Chapter 5 - The Tsarina of Kiev 

        It’s been two days since Iryna arrived in Kiev and her strange encounter with Anastasia. Since then she has managed to find a grief seed and clear up her soul gem. She did have to travel out of the city to do so, still wary of the mysterious girl’s threats but for now her magic has been restored. It's rather disappointing; Iryna thinks that her first ever meeting with a fellow Magical Girl went down so poorly. She was expecting to find someone like herself eventually; however she had hoped that all Magical Girls would be on the same team. They have a common enemy after all, why should they fight?

     It's midnight as Iryna lies under heavy blankets on the floor of her cramped apartment pondering these very questions. Looking at her ring, which glows faintly in the darkness, she wonders how many other Magical Girls there are out there, and what they might have wished for. As she begins to drift off to sleep she hears the sound of an engine stopping outside, doors slamming shut and after a few minutes the distinct sound of heavy footsteps approaching the apartment.

     Suddenly there is a loud relentless banging at the door awakening everyone in the tiny home. Iryna is the only one who seems unnerved by this, afraid of who might have business with the family at this time of the night. Yosyp however clambers out of bed and stumbles through the darkness, carefully avoiding both his children and belongings scattered on the floor. With a calm and well meaning demeanour the man opens the door without worry. As he does so the whole room is flooded with a bright, overpowering light.

     “Oh dear gentlemen, that’s rather bright.” Yosyp says, averting his face against the flash. When Irynas eyes finally adjust she is shocked to see two men dressed in perfectly kept military style uniforms, one of them holding a large flashlight which he shines into the home. Their blue flat-caps immediately tell her who these men are; the NKVD police have come knocking.

     “Good evening officers. You startled me there. Can I help you?” Yosyp smiles without worry. Iryna on the other hand is mortified. There’s only one reason the NKVD would come here; and that’s her father. Have they discovered his hiding of food back in Moldanava? Has he been committing other crimes the family doesn’t know about? It has to be bad whatever it is as the men look with angry scowls into the packed apartment. Iryna can barely hold back her worry, after finally getting the happy family she always dreamed of, it can't end like this. If Yosyp is taken away it would be heart breaking. She’s grown to love her new improved father deeply.

     “We’re here for Iryna Solomiya. Hand her over.” One of the officers says in a deep, powerful voice sending a wave of intense panic over Iryna herself. She hadn’t expected that. Why on earth are they here for her she wonders as she gets to her feet slowly, her hands shaking with fear.

     “Oh I see, one of my daughters. Iryna come over here and talk to the nice officers please.” Yosyp beckons, waving his terrified daughter over as if nothing was wrong. Even as Iryna moves carefully across the room towards the waiting doorway he smiles and looks at her as if he was sending her off to work. There isn’t a single hint of worry in the man’s bearded face, and likewise as she looks back Iryna notices that the same is true for her mother and siblings. There’s no protest, no denial towards the officers, not even a frown, just the blank emotionlessly-happy faces Iryna has somehow come to expect. There’s nothing the young girl can do in this situation but go with the men quietly, less she risks their wrath falling upon the others. Even a Magical Girl can’t fight the real world after all.

     A feeling of dread overcomes Iryna when she hears her father call out a chirpy farewell from the doorway as she is quickly marched away. The sound of it closing behind her is still ringing in her ears as the officers lead her down the endless flights of stairs and out of the building where their car, a beautifully polished black roadster sits with its engine idling and headlights blazing into the thick night fog. 

     Iryna dare not say a word to her captors as they travel, and likewise they don’t speak a word to her. This is the first time she has ever been in an automobile, something which should be so exciting and fun. Unfortunately the extreme fear is burying any sense of wonder she may feel at the experience. As the car travels through the empty, quiet streets of Kiev Iryna contemplates what may be in store for her. Had the authorities discovered her powers as a Magical Girl? She’d never even considered such a thing. If they have; what could she do? There’s no doubt that she easily has the ability to overpower these two guards and escape, but then what? Surely the police would return for her family, and Iryna isn’t exactly comfortable attacking someone who isn’t a Witch.

     After several minutes of silent, tense driving the car arrives at its final destination, pulling up outside an amazing, lavish tower block. It’s far grander than her own home, almost mansion-like in style with incredible detailed windows and columns adorning its front. The roof is dominated by three huge domes and multiple towering chimneys, the windows shine with golden light and a huge glass façade meets the street on the ground floor. It’s a colossus of a building; something fit for a king she thinks, almost forgetting about the officers who wrench open her door to beckon her out of the parked car.

     After stumbling out the two men push the confused girl inside the building where the grandeur doesn’t end. A gigantic chandelier hangs proud from the ceiling and the lobby is adorned with exquisite paintings and a fluffy, warm carpet. Several men sit at a desk looking at her inquisitively as she is shuffled up the stairs. They don’t look anything like the military men which have brought Iryna here. Rather they look more formal, still in uniform only one meant for a service role, not government. It’s only after Iryna notices the silver plated numbers on every door she passes that she realises that this must be a hotel. Indeed she is correct; the police officers have, for whatever reason, brought Iryna to Ginzburg House where they continue to nudge her ever onwards up the flights of stairs towards the top floor.

     Eventually Iryna and her escort arrive at a pair of imposing wooden doors with “penthouse suite” marked in gold Cyrillic’s. Surprisingly the doors open as if on their own, breaking the terrible silence with a long and piercing creak. Inside Iryna is again left in utter amazement. A room decorated beyond belief with luxury, a temple to wealth and power. Classical music plays from somewhere deep inside the suite unseen from the large master hall that the soldiers force Iryna into. Above her swings another chandelier sparkling and tinkling with crystal and glass while scattered about on ornate cabinets rest assorted golden candle holders, small statues, busts and bottles of vintage and exotic champagnes. It is truly an incredible sight to the impoverished Iryna.

     Drawing her attention away from the glamour the guards nudge her towards the far end of the room where a familiar face awaits. Sitting like a monarch observing her kingdom from a throne-like seat sits Anastasia. Cross legged and wiggling her toes as if she’s been waiting here in boredom and still dressed in her Magical Girl outfit she rests her cheek on her hand, staring at the new arrival with narrow, judging eyes. The officers move Iryna in front of Anastasia as if beginning an audience with their queen.

     “I-It’s you!? Anastasia?” Iryna blurts out in shock, resulting in one of her police guards slapping her in the back of the head angrily.

     “Only speak when the Mistress asks you a question!” the officer yells.

     “It's ok Mister Federov, she isn’t one of my normal visitors. You two can leave, I want to talk to her alone for now.” Anastasia says without moving an inch from her resting pose. Obeying her commands both officers glare at Iryna with deep suspicion before they exit the palatial apartment leaving only the two Magical Girls to stare at one another in awkward silence. 

     “So you sent the NKVD after me? How? How do you even know where I live?” Iryna asks in confusion.

     “You’ll find I have a lot of sway in Kiev. I have eyes and ears everywhere. Like I said before; this is my city.” Anastasia replies with full confidence.

     “Umm look; I think we got off on the wrong foot the other day.” Iryna speaks softly, trying to come across as non-confrontational as possible.

     “Oh no, I know exactly what foot we got off on. You thought it would be a good idea to come into my territory and take what belongs to me – my Witches that is. Don’t worry I understand; you’re a Jew, it’s in your nature to steal from others.” Anastasia remarks as she sits back into her large throne. This insult comes as a painful shock to Iryna who stands dumbstruck for a moment taking it all in.

     “What does that mean? I didn’t know there was already a Magical Girl here!” Iryna finally retorts, trying in vain to explain herself.

      “That’s just like you people, moving into somewhere you aren’t wanted and taking what doesn’t belong to you. I see right through you parasites.” Anastasia says with a sadistic, venomous punctuation. Of course Iryna has experienced hatred towards her and her family for their beliefs and culture many times before, and mostly she hasn’t cared much. For some reason however the fact that this girl; a fellow Magical Girl so close in age to herself, is the one spitting such insults at her people is truly agitating her this time.

     “There’s no need to be so rude. It was a mistake! What have I ever done to you anyway?” Iryna snaps back as her temper rises.

     “You? Nothing. Your people? They stole everything from me. My family's future, my land, my very country has been overrun with your Bolshevik scum.” Anastasia bites as she gets up from her seat to step closer to the plainly dressed peasant girl before her.

     “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Iryna denies, causing Anastasia to let out a deep sigh of disappointment as she moves to a large bookcase adorning the eastern wall. 

    “Read a book sometime. If you even can read that is.” The self appointed Tsarina of Kiev says while pulling a specific book entitled “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion” from the shelf before tossing it over to Iryna, who catches it tentatively.

     “Is that why you brought me here, to mock me?” Iryna says angrily, dropping the heavy book to the floor carelessly with a loud thud.

     “Hmp! I brought you here to set the record straight, to make a point. You will not hunt any Witches inside the city of Kiev from now on. Today I sent the NKVD to collect you. Disobey me and I have every power to have them send you and your pitiful family off to a gulag somewhere. Do we understand one another, Iryna Solomiya?” Anastasia demands with regal, cold and entirely serious eyes. A moment of silence descends over the penthouse suite once more as Iryna tries to make sense of this whole situation. It’s not her fault that this happened; she can’t even understand why Anastasia seems to despise her so furiously.

     “Why are you being so cruel? Aren’t we both Magical Girls? You made a wish just the same as I did. Aren’t we both fighting the same thing?” Iryna pleads, trying to get her own anger under control so as to not make anything worse.

     “And what is it that you’re fighting for Iryna?” Anastasia asks smugly, moving to sit back down at the head of the room. “What did you wish for?”

     “I wanted my family to be happy. I fight for them, for everyone at threat from evil; from the Witches and demons which plague this world. I thought that’s what all Magical Girls do. But it looks like I was wrong.” Iryna says with as much pride and confidence as she can muster, standing tall before the Queen who would so viciously mock her. Before Anastasia has the chance to retort, or burst out into a fit of laughter as it looks like she may do; a new visitor arrives in the luxury apartment.

     “Greetings Iryna Solomiya. I see you are now operating in Kiev.” Kyubey says as he jumps up onto the large table behind Iryna who spins around to meet him, startled by his sudden appearance. 

     “Oh! Kyubey!? There you are. I’ve been trying to talk to you for ages.” Iryna sighs with relief. While Anastasia does find it rather rude that Iryna has suddenly begun ignoring her; she is more intrigued at whatever she may say to the white feline creature so she sits back into her chair to observe with anticipation.

     “Ah yes. I’m afraid we’ve been rather busy recently. You have questions?” Kyubey says in his usual chirpy, high-pitched tone.

     “Yes! It’s my family. They’ve been acting strange for a while now. I don’t know what’s happening but it’s like they’re always so happy, even when something bad happens. They just smile… always smiling. I-I’m really glad they’re all so happy but… it’s just not normal. Do you know what’s going on?” Iryna asks in desperation, stumbling over her words as she tries to explain to Kyubey her bizarre situation.

     “I do not understand; is this not what you wished for?” Kyubey replies.

     “Yes but… I mean look; my father handed me over to the police without any fight! He’d never have done that before, he’s a strong man! I wanted them to be happy but not all the time.”

     “You wished for your family to stop fighting.” Kyubey says bluntly, practically stabbing Iryna with a sudden, horrifying realisation. Meanwhile a knowingly sinister grin grows across the face of the pompous Tsarina on her throne who shifts into a more comfortable position to watch the show that will soon unfold.

     “I-I meant stop fighting each other. Each other! Not everyone else! What have you done!? That’s not what I wanted at all!” Iryna cries out; her face distorting into utter panic, tears forming in her reddened, shining eyes.

    “You never specified the specifics of your wish. If I’m not wrong your family has not fought since your contract was formed.” Kyubey retorts; unmoved by the Magical Girls erratic emotional outburst.

    “But… No! No change them back! Change them back right now!” Iryna yells loudly, unable to contain her anger and sadness any longer. Anastasia on the other hand simply breaks out into a fit of mocking laughter, drawing Irynas manic, enraged attention. With a knowing smile the Tsarina stands up, clearly enjoying the display.

     “Oh Iryna. I’m always amazed by the number of ignorant Magical Girls who come through here who have no idea what it is they’ve gotten themselves into.” Anastasia says with a sly smile.

     “What are you talking about?” Iryna questions through painful sniffs and tears.

     “If you haven’t worked out that every wish has consequences then you can’t have been a Magical Girl for more than a few months. It’s ridiculous. Kyubey really does choose some real morons; they can never work it out on their own. It’s so simple when you think about it.” Continues Anastasia proudly.

      “Figure what out!? Do you mean my family will be like that forever!?”

      “Wishes can never be undone Iryna. But this goes far beyond your family now. You’ve clearly not realised what Kyubey has done to you.” Anastasia says as she approaches Iryna who stands in frozen shock, regret washing over her young body as Anastasia leans in to whisper in her burningly hot ear. “You’ve been a Magical Girl long enough, so answer me honestly; when did you last have your period Iryna?” The young Jewish girl recoils in surprise at this extremely personal question. Now a torrent of embarrassment is added to her whirlpool of confused emotions.

     “W-What does that have to do with anything!?” Iryna screams, backing away from the uncomfortably close girl at her side. As she looks in fear at Anastasia however she can’t help but feel that something is indeed wrong here, that she can’t recall getting her menstruation this month, or the last, ever since she first met Kyubey.

     “As I thought, you don’t know. They never notice on their own. Ha! You're dead Iryna Solomiya, and so am I!” Anastasia reveals with a sickeningly cold smile. Iryna can’t bring herself to believe such nonsense, however she also can’t bring herself to retort, simply shaking her head in denial at the Queen's impossible words. “They never question why it’s called a soul gem, do they Kyubey? Here Iryna let me help you; Kyubey over there takes out our souls and places them inside a more… useful container.” Anastasia says as she points to the gemstone on her large black hat shining a bright white glow. “It does leave our bodies as an empty husk without the gem, however that’s not so bad really; there are all kinds of benefits to this form of existence.”

     Iryna hates what she is hearing, she can’t stand it. First finding out that she’s doomed her family to a life of eternal happiness even in the face of abuse, crime, racism or worse, and now learning that her very own body is nothing more than a corpse being pupated about by her extracted soul – it's crushing, devastating. Her soul which was formed by God Himself has been defiled, destroyed. Could she ever enter heaven like this, would she even want to? She really should have thought about this more before jumping in and accepting that cat’s mysterious, seductive offer.

     “Oh, don’t look so upset now. As long as your soul gem stays intact your body is the perfect tool. We Magical Girls can heal any wound in hours, slow our ageing, and stay beautiful forever. If you want your period back just tell your body to make it happen. That’s the kind of control Kyubey has granted us. Keep the gem clear, fight Witches every now and then and it’s not a bad deal all things considered.” Anastasia explains, almost trying to persuade the broken Iryna around to her own way of thinking. Unfortunately for her it won’t work; Iryna is too far gone.  

     “Kyubey I thought you were an Angel… a messenger of God. I thought you wanted me to fight evil but you – you are the true evil here! Oh dear God, please help me! I’ve been fooled!” Iryna cries in utter defeated childish desperation, closing her eyes and praying loudly towards the heavens above. The scene, in all its painful anguish, even moves Anastasia, if only a little. Kyubey however only blinks stoic and motionless as always.

     “It was you who assumed I was such a creature. I made no such proposal. I’m afraid that our species has travelled the universe for many centuries and in all that time we have never discovered this being you humans call “God”. Iryna Solomiya it seems logical that your deity is a figment of your frail imagination.” Kyubey says with blunt efficiency, his pink eyes locked onto the bawling Iryna who shakes like a leaf at his statement. Her world is crumbling and she doesn’t want to accept this farce any longer.

     With a swift singular motion the distraught girl wrenches the ring from her finger and grasps it tightly, ready to throw the circlet across the lavish room and run away. Before she can do so however Kyubey speaks up once more.

     “I would not do that Iryna.” The cat says, stopping Iryna in her tracks.

     “He’s right. Remember that your very soul is inside that ring. If you throw it away there will be nothing left to control your body and I’m not putting it back on your finger for you. I’ll have one of my servant’s dump your corpse in the Dnieper if that’s what you wish.” Anastasia buts in, looking deadly serious as Iryna stands with her arm ready to discard the silver jewellery. There is a long moment of silence as Iryna decides her next course of action. She doesn’t want to be a Magical Girl anymore. 

     “You’re really ok with all of this Anastasia?” Iryna weeps pitifully.

     “Absolutely. I know one day my wish will catch up to me as yours has done, but until then I’m more than happy to make the most of this life I’ve made for myself. With my magic I can get whatever I want. I’m more powerful than any normal human and I’m fucking rich! Of course I’m ok with it! Now what are you going to do?” Anastasia boasts gleefully.

     Iryna stands almost perfectly still trying to decide her next move, her very future in fact. She contemplates everything that’s been said this evening. She never wished for power, doesn’t crave riches or wealth and the happiness she brought upon her loving family has backfired spectacularly. She simply can’t believe Kyubeys blasphemy that God doesn’t exist and she can’t stand the idea of her eternal soul being played with by his sinister forces.

     While truth-be-told she was never a very religious girl before meeting the trickster feline; she has in the months since discovered a great feeling of happiness within her new faith. Iryna always craved excitement, something new in her once boring life. Maybe that’s why she truly made her wish on that day; just to see if it would work. While yes; her family's stability had been fixed, what she has enjoyed the most has been embracing her Jewish heritage and saving others from the evil she believed she was fighting. Slowly she slips the ring back onto her trembling hand, looking down at the floor in shame. Iryna decides here and now that she will no longer be a Magical Girl. She won’t use these heretic powers any longer, but will instead seek out other ways of helping others to atone for her sins.

     After wiping the tears from her blurry eyes Iryna looks over at Anastasia who has since sat back down in her throne, then over at Kyubey who sits just as ever wagging his large fluffy tail. Without statement she quietly makes her way to the penthouse entrance and leaves, closing the large wooden doors carefully behind her.

     “Well that was entertaining.” Anastasia says to herself under her breath. Despite her cold and callous exterior however there is; deep down, a small twinge of empathy in her heart as she looks at the discarded book still lying on the floor.

     “I will never understand how you humans can become so emotional.” Kyubey says, looking back at the doors curiously.

     “What do you know, Incubator?” Anastasia replies quietly while tossing a full grief seed over to the cat which absorbs the black orb into its very body.