Editing Madlax (section)

==Plot==
{{see also|List of Madlax characters}}
The first half of the series alternates between the two leads. [[Madlax (character)|Madlax]] is one of the most efficient [[special forces|special ops]] agents for hire in the war-torn Gazth-Sonika,<ref name="ep1_agnt">'''Galza Lieutenant:''' "What'll be a big deal is when THAT one shows up.&nbsp;... A super-skilled agent named Ma&nbsp;..." {{cite episode|title=Gun Dance ~dance~|series=Madlax|network=[[TV Tokyo]]|airdate=2004-04-05|number=1|minutes=3:23}}</ref> while [[Margaret Burton (Madlax)|Margaret Burton]] is a sleepy, clumsy [[amnesia]]c living in Nafrece, a country styled after France.<ref name="AJ_V1_rev">{{cite web |url=http://www.animejump.com/index.php?module=prodreviews&func=showcontent&id=662 |title=''Madlax'' DVD #1 review |access-date=2006-11-08 |author=Carter, Jason |date=2005-07-20 |publisher=AnimeJump.com| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060510033429/http://www.animejump.com/index.php?module=prodreviews&func=showcontent&id=662| archive-date = May 10, 2006}}</ref> When a "picture book", presumably given to Margaret by her late father, attracts the attention of international criminal network Enfant, she discovers that the origins of the book lie in Gazth-Sonika. Enfant's top operative, [[Carrossea Doon]], tracks Margaret down but tips off his superiors in the wrong direction, towards Madlax, who has been causing Enfant trouble for some time. Meanwhile, [[Vanessa Rene]], Margaret's former tutor whose parents died because of Gazth-Sonikan war,<ref name="ep13_VPar">'''Vanessa:''' "My father was a diplomat in Nafrece, you see, and at the time that the threat of civil war here was coming to a peak, he was in charge of relations with Gazth-Sonika. Then the civil war broke out, and my parents were detained by the Gazth-Sonika army under suspicion of inciting the war". {{cite episode|title=Awakening Sound ~awake~|series=Madlax|network=[[TV Tokyo]]|airdate=2004-06-28|number=13|minutes=8:21}}</ref> discovers that her current employer, Bookwald Industries, covertly supports the war by supplying both sides with firearms and starts investigating its true cause. Her investigation brings her to Gazth-Sonika, where Madlax is hired as her [[bodyguard]], and together, they uncover data that proves Enfant orchestrated the entire conflict. Enfant eventually intercepts them and they are forced into hiding. Back in Nafrece, Margaret decides to help Vanessa and travels to Gazth-Sonika, accompanied by her devoted and sometimes overprotective [[maid]] [[Elenore Baker]] and Carrossea Doon.

Eventually, Madlax and Margaret meet and embark on a search for [[List of Madlax characters#Quanzitta Marison|Quanzitta Marison]], a Gazth-Sonikan mystic who supposedly knows about Margaret's book, Enfant's involvement with it, and Enfant itself. Lady Quanzitta does indeed tell them about Enfant and its plans to plunge the entire world into a total war, starting with Gazth-Sonika. She reveals that Enfant's leader [[Friday Monday]] possesses [[supernatural]] powers connected to the three ancient books, one of which belongs to Margaret. Margaret uses her own supernatural abilities and that of her book to return her lost memories. Carrossea, who has been aiding Margaret, requests that his memories be restored as well despite warnings not to do so; he discovers that he, in fact, died 12 years ago and held on to life only by sheer force of will to protect Margaret. Carrossea disappears, and Margaret is captured by Monday who intends to use her abilities to advance his own plans.

[[File:Laetitia, Margaret and Madlax.jpg|thumb|Unable to shoot her father in self-defence, Margaret expelled her wish to survive from herself, creating Madlax, who pulled the trigger for her. Laetitia (originally her doll) was created to seal off the memory of this event, preventing the two from merging.<ref name="ep25_personae">{{cite episode|title=Holy Blood ~saint~|series=Madlax|network=[[TV Tokyo]]|airdate=2004-09-20|number=25|minutes=14:36}}</ref>]]

While Margaret and Carrossea perform the ritual, Madlax is attacked by Limelda Jorg, a Gazth-Sonikan [[sniper]] who holds a grudge against Madlax ever since she failed to stop an assassination by Madlax earlier in the show. Limelda kills Vanessa while targeting Madlax, sending the latter into [[clinical depression]]. Elenore and Lady Quanzitta's servant [[List of Madlax characters#Nakhl|Nakhl]] manage to restore Madlax's will to live and persuade her to save Margaret, and the three storm Enfant's headquarters together. During the assault, Elenore is killed and Margaret, now under Monday's control, shoots Madlax.

Believing Madlax to be dead, Monday commences a ritual to unleash people's inhibitions and trigger worldwide anarchy; but Margaret's memories return and she snaps out of his [[Brainwashing|mind control]]. Only now does the audience learn the [[back-story]]: back in 1999, Monday drove Margaret's father insane with his powers and she was forced to kill her own father. To escape the horrible truth of her [[patricide]], Margaret split herself into [[hypostasis (philosophy)|three personae]]: the "memory keeper" [[List of Madlax characters#Laetitia|Laetitia]], the sinful Madlax, and the innocent Margaret herself. Margaret then fuses her three personae back together to undo the ritual she previously performed with Monday, saving the world from insanity. Madlax, who should no longer exist after the fusion, appears and guns down Monday. It becomes apparent that Margaret has once again split herself into three, judging that after twelve years, she no longer has the right to make decisions for her other personae.

When everything is said and done, Margaret fully releases Madlax so she can live her life freely and also adopts Laetitia as her younger sister so she won't be alone. Madlax ultimately makes peace with Limelda and they travel together.