"Are... Are you really sure that this is fine?"
Mami was sitting on her bed and eyed the Akemis who stood a few steps away, clad in exactly the same purple pyjamas. It was somewhat unsettling to see the two of them look completely the same when Yuri tried to distinguish herself from Homura on most occasions. Especially after seeing the raven-haired Witch destroy an amount of food that would have been enough to satiate six people, the blonde was not sure what to think of this newest revelation.
They are... sleeping together?
Which was the topic of discussion right now: Mami only had one Futon there for guests, so she actually offered her bed to the other one and was quite alright with sleeping on the couch. As it was however, Homura and her Witch just looked at each other before declining. The other Magical Girl then went to explain that Yuri regularly slept by her side anyway.
"It's fine."
She sighed over the nonchalant response to her question before nodding slightly. "Very well. If there is anything you need, feel free to tell me."
She doubted that either of them would need anything over the night, seeing that they decided to take a break from hunting for today to get the most pressing matters sorted out.
A gentle squeezing around her shoulder made itself noticeable and pulled the blonde out of her own thoughts. Candel had her arms wound around her while sitting right next to 'her' Magical Girl. "I'm with you for the night then!"
The kind gesture made her smile and she gently patted the doll's head. "Alright."
While they were busy with each other for a moment, the two Akemi's were already in the process of slipping under the blanket and came to lie next to each other, almost shoulder to shoulder. Mami really wondered about their antics sometimes, yet she got used to a few of them in the past weeks already. It was still a bit strange that all of this happened, but there was no helping it anyway. She would have to accept this.
"Good night, Homura-san, Yuri-san... Candel."
She regarded her new roommates with a happy smile before turning off the lamp on her nightstand and vanishing under her own blanket while the little doll came to rest right next to her, snuggled to the blonde's arm with something that could almost be purring. She seemed happy as well.
Time travel, Witches and our fate... I do not care right now.
She was just happy not to be alone anymore.
.
. . .
.
As the night progressed, a certain Witch found herself unable to sleep. She did not want to roll around or let go of the person she was holding onto, either. On the other hand though, Candeloro just could not find any rest. She was still busy with understanding everything around her.
Lilly was her friend and Mami was more like a big sister... or little sister? Actually, she was not sure.
However, what the Dress-Up Witch knew without doubt was that she was genuinely happy. She had been born before her time, so she could be friends with everyone even sooner, although Lilly was right about being careful... or was she? Yes, most likely. Mortal World's Witch knew much more than her, she was sure of that. That was why Candel tried to act properly when she told her to do or not to do something.
She could be a bit nicer, though...
On the other hand, the doll knew that her friend had been born like that. There was nothing she could do about it.
I like her anyway.
She thought that the other eldritch being would eat her as she ate all the other Witches so far at first. What a relief that Lilly told her she would not do that.
There were memories of other people besides the Akemis in her head, though. Candel wondered whether she could be friends with them. An enthusiastic blunette and a pinkette with a kind smile. She did not know their names, but she was interested in meeting them. The same went for this harsh-looking redhead she recalled. Sakura Kyoko...
Thinking about that name had her feel weird. She found herself strangely attached to that name and the few memories connected to it. Maybe she should ask Mami what that meant? It must be something born from 'her' heart after all.
Candel slowly let go of the Magical Girl she originated from and looked down at her peaceful face. She could almost remember to see it in a mirror instead of from the outside. The memory was fuzzy, though.
So you will be me and I was you...
It felt a bit confusing to be alive at the same time as her alter ego was. On the other hand, this was a unique opportunity for both of them to have company. Maybe this was what made Homura smile at times as well.
There was something strange however: Candel could not recall anything besides cooking, baking, making tea and those few people she thought about before. She knew that there had to be something... but in the end, she did not care. Mami and her were still separate entities and therefore, it was fine.
But I still feel so naked...
Her barrier was not there and neither were her gentle minions. Candel did not even know how to summon them... but even if she did, she had not enough power to do it right now. If she could, she would have done so at once. Just how did Lilly manage to get by without her barrier?
A look down to the Futon revealed both raven-haired girls sleeping next to each other in relative peace. Each of them shifted uncomfortably once in a while, yet they seemed to be alright.
She just wanted to go to sleep, but even several hours of lying still and hoping for it to come to her did not help. Candeloro was simply unable to rest, so she decided to go around a bit. That was why the doll jumped down from the bed and landed on her spiralled legs with ease. Since those were flexible and could help her head off the fall, she made almost no sounds at all. The barely audible tapping of her ribbons on the floor was just as difficult to perceive.
The Dress-Up Witch wandered over to the door and expanded her right arm to reach the handle. She pulled it downwards before wandering into the living room and leaving the door open the slightest bit. Like this, she made it so that she could slip one arm through the gap and open it again when she decided to return.
When Candel looked around the room however, she became aware of a piercing, red gaze lying on her. Yet she stopped her arm from snapping forward and smashing its face as she did out of reflex the last time she saw it.
Kyubey, the Incubator. The doll had vague memories of it, but most of it boiled down to the fact that this being was an enemy and should not be trusted. In fact, Lilly explicitly told her not to talk to the creature at all no matter what it said.
'I take it we haven't been introduced yet. My name is Kyubey.'
The words rang out right in her head and made her flinch, but Candel already decided to keep her word. This being was creepy and she did not want to talk to it anyway, so the Witch quickly scurried through the room and hoped that it would just continue to sit there.
Fortunately, it only turned its head to follow her with its gaze. The doll quickly opened another door and vanished into the closest room available, which turned out to be the bathroom. Now she stood there with her ribbons slightly slithering on the blank tiles, wondering what to do in here.
She recalled that it felt nice to have a bath... but her body would be soaked full of water if she tried that. She could not brush her teeth, either... she had no mouth after all. Besides, the toothpaste would only stain the cloth.
The price-tag sunk again when Candel realised that there was nothing she could do in this room. It was completely unnecessary for her to...
Then her gaze fell onto the mirror right over the sink. She could at least take a look at herself, right?
A quick jump brought the doll onto the bowl-shaped extension of the wall and she stretched her legs a bit to get a good view.
When Candel saw herself for the first time, she stopped in surprised silence. This was exactly like she imagined herself to be.
I...
When her own arms slowly slid over her face and body, so did the arms of her reflection. This was really her.
I like that. I like me.
This body was nice. It felt right to have it and the Witch relaxed upon this realisation. Then however, another thought had her stop feeling herself:
Wait... how does Lilly cope with not having her own body?
The doll could hardly imagine how uncomfortable a human body would feel in comparison to her flexible form, so how must her friend think about this? Her scent indicated that Homulilly was a big Witch, so she was most likely feeling really weird in this body.
Yet the other Witch never complained, a fact that had the younger one respect her for yet another reason.
The ribbons let go of her and Candel slowly felt her price-tag just to make sure she did not hurt it while being in that bag. Then she sighed and eyed the door. Should she really go out there again? On the other hand though: what should she do in here?
I could jump out of the window and go around... but all the other doors are locked...
So that would not work, either. She was stuck.
.
. . .
.
When Lilly woke up the next morning, it was because of the rustling Mami produced while pushing back her blanket and sitting up. Homura stirred to conciousness but a moment later and eyed them with a questioning gaze.
Mortal World's Witch sat up just as their roommate did before and took a look at the clock. Then she sighed. "Must you stand up at eight in the morning on a Sunday?"
The Magical Girl just smiled at her in return. "A good routine is always helpful. I normally do most of the cleaning on Sundays... and besides, I have to go to bed early so I can get up for school."
It made sense, yet Lilly did not like it one bit. She had no need to go to school... but so be it. They could use the additional time.
"Whatever..."
Then she noticed several things: firstly, Candeloro was not where she should be, namely hanging from Mami's shoulder. Secondly, said eldritch being's scent came from somewhere within the flat.
Did she go and get a snack? Mhm.. unlikely.
Maybe the Dress-Up Witch had trouble sleeping last night. Lilly had some of those herself the first week because she had to adjust... at least she guessed that this was the reason. A normal Witch only slept because of exhaustion, but this human body of hers demanded it naturally. Candel lacked a body like this, though... so she might not be in much need of sleep.
"Um... by any chance, is Candel with you?"
The blonde just noticed her missing Witch. Lilly shook her head and threw back the blanket while Homura rose to her feet by the eldritch being's side. They exchanged a glance and nodded at each other. The Magical Girl transformed and produced one of the suitcases with their clothes while her counterpart went to retrieve the last member to their little group. When she opened the door though, she noticed that it had only been leaning. So the little doll really went to explore.
Then she saw something else and chuckled about it. Suddenly, everything made a lot more sense. Not that it helped in improving her mood all that much, though.
Lilly just opened the door completely and went around the living room while completely ignoring the Incubator on the table. It just sat there and watched her anyway, so why should she care about it? Her aura was suppressed and even the traces that came through when she slept were overshadowed by the Magical Girls around her.
A quick glance into the kitchen revealed that nothing happened there. So she did not go to make tea or something like this.
Following that, the eldritch being went to where she knew Candel was. She just tried to fool Kyubey and even if she had not been doing that, she had to wash her face.
When Lilly entered the bathroom however, she found the other Witch dozing peacefully... while sitting in the sink and wrapped in her own arms.
The sight made her shake her head and lift up the doll before setting her aside and turning on the hot water. Candel stirred, but kept slumbering after all; the other eldritch being carefully rubbed her forehead, cheeks, lips, nose and eyelids. New vigor came to her senses and she felt a bit better than before when she grabbed a towel and dried her face.
I can see why they do this regularly...
Fortunately for her, this human body reacted in the same way that of a regular human did, so Lilly always had enough material to study on what to do with herself.
"Oh... good morning, Lilly."
When the Witch averted her gaze slightly to look at Candel, she saw the doll slowly unwrap her arms and stretch them towards the ceiling... then touch the ceiling. Upon contact, her... new acquaintance looked upwards with a gust of surprise before quickly retracting the ribbons.
"Good morning... say, I do understand that you were in here... but why were you in here of all places?"
That was something that bothered her a bit: the other Witch might be afraid of Kyubey or simply did what she asked her to do... but even if she did, why was the doll in the bathroom? She could have gone to every other room after all.
Candel on her part got to her feet and bounced up and down for a moment before fixing her price-tag; following that, she jumped upwards to stand right on the corner of the sink. "Um... well... uh... I... I didn't want to go out with Kyubey around, so I just stayed in here..."
Which she already knew. Lilly's raised eyebrow had the doll continue: "And... well... I just went into the closest room when I saw him... it sitting there... uh... Lilly? Is Kyubey still there?"
The question made her sigh in response before nodding. "Yes, unfortunately."
Now the doll lowered her head and went to look at the few drops of water that remained on the porcelain. Then she turned and the human-shaped Witch got the feeling that she was looked at. "Could you turn it on for a moment?"
She did not think much about whether to do or not to do that and just had the hot water flow again. Candel held her arms into the stream and then turned off the water herself. Once that was done, she went to hold her arms over herself and wrung them out; this had a rather huge amount of water splash all over her... at least the Witch had the decency to take a step towards the center of the sink first. Lilly watched with a mixture of surprise and curiousity while the cloth body of the doll soaked up every last drop. It was an interesting way to do this kind of thing, she had to admit that.
"I feel much better now!", was the cheerful exclamation of the Dress-Up Witch before she made a leap onto Lilly's shoulder. The tips of her legs were the slightest bit wet, just enough to be noticeable through the thin cloth of her pyjamas. This might go for her whole body right now and it would surely need some time to dry properly.
In fact, the raven-haired girl did not mind the doll on her shoulder all that much. She might prefer her to walk on the ground, but Candel had almost no weight, so she barely even noticed her.
Then she proceeded to walk back into the living room where Mami was already sitting at the table and frowning at Kyubey. The Incubator did not seem to mind.
"Look what I found."
Now both of them turned their heads, although she did her best to ignore the Incubator. She would try to stay unnoticed by it and act as if she could not see it to begin with. Mami nodded at her when she saw the little doll on her shoulder. "I see. Would you like some tea, Yuri-san?"
Tea in itself sounded good, but Lilly preferred to get a few things done beforehand, so she shook her head. "Not yet."
Then she proceeded to put the doll onto the table and went into the bedroom, where she found Homura who was just putting on her skirt and threw a glance her way the moment she closed the door.
"What's the plan for today, Onee-chan?"
Even when they no longer pretended, Lilly got used to calling the Magical Girl that. Besides, it had a nice ring to it. She was regarded with silence while she threw her own pyjamas aside and went for Homura's casual clothes. They needed to get a few more sets ready in the next few days... and she wanted her dress. Maybe with a hat this time...
"We will sort out the few things we can have lying around in here, clean up a bit and then go patrolling. Shopping comes tomorrow while Tomoe Mami is in school."
Then she would put going to Kazamino on the day after. So what to do today...
I guess I should help myself to a meal... and I can take Candel for a walk.
She would rather keep an eye on the Dress-Up Witch for the time being, even when it was rather sure that she was not playing an act with that behaviour of hers. Better safe than sorry.
"I see. You do that and us Witches will go separately. I have a few more things to test."
Homura nodded while lacing up her bowtie, just as Lilly slipped into the pair of jeans she decided on. They nodded at each other and put on their slippers again before leaving the room and joining Mami. It was nice to be alone with herself at times, but they did not have enough time for such luxuries. She would not drop her defenses around this blonde and could not afford to do it.
"My, you two look lovely."
Even when she was nice and all that, Lilly refused to believe that her whole understanding of the world changed so drastically that she would not be a potential threat. The worst case was on her mind ever since the day before: if she connected the wrong dots, Mami would notice that to 'save the world', all she had to do was kill Kaname Madoka before she became a Magical Girl. That in turn would prompt her and Homura to kill Mami, which would render all the effort they made void and be a severe hit on her sister's confidence.
This must not happen.
Because if there was one thing Homulilly was aware of, it was Akemi Homura's state of mind. She knew that the time traveler was constantly balancing on the breaking point, knew that this balance was not easily disturbed... but if one managed to put her out of it, she would fall into the abyss that was her own heart. The abyss that spawned a being like her.
It was still too early for that to happen. In fact, Lilly preferred if that never happened.
The human-shaped Witch continued to ignore Kyubey while sitting down, her Magical Girl taking the seat to her left. Mami sat opposite to Homura and Candel was hiding behind the blonde's back, all the while peeking over it to look whether the Incubator was still there.
'I really wonder what happened yesterday. Are you really alright, Mami?'
The question almost sounded as if the creature was actually worried about the blonde, yet she knew that this was as much of a fake as the miracles Kyubey created to fulfill wishes. Humans only believed something outside of their understanding to be a miracle, that was it.
"And again, I am fine."
Mami sounded exasparated, so maybe the creature asked her this particular question before and just tried it again for emphasis of its "caring attitude"... if it knew what Lilly did to the Magical Girl, it would just stop trying.
"Wonder as much as you want, Kyubey. But do it somewhere else and leave us alone."
While Lilly continued to look somewhere else and sometimes right at the Incubator without giving the impression that she actually saw it, Mami nodded her approval of her sister's words and the rat took it as a cue to stand up and walk off towards the hallway. It turned its head back before vanishing around the corner: 'I don't get it.'
Then it was gone and Candel sighed in relief before making a high jump over Mami and landing on the table with an... almost graceful bounce. "So, what do we do today?"
Mami smiled leniently upon the display of eagerness before casting a glance at them. Maybe she figured that they spoke about their plans, or maybe she just wanted to have their opinion before saying something herself. Whatever the reason, Homura took the cue and told the doll: "Tomoe-san and I will sort out a few things here and go patrolling afterwards. Lilly said that she wanted to take a stroll with you again, so that's what you will be doing in the afternoon."
Then her sister's gaze went over to her. "I don't know how long you will be gone, but try to make it back before sunset."
"Okay!"
Candel quickly jumped onto her shoulder and the older Witch sighed in resignation. Not that she minded the doll being cheerful... but if she was in that mood almost constantly, she would definitely annoy her sooner or later.
"Could we have breakfast first?"
Not that she would stay hungry for long anyway, but a little appetizer could not be wrong.
.
. . .
.
She served a purpose.
When she thought her prayer failed her, she finally fulfilled her dream.
Happiness washed all over her.
There was nothing else she could think about.
Other beings came, but they did not understand her noble cause. They did not understand anything and so she killed them to take their souls.
In the end... this was another purpose: to be as powerful as possible, so that the one that defeated her would be even more devious than her. The cycle would continue.
.
. . .
.
"I wondered, Lilly..."
"Hm?"
"Uh... how can you eat so much?"
Even when they had to converse through a layer of cloth and make sure that no one was close enough to overhear them, Mortal World's Witch found it interesting to do so. Candel had a refreshingly different and far more direct perspective than Mami... or even Homura, for that matter. There was no need to analyze her every word and put it into context as she had to do with the blonde; this doll always spoke her mind, at least for now.
Maybe this particular character trait of hers would change over the time she grew out of the bare human shell that remained after her birth, just as it was with Lilly. Her behaviour became a bit calmer and the pride went into balance with her understanding of herself. She had been quite a bit more arrogant in the beginning... and clingy on top of that. Not that she would stop sharing a bed with Homura, but she faintly remembered the urge to cuddle as close to her sister as possible.
Maybe that was a subconcious expression... did I want to return into her soul?
That might very well be possible, seeing just how scared she was of this world at first. Arrogance and silence were her best means to shroud this particular feeling, but it was there. The more Lilly learned however, the stronger she got and the more time passed without her being harmed, even this most primeval instinct that she shared with humans went into balance. Which did not mean that she could do much against it if it hit her with its full force. The powerful reflex that made her kill Miki Sayaka without wasting even a single thought on the trouble it might cause was a good example; this burning fear of death that held her alife.
Homulilly was a powerful Witch, but she was also a fearful and paranoid one. She survived because she combined those traits. Never to underestimate her opponent, she could find a way to fulfill her desires. Had she not been an irregular by her kin's standards, she might only care about observing the people of Earth. As it was however, she shared a goal with her human counterpart.
Yet Lilly knew that this also served another purpose: for as long as she was in control, there was no need to be overly afraid. To keep herself in check, she had to make sure to always have a plan ready just in case something went wrong.
"Um... Lilly?"
The reluctant question had her return from the self-analysis with a quiet sigh. It was a bother to understand oneself so well at times. She could never lie to herself.
"Sorry, I was thinking."
She was thinking so much that she actually forgot what the doll asked her before.
"Oh... okay. Are you making another plan?"
The innocent question made her smirk and lightly pat the bag. "Maybe."
Then Lilly proceeded to follow the trace they were after for half an hour now. She could have moved faster of course, yet deemed it unnecessary. They had time. Besides, this creature's scent was a bit odd. Nothing she ever smelled before and she killed quite a few Witches, so it was most likely one that did not appear in the last timeline... yet she could not place the name with any of the eldritch beings she barely recalled from Homura's extended memory.
On top of that, this one had an aura of certainty that most of the others lacked. Of course everyone was sure about being in the right with their cravings, but this one seemed to be proud of herself as well. So she had either an arrogant Witch, or a strong one.
Maybe I should take care of that one myself... but then I had to sniff out another one for Candel to fight against.
Which meant that she would let the little doll try her hardest and kill off the other creature in case her companion did not manage to defeat it.
"Um... I'm not sure if it is a good idea to let me fight someone so strong... I mean... I don't think I can do it..."
"You have to test your limits."
The Dress-Up Witch kept quiet after that response, either thinking about it or pouting. It was true that she should have the doll start with something smaller until she had a few more reserves... but then again, Lilly could easily kill any Witch sans Walpurgis... and Kriemhild Gretchen, of course. She remained cautious in the past because there were rarely strong people around to pull her out if necessary. Especially during her episode in Kazamino. Thinking of that town made her recall the mixing scents of so many Witches and Familiars that it actually overshadowed even medium-sized crowds of humans.
Maybe Candel's aura will do something similar when I feed her enough...
The thought was tempting. Her biggest problem was being in close proximity to humans after all... but it would take time to find out about that.
A jumper was walking up a building to her right... but what did she care? Lilly's goal was but another two turns away and thankfully, Candel either did not notice the man or did not realise that he was enchanted and would soon kill himself. It was hard to tell when a Witch Kiss was put on someone, though.
Now then... time to go and fight you...