"Man, all of these houses, look delicious," Astolfo stated as he eyed the candy houses.

"They are, but I wouldn't recommend eating them," Tamamo stated.

"Why? Because they are nasty?" Jack asked.

"No, they are just forged from magical energy, they aren't made out of candy and frosting. Just objects made to look like it, which is typical of all things found in a Reality Marble," The fox answered.

"Also, Azzy, I'm pretty sure you don't want to get turned into a tree again, right?" Andy asked, a smirk on her face.

"Oh right, yeah, that was a thing I don't want to experience that again," He replied.

"Though if it were to happen, I am sure Lady Tamamo would easily be able to undo it," Marie stated.

"Probably, depending on what kind of curse, cause even if it has the same effect, the underlying method for it was created can be different. And also which kind of foundation it draws upon, for different regions have different kinds of curses, and like how they are applied. Like I know, some countries have the belief of when you point your index finger at someone you curse them," Tamamo began to ramble.

"Anyway," Andy said to get them on track. "Chances are, we'll have to fight whichever magical girl is in charge of this area, but I still want to try talking to them first and resolving this peacefully, so don't do anything too aggressive until/unless they attack or I say otherwise, everyone."

"That sounds like a good idea, Miss Andy, we're just trying to find Miyu and Chloe, so we should try to avoid fighting as much as possible," Illya stated.

"Aw, but Master, that is so boring we should go in beams blazing and be like. 'Where is Miyu, cough up or I beam you' that sounds like a much better plan."

"No, Ruby, we aren't going to do that," Illya responded with her kinda funny deadpanned face.

"Kaleido Ruby, what on earth have you been trying to teach this impressionable young woman? That sounds like a strategy Zelretch would have been proud of." Andy scolded the stick that was no doubt a horrible, horrible, horrible influence on poor young Illya.

"Been trying, but her head is as dense as a brick, cause I've been trying to make her confess to her husbando of an older brother like the bro-con she is."

"RUBY!"

"Oh, yes, I made the right decision in coming along, this is hilarious entertainment," Eurayle stated, a delighted smile on her face.

"...If we have the time later, I'd like to have a chat with you, Ruby. And one with Illya-chan. Separately." Andy said, nominally calm. Nominally.

"Uh, I stay quiet now," The stick replied.

"Anyway, Senpai, I think our destination in this candy land lies in that giant candy castle," Mash stated as she pointed at the candy castle towering over the other candy houses.

"Yes, right, when castles exist, that is typically where the potential enemy is found," Andy said, taking the obvious distraction, since that was what they were already heading for. "Speaking of, Jackie sweetheart, you have my permission to use your Noble Phantasm if we come to blows with any Servants here."

"Okay, mommy I do that, though we haven't run into any or really anything, don't we usually run into some kind of monster before we do run into the one we're supposed to fight?" She asked as she took a seat, one of Andy's shoulders.

"That is true…" Andy said, heckles now raised as she used an arm to hold on to Jack. "We do typically fight some monsters before then. Hopefully, it means this one will be friendly, but if you see anything, please tell us, sweetie."

"Okay, Mommy, so we see something now they look like giant cookie monsters," Jack stated as she pointed a finger towards the thing she was seeing.

"Ah," Andy said as she, too, saw the gingerbread ikemen. "Everyone, be ready for a fight, but these may just be the natural inhabitants of this candy land." Despite her cautious words, the confectionary creatures were all marching on their location with thundering steps showing their density.

"I think they might be some kind of Golem Senpai," Mash stated.

"Biscuit Golems?" Marie asked.

"That sounds like an appropriate name for these things, does it not?" Tamamo asked.

"I think it does," Astolfo replied.

"Though what kind of food have they been made out of?" Illya asked. "They sound really heavy?"

"Oh god, they're not cookies, they're fruitcake golems," Andy said, legitimately horrified. "That's just evil."

"Right, that is what was coming to my mind, though I wonder what they are going to do?" Illya asked.

"Intruders detected, in the name of the Queen intruders shall be annihilated," They stated in unison.

"Oh, why did I expect anything else?" Illya stated in response.

Andy sighed. "Oh well. Hopefully, this is an automatic response, so we can still start with the peaceful stuff with the actual 'queen' around here. But hey," She grinned massively. "I guess that's just how the cookie crumbles."

"That was bad, Miss Andy."

"Yes, Senpai, you should be ashamed of that one."

"Gotta agree, dear that made even my ears hurt," Astolfo said, joining in.

"You know that was supposed to be your cue, right everyone?" Andy asked. "The badass/lame one-liner before everyone starts kicking ass? If you're going to criticize me like this, at least don't ruin my joke." She grumbled.

"I liked it, Mommy," Jack said, speaking in favor of the line.

"Thank you, sweetie. I'm glad someone here can appreciate good humor. Also, if these things are just letting us talk like this, maybe-" At those words, the Biscuit Golems charged the group and tried to flatten them into pancakes. "Never mind." She said as she drew Shatterthorn and proceeded to put it to good use.

Five minutes later, the Biscuit Golem army had been defeated, and was nothing more but sliced up piles of fruitcakes. Yes, their inside had been fruitcake, while the outer layer had been gingerbread/biscuit dough.

"Wow, they were actually made out of fruitcakes," Illya stated.

"I am an accomplished baker trained by a Servant whose legends of cooking are on par with modern masters like Gordan Ramsey. It was simple to determine their composition from the smell and the weight." Andy said as if she believed it. Not proudly, just a statement.

"That sounds kinda like bullshit Lady, smells like it too," Ruby responded to the statement.

"I'm a half-demon who spends a good chunk of time each week in the kitchens at Chaldea. I could literally smell their composition as soon as they got close." Andy elaborated. Fruitcake has a very distinctive negative-scent that's hard to describe, especially to something without a nose. No offense."

"...Okay, that sounds like bullshit, but I believe," The stick finally replied.

"Ruby, you shouldn't curse like that," Illya chastised her partner. "So, Miss Andy, are we headed towards the castle now?"

"Yes, thank you, Illya-chan, we need to figure out if this is the right area or not. Let's go." Andy said, snapping back into 'business mode.'

The others nodded their heads, and they all left towards the castle.

Xxx

They all came to a stop after having broken down the castle's door and entered the main hallway, as before them stood a young-looking girl. One that was similar looking but different to one Andy and the rest with the exception of Illya knew.

"Alice?" Andy asked tentatively upon seeing her. She looked exactly like the one Andy had adopted, but wearing a blue dress instead of a black one.

"Yes, I am Alice the Magical Girl Queen who rules the Kingdom of Sweets, wow you really messed up my candy men while playing with them. Have you come to play with me as well?" She innocently asked.

"Wow, this Alice looks just like our Alice," Jack stated in surprise.

"She does, but I think this Alice came first. Our Alice looks like she does because they were friends, or at least a version of this Alice." Andy explained. "So, in theory, they would be very similar, but I don't think this Alice is technically a 'Nursery Rhyme' Alice."

"I don't know what you're talking about, but are you not here to play with me?" She asked.

"Would coming over for a tea party count?" Andy asked, motherly instincts kicking in, not wanting to see Alice upset, even if this wasn't her Alice. "We only, erm, 'played rough' with the candy men because they did."

"And I don't think we have time for that," Illya began to speak. "Alice, my name is Illya, and while we would like to play, we have to save it for later, though I was hoping to know if you knew about someone named Miyu being here alongside one named Chloe?"

"I'll tell you if you play with me," Alice replied.

"So, if we would like to know if there were more magical besides you and Medb, we would have to play?" Mash asked.

"Yep, if you play, I tell, for I am very bored, and in a rut. My only playmate is a black sheep. Have you seen it? It is very cute."

"A black sheep? I can't say I have, no," Illya replied. "Meeh, meeh? Hee, hee, was that good enough?"

"Tee, hee hee! Nothing like that, Illya! That was terrible! A black sheep sounds like this: Baaa, Baa," Alice replied.

"Oh, yea, that was the Japanese sound. Um, baa, baaa?" Illya stated back. Andy was dying of cute as all this occurred.

"Yes, you've got it! Now, let's call for it together. Baaa, Baa. Baa, baa, Glasya-Labolas, have you any blood? One of the 72 Spirits, President of Hell! Baa, Baa, Black Goat, have you any young? Lä, lä Shub-Niggurath, Glasya-Labolas!" Alice chanted. "Come to me, come to me, my cute black sheep." She finished, and behind her, a Demon God Pillar manifested.

They all just stared in shock at the massive being of flesh.

And then it spoke. "BAAAAAA!"

"That isn't how the rhyme goes!" Illya shouted in shock.

"Urgh playing with the sweet people of this land is so difficult, for they break so easily, making it hard to play with them. But my black sheep is kinder than anyone. It will play with me forever and ever. Now let's play together," Alice stated an innocently malicious smile on her face.

"Any chance we could still have that tea party first?" Andy asked, a bit frantically.

"Nope, it is playtime now, my dear sheep play attack."

"BAAAAA!" The Pillar shouted in response.

"Alright, guess it's time to 'play' then!" Andy said, flipping the switch into demon mode instinctively, only realizing that may not have been the best idea the second afterward.

But then a few seconds later, the transformation was done, and she was in proper demon mode. "Someone's gonna have to tell me how that looked later." Andy stated as she drew Shatterthorn once more, before pointing her other 'normal' hand at the Pillar and sending out a bolt of lightning into it.

"Urgh, it's all meaty and ugly!" Illya shouted as she blasted the Demon 'Sheep' Pillar with Ruby via tons of Ether Cannons.

"Don't think about it too much and aim for the eyes, Illya! These things regenerate really quickly, so just blast it to your heart's content!" Andy said as she joined the Servants in the act of slicing and dicing and making julian fries out of the pillar of corpses, Shatterthorn glowing a menacing crimson even as it sparked with lightning, the parts where she hacked away at it regenerating much slower than the rest.

"It's hard because it's so big!" She shouted back. "Install!" And a second later, she was wearing a copy of Medea's outfit, and Ruby seemed to have turned into her staff. And she began to hum spells in Ancient Mycenaean Greek.

"Splitting Lightning!" Andy announced as she carved through yet more Demon Pillar, the crimson glow of Shatterthorn intensifying even as the metal portion of the blade channeled a truly unhealthy amount of electricity into the President of Hell, cauterizing its wounds and further preventing its regrowth.

"Oh wow, you're really having fun with my Black Sheep," Alice commented from her position of to the side as she smiled at the carnage that was unfolding before her eyes, though despite the noise, her voice was still easily being heard by all of them. "But, I am still bored, so I am going to play as well." At that, Alice clapped her hands together and slowly pulled them apart and revealed a floating white orb between them.

"MASTER DODGE!" Shouted Tamamo in a panicked tone, but it was a little too late as Alice cast her spell.

"Megidolaon!" She said, and Andy's vision went white.

But she didn't feel any pain, rather she felt a sensation she hadn't felt in a long time, that being the feeling of Mash using her Dimensional Dodge ability on her.

"Thanks for the save, Kouhai!" Andy shouted cheerfully, ignoring her heart pounding in her ears from the near hit. "Jackie, sweetie, could you play with Alice for a bit?" She asked/ordered, realizing she had a near-perfect counter to the enemy version of her book daughter.

"Okay, Mommy, come, Alice, we're going to have fun!" Jack shouted as she rushed the Magical Girl.

"We will? Then play some more with me and me, Eigaon! Alice!" She shouted, and behind Alice manifested a girl dressed in blue and with blond hair.

When Alice said 'Eigaon' it clicked for Andy that she was definitely a Persona user, and while she had been trying to conserve mana, she felt it was probably better to support Jack in her fight as she ever so quickly summoned forth Ahriman and had it rush in to assist Jack while Andy and the others focused on Hell Presidente. Mostly by physically intercepting attacks by the deadliest Persona.

"Okay, I am getting annoyed by this Master, can I go full out?" Tamamo asked as her face settled into an annoyed one.

"As long as you don't go full AmA, sure," Andy replied.

"Okay, here I go—God, who resides in Izumo.

Aesthetically certain,

Breath of the soul.

Residing in the mountains and watery heavens, Amaterasu.

Let this freely become the proof of purification.

Thy name is Weighted Stone of Tamamo.

Become the sacred treasure, Mirror of Uka!

Just kidding! Eightfold Blessing of Amaterasu!" Tamamo chanted as two more tails manifested behind her though they looked ethereal to Andy's eyes. "Temporary Spirit Origin Ascension complete, greater Access to the Heroic Spirit Tamamo-no-Mae achieved. Temporary Infinite Mana achieved. It's time to go ham!" She shouted as she flew into the air and generated floating ofuda around her. She lifted her hands up, and within a second, a gigantic ball of mana appeared. "Marie, crystal it up!"

"You got it, Tammy!" Marie replied as she thrusted her hands out, and a mass of crystals surged out of her hands, which rushed up the Demon 'Sheep' Pillar and encased it.

And that was when Tamamo threw what was basically a Spirit Bomb at the Pillar and blew it the fuck up into tinny pieces. "Eat WIFE POWER!" She shouted at the resulting explosion that sent all of them flying.

"Maybe not that all out!" Andy said as they got blasted off, Ahriman grabbing on to and shielding both Jack and Alice on reflex, Andy doing much the same with Illya, as they got exploded.

"Sorry!" The fox apologized as they all got sent into the walls of the gingerbread castle.

"Is everyone okay?" Came the quiet voice of Mash, who was the only one still standing in the room, so not everyone got blasted by Tamamo.

My Kouhai is the best. Andy dazedly thought as she tried to reorient herself.

"You okay, Miss Andy?" Asked the concerned voice of Illya, who was still in her grasp.

"I'm fine, sweetie," Andy said on reflex as she took a quick stock of herself and found that was true. "More importantly, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Ruby makes me really sturdy," She replied.

"Yep, as a magical girl, she can even take a hit from goldie's, Ea," Ruby replied with pride in her voice.

"...I'm pretty sure only Mash could do that of my people. Noted." Andy said as she got up and set Illya back on her feet, taking an assessment of the situation. "Sound off!"

"We're fine!"

"Jackie, how's Alice?" Andy asked, Ahriman having dispersed after being slammed into the wall.

"Wow, that was so much fun, that was a very good play session," The girl replied before Jack could.

"She is fine, Mommy," Jack said afterward.

Andy let out a sigh of relief. "That's good." She said. Despite this Alice being, nominally, an enemy, Andy just couldn't bring herself to truly think of her as such. "Well, since we played with you, does that mean you'll tell us about Miyu and Chloe now, Alice?"

"Huh?... Oh, you were just looking for people? Why didn't you just say so?"

"WE DID!" Illya shouted at the Magical Girl.

"Oh, right I forgot what we were doing, I was just absorbed by the fight, I mean playtime. So, Miyu and Chloe, huh… Nope, I don't know anything about them at all," Alice replied.

Andy was certain that if this was still an anime, everyone would have face faulted. "That's okay, dear. In that case, which of the other four do you think would be most likely to kidnap little girls?"

"I don't know anything about the other Queen's just they were the best like me who got to make their own playground when the other Magical Girls disappeared, when they got too tired to play," Alice replied, and all that Andy got from her words were a sense of dread. "But as thanks for playing with me and my Black Sheep, I've got this for you," Alice said as she took out a finely cut diamond.

"Oh wow, that is a very big jewel, but I don't think we should take it. But I am sure Rin would like it," Illya said but blinked a few times as she noticed it was gone from Alice's hand and was now in Andy's. "Miss Andy!"

"Huh?" Andy asked, before looking down at the gem. "Oh, sorry, reflex. If anyone offers me anything willingly, I just kinda accept it immediately. Sorry about that, Alice." Andy said, attempting to give it back, ignoring the goblin in her brain, throwing a fit about 'giving up precious materials.'

"No, it's yours now, I am sure it can help you find your friend," Alice stated.

"Well, we just have to give it back when we're done with using it," Illya said.

"I suppose," Andy said, the goblin satiated for now. "I assume this means we'll need to go to the next kingdom then. Alice, do you have any recommendations to which one we should go to?"

"The gem will guide you," She replied helpfully.

Xxx

Alice had been correct in that the gem would point them towards their next location, and it turned out to be the water level. The Land of Sea and Dragons, according to Alice, though thankfully, then they had gotten to the coast in the Neutral Zone, there had been a Caravel Ship for them to take. With Ruby being able to steer it with the navigation abilities she apparently possessed. For according to her, she had twenty-three secret functions, and you never guess what number nine was. Andy specifically asked her to not say what that was.

And so on the sea, they had been able to take a little break, and tank up on some snacks that Mash had stored in her shield's hammerspace just in case these kinds of situations would occur more frequently.

Though their little lunch was interrupted by one of the more persistent enemy types that Andy and Mash encountered on their journey.

Wyverns.

And these ones were all rainbow-colored cause, they were seemingly forged from crystals as they shattered when they hit them hard enough.

"Argh, why are there so many dragons!" Illya shouted as she jumped around, swinging Gae Bolg around to crush them when they got to close.

"This is Dragon Country, sweetie," Andy noted as she quite calmly grabbed two wyverns by the throat in her larger hands and smashed their heads together, leaving the bodies mostly intact. She set those two aside and then refocused on the next nearest one, which lasted about five seconds from first contact with Andy. "Thankfully, these aren't as strong as the ones we've fought in the past. Probably all the cleavage planes these things have."

"They are rather fragile compared to normal Wyverns, though there are a lot of them," Mash stated as she swung her shield into one.

"But no matter what we have to continue on, as the gem is pointing us through the horde," Tamamo stated.

"Yes, though I think we're going to run into someone soon, cause I am detecting the familiar scent of a sleazebag," Euryale said as she took aim at a wyvern.

"Like right now?" Astolfo asked. "Cause a ship is rolling up to us now."

"Where did they come from? I didn't see anyone there just a second ago?" Marie stated.

"Magecraft probably," Came Ruby's voice.

"I told you Medea they are must bustier than you, and the pink one is cuter," Came the voice of Jason, but it was much more high pitched.

"I swear to god if this is Jason in drag, and it's not even funny or cute I'm going to actually impale him no questions asked," Andy said as she turned around, and saw Medea Lily with Chibi-Jason. "Oh, thank god, I thought I was about to have to wipe my memory for the first time."

"Hmm, hmm, greetings visitors from another world. I am Medea… The Magical Girl of Love and Healing, Medical Medea. A pleasure to meet you," Medea greeted them.

"Hey, Ruby, isn't that?" Illya asked.

"Shh, it is, but don't." Andy interrupted hastily. "Please don't. Really likely to make her upset, so please don't finish that sentence."

"Okay, don't say anything, Ruby. Hey, my name is Illya nice to meet you Medea," The girl greeted the Magical Girl version of Medea Lily.

"Oh my, from your words, it seems that we knew each other, but I don't dwell on the past, so even if we were friends… Why don't we forget about it and focus on the present? It's easier to forget the bad things that happened in the past, right?" Medea Lily spoke.

"Uhhh?" Was the sound that left Illya's mouth as she tried to process what Medea Lily had just said.

"Yes. So let's forget about our battle just now. We can chalk it up to a mistake on both sides," She stated.

"Yeah, that works for me," Andy said, unable to forget her actual fight with Medea Lily in Okeanos. It was made a bit better by the effort she'd put into spending time with the summoned one, but still, it weighed on Andy's mind. "Though I must say, that sounds nice. Being able to just forget the bad stuff."

"I don't know Senpai, that sounds insulting to the people contained within those memories even if they are bad," Mash replied. "But Medea Lily has lowered her staff. So hopefully we can talk it out like proper Magical Girls should."

"Talking? That's a wonderful idea. If you could take an opponent's life just through conversation, that's better than fighting," Medea Lily said.

"So, talking, yes," Andy said, once more trying to steer the conversation. "Hello, my name is Andy Murphy. We were just wondering if you've seen two other girls around the age of Illya here? We're looking for them, they got kidnapped." Andy said, indicating Illya when she said her name.

"I see, well, I might know something. But first, I would like to know, which Magical Girl, you killed to that gem of yours?" She asked with a sweet smile.

"I don't kill little girls," Andy said, deadpan. "Alice gave this to us after we beat her 'Black Sheep.' But, why, is it important? I figured since she gave it to us, it was just like, a homing beacon or something."

"They can be used as a beacon to locate each other, but these Gems," Medea Lily said. "They support us. This stone is what supports this oceanic kingdom, and gives me my power. This world is big, but it's also tightly closed. There were once many more Magical Girls here. They all wanted a kingdom of their own, and so fought and stole from each other. I was one of those girls. I am a healer—a Medical Magical Girl. I barely have any means of attack. The most I have is mental offense and divine punishment—things like pig transformation, tiny world confinement, and so on. The battle was very difficult. I was a relatively weak Magical Girl, after all," She exposited.

"Oh," Andy said softly.

"Says, the scariest one of them all," Mini Jason commented.

"Yeah, it's like an Olympic swimmer complaining about not being able to fly," Illya added.

"Now back on topic. The Magical Girls fought each other in pursuit of their own ideals for peace and order. It was a clash of values and worldviews. I tried to run from fierce combat, but it was impossible. Each time an enemy came, I would just stab, stab, and stab some more…" She said with a forlorn smile.

"I suddenly understand why Rule Breaker is a dagger..." Andy muttered under her breath before speaking at normal volume. "That sounds horrible."

"Before long, this stone that appeared in my hand grew in weight and shone brighter each time I fought. I can tell. This is the catalyst that supports this fantasy," Medea Lily exposited.

"Why are you telling us this?" Illya asked.

"Are you not getting it? These stones can grant wishes and desires. They are the only way you can get your friends back, as they have been taken by the true ruler of this land. But her area is sealed away and can only be accessed with all four currently active stones. But this jewel is the only small hope I have left. Taking this from me would be equivalent to my death. So please just leave. With that jewel, you can create whatever land you want. If you want friends, just create a land of friends, where everyone who visits becomes your friend, to the point you won't need your other ones anymore," She spoke in a jovial but cold tone.

"Wait, does that mean Alice basically killed herself when she gave us hers?" Andy asked, absolutely horrified at the implication, her mind getting stuck on that one part of Medea Lily's monologue.

"Yes, Alice, that little girl disappeared from this world a little bit after she gave the jewel to you, but don't be sad she made the choice on her own. I guess she couldn't handle the weight of all the ash we turned the others into. And so with you, she saw a way to finally escape from this hellish fantasy we're all imprisoned in via her own death. That is the true nature of this Reality Marble, a magical land built upon thousands of magical corpses in the hopes of creating an ideal land, we could rule over. And so we have for the last hundreds of years. So Illya, I ask, can you kill me to save your friends, even though there is a chance you will never escape this land as long as you're a proper magical girl?" Medea Lily coldly asked.

"Actually, we have the magi-technology to leave any time we want," Andy spoke up to nip that bit of thinking in the butt. "We're just sticking around in order to rescue her friends. And I know for a fact Rayshifting works on Einzbern Homunculus, so don't put that kind of weight on her shoulders."

"You truly think that? My what ignorance you exuding," And now her voice sounded much older, closer to her adult self.

"Medea, I want to save my friend, and while I don't want to fight or hurt you. But you said that we have to get all four jewels to save Miyu and Chloe? Then that is what I will do, this is not the first time I've had to sacrifice something to save who I care about. A few girls, that is nothing compared to the world, I did last time," Illya spoke last time.

"What?" Andy asked, genuine shock and surprise and horror in that one word.

"I'll explain later," Illya replied as she installed the Saber card.

Andy sighed. "This better be one good explanation." She said, before once again drawing Shatterthorn, the rune network on it glowing a pale blue contrasted by the red glow of the blade itself. "No hard feelings, I hope, Medea Lily." She said, lunging for chibi-Jason.

"Of course not, this the way things are," She replied as she began to fire beams at the group, but Illya just barged through as the beams repelled of her thanks to her newly acquired Magic Resistance and before she could react was impaled by Excalibur at the same Andy impaled the Mini Jason.

"Urgh," The small doll groaned. "Well, this was the best outcome we could have gotten, cause if this hadn't happened, Medb would have killed us and taken the jewel, and she is way too mad. At the very least, someone who is good, will obtain it." Mini Jason spoke as he dissolved into dust, and the same happened to Medea Lily. Which meant that Illya was now standing on the boat holding Medea Lily's jewel.

"Now that that's dealt with…" Andy said, turning back into human form and sheathing her sword so as to not intimidate Illya before putting her hands on her hips. "You have some explaining to do, young lady."

"I will," Illya responded as she returned to their ship.

"Well, this got darker than expected, though that just lends more credence to the fact the more cute something is, the more horrifying it is beneath it all," Tamamo stated, and it sounded like she wanted to take a shower after experiencing that.

Xxx

"Okay, so are you good to talk now?" Andy asked inside the captain's quarters, sitting on the bed, joined by Mash on one side and Astolfo on the other. In other words, the closest thing to Responsible Adults present.

"I am," Illya replied. Taking a breath before she continued. "It was about two months ago, Miyu got kidnapped back to the timeline she originally came from, cause she was born as a Holy Grail there. There the Ainsworth Family tried to use her to save the world, cause the axis had shifted too much, and so the planet was dying. And so they sought to use Miyu and her powers to do that, but doing so would have basically killed her. So I saved my friend, I chose my friend over millions of innocent people and doomed them to die," Illya explained. "But I don't regret my choice, cause she is very important to me."

"...Oh my god." Was all Andy was able to say to that.

"Wow," Was also all Mash had to say to Illya's explanation.

"And here I thought magical adventures were supposed to wholesome," Astolfo stated.

"Yeah, one would think that, but my Master went through a lot of hardships, we tried to find another solution. But that world was destined to be pruned away," Ruby stated.

"So, Miss Andy, what do you think about me now?" Illya asked, as she looked up at her with a pensive look as she awaited her reply.

"What do I think…?" Andy repeated slowly, before in a moment she was on her feet and hugging the poor girl. "You poor thing... you've been through so much…"

And Illya just let herself sob a little as Andy hugged her.

xxx

A/N: If you like this or any other of my stories, you can donate to my P A Treon. com (slash) StreamingViking and read commissioned stories. Along with voting for which stories will be updated next via Polls. And chapters before they are released here.