other some."

Don't talk about me like I'm not standing right here, both of you!

"Mami, please come in and sit down," Umaru said. "Lunch is almost ready!"

She led Mami into their combined living room and bedroom. Mami looked around, admiring the different things on the shelves, as well as the rest of decorations that adorned their walls. She took a seat at the table in the center of the room and smiled patiently up at Umaru. Umaru returned the smile and followed her brother into the kitchen, where three lunch plates were sitting on the counter.

"Allow me, Onii-chan! You go sit down as well. I'll handle the serving," she declared happily. She took two of the dishes from the counter and carried them back to the table.

"Uh, thank you, Umaru," her brother said as followed her out of the kitchen. Umaru set down one dish in front of Mami and one at her brother's place. After retrieving her own dish, she took her place at the table across from Mami.

"Thanks for the food," her brother said. "Let's eat."

Umaru looked down at the lunch her brother had made. There was a serving of little bits of cooked orange carrots on her plate. Carrots. Of course, there were carrots. How she detested them. And he must have known she'd be unlikely to throw a tantrum when they had a guest over and her outdoor mode was called for. Though she was elated to have Mami over and would keep up a pleasant face, she was still decidedly unhappy about this development.

Stupid Onii-chan, she thought bitterly. I can't believe you'd do this to me.

Umaru narrowed her eyes at her brother. He'd pay for this. Not now, not while Mami was visiting. Later. Umaru would see to it that he did. But, for the time being, she had to do something about the disgusting carrots on her plate. She picked up some of them with her chopsticks and before her brother could say anything, plopped them right on his plate.

"Here you are, Onii-chan! Carrots, one of your favorites!" she said as she did so. She put on the face of a happy, doting little sister and used her friendliest tone of voice. Turning to Mami, she added, "He loves them, so I always share mine with him."

Mami smiled back at her. "That's so sweet."

"My sister is the very picture of sweetness sometimes," Taihei said in a thin voice. He placed some carrots back onto her plate. "But I can't just take all your food, Umaru."

"You know I can't eat all of that, Onii-chan," Umaru replied. "You should really have as many as you want."

Taihei ignored this and turned to Mami. "So, Mami. Do you attend Umaru's school?"

"No, I'm still a third-year in middle school," she replied.

"Oh." He turned back to Umaru. "How did you two meet, then?"

"We met through a mutual friend," Mami answered before Umaru could say anything. She took a bite of the meal and nodded thoughtfully. "This is absolutely delicious, by the way."

"Ah, thank you," Taihei said.

"The carrots are quite good, despite this not being the peak of their season," Mami commented. "I like the way you've prepared them." Umaru wondered if she could convince Mami to eat her carrots while she was at it.

"Thank you again," Taihei smiled at her. Umaru was impressed by how deftly Mami had shifted the conversation topic. Indeed, Mami seemed skilled at directing the flow of conversation. She and Taihei discussed various things – his work, the news, even tea. As they chatted, Umaru surreptitiously moved a little bit of her serving of carrots at a time back over to his dish. He didn't seem to notice. Mami might have noticed, but Umaru didn't really care about that. It was a small trade-off for getting rid of her carrots.

"So Mami," Taihei asked at one point. "Do you have any brothers or sisters?" While her brother's attention was directed at Mami, Umaru took the opportunity to quickly sneak the rest of her carrots back onto his plate. Now she had none and was quite pleased with herself.

"No, I'm an only child," Mami replied.

"Well, you're welcome to visit here as much as you like. We always welcome the company."

Mami Tomoe had apparently charmed her brother. In these circumstances, Umaru might have crossly reminded the girl that Onii-chan was her brother and not Mami's. She nearly did so telepathically, even though she disliked communicating like that. But of course, as Mami herself had said, she had no siblings of her own. Snapping at her for making friends with Onii-chan would be unkind.

"Thank you," Mami said. "Though for this visit, I'll need to return home shortly after lunch, much as I'd like to stay. I've things I still need to do. I don't think I'll need Umaru's help today, but hopefully, she and I will be able to meet up again soon." She turned to Umaru. "It would be nice if we could meet tomorrow or the day after, but I don't want to impose, of course."

"Help?" Taihei asked. "What will you two be up to?"

"Mami and I are working on a…uh, project together." Umaru regretted that line as soon as she had said it. She wished she'd thought ahead on what to tell her brother about spending time with Mami.

"That sounds interesting." Taihei looked at Mami. "What sort of project are you working on?"

Umaru's eyes suddenly widened. No, please don't tell him you're a magical girl! She hoped Mami heard this thought.

"Umaru's agreed to tutor me in preparation for high school entrance exams, in so much as one could call that a project," Mami said without hesitation. "I know it will be quite a bit of work. I'm trying to organize everything before she and I start and really get involved in it. You know, my strengths and weaknesses and what we should focus on first."

Calm down, Umaru, Mami's voice said in her head. I know better than to simply share that sort of information with normal people.

"Ah, is that so?" Taihei said, sounding pleased. "That's good to hear. She helped her friend Ebina with school exams not too long ago. And Ebina did well, as I recall."

"Yes, that's right," Umaru said, putting on a smile. "Mami's certain to do well also."

The rest of meal passed uneventfully. Taihei continued chatting with Mami, who Umaru noticed was very careful to steer the conversation away from any topics where it seemed like her brother might ask questions about things the two girls didn't necessarily want him to know about. When it was over, they had some tea, which she complimented highly. Taihei seemed pleased by that as well. But of course, just as Mami had said, she didn't linger. It wasn't long before she excused herself, and prepared to leave.

"That was a fantastic meal," Mami said, bowing to the pair of them. "Thank you both very much for having me over."

"I'll walk you back to the train station," Umaru said. "We can discuss your tutoring on the way."

"I'd like that, Umaru. Thank you."

"I'll come along too," Taihei said. "It's hot, but still a nice day outside for a walk."

"Ah…no, that's not necessary, Onii-chan," Umaru said. They wouldn't be able to talk freely with her brother accompanying them, and Umaru still wasn't fond of using Kyubey's telepathic communication. "We'll be perfectly fine."

"We have a few other matters to talk about besides that," Mami said. "Girl talk. You know?"

"Ah." Taihei blushed slightly. "I see. Well, be safe walking to the train station, both of you."

"We will," Mami replied. "It was good to meet you, Doma-san."

"And you," Taihei replied. "See you later!" He turned around and walked back to the apartment kitchen.

Umaru felt relieved. The two girls stepped outside the apartment and onto the walkway. Kyubey trotted out the door behind them. He leaped up into Mami's arms, and she held and petted him. Immediately after Umaru closed the apartment door, Mami turned and faced her.

"I apologize for pushing you into lying to your brother," she said. "But it's better to not reveal anything about magical girls and such to him for the time being. If you do indeed make a contract with Kyubey, you can decide yourself how much to tell him and when."

"No, no, that's fine," Umaru said. I can't even begin to imagine telling Onii-chan about any of this. He'd either think I've lost my mind or he'd think I was describing a game or anime. Probably the latter. I have no idea how I'd handle it if I actually made a contract. "It's for the best. We can't spill magical girl secrets to him, after all. But tutoring? How did you think of that excuse so quickly?"

"I noticed an academic achievement award on your shelf," Mami answered as she and Umaru walked down the steps of the apartment building. "And I figured you must be fairly good at school. So, that seemed like a logical explanation for us spending time together and one that I assumed your brother would accept."

She's clever, Umaru thought. And if I didn't know better, I'd think she was trying to corner me into becoming a magical girl. After all, if I don't spend time with her now, Onii-chan will wonder why. But that doesn't matter because I do want to spend time with her, magical girl or not. Umaru had earlier thought on how Mami and her brother were alike. Now she thought of the similarities that she and Mami shared – both of them could exude prim and proper airs while hiding another side of themselves from most of the world. It felt little like they were co-conspirators.

"That was some quick thinking," Umaru said complimented her. "Say, I never asked: did you find the familiar from the other day? The one that ran off while you were fighting the witch?"

"No," Mami said. "I started searching for it immediately after you left, and I spent most of the next day doing so as well. It's a bit disconcerting to me that I couldn't find it. Those things don't just vanish."

"Could some other magical girl have killed it?"

"That's possible but unlikely. As I said, I'm the only one in Mitakihara, and there have been none others around there for some time."

"Maybe it fled the city entirely."

"I suppose that's not entirely out of the question either," Mami said. She frowned, watching a car pass by as they waited to cross a street. "However, that would be a long way for it to have gone, even with the head start that it had. And I did spend quite a bit of time searching thoroughly for it."

"What would you do if it did go to another city?"

"Hmmm. Let's say that's the case. If I knew what direction it went, I could go after it myself. I'd need to have a good idea of where though since cold trails aren't usually easy or quick to follow. But going to another city presents other issues – many magical girls are very protective of their territory and wouldn't necessarily welcome my presence with open arms."

"Really?" Umaru asked. "I would think they'd be happy for the help if a witch or a familiar wandered in."

"Sadly, that often isn't the case. Competition for grief seeds can run high, especially if there's a dearth of witches in a city. Now, familiars don't leave grief seeds, but many other magical girls wouldn't believe me if I told them I was there to simply hunt a familiar. You see, there isn't always a willingness among magical girls to work together."

Who knew the magical girl business could be so cutthroat? In the anime and manga, they always work together, even when they have arguments.

"But…you don't seem to think like that?" Indeed, Mami seemed nothing at all like the other magical girls she described.

"No. I think cooperation would make us stronger and would welcome operating in tandem with other magical girls if possible. Sadly, it often isn't. For two parties to work together, both of them have to agree to do so."

"Mami's a bit unusual in that regard," Kyubey said. "But that's hardly a bad thing." Mami smiled at him.

"Back to the familiar," she continued. "Spending too many days hunting in another city would leave Mitakihara vulnerable since it's only me there. But again, I don't think it's gone from the city. I just haven't searched thoroughly enough yet. Don't worry, I'll find it. I have a lot of experience tracking witches and familiars. And this isn't the first time one has run from me."

Mami sounded very confident of that. Umaru deferred to expertise on that matter. She seems to know what she's doing and having watched her fought, she definitely capable of beating them with no problems. She imagined an anime series with Mami as the star. They'd probably call it Magical Girl Mami or something. I like the idea of working together as well. It seems like you'd get more done that way and help more people.

Kyubey's voice cut into her thoughts. "So, Umaru Doma, have you decided on becoming a magical girl yet and what you'd like to wish for?"

"I'm…still not sure," Umaru said slowly. The more she learned, the more fascinating it seemed, but it also seemed that much more intimidating. Mami seemed okay with it all, but she was a veteran and was undoubtedly used to it. "Hey, Mami?"

"Yes?"

"Even if I didn't go through with the whole contract…you and I could still be friends, right?"

Mami's face seemed to brighten a little at this question. "Of course, Umaru."

Umaru had been so absorbed in her chat with Mami during their walk to the train station, that it felt like they reached it in barely any time at all. She walked her friend up the platform where she'd hop a train back to Mitakihara and waved goodbye at her as she boarded it. When the train had left, Umaru turned around and began to head back home.

Umaru changed to her indoor persona as soon as she entered the apartment. She hadn't forgotten that she and her brother still had something to discuss. She heard him in the kitchen, presumably still cleaning up. She charged through the apartment with him as her target. Sure enough, he was there in the kitchen, washing the dishes leftover from lunch.

"Umaru dive!" she yelled, leaping into the air and latching onto her brother's head.

Taihei was caught off-guard and nearly dropped the dish he was holding. "U-Umaru!? What-"

"Onii-chan!" she yelled. "How could you?"

"H-how could I what, Umaru? Ah, get off! What's wrong now?"

"You know what you did! You served horrible carrots with that lunch you made!"

Now she had made it clear to Taihei why she was mad. He pushed her off of him, and she rolled onto the floor. But she quickly sprang up to her feet.

"You tried to force Umaru to eat them!" she yelled up at him.

"Because you need to eat vegetables!" he shouted angrily. "Left to your own devices, you'd eat nothing but junk!"

"You tried to embarrass Umaru in front of her new friend!" she shot back.

"Any embarrassment you suffered would have been completely your own fault!"

"Argh!" Umaru screamed, stomping her foot childishly. "Umaru doesn't eat carrots! Who'd want to? They're gross, gross, gross!"

"Your friend Mami seemed to eat them just fine!"

"That's her! Umaru is Umaru!"

"Apparently!" He turned back to the dishes he was washing. "And it seemed to me as though she behaved far more like a proper little sister than you usually do. Maybe you should take a leaf from her book."

"Don't compare Umaru to Mami!" she screamed.

Taihei looked cross and muttered, "Maybe her family would be open to swapping."

That one stung. Umaru glared up at her brother.

"Onii-chan is a jerk!" she snapped. She stomped off in a huff out of the kitchen. She sat in sullen silence while her brother continued to clean up in the kitchen. Finally, she picked up a manga volume and began reading. She spent the rest of the day doing so and not speaking to her brother. Maybe you'll think I'm more like a proper little sister if I just don't say anything to you at all, Onii-chan. Maybe that's what you'd prefer.

Taihei, apparently sensing he'd said something that really hurt her tried to approach her a few times, always beginning with a conciliatory "Umaru…"

"Humph," Umaru would reply, turning her head away from him. He sighed and returned to whatever it was he had been doing before and so would she. This went on the rest of the day. The two of them ate dinner in almost complete silence, each one saying only whatever was necessary to the other. Finally, when it was quite late, Taihei got ready for bed while Umaru still ignored him.

"Umaru," Taihei said. "I'm turning out the lights. Don't stay up too late."

"Fine," Umaru answered curtly. But it was still some time before she finally climbed into bed and went to sleep.

Umaru woke up a bit late the next morning and found that her brother had already left for work. She wondered if he still felt guilty for trying to feed her carrots the day before and for wishing Mami was his little sister instead of her. She hoped so. Hopping down from her bed, she switched on her game console. There was an old game she wanted to replay, Magical Girl S. While she was still wasn't really sure she actually wanted to become a magical girl, she figured she'd continue her research all the same. And she'd be going to visit Mami again the next day. She wondered what horrible sort of witch Mami would fight. She hoped Mami would have more cake for her to eat.

Umaru spent most of the morning playing the game. It was fun, sure. But it still didn't feel the same way as it had when she'd watched Mami fight the witch. Was that because this was just a game and that had been real? She set down the controller and took a long drink of cola. She decided she'd sleep on all of this some more. She had so much to think about, even if she didn't go through with the contract. It would definitely be hard to continue on with a normal life knowing that magical girls and witches existed. She turned off the console and climbed up into her bed. It was time for her midmorning nap anyway. She closed her eyes and drifted into sleep.

Umaru dreamed that she was back inside the barrier Mami had led through her. She was watching the magical girl once again do battle against a witch, moving around with ease and grace. Except, this time Mami wasn't carrying a gun like Umaru had seen her use before. She was instead wielding a giant Pocky stick, striking things with it and somehow also firing it as though it were a gun. And the witch she was fighting looked like a giant carrot that threw smaller bits of carrot at her. Mami skillfully swatted them out of the air and turned to Umaru.

If you make a contract with Kyubey, the Mami in her dream said. You'll do the same.

I'll fight vegetables? Umaru asked.

Yes, Mami replied, but there's cake when you win. It's a sort of compensation or reward.

Like dessert? Umaru was about ask more about the cake, when her cell phone rang loudly, shaking her out of her nap.

Feeling groggy, she reached over and fumbled for her phone, feeling annoyed that whoever was calling had interrupted her nap. She touched the phone's screen and put it up to her ear. Stifling a yawn, she asked "Hello?"

"Hello," said an unfamiliar voice on the other end. "Is this Umaru Doma, the sister of Taihei Doma?"

"Yes," she answered. "Who is this?"

"This is Ken Fujiwara of East Tokyo Hospital. You're listed as the contact for your brother. There was a train accident, and he's here in the emergency room in critical condition."

The scene that greeted Umaru in the hospital room was one of utter horror. Her brother was lying back in a bed with his eyes closed, seemingly barely alive. There was a mass of tubes and wires connected to him and the machines next to his bed that hid much of him from view. One of the tubes was connected to his mouth, and Umaru assumed that was for his breathing. She had no idea what any of the others did. He skin looked discolored and bruised. He almost didn't resemble her brother at all.

He doesn't have his glasses on, she thought. Onii-chan can't see without them.

There had been a horrible train accident at the station where her brother had caught the train to work. Six people had been killed outright. More were wounded, some critically so. Her brother was one of the wounded. Umaru turned to the nurse who had escorted her in. "He'll be okay, right?"

"It's very difficult to say," the nurse replied. "Your brother's lost a lot of blood and has suffered severe injuries besides. But we will do everything we possibly can for him, miss."

"Alright," Umaru said quietly. "Thank you."

The nurse nodded at her and then exited the room, leaving Umaru alone with her unconscious brother. She sat back down in the chair next to Taihei's bed and stared miserably at the floor, sitting like that for some time. This was a horrible shock, and she was still trying to process it. Finally, she got up, hoping a little walk would clear her head. She recalled how her brother liked to go walking.

"You rest, Onii-chan," she said. "I'll be back in a little bit."

She wandered aimlessly through the hospital, not heading anywhere in particular, staring at the floor as she walked. As she got to a corner in one hallway, she overheard the nurse she had seen earlier talking with someone.

"We've lost two more from the train wreck," the nurse said. "I saw Doma in room 442, and it's not looking good for him either. He probably only has a few more hours at most."

There was a heavy sigh. "Has his family been contacted?"

"Yes. His younger sister was in there with him."

"Poor girl."

"Indeed. I feel terrible for her. In the meantime, I recommend-"

Umaru didn't wait around to hear the rest of that conversation. She ran the other way down the hall, away from the two hospital workers. She pushed through a side door that led to a stairwell. There she stopped. She sank down on the floor, hugged her knees to chest, and started rocking back and forth, crying as she did.

"Onii-chan, you can't die," she sobbed. Why is this happening? This is wrong, all wrong.

"Your brother doesn't have to die, Umaru Doma," a familiar voice near her said. Umaru looked up. Sitting on the fourth-floor landing and looking at her with the same facial expression he always wore was Kyubey.

"He doesn't? Will he be okay?" Umaru asked, choking back more tears. Was Kyubey able to see into the future? He already had telepathy, so foresight seemed like a logical power for him to have as well.

"You heard what the nurse said," Kyubey replied. Umaru's voice echoed in the stairwell, but his didn't. "However, there is a way you can guarantee Taihei Doma's survival."

Had she not been so distraught, Umaru might have given more thought as to just how Kyubey had known to show up in the hospital at this precise moment. Or how he had known what the nurse had said. Or how it was that he was even here in the first place when he had boarded a train back to Mitakihara with Mami. But all that was secondary. More importantly, she understood what he was getting at. "You mean, I…?"

"Yes. If you wish for it, his life can be saved."

Umaru knew he wasn't referring to a simple desire. She would need to make a contract with him to become a magical girl, and then he would grant that wish. She pulled a tissue from her pocket and wiped her eyes.

I don't really have a choice, do I? If I don't, Onii-chan will almost certainly die. That nurse said so. She stood up from where she sat. Trying to sound brave, she said "Okay. Then I'll do it. I'll make a contract with you so that Onii-chan will be okay."

Kyubey stood up as well. "We'll need to go someplace else, then. Even though you're the only one here at the moment, it's far better to take care of this where we've no chance of being interrupted. Considering this is a hospital, any witnesses would likely jump to the wrong conclusion."

Wait, what exactly does this involve? She suddenly felt extremely nervous. But it was too late to have any hesitation, she figured. She had to do this. Her brother's life was on the line. She took a deep breath and exhaled. "The hospital roof, maybe?"

"Lead on, then."

Umaru began ascending back up the stairs, heading for the roof of the hospital. As she climbed in silence, she contemplated just what she was doing. This is the right choice, of course. I felt half-hearted about this before, but if it will save Onii-chan's life, then anything is worth it. And when he's well, I should try to behave more the way he mentioned the other day, shouldn't I? Maybe try to make his wish come true some well, at least a little. What will he be like after this? Breaking the silence, she asked Kyubey just that.

"He will be just as he was before the train accident," Kyubey answered. That satisfied Umaru. She was still nervous, but her resolve strengthened.

The hospital roof was thankfully unlocked and deserted. This high up, the sun was merciless, and Umaru could feel herself sweating from just standing up there. But she knew it wasn't just the sun and the summer heat that was making her sweat. Kyubey hopped up onto a power unit next to a solar panel, then turned around and faced her. At that height, his eyes directly met hers. Umaru stood with her back straight. She decided that, whatever was to come, she would try her best to do it properly. Surely her brother would be pleased by that if he knew.

Kyubey addressed her. "Umaru Doma. Are you prepared?"

"I am."

"Do you understand what you're agreeing to, knowing all that you've been told?" Kyubey asked.

"Yes. I accept." She squeezed her eyes shut. I can do this. She opened her eyes back up. "And I wish for my brother's life to be saved."

"Very well. The contract is made."

Umaru was about ask what she needed to do next (or more importantly, how soon it would be before her brother was okay), but before she could say anything, Kyubey's long ears rose up to either side of him. A strange wave of energy emanated from him and rushed straight at her. The pain that shot through Umaru hurt worse than anything she had ever experienced. It felt as though her nerves were on fire and her heart was being squeezed in a vice. She fell to her knees, clutching at her chest as the pain intensified. Her vision blurred and darkened.

This was a trick, Umaru thought, panicked and scared. He's killing me with some powerful magic. I'm going to die on this hospital roof. With enormous effort, she raised her head and looked up at Kyubey. But she could only see the outline of the creature silhouetted against the clear blue sky and his beady red eyes staring as though they were boring into her. It was a sight that she wouldn't easily forget. She tried to speak, but the only sound that came out was a strangled gasp.

Just as Umaru thought she couldn't endure any more of this, a strange orange light seemed to float out of her. It hung in the air, hovering just above where she was kneeling. It seemed to be spinning, and, as it did, it took the form of an orange jewel the size of a small egg, just like the one Mami carried. It stopped turning and shined brightly. A pair of what looked like little gold hamster ears protruded from the top of it.

"Take it," Kyubey said.

Umaru reached out and grasped hold of the jewel. She wrapped her hand around it tightly. My soul gem, she thought. The pain subsided, and the world faded back into view. She took a deep breath. That had been a harrowing experience she never wanted to relive. She again wondered if she should have asked more about that beforehand, but was glad it was over. She got to her feet and looked squarely at Kyubey. From where he sat, his red eyes peered into hers. He spoke to her.

"It is done, Umaru Doma."

Chapter Text

Umaru stood up and stretched her legs. She had spent most of the past day and then some sitting in the same chair in her brother's room in the hospital. She was used to sitting a lot but usually did it in a smaller form.

"Maybe you should go home and rest some," Taihei said.

"You know I can't do that," Umaru replied. "I have to stay here and make sure you're okay."

"I expected you'd say that. Well, I'm definitely glad you're around. At least I only have to stay here one more day," Taihei replied. He sighed.

"What's wrong, Onii-chan? Is it the tests still?" Since her brother's miraculous recovery from his injuries, the doctors had insisted on putting poor Taihei through a number of tests and examinations. That he had not only lived but had completely healed so quickly from such a traumatic injury baffled them. There had even been talk of bringing in a medical researcher to study him, but Taihei himself had put a stop to that.

"Oh, I've just been thinking about a lot of things," Taihei said. "This whole incident has made do that."

"What sorts of things?" Umaru fiddled with the ring she now wore on her left hand, a little silver ring with an orange stone on it.

Her brother apparently noticed this. "That's a nice ring. You don't usually wear jewelry though. Did you win that in a crane game?"

"I've been wearing it since your accident, Onii-chan," Umaru answered. "It's a good luck charm, I guess."

"I see. Well, it's brought us some good luck, since I'm going to be alright. Maybe it can bring some more and make the rest of the tests go quickly so I can get out of here." He laughed, and Umaru laughed with him. Over the past few days, it felt as though the two of them had actually grown closer. "It feels good to laugh."

"It does." Umaru wondered if her brother simply putting on a brave face. That had certainly been the case for her, but she felt like she had to for his sake.

"I'm glad you've been here for me, Umaru. Thank you."

"You're welcome. And I always will be, Onii-chan. We'll always have each other." Umaru was certain of that. And now, she had the power to protect the most important person in her life. She toyed with her soul gem ring a little more.

"Some of the other families of people involved aren't quite so fortunate," he said. "And yet, look at me. Perfectly fine. The doctor said I should have died and that it's a miracle that I recovered."

"Onii-chan…"

"Why me?" he asked, his voice choking some. "What about the others on that train, the ones who didn't make it?"

This was more than Umaru could take. She threw her arms around her brother's neck and cried into this shoulder. "No, don't ever talk like that, Onii-chan. You're okay, and you're going to keep being okay, and that's more important than anything else in the world."

"I can't even remember much," he said. He sounded like he was crying a little. "Just the loud squealing of the train and the feeling of being crushed. The next thing I knew, I woke up here and everything was fine. It makes no sense at all. Why did I survive when ten other people didn't?"

"Onii-chan, please stop. If I lost you, I don't know what I'd do."

They stayed like this for a moment, crying into each other's arms. Then Taihei sniffed and said. "Ah, I'm sorry, Umaru. I didn't mean to carry on like that."

"No, no. You've been through a lot too." Umaru said. She stood up and wiped at her eyes. Attempting a cute smile, she added "But we have each other, right, Onii-chan? Just like I said."

"Of course. And we both just need some time, I think. Let's talk about something else for a while, shall we? Sometimes, it's good to take one's mind of these things to help deal with them more at a later time." He chuckled. "I think I'd even welcome hearing about some game or anime right now."

Umaru, of course, had been in no mood for games or anime since her brother's accident. However, if that was what he wanted to talk about, she then she'd talk about it with him. If he wanted to talk about the weather, baseball, or the Prime Minister, she'd have talked about those things too. Whatever it took, she'd keep her brother happy as best she could.

The next morning there was a knock on the door, and the nurse informed them that there was another visitor for Taihei. Umaru assumed it was Bomber; she knew he and his sister were planning on visiting. She was thus surprised when a tall thin man who resembled Taihei walked through the door. It was their father.

"Papa?" Umaru said. She had, of course, contacted him after Taihei had recovered – it was the first time she had spoken with him since starting high school – but she hadn't expected him to actually come to the hospital.

"Umaru," her father said. Turning to her brother, he added, "Taihei."

"Ah, hello, father," Taihei said.

Their father had never been the hugging type, but Umaru hugged him all the same. "I'm glad you came, Papa."

"Of course," her father answered. "You know, you still look exactly like your mother did."

Umaru couldn't remember their mother at all, but she had seen enough pictures to know this was true. She smiled at their father. He sat down in the chair next to the hospital bed.

"How are you, Taihei?"

"I'm fine, father. I've fully recovered. I'm only being kept here for tests and observation, not they seem necessary to me at this point."

"I see. It's good to hear that you're well. Would you like me to talk with the hospital staff and see to it that you're released immediately?"

"No, father. It should only be another day or so. In the meantime, I'll endure."

"Very well."

The three of them sat in an awkward silence. Umaru decided to break it with one of the few topics she knew would get their father talking. "How is work, papa?"

"It's going well, Umaru. We had a record quarter and a number of new investors. How is school?"

"It's going quite well, papa."

"That's good to hear. How is your work, Taihei?"

"It's going just fine, father."

"He got a large, important proposal approved, recently," Umaru said. "The company would never get by without Onii-chan there."

"Is that so?" her father asked. "Well done, Taihei."

"Thank you."

"Are you satisfied with your employment at Diamond Service?"

"I...guess?"

"Alright. I just thought…ah, never mind. Please, tell me about the proposal Umaru mentioned."

The two siblings made polite conversation with their father for a little while longer. Umaru recalled the last few years she had lived with their father before starting high school. She had barely seen him at all. Her days had been filled with school, extracurricular lessons, and tutors. A man who lived for his work, he had more or less left her to the care of others. It wasn't until she moved in with her brother that she had been 'free' of all that.

And just like during those years, their father's appearance today was brief.

"I'm glad Papa visited," Umaru said after he had left.

"I hadn't expected him to show up," Taihei said.

"Of course he would. He was worried about you."

"I suppose. I've barely spoken to him in more than five years. The last time was shortly before you came to live with me."

"Maybe he cares in his own way, about both of us."

"Maybe." Taihei shrugged and sighed. "Umaru, I'd prefer not think about him too much for right now. Let's talk about something else again, please."

"Video games and anime?"

"Like before? That works."

Umaru was just about to launch into a new topic when Bomber burst into the hospital room, followed by his younger sister Kirie.

"Taihei!" Bomber cried. He hugged Taihei close and wept. "How could we almost lose you? I thought I'd never see you again."

Taihei chuckled. "I just saw you yesterday, Bomber. In this very room, remember? But I'm glad to see you again."

"Hello, Umaru," Kirie said in shy, quiet voice. "Hello, Taihei."

While Bomber chatted with Taihei, Umaru talked with Kirie a little. She was glad both of them had come by again. Bomber's presence seemed to cheer up her brother, and Kirie's presence cheered her up. Kirie carefully asked Umaru how her 'little sister' was handling things, and Umaru assured her she was fine.

Kirie and Bomber, of course, weren't the only visitors Taihei had received. Over the past few days, Ebina had come by as well. At first, Umaru wondered if the excitement was too much for her brother, but he seemed happy to receive visitors. Ebina had stayed and talked with them for an hour. She had cried, but that was understandable. Umaru had done lots of that herself.

Kanau, her brother's supervisor at work, had visited as well, her little sister Hikari accompanying her. There had even been more crying when those two visited. Umaru was aware how much Taihei meant to Hikari as well and did her best to get along with her during that visit.

Bomber's second visit ended up being a bit too loud for the hospital staff's taste, however. While he loudly extolled Taihei's virtues and how they'd have been missed from the world, a nurse came by and ordered them to leave. Bomber sheepishly slinked out the door, his sister trailing him and looking annoyed and embarrassed.

The nurse turned to Umaru. "As the family of the patient, you're allowed to stay. But your brother should be resting quietly."

Rest. Of course. And Onii-chan needs to rest too. For that he needs quiet. Umaru stepped out into the hospital hallway, quietly closing the door behind her. She'd allow her brother that, but she'd of course return. Despite his earlier suggestion, Umaru had no intention of heading back home. She'd stopped by during the day to make sure her hamsters were fed, but other than that, she had spent all her time at the hospital.

Since the day of Taihei's accident, she hadn't slept at all. She had stayed in her brother's hospital room and kept watch over him while he slept. She doubted she'd have been able to sleep at home for two reasons. For one, she'd have been too busy thinking about her brother lying in a hospital bed, even if he was completely okay at this point. For another, she didn't feel tired at all.

She wasn't sure if it was because of something changing when she became a magical girl or if it was because of everything that happened with her brother. If it was really the latter, there was no doubt she'd crash hard at some point. However, any crashing would be done where she could still keep an eye on her brother.

Kirie and Bomber were standing outside the room. Umaru politely bowed to them. She didn't want them to have to linger around on her account. The two of them departed. Umaru was just trying to figure out what to do – it occurred to her that she probably ought to eat something – when she saw Mami in the hospital hallway. Glad that her friend had come all the way from Mitakihara, Umaru ran up to her.

"Mami!" Umaru hugged her friend tightly.

"Hello, Umaru. It's good to see you too," Mami said, hugging her back. "How is your brother? Is it okay to visit?"

"Well, he's resting right now, but he's fine, and he's going to keep being fine." That thought had become her mantra.

"That's good. Do you want to talk about it some?"

"No, I'm okay, really," That was a bit of a lie. She was still trying to process everything, and she still worried about her brother constantly. Releasing Mami from her embrace, Umaru said as much to her.

"It's normal, given what's happened," Mami said. "If there's anything I can do, please let me know."

"Thanks," Umaru said. "But how did you know about it? And how did you know to come here?"

"Well, the train accident was in the news," Mami replied. "And Kyubey told me about what happened and where you were. That saved me a trip from going by your apartment."

Peeking from around the corner, Kyubey remarked. "I hope I didn't overstep my boundaries, Umaru Doma."

"No, not at all," Umaru said. She was able to talk a little more freely about all this with Mami, since she knew how, exactly, Taihei had been saved. "I'm very glad to see both of you."

"You've been through a lot the past two days. First, there was your brother's accident." Mami looked at the ring Umaru wore. "Then you made the contract."

"Yes, I did."

"And now the witches have one more magical girl to fear. And a formidable one, if my guess is any good."

"Ah, I don't know," Umaru said. "I haven't really done any magical-girl-related things yet. I've, uh…"

"You've been more concerned with your brother," Mami answered for her. "That's to be expected."

"But the contract you made does involve you actually doing 'magical-girl-related things.' Don't forget that," Kyubey said, hopping up onto Umaru's shoulder.

"I haven't. It's just, you know…"

"Kyubey, that's very insensitive," Mami chided him. "Umaru, you should take as much time as you need, of course. That can all be taken care of another day."

"Actually," Umaru said. "It would be nice to think about something for a bit. I think I'm ready. Impart some wisdom on me, Mami."

"Are you sure?" Mami raised an eyebrow at her. "You don't have to pretend for my sake."

"Yes, really. I think I could use a short distraction."

"Okay. There is something, but it would involve more action than talk, I'm afraid."

"What do you mean?"

"It's-"

Mami suddenly stopped. Her eyes flickered over Umaru's shoulder. Umaru turned around and saw the reason why. Two people were approaching them, a tall man with light hair accompanied by a girl Umaru's age with wavy sky-blue hair. Umaru recognized both of them immediately. It was Sylphyn Tachibana and her brother Alex. Sylphyn waved and shouted at her. "Hello! Umaru!"

"Hi, Sylphyn! Hi Alex!" The two of them must have come to see her brother. Umaru introduced them to Mami.

Sylphyn, of course, never failed to make an exaggerated introduction. Twirling around like a ballerina, she declared "Hello there, Umaru's friend Mami Tomoe! I, Sylphynford Tachibana, am quite pleased to meet you!"

"And you as well," Mami said. She chuckled, clearly amused by the girl's mannerisms and antics.

Umaru and Mami spent a few moments politely chatting with Sylphyn and Alex. They had indeed been on their way to see Taihei. Umaru knew he still needed to rest some, but figured he'd be happy for the company and told them so, but warned that they'd need to keep their visit brief. She noticed the box Alex was carrying and wondered what exactly he had gotten for her brother.

Umaru led the pair of them, plus Mami, back to her brother's room. They visited with Taihei until a nurse came by and kicked them all out again. Hospital rules had to be followed, after all. With that, the Tachibana siblings departed, and Umaru and Mami left Taihei to return to his rest.

"You've some interesting friends," Mami commented.

"Yes, Sylphyn's one of a kind," Umaru said as she watched Sylphyn and Alex step through the hospital doors. "So is her brother. They're good people."

"I don't doubt that," Mami said, who had been watching them as well. She turned to Umaru. "Anyway, back to what I was saying earlier. If you're still willing to take care of some magical girl business, then I'd welcome your help."

"I am," Umaru said. "I think it would be good for me to do something else. Well, unless it's in Mitakihara. I really don't want to leave my brother alone for too long right now."

"It's not. It's right here in Tokyo."

"Okay. What do you have for me, then?"

"This will interest you: I suspect a witch was involved in the train accident where your brother was hurt."

"Really? How do you know?"

"I don't know for certain, it's just a hunch. But there are some telltale signs."

"Like what?"

Mami rattled a long list of reasons about the railway line, its safety record, the construction of the train, information about the personnel involved in the crash, and so on. Umaru was briefly amazed by how much she seemed to know about it.

How did you find all this out?" she asked.

"Research," Mami said. Of course. This was something she'd have to start doing as well, Umaru figured. "Though if I'm wrong, it would end up being a pointless search."

"Mami's rarely wrong, however," Kyubey said.

"I see," Umaru said. "Then let's go."

Chapter Text

It wasn't until they neared the train station that Umaru realized Mami had been wearing a wide smile the entire time they had been walking talking. She wondered what was up and asked her.

"I was just thinking how nice it is to once again have a friend who's a magical girl, someone with whom I can talk about all this and even occasionally fight witches with," Mami said. "Even if we do live far apart from each other."

"It is nice," Umaru said. "Say, Mami?"

"Yes?"

"If it's not too personal for me to ask, what did you wish for when you became a magical girl?"

"It's not too personal. Let me tell you." And so Umaru listened as Mami told her about how she had been in a car accident and would have died were it for the wish she had made. She never entirely regretted it and was glad to be alive, but there was still sadness in her voice as she told the story.

"And that's really all there is to it," Mami said as she finished.

"I don't know what to say," Umaru said. "That must have been so hard. That sounds a little like how I've felt the past few days."

"You and I made somewhat similar wishes," Mami replied. "And thanks to those wishes, I'm here, as is your brother. Always keep that in mind. It's what's important and will help keep you going."

"Right," Umaru said. She thought of what Mami had said about not saving her parents and how brother had cried over the people who hadn't survived when he did. Even when we survive, it's still not easy.

Still, she felt more determined than ever to beat the witches now. And if one really caused my brother to get hurt, then especially that one.

"By the way, I'm assuming you've not had any practice fighting at all," Mami said as they walked.

"No, not yet."

"We've some time before the train station will be deserted enough that we can begin our investigation. It's probably a good idea for you to at least try things out before we go charging in against a witch."

Umaru had a vision of a cheesy training montage from a fighting anime. Was that what Mami had in mind? They probably didn't have enough time for something that involved though. Those usually took days or weeks.

Mami's idea of training, it turned out, involved them going to a deserted alleyway. There, they'd 'spar' as she put it. Umaru hoped no witnesses showed up. Explaining what they were doing would be awkward. Mami stood across from Umaru, removed the ring from her finger, and transformed. She appeared as the magical girl she was when Umaru had seen her fight the witch.

"You'll need to transform as well, Umaru," she said.

Umaru removed her ring, just as Mami had done. It turned into a small orange jewel. Umaru was about to ask Mami just how, exactly, she transformed, when it occurred to her that all she had to do was will it. She held her soul gem in front of her, and it glowed with a bright orange light. When the light subsided, it was no longer in her hand. It had been replaced by a long, orange umbrella.

Wait, this isn't really my weapon, is it?

Mami looked at her and put her hand to her mouth, chuckling. "Oh, my. That's quite an interesting outfit you have on."

"Huh?" The word was startled out of Umaru. She looked down at herself and noticed she had on the same red leggings and white shirt she had usually worn while lazing about indoors. The only change was a pair of orange running shoes on her feet. She put her hand to her head and felt a pair of little round ears poking out. She was wearing her orange hamster cape and hood.

I don't think I could look less like a magical girl if I tried, she thought in dismay. I probably look more like the joke character in an RPG, and the fact that I'm wielding an umbrella only adds to that!

"Ah, uh," she said sheepishly. "This is the sort of thing I used to wear around the house when I was younger. I'm not sure how I ended up in it again."

"How a magical girl appears when transformed is affected by her personality," Kyubey said.

"Don't worry about it," Mami said. "It's cute."

Umaru turned red, feeling embarrassed. Despite Mami thinking she appeared cute, it didn't change the fact that she'd probably look absurd fighting in this. It wasn't at all how she had pictured herself as a magical girl. She had envisioned herself in something elegant, like how Mami appeared. Well, best get used to it. Sighing, she tapped her umbrella on the ground and then twirled it around some. And since this is my weapon, I had better get used to that too.

"Be careful how you swing that," Mami warned. "Remember, it might not necessarily look like it, but it's a dangerous weapon."

Umaru looked down at her umbrella and considered what Mami had said. She was right, but Umaru would still have to figure out how to use the thing correctly.

"It's unconventional," Mami continued. "But that's good. When you fight opponents others than witches and familiars, it might throw them off some. You can use that as an advantage."

"Wait, what else do we fight beside witches and familiars?"

Mami looked at her as though the answer was obvious. "Other magical girls."

"Oh. Right." Umaru didn't want to yet consider that. Fighting witches and familiars would be tough enough. Fighting other magical girls? That would be something different altogether. Granted, she had no idea how any other magical girls fought except Mami. And she couldn't even begin to imagine how she'd fight Mami. "So, what do I need to do?"

"Attack me."

"Attack you?"

"Yes. Don't worry, this is just practice."

"Okay." Umaru held up the umbrella. "I'm just trying to figure out how."

"Fight as it comes naturally to you," Kyubey said. "You have that power now."

Umaru nodded. Raising her umbrella in her hands, she charged at Mami, swinging it like a club. Using her own musket as a club, Mami blocked each swing. After a few moments of this, Umaru backed off.

"That was good," Mami said. Umaru didn't think so but took Mami's word for it. "Now, let's try defense."

Mami raised her musket and fired at Umaru.

"You can dodge well," Mami said, "But you'll need to think about what you'll do if there are too many things to dodge."

Of course, Umaru thought. This is an umbrella. So I should be able to block her bullets with it! She opened up in the umbrella and held it in front of her. Mami fired another hail of bullets at her, but the umbrella shielded her as the ricocheted off of it. Umaru peeked above the rim of the umbrella.

"Excellent," Mami said. "It seems like you're getting adept at figuring out how to use that. Let's try a few more things and see what else you can do."

Mami raised her hands, and a large number of ribbons flew at Umaru. They wrapped around her umbrella and nearly yanked it out of her hands. Umaru twisted the umbrella around and managed to pull it free. Mami raised her hands again.

Umaru noticed a small button on the umbrella handle. She pressed it, and a large bolt of orange lightning shot out the end of the umbrella. The ribbons that had been flying at Umaru shattered as it struck them. From where she was standing, Mami stopped and blinked in surprise.

"That move seems useful,' she said.

"I was just trying things out," Umaru confessed. "I didn't know I could do that."

"Now you do. Keep that trick in mind when we're fighting."

"Right." Umaru studied her umbrella, wondering what else she could get it to do.

"Say, Umaru?"

"Yes?"

Mami smiled at her. "You should name that move. Then when you do it, you can call that out."

Umaru definitely liked that idea of doing that. She had seen magical heroines and others do that in anime shows all the time. She had done it herself when charging at her brother just recently. But she wasn't sure if she'd feel silly doing it against a witch. She smiled at Mami. "That's an interesting idea, but I'm not sure what I'd call it though."

"Hmmm." Mami scratched her chin thoughtfully. "How about Lampo Arancione?"

"I'll give it a try."

Their practice continued for almost another hour. By the end, Mami seemed satisfied that Umaru at least had the basics down.

"I think you're ready to fight a witch," Mami said.

"If the witch doesn't die laughing at me first," Umaru muttered. She still felt silly.

"Most witches don't laugh much," Mami said. "And when they do, it's not a good sign."

Umaru and Mami made their way to the train station where the accident had occurred. Umaru still wasn't sure how they'd investigate this without being noticed, but followed Mami's lead. Since this was her first time doing anything like this, she was glad Mami was here.

There was indeed something present. Mami tracked their way through the train station, following her soul gem. Umaru tried to do it like she did, but found she couldn't quite track as well. This was something else, Mami said, that would get better with experience.

Finally, in a side alcove, Mami stopped them. They had found what they were looking for.

"But it's not just any familiar or witch," Mami said. She looked down at the ground then back up at Umaru. "It's the one ran away from me in Mitakihara the day you and I met."

"Are you sure? How can you tell?"

"I'm certain, yes. I can tell because there are traces of the same magic I fought against inside that barrier."

"I see. So that familiar, it really did flee the city."

"It looks like it."

"And it came this far?" That surprised Umaru. She didn't see these things as being especially mobile.

"Yes. And I don't know how."

"Maybe it hopped a train?"

"Perhaps. I'm sorry, Umaru," Mami said quietly.

"Sorry? For that?"

A sad look fell over Mami's face. "It's my fault. I let it get away. Then it somehow made its way here. And it nearly killed your brother. And it did succeed in killing a number of other people."

"What? No, Mami, don't blame yourself for that."

Mami didn't entirely seem convinced, but just smiled sadly at Umaru. "Of course. We'll take it down now and stop it from hurting anyone else, right? With the two of us together, there's no way it can run away this time. Come on, let's go."

Mami held up her hand, and the same portal that Umaru had seen before appeared in the air before them. The two girls transformed and stepped through the barrier. The barrier seemed much the same as when Umaru had been in it before. There was the same inky darkness as before, and blurry, fuzzy objects floating in the air.

"How often will we fight familiars instead of witches?" Umaru asked.

"It varies," Mami replied. "But they all need to be taken down, as they are all perfectly capable of harming innocent people."

"Like my brother and the rest of the people on the train."

"Exactly." Just as she had before, Mami fired her musket into one of the many mirrors that adorned the place. Behind it was a large chamber.

"Mami," Umaru asked. "Just how is it you knew to do that?"

"Experience," Mami answered. "Things like that will become clearer to you the more witches and familiars you fight."

The two girls looked into the large chamber behind the mirror. There was a large writhing hand in it just before. Of course, Umaru knew that this time, she wouldn't just be an idle observer.

Ah," Mami said. "It looks like as though this familiar has killed enough people to mature into a full witch."

"They can do that?"

"Yes."

"So, what do I do?"

"It's pretty fragile," Mami said. "If you hit the witch's palm, it'll end quickly."

"Okay," Umaru raised her umbrella. "So, we go in together?"

"Of course," Mami smiled at her. "We magical girls are always stronger when we're working together."

Umaru charged in, swinging her umbrella, and striking witch repeatedly. It roared in anger at her and threw strange globs around, but Umaru was quick enough to dodge them or raise her umbrella and block the attack. There was a loud burst of gunfire behind her, and the hand was suddenly full of holes. Mami had attacked. Umaru pointed her umbrella at the hand, and a burst of orange lightning shot from it. The hand disintegrated. As it did, the barrier around them faded as well.

All in all, it was over quicker than Umaru would have expected.

"So, how did I do?" Umaru asked.

"You did well for your first fight. I'm proud of you."

Umaru felt extremely pleased. "Thanks, Mami."

"But you didn't call your orange lightning attack," Mami teased. "You get points off for that."

Umaru laughed, raising her arm behind her head. "I forgot. I was concentrating on taking down the witch. Next time?"

"I'll hold you to that." Mami picked up the grief seed and offered to Umaru. "Here."

"Don't you need it also, Mami?"

"I'm fine. And you should take it. This was your first fight, after all."

"The more you keep your soul gem cleansed," Kyubey said. "The more you can freely use your magic when you fight."

Umaru held up her soul gem. There were small dark spots on its orange surface. She held up the grief seed to it, and they vanished.

"Hold on to that one," Mami said. "You'll be able to use it for a while more."

"Right," Umaru said. "Well, I really ought to get back to my brother…"

"Of course. And I ought to head back to Mitakihara."

As she waved good-bye, Umaru put her soul gem ring back on her finger and put the grief seed into her pocket. She turned around and headed back to the hospital.

I didn't want to leave you alone for so long, Onii-chan. But I did it to protect you and everyone.

Umaru quietly opened the door to her brother's room. He was lying back in the hospital bed, fast asleep. She sneaked in. When Mami had departed, Umaru had immediately set off back to the hospital as quickly as she could. She still didn't feel tired, however. Maybe she was still reeling from the adrenaline rush of taking down the witch. However, she probably needed to at least try to sleep some. She leaned over her brother and gently kissed his forehead.

"Time to switch it up for sleeping!" she declared. In her indoor persona, she could crawl into the hospital bed with her brother, being more compact in that form. She put her hands in the air, expecting to change to her indoor persona, but nothing happened.

"Wait, that's not right," she said to herself. She concentrated very hard, but still, nothing happened. She remained just as she was – a normal-sized teenage girl. Why was she suddenly unable to change like she was before? It didn't make any sense. She gave it several more attempts but got the same result each time.

Feeling a little disconcerted, Umaru decided she'd worry about that another day and simply try to fall asleep. It bothered her a little, but there was probably nothing she could do right at that very moment. While she was preferred sleeping in her indoor persona, there was no reason that she had to. Besides, everything else was fine – she was here with her brother, and he was safe. She sank down in the chair that she had spent the entirety of the previous few nights in. Placing her hands in her lap, she leaned back and closed her eyes.

Umaru dreamed she was back at home, reliving the awful moment when the hospital had called her. Her heart dropped, just as it had the day when they had called her. Her stomach felt sick, and she shook the entire way to the hospital. Her brother appeared as he had the day of the accident – battered, bruised, a mess of wires and tubes connected to machines keeping him alive. But in this nightmare, there was no Kyubey and no wish. There was nothing but her brother's death. The nurse told her so as she stood there, unable to do anything.

She woke with a start. Tears were running down her face. She looked frantically over at her brother, but he was still lying peacefully in the hospital bed, just as he had been before.

He's fine. Go back to sleep.

Umaru wiped her face with a tissue. She leaned back and closed her eyes again, but it was a long time before sleep returned.

Chapter Text

Two weeks had passed since Umaru had made her contract. In those two weeks, she felt like she gotten used to her magical girl duties. She made trips out almost nightly to hunt witches and familiars, waiting until her brother was asleep to sneak out.

It was hard the first few nights. Her brother seemed to have occasional trouble sleeping since his release from the hospital. He woke up shouting one night. Umaru comforted him as best she could and took a night off from hunting witches. She barely felt the need to sleep anymore, but sometimes did so anyway out of habit.

Mami visited her a few times at first. As far as Taihei was concerned, she was there for tutoring. When she visited at night, Umaru had told her brother they were going to a café to study as there were too many distractions in the apartment. She regretted lying to her brother so much, but there was no way she could have told him the truth.

It had been several days since she had seen Mami, however. She, of course, was busy protecting Mitakihara, so Umaru fought alone, although Kyubey had shown up a few nights. She missed her friend, and she knew Mami missed her.

When Umaru messaged her with the idea of a weekend trip to Mitakihara, Mami responded ecstatically. And so, Umaru found herself once again on a train speeding its way to the city. This time, Taihei was with her, having taken a Saturday off of work.

"Are you okay taking this trip, Onii-chan?" she asked her brother.

"Ah, I'm fine, Umaru," Taihei told her. "I've been taking the train to work just fine."

He still seemed a little tense to Umaru. She reached over and squeezed his hand. "Don't worry. I'm here Onii-chan, and I'll protect you."

Of course, now that she was a magical girl who could actually fight, she could indeed do just that.

Despite having settled into the 'magical girl lifestyle' as Mami put it, there was a matter in the back of mind that concerned Umaru a little. She still seemed to be stuck in her outdoor persona. It wasn't a huge deal, but she wasn't sure why or how long it would last.

She didn't have anyone with whom she could discuss it, however. Kyubey had known about the two sides of her. But she was hesitant to ask him. There was a strong likelihood he'd tell Mami, and she didn't really want Mami to find out. She figured that side of her would need to take a rest anyway. Maybe permanently, but Umaru would worry about that if and when that time actually came.

Umaru smiled at her brother as they departed the train. There were more important things to worry about anyway.

"This is a lovely city," Taihei commented as they walked down a street away from the train station.

"Isn't it? I thought the same thing the first time I was here."

"First time? When did you come here before?"

"Um…on a school trip?"

Taihei frowned. "Umaru…"

"Oh, look at that gorgeous fountain, Onii-chan! Let's take our picture in front of it!" She pulled her brother over next to the large fountain in a park they were passing. She snapped a picture of the two of them together.

"Mami's going to meet us for lunch," Umaru said, hoping to shift the subject away from when she had visited Mitakihara before. She pulled on her brother's arm. "So, we should get going."

Lunch turned out to be a quiet affair, with Mami and Taihei making polite conversation. Umaru was glad they got along so well, but then her brother seemed to get along well with everyone. After their meal, Mami showed them a few different places around Mitakihara. Taihei was definitely taken with the city, commenting several times on how clean and beautiful it was. Umaru was glad he was having a good time too. He deserved it.

That evening Umaru and brother checked into a hotel. The next day, they'd have breakfast with Mami, see a few more things and then leave. Umaru, however, had plans for that night as well. As she was getting ready to head out, Taihei stopped her.

"Where are you going, Umaru?"

"I'm going out with Mami for a bit, Onii-chan," Umaru answered.

Taihei shook his head. "That isn't safe, Umaru."

"She and I will stick together," Umaru said. "I promise."

"Where are you two planning on going?"

"To a tea house for her tutoring session. You know I'm still helping her prepare for her entrance exams, Onii-chan."

"Even on this trip?"

"She has to keep studying. She's shooting for Mitakihara High School, after all, and it's tough to get into." Umaru was pretty sure there actually was a Mitakihara High School, though she had no idea of its entrance requirements. "If we were here, we'd disturb you. Don't worry; we'll only go there and nowhere else."

More lies. Umaru wondered if they'd always be necessary. Her brother still looked unsure but nodded and gave permission. "Alright. But don't stay out too late. And be careful."

Mami was waiting just outside the hotel when Umaru stepped outside. Kyubey was with her, and when Umaru reached them, he hopped up onto her shoulder. She scratched behind his ears and turned to Mami.

"Hi, Mami, Kyubey. What's on our agenda for tonight? A witch hunt?"

"Yes, there is one that I'm near certain the location of," Mami replied. The two girls set off down the street. "But we'll need to be careful. The witch might not be the only thing we encounter."

"What else is there?"

"There's another magical girl in Mitakihara. I met her yesterday."

"And she's still here," Kyubey added.

"Oh. Is she just here to hunt witches or is she traveling or something else?"

"I'm not sure. I had hoped we could be friends, but even that's hard to say at this point."

"Is she hostile?" Umaru recalled the things Mami had said about magical girls fighting each other.

"She wasn't. Hopefully, she'll remain as such, but that's hard to say. Communicating with her was very hit-or-miss and felt mostly useless. She ran off yesterday after babbling a lot of nonsense at me. If we encounter her, you'll see what I mean. And if that does happen, be careful and don't do anything hasty."

"You make it sound like she is dangerous, despite what you said."

"She's still an unknown at this point, but I don't believe she's a danger to us. She might be to herself, however. When I told Kyubey about our meeting her, he filled me in on her."

Kyubey spoke up. "This particular magical girl had a bad encounter with a witch. She won, but she hasn't quite been the same since. It's a shame. She was talented and very strong."

"Do you think there's any chance she'd be willing to help us kill the witch?" Umaru asked. She figured it wouldn't hurt to at least give it a shot. Maybe they could make friends while fighting together. There were lots of battle-forged comrades in anime and games.

"We could try asking her, but even if she was willing, I don't know how well she can fight in the state she seems to be in," Mami said. "Let's not worry about her too much unless we run across her. We need to focus on finding the witch."

"If you like," Kyubey said. "I could search for her and report back to you if I see her. And you two can concentrate on the witch."

"That's a good idea, Kyubey," Mami said. Kyubey hopped off of Umaru's shoulders and scampered off.

"Will Kyubey be safe?" Umaru asked.

"He will be. Remember, most people can't see him."

"This magical girl can though, can't she?"

"Yes. Maybe Kyubey can get through to her. Or at least figure out what she's doing here because I couldn't." She shrugged. "Let's talk about something else. How has your magic practice been going?"

On a previous visit, Mami had lent several notebooks to Umaru filled with the research and writing she had done on using magic. Umaru had done her best to study, but there was a lot there. Still, she had made progress.

"It's been going great," Umaru said.

She was ready to demonstrate to her senior magical girl. Umaru had wondered a bit about Mami being the younger one in their partnership, but she was by far the more experienced one. It wasn't something Umaru would have ever expected; it was like Mami was her younger older sister.

"Watch this!"

Umaru pulled her silver ring and changed to her magical girl form. She waved her umbrella at Mami, pushing the button on it as she did. The umbrella glowed, and a small orange glow appeared around Mami.

"What does that…? Oh!" Mami looked at her in surprise. "Magical enhancement. That's impressive. And useful."

"I'm trying to see what else I can do," Umaru said. "I feel like I do almost anything with this umbrella."

Umaru put her hand over what would have been the button on her hamster hood but instead was an orange gemstone. It changed back into her soul gem ring, which she slid onto her finger.

"Your enthusiasm is admirable, and I'm glad you're doing well with being a magical girl so far," Mami said. She smiled warmly at Umaru. "I wish we weren't so far apart that I could see you more often."

"Yeah, that would be nice." Umaru thought of what her brother said about Mitakihara being a great city. The fact that her good friend was there made it better.

"But I treasure our time with each other," Mami said. "And it means a lot to me to have you as a friend."

"I feel the same way. Plus, you're the only I can discuss magical girl things with. Well, besides Kyubey."

Mami chuckled. "I know the feeling. I've spent so much time by myself that I'd almost forgotten how good it is to have another magical girl around."

Umaru knew Mami had spent a lot of time with another magical girl, but still didn't feel like it was a good time to ask about her. Instead, the girls discussed other things as they made their way through the city, following their soul gems in search of the witch. As they turned into an alley, however, Mami put her hand out and stopped them.

"Wait," Mami said. "See the girl over there? She's the one I mentioned."

Umaru looked toward the other end of the alley. There was a girl at the far end watching them. For one moment, Umaru thought the girl was Hikari, Kanau's sister. But would have made no sense; she was back in Tokyo. No, this girl simply resembled Hikari, except she was slightly taller and her white hair was tied back in a ponytail. And this girl was Mami's age or possibly even younger. A long cyan cape flowed behind her that matched the skirt and blouse she wore.

Noticing Umaru and Mami returning her gaze, the girl approached them. As she drew nearer, Umaru could hear her giggling. She stopped a bit away and stared at both Umaru and Mami, but said nothing.

"Umaru, this is-" Mami began, but was cut off.

"Fuun!" the girl yelled. Her voice cracked as she did. "I'm Fuun!"

"I don't think that's her actual name," Mami said. If that were so, it was definitely an interesting nickname.

"It's who I am." Fuun laughed. Umaru noticed a white gem on her blouse where one might pin a badge or ID. That must be her soul gem.

"Of course," Mami said. "Hello again, Fuun."

"And you?" Fuun tilted her head at Mami. "Let me see. You are a magical girl. Aren't you, magical girl?"

"I am, and my name is Mami Tomoe. We met yesterday," Mami said. "You're also a magical girl."

Fuun's grey eyes widened. Crazy eyes. That's what some people would call them.

"No, I'm not. Or am I? I can never remember. I'll need to check my cards again." Fuun wagged her finger at Mami. "But you should go home, magical girl. The thing you're looking for isn't yours to take."

Mami sighed. "She's exactly the same as she was yesterday, Umaru. Conversing with her is pointless."

"It's not pointless at all!" Fuun insisted, giggling. "I know things. Or do you think you know more than I do? That's impossible. You don't know anything, magical girl. You can't listen or see like I can."

"What are you talking about now, Fuun?"

"I know the secrets that magical girls were never meant to find out," Fuun said, pointed out a finger at her head as if to emphasize this.

"Oh, this again. Yesterday, you said my hat hid a secret."

"It does though! And there are other secrets, magical girl. Some of them would shake you to your very soul. Get it? Your soul!" She laughed some more. "Still, maybe they're nothing worth losing your head over."

The more this girl talked, the more Umaru found she felt annoyed and agreed with Mami. Nevertheless, she decided she'd at least be polite. "Good to meet you, Fuun. I'm Umaru Doma, and I'm a magical girl too."

"Other magical girl?" Fuun asked, looking at Umaru in surprise as if she had just noticed her.

"Yes, that's right. What sort of secrets do you know?"

"Well, here's an awful secret: you're both…really…ugly!" Fuun started laughing even louder, doubling over as she did.

"This is a waste of time," Mami said, shaking her head. "We should be searching for the witch." She started to turn around, motioning for Umaru to follow her.

"Wait, wait," Fuun said, looking up. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a deck of cards. Is she going to ask us to play something with her next? Looking closer, Umaru noticed that they were Tarot cards. Fuun held out the deck in front of her and asked: "How about I tell your fortunes, magical girls?"

"You told my fortune yesterday," Mami said over her shoulder. "You said I was the Queen of Cups. You also said that there's both cheese and the Knight of Swords in my future or something like that. Remember?"

"Oh. That's right. That was definitely one of my better-done fortunes." Fuun turned back to Umaru. "What about you, other magical girl? Want me to read what the cards say for you?"

"My name is Umaru, not 'other magical girl.' And no thank you."

Mami was definitely right about this girl. What would they do about her? Fuun might have seemed merely annoying and harmless, but left to her own devices, there was a chance she'd get hurt. There was also the possibility she'd go and say something about magical girls to a normal person, but given the way she went on, Umaru doubted anyone would have believed her.

"Fine, don't find out your fortune, other magical girl," Fuun said, pocketing the deck. She sounded like she was pouting, but that was at least an improvement over her constant laughing. "Then I'll instead tell you about the reading I saw before I came to this city: The Tower and the Eight of Swords. You know what that means."

"I don't know. What does that mean?" Umaru asked against her better judgment. She expected more nonsense or another insult. Beside her, Mami sighed again, pressed her hand to her temples, and grumbled something about not encouraging this girl to keep going.

"That means that Walpurgisnacht is coming. And we're probably all doomed." She started laughing again, and Umaru regretted having asked for clarification. Who or what was 'Walpurgisnacht' anyway? It sounded like something Fuun had made up entirely.

However, this apparently caught Mami's attention. She turned around and raised an eyebrow at Fuun. "Walpurgisnacht? You can't know that."

"Why not?" Fuun asked in between shakes of giggling. "Thanks to my wish, my cards tell me everything."

"When is Walpurgisnacht coming, then?"

"Soon."

"That's rather vague."

"You should be happy with what you've been told, magical girl. Or not."

"Say Fuun," Umaru said. "We're going after a witch. Do you want to come and help?"

"Which witch?" Fuun collapsed into another giggle fit. "Get it?"

Umaru sighed. "I'll take that as a no."

Fuun stopped laughing and peered at Umaru. "The witch isn't yours, other magical girl, but maybe we can trade. I want you to tell me something: where is he?"

"Who?" Umaru asked.

Fuun put her hands up over her the back of her head as though they were cat ears. "Kyubey! I know he's around. He's always around, always watching. So where is he?"

"I'm right here, as it happens," Kyubey said, stepping in from around the corner. He sat on his haunches and looked up. "Hello again, Fuun."

"You!" The sight of Kyubey seemed to incense Fuun. She held up a card in each hand, brandishing them like daggers. With a wave, she threw both cards at Kyubey, who ducked them. The cards stuck in the ground behind him. In a flash, both Umaru and Mami transformed. Umaru immediately put up her umbrella to block anything else that Fuun might fling in their direction or Kyubey's. Mami shot a piece of ribbon at Fuun, but she dodged it and leaped onto a fire escape.

She is dangerous. Those cards must be sharp. It's a good thing Kyubey's quick, or that might have taken off his head.

"Get out of the way, magical girls," Fuun called down. "I'm not after either of you. I only want him."

"We won't allow you to hurt Kyubey," Mami called back. A musket had appeared in her hand, and she was pointing it at Fuun. "We can talk this out, but if you attack him or us, we will fight back."

Fuun leaped down from the fire escape. She held out her hands in front of her. They were empty. But Umaru knew she could very be trying to trick them. Mami lowered her musket a little.

"Are we really going to do this again, Fuun?" Kyubey asked. "As you might recall, our last conversation ended similarly and accomplished absolutely nothing."

"I hate you," Fuun said. There was no laughter in her voice now. It was pure acid. "I hate you forever."

"Why do you hate Kyubey?" Umaru asked.

"Because of what he's done." A card suddenly appeared in her hand, and she raised it up. "I'm going end you, you miserable, lying-"

Boom! A gunshot went off, and the card flew out of Fuun's hand. Mami tossed her musket aside and quickly drew another one.

"You'll do nothing of the sort," Mami said. She pointed her musket directly at Fuun's chest. "I had hoped we could resolve this peacefully, but it doesn't seem as though that's the case. Leave, or this will go very badly for you."

"It's already bad for me, magical girl. It can only get worse."

"It will get much worse if you don't leave. I won't say it again, Fuun."

Neither Mami nor Umaru moved. Fuun looked at the three of them and narrowed her eyes. She lowered her empty hand. Slowly, she backed up. She didn't stop until she was at the far end of the alleyway.

"Magical girls are stupid!" she yelled. She turned, ran around a corner and disappeared. Mami lowered her musket and shook her head.

"Do you think she'll come after us?" Umaru asked.

"It's possible," Mami said. "But given how quickly she backed down, she might be hesitant to try something again. I hope so, anyway. I'd prefer not to be in conflict with another magical girl."

Umaru felt the same way. "This isn't normal, is it?"

"Nothing about that was normal. Fights between magical girls are usually over territory when you get down to it. Fuun instead went after Kyubey."

"Why would she attack him?"

"I believe she blames me for what happened with the witch I mentioned before," Kyubey said. "However, there was little I could have done for her."

"But you said that she won, didn't you?" Umaru asked. "What was she blaming you for? And why?"

"Trying to figure that out would probably be an exercise in futility, given Fuun's apparent state of mind," Mami said. "Still, now we know a little more about her than we did. She's quick, and she uses those cards as weapons. Watch out for that in case we have to fight her again, in addition to other tricks."

"Right," Umaru said, though she hoped they wouldn't have to. "By the way, what's Walpurgisnacht?"

"An extraordinarily powerful witch," Mami said. "Allegedly the most powerful and one no magical girl has ever been able to take down."

"Do you think Fuun really predicted it attacking Mitakihara?"

"Walpurgisnacht is fairly unpredictable," Kyubey said. "But Fuun did wish to be granted insight from her cards."

"It's possible she's right about the attack, then," Mami said. "But we don't know exactly when it'll happen. I have some thoughts on that, but we can discuss it after the current witch is dealt with."

Umaru nodded. She followed Mami down another street and through an intersection. She occasionally checked over her shoulder to confirm that Fuun wasn't following them, but the girl seemed to have vanished. At one point, Mami stopped them again but had a smile on her face when she did.

"You see that building right there?" she asked Umaru, pointing. "That's my school."

Umaru looked where Mami was pointing. A tall, wide building rose above the others some blocks away. Despite the darkness, Umaru could tell it looked nice. She imagined it looked gorgeous in the daytime.

"It's lovely," Umaru said.

"It's just a school. But thank you."

"The next time you visit Tokyo, I'll take you to mine and show you around."

"Oh, visit a high school? I'd like that."

As they turned onto another street, they found what they were looking for. Their soul gems both started glowing more brightly. When they stopped at a vending machine that sold ice cream, Umaru knew they had found their target. Walking around behind it, they stepped through a tear in the air and found themselves someplace quite different.

Umaru was used to the weirdness of witches' barriers at this point. This one resembled a school. It, in fact, reminded her strongly of the middle school she had attended. They made way through a large front entranceway. As they advanced a little further, however, someone was already there waiting for them. Standing among some shoe lockers and twitching oddly was Fuun.

"Don't go in any further!" she yelled at Umaru and Mami. She looked frantic and even more crazed than she had earlier. She held up two Tarot cards. "See? The Ten of Swords and Death! That's a bad omen for this place! Magical girl and other magical girl, you need to run away. Now!"

Mami sighed. "Fuun, it's dangerous here for you to be here. I'll give you one chance to leave."

"We shouldn't be here, magical girls! Go find another witch to play with!" Fuun sounded hysterical. She clenched her hands into fists. "You don't understand!"

"I do understand," Mami replied. She waved her right hand, and a cluster of yellow ribbons surrounded Fuun. This time, she was too busy ranting to avoid them. The ribbons wound around the Fuun, binding her tightly. Mami waved her hand again, and more ribbons surrounded Fuun like a cage. "I apologize for this, but it's necessary."

"This is a mistake, magical girl!" Fuun was yelling even louder now. "There's death here! Get out while you -"

Fuun's words were cut off as another ribbon encircled wrapped around her jaw, gagging her. She continued to rage at Mami, but now only muffled sounds came out.

"We'll release you once the witch is gone," Mami said. "Hopefully you'll have calmed down some by then. Come on, Umaru. Let's go."

Mami walked past Fuun. Umaru gave the tied-up and imprisoned girl one glance and followed. "Is it really okay to leave her like that?"

"It's for her safety and ours. We can't have her running around and causing problems while we're fighting. We'll figure out what to do with her afterward."

"Kyubey, she wasn't always like this, was she? It was after the encounter you mentioned that she became like this, right?"

"Yes, that's correct," Kyubey said, trotting along behind them.

"What happened with that fight, Kyubey?"

"She won, but it took a large toll on her. That's really all."

"Sounds as though it was a pyrrhic victory," Mami said.

"That was enough to leave her in this sort of mental state?" Umaru asked. Was that something that could happen to Mami or her?

"Perhaps there's a way to help her get better," Mami said. "But again, we'll worry about that later. For now, I need you to focus on the witch, Umaru."

"Right. Let's do this."

Umaru followed Mami through the barrier before Mami stopped and asked Umaru if she'd like to try leading. Since this would be a good experience for her, Umaru agreed and stepped in front of Mami. The two girls made their way through what looked like a school hallway. What looked like other students occasionally passed them by, faceless shades of boys and girls. They ignored Mami and Umaru. Umaru tried to check the classrooms for the witch, but all the doors seemed locked. She was about to ask Mami if it would possible to shoot one open when she noticed something out the window.

"There," Umaru said, pointing. There was a large number of familiars on what looked like an athletic field. They were circling something on it. "Do you think that's where the witch is hiding?"

"It's a safe bet you're right," Mami replied. "Let's head down to it."

The girls made their way down some stairs, out a door, and onto the field. A school desk stood in the center of the field. On it was a little black grief seed. Some more of the faceless student familiars were sitting around it. One appeared to be on its knees and praying to it.

"Excellent," Mami said. "It hasn't hatched yet. That gives us some time to deal with the familiars and make a plan. Umaru, would you-"

"No!" Fuun came running down the field sideline. Umaru wondered how she had escaped the binds and the cage Mami had put her in. "Get out of here! It's not your place!"

"Fuun, stop!" Umaru yelled. She didn't want this to turn into a giant mess, and they didn't need to be fighting each other when the witch could hatch at any moment.

Mami fired a string of ribbons at Fuun. She countered with a toss of cards, cutting through them with ease. Umaru now knew how she had gotten loose. Fuun waved her hand at Umaru and Mami. Cards flew at them, knocking them both backward.

The grief seed cracked. And huge shadow rose from it. It rose taller and taller and took the form of a humungous statue that vaguely resembled a teenage girl. Its right arm looked broken, but its left arm was huge and wielded what looked like a massive sledgehammer. The witch must have been at least seven meters tall.

How are we going to take down this thing?

As the two girls got to their feet, a large wall of Tarot cards appeared around them, blocking them in. Umaru hit the wall with her umbrella and Mami fired her musket at it, but nothing happened.

"Umaru! We can't fight the witch with Fuun around," Mami said. "We're going to need to do something about her first."

"Are we going to kill her?" It was one thing to take out witches, but Umaru was still unsure about killing another magical girl. Shouldn't they have been on the same side in this sort of situation?

Mami seemed to share her concern. "Not unless she forces us to. Keep the witch busy. I'll deal with Fuun. Now, let's get this out of our way first. Together: one, two, three!"

Mami raised a musket and fired at the barrier while Umaru blasted it with lightning at the same. They successfully blasted a hole in the card barrier. As they ran through it, more and more familiars seemed to be appearing on the field. If we let this continue, we'll be surrounded and overwhelmed.

Fuun ran at one of the lines of familiars. They threw what looked like pencils and books at her, but she dodged their attacks just as she had dodged Mami's ribbon in the alleyway. With a few tosses of her cards, Fuun cut down most of them. Despite the danger, Umaru was impressed. Fuun seemed almost as good as Mami. Having dispatched the familiars, Fuun turned around to face them.

"Idiots!" Fuun screamed. She held up two cards. "The Three of Swords and the Devil! Witches are really mag-"

Fuun never had the chance to say whatever it was she wanted to say. In the moment she took to turn and yell at Mami and Umaru, she was distracted from their other opponent. The witch swung its giant hammer at Fuun, hitting her from behind and knocking her to the ground. She rolled over and started to get up, but the witch stomped on her chest, pinning her down. There was a flash of light, and Fuun stopped moving. The witch viciously pounded Fuun with its hammer over and over, until her corpse was pulverized into a gory mess. Horrified, Umaru turned away.

"Umaru…" Mami said next to her. Umaru looked at her and noticed she looked angry. "Come on. Let's get the witch. For Fuun."

Umaru took a deep breath. "I'm with you. What do you need me to do?"

"Same as before. Keep the witch busy for a moment. I'll take care of the familiars."

Umaru charged the witch, facing it down. The witch swung its large hammer, but it was slow, and Umaru dodged it. She then tried firing lightning at the witch's broken right arm, but it didn't seem to do anything. The witch roared and swung its hammer at Umaru again. She raised her umbrella and blocked it, but was still pushed back some.

Umaru quickly formulated a plan in her mind. In games, with something like this, its legs would be its weak point! She fired lightning at the witch's knees. It took a few tries, but finally, the witch stumbled and dropped to a kneeling position, leaning on its hammer. Success!

She turned and looked to see how Mami was doing. Mami had apparently taken down most of the familiars and was running back to help her fight the witch. She waved her hand, and a giant flintlock pistol the size of a canon appeared in front of her. Mami took hold of it and aimed it directly at the witch's head.

"Here!" Umaru pointed her umbrella at Mami and pressed its button. Both the magical girl and her giant firearm were surrounded by an orange aura.

"Tiro Finale!" Mami fired, and the witch's head exploded, sending a shower of rocky chunks into the air. The headless statue fell to the ground with a loud crash, and the barrier began to fade. Umaru and Mami soon found themselves standing back on the empty sidewalk.

For a moment, neither girl said anything. They had taken down what had been a fairly powerful witch, but the victory was bittersweet. Umaru couldn't even bring herself to note how well she and Mami had worked together against the witch.

She noticed two Tarot cards lying on the ground, the only trace left of Fuun. She picked them up and looked at them sadly. Mami put her hand her hand on Umaru's shoulder.

"She's dead," Umaru said, tearing up. "The witch killed her."

"Umaru…"

"Won't someone notice that she's gone?" Umaru asked. "Won't someone miss her?"

"I don't know," Mami said gently. She sounded as though she was choking back tears as well. "But we'll do whatever we can. Maybe she has family we can notify."

"Could we?"

"We can certainly try. But without a body, I don't know what they'd say. And we don't even know where she's from. Do you know, Kyubey?"

"She lived in Sagamihara before coming here," Kyubey said.

"That's a start," Mami said. "I'll see what I can do about finding if she has any relatives there."

"Thank you, Mami," Umaru said.

"Of course." Mami closed her eyes and opened them again. She hugged Umaru. "As I told you before, being a magical girl is extremely dangerous. Fuun wasn't the first one to meet that sort of end, and she won't be the last."

Mami was right, of course. Umaru had known that before, but now she understood it better. However, that didn't make accepting it any easier. We're supposed to be big heroes, like magical girls in anime. We help people. We don't fight each other or meet ends like Fuun did. Why do those things happen?

Given how watery Mami's eyes were, it seemed like it wasn't much easier for her either. Still, it made Umaru feel a little silly when she was the older one, even if she wasn't the veteran Mami was.

"I'm sorry," Umaru said. "I didn't mean to…"

"It's okay," Mami said. "Let's get out of here. You shouldn't stay out too late and worry your brother."

As they walked back in the direction of the hotel, Mami turned to Kyubey, who was now riding on her shoulder.

"Kyubey, you said that Fuun wished for insight?" she asked.

"Yes, that's correct."

"And it worked, didn't it? The wishes you grant always do. Fuun was able to find out things, maybe see the future as well."

"Yes. Including her death, apparently."

"So, the bad omen she tried to warn us about, it referred to her and not us," Umaru said.

"It would seem so," Mami sighed. "What a shame."

"She seemed skilled," Umaru said. "The witch that threw her off must have been really strong."

"It was," Kyubey said. "But given what happened tonight, not one that you two couldn't defeat."

"The one we took on tonight was as strong as the one she fought?" No wonder it had taken such a toll on her. Fighting something like that by herself? Mami would probably be okay, but Umaru couldn't imagine doing that without a lot more experience.

"The one you took on tonight was the one she fought, Umaru."

"What?" Umaru stopped and looked at Kyubey. "But she defeated it, didn't she?"

"It must have come back," Mami said. "Witches can do that, as you've seen."

"How did it get here though? Another stray familiar?"

"I'm not sure," Mami said. "Maybe Fuun was here tracking it."

"Then I'm glad we killed it."

"As am I. I have a lot to think about, but let's table further discussion, given what's happened tonight. I think we've both earned some rest."

After returning to the hotel, Umaru and Mami parted ways. Umaru crept back into her room and found her brother was fast asleep. It looked like he was sleeping peacefully, no bad dreams. That was good. He didn't have to worry about train accidents or evil witches or anything like that. Umaru could do that for him.

"But Onii-chan," she said. "What would happen to you if I died like Fuun did?"

(Author's note: Thanks again to everyone reading along so far! I hope you're enjoying the story. The next chapter will focus more on family relationships and friendships.)

Chapter Text

Umaru was thankful she didn't need to sleep as much as she used to. While she had once enjoyed sleeping and daytime napping, the pleasure she once got from those was gone, robbed from her by constant bad dreams.

She woke up sharply one night. In the nightmare she'd been having, she saw a giant statue witch using its hammer to mercilessly kill someone. Only, in her dream, it wasn't Fuun the witch was killing – it was her brother. Umaru shivered. She looked over at Taihei, but he was fast asleep, a funny-looking sleeping mask over his eyes.

Umaru hoped his dreams were better than hers.

There would definitely be no sleep for her for the rest of the night. She got up and went to the kitchen for a bottle of cola. She then retrieved her 4DS, sat down next to her sleeping brother, and started up Whacky Waitress. It was a mindless game with nothing to do in it except bring orders out to customers. But it took her mind off of more unpleasant things.

Umaru still had no desire to play many of her other games, as she'd found that hunting monsters in games didn't quite feel the same when you already did that in real life. But a simple game was enough to distract her for a while. She took an occasional sip of cola, rather than chugging most of the bottle at once as she usually did.

She was still playing when her brother woke up. He stretched, yawned, and looked over at her.

Umaru put her 4DS aside. "Ah, good morning, Onii-chan!"

"You're up early, Umaru." He smiled. "Ah, and you're playing a game again. It doesn't seem like you've played as much lately."

"Well, I'm done, now that you're up."

"What? No, go ahead and play." He got up and rolled up his futon. "I'll make breakfast."

That was different. Granted, it was true that she hadn't played very much the past few weeks. But her brother didn't usually encourage her to keep playing. Maybe he wasn't fully awake yet. Regardless, if that was what he wanted her to do, then she'd do it. She played until he finished making breakfast, then set the game aside again as the two of them ate. She knew from experience how he felt about playing games during meals.

"So, any plans for today?" he asked her.

"I'm going shopping with everyone," Umaru said as she ate her omelet.

"That's good. Enjoy yourself. It's been a stressful summer, and fun activities can help you cope." He was right about that. Granted, Umaru thought it had been more stressful for him than for her, but it still hadn't been easy. She wondered if her brother needed some fun activities to help him cope.

"I will," she smiled. "Is there anything you need me to buy while I'm out?"

Her brother raised an eyebrow at her. "No, but thank you for your offer."

"Alright. Anything exciting happening at work?"

"Well, Bomber fell asleep on his keyboard the other day. When he woke up, there was an imprint of it on his face."

Umaru laughed. "If he isn't careful, he might get an imprint of it on his afro."

"That would be quite a sight. Let's see. Alex was going on and on about some anime series…something Kana-chan?"

"Lovely Kana-chan?"

"Yes, I thought you'd know it. I tuned him out after a while, to be honest. Except when he asked me to fix his workstation yet again. He was visiting that show's site on it and messed his computer up."

"Again? Does that happen often?" Umaru asked.

"Far too often. It's amazing he's not in constant trouble for it."

Did anyone at her brother's office actually work beside him? Umaru imagined her brother's department at work would be lost if he wasn't there.

"Well, what about you, Onii-chan?" she asked. "What's exciting for you at work?"

"Hmm," he said. "Well, we've several new clients that I need to do work for. There might be another trip in the future. I don't know."

"That would be exciting! Where to?"

"Well, several are here in Tokyo, but one of them is based in Nagoya."

"Oh, that would be a fun trip."

"Work trips aren't necessarily for fun," he said. "But yes, there are things there to do. However, this wouldn't be a trip for you as well. Understood?"

"Of course, Onii-chan," Umaru smiled, wondering how she'd be able to sneak to Nagoya without him noticing in order to keep an eye on things. Maybe Kyubey or Mami would be able to help her with that.

With breakfast finished, Umaru's brother headed off to work. Normally, this would have been Umaru's time to nap. Instead, she played Whacky Waitress some more, wondering how Mami and Kyubey were doing. She hadn't seen Mami since her last visit to Mitakihara, though she imagined Kyubey would probably pop up sooner or later. He always did.

Later, Umaru headed to the shopping mall with Ebina to meet Sylphyn and Kirie there. When they met them, Sylphyn waved wildly, and even Kirie smiled some.

"Umaru!" Sylphyn cried.

"Hello, Sylphyn, Kirie!" Umaru greeted them, happy to see her friends.

"Hello, Umaru," Kirie said.

"It's been too long indeed! We've barely had the chance to spend time together over the summer break!" Sylphyn declared.

"I know, Sylphyn," Umaru said. "I'm glad we can today."

"What you have been spending your vacation doing?"

"I've been tutoring a girl in middle school for her high school entrance exams," Umaru said. She figured she may as well stick with that story. She disliked lying to her friends as much as her brother, but this was necessary.

"How nice!"

"You're a good person, Umaru," Kirie said quietly. "I'm sure she'll do well."

"Thank you, Kirie. I have a lot of confidence in her."

"How is your brother?" Kirie asked. "I haven't seen him since he left the hospital."

"He's doing fine," Umaru said.

"That's good to hear. I'm glad he recovered so well and so quickly."

"How did he recover, by the way, Umaru?" Sylphyn asked. "It seemed like a miracle indeed!"

"Ah, well it turned out that his injuries weren't as bad as they seemed," Umaru said. "I'm very thankful he was okay. I was so scared and worried about him."

"Me too!" Ebina said. "I can't imagine what would have happened had he…"

"It's okay, Ebina, Onii-chan is fine, and that's what's important," Umaru said. That had become a mantra for her. "Let's have fun shopping today. That's what we're out for, right?"

Ebina brightened up some. "Right!"

Sylphyn took the lead and the other three girls followed her into the first store. She immediately dragged Ebina over to look at a dress, declaring that Ebina would look darling in it. Kirie leaned over to Umaru and spoke to her quietly.

"I haven't gotten to see your little sister lately."

"She's been away visiting relatives," Umaru said.

"I see," Kirie said. "Is she doing okay after your brother's accident?"

"She's fine, Kirie," Umaru said. "Thank you for worrying about her."

"I…I've missed seeing her. When will she be back?"

"At least the rest of summer. I'm sorry, Kirie. I know she misses seeing you as well"

I already hid so much from my friends and lied to them even before becoming a magical girl. And now I'm hiding and lying even more. How can I tell Kirie that 'Komaru' might be gone permanently?

"I see." Kirie looked sad.

Umaru tried something she thought might cheer Kirie up. "Why don't you and I do something one day soon? Just the two of us."

"J-just you and me?!" Kirie's faced reddened a little.

"Sure," Umaru said. She thought for a moment about what Kirie might like. "Have you ever been to Mitakihara? It's a great city. We could take a day trip there before summer vacation ends." She figured she could ask Mami about different things there the next time she talked with her and find something in Mitakihara that Kirie would really enjoy.

"Ah, no," Kirie said. "I…don't know about traveling, but…"

"Of course, if you prefer, we could just do something in Tokyo. There are loads of fun things around here."

Kirie said something quietly. When Umaru asked her to repeat it, she said she'd do whatever Umaru wanted to do. That was no good. Umaru wanted to do something where Kirie had a good time that didn't involve 'Komura.' Umaru replied that she'd figure something out, and Kirie seemed slightly happier.

I can't tell my friends everything, but I can still enjoy the time I spend with them, at least. Despite feeling conflicted, Umaru resolved to do at least that much. She took Kirie's hand and, ignoring her furious blush, led her over to the rack Sylphyn and Ebina were looking at. She was sure Kirie would look cute in that dress as well.

The next day, shortly after her brother left for work, Umaru hopped on an early train to Mitakihara. She was glad to go and visit Mami. She loved her other friends, there was no question about that. But she didn't have to hide so many things from Mami. She said as much to her as they drank tea and ate cake in her apartment.

"I feel like that with you as well," Mami said. "I've never been able to make close friends at school since becoming a magical girl, and I've drifted away from people I was close to. I've spent so much time by myself."

"They're good friends to me," Umaru said, taking a bite of cake. It was delicious as always. "But now there's so much I can't tell them."

"That's another hard part of being a magical girl, not being able to share what we go through. Maybe there are some who maintain friendships with normal peers but still constantly keep that side of themselves hidden."

"Do you think that's bad?"

"No, of course not. For some, perhaps that's the best way to deal with it since some secrecy is more or less a necessity. I just don't think I could do that myself."

"Hmmm," Umaru said. She thought some more about how she hid things from her friends and her brother.

"But again," Mami continued. "It makes me all the more thankful for being able to discuss such things with you."

Umaru nodded. She and Mami felt similarly. Umaru decided to bring up what had been bothering her recently. "Mami, do you ever have nightmares since you became a magical girl? Is that a side effect of being one?"

"Every now and then," Mami said. "Sometimes about my parents' deaths or being alone, though I must say, I've not had one about the latter since I've met you. Why? Have you been having bad dreams?"

"Yes." Umaru told her about how, almost any time she tried to sleep, she saw her brother lying in the hospital or otherwise being hurt. Mami listened patiently. When Umaru was finished, she stared down into her teacup for a moment and then looked back up at her. There was a sympathetic look on her face.

"I don't think that's a result of becoming a magical girl per se," she said. "But in your case and mine, I think it's still related."

"What do you mean?"

"We both went through something traumatic before becoming magical girls. And all magical girls deal with awful things after making a contract. It's all a lot to manage and thus bound to cause bad dreams. Maybe other things as well."

"I see what you mean, but that makes me feel as though I'm not going to stop having them."

Mami reached over and patted Umaru's hand. "Don't worry. I'm sure they'll pass. Give yourself some time. I've some tea you could try that might help calm you some before sleep."

"Maybe I just should avoid sleeping altogether."

Mami chuckled. "Oh, you can't do that. Foregoing sleep is bad for your health. And you need your beauty rest, after all."

"Right, right." Umaru drank a sip of tea and thought about all this. "Say, Mami?"

"Yes, Umaru?"

"I'd like to know more about you if that's alright."

"More about me? What do you mean?"

"I just want to keep getting to know you better," Umaru said, looking back up. "Outside of you being a magical girl, that is because I already know a lot about you there."

Mami didn't reply and simply studied her with a strange expression on her face. For a moment, Umaru thought she looked as though she was about to cry.

"Ah, I'm sorry!" Umaru said. "I didn't mean to upset you. We can keep talking about magical girl things if you'd prefer."

"No, no," Mami said, smiling widely. "I'm just…really happy. Ahem. Please excuse me. What would you like to know, Umaru?"

"Let's see…" She decided to go with something obvious. "What do you do for fun? What do you like to do when you're not defeating witches and protecting people?"

"Well, I'm a bit of a tea hobbyist."

"So I've seen," Umaru said. "And you're good at it."

"Thank you. I also like to cook."

"You're good at that too," said Umaru, taking another bite of cake.

"And I like to read when I can. Classics, poetry, contemporary novels, and so on. Of course, being a magical girl and going to school cuts into my time for all that."

She really did read poetry at home. Umaru was slightly amused how her initial impression of Mami was still correct even if it had been incomplete.

"That's interesting. Thank you, Mami."

"You're welcome. And now you know. So, what about you, Umaru? What of your hobbies?"

"Me? I like…" She stopped herself and thought maybe it was time to stop lying so much. This was Mami, after all. "Well, I like manga and anime some. And video games a little as well."

That was a massive understatement, but at least it wasn't a complete lie.

"I figured either you or your brother did," Mami said. "Or both."

"You did?"

"Yes. I noticed what was on your shelves when I was at your apartment, as well as the game peripherals there."

"You notice a lot, don't you Mami?"

Mami said nothing but just smiled warmly and nodded at her.

"But please don't spread it around," Umaru said, suddenly wondering if she had told too much.

"You mean, don't tell others of your hobbies?"

"Yes. It's just…" She wasn't sure how to explain it. It was complicated, after all.

"Don't worry, Umaru," Mami said. "There's nobody I really could mention that to. But even if that weren't the case, your secret would still be safe with me."

"Thanks, Mami." She still felt embarrassed and a little silly, but it was good to actually be honest with someone. Although it seemed like she'd have a hard time lying to Mami in the first place.

"You're welcome." Mami took a sip of tea. "So, what else? Oh, I know. Is there anyone you like?"

"What?" Umaru said with a start.

"You know. Is there a special someone in your life who makes your heart skip a beat and leaves you with butterflies in your stomach?"

"Uh…no." Umaru felt her face grow warm. That was the truth, but it still felt awkward to talk about.

Mami put her hand over her mouth and giggled. "Oh, my. I didn't expect you to blush like that."

"That's not funny, Mami." Umaru couldn't believe she was being embarrassed so much by a younger girl who was her junior at everything except being a magical girl.

"You really are quite red. Are you sure there's no one?"

"I'm sure. Isn't there something else you could ask me about?"

"Of course. I'm sorry; I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable."

"No, no, it's okay. But there really isn't anyone."

Mami nodded. "Sadly, being a magical girl doesn't leave a lot of time for romance."

"No, I guess not." Umaru had never considered that, but it made sense.

"You know," Mami said. "There's an arcade a little way from the train station. Since you enjoy games, we could go there if you like."

Umaru knew that. It had been one of the first locations she had noted in Mitakihara. "I remember seeing that. How is it?"

"I don't know. I've never been there."

"Well if games aren't really your thing, we don't have to go there, Mami."

"I think I'd enjoy visiting it with you. Aren't places like that more fun with friends?"

Umaru thought of all the times she had played at arcades with Sylphyn. She thought of the times her brother had gone into those places with her as well, despite not being especially interested in them. She nodded and smiled at Mami. "That's true. Let's go, then."

Umaru looked around the game center. Had she been back in Tokyo, Umaru would have donned her UMR guise before going to such a place. But this was Mitakihara, and she was with Mami. She could be herself here. Well, more like herself, anyway.

"It's very blue in here," Umaru commented. Indeed, everything inside the arcade seemed to be some shade of blue, even the lights. While it didn't quite look like her usual haunt back in Tokyo in that regard, the familiar machines were all there: the crane games, the rhythm games, the driving games, and so on.

"It is," Mami said. "So, what shall we play?"

"How about one of the crane games?" Umaru said. "You can win something nice."

"Hmmm, aren't those rigged though? Don't they simply take your money and give you nothing in return?"

"Not if you know how to play them," Umaru said. She grinned, unable to help herself. This would be very different from when she and Sylphyn played at a game center.

She led Mami over to one of the crane machines and surveyed it. That was the first step, of course. She quickly saw the best way to get prizes from it, though it depended on what prize they were trying to get, of course. She turned to Mami "Okay, we should be able to get almost anything we want from this machine pretty easily. What should we go for?"

"Hmmm," Mami looked through the glass. "Oh, that throw-pillow looks cute, like a giant wheel of Swiss cheese."

"Cheese pillow it is!" Umaru said. She put some money into the machine and began maneuvering the claw. The pillow, of course, was too large and bulky for the claw to grip and carry, so she aimed for its tag. Once it was hooked, Umaru let the claw carry it over to the prize chute. She retrieved the pillow and handed it to Mami. "Ta-da!"

"Impressive," said Mami, accepting the pillow. She eyes sparkled, and her whole face lit up. "Thank you very much, Umaru. I'll treasure this."

"You're welcome," Umaru said, smiling. "Let's get something else! That machine has sweets in it."

"Sweets? We did just have cake, you know…" Mami sounded uncertain about this.

Ignoring Mami's hesitation, Umaru moved to the next machine over. Within minutes, she had filled a small bag with the candy she had won from it. She got a second bag, intending to split it with Mami, who had watched Umaru collect the candy with polite bemusement.

"Come on," Umaru said. "There's a bench over there where we can go through all this."

Umaru and Mami sat down on the bench. Mami was still looking fondly at the cheese wheel pillow. Umaru reached into the bag of candy she had won and rummaged around in it. She put a large amount of it into the other bag and handed the bag to Mami. "Here, for you."

"Thank you," Mami said, looking through the bag. But she didn't sound as enthusiastic about it as she had been about the pillow.

"What's wrong?" Umaru asked.

"I don't mean to sound ungrateful," Mami said, shaking her head. "But this is all junk food. It isn't healthy, you know."

"It's fine," Umaru said. "Here, have some more."

Mami chuckled as Umaru handed her a bag of gummy candy. "Remember the magical girl I mentioned to you once before, the one who was with me for a while?"

Umaru nodded. She took a panda bar from her bag and began to eat it.

"She ate a lot of food in general, but an inordinate amount of it was junk," Mami continued.

Sounds like a kindred spirit. Still, Umaru could hear the disapproval in Mami's voice.

"I lectured her about it, but she never listened." Mami sighed. "And that was even before she stopped listening to me entirely, mind you."

"What happened between you two, if you don't mind me asking?"

"We had…strong disagreements over certain philosophical matters."

"I'm guessing you don't just mean food?"

Mami chuckled. "No, it was over how to behave as a magical girl. Those disagreements came to a head, and we eventually went our separate ways. But that's in the past. In the present, you, like her, should avoid eating too much junk."

"People can't help what they like. And sweets are good."

"Yes, I suppose. Still..."

"Are you going to chide me about what I eat?"

"Probably." Mami smiled at her. "It's a bit of a habit, I guess. I can't really help it."

"I can't promise I'll listen."

"It's shameful for a high school girl to adopt such an attitude."

"I think it's shameful for a middle school girl to lecture a high school girl."

Mami laughed outright at that one.

"I'll concede to my elder, then," she said, opening the bag of gummy candy and eating some. "Just for today, because this is special, I'll eat junk with you. But let's eat a little better in the future."

Umaru arrived home from Mitakihara just ahead of her brother returning home from work. She saw that Kyubey was there in their apartment, snoozing on her bed. She gently poked him.

"Wake up, sleepyhead!"

Kyubey got up and stretched. He really did look more like a cat then. "Good morning, Umaru."

"Good afternoon, Kyubey. Sleep well?"

"Very well, thank you. Ready to go and hunt witches?"

"Not until after dinner."

"Oh, what are we having?"

"I don't know yet. But you'll eat it, right?" Umaru had gotten good at surreptitiously feeding Kyubey under the table without her brother noticing. Of course, the fact that Taihei couldn't even see him helped. Umaru was particularly fond of feeding her vegetables to him. That hadn't been a part of her magical contract, but she considered it an added bonus.

"Sure!" Kyubey beamed at her as she scratched behind his ears. "I love your brother's cooking."

When Taihei arrived home, Umaru assumed he would start dinner immediately. If he didn't, she'd see if he wanted to play a game with her, something simple, of course. Which game didn't really matter; she just wanted to spend time with him. However, he greeted her and asked her to have a seat. She did, and he sat down across from her.

"Umaru," he said. "There's something I want to talk to you about."

"What is it, Onii-chan?"

"I received a call the other day and a letter at my office today. Both were related to the same matter."

Umaru tilted her head. Had her school contacted him about her? That made no sense. It was summer vacation. "What were the call and letter about?"

"A job offer," he replied.

This surprised Umaru a little. "Out of nowhere? Or were you looking for a new job?"

"It's from father," Taihei answered. "He's asked if I want to come and work for the Doma Corporation."

"Just like that?"

"I'm not sure why he suddenly offered," Taihei said. He shrugged. "Maybe my injury on the train put things into perspective for him like it has for me. Or maybe he had planned this for some time."

"I told you he does care about us in his own way," Umaru said.

"I don't know. But regardless, he's offered me employment at his company."

"What sort of job?"

"He wants to place me in a management position."

"Oh, that's impressive, Onii-chan. If you wanted to accept it, I'd bet you'd do well at it." Her brother, ever a dependable and reliable guy who got along with everyone, would no doubt be a wonderful manager. "Would you work here in Tokyo?

"Possibly, but he's also said that if I wished to do so, he'd place me in a corporate office in another city. I'd still be making trips to Tokyo from time to time, however."

"An office in another city? Does that mean we'd end up moving?"

Taihei smiled at her. "We? Would you move with me if I did take a job in another city, then? Wouldn't that be hard for you?"

Umaru stopped and considered her brother's questions. Moving would be a big change. She thought again about the increasing distance between her and her friends. This would only exacerbate that and add physical distance in addition to everything else.

Then there was Mami. Depending on where they moved to, she might end up living even farther away from her. Umaru would have to fight witches by herself or find another friend who was a magical girl. Assuming, of course, that one was present and wanted to be friends with her; she hadn't forgotten Mami's words about magical girls fighting over territory. Kyubey, who seemed to be able to go anywhere, would probably be around, but talking with him wasn't the same as talking with Mami.

Of course, not moving would mean being separated from her brother. That thought was unbearable and weighed far more heavily than her other concerns. She still worried about him more than ever, and she had to protect him. She couldn't do that if she was so far away from him all the time.

"I suppose I would move with you," Umaru finally said. "I can't imagine living apart from you at this point, Onii-chan. I mean, when I thought I was going to lose you, I thought the world was ending."

Taihei smiled at her. "I thought you might feel that way. I can't imagine us living apart either at this point. What would I do without my annoying little sister?"

"Annoying? That's mean, Onii-chan!" However, she smiled as she said this, glad to hear him joke even a little.

"Ah, I'm only kidding," he said, waving his hands in mock surrender. "Anyway, that's why I wanted to talk things over some with you before I decide anything."

"Okay. Then be honest, please: is this something you really want, Onii-chan?"

"I wouldn't say I've reached a definite conclusive decision yet, but I think it is. The downside is that I would leave behind my co-workers at Diamond Corp: Bomber, Alex, and Kanau. The upside is that I'd have a higher salary and more potential for advancement. And while I'd still feel pushed along a certain path, it would at least be one that I chose."

"You feel pushed along a path?" Her brother had never said anything like this to her before. Did he feel discontent or dissatisfaction with his current job? Did he feel stuck? Did he feel annoyed that he had to pick up slack for his co-workers? Umaru felt slightly ashamed she had never asked him about any of that.

"Yes, sometimes. It's felt like that a little ever since high school, honestly. Maybe even before," Taihei said. Umaru wanted to know a little more about that but didn't press the point for now and let him continue. "Additionally, there are also some advantages to taking a job elsewhere, I think. Experiencing life in a different place for once would be interesting. It would also be nice if I didn't have to take a train to work every day and instead only had to take a train ride to Tokyo once or twice a month."

"Are train rides still bothering you?"

"I don't mind them as much now, but it's still hard for me to be completely comfortable on one."

Umaru nodded. She could understand that. Now it was time to find out the specifics. "So, what are the places you might end up if you accept this? Do you know?"

"Well, there's Osaka, for one," Umaru remembered a class trip to Osaka back when she was in middle school. Had her brother ever been there? "There's also Kyoto."

Umaru felt uncertain about moving to either of those places. She listened as her brother listed a few more cities.

"…and finally, there's the office in Mitakihara," he said.

"Mitakihara? Really?" Now that one caught Umaru's interest. Why had he left it for last?

"Yes. And after seeing that city, I have to say, it seems like a very nice place to live."

Mitakihara. The idea of living there both intrigued her and made her nervous. She wondered if she'd be able to visit her friends in Tokyo still or if they'd come to visit her sometimes. On the other hand, she'd be able to see Mami much more. Would they hunt witches together all the time?

And just like any other place, she'd end up in a completely different school where she didn't know anyone. At least, for one year; in Mitakihara, it was possible Mami would attend the same high school as her. It also briefly occurred to Umaru that, if they moved, she'd be a mysterious transfer student, just like in an anime.

"Umaru?" her brother said, interrupting her thoughts. "You went quiet again."

"I'm sorry, Onii-chan. I was just thinking. How soon you do have to decide on all this?"

"While sooner would probably be better than later, father didn't give me any hard deadline."

"I see," Umaru said. At one time, she would have thrown a massive tantrum at her brother for even entertaining the idea of moving somewhere and bring upheaval into her life. But she needed to be more mature about all this given everything that had happened recently. "It's up to you, Onii-chan. If you decide to take a job in Osaka, Kyoto, Mitakihara, or wherever, I'd still move with you and support you. If you decided to stay here in Tokyo either at your current job or a new one, I'd support you as well."

"Is that so?" Taihei put his hand to his chin.

"Yes. No matter what you choose, Onii-chan, I'll be with you," she affirmed. She decided to add a little joke and compliment of her own. "Otherwise, I'd miss your cooking."

Taihei chuckled. "It comes down to that, does it? You know, speaking of cooking, I was going to make this vegetable miso soup for us to have with dinner tonight…"

That rankled her a little, even though she knew he was joking with her again. "Humph. Or maybe not, Onii-chan."

"Now you're more like the Umaru I know and love," he said. "Anyway, I would like you to be truly honest with me: What do you think of moving to Mitakihara? I am leaning toward accepting a position there, but since this affects you as well, I still think it's only fair for you to have some input. I know it's a hard decision, so please think on it some."

Umaru didn't need to think about it much though. If they were going to move, then Mitakihara would be the best choice for her. Would it be the best choice for her brother as well? He sure seemed to think so.

"I said I would move wherever you took a job, Onii-chan," Umaru said. "And I think Mitakihara would be a good place to move to."

"Ah, I didn't mean for you to have to answer so quickly," Taihei said. "You aren't just saying this for my sake, are you? Don't you want a day to think it over?"

"I feel like we've both already chosen, Onii-chan," Umaru said. "You like Mitakihara, and there's an opportunity for to take a good job there. I think you should take it. As for me, I'll apply to transfer to a high school there."

"Your friend Mami lives in Mitakihara, doesn't she?"

"She does," Umaru said. "Though she isn't in high school yet, remember?"

"Right," Taihei said. "But you've been tutoring her, so perhaps you and she will end up in the same high school in a year, right? You'll be a good peer she can look up to."

"Of course," Umaru said. She couldn't even begin to explain to her brother the unusual dynamics of friendship with Mami. "Anyway, you shouldn't keep papa waiting for a reply. I think he'll be proud to have you working in his company."

"That remains to be seen," Taihei said. "But you're right about a reply. I'll let him know tomorrow, then."

And so it was decided. While her brother went to make dinner, Umaru sat back and reflected some. This would be a huge change, and it made her feel nervous and excited. She'd need to find a high school to transfer to, of course. She wondered if Mami would have some suggestions there, which was a little ironic, given that Umaru was supposed to be tutoring her for entrance exams.

After dinner, Umaru cajoled her brother into playing something with her. She didn't have to try very hard; he seemed as glad as she was to have a mindless distraction. They played Rainy Daze well into the evening, with Kyubey dozing on her bad. Finally, Taihei announced he needed to go to bed and warned to not stay up too late.

Later, when she was certain brother was fast asleep, Umaru quietly slipped on her shoes and headed out into the night with Kyubey. Though this was no game, it still felt a little like it to her at times, just her (and occasionally Mami) hunting witches in the dark. She closed her eyes and took in the nighttime sounds of insects chirping.

"So, you and Mami will both be protecting Mitakihara?" Kyubey said as he hopped up to his usual place on her shoulder.

"Yes," Umaru said, opening her eyes and turning to him. "It'll be interesting, won't' it?"

"Certainly. She'll be ecstatic you're moving there, no question."

"It makes me happy too. Though I'm as equally sad to move away from my friends here." An idea occurred to her. "Say, Kyubey – my friends Ebina, Kirie, and Sylphyn…you've seen them. Are any of them potential magical girls?"

"I'm sorry Umaru, but no. Not all girls are potential magical girls."

"I figured. Well, it was worth a try." She straightened up. "Anyway, you'll be with Mami and me in Mitakihara too, right?"

"I'm with you and her no matter where either of you goes," Kyubey said.

"Well, you're small, and you're easy to transport," Umaru said, smiling. "And you get around, don't you? It seems like you're everywhere, Kyubey."

"Not everywhere, but close. And some ways of getting around are more efficient than others."

"Like riding on someone's shoulders?"

"I can't help it that you're so tall and I'm not, Umaru."

Kyubey was right, of course. Umaru was certain Mami would be happy about their move. Earlier, she had picked up her phone and got ready to message her with the news, but then stopped. For something like this, it would be best to tell her in person.

"Just like I'll need to tell Ebina, Kirie, and Sylphyn in person," she said to herself. That would be the hardest part. She could imagine their reactions just as she could imagine Mami's. She knew it would be hard for her brother to tell Bomber and Alex. Umaru knew she'd miss both of them as well.

But as long as she was still here in Tokyo, it remained her duty deal with any witch or familiar around. Holding her soul gem in front of her, she set off on her hunt to find one.

Chapter Text

Umaru and Mami walked through the halls of Arayada High School. Since it was break, there was nobody in the halls, but Umaru knew a few clubs were having activities. They were confined to their club rooms, however. For the most part, Mami and Umaru encountered nobody.

"So this is a Tokyo high school," Mami mused, looking around.

"It's not really anything special," Umaru said. "Just your standard prefectural high school."

"Maybe it seems mundane to you because you already attend here. For someone who's still in middle school, the experience is quite different."

"I can see that."

"By the way," Mami said. "Have your bad dreams persisted?"

"They haven't entirely gone away," Umaru said. "But I'm not having them every night, at least."

"Are you sleeping every night?"

"Almost all nights, yes."

"Are you being honest with me about that?"

"Yes Mami, I am," Umaru said.

"Good. Because I do worry about you."

"It's just…" Umaru trailed off, not certain how to continue.

"What's on your mind?"

"Well, you know, seeing Fuun's death was hard." Umaru hadn't wanted to talk about that at all. "I mean, we barely knew her, but it was still awful."

"It was. She didn't deserve the end she met. Are you still having nightmares about that?"

"Not exactly, but I wanted to ask: have you seen something like that before?"

"I've seen some bad things," Mami answered. Her voice was even and quiet. "And I've experienced a few myself. It's not easy."

"But you keep going," Umaru said. "You're a really strong person. I want to be like that too."

"Hmmm," Mami said. "I think you're already quite a strong person, Umaru. Say, can I see your classroom while we're here?"

"Sure!" Umaru led Mami to it. Mami seemed oddly fascinated by everything inside. She walked around the room, sat briefly at Umaru's desk, and thanked her for bringing her there. As always, she was the picture of politeness and propriety.

"You're welcome, Mami," Umaru said as they left the classroom. "I know I invited you here to see the school, but there's actually another reason we came here that I haven't told you yet."

"Oh?"

"I'm here to turn in some forms to the administrative office. I'm transferring out of this high school."

Mami blinked in surprise. "You are? Why? And to where?"

"Mitakihara High School." Umaru had done some research, and that seemed like best high school for her to attend in that city. She had gotten the forms and filled them out. The only thing left was to send them in. "My brother has accepted a position in our father's company and will be working in an office in Mitakihara."

Mami stopped walking and looked at Umaru with her mouth agape. Umaru had never seen her with that expression. Finally, she asked "Mitakihara? Really?"

"Yes. Our father gave him a choice of working in Tokyo or in a corporate office in another city. He liked Mitakihara when we visited there, so after some discussion, that's what he decided on," Umaru said. "And as for me, I don't want to live away from my brother, so I'm moving with him. You and I will be neighbors, Mami! Okay, not exactly, but we'll live in the same city at least."

Mami's entire face lit up. "That's…that's wonderful, Umaru! I know this might sound selfish, but it makes me so happy to hear that!"

"Huh? That doesn't sound selfish. Why would you think that?"

"Because…oh, never mind." She threw her arms around Umaru and hugged her. Pulling back, she took Umaru's hands into her own. "You're actually going to be living in Mitakihara! I'm so excited. We'll be able to fight together all the time! We'll be able to talk all the time! We'll be able to do everything!"

Mami didn't stop grinning for the entire visit. As they left the school, Umaru could have sworn she was humming to herself. She was still smiling when they sat down at a ramen restaurant for lunch.

"I haven't told my friends here about moving away yet," Umaru confessed. "That's going to be difficult."

"I'm sure," Mami said. "It's hard to leave people you care about behind. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"I think I can handle it, but I'd still welcome any thoughts you have."

"I suppose my advice is, to be honest, invite them to come and visit you in Mitakihara, maybe prepare a special going-away present for each friend."

"Those are good ideas. Thank you, Mami."

"Of course, Umaru. Whatever you need, I'll always be here for you," Mami said. "You know, since you'll be in Mitakihara, we'll be able to work even harder with your training and magic."

"We…will?" Umaru suddenly felt a little wary. Training with Mami would make her a better, stronger magical girl, no question. But beneath her friendliness, Mami could also be very tough and strict. Umaru knew that from experience.

"Yes. I assume you've kept your magic practice outside of fighting witches?"

"I have."

"And again, you're being honest with me, right?" Mami smiled at her.

"I promise, Mami. I am." Umaru had managed to make her umbrella magically light up. Granted, they didn't go through many dark places, but the illumination also had a calming effect on her, which she figured was the true purpose of that magic. She wasn't yet sure if it would work on others. Maybe she'd try it out with Mami at some point.

"You should be able to perform at least some basic healing, you know," Mami said. "But if you work at it, I imagine it will be much more powerful."

"I should?" Umaru asked. She hadn't thought about that. She had wanted to perform the sort of flashy magic she had seen in games or the type that Mami did. Healing sounded useful, sure, but a little mundane.

"Yes," Mami said. "I say that based on what your wish was. But we can keep working on that when you're in Mitakihara. It will be important that you get a lot of experience and such before Walpurgisnacht comes. "

"Walpurgisnacht, the powerful witch that Fuun mentioned?"

"Yes. If Walpurgisnacht really is coming to Mitakihara, and I believe Fuun was correct in her prediction, then we need to be ready."

"Do you think we'll be able to beat this Walpurgisnacht thing?"

"I believe that, given enough time for you to train and practice fighting more witches, we'll have a good chance with the two of us working together."

"So, I'm in for lots of training and practicing, huh? Even outside of fighting witches?"

"Oh yes," Mami said. "And studying as well. You'll be quite busy, my friend."

"I…look forward to it." Apparently, being a magical girl had suddenly meant that she'd have a lot more work to do. It was probably a good thing she hadn't felt like playing games and watching anime so much. Soon, she'd have even less time for all that. And Mami's training regimen would undoubtedly be tough.

None of that seemed to bother Mami, however. She still hadn't stopped smiling.

The next day, Umaru prepared for Kirie, Ebina, and Sylphyn's visit. She had gotten pizza and cola (she could almost hear Mami's disapproval all the way from Mitakihara) and had laid it all out for her friends before they came over. For the news she was about to drop on them, she wanted the food to be good. She couldn't remember another time she'd had all three other girls at her apartment.

"I have something important to share with all of you," Umaru said after the others had arrived and they were all sitting around a table. Umaru was nervous but knew she had to do this. These were her friends, after all. Now that she had their attention, it was time to say what she needed to say.

"What is it, Umaru?" Sylphyn asked, drinking some cola.

"Well…" Umaru said. She steadied herself. "First, let me say that you've all been very good friends to me and that I'm so lucky to have met each of you."

"I feel the same way about you, Umaru," Ebina said.

"As do I!" Sylphyn said.

"And me," Kirie added quietly.

"Thank you. That's what makes this so difficult to say." Umaru took a deep breath and exhaled. "My brother and I are moving to Mitakihara. I'll be transferring schools."

The other girls just looked back at Umaru with none of them saying anything. Finally, Sylphyn broke the silence. "Umaru, that isn't funny."

"It isn't a joke. Onii-chan was offered a job with our father's corporation and will take up a position in their Mitakihara office. And I'll be transferring to Mitakihara High School." She looked down. "I'm sorry. This wasn't an easy decision. You have no idea how much I'll miss each of you."

She raised her head back up. Kirie and Ebina looked stricken. The usual catlike smile had fled Sylphyn's face. Umaru wished one of them would say something. She started to tear up.

"I…I can't believe it," Ebina said. She looked she was about to cry as well. "You and Taihei are moving away?"

"We are," Umaru said.

"So suddenly?" Sylphyn asked.

"Yes," Umaru said. "Onii-chan just got the job offer. And I don't want to live apart from him again."

"I…I can understand that," Sylphyn said. "Living far away from your brother can hard indeed."

Kirie said nothing but continued to stare miserably at Umaru. Finally, she said, "It…won't be quite the same without you around, Umaru."

"Kirie's right," Ebina said. "I don't know what to say, Umaru. You and your brother are both very important to me."

"And you're all important to me," Umaru said.

"Will we be able to spend time together again before your move?"

"Of course!" Umaru said. "There are still some things to be worked out. We're going to Mitakihara next weekend to find a place to live, but there's lots of time before then."

"That's good to hear."

The little party took on a happier tone. Even Kirie seemed to cheer up a little. Umaru made sure to commit every second of it to memory. She wanted to remember this day, just talking and laughing and eating pizza with her friends.

When it was over and everyone started to leave, Umaru realized that she had forgotten to give them their presents. She ran out the door of the apartment and called out to Sylphyn, who was at the bottom of the steps. "Sylphyn, wait! Since I'm moving, there is something I'd like you to have."

Sylphyn stopped, turned around, and walked back up the stairs. "What is it, Umaru?"

Umaru pulled a dark blue mask from her pocket and held it out. "Here. This is for you."

"Ooh!" Sylphyn said, looking at the mask in Umaru's hand. "That looks exactly like the sort of mask my friend UMR wears. Thank you, Umaru!"

"Sylphyn, this is her mask."

"Oh? Do you know UMR, Umaru?"

"Well, yes. Because I am her."

"Eh?" Sylphyn tilted her head at Umaru. "That doesn't make sense."

Umaru pulled her hair up with one hand and held the mask over her face with the other. "I am though. See?"

Sylphyn gasped. "You are UMR!"

"Yes. And now you know." She pressed the mask into Sylphyn's hands. "I want you to keep that. And I'm very sorry for deceiving you for so long. Please forgive me."

"I see," Sylphyn said sadly, looking at the mask. "And now I'm losing two friends aren't I?"

"Not losing," Umaru said, hugging Sylphyn. "You know, I always had so much fun when the two of us spent time together. And that doesn't have to end. I'll still come and visit you. Who else will go to game centers and candy shops with me? And you can come and visit me. There's a great arcade in Mitakihara that I'm sure you'd like."

"Okay, UMR-Umaru. I will indeed!"

"Just Umaru is fine, Sylphyn."

"Umaru, then. But why didn't you ever tell me?"

"I…could never find the right moment to do so." That didn't sound convincing at all to Umaru. She had dreaded telling Sylphyn this for so long and was glad that she didn't seem angry. It was good to tell the truth here.

"It makes you seem mysterious," Sylphyn said. "As though you're a superhero or a magical girl and Umaru is your secret identity!"

Umaru chuckled. "I guess it does, a little. But I need to stop pretending."

"Fear not, Umaru!" Sylphyn said, spinning around on one foot. "I will keep your secret to myself."

That hadn't worried Umaru so much as the potential of Sylphyn being angry at her. "Thank you, Sylphyn. I'm glad we're still friends."

"But of course!" Sylphyn replied. "Rivals always become friends in the end, do we not?"

"We do," Umaru said. "I'll see you later, Sylphyn."

"Good-bye UMR, I mean, Umaru!" Sylphyn yelled as she took off down the street.

So much for keeping things quiet. Umaru smiled to herself. She'd miss Sylphyn. When she went back inside in the apartment, Kirie was putting on her shoes and getting ready to leave. Umaru stopped her at the door.

"Wait, Kirie. Don't leave yet," Umaru said. "I still need to talk with you."

Kirie seemed slightly taken aback. "Y-Yes, Umaru?"

"Kirie," Umaru said. "Like I said before, I hope you'll come and visit us in Mitakihara."

"Of course!" Kirie said, looking flustered. "Will your little sister be living with you there? Or will it just be you and your brother?"

Umaru hesitated. This was the perfect time to tell the truth to Kirie, just as she had to Sylphyn. But she couldn't think of a way to say it. "Ah, no. She's going to be staying with relatives of ours from now on. It's a complicated family situation. I'm sorry."

Kirie looked devastated. "I…understand."

"I'm sure you'll be able to see her again. You're very important to her."

I'll figure out something. I don't know what, but something. Don't worry, Kirie. Maybe it was time to do a little more investigating into that matter once she was in Mitakihara. She could ask Kyubey. If she had to, she could even enlist Mami's help; Mami seemed to know everything about magical girls. Somehow, Umaru would get 'Komura' to show up for Kirie.

"She's important to me as well," Kirie said.

"You know, my sister said you're trying to become a storybook writer," Umaru said.

"Uh…that's true," Kirie said, scuffing one foot on the floor.

"I hope you keep working on your artwork and writing. And I have something for you related to that." Umaru smiled at Kirie. She retrieved a wrapped box from next to a shelf and handed it to her. "This is for you."

"F-for me?"

"Yes. Please open it."

Kirie removed the box's wrapping. It was a set of art supplies that Umaru had hoped would help her with her storybook creation. She gazed up at Umaru in gratefulness. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Umaru said. "I also hope you let me see some of your work sometime."

"Umaru," Kirie said. She looked down. "I…I…you…"

"What is it, Kirie?"

"I…will miss you." She sighed. It sounded like there was more she had wanted to say, but Umaru wouldn't press her.

"I'll miss you too, Kirie." Umaru hugged her. "Let's keep in touch, okay?"

"O-okay!" Kirie hugged her back tightly; it seemed as though she didn't want to let go of Umaru. The two of them stood like that for what felt like a few moments. Finally, she released her hold on Umaru.

"I'll see you later," she said quietly.

"I hope so, Kirie."

Umaru went back and chatted with Ebina some. She was upset at the Doma siblings moving away of course but seemed to be accepting it fairly well. Umaru thought that Ebina was a much stronger person than some would have given her credit for. She had come a long way to live by herself in Tokyo, after all. Umaru hoped she would remain close to Sylphyn and Kirie.

Ebina even liked the present Umaru had gotten her: the fancy dress Sylphyn had first shown her. She had protested it was too expensive at the time, but Umaru could tell she had liked it. While she was still chatting with Ebina, Taihei arrived home from work. Ebina immediately got up and faced him.

"Umaru told me about your move!" she said. "I'm going to miss both of you so darn much!"

"We're going to miss you too, Ebina," Taihei said. "By the way, there's something I need to give to you. I should have done this some time ago, so please forgive its lateness."

"It's okay…" Ebina turned red. "W-what is it?"

"It's this," Taihei said, handing her a card. "Here, this is for you. It's information on a restaurant in Hamamatsu."

"Ah, thank you! Is it good? T-that seems like a long way to go just for dinner at a restaurant."

"I met the head chef when I went there. His name was Kouichiro Ebina. Does that name-"

Ebina's face reddened even more. "M-my brother?!"

"I wondered about that," Taihei said. "If that's him, well, that's where you'll find him. You're still looking for him, aren't you?"

"Y-yes!" Ebina bowed deeply to Taihei. "Thank you! Thank you very much!"

"Maybe we can take a trip there together at some point," Taihei said.

"Oh, I'd love to go to Hamamatsu!" Umaru said.

"I'm sure you would," Taihei remarked dryly. Umaru smiled at him.

Ebina visited with them a little longer before leaving. She was enthused about Taihei's suggestion of the three of them making a trip to Hamamatsu together. Umaru had no idea Ebina had been searching for her own brother and felt a little bad she had never asked her about it. There were so many things she had missed by acting so self-centered much of the time. She resolved to try and keep doing better going forward.

"I hope you're still hungry," Taihei said after Ebina had left. "We've been invited out."

"Where are we going, Onii-chan?" Umaru asked as she threw away the pizza box and cola bottles.

"To a dinner party at Kanau's apartment," Taihei said.

"Your manager at work?"

"Yes, though not for much longer, of course." He paused. "You're helping clean up?"

"Of course, Onii-chan. I was the one who made the mess, after all."

"I see." He gave her an odd look but then smiled. "Well, thank you."

"You're very welcome!"

Umaru and Taihei stood in front of the door of an apartment in a high-rise. So this was where Kanau, Taihei's boss, lived. The building was certainly nice. She wondered what the inside of the apartment was like. Taihei rang the buzzer. Kanau's face appeared on the screen next to the door.

"Taihei!" she said, smiling. "You're finally here!"

"It's good to see you, Kanau," Taihei said. "Thank you for inviting us."

"Us? Oh! Yes, your sister is welcome also." Had she forgotten that she had invited Umaru as well? Well, that didn't matter. The door opened, and Kanau greeted them. "Please, come in!"

Umaru remembered the previous times she had met Kanau, on a trip and once at home. Now she was visiting Kanau's place. Of course, Hikari lived here too. As she stepped into the apartment with Taihei, she saw that Alex and Bomber were already there. Both of them waved at her, and she waved back. Hikari, standing by the window on the other side of the apartment, gave Umaru a strange look. Umaru waved at her as well and got a half-wave in return.

"We each got some food for your going-away party," Kanau said, leading them to the kitchen area. Several different boxes were on the counter. Umaru wondered what all they had gotten. She noticed a bowl of potato chips as well as other snacks. This would definitely be a good dinner party. "We wanted to make sure it was special and festive."

"You didn't have to do all that," Taihei said. "But thank you."

"I brought donuts!" Bomber declared, gesturing toward two of the boxes. "Let's see, there are six of us, and two dozen of them. That means we each get…uh…several!"

"Thank you, Bomber," Taihei said. "That's very thoughtful."

"I bought a traditional cake," Alex said. "The baker did a wonderful job decorating it. She added the eponymous protagonist of Lovely Kana-chan in red frosting."

"I…see," Taihei said. "Thank you, Alex. I'm sure it will be delicious."

"Wait, both of you brought desserts and nothing else?!" Kanau shot an annoyed look at Bomber and Alex. "Idiots."

"Not quite; I also brought beer," Bomber added.

"Nobody asked you to bring that!"

"I figured it was a given. This is for Taihei, after all. I'll need to drown my sorrows." He opened a can of beer and began drinking. "Ah, Mt. Fuji beer. It reminds me of something majestic and holy. I just can't think of what."

"We're supposed to be having dinner!" Kanau straightened up and raised her head. "Fortunately, I made curry. I hope you like it, Taihei. I bought some other snacks as well, as you can see."

"The curry is the only one thing she made that turned out okay," Hikari said, suddenly appearing at her sister's side. "Probably, anyway. There was also-"

"Ahem!" Kanau said, clearing her throat loudly. "Hikari, aren't you friends with Taihei's sister?"

"Well-"

Kanau shoved Hikari at Umaru and shooed them away from the four adults. "Now, you two girls visit while I talk with Tai-uh, I mean, while I get dinner sorted out!"

Kanau hurried back over to Taihei, Bomber, and Alex. Standing next to the large window of the apartment, Umaru was left alone with Hikari. Umaru smiled at her, but all she got in return was a frown.

"Hello, Hikari," Umaru said.

"You don't look like your usual self," Hikari said.

"Well, this is an important occasion. There won't be so many get-togethers once Onii-chan and I move to Mitakihara."

"Are you happy about that?" Hikari asked.

"Happy and sad. There are a lot of people here I'll miss seeing." She paused. "You included."

"Humph. Are you going to take advanced classes at your school in Mitakihara? Or just regular classes?"

"I don't know yet," Umaru said. "Probably just regular classes like at Arayada. I don't even really know what Mitakihara High School is like yet."

"Is that so?" Hikari peered at Umaru's hand. "I've never seen you wearing a ring before."

"Oh, this?" Umaru fiddled wither soul gem ring. When she wasn't doing any magical girl activities, she didn't really think about it being there, though Kyubey had told her it was important to keep it with her at all times. She didn't even take it off in the bath. "It's just…sort of a special good luck charm, I suppose."

"Where'd you get it? It looks expensive."

"It was a present."

"From a boyfriend?"

"No."

"Didn't think so," Hikari said, a smug look crossing her face.

Umaru felt a little annoyed. "It's just-"

"Wait, your brother didn't give it to you, did he?" Hikari narrowed her eyes.

"It's not from him either."

"Who, then?"

"A good friend."

"Who?" Hikari insisted. "Someone at our school?"

"No, he doesn't go to our school." How had she gotten roped into this ridiculous conversation? And how could she get out of it?

"He? So it is a present from a guy?" A sly grin crossed Hikari's face. "Does your brother know about that? Does this guy know you're moving away? Or does he already live in Mitakihara?"

Umaru decided that was quite enough. "It's something I got after Onii-chan's accident, and it's very important to me. Can we just stop discussing my ring, please? I don't pester you about things you wear."

Her words came out sharper than she intended. Hikari looked slightly upset.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry," Hikari said. "Um, say, Umaru?"

"What?"

"May I try it on?"

"No." Even though she felt bad for snapping at Hikari, there was no way she'd let her touch her soul gem.

Tears welled up in Hikari's eyes. Umaru sighed. "Hikari, please don't cry. This is a party for Onii-chan. What will he think if we argue?"

"O-okay," Hikari sniffed.

Umaru tried to think of something she could chat with Hikari about. "Say, will you come and visit us in Mitakihara? We could play games and eat snacks together, just like we did that one afternoon. Remember?"

"Yes." Hikari smiled at up her. "I'm sorry, Umaru."

"I'm sorry also. I didn't mean to snap at you."

"I will miss you. Really," Hikari looked up at her sadly.

"I'll miss you too. Why don't we go and see if the adults have decided on dinner yet?"

"Sounds good," Hikari said.

It turned out that the adults' discussion had lightened up as well. It looked as though they were working their way briskly through the beer Bomber had brought. At least, Kanau and Bomber were.

"Well, we don't have to have the curry," Kanau was saying. She took a long drink of beer. "I'm not sure if it came out right. We could just have snacks and cake."

"Good thinking, boss!" Bomber declared while raising his own can in a mock toast.

"That's my job: ideas," Kanau laughed. "And you implement them."

"Yes, I'm fantastic at implicating."

"Taihei," Kanau said, turning to him. "You'll come and see us now and then, right? Because if you didn't…I…"

"Of course," Taihei said. "I'll still need to travel to Tokyo on business on occasion. I'll be sure to come see all of you when I'm there. I'll miss seeing you every day at work."

Bomber opened another can of beer and took a big gulp. "Taihei can go drinking with us whenever he visits!"

"Exactly!" Kanau agreed, hiccupping. She opened another beer as well and took a long drink from it. "Do they even have bars in Mita…Mita…Mita-wherever?"

"I bet they don't!" Bomber said. He swayed a little. "Do they have anything in that city?"

"I bet nobody there has an afro," Kanau said, smirking.

"Isn't that a shame?" Bomber laughed drunkenly. "Someone needs to introduce a little culture to Mita-wherever."

"They're having a good time," Alex said to Taihei, smiling.

"Yes, it seems like that," Taihei said. He sounded uncertain though. "Hey, maybe you two should go easy on the alcohol. There are teenagers here with us, after all."

"It's fine, don't worry." Bomber put his arm around Kanau. "Taihei, when did your hair get so long? You need to get it cut."

"I'm not Taihei, fuzz head!" Kanau laughed. She pointed at Alex. "He's over there."

"I could have sworn Taihei wore glasses," Bomber remarked. He moved away from her and put his arm around Alex. "Your hair's gotten so light, Taihei. Did you dye it? That's the trend nowadays, isn't it?"

Alex chuckled. "Taihei might have a point about not drinking so much beer so quickly, Bomber."

"But it's a party, Taihei!" Bomber declared loudly. "What's a party without refreshments?"

"That would be like a boring party in Mita-wherever!" Kanau said, her words slurring.

"You said it, Alex!" Bomber said, downing the rest of his beer.

"Maybe we should go back over where we were," Hikari said quietly to Umaru while hiding behind her.

"I don't know," Umaru said, giggling. "This could be fun."

"Boss!" Bomber said to Umaru. "I think I'm going to be late to work tomorrow."

"Boss?" Umaru said.

Bomber scratched his head. "Chief?"

"Tomorrow isn't a work day though," Alex pointed out.

"Thank goodness!" Bomber said loudly. "I'd have forgotten were it not for you, Taihei."

"You'd forget your afro if it wasn't attached securely!" Kanau said. She was swaying as much as Bomber. How much had they had?

"Umaru," Hikari repeated, tugging on her sleeve. "Please?"

"Okay, Hikari." It probably wasn't the best idea to hang around her brother's drunken co-workers, as amusing as it was. Besides, it was clearly making Hikari uncomfortable. "Please excuse me, Bomber."

"See you later, boss!" Bomber called as Umaru and Hikari went back over to the far window, leaving a relatively sober Alex and Taihei to deal with the two drunks. Umaru hoped they were to the task.

"My sister shouldn't drink so much," Hikari sighed.

"I'm sure they'll be fine," Umaru said. "My brother and Alex are here."

"I wonder when we're actually going to eat."

"Well, there's the donuts Bomber brought. We could probably have some of those."

"That means going back over near the booze duo though," Hikari said.

Umaru giggled. "I'll go get them for us."

She made her way to the counter where Kanau and Bomber were now reenacting a television skit, both of them slurring their words badly. Alex was looking at them with bemusement, and Taihei rubbed his forehead in concern. She grabbed the box of donuts and made her way back to Hikari, who was sitting next to a large globe and looking out the window.

"Donuts are a bit like bread," Hikari commented. "Extremely sweet and sugary bread."

"I…guess," Umaru said, opening the box and offering it to her. "Here, you take what you want first."

Hikari took a chocolate donut and started eating it. Umaru followed suit.

"How has your summer been?" Umaru asked her.

"I've been reading and studying," Hikari said. "What have you been doing? Playing games and watching anime?"

"I've been tutoring a girl for high school entrance exams." Umaru would be glad when she could stop telling that lie. "I haven't had as much time as I'd like to play."

Hikari tilted her head. "That's not like you."

Umaru shrugged. "It's just how this summer's been."

"So, this girl you're tutoring, is she here in Tokyo?"

"No, she lives in Mitakihara."

"I see."

"If you come and visit Onii-chan and me in Mitakihara, you can meet her. She's very nice."

"I'd…like that," Hikari said.

Umaru suddenly felt ashamed she hadn't asked Hikari to do more things with her and Taihei. "Hikari, before we move, I'd love it if you came over for a day. Or even more than one."

"Really? I'd like too," Hikari said. "Can we have bread?"

Umaru giggled. "Yes. You should definitely come on bread day. In the meantime, I'll go see if I can procure us something other than donuts."

Back in the kitchen, Bomber was doing pretend Karaoke and badly singing a random pop song. Kanau was doubled over with laughter. Umaru piled some snacks onto a plate and took the bowl of potato chips. She and Hikari could have their own feast. As they ate together next to the window, Umaru found herself having a good time with Hikari.

Later, when things had calmed a little bit, her brother cut his going-away cake, as Kanau and Bomber were both far too inebriated to be trusted with a knife and Alex refused. So, Umaru's dinner turned out to be donuts, cake, and other snacks. Umaru decided that, when she told Mami about this party, she'd leave that detail out.

Chapter Text

The next week was a whirlwind of activity. Umaru spent an entire day with each one of her friends. With Sylphyn, she went to two different game centers and three separate candy shops. She and Ebina went on a day trip together to a botanical garden and viewed the flowers. And with some coaxing, Kirie actually showed Umaru one of the storybooks she had made, blushing furiously all the while when Umaru complimented it.

Umaru had even spent an entire day with Hikari. She had come over, and the two of them did nothing but eat snacks and play games.

In short, Umaru tried to spend as much time as she could with her friends while she still lived nearby them. Some regrets still lingered, but Umaru felt as though she could move away from Tokyo without too many of them this way.

The next Sunday, she and Taihei took a train to Mitakihara to find an apartment. Umaru smiled at him as they rode; he seemed to be handling the train ride okay. When they reached Mitakihara, they made their way through downtown to a large skyscraper. Umaru craned her neck to look up, hoping the place had an elevator. Taihei had made an appointment with the manager of the building, and he met them in front.

"Greetings!" the manager said. "Pleased to meet both of you, especially an employee of the Doma Corporation. Ah, I think you'll like what we have to show you, sir. This is a very choice place to live!"

"He knows about your new job?" Umaru asked as they followed the manager into the building.

"Well, you have to fill in a lot of information when you seek to rent in a place like this," Taihei said. "That includes employment information."

Umaru reflected on how much her brother knew about handling adult and real-world matters. She tried to imagine having to deal with all of these things herself like Mami and Ebina did. She knew that one day she might have to, but for now, she was glad her brother was around.

Umaru looked around the building. It practically shined. The manager led them into an elevator, and they rode up. What floor was the apartment they'd be seeing on? When the elevator stopped, they went down a long hall, decorated with plants and paintings on the wall. They stopped in front of a door at the end. The manager scanned a card that opened the front door of the apartment.

"Look at this!" the manager declared, as he opened the door and stepped inside. "A great 2LDK apartment. And I bet the rent is less than what you'd pay in Tokyo for a smaller place."

Umaru and Taihei followed him into the apartment. It was indeed far more spacious than their apartment in Tokyo. Despite being empty, the inside was as impressive as the apartment building itself.

"It is nice," Taihei said. "What do you think, Umaru?"

"I don't know," Umaru said, glancing around uncertainly. Sure, she'd have her own room, but she'd miss sharing one with her brother. She was both amazed by the apartment's size and strangely nervous about the prospect of living in it. "It's so large."

"I think there are some advantages to that," Taihei said. "Plus, there's enough room for each of us to have our own space. If you take the larger room in the back as your bedroom, you'll be able to keep all your things in it."

Umaru looked behind her at the smaller front bedroom. It was right next to the front door of the apartment. From that room, it would be easier for her to sneak out at night to hunt witches without her brother noticing.

"Onii-chan," she said. "If we live here, the larger bedroom should be yours. You're the older one, after all."

"Are you sure? There's no need to do that."

"It's fine, really."

Taihei raised an eyebrow. "If you insist."

Umaru said nothing and smiled pleasantly at him.

"That aside," Taihei said. "What do you think of the rest of it?"

Umaru made a show of peeking into the rest of the place. Aside from the fancy building, it was a standard apartment – bathroom, kitchen, and so on. The smaller bedroom would have room for a bed, a desk, and little else. That was fine. She probably wouldn't spend a lot of time in it away.

Nonetheless, she took a look outside the window. It was a great view. She could see a number of buildings, including a tall one that seemed to spiral its way up into the sky. Umaru returned to her brother's side.

"It is a very nice apartment, and I can see us living here," she said. "But, more importantly, what are your thoughts?"

"I think this is definitely the place for us. We're in agreement," he said. He lowered his voice. "By the way, Umaru, you and I need to have a talk later on an unrelated matter."

"Of course, Onii-chan."

Taihei turned to the building manager. "We've decided. We'll definitely take this apartment."

"Excellent!" The manager beamed at him. "I'll draw up the paperwork right away!"

Umaru and Taihei made their way to a shopping mall in downtown Mitakihara. Umaru had seen this place briefly before when she had been with Mami but hadn't gotten a chance to visit it. The outside was gorgeous, with its shining glass window panes and crisscrossing beams. They made their way through the mall and Umaru admired the shops as they passed. There was even a game store that tempted her a little, but Umaru decided not to insist they stop there. Not this time, anyway.

They came to an eatery upstairs. As they sat down to eat, Taihei disregarded the food in front of him and gave Umaru a serious look.

"Umaru," he said. "As I said earlier, you and I need to speak."

"What is it, Onii-chan?" she asked.

"You've been acting strange lately."

"What do you mean?" Umaru tilted her head. She was fairly certain she knew what he meant, but she was going to make him say it. Only then would she know how to respond correctly.

And she had to make sure he didn't know a single thing about her being a magical girl. She was fairly sure he didn't, but she needed to know what specifically he thought was strange.

"You're agreeable and reasonable and don't seem to live in your indoor persona. You go out more, and you've been tutoring a girl for entrance exams. You don't argue, throw tantrums, or spend all day playing games and watching anime. You help out with the cleaning. You've even been eating your vegetables without complaint."

He paused. "Don't get me wrong. I'm proud of you, but I'm curious as to what prompted this shift in your behavior. You aren't simply doing this for my sake, are you? You don't feel like you suddenly have to because of the train accident?"

Umaru felt a little taken aback. This was how brother had always wanted her to behave, wasn't it? She had indeed lately been doing all that he said (except eating the vegetables, of course; those she still fed to Kyubey whenever she could). Mostly she didn't mind it. Occasionally, it was tiresome but not exhausting. She rarely felt tired these days.

"I thought I'd try to be more mature," Umaru said, smiling her best 'perfect little sister' smile. Her brother had always believed what she said before. She'd give him no reason to stop doing so now. "I had a lot of thinking to do after that. And maybe some of the lessons you've tried to impart have finally sunk in. Maybe Mami is rubbing off on me some. Probably both."

"I see. Umaru, this might sound an odd question, but is there anything on your mind lately? Is there more to this that you're not sharing with me?"

With some effort, Umaru kept the smile on her face. How could she tell him that she constantly worried about him and feared for his safety? How could she even begin to tell him about the contract she had made that had saved his life? No, she needed to say something vague and passable so that he wouldn't question it. It occurred to her that she was manipulating him again, but it felt like it was at least for a better reason.

"No, not really, Onii-chan," she said. "It's all as I've told you. And I'll keep doing my best from now on. We all have to grow up sometime, right?"

Should I be bothered by how easily I slip into living a double life? Although this time my brother isn't privy to it. Onii-chan, I'm sorry that I have to deceive you and hide so much from you. Mami said I could tell you about magical girls if and when I felt the time was right. But that time hasn't yet come. I don't know if it ever well, honestly. But I'll still protect you. And alongside Mami, I'll protect everyone else too.

"Hmmm," he said. "You aren't using this as a buildup to ask me for something, are you?"

"Well, there are a number of good games coming out next month." Noticing her brother's raised eyebrow, she added: "I'm only kidding, Onii-chan."

"Okay, then." Taihei smiled at her. "Don't try to grow up too fast."

"I can't really help that."

"I guess not. I'm proud to be your brother, Umaru."

Umaru genuinely blushed at this one, partly from the praise and partly from the guilt of her continued lying. "Thank you, Onii-chan. I'm proud to be your sister." It was time to eat and for a change of subject. She started on her lunch and asked Taihei "Doesn't the food here look good?"

"It does," Taihei agreed, finally starting on his own meal. "We should come here again."

"I wonder if Mami comes here." It was fairly close to Mitakihara Middle School, after all.

"Well, you can ask her the next time you see her. How's her tutoring going?"

"It's going very well. I'm certain she'll get into Mitakihara High School next year." She smiled again at her brother.

"I'm sure you're right," Taihei said. "I'm glad you and she met. It seems like a very good friendship for the both of you."

"Me too, Onii-chan." The guilt that had swelled up again had gone temporarily back into hiding. Maybe its presence and the occasional nightmares were the prices for keeping things with her brother the way they were. If that was the case, then Umaru would gladly pay it.

Over the next week, Umaru helped Taihei pack up everything in their apartment. Since he had to spend a good bit of his day at the Doma Corporation's Tokyo office before heading up the Mitakihara office, Umaru boxed up almost all their things herself. With most of their possessions packed up, the apartment seemed so empty and actually larger.

On the day of the move, everyone came over to see them off, despite the early hour. Umaru had promised herself that she'd do her best to not cry but was unable to keep that. The sight of her friends and their brothers made her break down.

It wasn't long before Bomber joined her in crying. He bawled loudly and threw himself over the hood of the car Taihei had rented. Umaru briefly imagined them driving all the way to Mitakihara with him like that. They said their farewells, promising once again to visit their friends and inviting them to come visit them.

As they drove off, Umaru took one look behind her. She turned back toward the front of the car and suddenly started crying again. She couldn't help it. Her friends and Tokyo were now behind her.

"Umaru?" her brother said.

"I'm sorry, Onii-chan," she said. "I know I said I'd move with you, and I'm happy for this. But it's just hard, leaving everyone behind."

"It is," Taihei said. He sounded slightly choked up himself. "Ah, excuse me. I need to watch the road. There could be hamsters crossing the street."

Umaru knew her brother was usually nervous about driving and was just joking to lighten things up a bit. She wiped her eyes. "Don't worry, Onii-chan. The hamsters are safely asleep in their cage. I wonder if they'll enjoy Mitakihara. I should play with them more when we're there."

"You should," Taihei said. "Maybe you can teach them tricks. Weren't you planning to do that before and record it?"

"Yes, I did." Umaru thought of her own power. At one time, she might have imagined using it to see if she could bewitch her hamsters into performing stunts. Her magic wasn't a toy though. At the same time, she wondered if it would be possible to conjure up giant hamsters the same way Mami conjured up things with her ribbons. Feeling a little cheered up, she giggled at the thought of magical hamsters.

"What's so funny?" Taihei asked. "Did you think of something new for them to try?"

"Yes, but I'm not sure it's doable."

After they had been driving for a while, Umaru dozed off. She again dreamed that her brother was being attacked by a witch. But this time, there was an army of orange, glowing hamsters charging in behind her. Surely she'd save him this time. The strange witch looked like a giant hand and made a grab for her brother. Just as he was about to be crushed-

"Umaru?"

"Ah! Onii-chan!" She woke up with a start, yelling.

The car swerved a little. "What?! Don't shout like that while I'm driving, Umaru!"

"I..I'm sorry, Onii-chan," Umaru stammered. Her face was wet. "I was…having a very intense dream."

"Phew. It sounds like it. You scared me too," Taihei said. He took a quick glance over at her and noticed the tears running down her face. "Oh no, please don't cry, Umaru! I didn't mean to upset you."

"No, no," Umaru said. "I'm okay. It was just a very vivid dream."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I…uh, don't quite remember it. Don't worry about it, Onii-chan."

"Alright. It's a bit early, but if you're hungry, we can stop for lunch."

How long was she asleep? She glanced out the window but didn't know where they were at all. She had trusted her brother would handle all of that. She suddenly wondered if she should have helped with that. Well, there was one thing she had done. She reached under the seat and pulled out the bag she had packed earlier.

"Don't worry about stopping, Onii-chan!" she said. "I brought food for us to eat."

"Good thinking," Taihei said. "What do you have in there?"

"Cola!" she said happily. Drinking some cola would wipe the bad dream from her mind. She continued to pull other items from the bag. "Potato chips! Cheese sticks! Cookies! Panda bars!"

Taihei groaned. "Did you only bring junk, Umaru?"

"This isn't junk, Onii-chan! It's sustenance!"

"I take back what I said the other day. Maybe you haven't changed as much as I thought."

Umaru smiled. "Have some potato chips, Onii-chan. You've got to eat snacks when you're on a road trip."

"This isn't a road trip, it's a move," he said, taking the chips she offered. "But thank you."

"It's a road trip for our move!" Umaru declared, drinking some cola and sighing happily. Yes, now she felt better. She looked at the window, watching the trees and houses and other things they passed by. She'd stay awake for the rest of the trip, she decided. She had to keep her brother company, after all.

Mami turned out to be the first guest to their new apartment. While they were unpacking, she arrived with a cake to welcome them to Mitakihara. Fortunately, she had also brought dishes and utensils, since they hadn't unpacked those yet. They took a break and sat down to eat it with her.

"Mami, your cake is wonderful!" Umaru said. "And it goes great with cola!" She had wanted to try the two together ever since her visit. Finally, this was her chance.

"Thank you, Umaru," Mami said. "But you should be careful about drinking too much soda. It isn't good for you." Umaru noticed that Mami hadn't touched her own bottle of it. Well, that was her loss.

"Exactly," Taihei said. "I've said that to her often."

"This is a special occasion though," Umaru said. They were ganging up on her now. She'd go on the defensive. "You have to have cola for those!"

"It would seem we have a lot of special occasions," Taihei said dryly, eliciting a chuckle from Mami. "This is cake is delicious, though, Mami. Did you make it?"

"I did, and thank you."

"Oh, do bake a lot? Do you enjoy cooking?"

"Yes to both. For instance…"

Umaru reflected again on how well Mami and her brother got along as she listened to them chitchat. She knew Mami was glad to have her around, and it seemed like she felt the same way about her brother too. As for Umaru, she had her brother, a good friend, cake, and cola. What more could one ask for?

After Mami left, Umaru and Taihei returned to unpacking. They spent the rest of the day doing that and worked into the evening. Finally, they had unpacked everything they had brought with them from Tokyo.

Taihei went to bed early, saying he was too exhausted from their move to stay up any later. Umaru bid him goodnight as he shuffled off to his room, mumbling something about teenagers' energy and sleep schedules. When Umaru was certain he was asleep, she sent a message to Mami and quietly headed out the front door of the apartment and into the night.

When she met up with Mami in the park, her friend was all smiles.

"Hello, Umaru!" Mami greeted her. "Did you finish getting everything unpacked?"

"More or less," Umaru said. "In the meantime, I'm ready to go and hunt witches. This will be our first hunt together as co-defenders of Mitakihara, right?"

Mami beamed at her. "Right."

They walked and followed their soul gems and searched for a witch. Mami had a few places she said they needed to check out. As they crossed an empty street, it occurred to Umaru that she could bring up her issues concerning her brother.

"Mami?"

"Yes?"

"Can I talk to you about something? I hate to constantly go on about my problems to you, but you're the only person with whom I can do that."

"Of course, Umaru. That's one of the points of us working together, not just as fellow magical girls, but as friends. Don't ever feel bad about bringing up any problems to me. What's on your mind?"

Umaru described to Mami the constant guilt she felt about lying to her brother and hiding things from him.

"I don't believe you have anything to feel guilty over," Mami said when Umaru had finished. "Some degree of secrecy is necessary for what we do, even to those close to us."

"I guess, but that doesn't make it any easier. And what if he finds out anyway?"

"Well, you could always go ahead and just tell him that you're a magical girl. He seems like a level-headed fellow to me, but you know him better. How do you think he would react?"

"I'm not sure," Umaru said. She had thought he wouldn't believe her, but she could prove it to him. What would he say then?

"Well, if it continues to bother you, you could do that, but consider carefully before you do. This isn't something you'll be able to take back once he knows."

"Maybe I should ask Kyubey if Onii-chan is a potential magical girl. That would solve everything." She pictured Taihei wearing a frilly white skirt and swinging a staff with a heart on it. The image made her laugh.

Mami laughed along with her. "Your brother is a good person, but I don't think he'd make a good magical girl."

"Yeah, probably not." She sighed. "Well, maybe I'll just do my best to deal with it for now and try to avoid worrying too much. If he finds out, I'll tell him everything."

"Alright, then," Mami said. "Remember, I'm here for you. And I'm always happy to listen."

"Thanks, Mami."

"You're quite welcome. You know-"

Mami stopped. Her soul gem was glowing brightly, as was Umaru's. They could hear shouting coming from less than a block away. Umaru and Mami ran down a little way and found themselves across the street from a large office building. The commotion was coming from two men standing in front of it. It sounded like they were having a loud argument.

"I'm so sick of your attitude!" the first man yelled.

"Well, I'm sick of everything about you!" the second man yelled back. "I'm not even sure why I hang out with you. I can't stand being around you. And it's your fault that women avoid us!"

"What?!" The first man shoved the second man hard. "Don't blame your lackluster love life on me, idiot!"

The second man pushed the other one back. "It was going fine until I started spending time with you! It turns out failure is contagious!"

"That does it!" The first man swung his arm at the other one, striking him hard in the face. The second man collapsed to the ground. The man still standing suddenly looked horrified at what he had done. "Oh…oh no. What have I done? W-why did I hit him?!"

He backed up. As he turned and started running toward the building, a grey, misty portal appeared in the air. It pulled him in, and he vanished from sight.

"Mami!" Umaru said as they ran across the street.

"I saw it, Umaru," Mami said. She pointed to the man on the ground. "Make sure that he's okay. Quickly."

Umaru knelt down next to the man. She put her hand on his neck and felt a pulse. She noticed a weird mark there, the same one that had been on the portal. Umaru surmised the man had just been knocked out. She waved her umbrella over him, and he glowed a little.

"He should be fine. He's just unconscious for now," Umaru said. "But there's a witch's…kiss on his neck. That's the term, right?"

"I see," Mami said, looking forward. "Yes, you're correct."

"Are we just going to leave him alone?"

"He'll be fine if we're quick. We'll let him take a short nap while we go and rescue his friend."

"Those two didn't sound like they were friends."

"I'd wager they actually are and that the witch provoked them into fighting," Mami said. "Let's go. We shouldn't waste any time."

They headed into the portal they had seen the other man disappear into. They found themselves in a long hallway with doors on either side. It was such a tight space that Umaru felt a little claustrophobic. As they walked down the hallway, one of the doors opened, and several strange creatures that looked like giant dust bunnies emerged. With some effort, Umaru and Mami dispatched them.

"Let's head through the door those familiars came out of," Mami said. They went through the door and found themselves in an empty room. The room had five different open doors. Umaru wondered which one they needed to take.

"I think this way," Umaru said, pointing to the door on their right. But as she and Mami tried to go through the doorway, the door slammed shut. Umaru tried opening it, but it was locked tight.

"Let's try another," Mami said. They went to the next door over, but it also closed as they approached it. The same thing happened when they tried the other three doors.

Umaru looked behind them. The door behind them had closed as well. They were trapped in this room. Mami raised a gun and fired at it, but the bullet just ricocheted off. Umaru waved her umbrella, and Mami was surrounded by a magical orange glow. She conjured another rifle and fired again, but the door was only slightly scratched.

"Oh, this is a pain," Umaru said. "We can't even get out of here, let alone find the witch and the missing guy."

"Maybe there's another way," Mami said.

Umaru looked at the ground, thinking. On the far side of this strange room was a tile that had a different mark than the others. She tugged on Mami's arm and pointed. "There. See that tile?"

Mami walked over to the tile and aimed a rifle at it. She fired a single shot. The tile shattered, revealing a spiral staircase beneath it. Mami smiled at Umaru. "Very good. There's our way forward."

"Or downward," Umaru said.

Umaru and Mami descended the staircase. A number of windows lined the wall around it. The windows themselves were moving around, and Umaru could see an ugly sky through them. For some reason, it looked like a giant bruise to her. At the bottom of the staircase was another door with strange writing on it. This one wasn't locked.

As they emerged from the stairwell, they found themselves seemingly outside under the nasty sky and greasy light. It looked like they were in a residential area of a city. There was a large three-story house in front of them. Only the house itself was clear. The others around it blurred like a picture out of focus; they also seemed further away from it than they were from each other as if the houses had been purposely built to give that one more space.

"I bet the witch is in there," Umaru said. "And hopefully the other guy from the fight earlier."

"I agree," Mami said. "But let's be careful."

As they drew closer, the ground suddenly shook. Umaru looked up. Huge arms made of plaster and wood were reaching out of the house's windows. At the ends of the arms were claws almost as big as the girls themselves. Another arm reached out from the side door, and the house began to look more like some giant, misshapen white bug.

"Or maybe the house is the witch," Umaru said.

The girls quickly moved as one of the house's fists pounded the ground, leaving a large hole as part of it crumbled away. One the arms swung a large fist at Umaru, but she blocked it and moved out of the way. She waved her umbrella at Mami, who glowed brightly and began conjuring more and more rifles that fired at the house's arms. The house retaliated by swinging its fists wildly and pounding the ground, creating even more holes.

"Umaru, watch out!" Mami yelled.

"Wha-?" Mami's warning came too late. Before Umaru had a chance to dodge or raise her umbrella, a large fist struck her, sending her sprawling backward. She tried to regain her footing but felt herself slip and tumbled through one of the large holes the monster had created while striking the ground.

"Umaru!" She heard Mami scream her name as she fell into a giant black void and the world ran away from her. Umaru tumbled over in the air, falling quickly. Panicking, she opened her umbrella, and her descent slowed. Her legs dangled beneath her; she couldn't feel solid ground or anything, really. The immediate terror of falling had passed, but it was replaced by the fear that she was still slowly falling. She took a deep breath. At least there was air here.

Her first goal was to see how far she had to fall. She pushed the button on her umbrella. It lit up with a bright orange light. The light calmed her nerves and helped Umaru see a little around, but it looked like there was absolutely nothing to see – there was nothing in this emptiness except her. Beyond her umbrella's light, there was only darkness.

Holding onto her umbrella tightly with both hands, she tried to figure out what she could do. If she could just make it float upward, then she could lift herself out of her. She concentrated and focused mentally on her umbrella and pressed its button, but nothing happened. She wasn't really falling anymore, but she wasn't really going up either. At least, it didn't seem like it. It was hard to be certain.

"Okay," she said to herself. "I can get out of this. If nothing else, the barrier should disappear when the witch dies, but that's poor thinking. I need to do something myself."

As Umaru was trying to think of another way to escape, she felt something pull on her umbrella. She looked up and saw a length of ribbon had wrapped around it and was pulling her upward. This was obviously Mami's doing. She gripped the umbrella handle tightly as she ascended. The hole she had fallen through got larger and larger as she drew nearer to it.

"Umaru!" She could hear Mami yelling her name. "Hold on, I'll get you out!"

"Thanks, Mami!" she called back. It wasn't long before Umaru was pulled up through the hole and had her feet back on solid ground. She looked back at the hole one last time, then back at Mami. There was a mix of worry and relief on her face.

Mami hugged her tightly. "Umaru, are you alright?"

"I am, thanks to you," Umaru said. She patted Mami gently. Like her, Mami was still shaking a little. "Hey, it's alright."

"I'm sorry, I tried to be faster. When saw you fall, I immediately tried to get to the hole, but I couldn't do anything with that thing's arms everywhere. Fortunately, when I looked down, I could see the light from your umbrella." She said all this very quickly.

"I'm okay, Mami," Umaru said. "Thank you again for saving me."

"You're welcome," Mami said. "Please don't scare me like that again."

Umaru looked up and noticed that the house was no longer moving quite so much. There were ribbons everywhere, tying its arms together, to the ground, and to the house itself. It looked like the house was struggling against them, but was otherwise stuck. While Umaru had been falling into an empty blackness, Mami had apparently managed a lot in a short amount of time.

"I'll try not to," Umaru said as the two girls stood up. "So, what's the plan for dealing with this witch house?"

"The house isn't the witch," Mami said. "Your initial assumption was correct. The witch is hiding inside."

"It is," Umaru said. "And it's little, isn't it?" It had compensated for that by building this massive, complex barrier around it. Per Mami's notes on witches and magic, that also meant it was fairly powerful.

Mami smiled. "Your magical girl intuition is getting better and better. I'm glad to see it. Come on. Let's go take care of the witch and see if we can save one more life."

Mami waved her hand, and a bridge made of ribbons appeared over the gap between them and the house's front door. Walking carefully across the bridge, Umaru and Mami made their way into the house. It turned out that the house was pitch-black on the inside, just like the void Umaru had fallen into. There was something making noise in the darkness. It sounded like something tapping against wood, but Umaru couldn't see what.

"Here," she said. She held up her umbrella, and pressed its button, lighting it up. With illumination, she could see that there really wasn't much inside the house. The walls were bare, and there was only one piece of furniture inside the large room they had entered.

Its size didn't seem to match the outside of the house either; the house seemed oddly larger on the inside than it appeared outside. While the house had seemed to be three stories on the outside, the inside seemed to rise much higher than that. But there were no stairs.

In the middle of the murky darkness was a table. It looked to be the only thing there. Sitting on the table was a dirty, rusty cooking pot. It was shaking and rattling as though something was inside. Under the table was the body of the man who had run into the portal.

Umaru leaned down next to the man. She saw him move a little and she felt relieved. Looking up at Mami, she said: "He's okay!"

"Thank goodness," Mami said. "I'll take care of the witch, so we can get out of here."

Mami pressed her musket to the pot and fired. The report was deafening. The pot shattered, pieces of it flying everywhere. There had been nothing inside of it. With the witch gone, the barrier began to fade around them. Both of the witch's victims were lying on the ground, but it looked like they were going to be okay. Each of them was stirring. Umaru waved her umbrella over them, and both men briefly glowed.

"Umaru," Mami said, tugging on her arm. "Let's be off before they fully come to."

"Why?"

"To avoid complicated questions about what happened."

"Okay." Umaru figured true heroes didn't need kudos anyway. "But let's at least stay close enough to make sure they're both okay."

"Good thinking."

Umaru and Mami hid around a corner where they could still see the two men. The first man stood up. He shook his head and looked over at his friend, who was also getting up. "Hey, man. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I think so," the second man said, rubbing his head. "Ugh, what happened?"

"I don't know. Did we drink too much and get thrown out of somewhere?"

"We must have." He tapped his pocket. "I've still got my wallet though."

The first man opened his jacket. "Me too."

"That's good." He chuckled. "We must have one exciting story to tell. It's too bad neither of us can remember it."

The first man laughed. "Well, let's go catch the train. We can make up something good on the way."

"You got it, buddy."

The two men walked off, laughing and chattering like the old friends they clearly were. Their encounter with the witch hadn't affected them at all. Umaru was glad to see it. She smiled as she watched them disappear out of sight.

Things had ended okay. Still, that witch had been odd. Umaru titled her head. "Hmmm."

"What is it?" Mami asked.

"Back in the barrier, after everything that was thrown at us, I expected a more impressive witch."

"After all we went through, I'm glad your expectation wasn't met."

"Me too."

"We're going to keep working together from now on, so each of us has some backup," Mami said. "But I think we'll both need to be more vigilant and conscientious. That could have gone very badly."

"We couldn't help it that one of those guys ran into the barrier. I'm happy we were able to save him."

"As am I, but I was talking about us as well, Umaru. That fall could have been deadly for you."

"I see. You're right." Umaru thought again about just how dangerous what they did was. Sure, they had powers, but so did witches and familiars.

"Umaru," Mami said. "When you disappeared into that hole, I was terrified for a moment that you were gone."

"I was afraid too. I'm sorry I scared you, Mami."

"I know you didn't mean to. But, well, let's just say that I've lost a lot. Losing you as well would have been…" Mami trailed off and shook her head.

"I'll definitely try to avoid anything like that happening in the future," Umaru said. "It was scary. Falling and floating through what looked like a big bunch of nothing. But things turned out okay after all, right?"

"They did, but never, ever take what we do lightly."

"I don't, Mami," Umaru said. She thought she had taken what they did seriously. Maybe she gave Mami the wrong impression. Granted, she hadn't taken being a magical girl seriously before she made her wish, but she felt like she did now. "Do you think that I do?"

"No, I don't. That was just a reminder."

"Thanks, Mami. I'll remember it."

Mami smiled warmly at her. "We make a good team. You're getting better with every fight. And you listen and adapt well. Not all magical girls would have handled that situation as you did. And many would be too stubborn to heed another magical girl's advice."

"I'll continue to listen. You're the veteran, after all."

"I'm glad you'll listen to me about magical girl concerns, even if you ignore me when it comes to eating junk food."

"Since I'm the veteran when it comes to that, you should listen to me on that topic."

Mami chuckled. "Even if some of your attitudes could use some adjusting, I have to admit that I've smiled and laughed more with you than I have in a long time."

"I've enjoyed myself with you too, Mami."

"If only we went to the same school," Mami said. "That'd be even better. Well, perhaps next year. Speaking of which, are you set to start at your new school? Are you nervous?"

"Yes to both," Umaru said. "Now you're sounding like you're my mother."

"Am I? I guess I can't help that either. What is your mother like? Is she more like you or your brother?"

"I don't really remember," Umaru said. "She's been gone a long time."

"Oh. I'm sorry, Umaru."

"No, it's alright. I know I look like her though. I hear that often, and I've seen enough pictures to prove it. Onii-chan, on the other hand, looks more like papa."

"Is that so?" Mami asked. "I'd love to see these pictures sometime if you're okay with sharing them."

"Sure. I'd love to."

"As for me," Mami said. "I look more like my father but I got my mother's personality, I suppose."

"Well, they raised a wonderful daughter. I'm sure they were good people."

"Thank you. And they were. I miss them a lot." She smiled sadly. "There are times when I wish I had saved them too, as I've told you. But I keep going forward. That's all I can do."

"I think they'd be very proud of you, fighting to save people and protect the city."

"I'm sure your mother would be just as proud of you."

Umaru considered that. She really had become Umaru Doma, the defender of justice. Of course, it wasn't quite as glamorous as it might have seemed in a game or an anime. Still, she was doing good things, and she had made a new friend in the bargain. "I bet mama would."

When Umaru got back home, she went into the tiny bedroom. She sat on her bed for a bit and ate some potato chips. Something felt off. Getting up, she sneaked into her brother's room at the back of the apartment. He was fast asleep on his futon. She sat down on the floor next to him.

"Onii-chan," she said. "Aren't you proud of me? Not only am I more responsible, but I helped save at least two lives tonight. Maybe more. Who knows how that many people that witch would have killed?"

Her brother couldn't hear her, of course, but it was comforting to say the truth out loud to him. Feeling a little lighter, she decided to say the rest of what she was thinking while she was here.

"I don't like lying to you. Someday, maybe I'll tell you everything. And you can be proud that your little sister Umaru is a magical girl who protects people and fights for good, even if it isn't always pretty and is often frightening. But I have a good friend I can depend on. And she can depend on me. So, we keep going forward, just like she said."

She felt herself choke up a little, but she still had a little more to say.

"When I do tell you, you might not believe me at first, but I think you'll come around. You might even be a little angry, but you could never stay angry at me, right, Onii-chan? And I'll always protect you. I'm not scared of witches. I'm only scared for you. I…"

Her eyes misted up. She couldn't continue. She curled up on the floor next to her brother, closed her eyes, and fell asleep.

(Author's note: Thanks for continuing to read along! This chapter had some heavier parts in it, but the next one will be a little lighter, as we continue to follow Umaru and Mami's adventures in Mitakihara.)

Chapter Text

In some ways, Mitakihara High School was quite different from Umaru's old high school. It seemed 'futuristic' looking to her. There were terminals at every student's desk. At one time, Umaru might have wondered if she could have spent her class time looking at things online, but she took her classes seriously.

Though in other ways, it was quite similar. The subjects were the same. The teachers were comparable to her teachers in Tokyo. They were friendly but expected hard work out of the students. She still wore a uniform to school. That went without saying. It was just a slightly different one now.

Aside from her Tokyo friends not being there, the students were also largely similar. Some were in clubs. Some made excuses for forgetting homework or doing poorly on exams. Some seemed determined to find rivals wherever they could. The fact that the classrooms had smartboards instead of regular blackboards didn't stop students from drawing silly pictures on them. Umaru came in one day only to find a giant picture of the Mitakihara mascot character scribbled there.

Her classmates had given Umaru a warm welcome to their class. She had gotten some of the same admiring looks she had gotten back in Tokyo. She was friendly with her peers but didn't feel especially close to any of them. Maybe that would change with time. Two girls in her class invited her to Karaoke with them one day. She had gone for a little while, enjoyed herself, and had even impressed them a little with her singing. Of course, she had to leave early to go and hunt witches with Mami.

Umaru resolved to not lie so much about herself here. She was already living one separate life as a magical girl; she didn't need to add another to it. This was a chance for her to start with a clean slate. At the same time, she guessed she didn't need to be too open with her hobbies, but could answer truthfully if asked. Maybe that would contribute to her 'mysterious transfer student' image some. And of course, she would never say anything about being a magical girl.

At night, she snuck out to hunt witches and familiars with Mami. Alongside her, she not only defeated them and saved people, but she also learned the layout of the city better. She was able to put names to places, rather than think of them as simply "a tall office building" or some such thing. She even saw the building that housed the Mitakihara office of the Doma Corporation that her brother now managed.

Her bad dreams persisted. She'd defeat a witch and then later see that witch in her sleep hurting her brother. When that happened, she'd leave her bedroom and sit or lie on the floor in her brother's bedroom, watching over him as he slept. One time, he woke up and found her there. She told him she missed them sleeping in the same room. She decided to not bring her nightmares up to Mami again unless they got worse.

The Sunday after school started, Umaru and Taihei had a few visitors. She was expecting Kirie and Ebina and was surprised by a familiar-looking man with an afro appeared at their door.

"Bomber!" Umaru said happily as she greeted them all. "Kirie, Ebina!"

"Hello, Umaru!" Ebina said happily.

"Hi," Kirie said.

"Ah, Bomber," Taihei said, coming to the door. "This is a pleasant surprise. I didn't expect to see you!"

"Taihei!" Bomber cried, hugging him. "It's been so long! You've barely changed. I see living the in the big city hasn't affected you at all."

"It's good to see you too, Bomber," Taihei chuckled. "But it's only been a few weeks. And Tokyo is a bigger city than Mitakihara, you know."

"He wasn't supposed to come," Kirie muttered, looking cross. "Ebina was supposed to spend time with Taihei while I spent time with Umaru."

Umaru wondered if she had misheard Kirie at first. "What was that, Kirie?"

"Ah, n-nothing!" Kirie said, waving her hands. "Just talking to myself."

"Okay," Umaru smiled at her.

"Wow, what a lovely apartment," Ebina said, peering inside.

"Taihei's moved up in the world!" Bomber said. "Literally. What floor are we on again?"

"Please, come in," Taihei said, freeing himself from Bomber's embrace.

When everyone sat down in the living room, Umaru poured tea. She wasn't surprised by how well-received it was. It had been another housewarming present from Mami.

"Kirie, Ebina, I have presents for you!" Umaru quickly retrieved the gifts from her room. She had gotten Kirie a wooden sword that had the Mitakihara mascot on it. For Ebina, she had bought a frying pan that had a mosaic of the Mitakihara skyline on the bottom. "I'm sorry Bomber, but I didn't know you were coming. Otherwise, I'd have gotten something for you as well."

"It's not necessary," Bomber said, waving his hand. He sipped his tea. "Seeing you and Taihei is my present."

"I think we can find something for Bomber," Taihei said. "Why don't all of us go out somewhere?"

"Good idea, Onii-chan! I'll invite Mami too," Umaru said. She took out her phone and started a message. "She can meet up with us."

"M-Mami?" Kirie said. Her face darkened. "Who's Mami?"

"A good friend," Umaru said. "She's the girl I've been tutoring. She lives here in Mitakihara also."

"I see," Kirie said.

"She's really nice. I'm sure you and Ebina will like her."

"I'm…sure too."

"Taihei," Bomber said. "Does Mitakihara have a baseball team? I've been thinking of getting into baseball."

"Another hobby, Bomber?" Taihei sighed. "No, let's see if we can find something else to do."

"I'm certain whatever you suggest will be fine," Ebina said. "I-I'm just happy to see you."

"Likewise, Ebina," Taihei said, smiling at her. She blushed furiously.

Mami met up with them along the route to the Musashi building. She had actually suggested the destination. There was an observation deck on the top from which one could the city and beyond as well.

Umaru introduced her to everyone. Mami greeted Bomber, Kirie, and Ebina and bowed politely. Kirie looked back at her with a strange expression.

"Are you…wearing your school uniform?" Kirie asked. Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"I'm sorry?" Mami said. "I didn't hear you, Motoba-san."

Kirie spoke a little louder. "Um…you can call me Kirie."

"Alright, Kirie. Please, call me Mami, then."

With Mami alongside them, the party set off. Umaru talked with Ebina as they walked.

"Mitakihara is fancy!" Ebina said. "Even more so than Tokyo."

"There are fancy parts of Tokyo," Umaru said. "But it does feel like Mitakihara has a higher percentage of fancy parts sometimes. Or maybe it's just because of the parts we're seeing."

"I see," Ebina said. "You know, thanks to your brother, I was able to locate my brother in Hamamatsu. It means so much to me."

"Really? That's wonderful! You should tell Onii-chan."

"I…I haven't found the right moment."

"Well, be sure to before you leave. Have you gotten to see your brother?"

"He's coming to visit Tokyo next week. I'm excited…and nervous."

Behind them, Kirie and Mami walked in near silence. It sounded as though Mami tried to coax some conversation out of Kirie, but she barely responded. Was Kirie feeling okay? Or was she just being shy? Umaru knew Kirie wasn't always comfortable around strangers. She wanted her to have a good time, so she fell back a step. As she did, Mami stepped forward and began chatting with Ebina.

"How was the train ride here, Kirie?" Umaru asked her.

"It was fine. My brother slept most of the way," Kirie said. As was often the case, her voice was quiet. "Thank you for inviting me here."

"And thank you for coming! I'm really glad you did."

"Y-you are?" Kirie said.

"Of course! I've missed you. How's everything at school?"

"The same. I should be asking you that. What's Mitakihara High School like?"

"It's nice, but I wish you and the others were with me. How has your storybook work been going?"

"G-great!" Kirie said, turning red. "I finished one called…um…Komaru in Kyoto."

"I'd love to read it sometime if you're willing to share."

"It's…actually in my bag. You can see before we leave if you want."

"Thank you, Kirie. I look forward to it."

"How is your little sister?"

"Just fine, Kirie." Umaru felt a twinge of guilt inside.

"That's good to hear. I'd like to show her my storybook too, sometime."

"I bet she'd love to see it. Say, have you been keeping Sylphyn out of trouble?"

"With you gone, she's declared herself the jewel of our class."

Umaru giggled. "It's a shame she couldn't come today."

"She and her brother went to Germany."

"Right, for her grandmother's birthday, she said. Well, a grandmother only turns ninety once, right?" Given how young Sylphyn's mother appeared, Umaru wondered how young her grandmother looked. "Your birthday's in March, right, Kirie?"

"Y-yes?" Kirie looked at her. "I didn't know you remembered that."

"Well, you're a good friend," Umaru said. "May I come and visit you for it?"

"O-Of course!"

Ahead of them, Mami and Ebina had struck up a conversation about food and tea.

"What about Kiritanpo?" Mami asked. "I know Akita's famous for it."

"I love that!" Ebina said. "Have you had it?"

"Yes, I have. Iburi-gakko is wonderful as well."

"Y-you know a lot about Akita food," Ebina said. "What about you? What do you like making?"

"Lately, cake," Mami said, turning around and grinning at Umaru. "Someone I know has quite a sweet tooth."

"Mami makes really good cake!" Umaru said.

The group arrived at the Musashi building and rode the elevator up to the observatory deck. Umaru looked around, enjoying the view even without the telescopes. Kirie peered through a telescope, while Bomber simply squinted off into the distance. Mami pointed out a few of the major landmarks to everyone.

"I-I made contact with my brother," Ebina said shyly to Taihei. "Thank you so much. It means a lot to me."

"I'm very glad to hear it!" Taihei said.

"And…I-I'm going to get to see him soon."

"That's wonderful, Ebina. You must be excited."

"Y-Yes. Between that and visiting you, I'm very happy."

"Say, do you want to come and see the east side of the deck with me? There's a great view of the river."

"R-Really?" Ebina turned bright red. "O-okay."

She followed Taihei to the other side of the observation deck. Mami watched the two of them and turned toward Umaru and Kirie. There was a warm smile on her face.

"It's nice to go out with a group like this," she said. "When you don't have the chance to do it often, you come to relish the few opportunities that come up."

Umaru smiled at her. Kirie said nothing.

"It's very nice indeed!" Bomber said loudly. There were tears in his eyes. "Why can't every day be like this? Why must life return to its sad drudgery after the fun ends?"

"Um, are you alright, Motoba-san?" Mami asked.

"He's just being himself," Kirie said darkly. She struck Bomber on the head with the wooden katana Umaru had given her. "Hey! Stop acting weird in front of strangers!"

"Ow!" Bomber said. "What a violent sister! And Mami isn't a stranger. We know her now. Also, note that she considers my feelings and asks me if I'm okay instead of hitting me."

"I'll give her more reason to ask that if you don't stop," Kirie said, pointing her sword threateningly.

"Taihei, protect me!" Bomber said, running to the other side of the observation deck. Kirie chased after him.

Mami giggled. "We should ask Kyubey if Kirie is a potential magical girl. She seems to already have experience with a weapon."

"I asked him already. Sadly, she isn't. Speaking of Kyubey, where is he?" Umaru asked. "I haven't seen him in several days, not since we defeated that witch near the Zonama warehouse."

"Oh, he's likely searching for more potential magical girls. Don't worry, he'll be back."

"I hope he finds at least one here in Mitakihara. It would be nice if there were others with us, don't you think?"

"Absolutely. When Walpurgisnacht comes, we'll all need all the help we can get."

Umaru wanted to say more on the subject, but their conversation was interrupted when the rest of the group joined them again.

"Why don't we take some pictures with the city in the background?" Taihei said. "A group shot and then a few of us together in pairs and so on."

They took a picture of all six of them together. Umaru had her picture taken with her brother, as well as each of the girls. Mami and Bomber had their picture taken together, with Mami laughing at Bomber's funny picture face. Umaru started to agree with Bomber's sentiment. Why couldn't the fun just go on and on?

In her magical girl outfit, Umaru waved her umbrella around in her bedroom. She had been studying the magic theory laid out in one of Mami's research notebooks, determined to become stronger and discover what else she could do. She didn't want to have to try and figure things out on the fly in some witch's barrier.

An idea had occurred to her that could she try her own magic out on her soul gem. This was a bit awkward to do because of where it was when she was transformed into a magical girl, but she tried it all the same. Enhancing it made her feel a little strange but didn't seem to do much else. She'd need to try some other things.

She also wanted to see if she could use magic and her soul gem to regain her indoor persona. That probably wouldn't help her against witches, but it would be handy for other things. Fortunately, she had a spare grief seed to cleanse it. While Mami had lectured her about not wasting magic and grief seeds, Umaru figured she'd be fine with this. It was practice and training, after all.

She couldn't quite place it, but it always felt like her soul gem was far more than some little magical trinket. It felt as though it was uniquely her and that her connection with it went beyond just giving her magical girl abilities. She wasn't sure what that meant. Maybe Mami would have some insight.

She rested the tip of her umbrella against the soul gem, closed her eyes, and concentrated.

"Umaru? What are you doing?"

Umaru opened her eyes and turned around. Her brother was standing in the doorway wearing his best suit and giving her a perplexed look. Her face grew hot and her stomach dropped. She had been careless. What had he seen?

"Ah, Onii-chan!" she said, smiling and trying to look innocent. "You look nice."

"Thank you," he said. "I haven't seen you wear that in a while."

"I just, uh, wanted to be more comfortable." For once, Umaru was relieved at her silly appearance as a magical girl. Hopefully, it would fool her brother.

"I see. Why do you have that umbrella out? It doesn't look like one of ours."

"I borrowed it from someone at school," Umaru said, hoping that lie sounded convincing. "I need to return it, come to think of it. I was just admiring it. I like the color because it matches my hood. Isn't it pretty?"

"Uh, sure. Listen, I'm going out to dinner. Unfortunately, I can't bring you along, so I've left some money for you. Why don't you order something?"

"Going out to dinner? With who?" Umaru was a little jealous but realized her brother needed to have his own life too sometimes.

"Her name is Kitami. She's-"

"It's with a lady?" That caught Umaru's attention. "Is this a date, Onii-chan?"

Taihei chuckled. "It's just dinner with a business associate, Umaru."

"Is it an official work dinner, Onii-chan?"

"It's not that either. It's merely a friendly outing."

"I see." Her brother might not have thought of it as a date, but this woman might. Or was he trying to hide it from her? Umaru was suspicious. She knew her brother went out with Bomber sometimes back in Tokyo, but that was Bomber. Umaru didn't like this. "Is it okay if I invite Mami over?"

"Of course," Taihei said. "I'll leave some more money so you both can order whatever you like."

"Thank you, Onii-chan!" Umaru said.

It was unusual for Umaru to remain in her magical girl costume in their apartment, but she did anyway so that her brother wouldn't become suspicious due to a sudden change in clothes. Hopefully, he also wouldn't notice that the button on the front of her hood had been replaced by a shiny jewel. She sent a text to Mami inviting her over.

After her brother left, she changed back. There was no need to remain in that form when she wasn't fighting witches or experimenting with magic. And she needed to decide how she would handle her brother's 'dinner with a business associate.' Or, as most people would call it: a date. Because that's what it surely was.

By the time Mami arrived, Umaru had formed a plan. They sat down in the living room, and Umaru wasted no time.

"Mami!" Umaru said. "I need your help, please."

"Of course, Umaru," Mami said. "What is it?"

"My brother is having dinner with a woman from his work, and I think it's a date."

"Okay," Mami said slowly. "What exactly do you need my help with, then?"

"I need you to help me follow them and not get caught."

The smile vanished from Mami's face. "…what?"

"I need to make sure she's a good person! This is my brother we're talking about."

"Umaru, no."

"You won't help?"

"I won't. And you shouldn't even be considering this."

"But what if there's something bad about her?" Umaru peered at Mami intently. "What if she's actually a witch in disguise?"

"That's not how witches work, and you know it."

"Okay, fine. Maybe she's not a witch in that sense. But she's still going out with Onii-chan, so she warrants scrutiny."

"I imagine most people don't want their siblings tagging along on a date," Mami said. "How would you feel if you went out with someone and your brother came along and chaperoned?"

"I wouldn't mind it."

Mami sighed. "He probably won't feel the same way about you spying on his date."

"Well, if we do it right, he won't know we're there!" Umaru said. "And if it turns out she's okay, then no harm will be done. It's perfect!"

"I beg to differ. You see-"

"I wonder if Kyubey would help," Umaru said, scratching her chin. "After all, Onii-chan can't see him. This woman he's going out with probably can't either."

"I don't think helping with something like that is part of Kyubey's job."

"He could report back to us everything they're saying!"

"You aren't listening to me at all, are you?"

"We'll compensate him with food at the restaurant."

"Umaru Doma. Stop." Mami's voice was so stern, that Umaru ceased rambling on and looked at her. She wasn't used to Mami adopting that tone when talking to her about something other than magical girl business.

"Eh?" Umaru tilted her head.

"Forget about this insane idea." Mami gave her a harsh look. "Just let your brother go on his date in peace."

"But…"

"Umaru."

Umaru felt a little ashamed under Mami's gaze. "I…I'm sorry. I got a little carried away."

"It's alright," Mami said. "I'm glad you've come back to your senses."

"I'm just…"

"You're worried about your brother," Mami said. "That's understandable. But I think he'll be okay. We haven't seen any witches or stray familiars for a few days. And all he's doing is having dinner with someone."

"You're right, Mami. I overreacted."

"Your brother will be fine, Umaru," Mami reassured her.

"I am still a little curious about the woman he's with."

"That's understandable, but don't ruminate on it too much."

"It's hard not to."

"Why don't you and I go do something?" Mami said. "Something other than magical girl business, that is. I imagine it'll be hard for you to focus if you're so worried about your brother's date."

"I-I would feel irresponsible," Umaru said.

"You really have come back to Earth," Mami said, chuckling. "A moment ago, you were determined to waste the evening spying on your brother."

"Well, I wasn't thinking."

"But you are now, and that's good. Anyway, I haven't seen anything especially suspicious, so I think it would be okay for us to take a break from searching for one night. But only one."

"Alright. You know Mami, you and Onii-chan are alike sometimes," Umaru said. "Maybe that's why you two get along so well, and why I get along with both of you."

"I know how highly you think of your brother so thank you for that," Mami said.

"You're welcome. What do you want to do?"

"There's an ice cream shop in the Mitakihara mall. Have you been there?"

"No, I've only been to the eatery there."

"Then let's go. You'll enjoy it."

"You're really okay with going and eating junk food?"

"Oh dear. Maybe you've become a bad influence on me. What sort of magical girl role model am I, slacking off from my duties to go and eat sweets?"

"Very funny, Mami."

"Thank you. Again, this is just for one night. I don't want to see you stressed or agitated. We can also have some tea afterward."

"Sounds good. Let's go!"

Umaru and Mami sat in the ice cream shop in the Mitakihara mall. Like everything else there, it was fancy and new-looking. Umaru made sure to note its location. Hopefully, her brother would want to come here as well. As she licked her ice-cream cone, Mami watched her and chuckled.

"What are you laughing at?" Umaru asked.

"You look a little like a mouse when you eat ice cream," Mami said. "Like this." She stuck the tip of her tongue out a tiny bit.

"Do I?" Umaru had never thought about it. "Maybe I'm more like a hamster."

"Yes, that's probably a better description. Perhaps you're taking after your pets."

"I've never shown you my hamsters, have I?"

"No, but I've seen them every time I've been at your place. They're very cute."

"Onii-chan got them for me," Umaru remembered the day when she had convinced him to buy them and felt ashamed. She would never again guilt her brother like she used to. She felt bad enough about lying to him and hiding things.

"That was sweet of him. What are their names, by the way?"

"Hamsaburou and Hamjirou!"

"What apropos names for hamsters."

"I think so too!"

They continued to eat their ice cream. Umaru again thought of magical hamsters, but that was a ridiculous idea. She needed to focus more on things she could actually do with her soul gem. She was about to bring up her magic experiments when Mami spoke up.

"You know, Umaru," Mami said. "I really enjoyed spending time with your friends from Tokyo the other day. Thank you again for inviting me along."

"I'm glad you had fun!" Umaru said. "I miss them a lot."

"Your friend Kirie seems very fond of you."

"She's a bit shy sometimes, but she's a fascinating person once you get to know her. I'm fond of her too."

"I see," Mami chuckled. "You and I might have different definitions of fond here. Anyway, her brother seemed to be quite the character as well."

"Bomber? Bomber's a great guy. He and my brother worked together in Tokyo."

"I could tell the two of them were longtime friends. And Ebina was very sweet. I enjoyed talking with her."

"She came all the way from Akita to Tokyo by herself. That had to have been difficult."

"I imagine so. I could definitely hear Akita in her speech, though of course, that's hardly a bad thing. I also noticed that she…" Mami trailed off.

"She what?"

"Ah, never mind. I forgot what I was going to say. May I try some of your ice cream? The mint looks delicious. You can try some of mine."

"Sure." Umaru held out her ice cream cone. "Say, Mami?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks for keeping me from acting like an idiot tonight. I'm sorry for going off like I did."

"Don't worry about it, Umaru. What else are friends for? I know you'd be there for me if I suddenly lost my wits."

"Of course I would!"

"Though your version of helping would no doubt be to actually assist with a harebrained scheme rather than stop it." She smiled. "Still, that's also something a good friend would do."

When her brother got home, Umaru asked him how his dinner was. He said it was good, but didn't add anything beyond that. Had his date not gone well? He didn't seem unhappy. Maybe he didn't like Kitami as much as she thought. She decided to not press for too many details yet. If Taihei continued to go out with her, she'd definitely do some more investigating, no matter what Mami said.

The next afternoon, after remembering to close her bedroom door, Umaru continued practicing using magic on her soul gem. It seemed as though she could do some things that affected it. She tried using healing magic on it and thought it glowed a tiny bit brighter when she did, but she wasn't sure. Maybe turning off the lights in the room would help her judge better.

"Using magic makes it grow darker," she said to herself. "So, if I'm going to do this, I need to get good enough to use less magic than the amount of corruption cleansed. Maybe Mami would let me try this on her soul gem. I could be more certain about this if I tried it out on someone else's."

There was a knock on her door, and her brother called. "Umaru?"

Umaru touched her soul gem. She changed back to her regular clothes, and her umbrella vanished. She sat back down at her desk. "Come in, Onii-chan!"

"Umaru," Taihei said, opening the door and stepping in. He was holding a shopping bag. "I'm stepping out to swing by the hospital and the store. Do you need anything?"

Umaru almost asked him to buy the latest issue of Jumpu for her, but then figured she could go along and get it herself. That would please him, right? Plus, it would be a chance to spend more time with him.

"Well, I'd like to get something from the store, so I'll come along with you, Onii-chan," she said. "Why are you going to the hospital though?"

"I'm returning Kitami's hat to her," Taihei said, pulling a fancy lady's hat out of his bag. "She forgot it last night when we had dinner together."

"And she's at the hospital?" Umaru hoped she wasn't hurt.

"Yes. She's a volunteer there. She visits children in the pediatric ward and brings them presents."

"I see. She must be a good person, then. And returning it is very thoughtful of you."

"Thank you," he said. "Umaru, you don't need to go with me. It isn't necessary. You can just tell me what you want from the store. You can keep…studying?" He looked at the notebook on her desk.

"It's fine, Onii-chan!" she said, closing the notebook before he could see anything in it. "I want to come along. I'd like to meet Kitami-san, and this will be a good break for me."

"You want to meet her?" Taihei raised an eyebrow. "What about your schoolwork?"

"I'm mostly finished," she said, relieved he mistook Mami's magic research notebook for that. She got up. "I should stretch my legs some anyway."

"Well, if you insist."

"Then let's be off, Onii-chan. Kitami-san will surely want her hat back."

Umaru and Taihei walked through the children's ward of the Mitakihara hospital. She intended to find out everything she could about this woman her brother had gone out with. Obviously, Kitami had to be special, or Taihei would have just returned her hat to her at work. Umaru would figure all that out though. She'd pour on the charm, and this woman would reveal exactly what she wanted to know.

Umaru's thoughts were interrupted when someone suddenly crashed into her.

"Ah!" Umaru yelped. She turned around and saw the person who had run into her on the ground. It was a teenage girl.

"I'm so sorry!" the girl said, looking as though she was about to cry. "I didn't mean to bump into you! Please forgive me!" She was younger than Umaru, definitely a middle school student.

"It's fine," Umaru said. "You just startled me. That's all. More importantly, are you okay?"

"I…I think so."

Umaru reached down and gently helped the girl to her feet. Her glasses were askew, but she didn't seem hurt. She gave Umaru and Taihei a terrified look and then slouched down and lowered her head.

"T-thank you," the girl stuttered. "I apologize for causing you trouble."

"Not at all," Umaru said pleasantly. The poor girl was obviously distressed. Given that she was wearing pajamas, Umaru figured she was likely a hospital patient. "Is everything alright? Do you want us to fetch a nurse for you?"

"No, that's…I'm…uh…please excuse me!" The girl made a cursory bow and ran off.

"Um, what should we do?" Umaru asked Taihei as she watched the girl dash off.

"I'm not sure," Taihei said. "We can alert someone at the nurse's station. Let's stop by there while we look for Kitami."

They turned down a different hallway. Standing there was an elderly woman in a fashionable suit, and her hair done up in a tight bun. She smiled at them.

"Taihei!" she said. "This is a pleasant surprise."

"Hello, Kitami-san," Taihei said, bowing. Umaru was surprised. This was the woman her brother had dinner with? She looked old enough to be a grandmother.

"It's good to see you. Is this young lady the sister you mentioned?"

"Yes. Kitami-san, this is my younger sister Umaru," Taihei said. "Umaru, this is Kitami. She's on the Board of the Directors for the Doma Corporation."

"I'm very pleased to meet you, Kitami-san," Umaru said, bowing deeply.

"Likewise," Kitami said. She gave off a regal air. "I've known your father for a long time. He and your brother both speak quite highly of you."

"Thank you," Umaru said, feeling more warmth at her brother's praise than her father's. "I'm humbled."

"And your brother told me you recently transferred to Mitakihara High School."

"Yes, that's correct."

"Ah, very good. You know, my husband was a teacher there until he retired. It's an excellent school, and from the sound of things, it now has another promising student."

Husband? That meant she wasn't romantically interested in Taihei. Umaru didn't have to worry about this after all. She suddenly felt very relieved and more than a little silly. She had been very wrong.

"Thank you again," Umaru said. She had discovered what she wanted to know but would maintain her charm all the same. This was someone important at her brother's work, from the sound of it. "I really do like the school, and I'm glad I transferred there."

"That's good to hear. I have always felt that support education is of vital importance to the city," Kitami said. "But, I'm sure you're not here to listen to an old woman wax philosophically. Are you two visiting someone, Taihei?"

"We actually came here to find you," Taihei said. "I have your hat, Kitami-san. You left it at dinner last night."

"Ah, that's where it went. Thank you, Taihei."

"Kitami-san," Umaru said, bowing. "There's a girl on this ward who seemed upset. I didn't catch her name, but she had glasses, dark hair done in braids, and lilac-colored pajamas. My brother said that you're a volunteer here. Do you know if she's a patient and if so, are you able to anything for her?"

"I know who you mean, the poor dear," Kitami replied. "Yes, she's a patient here. I'll ensure a nurse sees to her. Thank you. You're a very thoughtful girl. Your father must be very proud you and Taihei both." Umaru smiled at her.

"Let's not interrupt her work any further in that case," Taihei said. He turned to Kitami. "Good-bye, Kitami-san."

"Thank you again for returning my hat, Taihei. I'll see you sometime before the next board meeting, rest assured," Kitami said. Turning to Umaru, she added, "It was good to meet you, Umaru."

"It was good to meet you too."

Umaru felt embarrassed. She had jumped to a hasty conclusion. Her brother's dinner with a business associate had been nothing more than that. She was glad Mami stopped her from doing something potentially ridiculous in front of someone who was clearly high-ranked in her brother and father's company.

She said nothing of this to her brother, of course, as they left the hospital and stopped by a store. Mami would no doubt ask her about it, but thankfully Mami wasn't the sort to rub things in when she was correct. She was probably still in for a lecture, all the same. This time, she deserved it.

Umaru tried to think of what she'd do if her brother actually did start dating someone. At one time, she'd have been very resentful of a girlfriend stealing his time and attention away from her. Now she thought she'd worry about his safety and happiness. She didn't want to see him get hurt in any manner.

When they got home, Umaru buried herself in Jumpu, potato chips, and cola. She did her best to forget the absurd things she had thought about Kitami, the hospital, and everything else. She wanted to push the entire episode out of her mind. It was much better to read about a fictional romance anyway.

As the weeks wore on, Umaru found she was busier than ever. A number of witches and familiars had sprung up. Together, she and Mami cut them down. Her brother took a business trip to Tokyo. To stave off loneliness, she stayed over at Mami's place one evening. They talked almost all night, and for once, Umaru had no dreams while she slept.

Late afternoon one day, she received a text message from Mami.

Umaru, if you're available, please come over to my apartment. This is important.

If it was important, then Umaru wouldn't waste any time. And she was always glad to see Mami. She replied back that she was on her way and set off.

Chapter Text

Mami greeted Umaru at her apartment door. "Please, come in. It's been an interesting day, and I have a lot to share with you."

In the back of Mami's apartment, two girls Umaru didn't recognize were sitting at her table, a blue-haired girl with short hair, and a pink-haired girl. They both looked like middle school students. Were they potential magical girls? Is that what Mami had meant? Had they shown up at Mami's door with Kyubey, just like Umaru had? Or were they already magical girls?

It looked as though Mami had served them cake and tea. That didn't surprise Umaru at all.

"Umaru, this is Madoka Kaname and Sayaka Miki," Mami said, gesturing toward each one. "You two, this is Umaru Doma."

"Pleased to meet you both." Umaru bowed to them.

"Umaru's a magical girl like me. She's the friend I mentioned."

"Ooh!" Sayaka, the blue-haired girl, said. "Another magical girl? She's the third one now."

Third? There was already Mami and Umaru. Who else was there?

"You're older though," Sayaka continued. She looked at Umaru's navy skirt and white blouse. "Is that a Mitakihara High uniform?"

"Yes, that's right."

"Wow, so there's a high school girl with us too. It's like we're moving up in the world or something."

Umaru chuckled and sat down. Kyubey was sitting on the floor next to her, and she reached out and scratched behind his ears. "Hello, Kyubey."

"Hi, Umaru!"

"So, have you been a magical girl for a long time?" Sayaka asked. "Do you and Mami fight together? Are you from Mitakihara?" She might have continued asking questions had Madoka not stopped her.

"Sayaka," Madoka, the pink-haired girl, said. "Give her a chance to answer before you ask her more things."

Sayaka sure seemed enthusiastic. Umaru smiled at her. "Let's see, answering one at a time, Miki-san: No, yes, and no. I recently moved here from Tokyo. What about you? Do you two attend Mitakihara Middle School with Mami?"

"Yes, that's right!" Sayaka said. "But, you can call me Sayaka."

"Mami's year ahead of us," Madoka added. "And please call me Madoka."

"Alright. Call me Umaru, then."

"These two had a run-in with a witch at the mall," Mami explained. "I found them inside the barrier."

"It was scary," Madoka said. "But Mami saved us."

"She's good at saving people," Umaru said. She turned to Mami and Kyubey. "They're both potential magical girls, aren't they?"

"They are," Mami said, placing a slice of cake and a cup of tea in front of Umaru. Cake! That always made her happy, especially Mami's. It wasn't officially part of being a magical girl, but it was definitely a perk.

"And Mami's filled them in," Kyubey added.

"Well, that's good to hear." Umaru ate her cake while she chatted with the two new girls. It was strange to talk about magical girl topics with someone other than Mami or Kyubey for once, but she welcomed it.

When their combined tea party and magical girl information session was over, Madoka and Sayaka left. Umaru was about to leave as well when Mami stopped her.

"Umaru, wait," Mami said to her. "There's something else you and I need to discuss."

"Alright." Umaru followed Mami back to her table and sat down across from her. Mami had served her another piece of cake. She knew Umaru very well. "What is it, Mami?"

"Once again, there's another magical girl in Mitakihara."

"Yeah, I wondered when Sayaka said I was the third one. Have you met her? What's this one like?" Hopefully, she was sane.

"I met her briefly. I'm not entirely sure what she's like yet, but she seems dangerous. She went after Kyubey."

"Oh dear. Just like Fuun did," Umaru said. She reached out and rubbed Kyubey's head. "Rogue magical girls just keep going after you, don't they? Maybe you need a security detail."

"Fuun was unbalanced," Kyubey said. "This girl doesn't seem to be like that. Rather, it appears that she's trying to stop other girls from making contracts."

"Why would she do that?"

"It's possible that she's trying to usurp this territory," Kyubey answered. "Mami can tell you exactly what happened."

Umaru listened as Mami shared with her the details of what had transpired at the mall. When Umaru asked if they should go after the escaped witch, Mami told her that they'd bring Sayaka and Madoka along the next day to do so. Mami intended to show them what being a magical girl was about before they made a contract, just like she had with Umaru.

"That's a good idea, Mami," Umaru said. "But this other magical girl, where did she come from? Did she just show up in Mitakihara out of nowhere?"

"She's a transfer student, apparently." Mami smiled. "Perhaps if we show her that we aren't threats, we can make peace with her."

"You mean, you think we should give her a chance to explain herself?" That sounded reasonable. Maybe things were different wherever this girl came from and she wasn't expecting to encounter friendly magical girls.

"Yes. Though we'll need to be cautious, of course."

"Expecting trouble?"

"Hope for the best and prepare for the worst, as they say. So be ready if it comes to fighting with her. I suspect this girl is very skilled."

"I doubt she's as good as you, Mami."

"Thank you, Umaru. But I'm not invincible."

Umaru lied back on the floor, spread her arms out, and stared up. If they formed a magical girl group (something else about all this that finally matched Umaru's image of magical girls from anime), there might possibly be five of them: herself, Mami, Madoka, Sayaka, and this new girl. And of course, Mami would be their de facto leader. Not only was she the best, she was also charismatic and clever.

"You're more or less unstoppable, Mami," Umaru said. "I don't think there's any witch or magical girl that could beat you."

"Overconfidence can lead to recklessness," Mami said. "And lying down like that right after eating can cause indigestion."

"I'm admiring your ceiling tiles." Umaru had come to feel as though she could be a little more carefree and relaxed around her friend. That had resulted in her getting occasional little chidings and lectures, but Umaru didn't mind. It was Mami's way of showing she cared. Umaru sometimes even listened.

"Is that so? " Mami asked. "They haven't changed recently. And you should know that since you were lying in that exact same place and position just the other day."

"I wanted to admire them some more."

"Please don't laze about in front of Miki-san and Kaname-san," Mami said. "As their senior magical girls, we'll need to set good examples for them."

"Yes, yes, you're right."

"And you're going to wrinkle your school uniform if you stay like you are."

"But I ate too much cake, and now I might need to sleep it off."

"And here I thought you were down there because of the ceiling tiles," Mami chuckled. "If you're tired, you're welcome to sleep over again."

Umaru sat back up. "Thank you, Mami. I'd love to!"

"Your brother's still in Tokyo, isn't he?" Mami sounded sympathetic.

"Yes. He'll back tomorrow though. I'm glad."

"I know you miss him."

That was an understatement. The day after her brother had left, Umaru had almost run to the Mitakihara station and hopped on a train to Tokyo in order to check on him. She had held back though and settled for text messages from him. Even a little note saying what he had for lunch made her happy.

"Yeah, it's just as hard as when he had to go on a work trip at his old job," Umaru said. "But now there's more than just loneliness. I worry about him a lot."

"That's natural. He's your family," Mami said. "And I'm sure he worries about you as well."

Her brother would probably worry much more about her if he knew about her being a magical girl and what she did on a near-daily basis. That was another reason she hadn't told him everything yet. Just as she had settled into a new school, he had just settled into a new job and probably didn't need the added stress.

"So," Mami said. "Since you're staying, will you be hungry for dinner?"

"Sure! Thanks, Mami."

"I suspected you would be. What shall we have?"

"Pizza?" Umaru suggested hopefully.

"No. You talked me into that the other day, remember? We're going to have something healthy tonight."

"Alright…" Umaru more or less expected that answer. She was glad Kyubey was around. He'd always eat her vegetables. Thankfully, he hadn't shared their arrangement with Mami; Umaru had asked him not to.

"Also," Mami added. "Do you have something to sleep in?"

"I sure do," Umaru said. She stood up, passed her hand over her soul gem, and changed to her magical form.

"Umaru!" Mami laughed. "You can't be serious. Wait, you don't sleep in that at home, do you?"

"No, of course not. I don't want my brother seeing it," she said, twirling her umbrella. It occurred to her that she could ask Mami if she could test her cleansing spell on her soul gem, though she did want to become more confident with it. "By the way, I've been trying out using magic on my soul gem and seeing what results I can get. I've even had some success."

"You'll want to be careful doing that, Umaru," Kyubey said. "Soul gems aren't replaceable if you break them."

"Understood," Umaru said. "And I am."

"Kyubey's right," Mami said. "You don't want to lose your magical girl abilities. Still, I'd love to hear about your experiments. I bet what you've found is interesting."

"It is! I'll tell you about it over dinner."

"Yes, dinner. By the way, you haven't been eating a lot of junk and fast food since your brother's been gone, have you?"

"Well…not all the time." She put on her best charming smile.

Mami, however, would never fall for it. "Let me guess. The only times you haven't have been here with me and maybe at your school."

"The cafeteria lunch at Mitakihara High is actually quite good," she said. "This is the first time I've had it since Onii-chan usually makes my lunch. You know, when you're there next year, we can eat lunch together every day!"

"Certainly, but don't try to change the subject, Umaru," Mami said.

"Well, Onii-chan left some meals for me, but, well…"

"I see. You know, at moments like this you remind me of someone."

"Who? Oh, you mean the magical girl who was with you before?" Mami had compared Umaru to this girl a few times before. Umaru realized she still didn't know her name.

"Yes." Mami stared off into space, probably reminiscing.

"Do you miss her, Mami?"

"Sometimes, yes. Both her presence and the person she was before she…" Mami stopped. "Well, never mind. I have you around, and since you're my dear friend, I'm going to make a proper dinner for you."

"Thank you, Mami!"

"You're welcome. And don't feed your vegetables to Kyubey tonight, okay?"

"Uh…I won't." Umaru sighed. Mami really did notice everything.

The next day Umaru headed for the Mitakihara mall right after school. When she got there, Mami, Sayaka, and Madoka were already waiting for her.

She waved at them. "Hello, everyone!"

"You're late, Umaru!" Sayaka smiled at her. Umaru noticed she was carrying a baseball bat.

"Please excuse me," Umaru said.

"She had to come from a bit farther away than we did," Mami pointed out. "And the three of us came here together."

"You mean magical girls can't teleport or something?"

Umaru laughed. She liked Sayaka. "I can't. Are there any who can, Mami?"

"Possibly," said Mami. "But not us. We walk."

They began their search for the witch that had escaped the previous day. They checked the floor at the mall that was undergoing remodeling. No dice. Umaru took out her soul gem as well. Two were better than one, after all. Examining it, she felt a tingle on the back of her neck. Were they being followed? She had no time to contemplate it, however; Mami led them out of the mall and into the city streets.

It was a beautiful day. But Umaru couldn't shake the weird feeling that someone was watching the four of them. As they crossed a footbridge, she peeked behind her and briefly what looked like a shadow. It vanished almost as soon as she looked at it. A moment later, she looked over her shoulder again and could have sworn she saw it a second time.

They eventually found the witch's barrier in an abandoned lot. Umaru stepped forward to speak with Mami and leaned her head to close to hers.

"Mami." Umaru lowered her voice so that Madoka and Sayaka couldn't overhear. "Before we head in, you should know that we're being followed by someone."

"Did you catch a glimpse of them?" Mami's voice was just as quiet.

"I only saw their shadow. But I think they've been there ever since the mall."

"Hmmm. I believe I know who it is."

"That magical girl transfer student you mentioned yesterday?"

"Yes."

"Should we stop and talk with her? Maybe she came to help."

"I don't think she's following us to help out." Mami didn't take her eyes off her soul gem "If she shows herself to us, we'll speak with her then. In the meantime, would you please stay behind Miki-san and Kaname-san as we advance?"

"Of course."

Umaru left Mami's side and took up the rear. Madoka and Sayaka gave both her and Mami confused glances.

"Where are you going, Umaru?" Madoka asked. "Aren't you coming with us?

"And what were you two whispering about?" Sayaka asked.

"Umaru's going to guard our rear flank," Mami answered. "So that nothing catches us unaware as we move through the barrier."

"Oh, good thinking!" Sayaka said excitedly. "It's like we're a military unit!"

"Not quite," Umaru said. "We're just taking precautions."

"Yes ma'am!" Sayaka said, saluting. Umaru smiled back at her.

Umaru passed her hand over her own soul gem and transformed. Madoka tilted her head a little at her, and Sayaka looked as though she was trying not to smirk.

"You look…very different from Mami," Sayaka said, her mouth strangely twisted as she took in Umaru's orange hood and cape. "It's not exactly an outfit I would have expected. Um, not that you look bad or anything!"

"I think it's very cute," Madoka said. "Especially the ears."

"Thank you, Madoka," Umaru said.

"Would we end up looking like that as magical girls?" Sayaka asked.

Umaru shrugged. "We're all unique."

"Don't be fooled by appearances," Mami said. "Even something cute and harmless-looking can be quite dangerous. Umaru's a good example of that."

"Thanks, Mami," Umaru laughed.

Mami waved her hand over the bat Sayaka was carrying, and it changed into an ornate club. She nodded at Umaru. Umaru waved her umbrella over Sayaka and Madoka, and an orange glow surrounded each of them.

"Now you're set for anything," Umaru said.

"Oh, wow!" Sayaka said, swinging her modified bat. "This feels amazing. Say, do you ever use this in your PE class?" Umaru smiled at her. They'd definitely have fun together.

"Stay close," Mami said to Madoka and Sayaka. She looked at Umaru. "Umaru, keep an eye out."

Umaru nodded back. Mami turned headed into the barrier with Madoka and Sayaka right behind her. Umaru took one last glance back and didn't see the weird shadow. Feeling a bit relieved, she followed the others into the witch's labyrinth.

The journey through the labyrinth was quick, and the battle against the witch was just as short. Sayaka and Madoka were amazed. Umaru knew exactly how they felt; it was how she had felt when she first saw Mami fight a witch. When the fight was over and the barrier vanished, Mami picked up the grief seed the witch had left and showed it to Madoka and Sayaka.

As she was doing so, a dark-haired girl appeared from nowhere and approached them. She was wearing the same school uniform as the younger girls, so Umaru figured she was both the transfer student Mami had mentioned and their stalker. Why had she shown herself now?

"Hello, Homura Akemi-san," Mami said as all four of them turned toward the girl.

"H-Homura?" Madoka said.

"You," Sayaka said to her.

Homura didn't reply. She looked at each of them in turn, her eyes lingering on Madoka slightly longer than the other three. For some strange reason, Umaru thought she had seen this girl before, but couldn't figure out from where.

"Here," Mami said, offering the grief seed to Homura and smiling at her. "It should have enough uses for all of us to share."

Homura looked at it and shook her head.

"That's not necessary," she said. Her voice was quiet and even.

"Magical girls need grief seeds though," Mami said. "Please, take it."

"It's yours, and I have no need for it."

"I'd like for us to be friends," Mami said.

"That's not necessary either."

"I see." Mami closed her fingers around the grief seed and narrowed her eyes. "If that's how you wish it to be, then."

"There's no need to be like that, is there?" Umaru asked Homura. "You don't have to follow us silently. Why don't you come along with us next time? We can all fight together."

Homura stared back at Umaru. Her expression didn't change, but it felt like her eyes were boring into her. Umaru felt a little uneasy but smiled back pleasantly at her. Homura turned around and walked away.

"There's your answer, I suppose," Mami said. With their business finished, the four of them set off.

"What's wrong with that girl?" Sayaka asked as they walked home. "Even after Mami and Umaru both try to be nice to her, she stomps off in a huff."

"She looked familiar," Umaru mused. "I feel like I've seen her before."

"In…in a dream?" Madoka asked.

"What? No, nothing like that." Umaru didn't want to go into what sort of dreams she usually had. That would probably scare Madoka and Sayaka out of becoming magical girls. "It's more a feeling of déjà vu. I have no idea why."

"She said she went to a Christian School in Tokyo," Madoka said. "And you're from Tokyo, right? Maybe the two of you went to the same school briefly."

Umaru shook her head. "I never attended a Christian school."

Madoka sighed. "I don't know, then. I wish we could work together with her though."

"That would be ideal, huh?" Umaru said. Her imaginary five-member magical girl group was now looking like it would only have four members.

"But not always possible," Mami said, giving Umaru a serious look. "As you well know."

"Right, Mami." Was she talking about Fuun? Or did she just not want to discuss the matter further in front of Madoka and Sayaka?

"But speaking of working together," Mami said. "You did very well tonight, Umaru."

"Thanks, Mami."

"You were both awesome!" Sayaka exclaimed, inserting herself between them. "You're an unbeatable magical girl duo!"

"I wouldn't go that far," Mami said. "But we support each other. There's a lesson there."

"Yeah, one that transfer student obviously needs to learn!"

"It must be hard to be a lone wolf," Umaru said quietly, wondering how many magical girls didn't have the good fortune of having friends to fight alongside. She couldn't imagine doing by herself for any extended period of time.

"What was that, Umaru?" Madoka asked.

"Ah, nothing," Umaru said. She looked down the block. "There's my apartment building. Good night, everyone!"

When Umaru got back to her apartment, she saw her brother's shoes by the door and his briefcase in the living room. She smiled happily.

"Onii-chan!" she called. "Welcome home!"

"Hello Umaru," he said, walking in from his bedroom. He had already changed out of his suit. She hugged him tightly, and he chuckled. "I'm glad to see you too. Have you been out?"

"Yes, I was with Mami. But I'm back now!"

"Still tutoring her?"

"Some," Umaru said. "But of course we sometimes do other things together as well." She figured she might as well mix some truth in with the lie. That made her feel a little less guilty.

"That's good. You two are staying safe, I hope?"

"Of course not, Onii-chan. Let's see…we went to the game center near the train station one time," Umaru said. "That's not dangerous, right?"

"Oh, does Mami like games?"

"She doesn't have much experience playing them, but she had fun there all the same."

"I'm sure the more time she spends with you, the more experience she'll get," Taihei chuckled. "Have you had dinner?"

"No, not yet."

"Neither have I. If you give me some time, I can go buy some things. I don't think there's very much in the refrigerator."

"We could just order something, Onii-chan," Umaru said. "You've had a long trip, and I'm sure you're tired."

"That's fine too. I can wait until tomorrow to shop. What should we order?"

"Pizza?" Umaru put on another charming smile. She half-expected her brother to refuse (and would accept that), but figured she would give it a shot all the same.

"Alright," her brother smiled. "We'll order pizza."

"Yay!" Umaru clapped her hands. "Thank you, Onii-chan."

A few days later, Umaru stood by the fountain in the park, waiting for Mami, Sayaka, and Madoka. No longer did witch hunts consist of solely her and Mami. Umaru was glad. She liked Sayaka's exuberance and Madoka's quiet, friendly nature. With the four of them together as magical girls, they could-

"You."

Umaru turned around. Homura Akemi was standing right behind her. Umaru hadn't even heard her approach. She was clearly good at getting around silently.

"Oh…hello there," Umaru said, smiling at her. "You startled me."

Homura leaned in toward her. "Who are you?"

"I'm Umaru Doma." Homura was a little too close. It felt rude, but Umaru stepped back. "You're Homura Akemi, right? Did you change your mind about fighting with us after all?"

Homura took another step and reclosed the distance between them. "Where did you come from?"

"Tokyo?"

"Don't try to be funny. Why are you here?"

"I'm waiting for the others."

"But why are you in Mitakihara in the first place?" Homura asked. Her voice was flat and expressionless. Maybe she was like an anime character who hid her emotions. Or maybe that was just her nature. "Why haven't you shown up until now?"

"I only moved to this city before the term started," Umaru said. "Um, you recently moved here as well, didn't you? That's what Madoka said. Also, you're in middle school while I'm in high school. So it makes sense that we've never met."

"I see. And just what kind of magical girl are you?"

"Well, I'm not as experienced as Mami, but I'd like to think that I'm getting better at it." Umaru paused. "I'm sorry, but is there a point to this interrogation? If you wanted to get to know me, there are easier ways. Are you sure you don't want to join up with us? Magical girls should stick together, after all."

"Do you think it's that easy?"

"Sure. Is there a reason you think it isn't?"

Homura didn't reply and just stared back fixedly at her. Umaru couldn't figure out what she wanted or what she was thinking. Deciding it was to be another staring contest, Umaru met Homura's gaze with her own. Again, it occurred to her that she had seen Homura before.

"Homura Akemi," Umaru finally said. "Do I know you from somewhere?"

"I don't know. Do you?"

Umaru wasn't sure. She studied Homura Akemi, racking her brain to remember where she had seen her. Homura simply regarded her silently. Umaru stepped back again; this girl was too close for her comfort. Homura looked as though she was about to say something else when a trio of voices yelled at them.

"Umaru!"

"Homura!"

"Hey, you! Leave her alone!"

Both girls turned and saw Mami, Madoka, and Sayaka running toward them.

"Humph." Homura turned and quickly walked off in a different direction before Umaru could say anything. She looked at Umaru once over her shoulder then just vanished as though she just disappeared into thin air.

"Umaru," Mami said as she ran up to her. "Are you alright? It looked as though she was about to attack you."

"I'm fine, Mami. She-"

"Argh, that girl again!" Sayaka said. "No wonder she acted like she did the other day. She was getting ready to go after you two, and then she tried to corner Umaru, just like she came after us at school. Of course, once someone else shows up, she tucks her tail between her legs and runs away."

Umaru shook her head. "I'm not sure what she wanted, honestly."

"What exactly happened?" Mami asked.

Umaru recounted the odd conversation she had with Homura and her barrage of questions.

"Hmmm," Mami said.

"What do you think?" Umaru asked.

"I'm not certain. Kyubey, do you have any input?"

"If she's here to take this territory," Kyubey said from Madoka's shoulder. "It would make sense that she's trying to collect information on the current magical girls in addition to trying to prevent the creation of new ones."

"Is that what she's here for?" Umaru asked.

"I'm just giving you my view based on the information available and what I've seen in the past," Kyubey said. "I have no hard evidence for that."

"Still," Mami said. "Kyubey has a good point. We need to be careful."

"That girl's terrible," Sayaka said. "I wouldn't be surprised if she's getting ready to cause trouble."

"She does seem unpredictable," Kyubey said. "That's usually not a good sign."

"What else do you know about her, Kyubey?" Umaru asked, remembering how he had told them about Fuun.

"Not much," Kyubey said. "She's not a normal magical girl."

"What do you mean? Can't you tell us more about where she came from and what happened?"

"There isn't really anything else useful that I could tell you, Umaru. As I said, she's a bit of an anomaly."

"Huh. Are there other beings around who turn folks into magical girls?" Umaru wondered.

"That's not impossible," Kyubey said.

That wasn't reassuring. Umaru tried to think of possible scenarios, but they all matched some anime, manga, or game. Maybe Homura worked for one of Kyubey's rivals. Maybe she was actually a ghost. Maybe she was just acting tsundere and would eventually turn nice.

"Well, enough about her for now," Mami said. "If she shows up again, we'll deal with her as the situation calls for. In the meantime, we've our own business to attend to. Come on, everyone."

The four girls walked through the park. A stray familiar had been dealt with, and conversation now to fell to the wishes Madoka and Sayaka might make. Umaru listened as Mami told them the story of her wish. She had heard it before, but still felt entranced by Mami's tale and sad for her all the same.

"What about you, Umaru?" Sayaka asked. "What did you wish for?"

"My brother's life," Umaru answered.

"What…what happened?" Madoka asked hesitantly.

"There was a train wreck in Tokyo, and he suffered a horrible injury," Umaru said. The memory of her dying brother lying in a hospital bed appeared in her mind. She closed her eyes and pushed that image away. Opening her eyes back up, she added: "He'd have died had I not wished for him to be saved."

"I'm sorry," Madoka said. "That sounds horrible."

"It was," Umaru answered. "But thanks to that, he lived. I'm grateful."

"Both of you had something terrible happen," Madoka said. "I guess Sayaka and I have been lucky."

"So, you can make wishes to help other people?" Sayaka asked.

"You can, but you need to consider carefully if that's truly what you want and why you're doing it," Mami answered. Her voice was stern.

"Well, Umaru made that kind of wish." Sayaka sounded almost sullen. "So, others could too. It's good to help people."

"Certainly, but Umaru wished for the life of someone close to her. Is that what you're planning?"

"Well, his life isn't at stake, but he was badly hurt."

"Again, think very hard about that," Mami said. "Otherwise, you might make a wish you'll come to regret."

"I don't think I would," Sayaka said. "Umaru, you don't regret your wish, right?"

"No," Umaru said. "But it was a life-or-death choice for Onii-chan."

"I see."

"So, what happened to the person you're thinking of, Sayaka?"

"This boy…he was injured in an accident too…well, his hand was broken and now he won't be able to play music again…so I thought…"

Umaru didn't feel like that quite compared to her brother almost dying. Still, this was clearly important to Sayaka. "Maybe it's possible to help him without a wish. I could try healing him if you want. We could probably figure out a way to do it without him noticing."

"That's not a bad idea," Mami said. "Umaru's quite good at healing."

"Ah, no," Sayaka said. "That's okay. I'll…uh…just think on it some more."

"Please do," Mami said. "Don't make that sort of decision lightly."

"Ah…you're right," Sayaka said. "Sorry. Maybe I'll just wish to be pretty like you two."

"But you already are pretty, Sayaka," Umaru said. Sayaka blushed in return.

After Madoka and Sayaka had gone home, Umaru stayed alongside Mami. It was possible there was more for them to do. But even if there wasn't, that was okay, because she was content to just walk and talk with Mami.

"Our taciturn magical girl didn't show up again after taking off," Umaru commented as they turned on a different path in the park. "I wonder if she got bored following us around."

"Unlikely. She's probably waiting for us to make a move now," Mami said. "We're going to have to do something about her, sooner or later."

"And by 'do something,' you mean...?"

"I don't know yet. It depends on what she tries. But I won't allow her to harm you, Miki-san, or Kaname-san."

"Thanks, Mami. We have no idea how she fights though. And she's pretty good at showing up out nowhere and vanishing just as quickly."

"Yes, but we have advantages as well. There are two of us and one of her."

"Maybe more if Madoka and Sayaka contract with Kyubey."

"I suppose, but they've still some hurdles to clear," Mami said.

"They'll be fine, I'm sure. I was unsure about it at first, and things turned out okay."

"That's true," Mami said. "To be honest, I expected that you'd end up rejecting Kyubey's offer altogether. Of course, that was before your brother's accident. Anyway, the present situation with Miki-san and Kaname-san feels a little different."

"How so?"

"Kaname-san is obviously uncertain, and Miki-san wants to make a wish that I can't say I like the sound of."

"I think Sayaka just wants to help that boy."

"I don't doubt that she wants to help him. However, note that she refused your proposal to try and heal him. She wants to be the one to do it. That tells me everything I need to know about her intentions. Umaru, if someone else had offered to be the one to save your brother's life, would you have turned them down?"

"Technically, someone else did." Umaru paused. "Mami, about what you said earlier…you know, about making wishes to help other people…"

"I know what you're thinking, Umaru. Your situation was life-or-death for your brother. And you didn't do it to put him in your debt. I never worried about your wish; I only worried about the stress that situation put on you. And I was glad your brother was okay."

No, it was never to put Onii-chan in my debt. If you think about it in those terms, I was already deeply indebted to him. And I would continue to repay him by protecting him. But I don't think of it quite like that. I did it because he's my brother, I love him, and the idea of him being dead is just too awful to even consider.

"Umaru?" Mami said. "You went quiet."

"I was thinking about some things," Umaru said. "I'm sure Madoka and Sayaka will come up with some important for them." She personally didn't really see anything wrong with Sayaka's desired wish; it was her decision, after all. But she decided not to debate that point for right now.

"Of course," Mami said. "I want them to join us, but I want to them do so with their eyes open. To that end, there's no need to rush things, and the situation might even drastically change, as it did for you. For now, you and I have each other and two new friends as well. That's a lot to be thankful for."

"Right," Umaru said. "Having more magical girls with us would be nice though."

"You'll hear no argument from me on that."

"With all this talk of wishes," Umaru said. "I wonder what Homura Akemi wished for."

"You could try asking her."

"I could but, I'm not sure she'd answer." Umaru looked up and suddenly noticed Homura standing a little way away, watching them. "Speak of the devil."

Homura approached them. "You two."

"Hello again," Mami said, smiling at Homura. "To what do we owe the pleasure this time?"

"You're putting those other girls at risk by taking them along into witches' barriers. Both of you should know better."

"They're potential magical girls," Umaru said. "We're letting them see what we do. And we're keeping them safe."

"Everything changes once you're chosen by Kyubey," Mami said.

"You clearly already have a magical girl companion, Mami Tomoe," Homura said, looking at Umaru and then back at Mami. "Are you so desperate for more company that you'll lead others into blindly making contracts?"

"Not blindly," Mami said. She was no longer smiling and gave Homura a harsh look. "As Umaru said, when they come along with us, they understand fully what they'll be facing. Not all magical girls have that opportunity before making a contract."

"And it's their choice to become magical girls," Umaru added. "You can't decide that for them."

"Neither can you," Homura countered.

"Maybe if you tell us what you want, we can help each other," Umaru said. She didn't want this to turn ugly. "You don't have to be an island."

"I don't want to see more girls making contracts," Homura said. "Especially Madoka Kaname."

"So that's what it comes down to," Mami said. Her smile returned but took on a sly bent this time. "Kyubey was right about you."

"Why especially Madoka?" Umaru asked. There had to be something important for Homura to specifically mention her. But Homura didn't answer, a habit Umaru found annoying. She looked from Mami to Umaru and back again.

"She doesn't want more competition." Mami turned to Homura. "Isn't that right?"

"I'd prefer that we not come into conflict," Homura replied. "Your friend here said there's no reason for things to be as such, after all."

"There isn't," Umaru said. "But this would be much easier if you were a little more willing to talk."

Homura looked back at Umaru and said nothing. It seemed like her favorite thing to do.

"I think," Mami said. "It would be best if you stay away from us from now on. Myself, Umaru, Miki-san, and Kaname-san. Do I make myself clear?"

Homura still didn't answer.

"Come on, Umaru," Mami said, turning around. "Saying anything further to her would be pointless. We're leaving."

Umaru followed Mami. She took a quick glance over her shoulder. Homura was watching them still.

"Don't worry," Mami said, noticing Umaru's backward gaze. "She's not following us. And she probably won't attack while we're together. Safety in numbers."

"Hopefully." Umaru glanced back again, and Homura was gone.

"She's determined to remain mysterious, isn't she?" Mami said. "Of course, she no doubt realizes that if she were forthcoming, she'd be at more of a disadvantage against us."

"I wonder if it's really her goal to fight us. Maybe she's after something else."

It occurred to Umaru that there had to be more going on here. The girl was a mysterious transfer student, after all. There was always some sort of secret there. Maybe Homura Akemi's secret was mundane, but maybe it was much more. Umaru wanted to know.

"We know what she's after," Mami said. "She said she doesn't want to see more girls making contracts."

"Right, but maybe there's a larger reason there. And maybe we can convince her to reconsider working with us and give that up."

"You and Kaname-san seem to feel similarly. I agree that it would be nice if we could all get along and work together. But this girl has no interest in that. Quite the opposite, in fact. We need to face reality."

"Reality? I think you've jumped to a hasty conclusion, Mami. What's the harm in trying to make friends with her like we were?"

"Umaru," Mami said sharply. "You're being far too naive here. If we allow her to join up with us, she could attack us after we've let our guard down. And not just us, but our two new juniors as well. Remember, we're responsible for their safety now, and with Homura Akemi around, witches aren't the only danger."

"Is she really a danger though?"

"She explicitly said she's trying to stop more girls from contracting. How far do you think she'll go in order to prevent that? She's already attacked Kyubey. She's stalked us at every turn. She approached both Kaname-san and Miki-san at school the other day. But fortunately, I was there, so she didn't try anything."

"You really think she sought them out to try something like that at school?"

"Possibly. And I suspect she'd have gone after you tonight had the rest of us not shown up when we did." Mami stopped and turned toward Umaru. "She doesn't want more magical girls to have to go up against. You and I are already quite enough for her."

"You're automatically assuming the worst, Mami. She's done nothing more than follow us around and ignore most questions she's asked. If this is some clever plan she's trying, it's not a very good one."

"Umaru, you and I are a team. I welcome your insight, and I appreciate your thoughtfulness and optimism. But I've been at this longer than you, and I've seen how these things often play out."

Mami's words bugged Umaru a little. It was as though as thought was completely inexperienced as a magical girl.

"Maybe you just don't like her because she turned us down when you asked to be friends," Umaru said without thinking. That probably wasn't the best thing to say, and it was a little mean. But she felt like it was at least slightly true.

Mami frowned at her. "No, I don't trust her. There's a difference. Given our duties and Homura Akemi's words and actions, it's best to err on the side of caution. I've warned you numerous times about how magical girls will fight over territory. I believe this is what we're seeing, and I need you to follow my lead on how we deal with it."

"Why are you treating Homura different than you did Fuun?"

"Different situations call for different responses, Umaru. Fuun was uninterested in territory and simply had a vendetta against Kyubey. She also wasn't in her right mind. Mind you, I'd likely have had to take more drastic measures against her had it not been for her tragic death."

"And Homura?"

"Homura Akemi is trying to gather information on us and is openly trying to prevent other girls from making contracts. To me, that implies only one goal."

"That sounds paranoid, Mami. She hasn't actually done anything."

"It's necessary, Umaru. She's likely just biding her time. Haven't you been listening to what I've been saying?"

"Yes, and I think you're approaching this situation the wrong way. I think we should keep reaching out to her."

"You and I both tried that multiple times. She rejected all our attempts. Even if she isn't actively hostile yet, the way I'm approaching this is the logical way to do so."

"Maybe she isn't here to just claim Mitakihara. Maybe she has a different goal in mind."

"And exactly what goal do you think that might be?" Mami now sounded exasperated. She had raised her voice slightly.

Umaru racked her brain. But she was unable to think of whatever might drive Homura. All she could think of were anime scenarios and the continued puzzle of where she had seen her before. "I…don't know."

Mami shook her head. "We're going in circles. I'll think on what you've said, but for tonight, I'm through discussing this, Umaru."

"But Mami, what if-"

"I said I'm through discussing this." Her voice had changed completely from Pleasant Mami to Stern Mami. Umaru suddenly felt very resentful. Mami had no reason to abruptly adopt that tone with her.

"Fine," Umaru said through gritted teeth. "I'll follow your lead, just like you asked."

"Thank you."

"Humph."

They left the park. Umaru didn't look at Mami and instead stared at the ground. She felt like her way of dealing with Homura Akemi would produce much better results than Mami's. Bitterness swelled up inside her. She suddenly wanted to be anywhere but at Mami's side.

"Umaru?" Mami said, looking at her. "You're being quiet. Thinking again?"

"No. I just don't have anything to say," Umaru said tersely, turning her head away. Mami sighed.

They walked on, neither girl saying anything. Mami was her senior as a magical girl, but Umaru hated being talked down to, as though she had no clue how anything worked. That stung worse than their disagreement.

Besides, if Mami was going to be their leader, shouldn't she consider everyone's point of view instead of unilaterally making decisions? Umaru felt like Madoka would be sympathetic to her view, but Sayaka would probably side with Mami.

Thinking of Sayaka reminded Umaru of Mami's opinion on Sayaka's proposed wish, and she felt even bitterer toward her. Who was Mami to dictate what anyone should wish for? That was between a magical girl and Kyubey.

"Good night, Umaru," Mami said when they parted ways. "Please don't be mad at me. I'm trying to do what's best for everyone's safety, including yours. And who knows? Maybe the situation will change."

Umaru frowned at her and refused to acknowledge what she said. "Good night, Mami."

Still angry, Umaru turned sharply and headed off. Had she looked over her shoulder, she would have seen Mami watching her miserably as she headed off toward her apartment.

Chapter Text

"Onii-chan?" Umaru said as she and her brother ate breakfast. "I was wondering if you could give me some advice, please."

Umaru had been unable to sleep at all after getting home. She had sat in her room for a while and felt miserable over arguing with Mami. She considered messaging her several times but wasn't sure what exactly she needed to say. Besides, she figured an apology in person would work better. And that was why she wanted her brother's input.

"Of course, Umaru," Taihei said. "What I can help you with?"

"Say you and a good friend have an argument about how to deal with something," Umaru said. "And there's no middle ground for how to resolve it. Either they give or you give. What do you do?"

"Is this something you're going through, Umaru?"

Yes, Onii-chan. The truth is that I'm a magical girl. So is Mami. And we've had a disagreement on how to deal with another magical girl. How would you settle that? How would you deal with Homura Akemi? You'd recognize that there's more to her than she lets on, right? You'd try to reach out to her as well, wouldn't you?

"Maybe," Umaru said.

"Well, I won't ask for the details unless you want to share them," Taihei said. "As for this problem: if you go in with only your insistence that you're right and your friend is wrong, then the two of you have nothing to start from. Don't approach this situation with that mindset."

"Okay. What do you do after that?"

"Start by calmly talking things over. Focus on finding a way to go forward that you can both agree with. Sometimes, this might require you to give some. Sometimes, it'll be the other person. And sometimes, it'll be both."

"So, compromise?"

"Yes, but compromise takes a lot of different forms. Keep that in mind."

"It's that easy?"

"It's rarely easy, Umaru. And since it's a friend, that can make it even more complicated. But there's also an upside there: remember why you two are friends in the first place."

"I see. Thank you, Onii-chan."

"You're welcome, Umaru," Taihei said. "Please let me know if there's anything else I can help with."

Umaru found it difficult to concentrate in school that day. She took notes in her classes but didn't really think about what she was writing. During breaks, she stared off into space. She wondered how Mami was doing and thought that, at times like this, it would be nice if they were at the same school.

Her behavior didn't go unnoticed by the two girls she had taken to eating lunch with.

"Doma-san, are you alright?" one of them asked her. "You seem out of sorts today. You had a sad look on your face all during math."

"I'm just a little distracted," she said. "I have a lot on my mind."

"Did you get turned down by a guy you confessed to?"

"Are you kidding?" the second girl said. "Any guy who turned her down would have to be crazy."

"It's nothing like that," Umaru said. Why was that so often the first thing that people thought of? Umaru had gotten comments like that before, and it occurred to her now just how silly such assumptions were. "I simply had a quarrel with a friend, that's all."

"Oh, who? Someone in another class?" the first girl asked.

"No, she doesn't go to this school," Umaru said.

"Do you want to talk about it? Sometimes that can help."

"No, that's alright, but thank you." Umaru wasn't going to outright lie to her classmates here, but there she couldn't discuss magical girl business with them any more than she could with her brother. "She and I will work it out." Somehow, anyway.

After school, Umaru came straight home. She picked up her phone and tried to think of what to message to Mami. She figured it might be better to just ask Mami to meet her somewhere so that they could talk in person. As she was contemplating what exactly she'd say, her phone buzzed in her hand. Mami had sent her a text first. Umaru opened the message.

Umaru, there's an emergency. Please get to the Mitakihara Hospital as quickly as possible. There's a witch there. The way into the barrier is by the bike racks next to the visitors' entrance.

Umaru read over Mami's text several times. She did want to make up, of course, but the same resentful feelings from the previous night suddenly resurfaced. She gazed out the window and watched a flock of birds fly across the sky. She couldn't see the hospital from where she was but knew it wasn't far.

Maybe you should deal with the witch yourself, Mami, she thought bitterly. You've been at this longer than I have, right? You don't need my help any more than you need my views on how to deal with other magical girls.

Umaru stood like that for a few moments, continuing to seethe. Mami said nothing about their argument in her message. She simply expected Umaru to jump at her request and head to the hospital, as though she were a trained circus animal or something.

She closed Mami's message and flipped through a few other things on her phone. She pulled up the picture of her and Mami standing together on the observation deck of the Musashi building, both of them smiling. The advice her brother had given her at breakfast replayed in her head. He had been right.

I'm being childish. She's my friend and a fellow magical girl. And because of both of those things, I need to go and help her. It'll be a good time for us to talk once the witch is dead.

Umaru put her shoes on and ran out the apartment. Ignoring the elevator, she made for the stairs. Faster than any normal human could run, she dashed down them. Fortunately, she didn't encounter anyone. When she got outside the building, she ran as fast as she could while still looking normal. She needed to reach the hospital as quickly as possible.

At the hospital, she quickly found the entrance to the barrier and made her way inside. Once in, she immediately transformed. She was on her own until she found Mami and would take no chances. Making her way through, she encountered something she would not have expected: Homura Akemi tied up and held in place by a number of red ribbons.

Had Homura attacked Mami? It was definitely Mami who had left her like this. Umaru had seen her do the same thing to Fuun. And Mami wouldn't have done this without cause.

She looked up at Homura. "What-"

"Don't waste time, idiot," Homura interrupted. "Get moving."

Regardless of whatever had occurred, Homura was right. Umaru needed to keep moving. She turned and ran as fast as she could through the labyrinth. She'd ask Mami later what exactly had happened, but it was a safe bet Mami had been right about Homura. She had just been biding her time before attacking them. Would they have to fight her after they dealt with the witch? It was possible, but Umaru decided she would worry about one enemy at a time.

The labyrinth was somehow dark and oppressive despite the odd splashes of color from the junk strewn about in it. There were a number of doors with the usual strange runes on them. Umaru wasn't entirely certain where to go. She tried a few but found nothing beyond them. Surrounded by what looked like giant pieces of medical equipment and plates of desserts, she continued her search.

Finally, she found the door she sought. On the other side was a giant, open space. This had to be the witch's chamber. The same giant desserts and sweets were all over the place, and it looked like the floor was made of frosting. Ordinarily, Umaru would have been elated. Ahead of her, Madoka and Sayaka were hiding behind a giant pie. Mami must have brought them with her.

Umaru spotted Mami. What looked like a giant black caterpillar was looming over her, and she was standing stock still. This thing was about to attack her; just what was she doing? Umaru had no time to consider any further. She rushed forward, pushing past Madoka and Sayaka. She raised her umbrella and pointed it directly at the witch.

"Lampo Arancione!" she yelled loudly, her voice echoing in the chamber. Hopefully, that would alert Mami. She put as much strength she could into the shot. A huge bolt of orange lightning fired from her umbrella and hit the witch in its clown-like face. It stopped, shook in anger, and turned toward Umaru.

The witch flew at her, but Umaru was ready and met it head-on. She swung her umbrella and struck it hard on the nose. It spun around and came at her a second time. Umaru raised her umbrella to attack again, but the witch grabbed it in its mouth and pulled it away. Umaru was almost pulled into the witch's mouth with it before she let go and fell to the ground.

This foe was both faster and stronger than Umaru would have expected. It bit down on her umbrella, looking as though it was trying to eat it. The weapon must have been too hard to chew or maybe not to its liking, however; the witch spat it out and sent it flying away. It reared back and grinned manically at her, two rows of sharp-looking teeth flashing as it did. With its mouth open, it charged her.

"No, you don't!" Mami called. A length of ribbon wrapped around the witch and pulled it away from Umaru. Mami was back in the fight. Umaru quickly scrambled to her feet, dashed, and grabbed her umbrella, trying to ignore the gross drool on it. She sent more lightning at the witch but only winged it. Mami, meanwhile, had conjured up more rifles and fired them all rapidly. The witch turned its attention back to her and snapped its teeth, shedding its weird skin and wriggling free of the ribbon she had wrapped around it.

Mami spun around and cast more ribbons at the witch. They tightened around it, keeping it mostly immobilized and its mouth closed. It thrashed around wildly. If they didn't hurry, it would get free again. Umaru pointed her umbrella at Mami, empowering her with an orange glow. Mami waved her hand, and a giant ornate cannon appeared in front of her. She aimed it at the witch.

"Tiro finale!" There was a huge bang, and the witch exploded in a mess of color. The fight was over. It had been short, but extremely intense. Umaru's heart was pounding harder than she would have once believed possible. Her hands were shaking. She closed them both tightly around her umbrella so that it didn't show. She'd make sure to wash them as soon as she could.

"Umaru, you came," Mami said, approaching her. She smiled, and her eyes were misty.

"Mami…of course I…"

"And you even called your attack for once."

"I…you…oh Mami, I'm so sorry!" Umaru started bawling. She couldn't help it.

"Shhh, it's okay," Mami said, hugging her as the barrier faded around them. "I'm sorry too. But we're both safe now, as are the others. Don't cry, Umaru. How will that look to our juniors?"

"Mami," Umaru sniffed. "After…you…I…"

"I know. Me too. Don't worry. We'll speak more in a bit," She released Umaru and stepped around her. "We have someone else we need to deal with first."

Umaru took a deep breath to calm down. If there was to be another fight, she needed to be ready. A little ways away, Homura Akemi was on her knees, still bound by Mami's ribbons. Mami waved her hand, and the ribbons vanished. Homura got to her feet and looked at Mami.

"You survived."

Mami smiled at her. "Surprised? Disappointed?"

"Neither."

"I made it out thanks to Umaru, and she made it out thanks to me," Mami said. "Because even when we have disagreements, we remain friends. We trust each other and work together. Those seem to be foreign concepts to you."

Homura stared back at Mami, her expression blank. She said nothing.

"You confronted her yesterday," Mami continued. "You tried to run us out of the barrier today. You've openly admitted you don't want other girls making contracts. Do you deny any of this?"

"No," Homura said. "I don't."

"Well, I'm glad you're being honest, at least. I'll give you another chance. Explain yourself."

"I already have. But there's more to it than you think. You don't understand."

"Don't I? Then make me understand."

Homura looked as though she were about say something but stopped. Her eyes flicked from Mami and Umaru to Madoka and Sayaka, who had run up to join them. Madoka looked nervously at Homura, Sayaka with open dislike.

"Don't you have anything to say?" Umaru asked. Homura gave Umaru a brief glance and then shook her head.

"I see. You're the same as ever," Mami finally said. "Let me reiterate: stay away from us. I don't want to fight you, but I can't promise I'll continue to be so lenient with you."

Without another word, Homura turned around and walked off. Umaru stepped over toward one of the bike racks, bent down, and grabbed the grief seed from the ground. When she rejoined her friends, the four of them formed a small circle. Madoka still had a scared expression on her face. Sayaka looked almost thrilled.

"T-That was scary," Madoka said. She sounded shaky and anxious. "Mami, you…and Umaru…both of you could have…"

"So, do you see now what being a magical girl truly means?" Mami asked her. "Because that's the sort of situation you'll often end up in if you make a contract with Kyubey."

"Yes, but both of you were so cool!" Sayaka said excitedly. "I mean, that thing almost got Mami, but then Umaru saved the day! And then it almost got Umaru, but Mami saved her! It was amazing!"

"This is nothing to take lightly, and I would think what happened in there would drive that point home," Mami said sternly. "Umaru and I were very fortunate things didn't end in disaster for either or both of us."

"I'm sorry," Sayaka said, backing off a little. "I didn't mean to sound like that. I mean, it was just… wow."

"It's okay," Mami said. "It's been a very…eventful day. Would you please give Umaru and me a moment? We need to speak privately."

"Magical girl secrets?" Sayaka asked.

Mami smiled at her. "No, nothing like that. Just something personal she and I need to discuss."

"W-We should be heading off anyway," Madoka said, tugging on friend's arm. "Come on, Sayaka."

"Right," Sayaka said. She smiled widely at Mami and Umaru. "See you both later."

Still feeling a little shaken, Umaru watched them leave. She closed her eyes briefly. When she opened them, she no longer appeared as a magical girl, but simply a high school girl still in her school uniform. Mami changed back as well. Cradling her soul gem in one hand, Umaru decided she would take the initiative here and speak first.

"Mami," she said. Her voice broke as she talked. She couldn't help it. "Y-You were right about Homura. She came after you in the barrier, didn't she? That's what you said. I saw her tied up on my way in and I thought…"

"I don't know about correct," Mami said. "But let's not get into who is right and who is wrong, Umaru."

"I'm sorry I argued with you. I'm sorry for snapping at you like I did."

"And I'm sorry I didn't choose my words better or respect your point of view more." She reached out and squeezed Umaru's hand. "You have a good heart, Umaru. You wouldn't have said what you did yesterday otherwise."

"I should have listened to you. You're the more experienced one, the better one, the…" Umaru sniffed sadly.

Mami half-smiled. "I have a confession to make to you, Umaru."

"A confession?" Umaru didn't get it. What in the world would Mami need to confess to?

"Do you remember the day you showed me your high school in Tokyo? You said you thought I was strong."

"Yes. And you are."

Mami shook her head. "I'm not."

"What? Sure you are."

"It's just a façade. I'm weak." She looked down at the ground. When she looked back up, tears were running down her face. "I'm a sad and lonely girl. When you said you were moving to Mitakihara, all I could think of was myself, that I'd have a good friend living nearby who was also a magical girl and that I wouldn't have to be on my own anymore."

That didn't seem like the girl Umaru knew at all. Mami wasn't sad or selfish. She was kind, giving, and maybe a little too stiff sometimes, but always caring. She almost said as much, but then Mami kept going.

"You were important to me even before you moved here, but now you're more important to me than ever," she said. "When you were mad at me yesterday, I went home and sobbed and cried for hours. I replayed our conversation in my head, cursing myself for everything I said that I felt I could have phrased better."

"Oh, Mami…" But Mami held up her hand for silence.

"When Madoka came and fetched me today to warn me about the witch in the hospital, I almost didn't message you. What if you were still angry at me and ignored it? That would have made it even worse for me. I took the chance, but I was still worried. I went into that fight distracted and reckless, and I nearly paid a dear price for that. I've lectured you over and over about being careful. I ought to have listened to my own advice."

"Mami, you're being too hard on yourself."

Mami chuckled through her tears. "And you're being too easy on me. I barely have the words to describe what your arrival in the barrier today meant to me. When I realized you were there and fighting and prevented what probably would have been my death, well, everything good and right came rushing back to me. You have no idea how grateful I am that we're both even here to be able to talk this over."

"You saved me during that fight as well," Umaru pointed out. "Just as you've saved me several times already before. I'm glad I could repay that at least once."

"Of course," Mami said. "But there's more to it than that. That you came today tells me two things. The first is that you have a strong and admirable sense of duty and drive to protect and help people, including me. The second is that our friendship is much too deep and strong to be adversely affected by one silly argument."

"Mami…I…"

"We are friends for all time, Umaru," Mami said. "I will never doubt that."

"I won't either, Mami."

For a moment, there was nothing else. The din of the city was gone as were the witches and other magical girl concerns. There was only Umaru, her closest friend, and, in an office building a little ways away, her brother. Mami had said that Umaru was more important than ever to her. For Umaru, the reverse was also true.

Umaru held out the grief seed. "Here, Mami. You should take this. You need it, right?"

"You do as well, though," Mami said. "Why don't we both use it?"

Umaru smiled warmly at Mami as they both pressed their soul gems to the grief seed. Cloudy yellow and darker orange changed to bright yellow and orange. Umaru felt much better. She and Mami had made up, and all was as it should be once again.

"It should have one more use," Mami said, examining it. "Please, hold on to it for now."

"I will. But if you need it, please ask," Umaru said, pocketing the grief seed. "Okay, Mami?"

"Of course, Umaru," Mami said. "So, are you ready to talk about Homura Akemi a little? I don't want to decide anything with regards to her without hearing your input."

"Yes. And thank you, Mami. Let's start with what exactly happened today before I arrived."

"Kaname-san and Miki-san found the witch at the hospital," she said. "Miki-san waited there with Kyubey and got trapped inside of the barrier while Kaname-san fetched me."

"She didn't call or message you?" Or me, she thought. But Mami's closer in age to them than I am. Plus, they go to the same school, and they've been to her apartment.

"No," Mami replied. "We should all swap numbers the next time we're together, speaking of which."

"Absolutely. Anyway, please continue."

"Homura Akemi approached Kaname-san and me when we were inside. She told us to leave and that she'd deal with the witch. To be honest, if Miki-san and Kyubey had not been in the barrier, then I would have gladly left the witch to her."

"You didn't trust her not to harm them?"

"I didn't. I'm sorry, but she's done nothing to earn my trust. Furthermore, I didn't want her following us. I didn't want a repeat of what happened with Fuun. And this could have been an even more dangerous situation with Kaname-san and Miki-san there. We're responsible for our juniors, remember."

"She refused to leave?"

"She did and made no moves to do so."

"Is that when you tied her up?"

"Yes. The witch hadn't hatched, and I didn't want to use a lot of magic in a fight against Homura Akemi. And I didn't want to harm her unless she gave me a reason."

"I see," Umaru said. She thought Mami might have acted a little rashly but didn't want to start another argument. And she could understand the reasoning behind her actions a little. "So, what are we going to do about her?"

Mami tented her fingers and stared down for a moment. When she looked back up, she said "We'll wait. That's what I'd like to do, but again, I want to know what you think. And please be honest."

"That's probably the best course of action right now," Umaru said. If nothing else, that meant there would only be a conflict between them if Homura started it. Umaru still hoped she'd come around and be willing to work with them, but Homura herself didn't seem to want that. And that would be especially hard after today.

"The advantage is ours, not hers," Mami said. "We have numbers, we have Kyubey, and it's easier to be on the defensive side of this situation, not the offensive one. That's assuming she actually has ill intentions, of course."

"Is there anything else we can do in the meantime?" Umaru wondered.

"I'm certainly open to suggestions, Umaru. One of the things our argument yesterday made realize is that I need to be better at listening to others' perspectives."

"I'm not sure yet, honestly," Umaru said. "I'll need to think on it some. But I want to know more in the meantime. Maybe there are some things I can dig up."

"That's a good idea, but be extremely careful. I'm not going to require you to run everything you do by me, but it would ease my mind you're not taking unnecessary risks. And perhaps I can help with whatever you come up with."

"Don't worry, Mami, I'll keep you up to speed."

"Of course, if Homura Akemi does try anything, I intend for us to respond in kind. I hope it doesn't come to that, however."

"Agreed." Umaru nodded. She hoped not either.

"Umaru," Taihei said. "You seem happier than you did this morning. Did you resolve the argument you mentioned at breakfast?"

Umaru looked at her brother across the dinner table. He had made Hamburg steak for their meal, knowing she loved it.

"Yes, Onii-chan," she said. "We both apologized, and we made up. And we came to a good course of action for going forward too after calmly discussing it, just like you said."

"That's excellent to hear. I'm proud of you."

"Thank you, Onii-chan! For that and for your advice."

"You're welcome. What exactly happened, if I may ask?"

Umaru looked at her brother. She could spill everything. In some ways, it would be a bit of a relief. His perspective might even be very valuable. Then she thought of all the dangerous things she did. She thought of the caterpillar witch and its awful teeth. No, he didn't need the worry.

"Oh, just girl stuff, Onii-chan," she said. That was at least technically true. "Don't worry about it."

After dinner, Umaru sat at her desk, studying her copy of one of Mami's research notebooks. She had decided to focus on Mami's notes on witches more than her soul gem experiments for the time being. The encounter at the hospital had shaken her more than she wanted to admit. It had almost ended in hear death and Mami's. Not even the fight against the cooking pot witch had frightened her so much. Just picturing that witch with its horrible grin and teeth and…

Umaru shuddered. She needed to stop thinking about that. It was dead; the grief seed on her desk was proof of that. And everyone was safe.

There was a knock at her door, and she heard her brother's voice. "Umaru? There's someone here to see you."

"Really? Thanks, I'll go see them," Umaru said, a little surprised. Was it Mami? Sayaka? Madoka? Umaru couldn't really think of anyone else who would come and see her. Of the three, only Mami knew where she lived (something that she noted still needed to be corrected), but she'd have thought her brother would have said if it was Mami.

She steadied herself; too many bad thoughts had been swirling around in her head. She got up and stepped out of her bedroom, past her brother, and to the front door of the apartment.

It wasn't Mami, Sayaka, or Madoka there waiting for her. It was Homura Akemi.

"Um…" Umaru looked at her uncertainly. Was she finally making her move against them?

"Hello, Umaru Doma," Homura said back. Her voice was as expressionless as ever.

"I don't know how you found out where I live," Umaru said. She stepped out their apartment and closed the door behind her "But if you attack me…or my brother…" She pulled her ring off, and it changed into a small orange jewel. Could she fight this girl without Mami? Umaru had no idea what Homura Akemi was capable of, but she'd do whatever was necessary.

"I've never had any intention of attacking you or anyone else," Homura said, glancing briefly at Umaru's soul gem and then back up at her. "I came here to thank you."

Umaru blinked in surprise. That was the last thing she would have had expected to hear. "For what?"

"For saving Madoka today."

"I…see. I'm sorry for assuming the worst."

"Considering all that's happened and who you associate with, I might react similarly were our positions reversed," Homura said.

"So, you tracked me down just to come say thanks?"

"Partly. There's one other matter."

"What is it?"

"This isn't an easy request, especially given the events of today," Homura said. "But I have to ask nonetheless: don't encourage Madoka Kaname to become a magical girl."

Umaru sighed. "Mami really was right about you. You don't want more competition."

"That isn't the case," Homura said. "I'm not interested in taking this territory from you and her."

"Why, then?"

Homura studied Umaru for a moment as though she was considering something. "I'm looking out for Madoka's safety."

"I see," Umaru said, wondering if she should believe this girl. "Why didn't you just tell Mami that?"

"She almost certainly won't listen. But it seems to me that you will."

"You've barely tried talking with her. How do you know she won't?"

"Experience."

"Fair enough. I admit things haven't been stellar so far, but maybe if you get to know her better, we could talk this out." And our five-member magical girl group could happen. You'd definitely be the quiet one.

"I know very well what Mami Tomoe is like. That's why I'm approaching you with this."

"Huh? You only just met her. How do you know what she's like?" Was Homura the magical girl who had previously spent time with Mami? No. If that were the case, Mami would have said so. Maybe Homura knew that girl, however. Maybe she had done a lot more spying than Umaru had thought. Or maybe she was jumping to a conclusion about Mami, just as Mami had done about her.

"That's not important at the moment," Homura said. "And we've gone off on a tangent. Will you at least consider my request?"

"Well, Madoka does seem very uncertain about making a contract, more so after today." Umaru recalled her reaction after the fight. Sayaka, on the other hand, had seemed even more enthusiastic about it all.

"She should be. Being a magical girl isn't a game, though I'm sure I don't need to tell you that. What she saw today hopefully made that clearer to her."

"Right." What happened today had made that clearer to Umaru too. "But again, I can't make a decision for her." Besides, if neither you nor she joins us, that leaves us with only a three-person group.

"I'm not asking you to do that. I'm asking that you not explicitly push her into making a contract. And don't bring her along to fight witches. It's extremely dangerous for both you and her. You don't need distractions while fighting."

"That's her choice also."

"You're not obligated to do so simply because she and Mami Tomoe ask it of you."

"You're very, very concerned about Madoka, aren't you? You're going through a lot of trouble for her." Why she was doing that, well, that was another matter, but Umaru didn't think Homura Akemi was likely to tell her.

"I am, yes."

"And course, you're thankful that I saved her today. But what about Mami, Sayaka, and Kyubey?" Umaru had noted that omission earlier.

"Obviously, I'm glad none of them were hurt either."

I'll buy that. But it was specifically Madoka you came to thank me for helping, not any of them. And you're asking me to keep just her from contracting, rather than Sayaka as well.

But again: why Madoka? Umaru's mind went to work. The two girls probably weren't related. Did Homura feel like she owed some sort of debt to Madoka? Could Homura see into the future and knew Madoka had to be protected? Or was it something that was both less complicated and far more so at the same time: did Homura simply have very strong feelings for her?

For whatever reason, Homura's primary concern was Madoka. That was why she had approached Madoka at their school like Mami said. That was also why Homura had followed them around and had shown up at different places like the abandoned lot and the hospital.

Wait. Of course!

That was it. Finally, Umaru recalled where she had seen this girl before.

"The hospital," she said.

Homura tilted her head slightly. "Excuse me?"

"You were at the Mitakihara hospital. Not today, but a few weeks ago. I saw you when I was there with my brother to visit Kitami-san. But you've changed since then."

"What are you talking about?"

"You bumped into me while my brother and I were walking through the children's ward. You got upset and ran off afterward. Your voice sounded higher than it does now." Umaru blinked. She remembered it clearly. "You were wearing glasses. And your hair was braided. That's why I didn't quite recognize you at first."

"That…sounds like someone completely different." For the first time, Homura's expression changed, and she looked a little uncertain.

"It was you though," Umaru said. "And you were a hospital patient. Kitami-san said so. Why were you there? Madoka said you came from a school in Tokyo."

Homura said nothing. Her face returned to its usual blank expression. Umaru raised her hands with her palms up. Finally, Homura shook her head and spoke. "I've taken up enough of your time, so I'll be on my way. Perhaps we'll speak more another day. In the meantime, please think about what I said. Thank you again for what you did today."

"W-wait!" Umaru said as Homura turned around and walked off. "You were the girl in the hospital. I know it! What happened?"

Homura didn't reply. She turned a corner in the apartment hallway. Umaru ran and looked around it, but she had vanished.

Drat. How does she do that?

Umaru stepped back inside her apartment, scratching her head. Though that encounter had been odd, she now knew more information. She wondered what Mami would make of this.

"Who was that?" Taihei asked from the living room.

"Just…one of Mami's friends," Umaru answered. Thankfully, her brother didn't inquire any further. She returned to her studying. When it was very late, she decided that instead of sleeping, she'd just play Whacky Waitress. She didn't want to have a nightmare about the witch from the hospital.

Umaru met up with Mami, Sayaka, and Madoka at the Mitakihara mall after school the next day. Sitting down at a booth in the eatery, she told them everything about Homura's visit and her words.

"That's a lot to consider," Mami said when she had finished. "My first and foremost concern is that she showed up at your apartment."

"She did, but not to fight," Umaru pointed out, taking a bite of her sandwich. She loved the food here. They even served cola with the meals.

"True. I acknowledge that she didn't try anything. It still makes me worry about you."

Kyubey, who was sitting on Madoka's lap, peeked above the table and commented: "She could still be planning something."

"You think she's trying to play mind games with us or that maybe she has some sort of long-term strategy?" Umaru asked, though she was skeptical.

"It's possible, but I can't answer that for certain," Kyubey said. Umaru tore off a bit of her sandwich, reached across the table and fed it to him. What did Kyubey eat when there were no magical girls around to feed him?

"Well, if she's so against Madoka contracting," Sayaka said. "Then you should just go ahead and do it, Madoka. That'll show her."

"No." Mami's voice was sharp. "That's a very poor reason to become a magical girl."

"I agree with Mami," Madoka said. "And after what happened yesterday I'm not sure…"

"You'd be able to help fight witches though, just like Mami and Umaru," Sayaka said.

Madoka shook her head. "Just like I said to Mami yesterday, I really don't know…"

"Sayaka, being a magical girl is extremely dangerous, and Homura says she wants to keep Madoka safe," Umaru said. "Don't forget that."

"If she's being honest," Sayaka grumbled.

"She isn't exactly an open book, but I don't think she lied about that."

"She lied about coming from a school in Tokyo, though," Sayaka pointed out. "She's probably lying about other things too."

"Maybe it's one of those 'technically true' stories," Umaru suggested. Or maybe she's like me and has to tell some lies in order to keep a front up against normal humans who aren't magical girls. She, Mami, and I all lead double lives. Maybe that's something we ought to impress on Madoka and Sayaka.

"Either way, it still raises more questions than answers," Mami said. She looked at Sayaka and Madoka. "Homura Akemi is right, however. Being a magical girl is dangerous, which is why I want both of you to think very hard about before you decide to become one, just as you should also think very hard about your wish. Ahem." She peered at Sayaka, sitting across the table from her.

"Uh, of course, Mami," Sayaka said, chuckling nervously.

Umaru turned to Madoka. "You don't have to do anything until you feel right about it. Don't let anyone pressure you into anything. You have to decide, not Homura or any of us."

"Thanks, Umaru," Madoka said quietly. "You know, I've talked with Homura some. Maybe she'd be willing to tell me why she was in the hospital."

Mami shook her head. "You could try, but I'm not sure she'd be willing to share, especially now that she's aware we know more about her than she probably wanted us to know."

Umaru remembered a strategy game she had played. It was all about developing tactics when you had no idea what your enemy was planning and wouldn't know until the open battle had started. That was what it felt like this was turning into. If Homura really was their enemy then it would have made more sense for her to target Mami first. Unless, of course, she really did know more about Mami than she let on, which was entirely possible, given what she'd said.

But was Homura their enemy? She hadn't exactly been their ally, but that didn't automatically make her their foe. She thought about their conversation again. Maybe she shouldn't have mentioned that she saw Homura in the hospital. Well, it was too late for that now.

Umaru had to admit she enjoyed this little bit of intrigue and mystery. It was like something out of a drama series, even if it ended up being something mundane. She turned to Mami. "Let's go with your plan, Mami. We'll wait and see what she does. In the meantime, are we hunting witches today?"

"No," Mami said, shaking her head. "I've no good targets. Give me a day or so. In the meantime, I imagine all three of you have studying to do."

Madoka and Sayaka groaned. Umaru both wanted to groan with them and laugh. Mami wasn't just their leader. She was also their stand-in mother. She wondered if Mami would start lecturing Madoka and Sayaka about what they ate as well.

"We do," Sayaka said. "But hey, Umaru's here. You'll help us. Right, Umaru? You're in high school, so you've already done all the stuff we're doing."

"Sayaka, we shouldn't take advantage of her," Madoka said.

"You should ask politely, Miki-san," Mami said. "Rather than just assuming."

"Oh, it's okay!" Umaru said. Was this to be her role in the group, then? She could live with that. It wouldn't be the first time she had tutored her friends. "If you need help with anything, just say so."

"Yay! Thanks, Umaru!" Sayaka said. "By the way, Mami, you can just call me Sayaka."

"I don't know…" Mami said.

"Umaru does, and she's older than you."

"Umaru is…" Mami looked at Umaru. Umaru raised her eyebrow at her. "Alright, then. Sayaka it is."

"And call me Madoka!" Madoka said, smiling.

"Wait," Umaru said. "What am I, Mami? You didn't finish that thought."

"Oh, I was just going to say that you're a very sweet and lovely girl," Mami said.

"Uh-huh."

Umaru ended up staying around a little bit and helping Sayaka and Madoka some. Sayaka wondered aloud if they could use telepathy during their exams for help. While she didn't say so to the rest of the group, Umaru had to admit, that sounded like one of the side perks of being a magical girl (like having Kyubey eat one's vegetables). Mami, however, put her foot down on that idea. Their fearless leader wouldn't tolerate cheating in school.

When she finally set off for home, Umaru had only gone one block when she heard a voice call her name.

"Umaru!"

She turned around. Sayaka was running after her.

"Yes?" Umaru said as Sayaka caught up to her.

"I wanted to talk to you."

"What is it?" Umaru looked directly at Sayaka's honest face and friendly blue eyes. Unlike Mami (who was slightly smaller than Umaru) and Madoka (who was much smaller), Sayaka was her height, even though there was a two-year age difference between them. She'd probably be taller than Umaru in the future. "Do you need more help with your studies?"

Sayaka looked over her shoulder then back at Umaru. "Well, yes, but this isn't about that. Is there someplace we can go that it's just you and me?"

"Well, there's my apartment. My brother won't be home from work for a bit," Umaru said, though she was unsure why Sayaka wanted to speak to her alone. "Anything in particular you want to discuss, Sayaka?"

"A few things, actually. One of them is my wish. I've made my mind up."

Chapter Text

Umaru, Mami, Madoka, and Sayaka made their way through the Mitakihara streets. Since it was Friday night, people still milled about. Fortunately, nobody paid them any mind.

"It feels like we're spies," Sayaka said.

"We're just going to the hospital," Mami said.

"What if we get caught?" Madoka worried.

"We won't if we're careful," Mami said. "And if we are, leave the talking to Umaru and me."

"This might be easier to do during the day."

"We can't do this during the day," Umaru said. "Kamijo-san would be awake, and he'd notice what we're trying to do." What I'll be trying to do, that is.

They were on their way to the hospital to heal this Kyousuke Kamijo boy. Umaru was going to put her healing magic through a tough test. Mami and Madoka led the way, with Sayaka and Umaru right behind them. Sayaka looked at Umaru, who was dressed in her UMR guise: her red hoodie, matching cap, and the rest of the ensemble.

"Why are you dressed like that, Umaru?" Sayaka asked. "It's as if you're actually trying to be a spy. Is that how normally you dress outside of school?"

"Occasionally," Umaru answered. "And I'm wearing this because there's a woman who volunteers at the hospital who might recognize me, and I don't want her to. Granted, it's unlikely she'll be there at this time of night, but I'm erring on the side of caution." Additionally, she didn't want to draw attention to herself, and that was a little easier when she was dressed up as UMR.

"Huh. Is that getup really enough to fool people?"

"You'd be surprised, Sayaka," Umaru said, thinking of Sylphyn.

"I am actually," Sayaka said. "I wouldn't think it would be that easy. But why don't you want this woman to recognize you?"

"Because she knows my brother," Umaru said. "And if she tells him that she saw me at the hospital, he might ask awkward questions." And being caught sneaking into the hospital isn't something I want to try and have to explain to him, especially when I told him I was just going out with Mami.

"I see," Sayaka said. She lowered her voice some. "So, about my wish that I want to make if this doesn't work…do you think it's okay?"

"I think so," Umaru said. "Though you have to decide that for yourself. But, like we talked about, Sayaka, if you really want something else to happen, then there are other ways to go about that."

Umaru and Sayaka had indeed discussed just that. Why had Sayaka come to Umaru? Well, she was older, Sayaka had said, and thus presumably knew more, but still probably understood. Umaru didn't feel like she really knew more (as Sayaka had put it), but she did her best to help out. And that was why they were sneaking into the Mitakihara hospital now.

"I'm just…not sure, you know. It makes me nervous just thinking about it," Sayaka said quietly. "That probably sounds silly to you."

"It doesn't, and I'm sure you'll be fine," Umaru reassured her. She actually had no idea what to tell Sayaka on how to proceed with her crush on this boy and was winging it. "You're already close to him, right? Just keeping being yourself."

"I don't know…"

"But that's why you're talking about it with Umaru, right?" Madoka said, suddenly looking over her shoulder at them. "Because she can help you!"

"Madoka!" Sayaka exclaimed. Umaru felt a little bad for her. While her friend was undoubtedly aware of her feelings for this boy, Sayaka was probably embarrassed to talk about it. "Were you listening in on our conversation?"

"Umaru's probably had lots of boyfriends," Madoka said. "I'm sure she's got loads of good advice and some stories too!"

"I…haven't really had a lot of time for romance," Umaru said. "You know, between moving and school and becoming a magical girl." Of course, I also used to spend almost all of my free time indoors playing games and watching anime, which didn't really leave much time for romance either. But let's leave that part out for now.

"You haven't been a magical girl that long though, right?" Madoka asked. "Do you have any good boyfriend stories from before you made a contract?"

"Or girlfriend stories?" Sayaka asked, apparently glad to shift the conversation topic from her love life to Umaru's. "Have you broken anyone's heart?"

"I bet a lot of people have confessed to her," Madoka said, smiling.

"Oh, yes! Tell us, Umaru!"

"Ah ha," Umaru said, feeling herself blush. This was getting absurd. "Well, um…"

"Don't pester her, you two," Mami said. Before Umaru could feel grateful, however, her friend added: "Although, if you did have any personal romantic anecdotes you wanted to share, well, I wouldn't mind hearing them either."

Great. Even Mami was getting into this now. At one point in her life, Umaru might have made up something that vaguely resembled something from a manga or dating sim game. That was the extent of her experience with any type of romance. She wasn't going to lie to Mami, Sayaka, and Madoka, but she didn't really want to outright admit that either.

"I don't really have anything particularly interesting to share," Umaru said. "I'm sorry."

Three disappointed faces looked back at her. Umaru figured they'd have to make do. Besides, if things worked out for Sayaka, then she'd have her own experience and could share it with Madoka and Mami. As for Umaru, she'd support Sayaka, but other than that, she was fine. Real romance probably didn't match up to the stories in manga and anime anyway. It was a bit like being a magical girl in that regard.

"That's okay, Umaru," Mami said. "We should focus on the task at hand anyway."

"It's still possible for you to wish for Kyousuke Kamijo to heal, Sayaka," Kyubey said. As usual, he was riding on Madoka's shoulder. Umaru was glad he was uninterested in discussing romance. His suggestion, however, was Sayaka's backup plan. After a lengthy discussion between her and Umaru, Sayaka had agreed to let Umaru try to heal Kamijo's hand.

"We've tabled that wish, Kyubey," Mami said. "Hopefully, Umaru will be able to do something here."

"We should hurry," Sayaka said. "At some point, they'll lock the side entrance, and we won't be able to get in."

Umaru was glad Sayaka knew her way through the Mitakihara hospital. She must have come here quite a few times to visit this boy. They rode the elevator to the upper floor. Spotting nobody in the hallway, Sayaka led them down one hallway and then another. She stopped them, and Umaru saw a nurse leaving a patient's room.

"Okay," Sayaka said. "That's his room."

Sayaka accompanied Umaru into the room while Mami and Madoka kept a lookout. At the far end was a boy sleeping on a hospital bed next to the window. Umaru removed her soul gem ring and transformed. As quietly as she could, she crept over while Sayaka waited by the door. If the boy woke up, she probably didn't want him to see her there. And if that did happen, Umaru would need to start running.

She pointed her umbrella at the bandage around the boy's left wrist, and it began glowing. It was felt as though it was working, but Umaru couldn't be sure. She hadn't really tried something quite like this before. She concentrated as hard as she could and focused her magic on the boy's injury.

When she felt like she had done all that she could do, she nodded at Sayaka. They quickly made their way out of the hospital room. Followed by Mami and Madoka, they exited the hospital. It was all over quicker than Umaru had anticipated.

"Did it work?" Mami asked.

"I think so," Umaru said. She felt tired all of a sudden. "Maybe it'll take some time to tell?"

"I'm sure you did, Umaru," Sayaka said, hugging Umaru. "Thank you."

"We did a good thing," Madoka said happily.

"We did," Mami agreed.

"Umaru," Sayaka whispered. "I don't mean this to sound bad, but you won't tell him it was you who healed him, right?"

Umaru shook her head. It was unlikely she'd ever even talk to this boy. And even mentioning this would mean bringing up the fact that they had snuck into the hospital and used magic on this boy in his sleep. Granted, it was for a good cause, but putting it that way made Umaru feel a little uncomfortable.

When Umaru returned to her apartment, the lights were all out. Her brother must have gone to bed. Checking on him, she saw he was sleeping peacefully. Satisfied, she went to her bedroom and found Kyubey sitting on the chair at her desk. She smiled at him.

"Well, that was something, wasn't it?" she asked. She felt proud of herself that she had been able to help the Kamijo boy.

"Indeed," Kyubey replied. "Your magic has gotten far stronger, Umaru."

"Thanks, Kyubey. But right now, I'm beat."

Umaru sat down on her bed. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt so drained. She decided she'd spend Saturday resting. On Sunday, Kirie was coming to visit (just her, it seemed) and Umaru wanted to be well enough to enjoy her time with her.

She held up her soul gem to the grief seed from caterpillar witch, and most of the impure cloudiness from it disappeared. It wasn't as bright as it could be, however. And I'll need to find another grief seed. This one is pitch black now.

"I'll take that from you," Kyubey said. "We can't let a new witch hatch, after all."

Kyubey was absolutely right about that. Umaru tossed the grief seed to him. He caught it on his head, rolled it back and forth, and bounced it up into the air. Then the little compartment on his back opened, and with a final bump from his head, the grief seed flew up and dropped neatly in. The trap door on his back snapped shut and pulsed briefly with a soft light.

"Ninety-eight points," Umaru said, smiling. She had seen Kyubey do this little performance before but found it endearing just the same. Having Kyubey around was, of course, something that matched Umaru's image of magical girls. He was their cute little familiar and mentor.

"Why not a hundred?" Kyubey asked.

"Too few bounces," Umaru said, playfully scratching his head. "And you should bat it with your tail too like you did the last time."

"Noted. You know, I had thought Sayaka would use her wish to heal that boy's hand," Kyubey remarked. "But then you stepped in."

"You're not unhappy about that, right?" Umaru asked. "We magical girls are supposed to help people, after all."

"I'm not unhappy. It seems like she'll become a magical girl anyway," Kyubey said. "She'll just make a slightly different wish."

"Right," Umaru said, lying back on her bed and closing her eyes. And her wish for that boy to be healed happened even without her making a contract, so she really will get two wishes. Lucky girl…

Umaru dreamed she was back inside the barrier of the witch that had been at the hospital. She ran by Homura Akemi, who said something about her being an idiot. Umaru ignored her. She had to get to witch's lair and stop it. She sprinted through the labyrinth. She had been here before and knew the way. When she reached the large chamber where the witch resided, it wasn't Mami was standing stock-still in front of it, however. It was her brother.

Watch out for the witch! She shouted her warning as loudly as she could. But Taihei didn't seem to hear her. The witch bumped him with its head, and he went flying. As he lay on the ground, unmoving, it sprang on him and began devouring him alive, making sickening crunching noises as it did. Umaru could do nothing but watch in horror. It all happened in an instant.

The witch looked up at her and grinned. Umaru still couldn't move. It lunged at her, and she realized that she didn't have her magic umbrella in her hands. She screamed again about the witch, hoping Mami would come and help, but it did no good. It had already grabbed her; she could feel it. The last thing she was going to see in life was those hideous teeth…

"Umaru, wake up!"

"Onii-chan!" she screamed, sitting up with a start.

Her brother was sitting on the edge of her bed. His hands were on her shoulders, and he had been shaking her. In her fear, she had latched onto his arms. She was shivering and drenched in sweat. Tears ran down her face; she had been crying in her sleep. She retched, but nothing came up. Given everything else, she'd later figure that was probably for the best.

"Umaru!" Taihei exclaimed again, hugging her. "It's okay. I'm here."

Umaru took a few deep breaths and steadied herself. She looked around her room, reminding herself that she was safely in her apartment, not back in the witch's lair. And the only other person there was her brother, and he was fine as well. Finally, she said "I-I-woke you, didn't I? I'm sorry, Onii-chan. I was having a very bad dream, that's all."

"That's all?" he asked incredulously, releasing her and looking at her, his face full of worry. "Umaru, you were screaming your head off. And you…are you sick?"

"It was only a dream," she said. She wasn't sure if she was trying to insist that more to him or to herself. "Only a dream."

"Well, you don't feel warm," Taihei said, putting his hand on her forehead. "But you don't look well."

"It was just very scary, Onii-chan," Umaru said. "I'm not sick. I'll be okay in a bit."

"It must have been scary to affect you like this," Taihei said. "Did it have something to do with a witch?"

Oh no. What else had she yelled in her sleep? What had he heard? She needed to make up something quickly.

"Um, that's probably from a horror movie Mami and I watched the other day," Umaru said nervously. "It had an evil witch in it."

The witch had a clown face and sharp teeth. But it's dead. I know it is. Mami shot it with her giant cannon, and it exploded. All that was left of it was the grief seed that Kyubey's already taken care of.

"I see," Taihei said. "Umaru, let's-"

There was a loud knock on their apartment door "Doma-san! Is everything alright?"

It was their next-door neighbor who had clearly heard the commotion Umaru had made.

"Ah, I'll go get that," Taihei said, standing up. "I'll be right back, Umaru. Just take it easy for a moment."

That had been the worst, most realistic nightmare she'd had since becoming a magical girl. Umaru looked down at her hands. They were still shaking. She opened and closed her fists a few times. That this kept happening was disturbing. And it was always her brother she being hurt or killed – never Mami or Kirie or any of her other friends.

"That's taken care of," Taihei said as he walked back into her bedroom. "I'll go make us some tea. We seem to have a lot of it now, thanks to Mami."

Tea was all well and good, but Umaru knew cola would make her feel better. She said as much to her brother as she followed him into the living room. He brewed a cup for himself and set down a bottle of cola in front of her. It had been a while since he had done that; she got her own drinks these days. She also did something else she had stopped doing – she chugged a good portion of the bottle in one gulp. She felt much better and clear-headed.

"Umaru," Taihei said, sitting down across from her and sipping his tea. "Maybe you need to see a doctor about this. I know you've been having problems sleeping lately. You're up late every night and equally early every morning. Are you having a lot of nightmares?"

Umaru doubted there were any doctors qualified to treat magical girls' problems. She had mentioned her issue to both Mami and Kyubey, but neither of them had any advice for her on how to stop the nightmares from occurring. On the positive side of things, her brother's words indicated that he wasn't aware of her sneaking out at night to go and fight witches. That was good.

"No, that's alright, Onii-chan," she insisted, putting on the best 'perfect little sister' smile she could manage. "I'm sure it'll pass."

"Alright," Taihei said, though he looked skeptical. "But no more horror movies, Umaru. Okay?"

"Okay, Onii-chan. I'll avoid them from now on." Who needs horror movies when you have to fight actual monsters anyway?

By the time Sunday rolled around, Umaru was feeling somewhat better. She had spent her entire Saturday doing nothing but laze about (well, until her brother arrived home from work, anyway). When she greeted Kirie at the Mitakihara train station, she was all smiles.

"Hi, Kirie!"

"Hello, Umaru," Kirie said.

"Have a pleasant train ride?"

"It was fine."

"You must be hungry," Umaru said. "We can have lunch at the Mitakihara mall, and there are loads of shops there I'm sure you'd like."

"Alright. I'm fine with…whatever you want to do."

They headed to the Mitakihara mall. Kirie gazed around, apparently impressed by it. Umaru couldn't blame her; she felt the same way each time she was in it. As they crossed the atrium, a familiar voice called her name.

"Hi, Umaru!"

Umaru turned around. Sayaka and Madoka were running up to her and Kirie. Kyubey was on Madoka's shoulder. Umaru smiled at her friends.

"Hello!" she said. "Kirie, this is Sayaka Miki and Madoka Kaname. Both of you, this is Kirie Motoba. We went to school in Tokyo together."

"H-Hi," Kirie said quietly. She glanced slightly longer at Madoka than at Sayaka. "Good to meet you both."

"What are you two up to?" Umaru asked.

"We were shopping for CDs," Sayaka said.

"She's going to take them to-" Madoka began.

"Madoka!" Sayaka said, gesturing at Kirie, who was simply looking at the two with a bit of a glare on her face.

"How is your friend in the hospital?" Umaru asked.

"I visited him yesterday. He's slightly better," Sayaka said. "I mean, he's not completely recovered, but thanks to…uh…some help, maybe there's hope now. I think he's seeing a specialist tomorrow."

"That's wonderful," Umaru said. For Sayaka's sake, she had hoped the boy's wrist would be completely healed immediately, but maybe that was beyond her. Regardless, this seemed like a good sign. "Say, Kirie and I were about to have lunch. Why don't you join us?"

They were more than happy to. The four girls made their way to the eatery. As they ate lunch, Kirie spoke some with Umaru, but she barely said anything to Madoka and Sayaka. This didn't go unnoticed by the two of them, and they decided to let Umaru know via Kyubey's telepathy.

Your friend is quiet, Sayaka said.

Sayaka, she's just shy, Madoka said. I think Motoba-san is very nice.

Let's not do this now, please, Umaru responded. She reflected that, once again, she didn't like so many voices in her head, and she wasn't fond of this form of communication in the first place. This feels rude when she can't hear us.

"Right, right," Sayaka said out loud.

"Huh?" Kirie looked up at her.

"Ah, nothing!" Sayaka said, waving her hands. "I was just thinking. How do you like Mitakihara, Motoba-san?"

"It's nice."

After lunch, they shopped a little bit with Madoka and Sayaka. Kirie didn't seem to be her normal self. Was she not having a good time again? Or was she sick? She did look a bit pale to Umaru. Outside of a music store, Umaru decided she needed to check.

"What's wrong, Kirie?" Umaru asked. "Are you feeling alright?"

"I am," Kirie sighed. "But I thought it would be nice if it was just…um…never mind. I need to go to the bathroom."

"Okay. We'll wait for you here."

Kirie ran off in the direction of the restrooms. Umaru chatted with Sayaka and Madoka for a bit, before realizing that Kirie was taking a while. Leaving the two of them to go and check on her, she went to the restroom, but Kirie wasn't in there.

Umaru was worried. Where had she gone? Had someone kidnapped her? She walked down the side hallway past the bathrooms. This was the only way Kirie would have gone. Eventually, it led to a door that opened to the outside of the mall. Why would she have left?

Umaru took the exit and found herself on a side street. She looked up and down the block. She saw no sign of Kirie. She picked a direction and started running, looking for her in every direction she could.

Finally, she spotted Kirie a bit away ducking into a side alley. What in the world was she doing? Umaru ran after her. When she got to the alley, Kirie was already halfway through it, but she had slowed and was walking oddly. Had she been hurt? Umaru sprinted and caught up with her.

"Kirie!" she said. "There are you are. I was worried. What are you doing? Are you okay?"

"Umaru…" Kirie said, turning and looking at her with glassy eyes.

"Kirie? What happened?"

"I…" She reached out to Umaru and grasped her arm with both hands. Umaru looked down and noticed an odd-looking mark on Kirie's inner wrist: a witch's kiss. Umaru was both angry and terrified. A witch had attacked her friend.

"Kirie, we need to get out of here and quickly," Umaru said. But just as she said that the alleyway around them disappeared. The air turned sour, and strange colored walls rose up out of nowhere. They seemed to flash and sway all around them.

"No," Umaru said. "Not right now…"

Kirie's hands gripped Umaru's arm even tighter. If Umaru wasn't a magical girl, it probably would have really hurt; Kirie was rather strong. And at that moment, she was in complete terror. Could she actually see what was happening? Umaru wasn't sure.

"U-Umaru..." Kirie stammered. "I…you…"

Kirie's grip loosened. Her eyes rolled upward, and she collapsed to the ground before Umaru could catch her.

"Kirie!?" Umaru cried, shaking her. "Kirie, please wake up!" It was no good. Kirie didn't respond. Was it out of fear, an effect of the witch's kiss or both? It didn't matter. Umaru had to get her out of the barrier.

Kirie's safety was important that secrecy. Umaru pulled off her ring and transformed. She reached down and put her hand on Kirie's neck. There was a pulse there. She waved her umbrella over her. Kirie stirred a little but didn't wake up. Why isn't my healing magic working on her? Is it because we're in the barrier, and it's affecting her worse than it would outside? All the more reason we need to escape.

But how? Umaru looked at her surroundings. There were many different-colored walls, and they seemed to be constantly moving, changing both position and color. She wasn't sure which way to go, and escaping would either require some extensive searching. And if Kirie didn't wake up quickly, Umaru would have to carry her out while protecting her. Otherwise, she'd need to kill the witch. But that would be equally hard to do with Kirie unconscious.

"Umaru!"

Umaru looked up. Sayaka and Madoka had entered the barrier and were running toward her. Kyubey was running behind them. They passed between two of the colored walls and caught up to her.

"Sayaka! Madoka!" Umaru was certainly glad to see them but was also a little worried. "It's not safe for you two to be here."

"We, um, didn't exactly intend to end up in here," Sayaka said. "We were looking for you after you didn't come back. Kyubey said you had gone out of the mall entirely. We didn't know that there was a witch so close by."

"I didn't either," Umaru said. "Kirie's got a witch's kiss on her. I need to get her out of here."

Madoka looked around. "The exit is right behind us."

As if on cue, the walls changed, and the way Madoka and Sayaka came in vanished. A large bright star flew at them out of nowhere. Umaru quickly raised her umbrella and swatted it. It vanished just as quickly as it had appeared.

Sayaka groaned. "Great. What are we going to do now?"

"I can protect you both and Kirie too," Umaru said. "But I'm not sure how we're going to escape. This barrier keeps shifting, and I'm not sure how far in we are at this point. And I don't want to leave Kirie alone, so I can't take on the witch unless she wakes up."

"Let's call Mami!" Sayaka said, taking out her. She glanced down at it. "No, never mind. There's no signal in here."

"Maybe we can carry Motoba-san," Madoka suggested.

"Or maybe," Sayaka said. "I can help."

"Help carry?" Madoka asked.

"No. Help fight," Sayaka said. "It's time for me to do something."

"Wait." Umaru knew exactly what Sayaka was getting at. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. This is as good a time as any," Sayaka said. She turned to Kyubey. "I wish to be able to protect and help people as a defender of justice."

"If you're certain, Sayaka," Kyubey said. "Then that wish can absolutely be granted."

"Sayaka…" Madoka said. "Are you…really sure?"

"Sayaka," Umaru said. "Your wish…"

"I've already decided," Sayaka said. "You and Mami have already given me something, Umaru. I'm going to repay you back by fighting alongside you both, protecting people just as you do."

"But, that boy's hand…don't you want to wait and see if-"

"I think you already took care of that, Umaru," Sayaka said, smiling at her.

"Well, if that's what you want, Sayaka," Umaru said. "I'll support you. And thank you."

"It is what I want." Sayaka turned to Kyubey. "Do it."

"Very well." Kyubey's ears suddenly rose up, just as they had in front of Umaru on the hospital roof in Tokyo. Umaru watched as Sayaka fell backward and a blue light rose from her. Umaru shivered a little as she was reminded of when she had made her own contract.

The process of becoming a magical girl is by no means pleasant.

The blue light swirled and changed into a gem. Kyubey spoke up. "Now take it, and unleash your power, Sayaka Miki. This is your fate."

Sayaka reached out and grasped the gem. There was a flash of light, and suddenly she was standing in front of Umaru and Madoka in a completely different outfit, a mostly blue ensemble that matched her hair and her eyes. With her flowing cape and sword, Sayaka looked quite a bit more like a magical girl than Umaru herself did.

"I did it," Sayaka gasped.

"You did," Umaru smiled at her. Was this the way it was supposed to be done? What would Mami think? Surely, she'd understand that Sayaka had done this to help Kirie. "I'm proud of you, Sayaka."

"Thanks, Umaru. So, what's next?" Sayaka asked. "It's time for us to get out of here."

"Let's go get rid of the witch," Umaru said. "Hopefully, once it's gone, Kirie will wake up. I can carry her if you can deal with the familiars. Or, if you're not comfortable, you can carry her, and I'll fight."

"I'll fight!" Sayaka raised her sword. "I've never felt more ready."

"What should I do?" Madoka asked.

"If you want to help as well, Madoka," Kyubey said. "I can transform you right here as I did with Sayaka. Just tell me what your wish is."

"Well…I…"

"Don't worry, Madoka," Umaru said, patting her shoulder. "You don't have to decide that right now. You can make a contract when you're ready. Sayaka and I will handle this. And when we fight the witch, I'll need you to keep an eye on Kirie. Okay?"

Madoka nodded. "Okay. I…I'm still not sure, to be honest. About becoming a magical girl, I mean. But I'll watch over Motoba-san."

Umaru realized she was doing almost exactly what Homura had asked her to do. But it wasn't quite due to her request. She wanted Madoka to join them, but she didn't want her to feel pressured into doing so. Besides, just as Mami had predicted, circumstances had arisen, and now Sayaka was one of them; maybe they would for Madoka as well.

Umaru gently lifted Kirie into her arms while Sayaka ran ahead, cutting down familiars with her sword as they appeared. She was definitely a natural. Umaru remembered awkwardly swinging her umbrella at Mami and reflected that Sayaka had adapted to being a magical girl much quicker than she had. With Sayaka leading the way and taking care of anything ahead of them, they made their way through the labyrinth with its weird walls and strange flying stars.

They quickly reached the witch's chamber. In the center was a giant birdcage, and inside of the cage was what appeared to be a giant two-headed bird. Patches of uneven feathers grew from its scaly skin. One of the heads looked as though it was weeping; the other had empty sockets where its eyes should have been. The bird seemed to shift in color just as the walls of its barrier did.

"I've got this!" Sayaka declared, charging in.

"Sayaka, wait!" Umaru called, but it was too late. Sayaka had already struck the birdcage hard with her sword. The bars of the birdcage bent inward. As Sayaka continued to hit them with her sword, the bird witch screeched loudly at her. It was a horrible sound. For a brief moment, Umaru was reminded of an out-of-tune piano she had once tried to play on in middle school. She gently put Kirie down and ran to assist Sayaka.

"Here!" Umaru yelled, pointing her umbrella at Sayaka. An orange light surrounded her. This worked well on Mami, and Umaru figured it would work just as well on Sayaka. She was right. Sayaka hit the cage bars with even more force, and they broke apart. The bird tried to take off, but it looked like its wings didn't work. The broken bars of its cage clung to it somehow, making it look even more horrifying.

Sayaka swung her sword and cut off the bird's weeping head. It fell to the ground and wriggled around like a worm. Umaru shot lightning at it, and it stopped moving. Sayaka swung again, probably hoping to cut off the bird's other head, but it blocked her sword with one of its talons. Sayaka, however, recovered quickly, and with another stroke, decapitated the bird entirely. She then slashed and stabbed at the bird's body over and over. Finally, it fell to the ground and ceased moving.

The barrier didn't fade this time – it shattered. The air around them seemed to crack, break into pieces, and collapse. As pieces of the barrier fell to the ground and disappeared, the girls found themselves standing back in the empty alleyway.

"That…went really well, didn't it?" Sayaka asked. She grinned at Umaru. The orange glow still surrounded her.

"It did," Umaru said. "But you probably shouldn't rush ahead like that."

"Ah, we did fine! It's no problem."

"I guess," Umaru said. "I need to check on Kirie and…hey."

At the end of the alleyway, Homura Akemi had suddenly appeared and was advancing toward them. She stopped a little way from them and peered intently at Sayaka.

"You."

"H-Homura?" Madoka said.

"You're a little late, transfer student," Sayaka said. Though that wasn't the way Umaru would have phrased it, she had to admit that Sayaka had a point. Regardless of their feelings about Homura Akemi, they could definitely have used her help back in the barrier. Picking up the grief seed the witch had left, Sayaka added: "And you're not stealing this."

"I don't need it," Homura said. She turned around and walked away.

"I really can't stand her," Sayaka said.

"Forget about her," Umaru said, leaning down to examine Kirie.

"Right," Sayaka said. "How is your friend now that she's out of that barrier?"

"Let's see." Umaru waved her umbrella over Kirie. Now it worked. She could tell instantly. Kirie's color returned, and her eyes started to open. Umaru touched the jeweled button on her hood and changed back to her normal form. Beside her, Sayaka did as well. Kirie opened her eyes and looked up at them.

"Umaru…" she said. "W-Where are we? What happened?"

"You fainted, Kirie," Umaru said. "It seems like you're alright now, thank goodness. Hey, don't get up yet. Just rest a moment."

"You had us all quite worried, Motoba-san," Madoka said. "I'm very glad that you're okay."

"I-I see," Kirie said. "I'm sorry for causing trouble for you."

"It was trouble at all!" Sayaka said. "You're alright, and that's what's important."

"This is going to sound crazy, but I…I thought Komaru appeared," Kirie said to Umaru. "But she looked older and more like you. And she had a large, orange umbrella. It's strange."

Kirie had clearly seen something, but she hadn't realized what exactly had happened. It was time to decide. Did Umaru keep up the ridiculous lie she had told Kirie for so long? Or would she finally be honest with her?

"Madoka, Sayaka," Umaru said. "Would you please let me speak alone with Kirie for a moment?"

"Sure," Sayaka said. "We should get going anyway." She grinned at Umaru. "I know what I'm going to do now."

"Bye, Umaru!" Madoka waved. "It was good to meet you, Motoba-san!"

"It doesn't sound crazy or strange, Kirie," Umaru said after the two of them had gone. "And I have something I need to tell you. You may be angry at me, but I need to be truthful."

"W-What is it, Umaru?"

"I don't have a little sister. Komaru is me."

"Huh?"

"I was…" How did she even begin to explain this? "I was pretending to be someone else when we spent time together. But that was all. The joy I felt whenever you visited, that was real, Kirie."

Kirie looked up at her, stunned. "That's…no…"

"It's true," Umaru said. "And I am so sorry that I lied to you."

"W-Why didn't you ever tell me?" The look of shock remained on Kirie's face.

"I was ashamed that I had lied to you," Umaru said. "And I realize now that I need to stop that. I understand if you don't forgive me, Kirie."

Kirie suddenly turned beet red. "Wait. We slept in the same bed one time. W-We cuddled together. I was doing all that…with you?"

"Well...yes, Kirie."

Kirie buried her face in her hands. "I don't believe it…"

"Kirie…" Umaru reached out and put her hand on Kirie's shoulder. "Again, I'm sorry."

Kirie looked up at Umaru. "I-I'm not angry…I'm just confused."

"I understand, Kirie."

"So, what happened today? Maybe it was just a dream or a hallucination, but I thought…something was going to get me." Kirie shuddered. "I felt horrible. It was as if there was no hope and the world was ending. That probably sounds stupid."

"It doesn't sound stupid at all, Kirie," Umaru said. She sighed. There was more she could tell Kirie, but she wasn't sure if she should. "You're okay now, and that's what matters."

No. She wouldn't lie to Kirie more, but she couldn't tell her about being a magical girl. It ate her up a little inside that she couldn't, but after the revelation that Umaru and Komaru were one and the same, it just felt like too much.

"I-I guess," Kirie said. "Thanks, Umaru."

Kirie said very little to Umaru the rest of her visit. Maybe she was thinking. Things were awkward between them now, after all. She had saved Kirie's life, but she wasn't going to hold that over her head. She couldn't even tell her.

When Kirie boarded the train back to Tokyo, she gave a noncommittal answer to visiting again, but at least she didn't flat-out refuse. That was something. At least Kirie didn't hate her.

Still, this is what I get, Umaru thought as she walked back to her apartment. Maybe after some time, things between us can go back to…well, not normal, but maybe better. Of course, I'm still lying to her, except now I'm hiding things instead of telling her blatantly false things and pretending to be someone else.

Umaru wondered how long it would be before those lies caught up to her as well. When she got home, instead of studying or practicing her magic, she simply stared miserably off into space.

The next morning, Umaru made her commute to school. Unlike Tokyo, she had nobody to walk with and was by herself after her route to school diverged from her brother's route to work.

The incident with Kirie from the previous day still bothered her, but she did her first to not think about it too much. There wasn't anything else she could at this point. She would need to wait for Kirie to decide how she felt. Kirie's feelings were more important here, after all.

Umaru wondered if Mami knew about Sayaka's contract yet. She hoped Mami would be pleased the Sayaka had joined them. Since they went to the same school, Mami would probably know by the end of the day. Deciding she needed to focus on school, she pushed her magical girl business aside in her mind.

However, when she reached the school gates, she found none other than Homura Akemi waiting for her.

Well, this is a surprise. What's she doing here?

"Hello, Umaru Doma," Homura greeted her.

"Hello again," Umaru said. This was an odd place for this girl to suddenly appear. "I'm sorry, but don't you attend Mitakihara Middle with Mami, Madoka, and Sayaka? You're going to be late if you don't head off. I mean, it's not exactly close to here, right?"

"I won't be late," Homura said. "I came here to talk with you."

"I'd love to speak with you, but I can't be late either," Umaru said.

"Then I'll get straight to the point," Homura said. "Why did you take Madoka Kaname into that barrier yesterday? You took another civilian in there as well. I saw her with you."

"I didn't take either of them in," Umaru said patiently. Sayaka making a contract had been good, but Umaru didn't want to think about the rest of what had happened yesterday. "Kirie, a friend of mine, was attacked by that witch and pulled into the barrier. She had a witch's kiss on her wrist. Madoka and Sayaka followed us."

"I see," Homura said. "You all should be more careful."

Umaru chuckled in spite of herself. "You sounded like Mami for a moment there."

"In that regard, she and I are both right."

"Mami makes a habit of being right," Umaru said. Ninety-nine percent of the time, anyway. "And I'll keep what you said in mind. Is that all?"

Homura studied Umaru for a moment before speaking. "There's one more thing. I have a proposal for you."

"A proposal?"

"In a few weeks, the witch Walpurgisnacht will attack Mitakihara. I would like for all us magical girls in the city to work together and take it down."

"The super-witch, right?" Umaru thought of Fuun's prediction. Homura Akemi was just full of surprises. This wasn't exactly something Umaru had planned on discussing on the way to school when she got up this morning.

"Correct."

Umaru definitely liked the suggestion. That was how it was supposed to be, after all. She wasn't sure Mami and Sayaka would want to work with Homura, however.

"And by work together, you mean you, me, Mami, and Sayaka, right?" Umaru asked. "I guess we would probably have a better chance of success if we all teamed up."

"We'll need Mami Tomoe's skill and experience," Homura said. "As for Sayaka Miki…I would welcome her help as well."

"Right," Umaru said. She stopped. A few Mitakihara High students passed them, saying 'Good Morning, Doma-san!' to Umaru and shooting curious looks at Homura. Umaru waited until they were out of earshot to continue. "But…um…"

"You don't think they'll feel the same about me," Homura finished for her.

"Yeah." Umaru was glad Homura said it and not her.

"That's where you come in. I'm hoping that you can change their minds."

"Is that so? Well, I'll see both of them today, and maybe you could meet up with us too and-"

"No," Homura interrupted. "Don't bring up working with me to them yet. Don't mention it to anyone else. Simply discuss the idea of the three of you taking on Walpurgisnacht together."

"Why do you want me to keep that from them?"

"This all has to be handled delicately, or things will go awry."

"What do you mean?"

"Exactly that."

That clarified very little. Umaru suspected the mistrust ran both ways here.

"How do you know Walpurgisnacht is coming anyway?" Umaru asked. She wondered if Homura had foresight like Fuun did.

"That's a secret."

That reply irked her a little. "If I'm going to agree to this, then maybe you could answer a few more of my questions now and then."

"If you're going to agree to this," Homura said. "Then you'll have to accept that there are some things I might not be able to share with you yet."

Umaru frowned at her.

Homura sighed. "Once Walpurgisnacht is defeated, I will answer whatever questions you have that remain."

Umaru wanted to ask Homura Akemi about the hospital again but figured it probably wouldn't do her much good. However, she did think of something that she could ask. She had heard Mami's thoughts on it. This was her chance to ask another magical girl.

"I'll consider it," Umaru said. "But Homura Akemi, there is one thing I'd like to ask right now though, and I'd really appreciate it if you could respond to this one."

"What is it?"

"I've had a lot bad dreams since becoming a magical girl. Did that happen to you?"

A haunted look briefly fell over Homura's face. That was enough to answer Umaru's question.

"Sometimes," Homura said. "Given what we do, I suppose it's inevitable."

"That was the same thing Mami said," Umaru replied glumly. She had hoped Homura would have a different perspective.

"And she was right with regards to that as well," Homura said. "But if that's the worst thing that's happened to you as a magical girl, then consider yourself lucky."

"They're constant though," Umaru said. "And awful. I see…someone who's more important to me than anyone else in the world…getting hurt and even killed in them."

Homura's expression shifted again. For a split second, Umaru thought she looked sympathetic. Then it changed back to the same blank expression she usually wore.

"I'm not Mami Tomoe, and I'm not your mentor," Homura said. "I can't give you any advice aside from this: learn to deal with it and persevere. Things won't get easier, Umaru Doma. As a magical girl, you'll have to contend with far worse."

"Alright," Umaru said. That was true, but largely useless. "Thank you for that, at least. So, back to Walpurgisnacht. Like I said, I'll think about it. But I don't like hiding things from Mami and Sayaka."

"You'll have to if this is going to work. However, you wouldn't be doing so for long. We've only a limited amount of time before the witch will come here."

"Maybe another girl will contract before it does. I mean, besides Madoka, because I already know you don't want that."

"It's possible but unlikely. There might be some additional help we can count on, however."

"What additional help?"

Homura then shook her head. "Don't worry about that at the moment. I have preparations of my own to attend to, as do you. And we need to make sure things remain…relatively calm before Walpurgisnacht comes."

"You talk as though everything can just fall apart at any second."

"In our line of work, that can absolutely happen," Homura said. "As you should know."

"I guess I do know," Umaru said, thinking of the witch at the hospital. "But you seem like you know quite a bit as well." She paused and added "About a lot of different things."

"Perhaps I do," Homura said. "But at the moment, we've no time to talk further. I don't want to make you late for school. We'll speak again, Umaru Doma. Until then."

Homura stepped around Umaru and walked off. Umaru gave her one backward glance and then headed into the school building.

Chapter Text

Inside a barrier, Umaru, Mami, and Sayaka fought against a witch with Madoka watching them from a safe distance. The witch was no match for the three of them. The fight was over in less than a minute, and the barrier faded around them. They transformed back to their regular form.

"Sayaka," Mami said, picking up the grief seed. "You don't have to rush ahead of us. We're a team, not simply three magical girls trying to kill a witch." Mami, of course, had been elated that Sayaka was now a magical girl, and took to mentoring her the same way she had mentored Umaru.

"Sorry, Mami," Sayaka said. "But I feel like…I'm not as good as you, and I can't quite provide the same useful support as Umaru, so I have to…well, make sure I do something."

"You do," Mami said. "It's not a question of being good and useful because you're both already."

"Mami's right," Umaru said. "We're not competing against each other to see who the best is."

"Thanks," Sayaka said. "Ah, maybe I just need more practice, and I'll feel more confident."

"That's a good attitude," Mami said. She tossed the grief seed to Umaru. "Here, Umaru. You don't have one at the moment, I believe."

"Thanks, Mami. And don't worry, Sayaka. You're doing just fine. Once Walpurgisnacht comes, we'll need you with us to help fight it."

Sayaka smiled back at her. Umaru felt like the three of them worked well together, though Mami thought that they synergy (whatever that was) needed work and of course that Sayaka needed to not rush. But Umaru didn't really blame Sayaka for any of that. She wanted to show that she could fight too.

"Do you think we'll be able to fight Walpurgisnacht ourselves?" Sayaka asked.

"I think so," Mami said. "The three of us together are quite formidable. I think we just need to work on coordinating a little more, and we should be fine."

"Unstoppable, even!" Umaru said.

"Yeah!" Sayaka chimed in, raising her fist in the air.

"Don't get carried away, you two," Mami chuckled.

"Maybe I'll go hunting by myself sometimes," Sayaka said. "You know, practice until I get as good as you, Mami."

"I see no issue with that," Mami said. "But again, Sayaka, you're doing fine, and I'm sure you'll only get better. Please don't get frustrated."

"Ah, I'm not, I'm not," Sayaka laughed. "I just want to get to your level."

"I'm not sure anyone is on Mami's level," Umaru said. "You don't have to do things on your own though, Sayaka. I'll help you. I wouldn't want anything to happen to you."

"Eh, I don't' want to be a burden," Sayaka said.

"You aren't," Umaru assured her. "Say, how is Kamijo-san?"

"I, uh, haven't really had the time to go and visit him the past few days," Sayaka said. "You know, with being a magical girl, hunting witches and all that. I know he's doing much better though!"

"That's wonderful, Sayaka!" Umaru beamed at her.

Everything's going well. We have our magical girl trio, and we're getting better at working as a team. I have my brother and my friends. The only thing I really have to worry about are those awful nightmares, but maybe I can do something about those too.

In her room, Umaru pointed her umbrella at the button on her hood. She wanted to get back to practicing cleansing her own soul gem without a grief seed. And now that she had a spare grief seed, she could use more magic and still purify it the old way if it didn't work. For some reason, it felt as though cleansing her soul gem diminished the severity of her bad dreams. She wasn't sure if there was actually a connection or if it was just a coincidence.

As she was practicing, her phone suddenly buzzed. She picked it up and saw that Madoka had sent both her and Mami a message.

Please, come quickly to the alley behind the Sato Bakery. Sayaka's in trouble!

What had happened? They couldn't have been inside of a barrier, or Madoka wouldn't have been able to text her. Regardless, she needed to hurry. Umaru transformed back to normal, ran out of the apartment, and tore down the stairs as fast as she could. It didn't take her long to reach the alley Madoka was talking about. When she reached there, saw Sayaka fighting a red-haired girl and Madoka watching them nervously. Another magical girl?

This girl had knocked Sayaka back, though Sayaka seemed to be holding her own. She charged to attack again, but this time Umaru met her attack, the girl's spear striking Umaru's umbrella shield. She looked at Umaru in surprise. Umaru noticed that her dress matched the color of her hair.

As the red-haired girl leaped backward, Umaru heard the sound of footsteps running into the alley. She took a quick look over her shoulder. Mami had arrived.

"What the hell?" the red-haired girl asked, glaring at Sayaka. "You can't fight me by yourself, so you have to call in help?"

"I didn't-" Sayaka began but the girl interrupted her.

"Shut up!" the red-haired girl snapped. Mami ran up to the group, and this girl narrowed her eyes at her. "Mami? I heard you were still kicking around. Figures you'd show up."

"It's been some time, Kyouko Sakura," Mami replied. She lowered her musket and sighed. "Welcome back. I didn't think I'd see you again."

"I was feeling nostalgic and thought I'd drop by," the girl, whose name was apparently Kyouko, shot back. She took out a bag of potato chips, ripped it open and stuffed a handful in her mouth. Turning to Umaru, she commented: "Nice duds, orange. I've never seen a magical girl who fights in her pajamas before."

"Humph," Umaru said. She wasn't wrong, but Umaru didn't really appreciate having a complete stranger point it out.

"Don't take it personally," Kyouko said. "We can't choose these things, right?"

Who was this girl? How did she know Mami? As Kyouko crunched her chips loudly, Umaru remembered something Mami had once told her about another magical girl she had known.

She ate a lot of food in general, but an inordinate amount of it was junk.

Was that girl Kyouko Sakura? It seemed like it.

"Why are you really here, Kyouko?" Mami said.

"It's a good place to hunt witches," Kyouko said. She shot a frown at Sayaka. "Witches, mind you. Not waste-of-time familiars."

"I told you, it's important to take out familiars!" Sayaka protested. "They could hurt innocent people!"

"She's right," Umaru said, thinking of the one that caused the train wreck that injured her brother.

"You too, orange? Jeez, what a headache," Kyouko scoffed. "You've both clearly been hanging around Mami too long, probably letting her lead you around by the nose too."

"We're friends, Kyouko," Mami said. "Just as you and I were. Remember?"

"Yeah, it's strange to think that it was just you and me here before," Kyouko said. She stuffed more potato chips in her mouth and then pocketed the empty bag. "And now that number's at least doubled. Doesn't that seem like a lot of magical girls for one city, even one as large as this one, Mami?"

"It sounds as though you're including yourself in that count. Are you staying here, then?"

"Well, like I said, these are prime hunting grounds, Mami. Why should I let you and your bunch just have them?"

"Do you plan on trying to take this territory from us?"

"Is that your big concern?" Kyouko took out a candy bar, tore off the wrapper and began eating it. Despite the situation, Umaru was slightly amused. Just imagine the junk food feasts we'd have together if we were friends.

"I have a lot of concerns, and your sudden arrival raises others," Mami said.

"Concerns like weak girls making meaningless wishes?" Kyouko nodded toward Sayaka.

"Sayaka used her wish in order to be able to help others," Mami said. "It wasn't meaningless. I'm glad she's here with me."

"You know very well what that sort of wish leads to, Mami."

"Possibly, but it doesn't have to. And she has us with her."

Kyouko glanced from Sayaka to Umaru and then back to Mami. "Oh, I get it, Mami. I really do. And I'm sure the members of your little fan club adore you, but what'll happen to such frail magical girls when things go bad? I've already seen one of them try to fight, and it's not pretty."

Is she threatening us now? Umaru wondered if she'd end up having to fight this girl. That made her a little nervous. Kyouko had seemed skilled and Umaru guessed she was experienced as well, given that she had previously worked with Mami.

"Because you and I were once friends, I'm willing to forgive you attacking Sayaka," Mami said. "But if you intend to remain here, I won't tolerate you causing any further trouble. That includes harming either her or anyone else."

Kyouko rolled her eyes. "One of these girls is a hot-headed wimp, and the other looks like she's more ready for bedtime than battle. You're wasting your time, Mami. You never learn, do you?"

"Given how much you seem to have changed since first I met you, I'd say there are some lessons I can do without learning."

"Fine," she smiled wickedly, one little fang showing.l. "Maybe I'll just have to teach my lessons to your two students here."

A horrible idea suddenly occurred to Umaru: Homura had tracked her to where she lived. What if this girl did too and went after her brother? That was too awful to even consider. She pushed that thought from her mind, determined to stay focused.

"No, there will be none of that. Leave." Mami narrowed her eyes. There was no trace of pleasantness in her voice.

"What if I don't?" Kyouko asked defiantly.

"You're outnumbered here," Mami said. "You've no choice in that matter."

"Humph," Kyouko grunted and pointed her spear at them. "I could take on all three of you at once and still win."

Is she bluffing or is she that over-confident? I mean, she might beat Sayaka or me, but I doubt she could beat Mami. And all three of us…

Sayaka raised her sword threateningly. "Do you really want to test that?"

"Sayaka, no!" Umaru said. She didn't want to start fighting again unless Mami said so or if this Kyouko girl attacked first.

Kyouko sneered. "You ought to listen to orange, rookie. Seems like she and Mami at least have better heads on their shoulders than you do."

"And you as well, since neither of them went picking pointless fights," said a voice behind Kyouko. Umaru looked over and saw Homura stepping around Kyouko and placing herself in between them. Wait, when did she get here? I didn't see or hear her. She moves like a ghost.

"You again?!" Sayaka said.

"Me again," Homura agreed. She turned to Kyouko. "What exactly are you trying to do here?"

"You came to me and asked me to help out," Kyouko said to Homura. "So, I made my way here. I was having fun and keeping things interesting, but then Mami and her stupid justice squad showed up. And now look. You're here too. It's a freaking magical girl convention, ain't it?"

"Ah, so you two are working together," Mami said. "I should have expected it."

"But not against you," Homura said. She stepped in between Kyouko and Mami and looked squarely at the blond girl. "I would like to end this conflict as peacefully as possible."

"I'd prefer this not turn into an all-out brawl either," Mami said. "So leave, both of you. Right now."

"You've no interest in listening to anything else I might have to say, Mami Tomoe?"

"Now you wish to speak? I gave you a chance before, and you disregarded it."

"It wasn't the best time."

"I don't think there's ever a good time with you," Mami said. "I don't trust you, and if you and Kyouko and working together..."

"We'll never build any trust if you just dismiss me," Homura replied.

"Actions speak louder than words, Akemi-san, but neither your words nor your actions have inspired trust."

"This is better than a television drama," Kyouko laughed, licking chocolate from her fingers. "You always did know how to put on a damn good show, Mami."

Umaru opened her mouth to say something, but then Homura's head moved slightly back and forth. She closed it.

"I've had enough of this," Mami said. "Both of you get out of here. And leave us alone."

Kyouko looked as though she was about to say something else when Homura narrowed her eyes at her.

"Fine," Kyouko said. "We'll catch up another day, Mami." She turned, vaulted up the side of a building and vanished from sight.

Homura said nothing. She gave the four of them a brief look, then turned and walked off.

"Alright," Mami said, turning to Sayaka. "What happened?"

"I was fighting a familiar when that girl cut in," Sayaka said. "We got into an argument after that. That girl said it's stupid to hunt familiars, that we should just let them hurt people! What's wrong with her?"

"I see," Mami said. She sighed. "Kyouko really has changed."

"She's the girl you mentioned you used to work with, right?" Umaru asked. "What was she like before?"

"Not quite so…confrontational," Mami said. "And not quite so uncouth."

"She's terrible," Sayaka said. "No surprise she and that transfer student are a team. Birds of a feather."

"Do you think we're going to have to…fight them for territory?" Umaru asked though she knew that wasn't what Homura Akemi was interested in.

"I hope not," Mami said. "I don't trust Homura Akemi, but I acknowledge that she didn't try anything tonight. As for Kyouko, well, I just wish things could be different, I guess. Not like they once were, because I know that's impossible. Just…different."

"Do you…want to be friends again?"

"I would like that," Mami said sadly. "But I can't quite see it happening with the way Kyouko seems to be now. And if she really wants to fight us, then it can't be helped. We'll wait and see what they do."

"I doubt that girl wants friends," Sayaka said. "She said my wish was completely pointless!"

"It wasn't, Sayaka," Madoka said. "We all know that."

"Do you think I should have wished for something different, Umaru?" Sayaka asked her.

"I think you made the best choice for you," Umaru said, patting her arm. "Don't look at it with regret, not ever. You want to protect and defend people, right? Well, you'll do that. Anything else that happens, well, you have Mami and Madoka and me. We're here for you."

Sayaka looked a little uncertain but still smiled at her. "Alright. Thank you."

In the game center near the Mitakihara train station, Umaru played at one of the crane games. She had come here to take her mind off magical girl things for a short time. She moved the crane carefully and knocked over several prizes into the chute. She had chosen this machine because of the way they were stacked. She'd try and get a few things for her brother and Mami while she was at it. Sayaka and Madoka too. A little present would fix Sayaka's confidence about being a magical girl, but it couldn't hurt either.

"Having fun, orange?"

Umaru turned around sharply. Kyouko Sakura was leaning against a game machine and watching her. She laughed at Umaru. "Jumpy, huh? Did I scare you?"

"What are you doing here?" Umaru asked. She hoped this girl wasn't getting ready to try and start another fight.

"Playing, the same as you." Kyouko pulled the last Pocky stick from the box she was carrying and chomped loudly on it. "That's an impressive haul you've got there."

"It was luck," Umaru said. She wasn't about to reveal any game secrets to this girl.

"Well, lucky you."

An idea occurred to Umaru. She pulled a box of Pocky sticks from the stack of prizes she had won.

"Here." She tossed it to Kyouko, who deftly caught it with her free hand.

The red-haired girl cast Umaru a suspicious look. "What's this for?"

"It looks like you've finished the one you have," Umaru answered.

"Humph. Fine. This doesn't mean we're friends." Kyouko tore open the box, took a stick out, and chomped on it.

"A peace offering is a good start though," said another voice. Homura suddenly stood between the two, seemingly having materialized out of nowhere. How does she do that? There must be some trick to it.

"You," Kyouko scowled. "We could have taken her and Mami and the rookie back in the alley the other day."

"That isn't why I asked for your help," Homura said.

"Right. You and me were gonna fight Walpurgisnacht. Might be hard to do that if the three of them get in the way," Kyouko said, pointing at Umaru.

"Maybe all five of us could work together," Umaru suggested. "You, me, Mami, Homura, and Sayaka."

"Wait, what?" Kyouko said. She laughed. "You must be joking, orange."

"My name isn't 'orange.' It's Umaru Doma."

Kyouko shrugged in reply to that and ate another Pocky stick. Umaru tried to suppress her annoyance.

"If we did all work together," Homura said. "The five of us would be a force to be reckoned with."

"Humph," Kyouko said. She pointed at Umaru again. "She's one of Mami's, so she probably only does whatever Mami tells her to."

"You and Mami were friends, weren't you?" Umaru asked. "Maybe this is a chance for you to make up with her and be friends again." If you can do something about the attitude, that is. Is that what I used to sound like at times? I wonder.

"I…I'm not interested in that," Kyouko said. "Besides, even if I was, Mami sure as hell wouldn't be."

"You don't know that for sure." And I think I heard a hint of hesitation in your denial.

Kyouko grunted and stuck another Pocky stick in her mouth. "Orange, I'm pretty sure I know Mami at least as well as you do. And unlike you, I don't worship the ground she walks on."

"It's not like that." Umaru was quickly getting tired of this girl.

"Yeah, right."

"Arguing among ourselves is pointless," Homura said. She turned to Kyouko. "You agreed to help battle Walpurgisnacht, regardless of who else might be with us."

"Well, I guess…" Kyouko said.

"And you," Homura said, turning to Umaru now. "You understand that the more magical girls fighting together, the better the odds are. That means working with someone you might not completely trust for a greater good."

"That's true," Umaru admitted, though she wondered if Kyouko Sakura's skill made up for, well, everything else.

"Good," Homura said. "We all understand. Save the bickering and infighting for when Walpurgisnacht is gone."

"Who died and left you in charge?" Kyouko asked.

Homura said nothing and frowned at her.

"Fine, whatever," Kyouko said. "I'm bored with this anyway. See you both around. Thanks for the candy, orange." Kyouko turned and walked off, taking more sticks out of the Pocky box as she did.

"It's Umaru!" she called. But that did no good. Kyouko ignored her. Umaru turned to Homura. "Is she going to keep being a problem?"

"It's fine. I'll speak with her some more."

"Was she the 'additional help' you mentioned?"

Homura nodded. "Yes."

"She can't be much help if she goes and starts fights and arguments."

"I was hoping to prevent that," Homura said. "That's why I went and met with her first."

"What do you mean, 'first'?"

"Before any trouble could start."

"I guess that didn't work," Umaru said. "Do you really think the five of us could fight Walpurgisnacht together?"

Homura nodded. "That's my hope, yes."

"Even though Kyouko and Mami have a contentious history?"

"They're both very skilled, and we'll need both of them."

"I see," Umaru said. "What exactly did you say or do to convince Kyouko to work with you?"

"That's between her and me," Homura replied.

"More secrets, huh?" This girl was stingy with her information sometimes.

"We've been over this," Homura said. "And besides, you ask a lot of questions, Umaru Doma."

Umaru couldn't help that. This girl was interesting, if occasionally frustrating. "How about another one: Have you ever practiced your magic on your own soul gem?"

Homura raised an eyebrow at her. "No."

"Oh," Umaru said. "Well, I have. It gets some interesting results. After all the excitement calmed down, I was going to try it again and-"

"Whatever you're doing with that, I would recommend extreme caution," Homura said. "And you might consider stopping altogether."

"Yes, yes," Umaru said, waving her hand and remembering what Kyubey and Mami had said. "Soul gems aren't replaceable if they're broken, and then I won't be a magical girl anymore. I'm being careful."

"It's not just a matter of it not being replaceable or losing your powers," Homura said. "If you break your soul gem, you will die."

"What?" That caught Umaru off-guard. "Die?"

"Yes."

"I…I never knew." She held up her left hand and looked at the ring on her finger. "I knew it was important…but…how does that work? We're that strongly tied to it?"

Homura sighed. "Why do you think it's called a soul gem, Umaru Doma?"

"Well, because it's magic and…" The realization hit her. "…it's my actual soul. Doesn't it?"

"Yes."

Umaru removed the ring from her finger, and it changed into the small orange jewel with a pair of gold, round ears on top of it. This little thing has my soul in it? Why didn't I ever think about that?

"How…how is that possible?" she asked, bewildered.

"Your soul was removed from your body when you made the contract with Kyubey," Homura said.

"But if this is my soul," Umaru said. "Then what's controlling my body? Why can I still walk and talk and breathe and so on? I can still feel my heart beating, I can eat food, and so on."

"Your soul gem makes your body do all that. It maintains it as well."

"Really?"

"Yes. And now, strictly speaking, you're no longer human."

Well, I guess that depends on your point of view. I guess I'd be more like a lich from a game or something.

"So if it controls my body and I die if it's broken, then wouldn't it be better to put it in a safe or something when I'm not doing magical girl business?" Umaru asked.

"You might think so, but no," Homura said. "If you go far enough away from it, it will no longer be able to control your body."

"What does that mean?"

"Your body is an empty husk, controlled by that," Homura said, pointing at Umaru's soul gem. "What do you think it means?"

"It'll just…fall over, like I'm dead?"

"Exactly."

"How far away before that happens?"

"One-hundred meters is the distance I've heard cited."

"I see. Is it permanent?"

"No. Reunification of your soul gem and your body returns you back to normal."

"How do I know you're telling me the truth?" Umaru didn't entirely disbelieve Homura, but this sounded a little far-fetched. Did it work exactly like that? She was trying to digest all this – it was a lot to take in.

Homura shrugged. "You can believe me or not. It won't change reality."

"Why would Kyubey have done this?"

"That would be a better question to ask it, not me. Though you might not like the answers you get."

Umaru sighed and pushed the pile of candy she had won into a bag. Waving goodbye, she headed for the game center exit. I don't want to talk to Homura Akemi anymore today either. I was supposed to come here to forget about magical girl business for a little while.

"Mami, I need your help."

Mami and Umaru sat in the Doma apartment. Umaru had invited her over after school. Since her brother was on another work trip to Tokyo and wouldn't return until the next day, this was the perfect time to see if what Homura Akemi said was really true. And Mami was really the only person she could trust to test this with.

"Of course, Umaru," Mami said. "What is it?"

"We're going to try something. This is related to my soul gem experiments."

"Ah, yes," Mami smiled. "What do you need me to do?"

Umaru held out her soul gem for Mami to take. "I want you to take my soul gem, ride the elevator down to the first floor, then exit the apartment building. Cross the street, wait ten seconds, and then head back up here. When you're back up here, just hand my soul gem back to me. That's important."

Mami tilted her head. "What exactly are you expecting to happen, Umaru?"

"I'm not entirely certain," Umaru said. "I'll explain when you're back. Oh, and take my key card just in case I'm unable to let you back into the apartment."

"This is strange, but alright." Mami took Umaru's soul gem and key card and stood up. She left the apartment while Umaru sat patiently at the table. She wondered what it would feel like if she was separated so far from her soul gem. She wondered if what Homura said was even completely accurate. Maybe that's only after it's been damaged or cracked or-

Suddenly, Mami was shaking her.

"Umaru? Umaru!"

Umaru looked up. Her head felt cloudy and had apparently been resting on the table in front of her. "Huh? Mami?"

"Oh, thank goodness!" Mami hugged her. "I thought…I almost thought you were dead."

"…dead?" At first, Umaru had no idea what Mami was talking about or why she was holding Umaru and looked so frantic. Then her head cleared, and she remembered. Her soul gem was back in her hand; Mami must have placed it there. "Oh. Our experiment worked, didn't it?"

"Worked?!" Mami exclaimed. "I came back in here, and you were slumped over the table! I thought you were dead at first! Exactly what were you trying to prove?!"

"That…that we have no souls in our bodies any longer," Umaru said. She held up her soul gem. "This is Umaru." She pointed at Mami's ring. "And that's you, Mami. When we became magical girls, our souls were removed from us and put into these gems. Or maybe these gems are our souls. I'm not sure which."

"Umaru, that's…"

"It's true, Mami," she said. "Kyubey would probably confirm it. And when our soul gems are far away enough from our bodies, they can no longer exert control. That's what happened to me just now. Our bodies are just…puppets, I guess."

Mami shook her head. "I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't just seen it with my own eyes."

"I guess that's why Kyubey warned me to be extra careful with it," Umaru said. "Also, apparently if your soul gem breaks, you die. Let's not test that one, though."

"Why would he have done that without telling us though?" Mami asked, taking the seat across from her.

"I don't know," Umaru said, shaking her head. This didn't make much sense. Was this how magical girls were supposed to work? She remembered Kyubey and Mami saying that soul gems were the source of magical girls' power, but this was far beyond that. "Are you…okay, Mami?"

"I feel like I've been deceived," Mami said. "Even if it's a necessity of being a magical girl, I would still have liked to have known."

"Would you still have made your wish if you had known?"

"Yes," Mami said. "Given what the alternative was. What about you?"

"Same," Umaru said, thinking of her brother in the hospital bed.

"We ought to tell Sayaka," Mami said. "She deserves to know."

Umaru nodded. She wished they had been able to tell Sayaka before making a contract. Then she would have known better what exactly she was getting into. Umaru wished she herself had known a little better what she was getting into. She also wished her brother was home and suddenly felt profoundly sad and lonely.

"Hey, Mami?"

"Yes, Umaru?"

"Do you want to…stay over here tonight?"

Mami smiled at her. "I'd love to, Umaru."

The next evening, Umaru waited for the others in the park. Madoka was the first one to show up. Kyubey was with her as usual. Umaru wanted to ask him about the soul gems, but she figured it would be better to wait until Sayaka and Mami were there as well. She assumed Mami had gone back to their own apartment after school, and she could guess very well where Sayaka was.

Umaru chatted with Madoka while they waited. Madoka, of course, was still uncertain about becoming a magical girl. Umaru thought maybe she didn't really want to be one, but she understood. If nothing else, Madoka was someone with whom they could still discuss magical girl business. Her thoughtfulness gave her a good perspective. As they were talking, Sayaka arrived.

"Sorry, I'm late!" Sayaka said. "I was, um, at the hospital."

"That's okay, Mami isn't here yet either." Umaru smiled at her. "You were visiting someone, I assume. How is he?"

"He's in really good spirits!" Sayaka said. "He'll actually be able to leave the hospital and return to school the day after tomorrow."

"I'm very glad to hear it," Umaru said. Seeing Sayaka happy about Kamijo made Umaru feel happy as well.

"So was Sayaka, I'm sure," Madoka beamed.

"I wonder if we should split up for witch-hunting tonight," Sayaka said, taking her soul gem out and holding it in front of her. "We'd probably cover more ground that way. What do you think, Umaru?"

"That's an interesting idea," Umaru said, thinking about it. For some reason, Sayaka still didn't seem entirely comfortable fighting alongside both her and Mami. Maybe one of the two of them could go separately with her. Or, if Madoka ever joined them, maybe they could then work in pairs. It would probably be safer if Kyouko Sakura decided to start more trouble, but maybe they could make friends with her too before that happened. In so much as that's possible with her. I bet that would make Mami happy though.

"Hey, that's a nice-looking little trinket you've got. Bet it's expensive," a voice behind them suddenly said. A teenage boy who looked only slightly older than them ran past, snatching Sayaka's soul gem out of her hand. He took off in a hard sprint, yelling at them over his shoulder. "Thanks!"

"What the…hey! Give that back!" Sayaka yelled. But the boy had already made it to the nearest park exit.

Oh, no. No, no, no!

Umaru quickly transformed. Sayaka's soul gem was too important; secrecy didn't matter. And she knew what would happen to Sayaka if this boy got far enough away. And if she lost him…well, she didn't even want to consider that one.

"Madoka!" she yelled over her shoulder. "Watch over Sayaka!" There was no time to explain any further.

Umaru took off running as fast as she could. She had heard Sayaka and Madoka's footsteps behind her, but neither of them was going to be able to keep up. And she knew Sayaka would collapse if the boy got too far away.

As she exited the park, she saw the boy hop onto a moped. He sped off, and the situation went from bad to worse. Umaru ran as hard she could and did her best keep up with him. But how long would she be able to keep up without losing him?

As she turned a corner, pumping her legs as hard as she could, she passed none other than Kyouko Sakura. Kyouko, apparently amused by Umaru running through the Mitakihara streets as a magical girl, transformed and ran up alongside her, chomping on a taiyaki cake as she did.

"Going for a fun-run, orange?" she asked, smirking.

"Kyouko!" Umaru yelled frantically, pointing at the moped. "We need to stop that guy!"

"Uh…what?"

"He stole Sayaka's soul gem!"

Whatever she thought of them, Kyouko at least understood the gravity of the situation. She sped up, running faster than Umaru. Umaru waved her umbrella at Kyouko, and she glowed orange. She leaped into the air, pole-vaulting with her spear.

Kyouko landed just behind the thief. She raised her hand in front of her, and a giant red fence appeared, blocking the boy from driving any further. He brought the moped to a halt and turned it around, ready to take off in another direction, but Kyouko met him there. She pointed her spear, and stuck it in the front tire of the moped, stopping it from going anywhere. Finally, Umaru caught up with them as well.

"What the…" The boy looked at Umaru and Kyouko in a mix of fear and bewilderment.

"Hand it back over," Umaru said. "Now."

"Hand what over?"

"The jewel you stole!" Umaru said. She pointed her umbrella near him and fired lightning at the ground.

"Eek! Okay, fine! H-Here it is! Just don't hurt me, either of you!" He took Sayaka's soul gem out of his pocket and held it up for her to take.

"Humph," Umaru said, taking the blue jewel from him and turning around. If the situation hadn't been so dire, she would have stayed and taught him a lesson.

"We gonna do anything about him, orange?" Kyouko asked, following her.

"There's no time!" Umaru exclaimed, picking up her pace to a run. "I have to get Sayaka's soul gem back to her." She turned and took off.

"Jeez," Kyouko said as she ran after Umaru and caught up. "I can't believe that idiot let her soul gem get swiped. How careless can you get?"

"It was an accident. He took it right from her before she could do anything," Umaru replied. The last thing Sayaka was going to need was this girl teasing her about it. "And if you're just going to make mean remarks about the whole thing, then please go off somewhere else."

"Oh, I wouldn't miss this for the world," Kyouko. "Don't worry, I'll be nice. Probably, anyway."

When Umaru and Kyouko got back to the park, Sayaka was slumped over a park bench. Mami was with her and Madoka. Umaru figured she had moved her there.

"Umaru!" Mami cried in dismay as they approached. She looked beside her, and a suspicious look fell over her face. "Kyouko?"

"We just keep bumping into each other, Mami," Kyouko replied. "What's wrong with the rookie? Shame at letting her soul gem get snatched?"

"No…it's…" Mami looked at Umaru worriedly. Mami knew. Umaru placed Sayaka's soul gem in her hand. Her eyes opened, and she looked up at the four other girls.

Thank goodness.

"What...happened?" Sayaka asked, looking up at them. "I remember…running after the boy who took my soul gem." She frowned at Kyouko. "And what's she doing here?"

"Looks like you passed out, rookie," Kyouko said.

"K-Kyubey explained it," Madoka said. "When your soul gem is separated from you…you…" She couldn't finish and looked tearfully at Sayaka.

"You stop," Mami finished for her. She looked at Umaru. "Just like you did."

"Huh?" Kyouko said. "What does that mean, Mami?"

"I'll let Umaru explain." Mami gestured for her to speak.

"Kyubey," Umaru said. "Why is a soul gem called a soul gem?"

"Is that supposed to be a riddle or a joke?" Kyouko asked.

"Because it's your soul, Umaru," Kyubey said.

"You removed it from our bodies when we made our contract," Umaru said, placing her hand on her hood's button and changing back to normal.

"Correct," Kyubey confirmed. "I gave your soul a physical form."

"Is that true?" Sayaka asked.

"Of course it is," Kyubey replied.

"What?! Why didn't you tell us?!" Kyouko asked.

"None of you ever asked," Kyubey replied. "Rarely does anyone ask about that."

"But…why did you do that?" Sayaka stammered. She looked stricken.

"Given what you magical girls go through, it's really for the best," Kyubey said. "Think about it: you're struck, stabbed, tossed around, and so on. There's really no way you could do all that and survive the constant pain and injuries you suffer. You almost can't be killed, unless your soul gem is destroyed. Aren't things better that way?"

"That's…" Sayaka closed her hands into fists. She looked stunned. "No."

"Yes," Kyubey said. "I don't understand this reaction. It's the logical way to go about this, don't you agree?"

"This isn't most something people can accept easily," Umaru said. Why didn't Kyubey understand that? "It can come as quite a shock."

"It is a shock!" Kyouko exclaimed. She grabbed Kyubey from Madoka's arms, held him up in front of her and yelled at him. "You turned us into freaking zombies!"

Sayaka looked at Mami and Umaru. "You two don't seem as surprised."

"We…already knew," Mami admitted.

"What?!" Kyouko dropped Kyubey and gave Mami a shocked look.

"Wait, you knew?" Sayaka asked in disbelief. "And you didn't bother to share it?"

"We only just found out too!" Umaru said. "Yesterday, we-"

Sayaka ignored that and repeated herself. "You both knew."

"Yes," Mami said. "I knew because Umaru told me."

"And how did you know, Umaru?" Sayaka asked.

"Perhaps Homura Akemi told her," Kyubey said before Umaru could answer. "They've been meeting and talking and planning, after all."

"What?" Sayaka and Mami both looked at Umaru with surprise. Umaru felt her stomach drop. Why had Kyubey suddenly decided to share that? And how did he even know in the first place? Besides, Umaru hadn't planned on meeting Homura anywhere – she just happened to show up places Umaru was.

"Umaru, is that true?" Mami asked.

"Well," Umaru said. "We have talked a few times. And she had an idea to work-"

"What? Work against the rest of us?" Sayaka asked, glaring at Umaru. "And decided to convince you to do so too? You, her, and this Kyouko girl?"

"Freaking paranoid," Kyouko muttered. Umaru guessed her mind was still preoccupied with the revelation about soul gems or she'd have given a snappier retort.

"Sayaka, you've got it all wrong," Umaru said.

"I can't believe you," Sayaka said. "How long have you been meeting with her?"

"We've only talked a few times! It's not like you think, Sayaka."

Sayaka looked Umaru and Kyouko and narrowed her eyes.

"You're both the same," she said darkly. "Aren't you? You keep secrets, tell lies, and only care about yourselves."

"Sayaka…" Umaru said. "I was going to tell you, about that and the soul gem both, it's just-"

"Shut up, Umaru," Sayaka said. "I can't believe I listened to you about anything. Are you on her side now?"

"I'm on everyone's side, Sayaka!" Umaru insisted.

"Apparently," Sayaka said. "Just going with whoever might win, huh?"

"Sayaka, you're being unfair," Mami said.

"Mami, you're not as bad those two," Sayaka said, pointing at Umaru and Kyouko. "Then again, maybe you are. Why else would you associate with either of them?"

"Now, just a moment, Sayaka," Mami, her voice suddenly growing stern. "This is getting ridiculous."

"Sayaka, I care about you a lot," Umaru said. "That's why I helped…you know, at the hospital." She thought it was probably better not to say more in front of Kyouko Sakura.

"Of course," Sayaka said. "You had to help. Because I couldn't do that on my own. Just like you think I can't fight on my own. That's why you showed up when I was fighting her, right?" She nodded her head toward Kyouko.

"Sayaka, stop it," Mami said. She looked upset.

"Leave me alone," Sayaka said, turning her back on them and walking off.

"Sayaka, wait!" Madoka cried, running after her. Umaru watched them go. How did this happen? We were getting along fine, now suddenly we aren't.

Kyouko looked uncomfortable. She rubbed the back of her neck. "I, uh, feel like I'm seeing something I shouldn't."

"Nobody's making you stick around, Kyouko," Mami sighed.

"Uh, yeah. For what it's worth Mami, I don't think orange here meant anything malicious against you."

"I don't think so either," Mami said, looking at Umaru and Kyouko.

Kyouko reached into her pocket and pulled open a bag of gummy candy. She tore it open and began stuffing candies into her mouth. Comfort food? I could use some of that at the moment.

"Kyouko," Mami said. "You haven't been subsisting solely on junk and fast food, have you? You've been eating properly, I hope?"

"You know it, Mami," Kyouko said. Despite the argument with Sayaka that had just transpired, Umaru wanted to laugh. Mami really couldn't help herself. Waving at Umaru and Mami, Kyouko turned and set off in the same direction Sayaka and Madoka had gone.

Mami looked at Umaru sadly. "Umaru. Why did you keep your meetings with Homura Akemi from me? I thought we agreed to work together before going ahead with things."

"Mami, I'm sorry," Umaru said, choking up a little. Sayaka was already mad at her; she didn't want Mami angry at her too. "I-I was going to tell you everything. I was just…waiting for the right moment. Please, believe me."

Mami looked a little uncertain but then nodded. "Alright. I believe you. What did you and Homura Akemi discuss when you met?"

"I didn't exactly plan to meet with her," Umaru said. She felt like she had to make that clear. "She just…kind of showed up in some places. And we talked. She told me about the soul gems. And we also talked about Walpurgisnacht. She wants all of us to fight it together."

"All of us?"

"Yes. You and me and her and Sayaka and Kyouko. She's not interested in territory, Mami. She just wants us to fight together to have the best chance at taking down Walpurgisnacht."

"I see…" Mami said. "After tonight, that's going to be harder, isn't it?"

"It is," Umaru said. "I never thought it would be so hard."

Mami sighed. "Things are a mess, aren't they?"

"They are," Umaru agreed.

"Let's give Sayaka some time," Mami said. "I'll talk to her."

"I'll come too."

"No," Mami shook her head. "It's probably for the best if you didn't at the moment. I'll give her a few days, and then I'll explain to her what you told me. I'm sure she'll be reasonable once she's calmed down some."

"I hope so," Umaru said, remembering the argument she and Mami had.

"Don't worry, Umaru," Mami said, patting her hand. "Things will work out. You'll see."

"I'm sure you're right Mami." But in her mind, there was a little seed of doubt. There was also distrust, but that was directed at Kyubey. Why did he suddenly tell them about me talking with Homura?

The next day, school seemed to drag on forever. Finally, when it was over, she went home and saw that her brother had returned from his trip. Umaru was ecstatic when he suggested that the two of them go out to dinner. He even let her pick, so she suggested ramen. As they sat down and ate at the restaurant, she happily listened as he discussed his meetings in Tokyo, including one with their father.

Papa feels just as far away now as he did when I lived in Tokyo. He's my family, of course, but Onii-chan is, well, my real family, I guess. I wonder if I'll be able to stay with him after high school like I had planned. How long will be able to be a magical girl anyway? Is my body going to continue to age so long as I have my soul gem to control it? Or am I just going to look like this forever?

That idea both intrigued and disturbed Umaru a little. She realized she was thinking about magical girl business again despite wanting to put it out of her mind for a bit. Following on that thought, she wondered how Sayaka was doing. Mami was right. Everything's a mess right now. I'll worry about that tomorrow and instead just enjoy my dinner with Onii-chan.

As they walked home and neared their apartment building, Umaru declared that they should definitely eat ramen again soon.

"We don't have to eat ramen next time," Taihei said. "Some variety is nice."

"There's lots of variety when it comes to ramen, Onii-chan!" Umaru said. "We can try a different place."

"I'd really like something that isn't ramen next time, Umaru."

"Alright. There's a cute little cat café near Mitakihara High."

"Oh, I read about that. Don't they only serve pastries and desserts?"

"Exactly! We can have dessert for dinner."

Taihei chuckled. "No matter how much you change, you stay the same, Umaru. I think-what?"

There was a man standing in front of them. He was wearing ratty, dirty clothing and looked disheveled. In his right hand was a gun.

"Hand over your wallet, pal," he said. "And I won't shoot you and your pretty girlfriend."

"Better do as he says," a voice behind them said. Umaru looked over shoulder and saw a second man standing behind them, equally messy and wielding a knife.

"Alright, take it easy," Taihei said, reaching into his pocket.

"Too slow," the second man said. He kicked Taihei in the leg, knocking him to the ground. Both men laughed.

Umaru looked her brother and then at the two men. She recognized them – these were the two men who had been attacked by the cooking pot witch, the two men she and Mami had saved her first night living in Mitakihara. She was in complete shock.

I saved your lives. And this is what you're doing with them? This is how you pay me back?

Umaru turned back man in front of them. He grinned evilly at her. The shock wore off, and anger took its place.

You monsters. You attacked Onii-chan. I won't allow that.

(Author's note: Yikes! Things are getting bumpy for our cola-drinking heroine. The next chapter will pick up right where this one left off. I'd like to once again thank everyone who's read along so far.)

Chapter Text

Umaru pulled off her ring and transformed. Onii-chan's safety is more important than secrecy right now. It's more important than anything. I have to protect him.

"Heh." The man with the gun looked both amused and surprised. "Well, look at that. Aren't you just so-"

Umaru gave him no time to finish. She pointed her umbrella at him and shot lightning directly at his hand. He howled in pain and dropped his gun. Umaru quickly turned and struck the other one hard in the knee. He legs collapsed beneath him. Umaru grabbed him by the shirt and dragged him over to his friend. She shoved the man into the other one, and they both went tumbling to the ground.

White-hot rage burned inside of her. She had never felt this furious in her life. How dare these two thugs attack her brother? They would pay. Umaru would make sure they would.

The first man tried to reach for his gun, but before he could, Umaru kicked it away and stomped down on his fingers as hard she could, no doubt breaking them as she did. He yelled again. The second man, struggling to stand, looked up at her.

"Wait, please, let me go, I'll-"

Umaru smashed face with her umbrella before he could finish. She didn't intend to let either of them go. She cast more lightning at the two men, hitting both of them. One of them convulsed in shock.

Umaru decided this was too easy on them. She'd do to them what they would have done to her brother. No, worse. She wouldn't stop until they were nothing but smears on the sidewalk. Umaru savagely beat the two men with her umbrella, screaming at them as she did.

"Worthless pieces of garbage! You'll never hurt anyone's brother again!"

Both of them cowered and attempted to cover their heads with their hands. They didn't feel so tough now, did they?

"Well, this is interesting. Does Mami know you're attacking normals, orange?"

Umaru turned. Kyouko Sakura was standing a little ways away holding a large shopping bag. Why is she here? She can't be up to any good either.

"This has nothing to do with you!" Umaru said viciously. "Go away unless you're looking for trouble!"

"Looks like you're causing enough trouble as it is," Kyouko replied.

"They went after my brother!" Umaru screamed. She wasn't so far gone as to not realize that she was acting hysterical, but she didn't care. This was her brother. How else would she be expected to react? How could Kyouko Sakura ever understand that? "It'll never be enough!"

"I see," Kyouko said, raising an eyebrow. "Well, I won't stop ya, but…"

Umaru narrowed her eyes at Kyouko. This girl would attack Taihei just as easily as she'd bite into a candy bar. To protect him, Umaru would have to drive her off too. The two muggers were no longer the only threat – now this other magical girl was as well.

"Get out of here," Umaru said, pointing her umbrella at Kyouko. "I don't want you attacking my brother either. If you even try it, it will be the last thing you ever do." To show that she meant business, she fired a bolt of lightning next to where Kyouko was standing.

"Gah!" Kyouko exclaimed. She dropped the bag she was carrying and immediately transformed. She held her spear in both hands and pointed it at Umaru. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"Oh god, now there are two of them!" one of the muggers said. Umaru ignored them. The one whose hand was injured took advantage of this to get up and run off. The one with the injured legs struggled to his feet and limped off weakly after them. Umaru paid no attention to them and kept her eyes on Kyouko.

"I'll give you one chance to leave, Kyouko Sakura," Umaru said, pointing her umbrella at her again. Could she really take this girl? It didn't matter. She'd do whatever it took to protect her brother. She had to. "I don't care who you are; I won't let you hurt Onii-chan either."

"Get a hold of yourself!" Kyouko yelled at her. "Have you completely lost it? I'm not gonna attack him!"

"I don't believe you!"

"Umaru!" Taihei said sharply.

Umaru turned around. Her brother was looking at her with a mix of shock and terror on his face. He had gone completely white. Suddenly, her anger dissipated, as though someone had thrown a bucket of ice water on her.

"Onii-chan…" she said. She took a deep breath and lowered her umbrella. She suddenly felt sick. He had seen and heard everything, of course. He had been right there the entire time. "I…uh…"

"Thanks," Kyouko said to Taihei. "I was worried I was gonna have to calm her down the hard way."

"Umaru," Taihei said. "What did you just do?"

"Oh boy," Kyouko said. "Awkward."

"Onii-chan…no." Umaru shook her head. She turned back to Kyouko. "You…"

"I know you were defending him," Kyouko said. "But seriously, orange. You were, uh, kinda hysterical there."

"I'm sorry," she said. She realized she had completely flown off the handle. She had been unable to help herself. "But I had to protect Onii-chan…he's…he's…"

Umaru started crying. She couldn't help it. She was aware of how childish she probably looked, given what she was wearing. But the tears wouldn't stop. There was a flash of red, and Kyouko changed back to her normal form.

"Ugh, stop it with the waterworks. You're a magical girl for crying out loud, and you're older than me, aren't you? That guy over there is your brother, right? Looks like he's okay." Kyouko waved a little at Taihei. She picked up a bag next to her and pulled a melon bun out of it. Offering to Umaru, she asked: "Want one?"

"Sure," Umaru sniffed, accepting it. "Thanks."

"No problem. Here, take a second one for your brother. If he doesn't like them, eat it yourself. Don't throw it away."

"I won't."

"Good. You, uh, gonna be okay?"

"I'll be fine," she said, though 'fine' was the farthest word from what she was at that moment.

"Alright. I, uh, probably oughta be going. I'm sure you and your brother need to talk." Kyouko turned around and started off down the street.

"Kyouko," Umaru called after her. "I'm sorry for...thank you…I mean, before...I…" She wasn't entirely sure what to say.

"Uh, yeah. I didn't really…but…uh, you're welcome," Kyouko said, briefly turning around. "See you later, orange. Be careful."

Umaru watched her go. Her brother put his hand on her shoulder.

"Umaru," he said. "What was that? And how are you suddenly dressed like that? And why?"

"Onii-chan…" She touched the button on her hood and changed back to her normal form. Taihei looked surprised, but slightly less so this time. She guessed his initial shock of seeing something so unreal and bizarre had passed. She held up the melon buns Kyouko had given her. "Why don't we go somewhere and eat these? I'll…try and explain everything."

They made their way to a nearby bench and sat down, eating the melon buns in silence. Umaru wasn't sure how to even begin. Her own behavior had frightened her.

Why did I do that? Onii-chan was in trouble, so I had to protect him…but… why did I go absolutely ballistic on those two muggers? I could have just scared them away. And why I was ready to fight Kyouko as well when she didn't even do anything?

A few moments passed before Umaru could work up the courage to at least say something. "These are good, aren't they, Onii-chan?"

"They are," he said. "That girl who gave them to you…is she another friend of you and Mami?"

"Sort of," Umaru said. Telling her brother that she was a magical girl was hard enough, never mind explaining Kyouko Sakura and the situation with her. "I wonder where she got these."

"Perhaps ask her the next time you see her. We'll add it to the list of places we can try."

"Onii-chan," Umaru said. "You're not…mad at me, are you?"

"I'm not," he said. "Why should I be?"

"I don't know," she said quietly. "You might be after I tell you everything though."

"Alright," he said, looking at her seriously. "Then please start explaining. What exactly happened back there? What is going on? Do I need to call the police?"

"No, you don't. I protected you, Onii-chan," she said quietly.

"That much I gathered, and I'm very grateful. But-"

"I will always protect you," she interrupted, hugging him.

"Umaru…" His voice softened.

Umaru started crying again. She couldn't help it. "I will never let anyone hurt you, Onii-chan."

"Umaru," he said. "Please. Please, tell me what's going on."

Umaru decided to start with the obvious.

"I…I'm not a normal human anymore. I might not even be human by some definitions," she said, feeling more tears running down her face. "I became a magical girl. A being named Kyubey turned me into one. That's why I was able to change. That's why I was able to fight off those two muggers. That's why…why…you're still alive, Onii-chan." She sobbed loudly and pressed her face into his shoulder.

"Umaru, that's…I'm not sure what to say."

"You…you can say whatever you want, Onii-chan," Umaru sniffed. "Just as long as you're alright and you're with me, that's all that matters."

"Well, I think 'thanks' is in order, first of all. Thank you for saving me from those muggers, Umaru. I don't know if they would have killed me, but they probably weren't planning anything good."

"You're welcome, Onii-chan. I'm glad you don't think…that I'm a monster or something for attacking them like I did."

"Umaru, I could never think that. Although I am trying to come to terms with the fact that magical girls not only actually exist but that my own sister is one." He paused. "Mami is one also, isn't she?"

"She is."

"Did this…did you become a magical girl after we moved to Mitakihara?"

"No," she shook her head. "Before."

"Alright," Taihei said. "How exactly…did this come about? I imagine you don't just wake up one day and suddenly find that you're a magical girl. Or is that what happened?"

"I…" she began, trying to figure out how to continue. This was the really important part, and she had to say it right. "I made a wish. When you become a magical girl, you're granted one wish. That's part of the contract you make. It all happened right after your train accident, and I wished for you to be saved, Onii-chan."

"You….what?" Taihei looked at her, stunned.

"I had to," she said. The tears started flowing again. "It was that…or…or let you die."

"Umaru, I'm not going to pretend I understand all of this, but-"

"It's magic, Onii-chan. Please don't…think on it too hard."

"Right. What I was going to say is that I understand what you did at least," he said, his voice choking. He hugged her back tightly. "Thank you, Umaru. Thank you for my life."

"You're welcome, Onii-chan," she said softly. Her brother, who had just watched her nearly beat two men to death, hugged her tightly. This is what I wished for. For you to always be here and to always be safe. No matter what else comes with being a magical girl, I will never regret it, because you're still here, Onii-chan. That is worth everything I've had to go through and anything that comes.

The moment seemed to go on and on. Umaru didn't want it to end. However, it did when she heard a familiar voice calling out to her and her brother.

"Umaru! Taihei-san!"

Umaru looked up. Mami was running up the street toward them.

"Umaru," Mami said again as she caught up with them. "Kyouko came and found me. She said there had been trouble with you and your brother."

"There was," Umaru said quietly. She removed her arms from around her brother and looked up at Mami. "But it's over."

"That's a relief," Mami said. "And I'm glad to see you're both alright as well." Mami peered at her intently, no doubt noticing her red eyes. "Umaru, perhaps you and I should speak alone?"

Umaru shook her head. "Mami, Onii-chan knows everything. About magical girls, that is. I told him."

"Ah." Mami looked from Umaru to Taihei. "I see."

"I'm…still trying to process this," Taihei said. "I suspect there's a lot more that I haven't yet heard."

"That's likely," Mami said. "There's a lot to this. We don't usually share secrets with those who aren't magical girls or potential magical. This, however, seems like a necessary exception."

"Did you…recruit Umaru?" Taihei asked. "Does it work like that?"

"Not per se," Mami said. "A being named Kyubey recruits us." She paused, probably not wanting to go into their recent loss of trust in Kyubey. "He introduced Umaru and me. And we've worked together ever since she made her contract."

"I see," Taihei said. "Thank you for being her friend and watching over her."

I wonder if he woke up this morning expecting to thank someone for being a fellow magical girl to me.

Mami bowed to him. "I owe a lot to Umaru, including my own life. And aside from that, her friendship has meant a lot to me."

"Ah," Umaru said, feeling herself turn slightly red. "Mami has saved me too."

"Then I'm glad neither of you does…whatever it is you have to do alone," Taihei said. "Fight evil, protect people, stuff like that?"

"Yes, Onii-chan," Umaru said, smiling for the first time since the muggers had attacked. "Stuff like that."

"Though you probably ought to be careful with who you tell, Taihei-san," Mami added.

"I doubt anyone would believe me," Taihei said. "I can scarcely believe it myself."

They talked for a bit more, explaining a few things that had been kept from him. Umaru was glad Mami was there. She was good at putting things into words. After a little while, Taihei informed Umaru that they needed to head home. Umaru sent him on ahead. She did need to talk with Mami privately.

"Mami," she said after her brother was out of earshot. "There is something that worries me that I didn't want to bring up in front of Onii-chan."

"What is it, Umaru?" Mami asked. Her face was patient, friendly, the same caring Mami she usually was.

"How much did Kyouko Sakura tell you about what happened?" Umaru asked.

"Just that there was trouble, that it was past, but that you might need to speak with me," Mami said. "I was a bit surprised to see her, honestly. But anyway, please tell me all that happened."

Umaru explained it all to Mami, how she had wanted to protect her brother, but had lost control, almost killed the two muggers and had attacked Kyouko as well. This was no time to be hiding things. Mami would probably find out sooner or later, and it was better for her Umaru to tell her.

"I see," Mami said when she was finished.

"You're not…mad at me, are you, Mami?" Umaru asked. She couldn't quite read Mami's expression.

"Of course not," Mami said. "Your brother was in danger, and your adrenaline ran high. I'm not going condone attacking Kyouko as well, but I can understand why things happened as they did."

"I guess," Umaru said, though she felt uncertain. What if I act like that again?

"None of us can keep our head straight one-hundred percent of the time," Mami said reassuringly. "And now you recognize what that sort of situation looks like so that you can deal with it in the future. Nothing bad happened except some criminals being hurt."

"It just…scared me," Umaru said.

"Don't be scared, Umaru," Mami said. "I know you're better than wanton brutality if that's what worries you. And I know you can keep your composure when fighting witches. I wouldn't be here otherwise. Just keep that in mind for the future. I'll help you whenever I can."

"Mami…"

"Go spend time with your brother," Mami said. "Take your mind off what happened for a while. There will be time enough in the world to figure out how to deal with it and go forward, but right now, I think it's best if you just go be with him, for him and for you."

"You're right, Mami. Thank you for your advice and for being there for me."

"Of course, Umaru," Mami said, hugging her. "I will always be there for you, and I'd do anything for you. And I know you'd do the same for me."

The next evening, Umaru made her way along the docks in the Mitakihara port. It was late, and almost nobody else around. But it wasn't entirely deserted. A witch was around there somewhere, presumably near one of the docks that was seldom used. Mami wasn't with her; there was another witch over in the factory district that she was handling. Umaru was on her own for this one but was sure she could handle it.

It's strange; with so many magical girls in this city, you'd think someone else would have gotten it already.

When Umaru located the entrance to the barrier, she found that someone else had indeed gotten there first. They were inside the barrier and fighting. Umaru couldn't tell who. Kyouko Sakura? Sayaka? Homura Akemi? She waited patiently. After a bit, the barrier vanished, and Sayaka appeared. She looked both wary and weary and not exactly pleased to see Umaru.

"You're too late," Sayaka said. "This witch is gone."

"That's good to know," Umaru said. "Now it won't hurt anyone."

"I wonder if you're actually concerned about that," Sayaka said. "Or if you're just like Kyouko, only interested in grief seeds."

"I think one of the foremost concerns on my mind right now is you, Sayaka," Umaru said. "You don't look well."

"Well, I'm not dragging you and Mami down anymore, am I?" Sayaka asked. "You don't have to put up with the stupid rookie. I can just throw myself at witches until…until…"

"Sayaka," Umaru said. "I want to help you. Please, let me help."

"Help?" Sayaka scoffed. "Nothing you do or say helps, Umaru. I still didn't…I couldn't…"

"What, Sayaka?"

"Never mind," Sayaka said. "It would never be a problem for you anyway. You'd probably advise me to lie to him and tell him I'm a normal person. That's what you'd do, isn't it? Or you'd be the one who would go and steal him. Probably both."

"Sayaka…" Umaru said. She wasn't entirely sure what Sayaka was talking about, but she could take a good guess. "Did something bad happen with Kamijo?"

Sayaka twitched slightly and gave her a nasty look.

"You know, Kyubey told me you lied to your friends in Tokyo all the time," she said, ignoring Umaru's question. "You'd even pretend to be someone else entirely to fool them for some reason."

"I…I did," Umaru admitted, wondering why Kyubey had suddenly decided to share that with Sayaka, just as she had wondered about him telling her of the meetings with Homura. And something bad must have happened between her and Kamijo for her to react like she did and change the subject back to me. "I'm not proud of it."

"That's messed up," Sayaka said. "I don't get you at all."

"Sayaka…please, let me explain. Let's just talk."

"We're already talking, but why should I listen to anything you have to say, Umaru?"

"Because I'm your friend, Sayaka," Umaru said. "And I'm being honest with you now, I swear. I won't keep anything from you."

"Humph," Sayaka said. "Okay, then. I'm supposed to protect and defend people. Kyubey also said you attacked two people yesterday, people who weren't magical girls and that you nearly killed both of them. Tell me, did you really do that?"

"That's…also true," Umaru said. "And I probably would have killed them. But they went after my brother, Sayaka. I was protecting and defending him."

"Kyubey said nothing about that," Sayaka replied. "But I'm sure you've no problem making up things to justify doing what you did. Does your brother know you do that?"

Kyubey told her that, but left out the part about Onii-chan being in trouble? This makes no sense. It's like he's trying to turn us against each other. Maybe he is. And he's starting by turning Sayaka against me. Or am I becoming paranoid too? If I point out that Kyubey is probably manipulating her, would that make things better or worse?

"It's true though, Sayaka," Umaru insisted. She decided to not voice her suspicion of Kyubey. "You…you can ask my brother. Or Mami. Or you can ask Kyouko Sakura, she was there and saw most of it." Umaru immediately realized that was the wrong thing to say.

"Her? That thief?" Sayaka scoffed. "I'm sure she'd lie just like you do. You're working with her and that Homura Akemi girl, after all. Aren't you?"

"No," Umaru said. "Homura wants everyone to work together to take down Walpurgisnacht. That includes you."

"I doubt that," Sayaka said. She gazed out over the water before turning back to Umaru. "Self-interest. That's what it's about for her. And probably you too."

"Regardless of the motivation, it's not to anyone's advantage if Walpurgisnacht destroys the city."

Umaru turned around. Homura Akemi was approaching them. Homura looked at Umaru, then at Sayaka.

"You," Sayaka said. "What would you care? And who even knows if you're right about Walpurgisnacht coming? Maybe you made it up."

"She didn't make it up," Umaru said. "She's telling the truth. Mami knows it too."

"You're on her side, so of course you defend her," Sayaka said to Umaru.

"Hateful distrust can destroy us as easily as any witch can," Homura said.

"Distrust?" Sayaka asked. "You and she are just lies and empty words. Stay away from me, both of you. And Umaru, if I catch you going after civilians, I won't hold back. Consider that a warning." She pushed past Umaru and Homura.

"Sayaka, wait!" Umaru called. But Sayaka simply walked off.

"So," Homura said, peering at Umaru intently. "You're attacking civilians now? That's not something I would have expected from you."

"They were going to hurt Onii-chan," Umaru said. Hopefully, Homura at least would believe her. "I had to protect him. Everything else…I didn't intend for things to happen the way they did."

"You didn't?" Homura asked. "What happened?"

"When they went after him…well…what I told Sayaka earlier was true." She wasn't sure why, but she thought maybe Homura would understand some, so she explained what had occurred the previous day.

"…and probably I would have killed both of them. And then I went after Kyouko. I don't know quite how to explain it. I just…lost control, I guess," she finished.

Homura shook her head disapprovingly. "Whatever the situation, you can't do that. It's more dangerous than you know, both for you and for others."

Well, at least she doesn't think I'm lying.

"I had to protect my brother," she repeated. Homura wanted to protect Madoka. Shouldn't she have understood why Umaru had to do what she had done?

"Is your brother the important person you mentioned before?" Homura asked. "The one you have nightmares about?"

"Yes."

"You need to be careful," Homura said. "I know you want to keep him safe, but excessive dedication can be…caustic."

"And just what would you suggest?" Umaru said crossly. She had no desire to debate this.

"You're a magical girl. Going off like that is deadly. If this is affecting you so much, then you might have to distance yourself emotionally from him. Perhaps physically, in so much as that's possible while still keeping an eye on him."

"That's…no. How could I ever do that?" Umaru asked, astonished Homura would even make such a suggestion. "He's my brother."

"Still, if you truly care about him, you might have to," Homura said.

"Why? So that I don't accidentally kill criminals who hurt him?"

"No. So that you don't destroy yourself."

"What do you mean?"

"Exactly that."

"Either tell me what you mean or go away," Umaru said, irritated by Homura's nebulous words and useless suggestions. "I'm in no mood for these games."

"This is no game," Homura said. "You and Sayaka Miki will both end up the same if you aren't careful."

"What, dead?"

"Dead and worse."

"What's worse?"

"Nothing you'd want to hear."

"Ugh!" Umaru snapped. "Fine. I'm leaving then. I'm sick of you and your vague half-answers." She walked past Homura, angry. She didn't mind fighting alongside this girl against Walpurgisnacht. That was a necessity. But that didn't mean she had to stand here on this empty dock and listen to her all night.

"Umaru Doma," Homura said. "Wait."

Umaru turned around sharply "What?"

"Tell me," Homura said. "What did you wish for when you became a magical girl? Did it have something to do with your brother?"

"Yes," Umaru said. "He injured in a train accident, and I wished for him to be healed."

"I see."

"He would have died had I not wished for him to be saved," Umaru added.

"A miracle, certainly, but not one without cost," Homura said. She sighed. "There's no reward for self-sacrifice."

"There is though," Umaru said. "Onii-chan survived. That's all the reward I need."

"So you think it was worth it, then? Giving up your soul for your brother's life?"

"Yes," Umaru said without hesitation, thinking of her brother hugging her. "Even knowing everything that I've found out, even after everything that's happened…Onii-chan is alive and well, and that's more important to me than anything else in the world."

The sympathetic look Umaru had seen before again fell over Homura's face. She could see it, despite the darkness. This time, it lingered a little longer before vanishing.

"You get it, don't you?" Umaru asked. "You act nonchalant, but you…it's the same for you, isn't it? And so you really do understand what I'm saying."

"Maybe I do," Homura said. "But I also understand how perilous that is. If you live and die by your brother's well-being, you'll…" She trailed off.

"I'll what?" Umaru asked.

Homura studied her for a moment. Instead of the blank expression she usually wore, she looked wary and almost a little sad.

"Umaru Doma," she said finally. "Do you know what witches truly are?"

"They're bad spirits," Umaru said, wondering what they had to do with this. Another guessing game? "Despair, misery, hate, things like that."

"That's true," Homura said. "But where do they come from?"

"Um…" Now that Umaru thought about it, she found she didn't really know. "Negative emotions?"

"Partly. Whose negative emotions?"

Umaru considered. She thought she saw where Homura was going with this. "They come from magical girls, don't they? Our negative emotions."

"They are us," Homura said. "When we fall into despair and our soul gems turn completely dark, we become witches. That is the final, awful truth of being a magical girl, Umaru Doma. And that is what will happen to you if you keep 'losing control' as you put it."

Umaru's mouth fell open, as what Homura Akemi said hit her like a hammer blow. For a moment, she said nothing. Neither did Homura. They only sounds were the waves in the ocean and the background noise of the city behind them.

"That's…" Umaru almost said 'impossible' but then suddenly remembered something. "…completely true, isn't it?"

Homura nodded. "It is."

"How….how do you know?" she whispered. "Have you…actually seen this transformation?"

"I have," Homura confirmed. Umaru had the feeling Homura wasn't the only magical girl she'd met who had actually seen it.

Idiots! Witches are really-

"…magical girls," Umaru said to herself. She looked down. "Fuun must have known about this."

"Fuun?" Homura asked.

"A magical girl Mami and I met. A witch killed her. She…"

I hate you. I hate you forever. I'm going end you, you miserable, lying-

"She what?" Homura asked.

"I think she tried to tell us. And she tried to kill Kyubey." Umaru looked back up at Homura. "Kyubey. He knows about this, doesn't he?"

"Absolutely," Homura said. "It would no doubt confirm this as well if asked."

"This…is it some byproduct of the magic we use? Or is it intentional?"

"It's intentional," Homura said. "The magical girl system was designed as such on purpose."

Umaru clenched her fists open and closed. Until recently, she had never doubted that Kyubey had their best interests at heart. Even though he had kept the truth about soul gems from them, she wondered if maybe he simply didn't understand humans quite so well. Even when he shared information that would disrupt her friendship with Sayaka (and potentially Mami), she had briefly wondered if he simply thought saying the truth out loud was a good thing. Now she saw what was really happening.

He really is trying to turn us against each other. And to some extent, he's succeeded. And it's a cycle, isn't it? A horrible, nightmarish cycle. Magical girls are created, magical girls destroy witches until they become witches themselves, leading to the need for more magical girls.

"Why though?" Umaru asked. "Why?"

"Does it matter?" Homura asked. "You're talking about a being that isn't human, doesn't think or feel like humans do, and understands human values only enough to exploit them."

"There's got to be some reason though."

"Energy," Homura said.

"Energy?"

"Kyubey…its race. They collect energy from us, somehow. I can't entirely explain how it works. But I do know they set up the magical girl system specifically for that. They'd tell us it was for a greater good, regardless of who suffers."

Umaru suddenly felt as though she was going to be crushed by the weight of this revelation. Everything she had believed about magical girls was false. Her brother had lived, that was true, but in the bargain, she paid a dear price.

"Everyone needs to know…" Umaru said, horrified. She began walking up the dock facing backward as she did. "I've got to tell them. They deserve to know."

"This is very dangerous information, Umaru Doma," Homura said. "It isn't some piece of gossip you can just share."

"Keep secrets is what caused this," she said, backing up some more. There were too many emotions inside her: fear, anger, abd anxiety. She had to get away first and calm herself down some. She turned around and ran down the dock, wanting to be as far away from other magical girls as possible. Umaru just kept running, as though she could somehow outrun the awful fate to which she had been consigned.

Umaru didn't want to go to school the next day. She stared at her breakfast, not feeling hungry. Her brother noticed this.

"What's wrong, Umaru?" he asked. "You're not sick, are you?"

"I think I am, Onii-chan." She'd gone through another sleepless night, not playing games or watching anime or doing much of anything except staring off into space and thinking. She looked up from her breakfast at her brother.

I made a deal to save you, Onii-chan, but nothing comes without a price. Homura Akemi was right about that. But after some thinking, I've decided that what I told her was also true. It was worth it because the alternative would have been worse for me. Infinitely worse. So, I'll pay the price for you. And somehow, I'll get through this.

"Is it…something magical girl-related?" Taihei asked.

"It is. But…I don't want to talk about it, if that's okay, Onii-chan. I need to think some more."

"Then I won't press it. But I am worried about you. You can talk to me about anything, even…you know, that."

"Thank you, Onii-chan. I…I think I might stay home from school today."

"Alright, Umaru. Rest up. We can talk more tonight." No argument. No attempt to change my mind. How things have changed. At one time, he would have yelled at me to get to school.

After her brother had gone to work, Umaru sat in her bedroom and stared out the window, looking at the Mitakihara streets and buildings. She couldn't even bring herself to play a pointless game. There was nothing that was going to take her mind off of what Homura Akemi told her.

After a while, Umaru got up, went into the bathroom, and splashed cold water on her face.

I have to tell Mami and Sayaka. Kyouko Sakura too if I see her again. I can't keep this from them. And Madoka needs to know as well. If that's what happens to you as a magical girl, she needs to know so that she's not doomed like we are.

Doomed. She looked at herself in the mirror. A blond girl stared back at her. She looked pretty but tired. Would that really be her fate?

No, it doesn't have to be. I can fight this. Mami will know what to do. She always does. She can fix anything.

In the early evening, she went and found Mami just outside of her apartment building. There would be no solo hunting that night.

"Mami," she said. "We need to find Sayaka and Madoka too. If possible, also Kyouko Sakura. There's something important everyone needs to know."

Mami blinked at her. "What is it, Umaru?"

"It's…bad," Umaru said. "It's something Homura Akemi told me, and I want to have everyone together."

"I see," Mami said. "Umaru, you don't by any chance think she told you something to manipulate you, right?"

"No," Umaru said, shaking her head. Someone was manipulating them, but it wasn't Homura. "She's pretty reticent, but when she does share things, she always tells the truth."

Mami nodded, apparently believing her. They set off in search of Sayaka. She hadn't responded to messages from either Mami or Umaru. Mami had searched for her at school, but she had been absent; Madoka had told her that she wasn't at her house. Where was she?

Finally, they found Sayaka standing on a pedestrian footbridge that went over a highway. She was leaning against the wall, idly staring at the traffic below. She turned and watched them as they approached, looking sad and tired.

"You two," she said.

"Sayaka," Mami said. "We need to talk."

"Send her away," Sayaka said, pointing at Umaru. "And maybe I'll consider it. I don't think I can hold any respect for you Mami while you're associating with her or Kyouko Sakura."

"Sayaka, we all need each other right now," Mami said. "And Umaru has something important to tell us."

"Humph. Probably another lie."

"No, Sayaka," Umaru said, shaking her head. "What I have to share…ugh, it's not a lie. And it's bad."

"Sayaka! Mami! Umaru!" a voice called out.

Umaru looked over. Madoka was running up to them. Kyubey was right behind them.

Good. He can confirm that I'm telling the truth. Maybe he'll lie and deny it, but I can at least put it out there.

"I'm glad I found you all," Madoka said. "I think…we all need to talk." Great minds think alike.

"We do," Umaru said. "About something very important." She glared coldly at Kyubey was resting on his haunches and watching the four them. She didn't want anything else coming before this. "Kyubey. I have a question for you."

"Yes, Umaru?" he asked, looking back up at her, his expression unchanging.

"The witches we fight, where do they actually come from?"

"I suspect that you somehow already know," Kyubey replied. "And if so, what's the point of asking me that question?"

"To hear you actually say it," Umaru said. A fury was rising in her, but it was a calm fury, one she could control. Everyone's lives were on the line, and she had to do something to prevent all of this from turning into a complete disaster. "But if you won't, then I will. Witches were once magical girls. When our soul gems turn completely dark, we're reborn as witches. And then you recruit more magical girls to fight those witches, but it's because of you they were created in the first place. Is that right?"

"What?" Mami looked at Umaru, shocked. "Is that…is that true?"

"Is this a trick, Umaru?" Sayaka asked. "Trying to mess with us?"

"It's the truth, Sayaka," Umaru said. "Isn't it, Kyubey?"

"Homura Akemi told you this as well, didn't she?" Kyubey said to Umaru. "I'd be interested in knowing where she learned it, but that's beside the point. What you said is more or less correct."

"No, no, no," Mami said, shaking her head. "This can't…"

"Wait. If that's true…" Sayaka said. "Why did I…? I mean, I could have…"

"You weasel," Umaru said accusingly. "You lied to me all along. You lied to all of us!"

"Incorrect," Kyubey replied. "I never said anything false to you or anyone else."

"You also never told the complete truth about the soul gems or the witches or just why you do all this!"

"I didn't tell you more than you needed to know, but you had ample opportunity to ask about such matters. I answered the questions that you asked me. That's not lying. A better example of lying is saying blatantly false things or even pretending to be someone else entirely in order to hide things from others. Wouldn't you agree, Umaru Doma? You are far more a liar than I've ever been."

"That's…I…" Umaru stuttered.

"You're both liars," Sayaka said darkly. "I can't believe I was so..."

"Each of you did wish for something," Kyubey said, looking at the three of them. "One of you wished for her own life, one of you wished for her brother's life, and one of you wished to be able to help and protect others. And you were each granted what you asked for. I don't see why any of you feel as though you would have a reason to complain."

Umaru looked at the other two girls. Sayaka's face was a mix of anger and disgust, while Mami still looked stricken. She turned back to Kyubey.

"Fuun knew," Umaru said. "She knew about your tricks, and that's why she wanted to kill you."

"And her attempts to kill me were as pointless as her rage at me," Kyubey said. "I never tricked her. What happened to Fuun was her own doing. The witch she fought, whose clone later killed her, was formerly Fuun's friend who changed into one after the two of them got into a fight."

"What? You lied about that too!"

"I told you that encounter took a toll on her. That was the truth, Umaru Doma."

"But it's because of you that she died!"

"As I recall, you and Mami interfered in a fight she'd have otherwise won. One could say that the culpability for her death belongs to the two of you."

To Umaru's right, Mami buried her face in her hands and sobbed loudly.

"Obviously," Kyubey said. "It would have been better for me had she turned into a witch as well. She insisted that she'd never turn into a witch because she knew she wouldn't turn into one. I had thought that delusion was a product of her own mental disturbance, but she turned out to be right. No matter, I suppose. The three of you surely will."

"All of you…" Sayaka said. "You're all…" She turned and ran off.

"Sayaka!" Madoka yelled, running after her.

Mami continued crying and simply repeated "no" over and over.

"We won't turn," Umaru said, narrowing her eyes at Kyubey. "Whatever you've done, whatever you've planned, that won't happen. Because now we know, and we can avoid it."

"It's the fate of every magical girl, sooner or later, provided something doesn't kill her first," Kyubey said. Apparently, now that the game was up, he wasn't holding back. "Take you, for instance, Umaru Doma. Even though your brother is just one human among the billions on this planet, you obsess over protecting him."

Kyubey peered at Umaru, and a series of images flashed through her mind. Her brother sat nervously on a train right before it crashed Then he was lying injured and comatose in a hospital bed. He was awake and crying in the same bed, confused as to why he survived. Then he was attacked by a string of witches – crushed by one, eaten by another, and stabbed by a third. A pair of criminal thugs advanced on him. Finally, a shadow that looked like a girl carrying a spear bore down on him.

It was all more than Umaru could take.

"Stop it!" Umaru screamed, putting her hands to head and falling to her knees. She couldn't see anything through the flood of tears running down her face. "Get out of my head!"

She pulled off her ring and transformed. She didn't care about anything else at the moment. She sprang up and swung her umbrella at Kyubey. She rained down blows on him, screaming in agony as she did. He didn't have a chance to get out of the way. She quickly reduced him to what looked like a pile of red and white goo. Breathing hard, she stepped back, feeling a little horrified at what she had just done despite the venom she felt for Kyubey.

I lost control again. I did exactly what Homura said not to do. But he provoked me into doing it. Is he…dead?

"A predictable enough response, I suppose, but you shouldn't take your anger out on me, Umaru Doma," Kyubey's voice said.

Umaru looked over at the source of the voice. Another Kyubey faded into existence just behind her, whole and well. He trotted over to the mess Umaru had created and began eating it. Umaru felt repulsed and sickened. As he continued chewing on his own corpse, she stomach suddenly turned. She turned her head and vomited on the ground. Ugh.

"You…what did you…" she said quietly, turning back toward him. She couldn't finish. Her head, heart, and stomach all hurt. Every part of her hurt.

"I didn't do anything but remind you of what's already in your own mind, Umaru Doma. All those thoughts were yours," Kyubey said, having finished his grotesque meal. "Look at what you're reduced to simply from being forced to acknowledge your own worries. Recall what you did when Taihei Doma was attacked by muggers. What will happen to you when misfortune befalls him that you're unable to do anything about?"

Umaru couldn't answer. Everything inside her was a mess. Part of her wanted to attack Kyubey again, but she knew that wouldn't have done any good.

"Every magical girl has a weakness, and that's yours," Kyubey continued. "Still, your weakness is also a source of incredible energy and led you to make a contract, so it works out well for everyone involved. After all, your brother survived, right? That's what you wanted more than anything. And with that wish, you help out the universe at large."

Umaru took a deep breath. I can get through this. Somehow. Onii-chan is still here, and he's okay. That's what's most important. But Mami's here too. She'll help. We'll make up with Sayaka. We'll make friends Kyouko and Homura. We'll all…

"Get out of here," Umaru said quietly. "Leave us all alone."

"You can send me away," Kyubey said. "But that won't change I've told you."

"It doesn't matter," Umaru said. "Just go away."

"Very well," Kyubey said. "I'll suppose I'll see you again at some point anyway after you've changed into a witch. Until then, Umaru Doma."

He vanished from sight. Umaru was glad to see him go.

Beside her, Mami was still weeping. She hadn't said much of anything throughout all of this. Umaru opened her umbrella and held it over her and Mami, illuminating them both with a gentle orange light. Mami ceased crying and looked up at Umaru. She wiped her eyes. Umaru closed her umbrella and smiled at her.

"There,' Umaru said as she hugged Mami. "Feel a little better now?"

"Not necessarily better, but calmer, at least," Mami said. Her voice was quiet, but she didn't return Umaru's smile.

Umaru shook her head. "I shouldn't have attacked Kyubey, but the shock of what he said…and what he did…"

"No, I understand why you did, Umaru. I might have done so myself had I not been so indisposed."

"I was like that yesterday and last night after Homura told me," Umaru said. "It's…a pretty awful thing to find out, huh, Mami?"

"It is," Mami agreed. "But thanks to your help just now, I'm able to think more clearly. And I know what I need to do about it."

"Right. We need to go find Sayaka and Madoka and-"

"No. Not that. Something else."

"What is it?" Umaru asked.

"Umaru," Mami said. "I have a favor to ask of you, please."

"Anything, Mami."

Mami held out her soul gem in front of her. "Kill me."

"What?" Umaru was certain she had misheard her.

"End it. I don't think I can do it myself, and I don't want to go on knowing that I'll turn into the very thing I'm supposed to fight. Maybe it's the cowardly way out, but I would rather die at a friend's hands than suffer a far worse fate that will only inflict more misery and suffering."

Umaru was horrified. "Mami, stop. What are you saying?"

"I know it's a difficult request. But you're my best friend, and you're the only one I can ask," Despite her words, Mami's voice remained tranquil. "If you truly care about me, you'll do this last thing this for me."

"No, I-I couldn't. You're not yourself, Mami. I must have messed up when I tried to calm you down. Let's-"

"Umaru," Mami interrupted her. "You have to. Who else could I trust? I can't accept becoming a witch, so this is the only way out for me. Please. Don't make me beg."

"No." Umaru shook her head. How could Mami ever expect her to do something like that? "I can't, and I won't." And I have to find a way to stop you from doing it yourself. This is wrong. You're the strong one, Mami, the experienced one, the one who always somehow keeps going.

"I thought you might say that. In that case, I'll force you to." Mami passed her free hand over her soul gem. She transformed, and a rifle appeared in her hand. She raised it and pointed it at Umaru. "You can kill me, or you can die. Those are your only options."

Umaru's eyes widened. "Mami…you can't be serious…"

"I have never been more serious, Umaru."

She shook her head. "I won't fight you, Mami."

"But I'll fight you," Mami said. "And if I end up killing you, then I'll definitely turn. That's what your death will do to me. And with that, you'll have unleashed another witch on the world."

Tears streamed down Umaru's face. Once again, the situation had gone from bad to worse. "Mami, stop it. What…what if killing you makes me turn into a witch? Did you think about?"

"It won't. I know it. You're stronger than that."

"I'm not. Mami…just…"

"Umaru, if you perish, how will your brother react? And who will protect him?"

Umaru felt her stomach twist again. She didn't think she had anything left in it to throw up. "Mami…that's…how could you…"

"This should be an easy choice for you. Do it for me and for him."

"No, I won't…please, Mami…don't make me…"

"The time for talking is past." Mami stepped closer and aimed her rifle directly at the orange jeweled button on Umaru's hood. The end of the barrel was only a few inches away from it. "What will you do, Umaru?"

Chapter Text

There was nothing Umaru could do with Mami's rifle pointing at her. She swung her umbrella and struck the barrel, knocking it away. It went off with a loud bang. Mami immediately drew another one and fired again, but Umaru raised her umbrella shield just in time.

"So, that's what it's to be?" Mami sighed. "Very well then."

Umaru peeked over her umbrella. "Stop this, Mami. This isn't right, none of it. It doesn't have to be like this."

"You can stop it at any time, Umaru, if you'll just do what I ask."

"I won't ever do that, Mami."

"Then we're back to where we started."

Mami came at her faster than Umaru expected. A dozen rifles appeared around her, all of them firing at Umaru. Umaru blocked them again. She wouldn't be able to keep this up for long. She didn't think she could win this fight even if she really wanted to. Mami was too good and too fast.

But is she even using her full strength against me? I don't think she is. Is this truly what she wants? How can I make it through this with both of us coming out okay?

Umaru wondered if she could at least knock Mami down and end the fight without hurting her too badly. She fired lightning at Mami, hoping enough of it would incapacitate her, but Mami leaped out of the way, firing a string of ribbons at her. One of them pulled Umaru's umbrella from her hand, sending it flying up into the air.

Umaru started to turn to grab for her umbrella and catch it, but before she could, another length of ribbon wrapped around her ankle and pulled. Her balance upset, she fell to the ground. She tried to get up, but the ribbon around her ankle held her down. She struggled with it, and suddenly Mami loomed over her. Her rifle was aimed directly at Umaru's soul gem again.

"Good-bye, my best friend," Mami whispered.

Umaru had lost. She should have expected it; she would never have been any match for Mami, after all. She squeezed her eyes closed and braced herself. She was going to die on this footbridge, the drivers passing under having no idea what was happening on it.

I'm sorry, Onii-chan, Mami, everyone.

She heard a loud thud and then the sound of a body hitting the ground. A shot was fired, but it didn't hit her. She opened her eyes. Homura Akemi was standing over Mami, who was lying face down and not moving. Unlike the usual school uniform, Homura was wearing a dark dress and a round shield on her left arm. It occurred to Umaru that this must be her magical girl form; she had never seen it until now.

"Homura!" Umaru said. "Did you…"

"I only knocked her out. I don't want to lose potential allies at this point, you or her," Homura answered. The street lamp illuminated her, and Umaru could see the cold look on her face. "Let me guess: you told Mami Tomoe the truth about witches."

Umaru nodded.

"I told you that was dangerous information, and you went and shared it anyway," Homura said. "I thought you were smarter than that."

"Everyone needed to know! Keeping secrets is what got us into this mess in the first place!" Umaru said, struggling to stand; the ribbon still held her in place. Homura pulled a pistol out of nowhere and fired a single shot, severing it.

"No. What got us into the mess in the first place was becoming magical girls," Homura said as Umaru got to her feet. "But we don't have the time to discuss this right now. Where's Madoka? I thought she'd have been with you two."

"Sayaka ran off, and Madoka followed her," Umaru said.

"Damn it." Homura started to turn away.

"Wait! Let me help you!" Umaru said. "If we work together, maybe we can fix all this…somehow."

Homura looked back and tilted her head briefly at Umaru, but then nodded.

"Alright. We need to move fast," Homura said. "We have to get to them before...well, I don't need to tell you what might happen." She pointed to Mami. "Can you carry her? We can't leave her by herself."

"Yes," Umaru said. She gently picked up Mami and held her in both arms. She feels so light. But I'm glad she's still alive. Losing her would have been awful. Once she comes to, we can talk this out.

Homura shook her head. "You'll need a free hand for the way we're going to travel."

"Alright," Umaru said. She didn't understand why, but this was no time to be questioning anything. That could wait for later. She carefully hoisted Mami over her right shoulder. "Let's go."

Homura held out her right hand to Umaru. "Take my hand. Quickly. We've wasted too much time already."

Umaru reached out with her free hand and grabbed Homura's. It was a bit cold. Cold hands, warm heart, maybe? She was briefly reminded of the first time she had entered a labyrinth, holding Mami's hand like that. She had come a long way since then, and her life had taken a very different direction. Homura's shield made some whirring and clicking sounds.

Well, Sayaka, maybe some magical girls can teleport, just like you asked.

They didn't teleport, however. The entire world went silent and still. There was no wind, and the cars driving across the highway below them froze in place. Nothing moved except for that the two of them. Umaru was stunned.

"Let's move," Homura said, pulling her forward. "Hold on tight, and don't let go. If you do, time will stop for you, and we can't afford delays. And don't drop Mami Tomoe either."

"I…I understand," Umaru said, flabbergasted. This was far beyond anything she ever expected. Homura had actually stopped time.

I was amazed by Mami's skill with her ribbons, intrigued by Fuun's insight, but this…this is something else entirely. Incredible! No wonder she can appear and vanish without a trace. I want to know everything about this...but I guess this probably isn't the time to ask about it, ha.

They left the footbridge and stepped onto a surface street. Umaru got over the initial weirdness of everything being motionless except for the two of them. They passed by a bus station where a woman sat completely still staring at nothing.

"Don't bump anyone we pass," Homura warned, no doubt noticing Umaru looking at the woman.

"I won't. Do you know where it is we need to go?" Umaru asked as they ran. There were a hundred things she wanted to ask, but that seemed like the most important matter at the moment. If they didn't reach Madoka and Sayaka in time…well, they might find a witch Sayaka and a dead Madoka. Or they'd find that Kyubey had suddenly reappeared and tricked Madoka into making a contract in order to save the both of them. That wouldn't surprise Umaru either. But she also knew Homura absolutely didn't want Madoka to make a contract.

"I have an idea," Homura said. "I've seen this kind of situation before. Keep up."

"Alright," Umaru said. There was something she did want to say, no matter what. She and Mami both owed Homura now. "Homura, thank you for your help with Mami. If you hadn't been there…"

"She would have killed you," Homura said. "Consider yourself fortunate I showed up before she did."

"It sounds like you knew this might happen."

"Not this exactly, but something close," Homura answered. She looked around the street they were on and sighed. "Okay, they aren't here. Come on, they can't have gone too far." They turned around and went down a different street. They headed in the direction of the park, Umaru realized. Again, she wondered just how much Homura Akemi knew and how she knew it.

"Fuun, the magical girl I mentioned before, had some kind power of insight and foresight from her wish," Umaru said. "She knew about Mami and me, and she knew about things before they happened, like Walpurgisnacht." And her own death. Maybe I should have asked her to tell my fortune after all.

"That sounds useful," Homura said. "And dangerous."

"Do you have a skill like that too?"

"No, nothing like that," Homura shook her head.

"Then how did you know Mami would-"

"That's not important at the moment," Homura said. "We need to concentrate on helping Madoka and, if possible, Sayaka Miki."

"What are we going to do about Sayaka?" Umaru asked.

"That depends on whether or not she's still Sayaka Miki when we find her."

"You mean if she's a witch or not."

"Correct."

"If she's a witch…" Umaru began.

"Then we'll have to destroy her," Homura finished. "There's no way around that."

No, we can't let it come to that.

"There's no way to change a magical girl back once she becomes a witch?" Umaru asked.

"There's no good way that I know of," Homura answered.

"Are there bad ways?" Umaru couldn't resist asking.

"Maybe a potential magical girl could wish for it to be reversed," Homura said. "But even if Kyubey granted that wish and it worked, it would just cause other problems."

"And we don't want Kyubey around us right now anyway," Umaru said. She decided to voice her suspicion. "I think he was trying to turn us all against each other. Sayaka, Mami, me. And he was always telling us to be wary of you."

"That's not surprising. It doesn't further his goals if magical girls all work together."

"Right. So, anyway, if Sayaka isn't a witch, then maybe we can-"

"Even if she isn't, we still might end up having to kill her. Prepare yourself for that."

"What? No, I couldn't…"

"That's the sort of situation we're in now, Umaru Doma. She might be too far gone to save."

"B-But…even if things haven't gone well between us lately, Sayaka's still my friend."

"Trust me when I say I know how much harder that makes it. But sometimes we've no choice."

"No. If she's still human, then we can still help her. I could never harm her."

"She isn't human any more than you or I are. And it's much easier for a magical girl to fall than it is to pull her back up."

Umaru was about to reply when she looked over and saw Madoka standing frozen near the entrance to the park. She was by herself and looked both sad and worried. Umaru was relieved to see she was at least okay, though she wondered what had happened to Sayaka. Homura's shield clicked and whirred, and suddenly a rush of noise and movement returned to the world. Time had started again.

"Umaru!" Madoka said, spotting them immediately. "H-Homura?"

"Madoka," Umaru said. "Are you alright? Where's Sayaka?"

"I think she's in the park," Madoka said. "We talked briefly, but then she ran away again. I couldn't keep up with her."

"Don't worry," Umaru told her. "We'll help her."

Homura said nothing, stepped around Madoka and Umaru and walked into the park. Now that Madoka had been found safely, her sense of urgency seemed to have softened some. Either that or she didn't want Madoka to see her time-stopping powers. Umaru started to follow her when she felt Madoka grab her hand. Looking beside her, Umaru noticed that the poor girl still looked extremely upset.

She's scared. So am I, come to think of it. If Sayaka turns into a witch…no, don't think about that.

She gave Madoka the best reassuring smile she could manage.

"It'll be okay," Umaru said.

"I hope so," Madoka replied. "Is Mami hurt?"

"She's just unconscious. She'll be alright when she wakes up." Though she might have a splitting headache, given how hard Homura must have hit her.

They picked up the pace and caught up to Homura. They searched the park until they found Sayaka sitting on a bench and staring at the ground. Beside her sat none other than Kyouko Sakura. As they approached, Kyouko looked up from the bag of potato chips she was working on.

"Oh hey, it's you guys." She peered at Umaru. "What happened to Mami?"

"She's just out," Umaru replied. She set Mami down on the bench. "She'll be okay in a bit."

"She's missing the party," Kyouko said. "Sayaka told me the terrible secret you decided to share with everyone, orange. We've been talking about it some. Well, I've been talking, and she's been listening. I think."

Umaru nodded at her and turned to Sayaka. "Hey, Sayaka?"

Sayaka said nothing and stared down at the soul gem in her hands. While it had once been a shining bright blue, it was now almost completely dark.

"We were too late," Homura said. "She's too far gone." She pulled a handgun out of nowhere (Umaru wondered where she kept those) and pointed it at Sayaka's soul gem. Umaru immediately understood what she meant to do.

"I'm sorry," Homura said.

"Wait!" Umaru cried, stepping between the two of them.

"Homura, no!" Madoka said.

"What the hell?!" Kyouko yelled. Both she and Madoka stepped in front of Sayaka as well.

"You all understand the consequences if she goes on as she is," Homura said back.

This isn't the time to be arguing. Maybe I can do something.

With herself, Madoka, and Kyouko standing between Sayaka and Homura, Umaru figured she had one chance to try something. She passed her left hand over her soul gem button, and her umbrella materialized in her right. She turned and pointed it directly at Sayaka's soul gem.

Time to see if this works on others' soul gems. Here goes nothing. I'm sorry you have to be my guinea pig, Sayaka.

She concentrated her power, and her umbrella emitted a bright orange light.

Please, let this work.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Kyouko asked, turning back toward her. Madoka looked at her as well with wide eyes but said nothing.

"Hopefully helping her," Umaru replied. She concentrated a little more, and Sayaka's soul gem changed from a very dark color to a slightly lighter blue. It wasn't completely clear and bright, but hopefully, that pulled her back from the edge and bought them some time. Homura raised an eyebrow at her and lowered her gun.

Sayaka looked up at her. "Umaru?"

"Hello, Sayaka. How are you feeling?"

"Tired. And confused." She rubbed her head. "What did you do?"

"I tried to purify your soul gem," Umaru said. "It's the same magic I've been practicing for a while, but I've never really tried it out on someone else's soul gem until now. I…uh…I'm sorry I just went ahead and did that, but…"

"…but it probably would have been bad if you didn't," Sayaka said. "Is that the only reason you did it, Umaru?"

"Well, because I also care about you, and you're still my friend, Sayaka. I want you to be okay, no matter what," Umaru said.

"I see." Sayaka leaned back against the bench and sighed. "Well, then thank you. I'm sorry things have been so…"

"Bad, huh?" Umaru said. "It's not your fault, Sayaka."

"It partly is though."

"No, I should have been more open about everything earlier. Also, I'm pretty sure Kyubey was manipulating everyone, you included."

"And I just let myself be led on," Sayaka said.

"We were all led on, Sayaka," Umaru said. "You, me, Mami, everyone."

"Orange has a point," Kyouko said. "And you see? She still cares about you, just like I said."

"I guess," Sayaka said, looking back down. "I've been a colossal idiot."

"We're all idiots," Kyouko said. "Aren't we, orange?" Umaru nodded back at her.

"Ugh…what…"

Umaru looked over. Mami had suddenly stirred and was waking up. She opened her eyes and looked up at each girl, finally turning to Umaru.

"Umaru," she said weakly. "Am I…dead?"

"No, Mami," Umaru said. "You're very much alive."

"So I am," Mami said, rubbing her head. "And you are as well. What happened?"

"Homura helped us. I don't think you or I would be here were it not for her. Sayaka too, really. Homura helped me find her and Madoka."

"I see." Mami looked up at Homura. She closed her eyes then and opened them. "Then thank you, Homura Akemi."

Homura said nothing back. Mami sighed deeply, leaned back and closed her eyes again. She's probably still having trouble coping with the truth about witches.

"It's another magical girl convention," Kyouko said, sitting back down between Mami and Sayaka. "All of us together."

"Kyouko," Mami said, opening her eyes back up.

"You look like crud, Mami," Kyouko said.

"That's about how I feel," Mami replied.

"You and me both," Sayaka said.

"Jeez, everyone is mopey," Kyouko complained. "We're past the worst part, right? I mean, now we know…well, I don't have to say it."

"No," Homura said. "We aren't past the worst part. The worst part has yet to come."

"Walpurgisnacht," Umaru said. Given the state of things, are the five of us really going to be able to fight it? Mami and Sayaka have both been through the wringer, and I'm not exactly in top form myself. Kyouko Sakura seems okay, and Homura, well, it's impossible to tell when it comes to her.

"Correct," Homura said. "And only the five of us can stop it."

"No pressure, huh?" Kyouko said. Homura frowned at her, and she laughed. "But, it's more fun that way, isn't it?"

"It's unlikely to be any fun," Homura said.

"And more likely to be deadly, isn't it?" Mami asked, looking up at Homura. "And you want all of us to fight against it together. That's what Umaru told me."

"Yes. What do you say, Mami Tomoe?"

"I…" Mami closed her eyes again. "I'm too much of a mess at the moment to think about this."

"We have a few days before it'll arrive," Homura said. "But we can't delay."

"I see. I apologize for saying this after how you've helped, but can we please discuss this another night, Homura Akemi? Today has been…difficult."

"If that's what you want," Homura said. Umaru wondered if she was disappointed that Mami hadn't just said yes immediately. Homura turned to Sayaka. "What about you, Sayaka Miki?"

"My answer is the same as Mami's," Sayaka replied wearily, still staring at the ground.

Homura turned to Umaru. "And you?"

Umaru thought of her brother. I have to keep Onii-chan safe, no matter what, for both him and me.

"I'll fight," she said. Though hopefully, it won't just be Homura, Kyouko, and me.

Homura nodded at her. "I'd like to start planning and strategizing, but I can hold off until tomorrow. Perhaps we'll have others with us by then."

"You mean, we need a strategy other than 'attack the witch until it dies,' huh?" Kyouko asked. She chuckled. Umaru figured she was smarter than that, given her experience. Homura gave her a blank look and said nothing.

"I think I'd just like to go home," Mami said. "I don't want to think about witches at all right now."

"I'll walk you home, Mami," Umaru volunteered. "I think things here have…more or less calmed?" Well, unless something else bad happens, which wouldn't be surprising at this point.

Kyouko nodded at her. "I'll stick around by Sayaka. Because…well, I'll just stay."

"Thanks, Kyouko," Mami said, getting up. She put a hand on Sayaka's shoulder. Sayaka briefly looked up at her, and the two exchanged a glance. Mami turned back to Umaru. "Unless there's nothing else, please, let's just leave."

"See you later, Mami," Kyouko said. "Keep an eye on orange, will you?"

"Of course," Mami said. Her voice was still quiet.

"Umaru Doma,' Homura said. Umaru turned back and noticed she was holding out a grief seed.

"What's this for?" she asked.

"Magical girls need grief seeds," Homura answered. "And I imagine whatever you did to Sayaka Miki took quite a bit of your own magic."

"Thanks, Homura," Umaru said, accepting the grief seed. "Don't you need to them too though?"

Homura shook her head. Mami tugged on Umaru's sleeve, and Umaru figured she really wanted to leave. They set off.

Umaru and Mami walked back to her apartment in silence. Unlike the last time they had walked in silence together, this instance wasn't the result of any disagreement. Umaru figured Mami was probably thinking. She had been through a lot, after all.

And so have I, for that matter. I don't know how I'll deal with it if this keeps up. How many more nights like this can I handle?

When they reached Mami's apartment, Mami turned to Umaru.

"Umaru," she said quietly. "Will you stay for a while? Please?"

"Of course, Mami," Umaru said. "I'll stay as long as you want me to."

"Thank you."

Umaru messaged her brother that she was taking care of important magical girl business and that she'd be very late arriving home. She was glad that, finally, she didn't really have to lie to him anymore. She could tell him this was what she was doing.

Mami sat down at her table and buried her head in arms. It sounded like she was crying softly as well. Umaru sat down across from her. What Mami needed more than anything else right was a friend, and Umaru would be there as long as was necessary.

"Mami," Umaru said. "Do you want me to make you some tea?" That seemed like a good thing. Cola was Umaru's go-to drink for feeling better, but for Mami, she knew that would be tea instead.

"Please," Mami said, not raising her head. "And thank you."

Umaru busied herself in Mami's kitchen and brewed some of the tea she found in the cupboard. There was, of course, a lot to choose from. When she brought back two cups and set one down in front of Mami, she finally raised her head and looked at Umaru. Her eyes were still red and bloodshot. Hopefully, her head didn't hurt from where Homura had struck her.

"Is it good?" Umaru asked. "I'm not quite the tea expert you are, so I'm probably not the best judge."

"It is," Mami said. She set down her teacup and sighed. "I just feel so…empty now, like everything is pointless."

"It isn't though, Mami," Umaru said.

"We go from one grief seed to the next," Mami said. "Until we turn into witches and become some other magical girl's grief seed. Or we end up like poor Fuun did."

Umaru shook her head. She wasn't sure what to say.

"Why?" Mami asked. "If we're just going to turn into witches…"

"That doesn't have to happen though," Umaru said. "We know about it now, and maybe we can do something about it."

Mami started to cry. "What can we do though? It's just all so…"

Umaru got up, walked around the table, and put her arms around Mami, the same way her brother had hugged and comforted her just the other day. Mami hugged her back and clung to her.

"I don't want to do this anymore," she sobbed, leaning against Umaru's shoulder and weeping. "I never wanted to do this."

What would Onii-chan say in this situation? He would know the right thing to say, I bet.

Umaru tried to imagine her brother standing there in front of them, first furrowing his brow in thought. In her mind, his brother removed his glasses, cleaned them, and then put them back on.

Onii-chan, be more helpful, please! Tell me what to say to Mami! Okay…I'm being silly. Maybe he'd say that I need to speak from my heart.

"As long as you're still here," Umaru said. "You can keep going. You can't change the past, but you can…I don't know, go forward differently. With eyes open, at least." That sounded like her brother: practical and realistic, but also a little optimistic and hopeful.

"But it's pointless, meaningless, useless, and there's just…nothing," Mami said.

"No, Mami, it isn't all meaningless, and there are reasons to go on."

"What reasons are there?"

"Lots." Umaru paused. "Sayaka is still here. Kyouko Sakura is still here, and I think she wants to be friends with you again, despite what she might say. And I'm still here with you. You know, it wasn't for you, Mami, I…" She wasn't sure how to finish that thought.

"What?" Mami sniffed. "If it wasn't for me, you what?"

Umaru looked Mami directly in the eyes. It was time to be completely truthful. "Mami, you confessed some things to me once. I need to do the same now. Before I met you, I was a spoiled, selfish girl. I was terrible. I was manipulative, childish, and petty. Occasionally, I'd be outright mean to my brother, in spite of how much he did for me. I took him for granted much of the time. I took everything for granted."

"What?" Mami had ceased crying and looked at her, bewildered.

"I constantly lied to my friends in Tokyo," Umaru continued. "Sometimes I really did pretend to be someone else entirely to trick them and hide things from them, just like Kyubey said. I lied to you when I first met you. I haven't even been entirely honest with you up until now."

"Is…is that true?"

"It is," Umaru admitted. "I was…a very different person when I first met you. Everything I've gone through as a magical girl has changed me, I suppose. But I would never have been able to make it through without you, Mami. And I never would have become the person I am now without you, Mami."

Mami sniffed and titled her head. "So…you think all of this is okay just because you become a better person, Umaru?"

Umaru almost laughed. That was an interesting way to look at it. "I mean that some good still came out of all this. Like you. You're the good, the Mami. You're my best friend. And no matter what happens…we don't have to through it alone."

"We don't?"

"No, we have each other, and we have the others too." And I have Onii-chan.

"And you'll stay? You won't leave me alone, Umaru?"

"No, Mami. I will never leave you alone."

"Promise?" Mami asked.

"I promise," Umaru confirmed.

"So, what will we do, then?"

"We…we'll protect people," Umaru said. "We'll keep everyone safe. Just like you've always said. We'll go forward together, somehow."

"We will." Mami smiled at her. "Thank you, Umaru."

"There's no need to thank me," Umaru said. "We said we'd always be there for each other, right?"

"Right." Mami pulled back from her, smiled weakly, and chuckled.

"What is it?" Umaru asked.

"Oh, I'm just thinking of how one day, Kyubey told me there was a potential magical girl visiting me and that she was coming all the way from Tokyo," she said. "And then, this pretty girl shows up on my doorstep. She was thoughtful and inquisitive, but I wondered if she really wanted to become a magical girl, as she seemed far more interested in eating cake."

"What?!" Umaru felt herself blush a little. "That's…um…I mean…I was interested in what you had to say too!"

"Oh, was I actually right?" Mami asked. "I was just teasing you."

"Oh, you're mean Mami," Umaru said. "First you attack me and now this."

"Apologies," Mami said. She looked down at her empty teacup. "I'm going to rest some, I think. I'm very, very tired."

"Do you…think you're going to be okay, Mami?"

"As much as that's possible right now, yes," Mami said. "Umaru, you don't have to stay any longer, if you can't…but…I would like it if you did."

"Of course I'll stay," Umaru said. "I'll just message Onii-chan and tell him that I'm staying the night here. He'll understand." I don't like leaving him alone, but it's just for one night. That should be okay, right? I could go and check on him and…wait, I can't think that way. He'll be fine.

"Thank you, Umaru," Mami said. She got up, lied back on the couch next to her table, and closed her eyes. "Thank you."

Umaru stood up to clean up the teacups. She reached out and gently squeezed Mami's hand, feeling warmth for her friend. Mami gently squeezed back. When Umaru was finished cleaning up, she wondered what she'd do. Maybe Mami had a book she'd enjoy reading. As she perused her shelves, there was a knock at the door. Umaru went to answer it, wondering who it was, though she could take a fairly good guess. She turned out to be right – it was Homura Akemi.

"How is Mami Tomoe?" Homura asked. She didn't move from the doorstep. Umaru was uncertain if she should invite her in or not.

"She's better," Umaru said. Perhaps not completely fine, but I'm not sure any of us will be 'fine' anytime soon. "And resting."

"I see," Homura said. As usual, her expression didn't change. If she was happy at Mami being better, Umaru couldn't tell.

"Homura-" Umaru began, but Homura held up her hand to stop her.

"We shouldn't talk here," Homura said. She pointed past Umaru. "Not while she's resting. We might disturb her. Let's both step outside."

Giving Mami one brief glance, Umaru followed Homura out to the apartment walkway. She leaned against the railing and stared off into the city. Homura stood beside her, and neither girl said anything for a time. Finally, Umaru could no longer stand it and broke the silence.

"Homura?"

Homura turned to her. "What is it?"

"How is Sayaka?"

"I believe she went home after talking some more with Madoka and Kyouko Sakura. Beyond that, I can't say. Your magic might very well have saved her, however."

"Would you really have killed her?"

"Had there been no other option, yes. It would have been a mercy to her and for Madoka's protection. I'm glad you were able to intervene before that became necessary, however."

"Are you glad because you care about her or because you want more people to fight Walpurgisnacht?" Umaru asked.

"I don't have the luxury of being able to care about much else other than my goal at the moment," Homura sighed.

Umaru regretted her words. That was unfair, especially after all that Homura done. She was cold, but she had saved Mami, Sayaka, Madoka, and Umaru herself that night. She was no doubt worn out as well. Maybe she really did care more than she let on.

"I'm sorry, Homura," Umaru said. "That was a bit uncalled for, given everything you've done."

"Your apology is unnecessary, but I forgive you all the same."

"Do you…really think the five of us can beat Walpurgisnacht?" And if you're able to stop time, I'm surprised you don't think you can kill it on your own. It must be incredibly powerful.

"That remains to be seen," Homura said. "It's said to be unstoppable, but if five magical girls work together, perhaps there's a chance for us to win. I think it's the only way we'll have any chance at all."

"What are our odds?"

"I can't say. Better than they are with fewer people fighting, of course. Hopefully, morale will improve some over the next few days. Tonight was difficult, but the fight will be harder."

"Just how is it you know so much about Walpurgisnacht anyway?" Umaru asked. "Not to mention magical girls and witches and everything else?"

Homura shook her head. "I've already told you too much. Every time I tell you something, more bad things seem to happen."

"They probably would have happened either way," Umaru said. "And I still think it's better for everyone to know those things you told me and to know the truth about soul gems and witches."

Homura shrugged. "Perhaps. Usually, everyone wouldn't even believe."

"What do you mean by 'usually'?" Umaru asked. "Other magical girls don't believe the things you tell them?"

"Correct," Homura said. "Most don't even want to listen."

"What other magical girls? You mean those other than the ones here in Mitakihara? Or do you mean the issues you had with Mami when you two didn't exactly talk?"

"That's hard to explain," Homura said.

"Why don't you try me?"

Homura said nothing and simply looked at Umaru. Was she thinking about how to answer? Or was she just planning on withholding information again? Probably the latter. After all that had happened, Homura Akemi still didn't trust Umaru enough to tell her whatever great secret it was she kept. For whatever reason, she was apparently determined to stay as mysterious as possible.

Mysterious. For some reason, Umaru recalled an anime she had watched some years ago about a girl who started a school club to investigate mysterious things. She had no idea why; she hadn't watched that series in a long time. And she hadn't really watched much of anything at all since becoming a magical girl.

"Homura," Umaru said. "Let me ask you something else then. Are you an alien or an esper? Or a slider or a time-traveler?"

Homura looked at her and raised her eyebrow. Again, the blank expression on her face vanished, but this time was replaced by one that looked like honest surprise. It had been a wild guess based on an anime she had seen, but Umaru suspected her guess had been good.

"You should keep your odd thoughts to yourself," Homura said. For only the second time since Umaru had met her, she seemed thrown off.

"But I'm right, aren't I?" Umaru asked. Now that she had the advantage in this conversation, she intended to press it. And she knew which of her suggestions had been correct. "You're a time traveler. You don't just stop time – you've actually traveled through it."

Homura sighed. "Yes. You're right. Are you happy?"

This was why Kyubey hadn't recognized her and called her an anomaly, even though she had obviously made a contract with him. The contract happened in the future. Or maybe it had already happened in an alternate timeline. Or maybe this girl was a time paradox. Or maybe…many possibilities ran through Umaru's mind, along with a lot of new questions.

"Did you make a wish to be able to travel through time? You're trying to protect Madoka because she's important to you. Is it related to that?"

"Once again," Homura said. "You ask too many questions, Umaru Doma. Some people might find that annoying."

"Will you actually answer some of them now? I know you said not until after Walpurgisnacht was defeated…but…"

"Alright. As I said, I'm not used to having someone who actually believes what I have to say, so I guess this is at least a change of pace. Ask, and I'll answer what I can."

"Let's start with why you were in the hospital," Umaru said. "Because I know that was you I saw there."

Homura took a deep breath and let it out. "I vaguely remember bumping into you. The man with you was your brother, right? I was very ill. The details aren't important. The hospital is…where it starts for me every time. But in the middle of my stay there, not at the beginning."

"It starts at the hospital? Then where does it end?"

"With Walpurgisnacht. Every time."

Umaru understood what she was saying. Every time. "So, it's a loop that you've been reliving over and over, from staying in the hospital to fighting Walpurgisnacht?"

"Yes."

"And your memory of bumping into me is vague because while it was recent for me, it was much longer ago for you. Wasn't it?" Was the entire world in a time loop or just Homura? Were there other magical girls who were able to do this? What happened to everyone else when Homura looped back? Did they just vanish? Those questions were probably unanswerable though.

"Very likely," Homura said. "I don't want to think about how long it's been."

"That's what you meant when you said you know Mami. And that's how you know Kyouko Sakura. You know about everyone else already too."

"Except you. This is the first time you've shown up. And now I wonder, if I have to do this again, will you continue to be present?" She peered at Umaru. "If that happens, you won't know we ever had this conversation. For you, it will be the first time we've ever really met, just like now. But for me, it will be different."

"You'll know more about me because you remember everything every time you go back. Everyone else is reset."

"Correct," Homura confirmed. It occurred to Umaru that Homura could very well have met her before, but she didn't think Homura Akemi was one to lie.

"How…how many times have you done this?"

"Many. And I'll continue as long as needed."

The horror of just what this girl had gone through dawned on Umaru. She had relived this awful loop over and over and over. Umaru couldn't even begin to imagine it. The only thing in her mind that would have even come close to being so awful for her was something happening to her brother.

"Do you have to keep going like this?" she asked.

"It's what I've chosen," Homura said. "I have someone so important to me that I'm willing to go through this to ensure that they're alright."

Just like me.

"Madoka," Umaru said. "Something happened to her…and you wished to be able to go back to prevent that."

"Yes. And if we can destroy Walpurgisnacht before…well, I'll finally be done with this."

"You haven't been able to do that all the times that you've tried?"

"Not without an enormous and unacceptable cost."

Umaru could easily guess what that cost was. "The others. Sayaka, Mami, and Kyouko. Their deaths. And not just theirs, but Madoka's too." It was hard for Umaru to imagine any of them dying, even Kyouko Sakura.

Homura grimaced. "Yes. And if we fail, now yours as well."

Umaru didn't want to think about that or the weight of the burden Homura Akemi carried. Failure clearly isn't an option…but is success truly possible? No wonder she's distant with the others. She's seen them die over and over. And Madoka too. It all comes back to Madoka for her.

"And that's why you don't want Madoka to contract," Umaru said. "You're doing whatever you can to protect her."

"Correct again," Homura said.

"Homura…what is Madoka to you exactly?"

"Everything," Homura said. A few tears ran down her face. "Despite our differences, you and I really do have some striking similarities, Umaru Doma. Don't we?"

Chapter Text

Umaru looked around Homura's apartment. To say the décor was weird was an understatement. It was a far cry from the sophistication of Mami's place or Umaru's own apartment with its anime and game posters and figures on the shelves. The aging exterior of her apartment building also contrasted with the ultra-modern interior. Umaru felt a little transfixed by the monitors on the wall displaying data and images of what she assumed was Walpurgisnacht.

She had arrived with Mami. Despite her earlier distrust of Homura Akemi, Mami had agreed to work with her to take down Walpurgisnacht. Sayaka had come with them as well. She hadn't said anything to Umaru when they met up, but at least she didn't glower or snap at her. Umaru considered that progress.

Umaru had just sat down on one of the semi-circular seats when she felt a tap and her shoulder and looked up. Homura was standing behind her.

"Umaru Doma," Homura said, as she pulled her aside. "Before we begin, I need to talk with you."

"Yes, Homura?"

"I'm not entirely familiar with your abilities as a magical girl as I am with the others. So, please explain to me what you can do."

"Oh, okay." Umaru figured Homura meant something like her own time-stopping ability or Mami's ribbons. Umaru explained her magic and the things she could do. Homura nodded as she did.

"I see," Homura said. "That's good to know. I haven't had the support of someone like you before and having someone to support the other fighters will be valuable. I'll take that into account. In the meantime, please take a seat. As soon as Kyouko Sakura arrives, we'll begin our planning."

Umaru wondered what exactly a strategy session for this would entail. As it turned out, she didn't have to wait long to see. Shortly after Homura and Umaru had finished talking, Kyouko showed up. She plopped down across from Mami and Sayaka. Madoka, who had arrived with Sayaka, sat down next to her and looked around nervously. Despite not being a magical girl, Madoka was still their supporter. Umaru considered her role to be important as well.

"Everyone is present," Homura said, looking at them. "As you all know, the witch Walpurgisnacht will attack the city. We have only two days before that happens. It will require all of us working together to defeat it. That's why we're all here."

"Out of curiosity, how do you know it's going to attack?" Sayaka asked. "I mean, I believe you, but…"."

"That isn't important," Homura said. "What's important is that it will."

"Homura Akemi is right," Mami said. "A magical girl named Fuun who could see the future told me it would attack Mitakihara as well, though she didn't say exactly when."

"That doesn't sound like a reliable source, Mami," Sayaka said.

"I'm willing to explain afterward, but now isn't the time," Homura said. "Walpurgisnacht is an extremely powerful witch, probably the most powerful in existence. We need to plan for what we're going to do."

"Are you going to be leading us?" Sayaka asked. She didn't exactly sound pleased with" the idea.

"It's not a question of leading," Homura answered. "But I do know about the enemy we'll be facing."

"And we're just supposed to take your word for everything and do as you say?"

"Sayaka," Umaru said. "Homura knows what she's doing. We should listen to her." This isn't the best way for us to begin.

"I agree with Umaru," Mami said. "And if this is really going to be bad as Homura Akemi says it is, then we can't get hung up about little details like who's in charge."

"Humph," Sayaka replied, an unhappy expression lingering on her face.

"Perhaps you should lead us, Mami Tomoe," Homura suggested. That sounded like a good idea to Umaru.

"Me?" Mami raised an eyebrow. "I don't know much about this particular witch."

"But you know a lot about fighting witches in general," Homura said. "I believe with my knowledge and your skill and experience, we can come up with a decent strategy."

"Fair enough. Then I will do so," Mami said. Sayaka looked slightly mollified by this. "Let's start by hearing what you know about this witch."

Homura told them about Walpurgisnacht, how it would attack, what familiars it would bring. Umaru felt a bit disconcerted when she said that the witch would throw buildings at them. Mami, however, seemed nonplussed by that. She politely asked questions as Homura spoke. Umaru figured the wheels in her head were turning at full speed. Eventually, Mami took over the lead entirely, with Homura offering feedback as she discussed what they'd do.

Homura was right. We do need Mami. Even if Homura knows more about the witch right now, Mami can still formulate the best plan of attack.

After an hour or so, Mami called an end to their meeting. Everyone seemed a bit worn down by the prospect of fighting a super-witch (something Umaru knew only Homura had direct experience with). But nobody really moved to leave. Umaru was still worried about Sayaka, who was staring glumly off into space. Kyouko apparently noticed this too.

"You're not still moping, are you?" Kyouko asked her.

"I'm not moping," Sayaka said.

"Brooding, then."

"I'm not doing that either."

"It has to do with that boy you were following around, doesn't it?" Sayaka gave Kyouko a blank look and said nothing.

"Kyouko, maybe that isn't the best topic to bring up," Umaru said. She knew something bad had happened there, and she didn't want Sayaka to turn into a mess again.

"Sayaka did a lot for Kamijo," Madoka said. "She visited him in the hospital constantly."

"You dragged your takeout all the way to the hospital a bunch of times just for that boy, blueberry?" Kyouko asked Sayaka. "Seems like a lot of work for little payoff."

"I wouldn't expect you to understand," Sayaka said. She looked down at the floor. "And don't call me blueberry."

"But it works for you," Kyouko said. "You're blue, so blueberry." She pointed at Umaru. "And she's orange. And that one over there is…hmm, peach, I guess. Or maybe pitaya. We've got a fruit salad going on here."

"What am I, then?" Mami asked.

"Lemon, Mami," Kyouko said. "You know, 'cause you're kinda sour."

Mami frowned at her, and Kyouko laughed. Umaru noticed a small smirk crossed Sayaka's face and was glad to see it.

Well, we're a lively bunch if nothing else. I finally got the magical girl group I wanted to see, though the path getting here wasn't quite what I expected.

"You forgot Homura Akemi," Umaru pointed out to Kyouko.

"Please leave me out of this," Homura said without looking up from the map she was studying. Despite them all working together, she still seemed to have no desire to get any closer to the other girls. Given that she had seen their deaths before, Umaru figured it'd have been hard for her to do so.

"Don't be such a lemon," Kyouko said. "That's Mami's job."

Mami shook her head and rolled her eyes. She wasn't as amused by this as Kyouko was. Sayaka continued to stare down. Umaru got up and sat back down next to her.

"Sayaka," Umaru said quietly enough so that only Sayaka could hear her. "I know Kamijo means a lot to you. I don't know exactly what happened, and I'm not going to ask you to share unless you want to. But I'm here for you, just like Mami and Madoka are."

Sayaka looked up at her and actually smiled weakly at Umaru. "Thanks, Umaru. I'm…I'm really grateful for everything you did for me and tried to do. And I'm…well, I'm sorry for everything I said to you."

"I'm sorry too, Sayaka," Umaru said. "I should have been more honest with you and with everyone. I'm glad that everything's out there. In the end, it makes things a little easier."

"Yeah," Sayaka said. "So…friends again?"

"Of course, Sayaka." She hugged Sayaka, and Sayaka hugged her back.

"You two are acting like characters in a sappy drama," Kyouko said flatly. Umaru looked up and saw her leaning over them and smirking.

"Kyouko!" Mami admonished her. "That's not appropriate. Try to read the mood and be more sensitive."

"I am, and it doesn't really fit either of them," Kyouko said.

Umaru chuckled. She wondered what it had been like when Kyouko and Mami were friends and worked together. She had imagined it being a little like her and Mami, but maybe that wasn't quite the case. Umaru let go of Sayaka and turned to Mami.

"So, what do you think about our upcoming fight, Mami?" she asked.

"Seems as though it will be difficult," Mami said. "But I think we can pull through. And, well, as odd as this might sound, I'm looking forward to it a bit."

"Since when do you spoil for fights, Mami?" Kyouko asked.

"I don't, as you know," Mami replied. "But an extraordinarily difficult life-or-death fight gives me something to focus on. I think that's what I really need right now, so I'm giving it my all."

Giving it your all? We'll definitely need it, Mami. You're a tremendous advantage to our side, and I'm not sure we'd have any chance without you.

Umaru left the meeting with Mami and Madoka. After Mami had split off to head off to her own place, Umaru and Madoka walked along in silence for a bit.

Homura said she wanted everyone's morale to be higher. It does feel a little better after tonight's meeting. And if this witch is as strong as she says it is, which it probably is, we're going to need everyone at their best. Mami's leadership and skill count for a lot, but that can't be everything.

"Umaru?" Madoka asked, interrupting Umaru's train of thought.

"Yes, Madoka?"

"When you all go and fight…you'll make sure Homura's alright, won't you?"

"I think Homura can protect herself," Umaru said. "But I'll do my best."

"Thanks," Madoka said. "After talking with her these past few weeks, I…I don't think she's a bad person. She just seems very reserved…and sad."

"She's definitely not a bad person," Umaru said. And somehow, she's still going even after everything she's been through. That's perseverance. "I think Mami's leadership and skill combined with Homura's knowledge will see us through this."

Madoka smiled a little at her. "You really think so?"

"I do."

"Also, Umaru-"

Suddenly, Umaru saw something ahead of them. It was a small white animal. She knew immediately who it was.

"Wait," she told Madoka, putting out her hand. Kyubey was sitting on the ground looking up at them. His beady red eyes seemed even more sinister. He got up and walked forward until he was right in front of them.

"Hello, Madoka, Umaru Doma," he said, resting on his haunches again.

"Why are you here?" Umaru asked. "I told you to go away."

"Despite everything that's happened, there's still help I can provide if you'd like it," Kyubey said.

"Why would we want any help from you?" she said, narrowing her eyes.

"Because I know things," Kyubey said. "And some of them, I don't think you're aware of."

"Concerning?"

"The witch you're going to fight and Homura Akemi as well."

"I already know you tried to turn us against each other, so I don't want to hear anything you have to say."

"No? Not even if what I have to say might keep your brother from being killed in Walpurgisnacht's rampage?"

Despite knowing that Kyubey was trying to manipulate her, Umaru felt her stomach twist all the same. She stared back at Kyubey defiantly and said nothing.

"Consider this: the five of you might be enough to kill Walpurgisnacht," Kyubey said. "And then again, you might not. If you aren't, Mitakihara will likely be destroyed. And your brother will no doubt be among the casualties."

"Then we'll just make sure we don't fail," Umaru replied.

"False confidence won't win this fight, Umaru Doma."

"No, the five of us working together will win this fight."

"Possibly, but the odds aren't in your favor. There is a way victory can be guaranteed without anyone dying or any major damage being done to the city, however," Kyubey said.

"And why would you care about that?" We have to get away from this thing before he tries something else. Why am I still standing here? There's something about his eyes boring into me.

"I care, as you put it, in so much as it concerns magical girl business. As I said, I'm simply providing knowledge and advice," Kyubey said. "You can accept it or not. " Kyubey looked up at Madoka. "Madoka, if you make a contract, you can single-handedly save the city, its citizens, and your friends. You'll be that powerful."

"What?" Madoka's eyes widened a little.

"No, Madoka, don't listen to him," Umaru said. "You know what happens to magical girls. You don't need to go through that. The five of us will fight, and we'll be enough." Somehow.

"So you'll do nothing while the others fight?" Kyubey asked. "Even if that means the deaths of Umaru, Mami, and the rest?"

"I…I…" Madoka stuttered.

"Madoka, leave," Umaru ordered her. "He's a liar and a schemer." If I stay here, maybe he won't follow her. But he did reappear after I killed him, didn't he? Maybe there's more of him, and one of his clones will chase her. Still, I'll keep him away as best I can.

Madoka looked from Kyubey to Umaru. Finally, she turned and ran off in the direction of her house. Kyubey turned back to Umaru.

"One would think you'd want every advantage in this fight, Umaru Doma," he said. "Given what's on the line."

"Madoka becoming a magical girl would be too great a cost," Umaru said. Especially for Homura. "It's not going to happen."

"Madoka could help you win this," Kyubey said. "I'm sure she'd contract for the greater good if you talked with her and persuaded her to do so."

"Well, I won't," Umaru said. "That would be a betrayal to both her and to Homura."

"Homura Akemi? Why would you show any loyalty to her? You're nothing to her. She's probably already planning on how to deal with you in her next attempt, now that she knows about you. And when you fail, she'll just reset time again. You know this."

"She won't have reason to," Umaru said. She trusted Homura and wasn't about to let Kyubey convince her not to. "Because we're a team now, and we're going to destroy Walpurgisnacht. And Homura is as much a part of that team as everyone else. She wants us to succeed too."

"Of course she does. She'll go to almost any length to ensure success," Kyubey said. "Homura Akemi cares about nothing aside from Madoka. Remember how she almost killed Sayaka? If it furthers her goal, she'll think nothing of sacrificing you and the rest. You care about your brother more than anyone, but I'm aware you also care about the others as well: Mami, Sayaka, and Kyouko. Would you really take the chance at any or all of them dying? And you know what will happen to you if your brother perishes."

"I do know," Umaru said, trying to push the thought of her brother dying from her mind. "And I also know what you're trying to do, Kyubey. It won't work."

"Perhaps I should remind you of the consequences of failure, Umaru Doma."

Before she could respond, Kyubey peered up at her. The same visions as before filled her head, images of her brother being hurt and killed. A wave extreme nausea and vertigo came over her, and the world seemed to sway. Unable to stop herself, Umaru started crying. She buried her face in her hands, but neither the visions nor the tears went away.

Not again. I can't take more of this. Is it always going to be like this?

Suddenly, the visions stopped. She looked up and saw that Kyubey had been reduced to nothing more than an unmoving pile of white goo.

Did…did I lose control without realizing it and do that to him?

She looked down at her hands, still wet with tears. As she tried to figure out what happened, she felt a hand gently touch her shoulder. She looked behind her and saw Homura Akemi in her magical girl form, a smoking gun in her right hand.

"You looked like you needed some help," Homura said. She stepped around Umaru and looked down at the pile of white goo with contempt.

"Thank you, Homura," Umaru said. "I…Kyubey, he…well…"

"I can guess well enough what happened," Homura said, turning back to her.

"Why are you suddenly here?" Umaru asked. "Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful…but…were you following Madoka and me?"

"I wanted to make sure she was alright," Homura said over her shoulder. "And she is. She's safely away from Kyubey."

"I sent her away after telling her not to listen to him."

Homura turned back around. "Then thank you, Umaru Doma."

"Homura-" Umaru began, but Homura held up a hand, cutting her off.

"You need to go home and rest," Homura said. "Talking more with me wouldn't do any good right now."

"Alright," Umaru said. "I'll do that. Thank you again, Homura."

"You're welcome. But this is twice now. I can't always be there to pull you out of trouble. Be more careful."

The next day passed without incident. There was a small group meeting, but it was simply a summary of the previous day's meeting. Mami did the bulk of the talking this time, with Homura contributing some. Umaru noticed that they seemed to be working fairly close together.

That's probably for the best. They're the ones who can put everything together so that we pull this off.

On the day Homura said Walpurgisnacht was to arrive, an enormous, powerful storm threatened Mitakihara. It was so bad that the citizens had been ordered into an evacuation shelter for the duration of the storm. Umaru went there with her brother, but her mind was on the gathering clouds outside.

"Well, looks like we'll have to wait this out," Taihei remarked as he sat down and took out a book. "Good thing we both brought something to do, eh?"

Umaru nodded, thinking of the portable game console in her bag, but she had never felt like playing less. She looked around for the others but didn't spot any of them at first. Taihei sat quietly reading his book while she paced around nervously. She finally located Madoka and her family and chatted with them a bit. Finally, after an hour or so, Mami showed up. Sayaka was with her. Mami waved her over, and Umaru knew it was time to go. There was something that she still needed to do, however.

Umaru had avoided bringing this up in order to not worry her brother unnecessarily. But there was no way around it at this point. She had to tell him what was going on and what she'd need to do. She sat down and faced Taihei.

"Onii-chan, there's something I need to tell you," Umaru said. "This isn't a normal storm. And there's something I have to do."

"This is something magical-girl related, I take it?" he asked, closing his book.

"Yes. The storm is from an extremely powerful witch. So, I have to go fight it, Onii-chan."

"You're going out to fight a witch? In that?"

"We have to kill it, and we're the only ones who can."

"We as in you and Mami?" Taihei asked. Onii-chan asks a lot of questions like I do. It's time like this that I really appreciate how we truly are brother and sister, despite our differences, even if it is holding me up.

"Yes, but other magical girls as well," Umaru said. "It will be a hard fight, I'm sure, but we'll all be fighting, and with all of us, we can win." She had told herself that so many times it had become a mantra to her.

"I…I understand," Taihei said. "I just…"

Umaru hugged him. "I know, Onii-chan. I love you. You stay here. You'll be safe. I'll help destroy the witch, and then the whole city will be safe, including you."

Taihei took a deep breath. "…alright. Then do what you need to do. But it's hard for me to not worry."

"I know, Onii-chan. I'll do my best and make you proud."

"I'm sure you will," Taihei said. He looked at her squarely. "Umaru. Come back alive. Okay?"

"Of course, Onii-chan. I'm with Mami, and she's unstoppable."

Taihei looked a little assuaged, but Umaru knew he was still worried.

"When I come back," she continued. "We'll celebrate. We can have pizza, right? And ramen! And cheeseburgers! And ice cream! And-"

"Alright, Umaru," he said, a slight smile crossing his face. "We'll do all that."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

"Yay! Now I have even more to fight for!" she declared. That got her the larger smile she was looking for.

"Umaru." She looked up and saw that Mami was standing a little ways from them, Sayaka still at her side. "We need to go."

"Coming, Mami!" Umaru got to her feet. Her brother got up as well.

"Mami, one moment please," Taihei called, gesturing. Mami walked over.

"Yes, Taihei-san?" she asked.

"Umaru told me what you're going to do," he said. "Keep my sister safe, please. And to both of you: do your best."

Mami smiled at him. "I will. And thank you, Taihei-san. Come on, Umaru. Homura and Kyouko are waiting for us."

"Sayaka, Mami, Umaru!" Madoka had come running up to join them. "I saw you leaving…and I thought…maybe I can come and help…I don't know how though."

"Madoka," Umaru said. They needed to get moving and really didn't need to be delaying any further. "Please, you need to stay here."

"But you…and Homura…everyone…you'll all be out there fighting," she said meekly. "And I'll just be in here waiting. I feel like…I…"

A thought suddenly occurred to Umaru. "But while you're waiting, I do have something to ask of you. It's very important. For me, more important than anything."

"What is it, Umaru?"

"Will you stay with my brother and watch over him for me, please?" she asked. She smiled at Madoka and briefly looked behind her at her brother, who was watching the two of them. Turning back to Madoka, she added: "Make sure nothing bad happens to him. I know I can trust you to do so."

"O-Okay…" Madoka said. "I will. But I don't know your brother, not really…"

"Well, no time like the present to get to know him. He's a good guy," Umaru said. She turned to Taihei. "Onii-chan! This is Madoka Kaname. She's a friend of mine. Mami's too. She'll make sure you don't get into trouble, so be sure to behave, Onii-chan."

"I see," Taihei said, looking at Madoka and Umaru. "Hello, Madoka."

"Please to meet you," Madoka said quietly. "Maybe…you'd enjoy talking to my parents. You work for the Doma Corporation, right? I remember Umaru saying that. I'm sure my mother would enjoy talking to you."

"Let's go then," Taihei said.

"Good-bye, Onii-chan," Umaru said, watching Madoka lead Taihei over to where the rest of her family was sitting. "I'll see you when Walpurgisnacht is dead, and the city is safe."

But she couldn't bring herself to turn around and go with Mami and Sayaka. For some reason, it was harder than ever. What if something goes wrong and I never see him again?

"Umaru," Mami said, gently taking her hand. She had no doubt noticed Umaru's reluctance to go. "They'll be safe. We'll make sure of that."

Mami was right, but leaving Taihei in the shelter and not being there to directly protect him, well, that was extremely difficult. Steeling herself, Umaru turned to her.

"Okay, Mami," she said, squeezing her hand. "Let's go."

Homura and Kyouko met the three of them just outside the shelter. Together, they made their way through the empty streets of Mitakihara. It wasn't quiet, however; the wind howled all around them, and the rain lashed at them. Thunder continuously rumbled overhead. When they had gone several blocks, Umaru glanced back in the direction of the evacuation shelter, thinking about her brother, Madoka, and all the other people inside. No matter what, they had to keep Walpurgisnacht away from it.

"Don't think on him too much for now," Homura said, stepping beside her. It was as though she had read Umaru's mind. "Focus on winning the fight in front of us. That's how we can ensure the people we care about are safe."

"You're right," Umaru said. She's probably thinking about Madoka just as much as I'm thinking about Onii-chan. "So, where do we go?"

"Downtown. I'll let Mami Tomoe explain." Homura said. The others joined them, and Homura turned to them. "Are you all ready?"

Everyone nodded. Homura turned to Mami and inclined her head. Of course. Mami's in charge, so she should speak.

"Homura Akemi and I have revised the plan a little," Mami said. "We're going to lure Walpurgisnacht to the large open area in the park. It'll give us the space to fight and also minimize the damage it'll do and, more importantly, the causalities it could inflict. Homura has also prepared weapons of her own there to help us."

Mami looked at each of them in turn.

"You're each quite skilled and also necessary for this fight," Mami said. Warm, friendly Mami had once again been replaced by stern, determined Mami. "None of us has come out of this unscathed, but don't be distracted by other things, and focus on the battle in front of us. You know what's at stake, both for us and for the people of this city. Based on what Homura Akemi has said, this will be a fight like nothing we have ever faced. But we're strong, and there are five of us. Fight like I know you can and we'll emerge as the victors."

This is why Mami is leading us. She helped Homura plan, and she's the charismatic one. Umaru suddenly felt energized. It began to feel like they could actually win this.

"Well-spoken, Mami Tomoe," Homura said. Mami nodded back at her. The serious, determined look remained on her face.

"I've heard Mami Tomoe given an inspiring speech like that before," Homura said quietly to Umaru. "But this one definitely eclipsed the others. Or perhaps it's that I feel like the odds are better this time."

"Maybe both," Umaru said. She stepped her pace up and walked next to Mami. She felt even more confident walking beside her. "Great speech, Mami. I feel like…like I could almost take on Walpurgisnacht myself."

"You've come a long way, Umaru," Mami said. "As have we all."

"So, since this witch doesn't live inside a labyrinth, when do you think we'll spot it?" Umaru wondered aloud when they had neared the park.

"It's there," Homura pointed. Umaru looked up and saw what must have been Walpurgisnacht. It looked like an upside-down woman with two large gears attached to its feet, maybe a wind-up doll that someone had tossed. As it drew nearer to them, Umaru could suddenly hear laughter in her ears. It wasn't hers or any of her friends. The laughter was almost painful to listen to her, but Umaru did her best to endure.

"Here we go!" Mami called.

Umaru looked up and saw what looked like colorful shadows coming at them. There were six in all, and each of them looked like the shades of magical girls. Sayaka and Kyouko set on them immediately.

"Umaru, this way!" Mami called. Umaru sprinted over to where Mami was summoning rifles and firing them up at the witch. Umaru followed her, firing lightning at up at as she did. She wasn't sure if it was really having any effect, but she didn't intend to let up at all during this battle. She would either win or go down fighting.

They fought like that for what felt like ages. Umaru knew it wasn't that long, but would later recall that the fight seemed to almost pass like a slow, lazy day. Mami had once told her this would sometimes happen as she became more experienced. As she fired another shot of lightning at Walpurgisnacht, she had a loud cracking sound, like something being broken apart.

"Watch out!" Mami yelled.

Umaru looked over just in time to see something huge flying at her. It was big enough to blot out the sky almost entirely. She quickly raised her umbrella shield. There was a large crash as it struck, and her entire world went briefly dark. A cloud of dust rose. When it had settled a little, Umaru saw that she was standing among the flaming wreckage of a store.

It's like Homura said. This thing is throwing buildings at us. Buildings!

Above them, Walpurgisnacht continued to laugh. Umaru didn't want that insane laughter to be the last thing she heard in life. She lowered her umbrella and looked around to get her bearings. A little way, off she noticed that Sayaka and Kyouko had apparently finished off the familiars and had run up to Mami. Hopping over the rubble, Umaru went to join them as well. Suddenly Homura also appeared next to them. Umaru figured she had time-skipped over.

"Well, we're all in one piece and still ticking," Kyouko said to Mami. The wind howled all around them, and Kyouko was practically yelling. "But beyond that, we might need a new strategy, fearless leader. And fast."

"We have to get the witch where we can concentrate our attack together," Mami said. "It won't do any good to have us separately attacking. And we also need it in a position where you and Sayaka can more easily hit it and make this our fight, not its."

"Maybe we need to gum up its gears or something," Sayaka suggested. "And then it'll fall to the ground."

"That's it!" Umaru said. Suddenly, she saw what they needed to do. She turned to Mami. "Mami, if we distract it, do you think you can pull it down with a ribbon? If we can get it low enough to the ground, we can all go after it at once like you said."

"I see what you're saying," Mami said, nodding. Homura nodded with her. "Alright, Umaru. Come with me. While Homura Akemi, Sayaka, and Kyouko distract it, I'll wrangle it to the ground with your help."

"My help?"

"Yes," Mami said. "I'll likely need your magical enhancement to help me with this. Come on, there's no time to waste."

"Got it, Mami!"

Homura, Sayaka, and Kyouko took off, with Homura firing a gun up in the air at Walpurgisnacht as they moved. Umaru waved her umbrella, and Mami glowed orange once again. Mami twirled her hand. A second Mami appeared next to her, then ran off to join the others. A ribbon doppelganger. Interesting. Could she always do that?

That was beside the point for the moment. Mami had a task to undertake, and Umaru needed to help her. She followed Mami as she darted up a fallen building (or rather, a building Walpurgisnacht had hurled at them).

"Ready?" Mami asked. "Once I have it, we'll need to get it back over to where the others can come at it, so we'll be moving fast. There can't be any mistakes."

"Ready, Mami," Umaru replied. She pointed her umbrella at Mami, and she glowed. Mami raised swept her right arm in front of her, and a length of ribbon shot up in the air. It wrapped around Walpurgisnacht and pulled on her. The witch, however, didn't budge.

Mami flung more and more ribbons at it. The witch moved, but only a little. Turning, Umaru pointed her umbrella at Mami, hoping she would have enough power to do what they were actually trying. Mami gave another jerk, and the witch was pulled toward her.

"Move, Umaru!" Mami yelled, taking off running. "Now!" Umaru jumped after her. As they neared the others, Umaru glanced over her shoulder and noticed that Walpurgisnacht was only slightly above the ground now. Umaru wasn't sure if Mami was that strong or if the witch was giving chase. Maybe it was both. The insane laughter was louder than ever with Walpurgisnacht so nearby.

As they reached the others, Mami waved her hand, and a dozen more ribbons surrounded Walpurgisnacht, seemingly immobilizing it. The witch made no further move to attack, however. Was it going to fight back, or was this a ruse?

"Hit it with everything we've got," Mami ordered. Umaru knew they couldn't give the witch the chance to try anything else or get free of Mami's bindings.

The five of them set on the Walpurgisnacht and attacked. Umaru had no idea if the witch was actually being hurt or not. Time seemingly slowed again. She Homura and Mami fire guns at the witch just as Kyouko and Sayaka slashed and stabbed it. Not wanting to get in the way of them, Umaru simply pointed her umbrella at the witch and concentrated all her effort into firing lightning at it. She thought of her brother smiling at her, of Mami sitting and drinking tea with her. Warmth and strength surged through her. She thought she heard Mami calling out an attack, but she wasn't sure.

The witch continued to laugh at them. Finally, there was a blinding flash of light and a large explosion. Umaru was thrown backward.

For a moment, Umaru could neither see nor hear anything. The bright flash had briefly blinded her, and there was a loud ringing in her ears. She shook her head. It began to clear, and slowly the world faded back into view. She looked up. She saw Homura staring at something on the ground nearby. Sayaka was nearby, helping Kyouko up.

"Did we win?" Umaru muttered, rubbing her eyes. She got up, walked over to Homura, and was shortly thereafter joined by Mami and the others. She directed her gaze to where Homura was looking. A small black grief seed lay on the ground. Homura picked it up and turned it over in her hand. Umaru turned to her.

"Is it…dead?" she whispered.

"Dead," Homura said, staring the grief seed. "It's over."

"We won," Sayaka said. A wide grin fell over her face, and she raised her voice. "We actually won!"

"That was something else," Kyouko said. She turned to Mami. "While you and orange were playing cowgirl, that thing chucked part of a burning house at us. If it hadn't been for the fake Mami you sent with us…well, I don't know. Might've been over it before we got a chance to end it."

"I'm glad it helped then," Mami said.

"You don't have to be so humble, Mami," Kyouko said. "You can say 'Yeah, I'm brilliant and awesome' or something like that."

"You think I'm brilliant and awesome, Kyouko?" Mami asked, smiling.

"What?" Kyouko turned slightly red. "Hey, you're twisting my words. That's not what I…"

"But that's exactly what you said," Sayaka snickered at her. "If you're not careful, we might start to think you're friendly."

"Humph," Kyouko grunted. "Whatever. Just don't let it go to your head, Mami."

"So, Mami..." Umaru said, thinking of the first time she had ever fought a witch. "How'd I do?"

Mami smiled at her. "Looks like you didn't raise your shield in time when the witch went down. You get a few points off for that. That aside, you were incredible, Umaru. I'm very proud of you too."

"Thanks, Mami," Umaru said. "And you were too, just like Kyouko said. I…I don't think we'd have ever pulled this off without you."

"As I said before we started, all of us were necessary for this," Mami said. "If even one of us hadn't been there, I don't think it would have been a victory. Wouldn't you agree, Homura Akemi?"

"Absolutely," Homura said in a whisper. She was still staring at the grief seed and hadn't really paid attention to their post-battle chatter.

"Kind of a mess around here though," Kyouko said, looking at the rubble that surrounded them.

"Hopefully, nobody was hurt or killed in this though," Sayaka said. "With most everyone in the shelter, these buildings should have been deserted."

"I guess it would be prudent to go back and check," Umaru said. She wasn't really sure. With this victory, there were two people she wanted to see most. One was right beside her, still surveying the damage in their immediate vicinity. The other was waiting back at the evacuation shelter.

"I don't think there's anything else to do here at the moment," Umaru said, turning to Mami. "I'd like to go back to the shelter and make sure Onii-chan is okay."

"Of course," Mami said. "We'll go together."

Chapter Text

"So, how exactly do you constantly manage to win all this stuff, orange?" Kyouko asked.

"Crane games have tricks," Umaru said. "Once you play them enough, you can spot what to do in order to get prizes easily. And for the ones inside that arcade, the standard methods of attack work just fine. I'll teach you sometime. I'm sure you could pick it up pretty easily."

Two days had passed since their victory over Walpurgisnacht. Umaru and Kyouko sat on a bench outside of the game center, which had survived Walpurgisnacht's attack undamaged (Umaru figured it was a lucky place). She had managed to win another pile of candy and sweets and was splitting it with Kyouko. They were taking a short rest from fighting witches and familiars. Umaru figured they deserved a quick break.

"You almost make it sound like you're taking down a witch," Kyouko said.

"These rewards taste much better though."

"No argument there."

"You two. Somehow, I knew I'd find you gorging on candy again." The voice saying those words sounded both annoyed and amused. Umaru looked up and saw that Mami was standing over the bench looking at Umaru and Kyouko with a disapproving glance.

"Hi, Mami!" Umaru said. "Come and join us! There's a lot to share."

"I'm happy to spend time with you two," Mami said, sitting down between Umaru and Kyouko. "But I don't know about sharing. And you shouldn't be consuming so much junk food either. How many times have I told the both of you?"

"Gotta enjoy life while you can, Mami," Kyouko said, offering her a bag of gummies. "Or what passes for life, anyway."

"Kyouko's right," Umaru said, handing Mami a panda bar.

"You're both terrible," Mami said, looking down at the snacks they had pressed into her hands. "This is more or less exactly what I expected to happen if you two ever became friends."

"Birds of a feather something-something," Kyouko said. "You're too uptight. Have some candy, it's good for you."

"It most certainly is not healthy," Mami said. "Especially not in the amount you and Umaru eat."

"She didn't say healthy," Umaru pointed out. "She said 'good.'"

"Not to mention that you're both so shameless about it," Mami sighed. "And try to drag me along with you."

"But that shows we care about you, Mami!" Umaru said, smiling. "Just like you care about us."

"I do care about you both quite a bit," Mami said. "That's why our next group meeting will be at my place. I'm going to make a proper dinner, and you're both going to eat healthily."

"I'm fine with that," Kyouko said. "You're a good cook."

"Though you do sound like Onii-chan sometimes," Umaru added.

"Speaking of your brother," Mami said. "I'm going to be sure to report your snacking habits to him the next time we meet at your place."

"That wouldn't do any good," Umaru said. "He's well aware."

Kyouko laughed. "Hey, you said your brother cooks, right? I want to try his cooking sometime, orange."

Umaru tried to imagine her brother putting up with Kyouko. Well, he put up with me the way I was for so long, so Kyouko probably wouldn't phase him.

"Maybe you should eat more with me as well, Kyouko," Mami said. "That way I know you're eating right."

"Okay, mommy, er, Mami."

Mami frowned at her again.

"Thank for you the invitation, Mami. I mean that. Seriously," Kyouko said.

"You're welcome, Kyouko. In the meantime, we've still many witches to deal with."

"Right. What have ya got for me?"

"Sayaka is going to the east district to investigate there. Please join her."

"Will do. I heard that one popped up downtown too…"

"As have I," Mami said. "You and Sayaka focus on the east district. Umaru and I will handle anything downtown."

"You've got it, Mami," Umaru replied. "We can't split up the dream team, after all."

"You two do work well together," Kyouko said. "Almost as well as you and I did, Mami. Remember?"

"I do," Mami said. "It was good to fight alongside you, Kyouko. I hope we can do it some more."

"I think we can, Mami."

"Are you planning on staying in Mitakihara for the long-term?" Mami asked. Her voice sounded hopeful. "If not, will you at least come and visit?"

"You'll see more of me, Mami, don't worry," Kyouko said. "Later, both of you. Thanks for sharing your winnings, orange. Let's hit the game center again some time." Kyouko waved at both of them, and Mami and Umaru waved back.

"We probably shouldn't sit here for too long," Mami said as she watched Kyouko head down the street. "If there really is a witch downtown, it'll need to be taken care of quickly."

"I bet it's in the ruins of that department store," Umaru said, thinking of the one that Walpurgisnacht had thrown at her. "Anyway, you seem glad that Kyouko will stick around."

"I am," Mami said. "I've missed her. Having you and her and everyone else with me here…well, in spite of everything that's happened, it'd made me the happiest I've been in years, really."

"I'm glad, Mami," Umaru said. "You deserve it. Plus, without you in charge, how would we handle all the witches that have popped up so well and with hardly any civilians hurt?"

"I am the de facto leader of our merry gaggle of magical girls, aren't I?"

"Of course you are. Who else would do it? You're the most suited and the most skilled. Besides, you enjoy it."

"You're right, Umaru. I do."

"So that part worked out well too." Granted, everything was hardly perfect. Despite the minimization of the loss of life thanks to the magical girls, Walpurgisnacht had still managed to do a lot of damage. And even after its destruction, lots of weaker witches and familiars had sprung around the Mitakihara.

Umaru also now had bad dreams full of maniacal laughter. She dealt with them as best she could, but still woke up in cold sweats.

"Umaru," Mami said, cutting into her thoughts. "I never properly apologized to you for what happened after you told me the truth about witches. I am deeply sorry about that. I lost myself, and I almost lost you as well."

"It's in the past, Mami," Umaru said. And it indeed felt like that even had been forever ago. "You don't need to worry about it."

"It's still on my mind, you know," Mami said. "That we could very well become witches, that is."

"Mine too," Umaru said. "But at least we know to head it off." I just have to make sure nothing bad ever happens to Onii-chan.

"True, and maybe there's something we can do about it in the long-term," Mami said. "We're both very proficient with magic, and I think with the two of us working together, we can work something out."

"Sure!" Umaru said. "I bet there's no problem we can't solve."

"I don't know if I'd go that far, but there's much we can do I'm sure," Mami said. "Regardless, as long as you're around, Umaru, I can keep going, even with that weighing on me."

And as long as Onii-chan is okay, I should be okay. It's not really the best state of things if Mami is dependent on me and I'm dependent on Onii-chan. But it's how they are for now. I have to accept that. Well, maybe we can do about bad dreams, at least.

"Well, I'll keep being around, Mami," she said.

"Good," Mami said. "Because you're more to me than just my best friend, you know."

"More?"

"Yes. I don't how to put it into words, honestly."

"Like…sisters?"

"That's closer, but I don't know if it fully encompasses it. Ah, but don't worry about it. You know what I feel."

"I know. And you're my best-friend-slash-sister too, Mami," Umaru replied. "So, back to our magic. I've had a few ideas occur to me, you know…"

"I don't doubt that at all. But we've work to do, so let's discuss it on the way," Mami said, standing up. She handed the candy back to Umaru. "Here. Take these back. And let's go find that witch."

"I'm with you, Mami."

A few days later, Umaru went to track a familiar near in a neighborhood on the south side of Mitakihara. But when she arrived at the empty house where she thought it would be, she found she was just a hair too late – Homura Akemi was already there and had dispatched it shortly before her arrival.

"Hello, Umaru Doma," Homura greeted her. "Were you here to hunt the familiar?"

"I was," Umaru said. "But it looks like you got here first."

"Apologies," Homura said. "Had I known you were coming, I'd have waited."

Umaru shrugged. "It's destroyed and won't hurt anyone. That's what's important."

"Indeed."

"Well, guess I ought to move on," Umaru said, turning to leave. "See you later, Homura."

"Umaru Doma, wait. I'd like just a moment of your time, please."

Umaru stopped. "What is it?"

"I want to properly thank you for everything you did," Homura said. "I'm extremely grateful to you. I don't think I can ever overstate how much."

"You're welcome, though you did a lot more than I did," Umaru replied. "Including saving my life. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you."

"I'm glad I was able to help you as well, then," Homura said.

"What are you going to do now?" Umaru asked.

"I don't honestly know," Homura said. "For a while, I wondered if I should leave. But I think it makes more sense for me to stay for a while. For one thing, Mitakihara needs all five of us magical girls to deal with the witches that have sprung up."

"That's true, but it's not the only reason you should stay. I'd miss you. We'd all miss you. And I think someone, in particular, would miss you most of all."

"Perhaps," Homura said, though Umaru knew there was no 'perhaps' about it, especially her last point. "There's also the possibility Kyubey could come back and make trouble."

"At least we know his game," Umaru said. "Though with him gone, we also have to figure out how to dispose of darkened grief seeds ourselves. Mami and I have been working on that, among other things."

"Then I will leave that to you and her for the time being," Homura said. "I have every confidence in the two of you. I'll support you as best I can, but for the time being, I would prefer to fight on my own."

"You don't have to go it alone, Homura," Umaru said. "You know I'm here. And Mami, and everyone else."

"I appreciate all of you," Homura said. "But I'm not…entirely comfortable in that sort of group. Not yet, anyway. Us banding together to fight Walpurgisnacht was a necessity, of course, but that's past us now and the infestation of witches aside, things are calmer…not to mention that I'm also still trying to accept the fact that, well, it's over."

"You haven't accepted it?" Umaru could understand that some.

"I just keep wondering if I'll wake up, and this will turn out to be a dream," Homura said.

"I'm sure that feeling will pass," Umaru said.

"Hopefully."

"Anyway, that's why you want to keep fighting by yourself?"

"For now, yes. But I won't interfere with anyone else's work. And I certainly won't do anything to cause trouble for the rest of you."

"Well, I never thought you would. But, if you need anything, well, we're here. Things aren't perfect, but we keep going on."

"You do indeed. And thank you." Homura turned around and started. Umaru watched her leave. I hope I see more of her around. She's interesting, and there's still a lot I want to talk with her about. I want to know everything about her time-stopping magic, for starters.

"There is one other thing I should say to you, however, Umaru Doma," Homura said, briefly turning around.

"Yes, Homura?"

"When you transform into a magical girl, you look like a giant orange rodent with an umbrella. It's a little ridiculous." She turned back around and set off.

"Hey!" Umaru called after her, feeling both amused and slightly insulted. "I mean…you're right, but you don't need to say it like that!"

Umaru sat in the café at the Mitakihara mall with her fellow magical girls (minus Homura). Once again, the role of tutoring Sayaka and Madoka had fallen to her. Below them, the sounds of construction rang loudly. The rebuilding of the city was at full swing here.

"How are we supposed to concentrate over all that racket?" Sayaka complained.

"You've just a little more to do," Umaru said, trying to encourage Sayaka. "And then you can call it a day."

"Glad I don't have to do that," Kyouko said, glancing at the math worksheet Sayaka was struggling with. "Looks like gibberish."

"Speaking of that, shouldn't you enroll in school?" Sayaka asked. "If the rest of us have to do this, then so should you."

"What for?" Kyouko asked. "Doesn't look like it's doing you any good."

"Sayaka has a point," Mami said. "If you don't go to school, what do you plan to do with the rest of your life? You'll become a NEET."

"Hey, I'm doing magical girl work," Kyouko said. "That's something."

"But you have to do that, no matter what. And when you're not doing that, you're just playing."

Kyouko pointed at Umaru. "Orange spends a lot of her time playing."

"Umaru is at the top of her class in her school though. She knows how to balance school, magical girl work, and her playtime. Right, Umaru?"

"Um…" Umaru felt herself turn a little red at Mami's praise and being put on the spot. Truthfully, she didn't exactly enjoy school much either; she had always seen it as something she simply had to do. Were it up to her, she'd probably do as Kyouko did. I guess trying to answer a question about this is better than living a double life like I was before. "Well, I have the rest of you to do magical girl work with, so that goes quickly and efficiently at least…"

"I'm quick and efficient," Kyouko said.

"Maybe you could be that in school too," Sayaka said.

"And in school, you'd have Sayaka and Madoka in the same year as you," Mami said. "So, you'd be able to do schoolwork with them."

"Lucky-ducky me," Kyouko said flatly.

"Well, Kyouko doesn't have to rush," Umaru said, hoping they wouldn't get into this topic yet again (Mami was persistent about these things). "I mean, the city was just nearly destroyed, and it was a stressful time for all of us."

"Fine, I'll let it go," Mami said. "For now."

"You're the very spirit of patience and understanding, Mami," Kyouko said.

"You two get along so well," Madoka said. "I can see why you're so close."

"You like Mami-Kyouko, eh?" Sayaka asked, grinning at her.

"What?!" Kyouko gave Sayaka a sharp look. Mami shook her head.

"Well…" Madoka looked uncertain and chuckled nervously.

"I think Mami-Umaru works better though," Sayaka said.

"Now that I can see," Kyouko said, turning her gaze to them.

"Er…" Umaru said, feeling uncertain.

"Perhaps not," Mami said, turning a little red.

"You don't think so, Mami?" Kyouko asked. "How about you, Umaru?"

This was awkward. Uncertain how to answer, Umaru just smiled back and shook her head.

"That's not a very strong denial," Sayaka said. "And there's hesitation. Interesting."

"Very much so," Kyouko said, clearly glad she was no longer the subject of speculation or being harangued about going to school. "And they've spent a lot of time together, haven't they?"

"Umaru once saved Mami's life," Sayaka said. "And afterward they were alone and hugging-"

"Sayaka!" Umaru interjected.

"What?" Sayaka asked. "That's what happened though, isn't it?"

Mami rubbed her forehead. "I can't believe we're having this conversation. Aren't there more important things to worry about?"

"Mami's right," Umaru said. "After Sayaka and Madoka are done with their work, we need to discuss who's going where to search for any new witches." Umaru realized she was starting to sound a little like Mami at times. Maybe she's been influencing me.

"And they're quick to change the subject too," Kyouko said. "I would think older girls would be less embarrassed about it."

"You should be more polite to your elders," Mami said.

"Hey, I'm all about propriety," Kyouko said. She belched loudly, and Umaru couldn't help but laugh.

Umaru sat down at dinner in her apartment with Mami and Taihei, feeling nothing but the warmth and appreciation for the company of her brother and her best friend. As always, Taihei and Mami got along well and chatted away amicably. The only thing wrong with the dinner was the cauliflower on her plate. She pushed it around aimlessly with her chopsticks, inwardly sighing and wondering how Mami and her brother could eat the vile stuff.

"Thank you for having me over again," Mami said.

"You are always welcome in our home," Taihei replied. "You're practically a part of our family."

Mami smiled. "Thank you again. That means more to me than words can say."

"Now she can move in with us," Umaru suggested.

"I wouldn't mind," Taihei said. "But shouldn't that be her decision?"

"Families have to stick together Onii-chan!"

"It does feel like I have both a big brother and a little sister now," Mami said, chuckling a little.

Umaru caught that. "What do you mean by 'little' sister? I'm older than you, Mami!"

"Goodness, did I say that? Pardon me, I must have misspoken."

Umaru was about to retort when she realized Mami was making one of her rare jokes. "Very funny, Mami."

"Thank you, Umaru."

"You know, I don't have to share my brother with you."

"You seem rather keen on making decisions for others, Umaru," Mami said. "I would think Taihei has as much input into this matter as you."

"My input is that this has become a very strange conversation," Taihei said.

"See, you're making Onii-chan uncomfortable," Umaru said.

"My apologies…Onii-chan," Mami added and burst out laughing. Umaru did too; she couldn't help it. And she was always glad to see Mami smiling, laughing, and even joking. After everything she had been through, she really did deserve it.

"The two of you should come to my place this weekend," Mami said. "I'll cook for you."

"Thank you, but I'll be working," Taihei said. "However, you should definitely go, Umaru."

"They're overworking you, Onii-chan," Umaru said. She, of course, fully intended to go to Mami's. Her cooking was tied with Taihei's for the best of all time. Maybe Mami would make Hamburg steak.

"That's part of being the boss," Taihei said.

"I thought being the boss meant you get to tell everyone else what to do and have them work for you." Which would sort of make Mami my boss as a magical girl, I guess. But that's okay.

"Everyone has to put in work and effort, including the boss, Umaru," Taihei said. "A company can't run otherwise." That fits Mami too. Maybe Kyouko's right. We already have jobs.

"Plus, your company is financing and overseeing part of the city restoration if I'm not mistaken," Mami said.

"That's because Onii-chan can do anything!" Umaru said happily. "And we're in good hands with him helping out."

"I thought as much when I saw him on the news."

"Yeah, Onii-chan is famous now!" Umaru said.

"It was just a small interview segment," Taihei said. "If everyone knew what you two had done, I'd imagine you'd be the talk of the town."

Taihei, of course, was one of the few people who did know. Umaru had filled him in about their fight with Walpurgisnacht. There were still more things about being a magical girl that she needed to tell him. But all that could wait for another day.

"It's probably better that people don't know about us and what we did," Mami said.

Umaru considered this. She imagined her and Mami and giving an interview on a daytime talk show or signing autographs for fans. It's Mami and Umaru, some admirers in her head said, the saviors of the city! She and Mami would be like idols. No, even bigger than idols!

On the other hand, that feels a bit silly. Mami's probably right.

"Umaru," Mami said. "Were you just thinking it would be nice to be magical girl celebrities?"

"I thought magical girls don't have telepathy without Kyubey," Umaru said. It was strange to openly speak about magical girl matters around her brother, but Umaru was glad they could now.

"I didn't need to telepathy to guess at what you were thinking."

"It was only a fleeting thought," Umaru said. Besides, she didn't really need any more attention than she usually got.

"Good," Mami said. "Because you know as well as I do that we can't broadcast to the world what we are."

"People would have a hard time believing it," Taihei said. "I know I would if I hadn't seen the proof with my own eyes. And those who did realize the truth might want to use you for their own ends or put you in a lab and study you."

"Exactly," Mami said. "So, it's for the best."

"Right, right," Umaru said, poking at her dinner.

"Furthermore, it's rude to spear food on your chopsticks, Umaru."

"And you should finish your vegetables," Taihei added.

"My brother and my best friend aren't supposed to pick on me so much," Umaru said, pouting. "That's not the way it works."

Mami chuckled. "Consider it payback for you and Kyouko ganging up on me every chance you two get. Besides, Taihei and I both have your best interests at heart."

"Best interests, huh?" Umaru said, poking at her dinner some more.

"If you can deal with fighting witches, Umaru, you can surely deal with eating cauliflower."

"Speaking of fighting," Taihei said. "Have you been holding up okay, Mami? Do you need anything else from us?"

"Considering all that's happen, I'm doing well, thank you," Mami said. "I have Umaru's friendship, your support, and the help and company of other magical girls. In those regards, I'm a very fortunate girl."

Smiling widely, Umaru looked at Mami and her brother. "I am too."

A week later, Umaru's friends from Tokyo came to visit. Seeing Kirie, Ebina, and Sylphyn get off the train made Umaru's heart leap. When she saw that Bomber and Alex had come with them as well, she was even happier.

"Everyone!" Umaru cried, hugging each of them in turn.

"When I saw the news about Mitakihara," Kirie said. "I was terrified for you. I'm…I'm so relieved you and Taihei are okay."

"Thank you, Kirie," Umaru said. "We made it through though, and the cleanup and rebuilding for the city are going swimmingly."

"And nobody was killed, thankfully."

"True. There were some injuries, but there are good hospitals here in Mitakihara."

Umaru thought of one hospital in particular. She had first met Homura there. She and Mami had fought an awful witch there. And finally, she had put her healing skills to a difficult test there. She wondered if she'd be going back there any time soon. Thankfully, it had survived Walpurgisnacht's destruction.

"I was so worried, Taihei," Bomber said, putting him in a bear hug as they left the station. "What if you died again?!"

"Ah, hello to you too, Bomber," Taihei said. "How have you been otherwise?"

"I've been following soccer," Bomber replied. "Japan for the next World Cup championship!"

"That's his new obsession," Kirie said. She pressed a hand to her temple. "He can't stick with anything."

"I suggested a nice soccer anime to watch, but he's not interested," Alex said. "Ah, but anyway, it is good to see you're both safe and well."

While her brother chatted with his former co-workers, Umaru walked with Ebina, Sylphyn, and Kirie.

"It's lovely to see you, Umaru!" Sylphyn said happily.

"Likewise, Sylphyn," Umaru said. "Have you been doing well?"

"I have indeed!" Sylphyn said, twirling on one foot. "I miss our outings, though. And I have to liven up school entirely by myself now."

"W-With you gone," Ebina said. "Sylphyn is first in our class…"

"That's wonderful!" Umaru said. "I'm very happy for you, Sylphyn."

"Thank you, Umaru," Sylphyn said. "But I'd gladly give it up to have you back with us."

Umaru was touched. She had a reasonable life here in Mitakihara now (complete with ups and downs), but she sometimes missed her pre-magical girl life back in Tokyo, worrying about nothing besides what games were coming out or what seasonal anime series she'd be watching.

"Thank you," Umaru said. "So, who's ready to celebrate some today? It feels like so long since I've gotten to see you all. And Sylphyn, you haven't seen our apartment yet!"

"No, UMR-Umaru!" Sylphyn said. "But I look forward to it, indeed!"

"You don't have to call me UMR," Umaru said. She didn't need secret identities, after all. Regular Umaru and Magical Girl Umaru were enough for her. "Just Umaru works."

"That's fine, UMR-Umaru," Sylphyn replied. Some things would probably never change. Umaru watched Ebina step up her pace a little and begin talking amicably with Taihei. Umaru didn't hear what either of them said, but saw her brother smile warmly and Ebina blush.

On the other hand, maybe some things did change. But that wouldn't have been so bad, would it have been?

Shortly after they had reached their apartment, Taihei discovered that they still needed a few items from the store. Eager to help out (Another testament to how I've changed, she thought), Umaru volunteered to go to the store for her brother. Hesitating a little, Kirie offered to go with her. So, they set off for the store together. As they walked together, Kirie glanced over at Umaru.

"That's a pretty ring," she remarked.

"Oh, thank you."

"Was it a…um…present from someone special?"

"Nothing like that," Umaru said. She couldn't even begin to explain to Kirie what, exactly, her soul gem ring was. "It's just a good luck charm, that's all."

And considering that I've come through everything that's happened in one piece, it really is a good luck charm in some ways, even if it portends a potentially bad end.

"That's good," Kirie said. She sounded almost relieved.

They walked on a bit in silence. It didn't feel like an awkward one though. After all the chaotic madness of the past weeks, Umaru was actually glad to have a quiet moment with a good friend. It seemed like the strangeness between Umaru and Kirie over "Komaru" had passed. Or, at least, Kirie didn't want to bring it up again.

"Oh…um…aren't those your Mitakihara friends?" Kirie suddenly asked. She pointed off in another direction.

Umaru looked where Kirie was pointing. She saw Mami with Sayaka and Madoka across the plaza a little ways away.

"Yes, that's them," Umaru said.

All three of the other girls smiled at her and Kirie. Madoka and Sayaka started to come over, but Mami put a hand out in front of her. She politely waved at Umaru, and Umaru waved back. Then, beckoning the other two to follow her, stepped into a department store.

"They're not going to come and see us?" Kirie asked.

"Perhaps they're doing their own thing today," Umaru replied. "That's fine. It can be just us."

"I'm…I'm okay with that," Kirie said.

"Is there anything else in particular you'd like to do while you're here, Kirie? We should have a little time later."

"I…I haven't really thought of anything. I mostly just…um…well, I wanted mostly to see you. Um, and Taihei too, of course!"

Umaru smiled at her. "I wanted to see you too, Kirie. I'm still very sorry about, well, you know."

"It's okay," Kirie said. "Really, I mean it. I'm not upset. The way you seemed so different though…it gave me an idea for another story."

"A new one?"

"Yes…it's called…um…Magical Girl Komura."

"Magical girl?"

"Yes, and Komura can disguise herself with magic and then go and protect people."

"That sounds lovely, Kirie," Umaru said. It's also an odd coincidence. I don't think she's guessed the truth though. "I'm sure it'll be a great story."

"If that's okay with you, that is," Kirie said. "I, um, wouldn't write it without your permission."

"Only if you promise to show it to me when you're finished," Umaru said. Kirie had long since shared her own "big secret" with Umaru, but Umaru wasn't sure if she was ready to tell Kirie about her being a magical girl or just what exactly had happened to her the last time she had visited Mitakihara. She had come clean to Kirie before about "Komaru." One day, she'd tell her the rest, but not today. She didn't want to overload her friend.

"I will," Kirie replied, smiling a little at her. "Say, Umaru?"

"Yes?"

"Have you thought about college at all?"

Umaru considered this. She really hadn't. And with being a magical girl, she wasn't even entirely sure what she wanted to do.

"No, not really," she replied. "It seems far off, but it will be here before we know it, won't it?"

"It will," Kirie said. "I was thinking…wouldn't it be nice if we went to the same university?"

"Ooh," Umaru said. "That would be nice, wouldn't it? That sounds like something to shoot for."

"Well, it's probably easy for you," Kirie said. "You're smart enough and do well enough in school that you'll ace the entrance exams for anywhere."

"Well, we'll work together," Umaru said. "And try for the same place. We could even maybe live together when we're in college if it's somewhere far away."

Kirie turned bright red. "L-Live together?"

"Sure!" Umaru said. "Or, if we both went to a university here in Mitakihara, you could live near Onii-chan and me. Wouldn't that be nice?"

"I..uh…yes, it would," Kirie said.

"Though in the meantime, we need to get all this food back to our place," Umaru said. "So that the party can really get into full swing."

Come early evening, Umaru and her brother saw their friends off on the train. Umaru felt a twinge of sadness but knew she'd see them again.

"It's so good to see them, isn't it, Onii-chan?" Umaru asked as they departed the station.

"It is," Taihei agreed. "Maybe next time Kanau and her sister could come as well. But I'm always glad to see Bomber and Alexi. It's nice to see Ebina too."

Umaru smiled at him. I'm sure it is, Onii-chan. Maybe you and her…well, there's time enough for that. But if it would make you happy, then I'm all for it.

As they walked away from the station, Taihei asked her "Will you have to do magical girl…work again tonight?"

"Yes, Onii-chan," Umaru answered. "My workload is unlikely to get lighter anytime soon."

"Well, you certainly are keeping at it," Taihei said. "I'm proud of you."

Umaru reddened a little. "Thank you, Onii-chan."

"Of course, I still worry about you. And Mami too now. I don't know or understand all the details of it, but I do know that what you do is dangerous."

"It is," Umaru said. "You know, Onii-chan…" Umaru nearly began to launch into the truth about witches and magical girls and then stopped herself. It still wasn't yet time to tell Taihei that particular detail. She didn't need to add to his worries.

"What is it, Umaru?"

"Ah, never mind. I forgot what I was going to say."

"Alright. Well, it's getting late," Taihei said. "We need to decide what we're going to have for dinner tonight. I guess we can stop at a store on the way home to get some things."

"Junk food feast!" Umaru declared. "Cookies, ice cream, potato chips, maybe some pie…"

"That's not dinner, Umaru."

"Cheeseburgers and cola, then! As befits one of the saviors of the city," she said, proudly gesturing to herself.

"Umaru…"

"And when we're done, we can play some, Onii-chan. I haven't played any sort of game in a while, so let's play all night. Something a little more light-hearted, however, like Bookstore Panic."

"Sometimes, you seem different to me," Taihei said, chuckling. "And sometimes, you seem like the same little sister I've known since you've lived with me."

Umaru turned to Taihei and smiled widely at him, looking every bit the perfect little sister.

"I might change some, Onii-chan. I might be a magical girl or a Mitakihara citizen," she said. "But Umaru will always be Umaru."

Taihei smiled back at her. "I really wouldn't have it any other way."

(Author's note: And that's all she wrote! I'm sorry it took me so long to finish it, but we reached an end eventually! Thank you so very much for reading along, and beware of wish-granting cat-rabbits!)