Intermezzo

Reiko opened her eyes. Dim shadows sulked in her periphery. Her head stung. The bright lights overhead blurred and induced a bout of nausea.

When was the last time the imaginarium had overwhelmed her like this?

Reiko sighed. Did it even need to be said at this point?

She pushed through her unease and sat up. The hazy silhouettes around her cleared. To her right, Fujiko laid hunched over the next bed. Mamoru sat on the other side of a wide glass window, his head despondent. Two adults, who Reiko did not recognize, sat outside as well, frozen in a mournful embrace.

Reiko saw Fang Fang unexpectedly leaning against the corner of the room with her arms folded. The Egregore’s sharp eyes seemed set on Fujiko’s back, but Reiko spotted a lock of frayed golden hair sprawled over the bedsheets. Fujiko’s hands were clenched tightly over another’s. The machine above the bed beeped softly.

Reiko realized who was lying there.

Beneath a familiar hospital ceiling, Miyuki did not awaken.

A late morning sun doused the hospital room. Even so, Miyuki’s hair had lost its luster. There was no trace of rose or pink. A pallid gray painted her cheeks and lips. Miyuki’s clothes, folded next to her bedside, consisted of one, lone white tunic.

The door to the ward clicked open. Kanna, dressed in a clean white coat, stepped inside and spotted Reiko sitting up in her bed.

“You’re awake,” she said.

“Yeah,” Reiko murmured. She motioned towards Miyuki. “How is she?”

Kanna shook her head.

“I think I’ll leave the magical explanation to these two,” she nodded at Fujiko and Fang Fang. “You’re fine, by the way, after everything that’s happened.”

“What happened?”

“A mess, a real shitstorm,” Kanna sighed. “When the fighting began, the Prime Minister authorized Samukawa Group to intervene on Sapporo’s behalf. Director Tanaka Arataki is in custody, along with half of the NPSC who collaborated to frame Section Eight for the killing of Lisa Everest.”

“And Lisa Everest?” Reiko asked. “I saw her. She was alive. How?”

Fang Fang stepped forward.

“Lisa’s wellbeing is none of your concern,” she said. “I would worry instead about Lady Kobayashi, captain. Her condition is rather serious.”

“Serious?”

“I’m sure you already suspect this, but the imaginarium that knocked you unconscious was unleashed from an ascension,” Fang Fang explained, “Miss Kobayashi’s, to be specific.”

“She ascended?”

“Temporarily,” Fang Fang replied. “She then attempted to destroy the eye above the castle tower, but old magic there reacted with her imaginarium. Keeping her alive was the most I could do.”

“Keeping her alive? What do you mean temporarily?”

“I mean that, in trying to answer her own Question, Lady Kobayashi expended all the imaginarium she’ll ever use in this life,” Fang Fang explained. “She can’t incant anymore, which means she’s no longer a mage, which means she’s also no longer an Egregore.”

Fujiko clasped Miyuki’s frail hands tighter.

“That’s not all,” Kanna pursed her lips. “Miss Kobayashi’s alive, but an initial brain scan showed minimal neural activity. There’s nothing wrong as far as we can tell, but she’s in some kind of deep sleep. It’s like her mind’s drifted off somewhere.”

Reiko looked again at Miyuki and lowered her head.

“I failed her,” she whispered. “I knew. Part of me knew that things would come back to haunt us, especially with this assignment. I was so stupid to think I could shield you all and be its only casualty.”

“No,” Fujiko’s voice rattled. “You shouldn’t think that. It’s my fault. Everything is my fault. It’s been my fault this entire time.”

“Kazama,” Reiko muttered. “You were taken, just like she was–”

“I said things,” Fujiko sobbed. “I said so many things I shouldn’t have.”

“You’re both idiots.”

Mamoru entered the ward. He scowled, which looked a little amusing because of how puffy his eyes were. And yet, in typical fashion, Mamoru puffed out his chest and stuffed his hands in his pockets before he began his chastising.

“Fujiko caught me up on what happened,” he said. “That Egregore, Miss Everest. She’s the one that’s responsible, isn’t she? She changed Miyuki’s destiny. So why are you two acting sorry for yourselves, when the person to blame isn’t even here?”

“Besides,” Mamoru continued, “Miyuki did what she did for a reason. I’m sure of it. I don’t know what it was. She was always the smarter mage, but I’m sure she didn’t mean for you two to argue over who shares more of the blame.”

“Her reasons are irrelevant,” Fang Fang said. “Lisa’s attempt to answer Lady Baba Yaga’s Question may have ended in failure because of her, but Lisa has not yet relinquished her control of this country’s destiny. She likely intends to induce another imaginarium event, and soon.”

“Why are you here then?” Mamoru growled. “If you think this is an issue, why not go back to your castle and stop her yourself?”

“I believe Lady Kobayashi would not have wished for yet another Egregore to decide this country’s fate, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Still,” Kanna muttered, “I’m not sure what you’re suggesting we do. The temporary provision to intervene in Castle Gramarye has expired.”

“Sometimes,” Fang Fang replied, “The obvious answer is obscured because you haven’t seen the full scope of the truth. After all, there is one final puzzle in this Story that has yet to be uncovered.”

“Isn’t that right, Fujiko?”

Fujiko lifted her hands from Miyuki’s bed and rose to face the others.

Reiko hadn’t imagined it after all, that glance, that look of familiarity from Fang Fang when she had first arrived. The witch had recognized someone on her team.

“Kazama,” Reiko said. “She's talking about ten years ago... isn't she?”

“I think it’s time, Reiko, that we finished our conversation from that night. I think now, we both know where this conversation leads.”

“...Natsuko.”

“Remember, you asked me before. ‘Was Natsuko happy?’”

“...Yes.”

“Well, she was happy, happy until the end,” Fujiko smiled. “I would know. I was there on the night that she died.