Well, Now You Know
"Thanks for the invite, Madoka," Kyoko said. "It was a ton of fun!"
"Yes, it was...a great experience," Homura said a bit uncertainly.
It was the morning after the movie night, and Kyoko and Homura were getting ready to leave. Sayaka would stay a bit longer to help Madoka clean up, after telling the others they didn't need to stick around. After all, Sayaka had stayed over at Madoka's house often enough to know were everything went, and it wasn't like they'd made that much of a mess of the place.
"It was fun having you over," Madoka said with a smile. "We should do this again soon."
"We could maybe have one in my apartment next time," Kyoko said. "Though you'd have to bring your own blankets and stuff. I don't really have that many…"
"Plenty for the two of us," Sayaka said with a wink.
Kyoko grinned at her. "Yeah, but you can just show up whenever anyway," she said. "Anyway, have fun being a cleaning maid."
Sayaka rolled her eyes. "You just make sure you're on time tonight, okay?" she asked.
"Of course, idiot. Don't worry about it," Kyoko said, her expression making it clear that if anything, she was the one feeling worried, and Sayaka thought it looked adorable. She gave Kyoko a quick kiss, and then she and Madoka headed back inside to get started on the cleaning.
"It's been way too long since we did something like that," she said as she began gathering pillows and blankets.
"It has," Madoka agreed. "But suddenly so much was happening…"
"Yeah… So hey, what do you think? About, y'know, Homura, and everything?" Sayaka asked.
"Hmm," Madoka said thoughtfully. "I don't really know."
She looked at Sayaka and gave her an embarrassed smile. "I mean...I know that she...cares a lot about me, but...I'm afraid that I won't be able to be the person she wants me to be. I...can't really tell what she's expecting from me. I guess that makes sense, knowing what she's been through, but still. How did it go with you and Kyoko?"
Sayaka thought for a moment and then said, "I guess we just...discovered our feelings for each other at the same time?" Then she shook her head. "No, that's not right. Kyoko knew first. She came to find me. She saved me from...from becoming a witch, although at the time I thought I was just going to die. But she...she wouldn't let me. Wouldn't give up on me."
She grinned wryly. "Don't take this the wrong way, but it feels like she was the first person who really believed in me."
Madoka just smiled. "I don't mind. She's a magical girl too, after all. She understands your position much better than I could."
"It's not just that," Sayaka said. "You believe in everyone you meet. You're pretty much the kindest person ever. So even though you always believed in me and relied on me, it wasn't because of me. It was just...you being you. Kyoko...when she lost her family and began to live only for herself, she meant it. She was cold and distant to everyone else, wanted to kill me when we met, even, but...she saw something in me she wanted to believe in, even if she didn't right then. She got some hope back, because of me being who and what I am. And that's what led her to come find me. She and I...we saved each other in some very convoluted way."
She fell silent and gave Madoka an embarrassed grin. "Sorry, that was a bit of a philosophical ramble."
Madoka shook her head. "No, it was just very honest. And I'm really happy that you're back to being you, and that you and Kyoko are so happy together. It makes me wonder if Homura and I would ever be that way too," she said.
"Well, do you want to be?" Sayaka asked.
"That's just it. I...I don't know," Madoka said, looking like she'd confessed to quintuple vehicular homicide. "I mean...I like her, sure, and she's very pretty, but there's something very...intense about her. I...think I'd fall in love with her, and I'd really like to, but right now I mostly just feel pity for everything she's had to endure. It wouldn't feel fair to Homura or myself to get together with her for those kinds of reasons."
Sayaka didn't reply immediately. She could understand where Madoka was coming from. Homura's odd intensity had been one of the things that had made her dislike the girl really fast. And, like Madoka, she now understood why Homura acted the way she did. She felt bad about having disliked her so much until then, especially since she'd been trying to keep Madoka safe above all else, which Sayaka certainly agreed with, but even knowing the whole truth, Homura was still fairly enigmatic in a not-too-inviting way, though Kyoko didn't seem to be bothered by her at all. But then, Kyoko had been a magical girl for a while, so she was probably more used to oddness in general. Maybe that was the answer.
"Why don't you just...start by trying to get to know her a bit?" Sayaka said. "If you develop feelings for her, great, if not...well...you're right that you shouldn't force it, or get into a relationship for the wrong reasons. Not...not that I'm one to talk, given I spent most of my life in love with a guy who never even considered being with me…"
"No, it's good advice, I think," Madoka said with a smile. "I think I'll do that. Would you mind if I walked home with Homura after school tomorrow?"
Sayaka shook her head. "Of course not! I bet she'd love it, and who knows, maybe she'll become...the girl she once was again over time? Or someone like her, at least. I mean, I don't think I will ever be the girl I was before all of this began, either."
"None of us are. I think it's kind of beautiful, in a way. We've been through a lot of bad stuff, and we'll probably see much more of it — the three of you especially. But we're still mostly us, and I think if we hold onto that, we can probably deal with anything."
Madoka smiled sheepishly. "Did that sound too cheesy?"
Sayaka chuckled. "Maybe a little. But I agree with you, you know. I'd love it if things went like that. First, though, I've got a big hurdle to clear."
"Yes, Kyoko's coming over for dinner with your parents tonight, isn't she?" Madoka asked, her eyes lighting up. Sayaka nodded.
"Yep. She's met them before, of course, after we beat Walpurgisnacht, but this is going to be first time she's at my place — that my parents know of, anyway."
She grinned. Though she was a bit nervous to 'officially' introduce her girlfriend to her parents, she was also excited about it. With how unbelievably weird her life had become in the past weeks, the idea that tonight she'd be doing something so utterly normal and mundane was very welcome. And this time, there probably wouldn't be any horrible reveals of the caliber of last night's revelations. Hopefully, anyway, but unless her parents turned out to be alien assassins from the slug dimension, things would probably be fine for a change.
She and Madoka finished cleaning up, after which Sayaka headed back home, still thinking about everything she'd heard last night. And just like last night, she felt very torn up about it. On one hand, like Kyoko had said in her outburst, Kyoko had tried to save her in every single timeline, had cared enough about her to do that every time they'd met. And yet, she'd only succeeded in this particular timeline. From that perspective, it was almost like Sayaka was living on borrowed time now, since statistically she shouldn't be alive anymore.
It wasn't like she hadn't ever given thought to what it would be like if she died, especially recently, but now that she'd come back from that despair, the idea that a witch might kill her any day scared her again, like it had when Mami died. She couldn't bear the thought of leaving Kyoko alone, but now that her perspective on Homura had changed, she realized she'd have some other regrets, too. Kyosuke and Hitomi. Though she'd mostly been mad at Kyosuke, she'd be lying to herself if she said Hitomi's decision to pursue Kyosuke hadn't made her angry too. And now, now that she and Kyoko were together, and now that Sayaka didn't hate her life anymore, and herself a lot less, at least, she felt she at least owed both of them an apology.
She checked her phone and saw that it was still early. She knew, at least, that Kyosuke would probably be at home practicing his playing, and she was willing to bet that Hitomi would be keeping him company. Maybe she could apologize to both of them at once. She changed course and walked towards Kyosuke's house. It was odd walking there and not feeling those familiar butterflies anymore, but it reinforced her desire to just properly close this off, and mend fences if possible. If the two of them didn't want to be friends anymore, it would hurt, but at least everything would've been said.
She reached the house and immediately heard that Kyosuke was at home from the sounds of the violin.
He really is good, she thought to herself.
She pressed the intercom button next to the gate and a moment later a voice said, "Yes?"
"Hi, it's Miki Sayaka. Could I talk to Kyosuke, please?" Sayaka asked.
"Of course, Miss Miki. I'll open the gate."
A moment later the gate opened and Sayaka entered and made her way to Kyosuke's room. With each step she took, the sound of the violin became louder and it almost felt like she was heading into a concert hall.
About to crash the show, I guess…
Fortunately, it appeared like she wouldn't have to crash the show. She knew what Kyosuke was playing, and she also knew he was nearing the end. She waited until the final lingering note had faded before knocking.
"Come in," Kyosuke said, and Sayaka opened the door. As she had hoped, Hitomi was present as well, still smiling brightly from Kyosuke's performance. When she and Kyosuke saw Sayaka, their eyes widened in surprise.
"You're still as amazing as ever on the violin," Sayaka said, hoping to break some of the awkward tension in the air.
"Thanks," Kyosuke said, a bit hesitantly.
Sayaka knew she had to take the initiative here, so she just smiled awkwardly and said, "Kyosuke, Hitomi...I'm sorry for how I've been acting lately. I...I've been going through some bad stuff and I lashed out at you when you really didn't deserve it."
She didn't entirely agree with her own words there, but she'd rather clear the air thoroughly, even if it meant her pride would take a bit of a hit.
"I'm sorry too, Sayaka," Hitomi said. "I mean...I gave you that ultimatum, after all."
"And I never even realized you saw me as anything other than a friend," Kyosuke said. "Not until...well...our last meeting, and Hitomi chewing me out over it afterward."
Despite herself, Sayaka laughed. "You did that?" she asked.
Hitomi nodded. "Of course! I mean...that's the least I could do, right? We're still friends, after all...aren't we?" she asked, suddenly uncertain.
Sayaka nodded. "Yes, I'd love to be. And with you too, Kyosuke...that is, if you're not mad at me."
Kyosuke shook his head. "Of course not. I mean, our last conversation began because I wanted to apologize to you. You had every right to be angry, and I'd love to stay friends. But...well...I always saw you as just that…"
Even now, Sayaka felt a small stab of pain at hearing the confirmation, but she still smiled and said, "It's okay. I, um...met someone, anyway…"
She glanced at Hitomi, in her head still hearing her say, "Girls can't love girls!" on repeat, and she wondered how their newly restored friendship would hold up.
"You did? That's great!" Hitomi said, and Kyosuke smiled brightly as well, clearly relieved.
"Where's he from? How old is he?" Hitomi asked.
Sayaka took a deep breath and said, "She is fourteen, like us, and she's originally from Kazamino, but she's in Mitakihara for a while. Her name is Sakura Kyoko."
"You're in love with a girl?!" Hitomi said in a shocked tone. "But that's...impossible, isn't it?"
Sayaka shrugged. "Well, I guess not," she said. "Kyoko and I...helped each other through the bad stuff I mentioned earlier. She was dealing with a lot as well, and we just...grew closer because of it."
"Well, it might be a bit unconventional, but I'm glad you met someone, Sayaka," Kyosuke said earnestly, and even though part of her was still a bit mad at him, she did genuinely appreciate him saying that.
"I am too, of course," Hitomi said quickly. "But if you like girls I honestly thought it'd be Madoka…"
Sayaka laughed. "Madoka has a girl she likes, too, but that relationship is even more complicated than Kyoko's and mine, so I don't want to say too much about it. I'm sure Madoka will tell you when she's ready. I only know because I know that girl as well and the four of us spent the night at Madoka's place." She didn't add that both Hitomi and Kyosuke knew her as well, since Homura was in their class.
Hitomi smiled a bit sadly. "You and Madoka really have found a new friend group, huh? It makes me a bit sad to not be as close to you as I was anymore...but that just makes me happier you came to talk. I'm assuming you knew I'd be here?"
Sayaka nodded. "I guessed, anyway. And honestly, I'm a bit sad, too, but I was thinking about a lot of things and I felt like I had to at least say something, you know?" She sighed. "Look, I don't...I don't really think things could ever be like they were before, for any of us. But I really want to stay friends with you both, even if we don't talk as much as we used to. And Kyosuke, when you have a recital, for God's sake let me know, because I'll come watch, okay?"
"I will," he promised. "Good. Then...I guess I'll be going now. Kyoko's coming over for dinner with my parents tonight, and I told her not to be late...so I'd better not be, either."
"Ooh, that's a big thing, meeting the parents!" Hitomi said excitedly. She already seemed to be over her initial shock, and if she wasn't she was hiding it really well.
"I know!" Sayaka said. "I mean, they've briefly met with the whole evacuation, but this will be the first time they'll actually, y'know, have a conversation. I'm kind of nervous, actually."
"Well, obviously you'd be nervous," Hitomi said. "Get going! And let me know how it went later, okay? I want the details!"
"Um, I'll pass on the details, but good luck anyway," Kyosuke said with a smile.
"Thanks, both of you. Good luck with practice, and see you two at school tomorrow."
Sayaka left Kyosuke's house and made her way over to her own apartment, greeted her parents, and then went to her room to have a bit of relaxation before Kyoko would arrive. With how nervous she was, she almost felt like she'd be going into battle. It wasn't like her parents had had issues with her having a girlfriend, at least none that they had mentioned to her thus far, but even so, there was always that fear that they wouldn't approve for some reason, even though both Mom and Dad had always left Sayaka pretty free to do what she wanted.
When it was almost time, she went into the living room to see the table had already been set. "Wow, you really went all out, Mom," she said.
"Hey, I helped," Dad said before Mom could reply. "I did the shopping."
Sayaka gave him a look and sarcastically said, "Good job."
"Well, we do want to impress your girlfriend, don't we?" Mom said with a smile.
Sayaka laughed. "I'm pretty sure this kind of food is going to work just fine for that."
At that moment, the doorbell rang, and Sayaka went to open the door. Kyoko had changed her shorts and hoodie for full-length skinny jeans and a black T-shirt for the occasion, but that wasn't the biggest change about her.
Where in the morning, she'd only looked a bit nervous, now, Sayaka could almost see her heart beating in her chest, and she looked more afraid than she'd done fighting Walpurgisnacht.
"Are you okay?" Sayaka asked quietly.
Kyoko tried for a smile and said, "I guess? It's just, y'know...parents."
"You've met them, though," Sayaka pointed out.
"I know, but this is different," Kyoko said. "I...I can't really look at parents the same way anymore," she mumbled.
Sayaka gave her a quick kiss and said, "It'll be okay. We're together, alright? You're not alone. If I'd known it'd bother you this much I wouldn't have–"
"No, I gotta face my fear, otherwise I'll never get over it," Kyoko interrupted.
Sayaka nodded slowly, still feeling guilty despite Kyoko's reassurance. She'd never even considered that this might be difficult for Kyoko, and that felt like a very careless thing now.
Feeling a bit conflicted, she led Kyoko to the living room, where Mom and Dad were already waiting.
"Ah, Kyoko. Good to see you again," Dad said with a friendly smile.
"Yes, it's nice to finally meet you under somewhat less exceptional circumstances," Mom added.
"Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Miki," Kyoko said with a small bow. "Thank you for inviting me over."
Sayaka had never heard Kyoko being this polite, and it apparently showed on her face, because a moment later she heard Kyoko's voice in her head.
"I can be polite, you know. I just don't care to be."
Sayaka suppressed a smile. "I appreciate that you're doing it now, though," she replied.
They sat down at the table, and soon they'd all filled their plates.
"So," Dad said once everyone had settled in a bit. Sayaka immediately felt Kyoko stiffen up in response. "How did the two of you meet? I can't recall Sayaka ever mentioning you from school."
Sayaka and Kyoko exchanged a look. "We probably shouldn't tell them we were trying to kill each other," Sayaka thought nervously.
"No shit, Sherlock. So what do we tell them?"
"Um...mall? Arcade?"
"Arcade."
"We met in the arcade in town," Kyoko said.
Sayaka saw her parents looking a bit confused, and Mom said, "I didn't even know you liked going there."
"I was going to meet Madoka but she got delayed," Sayaka said quickly.
"Yeah, and Sayaka and I, uh, got caught up in a pretty fierce competition," Kyoko said uncertainly.
Sayaka nodded. "Yeah. She kept beating me, but I refused to give up," she said with a small, shaky smile.
"And afterwards we...became friends," Kyoko said.
Dad nodded slowly. "I see. What school do you go to, since you don't seem to be in the same school as Sayaka?"
Kyoko hesitated for a moment. "I, uh, go to school in Kazamino City, where I'm from," she said.
"That's relatively nearby," Mom said. "But you live in Mitakihara now, that you and Sayaka were able to see each other so much?"
"I...stay at, um, my...my aunt's apartment near the outskirts of town, at the moment," Kyoko said.
Sayaka could tell that with each question, Kyoko was getting more and more uncomfortable, but for the life of her she had no idea how to help. None of these questions were odd, after all, so if she tried to help out by supplying answers, or if she and Kyoko tried to coordinate something telepathically, it would look incredibly suspicious. Mom and Dad exchanged a look, and Sayaka got the unsettling feeling that apparently, things were already suspicious in their eyes.
"So tell us, how did you go from friends to...well, girlfriends?" Mom asked. She was smiling, but Sayaka saw that she was watching both Sayaka and Kyoko like a hawk.
"What the hell do we say here?" Kyoko asked. "We can't tell them the truth."
"I don't know," Sayaka admitted. "Um, just...let me take care of it."
"We just...discovered we had some things in common and it grew from there," she said.
"And in such a short amount of time, too," Dad said, and something in his tone told Sayaka she wasn't going to like what he'd say next. "Sayaka...you recently had a bit of a falling-out with Kyosuke, didn't you?"
"I actually patched things up with him and Hitomi this afternoon," she replied. She narrowed her eyes. "Why?"
Mom and Dad exchanged a look. "We're just...a bit concerned about you," Mom said.
"Why? I'm fine," Sayaka said, more defensively than she'd intended.
"Perhaps, but...you've been acting a bit odd lately," Dad said, and Sayaka knew he was about to drop all pretense. "You've been hanging out late with strange excuses, you've been more distant, you disappear in the middle of a supercell evacuation and when you come back you tell us you have a girlfriend, who seems perfectly nice, yet she's clearly keeping some things behind as well."
He sighed. "You have to understand how this looks from our perspective. You've always been fairly...predictable, and I don't mean that in a bad way. We always knew what we could expect from you, but now, we just can't really get any insight into what you're thinking anymore. We're...afraid that something is going on."
He gave Kyoko an apologetic look and said, "I'm sorry we're having this conversation when you're here, but this...well, it probably concerns you, too."
Kyoko nodded wordlessly, her face white as a sheet, and the fear in her expression made something in Sayaka snap.
"So stop talking around it, then! What are you afraid of?! That I'm doing drugs? That I'm in a gang? That I'm robbing little old ladies in the street at night? Look, I don't really care what you want to accuse me of, but leave Kyoko out of it! You don't even know her and I'm not going to have anyone judge her! You have no idea how much she's done for me!"
"Then yes, to all of those things!" Dad said, clearly showing from whom Sayaka had gotten her explosive temper. "What do you expect from us, Sayaka?! That we turn a blind eye to your sudden change in behavior? That we'll just meekly nod and believe whatever story you tell us? We are not blind, and we don't like that you're lying to us!"
"What the hell else am I supposed to do?! If I told you the truth you wouldn't understand it, you wouldn't even believe me!"
At that moment, Kyoko got up, mumbled, "I'm sorry," and then left the room.
Sayaka got up as well, but Dad said, "You're not going anywhere until we talk this through, young lady."
Sayaka glared at him, fierce even though her eyes were blurry with tears. "You want the truth? Fine! Kyoko stopped me from killing myself!" she said, and both of her parents jerked as if she'd hit them.
Feeling a hollow feeling in her heart, she turned around left the apartment to go and find Kyoko. Fortunately, she was still in the hall of the apartment complex, leaning against a pillar.
"Kyoko!"
Sayaka ran over to her and pulled her into a hug.
"It's okay," she said softly, stroking Kyoko's hair and back. "I'm here, Little Firefly."
"It's not okay," Kyoko said with a choked voice. "The shouting...that's how it began with my parents as well, when my dad found out–"
"My parents won't do something like that," Sayaka said, though she honestly wasn't so certain. If her parents knew their daughter was essentially a zombie…
Can I just have one day without drama?!
The rage at the injustice of it all boiled inside of her, and all she could do was to just hold on to Kyoko, her one source of safety in all the madness that had happened lately.
"I love you so fucking much," she muttered, her voice thick with emotion.
"I love you too," Kyoko replied in a tone just as strained. "More than I can tell you."
"Sayaka?"
Sayaka looked up and saw her parents both standing in the hall as well. They still looked lightning-struck by Sayaka's earlier parting words, and her gut churned with guilt, even though what she'd said had been entirely true.
"Sayaka, and you too, Kyoko...could you please come back inside?" Mom asked. "We...want to talk to you. Not to accuse you of anything," she said with a look at Sayaka, "but just...there are things we need to understand. Please."
Sayaka exchanged a look with Kyoko, before saying, "Okay, but only if you promise not to press Kyoko for any information. It's up to her whether she wants to share."
"That's...acceptable, for now," Dad said, too relieved that Sayaka was willing to talk at all to press his luck. Sayaka took Kyoko's hand and followed her parents back inside. Even when they sat back down at the dinner table, she refused to let go of Kyoko.
"So...Sayaka...what happened? Why did you...why did you almost…" Mom trailed off, unable to get the words out of her mouth, and Sayaka hated herself for the tears she could see in Mom's eyes.
She sighed. "I can't tell you. A lot happened, and I did some stupid and naive things that all blew up in my face and I just...didn't care anymore. But Kyoko...she understood me. She managed to get through to me. She saved me from myself."
"And Sayaka saved me from myself," Kyoko added quietly. "We...weren't friends when we first met," she went on. "We got in a pretty bad fight, even, but...Sayaka's sense of justice and purpose reminded me of...of things I thought didn't exist anymore. I wanted to believe in them again, and I wanted Sayaka to be the person who'd enable me to do that, because no one else could, so I reached out to her."
"And trust me when I say that she was just in time, too," Sayaka said dully, remembering Homura's dark words the night before.
"Why didn't you ever tell us anything?" Dad asked. He sounded resigned, all his will to fight and argue extinguished.
"Because I couldn't," Sayaka replied. "You'd consider me crazy if I told you the truth and...I don't want you to hate me…"
"We'd never hate you," Mom said in a shocked tone. "How could you even think that?"
"You certainly didn't sound happy when you were accusing me of being a drug addict," Sayaka said.
"Not because we'd hate you," Dad said impatiently, and Sayaka almost grinned at how familiar it sounded. "Because we'd hate what it would do to you. You were always kind, and stood up for what you believed in. You'd defend your friends from anything and you always adored those toothpaste-perfect superheroes. The thought that you'd abandoned all of that, had gone down...such a dark path...that's what scared us."
Again, he looked at Kyoko, and he smiled sadly. "And we feared that you might have been in a similar situation. A kind girl trapped in bad circumstances. We never wanted you to feel threatened or afraid...we just wanted to know what was going on so we could help you."
"I...once thought my parents would never hate me," Kyoko said quietly. "But I was wrong."
"I'm sure it's not–" Dad began, but Mom interrupted with, "Oh, no… Your last name, Sakura...there was a priest…"
Kyoko flinched, but then nodded. "Yes. He was my father."
"But they perished in house fire, didn't they?" Dad asked with a frown.
"He murdered my mother and sister, set the house on fire, and hanged himself," Kyoko said. She had her gaze fixed on one spot in the wall and Sayaka could see she was fighting to control her breathing. "And all of that was because he found out the truth about me."
"Oh, no, you poor girl!" Mom said, her eyes wide with shock.
"So you can see why I'd rather...not tell you," Sayaka said. She was slowly squeezing and massaging Kyoko's hand under the table, doing what she could to show her support.
"Sayaka, no matter what the truth is, we love you," Dad said. "Even if it turns out you're involved with, I don't know, the yakuza, or whatever, we would never stop loving you."
Sayaka felt her eyes burn again and wondered how many tears she'd still need to shed. "It's better if you don't know," she said.
"Sayaka," Mom said, "Try to see this from our perspective, please. For all we know, what you're involved with is dangerous. What if one day, you just don't come home? What if you vanish like that other girl–"
"Tomoe Mami," Sayaka interrupted. "That's...that's exactly what could end up happening."
"You know what happened to her?" Dad asked.
"She's dead," Sayaka said softly. "I saw her die."
"And you never told anyone?" Dad asked incredulously.
Sayaka laughed humorlessly. "I told you, no one would believe me. And her body won't ever be found, either. It doesn't exist anymore."
She sighed deeply, and the sigh turned into a frustrated scream, that left an echoing silence.
"Why do I keep fucking everything up…?" she asked the ceiling.
"Maybe you should tell them," Kyoko said hesitantly. "At this point...I doubt the truth will be worse than what they're thinking anyway."
Sayaka looked at her and Kyoko gave her a watery smile. "Go on, Little Mermaid. Tell them the truth. Kyubey never said we couldn't anyway...and if everything goes to hell, then...we'll go down together."
Sayaka nodded slowly. "Right… Yeah... Okay…"
She looked at her parents again, who were both sitting like they'd been nailed to their seats. "I guess...it'll be easier to just show you," she said.
Slowly, she got up from her seat. With one last glance at Kyoko, she called up her Soul Gem and transformed, and both her parents yelped in surprise.
"Mom, Dad...I'm...I'm a magical girl," she said, "and I fight creatures known as witches to stop them from hunting humans."
"W-witches?" Dad repeated. "Like the ones flying on broomsticks?"
Sayaka shook her head. "No. Real witches are much weirder than that, but I can't really describe them. They're...like monsters from a nightmare, but regular humans can't see them."
"How...how did you become like this?" Mom asked, and Sayaka felt a stab of pain at the choice of words, even though Mom obviously didn't know about the whole 'zombie' thing.
"Kyubey, a weird cat-like creature, finds girls with potential and offers them a contract. They become magical girls and fight witches, and in return, Kyubey will grant any one wish. My wish...my wish was to heal Kyosuke's hand so he could play the violin again," Sayaka said.
"I did hear it was a miraculous recovery," Mom muttered, "But to think it was actual magic…"
She turned to Kyoko and asked, "So...are you a magical girl too, then?"
In response, Kyoko simply got up as well and transformed too. "I am," she said.
"Fighting witches sounds like it's incredibly dangerous," Dad said.
Sayaka nodded. "It is," she said. "Mami, the girl we just mentioned, she was a magical girl as well. She got killed by a witch, and since she died within its labyrinth, there was no body."
"And that storm the other week, that wasn't a storm, either. That was a witch, too," Kyoko said. "A really powerful one called Walpurgisnacht."
"But Kyoko and I and another magical girl managed to defeat it," Sayaka said.
"Another one? How many of you are there?" Dad asked.
Sayaka shrugged. "In total? No idea. In Mitakihara, there's three of us right now."
"Three-and-a-half," Kyoko corrected with a small smile, and Sayaka grinned despite herself.
"Yeah, okay."
"Half?" Mom asked.
"A girl who could be a magical girl, but isn't, yet," Sayaka explained. "And we don't want her to become one, either. We're trying to keep her safe."
She transformed back and sat down again, and Kyoko did the same.
"Well, now you know. The basics, at least," she said. "Do you understand now why I really didn't want to tell you about this?"
"Not a gang member but a superhero," Dad muttered, before giving a short, slightly manic laugh. "I'm half expecting a hidden camera…"
"Sorry, Dad, no hidden cameras," Sayaka said.
She looked at Mom, who sighed and said, "I can't say I'm happy that you've gotten caught up in something so dangerous, Sayaka, but…"
She looked at Kyoko and smiled. "I'm happy you at least managed to find someone who can watch your back. Kyoko, we'll leave our daughter in your care, okay?"
Kyoko looked startled, but said, "Of course! I'll do whatever I can to keep her safe, and I know she'll do the same for me."
"I thought you were at least going to ground me for life," Sayaka said.
"We would," Dad acknowledged, "But you've just shown that you possess actual magic, and you use it to protect people, one of whom is your girlfriend. As much as I hate letting you go out and do something dangerous, I can't in good conscience let Kyoko face those dangers alone, either. If you two, and maybe that third girl as well, work together, then you'll probably all be safer for it."
Sayaka blinked slowly, trying to process what Dad had just said. Then, without a word, she got up and hugged him, and then Mom.
"Thank you both," she whispered.
"Don't thank me," Dad replied. "I'm really, really not happy about this. I just...I want to keep you alive, and I know all too well how stubborn you are. No amount of punishment is going to keep you here when your friends are in danger, not if you have the power to do something about it. I'd prefer to save us all the trouble and just ask you to be honest about it, if you're going out to fight."
Sayaka nodded, tears freely streaming down her face. "I will," she promised.
"And Kyoko...you make sure you stay safe as well, all right? I understand you probably have your own...life, and daily routine, and so on...but if you ever need a place to stay, or want to come over for dinner or anything...you're always welcome here."
"T-thank you very much," Kyoko said, and Sayaka could see that she too had tears in her eyes.
She sat down next to Kyoko again, threw her arms around her, and put her head on Kyoko's shoulder. Kyoko immediately returned the hug.
"What a night," Dad said with a tired sigh.
Sayaka couldn't help but agree. She felt exhausted, and she wanted nothing more than to curl up against Kyoko and sleep, but her parents probably wouldn't agree to that.
"Kyoko, would you like to stay the night?" Mom asked.
Sayaka's head shot up. Kyoko, too, seemed surprised. "I, um, well, if I can, then...yes," she said.
Mom nodded. "Of course. You'll have to sleep in Sayaka's bed, though, our guest room is full of junk at the moment…"
"Are you pulling my leg?" Sayaka asked, feeling her face flush.
Mom shook her head. "No, but I raised you, and even though I don't know you quite as well as I'd like to anymore, I can still tell what you need...and you need safety, and I doubt anyone but Kyoko could give you that right now. And I think that goes both ways," she added with a smile at Kyoko, who nodded wordlessly.
"Great, then you two should get ready for bed. We'll clean up here." She glanced at Dad and said, "We've still got a lot to talk about."
"Thank you," Sayaka said. She couldn't believe that her parents had mostly just...accepted that she'd become a magical girl. Okay, they didn't know everything, like the whole 'zombie' thing, or the 'magical girls turn into witches' thing, but they did know that it was dangerous. But she wasn't about to question it, not when she was this tired, and not when Mom had just granted her wish of having Kyoko stay the night. They'd obviously ask more questions as time went on, but for now, things had turned out better than she'd ever dared to hope, especially after everything had gone so badly earlier.
"Our lives are so fucking weird," Kyoko said when they were lying cuddled up in Sayaka's bed a bit later.
"Yeah," Sayaka acknowledged. "But at least we've got each other."
Kyoko hummed in agreement and then said, "Hey, Sayaka...please don't let me go."
"I won't," Sayaka promised. "If you don't let me go, either."
"Never."
"Good…"
"Yeah…"
"Good night…"
"G'night…"
I figured ending the fic this subdued would work, but I'll admit it's also just because I just could not find a proper way to end it, and I wanted to go to bed. It's again a fairly dramatic one, but I'm determined to post at least one pure fluff fic soon. As always, feel free to share your thoughts, and see you in the next one.