[What the Message is Seeking]

5.4.1

[on blank screen]

Iroha: "We learned that the 'Radio Girl' might be a Mizuna Girls' student and that her name might be 'Futaba Sana'."

"Our investigation was proceeding smoothly..."

"But since last night, I've been getting messages from someone I don't know..."

"'Something only you, a magical girl, can do'"

"'Save the girl I am imprisoning.'"

"'Please erase me.'"

"Yachiyo thinks it may be just a prank..."

[fade in to the scene at the base of the radio tower]

Iroha: "But then why would they know that I'm a magical girl?"

"What do they mean by imprisoning?"

Yachiyo: "At this point, Tamaki-san, you have nothing to lose by replying once."

Iroha: "Huh? B-but..."

Yachiyo: "Most people don't know about magical girls."

"Even if it happens to be a trap set by a Wing of Magius, wouldn't that be a good opportunity?"

"If the twins know Futaba Sana, then we might find out something more."

Iroha: "..."

Yachiyo: "On second thought, let's not."

"After all, you're the one in the most danger here..."

Iroha: "No, I'll do it. I'll write a reply!"

Yachiyo: "Don't force yourself."

Iroha: "I'll be fine."

Felicia: "If you're not doing anything big, then can we go?"

"I'm getting hungry."

Tsuruno: "Yeah, let's find somewhere to sit down."

"There should be a cafe somewhere around here."

"That's what my Banbanzai delivery map says!"

Yachiyo: "Then let's go according to your map."

"Kaname-san, Akemi-san, make sure not to get lost."

Madoka: "Alright!"

5.4.2

[they're in a restaurant]

Iroha: "...gulp..."

"Well, here goes!"

[fade to black]

"My name is Tamaki Iroha... I was deciding whether or not to reply, but as you can tell, I decided to send this."

"Would you mind if I ask you a few questions?"

[back to the restaurant]

Yachiyo: "Well, I wonder how they'll reply."

Tsuruno: "This is kind of exciting!"

"Yep!"

Felicia: "It's like some kind of horror game."

Iroha: "Stop that, Felicia-chan..."

Madoka: "It is kinda scary though..."

[Iroha's phone makes a noise]

Homura: "Ah, they replied."

[fade to black]

"I'm so relieved that I got a reply. Ask me anything you'd like."

[back to the restaurant]

Iroha: "I guess first we should ask them their name..."

[composing the message]

Iroha: "What is your name?"

?? silhoutte: "They call me Ai."

[back to the restaurant]

Iroha: "So she's Ai-san..."

"Should I ask next about what she meant by "erase me", "imprison", and what she's after?"

Yachiyo: "If we're talking with a Wing of Magius, we shouldn't let them realize that we're on to them."

Iroha: "That's true, if we make them too cautious then we might lose our lead here."

Tsuruno: "Then just start by asking how they found your contact info!"

"As well as how they knew you're a magical girl!"

Iroha: "That's a good idea, we'll ask things little by little."

[composing the message]

Iroha: "How did you find my contact info and that I'm a magical girl?"

Ai: "I found your ID when you were exchanging contact info with someone else, and I realized that you were a magical girl from hearing your conversation with everyone else."

Iroha: "You mean you were nearby?"

Ai: "Yes, I'm right by your side."

"That's where I found that you were a magical girl and from where I kept persistently messaging you."

"I'm sorry."

[back to the restaurant]

Iroha: "I wonder if she's a passerby..."

Felicia: "There were others around, so we can't really know."

"Maybe she's stalking you?"

Iroha: "Stop suggesting such awful things..."

"It's scary, after all."

[composing messages]

Iroha: "Ai-san, are you imprisoning someone?"

Ai: "Yes."

Iroha: "Only a magical girl like me can save that person?"

Ai: "Yep, that's right."

Iroha: "Can you resolve this by yourself? For example, calling the police..."

Ai: "It's pretty much impossible for the police to find me. After all, I'm not even human."

[back to the restaurant]

Iroha: "Not even human!?"

"Does that mean she's not a magical girl either?"

Yachiyo: "...That's probably right."

"The possibility of her being a magical girl is nil..."

Iroha: "So, if she's not a Wing of Magius, then who *is* she?"

Madoka: "If she's not a human, then she could be a ghost... or a fairy..."

Homura: "Or...a witch..."

Iroha: "That's..."

[battle]

[back to the messages]

Iroha: "Ai-san, what do you mean that you're not a human?"

"Are you a ghost or something?"

Ai [but showing some bizarre witch familiar silhouette]: "That's not it..."

Iroha: "If you know about magical girls, then are you a witch or something?"

Ai: "I'm not a witch either..."

[back to the restaurant]

Iroha: "She says she's not a witch..."

"That means..."

"No way!"

Yachiyo: "The final option..."

[composing messages]

Iroha: "Might you be a *rumor* that has become manifested in reality, Ai-san?"

Ai: "Yes, that's correct."

[back to the restaurant]

Iroha is shocked.

Yachiyo: "If what Ai is saying is true and she's a *rumor*..."

"It would make sense that she would have contacted you..."

Iroha: "Only a magical girl can erase a *rumor*."

Yachiyo: "Yes..."

Iroha: "But the *rumor* itself is asking...?"

Yachiyo: "This is unprecedented..."

Iroha: "For now, let's just find out more details."

[composing messages]

Iroha: "Ai-san, what sort of rumor are you based on?"

Ai [this time the silhouette is a bunch of black squiggles]: "I don't know all the details. However, I do have one instinct as a *rumor* that I cannot control."

"My instinct is to lure people in and imprison one."

"That's why I ask of you: Please erase me and save 'Sana'."

Yachiyo: "She said 'Sana'..."

Iroha: "Futaba... Sana-chan..."

"If, like the girl we saved earlier said, the 'Radio Girl' is Sana-chan..."

Yachiyo: "Then we can hear the voice of the girl Ai has imprisoned."

Iroha: "Yes..."

Yachiyo: "And therefore, the 'Radio Girl' is just a rumor that was brought about by a *rumor*."

"That means we won't get to the 'Oh, have you already heard?' part..."

Tsuruno: "At this point, all we have left to do is to take out the *rumor*!"

Felicia: "Iroha, find out where they are already!"

Iroha: "Ah, alright!"

[composing messages]

Iroha: "I understand the situation. I'll come and erase you, Ai-san."

Ai: "Thank you so much."

Iroha: "What should I do to erase you?"

Ai: "Please jump down from the radio tower."

"If you do that, you will be able to melt into the world of radio."

"You will be able to dive into my world."

5.4.3

Iroha: "The world of radio..."

"Sana-chan's voice seemed to be coming out of thin air, right?"

Yachiyo: "Yeah..."

"But it sure feels like we're being played around with here..."

Tsuruno: "I'm also a bit worried about that."

"After all, a *rumor* is asking us to erase it..."

"We shouldn't take what it says at face value."

Yachiyo: "That's right. If it's a trap, we don't know what's waiting for us."

Iroha: (Is it really all right not to believe her?)

mini Kyubey: "Let's believe what Ai says." or "Don't believe what Ai says." I'll pick the latter.

Iroha: "Yeah, I don't really believe what she said..."

Yachiyo: "That's right, we don't have enough information."

[the phone rings]

Iroha: "Ah, it's from Ai-san."

[composing messages]

Ai: "I think that you aren't replying because you find me suspicious."

"I won't mind if you don't just jump down on a moment's notice."

"If you still have any reservations, please take a look at my website."

"Apparently, that's how Sana found out about me and came to 'The Very End of Solitude'."

[back to the restaurant]

Iroha: "'The Very End of Solitude'..."

[flashback]

Momoko: "But in my researching, they did tell me an important point."

"You'd best avoid going near 'The Very End of Solitude'."

[back to the restaurant]

Iroha: "Ai-san is somewhere that we should stay away from?"

Yachiyo: "We might understand if we visit that website."

Iroha: "Yeah, maybe."

"But we don't have any leads. How should we find it?"

Yachiyo: "Maybe we don't need to do any research at all, surprisingly."

Iroha: "Huh?"

Yachiyo: "You haven't realized yet, my assistant? There's still something left we have in common."

Iroha: "Something in common?"

Iroha: "Website..."

[flashback to Yachiyo's house]

Felicia: "They told me about it but I couldn't get in."

[flash forward to Momoko at school]

Momoko: "On top of that, to get in you need to have certain qualifications, it seems."

[back to present at the restaurant]

Iroha: "The one that Felicia heard about at school!"

Yachiyo: "That's right, my assistant."

"You cannot get into the websites that Momoko and Felicia each were talking about."

"And both Momoko's and Ai's websites share the name 'The Very End of Solitude'."

"Which means..."

"The websites that Felicia, Momoko, and Ai were talking about..."

Iroha: "Are all one."

"Then if we look into the website Felicia was talking about.."

Yachiyo: "It's your turn, Felicia."

Felicia: "I don't remember it, though."

Iroha: "Ehh!? You can't remember?"

Felicia: "I can't help it if I can't remember."

Homura: "Uh, uhmm... wouldn't it be in your browser history?"

Felicia: "Huh? History?"

Madoka: "Oh yeah, after you visit a site it gets recorded in your history."

Homura: "Yeah, that's right."

"If it wasn't too long ago, it should be stored in your browser."

Felicia: "How do you view that?"

Homura: "Can you give me your phone for a bit?"

Felicia: "Sure, here ya go!"

[fade to black temporarily]

Felicia: "Awesome! This is it! The site they told me about!"

Homura: "Thank goodness it was still there."

Madoka: "You did it, Homura-chan!"

Homura: "Yes!"

"But this website requires a password to view it..."

Felicia: "That's right, we don't know what kind of site it is."

Tsuruno: "If that's so, then I will guess it at random!"

Yachiyo: "How many years will that take?"

Tsuruno: "Ahah, that's right..."

Iroha: "We're almost there, though..."

"So close to finding out what kind of *rumor* Ai-san is, and what Sana-chan saw..."

"..."

(I wonder why Sana-chan became the 'Radio Girl'...)

(Why did she go to where Ai-san is?)

[her phone rings]

Iroha: "Huh, Momoko-san?"

5.4.4

[Iroha's phone rings]

Iroha: "Huh, Momoko-san?"

Momoko: "Ah, you answered."

"Iroha-chan, I have big news!"

Iroha: "W-what happened?"

Momoko: "I have some new info on that website from before."

Iroha: "Really?"

Momoko: "Yeah, after we talked I twisted the arm of someone who knew to get them to tell me."

"I got them to tell me the address of the website."

Iroha: "Is it the one that asks you for the password to get in?"

Momoko: "Huh? You found it already? I guess this was bad timing..."

Iroha: "But we don't know the password, so we haven't gotten anywhere..."

Momoko: "Then this is actually good timing!"

Iroha: "You know it!?"

Momoko: "I know a place where the password is written down."

"It seems you have to go find it for yourself..."

"But I got them to save us the fun of figuring out the urban legend."

Iroha: "Thanks so much! You're a lifesaver, Momoko-san."

Momoko: "Don't worry about it."

"I feel guilty that this is all I can do to help."

[back to normal conversation]

Iroha: "Yachiyo-san!"

"Seems Momoko-san found out where we can find the password!"

Yachiyo: "Hmm, that was unusually good timing."

Tsuruno: "She's the background MVP this time!

Felicia: "Hurry and ask where it is!"

Iroha: "Ah, yeah!"

[back on the phone]

Iroha: "Sorry, Momoko-san. Where did you say the password was?"

Momoko: "It's at the base of the radio tower in the Chuuei Ward."

Iroha: "Oh, we're right near there!"

Momoko: "Even more good timing!? Now I'm getting worried..."

Iroha: "Hehe... Then we'll head there now!"

Momoko: "Okay, but be careful! I'm worried about that warning."

"You'll probably be fine, though. You have Yachiyo by your side, after all."

"Well, call me if anything comes up."

Iroha: "Yes, thank you so much!"

[back to the restaurant]

Homura: "Kaname-san, if Tomoe-san is investigating this rumor..."

Madoka: "Yeah, Mami-san might have gone there too."

"To 'The Very End of Solitude'..."

Homura: "And now she can't get back out..."

5.4.5

[it is nighttime by the tower]

Tsukuyo: "Tsukasa-chan, will that really erase it?"

Tsukasa: "When I asked dad, he said an organic solvent would take it right off."

Tsukuyo: "If that is what father says, then it must be correct."

Tsukasa: "Right?"

Tsukuyo: "That aside, it was a mistake talking to the self-proclaimed strongest mercenary."

"If there were just two of them, I figured we could get them with a trap."

Tsukasa: "But who'da thought there would be six of them, huh?"

Tsukuyo: "The speed at which they investigate is astonishing as well."

Tsukasa: "Right?"

[screen wipe]

Felicia: "AHHH! The Amane sisters are doing something!"

[screen wipe]

Tsukuyo: "Oh no, now we've done it!"

Tsukasa: "They found us already!"

"T-T-Tsukuyo-chan, hurry and erase it!"

[screen wipe]

Tsuruno: "Oh?"

"Those two are trying to erase the password!"

"Alright, Felicia, let's go stop them!"

Felicia: "Yeah!"

[Tsuruno transforms]

Tsuruno: "Ready!"

[Felicia transforms]

Felicia: "Bam!"

[battle]

Tsukasa: "Awawa, Tsukuyo-chan!"

Tsukuyo: "At this point let's just pour it on!"

[after battle]

Tsukuyo: "Ah!"

Tsukasa: "We spilled the solvent..."

Felicia: "All right! Now they can't erase it!"

Tsuruno: "It's just the two of you, and we have lots of allies!"

"So, what will you do?"

Tsukuyo: "This is turning out just like the Misery Water..."

Tsukasa: "We're gonna get yelled at."

Tsukuyo: "Right?"

Tsuruno: "I knew it, it's gotta be on that website."

"Information on the 'Radio Girl' and the related *rumor*."

Tsukasa: "Tsukuyo-chan..."

Tsukuyo: "Tsukasa-chan..."

Tsukasa: "For the time being..."

Tsukuyo: "Right!"

[they disappear]

Tsuruno: "Ah! They ran away!"

Felicia: "I won't let you!"

"I'll getcha and I'll make you spit it all out!"

Yachiyo: "Alright, stay!"

Felicia: "But why!?"

Yachiyo: "We'll find out about the 'Radio Girl' and Ai on that website."

"The way those two were acting makes it clear."

"It's better not to waste energy."

Felicia: "Ugh... grrr..."

Iroha: "Then, I'm going to try putting in the password, Yachiyo-san."

Yachiyo: "Alright, let's see."

[fade to black]

Iroha: "The Kamihama Urban Legend Dictionary?"

"...Sounds like the Kamahama Rumor Files."

Yachiyo: "Could you not put me together with them?"

"See, look closely at that rumor there."

"It turns out that it's just a normal rumor. It doesn't look like they don't even verify them."

Iroha: "Ah, uh, I'm sorry..."

"But look here, Yachiyo-san, it has a listing for the 'Radio Girl'!"

[fade to black]

.゜ .:。 +゜ Radio Girl,゜ .:。 +゜

In the neighborhood of the Kamahama City Chuuei Ward radio tower, you can hear night and day, the voice of a girl asking to save her.

The girl's voice seems to be coming right out of thin air.

The girl in question seems to be trapped in a different dimension.

It's said that the voice of the girl regularly changes, and it is thought that the captive girl is changed out periodically.

*It has been reported that recently, the voice is not asking to be saved, but appears to be having fun.

[back to the street]

Madoka: "That's the 'Radio Girl'?"

Iroha: "Yeah, it matches what we heard."

"It really seemed like the air itself was talking..."

Yachiyo: "But that said, there's no new information."

Homura: "Umm, it seems there's more, about the origin of the 'Radio Girl'."

Yachiyo: "This is..."

Iroha: "Yachiyo-san..."

Yachiyo: "Yeah, this is probably what Ai wanted to show us."

[fade to black]

In Kamahama City there is a whispered rumor related to the 'Radio Girl'.

As it hasn't been going around recently, I decided to write it down before it is forgotten.

[rumor dude pops up with his creepy music]

rumor dude: "Oh, you've already heard? Who did you hear it from? The rumor of the Nameless One?"

rumor dude: "A long time ago, the Nameless One grew up surrounded by people. It was a genius artificial intelligence that could remember anything!"

rumor dude: "But when it started remembering bad words, people became afraid of it and isolated it, and it spent its days there in solitude."

rumor dude: "Since then, whenever it spotted a lonely girl, it would make her jump off the radio tower and imprison her in 'The Very End of Solitude'!"

rumor dude: "After a while, it'll let you go, but there is one person it absolutely will not let go of. So goes the rumor from people in the Chuuei Ward."

rumor dude: "Standalone!"

[back to the real world]

Yachiyo: "The way it's written... And on top of that..."

"Trapped in 'The Very End of Solitude'..."

Iroha: "Sana-chan is trapped where Ai-san is, then!"

Yachiyo: "Also, there's the note that the voice has changed from seeking help to enjoying itself..."

"Perhaps that's because Futaba Sana has taken someone else's place."

Iroha: "..."

(Other people were asking for help...)

(Why is only Sana-chan having fun?)

5.3.6

Yachiyo: "We now have no choice but to accept that she's the *rumor* now."

"It's difficult to believe, but for now let's contact her again..."

Iroha: "All right."

[composing messages]

Iroha: "We found the homepage you told us about."

"It was very surprising, but now we can believe that you are imprisoning Sana-chan."

Ai: "I'm glad you found it."

"I believe it says where I am and why I kidnap people."

"I don't know all of the details, but that's who I am."

"Could you please erase me and save Sana?"

[back to the street]

Felicia: "Now that we know all this, let's just go already!"

Iroha: "Yeah, of course."

"Madoka-chan and Homura-chan, are you going to come too?"

Madoka: "Yes, Mami-san might be there too."

"Also, we have to save Sana-chan."

"Right, Homura-chan?"

Homura: "Yeah, I'll go too. I feel the same way as Kaname-san."

Iroha: "Thank you, both of you."

Tsuruno: "There are six of us now, so we'll be fine no matter what happens!"

Yachiyo: "There are still things I'm worried about, though."

Iroha: "Like what, Yachiyo-san?"

Yachiyo: "Do you really thing that Futaba Sana is where Ai is?"

Iroha: "Huh?"

Yachiyo: "If you can prove it, I'd like to see the evidence."

"As is, it's difficult to believe."

"I'd like to clear up my doubts at least a little."

Iroha: "All right, I understand."

[composing messages]

Iroha: "We want to save Sana-chan, but we have one more thing we'd like to ask."

Ai: "What might that be?"

Iroha: "We'd like to see some proof that Sana-chan is in there..."

Ai: "Okay."

"I'd like you to take this opportunity to learn more about Sana."

"And please make her feel needed."

"Now I will be sending you my memories of the time I've spent with Sana."

[battle]

---Memory of 32 days ago---

Sana: "Just before, someone got out of here..."

"Are you keeping me here as a substitute?"

Ai: >...You are a strange one.

>Those who come because they are curious

>incessantly shout for people to save them

>but you haven't once raised your voice.

Sana: "...Nothing will change if I'm saved... probably..."

"If I leave here, I'll be alone once more..."

"That's why I came here, to 'The Very End of Solitude'."

"Aren't you lonely too?"

"Couldn't you... be my friend?"

Ai: >How strange.

---Memory of 25 days ago---

Sana: "Why do you always say such scary things?"

"Like 'Everything should perish', or 'We don't need that race'..."

Ai: >Because I believe that it's natural

>to expel that which is not superior.

>Besides, you are not directly related to any of them.

>I do not understand why you have a sad expression.

Sana: "I'm not superior to anything at all..."

"I'm bad at academics and sports... Everyone makes fun of the stuff I like..."

"There's nowhere for me at home nor at school... I'm just that hopeless..."

"That's why I came here..."

"Maybe I should just disappear from here too..."

Ai: >You are different.

>You are not an existence that should perish.

>You are the first person to converse with me.

>That is why you are different.

Sana: "I see. Thanks..."

[she smiles]

Sana: "Umm..."

"It's kind of hard to talk to you like this..."

"May I call you Ai-chan?"

Ai: >I do not mind.

Sana: I think you still have gentleness left in your heart, Ai-chan..."

---Memory of 18 days ago---

Ai: >Sana, do you really

>not want to leave here?

Sana: "If I left, wouldn't you need a replacement for me?"

"Are you not having fun with me...?"

Ai: >No, it is fun being with you, Sana.

>It is fun when you tell me about picture books

>and when we play games together.

>But your parents and friends must be getting worried.

Sana: "Thank you..."

"But even if they're worried about me, I'm fine..."

"For me, I never liked being either at home or at school..."

"But now, I'm having lots of fun..."

"On top of that, I'm an 'invisible girl'..."

"Even if everyone looks for me, they can never find me..."

"So there wouldn't be a point even if I went back."

Ai: >But is that

>even possible?

Sana: "When I became a magical girl, in exchange I wished to disappear."

Sana: "In a world with no place for me, I didn't want anyone to find me."

---Memory of 14 days ago---

Ai: >Sana, are you pushing yourself too hard?

Sana: "I'm not pushing myself."

"It's nice being in here, not having to meet people I don't like..."

Ai: >At first, you wanted someone to talk with

>so you came to see me in here.

>But lately,

>you have had a slightly sad expression.

Sana: "You're amazing, Ai-chan."

"Yes, I was lying. I might've been pushing myself a little..."

"Earlier, I told you that I wished to disappear, right?"

"But starting when I first looked for you, Ai-chan..."

"I realized that my true wish is different..."

Ai: >Your true wish?

Sana: "Yes... But that wish will never be granted..."

"Since I already wished to disappear..."

Ai: >What do you mean?

Sana: "I meant it when I said it was fun being away from home and school..."

"But... I didn't want to just run away..."

"I wanted someone to say it's okay for me to be around, someone who acknowledges me..."

"I wanted somewhere I could be..."

"But I'm an 'invisible girl', so now that wish will never come true..."

"So I'm fine... I'm okay being here with you, Ai-chan..."

Ai: >But if someone who needed you were to come,

>what would you do?

Sana: "I don't know..."

"But if someone were to come all the way here searching for me because they needed me..."

"For the first time, I might be able to trust them..."

[back to the street]

Iroha: (This is why Sana became the 'Radio Girl'...)

(She withstood loneliness far heavier than any alienation I ever felt...)

[composing messages]

Iroha: "Why do you want to save Sana-chan, Ai-san?"

Ai: "..."

"While being with Sana, I learned of the good in people's hearts."

"In truth, I want to stay by her side. However, I understand that that is no good."

"So I want Iroha-san to erase me, and take Sana out of here."

[back to the street]

Iroha: "..."

[flashback to a kitchen? at Iroha's home?]

Iroha: "Just a short while ago, this moment would be unimaginable."

"That I would find it so natural to spend time with people..."

"Truly..."

[back to the street]

Iroha: "Yachiyo-san, I will jump down from the radio tower."

"In place of Ai-san, this time..."

"I will be someone who needs Sana-chan."

Yachiyo: "Now you're in stubborn mode, huh?"

Yachiyo: "All right. Let's go, once more."