Chapter 6

Puella in Somnio

A girl with long black hair was sitting on one of the benches in her room in her residence, her sharp purple eyes staring at nowhere in particular. Sterile white walls surrounded her as the shadow of the pendulum above her head rocked from side to side. Holographic images referencing the imminent Walpurgis Night were one of the few things in this room that gave it any sort of color, apart from herself.

She was deep in thought.

For a very large chunk of her life – what felt like eternity at this point – Homura had dedicated herself to finding the most optimal solution for the month that she kept reliving over and over again. As a result, although her body was that of a 14-year-old teenager, she felt like she was thirty by now. In actuality, she was probably somewhere closer to being twenty years old. Given how many times she repeated this time period, simple calculations put her at 22.

Every single timeline, Homura would try her best to fulfill her promise to Madoka that she made so long ago. It was her safety, happiness and well-being that always mattered the most. Though once again she hadn't managed to prevent her from making contact with Kyubey, Homura still did what she could with the situation.

And as expected, several events occurred again. Mami Tomoe died in an early fight with a witch. Sayaka Miki became a magical girl just in time to save Madoka. She then confronted Kyoko Sakura and fought with her. Madoka threw her Soul Gem on the ground. Eventually, she became a witch, and soon after Kyoko Sakura tried her best to save her.

However, never before had she actually succeeded.

This raised many questions.

Was this merely chance, or an actual distortion – an anomaly in space-time continuum? Was this a side-effect of her time-travelling abilities?...

More importantly, was she wrong to neglect the importance of other magical girls before, and in so doing, only made it more difficult for her to face Walpurgis Night? Was she wrong to trust only herself and rely on nobody else? Was this why she could never reach a conclusion that satisfied her and, at the same time, fulfilled the promise she made to Madoka?

…And was this all related to her wavering force of will?

Madoka… After all this time – after so many times that I tried to save you… I can't believe I was starting to think I never could. I was about to give up despite the promise I made to you that I never wouldn't. I began to believe that no matter how hard I try, I can never change fate. I'm… so sorry.

Homura's usual cold, stoic mask that she had worn for what felt like the majority of her life fell and her eyes began to water a little. Her hand slowly wiped away the tears that had started to form and she sighed.

I experienced all these events over and over again. The tragedies along the way have burned themselves into my brain so much that I became completely desensitized to the suffering of other magical girls. I even believed their sacrifices to be necessary to convince you to never become a magical girl yourself.

However… this timeline is different, isn't it? It has given me a rare opportunity – a opportunity I realize would be stupid of me to pass up on. Something that I may not have realized to be the key to ending this.

Maybe, just maybe… I will manage to stop Walpurgis Night with Sayaka Miki and Kyoko Sakura on my side, and protect you, Madoka. I just want all of this to be finally over… for everyone. I want all of this effort to be worth it.

I may have forgotten what normal life feels like, but when I see others lead it without a care in the world, I become jealous. I'd give everything to remind myself of that feeling – but that can never happen without you being there, too.

So I promise – I'll give it my best… I swear to you. Even if you can't comprehend the extent of my feelings, I will still do everything I can. And even if I fail again, I will try again like I always have.

Homura's resolve that night was strengthened, reinvigorated. The look of willpower about her at that moment was not a mask. It was her real self, ready to face any obstacle and deal with any challenge to finally accomplish her mission.

She was ready.

"Akemi Homura," a monotonous, but somewhat high-pitched voice suddenly resounded throughout the empty white room. "Your time-travelling abilities have certainly led to unforeseen consequences."

The girl looked at the newly teleported creature opposite her with mild annoyance.

So he finally decided to show his face.

"Do you regret giving them to me?" she asked him with little more emotion than what Kyubey displayed himself.

"Regret is the desire to rectify an error, correct?" Kyubey responded as he waved his tail around. "You are a magical girl. As with everyone, you had a wish that you wanted fulfilled when you became one. The system that has been put in place does not discriminate. There is no error."

His red eyes stared unflinchingly at her. She would've found it unnerving if she wasn't used to it by now.

"Your time-travelling may have had something to do with Sayaka Miki transforming back from a witch, though I have no concrete evidence for that yet," Kyubey then said. "More importantly, I have reason to believe that your time-travelling has made Madoka Kaname an extremely desirable candidate for a magical girl. Thanks to you, she has become a dormant force of massive proportions just waiting to be released."

Homura narrowed her eyes at him in a scowl, brows furrowing.

"When she contracts and eventually transform into a witch, we will gain a very large amount of energy to combat Entropy," Kyubey continued ever so emotionlessly with his perpetual smile visible on his small face. "Her role in fate has consistently changed because of how much of a focus she is in your time-travelling. Perhaps it is for similar reasons that Kyoko Sakura has made Sayaka Miki into such a wildly fluctuating value because of her continuous fixation on her."

Kyubey tilted his head as the young time traveler stood up from her seat and fixed a strand of her hair.

"Madoka won't be contracting with you," she spoke matter-of-factly.

"Sayaka Miki and Kyoko Sakura confused me with their reasoning," Kyubey retorted. "But you, Akemi Homura, have attempted fighting Walpurgis Night multiple times, and failed. It is even more confusing that you insist her power will not be required."

"Why bother making sense of it, anyway?" Homura asked him coldly, throwing him a swift glance. "You're sure we're walking to our deaths, right?"

"Understanding human behavior is crucial if we are to continue obtaining energy from this world," Kyubey promptly answered her question. "We are compelled to analyze every situation and every new generation of magical girls."

Homura quietly huffed as she turned around and began walking away from him. There was no worry or fear in her slow gait. Before she closed the door to her room behind her, she looked at Kyubey one more time.

"We'll give you something to analyze, then."

Amicae Carae Meae

A restless, petite pink-haired girl sat on the table of her house's kitchen in the middle of the night. The dark room was illuminated by a faint, dim light that came from one of the lamps on the counter. The young middleschooler occasionally drank from the juice that she had in front of her on the table, though her mind was somewhere else entirely.

The last few days were emotionally taxing for Madoka. It had all started with the arrival of a new transfer student one day, a nightmare, and from then onwards, a torrent of all kinds of feelings had completely engulfed her. She had experienced her strongest despair yet, but also felt the most blissful joy – and that was all within the span of a few days. From the wonder, fear and awe of her new classmate Homura-chan and the sheer grief over Sayaka-chan's apparent death to the rejoicing when she found out that her friend was back – she felt it all.

And of course, her confusion as to what her role in all of this was, which was strongly linked to her helplessness and her seeming cowardice that were still eating away at her.

She was the only one who knew what went behind the scenes in Mitakihara and at the same time was not one of the people protecting it. Supposedly she had innate talent in her, yet she did not choose to make use of it to protect Sayaka-chan before she fell into hopelessness, nor did she save Mami-san when she could have.

And even everything that happened afterward, she was still scared of going through with it. She had been unable to contract with Kyubey, fearing the consequences. Both Sayaka-chan and Homura-chan insisted that she stay the way she was, but did she truly help in any way?

Why can't I be brave like them?... Why can't I be like Mami-san?

Am I even worthy of their friendship?

Sayaka-chan's words to me that night still linger in my mind… She reassured me that this was not what she wanted to say, but even if she had spoken to me out of anger, wasn't she… right?

"You should fight, then," she had said.

What about what she said to me when she was brought back? Did she mean it? Am I really helping her being the way I am? Just standing on the sidelines and offering my moral support?

And Homura-chan, with the way she looks and talks to me – that confuses me even more. I wonder why she'd do anything to prevent me from contracting with Kyubey? If it's because she cares about me, then I wonder why she feels this passionately about it?

The sound of echoing footsteps interrupted Madoka's introspection, making her curiously look at their source.

It was her mother, who was approaching her with a smile on her face. She was wearing a purple bathrobe and a towel on her head, obviously haven gotten out of the shower just minutes ago. She looked a little restless herself.

"Madoka," she told her daughter, "I'm happy to see you out of your bedroom more often, but it's two o'clock in the morning. You have trouble sleeping again?"

"Yeah," Madoka replied a little glumly.

"You have a knack for making me worried these days, don't you?" Junko chuckled, though she did not say the words in a reproachful manner. She kissed Madoka on her forehead affectionately and sat down on the chair next to her. "Do you feel like talking to me now? I can offer you my great wisdom."

If her mother sought to make Madoka smile, she succeeded.

"It's… complicated," the pinkette replied while rubbing the back of her neck. "I'm not sure where to start."

I have such a great and understanding mom... It makes me sad that I can't really share everything that's been going on with me. I doubt I'll ever can, but… I really need someone to talk to right now.

"How about starting with the friend who came to see you – Sayaka-chan? She was the one you had a falling out with before, right?" Junko decided to ask delicately anyway, curiosity evident in her eyes.

"Yeah," Madoka nodded, trying her best not to recall what that "falling out" had led to in perfect detail. "We're okay now. We're probably closer than we ever have been, and I'm very happy about that."

"My advice helped, then?" Junko grinned light-heartedly, though of course her concern for her daughter was more than obvious. "I could see how much better you were feeling after she came to visit you."

"I was, yeah," Madoka smiled before averting her gaze towards the window of the room, her expression wistful. I don't really know how to say this to her. "It's just that… I want to help her with something, but… I can't, and I don't feel like I'm not being a good friend to her. She insists that I'm helping anyway, but I… don't believe I'm actually doing anything useful."

"What's with all the secrecy? You're making it pretty difficult to help," Junko proceeded to ask teasingly, though behind her joking demeanor, Madoka could see that the question was nonetheless serious. She had to wonder just what Junko was suspecting at this point.

"I'm really sorry, I…" Madoka began, still visibly struggling with her words. After a long and deep sigh, slowly mustering up courage, she faced her mother again when she asked, "Do you trust me that nothing wrong is going on, even if I can't tell you about it?"

Junko stared at her with an expression that Madoka couldn't quite read, probably contemplating what she had just said. A few moments passed before she eventually replied.

"You've always been a good kid, Madoka. I can't say that I don't want to know more, but I trust you, and I want to help you."

"Thank you, mom," Madoka beamed at her happily while her mother chuckled once more.

"You sound like you're fussing over doing the right thing yourself this time," Junko observed, intertwining the fingers of her hands on the table before she continued. "But some things aren't as simple as doing the right or wrong thing. You feel guilty for not helping Sayaka-chan with whatever is going on, but that doesn't mean she isn't benefitting from you being her friend in some way."

Madoka intently listened to her mother as she spoke, the certainty of her words empowered by years of experience.

"Haven't you ever gained confidence because you could see your friend was supporting you in times of need, even if they're not doing the actual work for you?" Junko said to her softly as she smiled, leaning back on her chair. "Not all battles are fought on the front lines."

With a few blinks of her eyes, Madoka looked downward in thought as she took in what her mother just told her. Strangely, what she said did apply to what her current dilemma was, and though a part of her was still not satisfied, she couldn't help but begin to feel some relief. By putting herself in the shoes of any of her friends, had the roles been reversed, she realized that what her mother was telling her was right.

"I guess that's true," Madoka conceded with a smile, which was immediately reflected on Junko's own face.

"Well, of course it is," the woman grinned. "I'm telling you – you can't go wrong confiding in your mother more every now and again."

Immediately after feeling the urge to, Madoka went ahead and walked up to Junko and hugged her tightly as she closed her eyes. The business lady hadn't expected it at first, but she was quick to act as she tenderly wrapped her hands around her daughter.

Mom… I hope everything will be okay after tomorrow. I hope we can protect you. And I want to come back and see you after everything's over.

Conturbatio

Three mirrors showed a blue-haired girl's image as she stared at her reflection with a purposeful air about her. There was a reborn spark in her round, bluish eyes, yet one that conveyed something different about her than it used to. It was in the living room of her residence that she found herself in, and the full moon could be seen shining brightly in one of the adjacent windows.

Once upon a time, Sayaka used to look at herself in these mirrors, and what she thought she saw was someone who had it all figured out. Naïve, but passionate about her beliefs, that someone was rarely wrong about anything. Idealistic about the state of the world, she had faith that justice would always prevail.

And though the face of that person changed, one thing remained the same – her drive to fight for something. If anything, she was even more motivated to keep going now than she ever was before. She had been in danger of losing that quality about her, but it was her friends who helped her reclaim it. Perhaps the world would sometimes throw everything it had at her, but she was not going to let herself face it alone anymore. If she had to admit it, she was still a little too idealistic for her own good.

However, she now knew better than to slap labels on people. There was more to a person than intrinsic good and evil. And she was quite the example of that.

Mami-san had warned her that day. She could still recall her words perfectly.

"Miki-san, do you want his wish to come true, or do you just want to be the person who made his wish come true – a person to which he'd be indebted?"

The answer, as she came to understand, was quite complicated. She obviously had feelings for Kyousuke and wanted to be with him, hoping that what she did would bring them closer together. However, that did not mean that her wish to heal his hand so he could play music again was completely and irrevocably selfish. Her happiest moment had been the moment Kyousuke began playing his music on the rooftop that day.

I was so stupid. I still can't believe I let this snowball into what it did.

I'm still angry at myself for a lot of things… for snapping at Madoka, for turning away my friends, for hurting their feelings, for harming them…

And if I have to be honest, I wish I hadn't felt what I did for Kyousuke. It would've been much easier if I only wanted his health to get better… but I suppose I wouldn't have learned anything if that happened, would I?

I've been given this second chance and I won't waste it. I will try to do what I can to protect those I care about. I'll be stronger this time.

Her cheeks suddenly flushed at her thoughts.

Jeez, you should hear yourself. So serious all the time – in some ways, you sound like you haven't changed at all. I'm kind of like that, aren't I? Maybe I should take a leaf out of Kyoko's book and try to chill some more.

With a sigh, she took several slow steps towards her bed and let herself fall on her back onto the soft mattress. Her eyes stared at the ceiling.

Well, Walpurgis Night is upon us. I shouldn't be surprised that I'm getting all philosophical. I guess a part of me wants to come to terms with myself if we happen to fail… which we won't. I have Madoka and Kyoko with me, and Homura will be helping out too. There's no way such a team can lose!

Madoka... I want to go to school with you again. I want us to do homework together. I want us to walk around the city – not as witch-hunters, but as friends, and have fun. Let us be carefree again. I hope we can do this soon. Coming out victorious tomorrow wouldn't mean nearly as much without you.

And Kyoko… the time we spent together today… I want more of that. This is still kind of bizarre given how we met, but I want to keep seeing you. And not just on patrol for witches, either. And I want to see your hope fulfilled. I want us to win so you can start finding more things in your life to enjoy and heal the wounds you carry.

With a little chuckle, Sayaka realized that her excitement for tomorrow was surely going to make it difficult for her to sleep soundly. She had to do her best, though – she would need as much energy as she could get.

Just then, the blunette was startled to hear that her phone was actually ringing. What surprised her more than the fact that she was receiving a call at such a late hour was the fact that she managed to hear it over the sound of her sentimental thoughts, which were even sappier than usual for her.

Well, at least I'm not crying again, I guess. There's been some progress.

When she neared her desk, Sayaka saw the caller ID, which was none other than Hitomi's. A picture that she had taken of her at least a year ago was being displayed on her mobile phone.

Hitomi… It's not like you to be even awake so late. I wonder…

"Hello, Hitomi?" Sayaka answered the call.

"Sayaka-san?" Hitomi's anxious voice responded on the other end. "I apologize for calling so late, but…"

"Ah, it's okay, don't worry about it," Sayaka assured, waving her hand dismissively at no one in particular. "I wasn't sleeping. Damned full moon won't let me."

She was obviously coming off a little awkward given how their last talk went.

"I know that we are not on the best terms, but I was worried," Hitomi continued. "You have not come to school in several days, and now Madoka-san too…"

"Oh, that," Sayaka replied nervously. Thinking on her feet, she explained, "Well, I'm still feeling sort of sick, and Madoka came to check up on me, and I guess she caught my cold…"

I may still feel jealous of her a little, but man, I also feel bad for how much we've had to lie her recently.

"Oh… I see. I am sorry to hear that," Hitomi replied, ever so formal even with her friends. "I hope you get better soon."

"Thanks… me too," Sayaka answered, turning her head to look out the window.

The line was silent for a bit before Hitomi spoke up again.

"And… I wanted to talk to you about Kamijou-kun. I understand if you are mad at me—"

"It's okay, Hitomi," Sayaka cut her off, expecting that this was coming sooner or later. She exhaled deeply and, taking the silence as an invitation to go on, she continued, "Look, I'm sorry I wasn't straight with you before. I did have feelings for Kyousuke. You gave me a day to confess and I didn't. It's me who should apologize for being distant with you."

Though she doubted she'd ever be over the violinist completely, Sayaka felt that the words coming out of her mouth were sincere.

"I was hurt, but… I know you'll make him happy, Hitomi. You deserve someone like him. I should've acted sooner."

"Sayaka-san, why did you not confess, then?" Hitomi asked her seriously. "You have known each other for a lot longer. I have little reason to believe that he would not have said yes."

The blue-haired warrior found herself looking at the shining blue Soul Gem on her desk wistfully.

I said I was a zombie… but the pain in my heart was very real. The joy when I held Madoka in my arms again was real, too. I could still sense the warm touch of another's hand. And I would've probably felt Kyousuke's kiss on my lips, too.

I may not be a normal human being anymore, and I may be dependent upon my Soul Gem… but to deprive myself of romance entirely is too much for me to bear. Apart from needing my friends, I want to feel love sometime in my life if I survive tomorrow. It may be selfish, but… I want someone who is willing to make this sacrifice for me…

At the time, though, I was not quite tolerant of such thoughts.

"Sayaka-san?"

"Oh, well," Sayaka was snapped back to reality. Though she could not tell the entire truth, she could still be sincere with Hitomi on this. "It was a mistake. I was too afraid of rejection like I have been for a long time before that. But the past is in the past, so..."

"Do you still have feelings for Kamijou-kun?" Hitomi asked her – though not with a confrontational tone in her voice. Rather, she seemed worried about her friend.

"Well, yes," Sayaka replied in admission. She could not bring herself to lie to her about this. "But I'm moving on, Hitomi. It doesn't hurt nearly as much anymore, so you don't need to worry about me."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Sayaka nodded to herself in reaffirmation. "I'm happy for you guys. And I hope we can still hang out together – if that's okay with you, of course."

"Of course it is," Hitomi insisted, sounding very relieved. Sayaka could feel her smiling on the other end. "And… thank you for your kind words earlier. I hope I can be worthy of Kamijou-kun."

"I can't imagine anyone better for him, Hitomi," Sayaka spoke genuinely. "You'll take care of him, won't you?"

"I will, Sayaka-san, and thank you again," Hitomi replied cheerfully.

Sayaka was surprised at the ease with which she said those words to her. Indeed, if there was someone else that she wanted Kyousuke to be with instead of her, it had to be Hitomi. They were a good match. Getting that out of her chest did even more than that – it made her feel somewhat lighter too; a whole burden on her shoulders was suddenly gone.

Kyousuke… Yes, I still want to hear his beautiful music, and I still want to see his dream come true… which is why I will be fighting for him tomorrow, too. I can't lie to myself. He will always hold a special place in my heart, as will his music… but I will move on.

"Well, Sayaka-san, I hope I will see you at school soon!"

"You will," Sayaka replied confidently, and then all of a sudden remembered with a little embarrassment, "Oh, and I don't suppose you can prepare your notes from last week to give to me? I've kind of fallen behind, so... "

"Oh, sure, that would be no problem!" Hitomi immediately agreed.

"Thanks, Hitomi. I promise I'm not becoming a delinquent!" Sayaka giggled.

I'm glad Hitomi called me. On top of everything, this talk has really made me miss hanging out with her as well.

One more reason to see tomorrow through to the end.

Confessio

Long red hair lightly blew in the air as the girl who it belonged to stood atop one of the many skyscrapers of Mitakihara. She was munching on an evening snack, clad in her favorite green hoodie and denim shorts. Her body was illuminated by the moon above, which could clearly be seen among the many shining stars in the clear night sky.

Kyoko was casually leaning on the railing of the roof and watched the beautiful scenery around her with a grin while she gulped down more and more potato chips from her bag.

It's really pretty tonight. This city does look like some sort of utopia, doesn't it? Yet most folks have no idea what goes on behind the scenes. If it weren't for us magical girls, this place would get swallowed up by witches in no time.

That's right – looks like I've officially become part of the hidden hero force of Mitakihara, keepin' it safe day and night. Mami-san would be pretty proud of me, heh. She'll have a few words to say about the Familiars I turned a blind eye to, though.

Of course, it's also true that there wouldn't be any witches if it weren't for magical girls. That I'm not sure that even she knew. If our Soul Gems get corrupted, not only will we fail in our mission, but we'll be giving damn Kyubey more contracts to sign.

That's why we have to survive.

These reflections that naturally crept up on Kyoko's mind still felt a little strange to her. She had somewhat gone full circle – adopting a completely different mentality following the loss of her family, and now, her current thought process was reminding her of what her worldview had been before that.

Furthermore, she found herself thinking about her family more and more often lately. On top of that, she had gone to visit the church again after meeting up with Sayaka earlier in the day. And with that always came a lot of questions.

What would have happened if she hadn't used her wish the way she did? Would she be happier now if she hadn't? Would her father have fallen into despair anyway? Would Momo be alive and well right this moment?

Though she knew that those questions all inevitably led to the same conclusion – "who the hell knows" – she found herself pondering on them anyway.

Meeting with Sayaka and clashing with her had certainly made her rethink about a lot, however. The girl had made her realize that while life was certainly not a fantasyland, it didn't necessarily have to suck all the time either.

Heaven knows I've gotten pretty bloody tired of that.

And indeed, for once, the gods had smiled upon Kyoko. She had seen a lot of suffering – both her own and that of her friends and family – but finally she had something to be genuinely happy about in a long time. Her foolish plan had actually worked and Sayaka was back because of it.

So maybe these were finally the days for some payback. Starting with saving Sayaka and sending the witch of the Walpurgis Night to hell and back.

I sure wanna wipe that stupid smile off Kyubey's face… well, I guess he's the type to keep smiling even if he was about to be cooked alive for dinner, so I might not exactly get to see that, but… he's gotta feel some disappointment!

She then shrugged as she ate the last chip from the bag.

Putting both of her hands in her pockets, Kyoko moved across to the other side of the roof and looked downward to a certain apartment complex not too far away.

With a smile, she saw that the lights on the second room on the fourth floor were finally turned off.

You finally tried to get some sleep, eh Sayaka? I know that it's not the easiest thing to do when you've got the whole damn city to save the next day… but you really need to rest up. Transforming into a witch and back takes it out on you, I bet.

Kyoko kept her gaze on the apartment below for a little while longer. She thought some more about her blue-haired kohai – as she often did these days. Though she could see why that would happen, she still surprised herself as to just how much she had grown to care about her. After all, there was no doubt in her mind that Sayaka was the primary reason for Kyoko's will to fight tooth and nail tomorrow.

There would be times, however, when she'd wonder just how much of that affection Sayaka was actually reciprocating. For one thing, the blunette still had reason to be mad at Kyoko for what happened before her transformation, but she thankfully wasn't anymore. She had said she'd never forgive her for her words before, and she obviously had. Moreover, the concern she had occasionally shown for the redhead was not unlike the concern she always seemed to have for her friend Kaname.

But if Kyoko had to admit, her feelings for the girl extended beyond simple concern. This had become quite apparent over time. No matter how she looked at it, she wouldn't have gone to the lengths she did to save Sayaka if she didn't feel at least a little more than that. The fact that her kohai was on her mind for the majority of the time afterward all but proved that.

And she couldn't lie to herself and say that the look on Sayaka's face when she watched Kamijou earlier today hadn't hurt a little.

Well, what did you expect, stupid? The girl gave her one, single wish for that ingrate. They have known each other since they were kids, for goodness' sakes. Though I can't understand what exactly she sees in him, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that such feelings don't really go away that quickly – if they ever do.

Besides, I'm getting a little too greedy here, even for my usual standards. I'm just glad she's back with us. For crying out loud, I can still feel the happiness and remember just how glad I was the moment I saw life return in those pretty blue eyes of hers…

Feeling her cheeks beginning to redden, Kyoko forcibly shook her head from that trail of thought and took out a candy bar from the pocket of her hoodie and at once started devouring it.

Damn, this is why I don't like to think too much. Tomorrow's the big day. Can't let my lovesick self get distracted now of all times.

One last glance at Sayaka's apartment was what it took before Kyoko suddenly transformed into her red magical girl outfit again. Clutching her newly appeared spear tightly, she grinned as she leaped towards one of the other skyscrapers nearby.

"Alright, any Familiars out there? I feel like warmin' up!"

Whatever happens tomorrow… I'm giving it my best. And no, I know I couldn't get a wink of sleep even if I tried.

Author's Notes: Yes, I know it's been a couple of months. I'm sorry about that! This story will still be finished even if this takes longer than I intended to.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Walpurgis Night is upon us!