Episode 4: Do you take me for a fool?
"Nice place you got here." Komaki said in awe of the decorations and neatness of the place.
"Thank you, I did a bit of remodeling since last time I had guests here." Mami invited the others to head further in. Komaki smiled sadly as she looked at one of the stuffed toys, it brought back memories. "Take a seat near the triangle, leave the rest to me." Mami's voice snapped Komaki out of her thoughts. She followed the group to the triangular table near the sofa.
The group ended up divided in three sides of the table. Mami sat alone, with her back to the sofa, Oriko and Komaki sat next to each other, Komaki being near the corner closer to Mami, Oriko being near the corner that pointed away from the room. Madoka and her blue haired friend sat across the two, with Madoka being closer to Oriko. There was a cup of tea and a small plate with a slice of cake for every girl at the table. It was like a real party.
"I believe we should get introductions out of the way first. As the oldest, I'll begin." Oriko began to speak before anyone could start eating. She believed in being courteous even now. "I am Oriko…" The blonde took a pause. She'd rather not say that surname referring to herself more than she'd like. "... Mikuni." She sighs out. "Please, call me Oriko." She requested with a kind, but empty smile. It was clear Oriko disliked her own surname.
"I'm Komaki Asako! Just Komaki's fine. I've been a Magical Girl for a year and a half by now. Excuse Princess Oriko's gloomy attitude, she's still a newcomer and she's not used to this 'kay?" Komaki followed. She elbowed Oriko to signal her about how worrying her attitude was getting.
"Lastly, my name is Mami Tomoe." Mami sipped her tea after warmly introducing herself. "I became a Magical Girl four years ago, it's a pleasure to meet two of my underclassmen." Mami continued with her usual serene smile.
"I'm Sayaka Miki! Thanks for saving us back there Mami-senpai!" The short haired girl introduced herself as Sayaka, the sudden usage of the honorific made Mami blush a little.
"What am I? Chopped liver?" Komaki complained that Mami got all the credit. The five share a laugh.
"Um, I'm Madoka Kaname! I'm really grateful you three saved us!" Madoka introduced herself rather awkwardly. She just rapidly spoke to get the words out of her system. She was a bit wary of the girl near her, Oriko was notably taller than her, as expected of a highschooler. Three new people and all seemed like such a big deal, girls who could fight for the sake of others and were notably more good-looking than herself. Madoka sighed.
"Now, you two are probably asking yourselves what in the world is going on." Mami began, Madoka and Sayaka nodding to confirm.
"To grossly oversimplify everything: You kids got attacked by demons that work for even bigger demons made of bad stuff. We Magical Girls beat up those big demons and get their cores to sustain ourselves and hunt more big demons." Komaki explained in the simplest terms she could imagine.
"Komaki's right, but the details are off." Kyubey cut in. "Familiars are the servants of Witches, beings made of curses. Magical Girls, born from wishes defeat Witches and obtain Grief Seeds. Grief Seeds are the only way Magical Girls can replenish their used up Magic." The white creature clarified.
"Magical Girls like Oriko-san, Komaki and me fight Witches and Familiars to protect the human race." Mami continues the explanation, showing her shining, yellow Soul Gem to the younger pair. "Our Soul Gems are the source of all our magical powers, a symbol of our status as Magical Girls." Mami smiled somberly as she spoke, thinking back to when she obtained her own Gem.
"The name is far from meaningless. You're dead if it ever breaks." Oriko added coldly. She gave Kyubey a glare that lasted so little, no human eye would be able to notice the ash-blonde's expression had changed.
"A normal person wouldn't last a minute against a Witch so Oriko-san is correct." Mami added seriously. The other Magical Girls blinked in disbelief, Mamihadto be covering up.
"Um, are Witches really that scary?" Madoka asked with some fear in her voice.
"Honestly, yeah. A Witch doesn't just kill one human at a time, some are crafty bastards that brainwash people to do stuff for them." Komaki answered dead serious.
"There was one instance where a Witch used humans as meat shields when I went to fight it, it made getting a clear shot that wouldn't hurt any civilian much harder than I like it to be." Mami reminisced. Her expression was hard to read, it was neutral, but the air around her indicated pure hatred for that Witch.
"Couldn't you just take the civvies somewhere safe and then fight the Witch?" Sayaka asked.
"Folks under a Witch's Kiss tend to be violent or suicidal. They're too likely to try and beat you to death or kill themselves if you don't keep them in mind." Komaki replied while recalling one time she had to knock out a family that was brainwashed by a Witch she was hunting down.
"In such cases, retreat is not an option." Mami added while tensing up. Horrid memories resurfacing in her mind. "Leaving innocent people like that would be paramount to leaving them to die."
Those words made Oriko realize how much her magic condemned her. The gift or perhaps curse of prophecy means that one can save lives before they become endangered, but it also means that any life she forsakes, that blood will be on her hands. If a crime happens, those who knew of it beforehand and did nothing are deemed Accomplices.
"If it's so hard, why don't you team up with more Magical Girls?" Madoka curiously asked. Cooperation seemed like a natural response to high difficulty Witches. Komaki and Mami flinched at the question.
"Magical Girls come from all sorts of lives. From orphans to rich children, some Magical Girls just aren't as noble as Mami is." Kyubey answered. Oriko sighed at the fact. "Unfortunately, some girls are criminals and it's not rare that two Magical Girls fight each other for Grief Seeds and territory." The white creature's answer was hauntingly peaceful, yet undeniable. The room became a bit somber.
"Are Witches really so dangerous that you would allow even bad people to become Magical Girls Kyubey?" Madoka asked, intimidated.
"Witches spread fast. If humanity is to survive, anyone who can fight is accepted into the ranks of Magical Girls. Not a single candidate should be ignored." Kyubey answered with a serious voice. Oriko and Komaki agreed on calling it an almost convincing actor, almost.
"Kaname-san, Miki-san, did both of you get it?" Mami asked professionally.
"I think it'll come to us if we see it? Maybe?" Madoka answered somewhat overwhelmed.
"I was always more of a visual learner." Sayaka added.
"If you were to ask me, I would say this is too dangerous for the two of you, do be aware." Oriko commented rather frostily. She knew Madoka should not be allowed, nor encouraged to become a Magical Girl. "Neither of you should risk your lives like this. You have families, correct?" Oriko added a question to crush whatever interest they may have.
"Um, I have Mama, Papa and my little brother Tatsuya." Madoka answered with visible worry.
"I got my parents, though they're not exactly the types to be at home much." Sayaka answered with a bit of resentment towards her parents.
"Think about their reaction if they were to find your lifeless body in some back alley or if you just randomly vanished. Worse, theyknowthe reason for the scenario." Oriko commanded the two. Their expressions quickly twisted.
Madoka was openly saddened. She imagined little Tatsuya crying and begging her lifeless body to wake up, her mother's grim face and hesitation to separate him from the body and her father's tears, it was too much, she didn't want to worry them.
Sayaka had turned away stiffly while gritting her teeth. Her parents would be devastated if anything happened to her and she wasn't sure if Madoka would be able to handle such an event.
"It's getting kinda late, I think you two should hurry home." Komaki urged the two to return home. "Wouldn't wanna worry your folks." She pressed the button again, Oriko's method may be harsh, but she had to agree. She didn't want any more girls in the same hole as herself.
"Then I'll accompany Madoka, she might need some clarification on things. Anything Sayaka needs to ask, she can just ask Madoka later." Kyubey entered the conversation.
"I see no issue there. You two should really think it over, this life comes with a few benefits and plenty of downsides." Mami finished her tea after speaking up.
With a quick farewell, the two younger girls headed home, leaving Mami alone with the two older girls. Night would fall soon. The three now took a seat on each side of the triangular table, Mami once again sitting with her back to the sofa, Oriko sat to Mami's left and Komaki sat to Mami's right.
"Be honest with me. What exactly is your relationship with Homura? Who is she?" Mami demanded an explanation with a fierce expression, she wasn't joking around nor was she backing down.
"As I said, I met her in a dream, or I guess you can call it a vision of the future." Oriko answered matter-of-factly. "I said those words to see if she knew who I was to begin with. Somehow, she already knew who I was, despite that being the first time we met in person." Oriko took a sip from the newly served tea. Mami did not look convinced.
"Do you believe her resentment is because of your family's history?" Mami glared straight into Oriko's eyes when asking.
"So that kid's just like those high society jerks back at school." Komaki commented rather upset that people were still holding resentment towards Oriko for crimes she had no hand in.
"I disagree. The hatred in her eyes was as personal as what I saw in my vision. I believe there's something else going on." Oriko cut the idea of it being related to the Mikuni name from her thoughts.
"What exactly did that vision of yours show you? Speaking of those, you mentioned knowing Kaname-san from one too, was it the same vision?" Mami asked, something about these so-called visions reeked of unreliability to her. To her knowledge, seeing the future was impossible.
"I met each of them in two separate visions. First, I met Madoka, then I met that shampoo abusing clown." Oriko answered, she wanted Mami's aid in her quest, it was time to drop the bomb on her. Komaki had already known from a year of experience, it's likely Mami was just as well-versed into the life of a Magical Girl. "I saw Madoka Kaname…" Oriko began to describe before she stopped for a second, the memory of That Witch was a horrible nightmare. "...become a Witch." Oriko finished. Komaki's face had warped to a grim expression, she knew Oriko could predict the future, but the fact that she saw it personally, that the first thing she saw upon using her magic was how any of them could end up just left an awful taste in her mouth.
"And what about the second vision?" Mami asked with her suspicion at maximum.
"I saw Homura shoot me dead. Right in the Soul Gem for the sake of a fatal shot." Oriko could describe this one faster, not because it was easy, but because the unease of seeing her own death was overshadowed by her instinctive hatred for the girl. "Those are the visions where I saw those girls. Please, Tomoe-san, could we join forces? Those two have nothing to do with the world of Magical Girls." Oriko looked at Mami pleadingly.
"Do you take me for a fool?" Mami asked, visibly unamused by Oriko's confessions and explanations.
"What!?" Komaki voiced in disbelief. Despite being their senior as a Magical Girl, Mami didn't know. The denial the golden-haired girl shows was unbelievable.
"Komaki-san, do you honestly believe this girl speaks the truth? These outrageous statements all imply that Kyubey is manipulating us!" Mami attempted to make the bluenette see the truth as she understood.
To Mami, Kyubey was her savior, the one who gave her a second chance at life, he had been teaching her the ways of the Magical Girl, constantly being there when she needed his guidance. To Mami Tomoe, Kyubey was the only friend she ever had, the idea that he was lying to her and the horrors that would befall her and everyone around her because of him just seemed like pessimistic slander by some scheming snake.
"Of course I do! Oriko may be a reckless idiot, irritatingly perfect and gloomy as hell, but she's not some liar!" Komaki defended Oriko's stance. Mami was disappointed and to some degree angry, Komaki was currently Oriko's unknowing pawn. A poor girl who was being manipulated and corrupted by a paranoid puppeteer.
"She speaks nonsense! How could we Magical Girls turn into Witches!?" Mami raised her voice and even stood up. Oriko herself was just sinking into herself even more. She felt betrayed once again. She felt sick. "The Mikuni family are feared for ruthless efficiency and constantly evading accusations of corruption, the fact that the first one to get caught has an equally rotten daughter should not surprise you." Mami's cold words struck a nerve on both teens.
"Don't talk shit about her, you don't even know her, jackass!" Komaki also stood up in anger. Mami was in utter denial about the warnings she got.
"Leave." Mami ordered.
Perhaps it was hypocrisy, or maybe it was her disdain for bullying, but Komaki unleashed a furious punch aimed at Mami's face. Not that it landed, Mami had tied Komaki's hands with her magic ribbons. She didn't even need to transform, a display of the gap between the veteran's power and skill versus that of the two highschoolers.
"I said.Leave." Mami ordered once again, before she opened the window behind herself and threw Komaki outside, dropping a few floors above the ground. Oriko was frozen, she had seen her only remaining friend get thrown out of a building's window. "You're free to take either exit Oriko-san. The front exit involves not having to fix your broken bones from such a fall." Mami threatened.
Oriko runs out of the apartment, taking both her and Komaki's shoes, hiding any tears that may stream down her face. These weren't tears of grief or fear, Oriko was furious to hear her father be used as an argument against her once again, especially from a person who refused to see the truth, someone fully convinced that Kyubey was a friend. Things were meant to go smoothly, she asked herself why did fate decide to yank her chance at saving the world so brutally. As far as Oriko cared, Mami Tomoe was a mindless drone serving a heartless alien. Just another enemy, another problem in her ever increasing list of problems.
Author speaking here! I legit forgot to actually upload here too so as a treat: For the following days, I will be attempting to upload daily to catch this one up with the original uploads.
