The shape of Kiwako’s Doppel shattered upon impact with the green, forest floor, as if an ice sculpture had hit the cold, unforgiving asphalt of the street from several stories above. The only thing to remain intact was a crystalline battle axe, which was buried a bit into the moss beside its owner. Lying in the debris of crystal, Kiwako stared up into the sky, completely expressionless for quite awhile. Then, in an instant, the girl let out a deafening, heartrending scream. Pure agony filled the nighttime sky, years and years of despair leaving the girl before she rolled over onto her knees. Curled up in a little ball, her sobbing was only interrupted by occasional pounding into the earth beneath her. The shards of crystal soon dissipated around her.
And her opponent, as was her style, stood completely motionless, showing no reaction to the scene before her. There were no words spoken. Eventually, Kiwako calmed down, slowly rising to her knees to watch the pristine night sky crack and crumble above her. She remained stoic and expressionless. Her eyes were red from her outburst, and her cheeks were puffy, tears still staining them.
Then, Kiwako stood up, as silent as before. Shards of nighttime fell like snowflakes around her, and she reached for the buried axe. It was this that caught Cecilia’s attention, and it was only now, far too late, that she realized that Kiwako had thrown the script out the window. Holding the axe in both hands near her waist, she assumed a stance. “It’s… it’s not over yet, Cecilia. It’s not… it’s not over yet! IT’S NOT OVER!”
Cecilia held her staff at the ready, waiting for Kiwako’s attack. “Even if I cannot see into your future, Kiwako… I can still fight you. You and Yui both taught me all I needed to fight on my own. If this is my true final test, then… so be it.”
Kiwako, with a feral shriek, lunged at the Oracle.
Rio sat down at Kiwako’s kitchen table, staring solemnly into the cold tea in her hands. “…Riko?”
Riko was at the stone cold stove, staring down at a tray of long-since cooled cookies. “Yes, Rio?”
“How many times did those two fight, in the end?”
“You mean… how many times did we live out this same sequence of events, from start to finish? With no one, possibly not even the Oracle or Kiwa-chan aware?”
“…”
“I lost count”, Riko said with a resigned sigh, barely above a whisper. “But that was the nature of Kiwa-chan’s wish. The one that drew the attention of not one but two fledgling little birds, seeking to make their mark in their family’s legacy.”
“…Well, what changed it, then? What kept Kiwa-chan’s magical girl weapon around… to give her the will to see the fight through to the end? It was supposed to disappear… a-and then…”
I’m not sure. The actual mother of the Coven— the one in the real Kamihama—, or perhaps maybe E—
“I don’t wanna think of either of those…”
“I know. But for someone to make a wish like that and -still- be salvaged and saved, even from within her own Barrier… it’s a lot to consider.”
“Why’d she do it, though? The Oracle, I mean? Why… did she come here after all this time?”
“Probably to repay a debt. I still don’t have that woman’s old life completely charted out. Nor do I know what happened when Cecilia was a Puella Malefica herself. That’s… what I intend to find out. …Once the sky stops falling, anyway.”
“Riko…”
“We have to go back, too. Our cousin is waiting for us. She played her part, repeating her own Hell, just as we have. Now, we compare notes. Come, Rio.” With a solemn smile, Riko held out her hand.
Cecilia stood at the edge of Kamihama’s anomalous influence, staring in the direction of Mitakihara. Yet she hesitated. “Can I… actually return, though? As soon as I take another step, I will see the results of my gamble.”
“And since when were you the type to second guess yourself, Cece-chan~?” The familiar little giggle came behind her as the red-hooded girl emerged from behind Cecilia. “C’moooon~ You’ve been waiting for this for a long time now!” With a little shove, she pushed Cecilia’s back. “Go, go~ go~ go~!”
Cecilia stumbled, yet not enough to leave Kiwako’s influence. “I know, Kiwa-chan. …I know. I have my life to return to, and you have one last part to play. But… well, let’s just say…”
“Out with it, Cece-chan!”
“…What if we rewrote the ending to this script, and had a little fun?”
“…You saw something, Cece-chan.”
“Perhaps. But the idea of returning to the Mitakihara I left behind, including its original future… something does not sit right with me.”
A knowing, mischevous smile briefly lit Kiwako’s face. “Ehehe… I’m listening~”
The streets of Kamihama City were bustling with traffic, cars going to or from work near the end of the morning shifts, people walking on the sidewalks in large crowds, and the noise of any large city filling the air. Roadside stands selling various snacks and treats dotted each corner, and the laughter of children playing in a park nearby mixed in the urban harmony. In the middle of the park, a young girl wearing an aquamarine jacket stared blankly into the water fountain. She was staring at it for innumerable hours, until finally, the buzzing of her phone snapped her back to reality. “Hm…? Ah, Yoko.” She pulled her phone out, staring at the message.
[ Yo! Kotone and Hinata are already at the beach, where the heck are ya, man? Get your butt down here!!! ]
With a little smile, Masako stood up, stretching her arms. Some things, it seemed, never really end.
“To all things come and end. Turn the page, and tragedies innumerable unfold. Another turn of the page, and the tale continues impossibly beyond the end. And to all things comes a beginning.”
~Cecilia Ambrosi, Oracle of The Conductors.
Mitakihara Original 