Early the following day, I was awoken by a gentle paw on my nose and a soft meow. I opened my eyes to find Kuromaru staring up at me from my side with bright blue eyes. I groaned but couldn't help but smile as I petted him lightly.

The sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon, casting its rays across my bedroom. Birds were chirping outside, and I could hear Talia's gait in the kitchen as she prepared breakfast. I listened to a radio playing in the background, murmurs of news anchors and traffic reports filling the air. I got out of bed, stretching as Kuromaru curled up on the pillow where I just was.

I headed off to the kitchen and washed my face. I couldn't shake off the unease that had settled in my stomach. The memory of Raiju's strange poem was still fresh in my mind, and I couldn't help but feel something important was hidden within it.

As I walked into the kitchen, Talia greeted me with a cheerful smile. "Good morning, Ikki!!" she said, sliding a plate of steaming hot scrambled eggs, pancakes, and a mug of coffee in front of me. She wore a simple apron over her pajamas, her hair still mussed from sleep.

I grinned, feeling grateful for her thoughtfulness. "Thanks, Talia. You're the best," I said, digging into the plate. "What's on the news today?"

Talia smiled warmly at me and turned up the volume on the radio.

"Good morning Shoreline City! We have some breaking news this morning," a woman announced. "The North Atlantic and Pacific Coalition has just approved the deployment of Magical Girl Radiant Rhiannon in an ambassadorial mission to Chicago on Earth. Radiant Rhiannon is a decorated magical girl known for her exceptional combat skills, and she has a history of negotiating peace and ceasefires between conflicting factions. This marks the first time a magical girl has been sent on a formal ambassadorial mission of this scale."

I raised an eyebrow in surprise. "That's pretty big news," I said, stuffing a pancake into my mouth. "I wonder what they hope to achieve with her over there?

I turned my head toward the sound of shuffling as Midori came into the kitchen, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She stretched and yawned and commented on the news.

"Morning! Anyway, if Radiant Rhiannon is involved, it must be something important. She's one of the most powerful magical girls out there."

She poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down at the table, joining us for breakfast.

A man's voice chimed in over the radio. "Thank you, Margaret. For those that haven't studied our sister nation's geography — the city of Chicago is an important logistics hub and quintessential for prosperity on Earth. Rhiannon will represent the Coalition in diplomatic talks with local leaders and businesses and assist with disaster relief efforts in the are. She will also oversee the installation of negentropy field generators to protect against spatial distortions caused by Aberrations across the parallel Great Lakes region.

Additionally, Babylon has just announced a drastically expanded budget for reclamation missions on Earth, specifically in regions where the Aberrations have caused the most damage. A particular emphasis has been reportedly made on culturally important cities such as Shanghai and New York City. In light of the recent events in Shoreline, the school system will cease for two weeks post-midterms to allow for private relief. With the assistance of the military, along with magical girls and support operatives worldwide, we may be one step closer to restoring some semblance of normalcy to Earth."

I listened intently, taking a sip of my coffee. Rhiannon was a well-known hero, and she had a reputation as the strongest magical girl Terra had produced in generations. It was unheard of for her to leave Terra on diplomatic missions. I couldn't help but wonder why the Coalition had decided to send her to Chicago, of all places.

At the same time, I was excited to hear about the new budget they'd churned up for reclamation missions in New York City. My father and sister had moved in on the other side of the portal over the summer to help rebuild. Visiting them and seeing how they were doing these days would be amazing.

We continued with breakfast, and my thoughts returned to the news of Radiant Rhiannon's mission. There had to be more to it than just diplomacy and disaster relief. After all, the Northern Coalition didn't just send their strongest magical girl on a whim.

"I wonder why they're sending Radiant Rhiannon over there?" I muttered.

"It's an important symbolic gesture," Talia answered. It sounded like she had been pondering over it too. "Sending Radiant Rhiannon to Chicago shows Earth that the magical girls are dedicated to ensuring peace and stability. It also shows that we're serious about finding common ground with this migrant crisis."

I nodded, mulling over understanding her point.

Midori took a sip of her coffee, her eyes closed. "Chicago has been hit hard by a Duke-class Chaos Beast running amok with a horde. The region's gone through more than its fair share of devastation and loss. Like the man on the radio said, it's also extremely important for getting things moving around the continent content."

"I see. Well, I hope she can help out," I responded, staring at my plate.

Midori gave me a small smile. "I'm sure she will. She's a hero for a reason."

I looked down at my food for a minute, contemplating what I'd just heard on the news.

"Suddenly, a thought struck me. "Hey, Midori," I said, turning to her. "I don't suppose you think the team would be up for taking up one of those reclamation missions on the other side of the portal here?"

Midori and Talia exchanged a curious look.

"Why the sudden interest? Are you worried about your family?" Talia asked softly.

I nodded, feeling a pang of guilt in my chest. "Yeah. It'd be great to go and help out with the reconstruction efforts. Plus, they have some pretty good pizza places there," I added with a grin. "My dad and sister moved there as part of the reconstruction effort, and I haven't seen them in months."

At the mention of my family, Midori's expression softened.

"We can definitely look into it, Ikki. Reclamation missions are important, and it would be a great way to contribute to the rebuilding of Earth," she said, placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "Plus, if your family is there, it would be a great opportunity for us to help out and see how they're doing."

I grinned, feeling a sense of relief wash over me. It felt good to have a plan and something to work towards. "Thanks, Midori. That means a lot."

She smiled back knowingly like she knew how much it meant to me.

"It's no problem," Midori replied. "I'd love to meet your family too."

I blinked at her in surprise for a second, wondering what she meant by that.

"Huh?"

Talia seemed to notice my sudden change in demeanor and spoke up with a giggle. "Mimi is just being Mimi, Ikki. She knows how much your family means to you and wants to help in any way she can."

I smiled sheepishly, still feeling a little caught off-guard. But I appreciated Midori and Talia's support, and the idea of them coming to help my family made me feel better about the state of things.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

"Yeah, I know. Sorry about that," I muttered, taking another bite of my pancakes.

Midori chuckled, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "No need to apologize, Ikki. We're all in this together, right?"

I nodded, feeling a sense of camaraderie with Midori. We may have been a ragtag group of teenagers, but we had each other's backs.

As we finished our breakfast, the sound of the radio continued to fill the kitchen.

The newscaster's voice had become more somber, and my attention was drawn back to the news.

"We have just received breaking news from the Southern Alliance," she said gravely. "Reports are coming in of a massive, Level 3 Chaos Event in Tenochtitlan City. Several magical girls have already been dispatched to the area to contain the situation, but the scale and severity of the event is still unknown at this time. We urge all Magical Girls in the area with supersonic airborne capability to report to their nearest Coalition outpost immediately for further instructions."

My heart sank as I listened to the news. Level 3 Chaos Events were no joke. It was severe if magical girls from all the way up here were being called in to contain the situation. I couldn't help but feel terrible for the people in Tenochtitlan City. The terror and destruction they were likely going through couldn't be understated.

"We're seeing an awful lot of Chaos Events these days, huh? It feels like there's no end to them this season," Talia frowned.

"More than usual," Midori replied, her voice serious. "And they seem to be getting stronger and more frequent. It's like the they're getting more aggressive."

I couldn't help but agree with them. The increase in Chaos Events was concerning, and the fact that they were getting stronger and more frequent only added to the worry.

"I just hope that the magical girls down there can get the situation under control," I said softly with concern.

"Of course they will," Talia replied with a beaming smile. "They're magical girls, after all! They'll do whatever it takes to protect the people."

I nodded, feeling a sense of admiration for the magical girls who were risking their lives to protect others. There was nothing we could do from here, but we could at least send them our support and good wishes in our hearts.

After eating, Midori pulled her laptop out of thin air and began researching the reclamation missions. "Alright," she said, typing furiously. "Here are the missions that just went up around New York City. It looks like they need a lot of help rebuilding and clearing out Aberration-infested areas outside of the island of Manhattan, which is currently secure."

Talia peered over her shoulder at the screen. "Wow, that's a lot of work," she said, scrolling through the list of missions. "But I think they can handle it."

I leaned over to look, scanning the list of available missions. They ranged from clearing out debris and rubble to assisting with medical care and rescue efforts.

"There's definitely a lot to do," I agreed. "But it'll be worth it if we can make a difference. We just need to figure out which ones would be the best fit for the team."

Midori tapped her head, her eyes still glued to the screen. "I think we should start with this mission here," she said, pointing to one of the tasks. "It's a Level 2 Ayakashi infestation in Brooklyn. We can clear it out and help secure the district. It's a good starting point for us, and we can go from there."

I nodded, feeling a sense of determination. "Let's do it. You'll get in touch with the others, then?"

"Absolutely," Midori replied, closing her laptop. "I'll send out a message to everyone and see who's available... say, next weekend?"

Talia stood up from the table, stretching her arms above her head. "I'll go get some supplies ready, Mimi. We'll need to restock on energy bars and medical kits."

"Thanks, babe," Midori said with a grateful smile. "I'll start packing our gear and making a list of everything we'll need for our outing."

While Midori and Talia busied themselves with their preparations, I couldn't shake off the unease from the news of the Level 3 Chaos Event in Tenochtitlan City. I knew there was nothing we could do to help from here, but I wished we could. I wished I could fly down there and help contain the situation, protect the people like a magical girl could sometimes.

But as much as I wished for it, I knew it wasn't possible. This was real life, and the best I could do was focus on what little I could actually do. A small but significant contribution to Earth's reconstruction efforts.

As I sat in the corner of the kitchen, lost in my thoughts, Kuro approached me with a quizzical look on his face.

"Meow!"

I looked up at Kuro, petting him absently as I processed my thoughts. He purred contentedly, nuzzling his head against my hand.

"Hey there, buddy," I said softly, scratching behind his ears. "What's on your mind?"

The black cat meowed again, his tail flicking back and forth.

"I know what you mean," I said with a sigh. "It's hard to sit here and know I can't do anything when there's so much going on out there. But we have to trust that the magical girls down there will do their best to protect the people."

Kuro meowed yet again, his eyes seeming to convey a sense of understanding.

"Thanks, Kuro," I said with a smile, feeling comforted by his presence. "I knew I could count on you to understand."

I wondered what my family was doing at that moment. Were they safe? Were they okay? I hoped that they were, but I couldn't shake off the feeling of worry.

Suddenly my phone beeped, interrupting my thoughts.

I picked it up, my heart racing as I read the message from Natasha.

"Hey there! Just checking in to make sure you're doing okay," it said. "I hope it wasn't too bad down at the precinct? They wanted information on the scuffle we got into at the academy?"

Seeing her message filled me with a sense of comfort.

I quickly replied, feeling grateful for her concern. "Hey, yeah, I'm doing alright. It was just a few questions, nothing too serious. But thanks for checking in on me, Natasha. I appreciate it. Where'd you learn those moves, anyway?"

She had been there for me when I needed her, and I was grateful for her friendship. The footwork she'd displayed, too, was something else.

Natasha followed up, "Glad to hear it! Thanks for sticking up for me back there, btw. I really appreciate it. To answer your question — I used to do judo and kyujutsu as a kid."

My eyes widened in surprise at the message. "Judo and kyujutsu?" I typed back. "That's impressive. Wow. I had no idea you were such a badass."

This girl really was full of surprises.

Natasha took a bit to respond to that one. I could imagine her turning tomato red at my compliment, her face probably all scrunched up in embarrassment.

"Oh haha, not really," she replied eventually. "I just know a few moves here and there, nothing special. Anyway, what are you up to next weekend?"

I winced, thinking about my team of secret magical girls.

"Planning to visit my family across the portal next weekend," I typed out carefully. "What about you?"

There was another pause, "Oh, no reason. I was just wondering if you wanted to hang out."

I smiled at her message, feeling a sense of warmth in my chest. Natasha had been a good friend to me, and I owed her for our plans that had fallen through yesterday. "Sure, that sounds great," I replied. "Let's plan something for when I get back. Ramen at Akira's again tomorrow?"

Natasha replied almost immediately. "Awesome! And yes, let's definitely get ramen at Akira's tomorrow. I could use some comfort food after all the craziness that's been going on."

I grinned at the message, feeling excited about our plans for tomorrow as I lowered my phone. I yawned and stretched, feeling lighter and more at ease. But, I was excited for tomorrow, for the promise of good food and good company. Maybe, just maybe, things weren't so bad after all.

It was nice to have something to look forward to. Hanging out with someone who wasn't involved in the magical girl world was something I really welcomed and cherished.

As I put my phone down, Kuro meowed again, his tail twitching excitedly. I couldn't help but feel that he knew something was up and that he knew I was happy.

"Thanks, Kuro," I said with a smile, grateful for his constant presence in my life. "You always know how to make me feel better."

He purred in response, his eyes half-closed in contentment. I leaned back against the wall, feeling a sense of peace wash over me. Despite all the chaos and uncertainty in the world, it felt good to have people to count on.

I stood up from the table, and Kuro followed me as I went to my room to get some homework done. As I sat at my desk and opened my laptop, I couldn't help but glance at the locket on my bedside table.

I walked up to it, opening it with a click to be greeted with a family picture between my dad, sister, and me. My heart ached with longing, but I knew I would see them soon. I just had to focus on the tasks before me for now.

I couldn't afford to let my grades slip if I wanted to maintain that scholarship, even with everything else going on in my life. I opened my textbook and began reading, trying to absorb as much information as possible.

Still, I couldn't help but feel some apprehension at the prospect of crossing back over to Earth for a weekend. It was definitely distracting me a bit.

But I was excited about lunch with Natasha tomorrow. It felt comforting to have someone normal in my life.

Someone that wasn't related to the craziness of the Magical Girl world.

I smiled and looked out the window; the sun shone brightly over the sky and reminded me that everything was going to be okay. All I had to do was focus on what was right in front of me.