A/N: Hey guys! I want to thank everyone who favorite, reviewed, or is currently following this story! The reviews and support we get from you guys are awesome! I know that it's been a while since we've last updated, but we made it worthwhile and made this chapter longer for you guys. We won't make any promises, but we're going to try our best to update this story monthly. As always, please R&R and enjoy the chapter!
From here on out, things are going to get serious with the girls.
~ Chapter 8: Excursion, Wish, Apart ~
~ Mitakihara City: Amai's Residence/Family Restaurant ~
Admittedly, a sense of nervous tension crept under Nagisa's skin.
It was always liked that when she went on the hunt for witches, and it never got easier. The first time she accepted her fate as a magical girl was not long after her wish was first realized, and the bittersweet sensation still remained to this day. As she shifted from normal girl to less so, her mind wandered to the first time she met Kyubey and the time afterwards.
She hated the little critter, wishing with all her heart she could step on him.
Her first witch hunt had been a horrible start. She hadn't even managed to kill the witch, that nervous she had been. At least she got away with her life; Nagisa assumed the witch had not been interested in her newly formed magical soul.
Sometime afterwards, she begun to focus more on controlling her magic, and her second witch hunt had been a lot more successful. The witch still didn't get to her, but she managed to save a life. How amazing she felt when she came to that powerful realization.
And then her third hunt.
The third time she indirectly met Mami Tomoe. Nagisa really shouldn't call it a hunt, since she had only sensed the witch and made her way towards the labyrinth; however, when she arrived the destroyed husk of the familiars left her wandering as to how it happened.
She felt stupid at not realizing sooner; of course there was another magical girl. She surely wasn't the only one. In fact, Nagisa might recall Kyubey mentioning it once or twice, but she didn't really care for the blasted thing so maybe she hadn't listened if he had. Nonetheless, Mami blew her breath away as she watched her work. So in awe Nagisa had been, she didn't notice the familiar attempting to attack her from behind. Mami hadn't seen Nagisa, but she definitely seen the minion and a bullet took care of that. She remained there even after the labyrinth disappeared.
Nagisa turned to look at Amai as the older girl collected her nerve. Her fourth hunt involved this girl, and it was her most successful yet. She wasn't the one who defeated the witch, but she kept Amai safe until the end. Once again, Mami had been a joy to watch, ridding the world of the witch as if she were nothing. Judging from the look on Amai's face, she thought the same.
And now the two of them were heading out to find a witch – the fifth hunt for Nagisa, the first for Amai.
The older girl declared she wished to learn more about the magical girl life, and as Mami appeared hesitant to impart her wisdom – a disappointing fact, Nagisa thought – the brunette thought it fit for the younger girl to train her.
Nagisa saw two problems with this.
Firstly, as a younger person, Nagisa wasn't entirely comfortable with the notion of being an older girl's teacher. It should be the other way around – like how Amai had been teaching her about the restaurant and about her family.
Secondly, Nagisa was literally a baby in the face of Mami's experience. However, Nagisa wasn't blind to Mami's reluctance. For some reason the blonde refused to train Amai when the brunette showed every sign of wanting that. Her refusal left Nagisa as the next candidate; to Amai, just the simple notion of transforming and using magic was enough to deem the white-haired girl a teacher.
Nagisa took a breather in an effort to calm her nerves. It helped little. "All right, Amai-neechan, your turn."
The brunette blinked. "Uh..."
"You need to transform, too."
"I know that. I... just don't know how."
"You need to focus on your Soul Gem."
Amai lifted her left hand. "This ring is the gem thing, right?"
"Yes, when you're in civilian form, your Soul Gem turns into the ring."
The brunette gazed at the jewelry in thought. She closed her eyes.
A minute passed. Nagisa fidgeted. "What are you doing?"
"I'm trying to concentrate."
"Are you sure you're focusing on your gem? Imagine the ring and try to focus on the warmth inside you. I know it's there. It's your magic."
Amai hummed, and Nagisa assumed she resumed her focus. Her ring began to glow a soft green that slowly began to envelope her. A green Soul Gem materialized above the ring. Amai's eyes popped open as she reached out for the gem. As the crystal fell into her grasp, the rest of her body was consumed by green.
As Nagisa's eyes adjusted to the light, she saw Amai's outfit change. A few seconds later, the light faded and left Amai in her magical girl outfit: a dark green tube top and harem pants, and a short, light green vest, a set of dark green greaves, a brown kusazuri, brown combat boots and a gold tiara with a green gem in the center nestled on her forehead. Amai looked down at her outfit in awe, her hand reaching for her necklace – modified by her magic, the trinket gained a few embroideries, namely a Celtic design that meets up to the emerald at the joined point.
"You definitely look ready for battle." Nagisa commented as she looked at her own outfit.
"Whoa... this... is... AWESOME!" Amai throws her arms in the air.
"Shhh! Keep it down!" Nagisa's eyes nervously darted towards the door of the room; she wouldn't know what to say if Xavier chose to walk in on them now. In fact, it was important they'd leave as soon as possible.
Nagisa stepped towards the open window. As she hung on the edge of the frame, she turned to Amai and gesture for her to come outside.
Amai looked at her blankly.
With one last gesture, Nagisa pushed against the wall of the house towards the roof of the next one. She landed softly, turning to see Amai's next move.
The brunette poked her head out, wide eyes on Nagisa's form. She looked left and right nervously, before placing a foot on the windowpane and stepping out herself. Once the entirety of her body hung outside the window, she pushed her body away from the wall...
...towards the street below.
Nagisa face palmed. She jumped off the roof to land next to Amai. "Why didn't you follow me?"
"Um, do you know how high up we were?!" Amai hissed.
"Huh?"
"I am NOT going to risk killing myself on my first witch hunt!" The brunette was shivering at the end of her confession.
Nagisa tried to put two and two together. "Are you scared of heights, Amai-neechan?"
"LET'S GO!" Amai reached for Nagisa's wrist and pulled her into one direction.
~ Mitakihara City: Downtown ~ (Witch's Labyrinth)
A little ways away, Nagisa put her weight down to stop them. The two of them were heading aimlessly, and Nagisa needed to clarify something.
"All right, Amai-neechan, our primary guide to finding witches is our Soul Gem." Nagisa summoned her gem from her belt and held it out. She nodded when she saw the soft glow from within. "Our gems pick up on the signature of a witch's power. They will lead us to them."
Amai took a moment locating her Soul Gem, extracting it from her tiara. The gem was also glowing. "Okay, so now what?"
Nagisa gave a smile as she held the gem aloft. It emanated a swirl of magic that started into one direction. "This way!"
The two of them avoided the roofs for now, merely dashing towards the less travelled paths. As they neared the witch, their gems' glows picked up in intensity.
"Hey, stop!"
They skidded to a halt. Nagisa turned to look at where Amai was pointing.
From a distance, a number of people staggered forward. The quantity wasn't really cause for alarm but the way they walked made Nagisa suspicious. She gestured for Amai to follow her.
"Look at their necks," the younger girl pointed at them.
Amai squinted her eyes. "What's that?" She noticed a symbol of some sorts glowing on the junction of the neck and shoulder.
"That's a witch's kiss." Nagisa explained how people with the marks were entranced victims of the witches. "They can lead us to the labyrinth."
"But isn't that a bad thing?" Amai frowned. "We should just help them now."
"That's true, as well. Come on."
The two of them approached the group. Amai didn't know what to do next, but Nagisa stepped up to the plate. With a mumble, a few tendrils of magic reached out for the people, slithering in front of their faces. The people stumbled in place before dropping to the ground unconscious.
"Whoa..." Amai continued to stand in place as Nagisa walked up towards the folks. With a sweep of her hand, Nagisa encased them into individual bubbles.
"This will keep them safe while we deal with the witch."
"You've got to teach me that!" Amai exclaimed.
Nagisa smiled. "We all have different forms of magic. Part of this excursion is to start discovering your style."
"And how do we that?"
"We'll figure something out when we're near the labyrinth." The two of them moved forward, Nagisa in the led, in the direction of the magic concentration. Both of their Soul Gems were glowing their brightest at this point. The two of them pushed forward until their surroundings began to change.
Unconsciously, Amai gave a shudder. She still hasn't gotten over her first encounter with a witch. Even in her wildest imaginations, she hadn't ever imagined creatures such as the witches to actually exist.
"All right, let's try something here. If you want to, you can try to feel for the witch. This is their domain, so it can be anywhere, but sometimes their magical signature will be stronger in certain places in the labyrinth."
"Like their favorite hangout?"
"Yeah! Try it out!"
Amai took a breath and let it out as she tried to focus on her magic. Nagisa was right; when she reached down inside, she could feel a strange warmth. She didn't know how else to describe it but 'magic'. It was just kind of difficult to get a grasp around it – understandable since it wasn't exactly tangible.
But she kept coming back to it so easily because it felt so much like 'her', this magic. She knew she could fall back to it, depend on it to see her through. Now she just needed to learn how to command it so it can help her.
She focused on a thought – 'Help me find this witch!'
At first, Amai's magic alluded her grasp. Then it expanded a lot – too much – but in the end it made a blazing path towards a single direction. She felt a pressure of magic at the end of the line.
"That way." Amai pointed down the path, a little out of breath.
"You're using a lot of magic," Nagisa pointed out with a frown.
"Is that bad?"
"Yes. It's not good to use too much of your magic. But I guess it can't be helped; maybe it'll be easier for you to use your magic in combat than as support." Nagisa blinked and looked left. "Perfect timing."
Her trumpet materialized in her grasp as the witch's familiars turned down the hall. Amai followed her gaze, taking a step back. "What do I do?"
"Do the same thing you did earlier, only this time you have to have the will to fight." Nagisa looked back to her with a smile. "Let's see how your weapon looks."
With a nod, Amai tried to focus on her magic again. This time, it felt easier envisioning her magic to take the form of a weapon. Both of her arms spread out in front of her as tendrils of green magic enveloped them. The strings reached the tips of her fingers and then took the form of large rings with four spades on each fourth point. Amai regarded her newly developed magic in awe.
"You did it!" Nagisa's eyes shone in glee for her friend.
"Yeah, I did it!" This was WAY better than a modified pepper spray! With a fierce grin on her face, Amai dashed forward and sliced her chakrams through the first familiar she met up. The little creature gave a squeal of pain as it disintegrated.
Amai followed through with a quick successions of slices through the familiars following behind the first. Nagisa joined in, her trumpet horn spewing a torrent of bubbles to surround their enemies with. Any of the minions thrown back by Amai's attacks fell against the bubbles.
One of the minions rose above the rest, gaining in size to tower over the two magical girls.
"Oh, crap!"
"Don't panic, Amai! Fall back!" The two of them jumped back and looked at the minion flailing around. "Huh... I wonder how it got like that?"
"Shouldn't we, I don't know, try to fight it?" Amai was itching to attack with her new weapons.
"This isn't a game, Amai-neechan. We can get seriously hurt out here." After some thought, Nagisa elaborated. "I'm sure you can combine your magic with your weapons."
"I can make my attacks STRONGER?!" Amai exclaimed with bug eyes. "HELL YEAH! Let's do this!"
Nagisa tried to get a word in, but to her surprise, Amai's body was overcome by a wave of green magic that once again settled onto her hands and chakrams. Instead of slowly dissolving, the magic remained, the tendrils intensifying into green flames.
"Whoa! What?!" Amai looked at her hands in surprise, throwing her hands out in front of her in shock. The flames shot out towards the large minion, hitting it square in the chest. It gave a slight roar as it fell back.
Amai looked at her hands in shock. "What just happened?"
"It seems you called upon your magic without much thought." Which can get dangerous. Nagisa quickly realized the flaws in Amai's battle style; feeling out your magic is essential but not at the cost of extensive magic use. She saw that this was a perfect time to step in.
Nagisa snapped her fingers, and the remaining bubbles still encircling the room neared the giant minion from behind. They ensnared the creatures shadowy legs. It gave a grunt of confusion at its lack of movements. "Now, Amai!"
The brunette didn't give it a second thought. With her chakrams at the ready, she dashed forward once more. She knew exactly what needed to be done even if she couldn't exactly explain it.
Firstly, Amai struck the minion's arms, taking away its methods of attack. The creature howled in pain. Amai was already moving to its legs, cutting it away from Nagisa's trap. It flipped into the air.
Amai stepped back, holding her arms out before her arms were encased in the green flames again. With a cry, she threw one chakram and then the other at the familiar. Both struck their target on the chest, and vanquishing it to dust. In the middle of the dust, a dark shaded orb appeared.
The dust settled; Amai landed on the ground with a grunt, breathing heavily. Nagisa sighed in relief.
"So that was the witch all along..."
"Was it, now?" Amai sounded so out of breathe. The labyrinth faded in the background.
Nagisa walked up to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Can I see your Soul Gem?"
Amai summoned the jewel after some mild confusion. Nagisa looked it over.
"I thought so; it's darkening slightly." Nagisa then walked over to the floating black crystal and took it in her hand. When she turned back to Amai, she held the gem out for her to see. "This is a Grief Seed."
"Hey, I've seen that before..." Amai thought for a second. "Wait, the first time I went with you to hunt a witch, when Mami killed it, didn't it drop something like this?"
"Yes, it did. This is something known as a Grief Seed. All witches drop these when defeated, and it's the price us magical girls strive for."
"Why?"
"Because this..." Nagisa held Amai's hand. She pressed the Grief Seed and the Soul Gem together. "Is used..." The Soul Gem slowly lost its darkness and the Grief Seed drew it out. "To purify our gems."
Amai watched silently, entranced until her gem was fully cleaned. Nagisa peered at the seed for a moment before coming to a decision.
"Here, you should hold on to this." She passed the seed to the girl's other hand.
"Are you sure?"
"Yep! It still has a few more uses, and you're going to need it for the rest of your training." Nagisa beamed. "Always remember the importance of Grief Seeds. They are essential for a magical girl's existence."
Amai nodded. "Roger, Teach."
~ Mitakihara City: Observation Tower ~
A large crunch settled in the air as a red-haired girl took a bite out of an apple. "So that's the new magical girl, huh?"
"Technically, there are two new magical girls." Kyubey responded next to her. "The other is presently watching the results of her wish before heading out on her first witch hunt as well. There's also the fact that unlike Amai, she doesn't have the luxury of a teacher at the moment."
"Why's that?"
"None of the other girls know that she made her wish. I suspect they'll be learning about it shortly."
The redhead looked thoughtful. "Is Mami one of those girls?"
"Yes."
"How come Mami isn't training this one? She's awful."
The comment was out of both spite and secondhand embarrassment for the brunette. The redhead didn't recall EVER being this bad at witch hunting even when she started off. She caught the brunette running straight for a building after the white-haired girl convinced her to traverse by rooftops. From the first moment, the redhead could tell the brunette had issues with heights; it didn't take long before she fumbled mid-flight and crashed.
"I wouldn't go so far as to say that. I wasn't expecting Amai to have this much potential. Her magic can be described as chaotic but not necessarily in a bad way. It fluctuates, going from less to more in seconds. It's a double-edged sword; she possesses great powers at the expanse of magic usage. She'll tire herself out quickly, but if she can get the hang of her powers, she can easily be a trusted ally."
"Glad to see someone is confident about her."
"I must ask, though; why have you decided to return to Mitakihara?"
She took one last bite of her apple before answering with a savage grin. "I'm just scooping the competition, is all."
~ Mitakihara City: Amai's Residence/Family Restaurant ~
Juudai opened the door to Amai's room, only to find it empty.
"Xavier, did you notice where Amai went?"
"She left the house earlier with Nagisa."
The orangette turned to look at her little brother with an odd look. "You knew and didn't say anything?"
He shrugged. "They were in their weird get-up, so I thought it was supposed to be a secret."
Juudai's heart skipped. "Weird get-up?"
"Yeah, Nagisa-chan was wearing an orange coat and brown shorts. Amai-neechan was wearing this cool green costume. Kind of like convention sort-of thing, I think."
"At night?"
"Hey, I'm not judging, especially if Nagisa-chan uses her bubbles."
With those words, Xavier left for his room, Juudai on his trail. The late hour signaled his bedtime, so he settled into his bed. Juudai sat on the edge.
"Honey, what do you mean by 'bubbles'?" She had a suspicion she knew what Xavier was hinting, but she needed to hear more from him first.
The boy shrugged again. "Nagisa used the bubbles to save another kid before. I saw it happen. The kid fell from a tree and a bubble showed up and saved him."
"...When did this happen?"
"About two weeks ago."
"Did Nagisa stick around?"
"No. I don't even think anyone saw her, except me."
Xavier eyes fell closed. Juudai swept a hand through his hair, and the soothing motion slowly put him to sleep. She slowly picked herself off the bed and walked over to her desk. With a yawn, she pulled out the chair and sat to get started on her homework. She continued working on it for a good half hour before she heard the front door open. Juudai stretched her arms behind her back before standing up and leaving the room.
When she arrived on the bottom floor, she came across both Amai and Nagisa. The brunette looked exhausted and her hair a mess, but otherwise fine. Nagisa had a tired smile on her face. "Were you waiting up for us, Juudai-neechan?"
"Doing my homework."
"You need to go to sleep soon." Amai scolded.
"Like you're one to talk." Juudai retorted. "Went to kill those monsters?" Amai sighed. Nagisa chuckled. A brow lifted on Juudai's face. "Was it that bad?"
"It was TERRIBLE!"
"I wouldn't go so far as to say that." Nagisa defended. "We just had a bit of bad luck when it came to finding witches. The very first encounter was a witch; the other three labyrinths were familiars that were growing in power. So we only got one grief seed."
"And I used the damn thing up." Amai scowled holding up a black stone.
"I'll be taking that." Kyubey announced from an open window.
Amai shrieked; Nagisa jumped back and glared at the critter with a fierce frown. Juudai turned to him with a small smile. "Welcome back."
"Thank you, Juudai." Kyubey jumped down and approached Nagisa. The girl stepped back with a low growl. His little head bent to the side. "I really must see that before it becomes a threat to us all."
"Wait, the Grief Seed is dangerous?" Amai's eyes widen.
"Did you use it to clean your Soul Gem?"
"Yes."
"Then the answer to that is yes. Once it's reached its limit to cleansing your Gems, I have to take it into my custody before it reactivates."
"What does it reactivate to?" Juudai was actually curious to know.
Kyubey turned his head to her. "The witch will return. Grief Seeds are extremely useful to magical girls because they draw out their impurities, but that same impurity gives the Seeds the strength to revive the witch lying dormant. That's why we are tasked to securing a Grief Seed once it's reached its limit. It's one of the other services we offer."
He turned back to Nagisa. The girl looked like she struggled with an inner decision. Amai placed her hand on the young girl's shoulder; the two of them looked at one another before Amai gave her a nod. Nagisa sighed before bending down, holding the hand with the Grief Seed out towards Kyubey.
The marking on his back opened – something that came to a shock to Juudai. "Please place it there." Nagisa dropped the Seed into the socket.
The lid went shut, not leaving a hint of a spot on his back. Amai shuddered. "That's creepy."
"Seems convenient." Juudai shrugged.
"It'll be safer in there than out here." Kyubey padded over to Juudai. The orangette reached a hand down to his level; he climbed onto her hand as she stood back up to her full height. "How did you feel after your first hunt, Amai?"
"It could have gone better, but..." Amai's face shone past her exhaustion. "I like it."
"I'm glad to hear it."
"If anyone should be going to sleep, it's you." Juudai chimed in. "You look like crap."
"Thanks, Judy." Amai deadpanned.
"Sleep sounds nice right about now, but can we eat first?" Nagisa pouted.
"Your plates are wrapped up in the kitchen." Juudai helpfully provided. The two girls muttered their thanks before stepping out of the room, leaving Juudai with Kyubey. She looked at him. "Would you like something to eat as well?"
"That would be nice, yes."
Juudai nodded and made her way to the kitchen, too. Kyubey jumped on top of a side table she passed and jumped again to land on her shoulder. Reflexively, she reached to pet the creature – she just couldn't resist. He was a soft thing, rabbit-like in appearance, and Juudai had a weakness for cute little things. To her relief, Kyubey rubbed against her hand.
"Sorry." Juudai doesn't know why, but she felt she needed to apologize for her actions.
"It's all right. For some reason, humans enjoy petting me. I will admit that it feels rather nice."
When the two of them entered the kitchen, Amai stepped away from the counter – where she was reheating her food in the microwave – and pointed a finger at Kyubey. "Nu-uh! He stays out of here!"
"What's wrong with you?" Juudai rolled her eyes as she said.
"I don't want a rat in my kitchen!"
"I'm not a rat. Do I look like one to you?"
"Damn straight!"
"Just give me a moment to get some food for him." Juudai sighed.
"Don't do that! You'll encourage it to come back here!"
"He's with me, not running around the kitchen. Shut up!" She grabbed a small bowl, filled with some curry she made the day before, and took that with her – she thanked goodness she thought about placing her own microwave in her room. It really helped on those nights when she really needed to cram for school.
Leaving the kitchen, she headed back to her room. Xavier was still asleep, and the sight brought a smile on her face. Kyubey jumped off and settled on the coach while Juudai placed the bowl in the microwave.
"I'm sometimes fascinated by the technology your species possess. It's really interesting how far you've developed since the origin of your species."
"Is that so?" Juudai kept her voice low in consideration for Xavier but she inclined her head towards the creature to show she was listening. "How long have you've been on this planet?"
"Quite long. I will admit that while we were not here at the beginning of your time, however, we kept an eye on you for some time before we arrived here."
"So then... you're an alien." It wasn't a question.
"By your species' definition, yes. We are not from this world. But once we arrived here, we begun to offer our services to your kind."
"Out of the goodness of your heart?"
"I don't believe we have this 'heart' you speak of."
"Nevermind." Juudai responded after a moment. She tried not to think too hard on what he said, but her curiosity was truly begging her to keep asking questions. The microwave signaled the end of those particular thoughts. "Here we go; I hope you enjoy." She removed the plate from the oven and set it down before Kyubey. He helped himself right away.
"This is really good. Did you make this?"
"I did. Just something I wanted to practice on a little; it's not every day I cook for myself. It's mostly Amai and her father that cook for the restaurant; I don't have the confidence to cook for other people that aren't my family. What about you? How do you get your meals?"
"I don't normally eat. It's not a necessity like for your species. I do enjoy partaking in a meal every now and then when it's offered. I will admit there are particularly delicious dishes that I enjoy."
"Huh, so that explains why I haven't seen you eat."
Kyubey looked at her with those unblinking red eyes. "Juudai Naosoroshii, are you fond of your life?"
She gave him a strange look. "Yes. Why do you ask that out of the blue?"
"No reason in particular; I'm just curious to know why you are so interested in me."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Most girls that I come across usually question me about being a magical girl; you are the first in a long time that asks about me personally."
"Why wouldn't I ask about you? You're an intelligent, talking animal... thing. Of course, I'd ask questions. If you don't mind me asking." She quickly added the last part.
"I don't mind – it's actually refreshing. If it's all right with you, I'd like to ask you some questions as well."
"Yeah, it's only fair if I'm going to do it." Juudai smiled. "I'll wait until you finish eating, though."
Kyubey focused on his meal. Juudai told him she'll be right back before exiting the room. She returned to the kitchen to get a snack. She found Nagisa still eating her food.
"Where's Amai?"
"Taking a shower!"
"Can I tell you something?" Nagisa hummed an affirmative. "I think Xavier knows you're a magical girl."
Nagisa paused in her eating, face paling a bit. She set her utensils down. "I... thought so."
"So you knew?"
"I had an inkling. He spoke with me the other day, about how he saw me using my magic once at a school. His school I guess."
"Saving another kid."
"Yeah."
"Thank you for telling me that. You should hurry up and eat so you can go and freshen up."
Nagisa nodded and went back to her meal. Juudai went back to her room and saw everything was still normal. Kyubey was halfway through his plate.
"Can I ask you a few questions?"
"You can."
"Can regular people see witches?"
Kyubey shook his head. "No, regular people can only see witches when they chose to be seen."
"And so normal people can't see you?"
"Correct."
"Well, then can a boy become a magical boy?"
"Are you asking because of your brother?"
Juudai nodded.
"In our history, there have been magical girls and boys. However, it's extremely rare when human males show the capabilities. Human females are more common to possess magical abilities."
"I'll stop with this question: a person can witness a magical girl in their element?"
"Yes, a magical girl can be seen. Unlike witches, you can't exactly hide away from sight."
"So someone can be a witness to your magical exploits?"
"Precisely."
It added up.
"If it makes you feel comfortable, I won't ask your brother if he wishes to be a magical boy. I'm not sure if the process would go smoothly or not, after all."
A weight Juudai didn't know she had lifted from her chest. She heaved a sigh of relief and smiled. "Thank you."
"It's no problem at all. However, are you TRULY sure you do not wish to make a contract with me?"
Juudai chuckled. "Just eat, Kyubey."
~ Mitakihara City: Mami's Apartment ~
A number of treats were set out in plates with a pitcher of tea and two cups on the edges. Madoka took a whiff and sighed. "Everything smells divine!"
"Go ahead and help yourself." Mami smiled.
"Thank you!" She started munching on a few cookies, all the while staring at the blonde from the corner of her eyes. Mami did not look well. Slight dark circles were under her eyes and her skin appeared slightly pale. Madoka paused in her snacking to ask, "Mami, have you've been doing all right?"
"Huh?" Mami jumped slightly, eyes dilating as she looked at Madoka. "Oh, no, no! I'm fine. And what about yourself, Madoka-chan? I'm sorry I haven't been seeing you all lately."
"Oh, no! That's fine! I know you're busy and can't always be with us."
"No, that's no excuse. You know, it never occurred to me to share numbers with you. Do you have a cell phone?"
After the two of them switched numbers, they went back to their little tea party. Madoka finished her little plate of sweets and took a gulp of her tea before continuing the conversation. "Homura and I thought it would be a good idea if we all hung out together."
Mami hummed. "Are you speaking about the study session? I do believe that's this Friday. It would for us together we can't afford to stay behind on our schoolwork."
"Oh, well, yes, the study session time is coming up but I didn't mean just that." Madoka fumbled with one of her pigtails.
"Oh, what did you mean, then?"
"We were kind of hoping we could all take a trip to someplace – like say, an amusement park."
The silence that followed was deafening.
"That... does sound nice." Mami reluctantly admitted. "But why bring this up all of sudden?"
"Homura and I thought it would be nice for us to get away from this and just have fun."
"Are you telling me I should just turn my back on Mitakihara to go on a VACATION?"
"Nononono! Not like that!" Madoka quickly added. "Mami, you can't just always be hunting witches and not relax every now and then."
Mami sighed. "I know, but I can't just turn my back to my duties just like that."
"It's not like witches attack every day."
"I suppose, but..."
"You don't have to answer right away. It'll take some planning for us to put everything together." Madoka drank the rest of her tea. "Have you've spoken with Amai-san?"
She regretted the question when she saw a dark look pass over Mami's face. "Ah, Nevermind..."
The look left Mami. "Oh, have you've seen Sayaka lately?"
"Yes, I did. I had seen her the other day. She seemed really happy. I think something must have happened between her and Kyousuke."
"Huh..." Mami took a thoughtful sip from her cup.
"I wonder if whenever Kyousuke is ever discharged from the hospital if he'd want to come with us to the park as well. I think Sayaka would like that!"
"Oh, Sayaka has a crush on him?"
"Yes, she does but she hasn't said anything to him yet."
"Oh, dear." Mami actually chuckled at that. "So that explains why she's always going to the hospital to see him." A mischievous look settled on the blonde's face. "Speaking of which, what about your love life, Madoka?"
"Huh!? Oh, no, I don't have anyone in mind..." The pinklette attempted to wave the conversation away from.
"Nuh-uh, I don't think so. Talk." Mami grinned, all the while leaning closer to Madoka. "Is there a cute boy whose caught your eye? Or maybe a girl?"
"Mami!"
~ Mitakihara City: Amai's Residence/Family Restaurant ~
With a yawn, Amai walked back to her bedroom. "Hey, Nagisa! Rise and shine!"
The whitette groaned in her bed and turned away from her. Amai took that as invitation to jump on top of her. Nagisa grunted. "Get off of me!"
"Not until you get up!"
The two of them traded words back and forth until Nagisa realized that Amai was comfortable lying on top of her, and wouldn't be moving anytime soon. She stabbed Amai's side with her elbow in an effort to push her off enough for Nagisa to sit up.
Amai grinned. "Knew you'd see it my way. Why are you still sleeping in the afternoon?"
"Because I'm TIRED!"
"Well, stop being tired. I need you to accompany me to the market!"
Eventually, Amai did drag Nagisa out of bed, but only with the promise of a late lunch – and the implications of sweets later. The two of them join Amai's parents in the dining room as they got ready to return to the restaurant. Amai cooed over her baby brother in her mother's arms.
"He's doing very well," Amai commented.
"He likes you very much," her mother grinned.
"Here's the list, dear." Amai's father passed her a list.
"Thaaaank you! Ready whenever you are, Nagisa."
"I'll eat quickly."
~ Mitakihara City: Bazaar Market ~
The two of them stepped out half an hour later. The white-haired girl followed the brunette as they headed to a more rural portion of Mitakihara. They both held each other's hands on the way to the market.
Nagisa watched the people walk by the marketplace with wide eyes. "Wow~ this place is so lively!"
"It is, huh? I haven't been here in a while." Amai walked up to the first booth, pointing to a few items of interest and asking for them to be wrapped. "Either one of my parents usually come here to do the shopping, but sometimes I go with them or by myself. You can find some very interesting objects here, too."
"Oh~ Like those?" Nagisa pointed to a few trinkets in another booth.
"Yep. Wow, those are actually kind of cute. Damn it, and I didn't bring my wallet."
As Nagisa approached the stall, Amai looked around to check any of the nearby stalls. Her eyes fell on a particular stall. The fruits on display looked really appealing. Amai tapped Nagisa on the shoulder, and signaled for the young girl to follow her.
As the two of them neared the stall, Amai looked up in time to see a girl with red hair approach the stand. The girl stood too close to the stall in Amai's opinion.
And then she noticed her hand inching close to one of the merchandise – an apple.
The girl grabbed her target, thinking she wasn't seen, and made to walk away. She gasped in surprise when Amai appeared behind her, gripping her wrist sharply.
"THERE you are! I found you!" Amai forced a smile on her face. "And I see you found what I was looking for. Bonus!" Amai made to snatch the apple out of the girl's grasp. Easier said than done; the girl had a surprisingly hard grip, but after some maneuvering, she took the apple out of her hand. "I'll take a bushel."
As the merchant got to work, Amai pulled the girl away from the booth. Again, easier said than done. The girl clearly did not get the meaning of discreet and struggled as Amai pulled her away. Amai sighed.
Desperate times called for desperate measures.
The redhead yelped as Amai pinched her in the thigh. She went quiet after that.
Nagisa caught up with them at this point, looking at the newcomer in question as Amai gave the merchant the direction to the restaurant. Amai turned to them with a smile at that success.
The redhead rubbed against where the brunette pinched, all the while glaring at Amai. "What the hell was that for?" She spoke for the first time.
Amai shrugged. "Not exactly going to stand there when I catch someone trying to steal."
"For your information, that was going to be part of my meal today." She huffed. "And now it's gone thanks to you. You ARE going to do something about it, right? Which reminds me..."
The girl's hand swept quickly to Amai's upper arm, gathering a good bit of skin between her thumb and index finger before pinching hard. Amai cried out, and the redhead grinned. "That's payback. I'll give you props; you got some reflexes on ya to catch me the way you did."
Amai rubbed her arm with a pout. "Jerk."
"I'm Nagisa!" The girl in question stated.
"Well, I'm Kyoko. Pleasure to meet ya!"
"The poor innocent soul you've violated is Amai."
"Yeah, innocent..." Kyoko glared at the brunette.
The merchant walked around the stall and passed a bag over to Amai. She thanked him before he walked off and turned her attention to Kyoko, passing the bag to her. "Here."
Kyoko blinked. "What's that?"
"Just take it."
Kyoko did, after some hesitation. She opened the bag and peered inside. "Apples, huh?"
"And a bit more if you're willing to accompany us." Amai provided. The brunette looked at the redhead, wondering what she'll do next. Kyoko certainly looked like she was thinking on it.
Eventually, Kyoko shrugged. "Sure, why not?"
"Good! Cause I've been meaning to move on to the next stall!" Nagisa cheered, pushing the redhead in front of her.
Kyoko looked at the white-haired in confusion before aiming her gaze at Amai for assistance. The brunette merely shrugged, gave a smile and waved, following not far behind them.
"Okay, let's see what's next on the list..." Amai took a list and, with pen in hand, began marking at it. As she mentally went over what to do next, her phone rang in her pocket. When she pulled it out to check who it was, a smile spread out on her face.
~ Mitakihara City: Mall ~
Checking over the message, Homura turned back to Madoka. "She says that she's busy right now."
"Of course, she would." Madoka pouted, a little blush appearing on her face. Homura found she liked it – then again, she liked so much about Madoka.
"I'm sure she means it. You can't forget Amai's family runs a restaurant and she frequently helps her parents when they need her assistance."
"You're right. I'm sorry. I just... want this to work out. The meeting with Mami didn't exactly go as planned."
"Miss Tomoe isn't making things easy on us at all, is she?" It really made Homura think. Considering how excited Mami seemed at the idea of Madoka, Sayaka and herself becoming magical girls, she honestly thought it a bit hypocritical that she was putting such an attitude against Amai's decision. Then again, when Homura tried to think about it beyond the wish making and towards the destiny of fighting against monsters, she could understand how risky and dangerous it all was. One would have to plan their wish carefully before throwing themselves to a world of danger.
"I still feel that she and Amai should talk it out." Homura provided. "However, it is difficult to get the two of them together and not feel the tension in the air."
"Yeah, it's really uncomfortable."
"You'd think with the years of separation they wouldn't act like that."
"That's why I'm hoping our little outing idea will work! It would be nice to go to an amusement park or the beach and just spend the day not worrying about everything..." Madoka thoughtfully commented.
"Have you talked to Miss Miki about this?"
"I sent her a text because she didn't answer by call earlier and she hasn't responded."
"That's strange; did she talk to you at all in school?" Homura asked with a look of concern.
Madoka nodded. "Oh, yes, but she seemed a little out of it. We didn't walk to school together today and she left as soon as school ended." The pinklette looked to the side in thought. "I wonder if she had something on her mind."
Homura hummed, looking over her unfinished meal. The two of them had decided to pay a visit to the food court in the mall where everything came to a head not so long ago. She was thankful that there weren't any witches about. "What should I respond to Amai then?"
"Remind her that we're still meeting up for the study session tomorrow."
"Okay." Homura typed up the response. It wasn't long before Amai responded with a yes. "Does everyone else know we're meeting up tomorrow?"
"I'll remind Sayaka just in case." Madoka giggled as she created a new message. "What should we do together after this?"
"I-I-I don't know. Whatever you want..." Homura liked the way Madoka mentioned had they were 'together'...
"We can go to the music store! Sayaka and I haven't been there in a while, so I'd like to check on some things."
"All right..."
~ Mitakihara City: Hospital ~
The sound of a violin filled the air, and Sayaka's soul felt at peace. It was nice to see Kyousuke in his element once again. The small crowd gathered at the roof listened entranced at his performance; some patients, other hospital staff and among them his parents. This was his world. This is where he wanted to return to.
'And I played a part in bringing him back.' Such an overpowering thought...
Once he finished, everyone clapped for him. Kyousuke bowed. His cheeks were slightly red, and he was out of breath. A smile shone on his face. Sayaka felt her heartbeat quicken.
He took a moment to speak with his parents and doctors, the rest of the crowd dissipating. Sayaka stayed behind, watching him from a distance. During the conversation, he turned to look at her with a smile. She blushed and looked away.
His parents returned inside, however Kyousuke remained behind. Sayaka walked over to him when he turned to look at her.
"Thank you for coming when I called."
"No problem." Sayaka responded happily. "I'm so happy for you!"
"Yeah... I don't know how it happened." Kyousuke looked at his hand thoughtfully. "It was like... magic. Overnight, even."
"Maybe... it was just getting better on its own. They just needed to give it time to heal. Something's just can't be cured by science." Sayaka suggested.
Kyousuke looked away from his hand towards Sayaka. His gaze held something that Sayaka had a hard time identifying, and it made her feel slightly uncomfortable. She fidgeted as he remained silent for a while.
"I'll be out of the hospital soon. They just want to check over me a while longer before releasing me. Wish they could let me go sooner."
"You've been hospitalized for so long. They just want to make sure everything is okay before you go back out."
"I guess..." He went back to be silent.
Sayaka inclined her head. "Is something bothering you?"
Kyousuke shook a hand. "I just..." He took a breath. "I'm sorry." Sayaka blinked her surprise evident in her eyes. Kyousuke chuckled humorlessly. "For yesterday. I snapped at you, and you didn't deserve it."
"Oh. It's all right. I know you didn't mean it."
"No, it's not all right. I was frustrated yesterday, and I took it out on you. I don't even know why you put up with me after that."
"Kyousuke, it's ALL right. Look at me." The boy obeyed her. "We're... friends, right?" Sayaka hesitated slightly, but she plowed through. "Friends are supposed to be there for each other, through better or worse. I'm not going give up on you just because you were upset. Things were looking grim for you and... Everyone else has those awful days. And you've been here for months even. I can't blame you for that."
"I still feel awful about it."
Sayaka pondered on what to do to help him look past it. An idea came to her... though it made her feel selfish.
"...If you're that worried about it, how about you take me out?" The bewildered look on his face gave her pause. She quickly added, "After you get out of the hospital, of course! You know, it's been a while since we hung out somewhere that wasn't a white room."
He chuckled at her lame attempt at a joke. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Let's do it."
"Good." Sayaka breathed a sigh of relief. "Then it's settled. We can call each other later with the details. Just be sure to keep me up to the date with the hospital business; I wouldn't mind being here when they finally let you out."
"Okay."
She accompanied him back to his room, where his parents were impatiently waiting for him. They traded farewells and parted ways. Her heart raced and her face remained hot. Sayaka willed her blush to cease and placed her hand over her chest, trying not to excite her heart more at the thought of her 'date' with her crush.
~ Mitakihara City: Amai's Residence/Family Restaurant ~
As the sun set and brought an end to another day, Mami made her way to the Asurito restaurant. Her feet guided her towards the door, but no further. Her limbs started to tremble as she tried to find the will to make her way inside.
'Everything is going to be fine...' It was just a session for studying, but simply knowing Amai was there made her nervous and upset. She breathed out and took a step forward.
"Hello there, Mami," Mrs. Asurito answered the door with a smile. The blonde smiled in response, bowing before entering at the older woman's request.
As usual, it smelled deliciously within the house. Mami could recognize the scent of gyoza in the air. "Are you doing pork dumplings as a special today?" She asked.
Mrs. Asurito nodded her head. "Oh, yes. We had a good portion of the ingredients for them laying around, so we opt to make them." Mami removed her shoes near the entrance and continued to follow the woman. "We'll be serving those for dinner later, if you don't mind." Mami nodded. Mrs. Asurito giggled. "All right. Amai and Juudai are already in there with a few others. Just go down the hall."
Mami thanked the woman as she returned to the restaurant. Taking another deep breathe, she walked down the hall and went inside the room.
Juudai sat in one corner with Xavier, the two of them already working on one of her assignments. Amai was playing with Jayden, her homework completely forgotten. Homura sat next to Juudai, glancing over to Juudai and Xavier every now and then. Sayaka looked out the distance, a forlorn look in her eye. Mami called out to them, gaining everyone's attention.
"Madoka's not here yet?" Mami asked.
Sayaka shook her head after getting up and greeting her. "No. She texted me and told me she needed to do something for her mother first before she can get here."
Homura sighed. Everyone turned to look at her. She looked around bewildered. "What?"
"Nothing, you lovesick puppy," Amai cooed.
The long-haired brunette blushed. "W-what?! No, no, no! What are you talking about!?"
"I don't need to say anything." Amai grinned.
"Stop teasing her," Juudai chastised. Amai turned back to her baby brother.
"I'm just saying the truth," The short-haired brunette pantomimed with the infant. He giggled slightly at his sister's antics. Homura merely giggled and reached her hand out to tickle the little boy.
"Tomoe, have a seat." Juudai gestured next to Amai.
Mami followed her advice, but she took a seat next to Sayaka instead. Juudai frowned; Amai looked away. Mami set her bag down, pulling out her textbooks, notebooks and utensils. Setting them on the table in front of her, she picked out one textbook and opened it to her assignment. An uneasy air fell over them all.
Sayaka coughed to dispel the awkward silence. "Hey, Mami, Could you help me with this?" She pointed to her homework.
Mami inched closer to help. She felt a sense of nostalgia looking at the book, recalling how in the past year she also worked on similar assignments like this. Despite how awful she felt, a small smile appeared on her face.
It also brought back other memories of the past – of a time when important people still frequented her life. The frown returned to Mami's face as she guided Sayaka through her homework.
Half an hour pass, and the door opens again; Madoka steps into the room. "Good evening, everyone!"
A chorus of greetings responded back. Homura stood up from her seat, trembling. "M-Madoka! Hello!" Amai's smirk practically glowed on her face. Homura's face turned red when she noticed. "I-I mean, WE'RE all glad you made it here safely."
"Yeah, my mom cut everything short since it was getting dark. She didn't want me walking here on my own. Sayaka, how are you doing?" The pinklette hugged her best friend.
"Never better." The blunette declared with a smile as she returned the hug.
"I heard the news!"
"About what?"
"Kyousuke! Hitomi told me he's being let out of the hospital!"
"O-oh, the boy you've been visiting?" Homura inquired. "Is he finally feeling better?"
"Uh, yeah..." Sayaka started looking to the side nervously, much to Mami's confusion.
"Sayaka, what happened to your friend? I don't think you've ever explained why he was hospitalized in the first place."
The blunette appeared to be uncomfortable at how she's been put on the spot, judging by how she was fidgeting in place. All the eyes in the room were on her as their owners waited for her to explain herself. "Well, you see... Kyousuke suffered an accident that landed him in the hospital. With his hand, particularly his wrist." She added, raising her hands up to show her wrists.
"Oh, the poor thing..."
"It just happened out of nowhere... First, he was fine, and then I get a call from him telling me he's in the hospital."
"That's right; it was after the first term of the semester." Madoka recalled. "Kyousuke-kun was suddenly gone and Miss Saotome explained the situation. The whole class even made him a card wishing him good luck and a full recovery."
"Hold on, are we speaking about Kamijo-kun?" Juudai asked.
"Yes, the very same."
Juudai looked thoughtful. "The violinist, or so I recall. He plays it very well. I remember going to the school talent show once and hearing his piece."
"Oh, yeah, I remember that." Amai came in. "I dragged you to the show because it was extra credit for me – and because I heard that one dude was going to do a dance piece. I was hoping he'd fall and break his legs. It didn't happen, but I do remember hearing a violin play. It was really good."
"Yes, it was really nice." Then Juudai's eyes widen. "You said the accident was on his hand. Does that mean...?"
"Yeah, it was really bad for him, because he plays the violin, and the accident was on his good hand. He'd been there for months on end with no sign of recovery."
Mami studied Sayaka for a bit. The girl looked downcast; only fitting since she was retelling the suffering of a dear friend of hers. However, at the same time, Mami noticed a look on her face, one of renewed hope...
Her heart went cold. "Sayaka, you didn't..."
Some of the girls looked at her in question; Sayaka at least had the decency to have a guilty look on her face. "Yeah, I did." She conceded.
Mami sighed. "So you made your wish for another?"
Sayaka nodded her head. "I don't regret it."
The uneasiness returned to the room, only this time Mami felt it was heavier than before. However, she chose to ignore it in favor of speaking with Sayaka. "I warned you, didn't I? About making your wish for another?" Sayaka nodded once again. "And how you shouldn't be making this wish for their gratitude?"
"I'm not." Sayaka insisted firmly. "You should have seen him, Mami. I've never seen him so happy. He'd been so miserable the past months, and making this wish allowed him to get back the life he thought he lost forever. Without my wish, Kyousuke would have wallowed in despair. The hospital kept telling him to lose hope on his wrist. Even with all the technology at their disposal, there was no cure. He couldn't turn his back to his life before. The violin, he's passionate about it and the mere thought of having to give up on that nearly destroyed him!"
By the end of her speech, Sayaka was in tears. She trembled, overwhelmed and the emotions spilling out of her. Mami's heart went out for her. It was moments like these that her mind would go back to that fateful day when her parents were wrenched from her and she failed to save them.
Mami let out a shaky breathe. When she truly thought about it, it broke her heart that Amai made her wish. In Mami's case, she didn't really have much of a choice. Either she made her wish and become a magical girl, or she could enter death's doors. But to this day, guilt still plagued her; in her panic, she did not consider saving her parents.
Death had been her incentive; these girls, however, TRULY have the choice, and Mami would rather they make their wishes for themselves than for others. She felt they could truly live their life without regrets this way; not like she continues to do day in and out.
However, as she looked at Sayaka's face, gleaming from both tears and the satisfaction of helping a dear friend, Mami realized that making a wish for others – if you're truly willing to commit – isn't so bad.
Mami smiled. "I'm sure you don't regret a thing. And now, starting today, you are a magical girl!"
"Thank you, Mami!" Sayaka beamed.
"We should get back to work. This homework isn't going to get itself down." Sayaka nodded her head and refocused on her assignment.
It only left one thing for Mami to do. She took a deep breath as she tried to mentally prepare for it before turning her head towards Amai.
The brunette was looking the other way, her head resting on her hand. Even though she couldn't see her face, Mami could FEEL the anger radiating off of her. An uneasy feeling settled over the blonde.
"Amai... may I speak with you?"
"Why would you want to?" The brunette responded curtly.
Mami tried again. "Because this is really important."
"I think our homework takes priority."
Mami looked to Juudai, who presently held Jayden in her arms. The orangette appeared upset at her friend's behavior. "Amai, I think you and Mami need to talk. Besides, both of you have similar kinds of homework. Maybe you can-"
"Stop!" Amai snapped, whipping around to glare at Juudai. To her credit, she didn't falter, even as Amai aimed her raged filled glare at her.
"Stop what?"
"Acting like this! What is there to talk about?! She was the one who jumped me with all this nonsense about not making a wish, and here she is giving Miki her blessings!"
"Well, if the two of you would actually just talk things out instead of avoiding each other-"
"No, nothing!" Amai roared. "There's nothing about it. It's my wish, and she's acting all high and mighty because she got to be a magical girl first!"
"It has nothing to do with that!" Mami stood up and insisted. "I just wanted to make sure you didn't make the same mistake as me! You had a choice, Amai! I didn't want you to throw away your freedom!"
"And now you're talking to me like you actually give a damn about my feelings! Cause you certainly did a good job of showing me that earlier!" With a huff, Amai turned and left the room. Mami called out to her as she left.
Standing still for a moment, Mami didn't realize until someone placed their hand on her shoulder that she was crying. She turned to look at the person – Madoka – and began to sob.
"I shouldn't have kept quiet." She admitted. "I just felt so hurt, like I failed her somehow..." Mami went into Madoka's embrace and began to cry in earnest.