An increase in tension could be felt.
Sayaka, after catching her breath, while looking at the ground:
" Are you satisfied now? "
' What? '
Sayaka: " I am asking if you are satisfied now! "
' ... '
I felt the animosity in her voice. I am not going to ignite that fuse.
She turned to face me
Sayaka: " Answer me, Homura! "
' Yes, I am. You saved two strangers. Why are you angry? '
Sayaka: " Are you really asking me this?! GET A CLUE! "
' Hmm let's see. I convinced you to become a magical girl to save lives. I can't understand the reason for your anger though. Is it because you became a magical girl and now you are afraid of consequences? Or is it because you used up your only wish to save lives? If it's the former, don't worry. Nothing bad will happen just because you are a magical girl. If it's the latter though, sorry, I can't help you. Not everybody is born a good person. '
Sayaka: " You! BITCH! " as she threw a punch.
I blocked her punch with my shield and replied to her attack with my own; I kneed her in the abdomen. Being smitten upon her abdomen, she convulsed her body, her posture twisted downwards and I grabbed her hair to pull her closer.
' Listen here little punk. Not long ago, two magical girls ambushed me when I was dealing with a witch. I got rid of them and killed two witches without using magic. I could add one more to my score at any time. I hope you are getting my message. And if you go around telling stupid stories like how I forced you to become a magical girl it won't end with just you. ' I gave a faint smile, which lasted only a second, then threw her away.
She was super pissed off but she wasn't as eager to attack me as before. She kept staring at me as I ignored her.
Sayaka is a magical girl now. I have to think things thoroughly.
Kyubey was watching us silently and I couldn't care less about him. I moved towards the girls Sayaka's wish healed.
' Well I'll be damned, I have never expected this. '
The girl whose hand was healed just now was sleeping. The strange part is, what I am looking at now is most certainly a boy. I don't know if there really are girls who look like this but I am certain that this one is a boy. I will let him rest for now. The boy will rest, the boy whose hand was healed by Sayaka... Sayaka became a magical girl to heal a boy's hand... It's literally the same as all the other times. How did I fail to notice this? Is this what fate is like? Always forcing its hand, beyond our calculations...
I started feeling bad for Sayaka. I don't hate her as much now. Poor girl is probably going to die as well if I don't do something for her.
' Actually, I am sorry. For hitting you and saying those things. You can forget about them. If you want to, just tell people how I forced you to become a magical girl and hit you. ' my back turned on her.
Sayaka: " What's wrong with you. Just a minute ago you were- " she sounded like she was out of breath
I cut into her question:
' I am apologizing, okay? I was wrong. I shouldn't have insulted you and got you angry. I forced you to become a magical girl as well, I can never take that back, nor can I grant a wish for you. But, I want you to know that without my intervention, you would have walked on a miserable path anyways. It's up to you to believe me. '
Sayaka: " ... "
I can't force her to accept my apology. Let's just check Kyoko for now.
Kyoko's injuries weren't that gruesome and she slowly stood up as I approached her.
' Kyoko Sakura, care to explain what happened here? '
Kyoko: " I, umm, I came to the city as you told me. After getting strange vibes from the barrier I barged inside. "
' And? What happened to you and this boy? '
Kyoko: " Boy? What boy? "
' Check it out yourself. '
Kyoko gave him a quick glance, she was hesitating to come closer to him.
' What happened inside the barrier? '
Kyoko: " As I was walking I heard sounds of fighting. And uh, that guy was fighting another magical girl. "
' Who? '
Kyoko: " The one with black hair and outfit that looks like a hybrid of a butler and maid costume. "
' Kirika huh. Go on. '
Kyoko: " Well, I uh, tried to break up their fight. "
I raised my brow in response
' Really now? Why? '
Kyoko: " I mean, you recruited me to fight off a Walpurgis Night, right? I thought having more magical girls on our side would be better. "
' I see... '
Let's try to imagine what happened then. These two came inside the barrier and fought Kirika while I was keeping Oriko busy. I don't think Oriko helped Kirika at all before facing me alone. Otherwise, it would have taken her too long to find me... And during the short time between the death of both witches, Oriko ran away from me and defeated both Kyoko and the boy.
I can't say how long they have been fighting Kirika but it is clear that she was able to escape. How was their fight? How strong is the boy?
' And? What happened when you intervened? '
Kyoko: " He attacked me when I saved the other girl... "
' You saved Kirika, you say... You actually saved the life of a scum who we were finally going to be rid of huh?'
Kyoko: " I am sorry! I didn't know who she was! " panicking
I grinned. This boy is not weak. He overpowered Kirika, he can be useful.
' Don't worry, you did wonderfully by saving Kirika. It would be a shame if she was killed without my notice. But I can understand the boy's feelings. If I was about to kill Kirika and some retard stopped me I would have given it my all to kill both. ' as I walked closer to her
Kyoko stared at the ground. Is she afraid of me? Feeling guilty? Has she understood what kind of person she saved?
' Listen up, I have decided to team up with this boy. I will bring him to Mami's house. And if you show your face there when he wakes up, a fight could break out. So, what I want you to do is, take this girl ' I pointed at Sayaka
' And teach her about magic. Spar with her a little bit, then go hunt some witches AND familiars. '
Sayaka: " What!? "
' Say hello to your teammate, Sayaka. Sayaka, this is Kyoko Sakura. You guys will sort out everything together. And by everything, that includes where Kyoko will live. '
Sayaka: " Hey wait a minute Homura! "
Kyoko: " ( So, her name is Homura. ) "
I pulled out my phone and sent Mami a message, telling her that I was coming. I put back the phone and walked towards the boy.
I went and grabbed the boy's hand, pulling his body towards me.
' You know what? I will hear you out while you help me bring this boy to Mami's. ' as I put his left arm on my left shoulder, over my neck.
Sayaka: " Can't you carry him with your magic? "
I gave her a sharp look
' Don't. Test. My. Patience... '
She froze up for a second, then she walked to my side and took his right arm.
Sayaka: " Fine... "
' Kyoko, you will wait here for Sayaka to come back. If you don't, I will make sure you go through the same pain that this boy had to endure because of you. Oh, and unless you missed it, his damn hand had melted. Don't let Kyubey move away from here either. Have I made myself clear? ' I squinted my eye
She just nodded and we left her there while dragging the boy with us.
Ah, what am I doing, lashing out on others for no reason? Am I behaving like this because of stress? Sayaka and Kyoko haven't been exactly helpful towards Homura when she was trying to save their sorry lives and because of that I must have had some latent hatred against them. I am prone to attacking them without provocation. This won't do... I will keep my emotions in check, I have to! Even Sayaka and Kyoko can be useful for my happy ending.
' So, what did you want to say? '
Sayaka: " Why do you loathe me so much? "
' You can't say you haven't been hostile to me either. '
Sayaka: " I am not poking fun at your misery at the very least! "
Really? You really dare to tell me this? When Homura was struggling so hard to save others' lives you looked like you were having time of your life while making it harder! You made everything much harder for her! Trying to alienate her from others, acting like she was a creep just because she was a decent person unlike you... I really want to kill you right here and right now but I have to endure it for now...
' Okay, I will confess. I am not fond of you. You have hurt those that I love countless times. And I want to pay you back for all every single time. '
Sayaka: " What! I haven't hurt anybody! Is this about Madoka? "
' No, it isn't. Though, I wouldn't be surprised if you had hurt even Madoka. '
Sayaka: " You are crazy. I have no idea what you are talking about. "
' Maybe I really am. After all, I am different from everybody else. '
After a brief silence:
Sayaka: " Hey, if you really hate me then why did you heal Kyousuke? "
' So that you won't have to become a magical girl. '
Sayaka: " But you just made me one! "
' I know. But what I am doing are all momentary impulses. Back then, I thought I could have a better relationship with you so I gave you such a gift, healing the hand of boy you like. I really thought we could have been on better terms. But as time goes on, my emotions grow stronger. My love, my hatred, everything is growing more intense, beyond my control. '
Sayaka: " So, what's next in store for me? Will your attacks be harsher? Will you come after my life? "
' I don't think so. I really feel bad for hitting you back there. I was just stressed out. I shouldn't have mocked you like that either. '
Sayaka: " I have become a magical girl because of your stress? "
I stopped walking
' Unless you have forgotten, your wish healed this boy and that girl. I wasn't the one who hurt them and I couldn't heal them either. If you are going to hold me accountable for this or make me have responsibility by owing you debts, so be it. I will pay you back for their lives in whatever way you want me to. Also being a magical girl isn't that bad. If I had to choose, I would become one again, every single time. All you have to look out for is the purity and integrity of your soul gem. You could already see witches and familiars so the only difference is that you are capable of fighting them now. '
Sayaka: " Are you telling me that everything will be same as always? "
' No, not everything. As long as you keep your soul gem close to you, you will be completely fine; but that alone is not enough. You won't be always happy therefore your soul gem will eventually get tainted. And you will have to hunt witches, otherwise, you will become one yourself. '
Sayaka: " Will I be okay fighting witches? "
' That's why I told Kyoko to train you. As long as you learn how to move as a magical girl you should be okay. '
Sayaka: " I don't know anything about her. And if I understood right you want her to stay in my house as well? "
' Exactly. I actually defeated her and made her agree to follow my orders. I can't just leave her on the streets and my house isn't going to be enough. There's something wrong with her. She isn't evil but she is rather lost. Don't tell her I told you these but, in the past she lost her family because of her own wish, when she was still fighting for others. You haven't seen her fighting yet but ever since that incident she stopped fighting for others, only killing witches while letting familiars evolve into witches by killing other humans. '
Sayaka: " What? How are they related? "
' Her wish was for her father's sake. For others to listen to her father's words. But her wish made everyone brainwashed by her father. After noticing that people listen and obey his preaches without any doubt, even those that are opposite of his previous words; he decided to kill himself along with his wife and his other daughter, Kyoko's little sister while calling Kyoko a witch for bewitching people. In a way, he is right. Everyone around him was bewitched by Kyoko's powers. That's why Kyoko promised herself to use magic only for her own sake.'
Sayaka: " That's... I never could have guessed. "
' I don't want you to be understanding of her. On the contrary, I want you to be judgemental. You haven't been a magical girl as long as me and Mami, you are fresh blood. That's what you have over us. I want you to use your common sense as a civilian and make her remember her old days when she felt satisfied fighting for good. When she was sure of what she was doing... The way this goes on, nobody will be saved, not her and not those she will abandon to death. '
I breathed
' Also, I have been cold towards you because you were so much different than Mami. I attacked you partly because of it. '
Sayaka: " What do you mean? "
' Mami won't mind if I tell you her wish, and I think you should know it. The truth is, Mami lost her parents in an accident she was also involved in. She was in the car when they crashed, when she lost her parents and almost her own life. That's when Kyubey appeared before her. She was super close to dying, and she wished to live. That's it, she just wished to live. '
Sayaka: " That's... "
' She didn't gain anything more than you, she just wished to live just like us. And yet, this didn't anger her at all. She put her everything into saving people and helping them. She can't even spend time for herself. She raised my standarts and when you started whining over becoming a magical girl I kind of wanted to hurt you. But that was wrong of me. I didn't give you any chance to adjust yourself. And I can't expect you or anybody else to be ready to sacrifice their own lifestyle for others. Mami is unique and I shouldn't compare her with others. '
Sayaka: " Is this why you like Mami-san so much? "
Homura: " I guess... I just want to take some weight off her shoulders so that she can have the time to breathe. "
After a brief silence:
Sayaka: " Will Madoka also become a magical girl one day? "
' No, never ever. I can't let her become a magical girl. I told you all something like Madoka's fate would mean the end of the world, right? I was serious. She should never become a magical girl or everyone would die. '
Each time Homura returns to the past, Madoka gets stronger. She should be capable of destroying the world now. I can not allow her to become a magical girl.
Sayaka: " But Madoka wouldn't kill anyone, she wouldn't even hurt a fly. "
' Yes, but her intentions don't matter. Even if it's against her wishes she would still destroy this world. '
Sayaka: " Why? Why do you know everything about people? Mami and Kyoko's pasts as well as fate of everybody? I don't think you are close enough for them to tell you, that girl was just afraid of you. When you accused me of hurting someone dear to you, were you also talking about the future? "
' In a way, yes but not always. Some of it happened in the past that changed. '
Sayaka: " And that's why you dislike me? "
' Yes, and because I am stronger than everybody else, I wanted to hurt you more and more. When I am speaking about it now, I can understand that this is all wrong. Power indeed requires responsibility, it shouldn't influence my personality. Now that you have the same power as me, magic, you will either turn out to be like me, Mami or Kyoko. I hope you won't turn out like me, or at least forced to be. '
Sayaka: " You told me what changed Kyoko, but what made you like this, Homura? "
' I couldn't help the person I loved most when she needed me most. I just want to carry on that person's legacy by saving those I love. But I am not her, not as radiant nor as soft. That's why I sometimes hurt others. That's all I am going to say. Now, continue walking. '
After a while.
Sayaka: " I have decided! I won't stay stuck in the past feeling depressed. I will use my new powers for good and protect this city. "
What? I didn't expect this. Was she always like this? Would she act like this if she became a magical girl on her own? Faint memories of Homura are coming to my mind, as if to confirm me, she would take on the role of the self-proclaimed ally of justice. I also remember something like that but these memories aren't enough to justify her change of heart. I remember them as her coping mechanism. But now, she sounds sincere. Have I judged her wrongly? Was she a better person than I made her out to be?
' Good for you. ' I could mutter when I realized I was taking too much time to reply her.
Sayaka: " And I will save this world alongside you guys. "
' Even though I hit you back there? "
Sayaka: " As I said, I won't be stuck in the past, nothing good would come out of it. As Madoka told me, you have saved our lives and healed Kyosuke. Our relationship doesn't need to be so bitter. "
' Agreed. Then when we are gone, I will entrust this city to you two, the ally of justice. ' I said last part rather silently.
Sayaka: " Huh, what did you say? "
I smiled. Even if my actions weren't perfect, I am blessed with such a result.
Sayaka: " Hey come on, what did you say? "
' I am sure you will come up with the same name anyways, there is no need for my intervention. That will be proof of your soul's beauty. '
Sayaka: " Homura you are... "
' Hmm? '
She lets out a laugh
Sayaka: " You are a rather strange fellow, you know that? "
' Agreed, I wouldn't accept it any other way anyways. I will save some of Mami's cake for you. Maybe not today but come over sometime before we go, bring Kyoko as well. '
Sayaka: " You were talking about sending Mami-senpai away to find allies before. So you are also going away now. "
' Actually, Mami was ambushed when I sent her on that mission. '
Sayaka: " What?! "
' She returned home injured. I spent almost all my magic to heal her as much as I could. The same girls that ambushed Mami, Oriko and Kirika attacked me when I was trying to kill the witch that appeared in hospital. '
Sayaka: " Is this what you meant back then? "
' Yeah, when I threatened you I was talking about this. They attacked me but I proved to be stronger than them even without magical energy. And they ran away from me, I was feeling triumphant until I saw Kyoko and this boy writhing in pain. After running away from me Oriko must have attacked them. I didn't know Kyoko came to Mitakihara and I don't know who this boy is but they still got hurt because I let Oriko run away. Next time I see Oriko, she won't be as lucky as this time. '
We reached Mami's apartment and I messaged Mami to come downstairs to welcome me;
' Thanks, I can take over here. You should go to Kyouko's side, She must be bored waiting for you. '
She nodded and leaned the boy towards me before letting go.
Sayaka: " Then, I shouldn't make her wait too much. Don't tell Madoka about me by the way, I want to surprise her. "
' Alright, good luck with Kyouko. ' as she left.
