Homura stared down the snowy-haired child with incredulous eyes, glancing at her scarlet partner every now and again to ensure that they were seeing and hearing the same things. "You…what are you saying, exactly?" She narrowed her eyes in suspicion. Nagisa shuffled in her seat, glancing down at her lap as she collected her true feelings on the matter. She certainly wasn't emotionally invested like the others, to be sure, but she knew when a situation was strenuous for them all. "…The point of creating the Law of Cycles was to ensure that magical girls didn't suffer." She murmured, figuring things out in her head. "We're supposed to be happy with what we do on the matter; proud to help others to ascend to a realm where they no longer have to despair. But, in trying to force you guys to surrender reign over this world, Melon-chan is hurting. She's slowly starting to lose her old self, that light that she once had when she took on the task of being the Goddess." She looked up at the scarlet and raven pair, eyes full of determination. "Nagisa doesn't want to see the others hurting like this anymore. That's why Nagisa wants to propose a compromise with Pumpkin-chan, to avoid any further conflict on this matter."
Raven brows furrowed, one brow raised. "And what exactly is it that you are proposing to me?" She questioned, folding her arms across her chest as she stared the girl down. Her intimidating act did little to sway the little girl; clearly she was not as weak as her physical form made her out to be. Well, she was the sweets witch, after all. The witch that would usually bring about a veteran's demise, and was always difficult to defeat. "What restrictions are you intending to bring upon? And do you really have the authority to make such suggestions?" Yellow-red shook with uncertainty. It was true that she was only a mere messenger; but she had had enough of watching the others crumble from their own emotions during the whole debacle. "…All Nagisa can do is make a proposition…if it's alright with you two…then Nagisa would like Pumpkin-chan to propose the idea to Melon-chan. Nagisa's sure that you're getting tired of constantly having to fight the others too, right? It would be better if we could all live happily, without any conflict."
"In theory, what you're talking about sounds pretty nice," Kyouko added as she shuffled her weight on one side of her body, placing a hand on her hip as she contemplated matters. "But the big thing, whatever it is, is whether or not Madoka and the others would be okay with the suggestion. To help protect you from being found out we wouldn't tell them who made the suggestion, but just the idea that it came from us would most likely spell suspicion in the others. Especially Sayaka or Mami; they've been known to doubt an idea based on its source." She closed her eyes in contemplation. "But, what do you think, Homura? Should we hear her out on this?" The raven-haired girl thought for a moment, placing a hand under her chin. "Hmm…I don't know how much good it will do, since Kyouko's right about the others suspecting it simply because we'd be the ones who suggest it. And I do have to warn you that if you agree to the idea without any hesitation, the others may single you out as a traitor, just as they had been quick to do for Kyouko since she was by my side." The redhead glanced to the side at the notion, expression downcast. She was happy to help Homura to ensure her happiness, but at the same time…it hurt. The idea that everyone hated her now for betraying them hurt. It wasn't a foreign concept, being hated for her actions, but it didn't change the fact that it tore the girl inside.
"Nagisa understand the risks," The snowy-haired girl insisted, eyes narrowed with determination. "But Nagisa is also tired of seeing everyone hurt each other. We're magical girls, beings of hope! We shouldn't be tearing each other down like we've been!" At her declaration, the little girl helped herself to her feet, staring up at the Devil and her accomplice with wide, pleading eyes. "Please…hear Nagisa out! If it comes to you having to tell that it was Nagisa who made the suggestion to you, Nagisa will be willing to deal with the consequences." After all, she was well aware of the risks if a magical girl were to be killed before they ascended to the Law of Cycles, and as much as she loved her surrogate mother…she knew that, if pushed enough, the blonde would make the decision to shoot and kill. Based on their observations of this world she learned that Cheese had heard about the soul gem's true purpose from Kyuubey. He had warned her that if separated from her body more than 100 meters, she would be rendered immobile and vulnerable. At that time, he had also explained to her that if a soul gem was shattered, the same effect would apply, but if the body was still intact the gem could repair itself over time. She knew that Cheese was aware: To properly kill a magical girl, one had to destroy not just the soul gem, but the body as well. However, this would mean that the magical girl who was killed in such a manner would never return. Most likely, Raspberry-chan had never delved into the matter and discovered such a loophole, but it made sense to Nagisa, since the Goddess' wish only had to do with witches.
"So?" The cool voice of the Devil snapped the little girl out of her thoughts. "Since you seem so determined for us to hear your suggestion, what is it?" Yellow-red eyes widened in realization. They were willing to listen to her! It was true, then. They weren't nearly as bad as the others painted them. Oddly enough, it was reminiscent of how they had been treated in past timelines. She supposed that it was either the two were too easy to be seen as enemies, or Cheese and Raspberry-chan were just too suspicious of those who weren't like them. "Oh! U-Um…well…" She glanced to the side, her timidity showing through. "N-Nagisa was thinking…we could live out both this happy dream, and help the other magical girls. A-After all, Majuu are still around, and especially with Apple-chan's amazing power, the other magical girls are still around. I-If Pumpkin-chan would just give Melon-chan back her other half, the two of you could live life out happily in the illusionary world while we continue the work of the Law of Cycles! A-after all, it's been proven that we can come down here at any time if need be. So…um…how about it?"
Homura frowned in contemplation. "Give Madoka back her Goddess half, you say?" But it was that Goddess half of Madoka that empowered Homura to such a degree. To release that would mean giving up a good portion of her own power, and most of the stress of keeping up the illusionary world would fall on Kyouko. She wasn't sure what the risks would entail on that matter. Was it worth it, to try? Scarlet eyes crinkled with amusement. "That does sound like a pretty cool compromise, kid!" She grinned light-heartedly, tilting her head just slightly. "You're not too shabby!" The snowy-haired girl pouted, puffing her cheeks childishly. "Nagisa isn't a kid, though! Nagisa has been around for a while!" She quickly straightened up when she saw the redhead's expression harden. "Again, though…" Kyouko stated. "It sounds good in THEORY. When we start weighing in the pros and cons it gets a little complicated. And then, of course, there's the matter of getting the others to agree. The idea's great, but it's not as simple as we want it to be."
The little girl glanced down at the ground, a disappointed frown on her face. "…Then, we can't try it?" Kyouko sighed, glancing over at her partner. "What do you think, Homura? Wanna give it a shot? We already know that the others might not be happy with the idea, simply because it came from "Devils", but it might be worth it to try." The raven-haired girl pursed her lips as she mulled the idea over in her head. It was certainly a good proposition…but was it worth the risks? What if it accelerated the process of a war? If they made a wrong move, she couldn't simply go back and do it all over again. She would have to live with the decisions she made, here and now. "…We can try. We can definitely at least propose the idea to them; if they're willing to accept it, we can all sit down and work out the kinks from there, but we first would have to get them to agree on the matter." She stared into yellow-red pools, her expression sharp. "I understand you want to be responsible for your own decisions, but do bear in mind that you're doing this on your own, without letting the rest of your team know what you're up to. If they find out that you slipped out to talk to us without their knowledge or consent, you'll be marked as a traitor, and anything you say on the matter, no matter how good its intentions are, will be rendered meaningless. Therefore, in order to prevent such a happenstance…Kyouko and I will take on this suggestion as our own, in order to protect your privacy." Nagisa stared up with wide eyes at the girl everyone assumed to be the Devil. It was no wonder Apple-chan was willing to stay by her side. "Pumpkin-chan…" She breathed out in amazement.
"And stop calling us food names," The raven-haired girl added as an afterthought. "It's strange, and it only fits with that cake song we did ONCE." She glanced over at the redhead. "While her hair may be red like an apple, she's not like an apple otherwise." Kyouko attempted to resist the urge to laugh, but failed miserably, snickering under her breath. "Nah, she's pretty spot-on with her nicknames." She quickly straightened herself out, clearing her throat. "For you, pumpkin is suitable because it is nutty, with a bit of a bite to it, and it rolls in a circle. Plus it's lumpy, reflective of how you view yourself. For me, apple is suitable because it's crisp with a sweet but tangy flavor, reflective of my personality." A small blush formed on her cheeks as she described herself; it felt weird. Homura blinked in surprise as she took in the information. "…Wow. I never realized it was so deep." Nagisa grinned in happiness; someone got it!
"Really, though, thank you so much for helping Nagisa with this!" The child beamed; her eyes softened with genuine gratitude. "Nagisa thinks, especially with how great you guys have been right now, that it is possible for us to solve this with as little conflict as possible." Kyouko nodded in agreement. "That'd be great if that were true." Her expression hardened at the remembrance that in order for this to work, all parties had to be on board with the idea. "Don't forget, though; we gotta take into account that at least two of the other party are pretty dang stubborn. We gotta keep that in mind when we make the proposition." With that said, she turned to her raven-haired master. "So when do you wanna bring up the idea to them, Homura? It's your call after all, you being the master of this world and all that." Homura nodded in understanding, her expression serious. "It's not going to be easy…we have to find a way to get in their good graces before we bring up the possibility.
"I honestly think it's an option that would easily work for all of us," Kyouko mused quietly. "But, after all, not all good ideas are recognized by others. I should know." Her eyes narrowed at the thought, her mind involuntarily thrust back into the moment where her family had nothing, and they literally had to scrape to get by. They narrowly missed death by starvation; but what if that would have been the better outcome? It certainly would have been less scarring than the man of the house butchering the rest of the family. She quickly shook those thoughts away, forcing the memories to the dark abyss of her mind. The motion didn't go unnoticed by the other two, however. Homura placed a hand on the redhead's shoulder, catching her attention. "Are you alright?" She asked softly. Kyouko responded with a brief nod of silence before looking back at the snowy-haired girl. "You know the others' schedules best, Nagisa. When do you think would be the best time to make the suggestion?"
Nagisa frowned in thought, mulling it over in her head. "Mmmnn…well, the weekend probably isn't good, since they have their own stuff going on during that time. Plus, it's too soon from when we had the last talk; to have it suggested so soon after declaring to continue your guys' reign would seem suspicious; at least to Nagisa, it would. Maybe give it a week or two before popping the idea to them. In that time, don't give them any further reason to wanna take you down, and hopefully it'll help calm them down a little to be more open-minded." Homura could just start busting out laughing at that last statement. Since when were Miki Sayaka and Tomoe Mami open-minded? Even Madoka, who did what she could to understand others' problems, wasn't the most open-minded individual. She knew that now. She knew better than to place the girl on a pedestal. She was sweet and kind, but in the end she was technically human. "Okay, then. So we'll wait a realistic amount of time to "come up" with the proposition, give them their space, and from there we can see if they will be more accepting towards our offer."
Nagisa nodded in acknowledgement. "In the meantime, Nagisa can see what Nagisa can do about getting the others to stop hovering over you guys for a time, in order to give us more of a chance to understand your side of things. We were going to discuss it later, but…" Scarlet locks slid down the redhead's shoulder as she bobbed her head in understanding. "I gotcha. You wanted to make sure that it was cool on all fronts. Create a cease-fire, so to speak." The child smiled, glad that these two were able to understand what she was trying to accomplish. The whole reason she had accepted to be the Goddess' messenger was because she wanted to do everything in her power to help preserve others' happiness, since she never had the chance to experience her mother's happiness.
The flat line caught the snowy-haired girl's attention the moment she ran into the room with the cheesecake in hand. Her mother had been suffering really badly, and Momoe Nagisa remembered in the past that whenever her mother wasn't happy, they would sit down and have cheesecake that they baked together. She wanted the chance to give that happiness to her mother once more, but she didn't have any ingredients and the money to buy more was being put into helping her mother feel better. So of course, when the fluffy guardian angel came by her and offered any wish she desired, her desire naturally was to see her mother happy again, and that was always accomplished by eating the cheesecake together.
Yet…
Yellow-red pools shook softly at the memory before Momoe Nagisa clenched her eyes shut, pushing the thoughts back. It wasn't as if anything dire would happen for keeping it in mind, since she was a witch already, but they needed to focus on more current matters. "Nagisa's really happy; Nagisa always thought that, with how the others talked about you, that you would be more mean about Nagisa's proposition. But it looks like the reverse is true! You guys are so understanding, it's amazing!" Homura couldn't help but smile at the girl's statement. It was nice to see that at least one of the others was willing to work something out with them. "You'd best be going now, though, Nagisa-san." She cut in with a cool tone of voice, reminding herself that the little girl was in fact going around the others' backs, and so shouldn't have been lingering any longer than absolutely necessary. "Tomoe Mami may start to suspect foul play if she searches out your aura and discovers that you're at our house."
"Un, Nagisa will go now." Her snowy head bobbed in understanding before she stepped lightly past the scarlet and raven pair, turning on her heel to face them one last time, giving a small bow of thanks. "Nagisa means it when Nagisa says Nagisa is really grateful to you for listening! Nagisa hopes that everything will turn out okay, and we can all be friends again!" With another bow of farewell, she turned on her heel again, opening the door and running daintily out and onto the street, the only trace of her the flailing snowy locks in the distance.
Kyouko smiled as she walked over and closed the door shut, before turning around to face the raven-haired girl, her expression serious. "Alright…so we need to give the others space. Be sure not to antagonize them, since that'll only lower our chances in making them understand. The big issue is being able to get our "other halves" to recognize this." She glanced to the side, fists clenched. Homura nodded. "You're right. For your half, it shouldn't be too much of an issue, as she has proven that whatever the situation, she's willing to listen to me since I'm her…master." She shuddered at the notion of a disturbingly docile Kyouko. "…But as for my half, unless I luck out again and we manage to keep her sadism at bay, she may go out of her way to antagonize and make things worse."
The redhead tensed at the notion. Whether she liked it or not, just the thought of that other side of Homura sent a wave of terror through her; every single time that Devil side showed through, somehow or another, Kyouko was never left unscathed. She found herself caring for Homura more and more lately, especially the more layers she saw of the younger female…but whenever Devil Homura rolled around, all previous fears she had toward the girl came out in full force. It didn't even seem to be a voluntary action anymore, either. She had literally grown a phobia towards the other side of Homura. The more the raven-haired girl could control the girl, the better. "…Yeah. I guess we'll just have to do our best to make it work, huh. I'll also do what I can on my end to stay her, even a little." A frustrated sigh escaped her lips. "If only we could figure out what it is that calls them out…"
Homura nodded. "Even in your case, I haven't been able to discern what it is that calls the other half out. I would say it is acts of sadism that bring out your masochistic side…" The redhead cringed at the suggestion. "…But it doesn't always. It may be more a matter of will. When you're more determined and actively trying to fight, you remain yourself. However, when you suddenly switched to that other half of you last night, she had told me that you were exhausted and just wanted to hide away." Kyouko nodded, a wry smile fixed on her soft features. "Gotcha. So whenever I cower, I switch. And what about you?" She glanced at the younger girl. "Have you noticed a pattern for yours, yet?" The raven-haired girl frowned, shaking her head. "Nothing that I can control…you would think that it would only have to do with me, since it is my half…but the pattern I've noticed so far, even in the beginning, is things that have to do with you. I haven't been able to discern yet what it is that you do that calls out my Devilish side yet, however."
Kyouko frowned, her eyes narrowing in contemplation. "Guess we'll just have to go with what we can, then…well, we've got a week or so to buy some time. Maybe we'll figure it out from there."
"Mami-san?"
A knock on the door startled the blonde from her thoughts as she quickly rose from the glass table, making her way over to the front door to see who was visiting. Based on the voice she deduced that it was most likely Miki-san, but it was polite to make sure before making any assumptions. She took a peek into the peek-hole that allowed her to see who was outside. A smile made its way to her soft features as she reached for the doorknob, opening the door and allowing entrance for her former kouhai. "Miki-san, how nice to see you today!" She smiled softly, stepping to the side as the azure knight stepped in, marveling at how the apartment looked; although she'd visited several times already, she could never get over how lavish it looked to the blue-haired girl. "It's nice to see you too, Mami-san." She grinned light-heartedly, making her way over to the glass table, her eyes surveying the details. "Where's Nagisa?" She questioned curiously, noting the absence of a certain snowy-haired child.
"Nagisa-chan said she wanted to go for a walk," Mami replied, her tone betraying a hint of sadness. "I…suppose she's still a little upset about last night." Sayaka nodded in understanding. "Yeah, she seemed pretty disillusioned, back then." She gave a small shrug. "I guess I can't blame her. All of a sudden, every single one of us was at each other's throats. For Nagisa, who became a messenger to make others happy, it was probably hard on the little girl." The blonde frowned at the thought, eyes furrowing in contemplation. "I…didn't think of it that way." She glanced toward the azure knight. "…Miki-san, why did you become a messenger?" An amused smile made its way to the taller girl's lips. "Madoka's been working hard to save other magical girls from despair. It wouldn't be right if her best friend, who she also saved from despair, wasn't there by her side to help." Mami nodded in understanding. "I see…but if it wasn't Kaname-san…would you still accept the position of messenger?"
"Hm?" Sayaka frowned in thought, placing a finger on her cheek in over-exaggeration. "Hmmm…well, I've always been a magical girl set on justice. If it came to sitting around happily or working hard to help others, I think I'd have to go with working hard to help others. I've never been content with just living my own life, after all." Gold eyes softened at the thought. "…You and Nagisa-chan are both so noble…if I had the option…" She glanced toward the window, curtains drawn. "I don't think I could do it; become a messenger and continue the battle. I suppose I might be just a bit weak for such a position." She giggled a bell-like tone, but the air of sadness dampened the light-heartedness of the noise. The azure knight frowned at the girl's self-deprecation. "I don't think you would, Mami-san. 'Cause after all, you've done all you can to help others, at the expense of yourself!"
The blonde shook her head. "I've only done that so that people would think me amazing…if they admire me, then they would want to stick around me, and I wouldn't be alone anymore…" Sayaka pursed her lips, mulling over what to do next. The situation was fragile; if she said anything wrong, it could create a huge problem for everyone. Why did Madoka entrust HER with the task of busying Mami-san? "…You…you don't have to push yourself so hard for company, Mami-san…" She muttered, holding out a hand to the blonde senior. "A-After all…a friend who can't handle your shortcomings isn't really your friend. Just because someone betrayed you once before, it shouldn't have to mean that you should think people will only like you if you force yourself to be someone you're not!" Gold eyes blinked in confusion. "E-Eh…? M-Miki-san…how do you know about that?"
Sayaka grit her teeth in realization. Shoot! Now she'd gone and given away the fact that Madoka disclosed Mami-san's memory to her! Well, there was no going back now. "…Madoka told me. We realized that you weren't comfortable around Kyouko from the beginning, and I wanted to know why…so she told me. Kyouko betrayed you in the past, didn't she?" Mami pursed her lips tightly, tears stinging the corners of her eyes. "…I only wanted to help her…" She uttered softly. She couldn't break down right now; as a mentor, she had to be strong! She had to…it was no use. She could feel the tears slipping down her cheeks despite all her efforts to keep them at bay. "Even though I was there for her when she needed someone…she turned around and forced us to separate, leaving me alone…why…? Why did she do that…?"
Azure eyes shook with sadness. "She's a hard girl to understand, that Kyouko…unpredictable to the max. Just when you think you've got her figured out, she turns around and changes on you again. Just like the stupid flames she represents." She reached out her arms for an embrace, which the older girl accepted whole-heartedly, breaking out in full sobbing as Sayaka rubbed her back gently, allowing the veteran a moment to let out the feelings she'd been keeping bottled up inside. "You don't have to concern yourself with that jerk-face anymore, Mami-san…once we have everything back to normal, you'll never have to associate yourself with her again. Even if by some chance we end this and she still remains in the world without any repercussions, you can choose to stay away from her, and find a magical girl that will be nicer to you. And hey! Don't forget, when you've had enough of this world, you can always come back to us in the Law of Cycles. Okay?" She spoke softly, continuing with the small rubs on her back, calming the blonde down until her sobs eventually dwindled down into occasional hiccups.
"O-Okay…" Mami smiled softly, her face red from all the crying. She quickly reached up to dry her eyes. "Geez…I thought I was supposed to be the veteran, here…" She finished drying her eyes, still red-faced, and gave a small shrug of chastisement toward herself. "I'm pretty pathetic as an example to my fellow magical girls, aren't I?" Sayaka shook her head, a reassuring smile on her face. "Nobody's perfect, Mami-san. Even you. Even Madoka." The statement brought tears of relief to the older girl's eyes as she nodded in understanding. "You're right…I shouldn't have to push myself so hard…"
"I'll just forget about Sakura-san. She's nothing to me, now."
Scarlet eyes flashed open with a start as she woke up to darkness. A feeling of dread overcame her, but she couldn't understand what it could be. Fearing the worst, she quickly glanced over to ensure Homura was still herself, and that the Devil side of her hadn't taken over. It didn't look like she was any different. Her chest rose and fell in a steady motion, indicating the raven-haired girl was in a peaceful slumber. The redhead smiled at the sight; so Homura was still herself. But then, what was that terrible feeling she got, just now? She cautiously sat up as she looked around the room, frowning in confusion. For extra measure, although she hadn't sensed anything, she brought her tainted soul gem to her face, investigating the soul for any sign of having sensed an anomaly of any type. It didn't appear that what she felt had anything to do with magical signatures, she discovered. So then…what was it? She realized, sitting there in the blackness surrounding her at all sides, that it wasn't the first time she'd had such a feeling of dread. Clenching her eyes shut, for the first time in a long while, she forced her memories to the front as she attempted to connect the feeling with the one she had felt before.
The result was devastating.
The memories surged through her mind at full force, opening the floodgate of emotions she had locked up tight. A silent scream escaped her lips, her throat hoarse even though she hadn't made a sound; she gripped her head with both hands, the pain and sorrow invading her too much for her to handle at once. 'Please!' She cried out to no one in particular, feeling bouts of nausea. 'Make it stop!' Yet, despite her inner cries for mercy, the pain wouldn't cease. She felt dizzy; it was becoming hard to breathe. Was her despair threatening to overtake her?
Scarlet eyes widened to pinpricks as the memory she was searching for finally surfaced, the overwhelming wave of memories and emotions leaving her feeling faint. She could only vaguely register the memory she pulled up. It appeared to be a time when she was in the park…based on her dark expression, it must have been during that time just before the incident.
No, wait…it was the day she found them.
Legs swung lazily through the air as Sakura Kyouko stared at everything and nothing, her body numb from both the cold of the weather and people's emotions. Just a few months ago, she'd been living life happily, dead set on ridding the world of all despair as her father preached about hope. What a fool she'd been. Now here she was, hiding out in an abandoned park that was set to be demolished in a couple months; hiding from the man who she risked everything for.
Well, she was certainly paying the price, wasn't she?
She quickly sat up with a start, eyes wide with terror. Just now, she thought she felt something. She quickly looked to her soul gem, ensuring that there wasn't a witch nearby. There didn't appear to be any reaction, however, puzzling the young redhead. There wasn't anything magically abnormal, she surmised. So what was it, then? That feeling of dread? As if on auto-pilot, she slipped off the beaten swing, running as fast as she could down the path that led her to her home, uncaring toward the rage-filled cries of the parishioners.
Whatever it was that she was feeling…she had an awful feeling that she was going to lose everything precious to her.
"Ah…" Scarlet eyes shook softly in realization. The last time she'd felt such a feeling of dread was just before she discovered her family's remains. But why would she feel it again? It didn't make any sense to the redhead. A pale hand caught hold of her arm, alerting the girl to the raven-haired Devil's presence. Her eyes widened in terror at the sight of the violet hue flowing within. "Eh?" She breathed softly, an air of sadness to her tone. Why now? Why now, of all times!? "Wha…why…?"
The Devil smirked at her terror-filled expression. "You seem troubled, my pet. Is something the matter?" She cooed softly, running her free hand along the redhead's cheek, eliciting shudders from the older girl. "Do you need me to take your mind off of it? Maybe…distract you with more enticing pain?" The redhead attempted to pull out of the raven-haired girl's grasp, but she held firm, to the point that Kyouko was beginning to lose feeling in her arm. "No! J-Just…" She gasped softly, realizing something crucial. Even as the Devil forced her onto her back, towering over her like a vicious predator going in for the kill, her scarlet eyes were vacant as she processed a key point that she needed to relay to Homura. It might have been difficult to take advantage of such a realization now, as she didn't know how to dispel the other half of Homura after it was already out…
But she now realized: So long as she remained uncertain, the Devil would always be there to overpower her.
A/N: Alright, progress!
So it looks like Nagisa's just a sweetie who's trying to stop the pointless bickering. Nothing suspicious about her, thank goodness! On Mami and Sayaka's side, it looks like Sayaka's managed to slip that she was informed of the incident between Mami and Kyouko. While the knowledge of this itself doesn't seem to bother Mami too badly, the fact that it's only one side of the story is a big deal. If you're wondering what's wrong with Kyouko, it's that she senses the fact that she's just been officially disowned by Tomoe Mami, and it hurts her really badly because Mami's the only family she has left.
And finally, we have the realization in how the Devil halves are called out. Kyouko's half is called out when the redhead exhibits signs of exhaustion since she just wants to hide away from the world at that point (most likely originating from how she was feeling when the Devil half of Kyouko was "conceived"). As for Devil Homura...if we recall, it first showed up in full force when she was attempting to crush down Kyouko's doubts. Therefore, whenever she senses hesitation from the redhead (which isn't EVERY single time, but when it's strong enough for that half to be awoken), the Devil side of Homura will be unleashed. As for how they can dispel those sides...that remains to be seen. It may just have to do with exercising willpower. In a way, Homura's always had the power to control her Devil half, as she did it back in Chapter 3: Waterlogged to release Kyouko from her watery prison.
Well, a fair amount going on in this chapter! Please, if you have any comments or questions, let me know! I love to hear what you guys think about this story!
Until then, see you next chapter!