Chapter 6 Small Victories

"Congrats on defeating your first witch," Kanbey spoke. It was the middle of the night, back in the dorm room. Amy had missed that orientation thing, which in theory included a tour of the school. She had found out how to detransform and had waited in the Castleteria for her room mate (whose name is apparently Rosemary Red). She seemed really relieved to have found her (so she probably was looking for her all day...). Amy and Kanbey were having a telepathic conversation.

"Witch... that is the 'main thing I should worry about right?"

"Correct!"

"Is it normal to... see things when a witch attacks?"

"You hallucinating again already?"

"Maybe? But it wasn't that... it was more like a vision... I saw things... people? I didn't meet yet. I couldn't control my mouth, and there was no context but... it seemed like in the moment... I knew? I mentioned a gold mask thing in this vision... I never seen such a thing."

"Oh. I see. It could have just been the witch's magic. It is possible that witch you fought had the power to see the future, and you might have glimpsed your own in that fight. Witches, like magical girls, have unique magic of their own."

"What did it have to gain by showing me... my future?"

"To dishearten you? To make you falter? To make you despair? There are many reasons that are essentially the same if you ask me. It could have merely been a distraction."

"I see. Is it normal for... people to not recognize me when I am transformed?"

"Hmmm... I mean, typically that is abnormal. But I would be more surprised if people did recognize you."

"Why is that?"

"Its not important. Sides you'll figure it out on your own, eventually."

"One last question. What is this?" Amy asked pulling out the black object.

"The witch... techically."

"What?!"

"Don't worry, as long as it doesn't absorb too many impurities it should be safe. And you can use it to restore any magic you used up during the fight. Though if it takes in too much, the witch will come back."

"So this is its corpse?"

"I mean technically, or you could call it, its true self. A grief seed, which is what that is, is the core of a witch. The labyrinth, the familiars, and even the witch itself is formed by the magic of the grief seed. Upon the witch's defeat, it powers off for lack of a better word."

"If defeating it robs it of its power... what happens if the witch is on for too long?"

"A witch has to feed on the life energy of humans and magical girls in order to sustain itself, though by consuming other witches, they do become far more powerful, which is something to watch out for. If they don't consume, eventually they starve to death and retreat back into a grief seed."

"I see. Is it feeding off of my life energy if I use it?"

"No. Witches also feed off of negative emotions, which soul gems accumulate. Though magic use also has the same effect. Either way, a witch is able to absorb them through direct contact between a soul gem and grief seed."

"Soul gem?"

"You know when you made your contract? Your soul gem was created. It is what allows you to use magic. I mean look at your ring."

"Ring?" Amy questioned looking at her hand, to find a silver band with a green gem. "Where did this come from?"

"That is your soul gem. In its portable form. You can summon your soul gem from it, and by touching it, you will be able to re enter your magical girl form, of which it will become part of your attire."

"It does?"

"Well, I would be surprised if you could see it. For you, its on your neck, like your throat."

"Oh. That makes sense, How could I see it there?"

"Well if you removed it you could."

"Kanbey... why is it called a soul gem?"

"Hmm?"

"Why is the magical power gem I have called a soul gem? It just seems kind of specific... you know? Typically when two words are in one word they... you know... Describe or are related to the something. Unless its pineapple but both are fruits... and I guess the inside is kind of like an apple... both are yellow, no clue about the taste though. I see the gem part. Its a jewel thingy. But soul... is it connected to my soul? Its the source of my magic right? Is it like drawing power from my soul or bringing out my true self... like manifesting my soul or something...it wouldn't be my soul, would it? I would be very concerned if it was my soul. But I guess not... in terms of concern... cause at least that means I would have my soul... quite litterally as well as proof that souls do exist. Where the fuck do I go if I die and my soul is in the rock? If its in the rock. Now I am worried about that... Kanbey, is my soul in the rock?"

"Maybe its best you go to bed... your worrying yourself too much," Kanbey said before leaving, leaping down once more.

Amy physically yelled out to it as it leap,"You didn't awnser my question! Did you put my soul... somehow... in the rock?"

...

Amy did manage to sleep that night. She didn't remember what her dream was about. Though she did have... a lot more questions. Like why does negative emotions also drain magic from her soul gem? What happens when she runs out of magic? What does that look like? Will her soul gem drain like its full of fluid or will it eventually become clear, loosing its color. How do grief seeds clean soul gems? How is it restoring magic when they feed on negativity? If they get stronger by feeding on magic, wouldn't feeding the grief seed drain Amy of magic instead of restore it? Are they feeding on something else then? If negative emotions and used magic have the same outcome... would use on a soul gem be feeding the witch her negative emotions? Why would negative emotions influence a soul gem the same way magic does if this thing is the source of her power? If her soul gem is linked to her soul, or is her soul, then by using grief seeds would she be letting witches feed off her soul? Why can they do that, and why is that encouraged? Its sounds really dangerous...

Should she have asked more questions before she contracted?

Yes.

Did she have a choice?

It was contract or death by bug scissors... so no.

At least she made the wish she decided she wanted or she probably would have made a completely different wish to save herself which would have changed the very nature of her magic according to Kanbey...

Was that the point? Kanbey didn't show up again before then... so it was make a wish or die... and she guessed most people would make a wish to save themselves, thus altering the nature of their magic. Also the wish they would have wanted granted can no longer be granted. How are the wishes granted? Is it by creating the soul gem? Or is it something else? If the creation of the soul gem grants the wish and the soul gem is the soul then that would make sense on why you can't make a second wish.

Why are the dead form of witches called grief seeds? The thing from the witch does not have any thing to do with seeds, nor did the witch she fought. They fed on grief, or grief was just the word chosen because grief is a negative emotion that witches feed on. And well, Amy supposed they also caused grief by killing people, which sets up for more feeding for the witch. Ok, so the grief part made sense. And she supposed in a metaphorical sense the seed part of the word made sense too since witches sow grief like its a crop by killing people and making more people unhappy and upset to feed off of them too. It still looked nothing like a seed but, she understood why it was called that.

Amy paused, stopping her train of thought. She can't do this all day and she doubted her room mate would want to witness this rambling. Even if it was internal, so she probably wouldn't hear it. But Amy did have things she wanted to do today. Also since people do not recognize her in magical girl form, then maybe she should use that outside of class. Assuming that Rosemary might have told people about... the first night where she almost walked out of the room and into her doom from her hallucination. And probably for her own safety, Rosemary probably told people what Amy looks like to find her in the event she almost walks off another balcony.

Amy looked around for her compass, she needed that if she was going to get anywhere as she didn't go to that orientation, that apparently had a tour (this was based on Rosemary's grumbling of how useless it would be for Amy). She couldn't find it though, not on herself, or her side of the room and Rosemary was still asleep, and didn't know about the compass so no point in bothering her. She didn't drop it in the labyrinth, did she? If she did then it fell into that same abyss she did after the witch was killed but Amy had no recollection of her compass being with her after she was out of the labyrinth and on the floor. Suddenly a flash of green light happened and Amy found herself holding said compass. Though if it was a new one or the original one, Amy had no clue. But it seemed like the cat was right. She did summon him if this was how her compass returned to her. He did have a better sense of where to be after all.

...

Amy pondered if there was a way to...change her magical girl outfit. She also wondered what happened to the clothes she wore before she transformed as well as what happens if she was naked. In theory that would determine if she was creating clothes or reforming them. But in that same vein she wanted to know how her magical girl clothing functioned. Could she change it into something else if she felt like it. If it was cold, could she create a coat to go with it? Will it be similar to her magical girl outfit or be like any other object she "copies" from Wonderland? She decided that is probably what her magic is doing. Copying something from Wonderland and then making that copy real. Which is why she doesn't have to worry about loosing her Inner Compass. Cause the real one is in Wonderland, but she can loose the copies and not have to worry about getting lost. Pondering how magical clothes work is probably not the best use of time while waiting in the breakfast line, but who cares.

Amy hid her wheelchair under the bed before she left (Rosemary is gonna freak the fuck out but Amy was pretty sure she did leave a note... but she wasn't entirely sure if she did leave a note...) and was all transformed. She was pretty sure her transformed state wasn't too strange in comparison to the others at this school. Even though she wasn't recognized by people for some reason. Even Kanbey agreed that was abnormal. Amy had no clue why but by the time she was up in line for breakfast, the lunch person just gave Amy what she did yesterday. Likely to avoid another bout of Amy trying to convey what she wanted without having quite the correct language to do so. Amy just silently took it and brought it to the same place she ate yesterday. This wasn't what she wanted... she wanted whatever the fuck a waffle was cause it sounded fun and the person before her asked and recieved one but she wasn't gonna fight the lunch lady on this and just took it anyways. She apparently caused enough of a scene yesterday for the lunch lady to remember her... Amy had no idea how to feel about that. Was she gonna be remembered by that lunch lady as "the naked cake girl" and receive pancakes for breakfast for the rest of her time here? It wasn't that bad but it felt bad and Amy could admit that. School itself wasn't gonna begin for about another 6 days. Admittedly, Amy had no idea what to do in that time... but she'll figure something out.

Besides, chances are other witches would pop up and she would be able to stop them before things go bad... probably.

At least she hoped so.