Okay, so I was going to publish this on the 31, but on the day of, I remembered the Saturday upload schedule, and decided that I should just wait it out. Thank you all for being so patient, and for reading my garbage in the first place. And don't worry. We're only getting started.
It wasn't all that surprising that Sayaka was pretty fired up after the fight. Even after backing down from the witch, her wounded pride couldn't stop her from looking down over the battle and sending threats down to the occupied familiars. Madoka had watched from a respectable distance, but she focused more on the positive dialogues.
"Yeah, take that, you-" The admonition of currently indeterminate feelings was cut short as the Labyrinth melted away, and Sayaka found herself in the same T area of the hallway as me and Mami. Behind her, Madoka sidled up to the group. "So... are all witches like that?"
The walk back to Mami's was fairly short. With a surprisingly young day, and clear skies, and an excess of tea and cakes to make, Mami suggested we all head back to her place. A short discussion yielded no reasons to refuse, and so our trek back across town began in earnest. Light conversation drifted in the air around me, but for the duration of the walk, I didn't speak unless spoken to. "Hey, Homura, what do you think?"
Mostly because I wasn't listening. Uncommon though it was, I couldn't pay attention or focus very well on the conversation. Something had been bothering me for a while after the fight. "Where's Kyuubey?" The cabbit hadn't appeared in quite some time, and it wasn't like him to miss out on a hunt. Even less likely that he would ever get lost. Like he always knows where you are. Could he track soul gems?
"What?" almost unanimous, they were confused by the sudden question. I couldn't explain to them why Kyuubey being away is an even bigger problem than him being here, or why Kyuubey is a problem at all, so I settled for the next best thing.
"Well, I haven't seen him at all today, and I'm worried about him." I cast my eyes down and etched a frown even deeper into my face.
"Oh, Homura," Mami rested a hand on my shoulder, " Don't worry. Kyuubey's a tough one, I'm sure he'll be fine one day without us."
"Yeah, he'll be fine." Sayaka stepped in, "How much trouble could he even get into in a day?" How much trouble is he getting us into, actually.
"Maybe he's still at Mami's place?" Madoka threw in her two cents. All of them trying to comfort me? Maybe I should have felt guilty for the deceit, but all I could think of at the time was how I deserved an Oscar. Not bad for my acting debut, but the set could have used some improvement.
"I didn't know you cared so much." Beamed straight into my mind, the speak of the devil. "Wha-" I turned, and right down the street, I saw the rat padding towards us. Deciding now might not be the best time to drop the act, I walked out to meet it. "Kyuubey! Where were you?" I said out loud. I picked him up and embraced it, where I could talk without being heard.
"Where the hell have you been? We just took down a witch."
'I know.'
"And why weren't you there?"
'Am I to be your keeper? I have no responsibility to oversee you.'
Being implicit in the contract, the one who drafted it, he definitely was responsible. But I could hold him to the line later, because just before I could squeeze in another "Where the hell were you?", the others got here.
"-pretty excited. Hey Kyuubey." Mami got over first and offered to take it from my hands. In no position to refuse, I handed over the rat, and the walk continued as normal.
It wasn't that much of a walk back from the labyrinth to Mami's house. As it was, she lived on the way from the school. There was still a good bit of light out as we arrived at the Mitakihouse complex, so we knew we could at least stay a while. And besides, it's always nice to rest your legs a bit after a walk. A quick look to the sky told me there was no threat of rain anytime soon, and in peace we sidled up the stairwell.
Almost as soon as the maisonette door shut behind me, however, the sky out the window darkened. Moments after I locked it, a sheet of rain crashed onto the glass, and without even looking, I could tell all the unfortunate people walking the peaceful roads outside had been blindsided completely. Weather as it was moments ago, no sane man would be carrying an umbrella.
And no sane man either, could have predicted this. But that's not to say this was beyond the realm of possibility. "What the-" Sayaka cut herself off, opting instead to stare out the window at the dark clouds churning murder. "What's happening?" Mami emerged from the kitchen, where she had been preparing to start everyone some tea.
"It just started raining," Madoka offered. "It came out of nowhere."
"Oh my. Do you girls plan on waiting it out here? I've got a few umbrellas by the door you could borrow, if you've got to be home." Mami sat down at a couch across from the triangle table, and Sayaka turned from the window. "I'll do whatever Madoka's doing, I guess." She moved to sit at the couch with Mami.
"Oh. I'll call my mom, then." While Madoka talked, I took some time to think.
Storms don't develop that fast. Not without warning. Between opening and locking the door- six seconds max. If it took only that time for the clouds to turn and then bring rain- "Hey, Homura. Do you want a ride out of here with me and Sayaka? My Mom said she can take you home, no problem."
Correction, I tried to take some time to think. "Are you sure?"
"Of course. My mom said she'd like to meet you, actually."
"Oh. Uhh" and then I tried to find an excuse not to come with. "Sure, Madoka, thanks for offering." Obviously, I'd failed. Mami stood up, now everything was settled, and went back into the kitchen. For the meantime, she was making tea. I sat down and turned on the TV. The weather station, it seemed, couldn't explain this either. Disheveled newswomen without makeup and reporters with mussed hair gave rushed analysis about the sudden storm that's caught the city off guard.
"No current meteorological reports are in for how this storm developed so fast without anyone noticing; and the team found no systems developing near enough here to have gotten here this quickly! We do not know the scope of this storm, or how long it will last! Everyone should, for the time being, stay in-" The reporter's message was drowned out as a high-pitched shriek came from the kitchen. The tea was ready. And the news had ended.
That's fine. I always think better with some tea. Mami stepped out with a small tray, perched with a kettle and 4 teacups. Immaculately painted china inside and out, with a firm golden handle affixed to one side, this set must have been expensive. I'd heard online that the more you spent the better it tasted. Obviously, not. I swallowed down the rubbish tea in one miserable gulp, thanked Mami, and asked if she had any water. If she knew I didn't like it, it didn't show.
"Homura," Madoka called out to me quietly, "My mom is here."
We made our goodbyes to Mami, and left. If that bothered her too, there was no telling. Maybe they'll need to hand out two Grammys.
