Judgement
"Either you die a hero or live long enough to become the villain" - TDK.
／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼
Author Notes:
A newcomer has joined the battle! XD
Hope you like it guys, somehow I fear I'm getting soft, not enough torture for the characters. Yesterday I read an Adventure Time fanfic called Ice Man and I was like man! How could you be so cruel with poor Simon! He is such a nice guy he didn't deserve that! Right in the feels guys…right in the feels…
／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼
Chapter 3 – The Red Devil
Song: Yuki Kajiura - Scaena Felix
"Waitress, more coffee please!" said a thin black haired student with glasses working with his computer, a sweater and military pants with black shoes. Nothing special, typing with fury at his laptop, a silvery grey computer, an old model that was nonetheless known for its sturdiness.
Sayaka moved as fast as she could, but her legs were shaking due to the effort and she still felt herself wobble as she made her way towards the student as she carried the burning hot liquid in her hand, not confident in being able to carry it on a tray given her actual state. You look like a zombie, dead inside, whispered the voice in her head.
"Shut up…" whispered Sayaka trying to not make herself heard. She felt kind of cold, and if her body wasn't so weak, she might as well be shivering; which was weird because they were at least at 35 degrees Celsius, most people were wearing shorts and t-shirts, and were taking solace inside the coffee shop in order to avoid the soaring hot sun. Something wasn't right…and she suspected the reason was lying in her left hand's middle finger, a rusty and worn out ring that was once silvery and shining with the strength of her ideals. Sayaka didn't remember how long had it been since it had lost its luster, but it didn't show signs of improving anytime soon.
Going over the counter, Sayaka held out the cup and carefully put it over the table for the guy to take, steam flowing out of it placidly, ensnaring Sayaka's thoughts.
"Thank you!" spoke the young man giving Sayaka a kind smile to which she responded with a weird look. How long had it been since she had been treated like a…human? Maybe because you aren't, the voice interrupted; Sayaka ignored it for once.
"You're…welcome" said Sayaka after getting a hold of herself. She bowed and took her leave before she was stopped by the same guy.
"Wait a moment, I've seen you here, and I…I think you're really nice" said the same guy with hesitation. "Would you like to drink a coffee with me someday?" he said while looking straight at Sayaka's eyes, which prompted her to start scanning his soul, no, I don't wanna know, she scolded herself to avoid using her special ability in the restaurant. Besides, if she suddenly started convulsing or bleeding, or worse, witching out in the middle of the restaurant, she was sure chaos would ensue.
"I'd like to, but I'm in my shift right now" answered Sayaka plainly while staring directly at his eyes.
"It's alright, well, once your shift is over…or if you want to eat something someday…I know several good restaurants in the city" said the young man finally as he drank his coffee with enthusiasm. "Guess I'll take my leave, it was nice to meet you!" he finally said and left Sayaka while waving at her with a smile on his face.
"See ya" said Sayaka with finality, taking the empty cup and going towards the counter. She wasn't sure what to make of this development. How long had it been since she had gone out? How long had it been since someone had shown interest in her? After her incident with Ka…no, you can't remember that, she told herself feeling worse, it had been a painful memory she didn't feel like remembering right now. Then again, for him to take interest in me…maybe…for once she let herself smile a little at this new development. Even if they weren't meant to be, and even if she could only look from afar, it was a fact that still someone got to take an interest in her. Feeling better for a moment, Sayaka went over to continue with her work.
／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼
Night had come, the city was colder than usual, and it was raining. Sayaka hated to fight during rain as the labyrinths tended to get slippery and she usually ended with a cold, which either meant spending magic to heal or getting bedridden when she was low on energy and couldn't spare the energy to do so.
And so she walked, Soul Gem in hand, little more than a blackened stone with some slim glitters of blue, she didn't dare to transform either as she feared she would run out before getting to find a witch and so, deciding to store the energy for the fight ahead instead, she started walking, with little more than a ragged blue sweater she conserved and that didn't fit her so well lately, and even more ragged pants which did little to protect her from the cold and the pouring rain that had already drenched her clothes, long blue hair sticking to her face.
Suddenly, after half an hour of walking aimlessly, Sayaka's Soul Gem picked up a strong signal. At long last, she thought, speeding out towards the place her Gem indicated. Her clothing was all drenched and she knew she would catch a cold, but she could easily heal herself with the Grief Seed once it was over. That is if you survive, of course, spoke Oktavia in her mind.
"Shut up! Justice never fails" answered Sayaka angry as she sped up and summoning a long rusted blade which she swung towards the entrance of the barrier, she prepared for battle.
／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼
Unlike the maddening vistas Sayaka was accustomed to, this witch's barrier was very tame, little more than pure blackness along with a starry sky from which shiny white raindrops fell, the fluorescence of the rain illuminating a floor that looked like made of solid water, the drops creating small waves as they fell and illuminating Sayaka's face.
Still, there was something eerie about the place, most probably the silence, thought Sayaka as she transformed. Pumping magic in order to numb herself and right into her soul, she felt the waves of despair inside the labyrinth trying to locate the target.
"Nothing" whispered Sayaka trying not to startle the witch. Still, it seemed her target was of the sneaky kind that liked to hide and wait for their prey to stumble upon them, surprising them in the process.
Walking around, sword in hand, Sayaka kept herself aware of her surroundings and quickened her pace. I have to end this now, my Soul Gem won't last much longer, she thought worried. Despite all the troubles and sadness she didn't want to die, she felt she could still help make the world a better place by vanquishing the evils that threatened them. So she pushed forward.
And that's when she felt it, a small and almost imperceptible tinge of despair, a human, she wasn't used to saving them as she usually left them to be devoured after a quick analysis of their sins, but every once in a while a genuinely good soul would get stranded in a witch's labyrinth, and that's when she would finally let herself enjoy the curse she had put herself into.
Rushing over with all her strength, Sayaka pursued that small sparkle of hope until she found him…or at least what was left, only an arm and half of his face, his glasses broken at his side and covered in blood…I think you're really nice he had said, he had invited her to eat, and now he was lying in pieces while the witch stood above her, a weird many limbed monstrosity with dark blue skin, as dark as the sky from which she hovered, a long and deformed body with many appendages, arms and legs flailing everywhere, her face like that of an human but with a look of horror on it, blackened teeth and eyes like the void, black hair flowing from her face like water.
Song: Madoka Grief Syndrome – Witch Theme.
Sayaka's vision registered rune symbols which read HECATE from the witch, but she paid no attention to it, feeling her vision turn red with anger, Sayaka launched herself at the witch, sword in hand and shouting in rage at what she had just seen. The witch responded by shrieking loudly an inhuman shriek that pierced at Sayaka's soul, like nails on a chalkboard, and launched itself at Sayaka, spinning its limped body and heading towards the hero of justice with abandon.
Sayaka swung her sword trying to cut off the witch's head, how dare you, the only person that was nice to me, the only person that treated me kind, and you kill him, her mind was telling her, "I'll kill you!" screamed Sayaka as her sword neared the witch's neck.
But as the sword got close to the witch, she contorted her body in an unnatural way, nowhere what a human would be able to do, bending it's back and its powerful limbs around Sayaka's sword and slamming a powerful clawed hand against Sayaka's abdomen.
"Guh" was the only thing she could say as she plummeted against the floor with the force of the impact; a long and deep gash across her abdomen from which blood fell freely. Blinking once, Sayaka stared at the witch falling towards her, clawed hands trying to crush her scalp against the pavement. Rolling on the floor Sayaka barely avoided the witch's claws which shattered the floor where she laid moments before, small water droplets flying everywhere, but to her chagrin the witch simply contorted again, spinning against Sayaka and shrieking as it sprung its claws, cutting Sayaka's arm to the bone in the process.
Sayaka cursed, as she rolled on the floor to avoid another of the witch's attacks which contorted like a serpent and cut another gash in her neck, from which blood started flowing quickly. If she had been a normal human she would have been dead already.
The witch circled her and launched itself for another attack to which Sayaka materialized a volley of swords trying to impale the witch and keep it in place, but all to no avail as the witch spun around barely changing its trajectory and slammed a claw against Sayaka's chest.
She felt herself scream as the claw went all the way through her chest and broke through her back, destroying her heart in the process. Normally she would be able to numb herself to keep fighting but her magic was so low that she couldn't muster the strength to do it.
Her suit and cape tainted red by the blood she had lost, and struggling to free herself from the witch's grasp, a futile effort, I'm…so weak, I…can't…, Sayaka finally gave up her struggle, tears falling from her eyes as she let herself go limp against the witch which bent its head showing a huge clawed maw that aimed at Sayaka's neck to devour her.
I'm gonna die, it was all for nothing, was all Sayaka could think as the witch's fangs made contact with her neck, closing her eyes she let the pain consume her and she blacked out…
／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼
Song: Spes - Materia Madocae
Wet; weird… it was weird when you could feel the rain so clearly, who would have thought that there was rain in heaven? Was the first thought that came to Sayaka's mind. Who said you would go to heaven? Spoke the annoying voice, to which Sayaka groaned in annoyance.
"Ugh so even dead I'll have to deal with you? You're such a pain" Sayaka answered the voice.
"Who are you calling a pain? You idiot!" spoke a voice Sayaka didn't recognize, but that was vaguely familiar. "Now, wake up already, you lazy ass!" the same voice said, and suddenly Sayaka felt a burning pain in her cheek, as if she had been slapped. What?
Suddenly Sayaka opened her eyes; she was lying in the cold pavement in the district where she had come to fight the wish, apparently she wasn't dead after all and was surprised to find her wounds had healed. It was still raining and midnight so she couldn't see clearly, but to her surprise something was giving off blue sparkles at her side, the only source of light in the cold rainy city. Huh? My Soul Gem? It is…clean? Said Sayaka while moving her head to the side to look better at the container for her soul. It was still dull with black clouds hovering lazily inside but it had recovered most of its lost glow.
"At long last! For a moment I thought you wouldn't wake up!" said the same unknown voice at Sayaka's side.
Sayaka stared at it, trying to recognize the source and felt her stomach heave, she couldn't believe it! "Can't be…" said Sayaka while staring at those vibrant red eyes that once stared at her with rage, the same red dress that flung and opened at her knees, the same face she remembered so long ago and expected to never see again…
The woman standing in front of her gave Sayaka a fanged grin and Sayaka could only open her mouth to speak in awe…
"Kyouko…"
／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼
*****END OF CHAPTER*****
／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼
End Notes / Rant:
So, what ya think? If someone could potentially make the change Sayaka needs is our beloved redhead!