~Peony~

A large pink flower with many petals.

It is believed to show life and bring healing to its owner.

ooOOoo

I'm in a soft bed. Opening my eyes slowly, I see a bright light, and squint to keep from being blinded. I sit up slowly and look around me. There's nothing but white: white television, white bed stand, white bed. On the bed stand is a change of clothes, and a small, yellow egg is lying on top of them.

So, I'm in a hospital, and I'm the patient.

I feel fine, though. I'm not in any pain, or uncomfortable at all. Sitting up fully, I fully examine my body. There aren't any tubes hooked up to me, no breathing machine to keep me alive, no life support helping me cling to life with my last legs; no wires or tubes entering or leaving my hospital robe. So, I should be fine, right?

With this in mind, I put my arms over my head, stretching. I shouldn't be in this hospital, I'm fine; someone must have made some mistake.

"How can you be so sure, Tomoe?"

I freeze upon hearing the voice, unaware that other people were in the room. I turn to the door, but it's closed. I then turn to the window, but no one's there, either...

...Maybe it's just me?

Deciding to ignore it, I slip on my hospital slippers and walk over to the sliding door, about to open it and leave.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Tomoe."

The voice rings out in my head again, and I stay still, tightening my grip on the door handle. I don't try to look around for its owner this time; instead, I try a more direct approach. "...why not?"

"Because you're supposed to be in here, of course."

I whip my head around, frantically searching for the voice everywhere. Not on the bedstand, not on the bed, not in the window, on the trashcan, outside, it's nowhere to be seen.

"Patients should stay in their rooms until discharged."

"...Where are you? Show yourself!"

"Look behind you."

I look behind me, and now there's a white, furry little animal on my bed that I know wasn't there before. "How did you get there...?" I ask, cautiously, staring at it in disbelief.

He simply closed his large, red eyes, still keeping his smile. "I've been here the whole time, Tomoe. As I was saying, dead patients shouldn't be walking around the hospital. It would cause quite an uproar."

...Did I hear him right? "Dead patients? What do you mean, dead? I'm fine, I'm not dead."

"But you should be, Mami."

That last line hits me like a rock, and I'm suddenly gripped with fear. Am I supposed to be dead? I walk closer to the animal, getting a closer look at it. It's not as small as I'd believed, about the size of a large cat. Its fur is white all over, with a large red insignia on its back and red tips on its long ears. The tail was long and very fluffy, and would be waved side to side occasionally. Around its ears were two thin gold bands, one on each ear, that seemed to be floating. Now that I look at it better, those aren't its ears; they're long extensions coming from its real ears, the kind of ears that stick up all the time. Its face was quite simple, donning two large red dots for eyes and a black smile for a mouth. The creature smiled up at me when I reached the bed.

"No one should be able to survive an accident like that. It's humanly impossible, and no medicine or procedure known to man could have saved you."

If nothing could have saved me, then why am I alive, and feeling fine at that?

The animal just continues to smile peacefully. It seems that you've forgotten the events that led to your hospital stay. We have plenty of time, so I'll explain. With a great flourish of his bushy tail, it begins. "First off, I'm Kyuubey. Nice to meet you, Tomoe." Kyuubey places a paw to his chest. "If you're wondering how I know your name, it's because I heard the doctors say it. But on to the accident.

"Tomoe, yesterday at 12:09 P.M., you were riding with your family in a black car, on a, how do you say, family excursion? The car was going down the Mitakihara City Expressway at seventy kilometers per hour. At the same time, a white truck was going the opposite way on the same expressway, albeit on the wrong side of the road, at 110 kilometers per hour." It jumped up to the headstand of the bed. "The two cars hit at 12:15 P.M. Victims included passengers and pedestrians alike. Most of the people involved died, but there were three who made it out with life-threatening injuries: Masumi Tomoe, Aimi Tomoe, and their daughter, Reiko Tomoe. That's you, Tomoe."

Masumi and Aimi, my father and mother. If they were there, too... "Kyu, Kyuubey, what happened to my parents? They're alive too, right?"

It shook its head. "Masumi and Aimi died after extensive surgery. They never had a chance. To be honest, I'm surprised that the doctors even attempted to save them; it gave everyone false hope."

Suddenly feeling weak, I turn and slump onto the bed. My parents are dead... I don't want it to be true, but Kyuubey's stoic demeanor just makes it seem even more like reality.

"You didn't have a chance, either," Kyuubey continues. "The doctors focused their efforts on you at your parents' request, but it still wasn't enough. You were too weak, and your body couldn't handle the surgery required. They had no choice but to suspend the procedures, put you on life support, and hope that your body would get the strength it needed before it was too late. However, the chances of someone regaining such strength in such a short amount of time are nonexistant, and they knew it. Perhaps they were just doing what others thought they should do."

"...So I had even less of a chance than Mother and Daddy?" I ask, holding back sobs. "And yet I'm still here, and they're not?" I can feel the burning tears build up around my eyes.

Kyuubey seemingly didn't notice. "To be frank, yes. You all had very weak grips on your lives, you especially, Tomoe."

A rare bout of anger and confusion grips me, and I forcefully grab Kyuubey.

"If I shouldn't be alive," I yell at him, "Then why am I alive now? What could have possibly saved me?"

Kyuubey doesn't even flinch. "Magic."

"..."

"Magic saved you, Tomoe."

"...Why are you lying to me?" I drop Kyuubey. "Why are you lying? Magic doesn't exist."

Kyuubey jumps back onto the bed. "How do you know? Do you have any proof that magic doesn't exist?"

...No, no I don't. But it doesn't exist, it can't.

"Well, it does, Tomoe, and it saved you," Kyuubey replies, as if he read my mind. "Perhaps you'd like me to elaborate on your situation a bit more?" I have nothing better to do, so I just stay quiet and keep listening.

"When you were in the car, dying, I came to you, and I offered to help. I gave you a wish, and you used it to wish to live through the accident. In exchange for the wish, I made you into a Puella Magi." He rolls over on the bed. "Of course, I couldn't grant your wish in front of all those people at the site of the accident. I waited until you were taken to the hospital. Once the doctors left you to help your parents, your wish was granted. You were healed of all injuries."

But there's still something I don't get. "Kyuubey, what exactly did I wish for?"

"You wished to be tied back to life." He puts a paw to his chin, as if thinking. "Hm, you really did forget everything... Well, I hope I helped you remember."

An awful thought soon strikes me. "Wait, what about—"

"Your parents?" Kyuubey finishes my sentence as if he knew what I would say. "Well, they're dead. They weren't affected by your wish; you only wished to tie yourself back to life. You didn't mention anyone else. So, your parents are dead."

So it's true. It's true that I didn't think about my own parents, who sacrificed so much for me, when I had the wish. I had the chance to repay them for their efforts, everything, to show that I cared about them, and I blew it. And they even told the doctors to save me first... They were wonderful parents up to the end, and I'm an ungrateful, selfish daughter...

"Tomoe," Kyuubey suddenly says. "I have one last thing to tell you, before your emotions start acting up and you stop processing thoughts correctly. Do you remember when I said that I made you into a Puella Magi?" Now that I think about it, he did tell me that.

"What's a Puella Magi?" The natural question to ask comes along.

"To explain it in terms that you'd understand," he says, "a Puella Magi would be most like the main characters of juvenile television animations that young, female humans tend to enjoy. I believe that they're called... magical girls, in your vernacular?"

"A magical girl?" I ask. "The girls in kiddy anime who save the world with their magical powers? How can you turn me into that? Magical girls don't exist."

"But you are one, Tomoe. From now on, you will fight evil when needed." Kyuubey jumps off to the bedstand, and returns with the yellow egg from before. "Look, Tomoe. This is the source of your power, called a Soul Gem. It should always be on your person." He nudges the gem closer to me, and I pick it up. It's tiny, barely half the size of a real egg. It shines brightly with a golden light and is delicately embellished with bronze trimming, and had tiny flowers, one on the front and one on the top. "I've kept it safe for you, since you were unconcious when it was created. I didn't want the doctors to see it and take it away." Pointing to the gem, he continues, "You must defend that Soul Gem with your life; it is the source of your powers, after all."

"What powers?" I question, still skeptical of all this. "I told you, I'm not a magical girl because magic doesn't exist!"

"You humans have really hard times accepting new ideas," Kyuubey notes, and then he jumps down to the floor. "Anyway, we have to go now, Tomoe. I'll have to teach you how to use your new powers."

ooOOoo

We walk down the hospital stairs, passing by various hospital personnel. As I pass by, the nurses and doctors drop what they're doing to stare at me with wide eyes.

"She can't possibly be alive..."

"Reiko Tomoe, that's her, the only one to survive the accident."

"No human could possibly survive that."

"This is a medical breakthrough! Aizawa-sensei was the one who operated on her, right? He's a genius!"

I can hear them whispering about me behind my back. A couple of patients even cheered for me when I walked by them.

Was the accident really that bad? I think to myself.

"Um, Tomoe-san, do you need help? A wheelchair, some crutches, anything?" a concerned nurse timidly asks me. Why does she look scared?

Because you shouldn't be alive.

...Am I hearing things? Is that my conscience?

No, it's me, Kyuubey. I look over to my right, where Kyuubey is nimbly balancing on the stair railing, walking down swiftly to keep up with me. We can communicate like this when there are people around. I can choose who can hear me and who can't. I really should be terrified of such an abnormality, but the sorrow from my parents' deaths just weighs all of my other emotions down. They didn't have to die...

"No, but thank you," I dismiss the nurse. "I'm fine, really."

We finally reach the front desk, Kyuubey perched on my shoulder, where a brunette woman is sitting. She's looking down and studying something, so I try to get her attention. "Um, excuse me?"

She looks up slowly at my face, disbelief in her eyes. "Yes, Reiko Tomoe-san?"

How did she know my name? Everyone knows your name, Tomoe. You're a miracle.

I turn to Kyuubey and retort, "I'm not a miracle, and I'm not special at all, I'm just a—"

"Um, uh, Tomoe-san? Who are you talking to?" the receptionist draws my attention back to her, now looking utterly petrified.

Not everyone can see me, Tomoe, Kyuubey's voice says, still in my head. I can also choose who can and can't perceive my presence.

...That would have been nice to know a few seconds ago.

"T-Tomoe-san, are you... leaving?"

I turn back to the nurse, putting on the best sweet face I can muster. "Um, yes, I'm leaving now."

"...okay," she replies. "But since, um, your, you know, can't come and get you, you'll have to wait until another close relative can pick you up. You can, uh, use the phone to call them. Over there!" She points to a pay phone all the way on the other side of the lobby, despite there being one right next to her. I walk over there, not wanting to disturb her anymore, and pick up the phone. I use the phone swipe card that she lent me, and then think of a number to dial...

...But I don't have any relatives left.

All of my grandparents have died, and neither of my parents had any siblings. It was just us three, me, Mother, and Daddy, for as long as I can remember. And I never thought about it being wrong or strange that we'd never go to any family reunions, that we never had any large family dinners or gatherings... I never thought of having someone else to depend on if Mother and Daddy were gone.

...It's so easy to take a family for granted when you have one.

I reluctantly step away from the phone, causing the touch screen display to change back from the dialpad, and I shuffle back to the receptionist desk.

"...I don't have any relatives to call."

The receptionist refuses to look at me now, as if I've come back all too soon. "...Well, that's not good." She fiddles with her fingers, then looks up at me and asks, "Did your parents leave a will?"

"...A will? I'm sure that they did... But what can that do?"

"The will declares who will be your guardian until you become of age... if your parents assigned anyone to be your guardian. Do you have any idea whom they might have asked to be your guardian in case of an... accident?"

I have no clue who they could have asked. Maybe a close friend, but I don't remember my parents having too many friends. "Um, no, I don't know."

She then picked up the phone. "We'll have a lawyer read over their will with you. I'm sure they named somebody..." She quickly averts her gaze. "Please wait here." The receptionist turns away and begins tapping numbers on the phone display on her desk.

Tomoe, Kyuubey suddenly says, we can't wait here. We have to go now.

"But she told me to wait," I think, assuming that he can hear my thoughts. "I have to wait until the lawyer comes."

You have to start fighting soon, or else your Soul Gem will be in danger, he tells me. I reach in my left skirt pocket, but can't find the gem from before; I draw my hand out and find a silver ring on the middle finger of my left hand. That wasn't there before...

When you don't need to use it, your Soul Gem can change into a ring, Kyuubey explains, so that it won't stand out. But anyway, we must leave now, Tomoe, unless you'd rather spend your life living with a stranger.

"...What do you mean?"

You said it yourself; there aren't any close relatives of yours who can take you in. I'm no expert on your foster care system, but I do know that you'll be placed with someone you don't care for. All of the people you care for are dead.

As much as I hate to admit it, he's right. No matter what, I won't get my parents back. The only way for me to go is down.

Not if you leave now, Kyuubey states. Once you learn how to use your powers, you won't need to be placed anywhere. You'll be able to fend for yourself. He then jumps off of my shoulder and looks back at me. So come, Tomoe. You have a lot to learn.

Kyuubey trots off into the hall. I tell the receptionist that I have to go to the restroom, and follow him down the hall. We pass by a few lone patients, but none of them see, to recognize me. We finally get to the side door of the hospital, which automatically opens for us.

"But first, Tomoe," Kyuubey says, "there's someone I'd like you to meet."

This is my first story, so feedback is much appreciated! Thank you for reading. :)