Episode 23: Straying Heart

**"Lost Hearts -doubt-"** *Transcription:* "Meishin -doubt-" (Japanese: 迷心 -doubt-) is the twenty-third episode of *Madlax*. It debuted on September 6, 2004 in Japan.

## Plot Summary

### Japanese

12年前の事件と自分の存在に悩みながらも、ナハルの言葉に勇気づけられたマドラックスは、フライデーの手に落ちたマーガレットを救出して真実を確かめるために再び立ち上がる。パトロールボートを奪取し、激戦地カリステールの突破を図るマドラックスたちだが、敵の激しい攻撃にさらされる。弾幕にひるみながらも、機関砲で反撃するエリノアのひたむきな姿に心を打たれるマドラックス。そして、彼女たちの行動を見守るナハルは…。

## Synopsis

In The Other World, Leticia prays that she can soon return to Margaret’s soul. Friday Monday takes Margaret with him back to his fortress. Running through the woods with a flashlight, Eleanor keeps searching for her mistress, and much to her sorrow, discovers Vanessa Rene dead on the ground.

Not far away, Madlax awakens with no wound despite being shot through the chest. Naharu appears and tells her she wasn’t dreaming: Vanessa is really dead. Madlax begins to cry. She goes so far as to say she wants to disappear/die, but Naharu tells her, “The living carry on what needs to be done.” This reminds Madlax she needs to carry on Vanessa’s will and protect Margaret. As the mercenary sets off, Naharu reflects on how she is attracted to Madlax.

Eleanor gives Vanessa’s body a shallow burial and covers it with a mound of rocks and a stick for a grave marker. Soon she is joined by Madlax, who explains why Vanessa died and says that Margaret is with the leader of Enfant. Madlax asks Naharu to help them find exactly where Friday and Margaret are. The next morning, in a field of yellow helianthus flowers, we see Friday and Margaret. The latter calls the former “father;” she is under some kind of hypnosis, or has temporarily lost her sanity due to grief.

In order to proceed, Madlax and company will need to walk right through Caliztale, an active battlefield where the fighting is at its worst. Naharu states that Friday is going to be able to do even more than last time he opened the door, because this time he has Margaret, the girl with The Talent.  Though Madlax asks the others to let her rescue Margaret, Eleanor insists on going too.

After killing a few soldiers, Madlax and the maid steal a boat and travel by river through the danger zone. When soldiers on the shore open fire on them, Eleanor takes charge of the ship’s heavy-duty guns and destroys the enemies. Naharu is following behind on the shore and helping to take out soldiers. At the same time, Limelda Jorg also fights against the warring men in Caliztale. The tough woman somehow survived the fall off the cliff, and is still able to fight despite two wounds.

In their mini-castle, Friday and Margaret discuss Madlax, who they know will arrive soon. Margaret says she hates Madlax and will kill her and erase her existence. Friday says that’s fabulous, and that Margaret is already close to the true nature of humankind without even opening The Door of Truth.

That night, Madlax and Eleanor rest for a bit and share some food. Eleanor realizes from their conversation that Madlax has a lot in common with Margaret, and that the two are somehow connected. The women are surrounded and attacked by soldiers before they can talk further, but this is Madlax’s cup of tea. She has no problem wiping out yet another squad of armed men. During the fight, a capable soldier isolates Eleanor and says he’ll kill her if Madlax doesn’t put down her gun. The mercenary girl and the soldier fire at the same time and their bullets collide in midair and ricochet off to the sides. Then Madlax shoots the gun out of the man’s hands, and lets him escape with his life.

“You are affection within insanity,” Leticia says of Madlax; “a kind murderer.”

## Preview

Episode 24

*"I will never leave you. I will always be by your side, Miss Margaret. I promise, no matter what, you are my life. My purpose."* – Elenore Baker