Miki Sayaka was not having a good day - or week. Hell, she wasn't having a good life right now. When she made her choice she thought she knew the price - some happiness, her time, even her life if it came down to it. But… it wasn't the FULL price. It wasn't even the down payment for the power she received. No, the TRUE price was what weighed heavily on her now.
The price had been her soul. Her body was no longer her own. It was a shell that she… animated and worked through. She was no better than a zombie. THAT was the price she and the other magical girls paid for the power they wielded, and now, to make her shitty life even shittier, Sakura Kyouko decided they needed to talk, even going to her house to call her out of her self-imposed isolation.
Really she couldn't care less. The short red-head tried to convince her that being a selfish bitch was better than caring for others. She kept trying to say that it was easier on you to just look out for yourself while tossing an apple in the air. The majority of her didn't listen to the other girl's words. Yet… another part of her, a tiny part, latched onto those same words. It listened and stored it away. Not just the words or the tone they were said in, but the fake happiness that seemed to drip off of them, too. If Kyouko truly believed what she was saying why did she sound almost sad about it?
It was then that they approached what appeared to be an old rundown church, and Kyouko kicked down the large doors, literally. They fell off their hinges and everything. They walked up the stairs and the blue haired girl couldn't help but look around the ruined holy place. "Why did you bring me here?" she asked as they approach the old podium.
"It's kind of a long story." The red-head responded digging into her bag and turning around before tossing an apple that the stoic Sayaka caught. "You hungry?" she asked with that little smile of hers.
Sayaka looked at the apple, stared at her reflection in the fruits shining skin. Her arms tensed as her mind, her beliefs, and her anger toward the other girl told her to throw away the apple. To get rid of this gift that she was sure wasn't as good at it looked, wasn't anywhere near as innocent either. But again that tiny part of her listened, and noticed something about all this. The woman was a glutton who devoured food and never seemed to want to share. Yet here she was offering some of her food. This had to be significant. Had to mean something deeper than she thought. So, despite everything in her DEMANDING she get rid of this tainted gift… she held it in her hands, and stayed quiet under the other girl's smile.
The other girl seemed to be waiting for some kind of reaction. Sayaka slowly looked up from the apple and put her hand down keeping the fruit in her hand staring back with a tilt of her head. Kyouko sighed, but then started spinning her tale. About how the church belonged to her father, how he started his own teachings, had tried to preach them but everyone, even, the church wouldn't listen to him and shunned him. How her family fell on hard times. How she turned to Kyubei. How she believed she was doing good as people flocked to her father's teachings and she destroyed the witches. How she was trying to save the world, only for it all to fall apart when her father found out. To be cursed by your own father. To have your whole family, everything you worked for destroyed. Sayaka had to admit to herself… it was terrible. So very terrible.
"The wish I made destroyed my family." Kyouko said as she tossed the core of the apple she had been eating all the while over her shoulder. "It's because I made it without considering other people's feelings. Because of that it was a disaster. I made a promise to myself then. I vowed to never use magic for the sake of another again. This power is only to be used for myself." She continued to look out a destroyed window before she turned around with one of her trademark smiles. "Miracles aren't free. If you wish for hope you will send out an equal amount of despair. They are one and the same. That's how the balance of this world is preserved"
Again, Sayaka found herself at a loss. This deep, heart-wrenching tale from someone who regularly smiled and threatened and left others to die just didn't seem to fit. And yet it made so much sense, and explained so much about this girl in front of her but… "Why did you tell me this?" She asked emotion finally showing in her face.
Kyouko looked away acting as if struck. "I think you should change that willful attitude of yours. It's a life of just desserts."
Sayaka was about to say a rebuke. After all if this was her view on things why would she do this? Why would she tell her story and try to reason? It didn't make sense. But then that tiny part of her spoke up again. Started pointing at all the past actions and words. At all the emotions she both showed and tried to hide. "You want to try and save me from the mistakes you believe I made." Sayaka stated with a hint of the understanding that was spreading through her.
This brought a smile to the other girl lips. As she started to explain further. How she saw that they followed the same paths and that Sayaka didn't need to walk it. How it was the wrong path to tread. She said with the fervor of a preacher. Of someone with experience and wanted to stop another from doing the same. Sayaka's immediate reaction was to denounce it. To tell her off, but that tiny part of her had grown vast. Something wasn't adding up.
"I misunderstood you. I will admit that and apologize. However you didn't answer my question." The blue haired knight said catching the spear wielder off guard. "You knew this from the beginning. You saw the difference and saw the path I made. And yet before you didn't try to talk me out of it. You taunted me and tried to kill me. You threatened the person I made the wish for. You stood in the way of my hunting. And yet now you want to use words to save me. Why?"
Kyouko looked away again. She looked uncomfortable and… was that shame? "I realized my own mistakes. My father wanted to save everyone, and at one point so did I. You reminded me of myself. A part I thought I killed off. Seeing you walking and talking like I use to… I wanted you gone. But now, now I know the price we have both paid. Just how screwed we both were by all this. I see now just how much this affects you. You woke up a part of me. For that I want to save you from yourself and the mistake you made."
Sayaka could only stare at Kyouko in disbelief. This arrogant loud mouth glutton was serious. She could tell. Was her path to save others really that wrong? Was it… going to destroy her like it did Kyouko's family? True she now couldn't be with the boy she loved but… but…
"I don't think I chose wrong. I don't regret my wish. Though I do admit it bothers me. I am troubled I can't deny that. But if I back down now… won't everything I stood for fall down around me?" She asked almost desperately. Kyouko could only look away not knowing the answer to which Sayaka could only sigh.
"Kyouko, I can't turn from my path. If used right this power can do beautiful things. However you a have shown me it can bring ugliness as well. So I ask that you not interfere with my hunting of familiars… but if you want to help please do. And if I ever start to walk down a path where even my own beliefs start to betray me…" She looked at the other girl with a determined hard stare. "I need you to slap me. And slap me HARD."
Kyouko could only nod her throat not being able to make a noise. Sayaka then looked down at the apple still in her hand. "By the way where DID you get these apples? Where did you get the money to pay for these?" She asked. When she looked back at the other girl she saw hesitation in her eyes, her mouth open but unable to answer. "I see."
She smiled then took a large bite out of the apple chewing slowly before she with a smile. "Just this once. Thank you, Kyouko. I sincerely hope we can continue to meet under these better circumstances." With that she walked out of the church eating the apple as a surprised and speechless Kyouko could only watch.
It was a surprisingly good apple.
Sayaka wasn't having a good day. Earlier one of her best friends had admitted to having a crush on the boy she made her wish to heal. Said she would give her 24 hours to confess before she did… And because of the condition Sayaka had put herself in she couldn't even compete. It wasn't fair. On top of that this witch was kicking her ass. She couldn't get close enough and her magic wasn't as powerful as before. Combine that with everything that has been on her mind and she wasn't focused enough to be at her peak. She tried one last charge and got past all the defenses only to get caught by a freaking tree. Was she really going to lose? Was this her end?
Just then the one thing she never expected to happen happened. Kyouko jumped in and saved her. She was set down as the spear wielder got ready to make her own charge. To buy her time to rest. She wouldn't have that. Part of her wanted to take the offer but she HAD to do this. Prove that she could. She got up and ran to her prey. She got clobbered but at the same time giddy. She wasn't hurt. She COULDN'T be hurt. It brought laughter to her lips even as she brought down her sword on the witch again and again and again, unloading everything in a giggling manic state. She kept cutting until the world fell away and the witch's body faded. She stood as her wounds healed. "It's pretty easy once you know how to use it." She said as her giggling died down.
"There is no way I can lose now." She then bent down and picked up the grief seed before she tossed it over to Kyouko. "You can have that. It's what you wanted, right?"
She smiled and started to walk by. "I don't want to owe you anything." She continued as a tiny part, which up to this point she had started to silence again, tried to stop her. "We are ev-"
Just as she reached the red head's side a hand was brought up and struck her cheek hard enough to force her to the floor. She looked up in shock as she held her stinging cheek. Staring into her attacker's eyes she didn't see anger in the red head's eyes. She saw pity. Sayaka wanted to retort to strike back but then a memory surfaced itself. "I… deserved that, didn't I?"
She got a nod in response. She sighed releasing her transformation and held out her gem as Kyouko held out and pressed the grief seed to it, restoring her magic, and then held out her hand which Sayaka took and pulled her up. Madoka looked more than a little confused but also relieved. "Thank you Kyouko." Sayaka said sounding more like herself.
"No problem. Just doing what you asked me to do." Kyouko said waving off the thanks. "It's something I've wanted to do anyway. But now you DO owe me. And I plan to collect." She smiled but it's not a cruel smile. Sayaka couldn't help but return it even as the red head turned and walked away.
Sayaka couldn't help but giggle a little even as her confused friend tried to ask what that was about. "Just a little bit of understanding. Don't worry about it." She reassured looking at her long time friend. "Let's go madoka."