~Forward~

Installment eight of 'Souls Beyond Time'!

If you can read the tags, you know we have a fan favorite finally making her long awaited return since her original debut in this series way back in "Spark"! This will hopefully answer more of the questions plaguing the (rather small) fanbase surrounding this series, and if it doesn't, it means I'm doing a terrible job!

… Wait, I don't think that was supposed to be a positive…

Also, totally surprised at the lack of comment on the whole 'tampon' thing in the last chapter. Never figured it'd just go unnoted… I mean, hell, the song I found for it, which still fit the scene, was called goddamned 'Tampopo', that's weird, isn't it?

Bah. Anyway, let's get to what we're really looking forward too; a frazzled blueberry formally meeting a sour apple for the first time in her life. I've been wanting to write this meeting for ages, and I'm so happy to finally have it done!

O/o\O

Suggested Listening: "命の重み", Psycho-Pass OST (Disk 2, Track 3)

O/o\O

Untended Embers

"So you're sure you'll be back by dinner?"

Kyoko sighed, itching the underside of her nose, "Yes, Yuma. I've only told you a dozen times that it's just an hour-long train ride. Maybe if you stop asking me obvious questions I'll be nice enough to pick you up one of those fruit cakes you like so much…"

"I thought you said we only had enough for the bare necessities tonight! Besides, you'd probably just end up eating most of it like you usually do…" the voice replied indignantly.

The redhead scowled, "I do not! And I'm feeling generous tonight so I'm going to try and scrounge up some extra change before I go home. You gotta problem with that, twerp?"

"N-no! I just… well…" the girl on the other end stuttered, her voice falling away.

Kyoko gripped the bridge of her nose, "We're not in the worst spot, Yuma. We'll… be fine."

"…You hesitated…"

The hothead smiled, wry against the receiver, "You really gotta be less observant. I'll be home tonight. Tell your Auntie that I've got the groceries covered for today. Heck, I'm even tempted to cook for you two."

There was a small humpf from the other end of the line before, "It better be something good!"

"It'll probably just be curry," Kyoko sighed sardonically.

"But curry is good!"

"Well, yeah, but it isn't exactly rocket science to make it…"

"You're making it, so it has to be good!"

"…Aren't you thinking a little backwards here? Demand I make something good, then say anything I make is good?"

"I… Just… Get home soon, alright!"

"Alright, alright you little weasel…" Kyoko grinned, a single uncorrected canine popping out over her lower lip.

"I love you, big sis!"

The redhead paused, smile slacking. With her eyes somewhat distant, she responded, "I love you two, twerp. See you tonight." With that she hung up the desk phone, sliding it back over to the receptionist, giving a polite "thanks" before walking off down the hall.

Big sis, huh?

Yuma certainly had a penchant for making Kyoko feel conflicted. On one hand, hearing the younger girl refer to her so affectionately was heartwarming. On the other, taking pride in the title felt more than a little like betrayal.

Shelving the thought, she focused on what she was here to do; tackle an equally uncomfortable part of her past.

Her target was on the sixth floor, somewhere near the middle of the hall, which was kinda hard to distinguish given the abstract architecture that made the passage appear to go on forever.

"This better be worth the fuss…" Kyoko muttered under her breath, shifting her head side-to-side to readjust the position of her busy ponytail. She felt out of place among the stark white walls and finely polished windows, what with her ratty green hoodie and denim cut-offs. Then again, decorum was never really her thing. It always felt like just another layer of superficial grime to pick at before reality could be reached.

The redhead's eyes lingered on the walls, skimming from door number to door number, "Six-oh-eight, six-oh-nine, six-ten, six-oomph!"

She reeled back, hearing a mirrored 'oomph' come from whoever she'd run into.

"Ahk, watch it, will ya!"

Kyoko rubbed her shoulder, turning to meet some of the shiniest blue eyes she'd ever seen in her life. Sad, then, that those eyes were drawn with a very pronounced ire, one that was pointed right at the athletic girl. Kyoko had already considered apologizing; it had been an honest mistake, and the bluenette, from what she could observe, was as equally unharmed as she was. But the way the taller girl was glaring at the redhead sent off a number of alarms in Kyoko's head. So, instead of voicing some form of apology or kindness, she opted for a more… aggressive response.

"'Watch it?' I wouldn't have to 'watch it' if you weren't standing in the middle of the hallway!" the redhead flared, eyebrows narrowing.

"Why not?" the girl motioned to the floor with both hands, "Not like the floor's goin' anywhere. Look'it all the space you had to walk around me!"

"Hallways are for walking, dumbass, not for standing. If you're gonna stare off into space, do it where you won't get run over," Kyoko shot back, not letting up an inch.

The girl bristled, the air shifting between them. What had been a momentary spat had begun to evolve into something more intensive.

"Maybe you should be more aware of your surroundings, asshole! It's not too hard to weave around a stationary object. If you hit a traffic cone, would you blame the cone?" the blunette snapped, ending her argument on a baffling note.

Kyoko wasn't taking any of that, "You ain't no traffic cone, and those cones do their damn jobs. What the fuck you think you're doing standing out here doin' nothing?"

The girl placed fingers over her cheeks, feigning confusion, "Gosh, I don't know, maybe there's a reason I'm at the hospital and it's on my mind." The blunette dropped the act and gave her opposition a rather dry and unimpressed stare.

"Well, while you're so busy having a moment, people trying to get shit done," Kyoko snarled. She glanced up, realizing she'd ended up beyond the room she was looking for, 612. She started towards it. "Now, if you excuse me," she bit, putting her hand on the door, "I've got someone I need to see."

To her surprise, a rough hand gripped her arm, preventing her from opening the sliding barrier.

"…Where the fuck do you think you're going?"

It was the blunette again, but something was different. Her voice didn't carry the same confrontational edge it had moments ago. This voice sounded cold, passionless. And it sent a chill up Kyoko's spine.

She batted away the hand turning to face the girl, "Goin' to talk to someone. Look, I don't want this beef, so let it drop, will ya?"

Those eyes were caught again, but this time they were empty, just as fireless as her voice. It honestly made Kyoko more than a little woozy.

"Who did you come to see?" the blunette growled.

Kyoko took a reflexive step back, her stance widening at the increased threat lingering in the air, "None of yer damn business!"

"Bullshit it's not; I got a friend in there that doesn't need some bitch like you around. Who the hell did you come to see?"

There was a moment of pause as the blunette's words rolled over her, the combination of terms sliding gently under her skin just enough to irritate her… The stray thought passed through her head, the thought that maybe Mami wouldn't want her around, a thought that she'd believe buried years ago.

Years of regret and longing. Like hell was some stuck-up school girl going to get in her way.

"Back off, Blue Balls, I'm warning you. This is the first chance I've gotten in years to see Mami, and you're not going to stop me from seeing her!" Kyoko hissed, reaching once more for the handle.

"What would Mami want with someone as obnoxious as you?" the other girl balked, her eyes regaining some of the earlier intensity. That, oddly enough, put Kyoko more at ease. Fire she was familiar with; fire she could deal with.

"To get my sympathies, I heard she got pretty messed up in a car crash so I thought she might want company!"

"I've known her for two years and I've never seen you; if you're such a dedicated friend, where were you when the crash happened?" the blunette spat.

That particular comment caught Kyoko off guard. Yes, it enraged her; it enraged her quite a lot. However, if there was one thing she knew about dealing with shit on the streets was that this chick was projecting, big time.

"I never said I was 'such a good friend'. I'm probably a pretty shitty one at this point," Kyoko shot back, poking the other girl in the chest, "I'm here now, that's all that should matter. If it's really so important, where the fuck were you when shit hit the fan, huh?"

The blunette staggered backwards, momentarily at a loss for words. For the first time since they'd met, she saw fear and confusion in the other woman's gaze, fear and confusion that swirled together into outright rage.

"I… I…" the girl choked. She began to tremble, "I've been at her side this whole time… Even Madoka… You're right, you're a shit friend!"

"Well it don't sound like you're exactly a ray of sunshine either, Papa Smurf," Kyoko huffed, pushing the girl aside to get to the door.

She was certainly prepared this time for the blunette to get in her way, only to be further surprised when she was grabbed by the shoulders and slammed against the wall.

"Who said I was done with you?" the taller girl snarled.

Kyoko locked her jaw and readied to kick her leg up into the girl's jaw, only for a third, familiar voice to ring out.

"Sayaka, stop!"

The hands around Kyoko's shoulder weakened and she wasted no time in flinging the other girl, this 'Sayaka', off.

The readhead looked over to find a short pinkette with her hair tied up in a ponytail by a single yellow ribbon.

Sayaka, for her part, huffed and breathed, obviously still running off the adrenaline of rage, before shaking her head and stomping down the hall.

"I'm going to get some air. Find me when you're done, Madoka," Sayaka seethed, vanishing down the passage.

Kyoko watched the girl go, a weight settling into her stomach. She really must have scratched at something she shouldn't have. On one hand, she wasn't especially proud having done that. On the other, she had a gift for picking scabs, both real and figurative, and that talent wasn't something she was keen letting go to waste either.

"I'm sorry about that…" stuttered the shorter girl, her head ducking to hide pinked cheeks.

Kyoko kept her grimace on, looking down at this shivering girl with some veiled disdain, but after a moment that fire dissipated, having been sucked down the hall with the blunette.

"It's fine. Girl's got a few crabs up her ass, though," Kyoko huffed, leaning against the wall. "You the girl that called me?"

"Sayaka… she's going through a lot right now. Mami and I were trying to help her when all of this happened… She's feeling responsible for the crash," Madoka sighed. "And yes, I was the one who called you. It's… uh… nice to finally meet you Kyoko."

The pinkette's face was trapped in a plaster of false optimism, a mask that was strained by underlying stress. The redhead sighed to let off more of the earlier tension, hoping to drain some away from the other girl as well. It seemed to work.

"Yeah, well, she didn't need to take it out on me… Did she though?" she asked, waving her off-hand passively.

Madoka hopped in place, her cheeks puffing just a bit and her hands gripping at her collar protectively, "What? No, never! S-Sayaka wouldn't… She…" The small girl trailed off, head listing to the side, "I did… I'm the one who made this all happen. I'm sure of it…"

Fury scalded through Kyoko's blood, but she reeled it in just enough to see the absolute agony wracking the pinkette's face. It by no means cooled the fire in her veins, but it certainly did quite a lot to temper her words. Kyoko had been through counseling, she was at least somewhat aware of her anger issues, and while she felt no remorse going off on someone with their head in their ass she knew that snapping at the sullen girl wouldn't get either of them anywhere.

"L-look…" the redhead stuttered, scratching just below her ponytail's base, "From the way you said it on the phone it doesn't really sound like you or frostbite over there are actually responsible… I was just blowing off steam, I don't really think… yeah…"

The words were difficult to force out, mouth drying as she spoke.

"But… you don't understand," Madoka deflated, sinking more into herself.

Kyoko shook her head, "No, I really don't. Why did you call me? Why ask me to come here? If you know who I am, you've gotta know she really wouldn't want to see me. She'd probably rather see her regular friends over me…"

"N-no!" Madoka spluttered, stepping forward. Kyoko actually took a step back to avoid the projectile spittle that flung her way. The pinkette blushed and muttered a weak apology before continuing, "Right now she needs someone who isn't… us… You were the only person I could think of so I dug up your number from her old phone…"

The redhead raised a brow, "Did you ask her if that was okay?"

The smaller girl squirmed where she stood, fingers playing at the hem of her pink dress, "She doesn't know you're coming…"

Looking to the door, the athlete couldn't help but shake her head again. "After that little spat? Like hell she doesn't realize who's standing out here," Kyoko grinned, if only a little.

Madoka gave a light chuckle, scratching her reddened cheek, "Well, I mean, you weren't exactly subtle…"

"Well hey, your friend got on my nerves. Tell her to stop standing in the middle of hallways the next time you see her," Kyoko laughed, turning to face the door. With her hand in the handle, she looked at the girl, "Wanna come in with me? Might be less of a shock for Mami…"

"Uh… no, I-I can't… Sayaka and I were just leaving," Madoka squeaked, her joy draining away.

Kyoko shrugged, "Well, then I guess it was nice meeting you then, pinkie. See ya around I'spose… And… thanks for calling me about this… It must have been a pain to track me down from that old number…"

Madoka gave a weary smile, "I just want to make sure Mami's happy again with me gone… It was nice meeting you too, Miss Sakura. I hope you have a nice visit…"

With that the pinkette gave a short, polite bow before shuffling off after her friend, a noticeable, depressed lag in her step.

Kyoko turned to face the door, listening to the light footsteps fade down the hall. She sucked in a deep breath, scrapping at the well of her experience before turning to the retreating form.

"Hey, piglet!"

Madoka turned and pointed to herself, "…'Piglet'?"

The redhead's face was calm, even, and serious, "Don't blame yourself, okay? I'm sure it was an accident. Mami's a good judge of character, so you and your friend Sayaka back there need to stop beating yourselves up over it… Else… you're not going to come back from that place sane." Her voice trailed off, painful memories boiling back to the surface, memories she succinctly squelched.

The pinkette nodded, mouth still open. Kyoko could tell that the message hadn't quite arrived at the station in the girl's head yet, and didn't know if it would at all. Yeah she was a prick, but damned if she wasn't going to at least make a token effort to help. Madoka swiveled before continuing down the hall, waving briefly with a morose smile. Kyoko snarled before breathing, composing herself, and opening the door.

O/o\O

Suggested Listening: "Kage ga Yuku", Read or Die the TV OST

O/o\O

"I… never thought I'd see you again."

Kyoko winced as that voice trickled past her ear, one that she herself wasn't exactly prepared to listen to. She was facing the door, having closed it and buried her eyes in the frame so as to avoid seeing the source of her guilt.

"To be fair, I didn't think I'd be seeing you again, either…" the rehead hacked, finally turning around.

The room was as stark as the hall, the only accenting color being the blue curtains encircling the beds for the sake of privacy. Mami's golden locks, downed and smoothed, stood in stark contrast to the blanched materials. Honey irises dug at her heartstrings, prompting Kyoko to bypass the only other occupant of the room, an unconscious woman in the first bed. Her eyes lingered on the motionless form, only for the golden girl to interject.

"She probably won't bother us… actually it'd be great news if she woke up," Mami explained, her voice filled with a levity that never really managed to push past her face. Maybe it was harder for her, considering the rather bulky neck brace around her collar.

"I…" Kyoko started, standing awkwardly by the blonde's beside, "I… The minute that I heard you were here…" Mami gave her a warm grin, strained as it was, and motioned for the redhead to sit down, which she gladly obliged. "I-I would have tried bringing one of those little pies you liked from that one bakery, but they were always so expensive there…"

Mami chuckled, though the sound was hoarse, "Its fine. I work there now, believe it or not. I can make those little pies any time I feel like it."

"Lucky you, I'd kill to know how to make those things," Kyoko sighed, leaning back against the chair. The mood was starting to shift. This felt natural, smooth. There had been lingering fear that maybe the divide between the two was too wide to cross, but already it felt like things had returned to normal. "Well, that and all the ingredients to make them. It's hard enough affording curry these days, y'know?"

The blonde stifled another laugh, hacking up a few coughs in the process, "It's a double-edge sword, you know? When I first started working there all I did at home was make sweets. Madoka and I almost blew up like balloons…"

The name hung in the air and suddenly the mood began to drag.

"Madoka?" Kyoko breathed, not just feeling the name but tasting it. "Is… Is she the one you're… That pink girl…?"

Mami frowned, folding her hands, "We… well… Right now things are a little confusing between us both… and Sayaka, and that just makes the situation all the more unsettling."

The news sent needles into Kyoko's heart, but hearing the distress wafting off Mami's voice pushed her to approach from a more lighthearted angle, "Yeah, well, she seems pretty sweet. I could see why you like her… And if you two really were bloating up like that I think calling her piglet might have been the right move…"

"'Piglet'… what?"

Kyoko snickered, ignoring the dull thump in her chest that was becoming increasingly painful, "Yeah, well, can't you see it? The big ol' eyes and that small little nose and the way she walks around? I could totally see her with two little floppy ears and a curly-q tail."

Mami balked at the redhead, slowly shaking her head as best she could, laughing, "You haven't changed a bit, Kyoko…"

Her chest constricted again, desperately trying to drag attention to itself again and again. Kyoko pursed her lips as she looked to the ground, the feeling welling in her stomach making her almost queasy.

She looked to the door, then to the unconscious woman, the to the amused but still rather demure Mami. Kyoko squeezed her eyes shut and sucked in a breath, letting the icy air spill into her lungs.

"I… I really missed you Mami…" the girl finally squeaked. Her voice cracked and before she'd finished the sentence she felt warm trails speeding down her cheeks.

All was quiet as she finally gathered the nerve to look her ex-girlfriend in the eye.

What she found were sun-dipped orbs shaking with moisture.

"I missed you too, Kyoko," Mami croaked back. This time her smile was a little more genuine, a little more firm.

And that was the very smile she'd waited three years to see one more time.

O/o\O

Suggested Listening: "Cosmos", Yuki Yuna is a Hero OST

O/o\O

"…So the three of you were…?" Kyoko trailed, her voice laced with unease.

"Y-yeah… None of us were really sure about it, and now I don't think it's going to ever really… happen, but that was the plan," Mami winced.

Kyoko leaned back, munching on a stick of pocky before waving it in Mami's face, "Y'all motherfuckers need Jesus. That's some nasty heathen shit you had goin' on. Probably why you got all banged up like that…"

Whether the statement was made in jest or not, the flat delivery was definitely intentionally comical, which caused the blonde to burst out laughing. At least, that was, until it devolved into pained coughs. Kyoko quickly rushed some water to the older girl's side.

Mami sipped at the liquid, replying, "Are you really sure you want to be the moral high-ground here considering what we did in that broom closet back at the chapel?"

The redhead matched her hair and shook the rather distracting memories away, "We agreed that didn't happen, okay?"

"Sorry," the blonde grinned teasingly, "but it's kinda hard to forget the 'Sister Koko and her Heavenly Fingers' routine."

The athlete looked aside, letting the memory wash passed her instead of allowing it to simmer and heat her face further. "In all seriousness, though," Kyoko leveled, resting her chin on her knuckles, "It might have been a bit weird but I'm glad you found someone… or someones…? who make you happy."

Mami frowned, "I supposed I should be grateful, but Madoka's refused to come in and see me for the last couple of days… since she told me her decision. And things are actually pretty awkward with Sayaka around, since our relationship was left in a kind of grey area…"

"Hey, don't be too disappointed with piglet, okay?" Kyoko remarked, rubbing her nose with an index finger. "She called me up, didn't she? She's tryin' for ya; I've only met her once so far and even I can tell ya that."

"I suppose…" Mami muttered, listing her head to the side.

"Can't say the same about that Sayaka chick, though. Really seems like someone shoved a stick up her ass…" the redhead huffed, crossing her arms.

"She's been through a lot, Kyoko," Mami frowned, "Seeing me hurt might be really hurting her too…"

"Yeah, well, she's also blamin' herself for what happened; at least I think that's what's goin' on. Both of them are, but I've lived through this and quite a lot of shit; her being up on her high horse and all justified was just bullshit."

"Everyone's entitled to their own sorrows, Kyoko…" Mami sighed. "Speaking of which… How is your family doing?"

The redhead sighed, feeling those needles return to her chest. This was a conversation she'd known would be coming the minute she stepped through that door.

"Mom's… not doing too well. She's in a psychiatric ward after what happened. Dad's locked up in jail, though he got a reduced sentence due to a temporary insanity plea." Kyoko dug finger into her calves; the last one was the hardest one to croak out, "Momo and I were put into protective services, but we ended up getting split. I still talk to her on the phone, but I haven't seen her in years…"

Mami reacted by closing her eyes and downing her chin (as much as she could with that plastic nightmare on her shoulders), letting out a sound of bitter acknowledgement.

"What about yourself?" the older girl asked.

Kyoko scratched at her neck, "I got picked up by a couple after about two months; a month after Momo got adopted. Turns out they were crocks of shit who just adopted me for some tax breaks; barely took care of their own daughter… So, me an' her have been livin' out at her aunt's till my mom gets out of the hospital. Money's a little tight between the three of us, and her aunt isn't exactly the picture of health right now, but we're livin'…"

"That… doesn't exactly sound comfortable…" Mami frowned, "Is there something I can do to help you guys out?"

"Well… I mean… If you're offering…" Kyoko sighed, rolling her head, "Maybe you could work up some dinners and come over once a week when you get out of here… Y'know, like old times…?"

The end of the sentence trailed off, almost enough to ward off the implication at the end. But that ward wasn't quite enough.

"I… I'd be happy to cook for you guys, Kyoko… but are you…?" Mami asked, brows knitting.

Kyoko was quiet for a moment, eyes shadowed by her bangs. Then she responded.

"N-no," came the simplified yet painful response. "I… I don't think either of us are really in a position right now to be thinkin' about something like that… And… Honestly…" Kyoko curled in on herself just a bit, "Even though I know it's not true, that it's just a lie, that I'm just angry at myself… I still kinda… I mean a part of me still kinda blames you for what happened. A small part… but even now it's been pissin' me off." To emphasize the point she picked at some earwax with her pinky. "N-Not you, I mean. The feeling. It's frustrating to know that it's in there and I can't do anything to get rid of it. I don't know if it'll ever go away…"

"I... see…" Mami exhaled. And then she smiled; hurt, but genuine, "You've really matured in the last three years, you know that, Miss Sakura…"

Kyoko rolled her eyes and leaned back in the chair, "Hey now, don't go using formalities like that again. Keep it to 'Kyoko', kay?" The redhead rolled forward again, looking at Mami with a sympathetic smile, "I didn't hurt you saying all of that, did I?"

Mami shook her head, "I'm not going to lie, it does hurt, but I don't blame you. It's not easy to change how you feel. And I agree, I don't think it'd work out between us… too much baggage." She leaned back into her pillow, sighing.

"If that's the case, then why were you even considering a relationship with baby blue back there?" Kyoko hacked, throwing her thumb towards the door.

Now it was Mami's turn to roll her eyes, "Sayaka's a good girl, and yes, she does have some baggage, but it's… different than yours. She's really been through some tough times recently… I bet she still is." Mami was quiet a moment, "Kyoko, the next time you see Sayaka, try to be nice, okay? No more shouting matches in hospital hallways?"

"Heh… Y'know, the more I think about it, I'm wondering why a nurse didn't try to kick us out…" Kyoko mused, itching her brow.

"Am I clear though? Try to make up with her. She's a sweet girl, just… more than a little on edge," the blonde pushed, laying down her stance in no uncertain terms. "I'm sure if you guys hung out you could wind up being friends. I think you two would really get along on a good day…"

The redhead scoffed, "Ch'yeah, a 'good day'…" There was silence, Kyoko slowly recognizing the rather adamant glare digging into her temples. She blushed and ducked her head, "Okay, okay, I'll… I'll try." She popped her head up and waved a fresh stick of pocky in Mami's face, "But if she really is a pompous bitch, then I make no promises tryin' is gonna end pretty, got it?"

Mami sighed and closed her eyes, "I suppose that's the best I can ask for." The chef looked to the clock, frowning, "Visiting hours are almost up. Are you going to be safe walking home alone?"

"'Course I will. Don't gotta mean left hook for looks," the athlete grinned, her misshapen fang popping over her lower lip. She paused mid action pose, Yuma's face flashing into her vision. Kyoko twisted her jaw, figuring there was no harm in asking. "Hey Mami, do you have your wallet here by chance?"

"I… do? Why?" the blonde asked back.

"…Could I borrow some yen?"

O/o\O

~Author's Note~

As usual, this is only part one of a two-parter and the closing Author Note proper will be there as well! Part two will be up after the weekend, so keep your eyes peeled!

Also do remember that comments, criticisms and reviews are always adored and commissions are still open for anyone to enjoy! Feel free to check out my profile for details!

Catch ya on the flipside!