Renascence: A Homura Quest

A bizarre idea strikes you. You're not sure if Mami and Kyouko will like it--Mami's not likely to be as playful as usual, and Kyouko…Kyouko will either love it or hate it, because what kind of crazy Magus plays laser tag when she gets in real fights every day or so?

As you glance at Madoka, though, you find yourself wanting to follow through--you know Junko drags her out for paintball fairly often, so this could be fun for her, and combat--even fake combat--has a way of bringing people together.

You mull it over for a few moments longer, and Sayaka speaks up, having apparently noticed your distraction, "You've got that look in your eye again, Homura. What am I about to get dragged into?"

You smile faintly.
---
As you make your way to pick up Mami and Kyouko, you use the opportunity to contact Nanoha, but she declines, citing business. You suspect she might just want to be away from the situation for a little while.
---
Twenty minutes later, the three of you are outside your old apartment. You glance at them out of the corner of your eye.

Sayaka's looking at her phone--she protested for a few minutes, citing superhuman abilities as unfair, but eventually gave up and switched to trying to find the best possible venue. Madoka's far more eager, and is pointing out something on Sayaka's phone, which seems to have left Sayaka aghast.

"That's got to be illegal! That's not laser tag, that's…I'm not sure what that is!"

"It's fun, is what it is! Mama loves those kinds of places, but she doesn't normally let me join in there. This time, though, we have Magical Girls to save us if something goes wrong!"

"...you're not going to drop this, are you?"

"Wehihi!"

Sayaka sighs, even as you quietly, subtly regard Madoka, savoring her happiness. In spite of your efforts, though, Madoka notices and makes eye contact, smiling cutely, "You'll catch me if I fall, right?"

"Always." You say it instantly, then pause as the question actually registers, "Wait…why would you be--"

"So are you gonna knock or what?"

The sudden voice from behind startles you, and you leap away from it, turning as you do so to find Kyouko watching you with a feral, toothy smirk. She somehow crept up behind you, impaled her spear in the stones beneath her, and is perched, crouching atop it.

Taking a bite out of a meat bun, she raises an eyebrow at the three of you nonchalantly, "What? You're acting like you've never seen a magus before."

You relax quickly, now that you realize there's no threat, but Sayaka sputters indignantly, "N-no! NO! You don't get to act like we're--" She cuts off, glancing at you and Madoka before continuing, "I'm the crazy one! Not while you're sitting there, perched like some kind of--"

She cuts off again as Madoka runs by her and up to Kyouko, circling around her, "So cool! How did you get so close? Can you teach me, after I, I mean when I, I mean if I become a Magical Girl?"

With everyone's eyes off of you, you instantly transform and stop time, striding forward to steal Kyouko's meat bun and bump her, throwing her off balance as you get in position for a dramatically casual pose, just across from Madoka.

Time resumes as you regard the Nikuman with feigned curiosity.

Kyouko stares at the hand where her snack was moments before in apparent confusion, too distracted to catch herself as she tumbles forward--only to handspring back to her feet at the last moment, landing with a flourish and turning to point at you!

"Hey! Ribbons! Not cool!"

You throw a smug look her way as you glance at Madoka surreptitiously.

She's glancing back and forth between the two of you in confusion, apparently too busy being perplexed by the sudden conflict to be impressed with your stunt.

Sighing faintly in disappointment, you walk back over and hand Kyouko back her food, "That was for sneaking up on me."

She glances between you and Madoka, then smirks, taking the bun as she messages you over telepathy, 'Showing off for the potential? Thought you didn't want her to contract?'

You don't respond, instead turning away and walking to the apartment door to conceal any possible blush.

You knock--shave and a haircut, since Mami will be amused by it--and wait.

'...Ribbons? I didn't mean to press any buttons or anything. You okay?'

You sigh, 'It's fine. You were right.'

You hear her sigh in return from behind you, but you ignore it for now, instead pondering why you indulged like that. It's not normal for you, and your recent instability only goes so far to explain it…

You glance back at Sayaka, and nod, realizing where the blame lies.

A moment later, the door opens, revealing a slightly disheveled Mami, "Kyouko? Did you get the--?" She cuts off, blushing, as she sees you, "Ah, Akemi-san! Sorry, I would have made myself presentable, but I expected--" She spots Kyouko behind you, "…oh, there she is. One moment."

Mami shuts the door. You see a faint yellow flash from around it and, just a moment later, it opens again. She stands before you untransformed, but now pristine in appearance, clothes and hair in perfect order, "Sorry about that. So, what brings you here?"

She pauses, looking behind you, "…oh, and who's that?"

"You shouldn't worry yourself, Tomoe-san. As for her…" You turn slightly, glancing back and waving Madoka over. She spots your gesture, and quickly walks up, smiling softly before bowing, "Nice to meet you, Mami-senpai! I'm Kaname Madoka!"

You would swear that Mami has stars in her eyes for a moment, but she quickly composes herself, "Nice to meet you Kaname-san, but…" She bites her lip, and you receive a message over telepathy, 'She isn't a magical girl yet, is she?'

'No, not yet.'

"...but you probably shouldn't call me that. It's best that I don't have any more kouhai, considering…" She pauses, "…has Homura told you?"

Madoka looks at her inquisitively, "Umm…she told me some? What exactly do you--"

Mami cringes, and Madoka cuts off as Mami looks down, refusing to look her in the eye, "She told you that we're Witches, didn't she? That we're going to become monsters?"

Madoka bites her lip, and nods once, "I know that might happen to you, but…I still believe you're a good person today. So it doesn't matter what might happen in the future."

Mami grimaces, shaking her head, "That's…that's not true, Kaname-san. If I were a good person today, I would…I would…"

Her hand twitches towards her Soul Gem, where it sits on her finger, and you almost panic for a moment, ready to transform before she does something stupid, but Madoka gets there first, hand closing around Mami's…and around her Soul Gem, protecting her from herself.

"NO! Anyone could become a monster, but that won't happen as long as you don't give up hope! No matter what you might become, or what you might go through, you could also do wonderful things, too! You have done wonderful things, I'm sure! You're a hero, Mami! Just like other Magical Girls, you go out and protect people! You can't give up just because you're afraid of the future!"

Mami's free hand grips Madoka's pulling at it, as if to pull herself free, but the motion is weak and futile, with no conviction behind it, "That's not true! I wanted it to be! I really did, it isn't, okay?! I'm a monster, and I'm going to kill people someday, no matter what I do! Don't you understand!? If I don't die soon, I'm going to be killed--I might even kill my friend first! That isn't okay! I…I…"

She looks over at Kyouko and, as she does, she seems to diminish before your eyes. The layers of steel, the sheer presence she normally radiates crumbles, revealing a broken young girl, no taller than yourself or Sayaka.

"I'm not a good person, Madoka. If I were, I'd save everyone from me right away, but I…I want to live a little longer first, so it's okay to let go of my hand. I promise, I won't hurt myself."

Madoka looks at her, shaking her head in denial, but lets go. Mami stares down at her Soul Gem, smiling sadly as she lowers her hand, "I'm sorry you had to see me like that, Kaname-san." Slowly, she seems to regain her normal dignity, straightening and smiling softly at Madoka, "It has been difficult, since I found out, but I've chosen to live, so you don't need to worry, okay? Still though, like I was saying, it's a very bad idea to become a Magical Girl. We're not allowed to have happy endings, after all, and you…"

She reaches out, and gently taps Madoka on the forehead, "…you seem like a good girl, who really deserves a happy ending, to me."

Madoka smiles, but it's weak, and…yes, you know that smile. That's smile isn't a happy one, nor a sad one…it's a guilty one. An apology.

You sigh, shaking your head. She never changes, no matter what anyone says or does. Kyouko glances over at you, and you just grimace in return.

When you look over at Sayaka, though, you see anger, directed towards Madoka. She apparently feels your eyes upon her, and turns to meet them. She looks scared, and a little sad, as she glances momentarily back towards the pinkette, before returning her gaze to you again.

She knows that Madoka's not going to change her mind and, this time, that seems to really have hurt her.

You're not sure what to make of the change. Before, she'd always encouraged Madoka to risk her life for others, but now…you can't really guess what's going through her head.

The five of you stand in silence for a while, before Mami eventually speaks up, taking a step back from Madoka to regard you all, "So! What brings you all here today? I honestly expected you'd still be resting, after the incident."

You are, for once, the first of your friends to speak up, "We are. We were wondering if you'd like to join us?"

Mami hums at that, "For what exactly? I haven't started cooking yet, so I suppose I can take some time to join you all. "

Kyouko, having apparently relocated while you were speaking to Mami, has now crossed the distance between herself and Mami, and is leaning on her spear whilst looking at her phone.

Wait. No. That's not her phone, that's--

"Hey! Give me back my phone you ruffian!"

Kyouko sticks her tongue out at Sayaka, and returns to reading, "Hmm…looks like Laser Tag. Weird. Uh…"

She glances over at you, "What brought this on? You just that big of a combat addict or somethin'?"

You shake your head, justifying yourself, even if you're not entirely certain why you picked it either--it just seemed to strike you as a good idea, at the time, "It will be good combat practice for Sayaka, and an opportunity to help her improve her understanding of tactics. It's also something I we can do with them, which won't put them at significant risk."

Kyouko raises an eyebrow, "Don't you have SAO, though? Same with the Blueberry. I guess Pinky might have to sit out, but…eh, with your wallet, I bet you could get another copy."

You glance at Madoka, realizing that might be a good idea, but she lets out a squeak as you glance her way--you suppose she isn't interested in VR, although it does seem odd.

"Perhaps, but exercise is good, and we plan to get ice cream afterwards. Fun."

She shrugs, "Sure, I guess. Yeah, I'll join in. You in, Mami?"

Mami smiles brightly, clapping her hands together in front of her, "That sounds wonderful!"

--
Soon enough, the five of you are standing outside of a vast complex. A great, towering edifice, which stretches into the sky overhead.

Admittedly, it isn't all that impressive, considering some of the other buildings around, but it's still quite the tremendous monument to shooting games.

You've seen it before, of course.



Mami hums at the sight, smile brightening at the sight, "Oh! They do have laser tag here, don't they?"

Madoka nods, clearly not listening too closely, as she stares upwards at it, "Mhm. It's really pretty, isn't it?"

"I'm not quite sure that's the word I'd choose, but it is quite the feat of engineering…especially once you see the inside."

You all turn towards Mami in surprise (or mock surprise, in your case); it's Kyouko who finally speaks, "Wait, you've been here before? Why didn't ya' say something?"

Mami chuckles at that, and points towards the top of the building, "I used to practice here. They host AR games sometimes, and it was a good chance to practice my shooting without…well, you can imagine."

You nod at that. You also practiced here a lot, with Mami. That was a long time ago, though--you'd almost forgotten this place existed.

You don't recall having played laser tag here, though. It was never very practical--instead, you had focused on AR gaming, the occasional bout of paintball, and--with Mami--live ammunition duels (when the facility was closed, of course).

You smile faintly lightly at the recollection. Hiding it would be pointless, at the moment.

You turn your attention to Mami, still smiling, and ask, "Shall we go in?"

Mami nods her agreement, and walks in, waving for the group to follow, "Let's go! This is going to be great!"

The five of you stride inside, to find yourself in a lobby. Looking vaguely sci-fi, much like of Mitakihara, the room is vast chamber of chrome and glass. Large banners line the walls, showing crests of past tournament champions, with plaques below them listing the team members or single fighters they represent. You know that one of them is Mami's, the banner marked with a rough image of her tranformed Soul Gem.

Two great, seamless glass doors block entry into the arenas; between them, behind a large, metal-and-glass counter stands a young man.



He looks up and see the five of you approaching, a plastic smile on his face--only for that smile to turn into a friendly smirk after a moment, "Welcome back, Lady Tomoe! I'm afraid I don't have any challengers for you, today--Saturday is Laser Tag day, you see. I know a few people looking for a shot at you if you come back tomorrow, though!"

Mami strolls up to the counter, smiling softly as always, "Maybe I will! I'm not here for a proper match today, though. I'm just looking to have some fun with friends--apparently, they're in the mood for laser tag."

He chuckles at that, spreading his hands wide in front of him as he raises an amused eyebrow, "You? Playing laser tag? That sounds unfair to the rest of the players! Please, crush them at your leisure!"

Mami glances upwards in thought for a moment, then nods firmly, "Yes. I think I might just do that."

He seems taken aback at those words, but soon recovers, his eyes widening as a broad, shark-like smile spreads across his face, "Well! I didn't see that coming! The Goddess of War, coming down upon mere mortals? This is going to be quite the show!"

He looks at the four of you, behind Mami. His gaze passes quickly over Madoka and Sayaka, hesitates slightly upon Kyouko, and then stops on you.

"Oh. I like those eyes…and the way you carry yourself…yes, I think you're going to do very well here, Miss…?"

"Homura." Doing your family honor is important, but your marksmanship is born all your own effort--it would seem wrong to let him credit your ancestry for that skill.

"Homura.…" He lets your name roll off his tongue, as if testing it, "It's a pleasure, Miss Homura. Please, show us your fire! Burn your opponents to the ground, before they slay you!" He grins wildly as he says it, eyes gleaming with mania…only for his expression to sink, "…oh, right. Laser tag. Have fun, but please come back for one of our other events! We have paintball Monday-Wednesday-Friday, AR Games Tuesday-Thursday, and Full-Sim AR on Sundays! I would love to see what you can do when things really heat up!"

You nod, "Perhaps."

He deflates at that, frowning softly, "...silent type, huh? Well that works too. Anyway, head on in. Guns are waiting for you. Don't forget to wear either the contacts or goggles provided--by entering the arena, you take responsibility for any danger to yourself, including loss of eyesight due to repeated laser exposure."

Madoka nods firmly, even as Kyouko shrugs and walks through one of the two giant sliding glass doors, which recedes into the ceiling to offer her entrance, "Sure, no worries. See you laser, specs!"

He groans as if in pain, to your sympathy, and turns his attention back to Mami, "I'll put it on your card, Lady Tomoe?""

She nods before anyone can object, and leads the rest of you in.

Beyond the doors, you find what amounts to an armory--numerous different models of laser gun, each with their own quirks, line the walls, locked into corresponding slots. Each is accompanied by a touch screen next to it, which outlines its capabilities.

The first gun you go for, resembling an AR-15, seems well balanced, middling in range, damage, and battery. It also uses a red laser, which seems important based upon the labeling.

You leave it be, and search until you find what you're looking for--and you soon find it. Long range, high-damage, low-battery sniper. Violet laser. You certainly didn't pick it for the color. Not at all.

The others pick their own weapons, and you proceed to the next room--here, protective goggles and contacts are available, as are the laser-sensors you'll need to wear. You ignore the eyewear --you'll passively heal any damage, after all--and quickly strap on your sensors. Mami and Kyouko do the same. Madoka struggles a bit, but manages to put in a pair of contacts, which gleam very faintly--a bit of a giveaway in the dark, perhaps, but you imagine they offer better visibility than the goggles, which Sayaka casually slips on. Although, "goggles" might be a bit of a misnomer, seeing as they look more like an AR-headset than goggles; in fact, you're pretty sure they're just the arena's normal AR-headsets with most of their functionality disabled.

Soon enough, you're in the last pre-battle room, standing together in front of a large digital screen, where you pick your teams and arena. You…

[ ] Register as a team and sign up for matchmaking in one of the team-battle arenas.
[ ] All join the same free-for-all arena.
[ ] Split into multiple teams.
-[ ] Write-In Teams