Magia Resurrection (PMMM Quest)

Despite her mounting fatigue, Madoka wants you to enjoy yourself. It was a part of her that you both loved and detested. She was willing to take on a responsibility simply because no one else would. Not because she needed to, but because she wanted to. You could plainly see the toll her choice had taken; her tired eyes, the slight slump of her shoulders, and the weariness etched across her face.

You sigh in frustration, shrinking down into your seat. The schism between familial responsibility and your own nagging conscience rends your heart. You couldn't simply just walk away from your own responsibilities as her sister. At the same time, you should do what you can to honor her wishes.. It wasn't a decision you could readily make. At last, you put your hands on the table, pushing yourself up from the chair. It hurt to swallow your pride and admit defeat, but it was a small price to pay for her happiness. After a moment's hesitation, you declare her victory. "Okay. Alright. I'll go."

Madoka's face beams in delight.

"I just got here too." Sayaka shrugs. "Oh well, can't be helped."

"Sorry, Sayaka." Madoka frowns.

"It's fine, it's fine. Don't worry about it." She rests a hand on Madoka's shoulder. "I'll take care of your sister and you take care of Takkun. It's a team effort, okay?" Sayaka feigns a smile.

Madoka slowly nods.

You grab your jacket and scarf from your room as you make for the entry hall. Just before the door, your heavy heart anchors you in place. Your hand hovers mere inches away from the knob. A still silence hangs over you.

"Momo? Are you good?" Sayaka walks beside you.

If Sayaka offered to back out of the proposal, you would have taken it with no hesitation. Madoka's wish was for you to go out and be happy. Quitting before you even started wasn't acceptable. Not after how hard she's been working. "Yeah." You grasp the handle with newfound resolve. "Yeah, let's go." You open the door, squinting your eyes to adjust to the autumn sun's blinding rays.

You hoist your scarf up and step into the cold air. "Didn't think it would be this cold."

"It's fall." Sayaka rubs her hands together then rests them in her pockets. Red and yellow leaves crunch at her feet with each step. "Summer's over, so of course it's gonna be cold."

"Well, yeah." It felt like the year was just drifting on by whether you wanted it to or not. The whole of Mitakihara was going to be covered in a blanket of white before long. Hopefully it was nothing like last winter. Three feet of snow was more than anyone ever asked for. "Whatever, forget it."

"Nah, if you have something you want to talk about. I'm all ears."

You think for a moment about how to broach the topic. What do you even say? 'I don't think of you as a friend.'? That wasn't true. She was an acquaintance at worst. Contradicting that, with how close she was to Madoka, she had to be more than that. She was there for her when you couldn't be.

A realization dawned on you. It was something so simple, so obvious, but you were blind to it. You had taken her for granted. "I'm really stupid."

"I feel that." Sayaka frowns, then pauses. "Wait, what brought this on now?"

"My own hang ups. Don't worry about it." You avert your eyes, feigning interest in the procession of dead trees and mossy rocks nearby.

"You got a lot of those, don't you?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I do."

"I think you just need to relax."

"That's easy for you to--." You stop yourself. The image of Kamijou Kyousuke flashes into your mind. Admiration for him was something Sayaka held close to her heart. Making light of that was something you shouldn't -- no, couldn't do. You admonish yourself with a click of the tongue. "... No, sorry. Forget I said anything."

"I feel like everyone's got their own problems…" She averts her eyes. "Some handle them better than others."

"Of course. Next you're going to tell me that the water's wet?"

"Looks pretty solid to me." Sayaka points to the half-frozen river off into the distance.

"Funny." You exhale, your breath a visible white mist.

"What exactly did you want to do?" Sayaka redirects the conversation.

"I'm up for anything." You didn't have any specific ideas. This was a last minute arrangement. "The mall?"

"Not sure what would even be open today." Sayaka puts a hand to her chin. "We could look around some stores, if you want."

"I didn't bring much money."

"How much do you have?"

"How much do you think 2500¥ a month would get me?"

"I asked how much you have, not how much you get."

"On me?" You ask, pulling out your wallet to count up the bills and coins. "About 750¥. I could probably find more at the house…" You mumble. Heaven only knows how much money is hiding under your bed.

"It's enough for the arcade, at the very least."

"Sounds good."

You follow Sayaka's lead, almost as if you were in a daze. Your limbs feel heavy, like you're trudging snow. How far have you walked? It must have been at least two or so miles, maybe more. You drag yourself forward from block to block. The fatigue tempts you to rest, but determination prevails. The crowds slowly thicken as you get closer to the mall. You push left and right, swimming through the sea of people to keep pace with Sayaka. After what feels like an eternity, the mall comes into view.

As you step inside the building, the whirring of escalators and the hum of conversation hangs in the air. The multi-floored space was interconnected with zig-zagging escalators. Signs were posted which stairway lead where, but it didn't seem like it did any good. Stories of locals getting lost despite having directions were fairly common. It wasn't hard to believe, given the confusing nature of most of Mitakihara's architecture.

You feel yourself shift as the escalator pulls you forward with a mechanical whir. You gaze down at the abyss of blue and white tiles. Decorative storefronts dotted each floor of the mall. Muted signs displaying store names hang firmly overhead -- clothing stores, beauty boutiques, cafes, everything you could think of. Then, at the far end, your destination. The faint glimmer of a neon sign. The muffled sound of high tempo music thrums in your ear.

You follow Sayaka off the escalator, untying your scarf and unzipping your jacket. You push the door open, only to be visually assaulted by what can only be described as prismatic vomit. Purple strobe lights shine and flash in rhythm with the blasting music. Your eye follows a zipping, blue spark as it races from one corner of the room to another. Arcade games blare with buzzers and alarms.

"When's the last time you were here?" Sayaka's question pierces through the noise.

You cup your hands over your ears. "Probably not since last summer! Wasn't anything like this, though."

Despite all the crazy lights and sounds, there were only a dozen people present. If you included the people actually playing games, the number was even lower. It was like the arcade was compensating for their lack of customers. Must be a seasonal thing. "Well, probably for the best." Sayaka says with an impish grin.

"Why do you say that?" An uneasiness settles in your stomach.

"Well, you said you were lonely, right?"

"Whatever you're planning, I want no part of it."

Sayaka latches onto your arm. "Come on, there's plenty of people our age around here. It wouldn't kill you to start a conversation, would it?"

Heat rushes into your cheeks. Your vision blurs as you stumble to stand. Talking to strangers. Yeah, you could do that. You could definitely do that. Actually, no, you couldn't. This was a bad idea. Sayaka said she would take care of you, didn't she? Was this what she meant? Death by social anxiety? This wasn't an assassination attempt, was it?

"I'm going to haunt you." You avert your eyes.

"Really? Well, I better get some beans then." Sayaka laughs.

"Do I look like an oni to you?"

"Not really. Get some horns then we could talk."

"Funny." You sigh, looking out over the arcade. There were a few people of interest, but going by the one's your age, you were drawn to…

[_] … a slim girl who stood about your height with long blue hair. The claw machine shakes as she lightly hits it in the side. For all the money she's likely given it, frustration seems to be her only prize.
[_] … an athletic girl dancing about on the DDR machine. Her ponytail bobs up and down in rhythm to the music. She seems focused on the game.
[_] … a demure girl with green hair and a piercing gaze. She stands motionless over the prize counter. Seems like she was having a hard time deciding on what she wants.
[_] ... just hang out with Sayaka instead. It's much less trouble.
[_] ... go off on your own, you preferred it that way.

The girl at the counter stands over glass, hands cupped over her eyes. A layer of fog forms from her heavy, almost gasping breaths. You were confused on if you should walk over and speak to her, or call her an ambulance. "Sayaka, are you sure about this?" You glance back toward your newfound friend in hopes of an answer, or at least some comfort.

You find neither, only betrayal. She was gone. You didn't think she was cruel enough to simply abandon you. Maybe this was her idea of sink or swim? No, she probably ran off to watch the show unfold, or to play one of the many obnoxious arcade games. Either way, it didn't matter; you were alone, and she was going to be entertained.

Frustrated, you scratch your head and approach the hunched over girl. "This one?" She mumbles to herself. "Oh, no, I think I got that one already. Maybe…?" Her question trails off with no one to answer her. "No. Too many tickets. I could probably buy that online for half the yen I already blew on it."

Starting conversations, especially with strangers, wasn't a talent of yours. Neither you nor Madoka were particularly good at it. Keeping a conversation going, sure, but starting one? Outside of an off-hand comment or some playful teasing, it was out of your wheelhouse. "I think that's probably true for most of the--"

"Ahh--!" She squeals, scrambling to turn around.

"Whoa." You leap back in surprise. "Calm down. Are you okay?" You ask out of genuine concern.

"Oh, yes, I'm fine! Totally fine!" She raises her arm to cover her blushing face, her oversized sweater dangling off her hand. "Just… just looking at the prizes. That's all."

It looked like there was a lot more going on than that. You don't voice it, you simply force a smile. "Have you found anything you actually like?"

"Not really? I mean, well, uh… the stuff I like I already got, and the things I don't have, I can't get." She says, glancing down at the prize shelf behind the glass pane. Her baggy eyes were fixated on an old portable DVD player. The listed price was well over two or three times what it was worth, especially today. You certainly didn't have enough money to help her win it, even if you wanted to.

"That's a little much." You frown.

"Yeah." She stutters, struggling to maintain her composure. "I'm sorry, I wasn't… expecting someone to just sneak up on me like that."

"Didn't really mean to. I was here with a friend and …" Now you were doing it. You scoff. "Forget it." You wave a dismissive hand. "It's not a big deal. I was honestly worried about you. It seemed like you were halfway to a panic attack."

"I wasn't, no. It's kind of hard to explain…"

"Oh, I see." You say, a hand grabbing your arm.

The girl says nothing.

Blaring arcade buzzers fill the void left by the awkward silence.

You look down.

She looks to the side.

You scratch your arm.

She taps her foot on the ground.

After what feels like forever, she speaks. "I'm gonna go, okay? It was nice meeting you, uh…"

"Momoka. Momoka Kaname."

"Oh, uh, okay, Kaname." She slowly nods to affirm.

"What's your name?"

"Ah. You can just call me Mabuyu. Mabuyu Aki."

"See you around then, I guess? Aki?"

"Uh, sure." She slowly nods and walks by, exiting the arcade. You stand there, left with nothing but your own regrets. Certainly could've gone better if you tried a bit harder. If the goal was to have a conversation, then the bumbling attempt you just made could be considered a success.

Sayaka walks out from behind a pillar, scratching the back of her head. "That could have gone better."

"It would've gone a lot better if someone didn't ditch me."

"Hey, come on." She slaps you on the shoulder. "There's more fish in the sea, you know? It's no reason to be upset."

The problem wasn't the fact that she had abandoned you. Honestly, it was more the fact you were pushed into this to begin with. The plan was to hang out with her, not random people. This was starting to seem more like blind dates than an actual hang out. All it really needed tobe complete was wine, but you weren't old enough yet. You massage your temples. "Yeah, and do you want to be one of them?"

"Not yet, I'll let you know when I'm looking for a career change." She pats you on the shoulder. "Come on, it's not that bad. You won't get any better at this stuff if you don't at least try, Momo."

"I mean, yeah, but…" Your shoulders sag. "Is this really the way to do it? I'm just making a fool of myself."

"I think you're worrying way too much." Sayaka scratches the back of her head. "No one's gonna care as much as you, believe me."

"Even if that is true, I don't think this is really going to help."

"I mean, it's your call, at the end of the day." Sayaka shrugs. "If you don't want to do it, you don't have to do it. I'm not gonna force you anymore than I already have."

"Tch." The ball was in your court again. Grating, but whatever, it was still your decision. Madoka wanted you to have a good time. She wanted you to speak to others, to get out of your shell more. You felt lonely, yeah, but was this really the right choice? You were willing to give it another shot in the small hopes that you could make a friend. Likely not a lasting friendship, no, but at least an acquaintance. That was enough to call this little excursion a victory. You take one last look around and see…

[_] … a blonde girl and a smaller red-head sitting on a bench on the farside of the arcade. They look more like a mother and daughter than they do friends.
[_] ... that athletic girl was still dancing on the DDR machine. The numbers on the screen grow and expand... Wait, did you just hear a cat meow?
[_] ... the blue haired girl has moved onto pleading as she shakes the machine. The staff workers look over, but choose to ignore it. They must hate their jobs.
[_] It was probably time to call it. Just hang out with Sayaka instead.
[_] Sayaka abandoned you, time to return the favor. Go off on your own.