After hours of walking, finally, Cecilia came to a stop on a collapsed highway, just at the edge of town. “It just struck me”, she said quietly, almost as if to herself, though she knew her companion would inevitably be hanging on her every moment, waiting for anything to happen, “I am not sure where the boundary is, where the rules of Kamihama City still apply.”

Kiwako, oddly enough, was uncharacteristically stoic, calm, and even patient. “It’s still okay here. But why did we have to go so far out of town?”

“I need to feel the precipice of where this world and its rules ends, and mine resumes. To be on the edge of my sight, so close, yet tantalizingly out of reach.”

“In order to meet your Witch, Cecilia?”

“No. For me. To know my own boundaries as my one purpose in life is within arm’s reach… yet infinitely far from me at the same time. It reminds me… of what I was, and what I am now.”

“Cece-chan, you’re more than your sight–“

“It’s not about that, Kiwako. It’s not having the sight that bothers me. It’s… what I’ve done with it, even in my second life. It’s being torn between the helpful Oracle, bringing to my friends that which they need to protect what they treasure most, and… and the cold, heartless Conductor, weaving events to her own whim. Kiwako… which am I?”

Kiwako looked down, staying quiet.

“The answer, of course, is both. When I helped Yui solve her mysteries, my intention was to bring her closure about her pasts– both of them. But… I cannot pretend that my designs were no different than ones my brother would have made for her. I knew what would happen, and when, and everything played out nearly flawlessly, to the letter of my script. Such things… terrify me, when I stop to think about them too much. And here, alone in Kamihama– that is to say, away from Yui–, I have… relatively speaking, all the time in the world to think about my actions.”

Cecilia lowered her hood, eyes closed as she tilted her head upwards towards the sea of grey. “You brought me here to prevent the Coven from attaining the Ideal World. Having met and fought with a few of them, I now see the transparency in your request. I was brought here not to fight with them, but to find myself.”

“Um… I really did need help with the Coven though–“

“I know, Kiwa-chan. But you yourself said once that there were many more qualified than myself to help you with them. I was brought here to learn once and for all which side of that line in the sand I am meant to stand. Where I truly belong with myself. Well… in the spirit of standing on the side I wish to be on, I must confess something.”

Cecilia turned to face Kiwako, looking down at her confused, innocent face. “I met my Witch right away, upon entering Kamihama city. I heard and hear her voice, and I know what she desires. I could call upon her at any time.”

Kiwako blinked, remaining oddly calm. “I knew that, Cece-chan.”

“You did?”

“Of course I did. Juuuust like how you figured out my secret~”

Cecilia stayed silent, then closed her eyes. “Then… why carry on the charade that I had not found her yet?”

“‘Cause I wasn’t lying. You need to learn more than just finding her, listening to her, Cece-chan. You gotta make peace with that half of yourself. Theeeen you gotta learn to bring her out in battle. Only by doing that can you really do what you came here to do.”

“Fine… fine.” The Oracle turned away from her companion, raising her hood. “But even though we’ve all played with our hands face up, there are still things you are not aware of. For instance, the real reason I’ve not summoned my Doppel as of yet.”

Kiwako tilted her head. “There’s something we don’t know about you? What would that be… big sis?”

The world around the two of them began to dim, as if the lights of the world itself were being turned down, and eventually off completely, leaving the two standing in a blank, black void. “My soul was shattered when I killed myself, and brought the tale of the First Angel to a close. I did more than end my life. So to undo that, and for me to be standing here… took a powerful wish. One that nearly ended the wisher in the process.”

“Her soul was strained to the limit when she brought me back to life, when she brought the pieces of my soul back together. And in so doing, specifically bringing those fragments to one whole, our souls resonated. Any other girl would have died, or become a Witch, or even an Angel, right then and there. But not hers. Her power, dormant and unknown as it was, was enough to keep her from the brink, though not completely free of consequence.”

“It was our bond that sustained us for so long. My calm, passive soul held her active, brilliant soul from the edge. And her tenacity, her fierce spirit kept my flame from flickering out. Our souls were in such harmony, such close proximity for so long, that we were at risk of combining into one unified soul. But she would not let that happen, either. And as a result of her determination and power, I am here before you, my own woman once more. But the mistakes of my first life as a magical girl would not be repeated. Do you know why, Kiwako?”

Before Kiwako could react at all, a spotlight shone on what appeared to be a stage in the middle of the void. “It’s because part of our souls are still deep within one another. I have a piece of her here with me, as she has a piece of me with her. But… we are magical girls. Our souls, even fragmented, carry our karma, and likewise, our inevitable fate.”

The void seemed to part like a curtain, and on the stage, a static-like figure stood, wounded and weary. It was a humanoid rabbit-like being, held together with dim violet sparks, two of which rested atop its face as if ‘eyes’. “Part of her is with me, Kiwako, as part of me is with her. And while I do not know which aspect of myself she can claim for herself, I can safely say for me, that…” As she spoke, white smoke began flowing from her body, forming an orb in front of her. “…I gained the will to fight and survive, at any and all cost.”

The orb-like being sprouted six white, feathery wings, flaring out from its body, and in the front, a large, black eye opened, staring directly at the rabbit-like Witch before her. The other witch, in turn, stared back at Cecilia’s, its eyes sparking, violet sparks dancing across the open void, as if the witch had suddenly come to life. “And I”, Cecilia said, “have no intention of losing that will. So pay close attention, Kiwako.” She assumed a stance, as if ready for battle, though her expression was not nearly so serious as it was heavy. “You will know all you need about me over the next few minutes. And I will know on which side I am meant to stand.”