You contemplate the bewildering array of information that's been presented to you - by Akiko, by Yuuki, by Aki... And really, the only conclusion you can draw is that something stinks.
Someone, maybe more than some
one, is lying, lying hard, and you're not sure
who. Little contradictions
everywhere.
"Yeah, actually. A few more things," you say slowly. "First...
really two years of skirmishing over one girl? I mean,
Mitakihara is closer to them than Ishinomaki, until recently, was... less well defended," you ask, barely-faked bewilderment in your voice. You
are rather baffled, after all.
"Not hardly, with Tomoe Mami there," Aki says, jerking her chin at Mami. Ayaka looks chagrined at that, glancing away.
"More to the point," Yuuki says. "We don't really know."
"Yeah," Aki agrees, sobering. "Like, that's what she was screaming the first time, right? But why she
keeps coming back?" She shrugs.
"You said that Sendai arrived early? When, exactly, were the negotiations supposed to take place?"
"Today," Yuuki replies. "Why?"
"No... Just thinking," You shake your head. "Nothing else... I guess we're pretty much done here. Oh, wait-" you glance at Mami and Kirika. "Anything you want to know?"
Mami shakes her head, honey blonde coils bouncing. "Nothing I can think of," she says.
"Nope," Kirika says.
"Oh, sorry," you say, a thought striking you. "One more thing. We're... probably going to go try talk to the University Group right now. Is there any chance you can contact them and ask them to pull out to meet us?"
Yuuki raises an eyebrow at you. "Ask them to meet you? Sure, I can do that," she says. "Ask them to pull out? Would
you pull out of your home city?"
"Uh, not what I meant," you amend hastily. "I mean, retreat from Sendai, to talk to us?"
She frowns. "Still no. Like, you're fighting for your life, and someone asks you to stop, to talk? Just... go interrupt them or whatever. Like, you've got
experience doing that." She waves at herself and her group.
"... Yeah, that's fair enough, I guess," you say. "Thanks for the
information." You stress the last word slightly, in the vain hope that you might see someone react to that. No such luck; Yuuki and Aki simply nod in agreement.
You half turn away from them. A twist of will and a wave of your hands, and the pall of loose Grief hanging over the scene drains away to form a loose carpet, your wings streaming away to add to it.
That little act gets you some uncomfortable looks from the Ishinomaki girls, too.
"Goodbye for now," you call to them as you walk over to the carpet, Mami and Kirika following behind you in flanking positions. "Hopefully, with a little luck, we can get things settled in a day or two."
"'d be better luck than
we've had," Yuuki snorts. "Eh, who knows. Good luck, and good hunting." She pivots on her heel and walks to the edge of the roof before throwing herself off, the rest of her group following her quietly. Ayaka throws you one last glance as she goes, eyebrow arched.
You roll your eyes at her.
You drop heavily onto the carpet, pressing a hand to your side. It comes away sticky with blood - not that you'd
bothered to feel it, but still, nasty. Mami, instantly concerned, hisses sympathetically, and sits beside you to press the glowing radiance of her magic to your wound.
You chuckle sheepishly as Kirika bounces onto the carpet behind you. "I feel silly," you say. "I'm the only one who even got tagged in that fight." Absently, you lift the carpet into the air and begin heading towards Sendai instead.
"Don't be silly," Mami scolds.
"Ahhh, but
you were absolutely
amazing in that fight, Mami!" You turn a bright grin on her. You've been keeping this in for a while. "They didn't even come
close to touching you. And that first hit, where you didn't even
see what's-her-name, Yuuki? That was
brilliant! And you looked
damned cool doing it, too."
Mami blushes. "N-no, that was nothing special," she demurs.
"
No, Mami." You reach outand grab her free hand tightly in yours, the roughness of her fingerless gloves contrasting with her soft skin. "That was
phenomenal, Mami.
You are phenomenal."
"T-thank you," Mami smiles, her blush intensifying. "You did well too, Sabrina."
"Heh," you say, and turn back to look at Kirika, who's
smirking a shit-eating grin at you. You roll your eyes -you
know what she's thinking- and inform her, "You too, Kirika."
Her grin widens, fang poking out. "I know!" she smirks, and buffs her fingernails against her shirt. "Would've gotten them if they didn't both have their stupid armours."
You laugh. "Yeah, but seriously, one against two, both of them experienced? That's good no matter how you slice it."
"Yeah, yesh," Kirika says, flapping her hand at you. "
Go squeal over your ojou some more."
"
Not my
ojou," you reply, but grin at Mami nevertheless. "And really, Mami, that was really,
truly remarkable." Her fingers shift under yours. "You're amazing, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise, not even yourself."
"Thank you," Mami says. Her face remains tinged with pink, and her hand still steady on your side, cooling
warmth of the healing magic sinking into your gash - thankfully, it's not too deep a cut.
"I mean really," you say. "I could track them all and I don't think
I could have pulled that shot off."
Mami shakes her head. "It's just... experience," she says. "You know...
you're amazing too."
"Nah," you disagree. "I just have huge advantages. And look at me, I still got hit!"
"You were fighting three people at once, defending me,
and helping Miss Kure,
and still coordinating perfectly with me," Mami says, beaming at you. "That's amazing, too!"
"Heh," you say. "I just have advantages."
"Sabrina, experience is
also an advantage," Mami says, moving her hand to tap you lightly on the nose.
"Hey!" you pout. "And fine. We all did great there. But you especially."
Mami giggles, returning to healing your wound.
"
Anyway," you switch to telepathy as you reach cruising altitude and begin to accelerate. "
I think we should tell Homura what happened back there?"
Mami nods. "
That would be a good idea."
"
Eeeeeh," Kirika drawls. "
Hey, where're we goin', anyway?"
"
Sendai," you say.
"
Gotcha."
You reach out for the time traveller. "
Hey, Homura?"
"
Yes?" the time traveller replies immediately. You have the impression of her full attention on you, her violet eyes intent on nothing in particular.
"
Just a little update, we went to Ishinomaki, and intercepted the Sendai group, who are now probably back in Sendai proper. We, ah, talked to the Ishinomaki girls, too," you tell her.
"
... they attacked you first, didn't they?" Homura asks shrewdly.
"
Well, yeah," you admit. "
We took them down, and, then
we talked to them."
"
Ah," Homura says. "
What now?"
"
We're going to Sendai, to see what's happening there," you reply. "
Is there anything happening back home?"
"
No," Homura replies. "
Madoka and Sayaka are shopping."
"
Right," you say. "
Are you shopping with
them?"
"
Yes," she says, a trace of... embarassment? leaking into her mental voice. You grin at Mami -
her eyes are crinkled in amusement, too.
"
Good," you say. "
How's Oriko?"
"
Sleeping," Homura says.
You snort lightly. Whoops. "
OK," you say. "
Anything else?"
"
Nothing," Homura confirms.
"
Alright, then. See you," you say.
"
See you," she replies, closing the connection.
You close your eyes, sighing. "
Well. One last thing, Mami - can you try reaching Miss Kato? I mean, she's ostensibly the lynchpin of that this entire thing turns around, so..."
"
Of course," Mami agrees, smiling. "
Hold on... Miss Kato?"
Silence.
"
Miss Kato?" Mami tries again. "
This is Tomoe Mami, from Mitakihara."
The response isn't any better, and eventually, Mami shrugs helplessly at you.
[]Turn back to Ishinomaki
[] Stop by Mitakihara
- [] For?
[] Press on to Sendai
[] Write-in
=====
We now return to your (not
that) regularly scheduled updates.
Oh, and if you're wondering that Yuuki didn't relay you through the the University Group - she's going with the idea of, 'I'll talk to them, and then get back to that weird chick.' Which'll be the next update.
