The late November sky was just as much a prison of lifeless grey as it was the day before. The day when the sky itself fell, and the latest fire licking at Mitakihara’s foundation faded. Embers remained, however, and it would take time to extinguish them. Scars would undoubtedly mar this city for a generation. The city itself, and its inhabitants. 

As construction workers took stock, wondering just where the hell they could even begin, one building remained intact amongst a particularly devastated square. A gym, and a miracle it was intact, too. No one knew how. Not even its owner, at least not as far as anyone could tell. Said owner entered the gym just as the sun stood upright over the veil of perfect grey. 

As soon as she was past the doors, she would stride around a boxing ring that somehow held its shape— and the trio of girls lounging on the opposite side, near the corner, talking casually until Yui walked past them. They did not expect conversation exactly, but their concern was obvious. Just as equally, it went ignored. 

Yui entered her office, the person she wanted to see sitting in the office chair, her green hair hung loose over her shoulder, wrapped and held in place in a sling. On the desk, Yui placed an antiquated black lantern, taking a deep breath before speaking. Her voice was more hoarse than usual, as if she had not only not slept, but spent the night cursing the heavens.

Yui: …I can’t believe you’re agreeing to this. I mean, I know it was my idea, but… 

Alice: It’s probably gonna heal more of you than it will of me. Not that I mind the healing, but… you need a win.

Yui: … So you said not to heal the, um… the scars, right? Just the bones? 

Alice: Getting rid of those isn’t going to change anything at this point. I’ve made my piece with them. That’s what I do. That’s all I can do. And will, when it comes to the shoulder, if this… doesn’t end up working.

Yui: It’ll work. Just… might leave another scar. Does that still make it a win? If I have to see a permanent mark of my failure? …Least you’d be able to play the guitar again.

Alice: (she chuckles) … Then it won’t be a failure, dummy.

Yui: Okay but… (she sighs, closing her eyes) …Babe… you know this is gonna hurt, right? Like… probably a lot?

Alice: (she sighs) … if you had to choose between a few seconds of pain, and… and giving up on your dream for the rest of your life? I mean… At least I can pick.

Yui: Yeah, I know, just… making sure. Fine print, all that shit, I guess. (Reaching into her pocket, Yui pulls out and places her Soul Gem on the desk, right beside the lantern. The lantern glows with a flame-like void, the egg-like charm beside it glowing a pale violet.) …Ready, then?

Alice: You?

Yui: Not even close. 

The lantern’s flame burns a bright purple color, the gem fading into a translucent grey. Yui herself seems to remain unchanged, at least on the surface. She stands, shaky at first, but circles around to the other side of the desk, pulling the lantern closer. She gently places a hand on Alice’s broken shoulder.

Yui: Take a deep breath…

Alice: Wait… What are you even doing with that Lantern? You’re not putting a ghost in my shoulder, right? Cause before you know it, I might have my own arm trying to choke me or something like that.

Yui: Not like I can heal you directly without it. The Lantern is kind of a… bridge I guess? I’m putting myself in here, so that I can use my healing on someone else.

Alice: Is that how it works? … Or is that how you think it works?

Yui: Well, my soul’s in there now, and I can still move and stuff. I feel more or less normal, just a bit… distant. But I feel like I can project my regenerative power outward. It’s just not all that… stable.

Alice: (she exhales slowly) … Alright, then. One green-haired guinea pig, coming up.

Yui: … I wasn’t kidding, by the way. This is gonna hurt. Both of us, probably.

Alice: I have it on good authority I can take quite a bit of pain.

Yui: Well… no time like the present. Before the distance takes its toll, anyway.

The Soul Lantern crackles to life, sparks emanating from it. Yui places her left palm as delicately as she can on Alice’s shattered shoulder. It sparked once or twice, but the pain and burning of electricity was accompanied by a soothing, mending sensation. The bones in Alice’s shoulder began to reform and mend, which in itself was uncomfortable, stiffening and shifting internally to rearrange themselves. A few more sparks, and Yui herself was wincing in pain. To keep the malleable arrangement of bones in their proper place, one final pulse, sparks flying from both Yui’s palm and the lantern. Yui fell to a knee, very visibly trying to mask intense physical pain, but after about a minute, Alice’s shoulder had mended, and it would feel like it had never been broken at all.

Alice: (she clutches her shoulder) Aaaargh! Ngh! Ugh… God damnit… Fuck! Oh, you weren’t kidding! We should’ve boozed up before this. FUCK!

Yui: (The very second the healing was finished, Yui stumbled back to the Lantern, holding her fading Soul Gem to the light, which returned to a blank, clear void. Yui’s Soul gem, conversely, returned to a bright, swirling violet, and Yui quickly and sharply inhaled, her face pale and drenched in sweat.) Holy fuck I hope I never have to do that again…!

Alice: It’s, eh… (she rolls her shoulder) It did work. (she winces) You continue to be full of surprises… (she takes off her sling, moving her arm) Though I… can’t help but be relieved it… still takes some effort for you to do this kind of stuff.

Yui: Heh… i-implications for later, I… suppose. Whew… (Yui takes longer than usual to regain her composure, pulling herself into the chair opposite Alice across the desk, her head down a bit.) Hope I never… have to do that again.

Alice: We should have done this at home where we have a couch… And ibuprofen.

Yui: Has about as much… impact on me as booze does. We got somethin’ better, at least… she’ll’ve heard the… screaming, more likely than not. …Yo, Aoi!

Aoi: (The door opens in less than a second after Yui calls, Aoi standing in the open doorway) Wh-what happened? How did it go? 

Yui: Alice has a shoulder again. And uh… (she motions her head to the clouded, swirling violet egg on the desk) N-Not to be all… demanding or anything, but… that’s gonna become Grief… real quick. S-So, uh…

Aoi: (She examines Alice’s shoulder on her way in, barely willing to lay a finger on it as if it might pop like a soap bubble. At Yui’s request, she turns. Her cheeks are visibly wet, but she nods.) Y-yes, right away… (She sits up on the desk in front of Yui, her hands on Yui’s shoulders. She winces, opening her soiled and broken wings to heal her)

Yui: S-Sorry… couldn’t think of a better way, y’know? (After a couple seconds, Yui seems to visibly relax, giving a little nod) Whew… that’ll do it for now. I can get the rest. Don’t strain yourself, yeah?

Aoi: It’s fine… this is worth it.

Yui: Next time I go hunting, I’ll make sure to bring you back a Grief Seed. Thanks, Aoi. (She gives Aoi a warm, genuine smile before turning back to Alice.) Y-You okay, babe…?

Alice: … I’ve been better.

Yui: But… you’ve been worse, I imagine.

Alice: That would be the implication, yes.

Aoi: (She slides off the desk, returning to Alice’s side) How does it feel? Does it hurt to raise your arm? 

Alice: (she raises her arm) … Not more than it hurts to do anything else?

Yui: …Can I see it? Y’know… make sure I didn’t burn you or whatever.

Alice: I don’t feel a burn, if anything… (she takes off her hoodie and T-shirt, inspecting her shoulder — aside from a large bruise, there is a sizable burn scar as well, turning part of the bruise a shade of purple) Oof, too bad… There goes my biggest charm point, my pristine skin.

Yui: … (Her eyes are fixated on the scar, expression impossible to read.)

Aoi: (She hisses upon seeing the scar, her fists clenching) 

Alice: Yui… It’s fine. I don’t exactly go bare-shouldered all that often. And even if I did, it’s not like people didn’t have more than enough to stare at already, right?

Yui: (She’s silent for a long while, eventually nodding and speaking completely monotone) …Yeah.

Alice: Yui… You succeeded. That’s what matters. No point hoping for a clean cut when you’re splitting an atom.

Aoi: (She speaks very quietly) … Someday I’ll find a way to fix this. These people don’t deserve to leave a mark on you. 

Alice: Aoi, it’s fine. It’s just the body.

Yui: …I’m the one that left the mark, Aoi…

Aoi: Not you. This is all that crazy metal-legs girl’s fault in the first place. 

Yui: (Again, Yui hesitates, and again, Yui eventually nods, her voice returning from the depths of monotone) …I’ll take you both at your word. Regardless, I can’t complain, considering your shoulder is fixed up. That was the goal. A little collateral damage shouldn’t shake me like this.

Alice: Hey… I get it. I do. But it’s not— You do everything you can. And what you can is so much more than what most other people can do. So… Please don’t think you’re a failure.

Yui: …If I mention Mei’s name, I think one of you’d probably hit me right now. (Yui closes her eyes again, getting her breathing under control before suddenly standing up, slapping herself on both cheeks with both hands.) Alright. No more sitting here feelin’ sorry for myself. It’s time to turn Paradise into Eden.

Alice: (she sighs) … Well, as usual, your sense for naming things will need some work.

Yui: Hey! Eden is a cool name! Right, Aoi?

Aoi: Me? … Does Eden mean something?

Yui: …Maaaaan… well, I’m sticking with Eden. No, wait! New Eden! Gonna go have the signs made right now.

Alice: What happened to the old Eden?

Yui: Some asshole ate a bad apple, or something. Doesn’t matter. I’m calling this place New Eden! You with me, babe?

Alice: No, I’m breaking off our year-long partnership over your questionable marketing skills.

Yui: If you divorce me, I can legally give you a Conductor title.

Alice: Damn.