Desire

Episode 7

Kyoko-san and I were back at the arcade. I had gone to school today, despite her protests this morning, saying that ditching one day was enough. She was still frustrated from the day before, she blew off some steam by playing her usual favorite dance game. Despite the sign hanging at the entrance of the arcade, saying CAUTION: NO FOOD OR DRINK ALLOWED. NO SOLICITING OR LOITERING she had a chocolate pocky in her mouth and carried a box in them in her hand while she danced, popping them in her mouth when she finished one. I leaned against the railing as usual, watching her feet flew as she scored one perfect after another.

I heard footsteps and thought it was one of the attendants again to nag us about the no eating rule, but when I turned around, it was Homura. She was in her school uniform, despite school being out for a hour already. But, I wasn't any different as I was in my uniform as well since I left for the mall right after school. "Hey," I said, lifting my hand up for a small wave.

"Yo!" Kyoko-san yelled, not looking back at us as she danced. "What do you want now?" It was like she could sense Homura's presence or knew her by her footsteps without turning around to confirm her thoughts and risk losing points. She was set on setting the highest record and have it stay there no matter how many other people played and tried to beat her record. She's getting there, but still has some work to do.

"I want this city in your and Rei Maizano-san's charge," Homura stated. No greetings. No asking how our day went. Just formal, getting straight to the point is she can move on with her day.

"Isn't that obvious?" I laughed. "Sayaka never stood a chance...but why the change of heart?"

"Girls like you two are most suited to be Magical Girls," Homura explained. "Sayaka Miki is not qualified."

"Well, that's what we were planning anyways," Kyoko-san replied back, still not looking back. "So what about that Sayaka girl? If we leave her alone, she'll probably come bug us again."

"I want that settled as peacefully as possible," Homura said. "You two keep out of it. I will handle her myself."

"You haven't told me the most important thing though," Kyoko-san added, turning around for a moment as the game was on break to select another song. "Who the heck are you?" Just as the countdown began Kyoko-san popped another pocky in her mouth and started dancing again. "What's in it for you?" She asked.

"Two weeks from now, 'Walpurgisnacht' will descend upon this city," Homura announced.

"How do you know that?" I asked.

"That is a secret," Homura flipped her hair, as if she thought she was better than us. "In any case, if we are able to defeat it, I will leave the city and you two are free to do what you please."

"'Walpurgisnacht', huh?" Kyoko-san remarked, jumping to reach the harder notes while still maintaining the perfect combo she was currently setting. "Guess it would be pretty tough to beat it by yourself. But if we triple-teamed it, we could probably win."

As Kyoko-san stamped the last beat, her score was on display with also her perfect combos she has somehow maintained the entire round. I cheered as I turned to Homura, smiling for the first time in a while not because Kyoko-san did something that made me smile or shit's about to go down. "It's a deal," I nodded.

Kyoko-san leaned over the railing I was on and offered Homura the box of pocky she had. "Want one?" She smirked, adjusting the one she currently had in her mouth.

*~*~*~*~*~

Sayaka was at some boy's house. According to Kyoko-san, it was the house of the boy she had spent her wish on. She stood at the porch and raised her hand, as if she was going to ring the doorbell or knock with the bronze knocker, but dropped it. Sadness of unrequited love went across her face as she sighed and stepped off the porch. Looking up, she saw us. I had my arms crossed while Kyoko-san, who somehow made her box of pocky last the whole day, had her hands in her pockets which one of the held her pocky box.