The Best of Us

Back when Miku was a magical girl, her generation of spunky magical crime fighters disappeared mysteriously. Now, she's the only one left. Because of this, she's been asked to not only train the new girls who will replace her friends, but now she's supposed to lead them, too. Miku can't even count the things that will go wrong on both her hands.

Pairings: Background MikixGumi and one-sided SeeUxMiku, past LukaxKaito, background NeruxHaku. Completely open for suggestions otherwise.

Genres: Angst, friendship, supernatural, romance

Rating: T

Characters: Miku H.

Why am I starting a new story? Because I want to suffer. I don't even know.

Anyway, this has been written down in my writing prompts notebook for a while and I finally got bored enough to start it. I don't know when I'll actually get done with the next chapter, but I thought I might go ahead and post the first one just to see what people think. Until I'm properly done with my current multi-chapter story, I have no intention of focusing on this one. Unless it gets popular, which is doubtful.

I intended to have very heavy angst throughout this story. Sad backstories, possible character death (definite character death, actually), and probably a lot of crying. Which is good for me because I seem to enjoy killing my characters. Oh, and some unrequited love.

So, have fun!

Magical girl.

They were interesting words – apart, both could be attention-grabbing, depending on the context. Together, they had more meaning. Magical girl. Haven't you heard it somewhere before? Those silly children dancing across the screen of your television, defeating villains in a blast of sparkles and uttering a catch-phrase like it was the most important thing said in the history of humanity. It's disgusting. How had she ever been able to watch those shows?

Miku Hatsune had real experience with magical girls. They weren't sugar, spice, and everything nice. They weren't snips and snail, either. Usually, magical girls weren't any better than normal girls. They just had more responsibility. More power. Good and evil was all relative, and the lines were quite blurred . Black and white didn't exist in the world of magical girls. It was mostly grey. Granted, there were darker and lighter shades, and everyone tended to shift on the scale. But it was rare to find someone who was purely black or purely white. Which made the entire thing far more complicated than was entirely necessary.

Miku had learned this the hard way. She didn't know where she fit in on the scale – and she probably never would – but the scale certainly existed, even when magic wasn't involved.

All human beings had the capability for both great good and great evil. Who had ever said that didn't mean they could accomplish both?

It was entirely the recruiter's fault that she was even thinking about this. He was a man Miku didn't like thinking about on the best of days. Today wasn't the best of days. In fact, because of him, it was one of the worst ones she had been through in w ahile. After years, why had he contacted her again? After so much, why now?

Miku shifted in her seat. She had been waiting at the small, expensive coffee shop for a good twenty minutes already. Leave it to him to be late. She hadn't even wanted to see him in the first place. She had managed to ignore him for years, ever since – well, best not to bring that up. But she hadn't seen or heard a peep from that part of her life since high school. And she'd made sure of it, hiding deep and becoming as normal as possible. Surely he'd noticed the way she avoided his calls? The emails that went unanswered? Even her magical item had been locked up tight to ensure she would never see it light up again. What use was it, anyway? She had lost too much to ever consider contacting him again. She thought he had understood that.

But even she couldn't ignore the signs of magical activity lately. The crime rate had risen, with a little help from the huge sources of magical power popping up around the city. Just as they had when she was a teen. Were people making deals again? Didn't humans ever learn?

She was so sick of all this. People were so stupid. She really couldn't be bothered to save their useless skins anymore.

She sighed, checking her watch. Only a few minutes until half an hour had passed. Miku would have a perfectly good excuse for vanishing. After all, he had arranged the meeting. He had no right to stand her up. He really hadn't changed, had he?

The door at the front of the shop opened and Miku felt a familiar aura enter. She didn't bother looking up, knowing full well he had finally saw fit to show up.

"Miku."

It wasn't even a proper greeting. Just her name, simple and bland and dropped off of a scarred tongue. She hated the way he said her name, like it meant anything to him. It never had.

"Yes?" she asked. Her voice wasn't angry; on the contrary, she stayed as calm as possible. She had already taken the time to travel back to this city. Why waste spent minutes?

She nearly smirked. A good friend of hers would have scolded her for using anything close to the term "wasting time." Time wasn't something you could waste. You could use it, but it wasn't solid. It wasn't water, which you could waste. It wasn't money. It just was. How could you really waste something you didn't have much control over?

"You showed up," the man who had invited her here nudged his glasses up his nose, sitting down across from her. When she had first become a magical girl and met him, he had seemed so much older and wiser than her. It was so strange how things had been reversed. She was actually older than him now. She knew more, too. About everything. She knew how the world worked, she knew the meaning of life, the universe, and everything in between. She knew about magic. And most importantly, she knew that it was all pointless. She had stopped trying. And he never had.

She really had changed, then.

"I did," Miku confirmed. "Why did you ask me to come?" 'Ask' being the kind word for it.

He cleared his throat. "It's important, if that makes you any less annoyed." He knew her too well. How else had he known she was annoyed? She hadn't shown it.

"Not really. But do continue." Her voice was an Arctic winter – cold, blinding, and as lifeless as you could get.

"I'm sure you've noticed the recent activity," he said. It may have been Miku's imagination, but he seemed a bit nervous. Was it because of her? She couldn't blame him if it was. After all, she could kill him in an instant if he displeased her, without a single witness. Not that she would. But he didn't need to know that. Miku liked to watch him squirm.

"Of course," she said.

"Then you know we need help. We have no one. Not after –" he cut himself off. Miku didn't react, though she knew exactly what he was implying.

"And you certainly don't have me," she replied. "Get some new girls. God knows you can convince them."

He flinched. Of course he flinched. With the bite in Miku's voice, he was surprised he still had both his arms.

"We have new girls," he told her. "We just don't have anyone to train them."

It clicked in Miku's head what he was asking. "Absolutely not," she said fiercely. She should have guessed. After all, she herself had a mentor when she became a magical girl. She remembered the older girl well, actually. She had liked her, even with their differences. But all of her friends had their own mentor. There was no one else to help her train this group.

It was all her fault.

"We can't turn to anyone else," he insisted. "Believe me, the last thing I want to do is ask you. But–"

"You never should have even considered it," she interrupted with a hiss. "You of all people, Kiyoteru. And I trusted you enough to leave me alone."

She stood, her coffee cup falling from the table top and spilling onto the floor. The horrible, ear-piercing shriek that came from her chair as she pushed away from the table drew more than a bit of attention. People were looking. She did not want people looking.

"Go screw yourself," Miku told him. "I want no part of your brainwashing."

Kiyoteru followed her as she stormed from the coffee shop, catching her arm as she shoved into the open air. It was the middle of summer, but outside the sky was overcast and thundering, holding the threat of rain over the people below who wandered the bust streets. The streets she used to protect. The very same ones she loved. The ones she walked to school on. God, it hurt so much. She never should have come back.

"Miku," he began, his hand on her wrist. She absolutely refused to look at him. "I'm not the recruiter anymore. I retired. I just… I couldn't handle it. They only contacted me to see if I could convince you." Kiyoteru's next utterance was a strangled laugh. This surprised Miku. Why hadn't he just told her from the start? She probably would have trusted him more.

"The new recruiter. He's a kid. He's... God, he's younger than I was." Miku could hear Kiyoteru swallow that immense pride of his before continuing. "They need your help. They're kids. Please, Miku. Help them. Help them do whatever it is you wish you could have done."

Miku's heartbeat had slowed to a crawl. She couldn't believe he had the audacity to ask her anything. She owed him nothing.

"Tell me you're appealing to my humanity," she replied quietly, still refusing to turn and look at him. "That's always good for a laugh."

She yanked her arm away from his grip and rounded on him. "Give me one good reason," she demanded icily, eyes narrowing and focusing on Kiyoteru's brown ones. She sensed his intense need to turn and run. But he wouldn't. Maybe that's why she kept listening. Kiyoteru had always been a coward. Swallowing that down couldn't be easy. So, yes, she would listen.

"They're going to die," he said. "If you don't train them, they're going to die. You can't handle having that weighing down on you, too."

"I owe them nothing. Don't presume to know what weighs me down," Miku snapped. "Thousands die every day. None of it is ever my fault. I couldn't do anything even if I wanted to. Don't you dare pretend otherwise."

Kiyoteru waited silently as she glared up at him. They were far too close for his comfort but Miku couldn't care less. In fact, the more uncomfortable he was, the better.

"I'm begging here, Miku," he said. Where she was angry, he was keeping as calm as he could. But she could still read that desperation in his eyes, deep and dark and choking. "Please. I can't let that kid fail like I did."

Miku considered what he had just said. He certainly didn't sound like he was begging. Then again, Kiyoteru's way of begging was different than the average person's. She knew this.

"Fine," she agreed at last. "I'll do what I can. And if they die, I can say 'I told you so.'"

Kiyoteru nodded, the lump in his throat refusing to be swallowed down. He was disturbed by how Miku spoke. She really didn't have a heart anymore, it seemed.

"Okay," he accepted. "I can… I'll email you the details."

"Don't bother," Miku told him, taking a step back and preparing to go on her way. "I remember everything."

Miku Hatsune lived in a small town about three hours away from where she was now. After the events that occurred many years ago, she had found a small apartment and started going to the local college. She wanted to be an art student, and even though it wasn't a very practical way to make money (and she had to admit, her talents in the field of art were less than adequate), she decided to go that route. She got better over the years, too. Honestly, the improvement was amazing. Miku was actually a little bit proud.

Now, at twenty-three, she had returned to her home city, the place she had been born and where she had grown up in a lovely little house near a playground. She had lived here until she was nineteen. Being back was so strange. Nothing had changed. Not that she had expected anything to, really. It seemed like things were going fine without her. The city had done well without its magical heroes. Miku was surprised it had taken so long for the next generation of magical girls to show up, though. Usually, only a year or two went by. How long had it been?

Miku used her mental calculator to figure it out as she unlocked the door to her hotel room. She had no idea how long she'd be there. Hopefully she'd return to her own home before her classes started back up in the fall. But maybe she should try to find an apartment to rent all the same. If she had been connected to the magical interface the magical girls got their powers from, she may have used her magic to open a portal to her own tiny apartment. Unfortunately, she was no longer a magical girl and didn't have that right. As it was, using magic really took it out of her. Not that she used it very much anymore. Actually, it had been over a year since Miku had intentionally tried using magic. There were those times her abilities automatically kicked in. For example, she could always sense magic. It came with experience. Once someone came into contact with magic, there were some things they could do without even thinking about it. Sensing magic was one of those things. Your five senses were also enhanced naturally, too. Miku could hear and see things the average person couldn't even dream of, even with the new scientific advances. Her sense of smell was incredible, though her sense of taste was to the point where she could literally taste scents in the air, so it was a fairly useless enhancement. She never really got sick, either. Her magic (or what little of it she had left) protected her from common ailments. And the occasional scratch and bruise she might encounter never lasted more than ten minutes.

Even so, Miku would always hate herself for not getting out of this mess called magic sooner. Nothing that she had gained was worth what she had lost.

Miku settled onto her bed, which wasn't actually hers considering it belonged to the hotel. But it was soft and well-kept and clean. The thing about being an ex-magical girl is that you always ended up with a lot of money. That is, if you survived. Miku had over three million dollars deposited in her bank account each month. At this point, she probably never had to worry about money ever again, even if they cut down her fund.

Miku sometimes wondered why the organization gave her so much. They knew they couldn't buy her silence if she ever chose to expose them. They knew money could never replace what she had lost. And yet they continued to give her such large sums of money. She could very well pay for her own needs with the money she earned from her job. In fact, she had never touched that one hundred and forty-four million sitting in her account. She refused to. Someday, she knew, she'd probably need it. She'd simply have to swallow her pride and her anger and take out however much she needed, but for now, she could live like an average, boring person.

Nevertheless, if she had to be dragged to this Godforsaken city again, then she would have a nice hotel. Even if it meant digging into her own savings, which was only a little over three thousand. And she still had to pay for college.

Being an adult really sucked.

Miku sighed and checked her phone. She knew that, since it was a Friday and a school day, the new generation of magical girls wouldn't be called together until around five p.m. She knew they'd meet up in the music room at her old school, where the windows would be covered and things would be discussed. She assumed the girls already knew about being chosen as magical girls, so she'd just sit there quietly until she was introduced to them. She'd set up times where she could train them together and individually. She'd talk to their recruiter. She'd wish them good luck and then she'd leave. It probably would only take a few months if she was lucky. She couldn't really take an entire year out of her schedule. She had college, after all.

Miku felt her phone buzz just as she was about to put it away. She had a text from one of her few friends back in her own town. Teto Kasane and Piko Utatane lived in the same apartment complex as her and had the strangest love-hate relationship. Teto was on her way to becoming a teacher, while Piko was more interested in science. More specifically, biology. Miku had always hated science in school, but that way Piko spoke about it made science seem like the most amazing thing in the entire universe. He always knew the latest theories and discoveries. Teto teased him about being a nerd, but both she and Miku liked to hear Piko talk about what he loved.

how is your visit going? – Teto

Miku thought for a moment before replying. She had told Piko and Teto she had to go away to visit her family for summer break. Of course she couldn't tell them the truth. Magical girls were actually a universally acknowledged truth, but the identities of the girls were never revealed. They probably wouldn't believe her if she told them it had something to do with magical girls. It was easier to lie.

It's okay. Sort of boring. Hope I can come back soon. –Miku

we miss you! –Teto

don't go meeting up with any old flames or anything, either! we want you all to ourselves ;) –Teto

Miku rolled her eyes. Teto had the idea in her head that two of them were bound to end up together before college ended. Apparently, Teto and Piko, Miku and Piko, or Teto and Miku were destined to marry and have a zillion kids. Miku didn't bother pointing out that two girls could have biological kids together.

Miku wasn't one to watch television, but she turned on the large, expensive television in her hotel room all the same, flicking to a news channel. She had a while before the meeting would likely happen, so there was no use sitting in silence.

The news wasn't any good, she decided, using the remote to shut off the TV after the reporter started on a story of the recent murder of a ten-year-old boy.

"Humanity is disgusting," she muttered. "Why did I ever even try to save this sorry bunch?"

She hated all of them. Humans were vile and cruel. Not all were, but it seemed like it only got worse as years went by. She couldn't go a single day without hearing about a local murder or a war or a revolution or a bombing. People were horrible to each other. She hated being one of them.

Miku sank into the mattress on her side, letting herself relax as she stared at the drizzle outside her window. It was so dark and thunder crashed overhead. She hadn't seen any lightening yet, though it wouldn't be long. There was a storm coming. She could sense it.

At least, she thought she could.