Chapter 11: Lighting the Match
Leaves blew gently in the warm spring wind as Shiratori Ayumi made her trek towards her hometown. The day was nearing a close, the sun just peeking over the horizon, reflecting off the trees and glass from the nearby architecture - the appearance made it look like the entire area was on fire. The imagery caused the brunette to cringe; it felt too soon, much too soon to be reminded of the memory of the church in flames. The devastation wrought by that perilous incident. She shook her head, focusing her attention on the here and now; why she had even headed back to that place. It wasn't as if she missed it all that much...but something bothered her. Something that Akemi Homura suggested...
"She behaved differently from normal. While there is despair in that location, for her to act as if she were deathly ill, simply from stepping in the vicinity?" Ayumi frowned, emerald and gold narrowed in concern. "That's...alarming. Perhaps she was overreacting?"
The girl knew, of course, even as she was lifting her knee in a steady march towards the churchyard, that her observations of the raven Magical Girl told her there was no chance of her overreacting. Such a thing wasn't like her. Even still, to believe what she suggested also didn't make any sense.
After all, hadn't Ayumi been in Kasamino when she used her Soul Gem to revive the redhead? She didn't feel ill at that time, did she? No. Her Soul Gem hadn't even been affected by any despair. She took another step, her throat feeling dry. She swallowed thickly to quell her nerves, her brows furrowed in worry as she carried herself closer and closer to the source.
The light caught on the stain glass like a spark to wood, causing the brunette to flinch. Even from a distance, the once majestic building sent chills down her spine that she could never admit to.
Sakura...
The very name haunted her, much less the effect it had on the town itself. All her life, Shiratori Ayumi watched as she, the mayor's daughter, had to compete with the perfect child of the preacher who could do no wrong. A power struggle, from day one...it sickened her. While it wasn't as if either one of them would be the next to carry their fathers' mantles, it did leave certain expectations, and levels of popularity that affected how the rest of the town viewed them.
She - Shiratori Ayumi, the good girl, daughter of the town's leader...
Her - Sakura Kyouko, the perfect one, daughter of God's messenger...
She stopped short, just shy of the boundary line between Mitakihara and Kasamino. Even from here, she could feel a heavy sensation in the air. She pulled out her Soul Gem, looking it over carefully. She could sense the despair's presence, yes...but she didn't seem to be receiving any effect from it. Was she not quite close enough? Her brows furrowed in thought. That sort of behavior, in terms of boundaries...it was similar to a Witch.
And yet...
"Different," She mused, taking one last step further. The moment she did, a cold, heavy pressure began to weigh down on her, the sensation one she might feel if she were to fall into ice-water. "AUGH!" She cried out, her knees buckling as she fell to all fours, her body trembling, arms shakily wrapping around her form for dear life. "H-Hurts...it...it hurts...!"
What was happening?! Why was she feeling like this?! With a weak groan, she lifted her Soul Gem into view; a shocked gasp escaped her lips. What was once an alabaster sheen was now nearly obsidian in color, half of the pure white gem encased in corruption. "W-N-No, NO!" Through sheer effort she pushed herself to her feet, struggling to remain upright as she backed away from the churchyard, back into the safety of the trees. As soon as the heavy feeling had passed, she stepped even further away, moving back as far as she could until she was fully stable - at which point she turned on her heel, running as fast as she could away from the terror that was once a majestic house of the Lord.
"No! W-What's going on here?!" She cried out in anguish, looking fearfully at her Soul Gem. She knew what would've happened if she'd stayed there. The gem would've turned fully black, transforming into a Grief Seed, and her into a Witch. She couldn't have that happen! Not while she...she still had so much she needed to look into...! Gasping for breath, she hurried past the corridor of trees, watching as rugged pathway eventually turned into a street. Breathing a sigh of relief, she made her way into Mitakihara proper, a face of concern marring her soft features.
"Something, somehow, has distorted..." She muttered, her arms folded, a thumbnail to her lip as she bit in frustration. "The curse..."
"It's evolving..."
"So let me get this straight." Sakura Kyouko started, holding out Sayaka's hand as she contemplated what the knight and gun-wielder were suggesting to her. "You think that at some point between when I left Kasamino and you ducked in there, the curse...intensified?" The raven female nodded slowly. "At least, that is the most likely conclusion I can come to at this point..." She frowned, folding her arms in thought. "That has to be it. You claim to have not been affected by the despair's presence, while I was nearly crushed and turned into a Witch simply by stepping into the vicinity of it." Royal blues narrowed. "Therefore, I propose that whatever this phenomenon is, it is growing stronger."
"More DANGEROUS, you mean!" Kyouko's voice cried out, Sayaka gesturing wildly. "I mean, not even Walpurgisnacht caused our Soul Gems to corrupt just from stepping in the AREA! Just what IS this thing, anyway!?" Homura nodded to her. "That's what we need to find out. The question is, how..." She paused in thought, considering. "...Kyouko. Do we still have that backup supply of Grief Seeds?" Kyouko frowned, thinking back to the battle against Walpurgisnacht. "Uh...yeah, pretty sure...though actually, things are a little blurry during that time. Considering that was shortly after we somehow switched bodies altogether and all."
"Ahh yeah, you're right!" Sayaka laughed nervously, rubbing the back of Kyouko's head. "Ah...I think it's still in that duffle bag, in the room we were sleeping in at the shelter." Homura took in the information, nodding in understanding. "...At this time, a lot of people are still remaining at the shelter, due to the damage done during Walpurgisnacht. I'll go investigate and ensure that the supply hasn't been moved or taken by anyone." With a nod of farewell, the time traveler made her way out of the hallway, ducking into the gym section where the sleeping quarters had been set up.
"...Grief Seeds..." Kyouko murmured in thought. "She probably wants to take them with us when investigating Kasamino." Sayaka blinked in surprise, looking toward her old form. "What? How come?" Azure eyes glanced her way, cool and sharp. "Don'tcha get it? We're going to have them with us so that we don't turn into Witches while we're in there. We gotta figure out what's causing this to begin with, and we sure ain't figuring anything out while hanging around your trashed schoolgrounds." She sighed, glancing down at the fire-red gem in Sayaka's hand.
"Wait...so you mean, you guys want to go INSIDE the place causing our Soul Gems to corrupt?!" Sayaka cringed, Kyouko's fangs bared in discomfort. "I'm not sure if I can become a Witch twice, and I'm not sure I wanna find out! Are you guys sure this is a good idea?" Kyouko frowned. "No, I don't think it's a good idea! My survival instincts are yelling at me to just stay away and move on! But we're not gonna solve anything by avoiding the issue, are we?" The redhead frowned, nodding slowly, grudgingly, in understanding. "Right...so we're going to stock up on Grief Seeds and take them with us when we check out Kasamino to see what's going on..."
"Exactly." Azure eyes closed, a firm nod tousling cropped locks. The sound of shoes clacking against the floor caused her to look up, eyes opening to see Homura stopping in front of them. She had an enormous bag slung over her shoulder, which she set down by her side. Kneeling down, she unzipped the main compartment, revealing several obsidian Witch eggs. "This should suffice in maintaining our conditions as we venture through Kasamino, should it not?"
Kyouko and Sayaka took in the sight, looked at each other, back at her, and finally responded with a shrug. "Beats me," Kyouko responded with Sayaka's voice. "You're the ones who ran into this thing. Should be enough, though. I hunted through a handful of towns to get that amount." Sayaka whirled to face her, scarlet eyes incredulous. "You wha- you hunted through other towns!? Kyouko!" Azure eyes rolled in their sockets, ignoring Sayaka's scolding as she instead focused on the raven Magical Girl. "Alright, we got what we need. Ready to head out, then?"
"Huh?" Sayaka blinked a few times, looking out the window. "It's getting to be dark out, though. Won't it be nightime by the time we get there?" Not that it really mattered to the others, but she did need to check up with her parents- she paled, looking between her foreign self and her body across the way. "Ah, Kyouko! My parents!" Azure pools stared half-lidded at her, a frown forming on a healthy peach face. "What about them? You know this is a serious matter. Besides, you wanna explain to them you're not yourself right now?" She sighed, giving a dismissive shrug. "Trust me, it's better we just sneak out to see what's going on instead of dealing with any hassles."
"Hassles..." Sayaka frowned, scarlet pools trembling. It frustrated her, the fact that she was having to duck around her parents AGAIN...but Kyouko had a point. She already dealt with miscommunication between her and Hitomi due to the fact the once-redhead didn't know any better - to see a botched conversation between her and her parents would have been awful, to say the least! With a nod of understanding, she dismissed the matter. "...Right. So, let's start heading out, then..."
After watching to make sure nobody could see three underage girls leaving the shelter without adult supervision, the Magical Girl trio set out from the schoolgrounds, making their way down the street once more toward the forest path leading into Kasamino - namely, the path that took them directly to the old Sakura church. "From what I've gathered," Homura murmured as they stepped lightly, "The despair is strongest in the vicinity of the churchyard. Or at least, I assume so." She paused in thought. "Actually, we haven't had the chance to see how strong the sensation is anywhere else in Kasamino..."
"The church, huh." Kyouko muttered softly, navy-blue socks treading carefully down the forested path, fabric brushing against fallen leaves. 'Sakura curse...I wonder if Shiratori was right about that...? Is the despair really coming from the Sakura curse...?' Trimmed nails clenched tightly, fists trembling as she otherwise kept calm, keeping pace down the path as the moon's rays lit their way. 'But, why...? And from where...?'
"Hey!" A pained voice called from up ahead, causing the trio to stop in place. Scarlet, azure and royal blue caught sight of a brunette limping down the path; no injuries were visible, yet it seemed like the girl was in poor condition, based on her pale complexion, sullen gaze and unbalanced stance. "You...what are you guys doing coming back here?! It's too dangerous!" Gold and yellow eyes clenched shut, the girl wincing in pain as she trembled. "T-The despair, it's...it's too much...!"
Sayaka gasped in alarm, quickly taking a Grief Seed from the duffle bag and rushing to the brunette's side, holding the egg out to the girl, scarlet eyes shining with concern. "Here! Use this!" She didn't want anyone to face the same fate she had. It was cold, far too cold...
Ayumi gasped with relief, taking the egg and pressing it to her sullied Soul Gem as if it was the last thing she would be able to do. It almost was; even as the Grief Seed started to absorb the despair, the others could see just how much corruption had marred the once pure white Soul Gem - if they didn't know any better, they would have mistaken it for a naturally black gem. Homura quickly quelled the fear inside of her, though her face was still marred with concern as they watched the grief slowly, slowly go down in the Soul Gem.
Seeing no reason to waste anymore time, Kyouko took the opportunity to pick up a Grief Seed for herself from the duffle bag, stepping quickly past the other three and towards the boundary line. "Alright, let's see how bad this is." She muttered, moving step by brisk step closer, ignoring the cry of alarm Kyouko's voice gave. "Wait, Kyouko!" Sayaka reached out a hand. "N-Not so fast! We need to-"
"We need to nip this in the bud while we're still young." Kyouko snapped, turning to face her old self. "We already know this thing is progressing pretty quickly, so we don't have time to waste!" She turned back around, her short cerulean ponytail bobbing lightly with the movement as she stepped even faster, almost jogging towards her old home. She needed to know...
She NEEDED to know...
What became of her beloved church? The resting place for her family? Azure eyes narrowed, a horrifying thought in her head. What if it was NEVER a resting place? What if Shiratori was right, and there WAS no moving on from the tragedy? Her fists trembled violently, Sayaka's teeth grit tight as she stepped closer. One step, two...just three feet from her was the boundary line that separated Mami's hometown from her own.
She would see for herself just how horrid a shape she'd left her home, what was left of her family, in...
Three steps. She closed her eyes, steeling herself as she crossed the boundary line, gripping the Grief Seed tightly as she readied herself for the wave of despair...
...
It never came.
Azure eyes slowly opened again, looking up in surprise as she glanced around, confirming she was indeed in proximity of the church, where everyone else had been affected. "...Huh?" She blinked a few times, confusion and concern mixed in one. "What's...what's going on?" She looked around again, catching sight of the others who had caught up, just stopping short of the boundary line. "Guys...?"
"Kyouko!" Sayaka cried out, scarlet eyes widening in fear and alarm. "Are you okay!?" She stayed just shy of the boundary line, fear of the unknown freezing her in place. Homura, as well, watched with concern. Somehow, the azure female across the way...she didn't seem to be overwhelmed by the same pressure that she herself had previously been dealt...? "...Kyouko?" The raven female called out cautiously. It didn't make any sense; why would they be affected, but not her? "Is everything alright?"
"Everything's...fine..." Kyouko mused, reaching out Sayaka's hand to the air, trying with all her might to sense the despair the others were talking about. It was supposed to be overwhelming, too heavy to be near...yet, she was fine. Just the same as when she was Witch hunting before. "Are..." She stepped closer to them, worn navy blue socks padding softly against the familiar ground she knew by heart. "Are you guys sure it was here you sensed the despair?"
"I KNOW it was." Ayumi cut in, teeth grit in anger as she processed what was happening. Although her Soul Gem had been purified, the pain and anguish from earlier had yet to cease; she knew all too well why this despair was there, now. "It makes sense..." She growled, taking a step closer to the boundary line, yet daring to go no further. "It all makes sense now! It's YOU!" She cried out, pointing a finger accusingly at the misplaced lancer. "ALL of this is YOUR doing! The Sakura Curse, the fire, the killings and suicides..." She snarled, shaking her head. "YOU'RE the one! YOU'RE the one at fault here! Everything, ALL of it! It's all YOU!"
Kyouko flinched, taking a step away, closer to the church and away from the others. "You...what...you're still on about that...?!" Although, as she thought about it...what the brunette said DID make sense. It couldn't have been a coincidence that the location of the place her father taught his enchanted teachings, the place her family died, where the fire had spread...it all seemed to link with the haunted look in everyone's eyes everywhere in the town, as if a Witch's Kiss had been cast upon everyone.
Witch's...Kiss?
But, that only applied to a...she looked down at herself, hands outstretched as she took in her displaced form. She wasn't even herself anymore, yet she could still sense the old magic that once brought downfall to her family. Her...a Witch. Enchanting people, just as a creature of Despair would. Never mind the intent, the methods were the exact same. She grit her teeth, glancing down at the Grief Seed in her hand. With a gasp of realization, she took a look at her Soul Gem.
Although it wasn't corrupting at an alarming rate as it had after running into that red ink before, the cloudiness in her Soul Gem was reaching a steady climb, marring the shine in her soul at a faster rate than was normal. Biting her lip, she pressed the Grief Seed to her Soul Gem, at the same time forcing those forbidden thoughts back inside herself, where she'd hid them at the start of this turmoil.
"Don't be ridiculous," Homura's voice called out in near anger, royal blues narrowed dangerously at the brunette. "Neither Magical Girls nor Witches have the power to spread despair so thick that it would corrupt one's Soul Gem by simply being. Besides, if it were truly Kyouko's doing, wouldn't it make more sense for it to affect us by being in her presence?" She glared darkly, taking a step towards Ayumi, causing the girl to step towards the trees. "I'd take care not to involve any personal grudges in the affairs of a serious investigation, Shiratori Ayumi-san. Unless you can provide anything PRODUCTIVE here, you may take your leave, as you were doing before. After all..." Her eyes narrowed further, an icy glare befitting of a Snow Queen. "Didn't you say that you no longer had any business in this town?"
Ayumi clenched her teeth, snarling as she ducked away from the raven female, her head lowered, fists and body trembling. "...Fine. Fine, you figure things out here for yourselves. But if you happen to find out that it is, in fact, Sakura doing this..." She sneered. "Well...I wouldn't be surprised. And then..." She glared. "Then, you will finally face justice for your actions." With that, she turned and left, running down the forested path, her face contorted with a myriad of emotions.
'I know...I KNOW that Sakura is responsible...! She will PAY for what she's done to my happy life!'
Kyouko watched from her place beyond the boundary line, azure eyes narrowed in contemplation. "You say that you'd have to be directly in my presence to be affected, Homura, but that doesn't have to be the case."
"I know." Homura responded simply, kneeling down to grab a handful of Grief Seeds, her Magical Girl attire forming in a flash of purple light. She slid the Grief Seeds into her shield, one by one. "But I couldn't have that girl building up more doubt than there has to be." She took another handful of Grief Seeds, sliding them in. Kyouko frowned, taking a step closer. "But what if she's right? What if whatever's going on here IS my doing?" There was so much instability back then...the explosive outburst at the sight of her father hanging, the frozen demeanor just after, closing everything and everyone off...she'd forgotten how to feel, for a time.
Even now, it was hard...
When was the last time she cried?
"Kyouko." Her own voice snapped her out of her thoughts, causing her to look towards the source. Sayaka smiled, Grief Seeds in hand as she took another step closer to the boundary line. "Whether you are or aren't what's causing this, it doesn't matter." Another step. "We're still here for you." She glanced towards Homura, who was fully equipped with Grief Seeds. "I agree. You saved Miki Sayaka from her despair." The two of them nodded in agreement, both preparing to take a step. "It's only fair that we do whatever it takes to save you."
And with that, scarlet and raven took the plunge.
The moment they did, they were overcome with an icy sharpness that engulfed their whole bodies, a horrifying sensation on its own. Joining it was the heavy pressure pushing down on the two, causing nausea and dizziness to well up inside the duo. Almost immediately after, they could feel the sensation of corruption building in their Soul Gems, causing the dizziness to increase. They couldn't think, couldn't feel...they almost couldn't even focus on bringing a Grief Seed towards themselves. "Nnngh..." Sayaka grit Kyouko's teeth, fangs digging into her gums as she struggled against the pressure to pull out a Grief Seed, pressing it to her ring. Homura, likewise, dug for a Grief Seed from her shield, wincing at every bit of pressure she felt all the while.
"O-Oi..." Sayaka's eyes widened in concern, as Kyouko hurried to the two of them. "Stop, go back! It's too much for you guys!" The azure female pushed the other two back onto the forested path, before stepping back and shaking her head. "Look, it's not affecting me like it affects you guys! I'm going to look into this for myself, and I'll let you know what I find. Okay?"
"No, not okay!" Sayaka protested, getting to her feet. She could move properly again now that she was behind the boundary line. The Grief Seed was doing its job, draining her Soul Gem of its impurities, but it didn't make her feel any better. "I'm not going to leave you alone in this! You hypocrite!" To her side, Homura got to her feet as well, the egg pressed against the diamond shaped gem embedded in her left hand.
"Being a hypocrite has nothing to do with it this time, Sayaka!" Kyouko cried out, stepping closer to the church. "Point is, for whatever reason, whether Shiratori's right or not..." She grit her teeth at the thought, quickly pushing it to the side. "Point is, I'm the only one not being affected by this wave of despair over Kasamino right now! So while I can't sense it, or see just how heavy it is, I might be able to find something here!"
She'd already discovered that red ink that behaved like fire upon contact, after all...if she kept searching, she was bound to find the source...
"It does no good to search on your own, Kyouko." Homura tried to reason, even though she could see the misplaced lancer's point in regards to the wave of despair not affecting her. If there was someone in the party that wasn't affected, why risk the others? "We have Grief Seeds to keep our Soul Gems pure..."
"Doesn't matter; I saw you guys, you could barely MOVE under that pressure." Sayaka's form turned on its heel, her back to them as Kyouko steeled herself. "You'd just slow me down if you crossed that boundary line. You better go back to Mitakihara, sort things out there." She took a breath. "After all, this is MY town. It's my problem to deal with."
And with that, she took a step, making her way to the church, disappearing into the doorway and out of view of the others.
"Kyouko..." Sayaka called out softly, scarlet eyes wavering as she watched her go. She looked up at Homura, back at the church in the horizon, and finally, to the forested path leading back to their own city. "...Well...you've always had all the answers, transfer student..." Kyouko's voice muttered, eyes half-lidded. "What do you think we should do?" Homura frowned deeply, royal-blues wavering, just as lost as the knight.
"I...I don't know..."
"So you were first introduced to this Magical Girl system by a girl named Tomoe Mami?" Emerald pools watched quietly, politely, as her shorter friend continued her more elaborate telling of the story. Kaname Madoka gave a small nod, her smile sad as she recalled the soft, golden eyes of the blonde senior she had been graced with knowing. "She was amazing, Hitomi-chan...graceful, poised, yet so dynamic and cool..." She closed her eyes. "Sometimes very flashy, but not too much...she was everything I imagined being a hero could be like..."
"But..." Hitomi bit her lip, fingers lacing and unlacing as she adjusted in her seat. The desks they sat at, in an empty classroom, made her feel small and helpless in the world. It wasn't far from the truth, given how much more she had learned had been hidden from society. From herself... "Madoka-san...you said...you said that you didn't find out the truth about the Magical Girl system until after Sayaka-san contracted..." Emeralds wavered with sadness. "What became of this senior? Is she aware of all that has transpired?"
"...She..." Madoka bit her lip, fighting back tears, the painful memory, the first eye-opener of the Magical system coming to the forefront. "...She died...protecting us." She turned her head to the side, pink puppy tails bobbing, then almost drooping as if they were real ears conveying her emotions. "Sometimes, I can't help but think that I...I brought her hopes up, and made her sloppy. A-All because I said I'd become a Magical Girl, and she wouldn't have to be alone..." She choked on a sob, fighting to keep her emotions at bay. She couldn't break down in front of Hitomi - not now. It wouldn't be fair...
"Hitomi-chan...I led her to her death with false promises..." She muttered softly, rose eyes narrowed in self-doubt. "Am I...a horrible person? Even now, I haven't-"
Delicate fair-skinned hands took hold of the rosy female's. "Madoka-san, nothing should compel you to contract if you are not prepared." Hitomi stared, almost glared, into her eyes, her expression filled with firm determination. "Especially if she were around to discover the truth behind what being a Magical Girl means, I know that she would NEVER want to force you into this situation. So please..." She offered a gentle smile of reassurance. "...Don't hurt yourself over this. It isn't fair to you."
Rose eyes widened, taking in what her older friend had to say. "H-Hitomi-chan..." Madoka's eyes watered, a wavering smile on her face as she nodded. "...You're right...you're right, I..." She bit back another sob. "I-I've been holding onto this for so long, it...it feels g-good to finally let it go..." She sobbed again, before finally breaking down, pulling Hitomi into a hug as she cried out, mourning the death of her dear senior. "I-I miss her...soo muuuch...!"
Hitomi gently patted the younger girl's back, taking in her sorrow and guilt, emerald eyes unreadable. 'This senior...she seemed to mean so much to both Madoka-san and Sayaka-san...' She glanced sidelong, a look of uncertainty on her fair face. 'Perhaps...I may not be able to do much for them myself, but...if...'
'If I were to bring back the senior that held them all together...?'
From afar, Kyuubey watched, his neverending smile seeming to widen. It appeared as if a genuine desire was starting to form in the young debutante's heart. All it needed now was for her to come to him directly. 'Would you be willing to do anything for that desire, Shizuki Hitomi?' Red, beady eyes narrowed in amusement, like a cat watching a mouse slowly crawl out of its home; waiting for the right moment to go in for the kill.
It was coming close...soon, his plan would come to fruition.
"They'll see..." Gold and emerald narrowed as she took a seat on a bench, looking down at her now clean Soul Gem. That had been close...TOO close. If she had hesitated in that churchyard, even a moment, she would have been forced to succumb to despair, just as her parents had. She grit her teeth, manifesting the egg form into a ring. 'No, not just like my parents...' Like it or not, she committed a grave sin, selling her soul to this Kyuubey creature and practicing necromancy. 'If I had been forced to succumb to despair, I wouldn't have been granted the mercy of death. Instead, I would have found myself imprisoned, suspended in the darkness of my own mind until a Magical Girl were to take me out and devour my essence...'
She assumed that was how it went, in any case. Even from what she had learned from the others, and from the bit that Kyuubey divulged...she still didn't have a clear picture on what it was like to BE a Witch. Supposedly Miki Sayaka had been one, for a time, but she had no clear evidence of that.
"Honestly, there's no clear evidence of any of this..." She muttered, pushing herself off the bench and onto her feet, two-tones eyes narrowed in deep thought. "If one were to say that this was all in our head, that we were hallucinating the monsters and magic, all this death..." She sighed, catching sight of the damage from the super storm. "...I would almost believe them...were it not for the undeniable proof right in front of me."
"And in any case," She continued to herself, walking down the street leaving Mitakihara Park, "The existence of this magic is the only clear explanation to what happened to the citizens of Kasamino...I can't deny any of this happened." No, Ayumi couldn't deny it.
Just as she couldn't deny that with her own wish, she was truly no better.
She stopped short, a chill running down her spine. Was it...wrong of her? Should she not have interfered? It looked like, for what it was worth, these girls had acheived a sort of peace. Sakura Kyouko had not truly been alive, so there was nothing to worry about. It would have been a closed case, as all the family members would have finally died.
...And yet...she just HAD to know the truth.
In retrospect, she realized with horror, the time she had first met Miki Sayaka, there was no eerie feeling in the air. The people, while they were clearly depressed, didn't have that same haunted look. She gasped in shock and realization. "Does that mean that, the whole time Sakura herself was gone from this world, the Sakura curse had been lifted...?!"
If that truly were the case, then...
"This...this is MY fault...?!"
Impossible! She shook her head frantically. This entire thing was Sakura's fault. It was always her fault! Her fault that the preacher changed his words. HER fault that the people were enchanted. HER FAULT that everything had to go up in flames, leaving nothing but ash and death behind! She gasped for breath, the whiplash of emotions causing her to feel nauseous. "It's...it's all her fault..." She muttered softly, as if she were trying to convince herself.
But...wasn't AYUMI the one who relit the match?
The sound of footsteps snapped the brunette out of her thoughts, and she turned with a start to see who was coming. One pair of footsteps was joined with another, as she saw a vision of scarlet and raven appearing from the darkness, their eyes shaded out from the shadows of the trees. Gold and emerald narrowed; she quickly assumed her cool demeanor as she acknowledged them. "Ah, yes. So the trio returns, do they?" Her eyes flitted toward the path they emerged from, mentally noting with confusion that a third pair of footsteps were nowhere to be heard.
She glanced back at the duo, following after them as they walked, almost dejectedly, down the path leading to the main streets. "And how did your investigation go?" She questioned, attempting to receive an explanation from them. "Did you find out who, or what, was responsible?" When she was greeted with only silence, she bit her lip in frustration. Hoping to get a rise out of them, her frustration turned to taunting.
"Could it be you discovered that it WAS Sakura who caused it?"
This caused Sayaka to stop short, worn boots clacking to a stop. She turned on her heel, scarlet eyes narrowed in a fashion that was eerily similar to the cold glares Kyouko herself made. "You..." She growled, fists clenching, unmaintenanced claws digging into her palms with little effort. "You have no IDEA what Kyouko is like!" She barked, taking a step closer to the taller female, scarlets burning with righteous anger. "If you need to know, Kyouko's still investigating! She's not affected, which YOU know, so SHE's taking on the burden of finding out what's causing this despair!" She stepped even closer to the brunette, Kyouko's face inches from hers. "Why do you seem so set on blaming Kyouko for everything, anyway!?"
"Miki Sayaka, that's enough." Homura responded coolly, her usual emotionless mask in place as she gently pulled the redhead back. She glanced icily at the brunette, taking in her disheveled, unraveled appearance before looking away again. "We need to focus on ensuring everything here is alright. After all, Walpurgisnacht may have been defeated..." She frowned. "But the threat of Kyuubey is still there. You never know what that creature may be up to if we're not vigilant." Scarlet eyes glared at Ayumi a moment longer before finally relenting, turning away as Sayaka followed after the raven female. "Dang it...I hate to admit it, but you're right." She bit her lip, keeping a steady stride, velvety locks brushing against Kyouko's lithe form.
"So that's it, then?" The brunette snapped, causing the other two to stop short. "You're just going to leave her alone to investigate, just like that?" She bit back a growl. "Don't you find it the least bit suspicious that she insists on being alone, and is not affected? What if this is a ploy she set up to create more Witches and get rid of the competition?" Her eyes narrowed. "After all, the mind is a terrible thing...with a simple bit of suggestion, you can affect someone's emotions. For us Magical Girls, it could very well be the death of us." She stepped forward, throwing her hand out. "Don't you think she could be setting up a trap for other Magical Girls?!"
Homura's glare intensified, and she turned sharply back to face the brunette, snarling. "Do you truly insist on stretching the truth so far, just to incriminate Kyouko?" She stepped forward, thrusting her hand out and grabbing a fistful of Ayumi's blouse, pulling her roughly to her face. "I warn you, Shiratori Ayumi..."
"If you accuse Kyouko needlessly like this one more time..." Homura's eyes alone seemed to emit a cold darkness, causing Ayumi to shudder in her grasp. "I'll prove to you just how much I care about Magical Girls that hinder me." Her snarl morphed into a cold sneer as she let her go, stepping back. "I'm not above killing, you know. None of us are." A coarse hand grabbed hold of Homura's shoulder, coaxing her back and causing her to glance over. Scarlet eyes reflected back in concern, her grip tightening just slightly. 'Homura...you're better than this. Don't sully yourself by wasting your time on her. Okay?'
Gold and emerald trembled as the brunette stepped quickly away from them, readjusting her blouse. "You...you're ALL crazy! Every single one of you! No wonder she gets along so well with you lot!" Ignoring the Kasamino outsider, Homura gave a small nod to Sayaka, mentally noting that she called her by her first name for once, if only telepathically. "...Let's go. We should see how Madoka is doing." The misplaced redhead nodded, leading them gently out of the park, not even glancing back once at the brunette before disappearing out of view.
"Ah..." Ayumi bit her lip, tears stinging the edge of her eyes. "Ah...hahaha..."
"Just what messed up clique have I involved myself in...?!"
The stained glass was everywhere inside the derelict building, Sakura Kyouko quietly noted, taking step after careful step around the sharp obstacles. While she took Sayaka's form, she by no means had her regenerative abilities, so she had to tread carefully if she wanted to avoid getting the azure female's feet cut up. "The despair in this area's bad enough that it can affect even Witches negatively..." Kyouko murmured quietly to herself, glancing around at the place. "But...everything looks the same as before. So, what's causing all the despair...?"
The red ink with the characteristics of fire upon contact...she'd been burned, and it had affected her Soul Gem when it touched her. At least, from what she could gather, that's what caused the corruption. She sure as hell didn't spend enough energy fighting the Witch to merit any corruption. She grit Sayaka's teeth. It felt sick and wrong, watching as the Witch, a fallen Magical Girl, suffered in such a gruesome manner, while she practically got a free Grief Seed out of the deal.
If she were her old self, would she have even batted an eye?
She shook her head rapidly, stopping the thought in its tracks before it could fester any further. She didn't have time to dwell on her guilt! There were two mysteries at hand that they needed to tackle, one more expedient than the other due to its effects. Pushing back all thoughts of the past, she focused on looking around the vicinity of the old church. As she ran a hand along an overturned pew, she was finding that pushing the past away was becoming harder and harder to do.
"Kch...that's why I don't like to come here too often..." She growled softly, azure eyes trembling. It seemed to her that all this investigation was doing was digging up old wounds, driving them back up to the surface where it hurt even worse. She placed a hand thoughtfully to her left breast. It wasn't her own body anymore...
So why could she still feel the phantom pain from the scar her Father gave her?
"You WITCH!"
She flinched. The dusty memories of her Father's ire began to unbury itself.
Sakura Kyouko stepped back in fear and shame, scarlet eyes trembling at the sight of her drunken parent. "F-Father..." She pleaded. "I never meant for any of this to happen. Please, believe me!"
Her hand brushed against the back of the altar, causing her to flinch in surprise. She had nowhere to run, and her Father was coming closer with the kitchen knife. Desperate to put a stop to the crazed look in the drunk's eyes, she pleaded one more time. "P-Please understand, Father...I just...I wanted us all to be happy again...!"
"This?" The man sneered, holding the blade up threateningly. "THIS?! What part of all THIS makes you think we would all be happy?!"
With that, he drove the blade into the redhead, hot and cold at the same time as blood-red liquid met with steel, pouring down her left breast and staining her cardigan.
She was too shocked and scared to scream.
With a start, the misplaced lancer pulled her hand away. She clenched her eyes shut, willing desperately for the memories to sink down below where they once belonged; in the back of her mind where they would cease to haunt her, except in her worst nightmares.
Just outside the church, a familiar red ink began to pool down the sides of the building, sliding down and into the grass, where flames began to build and lick voraciously at the greenery. Smoke rose up to the surface, its powerful scent flowing into the church and filling foreign nostrils.
Azure eyes snapped open in alarm, and she looked up to see a familiar dark haziness. Smoke? Here!? "Wha-" Sayaka's eyes widened, Kyouko quickly rushing outside of the building to see what the source of the dark cloudy substance was. A navy-blue sock stepped into red ink, causing her to jump back in pain, gritting her teeth. Although the sock thankfully hadn't caught flame, it had dissolved upon contact, and a fresh burn mark had marred the now exposed foot that had once been covered by the fabric. Azure eyes widened to pinpricks as she stared in shock and horror at the familiar sensation, before snapping her head up and looking around. The flames had spread across the yard now, catching onto the old wooden fence and climbing greedily up to the trees leading into the forest path.
"F-Fire...?!" She cried out, a trembling hand reaching to her Soul Gem, hoping to find a hint of the water element that Sayaka possessed. No such luck. All she could sense was her own magic, as familiar and forboding as it always was since that incident.
And FIRE wasn't going to put out fire! She bit her lip, glancing wildly around to see if she could find something, ANYTHING to put out the flames. Turning on her heel, she rushed back into the building, barely even wincing when her feet scraped against the broken glass.
Water...they always used water or wine for the communion, didn't they? She rushed through the church, digging through the rubble, the litter, everything in an attempt to locate the old bottles they had stashed. "That stupid ass better not have drank all of the wine, too...!" She grunted in exertion as she tossed another piece of the rubble to the side, revealing the old well people used to wash themselves at during the communion. Sayaka's face reflected faintly, causing her to gasp in surprise. Reaching a hand down, she placed Sayaka's hand in the dusty liquid, pulling it out again to find droplets of water falling into the well, ripples forming. Glancing between the well and the fire spreading outside, she grit her teeth and rolled up the uniform sleeves, the burn mark from her last encounter with the red substance still visible on Sayaka's arm. With a grunt, she pulled roughly on the bottom of the well, using her enhanced strength to lift the object out of its place in the flooring. She needed to bring it closer to the entrance...
She wasn't entirely sure how she was going to USE the water once she got it there, though.
Just outside of the classroom where Madoka was now resting, Shizuki Hitomi let out a soft sigh. She shut the door quietly behind her, stepping away from the classroom and into the corridor leading to a long hallway from either side. It felt symbolic to how she felt; two long paths that she couldn't see the end to, one a life of normalcy and the other a life of risk and danger - and her, caught in the middle, unsure which path to stay on. Emeralds glanced back toward the glass window where she could see the rosy female resting after her crying fit. 'She had so much bottled up inside...' She thought to herself, eyes trembling before she turned back to the center again.
A white furry creature sat in place, waiting, its tail swishing lackadaisically.
"So then, Shizuki Hitomi..." It started, encouraging her to continue forward. It could not allow any doubts to form in her mind, now. "For what wish will your Soul Gem shine?"
The young debutante took a breath, swallowing a lump in her throat before stepping forward. She caught sight of the classroom in her peripheral, before glancing nervously back at the creature. Even without knowing the truth of what this monster offered, his appearance seemed a bit creepy to her. Were girls supposed to find him adorable?
"I..."
Did she really want to do this? To sell her soul? Once she did this, there was no going back. She thought back to the depressed look in Madoka's eyes, the difference in behavior from Sayaka...the fact that she herself had been saved from a Witch by Sayaka. Her eyes narrowed, firm determination on her soft features.
She owed them at least this much.
"I wish that Madoka-san's and Sayaka-san's senpai, Tomoe Mami-san, will return to life." She declared, emerald eyes resolute. There was no going back now.
Kyuubey lowered his head, his smile seeming to widen. He had the debutante right where he wanted her. Now, all that was left was to wait for Kaname Madoka to make her move. As a bright green light filled the corridor with its brilliance, the creature watched on, the gears turning in its head.
"Your wish has helped to stall Entropy." It watched as the young debutante reached out her hands to the emerald orb floating gently above her. "Now, receive your power, Shizuki Hitomi!"
As if obeying its words, Hitomi grabbed hold of the light that was her soul, her eyes regaining their light as she stood up straight, holding out the object. She watched in grim amazement as her soul was encased in a gold shell, an egg form caging her essence. "So this is how it is..." She muttered softly to herself, touching the top of the egg thoughfully, taking in the heart shape that seemed to be engraved both on the top and on the front of the casing. "This is what you forced my friends through..."
"Nobody was forced," The creature cut in. "The choice to make a wish is theirs alone. Just as you have chosen to become a Magical Girl yourself, they are the ones who enter into this contract." Emerald eyes shifted towards the creature, narrowing dangerously. "And yet, you withheld the truth of their situation until they stumbled upon it themselves." Her eyes narrowed further. "Now then..."
"Where is Tomoe Mami-san?"
Golden eyes shot open in alarm as a young female rose up into a sitting position. She glanced left and right, taking in her surroundings; she appeared to be just outside the hospital.
"Eh...?" A bell-like voice sounded, confusion in her tone as she looked around. "I...what happened...?" She shakily pushed herself to her feet, boots clacking against the concrete surface as she straightened herself out, half-gloves pressing timidly against a pleated skirt. Twin ringlets bounced delicately with her movement as she stood upright, a familiar topaz flower resting, unbroken, on Tomoe Mami's head. "I don't understand..." The blonde breathed softly, a hand to her lips as she contemplated the situation. "Last I remember, I was..."
Sharp teeth soared toward her, with no time to pause. All the golden Magical Girl could do was stare helplessly in shock as the Witch's jaws neared closer, closer...
CHOMP!
She shrieked at the memory, her hands flying to her neck, feeling frantically. There were no bite marks, no scars... "Did...did Kaname-san...o-or Miki-san..." She gasped in realization, looking herself over again. She still donned her Magical Girl attire, even when in the open. She recalled the form, reappearing in her school uniform, the flower gem forming into a ring on her left finger. With a sigh, she looked up, only to stop short.
The concrete, once smooth and unblemished, now had major cracks in them, some pieces even completely ripped out of the ground. Golden eyes widened at the sight, traveling along other buildings and roads, their situation just as dire.
"But...what...what happened here...?!"
Scarlet and raven stopped short, just inside the entrance of the devastated schoolgrounds. Homura's eyes widened, and she turned her head skyward, a sense of dread overtaking her. "That...just now..."
"W-Wasn't that a...a contract?!" Sayaka cried out, scarlet pools trembling at the realization. Somebody in the school just... "D-Don't tell me...Madoka!?"
After thinking critically about it for a moment, Homura shook her head. "N-No. It couldn't be. While the aura felt fairly powerful, it by no means matched the overwhelming potential Madoka has." While that in itself was a relief, she couldn't find herself relaxing. If not Madoka, then did Kyuubey target one of their classmates? A close friend of hers?
"T-Then if not Madoka," Kyouko's voice stuttered as the misplaced knight worried. "Then who..." She gasped with a start. "Wait! W-What if...Hitomi...?!" Homura's head snapped toward the redhead. "Shizuki Hitomi?! But he's never approached her in any other timeline!" The redhead shook her head. "Not normally, but this is after Walpurgisnacht! A lot of people would have more karmic burden, wouldn't they!?" Homura's expression hardened, a grim slash across her face as she nodded in understanding. "The only way we'll know for sure is by going inside. Let's get moving." The two nodded in agreement to one another, before continuing quickly into the building.
"Madoka-san..."
Rose eyes fluttered tiredly open. She glanced up to see Hitomi standing over her, a hand on the smaller girl's shoulder as she smiled softly. "Ah, good morning, Hitomi-chan..." Madoka murmured sleepily, rubbing her eyes as she took the time to wake up more. A glint of silver and green caught her attention, causing the pink-haired girl to stop short with a start. A look of horror fell over her face as she took in the sight, the familiar Witch runes engraved on a silver ring...on Hitomi's finger. "H-Hitomi-chan, that-!"
"I know." The young debutante closed her eyes. "I thought long and hard about it. No matter the wish, I would be doomed to a life of fighting. And then, a life of cursing..." Her eyes slowly opened. "But I still wanted to do something to help you and Sayaka-san..." Rose eyes narrowed, her doe eyes trembling. "W...What did you do?"
"I..." Hitomi bit her lip, glancing to the side. "I wished to bring back Tomoe Mami-san. Kyuubey says that she would be located in the place that she was when she died, so..." She held out a hand to the smaller girl. "Would you like to go look for her?"
Madoka's eyes widened. "Eh?! M-Mami-san...?!" Her jaw dropped; all the rosy female could do was reach out her hand, taking the offered hand and standing up out of her seat. "Mami-san...she's alive...?" With a nod, the young debutante pulled her gently away from the desk, leading her out of the classroom. "Yes. Kyuubey may be a lot of horrible things, but his ability to grant wishes cannot be denied. Since that was my wish, I know that she is here."
"M-Mmm..." Madoka nodded, following along after her.
To see her senior alive and well again...her heart delighted at the thought, but...but how would Mami feel to hear about the truth behind the Puella Magi system?
To know that Magical Girls have the capability to turn into Witches...
"Ah, Madoka! Hitomi!" Kyouko's voice chirped, snapping the rosy female out of her thoughts. She and Hitomi looked up in surprise, catching sight of the familiar scarlet and raven duo. Well, to Madoka they were familiar. Hitomi had only seen one, and never as more than a classmate. "May we...help you?" The young debutante asked warily, leaning back from them a bit. This stranger in the hoodie...she seemed to know Hitomi somehow, but Hitomi didn't recognize her at all.
"Shizuki Hitomi, I'll be direct." Homura cut in, stepping forward. "You formed a contract with Kyuubey, didn't you?" Royal-blue eyes narrowed. "I can sense the aura of a Magical Girl from you." Hitomi's eyes widened in realization. "So, you two are also..." She nodded in understanding. "I see. Yes, I too have become a Magical Girl. Before you say anything, yes I did know the risks involved in becoming a Magical Girl."
"Then..." Scarlet eyes trembled. "Then, why did you do it?" At this, the young debutante turned to face the stranger, frowning. "I'm sorry, do I know you? You seem to be acting as if we've met before." Madoka flinched, glancing embarrassedly to the side. All the details she told Hitomi, and she didn't think to tell her that Sayaka and Kyouko had...
"A-Ahh..." Sayaka laughed nervously, scratching Kyouko's cheek. "R-Right, right...you wouldn't recognize me like this, of course..." Homura sighed, shaking her head. "This is what you get for leaping to action without any pause for thought, Miki Sayaka."
"Eh?!" Hitomi blinked in surprise, looking more carefully at the redhead. "...Sayaka-san?!" But, the face, the eyes...nothing about her even remotely resembled the fun-loving azure female she grew to care about. "But, how?!"
"Mm. The HOW is a bit tricky, since we're still working that out ourselves..." Sayaka mumbled, continuing to scratch her cheek in a nervous manner. "But yeah...it's me. Miki Sayaka, here to stay as far as I can tell. Even if I'm not really ME right now..." The young debutante raised a delicate brow in confusion, before gasping in realization. "Wait. T-Then, when I saw you outside before..."
"That was the original owner of this body, Sakura Kyouko." Homura finished, folding her arms. "Now that we have that out of the way, I trust you'll take this opportunity to tell us WHY you entered into the system, even knowing the risks." Her eyes narrowed. "Did it have something to do with Kamijou Kyousuke?"
"No!" Hitomi cried out, holding out her hands in protest. "N-No, not at all! In fact, I made the wish for the sake of Madoka-san and Sayaka-san!"
"Mami-san." Madoka murmured. The raven and scarlet duo looked over at her in surprise. "Eh?" Sayaka blinked a few times in disbelief. "What did you say, Madoka?" The pink-haired girl looked up at them. "I...told her about Mami-san, when I told her what to expect when becoming a Magical Girl. Hitomi-chan, she..." She swallowed a lump in her throat. "She brought her back. Kyuubey says she should still be at the hospital now, so...so we're going to-"
"Tomoe Mami is ALIVE?" Homura's eyes widened in shock, fear and alarm. No. No, this wasn't good, not at all. If she were to discover the truth about Magical Girls and Witches...! She shook her head frantically. "Listen. Tomoe Mami must NOT know that Magical Girls turn into Witches. Whatever you do, do NOT tell her!" Sayaka frowned in confusion. "What? Why?!" The raven female snapped her head toward the knight. "WHATEVER you do!" Sayaka was ready to protest again, until she caught sight of the raven female's face.
Those eyes...was she scared...?
"...Okay." The redhead replied, after a moment's hesitation. "I won't tell her." Madoka and Hitomi looked at each other, then back at them. What was it that had Homura so scared, and why was telling Mami the truth about Magical Girls such a terrifying prospect for her?
The flames seemed to go on and on as Sakura Kyouko struggled with the old hose located at the back of the church. She was surprised it was still around, even after everything that had happened! Biting her lip, she focused her magic into the hose, reforming it until it became larger, so it would do more damage against the fire spreading everywhere. With a grunt, she pushed the end of the hose into the water, focusing more energy into the hose so it sucked the water from the well, spitting it out in large quantities at the fire, bringing the flames down to a flicker.
Breathing a sigh of relief, her elation was cut short from the sharp pain in her ankle as a red liquid slid down from the entrance, nearly hitting her entirely. With a gasp, the azure female backed away from the red substance, eyes wide at the sight of it.
It appeared to be...oozing from the top of the building itself?!
"Dang it..." She grit her teeth, focusing on aiming the hose to quell the existing flames, only to cringe as she witnessed the red pouring down into the grass again, catching fire with the greenery that was still remaining. "DANG IT!" She cried out, forcing more pressure into the hose until it started to rupture. Nevertheless, she kept going, azure eyes focused on the fiery targets.
First it attacked the Witch...now it was affecting the real world, as well?! Just was WAS this thing?!
And why...
Why was it coming from the church...?
A/N: Well, first off, you can tell not to trust when I say that I'll upload something within the week. Sometimes inspiration comes when it comes, and you can't gauge when it arrives, ahaha...
So now Mami's back in the game. How is she going to handle everything going on? Will she lose it if she discovers the truth, as Homura says? And how will she react to the swapped positions of Sayaka and Kyouko? That's going to be fun at first. And what IS that red substance coming from? Does it have something to do with Kyouko's past? Believe it or not, all will be revealed in future chapters!
Thank you all for your support, and remember comments and criticism are always welcome. See you next time!