Chapter 19

Speculation

Several minutes were spent in contemplative silence.

After some time spent staring at themselves, or rather at their suddenly-luminous eyes, Sayaka let go of Kyoko's hand, moving forward to peer in the mirror.

She saw the pair of glowing blue eyes dim, then fade to blackness. Glancing around, she noticed the ruby glare of her partner had disappeared as well. Huh.

"Whaaaat?" Confused, Kyoko reached out... as her partner's hand had left her grasp, she'd seen her vivid crimson eyes fade to an ember, then snuff out. The older girl's searching hand found the warm forearm of the unseen blunette. "Did you see...da hell?"

Wow, thought Sayaka, somewhat at a loss. As soon as Kyoko's hand had clamped around her own, she had felt it, again. An almost physical... jolt. A current, running between them. And she'd looked back, into the burning crimson eyes of Kyoko, twin flames in the darkness. "Uh..."

"They're on again!" Kyoko roared, gleeful. She turned back to the mirror, admiring the effect.

"Let me see something," the blunette replied, considering. "Let go."

The red-blazing-eyed girl dropped her arm. The light faded from her eyes.

"What the hell is going on here?" she mused, more puzzled than distraught.

"Ah... it seems like, when we are touching..." to prove her point and test her theory, Sayaka reached out a hand, emboldened by the darkness, aiming to stroke the girl's face.

"Ow! My eye! Watch it," Kyoko roared, then grumbled, reeling backward and cupping her poked eye with a hand.

"Oh no! Uh, sorry, really sorry..."

"Better be." Kyoko muttered. She moved forward, free hand groping the darkness, finding... the switch. She closed her eyes, intentionally not letting the blunette know of her intention. She heard a satisfying grunt, and opened her good eye wide enough to see the other girl shielding her face in the crook of her elbow, frowning mightily. Kyoko chuckled evilly in her mind, extremely satisfied with herself.

The bathtub was still filling, overflowing into the drain along the rim. Sayaka turned off the faucet, red-faced. Real smooth, she told herself, feeling like an ass.

She saw the red head standing at the large mirror, examining her eye. Maybe I should just heal her, she thought, approaching her friend from behind.

"Meh, no damage done," the older girl said approvingly, wiping away a tear from her still-stinging eye. She hadn't meant to snap-but it was her goddamn eye! She turned around, her remaining sharp eye noting Sayaka's approach. "I realize that the glowing-eye thing happens when... we're... touching," For some reason, the older girl found herself extremely excited by this discovery, strange as it was. Her mind unable to resist various other methods of examining this phenomenon, the idea of some experimental touching very appealing at the moment... but the other girl's eyes had that hurt look in them again. Not hurt, she realized, impressed at her ability to read the the blunette. Usually she didn't care to assess people outside of battle. Sayaka looked confused, and a little frightened.

"What I don't get," the veteran began, approaching the problem head-on, "is why our eyes are glowing. This has never happened before... wait... no..." Her voice trailed off.

"What? What?"

"In that crazy-ass labyrinth. I remember... remember you doing something when I was trying to trap the Witch. I... lost it... lost control." The long red ponytail flopped forward as Kyoko glanced down, from all appearances looking shamed. "It was like... back at the beginning. The thing just... snapped... out of my grasp. For a second, I was so scared..."

Sayaka had been waiting with growing excitement, desperately needing to blurt out something but not wanting to interrupt her friend's memory. "I remember!" she squealed. "I grabbed your shoulder, I was gonna heal you, but you seemed to jerk away, and then your eyes had this amazing..."

"Furiously crimson light shining out of them?" Kyoko supplied.

"Ahh, I'd say more like a radiant ruby glimmer..."

"Mmm." The red head considered, then nodded with probational acceptance. Then her eyes narrowed. "Do you remember what happened next?"

"You wrapped up that bitch in those ginormous chains."

Kyoko held the blue stare levelly. "You've seen my attacks before. That was the first time I've made something that... big. And it wasn't just that... there were times, when it felt like, I don't know... I had more power. I can't describe it any other way..." she looked away, frustrated by her inability to communicate that primal surge of vitality that had coursed through her arteries with each heartbeat...

"I know exactly what you are talking about!" Sayaka exclaimed. The wild burst of intensity, a complete and total focus upon whatever she strove to accomplish negating the rest of existence until the task had been completed. Well, maybe that's a bit of a strong way to put it, she thought, abashed. There was also the fear, the worry, the terrible near-death experiences. But still, it had felt pretty amazing... especially since she had mostly managed to keep up with the spear-wielding veteran.

"Since we are talking about that place," Kyoko began, and her younger counterpart groaned in protest, "I have to bring up those Soul Gems again. They're pretty dark, no telling when... when they-"

"They're alive. They're just like us! They... they just don't have b-bodies. What you're suggesting... killing them? Really? That's what we'd be doing."

"What?! You're crazy, Sayaka... wouldn't you want to be... put out of your misery if you were about to get all Witchy?"

"Th-there has to be another way! We have to at least try...something." Sayaka's lower lip quivered, thinking about the poor girls trapped inside. She had dim, almost non-existent memories of the time Madoka had thrown her Soul Stone off the overpass... Madoka! Damn, she needed to call her friend, and soon.

"I gotta call Madoka, let her know where I am. She'll be worried..." Kyoko frowned a second before the blunette swore violently. "My phone's dead! And I can't remember any of the numbers!"

"Those things rot your brain, I knew it. The radiation... from the... satellites. Microwaves and stuff." Sayaka was giving her the evil eye. "What?"

"Thanks for not helping."

Kyoko made up her mind in an instant. She had been about to inform Sayaka that, yes, this Yakuza-run hotel catering to quasi-legal businesses could easily and quickly supply her with any type of charging cord she'd like, as long as the order came from this room. She could have a car delivered. By a helicopter. If she wanted. Kyoko felt the urge to share this heady sense of power with her friend, hoping to open her eyes to the advantages of situational ethics and her own charming self.

But fine, whatever. Let the girl mope about her pink-haired friend. If she wanted my help, she'd ask for it... don't want to get my head bitten off again.

After an uncomfortably long time, Kyoko had a thought.

The older girl broke the ponderous silence with an innocent inquiry about Sayaka's family life... the reminder of which caused the blunette to go into a somewhat predictable panic over what her parents were going to say. Kyoko was nervous about this-she didn't want her friend to have to "go home," but she also didn't want her reported as a missing person. The veteran was familiar with the police, having been in some sticky situations during her year-plus on the streets, and had no wish to re-establish the relationship.

Then Sayaka had remembered a number, her father's, who had insisted she learn it a few years back when she'd begun to be a little more... independent. She hadn't called it in a while, usually just texting her mother updates on her whereabouts.

"~Hee~ey, Dad! Yeah, its me... sorr-... yes, I am sorry Father... yes... well, I've been hanging out with Madoka... yes, sorry... we were talking late into the night, you know, and just decided to make it a sleepover. I didn't want to disturb you. Uh-huh, my cellphone died... Yeah, if it's okay, I'm gonna spend another day with her, probably crash over at her place again. Ok... yes, see you soon! Thanks!" Sayaka's cute little fingers hung up the receiver of the ornate hotel phone. Good thing he'd never sprung for caller-ID, she thought, chuckling delightedly. She gave the red head a thumbs up.

Kyoko watched on as the blunette lied through her teeth to her father, the maroon orbs of her eyes inscrutable. She'd omitted knowledge, yes, but had never been purposely dishonest to the man...

The faint whiff of hypocrisy threatened to overwhelm her increasing respect for the younger girl... until she realized what being honest to her father had resulted in. The red-head realized this was one aspect of her friend's life she had no right to judge. It had just been so... smooth. Easy. Almost rehearsed. She bit back a sharp retort... something about honor, and asked a question instead.

"So, uh... what happens if he calls the Kaname place?" The veteran asked with just a touch of rudeness.

Sayaka narrowed her gaze, beaming victory turning into annoyance. "Did you just use an incredulous tone of voice with me?" she asked, politely but with obvious displeasure. Doesn't she trust me yet? "The only number my parents' have is Madoka's. If either chooses to call her, which they won't, Madoka will cover for me. She's done it before... Madoka's, like, the most loyal, trustworthy friend..."

As her sky-blue eyes sucked in the details of the girl standing at the end of the bed, Sayaka caught a brief flash of something... pain, or disappointment? For an instant, it marred the beautiful features of her new... what? What was this... this thing she'd seemed to enter into with the older, flame-haired Magical Girl? They helped each other, fought together, so they were partners. They cared about one another-Sayaka knew this because Kyoko had come to help her at the train station... and from the look she sometimes saw in the veteran's eyes. She cared, obviously... they both mattered to each other. But... how much?

It was like a storm was raging inside of her, mind flinging memories and thoughts and hopes around her head. Fighting the red-clad Puella Magi in the alleyway, for some reason refusing to give up, dueling the older girl to a standstill. Her pride, throwing away her life, her purpose for living... only to be rescued from the brink of destruction by the one and only Sakura Kyoko.

The brief, forceful kiss... that had woken her up. She'd tasted chocolate and salt, wondering how close she had been to the edge, sickened by her weakness, amazed at Kyoko's strength. The hard ass veteran, who'd initially tried to bully her at every encounter, had shown up in her darkest hour... When no one else had. She knew Madoka had looked for her, loyal and selfless friend that she was. But it wasn't a friend that could have rescued her. Not even a best friend like the little pinkette.

She'd needed something more. Something to replace the searing loss she'd felt after Kyosuke's... whatever. Definitely not betrayal... indifference? Sayaka felt like she had so much to give the world... if she had someone to share it with. She needed someone, and in return needed to feel needed herself. Too needy, she thought to herself, but couldn't help it.

Not that she wasn't satisfied with Madoka, but she was like a sister... there were things, things about herself, that she would never share with her tender-hearted, innocent classmate. There were some things she hoped Madoka would never have to learn about the world... she didn't want her to lose that spark of enthusiastic joy for life that made Madoka... Madoka.

Sayaka's pulse began to race, and she looked down, forcing her eyes away from the provocative red-head. She felt a little flushed, avoiding the increasingly uncomfortable gaze that seemed to wait for her next words with bated breath.

"K-" Sayaka cleared her throat. "Ky... you aren't... jealous of Madoka, are you?" Another throat clearing was required under the intense stare she reluctantly met. The red head's finely sculpted face seemed to grimace a moment before turning into a wide grin that never reached her maroon eyes.

"Jealous? What ar-"

Sayaka closed her eyes and rolled them, then interrupted. "You definitely have nothing to be jealous of." The older girl snapped her mouth shut on the improvised retort, and consequently her tongue as well. The younger girl interpreted her wince of pain as an angry grimace-a face she'd gotten used to, even fond of... but not in this context.

"Look, dumbass," she began, emphasizing one of her partner's favorite terms of endearment, "Like I said, I trust Madoka, with all sorts of stuff. She's like my best friend in the whole world. We've known each other since primary school... she's an important part of my life. I'd trust her to help me, cheer me on, and make me feel better about the world, even when it totally sucks." She paused for a breath, trying to read her partner's expression and failing.

"I've barely known you for a week. We weren't even friends, really, until tonight. You tried to kill me two days ago..."

"Errr, yeah." Kyoko muttered, dropping her head and allowing her long ponytail to fall of her shoulders, its tip dropping to the edge of the bed. "Sorry about that..." she finished lamely.

"Heh, yeah. I know it's crazy, but..." Sayaka paused, allowing the red head to regain her equilibrium. Gazing back up at the object of her affection, Kyoko's attention was completely divided as she listened to the blunette, watched her open, expressive face intently, all the while thinking of all the vast number of scenarios in which the phrase "it's crazy, but-" could lead to happy and unlikely outcomes.

"I know this seems crazy, but it feels... right, being around you. With you. You know what I mean? Like, I don't know, I've known you, or something. In a past life, if there were such a thing. A long time, like months, or years, not... days. Hours, really. I'd trust you with my life. My soul. Am I creeping you out with this?" Sayaka inquired, a pleading tone in her voice begging for validation.

Kyoko stared, a blank expression on her face. Am I reading this right? She tried to think of a way to explain that, yes, she was super creeped out... at how much of what Sayaka was saying synced with her own thoughts toward the girl.

"I guess what I'm trying to say, Sakura Kyoko, is that I feel very... fond of you." Fond? thought Kyoko, ambivalently and with intense trepidation. "I... admire you greatly, Kyoko. You have saved me, saved others, you're a bad ass fighter and way smart when you want to be, and... well... I guess I'd call it swagger instead of style, but you've got lots of it. You're amazing..."

"Damn it all to hell, you're so ruining my style. I'm blushing!" the red head tried to complain, turning away with an attempt at nonchalance. She was wishing all those things Sayaka was saying were true, but sensing a buildup towards a colossal letdown. Nothing about how damn hot she was, how attracted the girl felt...

"Not to mention you're just about the most gorgeous girl on the planet..."

It was the tiny but unmistakable undercurrent of jealousy that convinced Kyoko to stop turning away, froze in place. Sayaka noticed, giggled. When the older girl turned back, the blunette dropped her eyes to the bed. Looking a little flushed, she reached out a hand, grasping Kyoko's battle-hardened fingers in her own, taking a measure of reassurance from another example of the red-head's toughness. Kyoko allowed herself pulled, and sat on the bed, cross-legged and turned to face her friend.

"Its weird... but I can't stop thinking about you. The worst of it is, even when I'm right here staring right into that beautiful face of yours, a part of me can only worry. What's going to happen next? Do we go our separate ways? I can't imagine... I don't want to be separated from you, Kyoko. I can't help thinking it isn't healthy, but... I feel like I need you in my life.

"So... Kyoko... would you like to go out sometime? In a context outside of killing corrupted Magical Girls."

Crimson eyes glared dully, uncomprehending. "D...did you just..."

The blunette raised her right eyebrow questioningly, all the while holding her breath, insides clenched.

"You... asked me out?"

"Well..." Sayaka huffed, starting to get nervous. After all, she'd misjudged these kind of things before.

"Are you fucking serious? I... I..."

"Ah..."

"I... was going... to ask you."

Sayaka's eyes lit up, the defeated look gone in an instant, replaced by a dreamy smile. "You... wow. That is so... hmm." And when that didn't elicit a response, the blunette "Hmmmmm"ed again.

Kyoko took the bait. "What?" she grumbled.

"So... would you rather... would you want to ask me out?"

Kyoko was caught off guard by the offer, utterly failing to detect the mischievous glint inside the azure eyes. Blushing, she hemmed and hawed, then spat it out. "So... would you go out with me?"

"No."

"But my offer still stands. You may go out with me." Twinkling azure eyes above the almost wicked smile... it was too much. Kyoko sputtered. Now it's "may"? What had gotten into this girl?

Despite her "experience," Kyoko was no Tomoe Mami. Sure she'd learned things... but she'd never been the seducer. She'd never taken the lead. She was at a loss. She had imagined before that, since she was older, more experienced... she who was once the apprentice would now become the master. That's the way it worked, right?

Now she was beginning to wonder.

"So?" Sayaka waited with an exaggerated look of expectation.

"Dammit." Sayaka's mind quickly translated her partner's curse, the defeated tone of the red-headed beauty currently wearing an expression of what she could only describe as the extreme chagrin of a cat caught in a tree, or a dog found eating trash... We'll go with cat, she confirmed to herself.

All of which added up to...

"Is that a yes?"

"Yes. Dammit."

"Oh Kyoko! Thank you, you've made me so happy..." Trailing off, a little teary-eyed, Sayaka couldn't help thinking to herself: Victory!

"Yeah, great..." Kyoko sounded a little sullen.

"Okay, I take it back. You aske me out this time," she said, doing her best to think of a way to mollify her friend's ego. She'd been joking around... she would have licked just about anything Kyoko told her to, just for the chance of the older girl asking her out. Strange example, she thought to herself, shrugging mentally. But her antics had injured her partner's pride, and even as a regular friend she could not have let that abide.

But the red head was shaking her head, standing up. "Nah, it's cool. I don't... well," she said, on an obviously different train of thought, "where you takin' me?" It was her turn to gaze expectantly at the blunette for an answer. Unanswered, she started walking toward the kitchen.

"We just ate an hour ago!" Sayaka yelled in exasperation, amazed at the veteran's insatiable appetite.

She got up, following the red head into the expansive, almost professional-quality kitchen, ignoring the mess she had left. Her partner's cut off shorts wiggled in the air as Kyoko dug around in the fridge, bent over and reaching...

A slightly wicked, devious plan began to form in Sayaka's mind. She waited until the older girl had grabbed several items in bags or wrappers, then began Phase One.

"Ah, Kyoko... your hair is a mess. Maybe we should work out those knots before they get any worse." She'd been so focused on Kyoko's eyes, and on her face, that she'd not really taken in what a rat's nest the red-head had brewing. "There were some nice brushes and combs in the bathroom. We can't go anywhere until you get cleaned up." Sayaka's smirk was entirely internal, but expansive.

The older girl ran a hand through her tangled hair, half-heartedly. In truth, it would be nice to have her hair brushed... she'd inherited a love of it from her own teacher. The legendary one hundred and one strokes, although she'd later counted between 40 and 60. She quickly blocked out how that name had come to mean something entirely different by the time she'd jumped head-first into Mami's arms and was almost swallowed whole in the process.

The thought... made her feel dirty. Mostly. "I could use a bath," she muttered to herself. Her fine, dark red eyebrows rose high as Sayaka agreed enthusiastically.

"Great idea. No sense letting all that water go to waste... I mean, other than the water we wasted by letting it run for so long... but I think a bath is just what the doctor ordered..."

Phase One complete, Phase Two in progress, the blunette thought to herself, as she and Kyoko headed back to the bathroom, the older girl not once complaining about being forced to leave food uneaten...

In fact, the red-head's stomach was suddenly clenched so tight she doubted she could even choke down a stick of Pocky.

Two hearts, beating wildly, like a hummingbird sugared up with a craving for more of that sweet lychee juice, or a bloodthirsty serial killer anticipating the screams of their next victim. Take your pick.

Ok, gotta apologize for being misleading. Unintentionally, but obviously foolishly. Pink lemonade should have been described as, i guess, blue lemonade, or red lemonade (sounds kinda gross tho). Purple would be perfect, but of course it's already taken. Lost sight of the rampant color symbolism there. I just prefer pink lemonade to regular. Which can have strawberry in it, compounding the error on another level entirely. So much for trying to be cute, I thought, feeling like an ass.

It will be posted in a new, M rated slot. Readers beware. The name will be obvious.

I continue to love the ideas about the Soul Gems and moral ramifications they bring up, the Eater and what she might have done or been, what Kyubey might be up to and how Homura is going to react to all this, and the fabulous feedback about the zombie bird, bath scenes, and general ninja stuff.

Hope its not getting too weird yet.

And, loathe as I am to admit it, I too am a lover of jumping-out-and-scaring people. Or sneaking up and scaring them. But never, I promise, in a bathroom.