Talia, Natasha, and I sat down at the table, the only sounds being the clink of cutlery against plates and the occasional subdued huff. I nursed my aching side where Willis's attacks had left their mark, and my split lip still stung as I tried to take a bite of toast. The three of us had worked together to put together a hearty meal of eggs, toast, fruit, and breakfast meats.

Natasha was quiet, her gaze thoughtful as she prodded her food with her fork. The lack of sleep had painted dark circles under her eyes, but she looked perkier than she had in days.

"I need to get back to school today," she stated, her tone leaving no room for argument. "I appreciate everything — I mean, all the support you guys have given me, but I can't keep hiding in your home, or else I'll never get over this and heal."

Talia glanced at her, a mixture of concern and relief on her face. "You're sure?" she asked. I could tell she was worried; the events of the past few days had taken their toll on all of us, especially on Natasha. Talia didn’t know Natasha all that well, but it felt like her maternal instincts had taken over.

"Yeah, I'm sure." Natasha smiled, her eyes lingering on the untouched food on her plate. Her hands fidgeted with the edges of her freshly ironed uniform. "I'll just be hiding from everything if I stay here. And... and I need to face it, you know?"

I sighed in response. “Just remember, you're Natasha first and foremost," I said earnestly, clutching my side. " Don't let anyone define you by what you can do, but by who you are." My words hung in the air as the sound of approaching footsteps grew louder.

Natasha giggled, and began to dig into her plate of eggs. Just as I was about to chime in with another supportive comment, the sound of thunderous footsteps from the top of the stairs echoed through the house.

Moments later, Morada came bounding down the stairs wearing one of Midori’s oversized T-shirts and a pair of mismatched socks. Her eyes were sparkling with a vivid energy that was nothing short of contagious.

"Good morning, world! I'm alive and kicking!" she exclaimed, striking a dramatic pose at the bottom of the stairs. Her voice was loud and unabashed, breaking the tense silence that had settled over breakfast.

Morada took a moment to survey the room before her eyes landed on me, her expression instantly shifting into a teasing grin. "Oh Ikki, look at you! I can draft up a whole comic series out of your broody face right now. It's practically screaming 'I have a secret identity and a tragic past!’'" She mocked, bursting into laughter at her own joke.

We gawked at the formerly comatose girl, who was now practically bouncing on the balls of her feet. Her infectious energy was in stark contrast to the relatively somber atmosphere we had been wallowing in just moments ago. I couldn't help but laugh along with her, ignoring the nagging pain in my side.

"Only you could make a near-death experience sound like a weekend retreat, Morada," I retorted, feeling a grin spread across my face despite myself.

Without missing a beat, Morada twirled around and dramatically flopped onto a chair, draping herself over the back of it as if she were onstage. "Ah, but that’s the life of a Magical Girl! Always one foot in the grave and one foot on a rainbow after a hurricane, right? But hey, at least I’ll die pretty!

"Morada!" Natasha exclaimed, a genuine smile stretching across her face. She was blushing, but the happiness in her eyes was clear as day. "You...you're awake."

"And ready for breakfast!" Morada shot back, not missing a beat as she headed toward us and plopped into a seat dramatically. "Can't let a minor thing like a near-death experience keep me down! I'm famished. Geeze, how many days was I out?!"

"Three," Talia supplied, eyeing Morada warily even as she got up to grab a plate for her. "You scared us, Morada. We didn't know if you'd...you know..."

"Wake up again?" Morada finished with a lopsided grin. "I'm like a cat, Talia, I always land on my feet. Though admittedly, sometimes I end up with a few scratches."

Looking down at the breakfast spread, Morada began loading up her plate, the energy she brought to the table seeming to brighten the room just a bit more. Yet, there was a clear unease between us. Morada was awake, she was talking and laughing, but the reason for her injuries lingered unspoken between us.

After a few minutes, it was Talia who finally broke the silence, her gaze focused on her coffee cup. "Morada... I do need to know what happened."

The atmosphere in the room shifted as we all turned to look at Morada. She sighed, her bright eyes losing their spark for a moment. "I know you do, Talia. It's just... not an easy story to tell."

She paused for a moment, picking at the food on her plate. It was clear that whatever happened had shaken her.

"We found Midori," she finally said, her voice wistful and soft. "But she was... different. I don't know if it was the amnesia or something else, but she wasn't the Midori we know."

Talia’s breath hitched, her eyes widening. "But... but she’s okay, right?"

Morada nodded. "Physically, yes. Emotionally... I’m not sure. We tried to bring her back but..."

"But?" Natasha prompted, leaning forward, her eyebrows furrowed in worry.

"Ranjika," Morada said bitterly. "She turned on us. When we found Midori, she took one look at her and the next thing I knew we were fighting. She... she said that Midori was too dangerous to be brought back. That she needed to bring her in for containment, whatever that meant. I disagreed, and we fought. I... didn't fare well. I’ve always been the weakest girl on our team, and she definitely came at me with the intent to kill."

Talia gasped, her hand coming up to cover her mouth. "But... why would she do that? Ranjika is our friend. She’s known Midori since JL International."

Morada shrugged, a hollow look in her eyes. "I guess we just didn't know her as well as we thought."

"And Dior?" I asked, my heart pounding in my chest as I thought about the blonde. "What happened to Dior?"

"Dior... she fell," Morada murmured, looking down at her plate. "Midori was creating all kinds of portals during the fight. Dior... she tried to save me from Ranjika’s attack, but she stumbled through it cursing and screaming bloody murder."

The room fell into a stunned silence. It felt like a punch to the gut. First Midori, now the other two as well. All lost to us in some way. And Morada, standing alone against it all, bearing the brunt of the tragedy alone.

"Ranjika did this to you?" I asked, struggling to process the information.

Ranjika was one of us, part of our team. Why would on us like that? Something didn’t make sense here.

"I'm afraid so," Morada confirmed, a sad smile playing on her lips. "I guess she was just scared or something. Midori wasn't herself and was acting erratic, and I guess Ranjika, being the pragmatist that she always has been, thought it was the best course of action. Who knows how all of this affected her? She’s honestly been pretty distant since Midori got crippled back in the day during the Incident."

"But attacking you with intent to kill?" Natasha's voice wavered, her green eyes glassy. "That's... that's just wrong."

"Yes, but I can’t change the fact she did." Morada replied softly, an odd bitterness creeping into her voice. "And if I hadn't managed to escape when I did, I...I don't know what would have happened. She was dead set on taking Midori in for some reason, and nothing I could say would change her mind. I flew all the way back here until I exhausted my remaining lumina."

Morada paused for a second to let us take this all in, before she yawned and stretched. “So, what’s been going on while I was away for a week and comatose for the last three days?”

Talia was the one who spoke up first. “Well, Ikki got into a brawl with Willis. Carrie apologized to Natasha, and we're also hosting a very special guest.”

She glanced towards Natasha, her eyes apologetic.

Natasha gave Morada a half-hearted wave, her cheeks flushed. “Hi, Morada. It's been a while.”

"Ah yeah yeah… I was wondering about that. Natasha?" Morada’s eyes narrowed curiously, a forkful of scrambled eggs hovering midway to her mouth. "What exactly are you doing here?”

Natasha immediately turned an adorable shade of tomato red. “Umn... I’m erm. Yeah. I’m Celestial Sonata.”

 

Morada froze, the fork dropping from her fingers with a soft clatter. "You... what?" she asked, her face a mask of disbelief. Her eyes flickered to me, then to Talia, seeking confirmation.

I nodded slowly, a knot of discomfort twisting in my stomach. "Yeah, Natasha was... is Celestial Sonata."

Morada gaped at Natasha, her eyes growing wide as she struggled to process the information. "But... but wait. Shy little Natasha is Celestial Sonata? What?”

"And that's not all," Natasha said, her voice shaking as she forced herself to meet Morada's wide-eyed stare. "I... I erm, quit. Destroyed my catalyst. I can't transform right now. So, for the time being, I'm not a Magical Girl."

Morada's mouth fell open, her eyes darting between us as if trying to discern whether this was some cruel prank. I knew better than anyone how much Morada idolized Celestial Sonata. I'd go as far as to describe Morada as a stereotypical groupie.

Natasha let out a shuddering breath, her hands twisting nervously in her lap. "It's... complicated. I just... I couldn't keep doing it. Every time I transformed in the last three years, it felt like I was losing a piece of myself. And after what happened with Ikki's sister, I had a bit of a breakdown. Nearly..."

Morada's expression softened, and she reached out to take Natasha's hand. "Hey, it's okay. You don't have to explain everything to me right now. I'm just glad you're here, safe and sound."

Natasha squeezed Morada's hand with a look of deep gratitude in her eyes. "Thank you. It means a lot to me. And besides, I've made my decision. I'll put in a request for an artificial catalyst. "

Talia nodded slowly, a small smile on her face. "I'm proud of you, Natasha. That takes a lot of courage. And you're always welcome with me, no matter what."

The atmosphere in the room grew warmer as we settled into a comfortable silence, the tension of the earlier conversation fading away. It felt good to have her back with us, even if the circumstances surrounding her return were less than ideal.

 

"Oh my god. I can't believe it. You were Celestial Sonata the entire time?! Natasha, you've been on my computer wallpaper for years now! This is amazing!" Morada's face was filled with excitement as her eyes lit up with admiration. "I knew there was someone amazing beneath that glamour and that sweet facade of yours, but I never suspected it was you. You were always so quiet and reserved. I can't wait to hear all your stories."

Natasha chuckled, a hint of red still tinting her cheeks. "Well, it's not as glamorous as it looks in the pictures, that's for sure. But I wouldn't trade it for anything."

Morada grinned, her eyes twinkling with enthusiasm. "Can I take a selfie with you? Pretty please?" she begged, batting her eyelashes in an exaggerated manner.

Talia and I exchanged a glance as Morada pulled out a phone, giggling like well, an overly excited fangirl. But that was Morada for you, never one to let gloom overstay its welcome.

Natasha laughed and nodded in agreement. "Of course!" she insisted, beckoning us over with a wave of her hand. "Hey, you two get in here too,"

Reluctantly, Talia and I joined them, squeezing into the frame as Morada angled her phone for the perfect shot. Natasha was still blushing, but the smile on her face was genuine, and for a moment, I forgot about our numerous worries. The phone's shutter clicked, capturing the moment of joy.

"Perfect!" Morada exclaimed, hopping back to her seat. "Now, I have an awesome comeback selfie! Oh, wait... I have a million notifications." She frowned, scrolling through her phone, her brows knitting together in concern.

"What is it?" I asked, suddenly tense. The last thing we needed was more bad news.

"The portals," Morada said, her face losing color. "They've all collapsed? What?!”

“Erm, well, yeah. That happened,” Talia confirmed with a heavy sigh. “We’ve been trying to figure out what to do about it since Ikki's family and so many of the girls here are still over there, but...it’s not looking good. We're just a bunch of teenagers, after all."

 

Morada sighed, her eyes closing for a moment in thought. "Yeah, I guess you're right," she said finally, her voice heavy with resignation. "But anyway, is it a school day? I've lost track."

"Yea," Natasha and I said in unison, prompting a huff of frustration from Morada.

"Ugh, I knew that was going to be your answer," she grumbled, shaking her head. "Well then, I'm going to go dig out a kit I stashed here and get ready."

With a smile and a wave, Morada headed up the stairs, her usual bubbly nature returning.

Although it was nice to have her back, the weight of the collapsed portals still hung over us like a dark cloud. Natasha and Talia both looked at me, their expressions filled with worry. I could tell they were thinking the same thing I was: what were we going to do next?

How were we going to find Midori now? Dior was also missing, and no one knew where she had gone or if she was even still alive? The thought of it all sent a chill running down my spine. The little blonde had grown on me quickly, and Midori was well, family. What had happened to her and Ranjika?

I couldn't bring myself to voice those thoughts out loud. Instead, I forced a smile and said, "Let's take this one day at a time. We'll come up with something, don't worry."

I could see the exhaustion etched on their faces. Being a Magical Girl was never easy, and the recent events had only made matters worse for Natasha.

"But first," I added, looking at Natasha, "we have school, Nat. I’ll hold you to what you said earlier."

Her face turned a shade paler and she swallowed hard. I knew she hadn't stepped out of the house since the incident and the thought of facing everyone at St. Antonia's was probably daunting for her. I knew she'd be met with questions, rumors and speculative glances.

"Umn, right. Ikki..." Natasha started, looking at me with a terrified expression.

Talia rose from her chair and walked over to Natasha, squeezing her hand reassuringly. "You're not alone, Natasha," she said, her voice gentle. "We're all here for you."

A tiny smile pulled at the corners of Natasha's mouth. "Thank you, guys," she murmured.

After a few moments of silence, she sighed deeply, her shoulders sagging. "Okay. Let's do this."

With a determined expression, Natasha got up from the table and turned around for the stairs.

“Heyyyy ♪.”

Her eyes widened in surprise as Morada bounded back down the stairs, an array of beauty products clutched in her hands. Somehow, she was already dressed — the oversized t-shirt and mismatched socks had been replaced by a chic skirt and blouse ensemble that looked straight out of a fashion magazine. Her long, messy hair was now styled into loose waves that cascaded down her back with subtle purple extensions.

"Natasha, darling!" she called, practically dancing down the stairs. "I'll make you look so dazzling, no one will even think to ask questions!"

"W-wait, Morada, I don't think that's a good idea," Natasha stuttered, her eyes darting nervously to the makeup products in Morada's hands and back to Morada’s face.

"Nonsense, sweetheart, it's just a little bit of makeup," Morada insisted, grabbing Natasha's hand and pulling her towards the living room. "I'll make you look like the brilliant star you are."

"I... I don't usually wear makeup!" Natasha yelped, but Morada was already dragging her toward Talia and Midori's bedroom.

Talia and I shared a look for a long second, before following after them. As we entered the room, Morada was already dabbing a makeup brush in Natasha's face, her eyes shining with excitement. How did she work so quickly when it came to this stuff?

"Just a little bit of foundation... some mascara, and a touch of light lipstick," Morada said, moving with expert precision as she applied each product with practiced ease and swift single motions. "You'll look absolutely stunning, darling."

Despite Natasha's initial reluctance, I couldn't help but admit that Morada's magic was working. Natasha's usually pale complexion was now glowing with a healthy, subtle pink hue. Her eyes sparkled with the added touch of mascara, and the shade of lipstick Morada had chosen perfectly complemented the natural color of her lips.

Natasha barely looked like she had makeup on, but the difference was striking. It was like her inner beauty had been brought to the surface for the world to see. My heart skipped a beat as I watched her, a fluttering sensation beginning to form in my stomach.

"Ikki?" Talia's voice snapped me out of my reverie. I blinked, tearing my gaze away from Natasha. "You alright there?"

"Yeah," I replied, offering a weak smile. "Just lost in thought, I guess."

She raised an eyebrow but chose not to press on, and I was grateful for it. Natasha was turning back to the mirror, her fingers gently tracing her features, her wide, startled eyes staring back at her.

"You...you've done a wonderful job. Thank you," Natasha said softly, her voice barely a whisper.

"You're welcome, honey," Morada replied, stepping back and admiring her work with a satisfied grin. "I told you I'd make you shine like the star you are."

I watched as Natasha let out a small, almost childlike giggle, her hands falling back to her sides. My heart pounded in my chest, and it took a moment for me to register the sensation.

She was always pretty in her own way, but now she seemed... radiant. The soft light of the room seemed to catch in her green eyes, making them gleam with a newfound sparkle. Her lips, painted with a light shade of pink, were curled into a smile that I hadn't seen in weeks. It was as if the weight of the world had been momentarily lifted off her shoulders.

And for some reason, that sight stirred something in me.

A strange urge washed over me. An urge to protect her, to make her laugh, to see her smile. To be there for her in her times of need. It was a feeling I couldn't quite understand. It was stronger than the camaraderie we'd always shared, more intense than the sympathy I'd felt for her ordeal. It was... something else.

Before I could dwell on it further, Morada clapped her hands together, effectively breaking my train of thought. "Alright, let's get going! We don't want to be late, do we?"

"Of course not," Talia replied, heading for the door. "C'mon, Ikki."

As I moved to follow, my gaze once again found Natasha, still sitting in front of the mirror, staring at her own reflection with a sense of wonder. It was a moment before she noticed my gaze. Meeting my eyes, she offered me a soft, shy smile.

Morada fixed Natasha's collar, before stepping back, admiring her work with a satisfied smile. "There, see? You look amazing. That's alll Natasha here, baby. The rest was just accentuating what was already there."

Natasha glanced in the mirror, her own eyes widening in surprise. For a moment she looked like she didn't know what to say, but then she managed a small smile as a line of tears appeared in her eyes. She let out a huff as she wiped away some tears with a tissue.

"Thank you," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion. "I haven't felt like this in a long time. I appreciate it so much."

Morada beamed, a look of pride crossing her face. "Anytime, love. Now let's pack it up and get going, we don't want to be late for school!"

With that, we packed up our bags and headed out the door. Natasha stepped out of the room first, a new-found confidence in her stride. We followed closely behind, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.

As Natasha took a deep breath, slowly reaching for the door handle, I could see her hands shaking slightly. Her grip tightened, knuckles turning white, but she didn't pull back. Natasha paused, glancing back at the house that had offered her refuge in her time of need. There was a moment of silence, a moment where the world seemed to hold its breath in anticipation. Then, Natasha stepped forward, opening the front door and stepping out onto the morning-lit street.

We stepped outside together, the sunlight hitting our faces, bringing an immediate sense of warmth. The world outside, despite its chaos and uncertainty, looked just as beautiful. Maybe more, for it was a sign that life still went on, and so would we.

The wind picked up slightly, blowing her curly hair back from her face. The sun shone brightly overhead, casting long shadows on the pavement. For a moment, everything seemed oddly serene, like we were in the eye of a storm.

Then, Natasha took a deep breath, bracing herself for whatever may come next. With a final nod of reassurance to me, she took a bold step forward, ready to face whatever the world had in store for her.

And I, standing by her side, felt an odd mix of hope and trepidation, for both Natasha and what the future held for us. But for now, we walked forward, ready to face another day at St. Antonia's Academy, ready to face the ordeals ahead.

One day at a time. One step at a time.