Beloved Mitakihara. The place that starts everything. This city is our playground, but even we have rules on how things are going. Killing the white rat, for example, is an absolute must. Accepting food from stranger is a big no-no, and so does teasing a little girl in pink. Teasing a mermaid is fine, though discouraged. Mother says so, but no one listens to that one because she herself teases a mermaid anyway.
We're the children of the fake city. But fake or not, we don't really think it matters. Because Mitakihara is still our beloved Mitakihara, a place where we can make some mischief and play without care. Except for those times when Mother's mood grows so foul, she steps on that white rat until it's nothing but a pile of fur. Unfortunately, said pile of fur nowadays only says "Yes" and "More" to Mother, which doesn't improve that metaphorical dark cloud above her head.
...
She should just stick with teasing the mermaid.
Since we're such good children, we decided to take it as our duty to tease the mermaid. Things like putting tacks inside the uwabaki and such. It would be a success if only the school uses uwabaki in the first place.
...
Sometimes we're too wondering whether this city is really in Japan or no.
Either way, we're going to show our everyday life in this city. A documentary or whatever you guys call it. Too pretentious for us, so we're calling it shenanigan.
Homulilly rocks, by the way.
1. IBARI
It was said that the Puellae Magi prefer high places because it makes them feel like owning the entire world. On the other hand, among fellow Puellae Magi there's a popular saying that just like the smoke that always rising far up to the sky, those who attracted to high places are air-headed fools.
Self depreciation? Disapproval toward the old stereotype? One could only shrugs.
But her, no one doubt why she likes high places. Looking down upon the others is practically her job. Though her sisters will forever wondering why it always followed by making heroic pose like those toku shows. Or maybe like a certain twin drill lady. I'm not afraid of anything anymore and all that jazz.
Sometimes arrogance can't be separated from making fool of oneself.
At the bottom of the building she stands on, her sisters would gossip like a bunch of housewives regarding her antic. This is hypocritical as they all came to be from negative self-loathing of a notoriously obsessive stalker.
Oh, well.
2. NEKURA
She would often look up on whatever her sisters had suggested, and would almost immediately shake her head no.
Putting an eraser trap on the door for the teacher? There's no way such a flimsy trick will work.
Stealing from the market's stalls? We're doing mischief, not criminals.
Hiding people's things inside their own shoes locker? We're going to play prank or no?
Her sisters will grow tired of her quips fast, then go playing prank on her instead. After all, the most useful thing a KY can do for a bunch of naughty children is to be the target of their prank. Their tomatoes civil war will often devolved from group A vs. group B into the children vs. her.
Not that she worries with her status as designed butt of every joke. They have a pretty short attention span, and they definitely won't miss any chance to tease the mermaid and her stranded minions.
Those cute, cotton-headed Anthony are fun to kick around. And to snuggle to. And to pet until there's a bald spot in the middle of that puffy head.
... In fact, screw making prank in general. Why can't we just pet some Anthony and call it a day? Isn't it better if we all just get along...?
If only Mother listens to her more often...
3. USOTSUKI
One thing that all Puellae Magi share is their ability to lie through their teeth and no one will pick it up unless they really look into it. That alone should make her the strongest of all children.
But the rest of her sisters are so honest, it's physically painful to watch. And it's upsetting when you know it's your fault everyone misunderstands what you actually mean.
Watching her mother sit on that chair, alone with only the half moon as company, makes her sad. No one can approach her, because no one can understand her, because she never honest of what she actually thinks.
One day, her mother notices her staring.
"What is it?"
Then, she stretches her lips to the widest smile she can muster.
"Nein!"
She then skips away from the field like she always does, while mentally beating herself to death.
Of the fifteen sisters, she's the only one who can't speak for her own desire. Because her mother has something more important to do than attending her own self-pity right now.
It's ironic, really.
4. REIKETSU
Yesterday, Noroma had gotten herself 'lost' after playing with a 'bad group'. She personally approached the group and blackmailed their families out of the city.
The day before that, a flock of exceptionally stupid Liese was fooled by a bait from slingshot-armed grade schoolers. Not even pass their lunch break, she rained their classroom with the same stones they used to cripple Mother's pet birds.
Not long after that, some street urchins stole money and bread while waving their butterfly knife like circus performers. She let them go.
Today, a baby boy has his fourth birthday. She leaves a tricycle in the family's house before the sun rising.
5. WAGAMAMA
Second Sunday of May.
She hides her gift behind her back and timidly approaches that sole chair on the cliff.
She's a little worried of what her mother will say or do. After all, of all of her children, she might be the one their mother hates the most. It's because of her, Mother betrayed the Great Goddess of Hope and damned Her salvation. It's because of her, the best of friends became enemies.
Soft crunch of the grass under her feet warns the Devil of her arrival. Without turning, Mother acknowledges her presence.
"Wagamama..." she whispers, "Anything you need?"
Here goes...
She bows her head low as she presents the red carnation. It's not even a real flower... but she made it with everything she got! It may not as well-made as those sold in shops, but she poured her wish into each crease of the petal.
"Zum Muttertag!"
She doesn't know how long she bows, but each passing seconds makes her heart so full of fear.
Someone takes the flower from her hands softly.
She raises her head, watching Mother twirls the flower by its stem. The Devil then puts the carnation in the middle of her bow.
"Thank you." Along with a pat on her head.
Her smile blossoms like that carnation.
The rest of the night she spends monopolizing this rare affection. Sitting on Mother's lap, watching the starry sky.
6. WARUKUCHI
Mother... that white rat is waiting on the Goddess' window lately...
Hey, hey, congratulation for your rebirth. Now, you can say "good morning" to your crush as he walks in with his girlfriend...
Evening Miss... did you break up with your boyfriend again? What is it this time? Sunny side-up or omurice? At this rate, you won't get married until you're 40.
That girl in class 3-1 is dating older men to support herself, you know. After all, she no longer has parents...
I heard he killed his previous wives and hid the bodies under his bed...
...That boy is actually not her husband's son...
She definitely did something when on the 'couch'. There's no way, with that kind of voice, she can be an idol.
What a brickhead! Still coming to this school after her father stole the Diet's fund...
That day, she-
Reiketsu grasps her (my) shoulder like a vice grip. She (I) slaps her (my) sister's hand when it becomes too painful, eyes flickers red and green.
Scoffing, she (I) challenges Reiketsu of what she thinks of what she (I) had done.
It's not like she (I) did something wrong; she (I) only says what had actually happened...
Rare for the sisters to argue. But when they do, you can expect her (me) to have something to do with it.
With teeth like spears and tongue like a sword, people like that are just difficult to maintain order of.
7. NOROMA
Pair of abandoned children is wandering in a bad place. Eyes of leering social scums are following everywhere, while the smell of damp walls closing in.
Unseen by, or perhaps unaware by, the two ignorant children, followed the third child not far behind and in front of, tempting them like a white beautiful bird. Or a candy given by a stranger. Or a cake behind the shop's front window. Teasing and tempting, like an alluring anglerfish.
If you follow this path, you will get so much money...
Voice compelling, thought muddled more they walk inside. Then a man, a sweaty and lard-ridden man, approaches the two. His hands are clenching and unclenching.
The owner of the voice giggles at the sight.
What a nice man...
Break like an egg shell and join our mother's troupe. Only with her, you can see the world that you dreamed of.
8. YAKIMOCHI
She saw several of her sisters observing Mother fabulously flips her hair.
Realizing immediately there's something wrong, she chases after several Liese and plucks their feathers wthout mercy...
9. NAMAKE
May. The month for any good familiar to be active for their mothers.
What a drag...
Days the between of Spring and Summer always full of bustling and noisy parks. A lot of children scraping their knees and their parents kissing the pain bye-bye, a place of dogs barking at nothing in particular (one reason why they all like birds and cats more) while previously chasing after their tail.
She likes Winter more. Winter is quiet, winter can entirely be spent inside the kotatsu and no one will call you out, winter is when you can make funny shapes on the snow.
She hears another commotion from her place under the shade of trees, but it's no ordinary commotion. Warukuchi is pissing off someone again, and it will surely escalate to them stabbing each other like that one time she insulted Reiketsu's sham of a chest.
What a drag...
There's no one of the sisters that has the same tall build as Warukuchi. None except for her,or maybe Reiketsu. Thus, everyone expects her to wrestle Warukuchi every time she oversteps the rules.
Turns out it's Reiketsu that she pissed off. Figures. The two are already charging at each other with the sharp end of their rods aiming at their opposite's neck.
Where's Ibari when you need her, anyway?
It's getting too noisy. Regretfully, she lifts her own rod to deflect her sisters', their eyes widens when she suddenly appears in the between of them.
10. MIE
It's just a random day, a day like any other.
She, Reiketsu, and Namake is lazing around because of sheer boredom; though it's not that strange for Namake to feel bored, bored is her general temprament.
Until they see Mother is gracefully gliding on the flooding riverside of the path to Mitakihara Junior High.
A wind blows her glorious black lock and into her face.
Mother then flips her hair away in a trained motion, her fingers combing each strand with care. The ensuing reanimation of shampoo commercial is fabulously epic. Her hair is like that of heroic cape, falling into her back in recorded time like domino pieces.
Wow...
In background, the sound of Yakimochi bothering the birds fills the vicinity.
Reiketsu then turns toward her sisters and smiles to herself. Her hand goes under her hair, and she copies the motion her mother did as best she can. Their hairs are all stiff, unlike those of human's, so the result is not as good.
Manuke scoffs.
She flips her hair with slight more jerk to it. The hair flies a little further than Reiketsu, but the falling is uncanny. Manuke is disappointed.
Looks like fun!
She then reaches under her hair...
Until she realizes there's no hair below her shoulder.
Both Manuke and Reiketsu are holding their laughter, while she grow crestfallen at her lack of voluptuous amount of hair.
Something heavy is put on her head.
She looks up and meets Yakimochi's gaze, then looks down and curiously stares at the weaving of crow's feather that now running down her back. Yakimochi only smiles, and flips her own hair to make sure she gets it.
hesitatedly, she combs her fingers to the between of the feathers. Liese are surprisingly soft to touch, and the wig is the same. She flicks her wrist, and the curtains of feathers are accordingly flaring up.
She stands shell-shocked, before laughing heartily.
11. OKUBYOU
The park, with large sandbox and several children playing inside it, is bustling with people.
It's a pretty rare sight; people these days prefer to stay inside and watch TV. The sun is like an oven and this park like a frying pan, summer is not good to spend too long outside.
From the corner of her eyes, she sees Her Lady Goddess' brother drawing on the sand.
Mother's picture.
Widening her eyes (if that's even possible), she opens her mouth with question right on her tongue's tip.
"Tak-kun!"
Several more children are immediately crowding the boy. His friends?
Her nerve wilts fast.
"Woah... who's this?"
One boy points at the sand drawing.
"She's pretty..."
Tatsuya looks down at his own masterpiece, and shrugs.
"Dunno!" he then smiles, "Just wanna draw her."
Gathering her own courage, she approaches the children, pride for her mother overruling her fear and praises filling her head.
"Okubyou..."
She freezes. Her mother is already behind her. Since when?
"...Let's go home. Don't bother them."
Disappointed is an understatement. She then turns away and follows her mother back to their eternal labyrinth.
12. MANUKE
She trails behind the little girl in pink. Her Lady Goddess is as radiant as ever. Seeing Her is enough to make her giddy with childish excitement.
A summer festival is the day of games and cheap prices. Her eyes twinkle watching a bunch of goldfish swim around the stall, agitated by the costumers' nets trying to catch them. The girl in pink and Her friends are taking interest in one black and red fish who always manage to dodge the nets.
Her Ladyship tries. The goldfish jumps from Her net like pro at the last second.
The Little Mermaid is the next. The thin net ripped by her boisterous swing. Maybe she trains with her sword too much?
The twin-drill lady is the one who tame that robust fish. Her hand is graceful, her motion is gentle.
The younger girls clap at her success.
"My..." the drill lady puts her hand on her cheek, a little embarrassed. "But I don't have a place for this little one."
"How about we save up some of our allowance to buy one?" the mermaid says, "We'll take care of them together."
The friends are laughing together, joy and happiness bursting like a sudden spotlight.
She's watching with awe.
The next day, her mother exasperatedly scolds her for putting a lot of fish tanks and colorful speciments inside in every corner of the city. But fishes are a symbol of friendship, she protests. She clings to her fish tanks until her mother gives up and let her do whatever she likes.
Thus, the birth of Mitakihara Public Aquarium.
13. HIGAMI
They are hunting the white rat.
One of them is sneaking around the neighboring town like a rat it is
Suddenly, she has an idea.
Hey, why don't we make a race? She says to her sisters. More white fluff, the better. Piling inside the grave and closing the hole, dancing on the ensuing tomb and making a lively of the graying scape. A bright end of the king of rat, a proper closure to the archenemy.
Her sisters tilt their head a little, slightly confused at the proposal.
The distraction allows the rat to escape. And the race turns into chasing after it instead.
They still throw its white fluff to the air like confetti at least, but it disappoints her to see her plan never take flight.
Oh, well... the rat still makes a very good bonfire they can dance around. Next time, they will make the entire winter snow from its fluff. A little macabre, like that manga she once read, but it seems interesting.
Ah... The world has so many things that she wants to see.
14. GANKO
The Law of Cycle is indeed a very strong concept.
The very foundation of the world's law of the magical girl.
Somewhere, Her Lady Goddess is still collecting those fallen from their despair, absorbing them into the Law, turning them into a part of herself.
You can say that Puellae Magi are Her children, just like them are Mother's children.
But the analogy is slightly flawing. They're not Puellae Magi, after all.
Nevertheless, she stands vigilant in her post, watching over Her Ladyship to make sure the Law doesn't take Her back.
This world is heaven; after all, Mother creates this world only for You. She creates the world where You, or Your people, can never feel sorrow. Isn't this the world that You always dreamed of?
Maybe it's not a true heaven, but this world is the best Mother can give to You.
Why You can never truly accept it?
15. AI
She's the runt of the pack, the little sister who not yet allowed to come out of her casing. Her mother is kind while her older sisters are a bit crueler with their pranks, but there's one thing they always agree of. She's not allowed to get out of her casing yet.
Mother gave her a dress she used to wear when she was a Witch, and her sisters gave her a very nice drill handmade by them. The hand drill is similar like a wind up key; she will put it in some random surface and the drill will start playing a song. Round and round, the song is like those of the musicians busking with their accordions her sisters like to listen to.
But more often than not, her hands are flat against her plastic cage, watching the world goes by and she still not allowed to get out. She watches her sisters playing in the city merrily and she often cry because she cannot join them. Everyone once in a while will bring gifts and presents, but she doesn't really want them. Running around the city and playing in the world her mother created is her dream, carried over from her sleep and continued seamlessly as she watches from behind her cage.
The moon is unusually large today, which means Mother is going to visit her.
And there she is!
She runs to the edge of her casing, hands flat against the surface.
Can I go out now, she asks her mother. Her wish is quickly stomped flat when Mother sings that abhorrent nursery rhyme again.
"No, not yet... No, not yet..."
End
88888
You think it's a new chapter? Too bad, have some Clara Dolls instead.
This fanfic, of course, is spoiler of the Rebellion Story movie. Here is my interpretations of the true nature of our Homuhomu's self-loathing. Not following the newest cards of the Children from the OST most of the time.
But I concede, the Children of the Fake City are the best thing came out of the Rebellion Story. They're exactly the thing I expected from the Witches and their pretentious symbolisms; the entire epilogue is basically them screwing around with the audience's perception of what actually happen in it. Intended reaction by Shaft? Or the audience are in actuality divided into nothing but goldfish and self-proclaimed elitists? I demand season 2, either way.
I have to make a confession. My other fanfic, Observation, is what I think a fix-fic at its base. I romaticized many of Homura's flaws like in the anime's ending, maybe because I'm sorta in confusion of her end fate and the ensuing fridge logic. A ruthless and obsessive pseudo yandere into the Goddess' anti-nihilist chosen one is kinda a big leap of morality, so the nail in the story is when she finds the best way to have the golden ending is to unite the girls through understanding of one self and power of friendship.
In short, i turned Homura into a visual novel harem protag. Not that it's bad of a concept, especially with her new game plus route she took in the anime, but by changing the basic of her journey to match her self at the anime's epilogue, it instead makes the contrast between the Homura before and after Madoka's wish very jarring.
And Urobuchi comes in and rips me a new one by focusing such flaws. He shows possibilities, even a little, that kind Homura is not going to last long. I come to notice that's just the way Urobuchi goes with his characters; he molds someone from a stereotype and breaks that cliché into something unexpected, and this time he takes a potshots at us fandom. It's amazing just how much he embarrassed me from my wishful thinking.
And so, I admit defeat to the Butcher once again.