Erica sighed, tossing her small duffle bag full of books into the small wooden chair in her room. She flicked the lamp on her desk and turned to peer around her small room.
She glanced at her bookshelf, eying the new manga that she had been neglecting to read. She snorted; she never had time to read it. Sighing she turned back to the little desk and to the little notebook in the center of it.
She flipped open her little notebook, flicking through the pages before settling on a page labeled: "Wednesday's Schedule".
School, then practice, then to help with the community meal. After that tutor some of the kids from science and go help Mr. Elks with some things around his house. Then home for to work on homework for the next hour before sleeping.
She sighed, no free time. She flipped through the rest of the week. None there too.
People to help. Obligations to fill. Responsibilities and tasks to uphold.
When the hell would she get her own time for herself?
Never. A small tear slid down her face.
Never time for her.
Erica crushed her face into her pillow. Wet blobs soaking the soft satin under her face. She squashed the small stuffed animal in her grasp. Small sobs racked the tiny bed she lay on, causing the bed to sway back and forth.
She could lay there. For hours. Days maybe.
She couldn't tell. She didn't care either.
She had had enough.
"You're going to do great things!" Said the old lady at church.
"You're so much better than this!"Said her father when she got in trouble.
"Your grades could be better." Said her teacher.
"You're so much more than this." Said her guidance counselor.
"At least try and reach your potential." Said her coach.
"You need to work harder! Come on you can do it!" Said her friends.
She clenched her eyes, forcing them shut. She was tired
So tired.
Tired of living up to other people's standards.
Tired of listening to her friends problems, but not listened to.
Tired of being ignored, left wandering, left out.
Weary of the duties. The obligations. The requests.
"Could you help me with this?"
"Would you be able to help with our study session?"
"Can you help Simon with this?"
"Make sure you work on that. I need it done by Friday."
She felt like she could scream.
"Would you like to make a wish?"
Erica looked up, staring at the white rabbit-like creature perched on her bedpost. A long thick tail swished back and forth behind it.
"Wha-" she sniffled. lifting her eyes up to meet the beady red ones of the small white creature posing on her bed. Its eyes peering at her as if she were some elusive prey.
It licked its small forearm, "Would you like to make a wish?"
Erica rubbed her eyes. "What are you?"
"My name is Kyuuby, I am an incubator. I can grant wishes if you agree to become a Magical Girl."
"A Magical Girl?"
It hopped down onto her pillow and stared into her eyes, "yes!"
"And what would I do as this "Magical Girl"? Become some fairy?" Erica asked quietly, in a unconvinced voice.
"No, if you make a contract with me you'll get your wish fulfilled. Whatever you want," the rabbit-creature said, "In return...you will become a Magical Girl and combat witches."
"Witches!?" She said pulling herself into a sitting position to look at the creature better.
"Yes." Its tail flipped back and forth.
"Why would I want to fight those?!" She muttered, "It's just another thing to do for someone else."
It cocked its head, "For a wish."
"What kind of wish?" She asked.
"Any kind you want." It pranced forward, "If you have the Potential, the wish will be granted."
She took a breath, "Anything?"
"Anything." It nodded. "Now, with what wish will your soul gem shine?"
Anything.
Anything was possible.
It was a wish, a wish for anything she wanted.
Not for anyone else, but for her. Only her.
She smiled dejectedly. No one wanted to know what she wished for, just for whether or not she would do something for her.
It was always what someone else wanted, or what someone else thought was right or what they thought should happen.
Always with other's expectations and feelings. Trying to earn approval, to make her parents proud, to make people respect her.
She...didn't have to work so hard now.
"I...I wish..." She put a hand over her heart, "I wish that I could be accepted for me and that no-one would ever ask more from me that what I could give."
The rabbit-thing glowed slightly for a second. Erica's chest tightened. Her breath hitched.
There was slight pain, and she fought the urge to cry out, but all of the sudden the pain vanished and the glow receded.
"Insufficient potential. Do you have another wish?" The creature cocked its head.
"But you said-"
The incubator licked its paw, "I said if you had enough potential. You may attempt another wish if you like."
Erica was silent for a while. Staring at her feet, at the toes as they wiggled.
She was so weak. She couldn't do anything right. She even messed up a wish!
A wish!
She sighed.
She would never be good enough. She never had the strength to carry on, to keep going despite the odds.
She never had the power to say no.
Never the courage to say yes.
Everything decided for her.
Even her wish.
She grunted. If only she could just be more tough. Be able to assert herself.
She shook her head, that wasn't her.
Erica sighed, staring out the window. If only she were a stronger person...
Her breath hitched. What if she had the power, the strength to be who she wanted to be.
To be able to say no. To tell people that she was tired. That she didn't want to talk about their problems. Strong enough to face her own problems.
"I...I wish I was strong enough to be myself. No matter what others say or want me to do. I want to shape my destiny without influence."
The incubator was silent for a moment, "High chance of success."
The pain in her chest returned with renewed vigor. Her breath slithered out in a gasp of pain. Her eyes fixed at the light protruding from her chest, she pawed at her breast. The creature basked in a warm light.
"Kyaa!" she cried out. Staring at the creature in pain, tears in her eyes.
"Wish granted." The creature said, "Your soul has successfully produced entropy."
Erica let out a gasp, and cupped the small gem now resting between her palms. It was bright blue and shined in her hands.
She stared at the gem for several seconds before sighing, clasping the gem against her chest as she lay down on the bed.
She smiled. Content for once in her life.
Her wish was granted.