A/N: Well, hot damn. I'm one story away from finishing this grand trilogy which started out just being an attempt to write an unconventional Magic Girl story fraught with too many references to Super and Real Robot anime. When I started, I had no idea how things were going to play out, and even now, there's still a long road ahead of me and I don't know how everything's going to play out. But that's what makes it exciting. Well, enough talking... time to start this last installment of the Dichotomy Trilogy.

The light

When the alarm went off that morning, I was already up. The New Years Eve celebration last night ushering in the year 2015 hadn't given me much time to sleep. And even when I did find the time to rest I found myself out of bed long before I had planned. It was a new year... the last year Mizuki, Asuka, my sister... heck, everyone I was close to, would be at M-- University. Winter break would be over soon, and then we could finish up this grand journey at Tokyo's famous school of higher learning.

My name is Minako Yuki. I am twenty-one years old and live at home with my slightly younger sister Hokuko. Twenty-seven months ago, a lot of crazy stuff happened in my life but things had been sorted out by the efforts of my friends and things had returned to normalcy for me. In spite of two isolated incidents which ended up correcting themselves without my involvement, the past two years of my life had been the best ever. No scrambling and fighting monsters, no taking orders from a woman with her own twisted ambitions, and no wondering how exactly I fit into the grand scheme of things.

There was a knock at my door and a girl with short brown hair and glasses peeked through the door. “Minako, you up for breakfast or do you want to wash up first?” She was Akane Kirashima, the first friend I ever remember having in all my life even though we drifted apart when we were just children. During the battles in 2012, however, we ended up reconnecting, and I owed Akane my very life.

“I think I'd like to eat,” I told her as I looked out the window and whistled. The snowfall hadn't let up that much from last night, and before I could even start to muse about how Hokuko was handling it, Akane beat me to the punch.

“Asuka and Horoki snapped a few photos of your 'sister' last night,” Akane said with a yawn. “She's out of the house, but she has to use a rather... how shall we say... conspicuous means of avoiding the problem with you-know-what.”

“How conspicuous?”

“An umbrella. An easy one to notice too.” She laughed before cracking her neck. “We'll be getting some photos later today, hopefully. We can take a look at them after we come back.”

“No problem. I'll be sure to check the weather forecast them.”

“Alright then. I'll let you know when it's your turn to wash up then, Minako.” With that, Akane left me to my private little world to think about 'them'. They were my parents, and as much as I'd liked to say they raised me right well... I wouldn't really know.

They died ten years ago, struck down by the cruel whims of destiny. Not long after that, I met a woman named Loretta Brauner, who gave me a purpose and a duty to fight for. And then... stuff happened for the next eight years of my life and it wasn't until I met the woman named Mizuki Rajoshin did things straighten out. And since they were buried here in Kyoto and I spent most of the year in Tokyo, I didn't get to visit them that much... but this year was different and that's why I was here.

It was starting to snow again. I'd have to hurry up if it took a turn for the worse.

Argh. Goddamn jet lag. I'd thought I had shaken it off after a few days in New York City, but I guessed wrong since I was on my last legs when it was barely evening. And considering how much of a fool I looked already, I was not going to lose consciousness at an anime convention.

My cell phone got a call and I was once again glad I had the foresight to set it to “vibrate”. No way I could hear it with so many shouts and discussions going on all around me. I did my best to find a quiet little alcove and then answered it.

“Yeah?”

“Just checking in, Mizuki,” my father's voice said. “The session should be wrapping up in a few hours. We'll be home soon. How's the convention?”

“... I still can't figure out how she got me to agree to this.”

There was an amused laugh. “I'm going to take that as you saying 'good'. Do you want us to pick up some food or something for dinner?”

“It was getting late,” I told him, “So I already got something to eat. I'm going straight to bed when I get home... no questions asked.”

“Are you sure you don't want us to skip out and get you?”

“Nah, I can power through this. But I appreciate the thought though. Let me know when you're done and I'll head outside so you can pick me up.”

“Okay then. I love you, Mizuki.”

“Love you too, dad.” And with that, I went back to the convention.

I... have a friend named Horoki. She helps me out with math and when she found out I was going to New York to spend time with my parents, she begged me to go and get her all the paraphernalia I could. It didn't help that pretty much everyone else I considered a friend was interested in at least one series being exhibited there. And naturally, they also demanded I cosplay... so I was dressed up in a ridiculously frilly black and white dress. At least Horoki had no objection to me wearing my yellow headband as a long choker and my similarly-colored scarf as a ribbon on the front.

The lines for Arcane Hecate and Maji School, located next to each other were finally starting to thin out. It was late and besides, a number of events were going to be starting soon. If I was lucky, things would go fast and I could just jump to one booth after finishing up with another. I had no interest in hearing some prodigy author who didn't seem to realize there were more fantasy creatures than just dragons rant on and on anyways.

Opposite of me looked to be a woman around thirty years old with a little kid, I would've said a mother and son except for the fact they looked very different. The child looked fairly normal save for dark violet hair and probably was American or European, but the woman was definitely Japanese. Her red hair was less unconventional than the boy's... but still rather uncommon.

But what really threw me off was that these situations usually involved the kid dragging the parent everywhere. Here...

“Oh god, Anser... this is going to be so freaking awesome!!!”

… It seemed the opposite. Oh well... that kid was handling it well enough so there was no reason I couldn't.

“Wah! Saori!”

Anser's shouts caused me to turn again, seeing the woman staring at me again with a nervous look in her eyes. Behind a set of light-blue sunglasses, Saori blinked once before clearing her throat. “Ah, sorry... you... looked a little like someone I had trouble with a few months ago.” The redhead laughed before she stretched out her hand. “But that problem's been over and done with.”

I couldn't help but laugh in return and shake her hand. Me, resemble someone? Well... there were over six billion people on the planet, after all. “I've had my own share of trouble in the past. Again, it's all over and done with.”

“Saori Ichimonji,” the woman said before looking down to the boy and smiling. “This is Anser. He's my adoptive son.”

“Nice to meet you too,” I told him before we realized we were holding up the line and quickly advanced In mid-stride, I couldn't help but notice he was looking at the ever-approaching booth with more dread. “Oh, come on. Your mom can't be that bad, can she?”

The younger Ichimonji just looked at me for a moment before sighing.

“She's written fanfiction for Maji School.”

“Hey!” Saori scolded. “It kills time when I have nothing to do at L++ or at work! What's the shame in that, Anser?”

“...” Anser was not in the mood to continue this conversation and he took charge. “Anyways... and I'm sorry if this sounds like prying or anything, but your name wouldn't happen to be Mizuki Rajoshin, would it?”

…

“Well... yeah... but... do I... know you?”

“To be honest...” Saori began to say when a loud and overwhelming voice was broadcast over the intercom, coercing all into silence.

“Attention, all attenders of Mahoucon... we must tragically inform you that an accident has happened. Please leave through the closest exit immediately. Your names are on record and your admission fee will be reimbursed in the near future. Apologies, and again, please leave through the closest exit immediately. Thank you for your consideration.”

There was something about the man's voice that let me know the severity of the situation, and I wasn't the only one that was clued in. Even after the broadcast ended, hardly anybody seemed to be in the mood to rant about this turn of events, and those that did were swiftly shut up.

The woman and the child were gone, leaving me alone in my stupid Magic Girl outfit and wondering how they knew of me. There was quite a line being formed in front of the exits, and I mused it was a miracle that everyone was staying under as much control as they were. But more importantly, in that crowd Saori and Anser were nowhere to be seen, and that possibly meant they were they were connected to this.

If they were enemies, they were something entirely new, and something I might not have a second chance to get the jump on. And so against my better judgment, I began to walk further into the convention center. Nobody was really paying attention to me, which was good as I undid my “ribbon” and “choker” returning the effects to their proper places. My dress was... something unwieldy, but hopefully it would be only a minor problem if it came to fighting.

And with that, I pressed on to confront the woman named Saori Ichimonji.

The light

I couldn't recall the last time I had been at this cemetery, paying my respects to the people that had raised me. And considering how my life had settled out into something manageable for the past twenty-seven months, that really spoke ill of me. But maybe I was just waiting for a nice atmosphere to do it in. A bouquet of flowers had been placed between their graves and I smiled amidst the descending snow as Akane stood off to the side.

After a moment I sighed and started walking towards her. “Okay... I think I'm done here.”

“That was quick,” she said before falling in step with me. “Did you... like... say anything to them?”

“No,” I answered. “But I wanted to be there... and show them that I was happy.” And that was true. I had a good friends, a loving girlfriend, and a simple life. There wasn't anything that could-

There was the faint sound of a foot falling into the snow. Instinct took hold as my entire body performed the motions that had been all but routine after so many fights for so many years. My hands gripped Akane's jacket, pulling her out of the way as a very large and very unconventional spear sailed through the air where we had been moments before. In spite of the snow kicked up by the weapon's impact with the ground, I still saw enough of it.

The blade was... a seashell. A perfectly blue seashell, attached to a wooden shaft with nothing but rope. In spite of the primitive nature of the weapon, I had to attest to its strength.

After all, it had pierced clean through a pair of tombstones after missing us.

“After sitting on her hands for over two years, it's amazing you still have a fighter's discipline, Minako Yuki. Dario... I think we might have gone into all of this without thinking it through.”

I turned, keeping Akane behind me. Sure enough, a pair of individuals were there... a girl with curly light-brown hair and pink robes next to a guy in...

A loincloth?!?

It made no sense... accompanying the woman in the mid-day snow was a very, very well-toned man with darkly tanned skin and short blonde hair. And the only article of clothing on him was a scrap of cloth covering his shame.

“Apologies, Arys,” Dario confessed as he bowed his head down. “After all this time and the operation's-”

“Nonsense,” the woman, Arys responded as she looked at him and smirked. “The element of surprise isn't that important.”

“But-”

“Now hold on a minute!” I shouted. “I don't know who exactly you are but I came here for a very personal reason and I'm not in the mood for this!”

The two people exchanged glances before Arys sighed. “... Dario, as I was saying...” there was a flash of steel and Akane and I sprang away, having predicted the woman's tactic long in advance. An elegant , blood-red katana cut into the ground where we had been moments before.

“Akane!” I shouted as I looked at her, “Get out of here!”

“What about-”

I clenched my fists. “I'll be fine.” I had Dario and Arys's attention and I called upon my powers for the first time in a long time. Even if they didn't serve the ideals of Destiny... even if they didn't have anything to do with that whole debacle involving Soma and Ikki Higashi eighteen months ago...

I'd fight them.

“CHANGE!” I screamed out, “YAMI!”

There was a flash of brilliant light and then...

“M-Minako!”

The mirror

There was only one time during the battle of 2012 that I saw Minako's armor: at a point when we all would have died had she not called upon it. It was white like the snow, a practical design that still carried an angelic theme with it, complete with deployable wings to permit flight.

Don't ask me about the last part. It was the powers of a Magic Girl and you just had to roll with the punches.

… What Minako had called to her now... was not that armor. The white plates were dull and soiled, fractured in numerous areas and a pathetic shadow of what I remembered it being two years ago. Minako was all but petrified, Arys and Dario looking on at these developments with smug looks on their faces.

“It's been so long without her maintaining your armor...” Dario calmly explained. “You're helpless, Minako Yuki!”

Arys attacked again, Minako diving out of the way. She was recovering her composure, but my friend still needed help and-

“Go ahead... try it.” I looked up, seeing Dario leaning against a grave. While Minako was fighting for her life against the woman, the blonde-haired man just stared back at me. “It's the obvious thing to do, right? She needs a weapon and... well, you know.”

“... Why aren't you helping your friend?”

The katana crashed into something and I almost panicked, barely relieved that it was just another tombstone. Minako moved in to attack and I almost let myself calm down before I realized that I was still in a conversation with the enemy.

“Oh... I already am...” he responded. Looking back at Dario, I found another spear leveled straight at my throat. “No mirror means no healing... correct Miss Kirishima?”

… God... dammit.

“Miss Yuki!” Dario shouted, drawing Minako's attention as Arys pulled away from the knight in failing armor. “I'd advise you to surrender and end this charade. Our quarrel is with you alone... please keep it that way.”

“You're the one involving me,” I snapped as I tried to slowly inch away. Dario could only smirk before sighing.

“Oh... Miss Kirishima... you don't try to come off as amiable, do you? Oh well... if you want to delay the inevitable by a few moments...”

I didn't let that get to me as I spoke up again to Minako while not taking my eyes off of Dario. “Minako, don't you dare quit here of all places. I've got questions I need answers for and I'm not giving up... don't die in front of your parents. How would they feel about that?”

I could see Dario flinch slightly at the mention of Minako's parents. That proved the incentive needed for him to charge.

The light

“This... ends here!” Arys shouted as she raised her katana high in the air. I took the initiative to try to strike, but Arys just bent backwards. “JUST KIDDING!” Her leg swung up and slammed into the side of my head, and the snow-covered ground was slick enough for me to be knocked down. Arys laughed as she brought her leg down and pinned me there so she could finish me off for good. “It's time to snuff you from the face of the planet, Yuki!”

I acted fast, reaching backwards and snapping off one of the damaged “feathers” from my armor's wings and swinging it forward into Arys's other leg. The end was sharp enough to pierce her leg and give me an opening to scramble up to my feet.

… Just in time to see Dario lunge and kill Aka-

The blonde stumbled in the snow, giving her the opportunity to run. My momentary surprise at Akane's gambit quickly was swept away. For one, it was Akane and I was a fool to have doubted she couldn't take care of herself.

I threw the shard of my armor into my offhand as I saw Dario prime himself to throw his second spear at Akane's fleeing form. “I don't think so! Brilliant...” A shaft of light coursed from my finger as I pointed at Dario. “LUMINESCENCE!”

The man dove away and I returned to focus on Arys as her blade scraped by my left side and drew blood. She seemed rather happy with herself as I tried to block her next attack with my arm guards only for the katana to sink through my defenses and wound my arms.

I was in pain, and I knew that blow to my side was going to need more than a few bandages. But it didn't matter much at the moment, and I retaliated in the most practical means. In spite of my wounds, I pried one of my arms out and slashed her across the throat, cutting the woman up before she knew what had happened.

“ARYS!”

The girl in pink staggered back, Dario frantically running towards her. Ironically his scramble in the snow was proving more difficult and time consuming than a more restrained approach, and yet he still managed to get to the girl in time to catch her before she fell back and dashed her head on the ground.

His panic almost immediately vanished as he looked up at me, and for a moment was just looked at each other in the snow. I was winded, confused as to why my armor was in such a state of disrepair, and injured.

Dario, on the other hand, simply had frustrations about a girl in a lab coat escaping him and possibly was rethinking the logic of wearing hardly any clothing in the middle of winter.

“D-Dario...”

No... no way...

My eyes opened wide as Arys's own looked up at Dario and she smiled. I could hear breaths from her. Not pained ones... but honest, calm breaths as Dario sighed.

“Yuki.” He addressed me and I cautiously backed up, angling the shard of my armor in my hand while looking at him. What was going on here? How could... how could she shrug off that kind of injury? He didn't even pay any attention to the fact I was holding a weapon, no matter how improvised it was. “... Do not think that it is over.”

“What's to stop me from killing you right now?” I asked as with my free hand I pointed straight at them. “I certainly have the opening.”

“Of course you do. Keep telling yourself that.”

I released another blast of light, only to find myself blinded by it instead... another mystery to add to the collection as I blinked desperately to try to regain my sight sooner.

A few moments passed without incident. I found myself alone in the snowy graveyard with nothing but a lot of unanswered questions to keep me company.

I had to get going. Akane couldn't have gone far and I had to find her. And from there? Well... start trying to make sense of all of this, no matter what the circumstances.