"Should we not contact the authorities?"
"Nariko... They can not deal with the supernatural."
With eyes closed, the little girl was not sure what had come first, if were the female voices of that conversation or the sense of her body. She was lying on something comfortable and warm, but there was also pain, even if she made a mere movement.
"I think she woke up."
She slowly opened her eyes and found herself in a room with wooden ceiling, surrounded by doors of fabric, where there was a large painting of nature and rice paddies, all illuminated by an incandescent light.
Next to the doors there were two women who looked at her with expressions of concern. One was a gray-haired woman.
The other was a priestess with eyes of vivid blue, that called a lot of attention. Her long, wavy purple hair was tied at its end by a red bow. She said to the other woman, with authority, "Go home and don't tell anyone what happened. I'll take care of her. "
The older woman nodded and, without another word, departed from the room, opening and closing the sliding doors.
The priestess waited the steps became silent before approaching. "Don't be afraid, you're safe now."
A strange place, this strange woman. With her memories still hazy, the girl had alot of reasons to be afraid. She tried to get up, but a terrible chest pain befell her.
"You should not move, you're very hurt." The priestess knelt beside the mattress.
The girl removed the duvet that covered her and discovered she was naked. From her shoulder, down her chest was a large hematoma in the form of a sash.
"The seat belt saved you," said the priestess, "it must have burst with the force of the impact."
The girl's eyes widened, now it was becoming clear. The beach, the great wave, that terrible... thing. "You... it was you who was there."
The priestess remained silent.
"Where are my parents?" The girl looked around, but could not see beyond the room. "Where..."
Then the priestess looked away. "I... haven't found them."
Hearing this, the girl was static and slowly gaped. Take long before her voice left. "Why..."
The priestess maintained a stoic expression, but her answer came out weak from her lips. "I'm sorry."
"So why..." The girl tensed her face, her eyes sparkled with the first tears that were forming. "So why did you save me?"
The priestess's expression broke, raising her eyebrows and gulping.
"WHY YOU SAVED MEEEEEE..." Bursting in fury, the girl threw the duvet into the air and began to struggle, ignoring her body aches. Now, there was one even greater. "Aaaahhh!"
"Stop!" The priestess hugged her with force.
"NO! NOOOOOOO!" The girl bawled. "I WANT TO DIE!"
Holding that sobbing naked body, the priestess was aware that there was not much else she could do, just could not falter. Time softens even the most painful cry.
"Mom... Dad..." Her tears were wetting the kimono of that woman, that strange that did not save them in a cruelty which made no sense. "Why did it happen... what-what happened...? I want them back... uuuhhh..." Maybe it was really a damned irony, a nightmare in the form of a joke, because there was even a white plush toy close to her feet. The girl felt mesmerized by those red eyes.
Until they blinked, accompanied by the movement of its tail.
The girl, finding it odd, grimaced.
The 'plush toy' tip its head to the side and shook its pair of small ears. [So you can see me.]
The priestess's eyes widened and turned to the creature, who was already walking on the mattress.
The girl had even stopped crying for so stupefied she was. "What... what..."
[Sorry for not introducing myself, but I was not sure about your potential. I am Kyuubey, a herald of magic.]
"M-Magic?!" Now the girl was almost certain that it was a dream.
"Kyuubey..." The priestess slowly shook her head.
[Yes.] Kyuubey opened slightly his long ears. [You can make a contract with me. For a wish, you will become a magical girl.]
"Magical girl?" The girl became increasingly confused, but a word she managed to understand very well. "Wish? It's magic, isn't it? I-I can wish my mom and dad back?"
The voice of the priestess came out between her gritted teeth. "No..."
[I believe it is possible.] Kyuubey replied.
All despair that was in her was converted into hope, she just needed to say. "So..."
"NO!" But the priestess forced her to turn and look into her eyes.
"Let go of me!" The girl struggled. "It's all your fault! You..."
"FOOL!" The priestess shook her until she stopped fighting. Her gaze flashed in anger. "Why do you think I was there?"
The girl lowered her head, but without hiding her grudge.
"I'm a magical girl," said the priestess. "You must remember. You should have seen it." Saying this, she felt that body she was holding shudder, that was all she needed as an answer. "That's a witch. Magical girls risk their lives fighting those things."
Kyuubey sat down and began scratching one of his ears. [I would get to this point.]
"I know," said the priestess, "but your words would not have the same impact."
"But..." The girl stammered, "but I saw your magic. All that water rising." Then her words gained momentum. "If this is to be a magical girl, so I can fight! For my-"
"You're stupid," said the priestess. "You would become a magical girl for the rest of your life. If your parents come back, how do you think you will hide this from them?"
"Why would I hide?" The girl asked. "I know they would be very grateful, they... they... they'll understand... they-"
The priestess rolled her eyes and took a deep breath before looking at Kyuubey. "I'm disappointed with you. Trying to make a contract with this girl... She would not survive the first witch."
[Indeed. Although she has some potential, you are right.]
Then the priestess was surprised by the girl, who fell on her.
She begged, "Then teach me! Train me! So I can be ready when I become a magical girl."
The priestess stroke the short black hair of the young girl. "You already know enough and even would be better to forget. Someone will take care of you."
"No! No!" The girl clung to the kimono and gritted her teeth. "No matter what, I'll do this wish!"
The priestess quickly stood, knocking the girl. Her body tense, her fists clenched. Her eyes glared over the fallen one, who curled on the matress. She took breathed deeply several times. Finally, she looked at Kyuubey again.
He closed his eyes and nodded. [I will wait.]
The girl returned to cry, but quietly, fearing retaliation, however what came were nurturing hands, bringing the duvet to cover her.
"I'm Izumi Hamamoto, the shrine maiden of Arashimura. Who are you?"
The girl gave a weak reply, with the pain and fatigue that still resided within her, but with a feeling that she would have a chance. "Gin... Gin Nakayama."
Paradise's shadows
Kyouko, in her uniform of magical girl, ran through the forest. The night pitch prevented her from seeing far, even less to find her mate. "Sayaka!"
The vegetation abused her face with its branches and thorns, the terrain was rough and wet. None of this slowed her down. "Damn it! Sayaka!"
But there came a flash, followed by a deafening crack. "Ah!" Kyouko was forced to stop when the trees in front of her were in flames. Then came another flash and crack and a tree fell behind her. "What the hell?!" Overcoming her primitive instincts that yearned for protection, she jumped over the fire that was spreading.
However, more flashes occurred with frightening frequency along the forest. New fires were formed, increasingly restricting her path. Soon, the walls of fire leave her in a dead end. A thick smoke formed.
"Sayaka... cough! Cough!" Kyouko knelt. "N-No way! How did this happen?" Her memory failed, something was wrong.
The smoke cleared and two figures among the great flames were watching her.
Seeing them, she clasped her hands together. Everything was clear now. "That's it, you came for me..."
When the fire came toward her, her eyes opened.
Kyouko got up from her mattress, her body burning like fire. It took a few moments before she breathe again. Suddenly there was a great sense of cold that made her skin crawl. She winced and rubbed her hands with force, it was then that she noticed that the palms of them was dirty with ash.
She widened her eyes and quickly used the blanket to clear them. "Wow..." With her senses back to normal, she remembered that she had slept in a house of old architecture. The outside light that cut through the paper panels was accompanied by the song of birds.
Without looking, Kyouko searched with her hand for a girl who was sleeping on the mattress next to her. "Hey... Sayaka..." But the shaggy head that she felt did not seem a bit with the hair of her friend.
[Is everything okay?] Asked Kyuubey, with her hand on his forehead.
"What?!" Overcome with rage, Kyouko tried to punch the creature, but he was more agile.
"Kyouko? You awake?" Sayaka opened the door and saw Kyuubey pass between her legs and run through the halls. "Hey!"
Kyouko left the mattress, muttering, "Bastard..."
"Why was he in our room?" Asked Sayaka.
"Who knows." Kyouko looked around and a terrible idea came to her mind. "Our stuff!" She went to the bags and began churning what had there, from clothing to candy packages.
Sayaka was scared. "Kyouko?"
"It seems that everything is here," said the redhead, still tense.
"Look, Nakayama-san prepared a lunch for us, so I came to wake you. Leave it for later, okay?"
"Lunch?!"
Sayaka gave a slight smile. "Yep. I also woke up late. This routine of travels can be quite exhaustive, can't be?"
Kyouko sighed.
Sayaka pressed her lips at the sight of her downcast friend. She tried to say with a more gentle voice, "So... you better get ready."
/人◕‿‿◕人\
The low table was laden with food. The girls and the priestess sat on cushions around it.
However, while Sayaka and Gin were in a more formal posture, Kyouko was legs spread, with a sulky face.
Sayaka was worried at first, but the hostess not manifested anything about it. Still, the silence was bothering her. "This rice even seems to have a different taste, it's great."
"This rice came from our fields, blessed by the god of this shrine," Gin answered politely.
With the sliding door ajar, Kyuubey entered the room and went to the priestess.
"Ah... You took a while to show up today." Gin, with her wooden sticks, took some rice and offered to the creature, who eagerly consumed it. Meanwhile, she caressed him.
Before that scene, Sayaka looked at Kyouko and saw how her friend was with fire in her eyes. With situation getting increasingly tense, it was better to touch that sensitive subject as soon as possible. "So Nakayama-san... You're a magical girl..."
Gin stopped what she was doing. "Yes?"
"Hmm..." Sayaka tried to choose her words carefully, but seemed there was not a better way to say it. "You knew we were too? That's why you invited us to stay in your home?"
"Yes, I noticed, but I invited you as I would with any traveler." Gin found the question odd, but then came the realization. "Oh, didn't you know I was one?"
"Maybe because we have never seen an adult magical girl," said Kyouko, still with an unfriendly expression. "You should be well experienced."
"You are right, but..." Gin was still confused, shaking her head. "Travellers like you have never seen one... really?"
"I actually saw a lot," said Sayaka.
"Huh?!" Kyouko turned to her.
The girl with blue eyes remained silent, just smiled.
Kyouko dropped her gaze and nodded. "Oh... okay."
[Kyouko Sakura.] Kyuubey fixed his gaze on her. [I do not understand, why would not there be magical girls at the age of Gin?]
"Yeah, you don't understand..." Kyouko's eyes narrowed. "Tell me then, why are you with her?"
Kyuubey raised his ears and winked. [Would not that be obvious? She is a magical girl.]
"Yes, it's a very strange question," said Gin, "on the other hand, now that I realized that there was no Kyuubey with you."
"And why would have one?" Kyouko questioned harshly.
"Calm down," said Sayaka. Then she spoke to Gin, smiling. "Well, he hasn't accompanied us. Alot of... things have changed lately."
[I am not aware of that.] Kyuubey looked at Gin. [Nothing has changed in the relationship between me and the magical girls.]
"Oh right." Kyouko smiled sardonically. "Now you just need to say that don't know us."
[And should I?]
The two girls were surprised.
Kyuubey continued. [I never made a contract with you. This is the first time I meet you two.]
"What?!" Kyouko gritted her teeth. "You're kidd-" She felt a hand firmly holding her shoulder. Was Sayaka, with a serious expression. Then she looked at Gin, who was tense too, with her right hand on her ring.
"Sorry for the attitude of my friend," said Sayaka, accompanied by a laugh, "haha... She's like that because when she awoke, she saw Kyuubey in our room. She thought he wanted to steal the food that is in our bags. We have already been stolen once and she is... traumatized."
Gin looked at Kyuubey, questioning with a tone of authority. "Is it true that you were in their room?"
[Yes, but I went there because I saw her struggling.]
"Huh?" Sayaka was again surprised. "Struggling?"
Kyouko lowered her head. "I had... a bad dream."
Gin relaxed her stance. "So was an unfortunate sequence of events. I apologize for the incident."
[No Gin, I should apologize.] Kyuubey went to an exit. [I will be away for now.]
An awkward silence formed in the room, none of the three had the courage to look in the eyes of the other.
Until the priestess took the sticks. "Okay, let's finish eating. You must still be hungry."
Sayaka returned to her place. "Yes."
Kyouko remained quiet, but picked up the sticks.
"You must also be in a hurry to leave," said Gin, "even more that we have a sunny day."
"Nice." Sayaka nodded without looking at the priestess. "B-But we would like to know the village."
"Oh really? There is not much I can show." Gin raised her eyebrows. "But I can be your guide."
"Thanks."
The lunch went silently. When finished, Gin started to clean the table. "I have some things to do in the shrine. Then I'll show the village to you."
"Can I help?" Sayaka gathered some bowls.
"Please." Gin gestured to stop. "Don't take the trouble."
"Ah..." Sayaka stood up. "So we'll be in our room."
Kyouko too. "Yeah..."
The two went there. Upon entering, Sayaka closed the door and went to the bags to catch the toothpaste and brush. While doing this, she whispered. "Kyouko, about what you did."
Kyouko exalted, moved by anger, "How do you think I would react?! Kyuu-"
Sayaka gave her a look of reproach.
Kyouko spoke again, in a lower voice, "Kyuubey is lying in our face!"
Sayaka acknowledge, "I know, I'm also finding it strange, but you can't do this. You see how she treats him? She must consider him as a friend. If we want her trust, we can't threaten him."
Kyouko turned her face away, still angry. "Yeah. Yeah. I got the idea."
"And about your bad dream."
The redhead opened more her eyes. "What about it?"
"Not going to tell me?"
"No. I'm fine." Kyouko then received a brush from Sayaka.
"Okay." She was still worried. "Then let's go to the bathroom, I want to see you brushing, huh?"
"Yup..." Kyouko muttered.
/人◕‿‿◕人\
The two walked down the stone pavement. The leaves of the trees showed its vibrant colors with the light of day, but could not really say it was a sunny day, because there were many clouds in the sky.
"I enjoy days like this," Sayaka said, "not too cold nor too hot."
Kyouko noticed that her colleague was in a hurry. "Yeah."
They soon arrived at the shrine, surrounded by its magnificent garden.
"Amazing..." Sayaka approached some flowers. "I can feel the scent already!"
"Jeez!" With a grimace, Kyouko said, "I had been surprised when you showed me that cutting and sewing kit, but flowers?!"
"I'm not so fond of it," she gently touched some lavenders. "But you have to admit that's beautiful."
Kyouko examined the garden size, which was not modest. "Taking care of it is a lot of work."
"Sure," Sayaka agreed, "it must be something done every day."
"And all of them with great pleasure."
The girls saw Gin leaving the shrine and walking through the garden toward them.
"This is a way that Nariko found to thank the good harvests."
"Hmm..." Sayaka lowered her gaze. "Sorry, it was not our intention to stop what you were doing."
Gin frowned. "But don't you want to know our place? I finished here."
Kyouko was surprised. "Really?"
"No, I'm kidding." Gin smiled. "In fact I still have ten hours of praying."
The two went silent, slightly gaping and not even blinked.
Gin then held a laugh.
"Ah... Hahaha!" Sayaka was rubbing her head. "That was a joke too, right?"
Gin nodded, confirming the question. "Let's walk a little and enjoy this sun."
They descended the stone staircase along with the priestess.
"Perhaps you already know, but the name of this village is Arashimura," said Gin.
Sayaka and Kyouko looked around while walking. The village was busier than the previous day, but not much. People with hats were working in the rice fields. Some stopped what they were doing and were staring at them with apparent curiosity. Under each hat always revealed an aged face.
Gin continued, "People here live from rice and fishing mostly."
"Fishing?" Kyouko interrupted. "On that little river?"
Gin stopped. "You should refer to the river which crossed to arrive in our village, but there this one here too."
Indeed, the girls saw that there was a stream cutting through the village. A detail the evening and the rush of yesterday had blinded them.
"Both are part of the same river."
Kyouko was confused. "What do you mean?"
"It bifurcates. Only part enters in our little valley. Here we are was a swamp." So Gin pointed to the end of the valley. "The settlers of this region built a dam there. When the waters lowered here, the soil proved to be very fertile."
"That's where they fish then. Cool." Kyouko grinned aside.
"Well... When the modernity came here, it was also built a micro hydroeletric power plant."
"You produce your own electricity..." Sayaka was impressed. "So this place is self-sufficient."
"Heh. Only if they produce their own oil and spare parts," Kyouko replied.
Gin smiled. "Yes, it's not so simple, but the machines have stood the time until now."
They returned to walk through the village, but as it was already known, there was not much to show in addition to homes, fields and old people.
"Is there anything else interesting to tell?" Kyouko broke the silence.
"Maybe," the priestess spoke. "This region has some geothermal activity..."
"Heyyy!" Kyouko grinned. "I know where you're going with that."
"Yes, we have hot springs."
Sayaka commented, "Whoa! It's a long time since I bath in one."
Gin turned her head to the girls who followed her, swaying her long hair. "It's you who must have something interesting to tell. I've never heard of magical girls travelers."
"Ah..." Sayaka got a little embarrassed. "We're just beginning."
"Kazamino was the territory of you?"
"You could say it was," Kyouko stated, "but I just decided to leave and Sayaka came along."
Gin nodded and returned to look forward. "And don't you mind to cross the territories of other magical girls? I can't imagine how you hunt witches."
"We get by." Kyouko slight stretched her arms. "You should also travel a bit to find one."
"How so?" asked Gin.
Kyouko continued, "Witches seek places where there is despair, stress, suffering... there is not much of that here. This place is very quiet."
The priestess slightly lowered her head. "You seem to know witches well, magical girls of the cities are all like that?"
"I dunno, haha." Sayaka gave a dull laugh. "Actually we don't know everything, but what my friend said is true."
"I have no problems to find witches." Gin's response was sudden and a silence followed, which she herself was willing to break. "Of course, I only get enough for me."
The two that followed her looked at each other, when the light and warmth quickly faded.
The three stopped.
"What a 'sunny day', huh?" Kyouko looked at the sky completely overcast.
Gin turned. "The weather here is very humid."
"I noticed..."
Sayaka looked at the darkest clouds. "It looks like we'll have rain. I think it'll not be a good time to leave." Then she looked at priestess. "I know we're asking a lot, but... we could stay one more day?"
Surprised, Gin slowly opened her mouth to speak.
Kyouko punched the air. "Great! We could see the hot springs."
She sighed and smiled gently. "Sure. By the way, there's one right behind my house."
"What?! You really should have told us..." The girl's red eyes were drawn to something that had piqued her curiosity before. "Hey! And that shed there? Was it a hotel or something?"
The priestess replied, rather depressingly, "No, it was a school."
"School..." Sayaka looked at the building which was almost falling apart.
"It was already deactivated when I came to live here," Gin affirmed, "it's used as a deposit now."
Kyouko nibbled her lips. "Yeah, there's only old stuff here."
Gin frowned. "These 'old stuff' formed families, their children grew up and left this place in search of opportunities and other lifestyle."
Sayaka was stunned. "And... and no one came back to visit at least?"
"Some came to visit, yes, but then..." Gin gave a wan smile. "Today I can say that I'm the youngest resident."
"In other words." Kyouko smirked. "This place is dying."
"Kyouko!" Sayaka scolded. "Nakayama-san, I apologize again for my friend."
"I've got used to her and I can't deny what she said," Gin spoke, "but I say that we are far from dead yet."
The first drops came, moistening the priestess's kimono.
"Sayaka was right." Kyouko looked at the people who were in the rice fields, that now seemed agitated. A man who was closer looked toward them.
Gin spoke aloud, "Hotta-san, tell others that all is well."
Stirring the curiosity of the redhead. "Huh? Did they fear rain?"
"When you have their age, you need to take a greater care," said Gin, as she watched the movement in the village. "Nariko!"
With the exclamation of the priestess, the girls looked at the same direction. Far away, Nariko was climbing the stairs to the temple.
"That woman... She should be looking for me, but the steps are slippery with rain." Gin hurried. "Let's go."
"You can go," Sayaka said, "don't wait for us."
"Yeah, we have no problem with rain," Kyouko added.
Gin stopped and looked back. "Sure, but try not to get too wet." Then she kept going.
When she was away, Sayaka made a remark, "She seems to be a good person."
"She's being cautious, pleasing us...," Kyouko concluded. "So? When will we tell her?"
Thoughtfully, Sayaka touched her chin. "Because of Kyuubey, I think it's better to just watch for now."
"That's why you used the rain as an excuse to ask for one more day, right?"
Sayaka smiled.
Kyouko lightly punched the arm of the other girl. "You're getting less dumb, huh?"
"Ah! Stop that!" Sayaka pushed the redhead and watched the rain grew stronger. "I was going to ask anyway. I still have no suspicions, but we need to find out if he is not up to something."
