Something had been bothering Miss Planner for a long, long time. A lingering doubt, an unresolved problem, an itch she couldn't scratch. It nagged at her every now and then, until it grew into something that was on her mind every single day. She couldn't help it. She tried her best to ignore it. She told herself it wasn't important. But it was important. It was a matter of life and death.

And it all started on the day she picked up and adopted her poor little lost Wolf. Something inside her told her to go out and find him. And she did, just barely in time. She saved him from a slow, painful death and gave him a new body, a new life. And she felt good doing it.

Then she found more people who needed her help. Nikki. Leland. Cash. Milly. She saved their lives, just like she’d saved Black Wolf's life. And it filled her with a wonderful feeling. A sense of purpose. The world was a terrible place, but she could make it better.

She was doing the right thing. She knew she was doing the right thing. But still, that lingering doubt remained...

Miss Planner was the only person capable of creating psychic puppets, and the only one who could maintain them. There was no one else. She'd been looking for suitable human vessels to transplant their souls into for a long, long time, but they were few and far between. Her search, such as it was, had long ago ceased.

So that was that. If she were to die, then her creations would all be effectively doomed. They would eventually lose the will to go on living and just perish.

She put much of herself into her creations. They were like her children. Black Wolf was like a doting older brother, always looking after the rest of them. Leland was the strong, silent type. A pillar of moral support. Nikki could be a bit of a brat at times, but she was still part of the family. Milly was the sweet, innocent one who always managed to make her smile. Cash was like an annoying little kid who was always begging her for attention.

And if she died...

Ambushed by the Devils of Evil on her way to work. Annihilated in an explosion caused by an experiment gone wrong. Poisoned by one of the Controllers' spies. Slaughtered by one of the countless psychic monstrosities that roamed the Pit like stray dogs hungry for meat. Powerful as she was, Miss Planner's tiny life could end at any given moment. All it would take was a brief display of carelessness, a moment of uncharacteristic stupidity, a little bit of bad luck. And then it would be over for all of them. Her puppets would become lifeless pieces of human-shaped plastic once more.

Miss Planner needed a successor. Someone who could take her place and continue her work after she was gone. Someone who could serve as a caretaker for her precious puppets and carry on her legacy. That someone had to have an incredible amount of psychic power to match hers. They had to be able to think critically and solve complicated problems on the fly. They had to hold themselves to a high moral standard. And most importantly, they had to have the drive to succeed in the face of adversity.

Her first candidate was a child who would later come to be known as the Ultimate Evil, a little boy who was the subject of experimental psychic enhancement and brainwashing techniques developed by the Chosen Ones' research team in hopes that he would grow up and serve the organization as its supreme commander. But he quickly proved to be too unstable and unpredictable to ever fulfill her needs. The Ultimate Evil was a danger to everyone around him, including himself, and his violent fits of rage terrified even Miss Planner. She had him put into a medically induced coma and locked away deep underground for his own protection.

Miss Planner's next idea was imbuing a psychic puppet with an artificial soul and making it into a vessel for a piece of her own consciousness. Although she was certain it was technically possible, the project was far beyond her current capabilities. Despite some degree of success in the experiment's preliminary stages the final results left much to be desired. The puppet was ultimately unable to achieve the level of self-awareness necessary for her needs and the failed transfer left Miss Planner's soul shattered and incomplete. In the end, Miss Planner was so disappointed that she gave up on the idea entirely.

With no clue how to proceed, Miss Planner turned her attention to other projects. But she kept refining her puppetry techniques, expanding her network of contacts in Grandebelle's psychic underworld, and searching for anyone or anything that might lead her to her worthy successor.

And then, her ideal candidate finally emerged.

A timid girl from a good family. A girl who was nice to everyone. A sheltered, harmless little mouse of a girl who had no business being anywhere near the Pit. A quiet, awkward outsider whose only redeeming feature was her great love and devotion towards Miss Planner. 

Erica Sheffield.

She was a lovable, kindhearted girl who possessed the potential to become Miss Planner's most loyal, trusted ally. And she was a psychic prodigy. She had a perfect matching set of Miss Planner's powers, the capability to contain another thinking mind within hers, a durable psychically enhanced body, and so much more.

It seemed as though fate itself had brought them together.

"I'll give you a piece of my soul, Erica. My real soul. Not a fake. Not a copy. I'll let you keep a little part of me inside you, forever. My knowledge, my memories, my powers, my mind. Everything that makes me who I am."

"But... that's crazy! How can I possibly accept something like that? What's going to happen to you?"

Miss Planner's smile was warm and gentle. She reached down to take hold of Erica's hands and pulled her up into a standing position.

"Well, it's hard to say. I might end up completely helpless for a while. Or completely crazy. Maybe I'll develop a split personality of my own just like yours. I'll definitely lose part of my powers. But the part I lose will be with you, so I don't think I'll actually be losing anything."

"I don't want you to do this... you shouldn't..."

"You're probably wondering why I'm even considering this if it's so dangerous. Well, there are several reasons. One would be that I need someone to take care of the puppets if anything happens to me. And it has to be someone I absolutely trust. I know you wouldn't hurt them. You're a good person, Erica."

"No, that's not-"

"And I need someone to take care of the Chosen Ones, too. If I ever become unable to fulfill my duties, I want you to take over as general manager. Someone needs to be there to help the Elders and the others. To show them the right way forward."

"No, I-I can't!"

"And there's one last reason. It's a selfish one. But it's also the most important. I don't want to do this by myself anymore. I want someone to share my dream with. Someone to help me make it come true. Someone who understands me. Someone who will support me, cheer me on, and be proud of me. That's why I'm offering you a piece of my soul. I want you to take it. Because you're the only one who can. And I really hope that you'll accept it."

There wasn't a single hint of hesitation in Miss Planner's voice. Her expression was calm, composed, and confident as she spoke with absolute conviction. But she couldn't hide how desperately she wanted Erica to agree. She looked straight into Erica's eyes, searching for signs of rejection. Hoping against all odds that her plea would be heard and understood. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she waited anxiously for Erica's response.

The silence lingered on between them for an agonizingly long time before Erica eventually broke it.

"Okay... I’ll do it. I’ll... I’ll take a piece of your soul. I promise I’ll take care of the puppets and the Chosen Ones if anything should ever happen to you... I promise.”

A huge grin spread across Miss Planner's face. She held Erica tightly in her arms, squeezing her tight as tears began to roll down her cheeks. She buried her face in Erica's neck as her emotions burst free.

“Oh... oh my dearest Erica... I’m so glad. Thank you so much.”