I Write Stuff

The Jirahs was almost comically easy to defeat. Even without saying it out loud, Mayu knew that Zero agreed with the sentiment. It was obvious that Emari hadn’t even been trying to cause Zero any real harm. Perhaps simply stalling for time?

There’s a sound that’s like stone grinding on stone, growing louder until, where the remains of Jirahs now laid, Emari sat. Large, reaching just shy of Zero’s chest, fingers grasping into the body of the monster as he was hunched over, wings curled against his back. Then, a moment later, the wings unfurled and Emari brought himself to stand fully, head now reaching above Zero’s own, wings casting Zero in shadow.

With that same grinding sound, Emari tilted his head, “Ultraman Zero… you and those that have helped you have shaped up to be as much of a nuisance as ever.”

“Emari,” Zero’s gaze settled on Emari, “Are you ready to put an end to all of this?”

Emari laughed, more of a cackle like a witch in a cartoon or an old show. With each breath, his wings shook, kicking up dust from the previous fight with Jirahs. “Yes, I am. But it won’t be you coming out on top.”

Zero’s posture shifted, readying to fight. Even though Mayu trusted Zero, knew that he was powerful, she couldn’t help the nerves that fluttered in her chest. The way her stomach twisted, even when like this.

Yet she can feel Zero reach out to her, “Don’t worry,” he said, even with his attention focused on Emari, waiting. “We won’t let him win.”

Dryly, Mayu simply replied, “You won’t let him win.”

“I like to think it’s a group effort. Couldn’t do it without you and everyone else, after all.” He says it with such confidence that she wants nothing more than to believe him simply because of it.

Hopefully, it was just Emari they had to worry about. Hopefully the others had found Noa. If they hadn’t… no, Mayu wouldn’t think about that right now. Just as Zero had to focus on Emari, she would too. This was the fight that they had right now and she would simply trust that Noa was safe.

With a heave of his wings, Emari lifted off the ground, rushing towards Zero. Zero shifted, wrapping his arms around Emari’s body, attempting to throw him aside. The momentum helped, somewhat, but Emari simply grabbed Zero’s own arm in response, sharp nails digging in. The two struggle until Emari managed to knock Zero to the ground.

Zero grunted, kicking his legs to try to get them under Emari and leverage him off.

A new grunting joined, red, black, and silver arms wrapping around Emari and aiding Zero in getting him off. Emari thrashed in Geed’s arms, but Geed was able to hold him back long enough for Zero to get back on his feet. Geed then let go of Emari, ducking under a swing and taking his place at Zero’s side.

“Noa’s safe now,” Geed said, “I left her with Moa, Laiha, Pega, Zena, and Kurow.”

That lifted some worry from Mayu’s heart. Now she could truly focus on the fight at hand, even if she didn’t know if it would matter much. Zero was doing all the hard work, after all. Still, Mayu liked to think she’d somehow be of some use.

“Good,” Zero replied, something in his voice shifting, “That means we can go all out, now.”

Geed nodded, “Right,” In a flash of light, his form shifted, to the purple and gold form that Mayu knew, courtesy of Zero, as Royal Mega Master. He was taking Zero’s suggestion to heart, it seemed.

“Mayu, if you would,” Zero’s voice rang out in Mayu’s mind.

She understood the request, of course, placing the Zero Eye on the Riser and pulling out the two New Generation Capsules. “It’s time to go beyond, right?”

“Beyond our limits,” Was his confident confirmation, “Let’s remind Emari what makes both humans and Ultraman so powerful.”

As strange as the transformation to Zero Beyond had been, the first time it happened, by now, Mayu had long since grown used to it. Beyond that, it felt… correct, now. This was how she helped Zero, this was how she made sure that they’d defeat Emari and the world would be safe again. By allowing Zero to access this power.

Zero led the attack, sending all four of his Sluggers at Emari. Emari leaped back, raising his arms to shield himself from the attack. While he was preoccupied with Zero’s Sluggers, Geed rushed forward, swinging his sword, bringing it down against Emari’s exposed side.

That caused Emari to stumble, wings flapping once more to try to pull himself up into the air, away from their attacks. Geed grabbed his ankle, though, leaning back and digging his heels into the ground to keep Emari from making any distance. Zero closed the distance between them, leaping up to kick Emari from the air, driving his foot into Emari’s chest.

Emari’s wings stalled, stiffening from the impact, causing him to fall to the ground once more.

“I think he’s had enough,” Zero declared when his feet landed on the ground once more. “Wide Beyond Shot!”

As Zero sent his beam at Emari, Geed settled and launched his own attack. He swung his sword, sending a slash of energy towards Emari. It merged with Zero’s own attack, causing an explosion. Rock exploded and when the smoke finally cleared, all that remained of Emari was rubble.

Even though Mayu didn’t need to breath, like this, she let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding.

---

“I hear you helped look for me and Noa,” Mayu said to Kurow when they finally saw each other again, settled in the AIB’s base.

Kurow looked away, “Don’t make a big deal about it.” He said, something like a frown twitching at his lips. “Whatever Emari was planning was definitely bad for me too.”

She laughed, “Kurow… you’re a good friend, you know that?”

“Friend?” He recoiled, staring at her with wide eyes. “We’re not- I’m not your-!”

Her laughter was joined by Noa, who wrapped an arm around Kurow’s shoulders, despite how they tensed. “Nah, I think you’ll fit in just fine.”

Mayu turned her attention to Noa, then. “So, Noa, are you… okay?”

In response, Noa nodded, “Yeah. I mean, they don’t think the whole ‘alien weapon’ thing inside me is dangerous, as is. So I’d call that pretty good.”

The fact that there was an alien weapon inside her best friend, and had been since she was a child, probably should have bothered Mayu more. And it wasn’t like it didn’t, but at the same time… her life had become a whole lot weirder, recently. She’d just take solace in the fact that Noa was okay.

---

“Well, this is it.” Zero said, tone calm. This was certainly not his first goodbye, and it definitely wouldn’t be his last, either. After a while, these things must lose their novelty. At least, Mayu imagined so.

Mayu nodded, “Yeah, it is.” Weirdly enough, despite how much she hadn’t liked him leaving before… it didn’t bother her that much this time. Maybe she’d just had more time to accept it, or maybe something about her had simply changed. Regardless, she didn’t dread it, didn’t hate it. “You know… I’m glad I got to meet you, Zero. Really meet you.”

There’s a pause before Zero responded, “Yeah, me too.” His voice was soft, genuine. “Sometimes, when I have a host like you and your dad… when I leave, it feels like I leave a part of me behind, too.” He was being strangely, almost achingly, vulnerable, in that moment. Mayu knew it. Just the same as she had been with him when he’d rescued her from Emari.

Yet his words caused her to laugh, making her parents, Riku, Laiha, and Moa to look at her strangely. Once she’d finished her laugh, she replied, “Get going, Zero. You’ve got a lot of people out there who still need your help.”

“Well now I feel like I’m getting evicted.”

She sputtered, amused. Despite his words, a glow emerges from her, warm for the moment she can feel it and leaving behind only a slight cold. The light grows, taking the shape of Zero, standing tall above them, even when he chose to form far enough away they didn’t have to fully crane their necks to see his face. It was strange to see him from this angle again.

“Alright, you all know the drill.” Zero began, “Make sure you don’t slack off while I’m gone. Take care of each other, all that.”

Leito laughed a little, “I’ll never get used to this.”

Zero then set his eyes on Mayu, “And that goes for you too, Mayu! You better look out for Noa and Kurow, got it?”

Grinning, Mayu nodded, “You bet I will!”

As Zero flew off, Mayu spent just a moment to examine the cold he left behind. Unlike before, it wasn’t so consuming. His warmth had left, yes, but she wasn’t bereft of anything. Not anymore, she thinks she can stand on her own feet, now. And if she can’t… well, she has a lot of people supporting her, now.

---

Mayu, Noa, and Kurow walked home from school, months after Zero left. Things had calmed, to her relief. Not a sign of a kaiju anywhere. For that, she was grateful, even knowing Riku was here to protect the Earth, just as he always had. After the chaos that was the time she was Zero’s host, she appreciated the peace more than ever.

“So,” Noa began, chipper even though they’d all struggled through a rough test only an hour before. “What are you going to do with yourself now?”

Confused, Mayu tilted her head, “Huh?”

Eyes fixed ahead of the them, Noa simply smiled, “I mean… with Zero gone. What will you do? I never got to ask you before, and then it slipped my mind…”

Kurow tilted his head, the only indication of his attention being in Mayu’s direction, “Maybe she’ll make a habit of finding lonely aliens and befriending them.”

Lightly, Mayu laughed, “Maybe. But… I think…” She paused for a moment, searching for her words. “What I really want to do is help make a world we can all live in. I guess I don’t quite know how, yet, but…”

“I guess the Ultraman did leave a mark on you,” Kurow replied. “Just don’t go doing anything stupid. I won’t always be there to save your butt.”

Noa looked between him and Mayu, “Hmm… you sure about that, Kurow? I mean, you’re around her a lot already…”

“Shut up.”

Mayu couldn’t help but laugh. Oh, how she loved her friends. How she looked forward to facing the future with them at her side. And everyone else. It wasn’t nearly so daunting. Maybe she didn’t know exactly what the future held for her, what she might make of it, but that was alright. She’d face it with her head held high and her friends and family at her side.

She never had really been alone, after all. Maybe she wasn’t some amazing hero, but that was alright. At the end of the day, she was just her father’s daughter. She wanted to make things better, however she could. Even if it meant she had to be more brave than she wanted to be, even if she had to do things she absolutely was terrified to do. It would just be easier now, now that she didn’t feel like she had to do it all on her own.

Maybe whenever Zero came back, because he absolutely would, that she was positive of, he’d get to see the kind of person she’d grown into. And maybe he’d be proud of that.

This Was Supposed to be Mebius Swap But Ended Up Just Being a Hiroto Lives and Becomes Mebius’ Host AU:

Hiroto Ban/Ultraman Mebius: On his way to Earth, Mebius encountered a spaceship that was being sucked into the Ultra Zone. Mebius tries to help, realizing that the captain’s son, Hiroto Ban, was going to sacrifice himself so the rest of the crew could survive. Mebius can’t arrive in time to stop the cargo and Hiroto from going into the Ultra Zone, so he chased after, taking Hiroto as a host in order to save his life. The energy needed to do so causes Mebius to sleep while he recovered, leaving Hiroto alone and confused in the Monster Graveyard. Frightened by the spirits of monsters, and soon a revived one, Hiroto finds Mebius’ power within him, accessing it to protect himself. With this power, he’s able to return to Earth, explaining his safety as the doing of an Ultraman. He uses Mebius’ powers to try to protect the world, even going so far as to join Crew GUYS, but he’s unfamiliar with the powers and they do not come naturally to him. Eventually, when Ultraman Taro appears on Earth to fight Imperializer, the power of friendship awakens Mebius and gives him and Hiroto new power, Burning Brave. Otherwise this is roughly the plot of Mebius

Okay This is Mebius Swap:

Ultraman Hikari: A scientist from the Land of Light who came to Earth because he was following a monster that had destroyed the life on a planet he was studying. In anger, he seeks revenge, fighting any other monsters that appear on Earth under the assumption they were sent by Bogal. He takes the appearance of a human who had died when he’d arrived at the planet, former Crew GUYS captain Kazuya Serizawa, mostly out of convenience. Absolutely hates when humans refer to him as Ultraman. Eventually, Mebius teaches him about the power of friendship and, with Bogal defeated, he finally embraces being an Ultraman. Soon after, Mebius leaves to return to the Land of Light, gifting Hikari his Mebius Brace, allowing Hikari to access Brave form. Hikari reveals himself properly to Crew GUYS, trying to make an effort to work alongside them. When Imperializer arrives, Hikari is forced to admit that he’s in over his head, leading to a surprised Taro arriving, who is confused to see a scientist and no Mebius. Hikari relays Mebius’ decision but then quickly realizes that Taro is not able to defeat Imperializer either. When Mebius returns, Hikari returns the Mebius Brace to him, and Mirai’s bonds with Crew GUYS allows him to access Burning Brave, defeating Imperializer alongside Hikari. Taro allows Mebius to stay, though advises Hikari to return to the Land of Light, though Hikari chooses to stay regardless. The rest of the plot of Mebius, now.

Ultraman Mebius/Mirai Hibino: A young Ultra sent from the Land of Light to protect Earth. Before he could arrive, though, a ship is sucked into the Monster Graveyard, causing Mebius to follow to try to rescue it. It’s there that the ship is attacked by a revived monster, and though Mebius tries to protect them, he fails. Burdened by this great failure before he even arrived on Earth, he leaves the Ultra Zone, finally arriving on Earth, taking the appearance of Hiroto Ban, the son of the ship captain who tried so hard to save even just one person on his ship. When he realizes there’s another Ultra already on Earth, he decides it’s better he stay out of the fights, since he’d probably just weigh him down. Upon a chance meeting with Ryu, he’s inspired to join Crew GUYS under the name Mirai Hibino, feeling he’ll be more help that way. When Hikari is outmatched against Bogal, Mebius makes the decision to join the fight, though he also dislikes being considered an Ultraman. As time passes on, the guilt of not being able to save the crew of the Arandas eats at Mebius, even as he helps Hikari protect Earth. Once Bogal is defeated, Mebius, thinking the threat is gone, decides he will return to the Land of Light, feeling that protecting others maybe isn’t what he’s cut out for. Though Crew GUYS are sad that Mirai is leaving, even without the full answer, and Hikari tries to dissuade him, Mebius leaves, leaving his Mebius Brace with Hikari. In space, he encounters Zoffy, who ends up reassuring him and convincing him to return to Earth. When he does, he finds Hikari and Taro up against Imperializer. Revealing himself to Crew GUYS as Mebius, the returned Mebius Brace and his bonds with Crew GUYS allow Mebius to become Burning Brave and, together with Hikari, defeat Imperializer. Staying on Earth, the rest of the Mebius plot happens.

I really wanted to have a Mebius AU where Mebius fills a more direct Hunter Knight Tsurugi/Hikari role, because I thought the name Guardian Knight Infinity is cool but I just could not figure something out. Obviously this version of Mebius wouldn’t be as revenge-y as Tsurugi/Hikari was, kinda more like… reckless protection? Not unlike roleswap where Mebius feels unworthy of being even considered Ultraman, but I’m not really sure what else beyond that. He’d technically be a good guy but just like. Minding his own business which would often intersect with the plot, but really does mean well, unlike Tsurugi/Hikari who was laser focused on Revenge on Bogal.

R/B Swap:

Rikuto Mitsurugi/Ultraman Rosso: The eldest of the siblings, he feels responsible for Aoto and Saki. Despite having a passion for technology, like his mother, he never pursued it, feeling it’s his responsibility to takeover the family business, the clothing store Quattro M, when their father retires. He still fiddles with inventions in his freetime. Often, he underestimates his siblings, forgetting that they can be capable themselves, in his efforts to be responsible for whatever he can. One day, he and Aoto are given the powers of Rosso and Blu, protecting the city of Ayaka from monsters and aliens.

Aoto Mitsurugi/Ultraman Blu: The middle child of the siblings, he loves swimming and is trying to pursue that in college. He can be a bit reckless and headstrong, often getting annoyed at Rikuto for not trusting him enough. He tries to hold being older than Saki over her head, but Saki is forever unamused, and best case scenario she ignores him, worst she stomps on his foot.

Saki Mitsurugi: The youngest of the siblings, she actually quite likes fashion and working with their father at Quattro M, often trying to convince Rikuto to let her take over the store instead. She’s quiet and moody, even with her family, and has few friends, preferring the company of her music and a sketchbook over people. Strangely, Aizen, whom her mother worked for, doesn’t remember her existing, even if she would have been a baby at that time. In reality, she was created by the same power that created Rosso and Blu’s power, added into the family until the time the Makoto Crystal was needed. When that time came, the bond she shared with her family allowed her to remain as she was.

Asahi Minato/Grigio: A mysterious young woman who appeared after Rosso and Blu’s first appearance. Quickly, she endears herself to Saki, despite Saki’s protests. She’s cheerful and friendly, always offering candy to anyone she meets. Eventually, she reveals she possesses a Gyro like Rikuto and Aoto, though she becomes monsters instead of Ultras. In reality, she’s the younger sister of the original Rosso and Blu, whose powers Rikuto and Aoto now possess, and she’s doing all she can to prepare to stop the monster that had killed her brothers, Leugocyte. She does her best to help Rikuto and Aoto, though she ultimately sacrifices herself to buy Russo and Blu some time, gifting her power to Saki.

Yuushi Mitsurugi: Father of the Mitsurugi siblings and owner of Quattro M. Though he’s sometimes a bit dense, he cares deeply for his children and does all he can for them. He tries to encourage Rikuto to give his siblings a little more freedom and be a bit less overbearing, while also trying to encourage him to keep doing the things he enjoys. He spends a lot of time with Saki, as she tends to stay home and enjoys working at the shop with him. He worries, when he learns Rikuto and Aoto are Russo and Blu, but also tries to give them the room they need to do what they have to and grow.

Atropos hadn’t been intending to find any Chemies on her trip today – instead, it had been another trip to gather materials for her project. She still had much research to do, but seeing as gathering materials would take a while, she had no qualms alternating between the two. Recently, she’d insisted that Kudo give her a Chemy Riser as well – after the incident with the Submarine Malgam, she wished to have a way to use the Chemies power herself, if her alchemy alone would not be sufficient.

When the Chemy Riser alerted her to a Chemy being nearby, she hadn’t seen any reason to not see if she could capture the Chemy herself. It would be one less Chemy for her sisters or the students to catch and it would likely help Kudo feel a bit better about her outings. He fretted too much when she went out – too much if he knew she was leaving and too much when she came back if he hadn’t known. Perhaps, if she were human, she might find some positive feeling from the actions – heartwarming, is one word that came to mind. But Atropos wasn’t human, so she only really found it annoying.

Investigating in the direction that the Chemy Riser pointed her, Atropos began her search for the Chemy. It takes her into the woods, away from the edge of the city, far away from prying eyes. A pleasant location, but the location alone didn’t narrow down what Chemy it might be – insect, plant, and multitude of other Chemies might prefer such an environment.

It's ultimately hoof steps that alert her to the Chemy’s presence – they were light, gentle in a way no real hooved creature could be. She weaved her way further into the woods, reaching a clearing just out of sight of the path, and there, grazing upon the grass like an image from a fairytale, was Unicon. If it had been alerted to Atropos’ presence, yet, it made no indication.

Finding a Fantastic Chemy was a stroke of luck – they were uniquely difficult to use the power of, much like the Cosmic Chemies, but could unleash great power in the hands of someone skilled enough to use them. Most alchemists were not, but Atropos had enough experience with Chemies to know that, if needed, she could draw out Unicon’s power. Most likely, so too could Kudo.

Taking a deep breath, Atropos produced an empty Chemy Card, holding it in Unicon’s direction and allowing the alchemy within the card to do its work. As long as Unicon wasn’t attracted to human malice, it should become captured within the card with little resistance. As the card’s alchemy began to grab ahold of Unicon, it raised its head – though it was looking in Atropos’ direction, she got the distinct feeling that it wasn’t looking at her.

Unicon was pulled into the Chemy Card and Atropos turned around, looking behind herself in the direction Unicon had been looking. There, peering towards the clearing, just far enough off the path to see, stood that teen from before – the one who had retrieved the moss for Atropos. He stared, wide-eyed. “Was that a unicorn?”

Ah, he’d seen Unicon. If he’d just seen Atropos, perhaps a bit of the light from the Chemy Card capturing Unicon, it wouldn’t be much trouble. But the nature of alchemy and the Chemies being kept so hidden meant that when someone did find out, it could be trouble, and not for the reasons that most alchemists thought. Atropos supposed she could just take his memories of this, at least of seeing Unicon.

With a sigh, Atropos approached the teen. He took her in, then recognized her, “You’re that girl who wanted the moss! Hey, you saw that too, right?”

Calling to mind his aid before, Atropos was hit with a delightfully wonderful idea. Perhaps she could get a bit more use out of him. “That was Unicon,” She said, holding up Unicon’s Chemy Card. “It is a Chemy. A creation of alchemy.”

“Alchemy? You mean like… magic chemistry? Are you saying that stuff’s real?” Atropos had seen a few reactions to the revelation that alchemy was real. Few were so enthusiastic as this teen.

With a slight, irritated, twitch of her eye, Atropos replied, “Magic and alchemy are different, but yes, it is real.” She hated how frequently humans unfamiliar with alchemy would conflate it with magic. They operated on different systems, despite the occasional overlap in mechanisms and abilities.

He leaned down, looking more closely at Unicon, “So this unicorn was made by… alchemy? What other kind of things can it make?”

“All kinds of things,” Atropos placed the card in her bag, “It simply depends on what an alchemist is willing to do. And, often times, what material they can gather. Which is where you come in.”

Reeling back, like she’d nearly shocked him, he asked, “Wait, me?”

“As demonstrated last week, I am… physically incapable of retrieving all the materials I require for my project, but you are of a more appropriate stature for such endeavors.” She would like to avoid a conundrum like before, with the moss. “As such, I have deemed you suitable to become my assistant.”

For a moment, the teen simply stared, eyes wide with surprise. Then, her words seemed to process, “Your assistant? Hold up, you’re just a kid – and you said that moss was for something for your dead dad?”

She had told him that – she had been purposely vague, as there was no easy way to explain to someone with no other context that she was trying to create a new body for her creator. Firstly, though, she would address his misunderstanding of her appearance, “I am not a child, I am a homunculus that merely has the appearance of a child – I too, am a creation of alchemy.” She informed him, “Secondly, I wish to replace my father’s body, and to do that, I need certain materials.”

“You’re trying to raise the dead?” The teen squeaked, “Like- like a zombie?”

“No, I am trying to replace his body. His old one is surely far too damaged.” Not that she was certain of the state of Master Geryon’s body – she had little intention of taking the risk to return to the Ouroboros Realm where it likely remained. Not until the situation with the Chemies was settled, at least.

His face twisted in thought, trying to understand what she meant. To someone with little understanding of alchemy, let alone dolls, it was obviously quite difficult to decipher. “…Okay…” he said, slowly, “And you need me… because I’m not child sized?”

At least he seemed to be coming to some degree of an understanding. “Precisely. Besides, the procedure will go more smoothly with a second pair of hands, regardless of if you know alchemy. Thus, you will be my assistant.” Her sisters had far more important matters to focus on, and there were few others she would trust with aiding her on such a project. This teen, while also something of a stranger, did not bring any of the untrustworthiness of being an alchemist. “Additionally, you will likely be able to see more Chemies, some of which may interest you.”

The teen considered it, “Hmm… what about these Chemies do you think would be so interesting?”

“They come in many appearances and natures. Dinosaurs, insects, magical creatures like Unicon… even things of a more cosmic variety.” Atropos told him, recalling what he’d said before about UFOs. While she had initially hoped he had been referring to a sighting of UFO-X, perhaps simply enticing someone else to have their eyes out for the Chemies could be of use.

He took another moment to consider, then declared, “Alright! I’ll be your assistant!” Then, his enthusiasm faded as he seemed to realize something, “Uh, who even are you?”

“My name is Atropos,”

“I guess if you were made, you would have an unusual name…” The teen nodded, “Cool, I’m Ryo Kajiki!”

Atropos nodded, “A wonderful start. Now that I have captured Unicon, I can return to my search for materials. You will join me.”

---

The classroom was, as had become common recently, empty and quiet. Fuga always felt a little uneasy about sending his students out unsupervised, especially with Chemies in the equation and with recent events, but he just couldn’t simply be with all of them. While he was most concerned about Icho and Tsuruhara, as Lachesis and Clotho were well enough suited to fight Malgams, he couldn’t justify accompanying them. He had work to do in the classroom, still, and they had to be able to search on their own and handle what problems they found – or know when to ask for help if they couldn’t.

Atropos too, was out. This time, she claimed she was gathering materials to use in case Lachesis and Clotho were injured. She had explained that dolls healed differently from humans and, if the injuries were severe enough, could need replacement material for their bodies. It seemed reasonable enough and Atropos had done well to keep out of trouble when she was on her own. It certainly couldn’t hurt to have the materials to heal dolls’ injuries, as it was only a matter of time until they were needed.

Thus, when the door to the classroom opened, he expected it to be Kyoka. She had been stopping by periodically, and had mentioned she wanted to come by to discuss her most recent project with Atropos. So Fuga looked up, ready to tell Kyoka that she’d have to wait because Atropos was out, only to realize that it wasn’t Kyoka walking in through those doors.

Minato looked both very much like he did ten years ago and also nothing like he once had. The first thing Fuga noticed was that his hair was a mess, and Fuga distinctly remembered the look on Minato’s face, ten years ago, after he witnessed an entire class killed. Strangely put together in his hair, clothes, and even demeanor, and yet shocked all the same. Now, he seemed to have mastered that mixture of appearing both lax and respectable that Geryon once seemed to favor. Though Fuga knew well that,  just as with Geryon, Minato was a talented alchemist.

After Geryon took off with the Chemies, Minato had dug through the research that he left behind, uncovering notes and materials that lead the Alchemist Association to determine that Geryon had been practicing forbidden alchemy – the existence of the sisters alone was proof enough, beyond that. In the time since, Minato had become a well-respected alchemist – he was one of the few that had the sort of hand on research with Chemies that Fuga and Geryon had. That was simply as a result of Geryon taking an interest in Minato, before everything had happened. And Minato had proved himself studious, so no one had truly questioned it.

Fuga hadn’t seen much of Minato in person, though, after what happened ten years ago. Last he’d seen Minato had been the only living person emerging from a room of dead bodies. Bodies that, supposedly, were caused by the hand of Geryon and three girls that they would soon learn were homunculi.

Now, though, Fuga couldn’t help but wonder about the truth of that. Something had driven Kyoka, who was once so close to Minato, away. And if Fuga had to guess, the sisters – or Atropos at least – had reason to be wary of Minato. But what? Why? Perhaps Minato could have done something stupid as a student, but certainly not so bad that it would cause such doubts.

Right?

“Mr. Kudo,” Minato greeted, a small smile on his face. “It’s been a while.”

Fuga drove his doubts from his mind – for now, he would focus on Minato right here. As it were, Minato had no reason to be suspicious that Fuga himself thought anything was off. “Minato, it has. What brings you all the way here? Last I heard, you were busy with your research.”

Minato’s eyes searched the room, almost idly, “The Association asked me to check on the class. As one of the most experienced with Chemies, much of the capturing of them has fallen to you and your students. With only two… well, I’d imagine it would be difficult, even with the faith the Association places in you.” His eyes landed on the Chemies, displayed for all to see, save for the ones the students kept on them. That meant several were absent, as Icho, Tsuruhara, and Lachesis all kept at least one on them – and Lachesis kept several on her Gotchard. “Additionally… It has been a long time since I’ve gotten to see Chemies for myself.”

“Ten years,” Fuga replied, “Well, as you can see, we’ve been making steady progress. A few are missing as I encourage Icho and Tsuruhara to keep Chemies on them to aid in capturing others. And also so that they may have a better way to defend themselves if a Malgam were to appear, until I can arrive.”

“Or until Gotchard arrives,” Minato looked to him as he spoke, “The Association has reports that someone with the Gotchadriver has appeared.”

Fuga wasn’t exactly surprised that word had made its way to the Association about Gotchard, but he’d been hoping that it hadn’t. “Ah, yes. We’ve had a few sightings, but we don’t know who it is. Someone must have gotten the Gotchadriver from Geryon, though.”

At that, Minato hummed, “Something must have happened to him – why else would he release all the Chemies after so long?”

While it wasn’t an unreasonable assumption, it was too truthful for Fuga’s liking. “I suppose only he and anyone who might have been involved in whatever happened would know for sure.”

“Those homunculi of his, most likely.” Minato frowned, “They are entirely unaccounted for – perhaps Geryon could even be alive, though I find that doubtful.”

The conversation was steering far too close to topics that Fuga feared Minato might get suspicious of. Particularly in regards to Gotchard and the sisters. It was one thing if he believed Geryon to be dead, regardless of the truth of it, because Fuga wasn’t hiding Geryon. He was hiding the sisters.

“Should I expect to see you frequently?” Fuga asked, attempting to force the subject back to Minato’s presence at the academy.

“Only on some occasions. I’d hate to interrupt class and it would mostly be to ensure that everything with the Chemies is going smoothly.” Minato replied. “I’d hate for something like ten years ago to happen again.”

Something about the way Minato brought up ten years ago felt… wrong. It rubbed at Fuga in a way he couldn’t describe – and maybe if it weren’t for the conversation with Kyoka and Atropos last week, he wouldn’t have thought anything of it at all. But with those uncertainties about the truth of what happened, about Geryon’s supposed actions and Minato’s claims…

Fuga really should ask the sisters what happened ten years ago.

---

“Mary!” Agatho called, cheerful as he often could be. “What are you working on?”

Mary’s pencil streaked across her page of notes, leaving an ugly black smear. Usually, she was better about not being startled by Agatho’s volume, but she’d been particularly engrossed in her notes, this time. So little was known about devices that could transmute Chemies, much of the research had been performed by Kudo, but Mary had managed to get her hands on some of that research. It had been taking up much of her time, as of recent, and it really was a fascinating read.

But Agatho was the sort of person who wanted to spend time with and around people, who needed a certain amount of attention, and so it was up to her and Anselm to give it to him. Neither particularly minded, but sometimes that time came when their minds were elsewhere – though Agatho at least knew better than to interrupt when Anselm was training his flames or Mary was in the middle of a transmutation. Which she wasn’t, right now, so he had no reason to not try to talk to her.

A glance at the clock sat on a table, leaning against the wall, its legs long mangled beyond any real use, tells her that she’s been in her notes and this research for too long, anyway. There was little harm in letting him distract her for a while. “Agatho, good afternoon. I’ve been working on a project that might allow us to better harness the power of certain Chemies.”

He leaned over, staring at her notes for a moment before making a face, “Research, huh? Man, that looks complicated.” He sighed. Research like this, the more advanced alchemy, just wasn’t something he had ever gotten good at following. As it was, most of his studies focused on improving the integrity of his transmutations and the implementation of alchemy while in combat.

“It is,” She agreed, “But you know I enjoy it.”

“Because you’re so smart,” Agatho grinned, “I mean, you’re a genius at alchemy.”

Unable to help herself, Mary rolled her eyes, just a bit. “How has Chemy collection been going?”

At her question, Agatho’s smile fell, “Uh, well… Anselm found Pilets earlier,” He said, “I thought I’d found Panpakaparka, but turns out it was just someone’s coat.” With that said, he sighed, sounding a bit frustrated.

Though Mary would never acknowledge it out loud, Agatho was, arguably, the worst at catching Chemies. It wasn’t even that he couldn’t find them, it was just that he always got so distracted by them when he did. He was a bleeding heart who was worried about the Chemies getting hurt or being uncomfortable – something that seemed to prove impossible to even be beaten out of him. While that kindness and empathy was something Mary often admired… it meant he was little help in getting the Chemies they needed. Combine that with his mediocre alchemy and it was a miracle that Agatho was even still around.

Mary didn’t know what she’d do if something truly terrible happened to him. What happened with his eye had been bad enough – she’d never forget the sight of him, clutching his bleeding eye, on the ground in pain. Or the way Anselm had become so angry that he’d shut himself away, lest his flames risk injuring her and Agatho further. She doubted Agatho had forgotten that day, either. And how could he? He was the one most effected – nothing she or Anselm could do could save his vision out of that eye. Even now, some odd years later, he was still half blind.

In some ways, Mary still felt like she could have done more, but she knows that even alchemy has its limits. The injury to Agatho’s eye had been a calculated move and it had made it’s point. Instilling fear in Agatho, fear of what might happen to him if he wasn’t enough, and ensuring that she and Anselm knew that Agatho didn’t need to make it out of this whole.

Sometimes, she couldn’t help but hope that whatever awaited on the other side of the door were somehow kinder masters than their current one.

“There’s always next time,” She told him, even though she knew he was likely to come back empty handed next time, too. Unless she or Anselm went with him, at least. But she, at least, had other duties.

“I guess…” His eye closed, for a moment, and when it opened again, he seemed to study her. “Say, I… I know he said we don’t have any family left, but…do you ever wondered what happened to them?”

They were orphans. That’s the first thing Mary remembered being told, the first thing that Anselm and Agatho remembered, too. That there was no one left to care about them. Anselm had been the first, but he said that Mary had come only a few weeks after. Agatho had only arrived after a few years, sudden and abrupt. Mary doesn’t even think he had ever studied alchemy before, so she and Anselm could never help but wonder why Agatho had been brought along. Even now, she wasn’t certain.

But she was certain that any family they might have had before they were Anselm, Agatho, and Mary were long gone.

Easily, she answered Agatho, “Not really. They’re gone – or never cared about us to begin with. We don’t need them.”

“Oh,” Agatho’s eye turned downcast, “Maybe you’re right.”

It was better to focus on the things they could be certain of and not the what-ifs of a world that surely had never been and would never come to be, anyway.

---

“Is this some kind of special alchemical material?” Kajiki asked, examining white and lavender crystal, turning it this way and that to take in every detail.

Atropos had brought him with her to a few locations in her search for materials, and at present, they were in a shop of curiosities. In the past, Master Geryon had good luck in finding useful ingredients in such stores. What to the untrained eye appeared to be simply a nicknack or a strange rock could prove, to an alchemist, to be a piece of equipment or an unusual material.

The crystal Kajiki held, though, was no such thing. “That,” She began, “is quartz. It is incredibly common, and while useful in many applications, is not the sort of material I need.”

“Oh,” Kajiki set the crystal down, “Then what are you looking for?”

That was the difficult thing to explain. In this case, unlike their previous stops, she wasn’t looking for anything in particular. Truthfully, entering this shop had been an impulse – she’d seen it as they walked by and decided it would be worth looking inside. Yet Kajiki would lack any of the experience necessary in alchemy to correctly identify anything that would be of use to her.

After considering her options carefully, she told him, “Nothing in particular, but if you see anything unusual, let me know.”

He nodded seriously, “Anything unusual, got it.”

She was impressed with how seriously he had been taking his new role as her assistant. Kudo likely wouldn’t be thrilled if he found out that she had so blatantly told Kajiki about alchemy, even less that she was recruiting him to help her with it, but for now… well, Kudo didn’t have to know. If it was truly necessary, Atropos could take Kajiki’s memories, but as it were, she saw no harm in getting his help. With his seeming interests, it was likely that even if he did tell others about the Chemies or alchemy, even about the strange “child” he’d met, they wouldn’t really believe him.

So as long as he proved a decent enough assistant, Atropos had no problem with asking for his help.

As she searched a low shelf – one of the upsides of her smaller size being that she could see them easily – she hears Kajiki let out a yelp. “A-Atropos…” he began, sounding startled, “This uh… mirror has eyes. That’s pretty unusual, right?”

Atropos bolted to his side, where the “mirror” he’d spoke of now floated in front of him. True as Kajiki said, the mirror had eyes, but now it had hands, too.

“Mirror…” It spoke, and though Atropos didn’t know what it said, she knew what it was.

“That’s Mitemirror,” She said, already reaching for another blank Chemy Card.

Kajiki’s surprise morphed into interest, “One of those Chemies you mentioned?”

Chemy Card in hand, Atropos prepared to raise it and seal Mitemirror, only for Mitemirror to emit a bright flash of light. It blinded her and seemed to blind Kajiki too. When the light faded, she just barely catches sight of Mitemirror fleeing out of the shop.

Already running after, she called out to Kajiki, “We’re chasing after it!”

She doesn’t hear Kajiki’s response, precisely, but it sounded enough like a flustered acknowledgement, so she considered it good enough. He would catch up with enough speed and ease, given he could cross the distance much faster than her. It was more important to catch up with Mitemirror, before it caused too much trouble, drew too much attention, or worst of all, come into contact with human malice and became a Malgam.

Once she’s out of the door of the shop, she sees Mitemirror fleeing to her right, so she turned and sprinted after. Mitemirror moved fast, too fast for Atropos to hope to catch up with on her own, and while she had Unicon, that Chemy wouldn’t be of much use to her. She’d have to find a way to block off Mitemirror or slow it down. Thankfully, this section of the city lacked many occupants – no one to notice Mitemirror or to have negative feelings for it to resonate with. Which also meant no one would notice if she used alchemy to try to slow Mitemirror’s escape.

With a few muttered words and a bit of focus – admittedly a bit more difficult when she was also trying not to lose sight of Mitemirror. A couple trash cans and a box of scrap metal melded together, forming a thin wall. With the additional reinforcement of her alchemy, it was enough to force Mitemirror to a stop, having to redirect itself. Atropos still wasn’t quite close enough to capture it, though, when it moved to navigate around the wall.

So when Mitemirror was pulled into a Chemy Card – Atropos knew what that alchemy looked like, after all – she knew that it meant another alchemist was here. If she was lucky, it was one of her sisters or Kudo’s students. Out from the alley where Mitemirror had been pulled down, Atropos’ luck was proven to be less than ideal. The familiar black and purple clothing… it was Anselm who emerged, holding up the Chemy Card that now contained Mitemirror within it.

That was… truly unfortunate. Atropos doubted she’d be able to retrieve the Chemy from  Anselm, even if he didn’t use its power or otherwise become a Malgam. His black flames made him dangerous, and even with Unicon on her side, Atropos was wary of the risk of engaging in combat. That wasn’t even considering Kajiki, who likely was just behind her. Unless he was smart enough to keep his distance, but Atropos hadn’t told him about Anselm, Agatho, and Mary.

“You want Mitemirror, I’m sure,” Anselm said, his gaze seeming to switch between the Chemy Card and Atropos, though it was hard to tell precisely, with his mask obscuring his eye.

This was dangerous ground to tread, Atropos knew. It was unlikely Anselm would simply let her retreat, thus, she’d have to be careful. A fight was undesirable, but likely, at this point. She could only hope that, from there, she could retreat, or one of her sisters would arrive. “If we wanted you to have the Chemies, we wouldn’t have set them free when we first met.”

“That’s unfortunate,” Black flames began to lick Anselm’s hand, dancing around the Chemy Card. Mitemirror cried out, clearly worried by the flames.

Ideally, Atropos would like to avoid having to face off against a Malgam created with Anselm’s black flame, as they certainly seemed different from other Malgam’s. Stronger, it seemed, though they didn’t quite have enough data to be certain. Regardless, little about this encounter had been going remotely in her favor, so she quickly dismissed any notions of avoiding being faced with a Malgam. She’d just have to do her best to avoid combat with him.

The flames engulfed Mitemirror, and soon Anselm’s form morphed. The Mirror Malgam. Atropos adjusted her grip on Master Geryon’s cube, gathering her focus. Whatever she did next would have to be calculated.

Hurried footsteps came to an abrupt stop behind her. “Wha- what is that?!” Kajiki yelped.

Atropos spared him a glance, hoping she could convey the severity of the situation in few words. “A Malgam. Run.”

Kajiki blinked, then, seeming to understand what she meant to convey, spun on his heel and broke out in a sprint back the way they’d came. Atropos returned her attention to the Malgam, quickly focusing to pull as much as she could from the surroundings to block it. Then, she too turned and ran.

She had no good way to reach her sisters and inform them of the situation. Or even reach Kudo. Therefore, her next best bet would be to either find them herself, or force Anselm to lose track of her. Given she had only the vague idea where her sisters might be, with both their and Kudo’s location being a good distance from her current one, and that she was certain Anselm could outpace her even without the power of a Chemy, neither option seemed particularly viable. But both were better than trying to face him head on.

There was a chance, though certainly slim, that he wouldn’t even chase at all. She wouldn’t get her hopes up, though. That would be far too dangerous.

She turned a corner, sharply, brushing her shoulder against the wall of a building. Kajiki was out of sight, at least. Hopefully he’d made meaningful distance, enough that Anselm wouldn’t pay him anymore mind. Atropos would gladly have a Malgam’s, even one that was Anselm, undivided attention if it meant not losing her new assistant so soon.

A hand grabbed the back of her dress, lofting her up into the air. “You can’t outrun me.” Anselm said.

Atropos began to kick her legs. Though Anselm held her too far away for her to meaningfully kick him, it at least allowed her to try to free herself from his grasp. Not that she was having much luck, in that regard. Her gaze swam around her surroundings, searching for anything she might be able to use against him, yet there was nothing she could use, at least while she was suspended like this. Nothing her alchemy could do without material to transmute would be of much use right now, either.

If she were Lachesis or Clotho, she might have been able to avoid this. Or at least, she’d have better avenues for trying to free herself from Anselm’s hold. Yet she was neither, not made for combat and lacking the stature to even try to pull herself free.

“Maybe we’ll keep you. You were Geryon’s little assistant, after all. I wouldn’t be surprised if your sisters”- the way he referred to her sisters was harsh, somehow too much so to sound like mocking –“are protective of you.”

His words made something boil in Atropos, anger and what she would hesitate to describe as fear both mixing together, roiling. How dare he act as though she was merely Master Geryon’s assistant? That such a thing was all she was good for? Though she now lacked purpose without Master Geryon, it was not because she was his assistant, even if she had always acted in such a way. Anselm did not know what she was, he could never comprehend her purpose, never understand just what, exactly, he had robbed her of when he’d burned Master Geryon.

She had no intention of finding out what might await her in the hands of Anselm, Mary, and Agatho. Nothing good, certainly, but it would forever be left to the imagination because Atropos would not be their captive. She had to be free, to live, so that, one day, she could ensure that the three – and Anselm especially – saw retribution for their actions. For killing Master Geryon with barely a bat of an eye.

For a moment, Atropos simply growled. In response, Anselm laughed, dry, more like a scoff. While he did so Atropos gathered her breath – she didn’t have the exact same need to breathe as humans, but she did need the air to vocalize.

Then Atropos screamed.

High pitched and harsh, cutting through the silence, through the low and distant bustle of the more busy part of the city, not too far away. She kept screaming, pausing only to take another breath, each scream was filled with an anger that she hadn’t thought herself capable of feeling until recently. Her screams continued even as Anselm protested.

“Be quiet! Stop that!” He ordered, and given he was still as a Malgam, maybe Atropos should listen to him. He was more than capable of hurting her. He didn’t even need the power of a Chemy to be able to. Yet Atropos kept screaming – it was her one hope that someone, anyone who could help, might hear and find her.

She sees the Malgam’s other arm come into view, about level with her head, and then the hand slapped itself over her mouth, harshly. It muffled her screams severely.

Before Atropos could truly entertain the passing thought of attempting to bite the hand, something crashed into the Mirror Malgam and a pair of hands wrap around her waist, pulling her free. Atropos blinked, taking a moment to catch her breath and recognize that she was currently held by Clotho. Clotho who, it appeared, had thrown herself at the Mirror Malgam in an effort to rescue Atropos.

Perhaps her sisters had been closer than she’d originally thought.

Quickly, Clotho retreated, setting Atropos down beside where Lachesis now stood. “Atropos, did he hurt you?”

Aside from the slight stinging at her mouth from the Mirror Malgam’s hand and the rage that had surfaced from his words, Atropos was, thankfully, unscathed. Glancing over at Anselm, who had already recovered, she shook her head. “He used his flames on Mitemirror, just as he had with Deepmariner.”

Lachesis frowned, “Anselm, then.” She already had the Gotchadriver on her waist, Antrooper and Wrestler-G’s Chemy cards in hand.

Antrooper! Wrestler-G! Gotchanko! Antwrestler!

Once Gotchard’s transformation finished, Lachesis wasted little time in rushing towards Anselm. The last time she’d fought him had been a difficult fight, and it would likely be the same this time, even lacking Agatho’s presence and interference. Yet Atropos was optimistic – this, after all, was what Lachesis was made for.

Clotho rose, standing up straight once more. Her eyes settled on the Mirror Malgam, narrowing, her shoulders tensed ever so slightly. “Stay here, Atropos. I’m helping Lachesis.” She shifted, ready to sprint forward once more.

Atropos doesn’t stop her, simply watched as Clotho joined the fight. Fighting was what Clotho was made for, too. Different from Lachesis, but it made her no less of a fighter. Such was her nature.

Master Geryon, of course, had been sure to choose models for them, sources of genetic material, that were fiery too. Those who were not easily knocked down, who were strong willed and determined. Women who’s donation, whether willingly or knowingly or not, allowed the creation of Atropos’ little sisters. Sisters who were strong and determined, fulfilling their purposes without a second thought. As was their nature.

Even if Atropos knew that homunculi were not entirely bound by purpose.

Lachesis punched the Mirror Malgam in a manner that was not entirely dissimilar to how Clotho often punched. She had always been better with weapons, but she’d clearly picked up on some hand to hand moves as well. That, or it was the influence of Wrestler-G, something that couldn’t be entirely ruled out. Atropos would have to ask, later.

Clotho then followed up with a kick, catching the occupied Mirror Malgam off guard just enough to stagger him. With her aid, the fight was going much more smoothly than the fight against the Submarine Malgam.

It’s not something that Atropos saw reason to say out loud, but watching Lachesis fight as Gotchard and watching Clotho aid her filled her with a strange pride. They were Master Geryon’s creations, of course, but they were her sisters, and she had helped in their creation. Thus, she didn’t think it entirely unreasonable that she could be proud of them, in some capacity. Master Geryon would be, she was sure, if he were here to witness this.

That searing anger from earlier reared its head again, but knowing that Lachesis and Clotho would surely win this fight, Atropos shoved it back down with little further thought.

When the fight finally ends, Atropos seals Mitemirror in one of their own Chemy cards and Anselm retreats. She doesn’t think further about what he’d said, earlier. Or about what might be motivating the three of them. If she thinks too much about him, right now, she simply remembers what he did to Master Geryon. Retribution would come for him, of course, but not yet.

---

After reporting back to the classroom and Kudo, Atropos leaves her sisters there and makes her way to the address she’d been given by Edami the last time she had been by the Academy. At that visit, Atropos had given Edami feedback on her idea, a few ways to refine it and make it better suited for use by Clotho specifically.

Clotho likely wouldn’t like it, she had a great belief in her strength and would likely see any device that might give her a greater strength as an insult. That was a bridge Atropos would cross when she came to it, as it would undeniably be beneficial for Clotho to have even a fraction of Gotchard’s strength.

When she arrived at the address, she knocked on the door and it didn’t take long for Edami to answer, There’s grease on the palm of her hand, streaking up past her wrist and fading on her arm, just beside an ugly and not entirely faded scar. For a moment, Atropos lets herself wonder how someone who didn’t specialize in combat alchemy would receive such a scar, before her attention is stolen by Edami’s greeting.

“Great, you’re here,” She smiled, an excited smile that made it clear she was glad that Atropos had finally made it. “I’ve gotten most of the material ready.”

She stepped aside and let Atropos into the lab. It clearly doubled as Edami’s living space, which Atropos knew not to be entirely unusual among alchemists. In many ways, Master Geryon had been much the same, at least while they were in the Ouroboros Realm. Though she suspected that it had also been the case in the times before her creation when he had not had much involvement at the Alchemist Academy. Before Minato came along.

Atropos promptly terminated that train of thought.