Chapter 43

A Ghost from Some Kinda Past

Sayaka watched her friend skipping ahead, every motion of the pinkette obviously intensified with a desire to get home. She sure is excited to see what all this is about. Madoka, against her tactful advice, had texted the girl back, asking what she'd meant by having "lots to share!"

Akemi Homura: You'll see…

Kyoko had peered over the smaller girl's shoulder, muttering, "See, more mystery, just like Sayaka said…" and then a strange look had come over her face. Sayaka watched her shake her head, and her magnificent crimson hair, Still so straight and clean looking! I wonder what a little conditioner would do... interpreting the look as something like wistful disbelief.

"What's up?" she asked, sidling up next to the red-head, giving the older girl a playful bump with her hip. Kyoko gave a little start, blinking into the crystal blue pools of infinity that were suddenly sucking her in…

Madoka turned around, curious, breaking the moment. Kyoko felt flustered, suddenly, which made her a little defensive. "I just… putting someone's whole name in a phone just seems weird." Not weird, exactly, but… "Too formal."

Sayaka's grin was mischievous, but the look she gave her girlfriend was more sultry than playful. "Kyoko-kun doesn't care for honorifics or anything resembling a respectful way of addressing someone," she explained to Madoka with exaggerated seriousness. "She, um, likes to show rather than tell." The pinkette stared, her eyes darting between the two girls, feeling once again like she was missing out on some private joke. Kyoko's eyes were unfocused, her lips silently mouthing a word.

A block later, Madoka couldn't bear the silence anymore. "It's not strange, lots of people do it." She continued trudging through the night. "Besides, if you know two people with the same name-"

"Never been a problem for me, but that's probably cuz I don't have any friends." Kyoko laughed as she said it, Sayaka shaking her head in disbelief. Madoka felt, of all things, a little bad for the older girl. "Seems odd. For a friend, at least." Madoka opened her mouth to protest, but noticed Sayaka wasn't rushing to her defense. In fact, the blunette had kind of shrugged. Her lips closed as the dangerous veteran continued. "I would think you'd have all kinds of cute little nicknames, being such a warm and fuzzy girl and all," Kyoko grinned, and the pinkette's cheeks began to color, unable to figure out if the older girl was complimenting or castigating her. "I've only known one other person who did that, and she was so polite it was obnoxious," Kyoko smiled, remembering the many attempts that had been made to get her to add the -san, or the -chan or -kun or any of that crap.

People are people. Give them titles and shit, and that stuff went to their heads.

The veteran considered, oblivious to the look of extreme interest that her girlfriend was throwing in her direction. Kyoko liked how her blunette had never tried to force that garbage on her; in fact, she couldn't recall the girl addressing her as Kyoko-chan or some other cutesy effeminization of her name… Kyoko-kun. It was strange, but it sounded kind of badass-

Her musings were interrupted. "Who's the other person?"

"What?" Crimson eyes blinked.

"Who's the only other person you know so formal they feel obligated to put everyone's full name in their phone… wait a sec. What is my name on your phone?" Sayaka asked, feeling even more curious. It wasn't just a desire to know what Kyoko called her: Sayaka suspected it was uncensored in typical Kyoko fashion. Even more interesting was the fact that the loner was familiar with anyone else's phone, enough to comment about it at least. Sayaka knew, even if she couldn't fully understand, Kyoko had spent more than a year on the streets, living on her wits alone, destitute and homeless. She didn't talk about friends. All too often, in the back of her mind, the blunette would hear that little wondering train of thought, trying to imagine where Kyoko had gotten all of her experience. The non-combat variety.

"What?" The veteran had heard the question, it was just a tactic to buy a few seconds. Now's not the time or place for that, my little love slave, Kyoko thought with a twinge of worry. "Nobody, just…" Maybe not a bad time to introduce the idea, she contemplated. So I knew Mami, so what?

"An old girlfriend?" Madoka interjected, noticing the older girl's awkward hesitation. "What?" she asked as two pairs of eyes, red and blue, stared at her with uncomfortable intensity, finally hanging her head and blushing furiously. It was a fair question, she pouted. Sayaka hadn't done any of her homework on this strange girl, and Madoka considered it her duty as a friend to do a little digging of her own. Just to be safe.

Dammit pinky! So much for that idea. "N-nothing… not like that." Kyoko felt pressured by the twin gazes, Sayaka having turned to look at her again. She's really getting flustered, the blunette thought in wonder, seeing the color in her partner's cheeks and the increasingly wild look in her eyes. Noticing the expectant look the blunette was giving her, the red-head decided not to try and change the subject. Instead, she took a deep breath and gave a rueful laugh. "Well, I don't wanna talk bad about her, since I know you and Sayaka knew her-"

"Mami-san!" Sayaka's face had lit up with excitement, suspicions forgotten in a burst of gratitude at a chance to hear about her first, ah… hero? That was as close as she could come to describing the amazing blonde. She was so curious about Mami-san, and despite the terrible candy- and caterpillar-infested nightmares that sometimes awoke her, covered in a sheen of sweat and wrapped in the unforgiving darkness, her memories of the blonde upperclassman were untarnished. Even as her vision began to waver from the bittersweet emotion, no matter how hard she tried blinking, she could envision that cheerful, open face, her brilliant, beautiful smile warming up the room, and something inside her as well. It had been thrilling, to hold her attention, or even better, to make her laugh.

Mami-san had been a true hero, the blunette reminisced. The twin, drill-curled, pigtailed hair had been as immaculate as the drizzled chocolate on one of her cakes or the arrangement of flowers in her living room. Everything she had done had been full of such beauty and joy, despite the sadness Sayaka had felt deep below the surface of the girl. When Madoka had told her about that final conversation, how lonely and hopeful and excited the girl had been… it had been too much. Knowing how desperate she must have felt, how high her hopes had soared before begin severed with crushing finality. I failed her. My first failure. With an abrupt realization, her face lit up with an amazed expression. She tried to warn me, too, about my wish. She was so smart...

"You knew Mami-san?" Madoka squealed. "How? When? Do… d-do you know-" She choked up, swallowing hard as she gazed sadly at the blurry outline of the older girl standing before her. Immediately, she felt the comforting presence of Sayaka at her side, an arm draped over her shoulder in sympathy.

"It's okay, Madoka-chan. She knows." Sayaka's voice was barely a whisper. Giving her friend a tight squeeze, she turned to look back at the red-head, noting her pained expression. "Kyoko, I know it's difficult, and you don't have to if you don't want to, but… we, well, we barely knew her. She did so much for us, and, it's like… I just didn't get enough time with her. Could you… would you tell us a little? About her?"

The older girl continued walking for a few moments. Sayaka and Madoka exchanged a worried glance. Then, as the red-head let out an exaggerated sigh, the pair looked at one another hopefully. "Tell ya what, let's swap stories," Kyoko began, furiously trying to think of some safe ones she wouldn't have to edit too heavily. "But you gotta go first."

Kyoko stared. The object under her gaze squirmed uncomfortably. "You… you brought a baseball bat. To a Witch fight?"

Blushing at her partner's incredulous look, Sayaka felt the need to defend herself. "Well, I wanted to be able to help out, and I didn't know what to ex… pect… " Looking at the older girl's raised hand in confusion, and the amazed look on her face, like she couldn't believe what she was hearing, the blunette took a hesitant step backward.

"Don't leave me hanging!" Not paying the least attention to the puzzled expression as Sayaka tentatively extended her hand, Kyoko met her halfway. *SLAP!* "Fuck yeah, baby, that's the most awesome thing I've heard all day." She smiled, and Sayaka smiled with her, instantly feeling much less uncertain. "A bat! Badass."

Madoka couldn't help but feel a little jealous at the camaraderie, even if her classmate looked just as confused as she felt regarding what the red-head thought constituted "awesome." But her thoughts were interrupted as Kyoko turned away from her intense staring contest with Sayaka. "Did you bring anything that first time?"

"Hahah, yes. Um…" Madoka hesitated.

"Tell her," Sayaka encouraged. The pinkette heard the amusement in her voice.

When Kyoko was done laughing, using the blunette's offered hand to pull herself off the ground, she wiped her eyes and gasped. "Oh god, that's too perfect. Madoka, you are so…" The red-head paused, glancing at Sayaka again. "Precious!" she roared, bursting into laughter again.

Sayaka, who had initially been amused at her girlfriend's reaction, had begun to notice it was rubbing her other friend the wrong way. "Well, she got it right, that's for sure. She drew it just like it looks-"

"Oh god, you're telling me you designed that outfit?" Kyoko gasped, staring at smaller girl in wonder. "That short skirt and the bare chest-"

"My chest is not… bare!" Madoka interrupted, glowering as Sayaka patted her shoulder in what felt like a condescending manner.

"Close enough." Kyoko regained some of her breath. "You know what I mean. Well… well done, I suppose."

"Well done?" Sayaka asked, trying to convey the need to change the subject through eye contact. It didn't work.

"Madoka, I have to admit. I'm impressed." The pinkette looked up, trying to find any hidden undercurrents of meanness. "I thought nobody was braver than Sayaka, here, but to go into a Witch's Barrier with only an idea for an outfit that only covers about half your body... You got balls, I'll give you that."

"Um… okay?" Some of the things Kyoko said were hard for Madoka to interpret. She glanced at Sayaka, who was looking pleased, so she assumed it hadn't been meant to be insulting. "Thanks?"

"And to keep doing it, throwing yourself into harms way, protected only by a green, untrained, untried rookie barely out of her proverbial diapers-"

"When you're done being impressed by Madoka-chan's bravery," Sayaka began, giving her pig-tailed friend a wide smile of encouragement before turning to the older girl with a rather more stern expression, "you can tell us a story. Maybe about the first time you met her?"

Kyoko's face went blank.

"Nevermind," Sayaka amended hastily. "It's okay, we're getting close-"

The veteran continued walking in silence, dragging herself back from the gaping chasm of memory that threatened to swallow her whole. Even after all this time, she thought despairingly. Still so weak. Her hands clenched at her sides, and a look of thoughtful determination swept across her features. Sayaka noticed, and stopped holding her breath.

Madoka kept walking, eyes focused straight ahead. Utterly oblivious to the drama playing out between the two girls behind her.

Or, so it seemed.

So much pain, Madoka thought to herself. It was almost like she could feel the waves of hurt coming off the strange, arrogant, sometimes mean and usually selfish red-head. It was horrible. But worst of all was the sense of shame that went along with it. Something deeply personal, connected somehow with Mami-san. It was more than just the vibrant blonde's death that affected the veteran… it was more like the death of her whole world.

Madoka had no frame of reference for the feelings she was picking up, and didn't stop to wonder how she understood, so clearly, what emotions were raging within the unpredictable girl. She just wanted them to stop.

The pinkette came to a stop herself, forcing the two girls walking behind her to do the same. She turned around, ignoring Sayaka's questioning look. She reached out a small hand, tentatively grasping Kyoko's before the older girl could pull back. "Kyoko-chan, we were there when… when Mami-san…" She just couldn't say it. "The last time we saw her… it was so terrible." A tear ran down the smaller girl's delicate face, unnoticed. "And then, going back to school like nothing had happened." She took a deep breath, looking at Sayaka. "I was lucky to have Sayaka-chan to talk to. There was so much… It was so hard to understand… I, just, I hope that you've learned that about her." Madoka turned around, continuing the journey back to her house. "Sayaka-chan is one of the best listeners I know."

Sayaka shrugged helplessly at the red-head's inquiring gaze, touched by her friend's comments. The slitted, crimson eyes stared, considering.

Finally, Kyoko took a deep breath. "The first time I met Tomoe Mami…"

Sakura Kyoko picked herself up off the ground, ignoring the outstretched hand entirely. Staggering a step, she crouched down, hands on her knees as she recovered her breath. This whole day had gone from bad to worse.

"New at this?" That tone of voice, so light and carefree in its inquiry, grated on the red-head's very last nerve.

She'd been following this Witch for what seemed like forever. As God's warrior, the protector of her father's flock, it was her duty. She'd hunted the thing for months, remembering that acrid tang she'd felt in the air as she'd approached a scene bathed in screaming sirens and frantic, flashing lights. The woman, a parishioner whose face she just possibly recognized, had leapt from the fifteenth floor.

Her father had been crushed. "How could I have failed her, Oh Lord?" he'd moaned, spending hour after hour before the altar, beseeching Heaven for an answer that would never come. The fact that, as a suicide, the woman was destined for an eternity burning in the fires of Hell, was especially difficult for him. Kyoko had wanted so badly to comfort the man, explain the truth.

Because Kyoko knew the truth. She'd seen the Mark. Satan's minions had possessed her. She didn't kill herself, father. She remains in Our Shepherd's embrace.

Of course, she couldn't share that. Not without explaining how she knew. So instead, she'd gone hunting, vowing to bring down the creature that had caused so much harm and misery to her father. As well as the woman's family, of course. And now, after months of trying to track the monster down, she'd picked up the trace. She had followed the damned thing far beyond Kazamino City, deep into this industrial warren in nearby Mitakihara..

Kyoko straightened up, glaring at the girl who'd interrupted her work. God's work, carried out by her hand. Or at least, that's the way it was supposed to go-

"Allow me to introduce myself." The girl who stood before her, looking down with a small smile on her face, gestured to herself with a black gloved hand that left slim fingers exposed. The ornate, silver-inlaid and ridiculously-ancient-looking firearm disappeared in a cloud of sparkles from where she'd held it tucked under the absurd puffy shoulders of her bizarre, vaguely European outfit. "Tomoe Mami, at your service," she gave a little curtsey.

"I don't care who you are," the smaller girl began, her voice raising as she approached the blonde. A tangled mess of dark red hair hung just to her shoulders, swaying with her motion. "I didn't need your help, that Witch was mine!" she raged.

To have picked up the trail, after all this time, only to nearly be bested by the thing's devilish tricks. And then, summoning her last shred of resolve, her faith and purity of heart overwhelming her weakness, almost like she was feeling the Holy Spirit rise within her, fortifying her for the final assault in which she must prevail…

The golden ribbons had seemed to appear from nowhere, blocking the monstrous attack that very well may have ended the young red-head's career as a soldier of God, entwining, holding it down as BLAMBLAMBLAM Kyoko looked up so see a golden-haired girl descending from above, almost like an angel gliding down from Heaven, watching as the girl shot the beautiful weapon BLAM! that appeared in her hand in a burst of light. Even as the first shot was approaching the bound Witch, that foul servant of Satan that Kyoko had chased for so, so long, the strange, blonde shooter had tossed the weapon away, only to summon another in it's place, taking aim in an instant-

BLAMBLAMBLAMBLAM! And then, kneeling there helpless, trying desperately to stand, Kyoko had watched the blonde leap up into the air, all the flapping ribbons of gold seeming to encircle her before bursting outward like firework explosion. She had been holding the biggest gun the red-head had ever seen, and despite herself Kyoko watched in amazement as the girl had pulled back a trigger the size of her forearm.

"~Tiro FINALE~!"

Kyoko was pissed. More than failing, more than almost being beaten, what angered her the most was the fact that this… this blonde, had waltzed in with her short little skirt and destroyed the thing in seconds. The girl, eyes widening in surprise, flashed her a disarming smile as she took a step back, remaining out of reach of the tightly clenched spear Kyoko still held in her hand.

"Well, technically," the girl had said in that good-natured tone of voice, "this is my territory, so that makes it my Witch."

"What are you talking about?!" Kyoko roared. "I've been after that thing for-"

The girl, Mami, had stopped backing away, her face taking on a grim demeanor. "Please stop shouting." As she stopped, Kyoko slowed her approach, not exactly sure what she would do when she got to the girl, anyway. "I can see my assistance was unwanted. My apologizes for interrupting." She bent down, picking up the black, spiked orb that had fallen to the ground after her final shot had ripped the Witch to Kingdom Come. It was pretty impressive, the red-head admitted to herself, before realizing what the other girl was doing.

"Hey! That's mine!" She took a step forward, but the golden eyes of the gunner gave her pause.

"My territory. My kill. My seed," she said simply, putting the dark sphere away. Kyoko goggled for a moment, watching the girl's black gloved hand slip the prize into her skirt, pulling it up ever so slightly to expose that little "v" where her legs met and a quick flash of white panties.

Immodest at the very least. Immoral, probably, with that revealing outfit. Tearing her eyes away, she looked up, only to be confronted with the generous proportions nature had apparently decided to bless the girl with. Kyoko felt both a sick sense of fascination, and an undercurrent of disappointed shame at her own modest femininity. "Your outfit is sinful," she stated, giving up on getting the Grief Seed. It was galling, but the other girl's argument made a perverted kind of sense, and she wasn't about to become a thief.

Mami's eyes had gotten wide, and she glanced down self-consciously. "I… what? It's more modest than my school uniform!" she stated with a slight smile.

Public schools were a den of secularist sin, lies and half-truths told by those who sought to destroy religion, brainwashing students into paths more aligned with Satan's plans than God's. Focusing on the individual, forsaking the eternal. That's what her father had said, anyway, and he knew what he was talking about. Revealing outfits were, no doubt, a sign of how far humanity had fallen.

"No wonder this nation's going to Hell," Kyoko mused, repeating one of her father's favorite truisms. The blonde girl was staring at her, puzzled.

"Well," Mami said after a few moments of uncomfortable silence. "I can see that, despite trying to help you out of that sticky situation, I've done little more than offend you. I'll take my leave, now, girl-whose-name-I-do-not-know." She flashed another smile before turning around, the ever so slight slump of her shoulders lost on Kyoko.

For some reason, the thought of this girl just leaving was upsetting. How dare she… I outta… "Yeah, you better run away," was what she said, sneering at the girl's posterior as it bobbed along in time with the blonde's long, graceful steps.

Mami turned around, and Kyoko didn't like what she saw in her eyes. "What? What did you say?"

"I said, you better run away. If you know what's good for you." Her sweaty hand shifted along the shaft of her spear as the blonde approached, her golden gaze withering and vaguely dangerous.

"Look, I don't know what your problem is, little girl," Mami hissed, the facade of smiles and openness shattering.

"Little girl?!" Kyoko sputtered.

"But I just saved your life, for whatever that's worth. Apparently not much, considering how you must have wanted to die in the first place to confront such a powerful Witch without even-. Oh," she paused as her gaze flickered to the red-head's chest. "Your gem, it's so dirty." She fished around in her skirt again, and once more Kyoko found her eyes wandering down… blushing, she stepped back as the girl pulled out the Grief Seed. "Here, you take it."

"What?" A minute ago, she would have snatched it without a second thought. Back when she still considered it hers, that is. "I don't need your fucking charity," she snarled, feeling the delicious thrill of language her father would never approve of, and the hurt look in the blonde's eyes. "I can take care of myself." With the help of the Lord, she amended to herself.

Kyubey had warned her about going too long without cleansing, but she'd been so focused on this particular Witch, she just hadn't had time… she wasn't looking forward to tracking down another one tonight. She was tired, and needed to rest. She turned to leave, trying to dismiss this strange girl from her mind as she planned out her route back home.

"Wait, you need this more than me." There was an imploring note to the girl's voice, now. "It's… it's not charity, you… we beat it together."

"Leeme alone," Kyoko snarled behind her back, before she felt herself being taken down to the ground.

"Now now," the blonde was saying through clenched teeth as Kyoko furiously struggled to get the girl off from on top of her. The gunner was having none of it, however, her arms and legs twisting for positioning, pinning down the red-head. "Don't be stubbborn."

Kyoko felt tears starting to burn her eyes, unable to free herself. To have come so far, tried to hard, then failed, almost die… and be rescued by this obnoxious goody-two-shoes. And then wrestled to the ground, pinned, helpless… it wasn't fair!

Clink.

A wave of euphoria washed over the girl, whose struggles died. On top of her, Mami had relaxed as her opponent had gone limp and ceased her thrashing. Kyoko began to sob.

The blonde had looked down at her in genuine concern, gingerly pulling herself off the emotional red-head. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you," she explained, feeling guilty despite knowing she'd done the right thing. "You have to be careful, though, with your Soul Gem-"

"I know," Kyoko had gasped, trying to convey annoyed frustration through her sobs with limited success. The blonde paused, then sat down next to the prone girl.

Kyoko felt herself stiffen as the other girl began running her fingers through her hair, gently and consoling. Still sobbing, she relived that instant of wild excitement as she'd realized the blonde was on top of her, pressed against her, feeling a leg between her own, a brief contact overwhelming her in a flash of sinful, abhorrent hunger-

Rolling away and picking herself up, Kyoko stared sullenly at the blonde. Mami. It wasn't her fault I'm so twisted and vile. She gave a big sigh, almost like a surrender. "T-Tomoe. Mami. I… thanks. I guess. I'm Kyoko. Sakura Kyoko." She held out her hand as Mami reached out, and gave a single shake before dropping it back to her side.

"It's a great pleasure to meet you, Sakura-san." Mami was looking at her strangely. "Are you… feeling better?" she tried.

The shoulder-length red hair streamed through the air as Kyoko shook her head, not in answer to the question but to dismiss the other girl's doubts. "I'm fine. Partly thanks to you. So… yeah."

Mami had continued to stare at her. "What?" the red-head asked, feeling self-conscious beneath those golden, searching orbs. Then the girl nodded to herself, as if making a decision. Or a judgement.

"It's late, Sakura-san. I don't need a Seed myself, I just sensed this one while patrolling, and the brave Puella Magi that was battling against it." She hesitantly extended an arm, and when Kyoko didn't shy away she gave the girl a pat on the shoulder, so light that the other girl barely felt it. "You are very brave, Sakura-san, to-"

"Just Kyoko's fine. And I'm not brave; I'm doing the Lord's work."

Mami smiled, then caught herself starting to frown. "Ah, Kyoko-san, what do you mean?"

Kyoko puffed out her chest, swelling with the sense of importance she always felt when considering her place within the Kingdom of God on Earth. That everything was so clear, that her role was defined for her, gave her a vast feeling of confidence. "My father is a great man, tirelessly striving to make this sinful world a better place. He's got a church in Kazamino City, a couple kilometers away. He helps his flock, encourages them to do good works and remain pure of heart. So many people, all listening because… because he's right." Kyoko looked at Mami, searching. "Are… are you Christian?"

Mami had giggled. "Why, yes I am!" Crimson eyes had gone wide with surprise, but soon narrowed suspiciously as the girl continued. "I'm also a little Shinto, and Buddhist, and-"

Scoffing, Kyoko held up a hand. "You can't be all of those things. You are one, or the other."

"Are you so certain of that?" Mami had asked, perplexed. No religion is so perfect that it got everything right. Isn't that why we, as humans, constantly are seeking new ideas and challenges, striving ever closer towards perfection?

"Thou shalt have no god before Me," Kyoko quoted.

Mami shook her head, the two immaculate, golden spirals bouncing and swaying. "I don't believe that's how it works, I think-"

"It doesn't matter what you think, it's in the Bible!" Mami recognized the definitive tone in the red-head's voice, and realized this was not the best introductory conversation to be having. The girl was… strange. There was something about her that was intriguing, and she was bleeding passion all over the shadowy, industrial area where they spoke. Mainly anger and arrogance, to be sure, but passion never the less. Definitely a fire inside her, even if she seemed a little… set in her way of thinking.

If there was one thing the blonde had been certain of, it was that nobody had all the answers. Most people didn't even ask the right questions. Mami wouldn't pass judgement yet, but deep down she hoped the girl wasn't a fanatic.

The crimson eyes of the intruding Puella Magi stared up at her defiantly. Kyoko fumed at having to look up at the girl, and avoid looking at her… stupid, sinisterly enticing yellow ribbon dangling from her collar. She couldn't keep the surprise off her face as the other girl's uneasiness drained away, and again the blonde was smiling at her with those brilliant, perfect teeth. "Kyoko-san, if you're half as tired as I feel, you're looking for a quick rest before your journey back home?" The way she said it, sounded so reasonable… in point of fact, Kyoko had planned on heading back immediately. But she was tired. She'd been up for almost three days. And she was so-

"Do you like cake?" Even as Mami was asking, the red-head's stomach grumbled, loud and humiliating. She flushed for a moment, before noticing the merry twinkle in the other girl's eyes, a stare of molten gold conveying a soothing warmth and what felt like the hint of a promise of joy. "I just made something new this afternoon. I'm not much of a baker," Mami continued modestly, something in the red-head's hunger stare encouraging her to elaborate, "but it's a six layer caramel fudge cake, and I'm trying this new method that's supposed to keep the cake extra moist and fluffy."

Foul temptation! Kyoko's mind reeled; it sounded delicious. Maybe it wasn't as complicated, or as sinister, as she was making it out to be. Maybe this girl was just trying to make a friend. And even a fake Christian was better than a heathen, she supposed. Still, the red-head hesitated.

Uncertain, Mami kept her smile on and continued trying. "Do you like your cake moist, Kyoko?" The girls held one another's gaze for a moment. "If not, I have some peach pie I purchased the other-"

"Alright," Kyoko grumbled, trying to hide her eagerness. This blonde isn't so bad, she thought to herself. The "forced" cleansing… well, it was tough to really think of something designed to help her out as forced, but it still kind of pissed her off. She did have to admit, she was feeling a lot better right now, about herself and about the world. It wasn't the grim, dark place it had been only minutes ago.

The red-head clamped down on an annoying little spark that lit up inside her, determined to stuff her face full of this girl's pie and get the hell out of this dump of a town.

"The first time I met Mami-san, it was in this dump of a town," Kyoko began, grinning wickedly at Sayaka's wince and the shocked look on the pinkette's face. They're so proud of this little place, she thought for the thousandth time, utterly baffled. She'd never been this attached to Kazamino, that was for sure. What was it about this city?

It was probably how clean everything was. And all the glass. Those crazy looking buildings… parks every frickin which way you looked… hmm. The mall, the arcades. Yeah, I guess it ain't so bad after all.

"Um, Kyoko?"

"Right. Heh, yeah... well, it was a little more than a year ago. I'd been chasing down whatever Witch had been my nemesis at the time… I'd been a Magical Girl for a while, but… wasn't at the top of my game, yet. I mean, I wasn't some wet-behind-the-ears rookie punk who thought she knew everything there was to know about the dark and dangerous world we live in…" Kyoko gazed innocently up and to the right, ignoring the blunette's impending outburst. "But, long story short, she helped me out, and then invited me to her house for cake."

"That's our Mami-san!" Sayaka cried, azure eyes shimmering with love and loss. "I bet you went! She could even make a friend out of you!" she chuckled huskily before clearing her throat. Kyoko decided to let the comment pass, recognizing the truth in the blunette's statement.

"Did you go? Did you eat cake with her?" Madoka inquired squeakily.

Kyoko frowned. "Well, I was practically starving-"

"We loved Mami's cake! It was the best! What kind was it? She made all sorts for us, oh they were so yummy, do you remember, Sayaka-chan?"

"Hell yeah I do," Sayaka began, until Madoka gave her a disapproving glance. Sigh. "Heck yeah I remember those delicious desserts she'd make. And all the extra stuff she'd do, drizzling the chocolate, and those little shavings of toffee, or coconut, or more chocolate-"

"Or strawberry!" piped in the pinkette.

"The special cake was the best, though," Sayaka sighed dreamily, remembering the flavors and textures vividly.

"Oh yes, it was the softest, moistest cake I've ever eaten," Madoka raved. "And my mom's taken me to some pretty fancy restaurants!"

Kyoko's fists slowly unclenched at her sides, flexing stiff fingers. "What is that? The… the special cake? Like, for your birthday or something?" Shit, Kyoko realized. I have no fucking idea when Sayaka's birthday is! I hope to god she isn't a Gemini...

"No, she just called it the special cherry cake. She'd decorate it up the fanciest, that's all I know about it, other than that it was heavenly. It was crazy, there all these thin layers of fudge and caramel in the middle, and caramel and chocolate on top. Then she'd drizzle chocolate that she'd melt, and it would harden in seconds. You'd eat it, and it was warm. Oh god, yum. And, for some reason, always a bright red cherry on top, right in the center." Sayaka shrugged. "She said it was basically garnish. She always made a point of serving beautiful food, and I have to admit, it did look cute."

"I asked Mami-san about that. I think it was a recipe from a special friend. Or for a special friend. I can't remember."

"Uh… a 'special' friend?" Sayaka asked, unable to keep from snickering.

"That's just what she said," Madoka replied, shrugging.

The blunette shrugged, glancing over at Kyoko. Her girlfriend gave her a brief smile, then turned back to scanning the area, trying to hide the telltale gleam in her eyes.

"Madoka-chan, can you wait for us at the crosswalk up ahead?" Seeing her friend turn around and nod her head before continuing, Sayaka lagged back a pace, then two, sliding up next to Kyoko. The older girl was staring pointedly away from her.

The veteran's thoughts were a jumble of memory and regret. She'd been exactly the kind of stupid rookie she blamed Sayaka for being. Arrogant and self-righteous, so certain that she understood the way the universe was supposed to work. She cursed silently. Why did feeling stuff involve so much damn thinking all the time?

Mami had changed her life, that day. Her first friend. First teacher. First partner. First-

"Kyoko? You okay, Waifu?" Sayaka gave the red-head's shoulder a squeeze.

"Fine," the veteran sniffled, annoyed and ashamed. Keep it together, dammit. Even so, as Sayaka's words were fully digested by her mind, a smile spread across her face.

"It's okay, I know that since I didn't know her as well as you, it's not the same, but… I miss her, too."

And then Kyoko was sobbing quietly on her shoulder, arms around the blunette's neck. It was infectious; recalling the exceedingly few but extremely vivid occasions they'd visited the girl, listening to her talk about just about anything, she'd been so smart, and always kind, gentle. She was the one who taught me what it is to be a hero, to selflessly sacrifice… to help people. Save people.

As the tears ran trails down her own cheeks, she felt a slight impact, and Madoka was hugging and weeping and everyone was utterly miserable for nearly three minutes.

Five minutes later, they had resumed walking home.

Wiping at her eyes, Kyoko glanced between the other two girls following slightly behind her. "Let's not talk about that, ever again."

"What?" wondered Madoka. "Mami-san, or the crying-"

"Yes. That one. No need to mention that to anyone."

"What? I don't-"

"I think Kyoko's saying, she doesn't want anyone knowing she was crying," Sayaka interpreted innocently.

"I… that's not... it… well fine. Just, keep it a secret, okay?"

Madoka's eyes had lit up with almost feverish intensity when the red-head mentioned secrets. "Oooo, yes, I love secrets. I'm good at keeping them, aren't I, Sayaka-chan?"

"Aaahhhuuuummmmm… Yeaaah. You are, um, pretty good," Sayaka began, waiting for Madoka to look back at the older girl before making violent warning gestures with her hand. Kyoko glanced at her quizzically.

The pinkette was less oblivious that the blue-haired girl gave her credit for, picking up on her friend's doubt. "I kept it secret that I knew you liked Kyousuke-kun for, like, ever. And, by extension, kept it secret that you liked Kyousuke-kun. AND, I totally kept it secret that I liked Kyous-"

"Point taken," Kyoko interrupted, privately amused at how chagrined her partner was looking. Literally, head hanging! "Just, don't blab about it, please."

"Cross my heart and hope to fly," the pinkette stated solemnly. She held up a hand, wiggling her pinky finger, beckoning the other girl to do the same. The red-head shook her head angrily. Seriously, pinky-swearing?

Madoka was only frustrated for a moment. Her slim eyebrows rose and fell as she asked, "Can you tell us another story?"

Kyoko sighed.

Hope everyone enjoyed themselves this week. Also, if you get things, I hope you got something cool that you didn't even know you wanted but ends up saving your life sometime next year. That's called the best present ever!

I so love your reviews, as always, and especially love to hear it when someone's read through the whole thing~impressive. Please keep letting me know what you think, perhaps especially so this time.

I don't know if there's lots of canon or whatnot for Mami and Kyoko's history; some is what I remember from reading about the cd's or something... so a little sketchy, and liberties taken as always. I'd like to know if young Kyoko's at all convincing, and if not, why. At this point in her life, her father is the most important figure in her world, maybe not loved as much as her sister, but more influential. I'll probably elaborate a little more about their history.

Many thanks!