Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Inside the Burrow a man in a bunny suit was waiting. He crossed his arms, a stern look on his face. Yuu might have joked that the rabbit outfit made him non-threatening, but really he’d never let a guy like this make him feel unsure of his actions. It didn’t matter if the guy dressed like the dark lord of Hell. Yuu kept his calm, nodded a simple unfriendly greeting at the masked figure, and said, “Xiong, I presume?”

“You presume correctly. It seems not even quantum masking could fool you.” Really, a lucky guess. Yuu simply doubted Xiong would trust anyone other than himself with an important mission. He hadn’t seemed surprised at all, so Yuu’s appearance must have been part of the plan. And if the Order of the Guardians needed to go against Yuu, Yuu was willing to bet Xiong needed the satisfaction of certainty in all affairs related to this meeting.

“I had a feeling you might try something like this,” said Xiong, holding up a torn envelope, “so I devised a contingency of my own. I wrote a letter to my past self with instructions, not to open until today at a certain time. In it, I explain what happened today. So even if you stop the battle with Nireus from occurring, I will know what happened. And I will confiscate the Miraculous regardless.”

“What if I go back in time to before the fight happened and give Naota and the others the perfect advantage they need to beat Nireus? What then?” Yuu crossed his arms, giving Xiong a stern look. The Guardian was his elder by several decades, and armed with a magical trinket that gave him increased speed, stamina, strength, and dexterity. Yet Xiong felt his heart palpitating. He knew better than to blame his old age. This child was simply intimidating.

“You can try, but I will still confiscate the Miraculous.” Yuu turned to the windows round him, pondering things. “You’re making a mistake.” He turned to leave, leaving Xiong in silence.

Things had failed here. But he had a backup plan.

He always had a backup plan.

Chapter Text

The doors slid open to the shop. Yuu Akimoto removed his shoes, taking a careful step forward. Even he could not be reckless here. Not with someone so far outside of his expertise. ““Welcome,”” said a paiyukimir of girls, staring blankly at him like twin ghosts. He smiled politely, instead gazing beyond the veil of smoke.

“It worked— I’m really here.”

There was a woman there, with long black hair, smiling mischievously at him like he was a tasty treat to devour. “Welcome, Yuu Akimoto, long time no see.”

“Hello, Yuko Ichihara. Although I’m afraid I must admit, from my perspective, this is our first meeting. If you’ve met me before I’m afraid that our timelines are out of sync, or that was another me, from another world.”

“Indeed it was the latter. He was a much different Yuu, but still you. He too cared for his friend Naota and wanted to protect him. And like many Yuus before him, he carried a burden far too great for one person to bear. I’m glad to see you’re learning not to take on everything yourself: even if perhaps you could stand to unload a little more of the responsibility. You are here alone, after all.”

He clutched his silver necklace, thinking of Naota. “Yes. Because I know you. Dealing with you comes at a cost. And I don’t want the others to pay it.”

She smiled, her voice dancing lazily in the smoky haze. “I see. You’re right. We both operate in almost total opposition.”

“You’re bound to the concept of equivalent exchange. You can’t act without payment, even if you want to. You can’t give too much without causing pain. My family loves to give to the world, to make it a better place. But perhaps that’s not the right way to think of it. We give back. Billionaires don’t get rich without help, we’re just returning what the world gave us.”

“That would be one way to think of it. But you get your wealth from the Miraculous, powerful God like magic that transcends the rules of equivalency— for the most part.” her grin widened like she was going to eat him whole. That idea kept coming back to his mind, she was that kind of person. Fun and really cool to be around, but undeniably unsettling. “And even when it does follow those laws, its power transcends even that of myself, or Clow Reed.”

“I wonder- was this part of his last ditch attempt to defy fate? To create a power even greater than his?” asked Yuu. “I know he created the Miraculous of my world, but there were already other worlds out there with their own. Like Marinette’s. Did he see them and try to make them his own?”

“If that’s what you think then maybe it’s so.” Cryptic as always.

“But you’re here for a reason, are you not?”

““A reason. A reason!”” cheered the eerie paiyukimir.

“Yes, I didn’t just feel like visiting a shop of wishes. I have a wish that needs granting.” Yuu hid his anxieties well, managing a casual smile. Yuko’s wishes came at hefty prices, and what he was asking for, it was big. He had no idea how much something like that could cost.

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“Your wish will cost you dearly. You are asking to undo ancient magic. When Clow created the Miraculous, he was simply following a blueprint. ██████ ███ ███████ ██████ If you wish to do something of this nature— it may take some time.”

“Time is something I have in abundance, you’ll find.”

“Then for now, you are the newest employee of my wish granting shop. I hope you can keep up. And try not to complain too much, I get that enough from Watanuki.

“And now, one more thing. You got here— but you will need help getting back. And as you know, the price for crossing dimensions is quite steep.”

“Yes, I was worried about that. Another reason I didn’t want to bring anyone else into this. If I had anticipated dimension hopping more I would have taken the time to enchant my necklace with more magic, like when I gave it the power of Time Travel.” One option was to go to the past and talk to himself, ask a favor. But even if his past self agreed not to worry about it, not to look into it, he’d never give up trying to solve the mystery.

And they already had enough butterflies to deal with.

So that just left one option— a version of himself who would not remember. Dawnbringer, on the day of the Akumapocalypse when Second Chance went haywire and pulled people across time. “Please, I need you to send me to Yuko Ichihara’s shop!”

“Why?”

“I can’t explain. And please don’t get distracted, you have a more immediate threat to worry about.” Of course, he could have asked Dawnbringer then and there to enchant his necklace, but he was mostly certain the power would wear off once the Akumapocalypse was over. Time was simply too unstable. Plus, a power like that would have required more energy. And that was another risk he wanted to avoid.

“I can give you the power to travel between your world and mine— just these two, but it will come at a cost.” She eyed his necklace.

“You want this? It holds the power of Time Travel. I suppose that should be a fair price. And it has sentimental value as well.

“Yes, Time Travel, the ultimate insurance. You do value the ability to manipulate things precisely. As such it would make a valuable bartering tool, you could get a lot out of it. But not, I want another power associated with it.”

“The power of—” he froze, his blood going cold. Could he stay here and wait? Surely someone would be able to find him somehow. If he just vanished then eventually they’d come looking. But wait, what if Naota got Akumatized to come find him. That could make things worse.

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Working for Yuko Ichihara was easy enough on most days. Sweep, dust, and cook her some food. Though he did find it odd that he never saw her other employee. “Where’s Watanuki? Is there some sort of severe distortion of time and space going on?”

“Yes.”

Was all she said.

He figured it best not to press for further details.

On his third day he hadn’t encountered any customers yet. He was busy in the kitchen making some homemade tzatziki sauce for some Greek chicken kebabs, the breast meat was currently marinating in the fridge. He was rather proud of this meal, having gone out of the way to secure only the freshest of ingredients.

He was mixing everything together when Yuko suddenly appeared, dipping her finger in for a taste. “You’re quite good at this for someone with the means to avoid all forms of work. You could hire a private chef. Eat out at the fanciest restaurants every day for the rest of your life. Not many children would take it upon themselves to become self sufficient, most would rather play Minecraft all day.”

“Call it the weight of expectations. Being surrounded by people who transcend the normal shackles of humanity will do that to you. You’ll always feel pressured to do better, reach for greater things. So you’ll either fly— or you’ll burn out and drown, like Icarus too close to the sun.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t fly so high?”

“And let the water soak my wings?” He set down the spoon, crossing his arms. “I’d drown either way. I might as well see how high I can go and make a spectacle of it all before that.”

That evening, they grilled the chicken together in the backyard of her shop. She allowed him to take home the leftovers, and though he feared she would deduct it from his pay or expect a gift in return, he accepted, taking them over to his boyfriend Aron’s house.

“Chicken?” Aron asked with a laugh. “I’m surprised, Orikko would be horrified if he knew.”

“Not really. Chickens are totally fine eating other chickens. A lot of animals are okay with cannibalism. I only pretended to be upset to troll you all. You can’t expect theme to be serious all the time.” He ate a bite of the chicken, savoring the sweet peppers, and threw an extra piece to the dog.

“What’s this about chicken?” asked Carmen.

“Yuu and Orikko came over once to negotiate a – not quite a peace treaty but a set of guidelines to keep us in check. We were eating pizza. With chicken. Yuu got offended. Yukari had to Akumatize me with the powers to change pizza ingredients. But now apparently it was his idea of a joke,” Aron chuckled.

“But speaking of the Miraculous,” Carmen took a bite. “Surely, this isn’t it. You’re not just letting Xiong, win? You must have some sort of plan, don’t you? I mean, with all that work to set things up in the first place, I refuse to believe you’d stand on the sidelines now.”

“I’m— thinking. I had an idea, but that didn’t pan out quite the way I’d hoped. And now I’ve gotten side tracked. But I’m looking for a way forward.”

He returned to work the next day to find Yuko sitting in her chair, with a laptop open in front of her. He was amused to see the page open to tumblr, but she was largely ignoring it in favor of her copy of Witch Hat Atelier Kitchen, flipping through the pages leisurely. He was familiar with the work, a spin off of the popular fantasy series Witch Hat Atelier, featuring the main cast cooking fancy and delicious meals. Complete with recipes at the end of every chapter— usually featuring fantasy ingredients like sword carrots, cordfish, chrysnathonions, or cured rhinocerox meat.

And that meant flipping around to hunt down the real world equivalent, because they couldn’t just write a regular recipe now could they? Sword carrots to regular carrots might have been obvious, but you’d need to check what type of onion the chrysanthonion was (white or yellow), cordfish was obviously a type of fish but getting salmon from context clues was nearly impossible.

And cured rhinocerox meat did not make him think ground beef.

“Yuu, I think I would like to eat Lots’a Smoked Cordfish Tartine today.” Yuu remembered that recipe. It called for chrysanthonion petals, which in the real world translated to edible chrysanthemum.

“Are you asking for the ‘real world’ equivalent, made with salmon? Or do you want to go above and beyond and head to the world of Witch Hat itself?”

“My, aren’t you the generous employee, offering to go above and beyond? If you’re offering then I would certainly enjoy this recipe with authentic cordfish.” She leaned back in her chair, kicking her legs into the air like a teenager lazing about at home.

“Okay, but I’ll need you to send me there and bring me home.” Yuko frowned.

“Awww, but Akimoto-kun, you shouldn’t offer to help somebody if it’s not something you can manage. And here you got me so excited over nothing. How rude. I might just have to deduct this from your pay.”

“Maybe I should have wished for the ability to travel to any world I wanted.” He looked at her. “But I guess it’s only fair my traveling powers are so limited. Considering how little I gave up.” Yuko slipped in a bookmark to hold her spot, a silver colored metal feather with a butterfly attached to the end, how charming. Setting the manga aside, she refreshed her page. “Ohohoho, it seems I have a wish to grant.”

Chapter Text

“Oh, did someone contact you online about a wish?” Yuu folded his hands together, remembering a certain incident involving a laptop and a red metal bat. “I hope they know what they’re getting into.” Yuko could be quite extreme, he knew, but also reserved. The ultimate wild card, you never quite knew what you were getting with her.

Even if you were getting exactly what you asked for.

“Relax, Yuu, I’m not some strange demon out here to make Faustian bargains for people’s souls.”

“You literally make bargains for people’s souls.”

“In a metaphorical sense. A part of their soul is something important to them!” She reached out, touching his necklace, letting the silver star dangle from her fingers. “You know very well that what I mean by soul and what the Devil means by soul are two different things. Besides, my deals are hardly Faustian.”

“So who is the customer and what are they wishing for?”

“Have you heard of Deltarune?”

“You mean the symbol from Undertale.” He thought over it for a moment. “What about it?”

“Yes, but not quite. I am speaking of the game Deltarune.” She said, brightly grinning. “The Deltarune I am speaking of does not exist in your world, so I am not surprised you have not heard of it. Though with its ties to your reality I considered you might have some knowledge of it.”

“Is it an Undertale fan game? I must admit my knowledge of other worlds is quite limited. I wish I had time to learn more but unfortunately even my time has its limits. Not even the Doctor can cross their path too many times without consequences.” She was fond of throwing out nonsense fandom references, so he had the feeling she would appreciate this.

“Yes, I see. Because you don’t have the tools to access other worlds any more. You ran out of time with the Rooster Miraculous. And even if you did have ways to learn more about thee other worlds out there, there are an infinite many in number. You could not possibly hope to study them all without hitting even your limits.”

“I’d get bored.”

“Deltarune was created by TobyFox himself, but not in your world. The main character is the adopted child of Toriel and Asgore Dreemurr, and the younger sibling of Asriel. Their name is Kris. Kris Dreemurr.” That hit Yuu harder than he expected.

“Kris? Like Natasha’s friend?”

Yuko nodded. “One and the same. Or one and not the same. They are Kris, like the one you know, but they are not the same Kris. Like the Sakura and Syaoran who visited my shop. They are not the same Sakura and Syaoran who sought to capture the cards, but they were them.

“Deltarune began as a dream Toby Fox had, of the ending of a game. And he decided to reverse engineer the game from there. But he knew his limits, something this grand would be too much for a beginner. He’d doom himself to failure. So instead, he created Undertale.

“As practice.”

“That’s impressive. What you want is out of reach so you settle for gold. But what changed in our world?”

“Kris existing happened. They synced up with the story instead. That’s why people often don’t find stories of themselves being written in strangers. When you exist in a world, you’re more likely to be the one who dreams or brainstorms the ideas about your life in other universes. So he could not have that dream that led to Deltarune, and instead had a different dream, allowing him to discover Undertale.”

“So your customer, their wish has something to do with Deltarune I presume?” Yuu wondered if he could find some public WiFi somewhere in this world, assuming he was permitted to leave the shop.

“Deltarune is episodic. Chapter 1 was released, and then we waited a while for Chapter 2. Chapters 3 and 4 were both released as a bundle. And in each Chapter is an extremely difficult boss, holding a Shadow Crystal you can collect if you win— though with the full game yet to be released, who can say what they’re for? Each boss also gives you a valuable item.”

Yuu nodded along. He had so many questions. Was the Mercy route vs Genocide route still a factor? Were the battles still largely the same? What exactly was the plot? And most importantly— what was this wish?

“In Chapter 1 it was Jevil.”

Yuu blinked. “Jevil? Like the meme? The one who can do anything?”

“Yes, in your world, Jevil is merely a meme. He can do anything. It seems he somehow transcended the boundaries of reality, choosing to be present in your world even though Deltarune itself is not. Ohoho. He was a hidden boss, locked away, with the key to his cell in three pieces to be found around the map. Chapter 2 was a bit different.

“You see, you are required to meet Spamton and fight him. A little memetic creature who gained massive popularity in the fandom. But if certain steps are taken, he will upgrade himself and becomed NEO, with Spamton NEO holding the second Shadow Crystal. He uses gimmicks similar to Mettaton from the first game.

“They were the secret bosses who held the Shadow Crystals, and everyone assumed this pattern would continue. But Toby Fox shook things up. The Shadow Crystal is held by a 100% mandatory boss— one that is incredibly difficult to beat. Thankfully beating them is entirely optional or else very few people would have completed the Chapter.

“I totally managed just fine of course.

“But this boss is just not any powerful opponent. They are the Roaring Knight, up to that point suggested to be the big bad villain of the story, creating the Dark Fountains our Heroes desperately seek to seal. Their boss fight draws inspiration from the Sans fight in the original, and is the hardest boss in the game so far. Many people who managed to beat the first two are complaining that this fight isn’t any fun at all.

“But the Roaring Knight stands in your way. You cannot avoid them. So naturally there are those who would like to win. Just like my customer. But there are further reasons beyond that, so I’ll let you read for yourself.”

MOSSFinder

I give up. I’ve been trying to beat the Roaring Knight for two weeks now but it feels impossible. I can’t even get past the third attack. Usually I die on the second.

I guess that’s what I should expect since I couldn’t even do Jevil or Spamton NEO.

But I really wanted to get all the Shadow Crystals. Before I moved, my best friend helped me at the Secret Bosses, he beat Jevil and Spamton NEO for me so I could have their items and the crystals. I really wanted to have a complete save file but it looks like I have to give up.

I just really wish I could do it.

“I don’t think saying “I wish” on the internet constitutes agreeing to pay for magical services. I hope you’re not planning to just jump in and overwhelm them.”

Yuko laughed. “Please, Yuu, I’m not that malicious.” Though she didn’t deny having some malice. Not that she ever really showed any, he was sure she was joking.

“I fully plan to message them myself and properly explain my services.” She clicked on his username, and opened a private message.

Spacetimewitchyuko: Saw your post about trying to beat The Roaring Knight. What if I told you there’s a way you can still beat the fight?

MOSSFinder: I’ve read pretty much every tip and strategy I can find on the internet and none of it works for me. I’m just not goo enough.

Spacetimewitchyuko: As you can tell from my username, I am a witch. Granting wishes is my specialty. I can help you defeat the Roaring Knight, but it won’t be for free.

Yuu tried putting himself in this stranger’s shoes. Every instinct would probably tell him to run after a message like that. It was incredibly suspicious. Most people would block the sender without looking back.

But Yuko understood people. She knew their limits. If she felt this was okay….

MOSSFinder: Thanks, but I don’t really have a lot of money to spend. Especially not on something I’m not sure would work.

A simple, polite response, MOSSFinder must have been an extremely kind person.

Spacetimewitchyuko: Witches like me deal in things far more valuable than money. And besides, beating a video game boss is so simple it wouldn’t cost much anyway. Though it goes against my normal principles, I can see why you’d be concerned about a scam. I’ll make you a deal, I’ll tell you how to win. Then you can pay me if and only if it works. I’d recommend you follow through. Being in debt to a witch is not a pleasant experience.

MOSSFinder: What exactly would it cost me?

Spacetimewitch: A fanfiction. If you are able to defeat The Roaring Knight then you must write a fanfiction for me. It can be about anything you like. Any genre. Any series— it doesn’t even have to be Deltarune. It can be a crack fic, something short, something long. You can even ask Generative AI to do it, I don’t care. The only condition— your heart must truly be in it.

MOSSFinder: I guess that feels doable. What’s the advice?

Spacetimewitch: Don’t give up. Keep practicing. You’ll win eventually.

“A fanfiction? That seems smaller than I’d imagined.”

“Oh? Perhaps you’ve misunderstood something fundamental about the universe and the power of fiction. Worlds are born from fiction and fiction creates new worlds. If your heart is into it, you never know what amazing thing you will find.” Yuko paused, eyeing him closely. Her eyes twinkled with something he couldn’t quite place.

“You aren’t the type to stand by without leaping in to help others. I’m surprised you haven’t tried to intervene.”

“I’m thinking about it.”

“I know, but it seemed you’d spend a lot of time just thinking if I didn’t spur you on, and there are people counting on us to be quick about things. You’re worried about the equivalent exchange aspects of this all, aren’t you. If you give something but don’t get anything in return, then someone may be forced to pay the price. But like I said, Deltarune, to MOSSFinder, is just a game A small wish like this wouldn’t cost as much as, say, an exorcism.”

“How much would it cost to get the WiFi password while I’m here?”

“Hmmm, an interesting question. The internet is a marvelous thing, it gives you access to so much information. Truly one of the most valuable resources around. And yet many choose to squander it, not taking advantage of all that it has to offer. Such imbalance, being given something so amazing but wasting it all may truly be the source of much of its misery.

“In that way the internet is a truly dangerous thing.

“Furthermore, this is the internet of an entirely different world than your own. You would be playing with something incredibly dangerous.

“But at the same time, giving you WiFi access is as simple as sharing my password with you. It can be done in a snap, with little effort on my part. Anyone who knows the information can share it.

“So, I wonder, what do you think it costs?

“A little or a lot?”

Yuu paused. “I would have a lot to gain from this, I admit. And in many stories, valuable knowledge is often worth a lot even if its easy to share. And knowledge is often kept behind paywalls. I suppose if I have to be honest with myself, it would be a lot.”

“Then an exchange. For access to knowledge of my world I want access to something not of this world. The internet is vast but I will only be giving you a key, so it needn’t be something of an equal vastness. Just information of something. It doesn’t even need to be real.”

“And you’re just letting me choose? That seem awfully generous of you.”

“In a way, by giving you the freedom to choose I am placing a burden on you. And in exchange I get something of a surprise. And sometimes surprises are better than what we expect. So it will all balance out in the end. And besides, I think an element of unpredictability is fitting given the nature of your world and its Lucky Charm.”

“Very well, I’ll see what I can do.”

That night Yuu prepared Lots’a Smoked Cordfish Tartine.

The next day, Yuu returned with his laptop and a few books. “This is Hope in Ashes. A book I wrote and published. It won a Nobel prize in literature. I admit— my heart wasn’t fully in it. I don’t know if it would be enough to create another world— but people loved it. People bought it and read it. Their hearts were in it.”

He also reached into his bag, pulling out a USB. “I download a bunch of Fanfiction written about my book, so if anything these should be important enough, right? I doubt these exist in your world, unless someone else wrote this story.”

Yuko took the book, studying it. “This payment shall be more than enough. I’ll have to credit the extra to your original wish.” She smirked, running her hand along the spine. “The story of a woman dealing with her own personal crisis in the middle of world wide tragedy. How can you maintain empathy for others while your own world is falling apart? Fascinating.”

A woman’s mother is dying of cancer.

A neighborhood near her catches on fire, a devastating disaster that kills so many as their homes burn to the ground.

And there’s a genocide halfway around the world.

Everyone around her is demanding that she care about others, give everything she can to helping out on the big scale, but she’s giving so much to fight for her own self that she doesn’t have much left. She’s disabled and can’t work. She and her mom are a low income family and they live together.

She doesn’t know what will happen to her if her mother dies.

And her mom keeps taking things out on her. She cares for her mom, obviously, but her mother’s words can be cruel at times. She’s so lost in her cancer she forgets other people can get sick, and often forces the main character to clean when she’s in pain. Wash the dishes when her shoulder feels like it’s being stabbed.

And she can no longer tell if she wants her mother to live because she loves her mom or if she wants her mother to live because she needs the financial stability.

“I wrote it for a college class. My teacher loved overly emotional stories of suffering. I— prefer happiness and joy. I don’t like it when people are unhappy, or they don’t feel safe. I was given everything in this world. Yuko— where’s the equivalence in that?

“A single mother can struggle at two jobs just to afford rent for her kids, and I can churn this out in my sleep and get a Nobel prize for that? Dante was right, some people do get more for nothing. So why shouldn’t I be able to help our more people and not expect much from them in return?”

Yuko smiled. “The gifts you have given are great, but your burden is that you care. Every time you help someone, that burden is lessened. And that is the reward you receive in return. Perhaps the scales are not as harsh as I once thought. The world is an infinite and mysterious thing. There are many uncertainties even I have yet to fully comprehend.

“Still, are we not still talking about a video game? MOSSFinder just wants to beat an optional boss, hardly worthy of the spectacle you’re making of it.”

“Because— for once in my life I’ve hit a dead end. There’s something I want that I can’t get and can’t see a path toward. So I’m losing my mind and focusing on any little thing that comes my way. I just don’t like being stuck.”

“Very well. The password is キャッツ♥アイ. Complete with the emoji. I’m afraid that might be a little challenging to type without already having access to the internet. But I have a feeling you can accomplish it.”

“I’m in.”

The first thing he did was set up an email account, then he looked into online self publishing. If Deltarune came out after Undertale, they were likely in some sort of closer to modern time then when the original XxXHolic took place, so this wasn’t too much of a problem. He’d just have to hope his luck proved true. He’d need money in this universe for some of the things he wanted to accomplish later.

He’d already set up a bank account and forged some necessary papers. And sold some gold so he could get started— but having an easier source of income would make things simpler. Next he bought himself a copy of the game, though playing it would have to wait.

He made a new tumblr account, SilverAngel413, and quickly did not followed MOSSFinder.

Empty blogs looked suspicious, so he spent some time between Yuko’s chores queuing up a bunch of posts. Only when he had a few pages worth of fandom reblogs and a few original posts (including a blazed post about his new book) did he finally start following people.

And he sent MOSSFinder an ask.

“Any luck beating the knight?”

It would take some time before a response, so he continued sweeping.

He was busy making dinner for Yuko when his phone chimed with an alert. MOSSFINDER had responded.

“I keep trying but it’s so hard.”

Yuu only needed the in— and he hoped this would be enough. He’d done some digging. MOSSFinder was their username online but elsewhere they went by the simpler name Flow. Whether it was another online nickname or an actual name, Yuu couldn’t say. He didn’t want to dox the person. They’d been playing on a computer, perfect for what Yuu had in mind.

“Do you play on a computer, you could always try hacking if that’s the case?” Now that they were on, MOSSFinder replied much faster. “Yeah but I’m worried I might mess up the details and it wouldn’t pass the error check. I’m all for cheating, but it feels like too much effort.” He opened a direct message next, rather than keep up the back and forth.

SilverAngel413: What about sending the save file to your friend so he can help?

MOSSFinder: I’d feel kind of bad for doing that— it’s one thing to ask when we’re right next to each other and doing it together, but this feels like it would be too awkward. Besides— I haven’t spoken to him in a while and asking out of the blue for a favor feels bad.

SilverAngel413: Did something happen?

MOSSFinder: Not really— it’s just, I got busy. Kept putting it off. And now it feels like the longer I take the weirder things are.

SilverAngel413: How about this. Email me your save file and I can edit it real quick. I can make you super powerful. Then you can easily beat the knight. Or you can just practice until you get better at dodging. Sometimes playing on Easy Mode is the bet way to improve.

Flow agreed to the plan and Yuu immediately got to work with hacking it. “I still can’t believe Kris is an actual Toby Fox character. You know, back in my world I just assumed that Kris was an Undertale fan and that’s where they got their name. Guess that was Hitsuzen too.”

“Yes, though perhaps not for the reason you think.”

Yuu messed with Flow’s inventory, adding in better healing items, all while boosting everyone’s defenses as high as they could go. He got it back to Flow a minute later.

MOSSFinder: Really? That was fast. Thanks.

SilverAngel413: Let me know how it goes, I’m here to trouble shoot.

Yuu got back to work dusting some items in the back room, occasionally checking his phone for Flow’s updates.

Someone hacked my save file for me so I can practice against the Knight. I’m nearly invincible! Okay I think I’m getting better at dodging now.

Ugh, it feels like this is still beyond my reach.

“You know, Flow has a special connection to you that you may not know. In another world they’ve met you and your friends Naota, Fletcher, and pretty much everyone else. It’s quite interesting really, how different people can be in different realities.

“Why, there’s one where Flow is quite close to Natasha. In that world, they’re both trying to defend their city from evil using objects called Enchants. They’re quite similar to the Miraculous. Clow and I once considered making our own versions of those as well, but we figured we had perhaps done enough meddling with powerful forces.”

“Odd thing to hear from someone who once cloned God.”

“Ohohohoho, you misunderstand. We held back not out of restraint but out of pragmatism. We’d done enough already to set into motion the things we needed. There was simply no need to go any further on that front. At least, not yet.”

“I see,” said Yuu.

The chores repeated for the next few days. Sweeping, dusting, cooking, and a bit of laundry. But after some time had passed, Flow finally posted the message Yuu had been waiting for.

MOSSFinder

I did it. I bet the knight! Finally! Now I just need to move on to the Chapter 4 secret boss. Although at this rate I think I’m ready for anything. Hopefully Chapter 5 doesn’t throw out anything too extreme.

Yuu’s phone quickly chirped.

MOSSFinder: Thanks for the help. I finally won. Took me a bunch of tries and I felt like I was going to die of a heart attack. But I did it.

SilverAngel413: Let me know if you need help with the next fight too.

MOSSFinder: Thanks, but I think I’m good. I doubt I can one shot it or anything, but I think I can practice the normal way. After the Knight, I feel like I can do anything.

SilverAngel413: Anything? Maybe you should finally respond to your friend. Let him know you wanted to respond but you were just having trouble saying anything. Sometimes it happens.

MOSSFinder: You’re right, I just need to put my mind to it.

Yuu turned to Yuko, a smile on both their faces.

“So, what kind of fanfiction do you think they’ll write?” “One with a lot of heart and soul, I imagine.”

Hey Al, sorry I took so long to reply. Getting set up at a new school was so hectic I just felt too tired to text. And then one day passed and then another and the more time slipped away I guess I got worried. That my text would have to be good enough to make up for the missed days. And soon enough it was like I was weighed down by all these expectations I put on myself.

But other than that I’ve been fine. School has been kind of fun. I’m still playing Deltarune. Someone on the internet actually helped me beat the Roaring Knight. Isn’t that awesome?

Don’t worry about it, I totally get how that can be. I’m just glad you’re okay. And congrats on beating the Knight, I swear they took me like 50 tries.

Elsewhere, Yuu smiled, for he’d helped someone else grant their wish. Still, a fanfic in exchange for some basic platitudes? Or did the price of the fanfic include his involvement? No, he’d asked for a separate price for that. Could there perhaps have been a finder’s fee?

A memory played in his head.

“That necklace was a gift from your best friend, Naota Yamaguchi.” Her words hollowed out his chest. “A bit of a family tradition behind that. They say if you give it to someone you love, you will be bound to them forever, your love will never break. Right now your bond with Naota is enchanted- protected by the magic of that necklace.

“You shall give that up. No longer shall there be a magical bond between you two.”

Yuu froze.

He smiled.

“That’s all?”

Understanding equivalent exchange was going to be even worse than decoding Time Travel.

Chapter Text

It was a beautiful day outside. The sun was shining brightly. Birds were singing. Flowers were blooming. And it started raining, right there. Yuko smiled, sipping her third cup of marktea. She looked to Yuu, expectantly.

He was busy raking the leaves when the first drops hit his forehead. He looked up with a grin. “A fox’s wedding. The name for when it rains on a clear day. Just like when they first visited your shop.” He turned to Yuko, and this time he was the one with an expectant face. “So?”

“Ohohoho. You know much more about the mysticism of this world than Watanuki. Or at least, more than the Watanuki who first came to work for me. But teaching him and showing you are two different things. Don’t expect your time here to be a constant retreat of his.

“Though, having seen someone else experience a joy, I can understand why you would want to try it as well. So, shall I have Maru and Moro fetch a mirror?” She gestured to the two children.

“So long as it doesn’t cost too much.”

“Consider it my thank you for the tea.”

A kyôchô, a type of divination in which you place a mirror on your heart and listen to the world around you. The power of sun drenched rain would amplify its magic, granting the prophecy near certain accuracy. Or so she had told Watanuki.

In an instant Maru and Moro popped up with a cheer. ““Here it is,” they said, handing over a blue handheld mirror, offering it to Yuu. He offered his thanks as he took it, smiling as he looked up to the sunny, rainy sky.

Closing his eyes, Yuu held the mirror to his heart. ‘Listen.’ He told himself, and he drank in the symphony of the world.

“Tikki, let’s light up the sky, SPOT’S ON!”

It was Naota’s voice! Startlingly clear. Yuu lost his composure, a rare glimpse of humanity, and dropped the mirror on the grass with a thud. Yuko bent over to pick it up, staring at her unblemished reflection. “It seems something has struck you.”

“It was Naota’s voice, she was transforming again. Back into Maris Stella. She sounded thrilled, like she was happy the Miraculous were all back in her hands. Or~ so I’d like to think. I can’t say for sure.” Crossing his arms, he gazed down at his feet. “There are countless worlds. For all I know there could be countless other Naotas wielding countless Miraculous. Who can say if that world was my own? Guess I’ll just have to wait and see.”

“Do you think it was your own? Or do you think it was another?” Yuu cracked half a smile. “Right, the power of belief. Saying things. It can~” he froze, lost in thought, but quickly regained his composure. “By saying something you can make it true for yourself. Words can build power like waves, washing over you, binding you.” Yuko finished her tea, setting the cup down on the table. “Yuu, please handle the dishes, and fetch an umbrella when you’re done. We’ve got some shopping to do.”

He’d done a few shopping trips with Yuko by now, but they were usually for alcohol. So he was a bit surprised when they arrived in a hardware store. Places like these bored him, so he’d never spent much time in one, but he kept his eyes peeled, wondering what she could possibly need. In the end, she grabbed a hammer off the shelf, tapping it against her palm. “This will do. This will do nicely.”

They stopped for some ice cream on the way home.

“One day I’ll have to try some ice cream from the White Family Creamery. Perhaps if I ever visit your world. Or maybe I’ll try Andre’s.”

“Too bad Clow Reed isn’t still around.”

“What was that?” she asked, one eyebrow twitching.

When they got back, they found a young woman waiting in the yard. She was about 5 feet tall, with long purple hair and a purple sweater over a black shirt and a patch over one eye. Yuu thought she kind of looked like Rachie the YouTube singer.

“Uhhh, hello? Are you the shop owner? I’m sorry for just hanging out here,” her body was trembling. “I wasn’t sure when you’d get back.”

“Sorry, my shop keeps unusual hours and I had business to attend to,” she gestured to the hammer in Yuu’s bag. “We needed to buy some supplies to help an upcoming customer with her problems.”

“So you are the shopkeeper. Is it true? Do you deal with the occult? I’ve been having some problems and I was wondering if you could help me out with them. I don’t have much money, but if you accept payment in installments— or I suppose I could take out a loan. Please,” her voice was shaky now, “I don’t know where else to turn.”

Yuko caressed her face with long slender fingers. “Relax. I don’t accept payment in money anyway. And if you couldn’t afford my services then you wouldn’t be here.” She turned to Yuu. “Please make us some tea, I believe our guest could use something calming.”

Yuu brewed some fairy tea. Though its smell was astonishingly sweet, their was a surprise hint of tartness on the tongue. But as the young woman sipped, she breathed easier, the tea no longer splashing in her cup.

“My name is Natalie Hartati.

“I’m possessed.

“There’s this ghost that’s been haunting me since high school. Anytime I look in a mirror I can see its rotting corpse. It’s pale white, with long stringy hair, and her clothes are tattered and falling apart and covered in blood. I— I think she’s the victim of a car accident.”

“And what makes you suspect that?”

“She looks like this girl who used to go to my high school. Her name was Kam, but I didn’t really know her. One day when she had just gotten her driver’s license, she got into a car accident— a head on collision with an older woman. She was driving her kids to the movies to see some new film.

“The woman’s car caught on fire.”

Natalie’s hands trembled again as the memory surfaced, and her face went pale, she was starting to sweat. “I was near the scene so I came rushing to help. I saw the woman and her kids, they looked like they were four or five. I had to help them so I pulled them out first. Then I tried to help the woman, but her seat belt got caught. It wouldn’t come loose. The children were screaming for their mother, I couldn’t give up.

“I found a piece of shattered glass. I managed to cut her free, but it hurt. It dug into my hand. I still have the scars.” She showed them her palm, where a deep white line ran across. “I just wanted to help. After that I got the other girl out and called an ambulance. The woman and her kids survived. But she did not.

“I keep wondering— if I had called for help sooner, would that have saved the girl? But I was in a rush, I wanted to save the woman and her children.” She broke out in a sob. “I wanted to save them all. I tried. But I couldn’t!”

“I see. So what exactly does this haunting entail?” asked Yuko. “You mentioned its corpse in mirrors, is that all? And does it have to be a mirror? What about other reflective surfaces?” She glanced down at Natalie’s tea cup.

“Only mirrors. I can look at other reflections just fine. I can go swimming, I can stare at my laptop screen, I can see my reflection just fine in those. But it’s not only the reflections that bother me. Sometimes I’ll start speaking in the wrong language. I— don’t know any other languages besides English, Japanese, and Indonesian. But sometimes I’ll start speaking in other languages I don’t recognize. I tried recording myself once and someone suggested it may be Hungarian, but they weren’t sure. And I was too embarrassed to share the video with complete strangers.”

“I see. Did this girl from the accident speak Hungarian?”

“I’m not sure. We weren’t particularly close while she was alive.”

“I see. And is it only the reflection and the other languages?”

“I’ve also had occasional bouts of sleep paralysis.” She finished off her tea and set the cup down. “I usually don’t see anything, but I feel this intense pressure on my chest, weighing me down. I try, but I can’t move. My body just won’t listen.”

“Now, this is highly important. Is this possession your only encounter with the occult? Were you ever perceptive to the supernatural world prior to being haunted by this girl? And what about after? Have you noticed other strange occurrences?” Natalie shook her head.

“I see.” Yuko stood up from her table, grinning brightly. “Yuu, could you please fetch more of the fairy tea? Bring our entire stock of it.”

Yuu nodded and left for the pantry. Luckily he had managed to gather lots and lots of it, such were the power of miracles. He kept them all in a brown paper bag and handed them to Yuko, who only grinned. “Yuu, are you ready for a little trip? And bring that hammer. Natalie, would you please guide us to your home. I think it’s time to perform a little exorcism.”

Natalie lived in a small apartment. It seemed well kept, everything was well organized and in its place. She had some old furniture, probably second hand. The couch as covered in claw marks but there was no sign of a cat here, though Yuu supposed there were sadder possibilities.

She had a few photographs taped to the wall, many of the older ones were faded, including one of Natalie and her family at a place Yuu recognized as Tanah lot. In fact, a lot of the old photos were of Indonesia. Had she lived there?

He spotted a telescope resting in the closet, and several books about constellations on the shelves. Some of them were falling apart, with loose, yellowing pages sticking out.

Yuko seemed interested in a framed photo of the local college’s basketball team. It was co-ed, with both men and women. “I sense great affection from this photo. Do you perhaps have a deep connection with one of these players?”

“Not really,” said Natalie, blushing.

Yuko leaned in, a finger pressed gently to her lips. “I can only offer as much help as you offer the truth. Lies often cloud the situation.”

“Well, I don’t think I’m lying. I’m not deeply connected to any of them. But there is one player who I wish I was connected to.” She turned away, fidgeting in a way Yuu recognized. She reminded him of her friend Naota. “I haven’t said anything yet. But whenever the basketball team needs help, I try my best. Organizing fundraisers, helping to wash their uniforms, even helping them with their coursework.

“Still, none of that really made us close. I think the team just thinks of me as a very eager helper, someone with a lot of school spirit.”

“It seems you are one who tries a lot to help others. Not just the object of your affection, but the entire team.” Yuko nodded as if understanding something.

Before they could go any further, there came a knock on the door.

“Hello, Natalie, it’s Heather.” A blonde woman stood in the doorway, holding a large box. “I just bought a new wardrobe, but the elevator’s broken. Do you think you could help me get these up the stairs?”

“Sure thing, I’ll be there in a second.” She turned to Yuu and Yuko with an apologetic bow. “I’m sorry, this won’t be long.”

Yuko grinned. “Don’t worry. You helping those around you is simply Hitsuzen.” She watched as Natalie left the door, turning to Yuu once she was out of ear shot. “So, Yuu, tell me what you think of this situation.” Yuko set the tea down on Natalie’s table. “Anything stand out as unusual to you?” She grabbed a stack of papers off the bookshelf, flipping through them.

“I’m not an expert in Indonesian folklore, though I do know many Asian cultures have stories of vengeful ghosts. A ghost who wants revenge because she couldn’t be saved— that sounds fairly standard and normal. But that’s too easy, you wouldn’t be giving me a pop quiz if that were the case, now would you?”

He paused, turning back to the photo of the basketball team. “She likes helping others, it’s a core part of her personality, as evidenced by her running off to help someone with their problems, even though she’s literally in the middle of an exorcism.

“Watching someone die. Not being able to save them. It would haunt anyone. But with her desire to help others amplifying that— I think she’s the one behind all this. Not the ghost. She won’t let go, and we have to help her.”

“Ohohohohoho~ it seems you’ve studied well. Yes, I’ve come to much the same conclusion. I sense no malicious intent around her. The sleep paralysis is much more likely to be a sign of her stress than any attack from the ghost. And speaking in tongues is an inconvenience at worst, it surely isn’t hurting anyone. Not in the traditional sense.”

She stared at the door waiting for Natalie to return.

“Sorry,” she apologized a few minutes later. “She needed help with her laptop, couldn’t get it connected to WiFi so it took me a few minutes.” She smiled sadly, the weariness heavy in her eye.

“Natalie, how many mirrors do you have in this apartment?” “Just three. One in the hallway and two in the bathroom. I can’t get rid of them because they’re not mine. So instead I covered them up with bedsheets and duct tape. But whenever there’s an inspection I have to take everything down.” Yuko turned to Yuu. “Grab the hammer.”

This alarmed Natalie who stiffened up.

“Wait, are you just going to smash the mirrors?” asked Yuu.

It did fit her usual M.O., admittedly.

“Of course not, don’t be silly Akimoto-kun. Everyone knows that breaking mirrors is bad luck. You’re going to smash them. Your Akimoto blood should protect you from the backlash of any typical curses.”

“But they’re not my mirrors!” Natalie protested. “I could get in trouble! I could get evicted!”

“Don’t worry about that. Losing your home would put you in serious danger. I would never do something to directly threaten a customer’s life. The burden of their death would be too great to bare. So I’ve read your house rules,” she gestured to the papers in her hand. “If you break anything such as a mirror or a floor tile, you’re expected to replace it. But they won’t count it against you as long as you fix things after.” Yuko grinned as she continued. “In the old days, mirrors used to be pure because they were made with silver backing. They made excellent wards against the spirit world. You’ll just need to get new ones afterward.”

“Then why break these ones?” asked Natalie, confused.

“To help sever the connection between you and that ghost. Ideally, we would have to go and shatter every mirror you’ve ever seen her in. But that isn’t quite feasible now is it? So, what we’ll do instead is shatter every mirror in this house. Then your job will be to never look in a mirror again. At least for a time. Eventually, your connection to the spirit will fade and you’ll no longer be haunted.”

“Is that really all it will take?”

Yuko frowned. “I’m afraid avoiding mirrors entirely will be a challenge in itself. Do not underestimate it. But no, that is not all. Natalie Hartati, you must let the ghost go. She has not haunted you by choice. She is tethered to you by your own guilt. She wants out of this as much as you do.

“Now Natalie,” Yuko led them into the hallway, tearing the sheet off the mirror. “Gaze upon your specter.”

She looked into the mirror, throat tightening as they all saw it. A ghost staring back with haunting eyes, a sullen tired face wrought with grief.

“Yuu.”

He swung the hammer.

After that Yuko allowed Yuu to hammer the bathroom mirrors on his own, then ordered him to sweep up. “Now, glass shards are easy to miss,” said Yuko, “So you’ll need to very carefully search the area and make sure everything is cleaned up. Take your time, I’ll be waiting back at the shop when you’re done.”

She turned to Natalie next. “As for you. I’ve left you some fairy tea, you should brew some before bed every night and whenever you feel anxious. It will help you relax. And as for your payment,” she leaned in close, whispering in Natalie’s ear. The young woman’s face flushed bright red.

Yuu quickly grabbed a broom and dustpan, ready to begin the cleaning process, but he needed to talk to Natalie first. Privately, once Yuko was away. “I have a decent amount of money,” he explained. “If you need help buying new mirrors, I can get them for you. I don’t think they’re that expensive, but I know that every bit counts when money is tight.

“Thanks— I don’t have much money and I was afraid of that. Getting is there anything I can do to thank you? Something I can help with.”

“Well, if you want to thank me— talk to that college basketball player. The one you like. Tell them how you feel.”

“I know I should,” she sighed. “It’s funny. Yuko also seemed focused on that. She told me I still needed to pay her. And she wanted me to write a short story based on my crush. She said I could change the names and rework the details, but she wanted a story about a woman in college helping the basketball team because she had a crush on one of the players.”

“Really?” Yuu smiled. “Well, hopefully confessing your feelings will give you a lot of inspiration!”

Chapter Text

“Just yesterday, Watanuki made me some delicious Japanese food. I think I’d like to try something American today,” said Yuko. “How about a burger? The ultimate in American cuisine.” She leaned over, practically salivating. “Nice, plump, and juicy.”

“Sure, what toppings? Bacon? Mushrooms? Any specific kind of cheese?”

“Surprise me.”

“Okay, give me a minute. I’ll go get the ingredients.” He mixed the onion directly into the burger, seasoning it with hefty amounts of salt and pepper along with a few spices. He added a hint of garlic powder and even some onion powder for taste. He used sourdough bread and egg as the binder, making sure it wouldn’t fall apart, and even added some blue cheese dressing for extra flavor, mixing it thoroughly. His hand went numb from the cold, but he didn’t stop.

He formed the meat into several large medium sized balls, adding Camembert into the middle of the patties so they’d be bursting with cheese. He just hoped his chosen flavors would mesh well together, he was going on instinct, and had never really taken the time to experiment before.

He sliced some tomatoes and sweet mini peppers for toppings, frying them both. He found tomatoes to be tastier when you cooked out the water, leaving behind a fried fruit. He kept some bacon sizzling in a separate pan, making sure to flip it as necessary. Not that such basic multitasking was of any note to him.

He reached for a jar of pickles, the sandwich slices, easier to add on. They’d be going on later.

As for the bun— well he couldn’t just do anything ordinary.

He still had more sourdough, so he took a few slices and buttered them up, adding in some more garlic. It was a popular part of many basic cooking repertoires, he hoped Yuko would appreciate it. He shredded some extra cheeses and began frying his grilled cheese sandwiches.

But cheese and bread were not to be joined just yet. He made sure each slice was buttered on both sides, setting them across the griddle. He let them cook to golden perfection before flipping half of them over, so that the toasted side now faced up. That’s when he added the cheese, sliding the rest of the slices onto their partners, making sure that every pair had their toasted sides facing inward. It was a little longer before he flipped them all.

The result: grilled cheese sandwiches where the bread slices were all toasted on both sides. These served as his buns.

And on the side he deep friend some fries and onion rings, no choosing here, waiting until they were nice and crispy. Then he melted some Monterey jack onto those fries, added some of the leftover bacon, and piled it all onto a plate.

In the end, he’d finished it all at roughly the same time, and only had a few more finishing touches left.

Then he took some fried garlic, mixed it in with the ketchup and mustard for the burger, and presented the final product to Yuko.

“How splendid! You really do enjoy going all out. Maybe you have a future as a professional chef!” She looked at him with mischievous eyes. “You certainly have the talent for it. Although I am going to need a breath mint for all this garlic,” she joked. But it didn’t stop her from biting in, enjoying the explosion of taste in her mouth.

“For your drink, I hope you don’t mind canned soda. I brought this from my dimension.”

“Aki-cola! Your family’s very own soft drink!” she twisted the cap off the bottle. “Normally I’d prefer a good beer, but this fits quite nicely with an Akiburger. Your inclusion of sweet mini peppers sure was an interesting touch. I wonder what inspired that.” She bit in, greedily devouring the burger.

“I’ve had a craving lately.”

“Ever wonder where your cravings come from?”

“Not— particularly. Is there something I should be aware of?”

“Hmmm, I wonder. Sometimes knowledge is a burden, and you’re better off not knowing.” She worked on her burger and sides when there came a knock on the door. “Right on schedule,” she laughed to herself as she wiped her mouth with a napkin. “Yuu, I know you’re a teen genius and you like to be on top of things, but sometimes, not knowing something doesn’t make you dumb. Rest assured, it’s perfectly okay if you’re a little lost and confused or can’t keep up with this customer. She pushed her plate aside. “Please wrap up this meal for later, then come join us.” He quickly did his duties of servitude and peeked into the main room. There was a young man standing there, older than Yuu but just barely an adult by the look of things. He was slender and pale, with black hair framing his face. He wore red lipstick that stood out against all the black he wore— a black vest over a red shirt with a plaid skirt and stockings.

Yuko eyed him curiously. “Ohohohoho. You’re him. The same. Not just another one of him, but the one,” she said cryptically.

Yuu could only deduce so far. Yes, this was the same person as one who had previously caught her interest not an alternate universe version. But with no further context clues he couldn’t make out a thing. Who was she talking about.

For a split second his eyes widened as he noticed Yuu, but he quickly calmed himself. “I see, this is interesting. Hello, Ms. Ichihara, thank you for having me. I’ve come to ask a wish granted— though it’s not my own. I come on behalf of my master.”

“How unusual. My shop is only visible to those who need it. It’s quite rare to have someone send a proxy. Of course, his magic is unparalleled, stronger than even my own or Clow Reed’s. How strange that he would need my help, when he could simply grant his own wish.”

“As you know, my master can only grant possible wishes. And this wish would be impossible for him to grant, but not impossible for you to grant.” He smiled politely as if that made up for how infuriatingly vague his words were.

“An impossible wish?” Yuu asked, venturing forward. “You mean like bringing the dead back to life?” “I admit such a thing is impossible for me or Clow. Such were the laws of reality set forth by CLAMP.” It felt odd to hear her say her author’s name out loud so casually. “Whether they created us or simply came to know of us, their word is law for those of us they wrote.

“But no, what we mean by impossible in this context does not just mean something incredibly difficult, but something inherently beyond reality. Eating the sun might not be possible for an ordinary human, but if a monster large enough with an immunity to heat were to try, it might be able to survive.” Yuko produced a pen and paper.

“Yuu, draw a single figure that is simultaneously a square and a triangle as would be defined by your average five year old. Do not draw two separate shapes.”

“That— is impossible. They are two different shapes. One has four sides, the other three. I could make a square out of two triangles, but that’s not the same. I could maybe create them both but that wouldn’t be drawing. Maybe if I~”

“I think you’ll find the point is this,” said the customer. “Some wishes are just nonsensically contradictory. If you had a single glass of milk and some strawberry powder and chocolate powder, you could make strawberry milk or chocolate milk, or even a mix. But without a second glass you could not have both individually.”

“I could pour half into my mouth and mix it there.”

The young man chuckled. “I see. I suppose you’re right. But the point is, sometimes you want things that are simply incompatible with each other. You’d have to choose, or compromise, which is a valid way of handling things but is not the same as having what you originally wanted.

“But please, allow me to introduce myself. I am Kamui Lindenfell.” He gave a dramatic bow. “No relation to the Kamui of the CLAMPverse— other than being named after him.”

“I’m—”

“Yuu Akimoto,” Kamui’s eyes lit up. “I’ve had the pleasure of working with another one of yourselves before. It was quite the adventure and he managed to tilt the scales quite a bit. You were truly an amazing person to meet. My boss is a powerful magic user, much like Yuko. He runs a magical shop and he grants wishes. His name is Jeal.”

“There’s one key difference though,” said Yuko. “His powers are unbound. He can act without limit. And he grants his wishes for free. Had you gone to him instead, you would have had it all. Every Kwami in your world, freed. The stolen Miraculous back in Naota’s hands. And the ones confiscated by Xiong would be returned as well. But instead, you ended up with me.”

The system we’re in right now, the Kwamis- I can’t stand to see them like this. They’re completely bound to the will of the Miraculous. They can’t disobey at all. If they weren’t under that restriction, things would have gone quite differently. Yukari and the others would have been forced to rely on Duusu because Nooroo would be free to reject them all.

“And things wouldn’t be this way with Nireus.”

The memory played out in his head.

Yuu paused. “Wait— I admit I came to you hoping to free all the Kwamis of my world, but I was trying to be realistic. I know there are countless other worlds, and I imagine freeing them would come at a much greater price. In this hypothetical situation why wouldn’t I free every Kwami?”

“Because there are certain things Jeal chooses not to do,” said Kamui. “And that is to grant a cruel wish.”

“How would freeing the Kwamis be cruel? I have little reason to believe they are dangerous, or else they’d have ruined the world before being bound to the Miraculous. Though I admittedly did have a contingency plan for that.”

“Of course you did,” Kamui chuckled. “The problem is splintered dimensions. Your pathway is always branching off. Not say, every single decision you make. No, those worlds don’t have enough heart to give birth to new timelines. But at several major points there are What If’s in other people’s heads, and some of those What If’s can create new worlds, with new problems. Or sometimes old problems.”

“The multiverse is constantly expanding at an exponential rate,” said Yuko. “To fix all the problems of every world would be impossible. New ones would keep springing up. The only way to make a perfect paradise of utopia for everyone would be to prune those new worlds. Sure, it would be Ultra Eden, but there would be stagnation.”

“And this would also stifle human creativity. The stories we tell would fall flat. Our hearts wouldn’t be able to connect anymore. So while Jeal can go around solving people’s problems, he is very careful about how he does it. He tries to make sure it happens in a way that doesn’t lead to a total planar collapse.”

Yuu nodded along. “I think I get it. And there’s some sort of wish that Yuko can grant that he can’t?” Kamui grinned, his shoulders relaxing a little. “Yes. It’s that whole concept of stagnation at work. There are two girls who will appear soon. One with a wish. If he were to intervene, it could risk stagnating people’s growths, unless he were to force said growth via magic. But forcibly changing someone that way isn’t his style. He’d much rather nudge things along then make a big scene.

“As such, he is entrusting things to Yuko’s care.” He reached into his skirt pocket, pulling out a clear case. Inside was a small disc. “There is a certain program on this disc. One Jeal thinks will be of high interest to you. I was asked to deliver it as part of my mission. Consider it payment for the wish.”

“Payment accepted,” she took the disc from him, setting it next to her own laptop for further examination.

“If someone else paid for the wish, does that mean the girl gets it for free?” Yuko shook her head. “In some cases, that might be the case. But Jeal’s wish and the girl’s wish are not necessarily the same. Do not worry though, like with all my customers, her price will be a fair one. And besides, you must sense something amiss with his explanation.”

“If that girl had a wish and she were to come to your shop, of course you’d grant it. There was little reason for Kamui to come here just for that,” Yuu reasoned. “So something else must be at play.”

“He said Jeal didn’t want to risk stagnating people’s growth. He didn’t specify the girls’ growth.”

“Yes, whatever wish that girl has, I’m sure Jeal could grant it just fine. And I’m sure he could do it for free, like he normally does, with no consequences to her. So while this route may make her less happy in the end, as she’ll have to pay me for my services, he must have something bigger in mind.” (“Though truthfully I bet he’ll think of a way to circumvent that payment anyway in the end.”) Yuu paused thinking it all over. “Bigger? Like what? I feel like I’m missing a significant piece of the puzzle.” He hated not having all the answers, though Yuko had warned him this would be tricky. Didn’t make it any easier to swallow.

Yuko turned to him, a serious look on her face. “Are you sure you want to know? The ebb and flow of it all? The burden of knowledge can be a heavy thing at times. ‘Ignorance is bliss’ isn’t just a platitude, it’s a warning. If you find out the truth of this mission there’s no turning back this time. Not for you.

“The closer we are to the heart, the stronger the ties that bind us.” Yuko was being cryptic again, and not even he could decipher it.

Yuu simply smiled at her. “I think I’m fine, thanks. I have the feeling that if you told me anything more, you’d just charge me for the knowledge.” Yuu took Yuko’s piece of paper. He drew two lines in the corner, forming a square with the edge, then folded the corner in, making the final line of the triangle. “I have drawn a single figure, the triangle, and it is also the square.”

“Ohohohoho— perhaps you have. But in the end you have twisted the challenge beyond recognition. But surely, you must understand our point by now.”

Sighing, Yuu slumped over. “I suppose I do. But I can’t help myself whenever I hear a challenge like this. Can you blame me for trying?” After all, some would say his challenge had been impossible. But he never gave up. He had to keep trying, no matter what.

“Well, there’s no point in debating all this. We’ll have another customer soon. And we need to get ready.”

Chapter Text

When your moniker is as awesome as “the Space-Time Witch” (or “Time-Space Witch” depending on who you asked) people around you expected things to get a little wonky in terms of when and where you actually existed. Yuu was fairly certain there were time shenanigans at ploy here, no other way Yuko could be existing in the modern day without something being afoot.

He was also 100% certain that space magic was in effect, because her shop was not connected to Japan whenever they went out. Nope, these were clearly American streets they were visiting.

But why did she always connect it to the same city? Was it Hitsuzen? For Watanuki, who— existed in a somewhat static space it made sense. Her shop would be somewhere he could find it, somewhere he could get to.

But Yuu did not live in this dimension. Yet the customers so far seemed to live in the same city. For what purpose? Couldn’t they be connected to the entire world if she wanted? Was she holding back for simplicity’s sake? Maybe it was practical. He often got sent to shop for groceries and snacks. It would have been inconvenient to navigate new streets every time and an annoyance to learn the layout at every new store. But he could have managed just fine.

Did she have some deeper reason?

Out of curiosity, he occasionally liked to pop over a little early, taking the time to explore.

And it was on one sunny summer morning that he met a certain someone.

He turned down a new street, one he hadn’t explored before. Though it barely seemed to matter, it looked a lot like any other street he’d encountered here. Or back in Achefall for that matter. Weeds poking through cracked sidewalks, cars parked in dirt lawns, overgrown trees in need of trimming. Not that anything was wrong with this. It was a nice enough place. Sure it might not have been picture perfect postcard ideal, but it felt real.

He was sure that each person living here had their own personal lives, and there were differences buried deep. But he was just a casual observer, an outsider with no way to peer in. It was a paradoxical feeling, he was not a part of this place, yet he didn’t feel like a fish out of water either. He could have walked up to any one of these houses rang their doorbell, and probably faked a normal conversation with anyone.

He passed some kids playing basketball in their driveway, a young boy taking aim and missing completely. The ball bounced off the backboard, heading straight for Yuu’s face. He caught it one handed and tossed it back to them, smiling at their stunned gasps of awe.

Then he moved on.

Some kids on bikes rang their bells, asking to be let past. He stepped aside for them with a grin, it was an ordinary sight like any other. If he didn’t know any better, he’d assume he was back in Achefall somehow. Or any other American city.

For all that had changed when crossing dimensions, it was almost strange to see what stayed the same.

He saw a mom grilling a steak on the barbecue while her two kids splashed around in the pool, one of them begging for a new Switch 2. (Yuu chuckled, he thought the name was incredibly lazy, but if that’s the marketing Nintendo wanted, then so be it.) She told him they couldn’t afford it, maybe after a price drop. He took note of their house number, logged onto some gaming store and ordered them a surprise gift.

He wondered what Yuko would say.

“If you try to defy the rules of a fair price, their will be consequences. Jealous neighbors wondering why they didn’t get the same gift. The confusion of not knowing where such an expensive present came from.”

He came to the end of the street, the houses fading away in favor of a few shops. He saw a middle aged woman walking her poodle out the car, heading straight into a pet store. A young man carried a basket of dirty laundry into the laundry mat, blushing in embarrassment as a strong gust of wind blew his boxers straight into a stranger’s face. And next to that, some kids dug through their spoils as they exited a good old fashioned candy shop.

That caught his interest— various people flashed in his mind as he devised plans to satiate their sweet tooths, but as he stepped toward it, a thunderous crack stole his attention. His head jerked toward the sound, and there was an outdoor batting cage. Inside was a teenage boy about his age, wearing blue jeans, a black T-shirt, with a helmet resting squarely on top of his head.

Crack! His bat swung through the air, making contact, and the ball sailed straight into the fence with a rattle. There was no showboating, no loud cheering or any fanciful bat tricks, but he did smile. His brown eyes kept steady on the machine, watching it shoot the next pitch.

He swung again, this time missing as the ball struck the net behind him. But he didn’t pout of throw a tantrum. He adjusted his stance, checked his grip, and swung again at the next one.

Yuu wasn’t one for sports, he didn’t attend many games unless it was with friends, but for some reason he couldn’t look away. Something like déjà vu tugged at him, a magnet pulling him towards this stranger’s performance. It was ritualistic, his steadied breath, the swing of the bat, the roaring crack.

They were both caught in this, the batter transfixed on the ball, the watcher transfixed on the batter.

This went on for a good fifteen minutes more, the boy getting his practice in without needing a break. He took the occasional moment to wipe some sweat from his brow, or to sip from his bottle of Gatorade, but his focus and dedication were clear.

Only when he session timer buzzed out did he acknowledge Yuu.

“There are other cages if you’re waiting your turn,” he pointed toward the rest of them. He was the only one here this early in the morning. “Or were you that impressed with my skills?”

“I just—” Yuu studied the boy, unable to look away from his face. He hoped he wasn’t coming off as flirtatious, but something about the stranger felt so right. So comfortable. “Some of my friends like baseball and you remind me of them. I haven’t seen them lately because I’ve been busy with my part time job.”

“Working through summer? Man, that sucks. Trying to save up money for the Switch 2 or something?” He chuckled, twisting the cap back on his Gatorade.

“Not quite, just trying to get a present for someone I care about.” He chuckled.

“Oh, sounds like you have someone you really like. Good luck there, man. God knows I’ve got my own share of relationship troubles.” He tugged at his shirt collar, suddenly looking a bit uneasy.

“Wait, I haven’t introduced myself. Name’s Reid Fischer.”

“Yuu Akimoto.”

“Yuu? That’s a confusing name. Like, not to shit on someone else’s culture but weren’t your parents at all concerned when they named you? No offense but your name sounds like it’s meant to cause misunderstandings. Like imagine if two other people were talking about you, but one of them didn’t realize it.”

“Most people get the hang of it, but yes, it has been known to cause some confusion now and then.” “So, are you,” he stared, as if noticing something on Yuu’s face. He couldn’t quite peel his eyes away. “Sorry, but I know I don’t recognize your name, no way in Hell would I forget the name Yuu. But it feels like we’ve met before. Do you go to Hawthorne? Or maybe Iselia Academy?”

“Nope. I’m not from around here, just visiting for the summer. In fact, this is my first time being here in my life.” Yuu pulled up his phone. “Reid Fischer huh? You ever been on the news for anything?” He did a quick Google search.

“Nothing really noteworthy. Got my photo in the paper once after my team won a big baseball game, but unless you’re a huge sports fan I doubt you’d have seen that. And it was a local paper too, so that’s probably not it. Maybe we just passed each other once in an airport.”

Yuu had no way to tell him that wasn’t it.

“Weird, must just be a funny coincidence. So, you play baseball? Want to give it a try? I’ll even let you borrow my bat!”

Yuu glanced at the time. “Well, I do have some time before work starts.” He grabbed one of the free batting helmets off a stand, thanking Reid for his bat. “I admit I was never really into sports. I haven’t played since gym class in Elementary.”

“Really? Not even in middle school or high school? You get some sort of doctor’s note? Or does your school do other games?” He reached for his money to turn on the machine, but Yuu insisted on paying himself.

Taking his stance, Yuu thought about it for a moment. “I had special gym classes starting in middle school on account of some unusual circumstances. I actually skipped a few grades, so I was too young to play with my classmates. They said it was a health hazard. Instead I just did one on one stuff with the coach.”

Yuu knocked the first ball out of the park, earning a whistle from Reid. “I don’t know what’s more impressive, skipping grades, or that hit. So what, are you like in college or something?”

“Nope, graduated years ago.” He scored another clean hit.

“Lucky. School is such a drag. Wish I was smart enough to graduate early. Guess it’s my fault for not studying enough.” He set the speed higher, watching Yuu outshine him completely. “Wait, did you even study? The way you’re hitting these things is downright criminal. You say you haven’t played in years but you’re doing better than me and I practice my ass off.” He chuckled. “Did you make a deal with some witch?”

Yuu chuckled in turn, but part of him thought back to equivalent exchange. Reid poured his heart and soul into the game, and it got him something amazing. But Yuu stepped up without a care in the world, clearly the better batter. He’d gained for nothing.

Maybe she was right. Maybe that was why he struggled so desperately to balance the scales.

“You know the second you told me you hadn’t played before I was prepared to offer you all the normal advice. ‘Keep your eye on the ball’, how to grip your bat, how to swing for maximum effectiveness, how to spread your feet, but you’re a natural.”

“I just watched you and figured it out from there. Well, except for keep your eye on the ball.” He swung, another perfect hit against the fence. “I’ve definitely heard that one before. Although I did always wonder exactly how important it it.”

“What do you mean you wonder how important it is‽ You can’t hit the ball if you can’t see the damn thing!” Reid laughed at the absurdity. “I mean, clearly you’re good, but I doubt even the best major leaguers could pull that off.”

“I wonder.” Yuu shut his eyes tight, swinging at the next ball. He felt the familiar crack as it tore across the batting cage, clanging against the fence. “Okay sounds like I did pretty well on that one.”

“Okay now you’re being a show off.”

He kept swinging until the session ended, and said goodbye to Reid. He considered asking to exchange phone numbers, but didn’t want the problems that would cause in the long run. He apologized for cutting their meeting short, but he had to get to work.

No use keeping Yuko waiting.

She was sprawled out on her couch, the paiyukimir fanning her with giant leaves. “Why must it be so hot‽ Humanity needs to take a step back and reexamine its priorities before global warming wipes us all out. If this goes on much longer I’ll melt!”

“Maybe it’s time to buy an air conditioner. They can be incredibly helpful in times like these. I admit I wouldn’t mind one myself.” He grabbed a washcloth from the kitchen, wiping the sweat off his own brow.

“Would you like something cold to drink to help with the heat?”

“A glass of chilled sake please!” Her smile lit up as she did a childish cheer.

He grabbed the glass and poured some from the bottle, staying at her side to offer refills. She sipped the drink slowly, savoring the chill as much as the taste. “You look like you have something to say,” she commented, running one finger around the rim.

“Just a few minor questions— but knowing you, you’d charge for the answers. And I would rather not pay right now.” He waited as she finished her glass, then poured some more. His smile was teasing, but he meant it. As much as he enjoyed working for Yuko, he wanted his wish granted sooner rather than later.

“Then consider my commentary your payment for sharing your story.”

“I met someone today, a boy named Reid Fischer. I’m almost certain I’ve never met him before in my world, but something about him felt strangely familiar. And stranger still, he seemed to know me. It was like déjà vu. And if I’m perfectly honest, it felt less like a face I’d seen in passing and more like an old friend I hadn’t seen in years.”

“That’s because your soul and his are intertwined. You have met before. But not the you who is you or the him who is he. But there are other worlds were you are close friends, and he is an invaluable asset in your mission in whatever those worlds may be.

“You may not recognize him, but your soul does.” Yuu frowned at that, his grip on the bottle slipping, but he managed to catch himself.

“I always figured that people whose souls were that close would be together in every dimension. It feels sad to think we could have been close friends in different circumstances. It feels like I’m mourning him.”

“It’s true, this is simply how the world works for some. Just like there are some Tomoyos without Sakuras. Just like there are some Kris Dreemurrs with no Natashas, who instead know only Susie and Ralsei. And in turn your Kris doesn’t know Susie or Ralsei, only Natasha. Or how some Natashas are friends with Flow. But not yours. And the Flow you’ve met has no Natasha.

“These worlds can play out a million different ways, shifting the actors around as they see fit. It’s impossible to guarantee that every version of you will end up with the people you care about, sad as it may seem to be. “Did you know there are some worlds where you have a sister?”

“?”

“Her name is Nayuta. There’s even a world where she became the Holder of the Snake in place of Loaño and Montana. And there are worlds where Naota has a little sister as well, named Ayeka. And sure it may be sad to think of all the people you’ll never know in this life, but don’t get so caught up that you lose sight of the people around you. Because then you’ll start missing the connections right in front of you. And that is truly worth mourning.”

The next day, Yuu brought her some extra cookies as thanks.

Chapter Text

The knock on the door was so soft they almost didn't hear it. Luckily the voice that followed was a bit louder. “Hello? Is anybody home?” Yuu opened the door for her, smiling as he saw the young girl there. She looked older than him, about sixteen, with long fluffy red hair, and freckles, mostly around her eyes, visible behind her glasses. She wore what looked like a school uniform, (was she attending summer school, or did they simply have a different schedule?) a plaid skirt and a button up jacket over a shirt. The two most notable things of all were the green cape billowing behind her and the tabby cat in her arms.

“Sorry, I was passing by when this kitty ran out of your yard and started following me. I wasn’t sure if it was yours or not. I didn’t want to accidentally catnap the little guy. Although a cat nap sounds nice right about now.”

Yuko smiled, taking the cat into her arms. “Why aren’t you a handsome stranger?” she said, patting it on the head. “But I am afraid this fellow is a stray. Lost and alone in the world. Would you like to come inside and view my shop?” Yuko asked, giving her signature predatory smile.

Leaf hesitated. “Shop? What kind of shop is this?” She peered inside, but there didn’t seem to be much on display. Of course no ordinary person would ever suspect this shop dealt in things such as wishes.

“Yuu, please fetch us some drinks for our guests. We have lactose free milk for the kitty and some wood sorrel tea will be good for our human guest.”

Yuu wondered if there was a price exchanged for this simple offerings of tea and other drinks. Perhaps pleasantries exchanged sufficed? But then what of the cat? Many people loved kitties, was this milk a payment for the joy of a new furry furriend in their life? He hated the idea of balancing everything out like this, he’d rather just give. But he had a job to do.

He grabbed some of the fancy tea cups from the cabinet and put a kettle on the stove to boil. Then he poured some milk into the saucer, taking it back to the living room where he set it on the floor. The girl was on the floor, scratching the cat behind the ears.

“Sorry, little guy, I wish I could take you in but my school has a no pets allowed policy. I guess I can take you to a shelter. If there’s a good one around here.”

“If you’d like, I can find a new home for him,” Yuko offered.

Yuu was about to return to the kitchen when he heard those words. Was that this girl’s wish? To rehome a lost kitten. If so she’d have been better off going to the shelter herself. At least Yuko never charged much for such simple wishes.

Sensing his worry, Yuko let out a laugh. “Ohohohohoho, I sense that Yuu here has some reservations. You see, I am a shop that grants wishes. If there is something your heart desires, I can grant it~ for a price. And now he’s worried that I’ll extract a price from you for finding our feline friend a new home. I admit, in the name of balancing things, it is a good idea.

“How about a game of cards?”

“A game of cards?” asked the girl, puzzled. But she decided to go along with the flow. “Sure, that sounds reasonable.”

“Yuu, in my treasure room you’ll find a deck of large cards. They are the size of tarot cards but you’ll recognize them by the floral pattern on the back. Please fetch them along with the bag they’re in.” They heard a whistling noise. “But first, the tea.”

They introduced themselves over tea. The girl’s name was Leaf Saito, sixteen, and she attended a boarding school in the area. (Iselia Academy: Yuu quickly googled it, seeing that they indeed had a year round schedule, so no summer break right now. No mention of the odd fact it shared it’s name with the starting town of Symphonia. He wondered if Leaf was a fan.)

Leaf stared uncomfortably at Yuko, like she was desperate to make a good impression even though she’d rather look away. When Yuu brought the cards, she seemed almost relieved to have an excuse to turn her head.

Yuko withdrew only two cards from the deck. “We will play a simple game of light and darkness.” She held up two cards, showing their floral patterned backs. Then she flipped them over, one was a joker, the other was still floral patterned, a double sided card. “Tell me, Leaf, do you prefer light or darkness?”

“Darkness,” she answered casually.

“Ohohohoho, most people value the light over the dark. They see it as goodness opposing evil. And those who don’t often would choose light anyway, just to avoid looking strange.” Leaf cringed at those words like she’d been scolded. Yuko slid the joker to her. “Some say the joker is an incarnation of the devil, a manifestation of the ultimate darkness.”

Then she scooped the two cards up, putting them both in the little cloth bag.

“I will shake the bag, and you will reach in. If you draw the devil face up, we will return it to the bag and try again. Once you draw a floral patterned card, our game begins. We will flip it. If the devil shows up, you win a point. But if it’s a second floral pattern, I win a point. 50/50.

“If you draw the devil face up, well, there’s no reason to flip it so we’ll simply return it.

“The first to five points wins.

“Does that sound fair?”

Leaf hesitated a moment. “Is— there some sort of penalty for losing?”

“Ohohoho— this is simply a game for fun. There are no consequences for winning or losing. Besides, to place serious consequences on a game of this nature, uhuhu.” She shoveled the two cards in her bag, allowing Leaf to reach in for a card.

She pulled it out carefully, her arm shaking: the Joker. With a mix of relief and frustration, she returned the card to the bag for Yuko to shake again. “It seems that round was no good.”

Again she pulled out the face up joker, her heart racing so fast it felt ready to burst. It wasn’t until the third try that she got a floral backed card. And with a hesitant hand, she flipped it, her other hand tightening into a fist.

It was the Joker.

She lit up, surprised. “Wow, I can’t believe it.”

“Ohohoho, why are you so surprised? It’s a fair game is it not?” Leaf- 1 Point.

She got the joker again next for a second point, bringing her score even closer to victory.

But on the next round, Yuko finally got her first point as they flipped the card to reveal a second back. And on the next round she brought their score to a tie. The Space-Time Witch took the lead with the next flip. And after that she brought herself one step away from victory.

Leaf: 2 Points.

Yuko: 4 Points.

“Fret not, Leaf. This is merely a game. There’s no need to look so worried.” But Leaf was shaking in her seat. Like she was ready to bolt from the room. To abandon this game and find a better place to spend her time. Why was she still here? Yuu wondered. To finish up the game? Ensure the cat got a good home? Or was she simply trying to push through her discomfort for the sake of growth? “I think anybody would be upset if they were being pranked like this.” Yuu reached into the bag and pulled out a card, showing the floral back. Flipping it revealed the joker, and Leaf’s shoulders loosened a little, a hint of a smile appearing on her lips. He returned the card and allowed Yuko to shake the bag.

“There are four possible faces that can show up. Your back side 1. Your backside 2. Leaf’s backside. Or the joker.” He drew another backside, flipping it to reveal the joker. Their scores were tied.

Returning the card, Yuu was about to continue, when Leaf looked up at Yuko.

“If your card comes up, then you win. If mine comes up, I have a 50/50 chance of winning and a 50/50 chance of it being a draw. In other words there are four possible outcomes. Two of them are victories for you. One is a victory for me. And the other is a draw. You have twice the shot of winning.”

Yuu drew another card, flipping it one last time to reveal the joker.

“I see. Ohohoho, you did realize the trick. I sensed that a girl like you might be able to. And yet, you were unable to stop the game. Now why is that?” She leaned in, her face dangerously close to Leaf’s, as if their lips could touch at any moment. Leaf pulled away, sweat dropping down her face.

“I’m just trying to be polite. Most people don’t like it if you call them cheaters. I wasn’t sure how you’d react.”

“And you decided it was easier to let me cheat you? Ohohoho, be warned, it may seem easy to allow others to trample you and mistreat you, but you are only building up a debt to yourself. And if you are not careful, your payment may be more than you can handle.”

“I’m sorry, it’s just that I’m so tired of people getting upset with me when I really am trying to make friends. I— no. I used to try. Lately I just stay in my room most of the time, rarely bothering to come out except for classes or to go shopping. I was only passing by on my way to the library to pick up a new book.

“It’s like every time I try to make friends, people hate me.”

“Tell me more,” Yuko instructed, fingers lightly tilting Leaf’s cheek.

“I have this one group of— people I used to know. People I thought were my friends. But whenever we hung out together most of them would always ignore me. One day after class, they were all hanging out playing a video game in the student lounge. I kept hoping they’d let me join in, but they didn’t, so I went to another friend’s classroom. He was getting some extra help from the teacher and was running late. I thought I’d walk back with him and we could chat. I just— didn’t want to feel lonely.

“But the second he saw me, his face changed. I could tell he was unhappy. I thought— friends were supposed to be able to go to each other when they were feeling down, but I guess that wasn’t the case. He later told me I was annoying. And none of those other friends helped back me up.”

She looked like she’d been punched in the gut recalling this. “Another time, someone I thought was my friend, kept talking about how much she wanted a new game that just came out. I had some extra money so I offered to buy it for her. She freaked out and told me no. So I backed off. Later, I read her blog post about how lonely she felt. All her friends were busy. So I told her I cared about her and hoped we could hang out soon. She freaked out on me and told me to stop hitting on her and called me annoying.”

Yuu grimaced at that one. That— totally did not sound like her fault. At all. This other person clearly and needed help of her own, but that wasn’t Leaf’s fault.

“Or one time I remember, someone from math class asked if I wanted to be study buddies with them. I was doing pretty well, I was totally acing all my tests, so I turned them down. I wanted to study at my own pace, because it was easier for me. Turns out they needed help. If they just asked I would have gladly helped them study! Instead they just went around calling me a snob!” Leaf’s face soured for a moment, a flash of anger behind her eyes.

“And once, someone in class had cleaning duties scheduled for a week, and he wanted to get out of it. So he asked the teacher if he could do a different day. I volunteered to switch with him. And the teacher got upset with me, because I was undermining her authority. She wanted to teach him a lesson about responsibility and commitment. I just wanted to help the situation.”

Yuu wanted to hug her at that moment, recalling a similar situation with Naota in math class.

“I just wish I understood all these rules in social interactions.”

“Oh Leaf,” Yuko smiled. “But you do understand the rules. For the most part.”

Leaf looked up, blinking. “But I keep messing up.”

“The most important rule is simple, we are a society of people doing our best to help each other grow.” Odd words to hear from someone who lived on the rules of equivalent exchange and wouldn’t hand you a tissue without expecting payment in return. “You are suffering and you assume it is because you have broken those rules. But the truth is much simpler.

“Everyone else is breaking those rules. And they are forcing the pain on you.” Yuko frowned. “It’s a sad fact that bullying is a problem in this world. We ostracize others, mistreat them. Especially those who are different.” She glanced at Leaf’s cape. “You chose to stand out rather than fit in, and for that you are a target. Even more still, there are pieces of you that you did not choose for yourself. And society can be needlessly cruel.

“Different people have different wants and desires. Running into them can cause discomfort and pain. Ordinarily there’s no way to know what they want. We all simply guess. Sure we can read clues in their tone, and their body language, but ultimately that’s still guess work. Is their voice rough because they are grumpy and upset with you? Or did they stay up late playing video games? We can only stumble through life in the darkness, hoping for the best.

“It is an unfortunate truth of this world that some people are more often made to bear the burden of these clashes. We say that autistic people often have communication issues. But to a certain extent, we all do. That’s not to dismiss the problems you face— but to highlight the injustice of it all. If you and an allistic person misunderstand each other, society will tell you that you’re to blame.

“But you must not let this weigh you down too much. Or else this will crush you, leaving you lonely and depressed as you cut yourself away from everyone, locked in your room all alone.”

“I’m not all alone,” she said, almost defensively. “I do have one friend.”

Yuko nodded gently. “Then you should treasure her.” But her speech did not end there.

“And one more thing, if you had chosen light I would have said the double backed card was darkness. Because it’s covered up on both sides, where as the joker has a white background on it. “I made that decision for you.”

Leaf looked puzzled.

Crossing his arms, Yuu joined in. “I think what she is saying is that sometimes it doesn’t matter what you do, the outcome is set either way. There are some people who will bully you because they are assholes. You’re being mistreated and it is not your fault, Leaf.”

“I— I get what you’re saying, but its still so hard. I wish there was an easier way. Some way to know what exactly people wanted of me in any given situation.”

Wish.

There it was.

“You do recall what I said about this shop, do you not? This is a place where wishes are granted.” She stood up, standing tall. “For the right price of course.”

“What would it cost me?” Leaf asked.

Yuko’s hand reached out toward Leaf’s chest, touching the clasp on her cape. “Just this. Hand made clothing is very valuable, it can carry a lot of sentimental energy. Especially something like this, a fashion accessory that symbolizes not just who you are but who you want to be.”

Leaf took a moment to think it over, but her mind snapped to a decision. She undid the claps and handed it over. “If you’ll grant me my wish, you can have it. I can always make another.”

“Yuu, in the treasure room there is a bracelet with a jade gemstone attached, please fetch it for me.

He hoped it would all go well, magical items often backfired for Yuko’s customers. But she did sincerely try to help those in need. He hoped everything worked out for Leaf. He didn’t need to do much digging, it was almost like the thing was waiting for him. Knowing this shop, it very well might have been. He took it to Yuko, who placed it in Leaf’s palms.

“With this, you will receive the guidance to know what others want from you. But be warned. What you learn may not be pretty.”

“Thank you, Miss Yuko.”

Chapter Text

“So, are you going to give him a name?” Yuu asked, watching Yuko pet the stray kitten.

“Names are powerful things. To give someone a name can establish a powerful connection that is hard for many to sever. And it can create attachment. As much as I wish I could, this shop is not a safe place to keep an animal for an extended period of time. That is why I need you to take it to a new home. But I imagine you know the perfect person.”

“I might have someone in mind.”

Yuko prepared a bag. “This will be payment for her services in adopting the cat.” She thrust it into Yuu’s hand and he took it with only a flash of concern. Inside was a collar and a few days worth of cat food, some powdered milk (lactose free), and a cat earred headband.

“I thought for sure, her payment would be the cat itself. She’s always wishing for more cats.”

“True. Equivalent exchange is tricky business. But at the end of the day she is doing us a favor, even if she gets joy out of it. We must not be stingy with our payment. Such a thing would only create imbalance and cause untold disaster.” Yuu silently thanked his luck that he did not operate on such rules.

Delivering the cat to Vivi Elakha was a simple task, she was more than thrilled to take in a new stray and add it to her collection. She’d even generously allowed Yuu to name it, so he gave the cat the first name that came to mind.

It had been a few days since Leaf’s appearance, and part of him wanted an update. He was still checking on Flow, apparently they started a new game in Deltarune and had managed to defeat Jevil and Spamton NEO with a few tries. It was nice to see they were improving. They’d even mentioned a few fan games under their belt.

A quick visit to Natalie suggested she was doing well. No episodes of speaking in tongues, no issues with sleep paralysis, and just that morning she passed a mirror in the school bathroom with no problems. “She’s finally gone. I hope— she’s at peace.”

It was the next day, on the way to the grocery store for some snacks , when she passed by Leaf with a group of her friends other teens, all dressed in matching school uniforms. She was wearing a new cape, this one a darker green, with black thread embroidered throughout in the pattern of falling leaves, and she smiled as she laughed at someone else’s joke.

But~

“I saw Leaf today,” he said, placing the groceries on the table. Pocky, lots and lots of Pocky, and Nutella. All sorts of junk food. Hostess Twinkies and Snowballs and Ding Dongs and Ho-Hos. Seven kinds of Poptarts. Hello Panda. All in all this trip for junk food cost more than some people spent on groceries in a month. “It’s for a party,” he’d told the cashier when she gave him a nosy look. “My aunt is dying and she wants to make the most of the time she has left on this Earth.”

She flipped gears, doing a 180 as she apologized, saying she’d pray for a miracle.

Yuko tore open a container of Yan Yans, dipping the sticks in chocolate cream. “You saw Leaf but?” “Her smile didn’t look genuine. As if she was trying to be happy, but it vanished whenever she thought nobody was looking. And she still looked tense. I hope she’s okay.” “Whether she is okay or not is up to her.”

The next day, Yuu returned to the grocery store for his own purposes. A few things caught his eye that he wanted to try for himself, junk food not available in his local grocery store. Apparently they did exist in his world, and he planned to contact some family members about stocking them at Akimart, but for now this would do.

Mango Yan Yans. They weren’t on Yuko’s list yesterday, but he figured he’d pick up some extras to share. He also picked up some Buffalo Blue Cheese Combos, Naota would love to try those. On his way to the shop, he spotted Leaf again, it was early morning so classes likely hadn’t started yet. She and the others were probably out getting breakfast somewhere.

He decided to barge in.

As he approached, he listened to their conversation.

“Wow, I have been swamped with homework lately, I can barely keep up,” said one girl with her blonde hair shaved close on one side. “And I need to study for that make up test since I totally failed the last one. I haven’t even had a chance to play the new Deltarune Chapter yet.”

“It’s pretty fun, I hope you get to it soon,” said Leaf, smiling eagerly.

“Yeah, Leaf here’s a huge video game nerd. She stayed up late when the new chapter dropped just trying to beat the Chapter 3 secret boss.”

“Well, it’s not actually a secret boss,” she explained. “You have to fight them in the main story line, they’re just really hard~”

“Spoilers!” The first girl complained. “Seriously, Leaf, I I said I haven’t played it yet.”

“I don’t think that really counts as a spoiler,” she said, defending herself. “I just said one of the bosses was really hard, that’s a thing that happens sometimes.” She reached for the bracelet on her wrist, and the gemstone lit up in a flash, like a lightbulb bursting.

Then—

“Wow, I have been swamped with homework lately, I can barely keep up,” said the blonde girl. “And I need to study for that make up test since I totally failed the last one. I haven’t even had a chance to play the new Deltarune Chapter yet.”

“It’s pretty fun, I hope you get to it soon.”

Yuu felt his head rush. It was like Second Chance using Second Chance, except he got dragged along. He studied Leaf from a distance, she still hadn’t noticed him. So he decided to wait there and see how this played out.

Then Yuu noticed their shadows. Leaf’s, for whatever reason, seemed darker than the others’. “That doesn’t look good,” he whispered. Something worth discussing with Yuko— probably. She’d likely charge him extra for the information, but hopefully a few extra snacks could settle the tab.

“The new Weird Route freaked me out,” said one of the other teens. “Well, all of Chapter 4 was extremely unsettling. I got so many goosebumps, I really loved it.” He laughed as he turned to the girl with the homework problems. “You are seriously missing out.”

“God, the Sword Route was the freakiest thing for me.”

“Yeah, I’m trying to see if I can get the Shadow Crystal without doing it,” Leaf admitted.

“Seriously, Leaf, stop dropping hints. Now I know the Sword Route has something to do with the Secret Boss!”

Her bracelet flashed again.

Leaf looked a little worn out, her eyes were sunken. They were just talking about a video game, and she was putting this much effort into it? Was she doing this for every conversation she had? And what was up with that one girl, clearly looking for an excuse to be mad?

“Wow, I have been swamped with homework lately, I can barely keep up. And I need to study for that make up test since I totally failed the last one. I haven’t even had a chance to play the new Deltarune Chapter yet.”

“It’s pretty fun, I hope you get to it soon,” said Leaf, smiling tensely.

“Yeah, Leaf here’s a huge video game nerd. She stayed up late when the new chapter dropped just trying to beat the Chapter 3 secret boss.”

“Yeah, they really pissed me off so I wanted to kick their ass.”

“Don’t spoil anything Leaf. I don’t want to know.” She gave a tight lipped stare. “I’ll find out what they’re like when I get there.” The others in the group had given way bigger spoilers. Leaf had to realize this girl was just being a bitch, right? If this kept going on much longer, he would have to intervene. He watched the gem flash again, watching as her shadow darkened.

If anything he needed to warn her about that.

“Wow, I have been swamped with homework lately, I can barely keep up,” said one girl. “And I need to study for that make up test since I totally failed the last one. I haven’t even had a chance to play the new Deltarune Chapter yet.”

“…” Leaf did not say anything nor did she smile.

“Yeah, it was really fun,” said one of the other kids again. “Leaf here stayed up late the night it dropped just trying to beat the Chapter 3 secret boss.” The other kids chatted away, giving vague comments about things they liked or hated, arguing about whether the climbing sections were hard or not. They compared Tenna’s video games to Zelda and made mention of the Rock game, none of which seemed to bother the spoiler girl.

Leaf walked silently beside them, so Yuu finally made his move.

“Hey, Leaf, nice to see you again,” he said with a slightly exaggerated wave. “These your classmates? I overheard you all talking about Deltarune. The new chapter was great wasn’t it? I can’t believe the Roaring Knight showed up so soon and we already got to see a Titan! I know a lot of people think the night is Carol but I really do think it’s Dess. The antlers obviously point at someone in the family but it really~”

“Hey, hold it! I haven’t started yet. Hasn’t anyone told you it’s rude to give other spoilers?”

“The game’s been out for a few weeks now, it’s your fault for not playing,” Yuu said with a shrug.

That’s when Leaf’s bracelet flashed again, and Yuu found himself back where he was standing.

“Wow, I have been swamped with homework lately, I can barely keep up,” said one girl. “And I need to study for that make up test since I totally failed the last one. I haven’t even had a chance to play the new Deltarune Chapter yet.”

“Yeah, it was really fun, Leaf here stayed up late the night it dropped just trying to beat the Chapter 3 secret boss.”

Leaf looked up, her hands tight around her binder. “I think I forgot my wallet. I’m going to go back and get it,” she said, turning off and running in the other direction. Her shadow was darker than ever before. Yuko would have to wait, he chased Leaf to a park bench, where she sat beneath a tree, looking up at the summer leaves as they swayed in the wind. She must have had an affinity for nature, probably where she got her name, assuming it wasn’t from her parents. (Which it might have been.)

“You need better friends.” He said bluntly. “Those ones were assholes. That one girl was obviously trying to hurt your feelings and the others weren’t doing a thing to stop her. It’s not worth it. And I don’t think you should use that bracelet anymore. Not for this. You’re only hurting yourself, Leaf.”

“Yuko was right. It doesn’t always matter if you follow the rules, there are people out there who just want to hurt you,” she reached for the bracelet, rubbing it with her fingers without activating it. “I mean, I think she’s underselling things. There are times when I do miss social cues and this could help.

“This one time in study hall I was listening to music to help me concentrate. So was another girl who was trying to read her English book. She asked me if her music was too loud, so I told her no. Later I herd her complain to her friends that I was being disruptive. I asked why she never said anything, and she told me she did.” Leaf gripped her wrist tightly, the shadow at her feet growing darker.

‘So, not directly tied to the bracelet,’ surmised Yuu. ‘But that’s to be expected. I doubt Yuko would have given her an object that’s directly going to harm her like that. Not when she’s just a girl genuinely trying her hardest to improve.’

“Another time, I was listening to music in bed and so was Scarlex— my roommate. She asked me if her music was too loud, so I turned my music off and read a book instead. She asked me what was wrong so I explained what had happened in study hall. She laughed and said she wasn’t a nun— if she wanted me to turn down my music she’d ask.

“I— how am I supposed to tell the difference? I was hoping this bracelet would help with that.”

“I see. Unfortunately it seems you do know the rule now, but you don’t know when to apply it. So the Wish doesn’t cover that. How very Yuko. That being said, I do think you need to stop obsessing over this. Sure, you could pay super close attentions. Facial expressions, body language, but that would leave you exhausted. And it won’t help when people are trying to hurt you. You deserve to be treated better than that— but burning yourself out for their sake isn’t going to make you any happier.”

“I just wanted to make more friends.”

“Scarlex sounds like a pretty chill person. Maybe you should hang out with her more.”

“Yeah, she’s pretty awesome. But she can’t make her life revolve around me. It sucks having only one friend. I just want to be able to hang out with people, go shopping with them, maybe catch a movie with them now and then.”

“That’s fair. And it will be hard work. But this— isn’t the way. You’ve shown that you can put in the effort, now channel it somewhere better. Forget these assholes and start looking for better friends. And when you find them, they’ll be okay with a few social slip ups. You shouldn’t use that bracelet so much. It’s just making you sad.” ‘Wood sorrel tea is good for melancholy. Yuko must have noticed how sad she was. Her problem’s more likely tied to the sadness she feels then the resets themselves. And going through that conversation over and over was just making her worse.’ “I don’t know if you can see it, but your shadow’s been getting darker this entire time. Literally. As in there is dark magic at work. It doesn’t seem to be coming from the bracelet itself.” She looked at him silently, unsure what else to say.

He reached into his bag, pulling out some Mango Yan Yans to share. “I wish I could offer you some sage advice on how to move forward, forget about the assholes in your life and move on. Find better people to hang out with. But I’m not you. And I don’t know you that well, beyond the fact that you’re a kind caring person who loves cats.

“There are a few guidelines to life but no hard rules, so I can’t tell you how to handle this. You’ll have to figure this out. Not by yourself. There will be people who care about you who will offer you advice and guidance. But ultimately you’ll just be hoping for the best.

“So keep trying, keep looking for the people who will be there for you. And when you mess up, let them help you to your feet. And please keep moving forward. Because I do believe that’s a better way to happiness.”

She dipped her Yan Yan stick in the mango cream.

“Oh, by the way, the kitty has a home now. And a name: Toto.” Her shadow looked a bit lighter.

Chapter Text

“So you say her shadow grew as she slipped further into depression. That makes sense. Sadness can weigh us down. It is a powerful and dangerous emotion, if left unchecked it can leave you completely helpless. I suspect her sadness is compounding like a wave, whenever she leaps back in time and experiences the same events over and over, the sadness stacks upon herself. And now it has a gravity so large it leaves her vulnerable to other forms of sadness as well.”

“Will she be okay?”

“Well,” Yuko gazed upon him. “That is up to her.”

She happily accepted a mango Yan Yan as payment.

Yuu was running another errand for her. It seemed she only ever stocked enough for a day or two and kept sending him out to buy more. He suspected it was an excuse to get him out of the shop so he could witness the events of the world. A little nudge toward Hitsuzen.

He wondered who he would see this time— probably Leaf, he expected. After all he was caught up in her story at the moment and he expected the workings of the world to tilt him toward her. Instead he found Kamui. This time he wore a black and violet skirt, with a blue vest over a black shirt. He was spreading some bird seed, feeding chickens in the park when he noticed Yuu approaching him. “Kamui, what brings— wait.” Yuu paused, catching his assumption a second too late to stop himself. No matter, he’d pivot the conversation if necessary.

“Hello, again, Yuu.”

“Ah, so it is you. I’m surprised to see you here. Just felt like visiting, or were you waiting for me?” Kamui offered him some seed; Yuu took some in his palm and scattered it for the chickens. “My boss sent me. He was simply curious. You see, though he could use the power of omnipotence and read the minds of other people, he values their privacy and prefers open communication, so he thought he’d ask: why choose to continue working for Yuko?”
“Why not quit and take the free wish?” Yuu smiled, looking up at the sunny sky. “It would be easier, wouldn’t it?” Just snap all their problems away. “In my world, my friends and I were literal Superheroes, sort of like Sailor Moon. We used magical artifacts called Miraculous to fight evil— namely there was one evil Miraculous Holder.” He explained everything. The prophecy. The process of Akumatization. The Kwamis who had no free will. The way he recreated a new timeline to save someone he loved. They way his best friend had stopped his cousin, only for Richard to come along and screw things over. And now one of the Guardians of the Miraculous decided the team wasn’t good enough.

“I thought I could make a wish to fix everything, but Yuko said it wouldn’t go like how I expected. So I decided to work for her and do my best, while making my own arrangements to save the day. Now Jeal comes along and apparently he has the power to grant the wishes I want but—

“I ended up at Yuko’s shop. I want to believe there’s a reason, that this path is the right one. I believe in the concept of Stagnation as you and Yuko have both described. And honestly, there were numerous opportunities for me to solve things the easy way. But I’ve been trusting Maris to handle a lot of this, and it’s helped her. Maybe it’s wrong of me to risk the safety of the world for the chance for Maris to grow, but I think it’s better in the long run.

“I’m not omnipotent. I’ve managed a lot but I can’t see the future. It would be arrogant of me to assume I can always handle everything the universe throws at me. So I’d rather know that, in the future, I’ll have people I can trust at my side.” He watched the chickens running up to them, pecking at their food.

“And besides, I think going the long way might be for the best. Our team— we lost to Nireus. And I’ve tried telling Maris that she’ll win eventually. She learns from her mistakes, she’ll figure out what went wrong and how to overcome it. And to a certain degree, that’s true.

“But at the same time, I think some time apart from the Miraculous—watching the adults— will make her stronger in the end. And when she rises from the ashes, Nireus won’t stand a chance.” He bent over, petting one of the chickens on the head as its young all gathered around him to eat.

It was a few days later when Yuko proudly thrust her hand into the air like a cheerleader, announcing, “I think it’s time for a field trip!” With a grin she stared straight at the door. And with a cackle, added, “I hope you’re feeling strong and rested today because I’ll need someone to carry my things.”

She handed him a backpack. “Please hold this for me, and don’t look inside until I say to. I wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise. Wouldn’t want any spoilers now would we?”

It wasn’t a long trip to the mall, so Yuu was confident he’d be able to get their bags back so long as she didn’t go overboard and buy any furniture or anything heavy. So when she popped into the local anime store, Yuu counted his blessings— though he reminded himself this was only her first stop.

It was a medium sized store, with enough room for the half a dozen or so eager shoppers already wandering the aisles. Yuu spotted a few cool posters lining the walls, and considering grabbing a T-shirt or two for Naota.

Yuko looked around the shelves, like a detective searching for clues. Figurines of Deku, Tanjido Kamaro, Asta, all struck cool poses, but none caught her interest, she whizzed on by, as if pulled along by strings of a mysterious calling.

Frowning in disappointment, Yuko let out a dramatic sigh. “Oh, stores like these only care about what’s hip and new. I knew I should have searched online instead. They never have anything from Cat’s Eye!”

“Well, with the new series coming out soon, hopefully it will lead to a resurgence in popularity.” “Ohohohoho~ I’m surprised that you know about it,” she teased.

“It’s currently 2025 in your world, whereas in mine it’s 2023, I did make some effort to look up recent news when I started working for you. I cannot believe what they did to Lilo and Stitch.” He wanted to give those Disney reboots the benefit of the doubt they were mostly harmless anyway. Sure they changed some things around and weren’t as magical as the originals, but at least they weren’t offensive.

Yuko moved on, instead moving to the section of Sanrio keychains. “Well this looks adorable, I think I might get one,” she said, picking Hello Kitty off the lineup. “Or several!” she amended, adding Pochacco, My Melody, Kuromi, and Aggrestuko.

Behind them the door slid open, and Leaf walked in with a girl beside her. She wore the same uniform, and she seemed to be genuinely enjoying Leaf’s presence. Yuu wondered if this was the mythical Scarlex he’d heard about. “Hey, Scar,” said Leaf (so it was her) “think they have any Symphonia merch?”

The two girls looked around, picking up figurines and DVDs, casually examining whatever caught their interest. Yuu glanced down, examining Leaf’s shadow. His breath hitched: it was darker now. “You know I’m glad you’re trying to make more friends,” said Scarlex, “But it sucks that some people really are jerks. I know it seems counterproductive but sometimes you have to cut your losses and move on.”

“Yeah. Someone else said the same thing.”

She came upon a figurine of Homura Akemi, the patron saint of disaster lesbians. She frowned at the price tag, but took the time to admire the artistry. She was standing straight, one hand flicking her hair dramatically in that cool way fictional characters often did. With a grin, Leaf raised her own hand, mimicking the movement

Someone behind her chuckled.

Leaf froze, reaching for her bracelet, and summoned that familiar flash of light.

It was at that moment Yuu approached. “Homura, huh? She’s really cool, not many people would show that much dedication to save someone they care about.” It was small talk, sure— but he did mean it. For all the disastrous things she did in the name of love, Homura showed a sense of dedication and commitment that he admired. It wasn’t strictly healthy, but he loved her for it.

Scarlex approached, a grin on her face. “Friend of yours?” She looked at him, hesitating— and her shadow darkened. A common conundrum, when could you call someone a friend? Say it too soon and they’d be offended, you were too familiar, you had no right, and they’d shun you, stabbing you through the heart. Say not and you’d risk alienating people, leaving them stranded and alone.

“I’d like to think so,” Yuu said plainly, and her shadow lightened a little. “Admittedly I haven’t had the pleasure of knowing her very long. She showed up at my Aunty Yuko’s shop,” he gestured to his boss, “She bought that bracelet from us.” And Yuu, who normally handled social situations well, briefly wondered if there was a polite way to say ‘And I really wish she’d throw the damned thing in an incinerator.’

“Well, I’m glad to see you are meeting other people.” She took a look at the figurine. “Going to get another Homura? This will be your what, fourth? You’re going to need another shelf.” Scarlex’s voice held no judgment, she didn’t care that Leaf really liked this character.

“Maybe next time but not now. I already spent this month’s allowance buying Witch Hat. I finally started it and it really is good. Much better than the last time I took a recommendation.”

Two more teens walked by, a girl and a boy, and the girl’s eyes also on Homura’s figurine. Yuu recognized her, she was the same girl who had chuckled at Leaf— thought not maliciously— before her last reset. She smiled for a second as she looked at the display, though it turned sheepish a second later. “Oh, I was thinking of getting this but it’s way out of my price range,” she sighed. They boy at her side seemed unimpressed.

“You like Homura too?” Leaf asked the girl.

“Yeah, she’s pretty cool.”

“I think she’s a great character. I cannot wait for the fourth movie to come out and see where things go from there. I hope they all get a happy ending. I know it’s a pretty dark series and all but the original ending was really uplifting, if a little bittersweet. And while she was obviously in the wrong for forcing her wishes on Madoka, I can totally understand where she came from—” Leaf paused, staring at the other girl awkwardly. She looked tense, ready to flee.

‘Some people don’t want long conversations with strangers,’ thought Yuu. ‘You realize this. It’s because you do know the rule that you’re hurt, you just can’t figure out how to apply it ahead of time because you didn’t realize until too late. But you can’t predict stranger’s reactions, the only way to find out if they’re interested is to talk to them. Don’t let it get to you!’

Leaf reached for the bracelet.

“Oh, I was thinking of getting this but it’s way out of my price range,” the stranger sighed.

Leaf hesitated— try a different approach or give up completely? “You’re a fan too, huh? Leaf really loved Homura,” said Scarlex, playing the winglady.

And with the spotlight on her, Leaf felt like she had to say something, ignoring the prompt from Scarlex would be rude. “I like Homura and Madoka, it’s a really neat ship dynamic.” But making herx\self the focus was also rude, she had to pass the conversation back to them.

“I don’t see how anybody could like HomuMado,” said the boy. That’s when Yuu noticed the gay pride bracelet on his wrist. “It’s textbook queer baiting, they don’t bother confirming the ship at all but use it as fuel to get the shippers to buy merch.”

Understandable frustration, if a little rude to be so pointed at a stranger just trying to make small talk.

“Sorry, I jus~”

Leaf didn’t wait for his apology, she just reached for the bracelet trigger the flash of light with terrifying ease. Why was she ignoring his warnings‽ Yuu wanted to yank the bracelet right off her hand.

Leaf’s shadow drank in the light, growing darker. Yuu swore the store around them got dimmer too.

“You’re a fan too, huh? Leaf really loved Homura,” Scarlex told the girl.

“Yeah, she’s neat.” Taking a deep breath, she hurried off elsewhere, leaving behind two very bewildered strangers.

“She okay?” asked the girl.

“Sorry, she doesn’t mean anything by it, she can get a little overwhelmed by social situations, but she’s a good person, really.” She took after her roommate, a concerned frown etched onto her face. “Okay, Leaf, are you okay? That looked seriously freaked out to me. If you need to ditch this place let me know.”

“No, no, I’m fine, really I’m fine. It’s nothing. Just didn’t want to bother them. Besides, I wanted to look around the store some more. Look they have InuYasha merch.” She pointed at the felt keychains hanging from the wall. “I need a new keychain and I like InuYasha. I always thought he looked more like a cat.”

One of the other customers, an older boy, scoffed at her. “His name literally means dog! How the Hell do you get cat from that?”

She looked down at the triangular ears. Sure, some dogs did have ears like that, but the species as a whole were so often equated with the floopy ears hanging low at the sides of their heads. Triangular ears were so kitty.

“Well, yeah,” said Scarlex, glaring. “That’s why she said he looked like a cat. Weren’t you paying att~” Flash.

“I need a new keychain and I like InuYasha. I know I’m more of a cat person but I’ll make an exception.” She took the keychain in her hand, twirling it around her finger.

‘She wasn’t even having a conversation with the guy! He butted in rudely. If she starts getting hyper aware of how she’s perceived in public, then she’s going to burn out faster than I thought.’ Yuu turned to Yuko. “Is there anything we can do?”

“I only grant wishes, how they turn out is up to the individual. But perhaps, if another person with a stronger wish came along, and was willing to pay the price. Tell me, Yuu, what would you give to intervene on behalf of a stranger?”

Leaf turned to the boy who had been rude to her only seconds before. He himself was looking at a Detective Conan keychain. She’d never seen the show herself, but knew enough of it through fandom osmosis, and complimenting a person’s favorite media was a friendly gesture that was easy enough to do. “Oh, is that Conan? The manga always seemed a bit long for me, but I thought the premise was really cool. Who’s your favorite character?”

“I’ve never actually seen the show. I agree it’s way too long. I just wanted to get a gift for my cousin, she’s~” A perfectly polite and normal reaction, nothing tense or off putting there, no barbed insults.

Leaf reached for the bracelet.

“What the Hell?” Yuu asked, watching the flash.

“Her sorrows have magnified,” said Yuko. “Her armor is cracked. Now every little thing hurts more than ever before. She made an assumption that turned out to be wrong, and we all know that it’s wrong to assume. Even though nobody else was hurt by this mistake, she still felt the recoil. If she keeps going like this~” Yuko narrowed her eyes, studying the girl intently. Her shadow was alarmingly dark, black as midnight.

“I need a new keychain and I like InuYasha.” Leaf reached for the keychain, her heavy arm lifting slowly, like something was weighing her down. She took a deep breath, struggling with effort. The room lurched, her vision blurring—

Leaf Saito’s eyes went blank and she fell backwards into Scarlex’s arms.

“Leaf‽ Leaf‽ What’s wrong‽ C’mon, say something!”

Chapter Text

“Somebody call an ambulance!”

Yuu trembled.

Was it the AC?

Or fear for his friend’s life?

He had no way to tell.

Like many an otaku, Yuu devoured manga for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, an the occasional between meal snack. He’d read more than he could count, but XxXHolic ranked in his top 3, every time. He’d always admired the strange and surreal vibes of Yuko’s wishes and how they played out, often leaning into themes of light horror.

And yes. That sometimes ended badly for customers.

But those were the arrogant, the cruel, the rude, the murderers. Not the kind, sweet, and innocent. People who came seeking help— genuine help— usually received it. Now it seemed that help came in the form of a lesson, one that came at too great a cost.

“What- what happened‽ I don’t understand! She was doing jus~”

“Burrow,” said Yuu, bluntly, as he held out a hand. A swirling portal of blue energy appeared, and Scarlex’s eyes widened as she fell backward, hitting the cold tile floor. She scrambled to her feet, staring, reaching out to the mysterious swirl of light, but Yuu dismissed it with a snap of his fingers. “Sorry, that’s too dangerous.”

“What was that‽”

“Magic, plain and simple. Look, I know everyone in reality always imagines what it would be like to discover magic is real. And there’s supposed to be build up, flair, drama, theatrics, but we don’t have time for that— and I don’t want to make time. I’d rather cut to the heart of the matter.

“Whatever is afflicting Leaf is magical in nature.”

Scarlex was startled into silence, and stared, waiting for Yuu to continue.

“That portal is also Plan C, It’s dangerous but then so are Plans A and B. And I fear Plan C may only buy us some time, I can’t guarantee she won’t make the same mistakes over and over again. Saving her would be pointless if she won’t save herself.”

Scarlex waited for an explanation and it was Yuko who offered one. “Leaf was trying hard to reach out and connect, but for every failure a scar remained in her heart. And each scar engraved a thought. It would be easier to withdraw again. Over and over those words were carved into her— until her body finally agreed. She has withdrawn, and now she no longer has to deal with other people. It’s much safer for her this way.”

“ That— but then—” she struggled, incoherent slush spilling from her mouth in confusion. “If magic did this to her, can magic save her? Yuu, you said you had a Plan A, right?” She locked eyes with him, steeling herself until all hints of apprehension were gone, “How do we save her?”

“Yuko Ichihara is one of the most powerful witches around,” Yuu explained. “Her magic can save Leaf, I’m sure of it. But there are certain restrictions. She can’t intervene unless someone makes a wish. And wishes come with a price. It’s not cruelty or greed, simply the nature of her powers . So one of us needs to give up something important. Or do something for her.”

“I’ll do it,” she turned to Yuko. “What do you need? I’ll give whatever it takes to save her!”

“Careful, those are dangerous words. I know a boy who once came to me asking to save the girl he loved. Her life was in danger. As payment she lost all her old memories of him. Could you handle that? Living while while the person you care so much for no longer remembers who you are? Not even your name?”

“ I’ll do it!”

“Worry not, you won’t be giving anything up.” She leaned forward, tilting her head as her lips brushed against Scarlex’s ear. And a whisper so low Yuu could not hear left her staring in confusion. “If— fine! I’ll gladly do that if it saves Leaf!”

“ Yuu, open the backpack,” Yuko instructed.

His fingers tore open the zipper and reached inside, pulling out a piece of carefully folded fabric.

“It’s Leaf’s old cape!” Scarlex said, recognizing it. “She said she got rid of it and was going to make a new and improved one. Ht she just threw it in the trash or something. ” Scarlex reached out, touching the thick fabric. It felt so heavy yet comforting in her fingers.

“Society values complacency,” Yuko explained. “It wants us to standardize ourselves.

“Most people do not wear capes in their daily life. Leaf knew this but wore one anyway. It made her happy. It not only is a special item with a special connection to her, it’s a manifestation of her willpower to fight back against society’s rules. It will be a great a sset in your quest to free her.

“Yuu, put on the cape.”

With a nod, he swung the cape over his shoulders, fastening the clasp.

Everything went dark.

Chapter Text

“You’re awake!” Scarlex threw her hands around Leaf for a second, before pulling back. “Wait, sorry, you’re not hurt are you? I don’t want to mess up your recovery. Are you feeling better?” She took a deep breath, trying to calm down. “I’m sorry, it’s just, you were asleep for hours and I was starting to worry you’d never wake up.”

“Hours?” Leaf asked. “Of course there was a time desync. The scenario wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“And of course,” said Yuko, “Your friend never once left your side. I’m sure you must both be hungry.” She pressed a button. “I’ll summon the nurse. Once they’re done checking up on you, you can both go get some dinner. Yuu of course will return to my shop and cook me a full course meal.”

“Only if I get overtime,” he joked.

Leaf rubbed her head, still a little groggy, and noticed something strange. A small button was resting in the palm of her hand. Looking up, she spotted Scarlex’s jacket, the top button was gone. She held it up in confusion, looking to Scarlex for an answer.

“Yuko said to take off the button and give it to you. Since it’s something I keep close to me, it would help establish a connection between us, and allow my voice to reach you in the dream world. Was it able to help?”

Leaf nodded. “I was ready to give up. I was so tired of everything. No matter what I tried, I never felt like I could understand what was going on. Every single conversation about the smallest things. It started weighing on me. I was scared, so I ran.”

She rubbed her fingers across the bracelet, not to use its power but simply to stim.

“And then I heard your voice, telling me you were waiting for me. It gave me the courage to fight back.” She told Scarlex about the nightmare, the snakes, and how she fought off the leader with a spear and a bunch of video game attacks.

“That sounds scary, but also kind of fun. I kind of wish I could have been there with you.” Worry flashed in her eyes and she flinched, whipping her head toward Yuko. “I was speaking colloquially. I don’t actually wish I was there fighting alongside her.”

“Ohohoho~ one should always be careful with their words. While a witch of my caliber understands rhetoric, a more malicious actor might twist the things you say and use them against you. Of course, in the end, what you desire or not may be pointless. Wishes alone cannot deny Hitsuzen.”

Scarlex flinched, considering the weight of those words.

Leaf flipped the button in her hand, playing with it like a coin. “I’ll sew this back on tomorrow,” she said. “Thanks again for saving me. But— why a button? Surely there were easier things you could have given me to establish our connection.”

“It had to be something you could hold,” said Yuko. “And also~” she grinned, “Japanese and Western uniforms aren’t quite the same, so the buttons don’t line up, but the symbolism was there.”

Leaf briefly stared at Scarlex’s jacket, trying to mentally overlay it with a Japanese uniform.

Scarlex cleared her throat. “Well, now that you’re safe, I just wanted to say, Yuko explained everything to me. About the wish. The bracelet. The time resets. I admit this is new territory for me, not sure what social rules say you’re supposed to do when your best friend dabbles in magic. But I’m really sorry it didn’t work out well. You tried to hard to put yourself out there and it all backfired. I hope it won’t weight you down too much and you can still try to make more friends.

“But also, don’t push yourself if you feel like breaking. It’s a hard road to navigate. Balance is key in everything, and I think we all stumble and fall sometimes.”

Yuko stepped forward, ready to deliver her wisdom. “The road to connection is a bumpy one. There will always be hardships and roadblocks. But if you keep running away, keep resetting, the path will never smooth over. But tread this ground over and over, moving forward despite the hardships, and maybe then you will pave the way to happiness.”

The nurse and doctor finally came, ready to give Leaf a quick final examination.

A few minutes later, she was fully dressed back in her school uniform and cape combo. She did a complimentary twirl, letting the cape flare up behind her. “I really like the way this cape feels, it’s so light and smooth compared to the last one. I wish I knew who sent that care package with the fabric,” she muttered to herself as she pressed the button to call the elevator.

It was fun lighthearted banter to wrap up the long day, but then she remembered something. “Wait, I gave the old cape to Yuko as payment for my wish. Yuu said you made a wish too, to rescue me, did you have to give something up too to save me?” She turned to Yuko. “Is there any chance I can pay it instead?”

“Normally it is the wisher who pays. For the wish has the most value to them. Therefore something that comes from them is the only way to give an equal payment. But there are exceptions to this rule. You may not take this burden upon yourself, but perhaps you could share it.

“Yuu, reach into the backpack, there should be something else in there.” Digging around he found a clear case with a small disc inside, about the size of a GameCube game. On it were the words Self Insert Mod.

The elevator dinged open and they all stepped inside, pressing the button for the ground floor.

“So, three playthroughs, right?” asked Scarlex.

“That was the deal.” Yuko nodded, and Leaf looked between the two in confusion.

“Yuko said that my payment would be to play a video game— and not just once, but three times. I figured it sounded strange, and maybe it would be something really challenging, but if that’s all it took then I would do it. After all, your life was at stake. I’d do whatever it took to save you. Even if it— seemed a little odd.”

“Yes, and it is because the wish was so big and dangerous that the payment will be one that also takes so long. I’m afraid there’s no easy way out of this one. But this is a two player game, Leaf. If you’d like to join her and play it as her partner, I’m sure things will go much faster.”

“But there’s one problem. I don’t own a GameCube. I can get one of course, but it might take some time.”

Yuu grinned. “Don’t worry about that. I’ve got you covered.” He was already on Amazon. “Just tell me your address and I can have it sent to you right away. It’ll be there in two days.” She gave him the info and he quickly entered it. “Done.”

Leaf took the disc in her hand, flipping it over. “So if it’s a Self Insert Mod, what game is it a mod of?” “Tales of Symphonia.” Yuko explained. “This is quite the extensive mod, you create not one but two custom characters— self inserts or not— and plug them both into the story to interact with the canon cast. It features multiple new routes, one play through could be very different from the next. But where’s the fun in spoiling that?” “So, we just need to beat this game three times, right?” asked Leaf.

“There’s a little more to it.” Scarlex went a little scarlet. “We actually do need to do self inserts. One character based on you and one on me. That was part of the condition. I don’t really know why but I didn’t have time to argue or negotiate.”

The elevator dinged once again, letting them all out, and once they made it to the door, both groups said goodbye, parting ways for now.

Yuu and Yuko hung back, letting the girls put some distance between them. Yuko had a customer service face and only let that mask slip in front of the people who worked for her— e.g. Kimihiro Watanuki and Yuu Akimoto.

Throwing her head back she let out a groan of despair. “Oh why is life so unfair? I’ve wanted to play that mod for years but I’ve been completely unable to get my hands on a copy. One finally lands in my hands and I’ve been too busy to sit down and enjoy it. Those two have no idea what a treasure they have in their hands!”

Though the night air was chilly and he had no jacket, Yuu didn’t quite mind. He stared up at the moon and stars shining overhead. “These are the same stars as in my world. I wonder, what are the stars of Symphonia like? And if those two insert themselves into the story, and make new worlds, which stars will they inherit?”

Yuko grinned. “Such a wise boy. You’re more open to learning than Watanuki ever was, always pushing back. Of course, he had a kind heart and always came through when it mattered.” She chuckled to herself. “And the day will come when~” she trailed off.

“People will often take different things when viewing a piece of media. They’ll interpret characters differently. They’ll come up with different theories. Is Dess the knight? What about her mom? Maybe it’s her dad? Is she even alive? Did Asgore kill her? Or did Kris kill her, and did Asgore cover it up?

“Video games, being the most personal of all mediums, make this process easier. And while not everyone can connect in a way to forge a new world, there are sure to be many abound. After all, no two play throughs are exactly the same. And while not every minor decision will engrave itself in a player’s heart— do you buy one potion or two?— you’d be surprised at what can leave an impact on someone.

“Maybe you spoke to an NPC and they left a particularly strong impression. Maybe you got really lucky on a boss and wrecked it in seconds. Maybe you finally decided to take on a challenging and involved side quest, only to discover how much it resonated with you.

“Video games are an amazing form of art. One unlike any other.”

Looking at the sky, she admitted. “It is rather late though, and I am famished.

“There are many social conventions and rules that serve a purpose, to help maintain a society where things move smoothly and we don’t hurt each other. Others though, are completely arbitrary and nothing bad will come of them if broken.”

She looked at Yuu expectantly.

“Are you asking me for brinner?”

“What a great idea. I think I’ll have some French toast please, piled high with lots of fruit. And a side of scramble eggs and bacon. And don’t forget the chilled sake.”

“Should we go back to your place and work with what’s in stock? Or hit the grocery store first.” A part of him really wanted to get back home, it had been a long day. But he didn’t mind spending a little more time with Yuko.

Chapter Text

“This French toast is delicious,” said Yuko, throwing her arms around Yuu as he washed the dirty dishes. He smiled, cooking was a lot of effort and it wasn’t worth it if nobody enjoyed the fruits of your labor. And speaking of fruits: he’d gone all out stuffing the bread. He’d chopped up a mix of strawberries, raspberries, and bananas, sliced the French bread open, and packed it all in there.

And he’d used vanilla and cinnamon along with a sprinkle of other things to subtly enhance the flavor of the batter, even going as far as to replace the regular cream with ice cream for an indulgent sweetness.

“I think I’d like some waffles tomorrow.”

But they were out of fruit, it was late, and meddling with time wasn’t on the agenda. It wasn’t worth it for something as small as breakfast— playing with the nature of reality was clearly a dinner ordeal. So placed an order and set his alarm to wake him up early the next morning.

It was chilly, but Leaf’s cape offered some warmth. He just hoped Yuko wasn’t charging him a rental fee to borrow it. He set out with some cloth bags in hand, not entirely sure how far this store would be. He wasn’t going to the usual grocery place— “You don’t even have a waffle maker” he realized last night. Yuko insisted there were other ways to handle it, but he wanted to do it properly.

So down the early morning streets he walked, the sky an early morning blue. It was summer, and the eager cheers of young children filled the streets— those young enough to go to bed early and wake up earlier.

He didn’t mind early mornings now and then, but he did miss the energy of his early childhood. Here he was, only fourteen and ready to reminisce on the times long past. But he supposed part of that was just missing his innocence— the time before he got caught up in all of this drama.

Would he ever get a chance to pull back? Rest and relax while the world turned, safe and unthreatened? Maybe now wasn’t a good time for introspection. He had a job to do, it was time to pick up the pace.

As he walked, he found himself being out sped by a teen jogger, wearing black gym shorts, no shirt, and a pair of glasses on a very familiar face. With a grin, Yuu decided to jog alongside him. “Hey, Reid, long time no see!”

“Yuu! Well, this is a surprise.” It was early morning cool, but he’d still built a sweat from his workout. “Got somewhere to be?”

“Yeah, picking up some stuff for work.”

“This early in the morning?”

“I work odd hours,” Yuu shrugged. “She had me working overtime last night because of an emergency.”

“What kind of an emergency?” Reid asked, not breaking pace.

“Dissatisfied customer?” Yuu put forth, though his tone was uncertain. “Sorry, it’s kind of hard to explain.” He wondered how to put this. “A customer got hurt using one of her products. Well, sort of. More like,” he paused, trying to translate this into normal. “She was being reckless with the product and got hurt and we stepped in to help her.”

“What kind of products do you sell?” Reid asked, gaze so focused on Yuu that Yuu had to warn him about a pole.

“Just old curios.” Yuu hoped he hadn’t said too much. He didn’t want to rudely cut Reid off in the middle of a nice conversation, especially not when Reid was being concerned for his sake.

Reid cocked an eyebrow. “You’re dodging the question, Akimoto.”

“I work for a magical witch,” Yuu decided. “She sells wishes. She sold a girl a magical bracelet that was meant to help her understand people. She wanted to make friends but instead she learned how much some people suck, and it put her in a magic coma.” Reid came to halt, eyes wide in surprise. He cocked his head to the side slowly. “Uhhhh, what?”

“Just kidding,” he said with a huge cheesy grin. “Sorry but it’s kind of an NDA thing. We sold something to a customer and it went wrong.” A little merry-go-round of trickery, catch him completely off guard with something wild so that the non-answer would feel satisfying by comparison.

“You’re weird. Then again, the cape should have tipped me off.” Reid grinned, getting back in stride.

“The cape is nice. Plus it’s cold out, don’t know how you can have your shirt off at a time like this.” “Exercise warms me up. Don’t like to get sweaty.”

They laughed and joked for a bit, until it was time to part ways. Reid had to get back home, but Yuu still had a shopping trip ahead of him.

Yuu made it back to the shop with several shopping bags in hand, his shoulders were hurting from carrying them all. Really, he should have paid for an Uber, his book was selling more than enough, even without a formal publisher. But he liked his walks and never knew who might cross his path next.

In the end he passed by more houses where adults were getting ready for the work day, climbing into their cars while saying goodbye to the kids. A few complained about the bills or not being able to afford groceries. He memorized all their addresses and complaints. A lot of electric companies allowed strangers to help with a person’s bills. Heck, some even allowed you to pay for an entire neighborhood. That wouldn’t be out of the question for him, though he had to exercise some restraint. His fortune here wasn’t at the same level as back home.

When he made it back, Yuko greeted him with a smile. “Welcome back, I was starting to worry you wouldn’t make it in time for breakfast.” Her grin morphed into something more predatory. “I would have had to charge you a late fee for the cape in addition to your rental fee.”

He rolled his eyes, but did not frown.

He’d come with several waffle makers in tow. Most were Nintendo themed, one left an imprint of Kirby on your creation, while the rest were various Pokémon: Pikachu, Eevee, Mimikyu, Jigglypuff, Sprigatito, and Rowlett. Rounding out the collection was something plain, without an image. He’d gotten it just in case Yuko was in the mood for something serious— but she had an appreciation for cuteness so he was nearly certain she’d enjoy the others.

“Wow, you certainly went overboard,” she said with a sly grin.

“As is my nature. You give me a task and my response will be over the top. It’s Hitsuzen.” He got out several large bowls, adding various ingredients to them. All purpose flour went in all of them, as did the eggs he quickly cracked inside, along with things like salt and butter. But for the rest he decided to experiment more. One remained his control, a normal serving of waffles, but for the next he added some syrup directly into the batter. He lowered the amount of other liquids such as milk, making sure the batter didn’t end up too thin. The next batch got a helping of honey added in. And the fourth got a dose of vanilla ice cream thrown in in place of the vanilla extract.

“We’re a little low on that, so we’ll have to do another grocery run at some point,” he noted.

Then he grabbed more bowls and added more flour, he wasn’t done yet. The next batch received a healthy dose of chocolate powder, while the final mix of batter had some chopped fruit added directly in. And so with six different varieties of mix ready, he took six different waffle irons from their boxes, lightly rinsing them.

Next he chopped up more fruit, heated the frying pan, and began making a light sauce with the chosen fruit.

When it was all done, he brought several plates to Yuko’s table, bringing a smile to her mouth. “My, my, someone sure is trying to curry favor today. You must really want your wish granted soon.” She rubbed her hands together, stabbing some waffles with her fork.

Yuu served her scrambled eggs with cheese, sausages, and bacon as well, making for a delightful feast.

“I’m aiming for before the end of summer vacation in my world,” he said, clutching his necklace tight. “I admit that might be an odd thing to say when I have Time Travel. But I’d rather not cross my timeline around too much.” He smelled the sweet aroma of fruit and the savory sausage and bacon in the air, forcing his mind off his grumbling stomach. He didn’t want to eat just yet. “I’ll be in the kitchen doing the dishes.”

He ran the hot water, adding a gratuitous amount of soap as he began washing the bowls. He scrubbed away mind racing with thoughts. There were countless other Yuu Akimotos in the multiverse. What were they all up to? How many of them were friends with Reid Fischer? How many of them had sisters named Nayuta? How many of them were dating Arons while being forced to work on opposite sides of war?

How many knew Naotas, young, kind and innocent, deserving way better than life had to offer them? He dried the bowls, putting them away, then started working on the waffle irons next. “I don’t really need the waffle makers,” he called back to her. “I’ll leave them with you.”

“Ohohohoho~ a gift? In that case I’ll have to give you something in return. I would say this covers the rental fee for Leaf’s cape~” Yuu held in his chuckle “But these waffle makers are way too much for that. I’ll need to do something better. For one waffle maker, how about I let you keep the cape?” This struck Yuu as a surprise. He turned off the faucet for a second, not wanting the roar of water to drown their words. “Really? The waffle makers weren’t that much, but Leaf’s cape was hand made? And didn’t you say it was imbued with magic? You should at least take two or three in exchange.”

“And mere minutes ago you were lamenting the idea of a rental fee,” Yuko teased with her fox-like grin. “Yes, the cape is magic and it has special properties because of that. And hand made things are often much more receptive to receiving magic through emotional attachment than your average mass produced factory product.” She dug into her food, sampling the various styles of waffles, unable to decide which she likes best.

“But how many times have you heard stories where objects— even store bought ones, have strong sentimental value because they were gifts from a loved one. And think of your own necklace. It’s powerful to you because it came from Naota.”

“True, but I would hardly say that applies here. These weren’t overly emotional sentimental gifts, I just bought them from a store this morning. And also, that necklace was magic anyway.”

“I didn’t mean that in a literal sense, it was an introduction to the concept. I’m surprised, you’re usually better at this. So no, you did not give these as a sentimental gift but you purchased them in another world. While traveling across time and space in a quest to save a friend. That gives it sentimental meaning.”

“Sakura, Syaoran, and their friends also traveled across the realms on a quest to save people and they often sold you items, they didn’t seem to get any special bargains for it.” Yuu asked, raising an eyebrow. Something seemed a little off here.

The items they sold were worth the items they received. The item you sold is worth the item you received. There are no discrepancies here.”

“Now, for the cape, I shall take Sprigatito. And for the lecture I will take Eevee. And for that price, I am willing to answer a few questions. And I can see that you have many. Of course, anyone would in your position.” She piled more waffled onto her plate, practically drowning them in syrup.

“I get what you’re saying about creating entirely new worlds with fiction, but still, the act of writing itself is— while not easy— still something on the smaller side of things compared to the previous payments you’ve taken.”

“Yes, but the wishes you’ve seen have all been relatively small as well. Flow wanted advice to beat a boss in a video game. I gave them some advice. Therefore writing something a fanfic balances out perfectly.”

“But paradoxically, that fanfic can create an entire world. And worlds can splinter. It seems like they gave you too much if we look at it this way.”

“But we have established that fictional media can create new worlds. If you think of it that way, my advice helped save an entire world. Flow was struggling with the game, they might not have been able to beat the next few chapters. Now, thanks to my encouragement, that is no longer true.”

“Assuming Kris doesn’t destroy the world that is.” Clearly the Kris from Deltarune had a lot of issues. He was glad their Kris was better adjusted. He assumed it had something to do with Natasha.

“True. Not even I know how the story will end there. Tempting as it is, I’ve decided not to spoil myself. But the point is, Flow will be able to take that world to where it is supposed to go, thanks to the advice I gave them. So creating a new world is a fair price.”

“Okay in that case, next is the exorcism. You’ve helped deal with spirits before. I don’t think you’ve ever required anyone else to create a new world. And why one based specifically on Natalie’s own story? Flow didn’t have that restriction.”

“Because Flow’s imagination is stronger than Natalie’s. Not every story written will have work out into a new world. Sometimes payments exchanged at my shop take potential into consideration. After all, if you buy a seed from a gardening shop, there’s a chance it will not bloom. Yet you’ll still pay the full price. That’s also why I wanted her to write something more personal— so that she could better connect to it.”

“That makes sense. But then what about Scarlex? You’re making her pay with three play throughs. On one hand that could result in multiple worlds. Or possibly none? I can’t even begin to imagine the logistics of weighing this on a scale.”

“Ohohohoho~ you do have a desire to know how things will work out, don’t you? To always see every possibility and account for them all. Leaf’s life was in danger. Scarlex wanted to save her. Imagine, before you is a magic knife. If you take it and drive it into Naota’s heart, every other world in the multiverse will be granted eternal peace and happiness. Will you do it?”

“Of course not.

“So,” Yuu thought it over. “Leaf means more to Scarlex than an entire world, so creating an entire world is not enough to pay the price of her wish. But then— the life of someone you love is priceless. How does anyone ever pay for that‽”

“You’re right. Such a wish is beyond what anyone could pay. That is why I have never once used magic to save a life because someone else wished to save one they loved. When people come to me with their loved ones on death’s door, I have only ever given them the tools to do what was necessary. I did not gather Sakura’s feathers, I gave Syaoran the power to travel the worlds so that he could do so.

“I did not save Leaf. I sent you in, yes, but even you were unable to get through to her until she heard Scarlex’s voice call out. I gave Scarlex the knowledge to do that, and put you on the inside to help, and with the two of you working together you were able to pull her through.

“And even then, all it did was give her the courage to fight back. She still had to do the work to save herself.

“In truth, even that was something Scarlex alone would struggle to pay for. But I am merciful, there are times when even I may weaken protocol. I knew that Leaf would be willing to take on half her debt, and together they will be able to create something beautiful, a world of collaboration.”

“What about Watanuki, when he fell through the window? It took three people working together to save his life. People who cared about him very much.”

“Ironically it was because Syaoran and Watanuki were not as close as the others involved in these scenarios. So the wish to him did not carry the same significance, and that is what allowed its price to be paid. Of course, even then, saving a life is a hefty task. Especially because he did care. But that allowed him to tip the scales in favor of paying the price.”

“So you see Yuu, everything balances out in the end.”

“Or maybe you’re just saying that. Maybe you do bend the rules more than you say, intervening without fully collecting an equivalent price.”

Yuko Ichihara smiled— ███ ██████ ████ ███ █████████

Chapter Text

Yuko woke up with a craving for eggplants, and though she let Yuu cook her an ordinary breakfast, it was definitely on the menu for lunch. So there he stood in the kitchen, a perfectly clean apron covering his shirt. He had a casserole broiling in the oven, with lots of cheese and tomato sauce. Now he just needed to stand around waiting for it to beep.

“My friends all know I’m working on a plan to secure the Miraculous,” he said to her. “I wonder how they would feel if they realized it involved a lot of chores.” Not in the mood to stand around doing nothing, he grabbed a bucket, taking it to the faucet outside. When he returned, it was time for mopping.

“You know, your plan might not go as smoothly as you think. I wouldn’t grow too attached to your imagined timeline.”

Yuu looked up, puzzled. “That’s awfully direct for you,” he said, tightening his grip on the mop handle. He leaned forward, pushing it to scrub, but caught himself and stopped. Deep breath. Anger, frustration, and worry all serve to lessen control of yourself. The last thing he needed was to slip and accidentally knock over the bucket or something.

He glanced over at the cabinet where she kept the waffle irons. He still had several left to barter away. But he felt something like this would be costly, perhaps better to save it for a rainy day.

Plus it was fun to imagine Yuko being in debt to him.

It seemed like it might be a nice peaceful day of doing chores, then came the knock. Yuu froze, tense, wondering how this would play out. Leaf still weighed heavily on his mind: she’d come in asking for help, and her wish had been granted at a far greater cost than she imagined learning her lesson had taken its toll, nearly shattering her heart.

He’d do whatever he could to keep the next customer safe.

(Assuming of course, they weren’t a murderer.)

“Come in,” said Yuko, her words carried like a whisper on the wind. The door creaked open, and there stood a young woman in a school uniform. She had long black hair in a ponytail, and pale skin. “If you are here that must mean you have a wish you need granted.”

“Yes, but it’s not a big one. I hope you won’t think it too trivial.” She clutched a few white lilies to her chest as she passed through the doorway.

“No wish is too small if it is nested in your heart.” Yuko summoned the paiyukimir of girls to clear the table, making room for their guest. Yuu moved to grab the kettle, half expecting n order for tea. What would it be today? “Willowgrape, for now if you’d please.” A pause. “Then get some slips of wood sorrel and fairy tea for later.”

Willowgrape for rest. She didn’t look particularly tired. But he put the kettle on the stove, gathering the tea bags, placing one on each tier of the tower. He listened carefully, hoping he wouldn’t need to intervene. But even then, he didn’t forget his cleaning: he took up the mop and began scrubbing.

“I imagine you know who I am,” she said plainly, with a bit of a polite bow.

So, someone Yuko had not met before but knew of? Yuu wondered if she was someone he should have placed as well, but details of her eluded his grasp. He’d never seen her before, as far as he could tell.

“My name is Kamilla,” she introduced herself.

‘Like the flower? I find it funny she’d be carrying a flower that’s not the one she was named for, but there was no rule stating you had to like your name. In fact, the LGBT agenda is in direct opposition to such an assertion.’

Squeezing the mop back into the bucket, Yuu studied her carefully ‘White is the color of death. It could mean nothing but— well her name is Kamilla.”

“My father was Hungarian. My mother was Indonesian. They divorced before I was born and he got full custody when I was little. I learned Hungarian as my first language and I enjoyed time with my father. It was a happy and peaceful life— but a part of me wanted to learn more about my other culture. So when I entered high school I asked if I could live with my mother. Just during the school years as a chance to make some friends. I’d come back on vacation and spend time with my father.

“My parents both agreed.”

Yuu poured the tea over the tea tower, letting the water seep into the bookmarks.

“I was so excited when I got my license. My parents both chipped in to buy me a car. I kept bragging to all my friends about the places we would go. I even had a date with a cute boy. I was so excited I couldn’t sleep the night before. I felt like I could fly.

“I never expected it all to fall apart.”

Yuu placed the tea cups on a tray, bringing them to the table. Kamilla offered her thanks as she took the tea in her hands, blowing it cold.

“When the accident happened, I was terrified. I couldn’t open my mouth but my brain kept screaming for someone, anyone to rescue me. I felt my heart about to explode as I watched Natalie come to the rescue. I didn’t understand why she ran to the other car at first, after all, that woman was the one who hit me. She wasn’t paying attention and ran a red light.

“I admit I was confused at first. Hurt even.

“But then I saw her pull out two children, and any anger I felt washed away.” She took a sip of tea, swirling it on her tongue. “I’m not happy I died. I wish she had time to save us both. I know she tried, but she failed. She had to make a choice and she prioritized two children and the need to not tear their entire world apart.

“And for that I have never once blamed her.”

Leaning against the mop, Yuu studied Kamilla. Her lips smile as her eyes fought back tears. “I wanted to live. Even now I want to live. But I know it’s too late. I’m gone now, and none of us can turn back time.” A teardrop escaped, slipping down her cheek. “I’ve spent these last few nights wondering what might have changed if you’d heard me then, if you used your magic to intervene, I’d have been willing to pay whatever I could.

“But I know I need to move on and let go of all my attachments to this world. Step into the light, as they say. But before I can slip away, I have unfinished business to take care of. I need you to deliver a message to Natalie.

“Tell her I don’t blame here, and that I’m sorry. I never meant to haunt her.”

“She knows by now,” said Yuu. “We explained to her that she was the one attracting you.”

“Yes, I was caught up in her gravity, unable to escape. But I need her to hear it coming from me. Or at least, as close to that as possible. I don’t want this to be something you all figured out. I want to communicate it, no more leaving things unspoken.

“And I want to explain myself.

“When I get scared or overwhelmed, I default to my native tongue, Hungarian. And sometimes when she felt me close by she would panic. It became a feedback loop. She got anxious. That made me anxious. I made her more anxious. Her panic overwhelmed me. I freaked out and started having Hungarian panic attacks.”

“I think in moments like those, she started expected you to do something ghostly and frightening,” Yuu reason, exacerbating the problem. If he’d learned anything from Yuko, it was that strong beliefs could warp the outcome of events, even influencing the people around you.”

“I agree with Yuu’s analysis. You were stuck playing the role thrust upon you. It’s a testament to your strength of will things didn’t go worse. Had a weaker spirit been attracted to Natalie, they might have been twisted into a murderous ghost out for vengeance. She could have cut short her own life.”

“Tell her I hope she forgives herself. She did her best, she fought through blood and pain to make sure those children did not lose their mother. Without her, four lives would have died that day, not just three. She’s a hero. She should always remember that, and hold her head up high.” Natalie’s hands began shaking, unable to hold her cup steady.

“Yuu, more tea please.”

He set up two tea slips pouring the water through them both. A deliciously sweet aroma rose up through the air as he brought Kamilla her refill. She nodded and thanked him as she took it, hoping to calm her nerves. It seemed to help.

“I want to tell her I’m happy, I’m at peace now, but that’s a lie. I haven’t had the time to fully grieve everything that happened. But I’m processing, and every day has been an improvement. I’m getting better and I hope she is too.” Her voice quaked a little, and she spoke softly in Hungarian. Her voice was barely audible and Yuu couldn’t make it out from where he stood. But Yuko nodded and smiled.

He took that as a good sign.

“Tell her I wish her the best of luck with her crush. I was there watching her for years, trying to work up the courage to make a move. I think my only regret of being exorcised is that I won’t be able to see how that plays out. I still think about my boyfriend. I wonder how he’s doing. But if I start wondering about everyone in my life I’ll never move on— so I think it’s best I stay focused.”

She took a deep breath, a sip of tea, and a second to think: “And tell her I said thank you.

“I see, that’s quite the message. But we can deliver it, if you pay the price.”

“Will it be cheap or expensive?” asked Yuu. “Messages are simple to deliver but they carry a lot of weight. And that is a lot to convey. Of course, I could always find Natalie myself and tell her.”

“But then you’d have to take on the weight of the unequal balance. Kamilla would owe you a karmic debt. And no one would be happy. You won’t save anyone by looking for a loophole here. But as for her payment: cheap or expensive? A fair price is a fair price.” She gestured to the flowers in the ghost’s hand. “Funeral flowers carry powerful sentiments with them. Well wishes from the survivors, to both the deceased and the grieving family. A wish for everything to be well in the world beyond. A chance to say goodbye.

“These were given to you soon after you died. They will make a perfect payment for your delivery service.” She grabbed them from Kamilla’s hand, turning them over to the paiyukimir to properly put in a vase.

“Yuu, you remember how to get to Natalie’s place. Please go deliver this message to her.” Yuu nodded, swapping his apron for Leaf’s cape as he set off.

“Don’t forget to pull the casserole from the oven when the timer goes off.”

Natalie was shocked to see Yuu at her doorstep. “Is everything okay? Was there a problem with my payment? I can write another story if you’d like.” She held a hand over her heart, her eye blinking with nerves. “Just tell me what needs fixing.”

“As far as I can tell, your story was fine. Yuko never said anything to me about it. And I’m pretty sure any problems would have been addressed the second you handed your story over; she’s got some sort of psychic abilities and would known right away if there were any issues.”

Yuu gave her a reassuring smile. “I’m actually here concerning someone else’s wish.

“Kam— Kamilla that is.”

“Kam‽” she gasped, flinching in surprise.

“Not every visitor with a wish is human. Though admittedly, she’s the first supernatural customer I’ve had the pleasure of meeting. She’s nice.” Yuu watched Natalie’s shoulders relax. “She says she wants you to know she never blamed you for what happened. She understood why you did it.”

Natalie stood there wordlessly, listening to Yuu deliver the message.

“She’s trying her best to accept her death and wants you to yourself and move on. Without you four people would have died that day instead of three. You’re a hero.

“And she’s sorry for haunting you and scaring you. She didn’t mean to make you speak in other languages, that was just the result of her own panic at work.

“She hopes you’re doing well in your love life. She wishes she could be there with you until the end and see how it all plays out, but it is time to go.

“And she says thank you for trying to save her.”

Tears flowed from Natalie’s eye.

Back at the shop, Yuu finally continued mopping. He heard the water swish around in the bucket as he plunged in, ready to wipe away all the dirt. It should have been routine, but something heavy weighed on him.

“Are you going to try?” Yuko asked, casting a shadow over him.

“Saving her?” She shook his head. “She deserves to live. People don’t deserve to have their lives cut short like that. But I’m just one human. I can’t bare all the world’s burdens. To manipulate time is put everything up until now at risk. Going back that far is begging for trouble. Who knows what kind of chaos I’d unleash?”

He carried the water to the laundry room and Yuko followed as he dumped it all out into the sink. It was time for a fresh bucket. “I can’t pretend it doesn’t sting though. Just watching someone cry in front of me and not being able to do a thing about it.”

Yuko nodded sagely. “I too often feel this way. For I am not allowed to intervene without proper payment. There are many instances where I cannot act, even though I want to. But always remember, you re doing the most good you can. Remember what Kamala said. Without Natalie, four people would have died that day instead of three.”

“True. I know I can’t hold myself to impossible standards. But I can’t help it, it’s my nature to want to save them all.”

Chapter Text

Most days started out the same. A request for food. Some chores. Yuko acting like nothing was happening. She’s only switch into business mode when a customer came knocking. Not today though. Her stoic look refused the tiniest hint of a smile as Yuu greeted her. “Today will be a very important day.” She stood tall, gazing into the air like a lifeless statue.

Yuu decided it was best to hang around and wait for further instructions.

He had no idea what to expect. She usually only made this much of a fuss over dimension hoppers. Was their guest from off world? It must have been a huge request if they were crossing boundaries this way.

His body went tense when he saw the familiar swirling orange portal, one he knew quite well.

And dread seized every limb when out stepped a purple skinned figure, with white hair, a dark suit, and a butterfly themed vest. He carried a cane in one hand, his sharp gaze locked on the witch before him. “Are you the Space-Time Witch? I’ve read about you in many ancient books. Is it true you can grant any wish?”

Yuko offered no playful grins, no flirtatious strokes of the cheek, only a calm and measured response. “Normally I would say yes, I can grant any wish for the proper price. But what you seek, what you truly wish to accomplish in the end, is beyond even me. My powers cannot return life where it has been lost.”

“That was a bit tempting!” He stepped forward, his grin widening with desperation. “But no. I know better than to bargain for life with a Witch. The last thing I need is for my wife to be forced into some cursed half existence. I need something I can control a little more.” The paiyukimir stared at him silently, neither one uttering a word, their usual child like glee nowhere to be seen.

Yuu stepped into the kitchen, grabbing a pot and a dishrag. He began polishing it as he studied Monarch, waiting for the Supervillain’s next move. “Desperate as ever, huh Gabriel Agreste?” He said with a taunting grin.

“I have no idea who you are or what you’re talking about. A man as pathetic as that fashion designer could never hope to accomplish anything as great as what I’ve done.”

“So you aren’t the same Gabriel Agreste who invaded my home city and got his ass kicked my world’s Holders. That Gabriel would have recognized me. Unless you’re bluffing. I suppose you could also be someone who genuinely isn’t Gabriel— but Yuko says your desire is to bring back someone lost. All the clues are pointing in one direction.” He kept scrubbing in circles, and Monarch turned away, paying him no heed.

Yuu grabbed a bag of flour, holding it under one arm as he stepped closer. He set it on the table, still watching Monarch for signs of malice.

“You might not be able to bring back my wife, but you can get me the tools that will, right? With the Miraculous of the Ladybug and Black Cat, I will be able to save her myself, without needing your magic!”

“Get you the Miraculous? In theory that is a wish within my power to grant— but because the two Miraculous together grant powers beyond even what Clow or I am capable of, the price becomes something you cannot afford.”

“If you won’t grant me what I want then I will take it from you by force! I want something strong enough to defeat Ladybug and Cat Noir! I wish for nothing more or less than to see my family together again! And nothing will get in the way of that. Sublimation, I grant myself the power of Invisibility!” He announced, smiling wickedly as he faded from sight. “Venom!”

Yuu swung the pot.

“Multi~” CLANG! “tude.”

A classic Monarch move, one Yuu had studied and prepared to counteract. As Monarch shrank down, his body splitting into copies, he quickly trapped them all beneath his cooking pot, holding them prisoner. It was the risk of using one strategy repeatedly, people learned how to fight back against your moves. He just hoped he caught them all.

“Let me out of here!”

Now how would he react?

If Yuu heard the word Clout— it was time to step away. Keep himself safe and throw the flour, make sure to cover them all.

If he heard the word Voyage— be on the lookout for the portal. Monarch would probably race right through without hesitation. The chances of him waiting to bait out the flour were low, but Yuu could probably keep a handful on the side just in case. He’d also so the same in case Monarch countered the first blast with a call of Wind Dragon.

If he heard the words “Fall In”— just like that— it was go time. Back to normal size pushing up against the pot. It was what Yuu had hoped for. Right now Monarch was likely frustrated at his small size being a disadvantage, and would like to get rid of that problem directly.

Yuu poured the flour, watching as Monarh’s body returned to normal size, and grabbed his wrist before he could resist. With a sudden jerk, he pointed the Bee’s stinger back at Monarch’s own body, turning his own weapon against him. “Resis~” that got him a dishrag in the mouth, leaving him helpless as his own Venom went to work.

A smart Supervillain would have used Resistance beefore visiting the super powerful magic witch.

Monarch was not a smart Supervillain.

He was beeten.

Yuko finally broke into a smile as Yuu plucked off his rings one by one, then grabbed the Butterfly Miraculous. The magic vanished, wiping away his suit to reveal one badly injured Gabriel Agreste groaning on the floor. No longer under the Bee’s power, he scrambled to his feet, spitting the dish rag on the floor. “You— but how— what happened?”

“I kicked your ass,” said Yuu.

““He kicked your ass!””

Nooroo materialized in the air. “What happened here?” He asked, looking around. “Am I finally free?” Yuu smiled, affixing the Butterfly Miraculous to his shirt. “Nooroo, would you mind if I borrowed your power for a moment?” “You seem like a nice person, so I don’t mind. You just need to say Nooroo, Light Wings, Rise!”

“Nooroo, Light Wings, Rise!” His silver hair now purple, just like his cape, and a white tunic and black shorts for his main outfit, he hadn’t done too much in terms of a make over. He had outfitted himself with a brimless top hat, and he’d also forgone the usual domino mask of his friends to go with a shadow across his face.

“I am Arthemis.” He flicked the cane open, hoping to find a Butterfly, but saw none. “Yuko, how many waffle irons does a Butterfly cost?”

Picking up the dishrag from the floor, she smiled. “I would say this settles our debts in that regard,” she said, folding the cloth like it was origami paper. She whispered a magic spell and it fluttered to life. It flew straight to Arthemis, who grasped it in his hands to charge with magic. “Stay close, my Kamiko. Light Wings Fall!” He held his arms open wide like a messiah bringing salvation, and the flying dishrag dove toward his silver necklace.

Magic pumped through his veins as the soft light warmed him from within. He looked a lot like Arthemis but some changes were noticeably different. His hair was white now, and his cape and shorts were the same. He wore no top hat and no shadows covered his face. Instead a soft silvery glow illuminated his body. “Call me Miracle Worker!” He reached for the rings.

“I assume you used the same trick with an ally— probably Mrs. Tsurugi, pulling the Kwamis and sending them across dimensions. I am going to sever their connection with her and pull them free from that wretched machine.” His hands lit up the reconfigured rings and one by one they floated into the air, reforming into their original shapes. The Kwamis all materialized as well, gasping in surprise as they realized they were free.

“It’s over?”

“Someone beat Monarch?”

Abject horror engraved itself upon Gabriel’s face as he realized how completely he’d been beaten. With a guttural sob, he slammed his fist against the floor. “No! I won’t let it end like this! I have to save her! I have to save Émilie!” And a grin spread across his face. “You know so much about me. But how much do you know‽” He glared at his own wedding bands, made a fist and pointed it at the ground.

“Don’t you dare!” cried Miracle Worker. “You’re bluffing!” He hadn’t expected Gabriel to go that far.

Yuko frowned, studying him.

“I see you value my son’s life as well. Someone like you wouldn’t want to risk an innocent life, you don’t know the desperation that drives a man to throw it all away! Well my son’s life is in these twin rings of the Graham de Vanily family! I can end him in an instant, and his death will be on your hands!”

“Do not be mistaken,” said Yuko. “You will be the one spilling his blood. We will be blameless.” “Don’t do it!” Nooroo begged. “He’s your son!” Turning to Yuko he said, “I wish for you to save Adrien’s life! Protect him! Don’t let his Amok be destroyed! I’ll pay whatever price I can!” Yuu flinched. He was too slow. He’d been planning to hop back in time, but if Nooroo made a wish with Yuko, then she’d likely do her best to grant it her way. And he didn’t like where this was going. Sure, if he got those rings back, then he’d save Adrien’s life, grant the wish no problem. Monarch defeated. But a fair price once paid could not be given back. If she named something too high, Yuu might not be able to save him.

It came down to this. What could Nooroo offer that was worth a life? “The price to be paid is heavy,” said Yuko.

“You shall be returned to Gabriel Agreste. And no longer will outside interference be able to rescue you. You will remain in his servitude until you are reclaimed by the Guardian of the Miraculous. Yuu, hand the Butterfly Miraculous back to Gabriel Agreste.”

Yuu could not remember the last time he glared so much at someone. He hated this man more than he hated Xiong. But he listened: he wanted to trust Yuko. This was for the best.

“Gabriel Agreste. I said you could not afford to wish for the Miraculous. But that does not mean I will not bargain with you. After all, what was it you sought through force? A power strong enough to defeat Ladybug and Cat Noir. That is something you can trade for. But something this dangerous will not be cheap, the cost is immense.

“Your payment will be the fourteen Miraculous you have just lost, as well as the twin rings.” She moved toward the vase, plucking out the lilies. “Funeral flowers, nourished by the grief of the deceased herself. Feed them to Nooroo and they will amplify his powers. He will give you strength to defeat Ladybug and Cat Noir.”

Gabriel grinned madly, affixing the Miraculous back to his tie. He took the flowers in his hand. “Now, I just need to get home, but I think I can manage that. Nooroo, Dark Wings, Rise!” He transformed into an old suit he hadn’t shown the world in months. Honestly, it felt more like years at this point.

Flicking his cane open, Hawkmoth unleashed the Butterfly within, catching it in his grasp. “My little Akuma, stay close by. I need your help to get back home. Dark Wings Fall.”

Yuu watched with a scowl as he left.

“You look defeated,” said Yuko. “How unlike you!”

“I’m tired of the set backs. Of the problems piling up. Now Ladybug and Cat Noir are in danger and I need to figure out a plan.” He rubbed his forehead, drinking in the strange air of the shop.

“No, you do not. You have chosen to take on the burden. As long as you continue to take the weight of the world on your shoulders, it will be like this. It is your choice, I won’t stop you. But please think about what you want.”

“But as long as I am me, it’s Hitsuzen.”

Yuu looked at the Kwamis, hovering there silently. “I chose to step back once, let Maris take the lead against Nireus. I was tired and needed a break. Now the Guardians have the Miraculous again. And that’s what led me here. I thought I could help defeat Monarch quickly, but now he’s got some mysterious power I don’t know about. And I can’t account for that until I learn more.

“But at the same time, I have a lot to consider. He’s strong enough to defeat Ladybug and Cat Noir. But not a team. However, when we work together our allies are our strength. If I bring in Ladybug’s team, do they count as part of her powers? Would being able to defeat Ladybug mean defeating the people she calls in?

“And if so should I call in my friends again? I wanted to give them a break. Maybe they might actually enjoy this though. They do miss their Kwami friends. But at the end of the day, the Kwamis of different worlds are connected but not the same. And I don’t have Tikki and Plagg. Would Naota feel left out.”

“You overthink things worse than Leaf Saito.”

“Don’t look so sad.”

“We’re really grateful you freed us.”

“Thank you— but I think your Miraculous are in her possession now,” she gestured to Yuko. Since Gabriel bartered them to her in exchange for the twin rings.” He took a step toward the Space-Time Witch, but she held out a hand, smiling.

“You did amazing work going above and beyond to defend the shop from Monarch. The rules of a fair price say you must be rewarded. And while I could put it toward your wish, I have a better idea. I will pay you with those Miraculous— they are all yours now.”

The words sank in, a heavy weight settling over him. “And I know what you’re thinking. You want to try again, stop Gabriel from getting the upper hand. But he wished to have the power to defeat Ladybug and Cat Noir. If you act against me I will have to act against you. But I think you’ll find it in your best interest to stand down for now.”

“?”

“You don’t truly believe Gabriel Agreste would directly threaten his son like that. Sure, he’ll manipulate, abuse, and hurt Adrien, but not kill. Not like this. He was bluffing. So when Nooroo made his wish, to protect Adrien from the dangers, well, the danger was never Gabriel. Simply getting the Amok out of his grasp was a simple task. Not worth the price of Nooroo going back to him.”

“So then, that means,” Yuu rubbed his forehead, trying to grasp it. “The price paid must be fair. If the price paid is worth more than the wish, you’ll go and grant even more than was the initial intention. Like when the Tengus wanted to save the Zariki-Warashi. You— can you turn him into a real human?”

“Adrien is already a real human. But if you mean ‘Will I ever him from his dependence on the Amok,’ then yes. But I currently do not have the means to do that. But as far as problems go, that is an easy one to fix.

“It is time I pay another visit to the Anything Store.

“I think I just need moment to clear my head.” He looked down at the flour spilled all over the floor. “I should get started on cleaning that. Oh and did you want breakfast?” Time was on his side, no need to rush things. He’d figure it out eventually.

Chapter Text

This wasn’t the first time he encountered Monarch. When Achefall and Paris crossed paths not long ago, Maris and the other teamed up with Ladybug and Cat Noir to face off against his Akumatized Miraculous Holders. It was a stressful time for a lot of people, being trapped in another dimension, but they made the most of their time in Parifall.

He’d considered intervening and kicking Monarch’s ass before they left, or at least spilling the beans on his identity, but he didn’t want to ruin the course of things. He’d seen the future, there were other threats coming. To compare it to an RPG: fighting Monarch was level grinding. If he came in and stole their Exp, they’d be too low lever for the next boss.

But this time he didn’t have the patience. Besides, last time he’d observed the outcome and seen the likely path of destiny. He was dealing with a different world now, he had no reason to believe careless meddling would backfire. This time around he chose to place himself in the middle of it all. But it seemed Hitsuzen had other plans. Though dimensions may splinter, this time, it was not cleaved from its destiny of the inevitable showdown: Marinette Dupain-Cheng vs Gabriel Agreste.

The Kwamis were obviously worried, but Yuu assured them he would come up with a strategy. He just needed to clear his head. “I need to be careful about how I do this, no barging in carelessly.”

Once he’d finished the basic chores, he was ready to act.

“Yuko, I’m heading to the store. Need anything?”

After a quick trip to get Kwami snacks (he needed fuel on hand to refill their magic) he was ready to begin the preliminary phase, actually observing the situation. “It feels like forever since I’ve done this.” He slipped on the Thumb Ring. “Orikko, Sunrise!”

He transformed into Dawnbringer. ‘The power to hold onto your transformation is not tied to your age. Simply be strong. Surpass your limits. Hold onto your strength,’ he reminded himself. In truth, he’d never bothered trying before, there had never been a real need. Very rarely did a battle push him to such limits. But right now, he wanted to be ready.

“Sublimation: I give myself the power to traverse dimensions.”

He was in Paris for all of two seconds before he opened the Burrow.

And nearly took a fist to the face.

He ducked under Bunnyx’s punch, watching her scowl at him. “Who are you‽” she demanded, her hand reaching for the umbrella on her back. “What did you do‽ One second everything was okay and then time went haywire. I’ve never seen it like this before!”

“Sunset,” he said, letting the magic fade away. He reached into his pocket for a snack, feeding Orikko.

Bunnyx stared in confusion, taking a step back for safety, but keeping her weapon pointed. “That’s Orikko, why do you have the Miraculous‽” She swung, catching his wrist with the hook of her umbrella.

He pulled her forward, reaching into her pocket to grab the Watch, and fished it away.

“Noooo!” As her magic faded away, she made a desperate jump for her Miraculous. He sidestepped with a twirl as she fell to the ground, and he tossed the Pocketwatch back to her. She caught it, looking up with a mix of suspicion and confusion.

“A gesture of good faith.”

Fluff materialized, looking down at Alix. “I can sense more Kwamis!” And they appeared, popping out of their Miraculous. Pollen, Trixx, Wayzz, Stompp, Barkk, Longg, Ziggy, Roarr, Sass, Kaalki, Xuppu, Daizzi, and Mullo. “Everyone. It was going to have been such a long time! I hope we can see each other again not too long ago!” The Kwamis all gave their friend a hug.

“It’s too bad the rest of us aren’t here,” said Wayzz.

Orikko turned to Alix, clearing his throat. “Please don’t be too suspicious of Yuu. I can vouch for him. He’s a swell guy. He managed to take down Monarch and reclaim all the Miraculous. Unfortunately Monarch threatened to destroy Adrien’s Amok if we didn’t return the Butterfly Miraculous.”

“He didn’t demand all of you back?”

“It’s a long story.” So Yuu did his best to summarize it.

“So you’re saying your boss is helping Monarch‽ And you want me to trust you?” She clutched her Miraculous in her hand. He could have done so much damage by stealing it, and she’d be helpless to stop him. And the Kwamis did vouch for him. “And you say this is all part of her grand scheme to—”

“To save Adrien. She likes helping people but the rules state she can’t act on her own unless someone wishes for it. So I think she wanted Nooroo to make the wish. Now it’s up to us all to work together and stop Monarch from winning. If she says that the flowers are strong enough to defeat Ladybug and Cat Noir, then he’ll probably be able to defeat them in a fight. I just need to decode what exactly she means.

“If we’re lucky, it won’t matter at all.”

“You think she’d just lie to him?”

“No,” he shook his head. “Ladybug isn’t that strong. Cat Noir’s got more offensive power but in the grand scheme of things he isn’t very strong either. She’s smart. A lot of villains were strong enough to defeat her but not smart enough. It’s possible the upgrade will grant him the strength he needs but not the wisdom.

“But I wouldn’t bank on this saving us. We must consider the possibility that wishing for enough strength to win means gaining enough strength to overcome your weaknesses. In which case he’ll be able to brute fore his way to victory and overpower the duo.” Yuu paced around as he spoke, Alix’s eyes following him closely. He scratched his chin, thinking it over.

“The next problem— what constitutes Ladybug and Cat Noir? They have a team at their disposal— or rather they will. Does that team count as part of their strength? If so, then Monarch may now be powerful enough to defeat Ladybug and her teammates, meaning we’ll be have to work extra hard to tip the scales back in our balance.

“But if not, then we’re relatively safe. We just need to gather everyone and have them work together.” “You’ve put a lot of thought into this.”

“Yes. And I do have one potential solution springing to mind. Argos. He isn’t part of her team, he’s an independent player right now, he should be able to help, even if he refuses to create a Sentimonster. I think he’s worth recruiting.”

“So, recruit Argos, bring back the rest of Ladybug’s team, and hope for the best?”

“No, that’s still not enough. We need to know what exactly his plan is. Then we take countermeasures.” “Well his plan was originally to Miraculize 99% of the population of the planet and brainwash them into being his army. He’d send them powers through the Alliance Rings, and they’d attack Ladybug and Cat Noir. But things would quickly derail when Cat Noir temporarily relinquished his Miraculous and Ladybug Unified it with her own. She and Monarch would get into a one on one confrontation, and it would end with him feeling remorse and sacrificing his life to make things right.

“I’m not really sure I should be telling you this, but if the Kwamis say to trust you.”

“That’s the plan he was using to unleash in the other universe. Interesting. Seems they were pretty similar other than a few minor divergences, such as an accidental merger with my dimension and Monarch’s visit to Yuko’s shop.”

“Well it doesn’t matter now anyway. You have the Miraculous. He can’t use the Perfect Alliance plan.” “Don’t be so sure. Did Ladybug and Cat Noir ever face Copycat and Volpina in your universe?”

“Okay but creating one Akumatized Supervillain with the power of a Miraculous isn’t the same as empowering nearly the entire population of the planet.”

“Yes, but he has Yuko’s help now. With the magic funeral lilies, who knows how bad things could get? What do you know already. You were in a panic so I assume you know something went wrong.” Alix turned to one of the Burrow windows. “Fluff, Clockwise,” and beckoned him over. “I was visiting the future, planning to attend Harmonie’s birthday party, then time rippled. Marinette suddenly vanished and things started changing on me. The banners, the cake, the catering, all of it.

“I asked about what was happening, and Alya told me that Marinette died twelve years ago.

“When she realized I was surprised, she seemed thrilled that I was about to intervene, but we don’t have much to work with. She just said Monarch killed Ladybug in their final battle. I came running to the Burrow to check. As far as I know, their final battle was supposed to be the Perfect Alliance plan.” She flicked through the screen, watching time speed by, then she saw it.

“No, what’s going on?”

An army of the Miraculized, taking over Paris. Alya, wounded on the street. Luka, his arm broken, fighting to protect his family. Juleka, in a panic, caught between helping her brother and Rose, unable to save either as they were overtaken.

“This shouldn’t be happening. They were supposed to win in the original timeline, why are they losing now?”

“Calm down, Bunnyx. We have these, remember?” He held out the Miraculous. “We can protect them. Monarch changed the past, but we can change it too. We won’t let him win. We just need to figure out what exactly he did.”

He followed his instincts, walking to another window, and gave it a flick.

Bunnyx let out a gasp.

Yuu furrowed his brow in thought. “Well, this one could be tough.” He turned to Alix. “Do you want to come with me to meet Yuko, or would you rather wait here?” “I think I’d feel more comfortable staying here for now, no offense. But your boss sounds kind of freaky. I’m not sure I can trust someone helping Monarch, even if you say she has a good reason for it.” She looked at him expectantly. “What exactly do you plan to do?”

“The Perfect Alliance plan works by spreading nightmares right? Poison everyone and then they’ll be vulnerable to Monarch’s manipulation. The first thing we want to do is get an antidote of our own. It will help make our team stronger in the end. Then I want to discuss some things with Yuko, see if we can get ourselves another advantage.” He reached into his pocket. “Here, take these,” he began handing over several Miraculous. “As another gesture of faith.” He looked at the Rooster Miraculous on his thumb. “But please let me hold onto this one a little longer,” he said, his face souring.

“What’s wrong?”

“I might have made a huge mistake. But it doesn’t matter. I can recalculate. Orikko, Sunrise!” He held out his hand, “Sublimation: I give myself the power of inter dimensional travel.”

And with that he was back in Yuko’s shop.

Chapter Text

Yuko Ichihara stood in the middle of the shop, gazing at the twin rings in her palm. “Have you decided what y ou plan to do?” she asked Dawnbringer, not even looking up. A thin smile spread across her lips, “There are many possibilities ahead of you. I think you should relax a little. Not all roads lead to Rome but there are certainly more than one.”

“I’m thinking,” he admitted. “Trying to figure out how much I can do on my own and how much help I need. I want to make sure Ladybug’s team wins, but just when I think I’ve got a grip on your prices, you throw me off. Not to look a gift noble steed in the mouth, but the price of the lilies has my head spinning.

“On one hand they can be used to obtain something of immense value. On the other, the fourteen Miraculous are tools with God like power and not enough? But also the twin rings control another human being’s life, and those weren’t enough either.” Yuu rubbed his forehead as he tried to piece it all together.

“Did you know there is an enchantment on this shop? No harm may befall anyone within it— but when two opposing forces clash, the stronger one may destroy the weaker one. The power of the Miraculous is grand and at times can trump both my own and Clow Reed’s. But at other times its magic is quite restrained. It’s hard to say what can happen. And at times like those, magic becomes incredibly difficult to predict. It could literally go either way.”

Yuu nodded along as he tried to keep up.

“We discussed this when Leaf came with her wish, but there are some social rules that actually do carry consequences for breaking. For example, do not violently attack the people around you. Monarch violated those rules and suffered the consequences: he lost fifteen Miraculous to you.

“So he did not trade fourteen Miraculous and the twin rings for the funeral flowers. He traded the twin rings and his claim to the fourteen other Miraculous, and in turn he received the funeral flowers and the Butterfly Miraculous.

“Now, as you did return the Butterfly Miraculous to him on my orders, you’re owed a fair price. And you have a choice. Put it toward your original wish, or put it toward the wish of protecting Paris. The choice is yours.” Her head snapped up, and her smile looked wide enough to devour him. “And let me tell you, if you put it toward the latter, I am prepared to offer you a great power. One that will be an invaluable asset.”

“Paris is in trouble, I need to figure out how to stop Monarch. Or Hawkmoth. Or whatever Gabriel wants to call himself right now. So that’s what I choose. I can continue working off my debt once that’s done.”

“I thought you might say that.” Yuko turned dramatically, facing the paiyukimir of girls, busy hiding away in the corner. “There are many worlds out there with different versions of the Kwamis. Many of them with the same human actors too. That Gabriel was not the first to come to my shop wishing to save his wife. The other one was more fortunate, he got here sooner. And with the help of Nathalie Sancouer he was able to save Émilie. And his price was to bring me a Miraculous. Not the Butterfly, nor the Peacock which he both claimed as his own. Neither were they the Ladybug and Black Cat he normally seeks with desperation. Instead I had them seek out a Miraculous that doesn’t exist in your world, or the Paris you intend to save. By introducing a new element into the equation, we can help send things down a different path.”

“What kind of path?”

“My shop grants wishes, remember? This Gabriel Agreste came in here with a wish. To reunite his family. Of course, the cost of such a wish is immeasurable. So he wished for the power to get what he needed. And you’re moving along to intervene, all part of the grand chess game playing out on the board that is Hitsuzen.”

Yuko handed over a tiny wooden box. There was a sparkle of light as he opened it, revealing the pin inside. And with it appeared a black and white striped octopus. “Hello, I’m Koppi, the Kwami of imitation. Nice to meet you. My power allows you to mimic other Kwami abilities. They’re a bit weaker, paling in comparison to the original, but I’m sure my versatility will be useful.

“A Kwami of Imitation. That will help, but it won’t be enough.” Yuu furrowed his brow. “Stopping Gabriel is one thing, but how do we save his family? If I had the power of the Butterfly still in my hand I might be able to Kamikotize him into a form powerful enough to save her, but as it stands he has control of the situation. I could try it with Koppi, but if his powers aren’t as strong as Nooroo’s that may be inefficient. We may need to get the brooch back again.

“Or we could simply stop his reign of terror, then force him to listen to reason. Once that happens, maybe we can work on something else. I doubt Ladybug will want to use the Wish, not if it means sacrificing another life. And we already know that bringing back the dead is beyond your powers.

“Wait, what if we amplify Koppi’s powers the same way you amplified Nooroo’s? That’s a possibility worth working with. But of course in the end, we need to get him to listen first.

“It looks like we need that antidote, no matter what.” Yuu looked at Yuko. “What will the antidote cost me?” He looked at her expectantly when the bell on the door opened. The mysterious paiyukimir of ghost children clasped their hands together.

““A guest, a guest, a new guest!”” They stared at the newcomer, eyes wide. ““Welcome to the shop!”” Yuu spun. It wasn’t often two unrelated guests just popped up at the same time. In fact, he couldn’t quite recall if that ever happened. There was a woman with short black hair and thin glasses, wearing a peppermint green skirt and black blouse. He immediately felt his heart startle.

“Hello, Yuu.”

“You feel familiar. Is it because we met before? In another world?” He asked, thinking of his encounter with Reid.

“Yes— and no. That’s a metaphysical question that’s worth more of a headache than is worth getting into at this point.” She turned to Yuko, grinning. “Hello again, it’s been some time, hasn’t it?” She chuckled, her voice was a little gruff. “I’ve been to a few other worlds since then. Not as many as some of the greater wanderers like Sora or Syaoran, but I’ve been luckier than your average isekai protag, I guess.”

The woman spun toward Yuu. “Oh, allow me to introduce myself. I’m Hiromi Suzumiya, another one of Jeal’s employees. I’ve made a wish with Yuko before so when I heard we were working with her I wanted to come say hello.” She paused a beat. “Of course, that’s not all I’m here for. Jeal sent me to help.”

Another intervention. Yuu appreciated the help, but figuring this man out was even more of a headache than dealing with Yuko. At least he could grasp the basic concepts of Yuko’s equivalent exchange, but Jeal was something else entirely. Limitless power and a kind heart, yet he chose to hold back for the good of the world.

Yuko Ichihara smiled. “Don’t worry Yuu, someone else has already paid to have the antidote made. Of course, there are certain ingredients that are needed for your antidote. So as my employee, I will need you to seek them out anyway. I believe you already have your suspicions. Whether you do this before or after we make the potion is up to you.”

“The world of Witch Hat Atelier?” He ventured. The tea had been popping up a lot lately. And here he thought his Time Traveling Future-Soon-to-be-Present self was simply feeling whimsical. “Part of me was hoping we’d be able to get away with just the Eagle Holder’s Liberation, but if Gabriel can use other powers, he could in theory negate that with Cool Down. And we’d be sitting ducks mid battle. Better to go in prepared.”

He glanced toward the kitchen. “Although I am surprised it will be as simple as tea.”

“Right now the flow between worlds, governed by the thoughts of people, is at an all time high. The magic from Witch Hat is being amplified and will be extra powerful— even the magic that their world does not consider magic. And besides, you will be using other tricks at your disposal. The power of Liberation on its own is not enough, but use it in conjunction with the magic of the tea and you will see greater results.” He gripped the table tightly, thinking things through.

“I want to have faith my plan will work out,” he said. “But this throws an unexpected possibility into the mix.” He’d already delivered a lot of these ingredients to his past self. So all this time he’d operated under one assumption: he’d get the Rooster back from Xiong.

But now that assumption was crumbling apart.

He had the Rooster Miraculous, but it wasn’t from Xiong. Even if he did keep this Miraculous— and he preferred to return it to Rooster Bold— the rules attached to it weren’t the same. He’d still need to adjust his plans somehow.

No, he had to hold faith in his original plan. Just because he lost his false guarantee did not mean he had to abandon hope. He could still make things work out. He had to. He’d let his thoughts and words become a wave if that’s what it took.

“You okay, Yuu?” asked Hiromi.

“You look seriously lost in thought,” said Orikko.

“Sorry, just a lot on my mind.

“I’ll go get it now. Well, after a quick detour that is. We’ll need some things for our journey.” He attached Koppi’s pin to his shirt, then turned to Hiromi. “Would you like to accompany on my journey?”

“I thought you’d never ask.”

Chapter Text

They made a quick stop to Yuu’s house first, back in Achefall. “My parents keep an emergency stash of gold and gemstones, perfect for converting to cash. Since the Witch Hat world won’t accept our currency, we’ll need to find a way to make our own.” He flicked through the dial on a safe, the door swung open to reveal a horde of treasures. Diamonds, bars of gold and silver, ruby necklaces, sapphire earrings, you name it. “I feel bad for raiding it, but they’ll understand if it’s to help someone.”

“You know, while Yuko may charge for all her help, Jeal gives his wishes away for free. Kind of wish I met him first before her, might have made my life so much easier. But the point is, he could totally supply you with the money you need for the shopping trip. Probably wouldn’t even constitute stagnation.”

“Wait, if that’s what he can do, why not just give us the antidote?” asked Orikko. “Wouldn’t that be faster?”

“I’m going to go back in time after this to deliver some ingredients to my past self,” Yuu explained. “It will give me the confidence to push through with all my absurd plans. If we don’t do that then I might lose faith in myself.” He stuffed everything he needed into a bag, then went to grab a cooler, filling it with ice from the freezer.”

“Based on what I’ve seen, I doubt that. You’d probably still find a way. But you understand the concept of stagnation, don’t you? A story where the great wizard waves his magical wand and fixes everything isn’t very exciting.”

“Not to say it doesn’t have it’s own place,” Yuu said as he grabbed a few more shopping bags.

“Need help carrying? I can get the cooler.”

“How about we each take one end?” Yuu fed Orikko some corn, then flexed his thumb as he stared at the ring. A part of him wanted to call out “Orikko, Raise the Sun.” It was funny, the two phrases were so similar, but in the end they weren’t. “Orikko, Sunrise! Sublimation: I give myself the power to travel through dimensions!”

Beneath its surface, the world of Witch Hat Atelier contained multitudes of darkness. An ancient past of catastrophe, secret orders rebelling against the law, cruel spells that twisted flesh and turned people into monsters, and a system that deliberately kept magic out of reach of the masses.

But for a day visit, this was perfect.

“You know, my wish was to visit other worlds to go on adventures,” said Hiromi. “Fight Hollows, learn to Duel. But I get the feeling if we get into any fights with Brimmed Caps we’ll just attract way too much attention. The people in charge don’t seem like they’d accept Kwamis. I think I’ll just enjoy the world for what it is.”

It was an ordinary sunny day when they arrived, nothing out of place. Vendors lined the cobblestone streets, selling all sorts of goods. From fruits and veggies to cuts of meat. But it was within the stores that they spotted all sorts of familiar magical goods. Yuu spotted the very tea stand he’d come to love, along with a set of tea cups. Back in Yuko’s shop they were using ordinary cups. They lacked the enchantment offered by this full set. Pour mark tea into the cup, align it with the base of the saucer, and a steamy illusion would rise up displaying the flowers used in the tea.

“Think the magic still works in other worlds?” Hiromi asked.

“Aren’t you the wanderer?” Yuu teased. “I’m sure it works in Yuko’s shop, she’s outside time and space. But elsewhere? Couldn’t say.

“I suppose within the world of XxXHolic they would. Yuko imports magic from other worlds all the time. And in her world, a lot of things seem to run based on belief. If the rules of Witch Hat Atelier are engraved in the hearts of fans, then magic brought in from this world might survive.” He paused for a moment. “There’s much to consider, only time will tell.”

He shrugged nonchalantly as they continued their quest.

It took a bit of asking around but they were able to find a wandering merchant willing to buy from them. He oohed and ahhed at their offerings, taking a moment to appraise them. It seemed the allure of gold had prevailed once again. He offered Yuu a hefty sum for the lot, and Yuu, feeling a bit generous, knocked 20% off. He didn’t need that much.

The merchant’s eyes lit up with laughter.

They bought fruits and vegetables and even some meats, while also gathering some other ingredients such as flour. “Want this to be as authentic as possible.” He picked up a bag of quartz sugar as well, going through his funds a little faster than he’d like. When things got too heavy, he stored the bags in the Burrow to pick up later.

“Going to get some cordfish next?”

He shook his head. “We can catch those fresh, no problem. But first, we need some tea.” Hiromi was surprised with how little he got, just one of each. “I should be able to duplicate these with Orikko’s power, from what I understand he can manage that, since it’s not technically the same as Mullo’s power.”

“Yeah, Orikko’s powers are kind of unusual,” said Koppi. “In order to use me, you need to understand the power you’re imitating and few people can actually imitate Pretension.”

“Well, I don’t think it’s that hard,” Orikko protested.

They visited the shop next, looking at the magical contraptions. “If none of these work it will be such a waste. But then again, there’s nothing wrong with learning a few things.” He bought the tea set, including the cups, and even picked up a few extras as gifts. He could have used Sublimation, but spreading wealth never hurt.

He even found a Palm Dragon Teacup. “This is nice, when the tea cup placed on the plate, the tea will turn into the shape of a dragon.” Yuu briefly wondered if other animals were available. Yuko might enjoy butterflies, they were kind of her thing. (How ironic that another Butterfly themed figure would cause her so many problems.)

He also splurged on a loop chalice, a fancy ring that could suspend liquids in midair, allowing you to drink from them as if you were holding a glass. There was a notable drawback: it was impossible to put down without spilling. You’d need to empty it somehow.

He even picked up a pair of Sylph Shoes that offered flight, though they did dig into his funds a bit.

“You sure picked up a lot,” said Koppi. “I figured you’d be in a rush.”

“No, we need to do this right. We’re here, we might as well prepare for the future. No telling when I’ll get the chance again. Making Yuko happy makes others happy.” He stored those in the Burrow as well.

They found a nice green hill somewhere, with a babbling river running down it. Fish splashed everywhere as they swam through, and a fine mist sprayed the two humans. Yuu knelt down, dipping his hand into the water, its cool body washing away the heat of his problems. “Okay, how best to do this? Sublimation and mind control or should I just use something more direct.” He held the pin on his shirt, running his fingers along the rim.

“Koppi, Arms Up!” said Yuu. The magic swirled around him He wore a striped tunic, though the sleeves were a solid white, and black pants and a cape followed. He felt like a prisoner from times long past, especially when the domino mask appeared on his face. Normally he liked how heroic they felt but today it made him feel like a criminal.

“I am Cepharim!”

Perfection embodied in nature’s purest form. The three elements of the storm yours to command.

“Mimic: Ink Octopus!” he called out. He gushed forward, an inky black goo mixing with the crystal clear waters. The river bent to his command, launching several fish into the sky. He leapt after them, plucking them out of the air as he landed on the other side of the river bed. “Catch!” He tossed them to Hiromi, who quickly threw them into the cooler. When they were done they had a healthy serving of fish for Yuko’s dinner.

“We’re not done yet though,” with a smirk he looked up, several furry looking winged things were drifting along on the breeze. “Ink Octopus!” And he spiraled back into the sky, gathering the chasenuts for dessert.

The cooler went straight into the Burrow.

Hiromi grinned at Yuu, looking over the distant countryside. “I have one more stop to make. A wish to grant, something that’s taken a very long time to do. About fifteen-years I’d say. Someone was a little slow with their payment. But better late than never.”

“Need a hand?” Yuu offered.

“Nope,” she said with a smirk. “And I have my own ride back home. But— if you choose to come, that’s another story entirely. And since this is Yuko’s wish to grant, she might out it toward credit for your wish. Maybe. I don’t know how her mind works.”

“This is‽” Yuu watched the scene unfold.

A child screaming, her mother turning to stone, and an older witch, holding her back.

The catalyst for the entire series.

In worlds with magic there are are two common systems. Only those born with powers can use it. Or anyone can use it. Sometimes powers could develop later or be found artificially. In the world of With Hat, anybody who knew the secrets of magic could perform the spells. But these methods were closely guarded. And so a lie was spread.

Only those born as witches could cast spells.

Young Coco was born as an ordinary girl, one who dreamed of being magic. She wanted more than anything to be a witch. So one day, when a witch named Qifrey visited, she spied on him, learning his secrets. She attempted to recreate magic, copying it from a forbidden picture books given to her by rebels longing to shatter the old system.

And this is what happened.

“I didn’t mean to. Mommy!” Her sobs split the night, and Qifrey tried to comfort her, holding her tight as she cried into his shoulder. “I just wanted to use magic. I don’t remember what spell I cast, it was from the book and I—” she could barely string the words together.

Hiromi stepped forward, approaching the group. “Please calm down,” she told Coco, patting her on the head. “Nobody blames you. It’s normal to want to do magic. All your life you were told it was impossible. And you just learned that wasn’t true.”

Qifrey tensed up, eyeing the group with suspicion. “Who are you?”

“Nobody here to interfere with your plans, I assure you.

“Coco, there are people who don’t like the system in place. They are called the Brimmed Caps. And while their goal is not inherently a bad one, some of them use dastardly methods to achieve their ends. One of them gave you that book, hoping to trigger something in the future.”

She turned to Qifrey. “Normally a witch in Qifrey’s position would have to report you. Your memories would be erased and you’d forget what you learned. But he has a grudge against the Brimmed Caps, for justifiable reasons. Currently, you may be his only lead. He intends to offer you a trade. He will take you on as an apprentice and teach you magic, and in the end he hopes to cross paths with the Brimmed Caps once more.”

She turned to Coco’s mom, still as a statue, and trudged forward, placing a hand on her cheek. “The Brimmed Caps still have plans for Coco, she will be safer with you Qifrey. It’s in everyone’s best interest that you take her with you.”

Coco wanted to be a Witch, these events set her on the path to become one, but it wasn’t all fun and games. She’d spend her time searching for a way to cure her mother. “I’m sure your mom will understand!” She snapped her finger, and the statue shattered, stone chunks peeling away as the figure beneath lit up like the sun.

When the glow dimmed, Coco’s mother stared at them in confusion. “What happened?”

“Someone tried to hurt you and your daughter,” Hiromi explained bluntly. “I don’t know the exact nature of their plans. But they may be back. If you’ll allow it, I’d like to take steps that will help protect you. But as for Coco, she will be safer with this man here.” The woman trembled, struggling to process the news hitting her. It was a lot to take in all at once.

So Hiromi and Yuu gave them some space to work things out.

Chapter Text

Through the Burrow, he found himself back in time.

“Okay, what’s going on? Did we heck up‽” asked Past!Yuu, staring in dismay. “Or are you me from a different dimension? Am I meeting my alternate selves now?” they were in the kitchen and he was just about to start cooking dinner on that fateful evening from weeks ago.

“I just came to deliver some ingredients,” he said, handing over a bag. “I’ve got everything you need for the cordfish dish and lots of marktea.” he handed over the fish and chrystanthonions, along with an entire bag full of tea slips, and one of those three tier tea towers he’d been so fond of. “I got more stuff too, when I went shopping, but if I had over everything right now you’ll get stuck trying to follow the blueprints of time exactly. Your trip should be more fun than that.”

“Thanks, I’ll get started cooking right away.”

“Good luck.” Said the slightly older variant. “Burrow.”

And he returned to the kitchen approximately forty-eight hours before the present. He’d been doing Time shenanigans there for the dinner menu, so he’d worked out a system with his other selves. “First I separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and give them a chance to age in the fridge. This will make the whipping process go more smoothly.” He hopped through the Burrow again.

“Wow, you sure are lucky to have your own Time Travel,” said Orikko. “Of course you have Koppi now so he can do it too.”

“But this is faster than transforming,” said the Octopus Kwami.

“Next I add in some cream of tartar,” he said cracking his knuckles. “The acidity helps the egg whites keep its shape.” He beat it all until he saw the stiff peaks forming.

Next he scooped up some quartz sugar next, placing it in a blender. “After that you want some superfine sugar.” He pulsed it for ten seconds. That’s finer than regular but not as fine as confectioner’s sugar.” He dumped it in with the mix.

“Next I sift the glow sugar and almond flour together. Using a spoon I help larger clumps make it through the sieve.” He pressed lightly as the two Kwamis both watched. “After that I slowly fold the egg mixture into the flour mixture, going by one third at a time.” He did this slowly, careful not to mess up. “I don’t want to over mix or the batter will be too thin.”

He grabbed a piping bag next and lined up a baking sheet with parchment.

“Next, I transfer all the ingredients and pipe it onto the baking sheet, where it will wait for 30-60 minutes as it firms up.” He moved to the oven, preheating it to 325° F. “We of course will be taking the Burrow!” He didn’t have time to sit around while his mind was racing, so he hopped through time.

“Next we bake for fifteen minutes,” he said, sticking it in the oven and setting a timer on his phone. “Okay, no need to rush this one. Besides, we can use this time to make the cream filling.

“I pour some heavy cream into a pan and begin heating it up until I start to see the bubbles popping. Next I chop up some white chocolate to help it melt.” He took a knife to a candy bar, cutting it to pieces. “The taste is sweet but mild, a perfect compliment to help enhance the flavors without drowning anything out. Next I gather some teabags and allow them to steep as I carefully watch the heat.”

This was the important part, following the recipe as Yuko had instructed him.

“I add Willowgrape, good for sleep and recovery; Fairy Tea, to calm the mind; and Windmiller’s tea, to improve concentration. I carefully stir and watch as the cream changes color, then I remove the tea bags.

“Next, I add in some peppermint oil for taste and magic,” he said, squirting a generous helping in there. It was good for headaches, the perfect counter to Nightormentor’s dust. Some studies also attributed it an energy boosting effect, though more research was needed on that front, Yuu couldn’t imagine this hurting the potion.

This just called for one last secret ingredient. “Koppi, Arms Up!” He called out the invocation. The stripes returned, covering him head to toe as he once again became Cepharim. “Mimic!” Then came the mental inkantation.

Freedom , the power to release the mind from restrictions.

“Liberation!” He squirted some ink into the mix, stirring it in until the cream blackened. “I free you from your nightmares.” Perhaps a feather from Eagle might have been stronger, but this was way easier to mix in.

“Next, I let the recipe chill in the fridge for two hours!” He waited a bit longer for the oven to ding, and pulled out the tray, carrying it with him through the Burrow.

“After the ganache has chilled, I feed it into a piping bag and begin piping it into the macaron shells. Macarons are like cookie sandwiches, I want the filling in between two cookies. Once this has all been arranged properly, I put it all back into the fridge to chill for another twenty-four hours.” He separated them into two containers, one for himself and one for Bunnyx.

And with one last trip through time, he had a finished batch of macarons. He was about to leave again, when Yuko entered the kitchen.

“Someone’s been hard at work. Though, you’re hardly the only one. The Anything Store has pulled through once again, and the workers have been paid a fair price. I may have even thrown in a little bonus for them.”

“Really? That was fast.” Usually it took them some time to fulfill requests.

“Ohohohohoho~ when I said earlier that I was going to the Anything store, were you under the impression I was placing an order? On the contrary, I was picking one up.”

“Of course,” said Yuu. “I was foolish to not consider the possibility.”

She led him to the main room, where a rather large egg sat on the table. It was made of orange glass, resting on top of a golden base in a rectangular cut. Several golden petals surrounded it, like a flower halfway in bloom. “Behold, the Dawn Egg, a powerful artifact capable of bringing about new possibilities.”

“How ambiguous.”

“Yes. Perfect for our purposes. The best magic is versatile and can be used for many tasks. Eggs hatch into new things and dawns bring new days filled with no limitations. With it, we can enchant objects, increasing their strength. Something this powerful cost a lot of money to obtain but it was worth it in the end.”
“How exactly do you make money? You don’t sell anything for cash. Everything you do is based on a fair price.”

“The stock market.”

How very straight forward.

Yuko Ichihara held the twin rings in her hands, lifting them high above the egg, and tilted her palm to let them slide right off. They hit the egg with a clink— then the light show began. There were sparks, like metal in a microwave, and the egg lit up like a flood light. He could feel sweat dripping down his face as his skin singed a little. The rings sank through the surface, lights like fireflies danced around them.

His eyes burned, watching the light within the light, but he couldn’t look away. He could always heal his eyesight later if need be.

It hummed and hissed like a machine about to break, but Yuko’s smile said it all. Things were going perfectly.

His throat went dry, he could barely swallow his own spit.

The sounds grew louder like an orchestra swelling toward a climax. His chest shook, he could feel the power surging through the air into his skin and bones. He’d come across powerful magic before, but nothing like this. Whatever this egg was, it was no toy to be trifled with.

Then all at once the sounds stopped. The lights dimmed. And the egg’s surface rippled like water. Yuko reached in, pulling out the rings. “The ritual is complete. Adrien has been freed from the power of the Amok. Hyou could hold these both in your hand, order him however you like, and the choice would be his.”

She snapped them both together. “You could even crush them, and he would be fine.”

Dropping them into Yuu’s palm, she said “What we do with these now is unimportant, though I suspect you’ll want to return them to young Adrien Agreste. Sentiment is its own kind of magic after all, though one not particularly useful to us outside the context of the Agreste family.”

“But within that context? Are you giving me a hint? Do I have to pay for that as well?”

“No, just my own feelings. The only thing that can be freely given in this world.”

“Yuko, can we really grant Gabriel’s wish to bring everyone back together? That seems like a stretch, even for you. Émilie’s gone, and we know saving the dead is beyond your power.” Or was the presence of greater powers enabling the otherwise impossible? “Gabriel’s on the verge of death. Are we going to restore them in a meaningful way? Or is this one of those literal things where Émilie does come back, but only for a few seconds?

“Or will she and Gabriel just be ghosts?”

Yuko chuckled. “Always considering multiple possibilities. Your mind is sharp, Yuu. But there are times I feel you stand too long at the crossroads. Yuu Akimoto, if you cannot see the future from where you are standing, then you must simply take a step forward.”

Yuko smirked. “Or perhaps, let me put it this way. If the uncertainty bothers you—

“Choose a future and walk toward it.”

Chapter Text

“Are those macarons?” Bunnyx asked as he returned to her side of the universe. She eyed the black filling. “What flavor?”

“Magic,” said Dawnbringer. “Sunset.” He figured it best to rely on Orikko’s original power, since Koppi’s Mimic tended to be weaker. And besides, he had sentimental reasons to miss being the Rooster Hero. He was about to relinquish the Miraculous once again, and there was no telling how the future would unroll.

“I made these with some tea and peppermint which should have calming properties, along with a bit of help from this guy. Koppi, say hello.”

He popped up from behind Yuu’s shoulder, waving an arm. “Hi, I’m Koppi, the Kwami of Imitation. As you may have guessed, I can copy other Kwami’s powers.” He gestured to the ink ganache macarons. “Behold, one batch of Eagle-Imitation Liberation, perfect for freeing human minds from a nightmare curse.”

He slipped the Miraculous off his thumb, feeding Orikko another snack as he handed it over. “I’m done with it, please entrust this to Marc Anciel. Although— depending on how this plays out I may need him to give me a ride back home.” Then he handed her one of his containers.

Smiling at his own sets of macarons, he told Bunnyx, “I’ll handle Adrien, Félix, and Kagami.” He took the Dragon Miraculous back from her again. “You can do the rest. And as for Koppi, I think I know just the right person to add to the team.”

“Got it!” she said.

And they were both off.

Yuu reached into the pure white room, holding his hand out to Adrien. “You don’t know me, but I need your help.” Adrien looked up, his eyes dark with restlessness. He stepped away, not wanting to trust a complete stranger. Especially not one with Miraculous powers.

“Who are you‽” he demanded.

“Someone who just wants to help. Ladybug’s in trouble. If you don’t come with me, she might die.” Panic overcame all of Adrien’s reservations. He sprang forward into the Burrow, Plagg following closely behind. “What do you mean she’s in danger‽ Who are you‽” He twiddled the Miraculous around his finger, caught between two opposing fears. “Where’s Bunnyx‽” That using it could kill Ladybug.

That not using it could kill Ladybug.

“I’m a dimensional visitor from another world, just like Shady Bug and Claw Noir. And I know who you are, Cat Noir. Assuming things haven’t gone completely sideways in this universe. It’s always hard to tell at a glance.”

Adrien let out a gasp, falling forward as he gripped his head. Pain shot through his brain like his skull had been cracked with a Cataclysm-charged blow. A vision flooded his mind, himself— Akumatized, Anticat, the destroyer of worlds.

He took out a macaron. “I’m sorry, my baking skills probably aren’t up to your usual standards, but this is the best I can offer you. If it— it will neutralize the effects of Nightormentor’s poison. It will clear your head and help you save the day.”

Plagg, discarding all secrecy, popped up, “Be careful Adrien. We don’t know if we can trust him.”

Yuu had spent months in the Burrow back home, studying its inner workings. He’d grown accustomed to using the windows to watch the time stream from afar. He instantly found the one he needed, skipping to the moment of confrontation. Bug Noire— still using both Miraculous, fighting against Monarch. Except he wasn’t Monarch anymore, he looked like Hawkmoth again, just blacker now. And all around them were shadowy enemies, like silhouettes made of living darkness. Bug Noire ducked and dodged, doing her best to evade, until she was stung by her nemesis’ Venom. He reached for the Ear Rings and the Ring, prying them both off her frozen body.

Adrien glanced down at his own Ring. He’d just been about to give it to Plagg, terrified of its power and what he might do with it. He looked back up at the screen in time to see the magic peel away from Bu Noire’s body.

A Cataclysm to the heart would have been less impactful than the blow he felt. “Marinette?” He ran up to the window. “She’s in trouble. Monarch— or Hawkmoth or whoever, has the Miraculous, we have to save her!”

“Calm down, Adrien, that’s what we’re trying to do, remember?” When he saw the dark and shadowy nightmare version of Hawkmoth change back as well, he lost all strength. “Father?”

“Yes,” said Yuu, his voice plain but not unkind. “Hawkmoth is your father. He wants the Miraculous to bring back your mother. He may have other intentions as well, but that’s his main one. And of course, to obtain,” “Something of equal value must be lost.” Adrien looked up, watching as a bright light engulfed the helpless Marinette. Then she was gone.

And so was any hesitation. He snatched the macaron from Yuu’s hand, nearly swallowing it whole. The effects were instantaneous, like he dropped several kilograms of weight from his body. He didn’t realize how hot he’d been feeling until his body adjusted to the new coolness. His legs felt stronger now, he hadn’t even realized he’d fallen.

“That nightmare wasn’t real. It was just Nightormentor trying to scare me. But I won’t let him.” Adrien Agreste took a moment to compose himself, it was almost time for the final battle. He always imagined it going down much differently than this. His heart racing, nerves frayed, but fighting alongside his greatest partner. Instead he felt strangely calm. “Don’t worry. I’ll stop my father— whatever name he’s going by right now.

“Plagg, Claws Out!”

He spotted a message from Ladybug. He responded: I’ll be there as soon as I can.

They found Kagami next. “No, mother, don’t—”

“Kagami, it’s okay,” said Cat Noir, helping her to her feet. “It’s just a nightmare, Monarch wanted to scare you. It isn’t real. Eat this,” he handed her one of the macarons. “I promise it will help.” Her hand reached for it, but her movements were sluggish, like she didn’t have the strength. Cat Noir helped guide it to her mouth, she chewed it slowly.

And everything washed away like dirt in a shower, circling the drain. “Cat Noir, what are you doing here? And who are you?” she turned to the mysterious stranger.

“First thing’s first— Cataclysm!” He destroyed all the cameras so nobody could see. “I just found out that Monarch is Gabriel Agreste, and he’s got something big planned. I suspect that’s why you were locked up, for your own safety. Which means your mother— she~” he couldn’t bring himself to say it.

“Yes. I’ve known for some time that Gabriel is Monarch. And I have every reason to believe my mother is his ally. But Argos and I— we told Ladybug. Hasn’t she told you?”

“Things have been hectic lately, I’ve had some problems on my end so we haven’t really had a chance to go over things yet. But that’s not important, Monarch’s about to do something incredibly dangerous. Ladybug is going to need our help.”

“And to that effect,” he handed her a familiar looking choker.

“Is that?”

“Hello, Kagami, it has been quite some time,” said a familiar voice. Longg appeared in a sparkle of magic, smiling down at her. “I do wish it could have been under more pleasant circumstances, but I’m afraid things are going to get very bad if we don’t intervene soon.”

She slipped the necklace on, and was about to transform, “Longg, Bring the Storm!” Ryuko had made her return.

“Now, we have one more person to recruit before I send you two off.”

From the Burrow, they went directly into Félix’s home, bedroom, finding him curled up on his bed, clutching a pillow to his chest. Duusuu hovered in the air watching over him. “Mom is that—” he looked up, nearly screaming in fear as he rolled off the bed. “Kagami? When did— you can’t be here!” He backed into the wall. “You need to leave. Now!”

“Félix, what’s wrong?” she asked, and then she noticed his chest. He wasn’t wearing the broach. “Where’s the Miraculous?”

“I put it on the table,” he said. “It’s too dangerous. I had a nightmare. Monarch used the power of the Rooster to give himself mind control abilities. He took control of my body, I was a puppet again. I couldn’t resist. He made me destroy your Amok!” He said through slitted fingers, trying to hide his face.

“Félix, my mother would never allow that. Don’t worry. You aren’t going to hurt me.” She leaned over, with one hand on his shoulder, and pulled him into a gentle hug. “He’s not that stupid. He would never risk the anger of one of his only allies.”

“He said after he destroyed me he would use the Peacock to make a replacement. One more obedient than the real you. Your mother would be happier that way. He said he was going to do the same for me. And Adrien. He’d get rid of all our Amoks and start over.”

Yuu bit his lip, turning to Cat Noir.

“What are you talking about‽” He demanded, practically shouting. “Amoks? Those are for Sentimonsters! You’re humans! You’re not like those creatures!”

“I prefer the term Sentibeing!” Félix protested, his eyes sparking with a hint of anger. “Our parents used the Peacock Miraculous in a broken state. It’s why Adrien’s mother and my father— and presumably Kagami’s dad as well— all died. My mother and her sister were both infertile. They wanted children but couldn’t. So they turned to magic.”

“You’re lying!” Cat Noir hissed.

“Why would I lie about something like this‽” Félix rose to his feet, shoving Cat Noir back. “You think I like having someone else in control of my life? My dad hated me for what was happening to him and he made a game out of treating me like a toy. Stand up, sit down, stay silent, like a little robot with no free will of my own.

“And when he got mad? Do you have any idea how much it hurts when your Amokized object is under attack. It feels like someone shoving a hand into your chest to squeeze your heart, threatening to shred it to confetti. Like you’re drowning and can’t break the surface. Like ever fiber of your being is about to tear itself apart.

“Then I had to deal with my uncle threatening to kill me with a snap of his fingers.” He mimicked the motion. “Just like that it would all be over. And then, in an act of twisted sadism, he decided to not do the dead himself. And he tried to Akumatize my ring,” he lifted his hand, pointing, “knowing fully well my Amok was inside.

“He tried to get you and Ladybug to kill me!

“And Kagami,” he turned to Ryuko, “Do you really think you’re safe from him‽ Don’t you remember the time he Akumatized your Amokized ring? If Ladybug and Cat Noir hadn’t saved you peacefully, you wouldn’t be around today. He’s a threat to us all and—”

“Shut up!” Growled Cat Noir. “You’re not making any sense! WE ARE NOT SENTIMONSTERS!”

Félix and Ryuko both gasped.

““Adrien?””

“Claws In,” and tears out. He fell to his knees, crying. “What do you mean we’re Sentimonsters?” He looked at his palms, blurry through the sting of tears, “I’m human.” he flexed his fingers. “I’m not a Sentimonster.”

“Being created by magic is just one way for life to begin,” said Ryuko. “It’s no different than if you were created through modern science. Mme. Bustier had a sperm donor, didn’t she? Does that make her baby any less human?”

“But we— we’ve got Amoks. Oh my God. Is that why I could never disobey my father when he gave me a direct order‽ How long was he controlling me‽ Forcing me into my room when I wanted to be with Marinette. Making me ignore missions.” He looked up at Yuu. “Did you know this?”

“Adrien I’m so sorry,” said Yuu, “I was planning to tell you when we had more time. But with everything going on right now, I didn’t want to overwhelm you with too much information at once. The last thing we need is for you to get Akumatized.” He slipped the twin rings into Adrien’s hand. “Here, these objects originally contained your Amok.”

“As you know, there are other forms of magic besides the Miraculous. I work for a witch, she traded Monarch a powerful magical item to make him stronger. But in exchange, he was forced to pay a heavy price. These rings are no longer his. They’re yours.

“But that’s not all. Nooroo, had a wish as well. To protect you. He paid with his freedom, and was forced to go back to Monarch so that you’d be safe. And my boss, the witch, she used her magic to remove the hold the Amok had on you. You should be safe from its effects now.”

Félix looked up, his face soft with surprise and hope. “You mean, he’s completely free? He can’t be controlled or killed by it?”

“Yes, my boss is a powerful with who grants wishes. She can do the same for you two, but only for a price. Not money, but usually a trade of something powerful. I wish I could say more. But I can introduce you two to her if you want.”

“We’ll have to figure this out later,” said Ryuko. “Right now, Ladybug’s life is in danger. But Adrien, if you’re not feeling up to it—”

“Sorry, I just need a moment,” he said, wiping the snot from his nose.

Yuu took two more macarons from the container, glad he’d made a few extras. “Here, you look like you could use one more.” It wouldn’t have the same magical effect, but he hoped it would still help. “And this is for you.” He gave the other to Félix.

Both boys ate, and Adrien looked at his cousin. He was so used to looking at Félix and seeing his own face, but now he watched the pain melt away from his cousin’s eyes, and it was like feeling everything inside him slow down for a second. The screaming voice died down, and he felt warmth spreading through him again. “Ladybug’s in trouble, we need to help her.”

“Plagg, Claws Out.”

“Duusu, Spread My Feathers.”

Yuu took them all to Paris, dropping them outside of Adrien’s home. “Ladybug should be inside. Quick, she’ll need your help.”

An army of the Miraculized scoured the streets of Paris, searching for Ladybug and Cat Noir. Right now, Yuu (or rather Cepharim) didn’t have the time to face them all. Quicker measures would need to be taken. So he located the boy he wanted from the crowd. He looked just like anyone else right now, an almost mannequin like figure, but Cepharim’s enhanced hearing could make out his voice.

“Don’t worry Adrien, I’ll save you!”

He threw his chakram, striking the boy’s Alliance ring, and called out, “Fetch!” And in a flash Wayhem had returned to normal, staring in confusion at the people around him. Ceraphim leapt to the ground, “Genesis!” And created a bag of marbles. Spilling them forth, he let the crowd trip, before responding with “Multitude.” His dozens of tiny copies pulled off their rings, returning them to normal.

They all looked up, rubbing their heads in confusion.

“Fall In!” He reunited his multiplied selves into a single body, cand finished with “Voyage!” And he grabbed Wayhem’s wrist, pulling him through.

They appeared outside of Agreste Manor.

“Hey! Who are you‽” He demanded, eyeing Ceraphim suspiciously. “Why are we outside Adrien’s home?”

“Arms Down!” He said, feeding Koppi some carrots and cheese.

Wayhem’s eyes widened as he spotted the Kwami. “What is that?”

“This is Koppi. He’s a Kwami. They’re the magic creatures that fuel the Miraculous.” He paused his explanation as Wayhem winced, holding his head as pain lanced through it.

“No— Adrien,” he clutched his heart, “I’m sorry I’m so annoying. I didn’t mean to be. I promise I’ll stop. But I have to save you first.”

“That’s just a nightmare, it isn’t real,” he said, feeding Wayhem the macaron. Like the others, Wayhem’s relief was instant. He snapped to attention, breathing out a sigh of relief. “Now, that video you saw of Ladybug and Cat Noir kidnapping Adrien and Kagami.”

“It was fake, right?” He looked at his empty finger. “Those weren’t even the real Adrien and Kagami, I know that. They’re virtual avatars. How did I get so confused?”

“You were under the influence of an Akumatized villain named Nightormentor, who spread nightmare dust to infect the entire planet. Nightmares— dreams— can often blur the line between real and imaginary. Things that make no sense in real life don’t raise an eyebrow in a dream.

“You be reading a manga that doesn’t exist in real life, but it might be your favorite series ever to your dream self.

“I think Nightormentor broke down everyone’s ability to discern reality from fiction.”

“So Adrien’s safe?”

“Partially. Monarch did kidnap him, but I freed him. If you want to help keep him safe, though, there’s a way.

“Wayhem— I’m not from around here and I can’t stick around for long. But Paris needs all the protectors it can get. This is the Miraculous of the Octopus,” he placed the pin in Wayhem’s hand. “Would you be willing to be Paris’ newest Hero?”

“If it helps me protect Adrien— yes.”

“Then say “Koppi, Arms Up!”
“Koppi, Arms Up!”

He transformed, wearing a striped body suit with four belts sticking out of his side like arms. A black and white domino mask covered his face. Pumping a fist into the air, he decided to name himself “Mimichrome!”

“Monarch is just inside, Mimichrome,” Yuu pointed at the Agreste manor. “The others could really use your help.”

“I’m on it!” He took a deep breath.

Yuu smiled, hoping he had done enough.

So he sat on the grassy lawn, legs crossed and waited until the swarm of ladybugs flooded the sky, wrapping around the entire planet.

Chapter Text

Yuu wasn’t sure how he’d get back home. He could probably slip into the Burrow and ask Bunnyx for help, but he didn’t want to interrupt the team’s celebration. They’d just gone through a lot, saving the world from the forces of destruction. Maybe he could give them a few minutes before asking, let them catch their breath.

Instead, Hiromi appeared before him, offering her hand. “Hey, figured you’d be stuck here. Need a hand?” She smirked at him, but the twinkle in her eyes quickly faded, replaced by something else.

“You okay? You don’t look super happy.”

“I admit when I wanted to journey between worlds, I imagined I’d be a little more Kingdom Hearts about it. You know, I’d get to join along in the battles, fight alongside the heroes. Instead I’m sidelined like an NPC, offering a bit of aid from behind the scenes while everyone else has all the fun.

“I didn’t even get to run around handing out Miraculous.

“I suppose I could have battled the Miraculized but where’s the fun in handling mob trash? I don’t have any combat powers on my own and if I asked Jeal for help I’d be too OP. I’d just wave my hand and BAM they’re down.” Hiromi shrugged her shoulders, kneeling down beside Yuu. “Maybe it’s selfish, but ever since I discovered the truth about my world, I’ve felt a little empty.”

“The truth?”

“You could say I’m also an artificially created being, like Adrien Agreste. I’d say my whole world was— but honestly there’s not much of a world there at all. You’ve discussed it with Yuko, right? How some worlds become fiction and some fiction become worlds?

“I’m from the latter. An OC from a meta story meant to explore the concept. But that story was quickly abandoned after a single chapter. And I was never fleshed out. I have no backstory to speak of. And sure I’ve got an internal life fulfilling me to a certain degree, but it’s mostly off screen.

“I think the closest thing I had to development is befriending a girl who’s mom was fighting cancer and helping her get through it. But I’m not like Kamui. He had a crush on a boy who broke his heart and wished to have that boy forget about him. And he’s done way more work for Jeal than I have. And he— well he’s not the same as me. He was real, not some artificial meta commentary.”

Yuu sat there, letting the words sink in.

“I keep hoping that somewhere out there in these many worlds is a girl with my name and face— another me living a happy life.”

“Hiromi, there are infinite worlds, aren’t there? I’m sure there’s one somewhere where your wish comes true. You’ll find it someday.”

“You’re right, but there’s no use moping around right now. Let’s get you home.” Rising to her feet, she held out her hand, and a pink staff shimmered into existence. It was a perfect replica of Sakura’s original from Cardcaptor Sakura.

“Oh staff of magic and wish of light

Manifest my dream into wings of flight

Take me now from this world I see

To the Nexus of the realm between!”

A magic circle opened at her feet, spinning as it grew wider. It lit up, engulfing them both, washing out the scenery around them. When the glow dimmed, Yuu found they were no longer in the streets of Paris, but instead a world that reminded him of the Burrow.

There was a single green futon on the wooden floor.

Around them spun several full size body mirrors, all with gilded frames. Through each he saw a different world reflected. Mulan and Mushu battling the Huns. Yugi and Kaiba tag teaming Rex and Weevil. Kurt Hummel and Sam Evans exchanging wedding vows.

Leaf Saito fighting alongside Lloyd Irving.

And an other world where she was busy baking macarons for Tikki.

He spotted Naota and an Espurr picking berries together.

Fletcher playing a game of Card Force where the cards came to life.

And probably half a dozen worlds filled with Sonya kicking him in the nuts.

“Welcome to my home!” said a cheery voice.

Yuu spun, spotting a young boy who appeared to be about six. “Hello again, Hiromi! It’s been a while!”

“Wow, Nathan, you haven’t aged a bit.”

“Such is my magic,” he said with a laugh.

“Sorry we had to leave you out of the last world hopping adventure. Fletcher and co. needed to move about quickly, so Jeal felt it was easier to bypass your nexus entirely with his own magic. Plus we didn’t want to strain you know who. She was already pushing herself.

Yuu rubbed his head, even he was getting a headache trying to keep this straight.

Nathan hopped toward Yuu, grabbing his hands. “It’s nice to meet you. I’ve seen many of your adventures. The way you took down Monarch was awesome!” He sun around with the kind of glee only children had. “I wish we could chat more, but you have to get back to— wherever.

“I can take you back home,” he snapped a finger and summoned a mirror, it flew off the wall and straight to them, displaying a beautiful afternoon in Achefall city. “Or you can go see Yuko.” he summoned another mirror. “Or perhaps you’d like to see Jeal?”

“He can grant your wish faster than Yuko can. Just a single wave of his wand and everything you want is all yours. Nireus defeated, people safe, Kwamis free.”

“Tempting, but I did once reset the timeline just to save Naota. Call me selfish but I think I’ll let things play out now. Sure, doing this could one up Xiong and show him he was wrong to mess with me. But I want him to realize he was wrong to mess with Naota. And while I could intervene, I do want Naota to realize how much she’s grown, and that she had the right idea about certain things, even if I may have disagreed with them at times.

“I love Naota and she loves me, but sometimes she doesn’t realize how awesome she is.”

“I see, you want her to change,” said Hiromi. “And that is something Jeal can’t grant. Not because of stagnation, but because it goes against his moral compass.” Hiromi chuckled to herself, watching Yuu’s brow furrow. “I can see you’re putting a lot of thought into this.”

Her smile softened. “Jeal told me to tell you one thing. He’s seen the future. If you trust in it and keep moving forward, you’ll be able to find the path to a happy ending. No help from the Ghoti Shop needed. But if you ever decide to call upon us, just know that he’ll be waiting.”

Yuu watched the mirrors, attention zeroing in on Yuko’s shop as he noticed a familiar orange swirl opening. “I was looking forward to a nice long nap, but it seems there’s still some order of business left.”

Yuu appeared in the shop before their new guests arrived. He watched as three people emerged from that swirling vortex of orange light. Gabriel and Émilie Agreste alongside a feminine figure in a cybernetic themed outfit, she had scarlet colored skin, an orange suit with sharp shoulders, and an orange helmet with black markings.

“I see you have returned,” said Yuko with a smile.

“Thank you, Yuko Ichihara,” said Gabriel, giving an uncharacteristic bow of politeness. “You were more amazing than I could have ever imagined. You arranged things to save myself, my wife, and Nathalie here— although she’s going by Wanderer now that she’s been Kamikotized. When I came in wishing for the power to defeat Ladybug and Cat Noir I never imagined it would turn out this way.”

Smoke curled up around her as she smoked from her pipe. “Cat Noir was already out of the equation, you just needed the power to defeat Marinette. But you didn’t account for her allies. That was a mistake on your part, and I admit one I was keen to exploit. Of course, Hitsuzen had already laid the groundwork.”

Yuko frowned. “Your true wish was for your family to be happily reunited. I admit, that such wishes are beyond my power, just as much as I am unable to save the dead. I cannot change the inside of a person. Only they can change themselves, though others may help serve as a catalyst.

“You yourself are beginning to change for the better. But your actions have left your son heavily scarred, worse than any Cataclysm. You must do a lot of work to earn his forgiveness.”

“Yes, I am well aware that my actions have consequences and I will be paying the price for the rest of my life. I have a lot of cleaning up to do. I just hope it isn’t my son who suffers the fallout of what I’ve done, and what I will do in the name of redemption.”

“Tsurugi-san is sure to be displeased,” said Wanderer.

“And that brings us to why we are here today,” said Émilie. “We heard what you did for Adrien, how you freed him from his tether to his Amok. We’d like to do the same for Félix and Kagami, so that they no longer have to live in fear.”

“Such a wish carries a high price. Nooroo is still paying for saving Adrien. He has entered the hands of another who wishes to use him for evil. Thankfully, Ladybug’s magic has cleansed him for the funeral lilies, but the team will still have to work hard if they wish to defeat their new enemy and save him.

“You could simply take their place as the ones tethered to the Amoks, but then Adrien would suffer in your place, spending every day living his life in fear for you.”

Yuu held his head low. Would now be a good time to bring Jeal into the mix? He could help. But Gabriel was working hard to protect people. This was part of his penance. Something that would help him move on.

Fish, it seemed, were bad for therapy.

“Luckily for you I have just the thing.” Walking to a shelf, she pulled out a peacock feather resting in a vase, and took it to the glass egg. She dropped it inside and they all watched it spark, a bright golden light flooding the room. Anyone not enhanced by by high levels of magic was forced to look away, lest their eyes be burned: and Yuu had already had enough of that.

It smoked and hissed, giving off intense heat. And when it was done, Yuko Ichihara held the feather in her hand, smirking as she stepped toward the group. “This peacock feather has been enhanced by the powers of the egg. If you give it to Duusu, her powers will be magnified. The next person to transform with her will be able to undo the connections Sentibeings have with their Amoks.

“But to receive this feather, an equal price must be paid. You are saving two people’s lives, so the price will be high. But if all three of you pay it together, you just might be able to handle it. First of all, as Duusu is helping with this wish, you will all owe a debt to her. However, rather than dictate the price as I usually do, I will leave these finer details up to you. Think about what it means to be a Kwami and what she might want.

“But to pay for the feather—

“Gabriel: you must do everything you can to make amends. No more secrets to Adrien about the Miraculous, you, or his mother. You must now support his friendships and his relationship with Marinette or whomever else he chooses to date. You must give back to the city, help fund the new school, and do whatever is possible to make the city, and the world a better place.”

He paused, a quizzical look on his face as his brows furrowed. “I assure you, I was already planning to do so. Not to waste a perfectly fine opportunity, but that hardly seems like a fair price for a wish when I was already working toward this anyway.”

Yuko smiled. “It will be harder than you imagined. But you must stick to it and not give up. And it is precisely the price you need to pay because Adrien’s friends have all welcomed Kagami into their group, and Félix will likely join them. You have long since treated Adrien like a puppet. To a lesser extent, you have done the same to Félix and Kagami as well. Now you must cut the strings and set them all free and give them the proper space to grow as children.”

She turned to Wanderer next. “Nathalie, your price will be to assist them in the other side of their lives. Adrien found much freedom as Cat Noir, Kagami as Ryuko, and now Félix wishes to redeem himself and break free from the chains that once bound him. You must aid them from the shadows. They have more enemies than they realize. And you will be their source of information.”

Wanderer nodded.

Lastly, she turned to Émilie. “Your husband lost his way without you. And Nathalie succumbed to the darkness as well. For your payment it will be your duty to watch over them both and make sure that they do not stray again, even with all the challenges they face ahead.

“Do you agree to these terms?”

“““We accept!””” they said in unison. And reaching out, they all took the feather.

“Thank you, Yuko Ichihara,” said Gabriel. “You’ve given me a second chance I do not deserve. I promise I won’t waste it.” He turned to the others. “We should head back, and get this to Argos.”

Wanderer opened another portal for them and they all vanished through it, leaving behind Yuko and Yuu. The young man watched them all go, wondering how things would play out in their timeline. He was curious, he hoped they would all get the happy ending they deserved, but he was just one human.

He could only handle so much and he had his own world to look out for.

“That seemed awfully lenient,” he admitted to Yuko. “Gabriel was right, a lot of that was stuff they planned to do anyway. Does that really even qualify as payment?”

She blew on her pipe.

“Yes, that is a valid point. But why shouldn’t honest effort be rewarded? Gabriel and Nathalie want to make amends with the children they’ve hurt, this wish will help them take a step forward. Of course, whether or not the children forgive them is another matter entirely. It is all up to them.”

Yuko grinned. “I’m getting hungry. But I bet you’re tired after all that. Why don’t you head on home, I’ll have Watanuki cook something up for me.”

“Actually, I’ve still got a little more energy left in me. I don’t mind cooking something right now. In fact, why don’t I make extra? You can share with Mokona, Watanuki, Doumeki, Himawari, and whoever else is around. Will making a share for you suffice as payment.”

“Ohoho~ suddenly feeling generous, are we? Or are you looking forward to whatever thanks you will receive?”

“But this is my thank you to them, for the story they’ve all lived. Without them guiding me here, I never would have met you. And I’d never have my wish granted. Think of this as me paying them a finder’s fee of sorts.”

Yuko blinked. “Very well. Normally I’d worry about the balance being unfair, but if it’s you, I think it might work out.”

Chapter Text

“So this is the infamous ΧMÆR∀ machine I’ve heard so much about,” Yuko said with a grin. “Okay Yuu, fire it up! I want to play!” Yuko jumped onto the stage, allowing him to place his tokens in the machine. It was a game they apparently did not have in Yuko’s world, though not one directly tied to Yuu or his family themselves. He knew it well though, Naota was a huge fan.

And he wasn’t the only one. The game drew in lots of cash for the company and its creator.

It was one of the first things on her checklist when she said she wanted to visit Achefall. Right after ‘Get ice cream.’

They’d discussed it before coming.

It was a dancing rhythm game like DDR: but you acquired little monsters called ΧMÆR∀s from a blind box system. You purchased a small mystery figurine and built your team, using them to do battle with other players. ΧMÆR∀s had different attacks and skills to use strategically, and some players genuinely tried their best to win. Others simply enjoyed rocking out to the extensive catalogue of thousands of songs.

“I’m surprise you would have an interest in a glorified gacha game,” he admitted. Though in fairness, he did love it despite the gacha elements of a blind box system. Not that he was completely innocent in this regard, having helped form a popular trading card game. “Something that luck based seems to go against all rules of equivalent exchange.

“Then again, you had no problem with Sakura’s gambling.”

“You see, gambling comes with its own risks and rewards. The fear, the chills, the triumphs, those are all part of the payment and exchange. When two people gamble, one loses. It all balances out in the end, with one person’s pleasure being another’s pain. When you gamble against a system like this though:

“Saying it all balances out is overly simplifying things. But you are risking the pain of wasting your money on nothing. And that pain can hurt very much when you play. So yes, in a way you are neglecting the concept of equivalent exchange. And the regret you feel is all part of the punishment inflicted on those who ignore the warnings.”

Not that she seemed to care in the moment. “Ooooh they have music from Cat’s Eye.” She said, selecting Dancing With the Sunshine. Using a team Yuu helped her compose from his private collection, she stomped around the battlefield like a woman in charge, And once she was finished, she moved onto 19 sai, finishing up with a round of Butterfly.

“They are my motif. I would be remiss if I ignored this song, Akimoto-kun,” she teased.

“It’s a great song, people love it for a reason,” he admitted. “It just feels like I’m seeing more of your casual side today. Not that I haven’t seen it before, but usually only Watanuki and a few select others are permitted to witness that part of you.”

She leaned in close, her fingers circling around his cheek. “But of course you’ve seen it before. You’ve read the manga, haven’t you? You’ve seen many parts of me. The serious and the less so both. I believe that people in your time have begun calling this gap moe, correct?”

It was so strange hearing her so casually mention a manga where she was just a fictional character. But here she was, real as anyone else.

“Tell me, have you read any fanfiction about this game?” she asked as the song came to a close.

“Yeah, just a little. It’s obviously not a story heavy game. It’s just got a whole bunch of monsters people like to play with. I’d say 65% of the stories I’ve seen focus on summoners doing battle with their ΧMÆR∀s, and 25% are grounded in the real world and focus on dancers playing the game. The rest can be attributed to various other kinds of stories, like slice of life stories. World building. People raising their ΧMÆR∀s. Things like that.”

Yuko smirked. “Even the tiniest bit of inspiration is enough to fuel entirely new worlds.”

Yuu tilted his head. “I’ve been wondering lately. Why the sudden interest in creating new worlds? I agree that it’s a powerful form of magic, but you’ve been accepting a lot of them as payment for Wishes lately. Flow, Natalie, Leaf and Scarlex, and in a way even Gabriel. If he supports Adrien’s friends that will include Marc, Nathaniel, Kagami, Max, and Nino and they’re all creators. Zoé too, arguably.”

“I had a feeling you might notice that. Yes. That is something I knew would happen and is one of the reasons I did have you work so hard to fulfill Gabriel’s wish. But you see, there is a reason I am working so hard to do this right now.

“Because someone made a wish to undo a regret. And now I am granting that wish.”

“Really? Who?”

“That’s a metaphysical discussion not worth the headache it would bring. But rest assured, Yuu, everything will be fine in the end.”

“The scales will balance?”

Yuko hesitated. “Why don’t we just wait and see how this all plays out? Now come along, we have someone to meet. To the bookstore we go!”

Yuko found herself staring in awe at all the manga not available in her home dimension. Cat Master Katharina, Card Force, Linden Nights, and tons of other Shounen Nova titles. “Ohohoho, I could spend all day here. Tell me Yuu, why did you not bring me one of these when I asked for some piece of media from your world? I did enjoy reading your book, but you do not strike me as the type who would use the opportunity for self promotion.”

“Honestly, I figured there was an approximately 15% chance you’d ask me about the book, in an effort to clarify some details and better solidify your inner view of the world. And if you had done that I planned to charge you for the information.” He was only half joking. “Honestly: all the talk about putting your heart into a work, I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d done that with my story.

“I admit, part of me churned it out for the assignment, tailor made to cater to the teacher, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t give it my all. I put so much of myself into something I hated in the end. Did I betray the world in some way?”

“Yuu, I don’t believe you hate the story as much as you think you did. Sure, you wrote it with a certain level of contempt for suffering, but that was because you hate the suffering itself. You realize there are people out there you can’t help. And you hate that they are going through life feeling more pain than anyone ever should.

“But there’s something else you wanted to know as well, isn’t there? A question you’re avoiding.”

“Did I do that to her? Did I create a protagonist who was doomed to suffer?”

Yuko smiled gently at him. “Rest assured, you did not. If anything I imagine it was thanks to you that she was able to find the strength to carry on. But chin up, as I said before, we have someone we’re here to meet.”

Of all the people Yuko could want to see, he was not expecting his editor, Lorelei Spalding. She was dressed in purple, with her long brown hair tied up in a bun. She seemed surprised to see him, but even more surprised to see the Space-Time Witch! “Yuu! Oh and who is that with you? A Yuko Ichihara cosplayer? I love XxXHolic, it’s my all time favorite manga! Or are you more into Tsubasa?”

“I found both series to be quite enjoyable,” said Yuko.

She was pretending to be someone pretending to be her.

“It’s really strange, I had a dream just last night, of meeting Yuko. She told me to meet her at this shop. And she would be able to grant y wish, if I paid a fair price.” She chuckled to herself. “I guess this must be Hitsuzen.”

‘She has no idea how right that is,’ thought Yuu.

“Well, if it is within my power I would love to grant that wish for you.”

“Oh, no, I couldn’t dare impose on a stranger. I was just saying how funny it was. Besides, I don’t think anyone could get Yuu here to budge.” She glanced down at the young man, grinning awkwardly. “His first book was such a huge success. Everyone keeps begging him to write another. We already have offers to translate whatever he writes into fifty different languages! Fifty, without even seeing a premise! Do you have any idea how incredible that is‽”

“I imagine it to be so.” Yuko grinned at him, like she’d just had the funniest idea. Except obviously she’d planned it all along. “Why not? Your first book was a huge success. Why not see if lightning strikes twice?”

“Well, it just so happens I do owe this woman a favor. If she wants me to do this for you, I suppose I can manage.” He rubbed his head. “But is it okay if I try something different?” He thought about all the suffering his protagonist went through in his first book, could he really subject another human being to that? Or was he simply latching out onto the stories already out there?

“Really?” Lorelei looked ready to glomp Yuko then and there.

“As for my fair payment, I’d like an ARC when it’s available!”

“That won’t be a problem,” she said. “Just give me your address and I can mail it to you.”

“I tend to move around a lot. Please give it to Yuu and he’ll see that I receive it.”

The woman quickly got on her phone to call her boss. “Guess what? You’ll never believe it. Yuu agreed to write another book for us! This is going to be amazing!” As if sensing a big bonus coming her way, she allowed herself some extra books as a reward, carrying them to the counter where Lynne waited to scan them.

“I better get started soon,” Yuu said with a sigh. “A book can take a while. And I am still aiming to have my wish granted sooner rather than later.”

Yuko grinned at him. “Don’t fret, I assure you, we’re quite close to this being all over.”

With a nod, Yuu resolved himself to keep it together, just a little longer. But he made a note of all the books that Yuko showed interest in, grabbed a few of the early volumes from off the shelves, and assured her he’d be ordering more. And he also picked up a blank journal and a pen near the register. “It’s faster than typing on my phone, and I have an app to convert it to text document.”

“Yuu, I’m feeling quite famished. Normally I’d say let’s go home and get some food, but maybe just this once we can go out to eat. It would be the perfect venue to conduct our business, wouldn’t you say?”

“I’m queen of the world!” Yuko cried, leaning over the railing of Skyview. A few people turned to stare, but she paid them no mind. She was enjoying the view from here, seven stories up, and nothing was going to get in the way of that joy.

Yuu watched from his seat, trusting her not to fall and hut herself, but he couldn’t help but chuckle at her antics. She really could be childish when she wanted to.

Sometimes he wish he had more of that luxury. But childish indulgences were a rare treat at the moment, he had business to work on. He had his journal propped open and was already jotting down paragraph after paragraph, his pen fluid across the page, like he’d rehearsed every movement.

“Wow, writing really is another one of your talents. They sure are limitless, aren’t they?” She teased him as she craned over his shoulder trying to sneak a peek. “My! What an interesting title! I wasn’t expecting you to write something so fetishistic,” she pressed her body close to his.

“I was thinking more like crude humor. They’ll probably reject my title anyway but I wanted to give the book a funnier name after Hope in Ashes ended up being so dramatic.” Yuu shut the journal for now. “But enough about me, you’ll get to see this when I’m done. Right now I’m curious about what you want.”

Because this wasn’t just an ordinary trip for fun. Yuu had arranged a meeting with a few people. And they were on their way here right now.

“I must warn you: Félix, Kagami, and Adrien were not in danger of being snapped away by a ruthless Supervillain. Your friends are. So the price to protect them would be extra high. Right now, Kris has something I need, supply and demand dictates that the value of such an object. But even then, freeing someone from danger can take quite a lot of magic. Especially with as much danger as they are in.”

She turned to the door just as a familiar looking couple walked in: Kris and Pico Dreemurr. They both looked serious as they followed their waiter to their seats and took their menus, but Pico managed a cocky looking smirk. “Okay, c’mon Kris, I know you’re worried about Nireus. But we’ve got help. We can keep Inari safe.”

“I know, and I trust in this Yuu kid to do his best, but he says we’re working with someone really unusual here.” Taking one look at Yuko, they could barely hide their frown.

They spotted Yuu, walking over to his table.

“Thank you for coming,” said Yuko. “I trust Yuu has explained the details to you.” Yuu had given them the basics, she had magical powers and was offering to help with their Nireus problem, but at a price. One even he didn’t know.

“If your magic is so powerful, I doubt you’d just want money,” he said instantly.

“No, I want Kris’ dreams,” she said plainly.

“My dreams?” They responded. “What will that entail, a sudden change in personality? Will I have to give up on my future? You know what, no. If it’s for Inari.” They sat down across from Yuko, hands folded in their lap. “I wasn’t expecting to deal with any sort of metaphysical bargaining this early in the morning, but I’ll do whatever I can to protect my son.”
Yuu briefly thought back, Jeal had offered to help out. He could save the Sentikids, free them from their tethers. But Yuko said she needed something from Kris. So what if this just set her plans back? And someone else got hurt. There were certain wishes Jeal wouldn’t grant after all.

“No, not your metaphorical dreams for the future. Your literal dreams. I know you were the one who started the Jevil meme. At least in this world.”

“Yes, he’s a dream I had when I was little. A few times actually. I posted about him online and then he took off. Why do you care about those dreams anyway?”

“Dreams are powerful things and can be used as powerful tools. I believe you had three dreams about Jevil overall, did you not?”

“Yes, one where he beat me, one where I defeated him in battle, and one where I tired him out.”

“Yes, for those three dreams I can offer you a price. But you have a choice. Your wish is to keep Inari safe, and there are two ways I can go about doing that. Normally I’d make the decision, but I’ve been feeling generous lately.

“So, your options. One will help keep Inari safe from the dangers of a broken Amok. He will no longer be tied to the feather, his safety will not rely on it, nor will it hold any sway over him.

“But my second option is this: I will assist the Heroes in defeating Nireus, so that everyone may be safe. There are other Sentikids like Inari, and their lives are in danger too.”

Kris turned to their husband, looking for support.

“There’s more than one way to kill an innocent child. I’d feel safer if we took Nireus down for good. Even if we sever him from the dangers of having an Amok, if she finds out we’re involved, she could threaten to kill him the old fashioned way”

“You have a point,” he agreed. “She could still take him hostage with a Sentimonster or an Akuma, or she could just abduct him when he’s out with Hitomi. I’d say it’s safer to take down the Supervillain.”

Kris turned toward Yuko. “But what exactly are you offering to help the Heroes?”

“Something they will need when the time is right.”

Kris nodded their head.

Chapter Text

“Are you sure you don’t want me to cook anything? My mind could use a break while I think about what to write next.” It had been a few days and Yuu was already into his second journal, hard at work with the rough draft of his story. He’d filled half the pages already, but by his estimate he might need to crack open a third.

“Well, if you’re sure it will help and won’t actually hinder your writing. It is very important that you finish that book as quickly as possible.”

“I’ll finish it when I finish it, isn’t that Hitsuzen?”

“I think people around me like to throw that word around with no idea of what it really means,” Yuko said with a chuckle. “Though I suppose in this moment you do have a point.” Yuko paused, thinking things over for a moment. “And perhaps this moment is not one for cooking or writing. A customer approaches.”

She turned to the door, an eager smile playing on his lips as Leaf Saito returned.

“Hello again, it’s been a while.”

Leaf took a step forward, her body curled up as if tightly trying to cling to something. “Yuko, I have another wish.” She held out her hand, and a spear manifested itself. Yuu recognized it as the one from her dream. “I need to control this thing somehow.”

“Ah yes, I suspected this might happen.” She turned to Yuu. “Fetch the egg for me.”

“You sure are getting a lot of mileage out of this thing. Feels like it’s a violation of the rules of equivalent exchange the way you got one object that just fixes so many problems.” Yuu chuckled as he carried the egg over to Yuko’s table. “Don’t even know why we put it away at this point.”

“The egg is merely a catalyst to transform things, often making magic stronger. In that sense, yes, something is being gained without something else being lost. Or rather, what is being lost is the old form, being discarded for the new. In a sense, this is no different than any other form of growth.”

“But growth takes time and effort, and is rarely spurned on by magic.”

“But the people we meet can be a catalyst for growth, even if we cannot force others to change. Our presence in each others lives can help it. And all things want to grow, alive or not. The egg just helps manifest latent magical power.”

Poor Leaf was confused as Hell.

“So, why don’t you tell me about the spear,” Yuko finally said to Leaf.

“It first appeared in my dream, when I was fighting a giant snake. I had a different spear when the battle started, but that one broke halfway through the fight. I started using different moves from different video games, so part way through I decided to use Data Drain. It’s a move from the .hack multimedia franchise.”

“Yes, I am aware. In the game, using Data Drain severely weakens enemies and may reward you with an item, such as a weapon. So, armed with this spear you were able to defeat the snake and awaken from your coma. It makes sense that you’d bring this spear with you.

“Dreams are important after all, and those with connections to magic may know how to move items between the waking world and the dream world.”
“Yeah, I’m familiar with that idea, it does pop up in dream based fiction every now and then.” She adjusted her glasses. “The problem is, this thing wasn’t around when I first woke up. And everything was fine for a while. But recently in gym class I was appointed to be co-captain of one of the teams alongside Jellifer. She’s this girl who doesn’t like me much.”

Leaf’s face scrunched uncomfortably. “She was the one who made me realize that some people would never give me a fair chance. She kept looking for excuses to get mad at me.

“So, we were trying to do the co-captain thing, and one of the girls on our team wasn’t doing very well. We were doing basketball and she couldn’t dribble. I tried to encourage her and suggested we do extra practice after class if she wanted to. But Jellifer kept putting her down.

“I tried to tell her to knock it off but she got mad at me and said I needed to respect her more as co-captain. Then the next thing I know it, this spear appears in my hand. Luckily she’s looking at my face when it happens, and the other girl is crying so she doesn’t notice, but I do not want to explain a mysterious spear popping out of nowhere.

“I can usually dismiss it, thankfully, and I can summon it on command. The problem is when it pops up on its own.” She sighed. “I even tried leaving it in my closet, thinking if I let it stay manifested, it wouldn’t be able to materialize in my hand. But nope, the thing still decided to bother me. It’s worse than a cat when you’re trying to use the bathroom.

“It keeps doing that whenever Jellifer stresses me out.”

“Does much else in your life stress you?”

“A little, but nothing to that extent. I just don’t get why this thing reacts to stress! It wasn’t like that in the dream world.”

“In fairness,” said Yuu, “You were fighting a giant snake that wanted to kill you. I’m pretty sure you were under stress at the time, so it’s not like you had a relaxed base state to contrast with. If I had to guess, this thing is retaining the properties of a video game item, like an RPG or hack and slash game. It comes out when you’re preparing for battle.

“And Jellifer stresses you out so much you body treats her like a boss you need to kill.”

“Please tell me the price isn’t following through with the comparison by actually killing her. I want this wish granted to avoid trouble, and that would be counterproductive! Also I hate her but don’t want to kill her.”

“Taking another’s life, no matter the reason, comes with a heavy burden. I would not ask that of you as your price. Fortunately for you, the magic needed is simple, and will not cost you much.” She held up the egg. “Just drop the spear in whenever you’re ready.”

Leaf thrust the spear forward and watched it pierce the glass egg like the surface of a lake. It sank into the depths, somehow managing to fit completely. Leaf and Yuu both turned their heads as the egg lit up like the sun rising in the early morning sky. She took a step back, trying to escape the heat radiating from the ritual.

“What’s happening?”

“I am changing the spear’s possibility. It will no longer be an RPG item at least for now. But this will sever its connection to the you of here and now. You will be free from its protection.” The light faded, and Yuko shoved her arm into the egg to grip the spear by the shaft, extracting it from the orange glass.

It reminded Yuu of Edward Elric, whenever he created a spear from the ground beneath his feet.

“So, this thing will remain manifested now? No more appearing and vanishing?” She looked it over. “I guess I can probably fit it in my closet.

“Now, for payment, what do I owe you this time?”

“I think this spear is lovely. I’d like to add it to my collection,” she said, stroking it gently.

“I— is that all?” Leaf turned to Yuko, half expecting some punchline. “Sure. Thank you for your help.”

Yuu offered her some tea before she left, and they all enjoyed it together. He thought Leaf was a nice person and enjoyed her company, but he did have questions for Yuko that he hoped she would answer. Preferably without too much of a payment.

“I admit I am surprised. I thought you were going to ask her to play through the game some more.”

Yuko grinned, taking a puff of her pipe. “I admit I was tempted, but I do have plans for this spear. How funny, to think, not all changes will be eternal. Sometimes our forms will change for a moment, only to return to what they once were. Like snow melting away.”

Yuu found himself staring at the spear, thinking back to the fight with the snake. It had come in handy then and now it was in Yuko’s possession, waiting for whatever event she’s foreseen would pull it out of storage.

“I’ve wondered for a while— if objects can move between the real world and the dream world, what happens if a lucid dreamer tries their hardest to deliberately bring back something. Or better yet, what if they create something. Could you make whatever you wanted in this way?”

“You are referring to the process of dreamcrafting. To deliberately manifest something from the dream world into the real world. It is possible, but it would be extremely difficult, even for someone like you.

“Dreams can flow and change and are hard to give shape. When a dream chooses its own form of its own accord, it may be easier to lead it out into the waking world, but for things you make yourself, you must take extreme care not to let is fall apart.

“For making your own dream is like sculpting something from water. Perhaps if you freeze it first, you may solidify it to give it form, but without proper maintenance it will melt. And that maintenance can take a lot out of you.”

Yuu nodded along. Everything made sense to him.

So far.

Yuko smiled. “Yuu, how would you like to spend the night?”

“It’s been a while since I had a good sleepover.”

“Then it’s settled. Why don’t you stop by your place and pick up a change of clothes?”

The mission was simple. Didn’t mean it would be easy though. But after a long day of writing and cooking, he took a shower and got dressed for bed. This included wearing Leaf’s cape. He climbed under the covers, turning to the golden balloon floating next to him, and recalled the conversation.

“Could this perhaps be related to those dreams you purchased from Kris?”

“How perceptive of you. Yes, I have need for a special object, one that cannot be purchased through normal means. I want you to face Jevil in combat and win the Devilsknife. And bring it back to me of course.”

“Really starting to wish I kept Koppi around. But never mind, I’m sure Paris needs him more than I do.”

He wondered. Was this the dream where Kris won? Would that automatically secure his victory? Or would he still need to earn it? Either way, this was Yuko’s request, one he would grant for her no matter what. He needed his own wish granted, and this was part of it.

But as he tossed and turned, he found himself unable to sleep. Too much weighed on him.

So he poured himself some tea, cracked open his journal, and continued writing, long into the hours of night.

He wasn’t certain when he finally fell asleep, hunched over the writing desk with a half empty tea cup at his side.

Chapter Text

A bit of time had passed since Yuu handed the Devilsknife to Yuko. She smiled and thanked him, then told him to make breakfast. And since then there had been no customers, no grand wishes, just a few ordinary chores here and there. Cooking, cleaning, and writing his book.

Now it was done, and he handed an ARC to Yuko.

Refilling MP with my Pee!

She giggled at the title. “I am excited to read your latest work.”

“That was only supposed to be a working title,” he sighed. “But apparently marketing wants to try using it to stir up publicity. As if we need any more of that.” At least the book seemed to be getting rave reviews from people with ARCs, going on and on about how they could not put it down. “I also decided to self publish it in this world, though I am using a different name. Part of me was curious to see how it would sell without any extra benefit from my pre-existing fame.”

It was a simple story, inspired by Habitica, an app designed to gamify habit forming. You write down a list of tasks to accomplish, and you check them off to gain Exp., money, and MP. You go on quests, fight bosses, and collect treasures. Yuu’s story was about a woman using the app to push through life.

She deals with chronic pain and constant fatigue and the doctors cannot figure out why. It becomes harder and harder for her to do her daily chores, make her bed, wash the dishes, cook healthy food, put away her laundry. So she begins listing every single task she can think of.

This allows her to gain EXP and money quickly, allowing her to feel motivation enough to get through tough tasks.

Instead of wash the dishes: it was wash plate 1, plate 2, plate 3, plate 4, spoon 1, spoon 2, spoon 3, fork, bowl 1, bowl 2, pan 1, pan 2, pot. She even begins listing what she calls The Hydration Cycle. She drinks a lot of water to keep hydrated and starts rushing to the restroom a lot. It’s annoying and she doesn’t like it, it takes up so much time, but by listing it as a task she is able to convince herself it isn’t too big a hassle.

The story also deals with her imaginary adventures fighting the game’s bosses and doing other quests.

People were calling the book a thrilling exploration of our relationship with escapism as a coping mechanism for life when it feels otherwise overwhelming.

Yuko smiled at Yuu. “Thank you, Yuu. It is time for me to hold up my end of the bargain. Your payment is accepted.”

“Wait, just like that?” Yuu froze. “I was hoping to finish within the next few days, but this feels more sudden than I realized.”

“You’ve been working hard. And hard work deserves to be rewarded. In fact, I probably owe you a little extra for going the extra mile of releasing the book in this world.”

“I don’t see how that follows, seeing as people pay me money for the book. I’m already getting my fair reward.”

“Ah that is their payment to you for their entertainment. I am thanking you for the creation of a thousand new stories.

“As you are the curious type, how about I answer some of your lingering questions. Three topics you may ask about. One question on each plus follow ups. I think that should work out as a fair price.”

He had to admit, he did have a lot of questions.

He sat there, lost in thought for a moment.

“Why did Clow Reed create the Miraculous?” he asked suddenly.

“Ohohohoho~ a good first question. Why did Clow Reed, who wanted to save my life, create a power with the ability to save lives? And why then, did he not use it?” She smiled gently at him. “Is that what you are truly asking? What you wish to know?”

“Yes.”

“When Clow learned there were other worlds out there with magic stronger than our own, magic that could bring the dead back to life, he wanted to try it out for himself. So he found a world with the Kwamis in it, but with no Miraculous, and he made them, hoping he could save me.

“Of course, he’d never take the life of an innocent, so when he learned the Miraculous was still encumbered to the rules of equivalent exchange, he could not do it. He could not take a life to save my own, for that is a burden too great for most to bear.”

Smoke filled the shop, flitting all around them.

“He considered creating a Sentibeing, one whose only purpose in life was too be sacrificed for my sake, but he could not do that. He said it would not be equivalent exchange, a being with no life to live could not give up their life for someone else, for they never had one. But I think he was simply too kind for that. He ended up using his magic to ensure others wouldn’t do that. I think that is in part the reason why the Peacock’s magic is weaker in your universe. It does not create fully living beings unless you truly desire it.

“He tried the Rooster and the Butterfly as well, but not even those could save me.

“In the end I told him to give up. And so we left the Miraculous in that world, and things played out as you know them now.”

Yuu nodded, absorbing it all as he stood there, watching her drink sake from her loop chalice.

“Second question. My price to travel between the two worlds. Was that really equivalent? When Syaoran, Kurogane, and Fay wanted to travel between worlds, none of them could afford to pay on their own. They had to pay together. Even if I was only traveling between two different dimensions, it still seems I got off easy.”

“I can give you the power to travel between your world and mine- just these two, but it will come at a cost.” She eyed his necklace.

“You want this? It holds the power of Time Travel. I suppose that should be a fair price. And it has sentimental value as well.”
“Yes, Time Travel, the ultimate insurance. You do value the ability to manipulate things precisely. As such it would make a valuable bartering tool, you could get a lot out of it. But not, I want another power associated with it.”

“The power of-” he froze, his blood going cold. Could he stay here and wait? Surely someone would be able to find him somehow. If he just vanished then eventually they’d come looking. But wait, what if Naota got Akumatized to come find him. That could make things worse.

“That necklace was a gift from your best friend, Naota Yamaguchi.” Her words hollowed out his chest. “A bit of a family tradition behind that. They say if you give it to someone you love, you will be bound to them forever, your love will never break. Right now your bond with Naota is enchanted- protected by the magic of that necklace.

“You shall give that up. No longer shall there be a magical bond between you two.”

Yuu froze.

He smiled.

“That’s all?”

“Sakura gave up memories of someone she loved. A price permanently lost. I gave up some magical guarantee? Something that barely even matters. Naota and I love each other. The power of the necklace was purely symbolic to us. I don’t need some magical force saying we’ll be together forever. We can make that happen ourselves.”

“You’re right, you did get off a little easy in this bargain. But perhaps it is because you underestimated yourself. Of course your former self, Dawnbringer, enchanted your necklace to open the path back and forth. He would never leave you stranded with no way back. I simply protected the power of that enchantment so it would not fade with time.

“Your every move is filled with love and care for the people around you, that is why a symbol of undying love was necessary to weave into your magic, amplifying its power.”

She smiled at him. “And your final question.”

“I think I’d like to save it for after we discuss my wish.”

“You’re here for a reason, are you not?”

““A reason. A reason!”” cheered the eerie paiyukimir.

“Yes, I didn’t just feel like visiting a shop of wishes. I have a wish that needs granting.” Yuu hid his anxieties well, managing a casual smile. Yuko’s wishes came at hefty prices, and what he was asking for, it was big. He had no idea how much something like that could cost.

“The system we’re in right now, the Kwamis- I can’t stand to see them like this. They’re completely bound to the will of the Miraculous. They can’t disobey at all. If they weren’t under that restriction, things would have gone quite differently. Yukari and the others would have been forced to rely on Duusu because Nooroo would be free to reject them all.

“And things wouldn’t be this way with Nireus.”

“Oh?~hohoho,” she laughed in an unusual, creepy song of a voice. “Is your wish to free the Kwamis so they will be free?” She leaned in close, tilting his chin up to face her. “Or do you want to get them away from their current Holders? Tikki, Plagg, Nooroo, Duusu, Liiri, Pollen, Wayzz, Trixx, and all the others, released from their burdens. Free to choose where to go.

“Nireus no longer a threat.

“And Xiong’s tyranny toppled.”

“I admit, yes, I had hoped those outcomes would go hand in hand with the wish.”

Yuko smiled. “Oh, but they are very different things. You must decide what you want, Akimoto-kun.” They’d been speaking in English now, Yuu’s native language (even though he did know Japanese- along with several other languages) with no honorifics. To hear it pop up now seemed teasing.

“I guess they are. The part of me that wants to be selfless says I just want to free them. I can’t see how freeing them would not lead to the other two wishes coming true though. Unless-” he paused. “Wishes often involve quests of a sort, don’t they? Let me guess, if I go this route, then I’ll only be able to free the Kwamis from the chains of the Miraculous after I reclaim the Miraculous. At a time when it’s no longer beneficial to me, but beneficial to them. Although who can say what the future holds.”

“Excellent deduction.

“And while it is normal to want everything, to want it all, to wish for more wishes, to wish for infinity- I’m afraid you are going to have to make a choice, Yuu. Wish for the Miraculous back in your hands, but the Kwamis still forever under their control. Or wish for their freedom.”

“Odd, I’m certain others have asked you to grant multiple wishes. And there was never a problem.”

“But others are others and you are Yuu. Your life is not bound by the same rules. Usually this works out in your favor, but today, ohoho-

“Unfortunately, it is Hitsuzen. You will have to choose. Because granting this wish will take time. And you do not have enough time for them both to come true. At least, not in the way you wish them to.”

“If it’s Hitsuzen, do you know what I’m going to choose?”

“Do you think I know what you’re going to choose?”

“Free them.”

“Your wish will cost you dearly. You are asking to undo ancient magic. When Clow created the Miraculous, he was simply following a blueprint. Not even he was free to change the Kwamis’ fates. If you wish to do something of this nature- it may take some time.”

“Time is something I have in abundance, you’ll find.”

She handed him what appeared to be a copy of the Miracle Box. “I admire your faith in me, but even I cannot grant wishes that go beyond my power. Clow Reed and I were originally not able to free the Kwamis from their servitude, but I did manage to find a way. Using an eagle feather and the magic egg, was able to enchant an old Miracle Box and repurpose it. Now any Miraculous placed in it will have its hold on the associated Kwami severed. They will be free.

“Of course, to actually save the Kwamis, you must reclaim them first.”

Yuu smiled. “I was afraid something like that might happen. You gave me the tools to grant my wish but now I still need to do the hard part. But thank you, Yuko.”

This would still come in handy in the end.

Of course, he needed to figure out a way to save all the Kwamis currently under the care of the Guardians.

He paused, looking at Yuko. “Is there anyway to change what’s coming for you?”

“There are many who wish to save me. Many of them manipulating fate in the strangest ways possible. If I am to be saved then surely it is Hitsuzen. But there are some futures even I can’t see for certain. Only time will be able to tell.”

“Well, I hope things do change. I really had fun meeting you, Yuko. You’re a kind person, the worlds are better with you in them.”