A/N: Helloooooooo. Thanks for the great reviews again! They're really motivational.
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ZWEIUNDVIERZIG
TIMELINE X + N + 1
Running and breathing, running and breathing. Again. Tap-tap-tap-tap shoes on the tile, black and white, black and white. Again, running and breathing. Spinning black and white. How many times had she done this? Running and breathing. Climbing stairs and breathing, black and white, spinning, opening a door and breathing, way too high and breathing, buildings aren't supposed to float in pieces like that and breathing, that girl is being tossed around like a rag doll and breathing, have to help her and breathing, in a concert hall and breathing, confined and breathing, too tight NOT breathing, crunch-crunch not breathing, oh God, she should have listened to—
Madoka Kaname woke suddenly, gasping for breath as though surfacing from a deep dive. She lay still for a minute, panting and disliking the feel of cold sweat on her brow as she blearily held her over-sized stuffed bunny close. When her breathing calmed, she dragged herself upright and squinted at the sunshine peeking in her window, drowsily listened to the birds chirping.
Such weird dreams the last few days. It wasn't like her to dream of...
Of...?
Madoka wilted and flopped on her bunny, then rolled on her side again. "I forget," she moaned in disappointment.
§ x § x §
As usual, Papa was picking delicious things from the garden to use for breakfast. As usual, little Tatsuya was doing his cheerful best to wake Mama from her morning coma with the few words he knew. As usual, Madoka slammed the door open, marched over to the window, threw the curtains wide to let the sun in, and stomped over to the bed to gleefully whip the duvet off her mother. As usual, Mama screeched and flailed like a vampire exposed to sunlight, much to her toddler's delight. As usual, Madoka gossiped with her mother while they both brushed their teeth and did their hair for the day. As usual, her mother's transformation from death warmed over to classy businesswoman with skillful use of brushes and powders and lipstick was a wonder to witness. As usual, Papa smilingly served breakfast to them all in his apron, Tatsuya got about half his food into his mouth and half of it everywhere else, and Mama rushed out after goodbye kisses for her boys and her customary high-five of encouragement with her daughter.
As usual, as usual. But the usual felt unusual for Madoka these last few days. She couldn't figure out why. It was bothersome.
School was more of the usual. Meeting up with Sayaka and Hitomi, Ms. Saotome ranting about her newly-former-boyfriend in homeroom, classes, lunch, classes. It was all very normal, but the sheer normalcy felt wrong somehow. Like something was missing. The closest feeling she could think of was realizing you have left your homework at home or have forgotten to read the assignment so you don't know what the teacher is talking about, but that somehow seemed too trivial. So Madoka tucked her unease as far from notice as possible and kept smiling.
Near the end of the final class of the day, one of her classmates suddenly rose from her chair and lurched for the door with her hand over her mouth. Everyone stared at her running away for a minute, surprised.
"Ah, the Nurse's Aide for this class is Miss... Kaname, yes?" the math teacher said when he snapped out of it. He found Madoka already standing, her pink pigtails bouncing as she threw her things in her bag. "Good, good. Take care of her, Miss Kaname. Don't worry about coming back to class."
"Okay!" she called as she scooped up her classmate's things.
"Uh, Madoka—," Sayaka said lowly as she leaned over from her own desk, face uncertain.
Madoka smiled, winked at her friend, and whispered, "Go ahead and see him without me, okay?" She was halfway out the door before her blue-haired friend could even sputter a reply.
Madoka dutifully helped her crying classmate clean up in the bathroom and leaned against her stall door while they waited for the halls to clear after the final bell. The poor girl was terrified she'd throw up on someone if they tried to break for the nurse's office when the halls were full. Madoka sympathized and rambled on cheerfully to try to distract her through her dry heaving. She let the girl hold her arm to stay steady for the walk and sat with her until someone came to help her home.
The halls were quite empty by the time Madoka left. The uncommon quiet of the building was interesting, so she meandered a bit. She was about to go out a side door when it opened and admitted a girl with long, dark hair. The girl stopped and looked around. Their eyes met.
"Excuse me," the stranger said. "Do you know where the registrar's office is?"
Madoka's eyes widened for an instant— brave girl jumping from the building flying up at the— then her face scrunched up in confused déjà vu. "The... office...?"
"Yes, please." The girl primly pushed her hair behind her ears. She looked uncomfortable, but still cool. "I am transferring in tomorrow and need to pick up my schedule."
Madoka blinked and processed that, then perked up. "Oh! Welcome to Mitakihara Middle School!"
"Thank you."
The pink-haired girl made a beckoning gesture. "The office is this way! I'll take you!"
"Thank you."
The new girl followed a few steps behind Madoka, who stepped aside and fell back to be at her side instead.
"I'm Madoka Kaname!"
The new girl tilted her head and looked at her sideways. She seemed kind of sad. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Kana—"
"You can call me Madoka!" She waved her fingers cheerfully.
"A-ah," the new girl said quietly. "Mado... ka. My name is Homura Akemi."
"Ooh, what an unusual name!" After a pause in which she actually thought about the words that had fallen from her lips, Madoka flailed her arms in denial and hurried to correct herself. "Not in a bad way! Not a bad unusual! It's just uncommon and it sounds so cool! Can I call you Homura instead of Akemi?"
The new student walked without speaking for an entire hallway as Madoka began to sweat nervously and debate apologizing. Finally, Homura murmured, "I do not get called by my first name very much. It is such a weird name..." She sounded... distant. Wistful, maybe?
"Ehhh?!" Madoka halted and whirled to face the new girl, face enthusiastic in the fading sunlight. "No, it's not! It means flame, so it's like you're supposed to flare up passionately!" She made excited hand gestures and gazed into the distance with stars in her eyes, imagining something dramatic.
Brave girl jumping from the building flying up at the—
Homura brushed past and stopped a few paces ahead of her but didn't turn back to face her. Instead, she stood still and flexed her hands into and out of fists. She didn't say anything at first, then nearly whispered, "I guess... I do not live up to my name."
Madoka's face fell in dismay. "But that's such a waste!" She scowled in determination and marched up to and around Homura, then clasped the girl's hands in her own. Madoka stared directly into her eyes and firmly declared, "Since you were blessed with such a great name, you should become cool to match it!" After a moment's thought— brave girl jumping— she doubled down. "No, I bet you're already cool! I'll prove it!"
Homura stared at her expressionlessly, hands limp in Madoka's grip.
Madoka flushed and dropped her hands, twirling away with an embarrassed laugh and starting to walk again. "Come on! Let's find out what class you're in!" Once she started babbling, she couldn't stop— she had to fill the awkward silence. "I hope you're in mine. Even if you aren't, I'll introduce you to Sayaka and Hitomi. We'll have lots of fun together! And I'll help you catch up with the class if you need it!" She stopped at the next corner and looked back. Homura was standing where she left her halfway down the hall. Madoka nervously scratched her cheek. "Did I weird you out? I probably shouldn't—"
The new girl stepped forward decisively. "No," she said calmly. When she was even with Madoka, she looked her right in the eyes. A certain sternness firmed her brow, turned her lips down at the corners. "Please stay just as you are." Then she brushed past her and kept walking.
"E-eh?" Madoka stood dumbly watching the girl gracefully stride down the hall and make the next turn.
Correctly.
Wait, she was supposed to be guiding her!
"Wait up!" she cried, jogging after the transfer student. Madoka was half surprised to find that Homura actually had stopped, her head tilted slightly to look over her shoulder. Madoka fidgeted timidly, then rejoined her.
The rest of their walk was silent. Madoka wrung her hands all through it, feeling shy. She was going to excuse herself once they reached the office, but Homura had quietly asked her to wait a minute and invited her out to get a snack together to thank her for her help. Madoka perked up and cheerfully agreed— she hadn't driven off a prospective friend by being too forward after all! Still, she had no idea what to talk about as they left through the school's courtyard and walked along the landscaped footpath off campus.
Until she heard a loud meow, that is.
"Ah," Homura said quietly, looking off to their left. "Yoruichi followed me."
Madoka followed her line of sight and saw a black cat wearing a purple collar perched in a tree. It meowed again.
"I can not leave you alone for a minute, can I?" Homura murmured. "Always following people and getting into things." The cat meowed, gracefully dropped from the tree and sauntered up to them. It meowed and rubbed against Homura's legs. Homura sighed and knelt down. She scratched the cat's chin and said, "Yes, I forgive you."
"Is that your cat?" Madoka blurted out excitedly. She clasped her hands by one cheek and cooed, "He's so pretty!"
"She," Homura corrected. "And thank you."
"She?" Madoka knelt across from Homura and tentatively offered a hand for the cat to sniff. "I'm so sorry, Miss Kitty! You're a very pretty kitty-cat!"
The cat meowed and preened, then shrugged away from Homura and pressed her head into Madoka's palm. Madoka pet her with surprised delight.
"She knows what pretty means," Homura said drily.
"Well, of course! Everyone must tell her she's a pretty kitty!" Madoka didn't care if cats reduced her to the mentality of a five-year-old. They were cats. So cute! "What's her name again?"
"Yoruichi."
The cat meowed at its name.
"Hello, Yoruichi! I'm Madoka! Let's be friends!"
The cat purred and jumped up onto her, scaling her way up to Madoka's shoulder. She purred and rubbed against the girl's jaw.
Madoka laughed joyfully. She looked at Homura. "What kanji did you use for her name?"
Homura smiled slightly. "Night One."
Madoka grinned and looked at Yoruichi, whose head was inches away from her cheek. "Your owner has a cool name and she gave you a cool name, too!" Yoruichi's apparent meowed reply made her giggle.
"She likes you." Homura stood up, smiling gently. "If we go to an outdoor café, Yoruichi can sit with us."
"Yes! Let's do it!" Madoka carefully held Yoruichi in place on her shoulder and stood happily. "I know just the place!"
§ x § x §
Beady red eyes watched intently from the shadows, then retreated into the shrubbery.
Not today, it seemed.
§ x § x §
Yoruichi accompanied Akemi on another munitions heist that night. That had been informative on many levels. Two in the morning found Yoruichi perched on a high shelf in the girl's townhouse, tail lazily swishing as she watched the girl engaged in the dangerous business of crafting bombs. Akemi was working intently at her desk. Long familiar with the etiquette of potentially explosive materials and experiments from her years with Kisuke Urahara and Kūkaku Shiba as friends, Yoruichi patiently stayed silent. She only dared speak whenever Akemi sat back after completing a task, not wanting to interrupt her and blow them both into the stratosphere.
During one such pause, Akemi arched her back and stretched her arms over her head. Holding herself tense for such delicate work took its toll. She sighed, manifested her shield, stowed the new bomb away where it wouldn't be a threat, and relaxed.
"You'd fit right in with the Shiba," Yoruichi said slyly. "You're very skilled."
Akemi blinked, rubbed her eyes tiredly, and looked at the cat. "Shiba?"
"Isshin's family back in Soul Society," she explained. "They mostly make fireworks, but they do other explosives, too."
"Ah. That makes sense." Akemi started to gather the materials to make a different kind of bomb. The kid wasn't even looking at instructions, crafting munitions from memory. "I do not think Karin mentioned fireworks last time. She just said they are known for 'brash eccentricity and explosions'."
Yoruichi cackled so hard she nearly fell from her shelf. Akemi eyed her warily. She wheezed, breathed deeply, and broke out in laughter again. "Ah, I've never heard the Shibas described so perfectly in so few words! Karin is priceless!"
Akemi returned to her supplies, organizing them as Yoruichi chuckled and muttered about telling Kūkaku. When she had downgraded into an occasional snicker, Akemi continued, "I do not see why I should fit in with this Shiba family. Millions of people deal with explosives. Are they all Shibas?"
"It's the attitude," Yoruichi immediately replied. "You have the bluntly-unapologetic-about-protecting-your-friends-and-throwing-explosions-at-problems attitude."
"I am not brash," Akemi argued.
Yoruichi scoffed. "Oh, I dunno. I think you have your moments. It's a subtle, understated brashness, but it's there. You do what you want and take no bullshit. You cover it up with good manners, but you'll be damned if anyone stops you from burgling military bases to collect and make your toys, or from charging off on your own to protect that Madoka girl. You're obstinate in general."
Akemi turned and gave her a dirty look.
"See?" Yoruichi gloated. "You're not hotheaded Ichigo-brash. You're Karin-and-Yuzu-brash. You decide to do a thing and you will do it come hell or high water. If people resist you, you just ignore them til they forget to resist you because you weren't loud and angry. You have no problems using military grade weaponry to destroy your obstacles." Yoruichi approximated a smile, baring her canines. "You're quiet-brash. Sneaky-brash. Determined-brash. It can be infuriating in some people, but I usually like it. Keeps things interesting. Shows you're not a pushover."
Akemi sniffed and refused to look at her.
Yoruichi lazed back against the wall. "You didn't argue the eccentricity."
"Hmph. I was strange even before all this mess," the magical girl said frankly. "Now I am a time-traveling magical girl who steals artillery, makes bombs, and is courting shinigami as allies. There is no point arguing the obvious."
Yoruichi lost herself in laughter again. "You're precious."
The corner of Akemi's mouth quirked up into a wry smirk for a moment. So she did have some sense of humor in there somewhere! Then she set about making her final bomb for the night. Yoruichi prudently fell silent to watch her. When the bomb was complete and safely stored, Akemi methodically closed up all her supplies.
Yoruichi took it as a signal that it was safe to talk. "So, what's the plan for handling the girls tomorrow?"
Akemi hummed thoughtfully as she screwed the lid on a shatter-proof jar of ammonium nitrate. "I think my biggest mistake the last several times was distancing myself from and alienating Sayaka Miki. Aside from Madoka, Miki, and Tomoe first seeing me as a magical girl when I was attacking the Incubator, that is. That caused them all to be suspicious of me. So I think I will make more of an effort with Miki. She hated me last time." A pause for thought. "Not without reason."
Interesting. Both that she had done it all and that she could recognize it as a mistake. "Why did you distance yourself from Miki?"
Akemi frowned as she carefully lay the jar in a hard, foam-lined case with several others. "I... thought it would be less... frustrating," she admitted quietly as she snapped the case shut. Yoruichi suspected she had changed her mind about what word to use to describe the feeling she wanted to avoid. "She has a tendency to run off and get herself killed in one way or another no matter what I do. Unlike Madoka, she does not listen to me much."
Yoruichi was quiet for a minute, thinking about that, then prompted, "Oh? Do you know why not?"
Sighing deeply, the magical girl explained, "She is exceedingly stubborn and has an excessively ideal concept of justice. It leaves her vulnerable to becoming disillusioned by the magical girl dynamic rather quickly and to overexerting herself and her magic. It often causes her to alienate herself from those she considers as not living up to her ideal of a magical girl. Then she feels isolated, compounded by feeling unworthy of the boy she makes a wish to heal." Akemi scowled. Her voice turned bitter. "That boy is also completely oblivious to her affection for him. And Hitomi Shizuki sometimes pushes Miki to a breaking point by giving her an ultimatum to confess to him before she does. In any other situation, it would be a kindness— Shizuki respects Miki enough to not make a move on Kamijō without telling her because she knows how much Miki likes him. But it is usually... the straw that breaks Miki's back, I suppose."
That was an unexpectedly thorough and nuanced analysis of relationships, personalities, and behavior. Especially the not demonizing that other girl for interfering. Akemi sounded like an adult looking back on childhood drama with more understanding of how people worked.
"Ah, schoolgirl drama," Yoruichi mused. "So glad I avoided that by having private tutors."
Akemi huffed as she stowed the case of explosive material in her shield. "It was a rude awakening for me," she said. "Because of my heart condition and the way I was treated in my first two years, I had private tutors for most of primary school. Then my uncle shoved me into a Catholic school in Tokyo when my parents died. It was a... culture shock. I have learned to ignore it now."
Well, wasn't that heartwarming. Flames were warm, right? "I feel like it needs to be said: Your uncle is a selfish asshole."
The magical girl hummed noncommittally as she stored her measuring cups and scoops.
"Anyway. Back to Miki," Yoruichi continued. "I take it her Witching out last timeline wasn't a fluke?"
"No. She either dies or falls in every timeline in which she contracts. Which is almost every timeline."
"Hmm." Yoruichi stretched and jumped down to the floor. "What have you tried to prevent that?"
Akemi sighed. "Explaining that magical girls become Witches. She did not believe me. Explaining how the Incubator uses us. She did not believe me. Trying to convince her that trading her soul for that boy's stupid hand is not worth it. She became defiant. Giving her Grief Seeds when she exhausts herself fighting Familiars. She refuses them out of stupid pride. Keeping Shizuki from confronting Miki about Kamijō. She still hated herself because she thought of herself as a puppet or zombie because of the Soul Gem mechanics. Sometimes it works out if Shizuki does it a certain way, but then instead of turning into a Witch, Sayaka ends up dead. If by some miracle she makes it to Walpurgisnacht, she is only really good against the Familiars. Her magic is... average. She is mostly a mêlée brawler with her cutlasses and that does not work well against something as big as Walpurgisnacht." Her frustration was plain, but at least it seemed like she had put a good deal of effort into attempts to mend that flaw.
Maybe she just needed a fresh set of eyes on the problem? Time to poke at the knot.
"I see," Yoruichi said as she approached and jumped onto the empty desk. She curled up in the middle of it and looked up at Akemi. "The boy's hand?"
"He is a violin prodigy. He was in an accident. His left hand is partially paralyzed, so his career is ruined. He takes his unhappiness out on her when she is so devoted to him that she visits him in the hospital almost every day trying to cheer him up. He says cruel things sometimes. Miki cannot bear to see him so depressed over it so if she contracts it is always to wish for his stupid hand to be healed."
"It sounds like he has a pretty legitimate reason to feel like his world has ended and lash out at whoever is convenient," Yoruichi observed neutrally, tiptoeing around the newly-revealed resentment. The kid was capable of objectivity with that other girl, so mayb—
"I don't care," Akemi sniffed.
Well, well. "Because he hurts your friend in the process?"
"Hmph."
Yoruichi measured her sour face with a glance. It seemed Akemi had a hidden blind spot. Poke, poke. "You resent him."
"Hmph."
"Ah. Hmm." Yoruichi licked one paw as she took a minute to think. Akemi hesitantly reached out, the urge to pet her irresistible. Ah, yeah, she had bonded with the original Kaname over a cat. Yoruichi made an inviting gesture with her head and purred as Akemi pet her back. Akemi relaxed minutely. Then Yoruichi casually asked, "Have you ever tried healing his hand yourself?"
Akemi halted mid-pet. A long silence stretched out between them. Yoruichi looked up at her in interest.
"I... no." Akemi stammered. "No. I..." She stared at the wall, thinking fiercely.
Time to tear off the blindfold. "You resent him so much that helping him never crossed your mind."
The magical girl glared at her but didn't deny it.
Yoruichi tilted her head. "Healing his hand would remove Miki's greatest incentive to contract, wouldn't it?"
"Yes." Akemi ground her teeth. "In many timelines, she and Madoka hesitate over whether to contract for several days. Tomoe advises them to take their wishes seriously— that making a wish for someone else has the potential to go badly wrong— and Miki at least starts out grounded enough to weigh the pros and cons. She is usually pushed into contracting by Kamijō snapping or something terrible happening to the others."
"Snapping?"
Akemi's fingers clenched in Yoruichi's fur. "Most often, he yells terrible things at her about her torturing him with her visits. There are some timelines in which Miki catches him trying to commit suicide in one way or another. The few timelines in which she does not contract are often ones where he succeeds in an attempt and there is nothing to wish for because the Incubator cannot raise the dead."
"Ah," Yoruichi said softly. She looked up at Akemi out of the corners of her eyes. "Healing him would remove that factor altogether."
A forceful sigh escaped Akemi's lips. "I suppose."
"It's cute that you're so fierce about protecting your friend from having her feelings hurt by her crush," Yoruichi said slyly.
Akemi scowled. "Sayaka's ridiculous relationship problems drag Madoka down. That's all I care about."
"Oho, Sayaka, not Miki, eh?" Yoruichi's eyes went half-lidded as she gave the magical girl a significant look. "You're lying to yourself, Homura Akemi."
Akemi's face went red and her eye ticced in fury as she withdrew her hand and crossed her arms over her chest. "I am not!"
"Ah, there's the child in you. She's been quite buried."
"I am not a child," Akemi seethed. Which, of course, made her look more childish.
"Perhaps, perhaps not, depending on the situation," Yoruichi mused. "You're trapped in an in-between place that doesn't allow you to be a child very often."
"I haven't considered myself a child for a long time."
"Oh? What do you consider yourself?"
Akemi's mouth worked mulishly before she spat, "A soldier, I suppose."
Yoruichi just stared at her. That was... not healthy. At least not by Living World standards. Even Ichigo had defined himself as a friend and protector, not a soldier.
"What?" Akemi snapped.
After a long, heavy silence, Yoruichi softly said, "Child soldiers are still children, you know."
Akemi abruptly stood and stormed off to the bathroom. "I'm getting ready for bed."
Yoruichi solemnly watched her go. It seemed Kisuke and Isshin were right to worry about her.
§ x § x §
Homura had downshifted into just being annoyed the next morning but she still refused to speak with Yoruichi. The cat trotted along behind her as she walked to school, occasionally meowing when they passed other people. Homura presumed the shinigami was trying to get the people who would see her most often to recognize the black cat as belonging to someone familiar— Yoruichi had spent their first afternoon alone telling stories of how some people reacted to strays and how she messed with such people, but she couldn't break cover to do so in Mitakihara. It made sense.
But did it have to be such a pathetically plaintive meow?
It was like a wordless guilt trip. Homura's eye had started to tic by the time they turned onto the footpath leading up to the school. The meowing increased in frequency and volume as Homura approached Madoka, who had apparently roped her friends into waiting to meet Homura near the man-made brook that crossed the grounds. They all glanced over at the insistent meowing. Madoka cheered and waved, then hesitated at the way Homura was pointedly ignoring her cat. Homura stopped as she reached them. Yoruichi aggressively walked around her in circles, rubbing against her ankles and meowing with even more distress. Homura frowned mulishly.
"U-um, Homura? What's wrong with Yoruichi?" asked Madoka.
Homura blinked slowly, then glowered down at the cat. "She knows she is in trouble."
How was a cat capable of puppy-eyes?
Homura narrowed her eyes. "She was a very bad cat last night."
Yoruichi stopped, stood with her paws on Homura's shoes, and meowed up at her piteously.
Miki laughed outright, her short, light blue hair falling into her eyes as she shook. "Aha! Kissing up to your girl to beg forgiveness, are we?" Yoruichi paused to look at her as though just noticing her, then meowed at her and padded over to rub against her ankles. The girl held her ribs and laughed harder. "Don't look at me to fix things! Get yourself out of your mess! Hahaha!"
"Oh, no," Madoka cooed. She dropped her school bag, bent, and swept the cat up from under her armpits, stood, and held her up in front of her face. "Were you a naughty kitty last night? After you were so good at the café?" Madoka asked like a disappointed parent.
Yoruichi meowed sadly.
"What happened?" Shizuki asked quietly, touching one hand to her cheek in concern. "You look tired."
Homura looked at the girl with wavy moss-green hair and glanced at the girl with light blue hair. It was tiresome pretending she didn't know these girls. Had to pretend she only knew them by their features not their futures. Green and blue. Green and blue.
"It's complicated," Homura said after a frustrated pause.
"What'd she do? Wreck your place?" the blue-haired girl drawled with a lazy grin.
Homura pursed her lips. "It was two in the morning." She couldn't think of a story to make up so she left it at that.
The girl laughed loudly again and held her arms up, fingers interlaced behind her neck, school bag dangling from her thumbs. "Cats. Right?"
Madoka brought Yoruichi to her chest for cuddles and looked at Homura imploringly. "I'm sure she's very sorry. Right, Yoruichi?"
Yoruichi gave a pitiful little mewl right on cue, damn her.
Homura heaved a great sigh and looked away in defeat. She could ignore Yoruichi's puppy-eyes, but not Madoka's.
"Yay!" Madoka cheered.
"Oho, the queen has granted a reprieve!" the blue-haired girl crowed like a melodramatic narrator doing next time on— episode previews. "Will the cat mend her dastardly ways?!"
Madoka held Yoruichi up again and smiled joyously at her. "I'm sure she will! Won't you, prettykitty?!" She brought the cat close to her face and kissed her nose with an exaggerated "mwah!"
Her blue-haired friend laughed again. "Ah, Madoka Kaname: Savior of all things cute and questionably innocent!"
The moss-haired girl smiled affectionately then politely coughed into one hand. "Ahem. I don't think we've been introduced, Miss …?"
"Oh! I'm terrible!" Madoka cried. She cuddled Yoruichi against her chest with one arm and used the other to indicate different people. "Sayaka, Hitomi, this is Homura Akemi! She's transferring in today! Homura, this is Sayaka Miki—"
The blue-haired girl grinned and let go of her bag with one hand to wave. "Yo~!"
"—And Hitomi Shizuki."
The moss-haired girl smiled and bowed slightly. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Akemi."
Homura returned the gesture. "Likewise, Shizuki."
"Ooh, someone with manners as good as Hitomi's!" Miki said in mock awe. She turned to Madoka to make a joke but was interrupted by the warning bell. "Aww."
Madoka reluctantly put Yoruichi down and picked up her school bag. Yoruichi sat and meowed up at the girls.
"Be good," Homura said for show.
"Will she be okay by herself?" Madoka fretted.
Homura waved a hand dismissively. "She does what she wants. She will either be here when school is over or be back at the house by dinner. She is an independent explorer and is good at fighting other animals so I am not worried."
"A fighter?!" Miki bent over with her hands on her knees and looked at Yoruichi with dramatic seriousness. "Go forth and explore Mitakihara, Midnight the Conqueror!"
"Her name is Yoruichi," Madoka corrected her.
"Midnight the Conqueror sounds way cooler!"
"Nuh-uh! It just sounds silly! It's too long!"
"Hahahahaha! What, do you think Night One sounds like a ninja name or something?"
"Sa— Sayaka!"
"You do! Hahahahahahaha!" Miki took off running. "Madoka likes ninja cats!"
"That's not it at all!"
Miki twirled around. "Oh, right— only if they're cute!" She took off running again.
"Sayaka!"
"Ninja cats! Cute ninja cats! Madoka loves cute ninja cats!"
Shizuki giggled quietly as Madoka chased Sayaka toward the school. She smiled at Homura and took a step away. "Shall we?"
§ x § x §
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A/N: Dear NSA, I promise that browser history about explosives was only for this story.
Bleach-only readers: I swear the cheesy name conversation in this chapter is tweaked PMMM-canon.
This chapter was replaced with an edited version on November 1, 2019. Reviews with timestamps before that date refer to a slightly different version of the chapter.