In the Name of Love and Hatred! [PMMM / LoR]

Ask for training and instruction to not suck in cqc

Ai frowns, trying to remember what 'cqc' actually means. The term is unfamiliar, but Roland's memories provide once more. It makes sense to ask for that. She perks up. "Actually, there is one thing I'd like. You're good in melee, right?"

Kyoko shrugs. "Yeah? It's what I do. Why?"

"I need training."

Going by the mixture of surprise and incredulity she receives, that was not quite what the other girl expected. Ai shuffles sheepishly. "I doubt I will become a master or anything, but... just enough to not be awful? Please?"

Kyoko studies her for a moment, but ultimately nods. "Sure. This won't be a long-term thing, but I can give you some pointers. You didn't strike me as a rookie, though. Any particular reason you need that?" Before Ai can even say something, she snaps her finger. "Ah, right. Whatever girl messed you and your pet up recently. She got away?"

There is a lot to unpack in that sentence. Ai plays with the Seed, still as inert as before. "Izabel is my friend, not my pet. And yes. I let her go, so she will probably come back."

"Well, there's your problem. Should've finished her off when you could. Whoever tries to poach in your territory gets the boot." Kyoko laughs over Ai's frown and bites into a fish-shaped waffle, a Taiyaki.

"She wasn't evil, though. I only kill evil people." The chewing stops, but Ai does not notice. "Besides, I, uh, kinda ended up in her territory, not the other way around. And I kinda get that she was not happy I was there?" Then again, Homura did warn her of that exact event. She deflates. "But talking didn't work, and she just waltzed over me. And then she killed Izabel. I could not just let this stand."

"I'm getting really mixed signals here," Kyoko shoots back with a frown. "Real talk, did you win or lose?"

"I won."

"And how did you win, if she's better than you?"

"Uhhh..." Ai motions vaguely. "Magical Girls like you and her have limited magic. I don't. And I can channel a lot of it. She was so busy with Izabel I got off my biggest spell."

"Sounds like a rookie mistake, ignoring one enemy." Kyoko shrugs it off, though. "Who is she, anyway? Maybe I know her, can give you a hint how to go at it? Which city is she in?"

"Um, right over in Mitakihara. Mami Tomoe." Even Ai can tell she struck a nerve, what with how empty Kyoko's expression gets. She has no idea why, though. "Do you know her?"

"...yeah. I do." Kyoko proceeds to tear into a bag of chips. "And congrats on surviving. Mami is the top dog in this part of Japan. She wouldn't make a mistake like that, though. How'd you do it? Illusions?"

"She killed me," Ai says, perfectly honest. Kyoko stares at her like she grew a second head.

"Ai?"

"Yes?"

"You're alive."

"...yes?"

Kyoko sighs, takes a deep breath, and spreads her hands. She speaks very slowly: "People die when they are killed."

Ai finally understands the problem. She nods along and smiles. "That's true. But I can't be killed permanently. I just come back to life. Mami got me good, I barely could do anything... but when I came to, she was busy with Izabel." She is uncertain if the second part registered. Kyoko studies her with uncharacteristic solemnity.

"Are you for real?" she finally asks. "Do you have any idea what... no, you don't. You have no idea what you're saying, do you?" She throws up her hands and leaps off the altar, a spear forming in her hand. In fact, Kyoko snarls. Ai can not even materialise her staff before the tip is at her throat. "Take it back," Kyoko growls. "Take it back, or I'll take your head off to see if you're telling the truth."

Both of them are breathing heavily. Kyoko for reasons unknown, Ai because she does not know what to do. She is a little scared by her intensity, though not the threat. The redhead was clear about her intentions, no words will sway her. But if that is what it takes to gain her trust? Ai exhales slowly and stands, pushing her throat against the spear. Kyoko flinches back but an inch. Ai holds her gaze evenly. "Please make it quick," she requests. "I come back, but it still hurts."

The other girl's eyes are wide. Her hands shake. Then she firms up, gathering courage. Her stance shifts, the spear flicks sideway. It comes right at the unresisting Ai and-

She wakes, once again, in a puddle of her own blood. Her head throbs along her temples, where the lethal weapon bisected it. Just as she stirs, the pale Kyoko dashes to her side; she stops a few steps from Ai and falls to her knees. While one magical girl slowly sits up, the other raises one hand to her forehead. Thumb, index, and middle are pressed together. She bows her head, then touches the left side of her chest. Lastly, the right. Then she presses her hands together and bows again, right at Ai.

The entire gesture means nothing to her, but she can tell it is important somehow. Sitting there, Ai waits for Kyoko to finish before she speaks: "Are you okay?"

The other girl slumps. "Yeah, I guess." She makes to speak, but stops herself. After a longer pause, she asks something else: "I heard people talk about a miracle. The hospital in Mitakihara, that tons of people got their injuries healed over night. Was that you?" Her voice is oddly hollow, but also hopeful. When Ai nods, she slumps further. The gem on her collarbone grows constantly darker; the black slowly drowns out its glow. "Why now? Why are you here now? Where were you back then?"

The darkness in Kyoko's gem begins to pulsate while she stares at nothing, caught up in memories of her own. Ai carefully leans forward and presses Izabel's Grief Seed against the Soul Gem. Just as she hopes, the entire amount of dirt is expelled and absorbed. A thin film of it settles on her thumb's tip, however. It gleams before fading away as it uses itself up. The sensation feels familiar, but foreign fear and aggravation distract Ai from it. They dissipate as soon as she feels them, having echoed through the gunk. A quiet "I'm sorry" from Kyoko does its part.

"Sorry for what?"

"Huh?" The redhead blinks at her, then looks down at the Grief Seed still held to her Gem. "What happened?" Ai quickly summarises the last minute for her, after which Kyoko frowns. "Weird. That never happened to me before. My memories are blurry." She shakes herself, making her ponytail fly. "But thanks. I think. Still, why are you here now?"

"Um, I don't follow?"

"You could have shown up at any point," Kyoko elaborates with a strange mix of annoyance and worry. "Why now?"

To that, Ai can only shrug. "I don't know, actually. I just woke up in Mitakihara, er, about two weeks ago? I don't know why I'm not at home." She slumps with a faint sigh. "Maybe they didn't want me anymore." It is still unclear if this is worse than the alternative, that they are all dead.

Strangely, Kyoko barks a laugh. "Hah, great! A heretic and a fallen angel! Just my luck." She does not elaborate even when prompted, though. Rather, she rises and offers a hand to Ai. "Oh, whatever. Here, you want training? I give you training. I can't make you an ace in a week, but there's some tricks I can show you. How to fall, that kinda stuff."

That sounds odd. Ai tilts her head. "Why do I need to know how to fall? Is there something special to it?"

The question earns her a big, fanged grin. "Yup. If you fall wrong, worst case you break something. If you know how to fall, you don't get hurt and may even get back up quicker. Here, throw me." Kyoko holds out a hand for Ai, who looks at it nervously. Then she foregoes it in favour of lifting Kyoko by the waist. Her new friend (?) squeaks in surprise. She does it again when Ai rears back and throws her down the stairs; she clears them easily, falling almost horizontally. Then however, Kyoko somehow pulls back and pushes out her hands. They hit the ground first, from which she transitions into a backflip. After bleeding off momentum, she comes to stand on her feet.

"First of all, fuck you. Second, nice throw."

On the way back up, Kyoko pulls some sharp rubble out of her palms. Although se barely twitches, Ai immediately douses her hands in healing magic. The wounds close within seconds, earning her an owlish look. "Thanks. Now let's see how you do."

As it turns out, 'falling' is already something Ai can do. She just never conciously thought about it before. Her reflexes are on par with Kyoko's, but she is clearly and obviously unskilled. What makes this worse is that there are some techniques among Roland's memories; things she thinks she can do. But it is only a part and lacks several basics she needs to figure them out. In addition, knowing something and doing it are not the same thing. A painful two hours hammer that in.

By the end of their impromptu session, Ai sits on the cleaned ground and pouts. Kyoko settled on the stairs with her paper bag in hand, munching on a new box of Pocky. She cheerfully offers it to Ai, who snags a stick despite her despondency. "I really wish I didn't need it," she mutters around the treat. "I just want to get along with everyone. And for literally anyone else, I could just cast Arcana Slave and be fine. Ugh."

"Sucks to be you, I guess." Kyoko chuckles. It trails off quickly however, the redhead growing intrigued. "Actually, how strong is your strong stuff? Gimme some examples."

Ai glances at her, then at the building they loiter in. Ai cleaned the entire floor with a minute's worth of attention. Not a speck of dust covers the still destroyed benches. Were it not for the general air of destitution, one might think this place was in use. "I could destroy this entire church in one shot, then hit at least two more buildings of that size behind it. Probably more, really." And were it the Queen's magic, a clean line of devastation would run through all of Kazamino. Kyoko whistles regardless.

"Yeah, I get it. How'd you usually go about fighting melee opponents?"

"Teleport away and shoot them from afar." Kyoko's eyes bug out, but Ai fails to notice as she muses. "But that spell needs a few seconds to use, so someone fast just comes at me while I channel it. I am sturdy enough not to die quick, but, well...."

"Didn't work so well against Mami?" A nod, Kyoko huffs. "Yeah, makes sense. She does that. Honestly, maybe using a weapon would work better for you? Like, your staff is almost a spear, right? How 'bout we try that? Here, catch."

Before Ai can object, Kyoko throws her spear. The moment her fingers close around the handle however, Ai pauses. Then she takes a stance and stabs it forward. Backstep, slash, twirl, throw, all come to her easily. Kyoko catches the projectile, grinning. "See, much better."

Meanwhile, Ai stares at her. She has no idea, is what the magical girl realises. "That wasn't me."

"What? Of course that's all you."

"No. And please don't let people wield your E.G.O. like that. It's precious."

"Nah, I can just make a new one." Kyoko hands the existing spear back to Ai for emphasis; right after the understanding of how to use it floods her mind however, the weapon disappears in a puff of light. Kyoko holds it again, all smiles. "See?"

Ai nods slowly. "Okay. Objection withdrawn on that. But still, it was not me. You do not even realise you manifested E.G.O., do you?"

"What's that?"

Ai sighs. She has to explain this bit quite a few times of late. Pointing to the weapon, she begins: "E.G.O. is a manifestation of the self. Your soul turned into something tangible. I can tell that spear is E.G.O. because the moment I hold it, I know how to use it." She pauses there, trying to make sense of the odd sensation from before. Kyoko hangs on her lips and does not interrupt. "But it feels kind of shallow, to be honest. I guess I never held anyone else's E.G.O., so that may just be normal. Here, try this."

She offers her staff to Kyoko, who receives it with interest. The moment her hand closes around it, the redhead's eyes widen. Her mouth turns into a mute O. She blinks at it, then at her surroundings, and swings the staff. Waves of crimson roll off of her, repairing the broken benches. One and all they turn back to their old selves, or are replaced entirely; Ai can not tell which. Even lines now run across the room's entire length.

"Wow." Kyoko reverently checks her Soul Gem, but the feat required only the barest amount of power from it. "Just like that? How do I know this?" Her eyes fall back on Ai. "It's the same with my spear?"

"Kind of, at least," Ai responds. She holds out her hand and Kyoko hands back the staff, if hesitantly. "Please be careful with my E.G.O., though. It's dangerous to use for longer amounts of time. It's because of what I am."

"Gotcha." Surprisingly, she does not inquire any further. At least not in that direction. "So if you gave that to anyone on the street, they could do magic?"

"Yep. But as I said, dangerous. Probably less so for you, considering you already manifested some E.G.O. of your own." Now that she actually looks, that outfit is probably a part of it too. Ai smiles. "It's quite the feat."

This time it is for Kyoko to look away bashfully. "I mean, I just got it from contracting with Kyubey. 's not like I worked for it."

"Oh. I see?" That is news, but it makes sense with what Kyubey told her. Ai hums in thought. "I guess you'd need something like that to fight Witches, all things considered. Don't feel down about it, though. I know all of one person who could manifest E.G.O. on her own, without any help." Her smile is honest, if a bit brittle. She also earned Kyoko's immediate attention.

"Wait, that's possible? Who?"

"...Kali."

She can not help it. Merely speaking her name injects a certain reverence. Even down in Lobotomy Corporation, she heard about her. The Red Mist, the strongest Fixer there ever was. With indomitable will and monstrous strength, she was a singular force of good within the hellscape that is the City. Ai heaves a sigh. "I wish I could be half the woman she was."

"Kali, huh?" Kyoko's brow scrunches, but she says no more. Ai just nods and leaves it at that.

From there, conversation stutters and fades. The silence is not uncomfortable per se, mostly just melancholic. Overall, Kyoko seems like she needs to think, so Ai gets up and says goodbye; they will meet again for training the following morning, and for the rest of the week. The remaining two cleanses with Izabel will be completed by then as well.

Ai feels awkward just walking away, but she does. Only at the door does she turn to look back. Kyoko took a knee before the altar, hands clasped. Golden rays of light shine through the empty windows, illuminating her.

For once, Ai is not bothered by her patrol turning up nothing. No sign of good or evil. No Mami, no Homura. Just time spent in introspection. By the time she returns to the Shizuki residence, Ai's smile is back on. Saki and Reiji seem less happy when they hear about Kyoko, though; Ai wisely witholds word of the bit of friendly murder, but something about her new friend's situation upsets them.

In fact, Saki insists that Ai carry two overfilled lunchboxes to her next meeting. The tentative smile Kyoko graces her with grows two sizes at the sight.

Not that it makes the grueling practice much more palatable.

At least Ai can distract herself pondering what to do today; it is a rare occasion, but she is spoiled for choice. Hitomi invited Ai to join her and her friends on a hospital visit. To check her handiwork, that is. Kyubey agreed to give her Homura's address, in case she wants to try making contact with the taciturn magical girl. Then there is Kyoko, who has nothing else to do. Though imposing on the redhead even more does not quite appeal as much.

Of course, Ai could also try finding some more evil. Spotting a Witch is hard without any way to sense them, but not impossible. Who knows, maybe she finds some conventional people up to no good, too.

Hm.

---

[] Join Hitomi and meet her friends
weight: x1

[] Make contact with Homura
weight: x1

[] Hang out with Kyoko
weight: x0.75

[] Search for Witches
weight: x1

---

Revealed Kyoko's hidden trait:
The Hope to be a Better Person
Despite setbacks, tragedy, and pain, within Kyoko still rests a seed of her greatest desire. Perhaps one day it will blossom.

---

Shout-out to the person who called it. I may need to come up with new tricks if you lot keep doing that. Then again, I doubt any of you expected giving Kyoko a religious experience