Reconciliation

Chapter 2

"Nothing you can do?" Kirika burst out, coming over to stand beside Oriko's sitting form. "You're a goddess, she's just a magical girl. What do you mean there's nothing you can do?"

"It's the cycle of life," Madoka stared at Kirika somewhat sadly. "I have to keep Homura from turning into a witch, whatever the cost."

Or my wish will end in despair.

Madoka's mind echoed in Kirika's mind, and she froze.

Madoka had been a magical girl?

"You're-" Oriko interrupted Kirika's realisation.

"Is there any way we can stop her? Any way at all?" Oriko stared at Madoka, her pale blue eyes searching for a clue.

"It's destined to happen," Madoka replied simply. "Me and Rena have talked about it."

"So Homura's just going to take your powers?" Oriko's voice rose. "And you're going to let her?!"

"I'll resist," Madoka's calm tone wavered. "But there isn't much else I can do. It all rests on you magical girls."

"I'm sorry," Madoka's head ducked down. "I've just given you another weight to bear on your shoulders." A tear glistened on her cheek, but she wiped it away quickly.

"I hate to ask for favours, but there's nothing I can do," Madoka looked up at Oriko and Kirika, gazing at them intently. "But please, when the worst comes to worst, make me remember. Make me remember everything."

"We'll do that," Oriko promised, feeling a stab of pity for the goddess. A stupid feeling, she knew, feeling sorry for a goddess who had more power and control than she ever would. "But what about Rena?"

"She'll help you," Madoka replied. "But I can't guarantee anything else."

What did she mean by that? A quizzical frown creased on Oriko's face, but she let it pass.

~~~

"What was that sound?" Yuma tugged at Kyoko's jacket. "It's scary."

"Sound?" Kyoko looked up, bewildered. She hadn't heard anything. "Yeah, very scary. Nothing to worry about."

"Is Kyoko really okay?" Yuma looked up at Kyoko worriedly. "Did you even hear that sound?"

"What sound?" Kyoko replied, still in a daze. "Is it raining?"

Yuma struggled to contain a sigh. What had gotten into Kyoko?

"I think we should go back to Kasamino City," Kyoko abruptly changed the topic. "There are too many magical girls here, and it's a good chance for you to see the world."

"Huh?" Yuma's head was still ringing from the loud crack that had echoed through the air. "What?"

"Doofy," Kyoko knocked on Yuma's head gently. "Now you're the one not listening."

"Hmph," Yuma scowled up at Kyoko."

"Whatever sound you're talking about, no-one else seems to have noticed," Kyoko gestured at the passing people. None of them showed any display or worry for the crack that Yuma had heard.

"But Yuma heard it," Yuma protested quietly. "It was a loud cracking sound..." Her voice trailed off, as she stared at her feet uncertainly.

"See?" Kyoko replied triumphantly. "Let's go, we can talk about moving back to Kasamino City at home."

~~~

Ayame sighed at the mess at her feet. Why was she so edgy today? It had only been a clap of thunder and now she's dropped all her plates. She had never done that before.

Sighing, she retreated to the kitchen to find a cloth and broom.

Coming back out, she proceeded to sweep the bits of glass and food into the dustpan. She would worry about the soup in a second.

Something wriggled in the back of her mind. Something wasn't right. Ayame stared at the broken plates and food, then up at her ceiling, then the floor, then the broom. Nothing. The little nagging feeling wouldn't go away.

Looking out her balcony door, everything clicked in place. Rain. Where was the rain?

Leaning her broom against the wall, she wandered over to her balcony, pulling open the glass sliding door and stepping outside. No rain.

She was certain that sound she had heard earlier had been a rumble of thunder, but there wasn't any rain coming down the sky. The sky wasn't even cloudy.

Leaning precariously over the edge of her balcony, Ayame twisted around, squinting at the sky. Definitely no rain. She stuck her tongue, to test for any drops of water.

Something landed on her tongue, but it wasn't water.

Spitting in disgust, and retreating from the edge of the balcony, Ayame pulled out a feather, which just had to have fallen off a bird at the right time. Holding the saliva-sodden feather out in front of her in distaste, Ayame prepared to throw the offending feather over the balcony, but movement in her peripheral vision stopped her.

Craning her neck up at the person perched on her roof, Ayame squinted against the sky's light.

"Who are you?" She managed to ask, only seeing the blurred outline of a girl, with long blonde hair.

"Did you hear that sound?" The girl ignored her question.

"Sound? Ye-" Ayame caught herself. "Hold on a second, young lady. What do you think you're doing, sitting on someone's roof?" She pointed an accusing finger at the culprit.

"Sitting down," the girl gave Ayame a look of distaste. "And it's an apartment. It's not your roof."

"Why-" Ayame was lost for words. Finally she sniffed, pulling herself together. "If that's the case, then goodbye." Tossing the feather over the balcony edge, Ayame marched back inside, sliding the glass doors shut behind her.

She drew the curtains as well, for good measure, and regretted it immediately. The room was considerably dimmer, no longer letting in the bright afternoon sun, which Ayame had come to love.

Briefly contemplating opening them again, Ayame brushed the thought aside, reminding herself that the strange girl was still up there, and she didn't want her nosing around.

Walking towards the kitchen door, Ayame almost walked straight over the glass mess she had been trying to clean up five minutes ago. Mentally kicking herself for forgetting about the mess, she reached for the broom and dustpan, beginning to sweep the shattered glass up again.

~~~

Helena stared down at the girl below her. Or more accurately, the roof below her.

"What a fusspot," she grumbled quietly, resting her chin on her knee. "To think she's a magical girl."

Maybe she should just give up on the whole idea of finding out the source of the crack.

To her, it had felt like something had snapped, that something was breaking and thing just weren't going to be the same.

Helena sighed quietly into her palm, staring down at the balcony below her. As she stared at the plain texture, an idea popped into her head.

One that she had a feeling the girl underneath wouldn't like.

~~~~

Arrghhhh, it's a short chapter, I know =.=" But I've hit a writer's block...

Hope you enjoyed this (weird) chapter.

I'll try to update as soon as possible (let's get back to that daily updating routine I once had).

Don't forget to vote and comment <3 Thanks for reading!

~Evil_Incubator