Hanako steps through an impossible, endless hallway, lined with books. Walking somewhat aimlessly, looking and nothing, she comes to a door in the side, one that definitely wasn’t there before. Opening it, she is greeted by a familiar sight. Kotori was sitting at a desk in the middle of a room that was all too tiny to fit in a library, yet one that was here all the same. Kotori didn’t even look up from her book.

Kotori: You’re late, Hanako.

Hanako: (She sighs) I wasn’t here when I awoke. I’ve been wandering for about an hour now…

Kotori: (She turns a page) …Right, that might be my fault. You see, we’re, um… remodeling. I guess “rebuilding” is more accurate.

Hanako: “We”…?

Kotori sighs, and holding out a hand, the bookshelf immediately in front of her descends into the floor, showing the usual “rendezvous point” in disarray. Books are scattered, burn marks on the floors, a bookshelf on the far side cracked, shelving broken in half. And in the middle of various stages of repair, Mei, Shinju, and Niko, who was directing traffic.

Mei: The fuck do you mean “that one goes there, this one goes here” anyway?!

Niko: Well yeah, that one obviously goes in the shelf to your left and that one’s, like — I mean, it makes perfect sense, right?

Shinju: We don’t go by Dewey Decimal in here, huh? 

Niko: It’s just a… vibe, I dunno how to explain it!

Mei: Mrgrgr… (She takes the book off the shelf she placed it on, then walks to where Niko wants the book placed)

Kotori: Yes. It has been… chaotic, to say the least.

Shinju: I mean, I guess the whole library is one hundred percent biography and history so we’d really stuff that one section of the Decimal system… 

Kotori: Quite. I can assume, then, Hanako, that you are not, in fact, here to help?

Hanako: N… No, sorry. I um… I came looking for… something.

Kotori exchanges a glance with Niko, and the bookshelf cornering Kotori’s little desk off begins to raise again.

Kotori: I won’t pry, Aria. Keep the subject in mind, focus, but be careful. Do not go more than one or two layers deep without me there, okay?

Hanako: …You’re not going to ask what it is I seek?

Kotori: (She shakes her head, giving a little smile) No. I trust you. Besides, the affairs of the waking world are not my business, save for actual catastrophe. And… rogue spirits qualify as that. I’m afraid I have my hands full from digging into your secrets. If you need an ear, however, I am happy to provide.

Hanako hesitates, giving a sheepish nod before retreating back into the hallway. She wanders for a while, coming to a sudden stop. She stopped by choice. And she didn’t. A book called to her, seemingly unremarkable, hiding in plain sight among the others. She turns to face it. Reaches for it. Hesitates. She should. And she shouldn’t. It calls to her. Or does it? Finally, she reaches. She had already reached for it. It doesn’t open. 

And it does.

---

Hanako walks up to a bar with a heavy sigh. Another little punk hole in the wall, probably used by some gang or another until it dissolved. Arashi Family? Conductors? General incompetence? Who could say? In her right hand, a cigarette, which is quickly tossed onto rainy concrete and extinguished under a simple leather shoe. In her left, the Soul Lantern. Her prize, held in her current game. She opens the door and enters, spotting a familiar face in the crowd right away, in the corner of the bar. Away from the karaoke machine and people misusing it through awful singing to blow off steam. Perfect cover. Hanako doesn’t bother hanging her floor-length emerald-colored coat on the door, instead making her way over to Melati. She sets the Lantern on the bar, ordering a stiff drink, which arrives in seconds. Hanako takes a deep, burning drink and sets the glass down beside her prize.

Hanako: I’m not gonna make you go through the hassle of our usual password this time, Melati. And I’m not staying long. She’s on you like a hawk since she caught wind of me here, right? 

Melati: Not so much as you’d think, no. Aisha has a lot going on these days since her mentor was killed. 

Hanako: We’re both actually here this time, so I’m being more careful. But since I got my embarrassing shit out last time, I feel like I can be a lot more… I dunno, free right now? Like, I think we can talk like normal people for the first time in forever. (She takes another drink) 

Melati: Do you remember how to be a normal person after all these years? I’m not sure I do. 

Hanako: (She laughs, then answers in flawless American English) <Good God no. If I did, I’d become a Vacua in an instant.> (Another drink, before she orders another) …So, Shikari kicked the bucket, huh? I’d guess that it’s not old age. I’d also put money on it being related to Aisha being a lot more active in things that aren’t pursuing me.

Melati: (She sighs, clutching her head) They were working on setting up a new planet for Incubating. Apparently the things that lived there were some kind of freaks who could kill Incubators even while they were on their ships way out in space. They got her friend Miralie too. 

Hanako: <Fucking hell…> And Aisha thought it was a good idea to give them magic powers?

Melati: I don’t think Aisha and them knew about their abilities until after it had happened. 

Hanako: Of all the fucking times for her to not do her homework… (She sighs, taking a much stiffer drink) We called it, though. The one time she showed a blind spot in her diligence, it was gonna bite her in the ass. I guess she should be lucky she didn’t join her Incubator friends, though.

Melati: (She eyes the lantern on the table with suspicion) What’s this, then? Don’t tell me you’re being the town lamplighter. 

Hanako: (Without missing a beat) I started a new game. Just one player this time, instead of the whole town. That counts for something, right?

Melati: (After a pause to examine the lantern again) Is that that Soul Lantern thing that’s written in the reports? 

Hanako: <Saves me some time.> (another drink) Yeah. Three guesses why I took it. Two of those guesses are sitting at a crustpunk bar at the edge of fucking town. (she finishes her second drink and orders a third)

Melati: What? … Don’t tell me you’re still stuck on Fiora, after all this time. 

Hanako: I killed her. Or… I didn’t. It’s… I mean, we were close. In a different way that you and I were, but still. It didn’t sit right with me. …She is one of three people I’d say has a right to kill me. You could guess one of the other two. Maybe even both.

Melati: I don’t need to guess such a thing. (She shakes her head) Immortal Puellae like us might have as long as we want to live, but I’d still say you’re better not wasting your time… 

Hanako: That’s why I’m playing this game. You said I should do something more productive and healthy, right? Well, if I can find Fiora—

Melati: You won’t. It was so long ago, how could you possibly? 

Hanako: (Swirling her cup) <…I know.>

Melati: With the time you’ve spent, you could’ve gotten away again while I was busy dealing with other things, you know. 

Hanako: I still have time. Once my game with the Conductors is done, I’ll be gone. Probably before Aisha catches wind of me here and decides to kill two birds with one stone.

Melati: If she decides to put her mind to it, you might have less time than you think. 

Hanako: …She’s on her way, isn’t she?

Melati: (She looks slightly up, like she’s gauging the weather) Mm. At quite a pace. 

Hanako: I was never here. Or I was. 

Leaving a quarter on the table, tails side up, Hanako downs her drink and stands, giving Melati one last glance before turning to leave. But her presence in the bar is not what she rerolled. Tails, she would leave the bar out the rear exit. Heads, she would linger, in the crowd of drunk businessmen singing off-key in the opposite corner. Invisible, unnoticeable, especially to those whose conversations were also meant to be unheard. The quarter on the bar rests heads side up.

Shortly, a worn-out looking businessman shuffles in, and a dark fairy takes advantage of his opening the door. She flies in behind him, toting a paper bag in both hands. She flies close to the ceiling over to Melati’s table, hidden from the eyes of most in the bar the same way Kyubey always was. She places the bag down on the table while Melati takes a sip of her drink.

Aisha: Melati! I have a little request for you, so here’s a present!

Melati opens the bag to find it contains a few pastries and breads. 

Melati: You stole food?

Aisha: No, I did not steal it. How rude! I bought it with my own money.

Melati: Can you really say “my own money” when you’re just fabricating it?

Aisha: I did not fake it either! I used a thousand yen bill I found on the ground and bought it with my own money, just like you.

Melati: How did you go shopping? Can you take on human form? I’ve never seen you do that.

Aisha: I went like this! There’s a bakery owner in town who knows about magic so I went there and bought it.

Melati: Well, that was reckless… 

Aisha: You’re distracting me! I had something I needed you to do.

Melati: Right. (She straightens up in her chair, brushing off her clothes to look professional) 

Aisha: (A deep breath) I need you to go into that gym and bring in their healer for me.

Melati: What? I thought I was just here to investigate! 

Aisha: Yes, normally you would be! But this isn’t about Balancing them or whatever. I need her healing ability.

Melati: What could you need that for?

Aisha: (She flies closer and speaks more quietly, although nobody in the bar should be able to hear anyway) I’m in the middle of transporting that Puella from that new ocean planet I was looking at. She won’t survive the journey to the main planet in her state. 

Melati: The one who killed Miralie and Shikari!? 

Aisha: Uh, mm… 

Melati: Why is it still alive? Are you mad? 

Aisha: It’s not my fault! When something like this happens, they have to go back to the main planet for study! And she’s not gonna make it.

Melati: You’re kidding. (She sighs and puts her head in her hands) How long does she have?

Aisha: (She idly counts on her fingers) Few days, at best.

Melati: And of course she was the pilot Puella on their planet so there aren’t any Grief Seeds to be had.

Aisha: Yes, now you see and are sharing in my problem. 

Melati: (She puts her hand down on the table, hard) You know, I’m supposed to be here to investigate. I might finally have worked my way into a position to get some real answers out of people, and now you want me to do this?

Aisha: Melati… (She gives Melati a plaintive look) … She’s gonna die. 

Melati: (The two stare at each other for a long, silent moment) … If I ask her, and she agrees to do this… 

Aisha: Oh, please. By all means try that first. 

Melati: Then, I’ll go to Yui and Aoi first…

Aisha: Mm, I don’t know about that. Can you imagine what’d happen if Yui found out this thing can kill us from solar system orbit? I’d prefer to keep this under wraps until she’s off the planet and well on her way. 

Melati: … Yeah, you’d be in danger. (She leans back in her chair, thinking) Still, it’s not like I can just walk in there…

Aisha: Don’t worry about that, I’ll make sure the fox is away for you.

Melati: (She stands up, hefting a bag onto her shoulder) You’re gonna owe me a lot more than a few baked goods.

Aisha: I’ll start scouring the sidewalks for change right away, cupcake. 

Hanako: (Under her breath) <Son of a bitch…>

A rush of air seems to suck Hanako out of the bar itself, through a blur of neon lights, then the sky itself pulls her up through the night, until her vision goes dark, and suddenly, surrounded by books. Hanako takes a sharp breath in. She was lying on the floor, suddenly sitting up, with a hand coming to her upper back.

Kotori: There you are! Goodness… Hanako, are you alright?!

Hanako: Th… The book, I mean… I-It called to me, and— Fuck— (Her eyes go wide as the word leaves her mouth, and she covers her mouth, concealing a coughing fit. She can still taste Diana’s cigarette and the alcohol through the shared memory.) S-Sorry, I—

Kotori: Breathe. For the love of god, breathe, Hanako. You’re quite pale and shaken. To think, you took on that memory on your own… When Niko did the same, to establish the Library, there were a dozen or so of us to support her. But on your own? Hanako, the risk you took, wandering through those memories… her memories, especially, I—

Hanako: I-I’m fine. (Hanako manages to stand with some effort, but not without another coughing fit) …Niko needs to hear this, though. E-Everyone needs to hear this…