I stared in shock as the blood mage was blown to bits, his body shattering into chunks and splatters.

I collapsed, falling to the ground, the adrenaline and last of the second wind Aurora lent me fading.

I hadn't expected him to die. People with high-level Depravity skills were notoriously durable and hard to kill, but his durability had been... almost non-existent. Was he just a normal human with a Depravity ability?

My ears were ringing. I couldn't hear anything.

My vision swam.

I killed someone.

I... killed him.

I shivered, wrapping myself with my arms.

He had deserved it, right?

Right?

But that's a person I...

My mind felt blank, empty.

But he had been a bad person. He had hurt so many people, and threatened my friends, and... and...

"Lux! Look out!"

I looked up to see the blood that was scattered around me congeal into spikes, shooting at me with deadly intent. My legs felt like jello and I couldn't react. They were too fast and my vision was blurry, and I felt so weak, drained of all energy, and the spikes of red were about to run through me.

"Verdant Art: Ten Thousand Cherry Blossoms!" I heard someone speak.

A figure stepped in between me and the blood spikes. Green light covered her body and the blood spikes shattered against a rapidly-regenerating wall of blooming flowers and green energy. I could briefly make out a shimmering purple dress the color of dusk, with constellations sewn into the fabric.

"Flare!" I heard another voice call.

There was a bright flash of light, and the bloody spikes evaporated. The figure turned to me, and I blinked.

I couldn't see her face, obscured by a hood and her long hair.

"Who?" I murmured, barely able to think or move, but then her mana signature reached my senses.

"Lux! Are you alright?" Twilight Aster called, as she ran to my side.

"Aster," I muttered.

Her hands were on my shoulders. "Thank goodness we got here in time," she said. "Dawn Lily and Midnight Blossom are here with me. Everything is going to be okay."

I looked around, trying to make out who had spoken. I could make out the blurry outline of Dawn Lily's costume as my vision span.

The blood mage was gone, the puddle of red was now nothing more than ashes.

I felt Twilight Aster's hands on my shoulders. Her voice was soft, and I could hear the worry in it.

I was safe.

"You did well, Lux. It's over," she said.

But... he'd been... the blood...

"Where...? Blood...?" I muttered, and she looked down at me with concern. I could feel the worry coming off of her.

She helped me sit up, and then I felt the warm, soothing glow of her healing ability wash over me as she placed a gem in my hands. My body relaxed, and I let out a sigh as I clutched it.

"Where did he... go?" I asked.

"It was just a clone made from his own blood," she said, looking down at the ashen remains. "He can control a single one remotely with reduced physical capability, and the skill has an inherent failsafe. I've dealt with them in the past. Fortunately that will set him back by weeks."

"I..." I murmured. "He...?"

I felt relief that he wasn't actually dead, that I hadn't killed anyone, but at the same time I felt guilt that I hadn't.

He deserved it.

He deserved it but...

Twilight Aster patted me on the head, picking me up gently and helping me walk. "Let's go, we can talk more later."

She began to lead me away from the battlefield, the area around us was covered in rubble, with craters and holes in the ground where Yuzu had used her magic and where I'd used the Luminary Beam. I felt the cool, fresh night air against my skin, and the warmth of the mana in Twilight Aster's hands. She was taking me somewhere safe, away from the battlefield.

"A...Arsenal? Is she...?" I asked.

Twilight Aster nodded. "Yes, Braveheart Kraken managed to arrive in time to save Arsenal. We have her in custody."

Custody? Wait, no, she couldn't be serious, right? She had to be joking. She was the victim here!

Twilight Aster continued, her voice soothing as she walked. "The others are being checked by paramedics. You did well, Lux."

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"Wh-What do you mean? What's going to happen now?" I stammered.

Twilight Aster looked down at me. "You did what you had to do. We just... go home now."

"I don't understand."

Twilight Aster didn't answer, she simply continued leading me to wherever she was taking me, away from the battle and destruction.

I looked back, watching as a team of heavily armed men surrounded the unconscious Scrapper Scuttler.

My eyes were drooping. I was so exhausted. So very, very tired. I looked back, to where I had blasted Sanguine Sorceror apart. It was a blood clone, sure. But it looked just like him, and it felt so... real.

He was still alive, I hadn't actually killed anyone, but that was...

That was...

That wasn't okay. It wasn't. It shouldn't have been okay that I killed someone, even if it had only been a clone. That was a person. That could have been a person. They might have been a bad person, but a person.

Had I done the right thing? The just thing? Or was I just another monster in the making now? Had I crossed the line? I'd gone after him with full intent to kill, and I'd done it. Even if it was just a clone. I'd killed him, or what looked just like him.

That didn't sit well with me, but I couldn't do anything about it. I'd gotten heated in the moment, I hadn't stopped to think. And I was exhausted. So very exhausted. My eyelids were so very, very heavy. My limbs ached and I could barely walk. I needed to sleep.

"Hey," a familiar, soft voice called.

I looked over my shoulder to see Kitsune running after me.

"Where are you taking her? Is she alright?"

"Kaleidoscope Academy's infirmary, and I don't know," Twilight Aster stated. "I'll be taking her to the nurse for checkup. Her vitals seem to be stable but we need to be sure and run a battery of tests."

"I just got out of that place this morning, dammit," I grumbled.

Twilight Aster chuckled.

Kitsune's voice was full of concern. "I... Can I go with her?"

Twilight Aster's tone was gentle and soft, and she seemed to consider the request. "You can follow her if you'd like. You look a bit injured too. The paramedics will probably check on you first, and you'll need to make a report of what happened, but you're welcome to accompany Lux if you'd like."

Elysia caught up as well, jogging alongside. "Hey! You're not leaving me behind. You were fighting pretty hard there."

"Elysia?" I mumbled.

The platinum blonde gave me a sad, apologetic smile. "Yeah, I'll be with you too. I'll be following along to Kaleidoscope, and I'm sure the rest of the gang will too."

"Yeah, they'll probably want to come too," Twilight Aster smiled. "The school has an excellent medical ward and infirmary, and they'll likely want to question them as witnesses anyway. You all did good."

"I... Yeah..." I muttered.

I just wanted to sleep.

"Okay," Elysia agreed. "I just don't want to leave her alone."

"I'm okay, Elysia," I reassured her, and she gave me a warm smile in response. She seemed nervous, though. Her aura was filled with anxiety. It made sense, after all she'd gone through tonight.

And I was worried about Albert. He was my friend. My best friend. But was he okay? That knife had been inches away. If I hadn't snapped out of it...

No, it's okay now.

"Can someone please tell Albert that I'm alright? He must be worried," I asked, my voice soft and almost delirious.

"I'll make sure of it," Elysia reassured me.

Twilight Aster led me away, with Elysia and Kitsune following. The rest of the group had caught up, and the paramedics were tending to everyone.

I heard a few whispers of "These kids took down the Scuttler?! What the heck?!" from some of the paramedics.

I saw Ichigo give the Scuttler a glare, kicking his armor out of anger as the authorities surrounded and loaded him up to a mechanical stretcher.

"I don't know what to think of him right now," I admitted, looking back at him as he was loaded into an armored vehicle surrounded by men with massive guns and a few engineers with power saws.

I shook my head and looked away. He'd obviously had some history with Arcadia Vox and the Nightmare of Nox. He had seemed like he wasn't a bad person, at first. I wanted to believe that there was good in him, that he was just misguided. But he'd gone down a very, very wrong path.

I shook my head.

He deserved to rot, for the moment.

He deserved to be locked away for what he'd done, at the very least for now. He was too dangerous to let run free. Maybe in time, he'd learn better. Maybe he'd change his ways.

It made me think of mom again, of all things.

She was like us once. Just a regular magical girl. One of the most talented ever, in fact, but just like us. I didn't know the whole story, but I knew the gist.

She'd become one of the most notorious supervillains in the world.

What led her down that path? How could such a good, well-intentioned, heroic woman like my mother fall to become a person who'd willingly use her powers to hurt, kill, and maim? A woman who would willingly use her powers to terrorize the world and destroy lives? How could she go so far?

How could anyone?

The Scuttler had obviously had his issues. Maybe it was a similar situation to my mom? I didn't know, but the Nightmare of Nox had obviously been his start of darkness, and it made me wonder what had happened.

Nobody started off the villain. It was a slippery slope, and who's to say where it starts?

I wobbled, stumbling a little as my body began to give way to the exhaustion. My body was sore and aching from the strain. I was so tired. I wanted nothing more than to curl up into a ball and sleep. Maybe I'd wake up to find this had all been a dream, just a nightmare.

Kitsune's arm was suddenly around me. His arm was around me, his hand gently supporting my waist, his other arm draped across my shoulder, holding me steady.

"Hey, easy there. Let me help," he whispered softly, his voice low and gentle.

"Thank you," I whispered.

This was the second time I'd pushed myself way beyond my limits in just two days. It wasn't a good feeling, physically or mentally.

"No biggie. I've got you," Kitsune smiled.

He'd saved me during the Cataclysm when I'd squeezed out everything I had in me to save Albert.

He was so sweet. He smelled like apples and vanilla.

I blushed.

Dammit.

He really was a cute guy, with that foxy smile of his and those fluffy tails and—

Dammit Sienna, be normal!

"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice gentle, and his eyes filled with concern. He looked down at me.

"Yeah. Just tired," I replied.

"I'm sorry for that," he said. "It was my fault."

I turned my head, giving him a surprised look.

"It was my fault," he repeated. "I should have had more than enough in the tank to help and finish that creepy asshole off."

I looked up at him, at the way he held himself, at the look on his face.

"You did your best. And it wasn't your fault that he had that artifact," I said.

Kitsune smiled. "I'll be ready next time," he said, determination on his voice. "You and everyone else did a good job. We took him down, in the end."

"I'll hold you to it," I said, smiling up at him, and he smiled back.

We both looked away. I couldn't help but giggle. This was all so awkward and I felt so silly.

He really was such a sweet, adork-able guy, and I appreciated it.

"Hey," I started. "You know the thing you did with your tails the last time I passed out?"

"Yeah, the one where you started snoring halfway through when I was wind surfing? I'd remember it anywhere." Kitsune joked.

"You jerk! I do not snore!"

He snickered, sticking out his tongue at me and wiggling his eyebrows.

"Uh huh, sure," Kitsune snorted, rolling his eyes. "And what do you wanna know about the tails?"

"Could you do it again?" I asked. "I think... I think I'm about to pass out again..."

"Of course, just hold still," Kitsune replied, stopping in place.

Twilight Aster nodded, letting us sit down as the rest of the group was checked by the paramedics.

His three tails swayed, and I watched as they began to glow. Then, they moved, surrounding us. The fur was so soft and warm.

I felt him pick me up gently, cradling me in his arms, and then the softness of the fur of his tails. The glow from the fur grew brighter, and it grew warm and cozy. My body was warm and tingling, and my skin was prickly with a pleasant sensation as I relaxed my body.

My head rested on the fluffy pillow of his tail as I stopped fighting the fatigue, and took a contented breath.

And then the world went dark.