Keion!

Episode 4: Ms. Yamanaka!

She woke up an hour before she usually did, and when she went to school, she found just how calm and silent it was without all the students. Everything was still; her footsteps seemed to echo throughout the hallways as she walked towards the clubroom. It was all still. The newly-woken sun shed a different light on the room than usual. She found it calming.

Sitting down, Cecil took out her guitar, a simple alpine white Les Paul. Then she fumbled through her bag for the song Sara recently wrote for the club.

With everything so silent, her playing rang loudly to her ears, and she felt like she could just go on. She loved playing with the guitar. She wanted to do it forever. Maybe, one day, she'll shake the world with it.

Maybe, all of them will become stars. All of them, as one. The club.

It may seem unlikely right now, but Cecil liked to think of it that way. She wanted to play the guitar with this group of friends forever. When she stopped playing, she chuckled.

I'm overthinking it. We haven't even all known each other for that long.

Then she sighed, and shook her head.

If that thought went across Sara-san's mind, she'd just say something like: "And this is where I start knowing them." I have to think the same way.

Now that she was thinking about it, their little music club didn't have a name.

"Say, is it true that a guitarist's fingers become tough once they get used to all the fretting?" Tei asked after they went through one song. She was looking at her fingers curiously.

"Yup," Aira answered, holding out her hand, which Tei took. "See?"

Hikari was watching them, then she looked at her own hands, callused from all the drumming she does.

Cecil was staring into space, looking distracted by something inside her mind. This was odd, since she was the one who usually tells them to stop screwing around and to get practicing again. Sara noticed this, and was going to approach Cecil but was stopped when Aira mentioned her.

"Ah, you should try Sara's hands too. They're not tough or anything, but they're definitely a unique experience," Aira said, grinning wildly.

Tei looked at the suddenly flustered Sara.

Sara: "A-aira—!"

Hikari perked up. "What's up with Sara's hands?"

Tei smiled dangerously, then was suddenly by Sara's side, taking the vocalist's hand into her own. "Oh! They feel wonderful!" she exclaimed when she brought it up to her face. They felt heavenly, "So soft and smooooth," Tei crooned, massaging the hand lovingly. Then the blushing Sara was looking away, and she let out something that sounded like a moan. Everybody in the room froze (except Aira, who was grinning in a gentler version of just-as-keikaku). Even Cecil snapped out of her reverie.

Curious, Tei tried pressing Sara's palm again. There was that sound again! Her face was looking away, but Tei could tell Sara was blushing fiercely and almost looked like she was trembling. Aira was still grinning, Hikari looked surprised, and Cecil was also blushing. Tei's eyes twinkled, and her smile grew wider. Stronger and faster hand massaging!

Sara: "S-STOOOP!"

The clubroom's door opened, and Ms. Yamanaka appeared. The room became still. Quiet.

The flustered Sara yanked her hand away from Tei, whirled around, walked to Aira, and swung a fist at her. It didn't hit the bassist.

Aira laughed slowly in a low voice from behind her block. "Not this time, ojou-san! I stayed up all night watching kung fu movies!" Then she saw something that was obscured from everybody else: Sara's I'm-not-angry-at-all face. Aira freaked out, and this all ended with her cheeks being severely pinched by Sara.

Hikari and Tei were marveling over the burning red cheeks (by poking them curiously) when Sara served Ms. Yamanaka some tea. "So, what can we do for you today, Yamanaka-sensei?" she asked, smiling as though nothing happened.

"Thank you, Sara-san. I only came here to take a break and watch you girls play. I hope that's fine?" Ms. Yamanaka replied, knowing well to just go along.

"Of course! Being a teacher must be stressful, and you are our supervisor, after all." Sara replied with the same smile, her tone no different from what it usually was.

Cecil: (The air feels heavy…)

It was getting late when they finally decided to call stops and start heading home. Cecil, wanting to spend a bit more time in the clubroom, stayed behind, waving away a worried-looking Sara with a smile. Well, she was supposed to be the last one behind, but for some reason, Ms. Yamanaka was still here. Cecil sighed as she looked at the tired-looking teacher, sleeping on the table.

She poked Ms. Yamanaka's shoulder, and pushed. "Sensei, you should wake up."

The teacher woke up, just not in the way Cecil expected. Ms. Yamanaka jerked up, yelling "I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU TO COME!" in the most frightening voice she had ever heard. Cecil quickly backed away in surprise.

Ms. Yamanaka snapped back to reality. "Eh? Is everyone already done?" she asked, her voice back to normal.

Cecil didn't reply, she just looked terrified.

Ms. Yamanaka: "W-what is it?"

Cecil: "J-just now, you…"

Ms. Yamanaka fell down. "I knew I wasn't dreaming when I said that!" she sobbed.

Cecil: "S-sensei?"

Ms. Yamanaka dashed to Cecil, kneeling and holding the guitarist's hands. "Cecil!" she called loudly.

Cecil jumped. "Y-yes!"

Ms. Yamanaka: "Help me get Sara into a magical girl costume!"

There was an amazing silence then, a silence far more silent than the silence that happened earlier. Well, maybe not. Cecil's head was flooded with so much images from today's events and more from what was just said that it threatened to explode violently. And then there was also Ms. Yamanaka's uncharacteristic begging face; Cecil's brain just stopped working momentarily.

Cecil: "..."

Ms. Yamanaka: "…"

Cecil: "..."

Ms. Yamanaka: "…"

Cecil: "..."

Ms. Yamanaka: "…"

Cecil: "…Eh? Come again?"

There should be a commercial break at about right here, and that'd be perfect, except this is a written piece.

Ms. Yamanaka: "You heard me. I want to put Sara in a magical girl costume!"

Cecil's brain threatened to stop working again. She shook her head. Blinked. "Sensei? Is that you?"

"IT IS ME," Ms. Yamanaka replied with the frightening voice.

That helped Cecil's brain clear up.

Ms. Yamanaka sighed wearily. "It's hard, struggling to keep up the elegant and charming teacher image. The girls from the previous Light Music Clubs let me take a break from that. Tea time almost every afternoon," she said, her face nostalgic. Then she sighed again. "But now there are new girls, and though I tried to keep the elegant image, I had to fight the urges to dress you all up in cute clothes all the time!" She faced Cecil. "Cecil-san! Help me put Sara in cute clothes! Help me reveal this side of me!"

Cecil held up a hand, palm facing Ms. Yamanaka. "Sorry! Please ask Hikari instead." She turned to leave immediately, but the teacher grabbed her.

Ms. Yamanaka(?): "STAAAAYY!"

Cecil sat down. Screen cut transition.

Cecil: "So… what was it about this side of you? You're a tailor who wants to fit cute girls into cute things?"

Ms. Yamanaka nodded. "That, and the fact that I used to be in the Light Music Club."

That perked up Cecil's interest. "Really? I didn't expect that! What did you play?"

The teacher touched her cheek with her hand, a supposedly elegant motion. "I played the guitar."

Cecil handed her guitar to Ms. Yamanaka. "Play something!"

Ms. Yamanaka obliged, playing several pieces of songs well-known for being hard to play. Then she smiled proudly.

Cecil looked eager. "You're really good, sensei! Can you teach me when you have the time?"

Ms. Yamanaka: (Justasplanned.)

Ms. Yamanaka: "Then, I suppose you're going to help me put Sara in a magical girl costume?"

Cecil flinched, remembering about that. "I'm sorry, I must respectfully decline."

Ms. Yamanaka: "Why!"

Then the door burst open, and in came Aira. She was grinning. Hikari and Tei were also there.

Aira: "I heard everything."

Cecil: "Everyone! I thought you all headed home already!"

Hikari: "I knew there was something dark and evil behind Sawa-chan's elegant and cute eyes. It just had to be!"

Ms. Yamanaka: "HEY."

Tei: "We thought of stopping by Max Burger on the way home, but Sara said she had to go home now, so she's gone."

Cecil: "That doesn't explain why you're here."

"I forgot something," Aira claimed innocently, blinking her eyes girlishly.

Cecil: "That's a complete lie!"

Tei: "I want to see Sara-san in a cute magical girl outfit!"

Hikari: "It'll be a sight to see!"

Aira: "Revenge!"

Ms. Yamanaka: "Everyone, thank you!"

Cecil sighed and looked away. "I have no part in this."

And still, Cecil found herself in the group's meeting in Max Burger. "Hey! Why am I with you!"

Aira: "You might tell Sara."

She had a point, Cecil thought. She made a move to leave, but Ms. Yamanaka's glare froze her.

Cecil: (How is she that scary! A tailor who happens to be able to play guitar shouldn't be that scary!)

Aira: "And so! Here we start to plan for Operation: Make Sara Into a Magical Girl!"

Tei, Hikari, Ms. Yamanaka: "Ohhh!"

Cecil: (I don't want to be heeerree!)

Hikari: "General! We will all require the info you have on the target!"

Tei: "Her weaknesses!"

Ms. Yamanaka: "Yes!"

Aira: "Haha! Luckily for you, you have me, her childhood friend! I know all her strengths and weaknesses!"

Tei: "I'm guessing one of her weaknesses would be her sensitive hands?"

Hikari: "Ohh, about that. I really didn't expect something like it. Is this some kind of fetish by the writer of this story? This just further enforces that she is a Mary Sue!"

Aira: "I don't understand what you're saying. In Japanese, okay?"

Tei: "How did you discover it in the first place, Ai-kun?"

Aira: "Well… it was an accident… I think?"

Ms. Yamanaka was in deep thought. "We should figure out a way to exploit this weakness to our advantage."

"Sara-saaaan," Tei called. "Would you like me to tell your fortune?"

Sara smiled eagerly. "That sounds fun. Sure."

Tei: "Okay then! Hold out your hand."

Sara: "M-my hand?"

Tei looked innocent. "I don't have anything else to tell a fortune with," she claimed.

Sara: "T-that's all right! I guess there's no fortune-telling to be done, then!"

Tei pouted. "Come oooonn. I asked and you said yes, don't get me excited over nothing."

Sara blushed. "F-fine." She held out her hand reluctantly.

Tei smiled and reached out to take it, but it dodged her hands. She tried to take it again, but Sara's hand slipped out of the way. Try again. Foiled again. Try again. Foiled again. Try again. Foiled again. Their hands almost dancing with each other, Aira screamed in frustration watching them.

"Let her catch your hand already!" she yelled, grabbing Sara's wrist just to hear her yelp. The next thing Aira saw was a fist flying to her face.

Aira: "No good. That plan won't work. She already knows about us knowing about her hands."

Ms. Yamanaka: "That's a good point. Are there any other weaknesses, Aira-chan?"

Aira: "Of course!"

Hikari: "Tell us!"

Aira chuckled. "Sara is actually also… very ticklish!"

Practice had ended. It was also rather late, so Sara decided that they should all head home. Well, that was what she decided, but everybody else seemed to have a different idea.

All she heard was Cecil saying: "I'm very sorry, Sara-san," before she heard the door's lock click. Then there were Tei and Hikari stalking her from the front, their hands in a very menacing pose that looked like they were either ready to grope or to tickle.

Then Sara heard Aira's voice, yelling, "NOW! SAWA-CHAN!"

A sudden attack from behind her! The supposedly cute and elegant teacher had grabbed her waist!

Ms. Yamanaka(?): "Tickle! Tickle tickle! Wear this magical girl outfit for me if you don't want to be tickled anymore!"

The sudden assault was too much for Sara, she was already giggling uncontrollably!

Aira: "Wait, Sawa-chan! I just remembered something!"

Ms. Yamanaka looked at Aira, but didn't stop tickling the giggling Sara.

Aira: "Sara's actually… a master of martial arts!"

It was a late warning, as Sara grabbed the teacher, and the next thing Ms. Yamanaka knew was she was flying through the air for less than a second. Then she was on the floor. "T-tell me that sooner…" she mumbled as her soul slithered out of her mouth.

Aira would've apologized, but Sara was glaring at her.

Ms. Yamanaka: "M-my soul…."

Aira: "No, that won't work either."

Tei: "Any other weaknesses?"

Aira closed her eyes, trying to think. "…Not much else, to be honest."

Hikari: "This calls for other kinds of tactics! Tei! We'll get through her defenses with the power of cute!"

Tei: "Yes! We'll get Barnaby on the job!"

When Sara came into the clubroom after school, the last thing she expected to see was a white bunny gazing at her with red eyes that seemed to gaze at her soul.

"Kazumiya Sara," it called with an emotionless voice that seemed a lot like Hikari's. Called might not be the right word, though, as the voice seemed to come from within her head.

"How do you know my name?"

"I have a request for you," it said. "I want you to make a contract with me and become a Magical Girl!"

Now playing: Sis puella magica!

"Contract?" Sara echoed.

The bunny kept staring at her. "Yes. I can fulfill one of your wishes. It can be anything. I'll be able to grant it, no matter how miraculous. However, in doing so, a Soul Gem will be created."

"Soul Gem?"

"It's a precious stone, born out of the contract between me and a chosen girl. It is a source of magical power and proof of a Magical Girl's identity. One with this stone becomes obligated to fight Witches as a Magical Girl."

"Witches?"

Aira: "We're getting out of track here. Get serious!"

Ms. Yamanaka: "Are you sure there isn't anything else we could take advantage of?"

Aira groaned. "I know there is something, but I can't put a finger on it…" She took a bite off the burger in her hand.

Cecil: "… You mean food?"

Aira jumped up. "That's it! Food!"

Tei: "Ohhh? I thought you weren't in this, Cecirru."

Cecil huffed and looked away. "Hmph. It's not like I have a choice or anything else to do." Of course, Cecil would never admit that she also wanted to see Magical Girl Sara. She doubted anything would work though, not even food.

Hikari: "Such a cute little tsundere."

When Sara entered the club room, she didn't expect such a wonderful smell of food to assault her nose. Neither did she expect the rest of the club members wearing maid uniforms; Aira grinning awkwardly, Hikari and Tei smiling like this was a completely ordinary thing to do, Cecil blushing and trying to hide.

Aira: "Welcome, Princess Sara, to the buffet of your dreams!"

Tei: "All the food of your wishes is to be served!"

Hikari: "We've got everything, varying from fast food fare, traditional and exquisite dishes, elegantly-made restaurant food, to amazing pastries!"

Barnaby: "You just need to make a contract with me and become a Magical Girl!"

Aira: "Get rid of the bunny!"

Hikari: "But why!"

Tei: "Barnaby's very cute, mind you! He'll charm Sara into becoming a Magical Girl in no time!"

Cecil: "W-where did those maid outfits even come from!"

Ms. Yamanaka: "Don't like it? They seem like the perfect idea to me."

Aira sighed and shook her head. "All that aside, this won't even work."

She had just finished almost everything when she happily asked, "Can I have more?"

A bit disturbed, everyone just gave her more. And then when she was done with that:

"Can I have more?"

Aira: "You have no idea how bottomless that person's stomach is. Not to mention she'd want to take some home for her family."

Hikari: "You're right, we probably wouldn't have enough money for that."

Everyone sighed as they racked their brains. After about ten minutes, Ms. Yamanaka spoke up. "What should we do, then?"

Aira shrugged. "I dunno about you, but I'm giving up right here. Tei's already fallen asleep, and Hikari's already bored. Me? Well, trust me when I say that provoking Sara any further's… not a good idea."

Hikari: "Why's that?"

Aira looked away as though she was recalling a nightmare. "You really don't want to see an angry Sara."

Ms. Yamanaka: "B-but…"

Aira bowed apologetically. "Sorry, Sawa-chan-sensei! But a no from me's a no. We should get home, too. Come on, Tei, wake up."

Ms. Yamanaka sighed when everybody but Cecil left. Cecil took a good look at their supervisor then, and how much she must really want to show that side of her. She leaned closer to her and offered an apparently ridiculous suggestion.

Ms. Yamanaka: "What! How could I possibly do that?"

Cecil looked determined, though. "Just try it."

The next day after school, Sara found herself to be the first one in the clubroom. And being who she was, she took it as a time to get some cleaning done before the others arrive. While she was cleaning, she found an old album that apparently belonged to a past Light music Club. She found it in a box filled with other stuff that belonged to previous Light Music Clubs.

The scary-looking people inside the album certainly weren't Houkago Tea Time. It was a death metal band called Death Devil. Although not really fond of metal, Sara was fond of memories, so she flipped through the pages until she noticed that one of the members looked a lot like Ms. Yamanaka.

"Ohh, what's that? Looks interesting," Sara heard Aira say when everybody else entered the clubroom.

Sara: "Hey, doesn't this person look a lot like Yamanaka-sensei?"

Aira examined the picture. "You're probably right."

Cecil: "Catherine?"

Hikari: "It really fits her!"

Cecil: (Is she that scary person because she's from a death metal band?)

Sara: "Oh. Where's Tei?"

Cecil: "She said she has work so she won't be coming today."

The door opened, and in came Ms. Yamanaka.

Sara: "Ah, Sensei. We were just talking about you."

The teacher looked surprised. "That album!"

Aira showed the picture of Catherine to Ms. Yamanaka. "Sawa-chan! Is this you?"

Ms. Yamanaka smiled awkwardly. "Yes, that's me when I was in the Light Music Club in this school."

Hikari: "Ohh. Death metal, huh?"

Ms. Yamanaka: "Sara-san!"

"Y-yes!" Sara answered back, a bit surprised at Ms. Yamanaka's odd tone of voice.

Ms. Yamanaka was blushing, something nobody really expected to happen. "Please wear a magical girl costume for me!"

Well, Sara was a bit shocked when she was asked to do that, but in the end, it all worked out somehow. Maybe Sara heard some desperation or sincerity of sorts from Ms. Yamanaka, so she agreed in the end after some more lines of convincing.

Although, she was only against it until she saw the costume. Her eyes twinkled eagerly when she saw it, and before everybody knew what happened, she was already in it.

Aira: "What's that? It looks more like a really fancy school uniform rather than a magical girl."

Hikari: "Oho? Ak*mi Homura's outfit really fits you, Sara."

Ms. Yamanaka: "I got something for everyone, too!"

Cecil: "Wait, what!"

Aira: "We never agreed to this! Right, Hikari!"

Hikari was already wearing one of them, the pink one. She was tying her hair up when she heard Aira. "Eh? What?"

Ms. Yamanaka, on the other hand, was already stalking the other two with an evil look in her eyes.

Despite protests, everyone ended up as a magical girl. Sara was admiring her simple-looking costume, Hikari was used to cosplaying. The other two weren't so fortunate, though. Aira was wearing the caped turquoise-themed one, and she wasn't so enthusiastic about having her shoulders revealed. Cecil was blushing and trying to hide in her gold-themed costume.

Ms. Yamanaka looked like the happiest person in the world. "Now all of you have been baptized into the Light Music Club!"

Hikari: "Too bad Tei's not here to see this."

Sara: "She'd probably be jealous."

Hikari: "I know! Let's take a picture of everyone! Get together, guys! Hey! Don't run away, Cecil!"

After sending the picture, Hikari was grinning, expecting to have finally cracked the tough Tei.

Aira: "Oh! Here comes the reply."

It was a picture of Tei as a magical girl herself. Barnaby was even there.

Tei's message: "Glad you're all having fun, but so am I! (*゜▽゜ノノ゛ ."

Unnecessary disclaimer: I don't own Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica. I wouldn't want to own Kyubey, anyway.

Yeah. About that midterm? I'd rather not talk about it. Anyway! Here was a chapter about Sawako. Sort of. I guess. It was pretty important for Cecil too. I got closer to the K-ON tune with this chapter, but it wasn't as good as I would like it to be. That may be because I sort of pulled this one out of nowhere. I really wanted a beach episode, but then I'd just be following with the anime again if I did that. Sawa-chan's "probably" pretty OOC there. I do think this is how she would be four years after the anime ended, though. She had been spoiled to it by the Light Music Club for about seven years, after all, and then suddenly, everybody's gone and she has to deal with entirely new girls without anyone who knows about Catherine around. This fic is assuming that Sumire and Nao weren't able to recruit underclassmen in their years after Azusa, Ui, and Jun graduated. (And of course, that Sawa-chan never got a boyfriend.) Anyway, I hope you had fun reading! Next episode, summer! Let's take that as a sign for something.