Madoka stares at Aoi kneeling in front of her. She goes to her knees and impulsively hugs Aoi. Aoi gasps and blinks as Madoka embraces her.

“Kind Goshujinsama… I’m flattered by your affection, but I can’t return your feelings,” she murmurs. Madoka bites her lip and gazes into Aoi’s eyes.

“I don’t believe that you’re incapable of having feelings. I know that you have them,” Madoka says softly.

Aoi looks away with an angry expression.

“I thought you understood the situation, Mistress?” Kozuke asks with a sigh. “You are being childish.” Kozuke shoves his hands into his pockets. “If you persist like this you may drive her away from you. Dangling something before her eyes that she can’t have is cruel. I don't think you intend to be cruel, but your selfishness will only cause her pain,” he admonishes Madoka gently.

Madoka sniffles, and unable to hold back her strong emotions, she cries and clings to Aoi. Aoi sighs and embraces her comfortingly, patting her back.

“Goshujinsama… please feel better soon!” she encourages Madoka with a heavy sigh. She waits quietly for a long moment.

“Oh…” Emi sighs softly, shaking her head. “Madoka-chan, please gather yourself!” She walks over and pats Madoka’s head.

Kiyomi sighs softly, stepping over herself. She looks down at Madoka.

“As much as I detest to say it, Kozuke is correct. There are only a few paths for unbirthed spirits to take. If incarnated as animals or if they materialize in the spiritual world, they can become youkai. This one could have become a water youkai, but perhaps something holds her back.” Kiyomi smiles warmly at Aoi, her expression sympathetic. She puts her hand on her shoulder.

Aoi glares a moment and swats Kiyomi’s hand away with a huff. “I don’t require your sympathy, youkai.”

“There is joy in the life of a youkai even,” Kiyomi responds, smiling wryly.

“So you say, Kitsune, but I would never bend my pride and become a lowly youkai.” She glares at Kiyomi.

“Lowly? How can someone as grand and elegant as myself be termed so?” she asks Aoi with an annoyed expression. “You’re biased. If you’re lonely, perhaps you should succumb,” she murmurs.

“Close your filthy mouth!” Aoi glares.

Kiyomi shakes her head in disbelief. “Goshujinsama,” Aoi murmurs, “please accept the additional shikigami. There are human souls that can be saved by serving you. It is only possible when a bond exists. Because of the peculiar gift you possess, you have a tie with myself, but that tie is also greatly troubling.” She draws away from Madoka’s arms and once again offers her the origami of green paper, one piece folded to resemble two triangular objects side by side. Aoi takes Madoka’s hand and insistently pushes the paper into it. In that moment, a gust of wind bursts around her, causing her hair to wave wildly for a moment. Madoka closes her hand gently around the object, wondering.

“A true wind-attributed shikigami. The most common kind, however,” Kozuke comments, watching.

“Another spirit? Will they make an appearance soon?” Emi asks, looking down into Madoka’s hand as she un-clenches her hand.

“If you can bond with her, and call her by her name, she may answer your call,” Aoi murmurs, standing. She stalks away, her back towards Madoka as she returns to examine the peaceful shrine around, and the infinite torii. “Goshujinsama, if we do not have a purpose, I would appreciate being dismissed. The energy of this ley line sustains me, yet it is a trial,” she murmurs.

“A trial? Is it really so bad? Being hugged?” Madoka asks softly. “Am I mistreating you, Aoi-chan?”

Aoi sighs and shakes her head. “It is troublesome. You are a strange goshujinsama,” she murmurs.

“Troublesome? Strange? Aren’t you fond of me?” Madoka asks, her lower lip quivering.

Aoi grits her teeth and draws her blade, dashing to a nearby tree to the sides of the torii, thankfully not a holy tree, but she unleashes a savage strike, bisecting the trunk of the tree. It shivers, and moments later it capsizes.

“What did the tree do to offend you?” Madoka asks, stunned.

Aoi rounds on Madoka, brandishing her sword as she stalks over towards her. Madoka bites her lip and Aoi dashes into her face, finally plunging her sword into the ground before her quickly. She gazes upon Madoka with smouldering eyes, and Madoka gasps, looking into her eyes.

“What did it do to you… Is it me? Did I harm you? I’m so sorry…” Madoka mews.

Aoi doesn’t respond immediately, instead seething. “A-Aoi…” Madoka shakes.

“Draw your spear. Touch your magatama. Summon it or I will drub you with the flat of my blade!” she threatens.

“N-no… Aoi… what are you talking about?” Madoka asks.

Aoi suddenly draws her blade and lifts it with both hands, bracing herself to bring it down on Madoka’s head. Madoka looks to Kozuke and Kiyomi, but they stand where they are calmly, seemingly unsurprised by her actions. Aoi brings her sword down fiercely. Suddenly, the golden light flashes before her, and she feels the spear with lilies and leaves and vines etched upon its haft appears in her hand as she instinctively raises the haft to defend herself. The sword strikes it surprisingly gently, but Aoi doesn’t stop there. She unleashes further attacks.

“What are you doing, Aoi! Why would you want to hurt me?” Madoka gasps, blocking the attacks by instinct clumsily. 

“What are you doing, you crazy spirit?” Emi chimes in. “Why would you hurt someone you claim to care about it?” She reaches out towards Aoi. Aoi looks at her with cold calm eyes and moves to strike her. Emi flinches and backs off with an expression of terror.

Aoi smiles at Emi slightly. “You don’t understand, mortal? My own goshujinsama doesn’t understand my intention. I will not explain myself to you,” she murmurs, returning her attention to Madoka, raising her blade again.

“You truly don’t understand her, Mistress?” Kozuke asks with a slight smile.

Madoka gapes and blinks.

“You can guess what is in the mind of this restless spirit, can’t you?” Kiyomi smiles supportively towards Madoka.

Madoka hesitates as Aoi brings her sword down again, moving gracefully as she unleashes a series of attacks, thrusting and slashing, spinning acrobatically, yet despite the attacks, Madoka understands suddenly that the only attack with lethal intent behind it was when she had brought down the tree. Perhaps to demonstrate to her that she did not intend to hurt Madoka, so she would divine her intention. Madoka sniffles as Aoi continues to strike at her, but she knows that the blows are just slow enough that she can parry them.

Seeing the inkling of understanding in her eyes, Aoi addresses Madoka.

“Goshujinsama. Speak. What are my intentions?” she asks. “And attack, don’t just defend,” she murmurs.

“You…” Madoka hesitates, gazing into her eyes, feeling tears leak from her eyes. “You want to train me,” she replies softly.

Emi gapes, watching. “You should explain if that is your intention! You looked like you were very serious to me!” Emi frowns, chucking a stone at Aoi.

Aoi looks at Emi with an amused expression and gracefully strikes the stone flying at her.

“You are petulant,” Aoi murmurs as her blade shatters the stone into dust.

Emi blinks at Aoi’s feat. “I’m indignant that you’re being so rude.” Emi scowls at Aoi.

“Your feelings are of no concern to me,” Aoi murmurs, and looks at Madoka with a firm gaze. “Attack me, Goshujinsama! If you truly intend to serve as a portal for me, if you naively speak such words to me, your words are empty while they aren’t backed by strength. I know you have it in you to become stronger. Speak the words again when you are strong,” Aoi murmurs.

“How can you be so cruel to her?” Emi gasps at the harshness of her words. “You beast!”

Madoka shakes her head, hanging her head for a moment. “She is right, Emi-chan. I’m weak. I can’t back up my words,” she says softly.

“That is what you are here for, Mistress. Do you have the determination?” Kozuke asks.

Kiyomi watches and suddenly steps behind Madoka and embraces her, pressing her chest against her back and hugging tightly.

“Your path is painful. But I will watch you and help you every uncertain step you take, Madoka-chan,” she says softly.

“You’re interrupting our training, kitsune. Must I chase you away?” Aoi glares at Kiyomi. Kiyomi shakes her head and smiles sadly, stepping away. “No. I’m cheering for my special girl. Perhaps a more tender approach might win you more result, shikigami-girl,” Kiyomi suggests.

“You suggest molesting my goshujinsama and rubbing my breasts against her?” Aoi asks incredulously.

Madoka gasps and blushes, covering her face, pressing the warm metal of the spear against her face at the same time.

“It might not hurt,” Kiyomi teases. “If you're inexperienced, you can practice with me,” she says playfully.

“I don’t care to learn ecchi techniques from you, kitsune.” Madoka gasps as Aoi strikes her spear; it rings, vibrating against her face.

“Be serious, Goshujinsama!” Aoi snaps and Madoka barely perceives a series of attacks from Aoi. Madoka moves the haft of the spear to block the attacks quickly, faster than she would have expected. She raises the spear and spins it with determination in her eyes, then rushes in, point first. Aoi blinks and the cold expression in her eyes fades; a smile spreads on her face, lighting it up. Madoka stabs at her, and she gracefully spins and sidesteps the attack. She uses her free hand to shove the spear away and with the momentum of her strike, she swings her blade towards Madoka. The blade hits Madoka squarely on her rib as she turns to try to block with the butt of the spear.

Madoka yells, but, realizing that Aoi had held back when she struck her, she continues the belated move to move the blade away and throws herself backwards, twirling the spear in her hands. She moves to strike towards Aoi’s head with the butt of the spear, next, though she holds back, not wanting to hurt her. Aoi blocks the attack and, with a smile, knocks the spear away. Using the momentum of the block, Madoka turns the spear and strikes with the other end, and Aoi quickly blocks again. Madoka continues to use the momentum of the attacks to launch a new attack.

Aoi smiles approvingly and nods as Madoka doesn’t let the attacks break the momentum. She firmly strikes repeatedly towards Aoi, and in time Madoka smiles warmly at Aoi as Aoi returns the smile. They grin at each other, sparring and training. From time to time, Madoka missteps and Aoi strikes Madoka on wrist and thigh as her steps falter and trip, but even so Madoka smiles, feeling closer than ever to Aoi.

For what seems like hours, they continue this. Finally, Madoka manages to score a hit on Aoi’s chest with the butt of the spear. She gapes as at that moment, Aoi scatters into motes of light, disappearing.

“A-Aoi-chan! Are you okay?” Madoka gasps, panting, sweating heavily from her long exercise. She trembles and falls to her knees.

“You’re out of energy. She was sustained in part by the energy flowing into you from the ley line, but you don’t have stable energy any longer. This went far better than I expected.” Kozuke smiles. “You really did your best, Mistress.” 

Madoka sighs, exhausted; she closes her eyes, but smiles at the compliments.

“You aren’t very good at it, Madoka-chan.” Emi laughs.

“I know… I’ve never used a spear before,” Madoka replies.

“W-wait…” Emi gasps.

Madoka gasps as she feels arms wrap around her and Kiyomi’s soft lips are suddenly against hers. She mews, stunned. She weakly struggles, but Kiyomi sweeps her up into her arms and kisses her soundly. Madoka squirms and blushes intensely, and thinking of Aoi, she finds herself only squirming as the ecchi kitsune kisses her. Even so, she feels energy pouring into her for a long moment.

“Be certain you don’t escalate it any further, fox,” Kozuke warns Kiyomi. Madoka opens her eyes and blushes, and the reality crashes in on her. Her eyes widen a moment, and she ends the kiss with a smile.

“Did you think I was someone else for a moment?” Kiyomi asks. “For the first time you actually kissed back, Madoka-chan. What’s wrong with me?” she asks her, seeming hurt.

Madoka blushes, and covers her face.

“Ecchi kitsune!” Emi disapproves of Kiyomi. Kiyomi rolls her eyes. 

“Better that than the other. Please don’t hate me. I have never hurt you and never will,” Kiyomi pouts.

“What do you want from me, you lech kitsune?” Madoka asks with a blush.

“Your love,” Kiyomi purrs, gazing at Madoka.

“Wh-what?” Madoka gasps at the frank disarming words.

Suddenly Kiyomi squeaks as Kozuke upends a canteen on her head.

Madoka gasps as the runoff sprinkles her.

“Cool off, Kitsune,” Kozuke remarks. “It’s time we rest and recover.”

Kiyomi scowls and lets go of Madoka gently, glaring at Kozuke. “You pigheaded ignorant man of a dog!” Kiyomi yells loudly at Kozuke, seeming more enraged than ever. Suddenly, she reverts to a white silvery fox form. Madoka notices suddenly that the fox has many tails. Kiyomi charges Kozuke’s form, and Madoka has only a moment to count the tails. She counts up to nine, stunned when she realizes that Kiyomi isn’t just a kitsune, that she’s a kyuubi.

“N-nine tails!” Emi gasps. “How old are you supposed to be, oba-san Kitsune?” She gapes.

“Enough about that with you, mortal child!” Kiyomi howls as she bears down on Kozuke. Kozuke transforms into his Lion-dog form again underneath her, and for only the second time since Madoka has known him. Madoka stares as she recognizes that Kiyomi is larger than he. Her eyes widen in surprise, and she realizes that she had been kissed thoroughly by this monster. Madoka shrinks tiredly against a torii. The size of the kyuubi fills the corridor formed by the infinite torii. She has no room to maneuver, but neither can Kozuke. The two snarl at each other for a long moment, and Kozuke dodges underneath Kiyomi, snapping at her hamstrings. He darts under and between her legs and she seems to flush despite being covered by fur, unable to turn around. When behind her, Kozuke turns, leaps up and kicks his legs, scoring a sound blow on her rear end, knocking her forward through the torii, getting the best of her.

Kiyomi yowls and indignantly transforms back into her familiar form, rubbing her bottom fiercely.

“You filthy mutt!” she shrieks angrilly and turns. Suddenly she lifts her hands and flames appear in both palms. A strong gust of wind rises up from her, sending her hair blowing straight up, quickly drying and looking like a silver flame. The silver color drifts into her flames and Kozuke transforms back into his human form. He responds to her renewed hostility by charging in bare handed.

“I knew this was going to happen someday,” Emi mews. “Don’t fight, you two. This isn’t necessary! Stop snapping at each other, Kozuke-san, Oba-chan!”

“Kiyomi-san… Kozuke-san… please,” Madoka murmurs.

Kiyomi snarls and and chucks one burst of flame at Kozuke as he charges in. He spins and pivots on a foot, sidestepping the flame. She throws the second one where he steps to defend, and the flame strikes him, coating him with soot. Kozuke gasps, and Kiyomi laughs uproariously.

“Did you think I was serious?” she laughs aloud. “Here, have a bit of water back for your insult, Lion-Dog-Butler-sama!” She raises her hands and a torrent of water leaps out from nowhere to soak him thoroughly, washing away the soot.

Kiyomi laughs again as he charges in again, she quickly seizes her fan and sends a burst of air at him. He dodges and transforms into a lion-dog again, completely soaked and smelling like a wet dog indeed.

Madoka and Emi scream as they fall onto their backsides on the path through the torii from the sudden draft from Kiyomi’s wind attack.

“You stink, mutt. Sit still!” Kiyomi yells as Kozuke’s jaws close on her leg. Finally, Kiyomi charges her energies and a spark flashes at the tip of her fan as she points it at Kozuke’s body.

“Stalemate. Release me,” Kiyomi murmurs.

Madoka gasps, climbing to her feet again. “Kiyomi, stop this! Kozuke! Now stop it!” Madoka gasps, wobbling. A ripping in the air forms and Aoi leaps out of it again, striking at the place between them. They jump from each other and Aoi’s attack lands on the post of a torii. A shaving of wood is carved from it, but the torii stands thankfully still.

Madoka gasps in relief, leaning against another torii.

“I need help…” Madoka sighs, going to her knees again.

Emi runs to Madoka as Aoi dissipates into light motes again. Emi rushes to support Madoka and hug her.

“Is it over?” Emi asks, her voice shaking.

“It’s done,” Kozuke murmurs, having regained his human form. He sighs, still sodden and his butler tuxedo charred in places.

“We’re finished.” Kiyomi sighs. “After that I don’t have any energy to spare. We’ll have to do it the old fashioned way. Let me show you to a special place we can get a meal.” 

Madoka smiles gratefully, and Emi smiles eagerly.

Emi blushes when Kiyomi leads them through the streets of the Edo-style town to a cafe. At the door waits a maid to greet visitors. She forms her hands into a heart symbol over the very revealing window in her maid dress. She has blonde hair, and under the lace headpiece, her blonde-furred ears twitch. She lifts her hands into paw-like shapes and grins.

“Welcome, Master and Mistresses, nya!” she grins. “Welcome to the Nekonyukya Cafe!” She beams at Kiyomi and bows cutely. “Welcome back, Mistress!” she giggles as she leads the way in with a sexy wiggle.

Madoka and Emi gape, shocked. “Even here there are maid cafes?” Madoka says incredulously.

“Of course there is! Any time there are cute girls there will be maid cafes!” Kiyomi grins.

Kozuke scowls at Kiyomi. “Do I need to guess at why you chose an establishment like this?”

Kiyomi smiles tiredly. “My heart needs lovely girls to recover from that fierce exercise. Speaking of which, the shop belongs to my family once again.” She follows the maid inside. Madoka and Emi hesitate, but finally follow her. 

“Welcome, Masters and Mistresses!” the maids all greet them at the door, and Madoka squirms, blushing redly, never having had the temerity to come into a place like this, even though there are always maids advertising for their cafes.

Madoka realizes that two of the maids are kitsune, one a neko, and one an actual slime girl, looking somehow sexy despite lacking most of human features except for the shape. It wears a costume, which looks waterproof compared to the designs of the others. There is one girl with only one eye, looking like a cyclops, and one without eyes. Finally, a cute dark-haired tengu girl with a short bob hairstyle and long lovely black wings, perfectly complementing the skimpy maid costume she wears.

“Aren’t they adorable?” Kiyomi grins at Madoka. “I know you like girls, Madoka-chan! Please enjoy the sight of the cute youkai here.” She grins as they take seats that the neko gestures towards, bowing down and showing off her plump breasts. Madoka sits down in a chair the tengu pulls out for her, looking moody. The slime bubbles cutely somehow, pulling a chair out for Kozuke. Kozuke scowls, but it fades as the cute girls seem to melt even his heart with their moe appeals and their heart gestures.

The neko seeming to be the leader of the maid crew gets them menus on parchment, making another heart symbol over her chest.

“Kyuuuu nya!!!” she squeals with a wiggle. “Please take the menus, Master and Mistresses. I recommend the omurice!” she giggles. “If you order it, we will write special messages for you on them with your choice of condiment.”

Madoka stares at the girls in their costumes, blushing. She looks down, and something seems to spark in her mind, a faint memory. Madoka bites her lip, taking a menu and losing herself in studying it.

She feels dizzy and the world around her seems to spin.

Do you know me, goshujinsama! Please tell me you do! Madoka hears a bubbly voice.

Aoi… your voice is strange… Madoka replies with a faint headache. No, this is not Aoi-chan. She knows that it’s someone else.

You injure me, goshujinsama! I thought I felt closer to you for a moment, the cute voice cries, mewling.

W-what… another shikigami… you know Aoi-chan? Madoka asks. She racks her brain, and suddenly remembers the vision from before when her other self had changed clothes in a changing room together with them... Aoi and another girl... trying cute clothes on and showing off cute keychains.

Another vision comes to her mind, and suddenly her surroundings change, and she stands in a classroom. Outside the windows, the sun is going down, and some students sit with their heads together, others work on projects. Madoka frowns and a girl enters the room holding a maid costume. She bubbles and grins as she shows it off to her. Madoka gasps and blinks, and she sees a vision of Aoi walking up, wearing another costume, looking similar to how she looks now, except she wears a headband with a peach on it, but her costume is more revealing and sexy, and her hair brown as it certainly was. Madoka blushes profusely.

“What do you think, Madoka-chan? Isn’t it cute?” The girl holding the costume grins.

“What is cute? Aoi-chan’s costume?” Madoka asks, her eyes on Aoi. Aoi blushes.

“Well, that too, but I meant your cute maid costume. Isn’t it adorable, Madoka-chan?” she asks.

Suddenly the room flickers and everyone except the girl before her disappears, even Aoi. Madoka clutches her chest and she mews. The blonde girl with twintails smiles expectantly at Madoka.

Do you know me? the cute voice asks in her mind. These visions are why you know our souls. You’re the only one in the world who knows us, who thinks of us, we who never had a chance to live. No one else in the world thinks of us, she says in a sorrow-filled voice.

Suddenly, the classroom falls away and Madoka falls forward onto the table, panting.
“K-Ka-an-nna…” Madoka gasps, and the name muttered fills Madoka with grief.

“What… what happened to you… Kanna… Aoi… Oh, Kami…” Madoka sobs.

Goshujinsama! the bubbly voice chimes in mentally, somehow sounding sad at the same time.