Author's Note: Not my favorite chapter, but necessary. Enjoy.
EDIT: The story, for any who actually reads this, is currently on hiatus because of a huge school workload. Not to mention a funeral. So I will return in a couple weeks.
Chapter 8: Trinity
A storm was brewing in Mitakihara, and the aged Catholic matron felt it in her bones. She's seen many things in her years managing the orphanage, more than most people would believe. Changing winds were not new.
"Granny, what are you doing? We got another delivery," a young voice called from the doorway, watching the matron sweep the porch while lost in thought. The matron breathed deeply and faced her ward.
"Do you feel it dear? It's magic. Magic is in the air," the matron warned. They lived in the suburbs of the large city, but any event would greatly affect them as well. The small girl laughed and grabbed the matron's free hand.
"Whatever grams! You're so silly. Come on, she sent another gift," she teased lovingly. The matron sighed and looked back at the city. It had been many years since, but she would never forget the feeling she now had. Whether or not there was a magic, nothing good would come from it. The matron went back inside.
"You're not seriously thinking about accepting it, are you?" Sayaka asked as she watched her senior practice martial arts on a dummy. With enough magic ribbons, dirt, and a little creativity anything was possible. Mami didn't have proper instruction, but fighting witches did wonders for one's form.
"No, I'm not. But I have to be ready in case she's preemptively aggressive. I've had experiences like this before," Mami answered, delivering a roundhouse kick to the dummy. She wasn't exercising for the sake of well executed strikes; she was trying to master the form to reduce her striking power. After all, one uncontrolled punch would lead to fractured bones, property damage, and blood on her hands. When fighting normal humans it was necessary to control her augmented strength.
After an hour of training, magical and mundane, the two girls went to the senior's apartment. The sun was starting to lower onto the horizon, but Sayaka decided to head on over anyway. After all it was Friday, and she didn't have any club activities the next day. There was no rush to head home, but she didn't want to wear out her welcome too soon. Botan's adored girls' night was a day away and she wouldn't miss it for the world, especially since Mami's confrontation was scheduled right before it.
"What do you think Sayaka? Is it a ruse, or a serious challenge?" Mami inquired, pondering about her unknown opponent. As part of their training Mami had forced her to study several subjects, including chess to learn to predict her opponent's moves by mimicking their thoughts. Unfortunately for Sayaka, it was not a class she could sleep through.
"Hm, well the wording is childish and the date is for tomorrow, so that means your opponent did not plan this very well. She's either really snobby or really stupid," Sayaka guessed earnestly. Mami didn't answer, but merely thought about Sayaka's musings.
"Do you ever have the feeling that something's… off?" Sayaka asked, sipping her tea. They had arrived and were quickly served by Botan, who had prepared their tea and had dinner well on the way. The two girls patiently drank the bitter liquid and continued their chat.
"What do you mean? Other than the recent weather, everything's been fine," Mami replied, wondering what Sayaka could have meant.
"Well, I mean fighting witches is challenging and all, but everything seems so slow lately. Like we're missing something…" the swordswoman trailed off, wondering about the implications of her words. Mami sipped the last few drops of her tea before answering.
"Well, Aki's been gone for a while," she suggested. Sayaka shook her head in response.
"No, it's not that. She certainly changes things wherever she goes, but I meant something is missing. Like, something was supposed to happen but didn't," she theorized, not truly knowing what she felt. It was a hunch, but apparently her mentor didn't agree.
"Just relax. Everything will be alright," Mami comforted Sayaka. She nodded in agreement and finished her tea in suit.
"Speaking of Aki, what do you think about her anyway?" Sayaka asked. This type of question was common among girls, but it had been awhile since Mami had participated in such idle chitchat. She took a moment to compose a legitimate response.
"I think she's more mature than she lets on, but would rather enjoy herself than worry about anything she deems trivial."
"What do you mean by that?"
"She takes her training seriously, but you have to remember this is the girl who threw away her gender without a second thought. She didn't have much choice, but she made it."
"Much choice?"
"Sayaka, she's across the ocean from her homeland, and potentially an entire universe. The only way she'd ever make it here is with a little assistance," Mami answered sternly. It was true; making a contract came with more than the flair of magic.
"Speaking of assistance, where's Kyubey been?" Sayaka whispered, not wanting Botan to ever hear that name.
"Hm, I haven't given him any thought lately. So much has happened," Mami shrugged.
"Dinner!" Botan (apron included) cheered joyfully, serving up another well-earned meal.
"Twenty-three, a new record! You've gotten pretty good at hunting. No so hard after all?" a particular red-haired girl praised, something she never did lightly. The distinct orange ginger laughed.
"Well, you can only study so much. Looks like I lost the bet after all," she laughed jovially. The red-head slapped her on the back as they boarded the bus to home.
"You're all right! Seriously though, you're buying. You suck at stealing apples."
"At least I know how to camp outside a hotel."
"Shut up, ass."
"Jerk."
"Perv."
"Tsk. Touche."
The redhead jokingly punched the girl in the shoulder as they sat down in the bus, ready to go home.
Today was the promised day. Botan, in her excitement, had run out of the house early morning to get supplies for dinner. Mami understood that the girl was used to poverty and never had the opportunity to cook many varieties of food, but was willing to spoil her in favor of her excellent cooking. Apparently practice was all she needed. Everyone who had been invited planned to show up, including: Madoka, Sayaka, Hitomi, Aki, and possibly Kyoko. Mami was wary of the last one, as she had set forth the invitation, but Botan made it clear she wanted to interact more with her peers. It was joyous to see everyone else was willing to put forth the effort as well, despite any extracurricular activities.
Mami was getting ready through her morning stretch, ready to talk down this mysterious girl. The scheduled time was early enough not to risk being late, but she wanted to be ready. Even if it was a trap, she could fall back on her powers and scare anybody off. Who would believe such malarkey anyway? No one has magic powers, especially a cute teenage girl like herself!
"Heh, a little full of myself today, aren't we?" she whispered to herself in amusement. It was good for one's psych to stay positive, and a little cockiness was allowed when dealing with humans. It was only against witches that she really needed to stay on her guard. Except for the occasional mugger, she's never really had any human conflicts.
Thus began her trek to the battleground. Her opponent had chosen a back alley near the not-so-abandoned warehouse in the city, aware from the scrutiny of any passersby. The day was a little chillier than others, because of the recent winds, but overall still refreshing and cool on the skin. It didn't look like it would rain, but Mami opted for caution and brought an umbrella. In case of emergency, it'd make a good bludgeoning weapon.
The alley was empty. To her credit, Mami had arrived ten minutes early. Punctuality was one her charms. She walked deeper into it, scanning the area for a girl. Behind her, a small muffled noise sounded. Quick as lightning, she spun around and whipped up her umbrella threateningly. A smaller girl gulped and raised her hands reactively, staring at the pointed end aimed an inch form her neck.
"Are you the one who challenged me?" Mami asked, bemused. The girl was like a smaller version of Madoka's friend, Hitomi, shorter green hair and all. She was even shorter than Madoka! Hardly an intimidating threat, talking her down would be easy.
"Um yes! I just wanted to talk, that's all," the girl whimpered, eyeing the umbrella warily. Mami lowered it a few inches, smiling.
"Then what was all that about a fight to the death?" She teasingly interrogated.
"That was my friend, I swear! She just wanted to make it sound interesting, but I didn't have time to rewrite it!" the ivy girl cried. Mami was about to lower her guard, but a subtle feeling in the back of her mind held her back. She narrowed her eyes and raised the umbrella.
"You made a contract with Kyubey, didn't you?" Mami yelled, swiftly swinging back her umbrella to strike in perfect timing with her accusation, creating panic in the girl before her.
"No! I'm not a magical girl!" the girl screamed, holding up her arms to block. A few seconds passed before she lowered them to peer at Mami. Mami had her arm propped up on the umbrella condescendingly, gloating at the girl. It took another few seconds before she realized what she had said. The girl sighed and explained.
"Alright, you got me. My name is Mariko. But I came here as a warning. You need to leave the city, or you'll get in the way," Mariko explained, crossing her arms. This sudden command struck at Mami's curiosity.
"What do you mean I'll get in the way? Who's way? Are you seeking this territory for yourself?" Mami demanded to know, having experienced border disputes in the past. It was obvious this girl had contracted, as she had assumed a more comfortable pose. An umbrella was no threat to her.
"Yes, and no. Trust me, I don't need grief seeds. But you'll be getting in our way," said Mariko, who was reaching into her pocket. In reaction, Mami dropped the umbrella to raise her hand.
"You know what? Just forget about it!" another voice piped up from behind. Mami whipped around and caught her assailant's arm, which was in the middle of a chopping motion aimed for her neck. Behind her a tomboyish girl had approached, wearing a butler outfit and steel gauntlets. Even her magenta hair was short and boyish.
click
"Um, miss, I think you might want to watch where you're pointing that thing," the new girl uttered nervously, staring at the flintlock pistol Mami had conjured.
"Rena, I think a better place she ought to be watching is her back," Mariko exclaimed. Mami felt something poke her back, most likely a staff of sorts. The small girl laughed.
"Tell you what, drop the gun, and I don't blast you," Mariko bargained cheerfully, bewildering the veteran magical girl. From her peripheral vision Mami saw a mundane appearing staff aimed at her back. Fortunately all her training had prepared her for a moment like this.
Quick on the draw, Mami leaned forward and shoved Rena back, placed a foot on her chest, and leaped into the air, back flipping to land behind Mariko. Before the two rogues had a chance to gather their thoughts, Mami had transformed and was aiming two muskets at them.
"Oh come on! That's cheating!" Mariko whined, pointing her wooden staff at Mami. Her outfit was maid cosplay, for some odd reason. Rena wore a butler's uniform as well. No matter how peculiar these two were, Mami had a feeling they weren't going to be serving tea. A strange black miasma began forming as Mariko aimed toward Mami.
bang bang
"Wahhh!" Mariko cried as she toppled backwards. Mami had expertly shot at her staff to unbalance her. The maid girl tripped over and landed on her rear. Her partner couldn't help but face palm.
"I swear Mariko; you can be all talk and then… just this. My turn," she announced, running toward Mami. She fired a few shots, but the butler-esque girl dodged nimbly to the side. Rena was incredibly fast. The older girl reached into her pocket and drew out a small black orb. Before she realized what was happening, Rena threw it at Mami. Instinctively she shot at it while jumping back. This released a black smoke cloud, obscuring Mami's vision. In the midst of the smoke, Rena flitted in and poked Mami's forehead.
bang
Mariko leaped to one side of the alleyway, barely dodging one of Mami's bullets. She was less experienced, but quick enough on her feet. Before another barrage of missiles could come her way, she fired off a miasmatic charge. Mami easily dodged it, not wanting to see its effects. The two fired back and forth a couple times, not creating much progress. In a narrow alley, maneuverability was difficult and to summon more than two muskets would be impractical, not to mention potentially lethal. Mami didn't want to harm the girl more than she had to, but the battle had to end soon.
"Oof! Let me go!" Mariko screamed as conjured ribbons entangled her, binding her a foot in the air. One ribbon latched onto the staff and attempted to pull it out of her grasp.
"Tsk, forgot about your magic. Better fix that," a mysterious voice whispered in Mami's ear. Before she could turn around, something poked her head.
More weapon fire was exchanged. It took a while, but Mami felt tired of the drawn-out skirmish and felt… bored. She was holding back because of the other girl's age and lack of experience. She sighed as she dodged another shot. Mariko was a horrible fighter, but very good at dodging blows. She had tried leaping toward her and striking with melee, but Mariko dodged like a monk. The two's fight lasted for about ten minutes before anything significant happened.
"My apologies, but this has to be the crappiest fight in history. I'm ending it now," a voice piped up from behind Mami. Before she could react, two strong arms wrapped around her head in a choking hold. Mami pulled on the arms desperately before she lost oxygen. She couldn't see her assailant, hell she couldn't see much of anything because of those strong arms. Her assailant's grip tightened, as if she were squirming as much as Mami. Mami had a feeling there was something she could do, but what magic did she possess to break the hold?
Her chokehold abruptly ended. The person behind Mami suddenly slackened her grip and completely released her. Mami (finally) turned around to face her. A tomboy (Rena! Mami remembered) lay on the ground, dazed. Green ooze dripped from her face. In front of her a familiar girl leaped from the rooftop and landed in the alleyway, joining the three other girls.
"Aki? What are you doing here?" Mami asked her friend while Mariko fussed over her partner. The situation was defused along with her opponents' fighting spirit. She didn't know how, but Mariko had support to draw out the fight.
"I searched for you as soon as I heard these two were looking for me. Geez! Let me see your soul gem…" Aki explained as she caressed Mami's hairpin, ensuring not much corruption had taken place. For some reason Mami felt an odd tickling sensation. Aki held up two fingers.
"How many?"
"Two. Why?"
"Fighting these two often come with disorientation. Name?"
"Mine? Tomoe Mami… why are you asking this?"
"Just answer the questions! Powers?"
"I summon muskets and…" Mami trailed off in confusion. She was starting to get a headache. Aki sighed in relief.
"Phew, so she was just playing with you. She does that, making people forget their powers. Now excuse me, I'm going to take care of this," Aki declared, somewhat amused.
"Wait! So you're going to…"
"Going to kill them? Sure am!" Aki smiled brightly and turned around. Mariko's expression as she held Rena was one of shock, confusion, and mostly fear. Aki slowly walked toward her menacingly, her smile never relenting.
"Oh, hey Aki… how ya doing?" Mariko asked meekly. Rena quickly hopped up, recovered, and dashed toward Aki.
bang
Rena once again fell unconscious, having been shot a stunning blow from Mami. Mariko held up her staff aggressively and prepared to fire.
"Nice shot!" Aki complimented, having not bothered to flinch. Mami nodded in agreement.
"My turn!" Mariko screamed as she fired her miasma bolt. In response, Aki threw her arm out behind her, quickly popped out a piece of silk from her cannon and infused it with orange energy. Right before the black miasma would hit her, Aki brought forth her outstretched hand and briefly glowed orange. A large green shield materialized from the small piece of silk, causing the magic energy to bounce off harmlessly. All this in one seamless action.
"Crap," Mariko commented in amazement. Mami was off her game because of outside intervention, but nothing could stop the skilled-up Aki. Mariko tried firing a volley of miasmic bolts, but Aki blocked them with shield after shield. In desperation, Mariko leaped forward to swing an energy filled strike, but was parried easily by Aki who shoved her hand into Mariko's stomach.
"Ouch," Mariko whispered as Aki's nails speared through her torso, piercing her back. Aki had been careful to avoid any vital organs, but wanted to make her point across. And to make her understand she was serious.
"Ugh, what happened?" Rena asked as she sat up, rubbing her magenta scalp. She observed the scene in front of her and noticed Mariko lying on the ground, drooling blood.
"What the hell?" Rena yelled as she jumped up. As if karma had reared its head at her predicament, Rena suddenly found herself unable to jump in attack. A quick glance down revealed two ribbons binding her ankles to the ground. Rena narrowed her eyes as she glared at Mami, who was smiling widely.
"Woops, looks like I remembered after all," she teased, waiting for Aki to finish the deed. Rena, having no ranged offensive ability, knew she was (literally) stuck in a corner. She tried to negotiate a truce.
"Look Aki, we can talk about this, we didn't mean anything by it!" Rena flailed pathetically. Aki continued to smile at her in forced joy.
"First, you deceive her, then mess with her mind, and threaten to kill her when she says no. And yet you have the audacity to beg for mercy? I should kill you now," Aki cheerfully chirped. Her words and tone did not match; something that unsettled Rena. Aki continued.
"Maybe there'd be a time I'd show mercy, but you've chosen the absolute worst day to irk me. I don't care if you're my coworker; you have no right to ruin today, a very special day for me."
"Wait, how'd you know about the slumber party? I mean, you're invited, but you just got back…" Mami asked, confused. Aki sighed before giving a response.
"It's been three weeks. Three weeks I've been here. Yet today is the day you decide to bother me…" Aki muttered. Rena tried once more to plead.
"What's wrong with today-"
"I'M ON MY *$ #&*$# PERIOD!" Aki screamed at high volumes, splitting Rena's earlobes. In anger and irritation, Aki leaped thirty feet straight into the air. Rena's eyes widened. Aki raised both hands and popped out silk from her cannon, and molded it into a specific shape with her magic. Just when she reached her maximum jump height, she infused it with her magic to create the ultimate weapon.
"BIG * #%* HAMMER!" Aki screamed, louder than Rena was as she stared at the green behemoth hammer brought down upon her. As a giant delivering judgment would have done, Aki brought down the hammer with her heightened strength.
"I have no idea what to say," Mami commented as she viewed the crater Rena was now lying in, clothes torn and singed. Akiscoffed.
"Next time I'll really kill her. Now help me tie them up," Aki ordered as she dragged Rena's body to Mariko. With a healthy combination of magic silk and ribbons, they bound the two miscreants together and carried them to the warehouse nearby.
"Are you sure we should have put them together?" Mami asked as she rested them on the warehouse's floor.
"Yeah, it'll take them longer to escape," Aki assured confidently. Mami played with one of her drills in confusion.
"How does that work? It'd be harder if they're separate…"
"I said it'd take them longer, not make it harder. Trust me, they'll take their time."
"Why would they linger in- Oh? Are they..?"
"Yup. Completely, utterly, and definitely lesbians," Aki confirmed, kicking the pair with her new boots. They were a grey with a tint of rusted orange, an upgrade from her previous brown boots. She got them cheaply from a thrift store with less than twenty dollars.
"You don't seem all that happy about that," Mami prodded, half joking.
"First, we work together at a cosplay café. I'm officially immune to lesbians now. Second, right now all I want to do is brutally slaughter everything and make babies with it." This brutal revelation shocked Mami for a total of three seconds.
"Welcome to womanhood," Mami replied, slapping Aki on the back. The hammer trick needed improvement, but boy was it scary. A single thought Mami stopped for a moment.
"So they were playing with us? That's what seems to be going on… Then why was she trying to strangle me?" Mami's probing caught the irritated Aki off guard.
"Um, she wasn't choking you…"
"Seemed like it to me."
"Let's just say a wrestler's hold does wonders for the view." Mami only stared, appalled.
"So why did she single me out exactly?" Mami asked Aki as they entered her apartment complex. Aki scratched her head before replying.
"Well, I suppose she wanted to play around. You've run into each other years before, but I doubt you'd remember that. I think it was because I mentioned you and your developed… personality a few times," Aki explained as she threw her schoolbag onto the table. Inside it was her pickings from the hunting getaway she had taken with Kyoko and her coworkers': five grief seeds. Mami had impressed by Aki's sudden improvement, but felt a twinge of jealousy when Aki mentioned Kyoko was the one who had improvised her new fighting style. Her silk was highly reactive to magic, which made using something as inefficient as transformation effective. Why hadn't Mami thought of that? After all, she was the one who spent months studying magic in her free time.
"Why would they go through all that trouble just to see my personality?" Mami asked, respecting Aki's choice of vernacular. She would be punished for anything out of line she had said to them, but for now Mami would merely listen. That time of month exponentially boosted a girl's power, at least making them more fierce and quick to violence. In response to Mami's question, Aki shrugged.
"Hell if I know. They already have each other. Personally, one pair is enough; sneaking a peek is not worth life and death. Be happy she didn't do some mind meld thing and convince you that you've been living in a closet like-"
"Hey guys! Just in time!" A familiar mundane voice cried out. Botan, brown pigtails and all, was carrying grocery bags when she kicked open the door and staggered in. The two other girls helped her out and readied the kitchen for the night. The afternoon was already nigh, and their guests would soon be arriving. Tonight's dinner would be a special ramen prepared with other cookeries Botan had dreamed up.
"So, I'm curious. What do girls do at sleepovers?" Aki asked, as she chopped up something that looked like onions, but was completely odorless. Mami, stirring the noodles, answered immediately.
"Nothing special. Games, conversation, maybe play with each other's hair. Why? Did you think sleepovers were different in Japan?" Mami responded, referring to Aki's ethnicity.
"Well, I guess not. Every sleepover I went to involved board games, video games, and eventually everyone would start taking off their pants- Wai-wait! Those were the guys! My bad!" Aki stuttered, remembering that she had to act at a minimal level of femininity, "Most parties I've been to just have food and some truth or dares. I guess reality is dull, isn't it?"
"Truth or dare? I've never played that," Mami commented, holding up the wooden spoon by her cheek in thought. Botan mentioned she hadn't either as she chopped up various vegetables.
"Well, there's a first time for everything," Aki proposed, lodging the idea in the other two's heads. While everyone's thoughts turned to their respective imagination, the doorbell rang.
Madoka and Sayaka arrived together with Hitomi in tow. Aki and Mami had hoped to see Kyoko mingle with the group, but the fiery redhead was nowhere to be seen.
"This is boring," Aki eventually complained, her vitality drained by seemingly hours of idle chit chat. She sat down leaning on the table eating pocky. She had changed into a more casual outfit to relax in, blue jeans and a green tank top. Unbeknownst to everyone, Aki had envisioned the Americans' dream of an all-girl sleepover: talks about everyone's sizes, nail polish, and most importantly the pillow fights.
Oh god the pillow fights!
Except everyone insisted on talking about school and their friends. Aki sighed and leaned backwards on the table. After all of Botan's excitement, were they seriously going to spend all this time doing exactly what they do every day? Sure, they weren't going to go out hunting for the obvious reasons, but a little variation wouldn't kill them. Mami was giving a lecture on Madoka's recent school lessons, and the importance of studying. Hitomi and Sayaka were talking about boys and various ways to attract them. Hitomi struck Aki as the alpha princess type, something she's seen over and over at San Francisco. The kind of girl who could attract each and every boy she pleased, but would eventually go for the boy her friends drooled over. Aki did not think the two would get along. In fact, it took every ounce of her willpower to reign in her hormonal rage from lashing out at any provocation.
"Hello? Earth to Akiharuuuumi" Hitomi called, drawing out the nickname. Aki snapped her head to her left and received a smack in return.
"Ow! What was that for?" Aki cried, rubbing her head.
"Sorry! Didn't you see me waving?" Hitomi apologized, waving her hand in front of Aki's face. Aki's right eye rolled in response. Hitomi eyes squinted as she leaned forward.
"Hey, your hair is a little… messy. I can take care of that for you," Hitomi offered as she raised a hand toward Aki's bangs. It wasn't noticeable enough to have drawn any comments from Mami, but Aki had begun wearing her bangs to cover the left-side of her face. It was the current fashion in Japan at the time.
"Hey! What are you doing?" Hitomi demanded as Aki grabbed her wrist. In response to her question, Aki tightened her grip with inhuman strength. This made Hitomi wince, worried that her fragile wrist might break. The two maintained eye contact for a moment before Aki spoke.
"Please don't touch me. I'm sorry, it's just…" Aki apologized. Nature's monster had taken over inside her, and had lashed out. To put Hitomi at ease, Aki revealed the reason for her sudden sensitivity by brushing aside her bangs. Where her left eye used to be was a pink eye patch, its straps trailing her hairline and hidden by her bangs. Hitomi eyes traced the pink strap across Aki's face in concerned curiosity. The other girls took notice of the two's conversation and spent a moment gawking at Aki. The attention made Aki uncomfortable to the point of taking action.
"Um, yeah. Just got hit by a bat a little… doc says it'll heal in a week or so," Aki lied. Only two people in the group knew the truth, having seen what was lacking underneath.
"It looks cute! You look kind of like a lady pirate!" Madoka attempted to cheer up Aki, but immediately piped down when she was shot a furious look. Sayaka noticed, and glared back at Aki.
"Aaaargh, ye land lubbers get on my nerves," Aki shook her head and raised her hands up dramatically, trying to salvage the mood. As much as her hormones were egging her on, she did not want the evening to end with Sayaka trying to kick her again. "I need me some rum. But since we don't have any... How about that truth or dare game?"
The rules were simple, as Aki explained. Spin the bottle, chosen one chooses truth or dare. Any chickening out would lead to a penalty game. First one up was Madoka.
"Sayaka, truth or dare?" Madoka asked cheerfully, intending to enjoy the game.
"Dare!" Sayaka grinned in anticipation. She knew full well that Madoka was naïve and innocent, and that she could take on any chall-
"Lick your elbow." Madoka's dare dropped Sayaka's spirits instantly. Everyone couldn't help but laugh at Sayaka's spectacle as she attempted to do the impossible. Lest of injury, she was forgiven of her inability to do so. Everyone still found it funny.
"Madoka, truth or dare?" Hitomi asked. Madoka chose truth. "Do you still dream about Ms. Akemi?" Madoka promptly turned red and shook her head. Sayaka burst out laughing, understanding the meaning of the question. Mami and Botan exchanged a perplexed glance while Aki smirked. It was now her turn.
Aki spun the bottle. The bottle spun fiercely, as if the gods themselves debated on the destiny of the chosen one. Sayaka clutched the hem of her dress in despair, praying to the higher power that she would not receive the retribution for all the times she punished the pervert. Madoka crossed her fingers that she would not be embarrassed again. Hitomi and Botan secretly hoped it would be them this time. Mami was ambivalent, wondering about where Aki's recent mindset had gone. Should she be worried, or attribute everything recent to Aki's awakening womanhood?
The bottle slowed and lingered on Sayaka, pressuring the girl into a cold sweat. Is this the end? I'm too young to die thought the blue-haired girl. As if the wind spirits themselves had heard her prayer, a small draft pushed the bottle to the one beside her. thus sealing her fate.
"Mami, truth… or dare?" Aki asked mischievously, placing a finger on her lips. Mami's heart began thumping in desperation. Botan and Hitomi weren't allowed to know Aki's secret, but even then it was a risk having her at a girl's sleepover. She worried about the possibilities of either choice and weighed her options. An embarrassing dare or an equally embarrassing truth? She didn't have many secrets because of her withdrawn lifestyle, but what was rumored about her was embarrassing enough to fret about. Even with all her power and skill, she was still a teenage girl. But her juniors were surrounding her and she needed to provide a role model nonetheless, so she made the proper decision.
"Dare," she answered confidently. A feeling of doom settled over every girl, including the non-magical ones that knew Aki's character well enough. What horrendous torture did she have in mind?
"I dare you…" Aki stood up dramatically while pointing at Mami. Aki had to make a decision: rationality and a reasonable dare, or give in to her innermost desires? She didn't want to upset anyone, and she-
Oh who are we kidding? Isn't it obvious what she's going to do?
"To kiss Botan!"
"Eh?"
