Kyubey nimbly jumped from the windowsill into the bedroom of a luxurious apartment. The room was tidy, practical, and modest in decoration. A bed was situated in a corner of the room, near the window. Next to the bed was a small desk, currently occupied by a young girl with blonde hair curled into drill-shaped pigtails.

"Good evening, Tomoe Mami."

Mami's head snapped up. Turning around in her seat, she saw the Incubator sitting on top of her small bookshelf in the far corner of the room.

"Kyubey!" She gasped, and rushed over. "Wow, it's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Two months and four days to be exact."

"Right… Where have you been anyway?"

"I left for an adjacent city. You and the others seem to have this territory well claimed."

"Oh, I see." Mami said.

As she looked at Kyubey, she remembered how he had sat at this very spot while she readied herself in the mornings before school, inspecting herself in the tall mirror mounted on the wall next to the bookshelf. Even though it was only two months, Mami had missed him. Her apartment was just so empty.

"What brings you back?" Mami asked.

And there was big question of the night. Unusual as it was - no, it was unheard of - Kyubey didn't know himself. He had been asking the same question the entire journey back to the city, and even more so coming back to this apartment.

"I suppose I wanted to check the status of this district, and see how you all have been faring in my absence."

Mami nodded in understanding. "Well, I'm doing just fine, so no need to worry!"

From my knowledge, humans typically say that when greeting each other, even when they're not. I wonder why they have this ridiculous practice.

"Can you be more specific?" Kyubey said with a tilt of his head.

Mami shrugged. "I'm doing fine, really... Well if you must know, I made up with Sakura-san a few days ago! We finally settled our differences! So I've been pretty happy recently. No especially troubling witches lately either."

Satisfied with her response, Kyubey laid down to rest. It would seem that the city has not deteriorated in his absence. Although he could easily find a replacement for her, he was rather relieved that Mami was doing fine.

At this thought, Kyubey once again questioned the purpose of his return. It is highly unlikely that Tomoe Mami would be in a negative state, considering the experience of the magical girl. Emotionally, she should also be in good condition, especially since her relationship with Sakura Kyouko recently stabilized as she claims.

That Mami could handle herself, Kyubey knew very well. She wouldn't have survived as a magical girl for this long otherwise. It was not like one city mattered in the grand orchestra of energy collection occurring worldwide either. There was no reason for him to head back to the city of Mitakihara in particular.

I had no need to return in the first place, yet… here I am.

"Will you be staying here for now?" Mami asked, breaking the silence. She had tried to think of conversation topics to fill the hush of the room, but nothing significant came to mind. Maybe it was just how long it had been since they last saw each other.

"If my taking residence here is still okay."

"Of course! It's nice to have you back, Kyubey," Mami said with a smile. "Well, I need to finish my homework, so make yourself at home."

Mami returned to her desk. She had slightly more homework than usual today, but she didn't mind today. That she and Kyouko finally made up a few days ago left her in a good mood. She was still in good spirits, and now Kyubey had returned after a lengthy period away. Mami hummed a small tune to herself as she finished her work.

Kyubey perked up slightly at the sound of Mami humming, and moved to Mami's bed to observe.

From his experience, the average adolescent in school hates homework. Kyubey recalled the many times he watched Mami struggle and complain about the homework she had. She had always tried to "be a good example" to her juniors - and that involves maintaining one's grades along with magical girl duties - but that doesn't mean she hadn't had her share of complaining whenever she was alone. However, Mami seems to be thoroughly enjoying herself now. After a few minutes, Kyubey stopped watching and stretched before laying down.

I will never understand the motivations of humans.

"Well, that's that." Mami sighed as she closed her workbook. After standing up and doing a quick stretch, she exited her room and headed towards the bathroom for a quick shower before bed.

Kyubey moved again, from the bed back to the little bookshelf. He gazed about the room from the new, higher vantage point. He looked at the mundane items - the ticking clock on the wall, the used clothes heaped in a hamper by a corner near the closet, the books strewn across the desk. He had grown accustomed to all these things in his long period of working with Mami, but they haven't had any significance to him before. If these mundane items were what he had returned to, then why?

Kyubey had always followed procedure. He had a specific role as an Incubator, and in this role he knows exactly what he needs to do to complete his task. There was no room for questioning, and yet it was exactly what he had been doing. But for the first time, he found himself uncertain of his actions. That he had no particular reason when he decided to return means that he had acted on an impulse, an unknown motivation.

What could it be exactly? What caused it?

Mami returned from the shower in her pajamas, still humming. Her hair was uncurled and cascaded down her shoulders. Kyubey watched silently as she quickly tidied things up in the room. In a few minutes, Mami turned off the lights and climbed into bed.

"Thanks for coming back, Kyubey," Mami whispered in the dark. "It's like you care about us."

"You are a valuable asset and have made significant contributions to combating entropy."

"It's just like you to say that," Mami laughed. "But I think you understand what I mean."

Kyubey did understand, but he didn't reply. He never did, because there was no need. After all, he has made it clear on multiple occasions that their species did not rely on emotions.

It's just like humans to try and place emotions within things that clearly do not possess them.

"Well, I suppose it is normal to check up once in a while," Mami said. She turned to her side and closed her eyes. "Anyway, goodnight, Kyubey."

A small urge to say goodnight back passed through the Incubator's mind, but quickly left.

Perhaps I should check myself for mental illness - just in case.

That thought quickly departed too, but the fact that it appeared at all left Kyubey curious.

A few hours of the night have passed, and Kyubey raised his head. The moon's ivory light casted long shadows across the floor. The thought then occurred to him that there really was no reason for him to stay any longer. He had scoured and checked the city before finally arriving at Mami's. He could leave at any time.

Strange. I feel no desire to leave.

He had returned, but now the question was - what was causing him to stay? The same mysterious impulse from before?

Kyubey jumped down from the bookshelf and made his way onto the top of Mami's desk. He glanced at Mami, sound asleep, and watched her chest rising and falling to the rhythm of her breathing and eyes dancing underneath her eyelids.

She must be dreaming.

Kyubey wondered what it's like to dream. Having no real need for sleep, or rather yet, they don't sleep, the Incubator can neither experience nor attempt to experience a dream. Of course, their inability to dream does not mean a lack of knowledge of the matter.

Why am I thinking such things? Sleep is an unnecessary and cumbersome limitation of the human body.

He took a glance at her soul gem glowing softly at his side on the desk, casting a small golden light across the desktop. He only could see the slightest traces of corruption swirling black at the bare edges of her soul gem, and suddenly Kyubey was filled with a sense of relief and deep calm that punctuated the nervousness he was hardly aware of before.

There really is nothing to be concerned about.

Whatever the impulse for his being here, he could put it to rest for now. Kyubey settled down once again, and curled up on the desk.