"Counter." Chiharu pointed at Shiori for the third time. Cyan lit himself up as brightly as he could, until the entire living room was awash with his ghostly light. But the moment it struck Shiori's body, the spell quivered and shattered apart.

　　Chiharu's heart sunk deep into her stomach. "I'm sorry Shiori. It's too strong for me. It's just like before."

　　Shiori nodded silently, huddled beneath Isao's arms.

　　"It's my fault." Chiharu said, sitting down and cupping her face in her hands. "It's my fault."

　　"You know that's not true." Kotone soothed, putting her hand on Chiharu's back.

　　"I deflected the spell straight into her." Chiharu said, pain gnawing through her stomach. The last person she would ever hurt in her life was Shiori Rin. She loved Shiori more than anyone else on Earth. And yet in the end she'd done it anyway.

　　"Right, and we all know you did it intentionally, with full malice aforethought, because you've always hated Shiori all along, right?" Kotone replied sarcastically.

　　"I could've just let it hit me. I didn't have to send it off wildly who knows where. It was my choice to allow an accident like this." Chiharu clung bitterly to her self hatred.

　　"Right, because we all know that you assuredly being hit by an enemy spell is better than even the chance of any of us being harmed by accident." Kotone pinched Chiharu's skin away from her back. "This isn't the time for your silliness. Do you think blaming yourself will make Shiori feel better?" Kotone challenged Chiharu.

　　Chiharu looked up from her hands at Shiori's scared and fragile face. Her wide downcast eyes were like deep pools staring bleakly into the void. Chiharu knew what she was seeing. It was the same thing they were all seeing in the days ahead. When will I forget Shiori Rin?

　　"What do we do?" Isao asked, his voice clear and focused.

　　"It's clearly a curse. The enemy kept referring to her own suffering. I suppose that's all the clue we need. She's causing Shiori to suffer. Only, not physically. The curse works by erasing the outside world's memories of her instead." Chiharu analyzed.

　　"Then why do we still remember her?" Isao asked.

　　"From what Shiori described. . .I think we all know." Chiharu sighed, not wanting to say it. "Based on the strength of our memories, our feelings, our bond with Shiori, it's erasing us bit by bit. Just like any wasting disease, it has to devour us inch by inch, over time. But if we can't stop the spell, it's only a matter of time."

　　"She'll lose us in the reverse order of our love for her." Kotone breathed. "I can't believe someone would manifest a spell like that. What kind of soul casts something so cruel?"

　　"A ten year old girl's." Isao grimaced. "Whatever her reasons, I don't care. If we want to undo the spell, we have to kill her."

　　"I hope that's enough." Chiharu said. "There's no guarantee it hasn't already set into motion an irreversible process."

　　"I choose to believe it will stop." Isao said simply.

　　"You're right. Nevermind. I'm just dark." Chiharu said, hating herself. No one would have cared if Lethe had hit her. If she could have gone back in time, she would have gladly embraced the spell. Her life was nothing compared to Shiori's. That God would allow something like this to happen, to someone like this, was just more incontestable proof that there was no such thing as God.

　　"But how do we find her?" Kotone asked, getting back to what mattered.

　　"Black?" Isao asked hopefully.

　　"I'm sorry, Isao. I would scry her out if I could. I would do anything to stop your pain." Black morosely glowed his unlight into the air.

　　"Awesome. You're the best scryer in the universe. Find her signature. You've seen it before. Surely you can find it anywhere now." Isao encouraged Shiori's wyrd.

　　"I. . .I'm sorry, Isao." Awesome blinked, held tightly in Shiori's palm.

　　"What are you talking about? You haven't even tried yet! This is your mistress! Don't you care at all?" Isao asked Awesome angrily.

　　"This world is so dark, once I reach a certain distance, it's all just darkness. In every direction. The world is just black to me. It's always been that way. Don't you think we would have tried to scry out the dark wyrd's home base long ago if we could? For all we know she's sitting right there in the middle of them, as hidden as they are." Awesome said.

　　"Is she in Japan?" Isao asked.

　　"I. . .don't know." Awesome blinked awkwardly.

　　"Fine. So we just have to fly all over the world until you can scry her. Draw a map of your scrying's furthest range. We'll turn the world into boxes and fly through each of them." Isao said.

　　"It's too big. The chances of us simply happening upon a hidden base. . .there's no reason they'd even be along a major air route. . ." Awesome countered.

　　"So what? There's a possibility you'll scry her, right?" Isao asked. "Are you going to take responsibility for not pursuing that possibility? Are you going to take responsibility for erasing Shiori Rin?"

　　Awesome was silent. Then he eventually gave a fatalistic reply. "I'll of course do whatever Shiori asks of me."

　　"There you have it, Shiori." Isao said, standing up, pulling on her hand. "Kotone, I'll need your private jet and a pilot. We can start flying tonight."

　　"Of course you'll have it." Kotone agreed.

　　"No." Shiori whispered. "Don't take me away."

　　"We're not taking you away. We're going to find the girl who did this to you and save you." Isao tugged on Shiori's hand again.

　　"Let me die around my friends, Isao. Don't take me away." Shiori whispered.

　　"You're not going to die!" Isao shouted. "You are not going to die! I'll save you, but you have to let me! We can't do anything by just sitting around!"

　　"Isao, if we married, would you love me more?" Shiori whispered, looking down at the floor, her arm lifelessly held aloft by his.

　　"What are you saying?" Isao asked in a painful voice.

　　"If we made love tonight, would you love me more?" Shiori asked.

　　"I already love you with all my heart." Isao said.

　　"It could give us another day." Shiori said. "You could remember me a day longer."

　　"I don't care about a day! I want to be with you all my life!" Isao protested. "Scrying out that girl is our only chance! Listen to me, Shiori. You're not yourself!"

　　"I do." Shiori said, still refusing to move.

　　"Do what?" Isao asked, frustrated.

　　"I care about a single extra day. I demand an extra day. I don't care about the wedding anymore. I've wasted weeks preparing for this stupid ritual. Marry me, Isao. I want to be your wife, even if it's for a single day." Shiori looked up at her fiance, a fire in her eyes.

　　Isao sat down, Shiori's hand still pinned in his. "You want me to stay, even knowing what that means?"

　　"Running away is just running away. She knows the spell better than any of us. She knows to avoid us until the curse is complete. Dark wyrds can scry out Choice Givers anywhere on Earth, they can always run away if we ever randomly approached too near. We'll never find her, Isao. You must know that too. It won't happen." Shiori said.

　　"It could happen." Isao repeated desperately.

　　"It could, but it won't. I'm not going to spend my remaining time with team Choice Givers flying from airport to airport chasing the wind. It's. . .not like a samurai." Shiori finally explained her stance in a way Isao would understand.

　　Isao rubbed his face. "Okay Shiori. Let's find a civil magistrate. I'm sure with enough money we can get a certificate."

　　"Sorry for being so selfish." Shiori smiled. "I just need it to be official. Our marriage has to be official, Isao. It has to be real. I need things to be real right now."

　　"I know." Isao said. "Let's get a taxi. We're wasting time here."

　　Shiori smiled. "Thank you. Everyone, I'll see you soon. Don't forget me."

　　Kotone and Chiharu waved her goodbye, kissing her on her cheeks. Kotone gave her a prayer and wished her a happy marriage. And then the two were out the door.

　　The moment Shiori closed the door Kotone broke out into a sob. She hobbled back to her easy chair and sat down helplessly, careful not to ram Kotori against anything.

　　Chiharu walked over to the chair and pushed Kotone over. Then she snuggled against her best friend and held her in her arms.

　　"I won't forget Shiori. I can't forget Shiori. I love her." Kotone cried hot tears against Chiharu's shoulder. "Gods, I'm just so helpless. I can't do anything anymore. I. . .Masanori's hurt, Chiharu. He's really hurt. He's so weak. Everything is. . .everyone I love. . ."

　　Chiharu didn't know what to say. It was impossible to say it would be all right. It wasn't going to be all right. Soon enough, even their grief would disappear. They wouldn't even know what they had lost. Shiori was worse than dead. And the disease was incurable. Because she had deflected the spell to hit her friend instead of let it hit herself. Because of me.

　　"There's still one last hope." Chiharu said, her mind racing. "Once we've all forgotten her completely, the spell could end. Then, we just have to fall in love with her again. Since it's Shiori, it wouldn't take long. Creating all new memories. Even if the magic forbids us from learning about our past together. It won't erase our future together."

　　"I hope you're right. But, if you really believed that. . ." Kotone broke off from her reply and shivered, clutching Chiharu's arms with sharp nails deep to the bone. "Chiharu. Check on Rei. Right now."

　　Chiharu felt a chill run through her. She stood up in an instant. "Which room?"

　　"The fifth bedroom, it's the hallway with the red carpet." Kotone said.

　　"I see it." Chiharu said, and then she was running up the stairs to the second floor. When Rei had heard the news, she had apologized to them and asked to be left alone for a while. The problem was, she'd never come back.

　　Chiharu reached the door in a sprint and tried to open the doorknob. It was locked. She slammed her fist on the door. "Rei! I'm coming in!"

　　"Coi, Cyan!" Chiharu shouted, and magic exploded through her body, light surrounding her in rainbow colored sparkles. She pulled her leg back and with a whirr of servos kicked down the door.

　　Rei was sitting in bed, staring at a knife she was holding idly above her arm.

　　"REI! YOU IDIOT!" Chiharu shouted, her exoskeleton covered hand snaking over to grab the knife by the blade and wrench it from the tiny girl's grasp.

　　Rei kept staring at her arm where her knife used to be. "It's no use. I'm a coward, you see. I can't do it even if I want to. I've been sitting here for an hour. I couldn't get the knife even an inch closer. It's always the same."

　　"Do you think this is what Shiori wants?" Chiharu shouted.

　　"I don't want to forget her!" Rei screamed, her throat rasping. "I'd rather die! I'd rather die! Let me die first! Kill me first!"

　　"You're mad!" Chiharu said. "Listen! It's not over! What if she forgets us once? So what? We'll just make friends with her all over again. Okay? Do you get that? Rei Rin! Can you not befriend your sister again? Is your love so weak?"

　　Rei turned around for the first time, her mouth quivering, to stare at Chiharu's visored menacing power suit. "Is that true?"

　　"It's only logical! We all started off having no memories of her! So what? Did that stop her from befriending us then?" Chiharu shouted. But in the bottom of her soul, she knew she was lying. She was lying to Rei, and she was lying to Kotone. Chiharu had heard the full invocation of the Dead Ender's chant, and invocations were only required for the strongest spells. 'Let my pain become your own'. If Chiharu had wanted to hurt someone, there was no way she would have left such an obvious loophole. And magic was the manifestation of your soul. A girl like that, casting a spell like that, saying something like that. There was no chance whatsoever they could just build new memories to replace the old. None. Isao's wild goose chase had a higher probability. Worse, Chiharu thought Shiori knew the truth too. Just from feeling the spell inside her, she knew there was no turning back. Shiori would know if the answer were that easy. But if Rei believed she'd remember until she forgot, she wouldn't know that she'd forgotten, and the danger would pass. It was all she could do for her friend now.

　　"I promised, Chiharu. Just a few days ago. I said it so lightly. I never even thought about it. I said I'd never forget her." Rei wrapped her arms around her shoulders and shivered, hugging herself into a smaller and smaller radius.

　　"Then fight!" Chiharu pleaded with Rei.

　　"If I forget Shiori, who will I be? Chiharu. I'm so afraid. I'm so. . .very. . .afraid." Rei started trembling, and then she started crying, like a fever breaking. The more outward emotion she felt, the lower her emotion actually was. Chiharu started breathing again. Kotone had known. Thank God for Kotone's all-expansive empathetic heart. Thank God. If Chiharu had had to tell Shiori about this. . .

　　"You scared me half to death, too." Chiharu finally spoke, defolding out of her armor in a wash of light. "Rei, I don't know what you think about us, but you've always been a true friend to me. Even without Shiori, you're still our friend, right? Why would you think you'd be evil again? It's impossible. We're all here for you. It's not like the entire past six years is going to disappear."

　　"Shiori is in every single one of those memories. I'm going to wake up only remembering life with my parents." Rei shivered, sitting in bed in a crumpled ball. "I'm going to think I'm still living with them."

　　"Nonsense. The memories will just reassemble into some other pattern that makes sense without her. Maybe Shiori’s parents will save you, and then we'll all meet together on our own initiative. It's just like stitching together a wound." Chiharu said.

　　"I'm sorry. Tell Kotone I'm sorry. Even though you've both been so good to me." Rei said quietly.

　　"There's nothing to forgive." Chiharu said decisively.

　　Rei nodded, then asked in the same quiet voice. "Is Shiori still here?"

　　"She went out with Isao. They're going to find a judge and sign a marriage license." Chiharu reported. Thank God Shiori had left.

　　"She asked me to be her maid of honor." Rei said.

　　"I know." Chiharu replied.

　　"But I guess that's impossible now." Rei said, giving a hollow laugh. "Never mind. If you could, Chiharu, I need to apologize to Onyx. I told him to stay quiet and not to interfere."

　　"You aren't going to do anything stupid, are you?" Chiharu asked.

　　"Like I said, it's impossible, even if I want to. I can't follow through. It's all just pretend." Rei calmly explained.

　　"Okay. You might want to take another room. Make up with Onyx. You'll feel better." Chiharu counseled.

　　"I will. Thank you." Rei smiled up at Chiharu. "You're pretty forward, for a virgin."

　　"I have an imagination." Chiharu blushed crimson.

　　"You're always so calm. That's why we can rely on you." Rei's smile became heartfelt.

　　Chiharu took a few steps forward and gave Rei a long tight hug. "I always envied you."

　　"Me?" Rei laughed, bewildered.

　　"You're first in Shiori's heart. I envy you for that." Chiharu kept willing strength into her comrade. "But even more, I envy your love for Shiori. I know I'm going to forget her next. But you? You'll last forever."

　　Rei Rin tried her best to hug Chiharu back.

* * *

　　"Dear, is there any way to filter our spam folder?" Sora Kouno asked Keiichi as she lay in bed. He came out of the bathroom a few minutes later, putting away his toothbrush.

　　"It's already filtered. That's why it's in the spam folder." Keiichi answered humorously.

　　"But you never know, what if it isn't really spam?" Sora complained, clicking on an example. "See, here, this might be an important business opportunity. A company in Tomsk wants us to fund a new type of internet hardware. Web 3.5. That's got to be way better than Web 2.0, and Web 2.0 isn't even out yet."

　　"Tomsk? Where the hell is Tomsk?" Keiichi laughed, sitting down beside her and laying a possessive palm on her back. Sora's suit was rather small and inconspicuous, so that she could wear it at all times. It was a necklace glowing with her yellow wyrd, in a diamond shaped locket modeled after the suit of cards. A necklace, and a manifested magic, that had blessed her with good fortune from the moment she had made her contract. She always had wished to be lucky. As a child, nothing had ever seemed to break her way. Like usual for the night, neither of them were wearing anything else.

　　"Let's see." She double clicked on the file, which started showing a series of pictures of the 'Athens of Russia.' The place looked extremely cold. And like all things Russia, desolation just hovered around the pictures, no matter how cheerful the lighting. She'd been through Russia before. It was even thicker with Dead Enders than India. It had felt like entering Hades, trying to find Corrupters in their midst, which had proved a complete exercise in futility. Russia wasn't populated by people anymore. It consisted solely of the walking dead. The wyrds trying to destroy the world were probably good by comparison.

　　"Southwestern Siberia. The real center of the action. A stone's throw away from Silicon Valley." Sora smiled teasingly.

　　Keiichi laughed. "Let's invest anyway. I'm sure they'll go up afterwards."

　　Sora smiled. "I admit they have piqued my interest." She started scrolling through the offices and underground tunnels they wanted to purchase to lay down more fiber. Then her mouse hand came to a dead halt.

　　"My, my." She said with a toothy grin. "How lucky."

　　Keiichi leaned over, trying to see what she was seeing.

　　Sora made it easier for him and maximized the picture.

　　One of the underground tunnels had a dim light emerging from the side.

　　"Is there any doubt?" Keiichi breathed.

　　"Judging by how I came across it? No." Sora sat up to face her husband front-forward, stretching ostentatiously with pride and satisfaction. "We've just found the Corrupters' home base."

* * *

　　"I'm home." Chiharu said tiredly. She had kept Kotone company until Shiori had returned. The two had wished them well and with that, Shiori had officially moved in to Isao's room in the mansion. Kotone said she was going to bed and not to worry about her, and so Chiharu had finally been relieved of the necessity to comfort everyone.

　　"Welcome home," Saki said from the couch in front of the television.

　　"Where's Aiko?" Chiharu asked. She wanted to test something.

　　"In the bath." Saki said, laid out sideways and munching on a stick of pocky. Even though the television was on, she was staring at her school books and taking down notes.

　　"That's unusual. You're studying for your next test?" Chiharu asked.

　　"I made a promise to Eri I'd get first in the school." Saki explained.

　　"Maybe I should just barge in to the bathroom." Chiharu mused.

　　"Go ahead. I'd laugh." Saki gave a thumbs up. Chiharu smiled despite herself. A couple miles away, everyone was unhappy, but over here they were completely unaffected. It was good not to rely on too few emotional supports. Even without Shiori, Chiharu still had her family. And Cyan. But she couldn't be with Cyan until she finished graduate school and got a well paying job. It was part of her unalterable life plan. Cyan didn't mind, he had inhuman patience to go with his inhuman lifespan. But Chiharu hated it. She hated it even more when Rei made fun of her for it. But that was okay. If Rei could find the time to tease Chiharu, she was away from the brink. If being an object of ridicule could help, she'd gladly volunteer for the job. After all, it was Chiharu who had taken Shiori away from Rei. It had been her deflection.

　　"How about this?" Chiharu plotted. "We both strip in our rooms, then fold into our magical suits. We barge into the bathroom together, defold back into nudity, and jump into the bath tub with her, offering to wash her back."

　　"Easy for you to say! She'll only avenge herself on me!" Saki complained.

　　"Come on. I dare you." Chiharu said.

　　"Mooh. I'm not a kid." Saki focused furiously on her textbook.

　　"I double dare you." Chiharu said.

　　Saki stared at her book with furious intensity. Then slapped it shut. "I'm in."

　　"Hurry. With her Bubbles-wrap off, she won't be able to mind read our intentions. It's our only chance." Chiharu said.

　　"I'm hurrying." Saki protested, rolling over the back of the couch onto the floor and landing like a ninja cat. Both of them raced up the stairs and quietly closed their doors.

　　Chiharu made sure her parents were safely tucked in their bedroom, and then whispered to her wyrd. "Coi, Cyan." In moments she was in her powersuit, and she was opening the door again. In the room down the hallway, Saki peaked out the door as well. She really was a sight. Her full plate armor was so thick she looked as wide as she was tall, and there were practically no human joints left. It was like a walking black barrel, with a tiny eyeslit to see out of that robbed any identity from her little sister. But she moved as nimbly in it as if she were in a t-shirt and shorts. Chiharu put a finger over her lips and started tiptoeing down the stairs, Saki following after with a hand on the guardrail.

　　"Can't you do something about that clanking?" Chiharu whispered.

　　"Metal clanks!" Saki hissed back.

　　"Well, move more fluidly." Chiharu said in frustration. Her servos were a pleasant buzz in comparison. Why would you choose a medieval suit of armor over a modern powersuit? Her sister was such an airhead.

　　Chiharu reached the door and took a deep breath. Unlike Kotone's western style mansion, her parent's modest Japanese home didn't have any locks, even for its most private places. Japan relied on trust instead. Well, that was Japan's fatal error. You could never trust an older sister.

　　Chiharu made a silent hand signal to Saki to jump to the left once they breached the door, and Saki nodded, holding her warhammer tight with both hands halfway up the haft so that it wouldn't bounce against anything. Then she put her hand on the doorknob and twisted it, pushing in at the same time and defolding into no clothes at all. She rolled to the right as her little sister scuttled to the left, leaving their sister no escape.

　　"Aiko, it's been a long time, so let's bathe together!" Chiharu said enthusiastically.

　　"I've come to wash your back!" Saki said at the same time.

　　"Wait! Both of you!" Aiko stood up in panic, trying to cover her breasts. "At least shower first!" But the two heard nothing of it and hugged her tight from both sides as they dived back into the bathtub. There was a sloosh as half the water in the tub overflowed onto the floor.

　　"Noooooooooo," Aiko squealed. "You're going to ruin me for marriageeeeee!"

　　"Just give it up!" Chiharu shouted, holding Aiko's arms behind her back as she struggled to get out of the tub. Saki took the initiative to turn the faucet back on since the water was barely leg deep anymore.

　　Aiko gave up. With Saki sitting in her lap and Chiharu pressed to her back, any further resistance was just too embarrassing. "Chiharu. . .is a bully." Aiko muttered sadly.

　　"That's right. So watch out." Chiharu tickled Aiko's ribs.

　　"Stop! Stop!" Aiko giggled, trying to thrash away again. "I give! Mooh! Chiharu, what's gotten into you?"

　　"Actually, I just had a question I needed to ask you and didn't have the patience to wait." Chiharu admitted, smiling happily.

　　"I was invading your privacy like you've invaded mine for the last six months!" Saki retorted gleefully.

　　"So? What's the question?" Aiko asked, trying to squeeze into a more comfortable position between her two sisters. This bathtub was not equipped for three.

　　"Who is Shiori Rin?" Chiharu asked.

　　"Shiori--? How should I know?" Aiko asked. "Wait, is she related to Rei Rin?"

　　Saki looked curiously at her older sister too. She had never heard the name before.

　　"How many people did you travel with when we fought Cho Kai, Hank Elroy, and Abhi Durai?" Chiharu asked.

　　"It was the five of us of course. Rei, Kotone, Masanori, you and me. Team Choice Givers." Aiko replied.

　　"Who did you shout out to, when you said "Jump!" when Abhi Durai was trying to devour his victim into slime?" Chiharu asked.

　　"I. . .that was. . ." Aiko thought about it for a moment. "It was. . .Kotone, right?"

　　"She was flying in the air." Chiharu corrected.

　　"Then it was you?" Aiko asked.

　　"I was trapped in a stasis field." Chiharu corrected.

　　"I'm sorry. I don't remember." Aiko said, a look of frustration creasing her forehead.

　　"It was Shiori Rin, Aiko. Try and remember. She wore red and can throw fire." Chiharu said.

　　"Even if you say that. . .is this part of the prank?" Aiko asked angrily.

　　"Shiori Rin came up with the name Team Choice Givers." Chiharu continued. "Don't you remember that?"

　　"That was. . .Kotone. . ." Aiko thought back.

　　"Kotone said we needed a name. She didn't suggest one. It was Shiori, Aiko. Shiori is Rei's twin sister." Chiharu continued.

　　"I. . .I'm not wearing Bubbles. Let me out and I'll put him on. Then I can tell if you're telling the truth." Aiko stammered.

　　Saki looked at her older sister concernedly. "Chiharu, what are you talking about? I've seen your friends come over all the time. Rei was there all through middle and high school. If Shiori came too, I would have remembered. Rei doesn't have a sister. Shiori Rin doesn't exist."

　　Chiharu sighed. "Aiko, you really have become too dependent on mind reading. Can't you tell when I'm serious?"

　　"But it's just so unbelievable. . ." Aiko complained.

　　"Both of you sit still. This is an important experiment. We're going to take a nice long tight squishy bath together, and I'm going to tell you about Shiori Rin. When you wake up in the morning, I'm going to ask you both about her. Concentrate and remember everything you hear, okay? For me? This isn't a joke. I'm serious. Work with me here." Chiharu pleaded.

　　"Yes, sister." Aiko said, Chiharu's tone showing it was time to just obey.

　　"I met Shiori Rin when I was ten years old. At the time, I was probably a nice girl. I had already decided my life plan, and was acting it out with single minded determination. But everything you actually like about me is due to her. Shiori Rin made me a Choice Giver." Chiharu began.

　　"I was walking to the library to return some books and check out some new ones, when a ball came rolling to my feet. Shiori rushed after the ball, and our two eyes met for the first time. She had short hair, like a boy's. But her face was shaped like a perfect heart, and her eyes were incredibly deep and wide. She was running after the ball leaning forward, with her glove out.

　　"I'm sorry, can you toss that back to me?" The girl asked me. So I put my books down and gave it a good hurl. She caught it expertly in her glove, and then looked back at me in surprise.

　　"Wow! You're really good!" The girl exclaimed. It made me happy, because I'd never thought of myself as the athletic type.

　　"Listen, we're all playing at the park together, but we don't have enough outfielders. Come and join us! I'm being run off my feet like this!" The girl said.

　　"That's okay, I'm just returning these books -- " I told her, showing the stack at my feet.

　　"Never mind that and let's go!" The girl said, and then she had grabbed my hand and was dragging me away. I tried to get angry, but she was smiling and laughing, and her eyes were sparkling with unbelievable innocence, and all of a sudden I just wasn't angry anymore.

　　"Shiori!" The pitcher waved to her, seeing her finally return with the ball.

　　"Hereeeeee!" Shiori shouted, throwing the ball with all her might, which had just enough strength to roll to the pitching plate.

　　"Who's that?" The pitcher asked.

　　"A friend! She's going to cover left field!" Shiori shouted.

　　"Great! Shiori's friend, we still need three outs! Give it your all!" And then the pitcher had turned to face off the next batter, and that was that. I had to take my place or I'd let everyone else playing down. Even though I didn't have a mitt, I wanted to field the balls and throw them to the basemen. I wanted to help. I wanted to cheer alongside them when we got an out or a run. And before I knew it, they'd realized how good I was at analyzing the game and I'd been elected catcher. In a couple years Shiori was our park children's team's pitcher, and we've been a team ever since. Shiori has always been like that. She acts as though she’s unreasonably selfish, but in fact it's always for someone else's sake. She knew it was more fun to be with others than all alone. She volunteered herself as my friend before I even thought to ask. She's the bravest, sweetest, brightest, happiest girl I know. Listen, when we were twelve, the three of us were walking together window shopping, when a group of high schoolers tried to hit on Kotone. You see, even at twelve, Kotone was tall and beautiful, so I don't really blame the high schoolers, but she was really scared and couldn't properly turn them down. That was when Shiori stood in front of them and said, "Too bad! She's dating me!" Chiharu laughed, remembering. "I don't know if the high schoolers thought Shiori was a boy or we were lesbians, but after a moment of grumbling between themselves they gave up and walked away. Shiori was never afraid of anything. When we told ghost stories, Kotone would cringe and hide behind my back immediately, but Shiori would just be nodding along eagerly, wanting to know who died next -- "

　　When Chiharu got out of the bath, she realized she'd been crying halfway through the story. No wonder her sisters' faces had grown so quiet and drawn. She hadn't been doing an experiment. She'd been delivering her best friend's eulogy.

* * *

　　Aiko lay in bed, safely back in her underwear again. She couldn't sleep. "Saki, are you awake?" Aiko asked.

　　"Yes." Saki said from across the room.

　　"Chiharu was crying." Aiko said.

　　"Yes." Saki said.

　　"I don't think I've ever seen Chiharu cry before." Aiko said.

　　"Me neither." Saki said.

　　"What could hurt her so much? Do you remember what she was talking about?" Aiko asked.

　　"No. Can you?" Saki asked, frustrated.

　　"It must have been Cyan. He must have had a fight with her. That could make her unhappy." Aiko decided.

　　"Oh, so it was Cyan. Thank goodness my wyrd's a girl. She'll always be considerate. Listen, Aiko, let's make breakfast for her or something. We should cheer her up. When Chiharu's like that. . .when she wavers. . .I feel like I've lost my footing." Saki said.

　　"Okay. We'll cook breakfast together. I can't believe that Cyan. I won't forgive anyone who makes my sister cry." Aiko agreed.