Whipped Cream and Cherries
A Canon Renascence Omake by Kinematics
"So," Kyouko barked out, slamming her banana sundae on the table, "wanna explain what you were talking about back there, with the witch at the theater? What exactly do you know about what witches are?"
Homura took a delicate bite from her own concoction while watching Kyouko start digging into hers. She almost smiled at the sight, but tamped that feeling down.
"Before I get to that, let me ask you a question. Have you ever heard of the Necronomicon?"
"The necro-what?" Kyouko asked, around a mouthful of chocolate sweetness.
"Necronomicon. It's a fictional book... --dear god I hope it's still just a fictional book-- ...containing writings of an ancient cult. It gives the reader information about the darker secrets of the universe, but also tends to drive them insane."
"Uh huh. Your point?"
"Are you ready to learn about the darker secrets of the universe?"
Kyouko paused briefly between bites, a hesitation that Homura easily read as shock over the realization that came with her statement. However Kyouko was not so weak as to allow existential distress to keep her from a good ice cream sundae.
Several more mouthfuls passed before Kyouko finally responded. "I'm not sure I believe you, but you don't act like someone who's trying to trick me. Basically, you're saying that whatever's behind things is serious shit, and I need to not go flying off the handle, right?"
Homura actually did smile at that, though she bowed her head over her own treat to hide the fact. Kyouko had always been the sharp one, and her mental quickness made her a joy to talk to.
Finally, Homura nodded and replied, "Yes. Most magical girls... do not take this well. Those who are weak of heart when they find out... well, insanity is an apt description."
"Hmph." The clinking of her spoon against the sides of the bowl heralded the end of her chilled snack, so she sighed and leaned back in the chair. "Fine, whatever. I'm ready. Lay it on me. Why's a witch made of concentrated grief? I thought they were born from curses?"
Homura took a moment to finish her own bowl. This wasn't a conversation that she wanted to have with Kyouko — not so soon — but it was still necessary. And she knew Kyouko was strong enough to bear this knowledge. So with that, she took a deep breath and began.
"Saying that witches are born of curses is a euphemism. It's not a fairy tail curse, of a witch cursing a village to sleep for a hundred years. It's the everyday meaning of the word, of someone cursing another from anger or hatred, or someone cursing their lot in life. Anger, despair, grief, hopelessness — these are the things that feed and give birth to a witch."
"So, just a difference in the word used? That doesn't seem like much."
Homura shook her head and continued. "Simple despair is, on its own, useless. It's like wondering why a tree doesn't grow simply because you cursed at the ground. As with any other life, there needs to be a seed, watered and fed on that misery and despair until it finally cracks out of that shell and shows its full form — a witch."
"Still not seeing where the insanity comes into this," Kyouko said, fingers beginning to drum on the table.
Homura remained steadfast in her explanation. "All of that describes what all magical girls are aware of — grief seeds. A seed itself can appear and take time to 'hatch' into a full witch. And using a grief seed to cleanse your soul gem too often can lead to it overflowing, and allowing the witch to be reborn.
"However, that seed itself must still come from somewhere."
Kyouko leaned her chin on her hand, still waiting for the final point. Homura seemed the type to beat around the bush, but at the same time she was being quite clear in what she said.
"Something that feeds on emotions is not a natural object. It is not something that can exist in this world on its own. The core of a seed can only be created in one way: magic."
"Wait, what? Are you trying to say that using magic creates grief seeds? That's crazy! If—"
Homura forestalled her with an upraised hand. "In a way, what you say is correct, though it's only half the truth. Using magic can, in a literal sense, create a witch. But the reason
why it can create a witch is the important point."
"And are you ever going to get to that point?" Kyouko asked sardonically.
"A witch's seed exists because of magic, and eventually becomes a witch because of magic, as well as the concentrated negative emotions I mentioned. However the actual
thing that becomes the seed itself..." Homura paused and grit her teeth, before looking back up into Kyouko's eyes. And then held her hand out on the table, palm up, and allowed her soul gem to manifest within its grasp.
"Is the soul of a magical girl."
Kyouko stared hard at Homura's soul gem, expression in frank disbelief. Before that disbelief could be vocalized, though, Homura continued to speak. "The soul gem is corrupted by the magic we use, and the dark emotions we feel. When that corruption is complete, when there is no light left in our hearts and we give in entirely to despair, the soul is shattered, and all that is left is the witch."
Homura closed her hand, resealing the soul gem back into its ring form.
Kyouko, meanwhile, finally found her voice again. "What the fuck? What the FUCK? Seriously, What. The. Fuck!?"
'Your explanation was quite well constructed, Akemi Homura. I do wonder, though, how you came to acquire that knowledge.'
The white form of Kyuubey sat on the floor across from their table, staring at the two of them.
Kyouko shot up from her seat, but suddenly found her wrist grabbed by Homura's hand. While firm, the grasp was at the same time strangely gentle. Homura simply shook her head.
"Don't get angry about it. Anger and distress simply feed the corruption." A brief pause, and then: "Perhaps another ice cream sundae would help?"
Kyouko stared blankly at the other girl, unable to process the non sequitur. "Ice cream?" she asked, deadpan.
"Yes. I find chocolate especially good for soothing my nerves, but I think you'd prefer one of the fruit flavors. Or perhaps today you'd rather have the praline?"
"What about—" Kyouko gestured vaguely at where the white rodent still sat.
Homura didn't even glance at it, instead nodding. "Yes, I agree. Caramel syrup definitely adds to the experience. Nuts, too. Nuts would be good." With that, she gently guided the dumbstruck redhead back towards the front counter, allowing her hand to slip down into Kyouko's own rather than dragging her by the wrist.
"And topped with a ton of whipped cream and cherries. Can't go wrong with whipped cream and cherries."
Kyuubey stared after the pair for a few moments, cocking its head to the side before seeming to give a mental shrug and walking away into nothingness.
'Humans sure are strange creatures.'
Some time later...
"Are you sure
you're not insane?" Kyouko asked of the girl now sitting beside her.
Homura didn't respond, instead savoring the creamy goodness and sweet crunch of the toppings on her sundae, which totally, in no way whatsoever resembled any sort of alien Incubator.
