[MILF TF, Tokusatsu themes]

"It's hopeless..."

Sitting within a room that had seen better days was a young girl, who herself had seen much better days. From her awful hair that didn't know which way it wanted to point, or her overall overnourished state, or the general lack of hygiene on her body. She had practically been cursed to look like a complete and utter mess.

"Yet again, I just lay down here in my bed, doing absolutely nothing when I could be fixing my life..." She muttered to herself as she collapsed onto her pillow, burying her dirty face in the covers that had been thoroughly soaked in a mixture of her own tears and sweat. A common ritual for a mess like her.

A few tears ran down her cheeks as she smashed her face against that soft object. "You! Have! To! Do! Something! Alyssa!" She cried out, punctuating every word with another smash, until she got so winded that she collapsed straight onto it, leaving her sweating away as she tried to catch her breath. If she was younger, or heck if she had taken care of herself all these years, maybe she wouldn't be feeling this awful...

But instead, she just laid there. Even as her phone, laying by the side of her pillow, started to vibrate. She knew who it was. She always knew who it was. It was the ticket to her salvation. The one thing that could pull her out of her self inflicted hellhole. The one person who always held out hope for her...

The girl known as Alyssa Winters slowly picked up that phone, letting her gaze linger on the picture she used as a background. Ever since the day that she gave up, she never changed it. Not even for a second. She couldn't let go of the past, nor the sweet taste of victory that she had once held in her hands...

It was a picture of her, with that gentle shade of brown decorating her hair and an equally gentle red filling her cheeks... As well as her friend. A girl who had much more money than her, a girl that had much more fame than her, and a girl that shouldn't ever have been looking at her. A girl that wanted to help her, even to this day... and the girl who was currently trying to message her.

Agatha Anemone.

The tired, exhausted and beaten down girl slowly turned the phone onto its front to quiet it down, before sliding the pillow over it to ensure that it would stay quiet. If she did that, then the noise would go away. The pain of her terrible friendship would vanish, and she could go back to realizing that it was all her fault in the first place.

Alyssa's tears started rolling down her cheeks again as she tossed the covers off her bed, covering up part of her junk-filled floor. There was no point to any of this! She was a waste of space that threw away any chance of a normal life, just because it was difficult! That's what happened when she graduated and had to transfer, she gave it all up because she got challenged..!

"Why do I have to be such walking garbage!?" The brunette shouted at herself, grabbing ahold of the mattress underneath her, nearly tearing yet another hole into it. It wasn't... It wasn't good at all... She just wanted to live. But that was apparently too hard for her, so she shut herself away, refusing to look ahead at all...

*Knock*

In the midst of her panicking, in the midst of all of her troubled thinking, she heard a sound from the window. Maybe another pigeon slammed straight into her window, and she'd have to clean it all. Great. As if this day wasn't turning out terribly already. She had just woken up, lapsed into a terrible episode like every other day, and now she had to clean a dead bird off her window.

Once she turned around to look towards the glass, however, she froze. The glasses on her face fell straight off, the sheer shock on her face palpable as she nearly tipped all the way over and onto the death trap that was her floor.

"Hello there." The soothing voice of a strange blonde woman echoed through her ears, courtesy of the very same woman standing on her windowsill. "I hope you don't mind, young one, but I have to come in. Just sit tight for a moment, if you would?" Her words were like honey, but at the same time, she felt so... foreboding. Worrying? There were words that you could use for her, and none of them were particularly nice.

The woman snapped her fingers, as a little bat appeared on the bespectacled girl's side of the window. The bat quickly latched its teeth onto the handle that kept the window closed, pulling it back to allow the woman to enter before disappearing into a puff of smoke.

"W-W-W-Wh... What... Who?" Alyssa muttered incoherently, her expression faltering and switching between awe, fear, and something rather embarrassing all at once. Who would even bother coming by and visiting her? More than that, what the heck was she wearing? Didn't she know about public decency laws or something? ...Not that she was one to talk, considering that she was barely wearing anything in the first place.

Her visitor, a crimson-eyed blonde-haired woman wearing a red dress complemented with a set of pantyhose and a cowl that made her seem more imposing than sexy, slowly sat down on the windowsill. As if she respected some of the girl's personal space. "Oh, you don't need to worry about little old me. I'm merely a visitor, looking out for young girls like you. Young ones that need guidance, or even a chance to dig themselves out of the horrible role that society has dug for them."

"You... You want to help me? T-Then why couldn't you just knock on the door or send a mail or something? Be normal! You're like one of the monsters from Yuusha's game! You're going to hurt me, aren't you!?" The brunette wearing a messy tee pointed straight at her, trying to deduce her scheme before she'd fall victim to it.

The mysterious red-clad woman shook her head. "I was entirely sincere, even if I seem like a monster who would just use you for her own benefit." Her smooth voice caressed her ears, slowly calming her down as she held out a single hand. "I want to help you, Alyssa. You just need to tell me what you need help with, and I can make it all come true."

"P-Prove it... Why should I think that you could fix my friendship? Fix my life? Make me less of a worthless waste of space that's tossed away the chance to be friends with anyone ever again?" Alyssa gave her what she asked for, and only after she ranted at her did she realize that she subconsciously did it. "N-No! I don't want.. I..."

It didn't take a genius to see that the guilt of everything that she had ever done was busy filling her heart. "I see. You want to fix your past mistakes." She mused, closing her eyes as she laid one leg over the other. "I don't believe that my powers allow you to travel back through time, not with how your desires are laid bare..."

"T-THEN WHY'D YOU EVEN OFFER IT WHEN YOU'RE CLEARLY TRICKING ME!? JUST GO! LEAVE ME!" The useless trash's mood soured in a mere instant as she shouted at the blonde stranger, grabbing her pillow and tossing it at her in a blind fury...

Only for it to get caught without even making an impact, the woman dropping it on the mattress. "...I think I know how you can find your way." She mused aloud, carefully stepping onto the bed before kneeling down to caress the dirty girl's cheeks. "But you need to take the first step yourself. Otherwise, you'll never find the place that you belong."

"W-What do you mean..?" Alyssa looked into her warm, soothing eyes and listened to that silky smooth voice. Even her scent was relaxing, like that of a rose...

The woman slowly wiped the tears off the girl's face as she let go. "I will give you something that can make your wishes, to fix your life and find the place you belong, come true. All you have to do, is take that chance yourself. Then, and only then, will you be on the proper path."

Her words resounded throughout the girl's mind as she saw golden energy gather in her palm. The energy condensed into the shape of a simple bracelet, like the kind you would see rich girls wear. Just like the girl that she had once been best friends with.

"This... I've seen it on the news, that's..." Alyssa muttered as she looked at the bracelet, her hands shaking with a mixture of anticipation and pure worry. "That's the thing that's been making monsters out of everyone..."

Her guest nodded as she put it down on the windowsill, as her body slowly started to pull itself apart before the girl's eyes. "Take it, when you think you need it. Then, and only then, will you be put on the proper path..." She whispered, only to vanish then and there, leaving behind only a swarm of those phantasmal bats that had helped her inside.

Alyssa swallowed the spit in her mouth as she stared at the bracelet, her breathing growing heavier by the second. What should she do, what should she do? She... She didn't want to be a monster, but...

Its golden shine reflected in her eyes, as her thoughts turned towards her friend. The one she had let down so many times before. "Agatha... I..." She muttered as she lingered on that cursed jewelry, her heart beating loudly and quickly...

Until everything went dark...

---

Morning was dawning on the Fushimi household, the light shining in through the blinds as one young lady quietly laid there, her head resting on her pillow as memories played vividly through her mind.

Her fight against that sheep and his fluffy minions had happened just a few days ago, and her mind kept on replaying those last few moments. When she got disabled a few meters from the target, and had to be saved by that woman. The woman who the school said was there to protect her, and yet…

Every time she replayed that fateful moment, something bothered her. Was it the look in her eyes, or the scowl on her face? No, both of those were insulting in their own right. They just didn’t compare to the words that she said afterwards…

“Stay down. This isn’t a game.”

Those words sent a tingle down the sandy-haired girl’s spine. Not because they were effective, but because they seemed to be hiding something. If she just wanted her to stop, she could’ve tried to hit her or something. But advice like that, it… She couldn’t put her finger on it, but it made her feel something. Fear? Worry?

“Excitement. The word you’re looking for is Excitement.”

A voice echoed through her mind, and a familiar looking woman appeared on her windowsill, using a bit of the power she had to open up the blinds and let the morning sun shine in. “I knew you were numb to emotions after a while, but I didn’t think you’d forget that.” The woman said, running a hand through her mane as she shook all over, enjoying the warmth of the light behind her.

“Excitement? What’s so exciting about being beat up?” Mikai asked as she sat up in bed, still keeping her blanket wrapped around her. Contrary to what the spirit tagging along inside her head believed, it wasn’t the time of year to go around near-naked. Especially this early in the morning.

Chimera, ever the exhibitionist, laughed as she saw the girl wrapping herself up to the point where she looked like a head sticking out of an anthill. “The thrill of finding somebody that can challenge you! Trust me, I’ve had to go through it a lot, and I eventually ended up at the top of the food chain for my troubles. Then I lost that feeling, and I’ve been walking around in darkness ever since!” She chimed as she adjusted her pelt, the claws of the Lion she wore covering up everywhere important. “You should try it too, use that feeling inside you and improve, Mikai!”

“That’s easy for you to say, you’re dead!” The sandy-blonde shouted back, which just made the woman laugh even harder. “And what’s so funny? Being beat up isn’t funny, getting stuck in fluff sure isn’t either.” She made a pout with her lips, huffing and puffing a bit in the process.

The lion-pelted woman motioned towards the way that she had wrapped her blankets around her. “You look ridiculous.” Was all that she needed to say as she got off that windowsill, looking out through the window with a big ol’ grin on her face. “Yep. Totally ridiculous, not basking in the warmth of the sun…”

Mikai blinked a little before getting out of the comfy fortress she had made for herself, revealing her meager bra and cute bloomers. “You’re still a ghost or something, Chimera. You can’t just say you can feel the warmth, that’s not how ghosts work.”

“And who made you the expert on ghosts? Did you finally check out one of those movies that Watanabe asked you to watch?” Chimera shot back, prompting the young girl to look at the floor, disappointment radiating off her form. She still hadn’t. She was too busy sulking a little too much about her failure. Not enough to slink right back into her old behavior though, she still went to school and everything.

The schoolgirl received a gentle pat on the head, that gentle looking hand ruffling through her hair. “I’m just ribbing you, Mikai. You’re the reason I’m able to walk around again, just like I’m part of why you’ve recovered. Let’s have a little fun with our improved health, okay?” The predator of old said, grinning and showing off her fangs in the process.

“...Yeah! You’re right, Chimera. Being down won’t get me anywhere!” Mikai’s energy returned as if she had just been shocked by a lightning bolt of pure motivation, her fists clenching and shaking. “I gotta find a way to talk to that woman again, tell her what I think of her!”

Chimera nodded as she took a seat on the bed this time, her image slowly fading. It was about time for her to rest, trying to interact with the real world while existing inside the young girl drained her, and she needed to recover. “And what’re you going to tell her?” She asked, her eyes full of pride for the youth she had as a host.

“That she’s stupid and she needs to understand that people help because they want to help! She can’t just turn me away because I’m not experienced! I gotta get better and then show her what she’s missing out on, that’s what!” The young heroine cried out as she pumped her fist into the air. “She’ll see that I’m a hero, she’ll have to respect me!”

Her ghostly guest laughed in response to that almost childly display of pure willpower, before nodding. “And if you had to cut that down to something more simple, what’d you do then? Not that you can’t do that, I just wanna see if that brain of yours is still working after that exam you had.”

The young gal looked at her for a moment, before nodding one more time. “I want to tell her that she should let me help her. That’s simple, right? I think that’s simple, that’s what Yumeko tried to do after I helped her, so…” She sounded less firm, but her answer was more than honest enough to count.

“Good girl. Now let me get some shut-eye, giving you a pep talk tires me out.” Chimera yawned as she sunk underneath the covers before disappearing, purring like a big ol’ kitty while doing so...

Mikai giggled a little. She really was just like one big and old kitty when it came down to it. At least she was on her side, cheering her on when she needed it most.

“Honey! Breakfast is ready! Do you want it on your bed or do you wanna join me?” The voice of the young girl’s mother echoed through her room as she yelled up the stairs, hoping that she’d come down. She was used to her not doing so, but since she had been showing such good signs of recovery…

Before she knew it, the youth jumped down the stairs and landed right in front of her black-haired mom, grinning from ear to ear. “I’ll join you, Mom!” She said, giggling like a giddy lil’ schoolgirl in the process.

Her mom giggled along, not even phased by that surprising act. “Just be careful when you do something that reckless, Mikai. I don’t want you to hurt yourself when you’ve just gotten better.” She chimed and gave her little lady a kiss, ruffling her hair. “You are my little angel, after all. Mommy would hate to see you lose yourself again.”

“I know, Mom. I wouldn’t want that either.” Mikai nodded as she gave her dearest mom a big hug, squeezing her pleasant figure as tightly as she could. She wasn’t about to make her mom sad ever again, as long as she had it in her!

After that little bit of mutual affection, the young girl let go and skipped towards the kitchen table. “So, what’s for breakfast?” She asked, the stars lighting up in her eyes as she started drooling a little. Not because of the wonderful scent around her, just because of the innate hunger in her tummy.

“Well, since you managed to score a decent grade for your last exam, and since it’s the weekend, I thought it’d be a good idea to reward you!” Her mom chimed as she motioned towards an enormous stack of pancakes on the countertop. “I may have made a few too many though. Oh well, you know that I’m a heavy eater, I can deal with the ones that you can’t!”

Mikai couldn’t stop herself from drooling even more as her dearest mom carried that massive pile of pancakes onto the table, her heart audibly beating with excitement. “Thanks, mom! You’re the best!” Without even missing a beat, she grabbed a bunch of them off the top of the stack, wrapping them up into one big roll as she started chowing down.

Her mom watched her with a bright smile on her own face. It really was the best, seeing her with so much energy. It had only been a little while ago when she was all doom and gloom for ages, and now… Well, she smiled. That was an improvement, but the sheer amount of happiness that flowed through every single thing that she did…

It almost brought a tear to her eye. Almost. Or maybe that was just the heat from the kitchen getting to her. She was wearing thick clothing, what with a shawl and a sweater decorating her body. Oh well, it was time to dig in. No use wasting all that delicious food she made.

Both mom and daughter ate and ate, the plate that was practically towering all the way to the ceiling gradually shrinking as the two dug in. No matter how much sugar or ice cream they added to it, they just kept on eating. It was delightful, outright magical. A true mark that the maternal woman was a chef beyond compare. Either that, or the love they shared for one another masked the taste. Honestly, they didn’t care. They just wanted to enjoy the moment…

Once that plate was empty and both of them let the afterglow of the meal settle over them, a concerned look washed its way onto her mom’s face. “Say, Mikai? I wanted to ask you, what were you doing while your school got attacked by that monster they talked about on the news?”

“The what?” The sandy-blonde tilted her head. Yet again, her lack of knowledge about the current world caused her issues. “...Theeee tv box? What was on it?” She asked, tilting her head even further as she turned towards the living room.

Her mom laughed as she shook her head. “Oh, Mikai. We still need to catch you up on speed someday. Here, I recorded it.” She said as she got up, grabbing the remote as she turned their cozy little tv on, revealing a paused recording…

As it turned on, everything in their home shook, prompting the older woman to quickly turn the volume down. “Okay, I may have been a little too excited while you were at school yesterday…” She blushed, while her eyes drifted towards a box-shaped thingy with a joystick molded onto it below the tv set.

Once she was sure it was properly ready, she pressed play again and a woman’s voice flooded the room. Images of the various Pawns that had been seen around school flashed before their eyes, including a sneaky picture of the defeated Sleepy Sheep, showing how much information had been revealed to the public.

“A few hours ago, our beloved Mimoto Academy was attacked by yet another monster. This one, a sheep with a deviant streak. All of the minor monsters, those draped in black gunk, humped away with all of their might. Thanks to the efforts of Atlas Corp’s preventative council and their latest operative, this incident was quickly neutered, leaving most of the students restored albeit with their sexual tendencies having shot through the roof due to the pollution left behind by their transformation. While we are not allowed to reveal the identity of the monster’s former form, we do know that the Tachibana family is currently in the middle of figuring out what to do, due to their connection to the school's funding. Stay tuned in the upcoming days in regards to that case. This has been Channel M, reporting to you with all of the latest events in our beloved Mimoto City.”

The recording shut off, as the tv continued playing a rather lousy looking sitcom instead. “You weren’t hurt out there, were you?” Her mom asked, now having provided enough context for her daughter.

“Nope! I didn’t see any fluff-covered girls and boys, not a single one!” Mikai instinctively replied, smiling as a bit of sweat ran down her cheeks. And by a bit, she meant a lot. A whole lot.

Her mom just stared at her and laughed, a bit of a blush appearing on her cheeks. “Oh, honey. You don’t have to lie, I’m fine if you saw them. The matter is that you’re still alright. But…” She paused, her smile turning into a bit of a teasing smirk. Just a little bit. “You know that it isn’t fluff that sheep are covered in, right? It’s wool. Do I need to go ask the old schools if I can get my money back for the education that’s slipped you by?”

“N-No! I just, I, uh…” A massive blush covered the young girl’s face as she was called out on her stupidity, a bit of a pout forming on her face. “‘s not fair, they’re fluffy, why isn’t it called fluff?” She muttered under her breath as she shook around in her seat, frustration growing plenty visible…

It didn’t take a moment more before she was pulled into a hug, her face sinking into her mom’s bosom. “There there. You’re doing your best to cope. I’m just teasing you, dear. The fact you respond like that to Mommy is everything I’ve ever wanted to see from you. When I tried to tease you when you were still gloomy, you never responded. I’m just happy that we can be like this…”

“Mom…” Mikai muttered as she hugged her once more, nuzzling close with a small smile on her lips. “Thanks, Mom. I couldn’t wish for a better Mom.” She whispered, just enjoying the warmth that she gave off.

As the two continued to enjoy each other’s company, it was rather rudely cut short by a soft knock on the door. A soft knock that was then followed by a rough round of knocks, almost as if somebody was trying to punch through the wood.

“Would you care to be a little more civilized?” “WELL THEY’RE NOT OPENING, CAN’T THEY HEAR IT’S IMPORTANT?” “Please quiet down, you’re disturbing them if they’re asleep.”

The voices of two directly contrasting girls echoed from behind the door, making both Mikai and her mom look at one another with pure confusion painted right on those cute faces.

“I’ll go check who it is, you just stay here.” Her mom said, planting a quick kiss on the younger girl’s forehead as she walked towards the entrance to their modest home. Who could it be at this hour? It was the weekend, she shouldn’t be expecting any guests…

Upon opening the door, she was greeted to the rather interesting sight of a stout looking student arguing loudly with a stern looking one, the two contrasting one another with not just their voices but their figures. Between the extra meat on the loudmouthed and crude one, and the thin but resolute stature of the one who refused to raise her voice… They were like mirror opposites, in a way.

“AND ANOTHER THING-” The larger student, blonde with long drill-like twintails that reached all the way down to her hips, almost grabbed at her fellow student’s collar to yank her into the air.

That move was quickly interrupted by the long blue-haired girl, who brandished a single and delicately carved stick to slap her hands aside. “Anemone. We’re guests. And you’re yelling right in front of an adult. Please, compose yourself.” The girl said as she turned towards the homely woman, humbly bowing in an apologetic manner. “I apologize, Miss Fushimi. The racket was entirely our fault, and we request that you ignore that for the purpose of this visit.”

“W-” The larger girl finally caught up to what was happening, prompting her to blush as she looked towards the black-haired woman in the doorway. “Oh. Oh, I’m…” She paused, before looking aside and grabbing at her skirt, curtsying as she bowed slightly. “Sorry, Ma’am. Let me, Agatha Anemone, know what I can do for you to make up for this… farce.” She paused before the final word, almost as if she needed to fish it off her tongue.

Mikai’s mom stared at the two girls, sweat running down the side of her face as she smiled. “You two are a unique bunch…” She mused quietly before noticing their uniforms, her smile quickly growing. “But you seem to be from Mikai’s school. Are you her friends?”

Before the two had a chance to answer, and Agatha certainly seemed like she wanted to answer with how her forehead seemed to twitch and grow a bit veiny at the sound of the girl’s name ringing through her ears, the older woman shouted into the house. “Mikai! Your friends are here! Why’re they so loud?”

“I dunno, mom!” The young girl ran out to the door, before blinking as she noticed the two. “Uhhhhh… Mom? They aren’t my friends. They’re classmates, at least the big one is, she’s…” The words refused to leave her lips as she looked at the blonde. Which just made the girl grow angrier and angrier as the seconds ticked by. “A nice girl? I think?”

The blonde grit her teeth as she stomped towards the sandy-blonde, fury creeping onto her face in a rather unimpressive fashion. “Oh yes. I’m a nice girl alright. The nicest girl you’ve ever met. Agatha Anemone. Remember. That. Name.” She said, emphasizing every word as she towered over the shorter and thinner girl.

“Anemone.” The other girl said as she yanked her back, glaring daggers into her eyes to make her quiet and calm down. “Apologies, Miss Fushimi. May we start over from the beginning?” She asked, bowing down again with enough finesse that both mom and daughter had to admire her for it…

The maternal woman nodded, prompting the thinner of the two girls to clear her throat. “I am Saki Himitsu. Student President at Mimoto Academy, here to represent one of our teachers, Maki-sensei. If you would be so kind, Ms. Kaoru Fushimi, we would like to borrow your daughter for the day.”

Agatha narrowed her eyes as she cleared her own throat. “I am Agatha Anemone, one of your daughter’s better classmates. Our teacher decided that she had been slacking too hard and thought it would be best for her to grow closer to her fellow students, so he sent us to deal with that mess. If she does so, she’ll earn extra credit, maybe catching her up to the rest of us in the process. And she’d be helping out somebody just as stubbornly neglecting as herself too.”

“Neglecting? Who’re you talking about?” Mikai asked, not holding a single piece of malice towards the bigger girl as she ignored the first part of the statement. “And, Maki-sensei wanted me to help? What’s she like? Is she nice? Does she need a friend?”

Saki smiled as she nodded. “From what Agatha has told me, she’s certainly something. I think somebody like you might be able to help here, with what our Sensei has been able to tell us. So, would you like to join us, Mikai? With your mother’s permission, of course.”

Agatha silently seethed in the background as the young girl looked to her mom. “Can I, mom? It sounds like it’d be a lot of fun!” She chimed, giggling all the while. She was going to have new friends, a big loud chubby girl and a stick with a stick!

“Of course you can, Mikai. But I want you all back here by evening, I’ll make some dinner to top you all off. How’s that sound, Saki? Agatha?” Kaoru said, approving of it all while looking to the two girls to make sure that everything was in order. Now that they had introduced themselves, and since Mikai seemed to be on speaking terms with the two, they were considered friends of her daughter. And any friend of hers was a friend of her mom.

The thinner of the two nodded, but the fatter huffed a little, blushing as she was addressed properly. “Hmph. Fine. You better make it really good, Miss Fushimi. You’ve taken care of your daughter for so long that I’d hope it’d be the best food in the city!” She huffed and puffed, but that was just an attempt to prop herself up and act like she was worth something. When really, she was hiding the fact that she was drooling more than a little itty bitty bit.

“It’s settled then. Mikai, if you would be so kind.” Saki motioned for the sandy-blonde to follow the two of them, as she made her way outward. Agatha following right behind, not bothering to give the girl another word.

Mikai looked to her mom, smiling from ear to ear. “I’ll be back later. I’ll be safe too, don’t worry, mom!” She reached up on her tippy toes before kissing her mom goodbye preemptively and dashing out the door, ready to join her new friends…

“Oh, you’re growing up so fast.” Kaoru chimed, rubbing that spot she just got kissed on before closing the door after the three left. She had so much food to make to congratulate them for a good day’s work, all while her mind lingered on her little sweetheart.

She couldn’t wait to hear about her daughter’s day out with her new friends.

---

“So, Saki?” Mikai asked as the three unlikely ‘friends’ made their way around the city’s outskirts, heading for their destination in a brisk manner. “Why did Maki-sensei think that I needed extra credit, anyway?”

The long-haired girl just turned her head to look at the sandy-blonde who held her hands behind her head in a lackadaisy fashion. “Are you trying to play dumb, or do you g-” She started speaking, only to notice the look of absolute innocence in her mind. “...Mikai, you know you’ve been doing the absolute minimum to pass through your education so far, yes?”

“Uhuh. Math’s really bad when you’re stuck in a rut like I was. I still don’t get how that pythago-whatever’s supposed to work.” The youngest of the three girls said, nodding along while the twintailed blonde at her side remained silent, quietly stewing and fuming.

Saki nodded. “It’s specifically because of your inability to follow studies, yet pass with the narrowest margin, that you need extra credit. Not only because our teacher thinks that you might flunk if presented with a difficult enough question, but because it is ultimately for your own good outside of that. You may be able to make another friend, one that could guide you through your continued issues.”

“Huh. What a weird way to make a friend, but I’m not complaining!” Mikai chimed as her grin shone with so much positivity. She even turned towards Agatha, ignoring how she had insulted her just a little while ago. “I hope the three of us can be great friends!”

Perhaps she shouldn’t have done that, as the plump-bodied girl stopped in response to that claim. Something that the long-haired girl immediately picked up on. “Anemone. Do not. You can’t just-”

“SHUT UP, HIMITSU!” The blonde cried out, her fists clenching as she whipped around with no hesitation, aiming straight for the shortest of the three. “AND YOU SHUT UP TOO, FUSHIMI!”

Her fist flew straight into the girl’s face, knocking her back a few steps as she barely had time to brace herself. Thanks to that, she didn’t get knocked down, her heart pounding against her chest as her eyes were filled with confusion. Why would she…

‘Well well, looks like you’ve got a bit of a bully on your hands, Mikai.’ The voice of Chimera rumbled inside her head, sounding almost a bit too amused at this development. ‘You think you need any help?’

The girl shook her head as she looked at the bigger lass. ‘No, she’s not a monster. I can find a way to talk to her, I think.’ She thought to herself, answering the predator in her mind. All while her expression turned more serious as she nearly glared at the blonde. “What do you th-”

Her attempt at questioning it all caused her to receive another punch in the face. Or at least, she would’ve if she didn’t raise her hand to guard herself in time, catching the fist and clenching down on it. “Listen to me! What do you think you’re doing!?”

“Anemone! You can’t just go around throwing punches at people that don’t deserve it! I’ll make sure the principal gives you detention for this, if you keep going!” Saki shouted as she tried to grab at the girl’s back, trying to pull her away from the sandy-blonde.

Only to stop as she noticed a couple of tears running down the bigger girl’s cheeks. “It’s not fair! IT’S NOT FAIR AT ALL! WHY ARE YOU THE ONE WHO GETS TO GET BACK TO NORMAL, BUT SHE’S STUCK IN THERE!?” Agatha shouted, rage and pure anguish filling her expression as she tried to push on past the hand that held her fist. “WHY DO YOU RECOVER OUT OF NOWHERE, YET SHE’S STILL IN THERE, WASTING HER LIFE AWAY!?”

“Anemone…” The blue-haired girl muttered as she stepped back, looking down at the ground. Yet again, a friend in need whose issue she couldn’t solve. First Tiro, now her…

‘So… She has a friend like me? And she thinks because I got out of it, I’m the cause of her friend’s continued…’ Mikai thought to herself, the world going dark around her for just a moment.

Chimera’s visage appeared at her side, the pelt-clad woman crossing her arms in front of her chest. “So? What do you think about that? Your actions causing somebody else pain?” She asked, looking down at her host. “You felt excitement earlier at being beaten, so what about this?”

“...Pity?” The sandy-blonde said as she let go, all of this taking place inside her mind. “She’s got all that anger and sadness and stuff in her, but she’s putting it towards anything that she can use to vent. I think I’d be like that too, if I ever realized I couldn’t get out of that rut. I’d just swing my arms around, screaming until I passed out.”

The blonde visage nodded. “And what are you going to do about that, then? You said you wanted to be her friend, but she’s actively trying to push you away. Wouldn’t it be best to just let her carry on, so you don’t get hurt?” Her voice turned a bit more serious, this time sounding like a sweet serpent trying to guide the girl off the path.

“No. That’d be really dumb.” Mikai clenched her fist as she held it in front of her. “I don’t want to hurt her, but I don’t want her to hurt me either. So, I gotta get to the bottom of it all. I’m sure I can pull her friend out, just like you pulled me out. That’s what friends do for one another, isn’t it?”

Chimera grinned. “Even if it hurts you in the process? You really want to go through that, the pain of assisting another? Wouldn’t it be better to just protect the ones you’ve got near?”

“No!” The sandy-blonde cried out with more conviction as she turned to face her passenger. “I won’t stand by, when I can try! Even if it ends up worse, I’ll be satisfied! I did what I could to help! Sitting around doing nothing will get me nowhere!” Her passion burned bright. So brightly that her eyes were actively turning into flames, another benefit of this mental space of hers.

The predator stared at her for a few seconds before bursting into laughter. “You’re something else, Mikai. You really, truly are. If you think you can help her, then do it! Show her your conviction! Work past her anger and her punches until you two can truly be called friends!” Her visage started to fade, alongside the black space around them, returning everything to normal…

Once more, Mikai held the hand that had tried to punch her in the face. The hand belonging to that crude voiced girl, the one who blamed her for everything that had ever gone wrong in her friend’s life. The one who misplaced all of her issues into one young girl who had just recovered from her own depressive self.

“Life… Life’s not fair!” She cried out, her eyes firmly locked on Agatha’s. “I know that! I know that a lot! I was stuck in that rut for so long that I never thought I’d get out, but… That doesn’t mean I’m the one who caused your friend to get stuck!”

Her response just caused the blonde to get angrier, causing her to rip her hand out of the girl’s grip and toss another punch, one that was blocked just as fast. “SO WHAT!? YOU STILL DON’T DESERVE IT! SHE WAS MY BEST FRIEND, AND SHE JUST DECIDED TO STAY INSIDE AND WASTE IT ALL AWAY! YOU DON’T DESERVE TO BE HEALTHY WHEN SHE’S STILL USELESS!” She screamed, fury dripping from her eyes in the form of the rushing tears...

“Of course I do! I’m me, and she’s her! We’re totally unconnected!” Mikai shouted back at the bully, her hands clenching as she tossed that fist aside, before grabbing her by the shoulders as much as she could. “So let me talk to her and understand! Please! It’d be better than punching me, you get nothing out of that!”

The girl’s answer went unheard as the larger girl pushed the arms off her shoulders… and landed a blow this time. But she didn’t flinch. She took the punch straight on, not even backing away a little. “Please, Agatha.” Was all the sandy-blonde had to say…

Agatha grit her teeth and closed her eyes, pulling back her fist. “I hate you. Fushimi Mikai, mark my words. I hate you and everything you stand for.” She declared, rubbing away at her knuckle which seemed to be bleeding a little from that blow… “But I’ll let you have this. Prove to me that you’re not responsible. Help me pull that idiot back from the abyss she’s fallen into. Let me get my friend back, and I’ll ease up. Then you’ll only be a piece of trash that never deserved to come back, instead of the girl that’s responsible for my friend’s fall.”

The twintailed blonde slowly walked away, blowing on her fist. Leaving both the blue-haired Student President and the sandy-blonde behind, the former still looking at the ground.

“Saki?” Mikai asked, gritting her own teeth a little as the pain of the blow finally settled in. Getting a blow like that to her face wasn’t exactly the most pleasant thing, the adrenaline of her defense just protected her from the worst effects. “What’s wrong?” She continued, stepping closer to the older girl.

The Student President didn’t react initially, muttering something under her breath… Only for her to snap out of it as she looked at the shorter girl, a soft yet pained smile now on her lips. “Sorry, it’s just… I’ve seen her like this a lot of times, especially when I’ve tried to help her with the homework that she’s got trouble with. She always wanted her best friend back, and no matter how hard we tried, we never made her come back to school for long. It all festered, and…”

She paused, looking down at the ground again. “She’s not the only one with issues like these. Hachiro Watanabe, one of my fellow seniors and the youngest of several brothers… Let’s just say that his Family didn’t consider him that worthwhile of an investment, as cruel as it sounds.” The words that left her mouth ached with pain. “And then he turned into that monster. I… I fear that if we don’t do something, either of those two will become one too.”

‘So that was... ‘ Mikai thought to herself, before shaking her head real quick as she grabbed the older girl’s hand. “Saki-senpai!” She cried out, respect flowing from her mouth. “We’ll fix them both, we will! This time, for sure!”

“How do you know it’ll work?” Saki looked at her face, only for that pain to leave her smile. Just looking at the girl was enough to cheer her up. “...No, you’re right. You’re stupid enough to think you can break through to her. I’m sure that’s exactly what we need.” She said, honestly covering every word she said.

Her junior laughed as she clenched that hand real tight. “I’m not that dumb, honest!” She chimed, glad to be hitting it off with the older girl. “Now come on, we’ve gotta catch up to her! Can’t let her have all the fun, no way!”

Mikai let go and sprinted ahead, with the long blue-haired girl remaining behind for just a moment as her expression grew grim. “I hope you’re right, Mikai. Otherwise, we might just be in more danger than you ever could’ve imagined…”

Saki’s words stayed on her mind as she sprinted after her, keeping the hope in her heart…

---

“Took you two long enough.”

After both Saki and Mikai had to play catchup with Agatha, since the twin-tailed blonde had to rush ahead due to her current sour mood, the three met up in front of an unassuming apartment. Nothing seemed off about it, only the lack of a proper faceplate displaying the number of the apartment.

“So this is where she lives?” Mikai asked as she rubbed the back of her head. “Doesn’t seem like there’s anybody home, or that anybody’s ever lived here…”

The Student President nodded, carefully knocking on the door with the knuckle of her middle finger. “Alyssa Winters? It’s Saki Himitsu as well as Agatha Anemone. We wish to speak to you about your continued absence from class. Would you kindly let us in?” She asked, loud enough that she could be heard beyond the door…

No answer. Not even a peep. “You are certain that she’s home this time, correct, Anemone?” The blue-haired girl asked as she turned to look at the stubborn and bullheaded girl, a questioning eyebrow raised.

“She has to be. She never leaves the house, she only calls out for takeout and every time I try and catch her outside, she’s gone in again before I can stop her.” Agatha shot back as she cracked her knuckles. “You two, stand back. I’ll get her to answer.”

Saki’s stare narrowed. “Don’t do anything rash, Anemone. I am still going to write you up to the principal for your assault on Mikai.” She hung the threat of punishment over the blonde’s head, something she ignored as she knocked on the door.

After the gentle knock didn’t work, the blonde put some more muscle into it. She slammed the flat of her fist against the door a few times, shaking the wood as she spoke up. “ALYSSA! LISTEN TO ME AND OPEN THIS GODDAMN DOOR UP! I WANT TO HAVE A FEW WORDS WITH YOU ABOUT YOUR CONDITION, AND IF YOU DON’T, I’LL MAKE SURE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT IT’S LIKE TO PISS ME OFF!”

This time, a response actually came through. A meager and quiet one. “Go away…” Was all that they could make out, making it clear that none of them were welcome here…

“Maybe she just wants to sleep? That’s what I always wanted to do when I was in that hole.” Mikai replied, prompting the blonde to glare at her. “Not that it’ll do her any good…” She muttered under her breath, understanding that she shouldn’t compare the two of them too much in the bigger girl’s presence.

Agatha grit her teeth as she flexed her arms a bit. “ALRIGHT, ALYSSA! YOU ASKED FOR IT, HERE’S THE AGATHA SPECIAL, JUST FOR YOU!” She cried out as she approached the railing behind her…

“STOP, ANEMONE!”

Saki’s cry went unheard as the larger girl dashed straight at the door, slamming her shoulder into it with as much weight behind her attack as she could. She didn’t care that she was destroying property or invading somebody’s personal space. She was going to drag that girl out of her den whether she wanted to be dragged out or not. If that little bitch with the smile could recover, so could she!

The door went flying off its hinges, slamming into the floor below from the force pushed into it. Upon closer inspection, both hinges were getting more than a little rusty, showing the disarray the apartment had fallen into after so long...

“Whoa. She’s as strong as she’s big…” Mikai muttered in surprise as she walked inside, turning towards the blue-haired Student President. “You need a moment, Saki-senpai?” She asked, noticing the shock on the girl’s face.

The tallest of the three girls took a deep breath after adjusting her uniform. “No. If I did, Anemone would just go even more crazy. Let’s head in after her, make sure that she’s okay after all of that…” She muttered, hoping that things wouldn’t get much worse.

“If she’s as durable as she’s stubborn, you won’t have to worry about a thing, senpai.” The smaller girl replied as she walked inside, noticing that the blonde had collapsed on the floor after that maneuver. “You alright, Agatha?”

Agatha coughed a little, rubbing away at her shoulder. “I’m fine, you just shut up until we get to the girl herself.” She shot back, callously disregarding her presence as she got up. “She should be just inside, I’ve been in here before. I tried dragging her out at least a couple of times, but she always reinforced her door. This time, it shouldn’t be an issue…”

“What makes you say that, Anemone? Have you been spying on her?” Saki asked as she approached, eyeing the bruise on the thickly built girl’s shoulder. “You’ll need to get that looked at. Sooner rather than later.”

In response, the blonde girl pulled out a chequebook with a couple ripped out. “Have you looked into my background at all, Himitsu?” She asked, and the blue-haired girl shook her head. “Good. Don’t bother. Just know that I made sure that she couldn’t buy new reinforcements. We can deal with her door even easier than that last one.

The trio walked deeper into the apartment until they reached a door that had seen better days. It had several bumps in it, each of them pointing inward to show that this wasn’t the first time the girl had tried this approach…

“ALYSSA! LAST CHANCE; OPEN THIS DOOR AND LEAVE WITH ME! IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO LET GO OF YOUR CURRENT LIFE AS LIVING TRASH!” Agatha shouted as she hammered on the door, adding a couple more bumps in the process…

Her cry went unanswered, prompting her veiny forehead to pop a little. “FINE, WHATEVER!” She screamed as she kicked that door off its hinges too, causing it to land on the floor and make a crunch resound throughout the room…

“You’re up to two weeks of suspension at this rate, Anemone. Please calm down.” Saki stated as she walked inside, Mikai following right behind her as the two slowly took a look around the room to absorb its atmosphere.

Contrast to the almost spartan look of the apartment so far, this room was a treasure trove of trash. Not just because of all the random figurines that were decorating the shelves or the games or the books or any of that stuff, but because of all the actual trash that was decorating the floor. Whether it was parts of toys that had been broken, discarded bags of sweets or chips, or just actual trash strewn about, it didn’t look like a good place to be…

“I thought I told her to clean her room last time I was around, guess she’s too useless to do that much!” Agatha cried out as she walked in, rubbing the sore spot on her shoulder a bit. “ALYSSA! GET YOUR SORRY ASS OUT HERE, I WANT TO TALK TO YOU!” She shouted into the air around her, hoping that she’d get the answer she was looking for.

Mikai looked around the room a bit, stepping over trash to the best of her ability as she put her hands on one of the figurines. “What’re these for, anyway? They look kinda neat, but aren’t they hard to clean?”

“Anime figurines, Mikai. People with unhealthy obsessions towards a series shown on tv end up buying cheaply made merchandise to try and connect to those characters, only to find that they only bury themselves deeper into their existing condition. No matter how well-sculpted they all are, they never feel like it’s good enough.” Saki explained as she picked one up herself, carefully brushing her thumb over its face. “Judging by the layer of dust on some of these, they haven’t been touched in ages either…”

The stout girl scoffed. “She always liked just looking at those things, never playing with them. Always told me that I was being rough with them whenever I swooshed them around in the air, even though I could pay for new ones without blinking an eye.” She said as she looked around the room, clearing her throat. “Alyssa! Come out! I know you’re in here! The less you hide, the easier this’ll be!”

Mikai closed her eyes a little as she held one of those figurines herself, taking a brief whiff of it. It had a certain scent, one that had lingered for a while. And that scent led over towards the bed, where the covers were… ever subtly shaking. Huh. Maybe she should’ve just pointed that out to the two of them.

“Anemone?” Saki asked as she turned towards the stout girl, crossing her arms beneath her chest. “Suppose that you were here with her. What would you do first and foremost? That might help us discover her location.”

The girl laughed as she pointed towards the bed. “The first thing I’d do would be leap onto the bed and get comfy! Like!” She cried out as she launched herself at it, belly first. “THIS!”

A scream of pure pain echoed from underneath the covers, as a brunette slowly crawled out from underneath that thick sheet of comfy. “Y-You never think before you leap, A-Agatha!” The girl from underneath the covers shouted at her, though still meekly enough that it didn’t compare to the loud tones that came from the blonde…

“Took you long enough to react, you shitty thing!” Agatha grabbed ahold of the girl, shaking her around. “HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT YOU CAN’T JUST STAY IN HERE?! YOU’RE ABOUT TO BE AN ADULT, YOU DON’T GET TO STAY AT HOME ALL DAY!” She shouted straight into her ear while shaking her around violently enough to practically disrobe her in the process.

Mikai just watched alongside Saki for a second, both taking in the glasses-wearing girl’s attire. She was wearing a pair of thick and roomy jogging pants, an undershirt and no bra, and her hair had never seen a single shower in several months, given how sticky it all looked…

“Winters. If I may?” The blue-haired girl said as she stepped closer, kneeling down by the bed while the larger girl continued to shake her around. “We’ve come here to help you. We don’t want to see you waste your life away for much longer, if at all possible. You’ve been wasting away in your own home, and… It’d be best if you returned to school and tried your best to get back to speed.”

Alyssa just stared through her fogged up glasses, ignoring the physical discomfort that Agatha was inflicting upon her. “What’s the point? I’ll just keep on failing. I’ll keep on getting out of my depth, thinking that I can do it all, and it’ll keep crashing down. I’m better off just staying in here…”

“LIKE HELL YOU ARE! LISTEN TO YOURSELF! WHERE’S THE CUTE IDIOT THAT I GREW UP WITH!? EVER SINCE WE MOVED HERE, YOU’VE BEEN MORE DISTANT THAN MY TERRIBLE MOTHER, AND YOU JUST THINK YOU CAN SHUT YOURSELF AWAY FROM ME!?” The blonde shouted into her ear, the smaller girl ignoring it all as she just pushed her glasses up…

Mikai got a bit closer, taking a seat on the bed as she watched her shaking her about. “She doesn’t deserve to be abused like that, Agatha. Come on, let her down and talk to her, like you’ve done so many times before.” She tried to sound like the voice of reason… which, just like always, failed to reach the larger girl.

“I’VE TRIED THAT, YOU DON’T KNOW HOW MUCH I’VE TRIED! SHE KEEPS ON IGNORING ME, SAYING THAT SHE’S A FAILURE WHO CAN’T SEE THE SKY FOR THE TREES OR SOME DUMB SHIT LIKE THAT! SHE JUST NEEDS TO LISTEN AND ACCEPT THAT NOT EVERYTHING’S POSSIBLE, INSTEAD OF GIVING UP!” The girl screamed as she kept on shaking her around, only to finally drop her once she had to catch her breath. “I just want the girl from the past back! I want my friend Alyssa back! Stop taking her away from me, let me have this one thing!”

Alyssa turned onto her side as she was let down, laying her head on the pillow. “Please leave. I don’t want any of you to be here…” She muttered quietly, closing her eyes. Like always, she deflected her problems by acting as if she didn’t care…

Saki nodded quietly as she got up from the bed, walking towards the room’s exit. “Anemone. Leave her alone. She doesn’t want this. Even if we tried, her attempts to return to normal life would be half hearted. She’d return to normal within a week.”

“AND WHAT DO YOU THINK SHE’D DO THEN? SHE’D JUST BE WASTING AWAY HER LIFE, GROWING THINNER AND THINNER UNTIL HER BODY EATS ITSELF! SHE HASN’T EVEN ORDERED SNACKS IN THE LAST MONTH! SHE’S STARVING, I KNOW IT!” The larger girl shouted back as she jumped down from the bed, stomping over bags as she got closer to the blue-haired girl…

The Student President stood her ground, crossing her arms. “And you think you know better because you’re her friend? Forcing yourself upon her may have been the reason why she’s regressed to such a state, have you not thought about that at all? Think with that big head of yours, Anemone! Think before I put it into the ground until all the blood rushes into it!”

“IS THAT A THREAT, HIMITSU?”

“Consider it more than that, especially with your temper! You need to understand that you can’t just do things your way!”

Mikai watched the two girls argue back and forth as she looked at Alyssa, pulling her feet onto the mattress in the process. “Uh, hi?” She asked, as she carefully prodded her with her toes. “You don’t mind if I ask you a few things, do you?”

“As long as you leave after…” The bespectacled girl muttered as she turned around, burying her face in the pillow without a single trace of hope remaining in her body…

The sandy-blonde girl nodded as she looked over towards the argument… “How’d you end up with a friend like her, anyway?” She asked, turning back towards the girl with the face in her pillow.

“Family friend. She never liked her mom, so she spent a lot of time with me and my family.” Alyssa explained, before she tightened her grip around her blanket. “Then… I ended up alone. And she was the only one that could spend time with me. She did what she could, and it kept me happy, but…”

Mikai could hear the tears starting to flow, as the dirty girl sniffled while the argument intensified in the background. “I couldn’t keep up with her… She kept on getting such good grades, and I was making mistake after mistake. She always said it was fine, but it never felt like it was fine! It felt like I was deliberately wasting all of her time, and I just want to curl up and die because of it!”

The tears kept on flowing as the girl cried her heart out, causing her to roll towards the wall and hide away. Which meant that the sandy-blonde could reach for a certain phone hiding underneath the pillow…

Displayed upon it was a cute picture of both Agatha and Alyssa as younger girls, each of them smiling despite their circumstances. There were also about a hundred missed calls, and something else that only a keen eye would’ve noticed as she scrolled idly through the phone’s contents…

“...Agatha! Saki-senpai! Stop fighting!” Mikai cried out as she turned the phone towards them, all while her bright smile lit the path forward. “She does want help, look!”

Both the blue-haired girl and the blonde turned towards the youngest of the four of them, only to see all the messages that were displayed on screen. Thousands. Tens of thousands of messages, all of them in the trash, waiting to be sent to a certain somebody…

“...Anemone?” Saki said as she looked towards the blonde, noticing that her expression seemed completely frozen. “...You may continue.” Was all that she needed to say as she stepped back, knowing that she should just let things run their course.

The blonde’s expression changed from furious to just bewildered, as she turned her gaze towards the crying girl. “ALYSSA!” She cried out, anger reverberating through her sound. This time not born of anguish caused by rejection… But of worry. “WHY DIDN’T YOU SEND ANY OF THEM!?”

“BECAUSE I’M WORTHLESS, AGATHA! I’VE BEEN WORTHLESS EVER SINCE WE GOT HERE, YOU SAID IT YOURSELF!” Alyssa shouted back as she shot up from her lying position, tears streaming down her face. “I JUST WANT THINGS TO BE BACK TO NORMAL, BUT I’M AFRAID I CAN’T DO THAT! I CAN’T GO DOWN THE SAME PATH YOU HAVE, I’M A FAILURE WHO KEEPS ON DOING THE WRONG THING!”

The stout girl approached her bed, slamming her hands onto the mattress as she kept her stare firm on her friend. “I WOULD’VE DONE EVERYTHING I COULD TO HELP YOU, LIKE I ALWAYS DID! YOU JUST HAD TO SAY SOMETHING! BECAUSE YOU SHUT ME OUT, I THOUGHT YOU WANTED TO CUT OUR FRIENDSHIP OFF! YOU WOULD’VE DEVASTATED ME, AND YOU BASICALLY DID! WHY WON’T YOU JUST LISTEN AND TRY FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE!?”

“I… IIIIII!” The brunette cried out as the tears kept on pooling into the bed below, her ugly sobbing resounding throughout the room. “I just wanted everything to be okay, but I don’t want to fail you anymore…” Her voice grew quieter, all of the hot air inside her body, all the anger that she harbored at herself… All of it was gone.

“But… But now, maybe…” Alyssa muttered as she reached towards the windowsill, her hand approaching something suspiciously golden…

‘A Jõtai! Mikai! She’s going to transform!’ Chimera’s voice resounded inside Mikai’s head, prompting the sandy-blonde to reach out and try to stop her…

Only for her attempt to be rather quickly and violently preempted by Agatha slamming her fist into her friend’s face, knocking her straight off the bed by way of rebounding against the wall and flopping against the floor…

“W-Why…” The brunette muttered, the golden bracelet falling away from her as her grip failed her. “I just… I just wanted to be better, and… And it was said to make everything better..!”

Saki stared at the blonde. As much as this seemed ridiculous, she knew that people dealt with their friendships in their own ways. And because of this bond that Mikai revealed to her… She trusted the larger girl. She wasn’t about to hurt her, at least not in the long term.

“Why? You idiot…” Agatha said as she climbed off the bed, kneeling down by the girl that had wasted herself away. “You’re… You’re good enough for me. You don’t have to change that much. You just have to try.” Her voice was gentle for once. Especially as her own tears started streaming down her face, showing that despite all of that tough and rough exterior, she had a soft inner center…

The blonde and the brunette looked at each other, the connection refusing to break even for a second as the latter slowly sat up. “So… S-So if I… If I showed that I wanted to try, by putting it on… T-Then…”

‘Mikai, she still wants to use i-’ The sandy-blonde shook her head and motioned for the voice inside her head to stay quiet, watching carefully. Even she knew that she should stay still, at least for now. She trusted the big girl just as much as the Student President did…

Agatha nodded as she put her hand on her best friend’s shoulder. “You just do it. Just make sure that you’re not doing it for me. You’re doing it for yourself.” She showed her support, despite knowing that others had turned into monsters before…

Her friend closed her eyes as she slowly put the bracelet on her arm, feeling her heart racing and pounding against her chest. “Agatha… Agatha..!” Alyssa cried out, energy rushing forth from the Jõtai as it started to spread its influence over her.

She let out a scream as all three girls were blown back, a cocoon of pure energy covering the girl as she slowly but surely managed to stand up, her breathing growing heavier and more sensual the longer she was stuck underneath that layer of golden light.

‘I sure hope you can handle a monster at this range, Mikai…’ Chimera whispered into her ear, but the sandy-blonde continued watching. She still had hope for the girl…

“Come on, Alyssa..! You can handle a little energy..!” Agatha muttered to herself, keeping just quiet enough as she clenched her fists, drawing a bit of blood from her palms…

Saki just stood there, watching. Captivated by the light, wondering if this was how her friend felt when he fell victim to the monsterization process. Would he have been better if she was there for him..?

Eventually, the golden curtain fell, revealing the girl’s new form underneath. A form that was… different, to say the least. The only two things that stood out as easily identifiable was her hair and her eyewear, but the rest…

She didn’t look like she was malnourished or completely out of it any longer. She looked like a mature woman, one that was maybe a bit too mature in certain spots. Whether it was her new, heavier bosom that threatened to snap out from its brand new and flimsy bra, or her hips that could break a lesser man in two, or the plush belly that was even thicker than the one on her blonde friend, she had a new air about her. Combine that with her glasses growing thinner and seeming more gentle, almost warm compared to before, and she…

Well, she had turned into some sort of maternal woman. But other than that, there didn’t seem to be anything outright wrong or off about her. “I…” She muttered, her eyes glowing a little red as she looked at herself, her heart beating so hard you could nearly see an outline against her chest. “I....” Yet again she muttered, not sure if she could believe what happened to her…

“Alyssa?” Agatha asked as she stood back up, wincing a little as the bruise from earlier throbbed once more. “You look… Well, different’s the word, but I don’t think that’s right…” She muttered, feeling a bit of disconnect from the woman that stood in front of her that was supposed to be her best friend.

The woman turned to look towards the blonde, as she carefully pushed her glasses up and smiled. The glow in her eyes vanished immediately, replaced with nothing but pure warmth for the girl in front of her. “Mm… Mmhm. That’s right.” She said, as she put her hands on the girl’s face, slowly caressing both of her cheeks. “Your best friend in the whole wide world…”

“Alyssa..!” The blonde’s tears started running down her face as she hugged the matured girl’s body tight, pulling her into that hug as hard as she could. There was something about her that made her all the more attractive to her. Maybe it was her existing issues, or maybe it was just all the pent up affection she had for the girl bubbling over…

Saki watched carefully, feeling a little tingle in the depths of her heart. Seeing the two be so happy, after everything they went through... It was just what she needed to see, after what had happened to her friend.

‘Well…’ The voice of Chimera rung throughout the youngest’ mind, as she slowly laughed. ‘Color me impressed. She overcame its corruption and walked away with all of the benefits.’

‘Because their bond as friends was strong, no matter how bad Agatha seemed to be as a person.’ Mikai replied mentally as she grinned. ‘Guess I wont have to deal with some sort of monster today, I just get to see a cute pair of friends get along!’

“Very well done, Alyssa. Very, very well done.” A sensual voice echoed throughout the room, causing everyone to look around for the source. But they couldn’t see anybody, the source being too small to spot…

Or so they thought, as they noticed a giggling and cartoonish bat on the windowsill, smiling from ear to ear. “I told you that it would make you find where you belonged, did I not, Alyssa?” It spoke once more with that sensual, feminine voice, as it slowly started floating into the air…

“What the hell!?” Agatha let go of her matured friend as she tried to leap onto the bed and grab at the bat, only for it to deftly avoid her reckless strike. “Bastard..!”

Saki eyed the bat as she finally drew her finely carved stick, her self-defense option. “Who are you? Are you one of the culprits behind the transformation of students of Mimoto? Answer me, foul creature!”

“Foul creature? I suppose one might call me that, if they did not know the extent of my plan.” It spoke once more, before clearing its voice a little. “I am the one known as Baroness Bat. I am a distributor of Jõtai, the jewelry that will set humanity free and put them on the right course. Just like your friend has, her body having turned into a matured monster. Thanks to accepting her role, she won’t even go berserk, despite having the potential.” The strange creature spoke, before cackling as it slowly floated towards the window…

It did linger as it stared towards Mikai for just a moment. “As much as it pains me, I must bid you adieu. Unless one of you have the heart to try and stop me. Then, and only then, will you find me on the roof. I do hope that you all accept Alyssa for what she is, she seemed like such a sad girl before I came to offer her the chance to turn that life around…” The ‘Baroness’ spoke once more before leaving with a wicked laugh, disappearing once pierced through the window…

“...Mikai.” Saki said as her eyes fell on the younger girl. “Get somebody to check the roof for us. You can’t take a monster like that.” The blue-haired girl said as she slowly walked towards the other two. “I’ll keep Alyssa and Agatha safe. You need to do your part.”

The youngest girl nodded. “Gotcha, Saki-senpai!” She cried out, sprinting out of the apartment as she left her three new friends behind, mentally breathing a sigh of relief…

‘Baroness Bat. Just like Spider, the woman that gave you a Jõtai… You planning on stopping her, Mikai?’ The voice inside her head spoke up, Chimera’s visage appearing besides her as she made it all the way out of the apartment…

“You kidding? Of course I am! Saki-senpai gave me the perfect opportunity to transform, we’re taking that bat down before she makes another move on anybody else!” Mikai shouted with conviction as she peered around, making sure that nobody could see her…

She entered the stance, clenching her right fist a little as a belt appeared around her waist. She wasn’t about to let another girl get transformed without a chance to improve on their own… Whether it had been Mumei-chan, the boy that Saki-senpai knew, or Alyssa, all of them had fallen victim to this scheme. Even she had, despite the positive outcome. As long as that Bat remained in this city, it would never end.

Mikai let the energy pulse through her, hearing the roar of a lion echo in her mind as she raised her left in front of her face, before clenching it too. The flames inside of her burst into an inferno, as the warmth of her soul overflowed!

“HENSHIN!”

---

The moon shone down from above, illuminating the rooftop of the apartment complex as a lone woman sat on thin air, waiting for the arrival of those that might want to challenge her. She knew that somebody would stop by, especially after scoping out the identities of the ones she had tormented…

Indeed, one such girl did appear, by leaping out from below and landing at the edge of the roof. A girl clad in lion-themed red-and-orange armor, sparks of fire rushing off her frame. “You!” She cried out, pointing at the strange woman. “You’re Bat, right? The woman who hurt her?”

“The one and only.” Baroness Bat, dressed in her signature red dress and black cape combination, chimed with a smile on her face. “And judging by your armor, you must be that little pest that’s gotten in our way. Jõtaider Mimoto, was it?”

Mikai flinched underneath her armor as she entered a combat stance, the claws near her hands growing red with heat. “That’s right! I’m here to stop you and make you see reason for turning that girl into a monster!” She clenched her fist as she dashed straight at the woman. She wasn’t about to let her get away with any of this…

“Stop me? Turn her into a monster, you say?” The blonde villainess chimed with an utterly uncaring tone to her words, her smile growing wicked as her body dissolved as soon as the girl tried to strike at her, leaving a big gap in her midsection where she would’ve hit. “Are you truly able to say that, when she seemed so much happier with this development?”

The lion-themed heroine grit her teeth under her helmet as she tried to spin around and kick her with her heel, only for it to go straight through her in a similar fashion. “She still got pushed to the point where she’d use that thing! She’s in danger of falling at any moment!” She protested, even if she knew that it wouldn’t be like that…

“And you aren’t?” Bat asked as the rest of her body that hadn’t already dissolved disappeared, turning into a bunch of smaller bats that started circling around the armored girl. “You use a Jõtai to transform, just like a monster. What makes you so different? What makes you so invulnerable to our transformative efforts?”

Mikai paused for just long enough that she left herself open, causing the swarm of bats to latch onto her body and wrap around her as if they were one long serpent. Which they were, as they collapsed together and transformed into a hungry looking serpentine creature, while their mistress appeared not far from the girl, having regenerated from a single bat being left alone.

“Or are you truly immune? Perhaps I should test your limits, see if you’d make a much better Monster than a heroine…” The woman mused as she put one of her hand on the bound girl’s cheek, licking her lips and revealing one of her fangs. “I could also turn you into a meal, it has been eons since I’ve had fresh and heroic blood running through my veins…”

‘This pressure she’s putting out… Mikai, you gotta be careful! She’s beyond what you can handle! Just run!’ The voice of Chimera resounded inside the heroine’s head, but she wasn’t about to let that get her down. She could do this! She could beat her!

Mikai let the fires of her heart run wild, causing her suit to ignite and melt away the magical chain that bound her. “You’re not going to get the chance to find out!” She cried out as she delivered a punch straight to the evil blonde’s face…

A punch that hit, though it didn’t seem to do much. In fact, it barely drew blood as the wicked woman just kept on smiling towards her. “Is that all the power you have? And you’ve been the one to put a stop to our plans… I have to punish Spider and Cobra by the time I come home, they’ve clearly overestimated your efforts…”

The heroine quickly jumped back, her fires intensifying and heating her in the process. It would make her attacks hit harder, but it also meant that she’d grow sweatier as the minutes ticked by. She had to make every hit count, pile them on and eventually make her retreat..!

“Why do you do this!?” Mikai cried out as the claw-like segments on her gauntlets slid forth, giving her an extra offensive option. She dashed forth and let them do the talking, the sparks of her fire flickering through the air with every swing.

No matter how hard she swung or how precise it all was, she couldn’t manage to land a single hit. The blonde just kept on weaving out of the way, turning into a bat and reemerging if she ever got close to hitting her properly. All while smiling so obnoxiously, so tauntingly. She knew that the heroine wouldn’t hit her…

“Why? I believe I told you when we had that little chat inside her room. Although, my partners are hardly the type to elaborate on their motives, so carve this into your mind…” She mused while dodging, only to suddenly whip forth with her heel, kicking both of the heroine’s claws aside. “I am a humble servant of D’Or. The golden Goddess that will bring salvation to all, by giving them the chance to find where they belong. Through our Jõtai, they will evolve into monsters like myself, which will help them reach that glorious ending they seek!”

Mikai didn’t falter no matter how hard the enemy tried to fight back against her, using that momentum of being struck to swing around again with even more power. Only for the woman to keep on dodging, her ethereal laughter growing worse and worse the more she dodged.

“And what makes you the one that gets to decide if they need that kind of help!?” She shouted, her feet catching on fire as she chased after the woman, switching up her strategy by attempting to kick her with large, obvious and sweeping motions. If she couldn’t hit a pinpoint strike, she’d try to hit the biggest area possible!

Bat countered this new tactic by turning into a mess of bats, most of which started to surround the girl once more. “Only an outsider can understand the full picture. The victim is blinded by their experiences or the people around them. You should know that well yourself. If Spider hadn’t given you the Jõtai, you would still be standing around without a purpose!”

“You’re wrong!” Mikai countered immediately, clenching her fists as she punched her knuckles together. The fires from her body shot out, scorching every bat to ashes. “It’s because of the people around me, their unrelenting wishes to see me improve… They kept on badgering me until I caved and understood! Whether it was my mom, my classmates, or my friends!”

The girl dashed forward once more, the fires gathering in her fists as she got closer, yet closer to the woman in front of her. “Then why did it take you so many years? Why couldn’t you respond to them and assure them that everything would be alright? Why do you lie to yourself and reject your origins!?” The villainess shouted at her, expression remaining as teasing and as horrid as ever…

“I don’t reject them! I move past them!” The heroine shouted back at the horrid woman, before punching at her once more, the fires bursting into an inferno around her fists. “With THIS! KING’S ERUPTION!”

The fires in the heroine’s hands wildly spread out, not just flickering through the air and burning anything around it, but outright consuming anything that wasn’t her. It was a manifestation of her willpower, how it consumed anything that dared try to stop her. Yet another special technique to add to the arsenal, a punch that could devour anything…

A punch that failed to what it set out to, as all of the flames slowly gathered in the blonde’s palm, the same palm that had caught the punch. “Moving past your issues does nothing if you do not confront them, Mimoto.” The blonde cheekily giggled as she kicked her straight in the stomach, her heel durable enough to cause her suit to crack ever slightly…

“Ghh…” Mikai gasped and panted as she put her hand over the cracked spot. It hurt. It was like her body had been pierced or shattered, and she had to deal with the extra pain… “You… You!” She cried out, her willful flames turning towards anger…

‘Mikai! You shouldn’t go after her like that, you’ll spend all your energy again! Remember what happened last time!’ Chimera’s words rushed through her head, but the heroine didn’t care. Her mind was fogged by her fledgling emotions as she slowly stood up straight, the fires gathering around her…

Bat just kept on smiling, her hand crushing the flames that had gathered in her palm, leaving nothing behind. “Try again, Mimoto! Give me your best shot, and you just might land a proper hit instead of fizzling out in the face of a superior and morally just opponent!” She taunted, spreading her arms apart. She was offering herself up to the girl as bait...

“SHUT UP!” Mikai shouted, fury flowing through her veins as the flames on her body grew wilder. “I’LL BEAT YOU! I’LL BEAT YOU AND STOP YOU!” She didn’t see reason. She didn’t see anything. All of her moral grandstanding, her attempts to make the villain see reason… flickered into nothing, burning inside her mind as she dashed forward.

Every step she took felt heavier than the last as her flames gathered in her feet. The closer she got, the more agonizing it all felt. But she needed to do this! She needed to destroy her, to defeat her! Otherwise… OTHERWISE..!

‘Mikai!’

“KING’S FLAME!”

The heroine leapt into the air as her entire body’s heat and power gathered in her feet, only to jet forward at speeds unseen by the naked eye. The kick that would pierce through the villainess was strong, very strong. As strong as her very willpower combined into one attack.

Bat laughed as the suited heroine came at her, not moving a muscle to stop her. The smug look on her face just made the girl madder, which made the kick coming towards her seem all the more scary. A kick that would disintegrate her and leave nothing behind…

The flames spread all around, just like before. The rooftop caught on fire, the anger that the heroine felt towards the villainess causing it to spread further and further, consuming everything as she put all of her feelings into this one attack…

Only for it all to be naught as the blonde continued laughing, the flames gathering at her hands once more. “Is this really all you can do? Stoke your inner anger, that feeling that you’ve neglected for so long, until it fizzles out like the rest of your heroic nonsense?!” The villainess mocked her, degraded her, as the fire gathered on her chest…

Before Mikai could shield herself, all of the fire that she had tried to burn the villainess with turned into an explosion that knocked her all the way to the edge of the roof, her body resoundly snapping in several spots, her armor cracking and leaving her more damaged than ever…

‘You idiot! Why didn’t you listen to me!?’ Chimera shouted into the girl’s ear as everything went black, showing her the visage of the disappointed predator. “Why didn’t you just listen and calm down!? Now you’re at her mercy!”

The heroine slowly sat up, the armor disappearing off her form to reveal the battered and bruised girl underneath, a girl whose hope was being snuffed out of her eyes. “Because… Because I don’t think I can do it…” She muttered, looking down at the floor of her mindscape…

“Where did your gusto go!? Where’d your energy go!? Where’d the girl that I was backing up go!? Answer me, Mikai!” The blonde predator grabbed her by the collar as she yanked her up, looking into those dead eyes of hers. “You just made your desires clear today, why are you giving up on them!?”

“Because I can’t beat her! I can’t even beat a sheep! The time against Mumei-chan was a fluke, I’m a failure!” Being trounced so terribly had done a number on the ego that she had only just begun to nurture, leaving the sandy-blonde girl a shadow of herself…

Chimera bit into her lip as she let go of the girl, only to put her hands on her shoulders. “You’re not a failure, you’re not even close to being one. You helped that girl. You helped Yumeko, you helped Mumei-chan! You helped people with your will, even if you didn’t succeed last time! That doesn’t mean you give up when you face difficulty! You get back up and try again!” The blonde said, as she slowly moved those hands onto her face instead. “Come on. Where’s that smile I’ve grown to adore…”

“It’s… There’s no point…” Mikai muttered. She had gotten so far, only to start regressing. Just like the girl today, just like…”

“MIMOTO!”

The black space around her faded as the whiplash of the voice outside pulled her back to reality, her suit and body still aching from the villain’s attack. A villain that was approaching her with a deep and despicable intent, evident from the energy on her fingertips…

“Hm?” Bat mused as she turned around, only to smile. “All three of you, then? And you think you’ll do any better than this excuse for a heroine?” Her smile widened as she turned her attention towards all three of them, slowly approaching them as Mikai weakly tried to raise her arm to stop her…

She could see all three of them. Agatha, Saki, even Alyssa in her altered state… They had all come up here, even if it was dangerous…

“Stand up, Mimoto!” Saki cried out, a bright gleam of hope in her eyes. “You’ve faced worse, have you not? You can beat this wicked woman, no matter how hard she tries to beat you down!” Her words were filled with confidence. She knew that the hero would stand up and beat the villain...

“Y-You… You’re better than that..! You’re better than me! That’s what Agatha’s been saying! So… So stand up and beat her! Please!” Alyssa joined in, her words reflecting the growth the Jõtai had forced upon her… But at the same time, those were the words of a woman who believed in her.

Agatha put her best foot forward, stomping as the flames around her flickered out. “MIMOTO! FUSHIMI GRABBED YOU FOR A REASON! YOU’VE SAVED PEOPLE FROM OUR SCHOOL, AND YOU CAN’T JUST LET YOURSELF LIE THERE! SAVE THE DAY AGAIN, LIKE THE HERO YOU ARE!” Her loud and proud tones resounded across the roof as even her belief, as strange as it was, went straight for the girl who had fallen…

“How cute. You all think that a failure like her ca-” Bat chimed, only for her expression to freeze as a heat quickly rose across her back. “...Interesting…” She muttered as she turned back towards the fallen heroine…

‘You hear that, Mikai..?’ Chimera’s voice resounded, her visage barely visible to the heroine as she slowly stood back up. ‘They care. You’re not alone anymore. They want you to stand tall and show them that you can do it. So prove them right!’

The blonde’s image disappeared, as Mimoto’s armor caught on fire once more. This time, the flames weren’t wild. They were gentle. Focused. They had a purpose...

‘Thank you, everyone…’ The tears streamed down Mikai’s cheeks underneath her helmet, her smile returning as bright as ever. ‘I will beat her. I will! Just watch!’

“So, you choose to stand again? And what little energy do you still possess?” Bat laughed as she crossed her arms, her eyes flashing red as several bats appeared around her. “I’ll do you a favor and end your suffering now. Sleep until the end, MIMOTO!”

The bats shot towards the heroine, each of them taking on a different sharp shape as they tried to cut into her battered body… only for them all to burn to ashes as the flames struck out, intercepting them while she took a stance…

‘Chimera. Thank you. Now let me show you my smile. My smile, and my power!’ Mikai’s thoughts resounded as her body was engulfed in her own flames, gradually turning blue as the heat intensified before it all gathered down in her foot once more…

Bat watched carefully as she saw those flames grow hotter, grow… bolder. Grow like her inner self wanted to. So instead of attacking, she just watched. Especially as a wall of her batty minions appeared before her, acting as a second layer for the heroine to pierce through.

“One more time!” Mimoto shouted as she ran towards the villainess, every step she took leaving a mark from her flames. “With my own power!” She cried out, the cracks in her armor catching on fire. Her will calm and collected, her mind made up.

“KING’S FLAME!”

This time, her jumping kick sped even harder forward. So much so that it shattered the wall of bats. The villainess couldn’t defend herself. She was forced to accept the attack, gritting her teeth as that foot came directly at her…

Only for it to pierce straight through her as well, the heroine skidding to a stop as she landed on the roof, the flames all following through the wound that she just inflicted on Bat, singing her insides in the process and dousing the inferno that had erupted…

All three of her friends cheered as they watched the heroine accomplish what she set out to, the blonde and the brunette hugging tightly as the blue-haired girl nodded. She had done it…

‘That was…’ Chimera muttered inside her host’s head, astonished by what just happened. That wasn’t her power at all. That was the power that sat inside Mikai, waiting to be unleashed as she emotionally developed…

Just how powerful was she going to get?

Mikai grinned underneath her armor as she turned towards the enemy, the fires on her foot dying down as her will to fight went away. She had won, right? The Baroness wouldn’t bother anybody any long-

“Oh my. What a technique, I can feel it all rushing around inside me…”

Unfortunately, her strike was not nearly enough to kill her, as the blonde villainess shivered while turning towards the heroine. All while showing off the massive gaping hole in her torso, the embers from the attack still lingering on the rim. “I seem to have underestimated you more than a little bit, Mimoto.” She chimed, almost as if she was unphased by it all…

“How!?” The armored girl cried out as she went to attack, only to stumble as the adrenaline in her body wore off, leaving her much worse for wear…

Bat chuckled as her body slowly but surely closed itself up, regenerating using her powers. “My desire to stay alive is unfortunately much greater than your desire to see me perish.” She explained very plainly, wincing as the fires from the attack lingered inside her eyes… “But I will commend you. I did not imagine that you could actually inflict a hit upon me…”

“So you just toyed with her..!?” Saki stepped forward, both of the chubbier girls staying back, suitably spooked by the way the blonde regenerated. “You and the rest of your kin just toy with us humans because you think we deserve it!?”

The woman smiled as she looked at the blue-haired girl. “All for your own sake, Himitsu.” She said very pointedly, giggling as her body started to dissolve into bats.

“How do you…”

“Unfortunately, I must bid you all adieu. Your heroine has done a great job at fighting against me, and I will honor her attempt. I sure hope she grows stronger, before the next time she attempts to fight back against me.” The Baroness laughed, blowing all four a brief kiss before her body turned into nothing more than a swarm of bats that disappeared on the horizon…

Then, and only then, did the moon overhead turn into the early evening sun. Her presence had turned the time of day to night, where she’d be most effective… And now there was just an injured heroine and her three hanger ons…

‘Well. We have a new goal, don’t we, Mikai?’ Chimera muttered in her mind, and the heroine nodded as she slowly got up despite the wounds…

Mikai slowly clenched her fists. Between Hiro and Bat, she had some mountains to climb… But more importantly, she had an exit to make. She couldn’t reveal her identity to any of those three girls..!

“Wait! Mimoto!” Agatha cried out as she let go of her friend, while the lion-themed girl slowly approached the edge of the roof…

The heroine turned her head to look towards the twin-tailed blonde, who grinned and kicked the air, barely wobbling on top of one leg. “You’re… You’re the coolest, Mimoto!” The heavy girl with the rough temper made her appreciation of the girl clear, grinning all the while.

‘Thanks, Agatha.’ Mikai thought to herself, giving a mere thumbs up in appreciation as the fires on her body lit up one more time. That encouragement was the last thing she needed…

As she jumped off, using her flames to boost herself away. The sun would shine down on her as she made her exit, a grin hidden underneath her helmet. A grin that had never before been bigger or bolder.

From this day forward, no matter how tough things would get, she’d keep on going forward. For the sake of the people that believed in her!

---

Several days later, in the cafeteria of Mimoto Highschool, two girls met each other after what felt like a long time. Even though time had barely passed.

“Hey, Agatha!” The sandy-blonde Mikai chimed as she sat down near the larger girl’s table, bringing a packed lunch from home. Her Mom was still the best, and she spoiled her with exactly the kinda food that she asked for.

Agatha glared at the loud and cheerful youth, before biting into a cookie that she had brought with her. From a very big and rather shoddy looking bag. “What do you want, Fushimi?”

“Well, we’re friends, aren’t we?” The girl continued, smiling from ear to ear. “I just wanted to spend some time with a good friend!” She concluded, giggling a bit as she eyed that big bag. “Whoa, that’s quite something…”

The twintailed blonde nodded. “My m-” She bit her tongue, only to clear her throat. “Alyssa made it for me. Her baking’s gotten… better. Guess it’s part of the skills she gained from transforming.”

“Uhuh, they taste super good too!” Mikai said as she held one aloft, having grabbed one thinking that since they were friends, she could just take one. Especially since it was Alyssa’s handiwork too!

That line of thinking earned her a punch straight to her face, courtesy of the roughminded rich bitch. “You ain’t getting any.” She said firmly, as she put the cookie back in the bag with her free hand.

Even though she was now gentler and didn’t mind the girl’s presence nearly as much, she was still the same bully as ever. She just didn’t bother blaming her for things she hadn’t done…

And even though it hurt, it didn’t matter. They were friends. Agatha believed in her, even though she didn’t really know it. So it was worth getting a little bit of pain, just because it meant that they’d grow closer.

‘Making friends is the best’ Mikai thought as she slowly collapsed onto the bench, passing out from the blow and drifting off to happy dreams…

---

“Why…”

The water from the faucet dripped against the sink below, resounding throughout the empty bathroom, as a black-and-white haired woman slowly looked at herself in the mirror…

But she didn’t see herself. She saw past herself, looking at the visage of a sandy-blonde. The smiling expression on her face, the one that never changed…

It flickered. Her entire face flickered for just a second, displaying a similar girl with a respectful gaze towards the woman. A girl that disappeared moments later, leaving her staring at her reflection once more, the anguish visible on her face...

“Why do you have to look like her..?!”

The woman’s words went unheard by any other, as the droplets beneath continued to fill the empty bathroom. Reflecting the sorrows that slowly dripped out from her heart, as she slowly turned away from the mirror…

The door to the bathroom closed, as the woman shut away her heart once more...