Puella Magi Rei ♥ Magica

Chapter 12: "Too Heavy a Burden"

Rei tossed and turned in bed, her head pounding.

"Listen to me very carefully, Rei Asano. Your limbs are broken, your right lung is collapsed, and you don't have long. If you wish your way out of this, you may be able to heal yourself. If you don't, you will most certainly not survive the hospital trip."

Rei gripped her head, tossing and turning more harshly. "K-..Kyuubey.." She murmured in her sleep.

"I-.. I wish.. I wish that.. I would have the power to help myself.. A-and help my friends.. Out of this mess.."

Rei gasped, sitting upright in her bed. She held her head, the headache beginning to pass.. She wanted to go crying to Asa about everything, but she was the only one with any memory of what happened in the previous timeline.. As far as she knew. She gently looked at the clock.. It was four in the morning. She whined, and covered her eyes.

"Why.. Why am I cursed with these memories?.." She whispered, tears in her eyes.

"What are you talking about?"

Rei looked up from her hands, staring at Kyuubey, who was sitting on her wardrobe.

"..Kyuubey.. I am in a situation that I don't know how to get out of.." Rei said, shaking her head. "It's driving me insane... I.. I remember things that I shouldn't.. I don't know how I have these memories.. But I do.. And-- It's like- Nobody else remembers the things I do.. I remember Ring Huo dying.. I remember Asa dying.. I remember all of these horrible things and the others would think I am crazy if I told them!" Rei sobbed, quietly.

".. I think that I may have an explanation to this, Rei Asano." Kyuubey flicked his tail, hopping onto Rei's bed from the wardrobe. "But it may be startle you, or it may not."

"Please.. Anything.." Rei whispered, clawing at her skin in anxiousness.

"Rise and shine!" Asa gently opened the door to Rei's bedroom, as Kyuubey scurried underneath the bed.

"Asa.." Rei blinked, shaking her head, before giving a smile. "Good morning."

As Rei walked downstairs, Tsuki and Ring were laughing together at the kitchen table, talking about the battle from yesterday.

"Oh! Good morning, Rei-chan!" Ring smiled, finishing her piece of toast. "Are you ready for school?"

"Uh-.. N-.. Not really.." Rei rubbed her eyes. "I'm honestly just not really feeling too good."

Asa promptly felt Rei's head. "You're not running a fever.. Hmm.." She walked over to the stove.

"Well it's not really the fact that i'm feeling nauseous or anything-.. More or less I have a headache and I don't really want to listen to Ms. Saotome's utterings and sputterings about men." Rei laughed. "If it's okay.. May I just stay home?"

Tsuki shrugged. "I mean we're all staying together, so I guess I could just bring your homework home."

Ring frowned. "Damn. Our lunch date! We'll have to reschedule it."

"I.. I guess you can stay home." Asa said, brushing her hair. "I'll have to write a note for you since I am technically your legal guardian."

"So what will you be doing today, Asa?" Ring asked, sipping at some juice.

"I will be trying to find any traces of witches around the area. Nothing too severe, I'm running low on grief seeds so I may go sporting a bit." Asa said. "I'll save the harder witches for us to take on as a team."

"W-Why are you collecting grief seeds?.." Rei tilted her head. "You only need one to purify your soul gem.. Right?"

"Yeah, but it's always handy to have some off-hand that way.. Say a witch uses a lot of our energy and magic during the fight, and we won't have the magic left to defeat the witch. It's handy to have a grief seed on you that way you can continue the fight." Asa smiled, completely covering up the true reason why she's collecting grief seeds.