Darkness. Darkness, fading into blurry, hazy light. Light that took shape… but only halfway. The other half was still darkness. A low noise, a groan, pain both lingering and fresh, physical and emotional, all swirling around as perspective shifted. Swirling light taking longer than it should to come into focus. Finally, with a shake of her head, the Oracle regained her sense of self. Oracle? No, that is not right.

Cecilia took a cautious, slow look around the house. There were blankets and piles of clothes littering the living room floor, television dimly lit and showing a staticy news report— Cecilia winced upon seeing a familiar face on the screen—, and several glasses and empty food containers scattered around the table. She was sat on a sofa, one she realized quite quickly was familiar to her. She spent countless times coming in and sitting down here. Over and over and over again, until she finally accomplished her goal. That was a lifetime ago by now. The only thing missing was a cutting, screeching voice of false happiness and manufactured cheer.

The silence became deafening. Once Cecilia realized she could, in fact, stand up, she did so. She immediately winced as a familiar pain, phantom by now coursed through the left side of her head. Bringing her hand instinctively to cover where her left eye had once been, she felt something. Thick material— leather? Metal? She couldn’t tell— covered and offered protection to her eye socket. She thought about running upstairs to look in the mirror, but realized she couldn’t handle that just yet. Without her confidant here, however, there was only one thing to do.

Opening the front door to Kiwako Kobayashi’s home, her one remaining eye was immediately blinded by the sun, cool, mid winter air stinging at her cheek. The sound of traffic and children walking home from school combined with Cecilia’s still recovering vision to swiftly overwhelm her senses. She could barely feel herself pulled back into the home, nor process properly as the door closed behind her. The dim light of the living room helped return Cecilia’s ability to see once again— normally, as anyone else could.

Kiwako: …Big sis should’ve said something if she was awake.

Naturally, Cecilia recognized Kiwako’s voice, even if it was too calm and low. As her vision became less blurry, she recognized her small frame as well. 

Cecilia: …I didn’t— 

Hearing her own voice caused Cecilia to flinch, hunching over as if she, herself was a cause for anguish. It took her a second, but she composed herself

Cecilia: I didn’t… think waking up an event noteworthy to announce.

Kiwako: …It is when you haven’t done it in a month and a half.

A month and a half?! Puellae Magi weren’t known to fall into comas. Could they even fall into comas? Natural healing should take care of anything that could— That’s right, healing. Cecilia was still a Puella Magi. She could just heal her eye, right? But for some reason, it wasn’t working. Why wasn’t it working? Why was her eye missing in the first place—

Memories flooded in with realization. She remembered it all, all at once. Punisher crumbling to ash as Firestarter finished her off. Kyubey watching one tool destroy another. Shiori fighting, pushing Cecilia to use a power she swore never to use. To let her out. Shiori dead in Yui’s arms as Cecilia regained herself. The raw anger in Yui’s eyes as her Magia faded, and the absolute agony of Yui’s wrath as it poured into her left eye.

Kiwako: …ce-chan. Cece-chan! H-Hey, Cece-chan!

Cecilia was once again sitting on that couch. How did she get there? Did Kiwako move her there? How long had Kiwako been trying to get her attention? Kiwako’s eyes shone with rare, genuine fear. On the table, a fresh cup of tea, still steaming. Not that long, at least. Cecilia would have to deal with this sudden bout of dissociation someday.

Cecilia: …Sorry. I… I remembered. Everything. …Almost everything.

Kiwako: …“Almost” everything?

Cecilia: I remember… what happened when I stopped using your technique. I remembered what… what happened to Shiori, and… Yui… 

Cecilia felt a tear welling in her eye, the empty socket on the other side suddenly tensing with fresh pain.

Cecilia: …But I don’t remember anything after that. How I got here to Kamihama… or falling into a coma.

Kiwako: …You can’t see it? In your special way?

Cecilia deciphered Kiwako’s meaning right away. As memories returned, so too did Cecilia’s grip on her own abilities, even if they caused all of this. She closed her eye, trying to focus. The vision was there, as it always was. But something was wrong. It was… blurred. Faded. Hazy. Distorted. Static. Twisting, writhing visions. Changing, ever changing. Over and over and over. Colors faded. Monochrome. Oversaturation. Sepia. Too sharp. Too much contrast. Blurry. Warped. Dim. Bright. Pale. Red. Blue. Green. Purple. White. Black—

Kiwako: H-Hey hey hey hey! C-Cece-chan, stop! Breathe! C-Calm down!

Only now did Cecilia realize she had been screaming. Her eye shot open, and she realized she was sweating profusely, even though she was in a small, unheated house this early into the new year. Fear set in as Cecilia realized that the one thing she had to keep herself above water was gone. She couldn’t see anymore, not clearly enough. Was it subconsciously blocked? Or did Yui’s attack rip her sight from her for good?

Cecilia: I… I-I can’t—

Kiwako: G-Give it time, okay? You just woke up, and you’re not all here right now.

But the Oracle— wait, that is not right anymore— choked on words she desperately needed to get out. 

Cecilia: I can’t… see anymore! My visions, they—

Kiwako: They’ll come back to you, Cece-chan! Yui… she had the power to injure you in a way you couldn’t heal… but she can’t rip your powers from you in the same way, I think. Not without killing you.

When did Kiwako sit down beside Cecilia? When did Kiwako’s arm come around her waist? Was it always there? Cecilia shook her head, trembling as she took a breath. Then another. Then another, and her body settled down.

Cecilia: …I can’t heal my eye, Kiwa-chan.

Kiwako: I know, Cece-chan.

Cecilia: …What do I do now? I… I failed, Kiwako… I failed to protect Mitakihara. I failed Yui. I… I’m no Oracle…

Kiwako: …Then maybe you shouldn’t try to be one anymore.

Her voice was low again. It always was, when Kiwako was serious.

Cecilia: …What do you mean?

Kiwako: If you can’t be an Oracle, maybe you should find something else to be, until you can see again. Until you have the Oracle’s eyes back, you should… be something else. Do something else.

Cecilia: What… are you implying, Kiwako?

Her eyes shimmered, a hint of darkness in the pupils for a brief moment.

Kiwako: “An eye for an eye,” as they say.

Cecilia: R-Revenge…?! But I… but I deserve—

Kiwako: Did you, though? Think about it. Think about where Mitakihara would be right now without you. Think about that… and let that feeling take you somewhere different. The Oracle can rest here… but you, you shouldn’t be idle right now. 

The Oracle— No, that is still not right. It will not be, not for a long time— took a few more deep breaths. Perhaps Kiwako was right, in her own way. Revenge? That was a question for later. But right now, the Oracle— WRONG— needed a new path. A new name, face, identity. Purpose.

The Libretto stood from her spot on Kiwako’s couch, closing her remaining eye. 

Cecilia: …I think I have an idea.