She never said escape. But there were times Mercury ran to the lake at the edge of the forest, or to the waterfall, or to the tall rooftops of the city in the deep darkness of night. Tonight, it was the last of those. She made an unusual sight, all in blue from the sailor-style magical girl outfit to her hair.

It was a sure sign of her agitation that she was back here at all, trying to piece together a mind that was often pulled in two directions at once. There were so many reasons for both.

An intruder. She turned sharply, making the charm on the choker necklace sway, and stiffened as she spotted Madoka. "Who's there?"