／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼
Libera Me from Hell
／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼
Author Notes / Super Rant:
Phew at long last this one is ready to publish, took me a long time!
Nothing is more inspiring than getting such wonderful and detailed reviews! Thanks guys! I'm really glad you are enjoying the story so far. BTW improved last chapter to make Mami's section less convulted because as many pointed it was the weakest part and the one I liked the least along with a superficial fix to chapter one "I wish" to make it more in accord with the rest of the story.
Also it was such a joy to get news and review from Grimgrendel, the one that inspired this story to begin with, thanks man/madam/dude/dudette? and hope you can get to enjoy it! You have no idea how much it means!
Been checking on TV tropes, and despite how wrong and how much I dislike the green mugi, I'm making an effort to avoid Ron the Death Eater for her character and hopefully not pull a The Scrappy or a Sue on what comes next. Any ideas, suggestions or complaints are welcome!
／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼
Chapter 6 – Common Morning (Rescue XD)
／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼
"Mitakihara news presents - Now on national events, an explosion on the southeastern sector of the city of Kasamino razed down two apartment blocks; the causes of the explosion are still unknown but authorities believe to have been caused by a gas leakage that accumulated on a back alley in the rundown sector of the district. At least 7 human causalities have been reported along with 20 other injured which the authorities have relocated to Kasamino's General Hospital. And now for international news, another sighting of the mysterious man bat…" Mami Tomoe stared blankly at the TV screen while washing the dishes non-stop, no longer paying attention to the news. Her attention was on a distant place and time…and a very special someone that now lived in Kasamino.
"What have you been up to…Kyouko?" she found herself saying to no one in particular. It had been almost a year since she had last seen the redhead which made her reflexively clutch her chest at the memories of their relationship and the painful departure of Kyouko left her all alone.
／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼
Song: Yuki Kajiura - Ubi Eam
"Rosso Fantasma!" shouted Kyouko at the top of her lungs as she jumped out of the way of the witch's attacks, her cheeks tinted red and noticeable even from the platform Mami was grounded and trying to hold down the witch with her ribbons. The witch, a hybrid between a bird and a human, huge and skeletal frame with wings instead of arms that were set aflame as the beast screamed a shrill voice between a bird cackling and a human that made Mami want to cover her ears as they started bleeding, 'endure, have to endure…' recited Mami to maintain her focus on the ribbons that bound the witch as close to eight Kyouko's launched themselves and severed parts of the beast.
The flaming wings fell down and the beast let out another scream as it used its feet to try to trample Mami. Taking advantage of it, the blonde shifted her ribbons and ensnared its legs to use the witch's own weight to make it fall to the ground. The earth shook as the witch made its way to the floor and Mami rolled to the side to avoid being struck by the witch's head as it fell on the ground and droplets of red flew from the floor, drenching Mami on it.
"Ugh" said Mami as she stared at the beast trying uselessly to stand up and her now stained dress.
"Ready for the oven!" said Kyouko as she stared at the witch.
"Oven? What do you mean Kyouko?" said Mami confused at her apprentice's strange phrase while wiping the red smears from her face.
"Well this thing here tastes like wine and we have a chicken so…" said Kyouko while grabbing some of the red fluid with her finger and licking it happily to Mami's horrified expression.
"You tasted that thing Kyouko?! Gross!" said Mami to which the redhead just laughed. "But well, I'll reprimand you later, let's finish this!" the blonde continued as her attention focused back on the witch while throwing an object into the air. Rising and winking at her only spectators, Mami summoned a huge ribbon and quickly transformed it into a canon, pointing directly at the witch's head.
"Tiro Finale!" shouted Mami at the top of her lungs and a huge yellow blast fell towards the witch, incinerating it. Falling on the ground Mami curtsied briefly as she spun around with preternatural grace and caught the cup of tea in her hand to Kyouko's applause. The two girls smiled at each other as the barrier crumbled to dust.
"Geez that barrier made me hungry Mami!" said Kyouko while rubbing her stomach for emphasis.
"You're always hungry Kyouko…" said Mami while chuckling at her apprentice's antics. "But I believe that's it for today, let's go to my apartment and I'll treat you something" said the blonde smiling contently as they walked away from the alley; she had never been so happy in her life.
／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼
She was in the ground, clutching her stomach where a huge gash bled constantly while trying to hold back the tears as Kyouko stood several meters away while clutching her spear; not daring to look at her in the eyes. The setting sun contrasting with her darkened features as she repeated over and over, 'I'm all alone, I'm all alone…'
"Sorry for not being what you expected" said the redhead while looking away from the blonde in front of her, her hands clutching her spear with all her strength while doing her best to not relent on her decision.
"Sakura…?" said the blonde with the tears falling freely, 'please don't leave me'
"Goodbye, Tomoe Mami" said Kyouko while retreating from the pitiful figure on the ground, 'it's for the best'
"I'm…all alone again…" Mami lowered her head while trying to keep her control as she saw her Soul Gem darkened considerably while tears fell from her eyes.
"One day, you'll definitely find…someone better who'll be your friend…" was Kyouko's reply as she backed away and disappeared from sight.
Mami cried all night until finally falling asleep.
／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼
The blonde returned to reality and stared at the glass she had been cleaning for several minutes, 'it won't get any cleaner' she chuckled to herself sighing and putting it in the counter.
／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼
Song: Yuki Kajiura – Scaena felix
The morning sun greeted Madoka as she slowly opened her eyes and stretched her tired body, everything ached and she felt cold after having finally fallen asleep over Homura's rooftop.
"So much for a watch" said Madoka tiredly as she rubbed her eyes with her right hand and looked at Homura's window; her friend was nowhere on sight which must mean she had already woken up and would be out of the house anytime.
'Must move quickly' thought Madoka as she closed her eyes and focused on her Soul Gem resting in her hand; the Gem quickly reformed from the ring into its usual form as she felt the tingling of magic running across her fingertips, through her arm and filling her body with warmth as she tried to locate Homura's position.
Suddenly Madoka's senses expanded across Homura's home filling her mind with information. Homura was currently in her mother's bedroom, her mother still asleep from last night and her heart was beating slowly as she kissed her mother in the cheek and prepared to go to school. Madoka could hear Homura's breath and she could picture her going through the stairs towards the front door.
／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼
Song: Yuki Kajiura – Scaena felix
Homura felt paranoid that morning; as if someone was watching her everywhere but tried to not think much of it as she greeted her still sleeping mother and prepared to go to school with heaviness in her heart as she dressed. She felt tired after having spent the whole night writing but it had been worth it as she now handed several sheets of paper that she intended to read to the books club members. Even though the sun was barely visible in the horizon and classes wouldn't start in several hours, Homura wanted to start the meeting as soon as possible as it always helped her relax a little and prepare for what was to come in class so most of the club's meetings started early in the morning.
Homura breathed loudly as she opened the front door, visualizing herself a great day ahead as she went out. 'Everything's right, open the door, close the door…' she was surprised to find a pink haired girl casually walking on the side of the street while painfully trying to look natural. Suppressing a smile, the black haired girl raised her hand to greet Madoka.
"Good morning, Kaname!" said Homura as she got a better view of the pinkette. She noticed the stained and crumpled Mitakihara uniform along with the even more ruffled hair than the day before and she wondered if the pinkette had bothered to take a bath or even change clothes…
"Oh hello Homura!" answered Madoka as she walked while doing her best not to fall due to the jagged asphalt that she herself had produced as she did her best to not be noticed by Homura sneaking in her house, some parts of it still producing thin billows of smoke that thankfully weren't noticed by Homura.
"Are you going to school this early Kaname?" asked Homura as she walked up to the pinkette and bowed politely. 'You're not stalking me again, right?' she thought hoping that she was just being paranoid.
"Umm…yeah…I like going to school early!" said Madoka with a face that wouldn't have convinced an eight year old.
"Right…" was Homura's reply as she clutched her bag and prepared to go and then, against her better judgment she said. "Would you like to accompany me then Kaname?"
"I'd be glad to, Homura!" said Madoka eagerly while clutching her own crumpled bag. It was an ugly squared package which tended to hit her painfully in the ribs whenever she walked but it was cheap, and that was more than enough as long as her mother Junko kept sending her sparse money from time to time.
／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼
The walk to school was quiet as Homura lifted her head to try to make small talk only to have Madoka do the same and having both shut up instead. The feeling of unease could be cut with a knife until Homura finally managed to compose herself enough to ask the thing that had bothered her for a long time.
"Say Kaname, about those warnings you gave me last time…what do you meant with them?" asked Homura to which the pinkette tensed.
'I didn't expect her to ask that…what should I do…tell her about him?' memories of Madoka contracting whenever she learned of the truth started filling her mind, from screaming Madoka's to smiling and apologetic versions of herself flashing before her very eyes; it was certainly very creepy to see herself falling every time and feel the agony in Homura's chest at her inevitable death. 'But she isn't me so it's not a variable I can predict' whispered the dark voice that was Madoka but Homura at the same time and decided to tell only part of the truth until learning more of this version of her black haired friend.
"Ka…Kaname?" the pinkette heard Homura say, visibly apprehensive about suddenly having the pinkette freeze into place and unsure of what to do.
"I…It's nothing Homura, I just spaced out" said the pinkette trying to reassure her friend while giving a small but cheerful laugh. "Before I answer you I'd like to know…say Homura…you believe in miracles?" asked Madoka more serious while looking at those purple eyes with her own warm pink ones.
Song: Yuki Kajiura – Sis Puella Magi!
'What a girl, first weird, then cheerful and serious again…' thought Homura slightly surprised by such a sudden question. This girl was a wild card indeed…"Well…I have never experienced one personally but I'd like to believe they exist…I have no doubt if such happy events where possible, people would keep their hope" answered Homura while smiling widely
Madoka did her best to choke a laugh, a cynical laugh filled with something Homura couldn't make out of her but suddenly gave her the feeling she wasn't talking with Madoka at all but another person, colder and clinical after having witnessed great loss. She didn't know what to do about it but suddenly felt more uncomfortable in the pinkette's company.
"Sorry about that, it's just that…you're right, miracles do exist" said Madoka turning serious again but no longer sporting the cold cynical eyes Homura had just seen. It was weird to watch her change so suddenly. "But what no one tells you is the horrible price you have to pay for them…" Madoka continued.
'That I can tell…and this I can't…' thought Madoka as she continued her explanation to Homura while they kept walking. "As the teacher Kazuko said the first day I transferred, I had a heart disease. The doctors gave me two years of life at most" said Madoka while choking herself due to the pain of remembrance, a memory that wasn't even hers which made it the most shocking, thinking of another's death as if it was hers…
"I was frustrated, angry at the world for cutting short my chances to experience life. I was weak, I couldn't even practice sports because my body would break down and I fell behind in my studies as I had to leave school for months at a time whenever my heart had complications." said the Madoka that wasn't Madoka.
"Then…a miracle happened. I prayed for a chance to cheat death and my heart was miraculously healed" said Madoka making Homura's eyes widen in surprise at the prospect.
"I thought everything would be right from then on." she gave a dry laugh, devoid of life. "I was such a fool to believe that for you see, they tell you that miracles solve things but what they don't tell you is that all miracles have a price, and believe me when I tell you it's too costly to pay" continued Madoka coldly, "Happiness and despair balance to zero as the goodness generates evil and the Universe keeps its balance; a good miracle will always generate an equivalent curse. Mine was an eternity of suffering and failure and believe me when I tell you it would have been easier to just be done there than to continue like this" she concluded with a pained expression in her features as she finished her tale.
"Wow, and how did you pay for that?" asked Homura visibly put off by the pinkette's tale. 'She's a real loon' she thought but tried to avoid saying something that would be un-respectful to Madoka 'or make her attack me…' her mind seconded.
"Sorry but that's too personal, just keep in mind, wishing for a miracle is the worst thing that you can do" answered Madoka visibly stressed after having let out that information and unwilling to tell Homura the mechanism through which Kyubey acted lest she be tempted into making the Contract. "Besides, we're already at school. Mind if I accompany you? I still don't know a lot of people and I'd really like to see what all these clubs are about".
The black haired girl looked around to see that effectively they were had just arrived and she hadn't even noticed due to how engrossed she was with Madoka's tale, and not just due to the warning but also a more selfish interest. 'I could work with this for my story…wonder if she would mind if I use this or even notice…'
"Yeah, I'd be glad to show you the club!" said Homura happy to focus on something less creepy and far more satisfactory. The school still had few students as activities would start in two hours so she had plenty of time to spare anyway.
／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼
"Two hearts rusting together in a world without song, what do you see?" was the alarms tune which it kept playing at full volume as a hand grabbed it and threw the machine across the room where it impacted loudly against the wall, the glass on the delicate object cracking and leaving the alarm in the ground where it uselessly tried to keep playing "And I'm home', sparks flying from it until it stopped playing altogether.
"Damn, this is the third one in the week!" groaned a bluenette girl as she stared at the object she had instinctively grabbed from her nightstand and thrown with tremendous force, cleaning her eyes with her hands and covering herself further under the bed.
'Why must you schedule the club meetings so early Homura!?' the bluenette mentally groaned to herself unwilling to stand up and mumbling "5 minutes more…". She wasn't a particular book lover and went to the club mostly to support her friend along with trying to get an edge over Hitomi after Kyousuke had admitted to liking her as "more than a friend due to her intelligence and lady like personality". Sayaka's features darkened at the memory as she fell asleep.
／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼
Song: Evangelion OST – Misato 01
Sayaka and Homura were eating at the Urobuchi café they usually hanged out after school, Sayaka had ordered the Kiritsugu burger with extra despair (potatoes and what the owner referred to as Caster's special sauce jokingly said to be made from little children among the students…) while Homura was simply drinking a cup of "Headless coffee", (yeah, weird names like that) when they noticed Hitomi entering the place with a visibly angry expression.
"What's the matter Hitomi?" asked Sayaka as she saw the green haired girl's tired expression. "Did something happen with your tea club or something?"
"It's another love letter, it's so annoying!" said Hitomi as she grabbed another white envelope from her bag and handed it so the other girls could see. The letter was rather simple with very stylized and almost girl like writing on it.
"Hope you liked the chocolates I sent you last time. Hope one day we can hang out and enjoy them together" – K
"Wow Hitomi you're so lucky with the boys! Not that we didn't expect that from such a bombshell" laughed Sayaka after reading the letter and giving it to Homura that calmly read it while smiling slightly.
"Indeed, I'm really happy for you Hitomi" said Homura still smiling and handing the letter back to her friend.
"Oh Homura what are you smirking at? You want one too, don't you?" said Sayaka while resting her arm over Homura's shoulder and smirking widely.
"Well…it wouldn't be bad to get one" said Homura shy as her cheeks reddened and she stared at the table as if it was the most interesting thing in the world.
"Oi naughty girl! But I won't let you, remember you are my waifu!" said Sayaka as she tried to tickle the smirking form of Homura that laughed quietly while Hitomi tried to regain control of the situation while also laughing slightly at her friends antics.
"Don't tease her Sayaka, you're making her uncomfortable! Besides...she might believe it" said Hitomi while putting a hand over her mouth to hide her smile, her eyes wide and not believing she had just said that.
"You too Hitomi? Heh looks like we're rubbing up on you, maybe what happens is that you want to be my waifu too!" said Sayaka playfully while grinning at Hitomi.
"That…that's forbidden love!" said Hitomi visibly flustered at what the bluenette had said.
"Just kidding!" said Sayaka while lifting her hands in defeat. "By the way, now that we're on the subject of love, who do you like girls?" asked the bluenette while staring at the other two. Homura looked down while Hitomi got even redder.
"Oh come on, we're friend right? Spill it!" insisted the bluenette when they didn't seem to share.
"Well, I still haven't met someone I'd be interested in" said Homura while looking at the table, "it would be nice, someday…" she said more confident as she tried to picture how her soul mate would look like and imagining a knight in shining armor from the stories she loved to read, "someone brave, and smart, and…pink haired" she finished and was startled at what she had just said, 'what was the last thing?
"Oh Homura you always so romantic" said Hitomi while smiling at her friend's antics while Sayaka laughed loudly and putting a hand on her chin while thoughtful she said, "I…I might like someone, but it can't happen" Hitomi said darkly while looking at the other girls.
"Wha…why not?" asked Homura while looking at her friend's eyes.
"Circumstances…let's leave it at that" said Hitomi and decided to address Sayaka while hoping they would keep their questions to the minimum "What about you Sayaka? Do you like someone?" said the green haired girl with a small glint of hope in her eyes.
"WHA…ME?" said Sayaka while getting visibly red, "why would I? I'm not sure… I…" she laughed visibly but stopped as she saw the serious face of her friends. There was no escape to it.
"Come on Sayaka, you're the one that brought the topic and besides, we're friends, right?" said Homura trying to reassure the bluenette. She already had an idea of who this person was but wanted to hear it directly from her friend, trust was important in a relationship after all…
"I…I…" the bluenette stammered as she breathed hard and said "okay, I like Kamijou Kyousuke!" she shouted at the top of her lungs while standing up making everyone in the café turn their heads to look at the bluenette which prompted her to get as red as a tomato.
Homura stared at her wanting to facepalm but then to the bluenette's surprise the usually serious girl gave an uncharacteristic snort and laughed loudly.
"Hey!" said Sayaka while getting even redder if that was possible but started laughing along with Homura shortly after. When the laughter finally subsided they stared at each other and Homura spoke.
"See? It was no big deal" said the black haired girl while cleaning a tear from her eye due to how much she had laughed while resting her own arm on Sayaka's shoulder.
"Indeed, actually you should confess to him" said Hitomi in an uncharacteristic strained voice which Homura noticed but the bluenette didn't.
"I don't know…what…what if he says no…" said Sayaka while visibly stressed and unsure of what to do with her hands at the moment.
"What if he says yes" countered Homura, "and if he said no, then it would be his loss for he has no idea what a wonderful girl you are" she continued while trying to reassure her bluenette friend.
"And no matter what happens, we'll always support you" said Hitomi while putting a hand on Sayaka's shoulder and trying to sound encouraging while doing her best to hold back tears.
／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼
Song: Nodame Cantabile – Itsuka Mita Fuukei
It had been a rainy afternoon when Sayaka made her way to Kyousuke's room, legs trembling and her bag full of classical music CD's which she planned to listen with the boy as she grimly entered the room.
"Oh Sayaka!" the violinist said happy as he greeted the bluenette girl as she entered the room. "Please take a seat, I was wondering if you wouldn't come".
"I…I was kinda busy…" she answered while looking at the boy and remembering the songs he used to play as a child and made her heart dance in his strings.
"It's okay, I'm glad to see you well" he answered while smiling at her. Sayaka's heart melted.
"Say Kamijou…I was wondering…and I don't mind if you don't wanna answer!" the bluenette quickly added trying to sound reassuring, 'why must it be so hard!?'
"What's it Sayaka?" the boy leaned over to her curious about her weird behavior.
"Well, today I was talking with my friends and we…we were talking about love…" started the bluenette, "do you…like someone? But you don't have to tell, I'm just curious!"
Kyousuke laughed at Sayaka's antics while pondering, his right hand resting on his chin as he thought. "Well…there's this girl I've known for a long time…"
"Really?" said Sayaka expectant.
"Yeah, she has taken good care of me and I really appreciate her"
'Someone that has cared for him…' Sayaka's heart started thumping loudly in her chest as she leaned over to where Kyousuke laid in his bed.
"Yeah, she's smart and funny and very beautiful" the violinist continued not noticing Sayaka was leaning more and more.
"Yes?"
"She's got such a good sense of humor and I always feel better when I'm with her"
"YES?!" Sayaka was inches from Kyousuke's face now, her eyes shining expectant and her mouth agape, 'I can't believe it, this is…'
"Yeah, I have sent her several letters, I wonder if Hitomi liked the chocolates too."
'…the worst day in my life…' thought Sayaka as she felt something within her breaking in thousands of pieces and her hopes plummeted to the ground. She leaned back on her chair.
"Ah…Shitsuki Hitomi…" said the bluenette in a voice she had never heard from herself, hollow and broken as she fought the tears that tried their best to fall from her eyes. 'Don't cry in front of him, don't cry in front of him…'
"Yes, she's so intelligent and ladylike, I hope to confess my feelings in person when I'm healthy again…Sayaka?" Kyousuke suddenly stopped talking as he saw the bluenette sobbing quietly in front of him. "What happened? Are you feeling sick?" he asked slightly worried about the sudden change of behavior in his longtime friend.
"No…it's perfect…everything's…perfect…" Sayaka sobbed louder this time unable to hold back the tears that fell freely from her eyes and abruptly she stood from her seat, the chair falling to the side and raced outside against Kyousuke's protests leaving all her CD's behind.
／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼
Song: Fate OST – Surrounded by smiling faces.
"I'm late! I'm late!" shouted Sayaka at the top of her lungs thirty minutes later as she swallowed the food in one go and grabbed her backpack to go to Homura's club. It was the third time she came late to the club and if she intended to challenge Hitomi she had to do better than that.
"Sayaka, just so you know I'll be outside the city this week" said Sayaka's mother Kanon as she dressed herself in business gear. She was a successful businesswoman and owner of a chain of sea food restaurants across several cities which meant she rarely had time to tend to her daughter's needs. Her background meant she naturally drifted towards equally busy businesswoman Junko Kaname that spent even more time as her working in her medical business.
"Again mom? Well, it's alright, take care!" said Sayaka trying to sound understanding only to find her mother already busy checking several papers. The bluenette's smile fell and she focused on going to school as quickly as possible.
／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼
Song: Yuki Kajiura - Postmeridie
"Lady Hitomi, it's time to go to school!" a cheerful mature voice said to her as she opened her eyes. It was Mei, her nana, a middle aged woman with brown hair dressed in a long and frilly maid suit. Wrinkles beginning to show in her face but in a way that gave her the appearance of profound kindness almost like a really nice grandma. She had taken very good care of Hitomi since she was a child, always doing her best to keep her away from harm and giving advice and confidence to whatever the girl had to say. She loved her nana very much, she was her second mother.
"Good morning nana Mei!" answered the green haired girl at her nana as she stood on her elbows against her huge queen sized bed. Quickly a tray of food was served in front of her as her nana placed several different kind of dishes and served her a steaming cup of tea.
"Oh nana, you didn't have to!" said Hitomi after looking at all the food and smiling kindly to her parental figure.
"Oh but my little girl is growing so fast, you need to eat well to be at your best" answered Mei smiling kindly.
"Thanks nana! It looks delicious!" said Hitomi as she started eating. "I wonder if Rachel would like a taste" she said as an afterthought as she raised a doll that was by her side on the bed. Hitomi always liked to play with the idea that Rachel was alive and talked with her. She knew it was silly, after all those years to keep talking with a doll; but having lived a mostly secluded life full of activities which left her with little time to hang out with real friends like Homura and Sayaka…she had to make do.
"Don't worry darling, I already prepared another tray for Rachel" her nana said as she put another tray with fake food at the doll's side. Hitomi hadn't expected that and laughed at her nana's antics.
"You did all that for me?" said Hitomi impressed.
"Of course, anything for my little girl" said her nana in reply.
"I love you nana Mei"' Hitomi said softly while smiling and eating her food.
／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼
Song: Yuki Kajiura - Conturbatio
After having finished her breakfast Hitomi went for a bath. 'Two hours for class, still have time' she thought as she sunk on her bathtub while thinking. It had been two days since Sayaka had confessed to Kamijou and the bluenette had been very depressed, unwilling to tell her what happened.
Sighing, the green haired girl sunk lower on the bathtub letting the water soak away at her worries; the scent of lilacs relaxing her heartache as she blew the bubbles that formed. 'What should I do…should I tell her? But…I can't…and it most probably will be the end of our friendship'.
Hitomi didn't know what to do. For one she could reciprocate Kamijou's feelings and start a relationship with him which would make her family very happy as her mother always told her that she should marry someone in such a good standing as Kyousuke who was a talented violinist player and had a rich and prestigious family background full of talents from his merchant father and mother to his uncles that where war heroes and even his grandgrandfather who had been royalty; doing so would also mean Sayaka would most probably hate her and she would have to break up their friendship permanently.
Such a thought hurt Hitomi deeply as Sayaka meant to her a lot…the other option was to keep being a supportive friend to Sayaka and hope that Kamijou miraculously changed his feelings from her to Sayaka. Somehow she doubted that was possible even if she put all her efforts in getting Kyousuke to understand that Sayaka was the best that could happen to him, and then…what about her needs? Where was she left?
For it broke Hitomi's heart to know Sayaka wouldn't even consider it; she had low hopes anyway, after all, what were the chances that Sayaka swung that way? All these years having the idea of loving another girl drilled into her head being 'forbidden love' by her family and Hitomi still couldn't envision a future where Sayaka wasn't in the equation. She loved the bluenette in a deeper way than she had loved any boy, she loved her quirks, she loved to hear her laughter, she even loved the way she made mistakes and even loved her obnoxious and out of place comments.
But it wouldn't work, their fate was never to be with each other and that was what hurt Hitomi so much.
She got out of the bath and her nana cheerfully handed her a robe which she used to cover herself while drying her hair with another. Hitomi sighed, 'even if she never gets to love me the way I do…if she's happy that should be more than enough for me to be happy, right?' she didn't feel that convinced about it.
／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼
Song: Fate OST – Surrounded by smiling faces.
Oriko lifted herself from the bed, Kirika still sleeping with an arm wrapped around Oriko's waist as she looked at the place.
She lived in a crumbling mansion that once belonged to her dad; one of the few properties that the state had let her keep after her father was discovered embezzling money from the government and killed himself.
The mansion had long sinuous corridors and a black and white checker pattern which Oriko had personally set after she had moved in, removing the red carpets as they gave her bad memories, 'of father lying there on the carpet…blood pouring from his head where the bullet had come…'. All the maidservants had left after the incident, refusing to work there anymore due to how the house generated bad press and so the mansion was left to crumble; most of the light bulbs having short out and many of the rooms in the vast mansion in total darkness while collecting dust. Not that Oriko cared that much, she had little use of so much space and kept the mansion because it belonged to the Mikuni family and as such it was only right to be occupied by a Mikuni heir…
Kirika was sleeping loudly next to Oriko, her mouth open and snoring freely while lying completely clotheless upon Oriko's urging. It had been a long time since she had allowed herself the luxury of feeling the warmth of human contact and the fact that it came so close and from her love Kirika made her feel giddy inside.
She went to take a shower and suppressed a scream as she felt the cold water against her skin; the boiler they used to warm the water had been malfunctioning lately and Oriko didn't have the funds nor the time to fix it. She could ask Kirika to do it but…she didn't want to abuse Kirika's kindness. Oriko knew that if she asked for it, Kirika would gladly walk barefoot the stairs of hell, 'and maybe she has already…' thought Oriko upon remembering she was the reason of Kirika's Contract and so she felt she had already asked too much of Kirika, specially as she had retrieved her bleeding and bruised body from an encounter with an obnoxious Puellae two days ago. The idea of losing Kirika made Oriko's heart stop momentarily as she remembered the way Kirika had clung to her, whispering her name in her ear and crying in joy at having Oriko there by her side…
Shutting her eyes and forcing the memory away Oriko Mikuni decided to steel herself and do something about it. Kirika wouldn't wake up in several hours as she wasn't very much a morning person, unlike Oriko that couldn't sleep at all when her powers kicked in and the visions became too traumatic to bear. But bearing the fate of the world on her shoulders was her burden to bear and she didn't want Kirika to suffer from her lack of control.
Oriko made her way to the mansion's basement, transforming from her pajamas to her Puella Magi outfit. Now dressed in a beautiful white dress that looked a lot like a wedding dress with blue ribbons and a blue hat that reminded Oriko of the hats the aristocrats her family frequented, she grabbed a bowl of cereal and milk along with a spoon as she walked down the stairs of the cold and decrepit family basement while humming a classical song to herself while she walked.
She opened the door and coughed a little as the dust settled in the place. It was a sparse room almost entirely in shadow with a stone floor that didn't leave much space for warmth with sturdy stone columns that supported the whole place along with the much hated boiler that was as Oriko expected malfunctioning again. The whole place was covered in a thin layer of dust and it smelled strongly of moss and rotten wood, all was dusty except the most recent acquisition to the mansion which laid unmoving over a stone table.
Song: Alice Madness Returns OST – Track 01 – Main Theme
Carefully strapped with chains and leather straps laid a redhead dressed in a black tanktop and ragged shorts; her eyes glazed over and staring but not seeing at the ceiling, completely empty as if dead. 'Which she is, for now…' thought Oriko grimly as she took the wooden box she had retrieved from her bedroom and opened it to reveal a shimmering red Soul Gem which belonged to the bound redhead in front of her.
Taking the gem and putting it on another small wooden table at the redhead's side, the Gem started shining and the girl that had been quiet moments before let out a loud gasp for air as the lungs that had been over 16 hours without working came back to life.
The redhead looked at the surrounding area as if in a daze until her eyes finally settled on the girl standing in front of her.
"We meet again, Kyouko Sakura" said Oriko to the angry redhead in front of her which prompted Kyouko to struggle against her bounds trying to be set free.
"Coward! Useless piece off…" said Kyouko doing her best to free herself from the bounds and shouting at Oriko every curse word she knew.
"Such poor manners…remember you're a guest here" Oriko narrowed her eyes while looking a Kyouko struggling in vain to free herself. "Looks like yesterday's lesson didn't sink in, I suppose I'll have to discipline you again" said Oriko with coldness in her voice making Kyouko cower.
Kyouko started breathing harder and wild, she knew what would come next and she didn't want to but there was no escape.
An orb materialized in front of Oriko, it was a green pulsating and glowing sphere which reminded Kyouko of vines in some way. Her face changed to horror as Oriko gave her a small smile and suddenly the sphere went flying at an impossible speed and struck Kyouko in her right elbow which gave out a loud creak as the orb impacted and made Kyouko scream at the top of her lungs, her arm bent at an unnatural angle.
The orb moved back to where Oriko stood and she spoke in a sweet and comforting tone. "Now are you ready to tell me about the newcomer magical girl?"
"I…I don't know anything and even if I knew…I wouldn't tell ya you stupid bitch!" Kyouko answered defiantly while holding back tears as Oriko made an angry scowl.
"Well, if that's how you want it…" said Oriko with her features darkened as the orb flew again and stuck Kyouko in her left ankle prompting another scream from the redhead as she struggled again against the bonds, a tear running down her cheek against her will as she tried to withstand the pain.
"How about Tomoe Mami? Tell me about her tactics dear" said Oriko while softly caressing Kyouko's cheek in a motherly way. "I promise if you do I'll give you a brief respite from the pain" she said with a small smirk in her eyes trying to make the redhead loosen to her.
"Go to hell!" shouted Kyouko as she spat to Oriko's face.
"You little!...okay, so be it" said Oriko wiping the spit from her face in a disgusted fashion as she started humming Connect while the orb kept striking different parts of the redhead's body, eliciting groans of pain and muffled screams which Kyouko did her best to suppress as she felt several bones breaking from the assault.
'I have at least one hour left until Kirika wakes up and I have to attend class, Shirome is half an hour away so…no hurry' thought Oriko as she calmly ate her cereal while humming and looking at the orb bouncing back and forth.
／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼
After a full hour of play Oriko Mikune grabbed her bag and decided to take a detour instead of going to school while clutching her head in protest. 'All those screams gave me a migraine, I don't feel like dealing with brats today' was Oriko's thought as she got aboard the first Taxi she could find while rubbing her temples and still annoyed at how Kyouko had screamed louder the more she went on.
"Where do I take you miss?" said the taxi driver, a middle aged man with American complexion and chubby face along with a gentle bearing to his factions with glasses, a brown tuxedo and a beret on his head. He smiled kindly and Oriko could see his eyes glinting with mischievous intelligence.
"Mitakihara's – Kinderheim Orphanage please" said Oriko softly to the driver; he seemed like such a nice fellow, such a shame her visions told her he would become a serial killer in two years from now...
After almost one hour of sitting idly in the backseat and staring at the man whose driving license read 'Jeff Hope' they finally arrived at 'Mitakihara's – Kinderheim Orphanage', a set of black stone rundown buildings with dark clouds hovering over the place. It didn't seem amiable in the least which was the reason Oriko had chosen to come here in the first place.
"Thank you and…take care" said Oriko to the amiable taxi driver after handing him several bills and he drove off. For a moment she considered dealing with him but if her visions were correct he would soon be stopped by another 'functional sociopath' and everything would be right with the world; she didn't want to alter too much fate if she could avoid it and she had enough pressing matters to deal with already, what with having not one but two extremely powerful magical girls, from which one was an unknown factor while the other could Contract anytime and whose transformation would mean the end of the world as we know it. No, Oriko had a lot to think about…but not today.
Song: Yuki Kajiura - Clementia
"Oh lady Oriko, it's great to see you again!" said a feminine voice walking calmly towards her; she wore a black and white nun outfit which marked her petite frame. She was an older woman, close to reaching her thirties, tall, brown haired along with a pair of hazel nut eyes framed by black squared glasses which gave her a stern look.
"The pleasure is mine, Ryu" replied Oriko while giving her 'politically correct smile' at the nun. Oriko had known Ryu several months after she Contracted. She knew she was a very kind person and treated the orphans very well…she also knew she would steal from the funds and badmouth Oriko from time to time; she hated it but her power was not hers to control, besides…the number of people that didn't outright dislike her after learning of her father's 'misadventure' was very slim and growling lower every day.
"I'm aware you received this month's donations" asked Oriko.
"Indeed, we and the orphans are very grateful for your constant help lady Oriko" said the nun, 'and so is your wallet' thought Oriko grimly but let it go.
"I'm glad it has helped them." said Oriko without emotion.
"It really has, you know how hard is to maintain such an orphanage, and being an orphanage for terminally ill children…" said the nurse while smiling sadly but she was interrupted by a childish wailing "hey Cletus! Stop biting Miku!" shouted the nun.
"Sorry lady Oriko but I must tend to my duties. Enjoy your stay here." the nurse bowed apologetic and turned away.
Oriko started walking calmly amongst the children while smiling at them. She used to attend this place to play with them and try to cheer them until their last moments, she knew it wouldn't be enough for her to atone for the sins she had committed in the past, even less for those she would need to commit in the future; but Oriko Mikune felt she at least owed the world that much, in her name and her father's.
"Mama Oriko!" shouted a childish feminine voice that startled Oriko of her own thoughts as she saw the person she had been looking for.
"Mayu! It's great to see you!" said Oriko as she approached a 12 years old girl, brown short hair cut up to her neck, with a kind but serious look in her eyes that nonetheless managed to keep her innocent look in them. The girl smiled widely and wrapped her arms around Oriko in a happy embrace while Oriko laughed and returned the embrace.
"Wow you have grown a lot!" said Oriko cheerful while patting her head. It broke Oriko's heart to know this girl wouldn't get to see adulthood.
／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼
Song: Charles Gonout – Ave Maria
"And this is our littlest patient" said the nurse while pointing to a young Oriko Mikuni as she saw a small girl covered in a huge sweater that made her way across the room while doing her best to not be noticed. The girl gave Oriko one small stare to which the Puella Magi gave her a confident smile trying to make her feel comfortable…only to have the girl run away without looking back. Oriko's smile fell as the nun told her the girl's story.
"She has been infected with AIDS after receiving abuse and rape from her stepfather" the nun said with sadness in her voice."Her mother abandoned her while reprimanding her for 'taking her husband's love'" she has told us when in group therapy. "She's so quiet, but also very strong. After having endured such abuse the girl finally escaped home and lived as a vagrant on a wooden box. We found her with a dog, just a bunch of bones…poor girl…" Oriko felt sick, how a family could be so evil with a poor girl, Oriko's father wasn't the best but he always loved her and did his best to teach her to be a good girl even if he himself fell short in the end. 'This is intolerable' thought Oriko and from then on she took upon herself to protect and cheer up the little girl any way she could until her time finally came.
The seer had even thought several times about asking Kyubey to make a Contract with her but had relented in the end believing the girl would be better off having a quick death than suffering permanent torment and witchdom by following the path of a Puella Magi.
／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼
Song: FSN OST – Gentle Everyday
"Oriko, are you alright?" said the girl while staring at her protector's eyes, to which Oriko gave a little yelp of surprise.
"Yeah, sorry about it, look I brought you something" said the seer as she sought in her bags and finally got out a rolled chocolate candy. She gave it to the girl that upon receiving it smiled in delight.
"Thank you mama Oriko!" said Maiyu cheerful while taking away the envelope which she saved in her pants to remember such event. "I wonder if Wanta would like some" she pondered.
"Honestly…I wouldn't recommend it, chocolate is toxic for dogs" said Oriko with a sour face as her mind gave her a vision of Maiyu crying over her beloved pet's corpse. "Seriously"
"Okay, I'll remember that, thanks Oriko!" said the girl as she ate the chocolate happily while patting a small furry creature by her feet. "Wanta says thanks too!"
"Hello Wanta!" said Oriko kneeling on the grass and grabbing the puppy in her arms to which the dog started licking her affectively to both girls laughter.
／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼
Song: Yuki Kajiura - Conturbatio
This is the story of two friends, two friends that were separated by the cruelty of fate as they fought in vain against destiny itself to be together.
One was a cheerful young girl that loved to hang out with her friends; to those that didn't know her she would have seen like your typical high school student. She was cheerful, talkative and something of a ditz but for those that truly got to know her, she was a surprisingly kind soul that always had words of encouragement for everyone and that loved the world infinitely, so big was her love in fact, that she was willing to sacrifice her life and her future so that everyone would be safe.
The other friend loved this girl with all her heart but she didn't feel herself as anything special at all; actually, she lacked any special talents and she was sick from a rare disease so a lot of time she felt like a load compared to her amazing companion. She was always lonely and got depressed easily but the cheerful girl tried again and again to cheer her up, always by her side despite how difficult it was to be with her. It made the sick girl very happy.
One day, disaster struck and the cheerful girl had to make a difficult decision. A huge catastrophe came over the city and everything would be destroyed. The girl could flee and make another life while letting everyone die or she could fight and stand her ground, taking the risk of dying in exchange of the chance to save the city.
Her sick friend was so scared and pleaded for her to flee because she loved her friend so much that she couldn't fathom this cheerful girl that was like a lighthouse in the darkness of her life, disappearing. But the cheerful girl would have none of that as she loved everyone so much, and so she risked everything, giving out her life in exchange of everyone else.
The sick girl was so sad at seeing her friend gone and cried a lot. Her friendship had changed her life and she felt guilty about not being able to repay her for everything she had done for her; she was angry at the world and fate for taking away such a magnificent soul that deserved better and not even knowing it.
Somewhere among the darkness a figure appeared, a genie some would think, and he made the sick girl an offer she couldn't reject. A contract to cheat death itself…the sick girl would have her friend back but in exchange the sick girl would have to fight against the evils of the world…
The sick girl didn't think twice; ready to do anything to save her beloved friend. And so…their adventures began…
Applause, she heard the sound of clapping hands coming from far away as she lowered her notebook and looked at the club members, 20 students, boys and girls applauding her after she had read the fragment of a new story she had come up last night. Homura felt tired but proud at having come up with something like this in such a short time and relished the feeling as she lost herself in the story, as if it had happened for real…
In the distance, the silhouette of Madoka stared at her sadly.
"That was a really nice story Homura!"
／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼
CHAPTER END
／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼
End Notes / Another Rant:
References ahoy! Let's see how many you can find XD
About Homura's father, Guess, Drinkie and Merciful Idiot, you're completely right, heheh, it's NOT canon but it was too fitting to let it pass so bear with me. I won't meddle with the Grail nor the Counter Force here but I have in mind at least two crossovers that may implement after I'm finished with this and Maiya's story (which might be a long time from now…).
Hope you liked my rendition of Oriko; the idea behind her is that she is a really nice fellow…until you get in her way and she starts cutting you up…a mix between Knight Templar and The Unfettered as she is like Homura but willing to go to places Homura wouldn't.
Made Hitomi gay because I enjoy the irony of her being such a purist while also being the one most affected by those 'forbidden feelings'…
Also the original idea was to have Kyouko and Kirika K.O. each other (like a certain Kick Ass scene I loved) and have Kyouko escape battered and with Kirika still hunting her until reaching Mitakihara to warn Mami about the impending danger while Oriko tortured an anonymous Puellae but well…had to make up for my lack of gore and despair in my other story Judgment which as Timmy Sparx pointed was too soft, heheh.
Also thanks MariiKo for your reviews! I'm glad you liked the music. I've had some troubles getting the right tunes as I'm not so much of a musical person but doing my best here. Also I'm trying to add other songs beyond those of Puella Magi to avoid boredom. If only I could embed the songs directly here things would be so much easier, maybe in the Archives of Our Own is possible, will try and give you the link if it can work there.
And yeah the rant length is exponential to the number of days I spend without publishing, heheh.