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A Magical Revolution [Azecreth & Wingshadow]

"Thank you," Hitomi replied with a slight bow. She knew that she was more likely to just leave the city itself if war broke out (courtesy of her parents), but it was heartwarming to hear that from Sayaka nonetheless. To hear that the blunette was willing to fight whomever she had to to protect them, even with all her other responsibilities, it was a sign of the friendship they had. It did serve to make her feel the worse about those unvoiced feelings she had for the boy that Sayaka had wished for, wanting to pursue it now that he was returning but not wanting to hurt her friendship with the girl. For now though, she could just be glad that Sayaka was willing to place her life on the line for them.

Madoka was impressed in turn with the resolve that Sayaka presented, the strength of will, even if she had some idea of how much of an illusion it really was. And she knew that in that sort of situation she couldn't rely on Homura, but at the same time she'd prefer it if her friend were out helping people who needed it more than her. "Yeah," she agreed. "It means a lot." Especially given where Madoka herself was likely to be in that sort of a crisis, and it wasn't cowering at home.

School drew nearer as they walked along, other students filtering onto the path both in front of and behind them. There was no sign of Homura yet, but the raven haired girl generally showed up when she wanted, and it was hard to tell if she could actually be bothered to walk somewhere like a normal person rather than just appearing out of thin air like a ghost.

That was besides the point though as the trio made their way along together. "Well, hopefully it won't come to that," Madoka added as she lightened up from the temporary seriousness that had taken hold. It was all she could hope for, that the peace would endure and her friends would be all right.
 
"Ha ha ha, right," Sayaka nodded, rubbing the back of her head in a sheepish manner, "As long as we are careful, nothing will happen at all, probably." The bluenette stepped over behind Hitomi, pressing against her back in a playful manner while the three made their way toward the school building proper. The warm sunbeams sliced across the school yard, only inhibited by the foliage and material between window panes. The cool morning air stubbornly clung to the world despite the sun's assured victory, an inevitability if ever there was one. It was an ordinary morning, perhaps the last these girls would enjoy for some time as the gears of fate continued to turn, hidden from the girl's eyes like the workings of a clock behind the clock face.

Sayaka pressed the side of her head against her green-haired friend, "Hey, Hitomi, Madoka, wanna hit up some places on the way back from school today? I'm gunna be busy with magical-girl stuff for the next few days, so its a great opportunity." She did not know what Oriko had in mind, specifically. The girl had a way of remaining annoyingly ominous, but she understood enough to know that the next few days would be vital to the reshaping of the city's authority structure. Just how far would she herself have to go in order to realize her dream of a fair and just rule? With Mami currently out of the picture, but the time being at least, Sayaka had no way of knowing for sure. The bluenette's own interests concerning a certain musician would have to wait.
 
Hitomi let out a slight gasp of surprise as Sayaka pressed against her back, almost forcing the green haired girl to leap away, or just pushing her forward instead. She certainly was not going to support any actions that she deemed immoral, such as girl-with-girl relationships. Not to say that she would judge her friends on it given the opportunity, but she'd prefer to refrain from doing the same for herself. "S-Sayaka-chan!"

Madoka giggled as she watched Hitomi try, and fail, to shy away from Sayaka for the sake of her personal space. She didn't know what Sayaka had done or might be forced to do in the future, didn't know about the dangerous duo that her friend had fallen into an alliance with. Had she known, she would have done something. As it stood though, with the sun shining down and the birds tweeting, all she could do was support her friend in her endeavors. "Sure," she agreed eagerly. "I'll just have to let Papa know that I'll be late."

Still recovering from Sayaka's shenanigans, Hitomi concurred. "Perhaps a bit," she replied in turn. "I do have lessons though, so I may have to go early." It was something she was resigned to, and Madoka had grown used to it as well. At least they could enjoy the time that they had together while it lasted.
 
Sayaka laughed, finding Hitomi's reaction rather amusing. The bluenette did not entertain any such intentions toward her green-haired friend, but seeing her get flustered over some casual skinship accomplished her purposes just as well. Sayaka relented, taking half a step back and folding her hands behind her head as she let out a sigh, "Always the serious one, Hitomi-chan... Are you trying to get accepted into a famous university or something?" A playful smirk spread over her lips, "An arts and music university, perhaps?" Sayaka had considered the possibility herself, given that the object of her affection made it no secret that he wished to make a career out of his musical talents. The bluenette knew that she lacked the necessary drive to push herself to such an extent, and with her magical girl duties taking up most of her available time, it became a virtual impossibility.

"Great," Sayaka nodded enthusiastically, "I know this great crepe place on the west side of town... Oh, and this time they'll be on me." She was feeling unusually generous that morning, which was perhaps somewhat due to the lurking guilt of what had transpired the day before continuing to press down on her. She quickened her pace slightly, her short blue hair waving in gentle wind as she struck out ahead of her friends.

"Come on, you know you don't want to miss Sensei's daily homeroom rant," she motioned to the two of them, a genuine smile spread across her lips.
 
Hitomi visibly relaxed a bit as Sayaka stepped away, sighing as a sigh of her gratitude. Honestly, she knew she was being teased but she just couldn't help it. And Sayaka knew it as well, which was why it kept happening.She resumed wearing a pleasant smile though as she considered what her friend had said It left her wondering how much Sayaka knew of her feelings, at least with regards to the boy they shared common, if hidden, affection for. "Actually, I'm probably going to go to business school," she replied, a truth that also served as a useful distraction. She betrayed nothing if she could help it. And it was true, since she had to meet her parent's expectations.

"That sounds like fun, Sayaka-chan," Madoka concurred, leaving the matter of payment for later, once they were actually getting their food and such. There was no need to worry about it now when they hadn't even gone through the school day yet. And it wasn't as if she could know the actual reason why without some knowledge of what had transpired, either her or Hitomi. Though the green haired girl could tell that something was off, still.

Madoka smiled warmly then as she moved to catch up. "Right." The rants were the same, but so was everything, and that stability she desired, if only for a short while. So she made sure that her friend didn't leave her behind.

"Of course," Hitomi concurred as she brought up the rear, mirroring the smile worn by her friends, though a tad more subdued. Just the three of them, like old times. But who knew how long it would last as they headed towards school?
 
Later that morning, the desk in front of Sayaka welcoming her cheek as she made half an effort to remain awake through math class in the very least. English, of course, was a lost cause. Why did the world demand that they learn a language that nobody in Japan even seemed to know fluently? It wasn't like forefingers traveled much, either, especially considering the battle lines drawn across the world thanks to the rise of Magical Girls as the new authoritative class. Just thinking about such unrealistic scenarios taxed Sayaka's already weary brain, and she would need that brainpower for later. Giving in to the inescapable urge to nap, Sayaka's eyes fluttered closed...

Rather abruptly, the magical girl found herself standing atop a pillar, darkness surrounding her. The darkness felt endless, spreading out in all directions while a single spotlight shone down upon her head with blinding intensity. She turned left, then right, just then realizing that she was wearing her magical girl clothes. The tiny pillar did not give her much space to maneuver, and with the precariousness of her situation it did little to calm her nerves.

Finding nothing, Sayaka then looked upward. her breath caught in her throat. The light above her was being emitted from the center of a massive eye, rimmed with snake-like shadowy arms instead of eyelashes. The arms reached down, bending without joints as they descended toward her. With a wave of her hand she tried to summon a sword with which to fight, but much to her shock and dismay nothing happened.

"Wha-"

The bluenette woke with a start, a page from the notebook she had laid out in front of her during class sticking to the side of her face. She blinked once, then sat down in her seat, tilting her head back as a sigh escaped her lips.

"I really need to get more sleep, apparently..." she groaned.
 
School was as usual, to be honest. Classes, homework, Saotome's rants, the usual. Even with things as they currently were in the city, that sense of normalcy had managed to endure, though people hardly talked about anything else when given the opportunity. Even Homura had somehow managed to find the time to attend school, though she vanished more than once to presumably handle magical girl business. It was odd, but not as bad as it could have been. And for that Madoka was grateful.

With classes, the pinkette contented herself with taking notes, making sure to not miss anything important as she glanced over to see Sayaka having drifted off to sleep. Someone would have to take notes for her, and it would do Madoka some good as well. She wasn't exactly at Homura's level, either in note taking or simply academics, so she would need to make up the gap somehow. It might not be a competition, but it was inspiration for her to do her best.

Another glance was directed towards the blunette as she abruptly awoke, giving her a worried look. Quietly Madoka took a piece of loose leaf paper from her bag and wrote on it as a way of communicating while the teacher droned on. Are you alright? That written, she folded the paper up and passed it across, hoping that no one had noticed in the process. It was apparent, at least to her, that something had happened, and she wanted to find out what, even if it ended up being nothing.
 
The blunette looked toward Madoka, having caught the pinkette's worried glance from the corner of her eye. She watched as the paper landed on her desk, which she promptly unfolded and her eyes scanned the page. She calmly scribbled down her reply and passed it back, hoping that the little exchange would continue unnoticed:

Just a bad dream. Don't worry about it. ^_^

Sayaka made a halfhearted attempted at deciphering whatever it was that the teacher and written on the board at the front of the room before giving up entirely. Why did they have to discuss such complicated and boring topics? The reasoning behind academic standards defied her understanding. The dream itself seemed of no consequence, for the time being at least, and the words which flowed past the teacher's lips passed through her mind almost as quickly. Had the lessons always been this long? The blue-haired magical girl scooted forward in her seat until she sat on just the edge of it, her arms resting atop the desk as she glanced out the window to the right. Was it just her, or had the sky grown slightly darker than before? The sky lacked even the smallest of clouds, so...

A simple smile spread across Sayaka's lips in an attempt to put her friend at ease, but even so she could not completely shake off the ominous sensation which hung over her. When she turned to look back at the front of the class she discovered one possible source for her unease, namely the teacher standing directly in front of her with a displeased look on his face. Clearly he did not take well to students, magical girl or otherwise, who made no effort at all to listen.

"Ah..." Sayaka draped her arms over the edge of her desk as the final class before lunch came to an end, "I thought I might die from the way he kept shooting daggers at me with his eyes..." Avoiding said daggers by actually listening to his lectures never once passed her mind, apparently.
 
Taking the note back, Madoka opened it and quickly scanned the message. It was much as she expected, though she would like to think that Sayaka would tell her if she had an issue. But this was not the time to push it even if she had a desire to, for they were still in class and this wasn't the sort of thing that should be talked about via secretive note passing. so she placed the paper off to the side and got back to note taking.

the rest of class passed by relatively rapidly for the pinkette, busy as she was with the difficult business of taking notes for herself as well as her distracted friend. Having your mind focused on a task made the time go by quicker, especially when you knew what was going on. She had resigned herself to providing academic assistance for her friend in this case though given a lack of other options, and she knew what would happen otherwise when it came time to take tests. If Sayaka even bothered to show up that was.

At last class ended though, and Madoka took the opportunity to rise from her seat, yawning as she stretched. She then moved to retrieve her lunchbox and head for their usual spot on the roof, though she didn't head off without her friend. "I bet he's just had a hard day. I'm sure he knows you're tired because of all the hard work you do," the pinkette pointed out with an optimistic outlook, even if she didn't entirely believe it herself. But really, Sayaka couldn't help it, not when she had to manage school and her magical girl duties.
 
With the adjournment of class, Sayaka stood up and drew out her own lunchbox, taking her place by her pink-haired friend as they made their way to the roof access stairwell. The bluenette welcomed this reprieve from the mind-numbing ramblings with open arms, as she had heard just about enough about the Meiji Restoration for at least the rest of the week if not longer. Her slightly-heavy footsteps lighted upon the stairs leading upward, her eyes instead remaining fixed upon the box in front of her.

Always the optimist, Madoka had once again offered her own outlook on the situation. Sayaka appreciated her friend's encouragement, but somehow she doubted the teacher shared her sentiments. "Thanks, Madoka-chan, but I know I'm an idiot..." Reaching out and turning the doorknob, Sayaka blinked painfully as the brilliant sunrays momentarily blinded her before her eyes could adjust. Had she simply been imagining things earlier? Sayaka simply shrugged off the thought before stepping out onto the roof.

"You know, Hitomi-chan's comment earlier had me thinking... What do you want to do after highschool, Madoka-chan? I mean, you're not a magical girl so you have a lot more freedom," Sayaka sat down at her usual spot and waited for her friend to join her, "You're smart, so you could probably be just about anything you want if you put your mind to it." The bluenette smiled at Madoka, putting aside the doubts she harbored concerning her own plans for the future. The world was becoming a more and more uncertain place with threats of violence looming just in the distance. This was even more true for magical girls such as herself. If even the great Mami could be incapacitated and nearly killed, what did it say of the delicate balance of power that upheld the uneasy peace?
 
Madoka frowned, giving her friend a worried look as they ascended the stairwell up to the roof together. It was their usual spot to spend lunch. Hearing that from her friend though wasn't such a good thing, since Sayaka usually wasn't so self deprecating, and she knew that negative emotions would cause her Soul Gem to cloud faster. She'd been around her friend enough to know that. "That's not true, Sayaka-chan," she countered with her head slightly bowed to indicate her disagreement with what the blunette had said about herself.

The sun shone bright and it served as a counter to the mood, and Madoka followed along to the usual spot that they sat, where they could enjoy the sky, the view, and the company of her friends. It had been a spot for hanging out since they had met, and had started coming to this school. Sitting down, she opened her lunchbox, revealing delicious looking food prepared by Papa. It was the usual dish, and she was more than prepared for Sayaka to snag some, or to share some herself. Even if she didn't have more than enough, she would always be willing to help her friend when her own lunch was insubstantial.

She began to eat as she answered, this question having been posed to her before by her friend, and she was as ready as she had been before. "Well, I was thinking of going to medical school," she replied. "Or veterinarian school. If I don't volunteer abroad as part of a non profit organization." It would be the best way for her to help people, and it wasn't as if she didn't have the time to think about it. Even if a tide of violence and fear might be rising, she would stand against it as best she could, no matter the cost. A groan escaped then at the taste of Papa's food, and she returned to eating with slightly greater vigour.

She paused then, considering everything that had happened, before looking back to her friend. Her face was tinted with worry, though it was not too serious at this point. "Sayaka-chan, how is your Soul Gem," she asked then. It might explain why her friend had been acting weird, if it was darker than usual right now. It couldn't hurt to find out, if Sayaka was willing to let her see.
 
Sayaka opened her own lunch as well, which was simpler than her friend's but that was hardly a problem. She could always snatch some from the opened box beside her as she wished, after all, an inevitability that Madoka had come to expect. The magical girl picked up a pickled vegitable with her chopsticks and placed it into her mouth, chewing carefully as she listened to Madoka's reply. It certainly sounded like her friend had thought the matter over, and as expected her interests were centered around helping others. Madoka had always been like that, at least for as long as Sayaka had known her that is. With virtually everything else in the world in flux, Sayaka knew better than to think that part of her friend would ever change.

"Sounds like you've got it all worked out," Sayaka nodded, stretching her arms above her head for a moment then diving her chopsticks down and snatching up a savory morsel from Madoka's opened lunch, "Mhm... Just as tasty as always." The bluenette laughed, but her voice was devoid of the heartfelt vigor it once had, a fact that Madoka seemed to pick up on almost instantly.

Sayaka's smile quickly faded when her friend brought up her soul gem. Try as she might, there was no hiding the darkness which had crept into the cerulean blue ornament and she knew better than to speak a boldfaced lie to her friend. Not only would it not work on account of Madoka's sharp senses, it would only serve to concern her friend even more when it was obvious that she was hiding the truth.

The bluenette looked away, her bangs hiding her eyes as she spoke, "I'm alright, Madoka-chan... I just got a little carried away last night, that's all. I'll just have to work a bit harder tonight and take fewer risks, that's all. I'm still pretty inexperienced, and there is a lot I don't know about being a magical girl, but what I do know is that I became a magical girl to become a hero of justice, and that hasn't changed..."

Sayaka could feel the tightness in her own chest, "I guess I'm just a bit scared, you know?" The exact object of that fear remained ambiguous, but from Sayaka's point of view the one who scared her the most was herself. Could she even call herself a hero of justice after doing something like that?

Sure, the man was evil and deserved every bit of what happened to him, but who was she to dispense punishment? Was it a necessary consequence of the path toward change that she had chosen? Oriko seemed to believe this to be the case, but what did she believe? Sayaka still had not made up her mind on the subject, for the time being at least. It certainly felt right when she did it. It almost felt refreshing to put an end to the one who had ordered Mami's assassination. But still, her heart filled with the inescapable sensation of guilt upon hearing that the blonde magical girl had somehow survived.
 
A light smile of amusement escaped as Sayaka commented on her future path before snagging some of her food, repeating what the pinkette had expected and confirming that the food was good. Perhaps her opinion meant more in this regard, since she certainly was biased to believe that the food her father had made was good. Then again, it might be the same for Sayaka as well. Regardless, she chose to believe that it was the truth.

That happiness faded with the topic of conversation shifting to her friends Soul Gem. To see the darkness present was understandably concerning to the pinkette, and she listened calmly as her friend tried to explain the reason for it's presence. It wasn't as if she could contest what was being said to her right now, so she had no choice but to go along with it. "A-Alright," she replied, feeling ashamed for asking now, since her friend seemed to have it well in hand, and her reminder had been unnecessary.

She took another bite of food as if to banish the darkening aura that had developed around the two of them. It also gave her the opportunity to think up a response to her friend. She spoke up once she had. "It's alright, Sayaka-chan," she said as she looked over to her friend, attempting to radiate calm. "I'm scared too." It was an admission that she wouldn't have made otherwise as she glanced down at the lunchbox she had on her lap. It wasn't as if she didn't have a reason to be scared, even more so than her friend.

That said, she looked back up, smiling once more. "But I know it will be alright,"" she added as her hands rested in her lap. "After all, Mami-san is alive, and I know that she, Kyoko-san, Homura-chan, even you, won't let things get too bad. That's what a magical girl does, right?" It was the ideal they had both espoused for so long, the continued drive towards truth and justice, the things that should make a true Magical Girl. At the same time though, she could not be aware of how that might affect her friend, given the altered circumstances they were in. As a result, she was visibly confident in what she said, and would not be dissuaded.
 
With her freinds words of encouragement ringing true in her ears, the bluenette could not help but smile. Was it really so simple? She certainly hoped it was, but with the events of the last few days in mind things were starting to become somewhat blurred. Something remained perfectly clear, however, that she would live up to her friend's expectations and stay true to her ideals. magical girls existed to protect the weak, uphold justice, and combat the darkness of the world wherever it lurked.

"That's right," Sayaka nudged her friend with her elbow, flashing a grin of confidence, "Leave it to me!" She leaned back slightly and stretched her arms up into the air as if reaching for the success that remained just out of grasp, "As soon as Mami-san is back on her feet, we will make things right again." No yakuza plot, witch, or hostile magical girl team would stand against them once united under a single righteous goal.

Sayaka turned her attention back to her lunch, popping a tamagoyaki into her mouth and savoring the subtle and slightly sweet flavor. "Ne, Madoka-chan... I think you'd make a great Magical Girl yourself, you know. Of course, its your own decision to make but I see you as having just as much potential as Homura-san, Mami-san, Kyoko-san, or even myself. Don't sell yourself short, Madoka-chan. You're my best friend in the world, and I know that you will go far no matter what you put your mind to."
 
It seemed that Madoka had done her job and done it well, as the gloomy and unusual attitude that Sayaka had been sporting before vanished in a blaze of confident exuberance. Now that was the Sayaka knew, the one who loved reading manga, and daring stories of knights and adventurers, the same one who had dedicated her life to fighting the incarnation of evil itself for the good of humanity. That was the friend who made her so proud to know her.

Another delectable morsel of food popped into her mouth, thoroughly chewed to a burst of enrapturing flavor that spread across her taste buds like a tidal wave as she hummed in enjoyment. She swallowed before looking over at Sayaka as they moved onto another old discussion, that of her becoming a Magical Girl. Homura was vehemently opposed, she knew, insofar as the cold girl could be vehement about anything. Sayaka though, that was another story. "Thank you," she replied, a bit calmer and less energetic than before, treating this topic the way it should be. "And Kyubey said that I would be a really strong one too. It's hard not to, when there's so many bad things out there that I could help to stop."

A sigh then from the pinkette. "I just can't think of a wish." that was followed by a pause before she added to it. "Homura-chan doesn't want me to contract either." She'd heard it more than once, and she couldn't deny that she was swayed by it. It was a tough decision, and while she wanted to, there were strong factors against it as well.
 
The bluenette nodded in agreement. Given the responsibility and possible outcomes that would flow from the wish, it was not something that should be made lightly. Even Sayaka could understand her friend's hesitation. What she did not expect was to hear Homura's name. Was there more to this than Madoka was letting on? Given how open she was toward her, Sayaka doubted it... But even so, the way she brought it up was cause for concern. "I don't see what Homura-san has to do with it," Sayaka blinked, "I mean, I know she's probably just trying to look out for you, but its really up to you, you know?"

"I know some people are against magical girls because of the huge mess the world is right now and they feel like they need to blame someone for it," Sayaka shrugged, "But I know you aren't like that, Madoka-chan. I know Homura-san isn't either, so why is she so opposed to you becoming a Magical Girl when she is a Magical Girl herself?" The bluenette let out a sigh, "The important thing is to figure out what you want, Madoka-chan. Don't let Homura-san or anyone else try to decide for you. Its your life to live, after all."

"No matter what, though, I'll support you in your decision," Sayaka smiled, "And either way I'll fight to protect you, too."
 
Had Homura not been busy at the moment, she certainly would have had cross words for Sayaka right now, with a reasoning that hardly needed to be stated to those who knew. Her hard work was being countered by the blunette, her efforts to preserve Madoka from being a Magical Girl riding smack dab against the example that was being set for her. And even with such life threatening encounters as the fight in the antiques store, the pinkette persisted. Certainly it was frustrating.

Not so much for Madoka though, who did not have those issues to deal with. "R-Right, I'll do that," she agreed with a nod. There were arguments, such as her family, the life style, and that sort of thing. But that was to worry about later, when she had something she truly wanted. For now she went back to eating her lunch, chatting with Sayaka about random topics such as music and that sort of thing before they had to go back to classes.
 
The afternoon classes passed in much the same manner as the morning ones. The continual droning continued, each subject much the same as the last. This time, however, it was significantly more bearable than usual, her discussion with Madoka having bolstered her spirits to such an extent that she hardly minded it. Spending time with her friends was always the highlight of her day, even more-so than defeating a powerful witch or rescuing innocent civilians which had become trapped within the barriers.

Sayaka stood up rather abruptly from her seat as soon as the final bell rang, practically bolting over to Madoka. "Ne, Madoka-chan, wanna head over to the music store on our way over to get our crepes? It will be like old times~" Sayaka never tired of listening to her would-be boyfriend's music, and with her current mood she felt quite invigorated despite the lingering doubts which remained hidden deep within her heart. She rode a precarious ledge without even realizing it, with only the slightest nudge needed before finding herself falling into the depths of hopelessness and despair. At the time being, however, she just wanted to enjoy her time with Madoka and Hitomi in blissful ignorance.
 
Classes were much the same for Madoka, going through some subjects she liked, some she didn't. She did notice her friend being more attentive when it came to lectures, so that she could be grateful for. Nonetheless she still took thorough notes, if only for her own sake. Studying for tests was hard, as she could attest by herself. But the day passed by as it tended to do, and soon enough classes were over, releasing the students to whatever activities they might have planned.

Rising, Madoka was a bit slower in packing up, if only because she wasn't in as much of a hurry as her friend was. But as she was confronted with the alteration to the plan, she merely smiled and nodded. "Sure Sayaka-chan. I don't have a problem with it. But you may want to ask Hitomi-chan." She gestured towards the green haired girl, who was also packing up her stuff. "She's the one most pressed for time."

Hearing the both of them, Hitomi slung her bag over her shoulder as she joined the two girls. "That sounds like a good idea," she agreed with a smile. Of course, she was well aware of the reason why Sayaka might want to go, but she was determined to not let that affect her in the slightest. She knew her place, and she would not step on the blunette's toes if she could help it.
 
"Ah, Hitomi-chan..." Sayaka turned toward her friend then shook her head, "If you are so busy now, how are you planning on getting a boyfriend?" Sayaka placed the back of her hand against her forehead in an overly-dramatic manner, "Ah, I can see it now... He calls you out after classes, standing across from you at the back of the school. he takes your hand in his, falling to one knee as he whispers his carefully-worded profession of love to you." Sayaka paused for effect, "BUT! You pull your hand away and declare that you are too busy for love, that you cannot return his affections on account of your packed schedule... Struck with the shock of the rejection, the young man flees from you, his heart broken and irreparably torn."

Sayaka reached over and patted her friend's shoulder, wiping a tear from her left eye, "Oh, Hitomi-chan... You poor thing." Clearly Sayaka had been watching far too many romantic dramas in the past, as nothing in her performance even remotely struck true in Hitomi's case. She was just using the opportunity to fool around again, much to the chagrin of those still in the classroom who witnessed her over-the-top performance.

"Come, Madoka-chan," Sayaka reached out and grabbed her friend's arm and pulled her along after her as she made her way to the door, "We must go before we catch her terminal disease of back luck with men!" Sayaka knew well enough that Hitomi was quite popular at the school, her words perhaps conveying a bit of hidden envy toward her friend.
 
Hitomi chuckled softly as she watched Sayaka play out her whole performance on the perils of her love life and such. She was used to it by this point, and it was amusing to witness. Of course, she could have shot back just as hard had she been a person like that, but she chose not to. Someone had to be the sane one in their group, and she didn't feel like escalating things. Especially when she knew how important her friend's mental state was. And if this made her happy, well, she could deal with it.

"I suppose so," she replied with a sigh. "Well, I guess I will have to manage the best I can. Like how Mrs. Kaname-san does it." Both of them were well aware of how hard working Madoka's mother was, so if there was any role model for Hitomi to look up to when it came to managing her life, it would be her. Admittedly the circumstances were slightly different, but that didn't matter so much. Besides, things would really clear up once all these lessons were over and done with.

Slinging her bag under her shoulder, Hitomi followed after Madoka and Sayaka as the pinkette was led off by the blunette towards the music store that they had gone to so many times before. As they exited the school Hitomi added to what she had said. "I am glad to hear that though. I was getting worried, with how often you go on about Madoka-chan being your wife." Now there was a barb, accentuated by an audible sigh of relief from the green haired girl.

"H-Hitmi-chan! She's not my...." Madoka protested, strength fading off as she decided to let Sayaka field the response. It was her joke after all, so she should be the one to be held accountable for it, not herself. If Sayaka couldn't handle it, then she would be a poor joker indeed.
 
"Ah, that's not good, Madoka-chan," Sayaka shook her head, a look of seriousness spread across her face, "If you deny it so vehemently, it makes me wonder if you really did take my joke to heart..." A smile abruptly shattered the serious tone she had built up, "Madoka-chaaan! You really are too cute! If you aren't careful, someone might just pick you up and carry you off somewhere!" Sayaka reached over and began to tickle her friend's sides playfully, completely ignoring Hitomi's teasing. She knew better than to answer back in kind, instead deciding to play along for her own amusement. Her true affections were clear enough to sort out without any need to discuss the matter openly. Touching on that particular subject was a surefire way to get her to calm down, however.

Sayaka eventually relented, however, and let Madoka go without much insistence, stead folding her hands behind her head in a laid-back manner as she looked up at the multicolored sky above them, cloudless and yet also starless as they walked in that ominous middle ground between day and night. "Ne, Madoka-chan, Hitomi-chan... Have you ever wondered what it will be like when we move on past high school and on to find our own jobs and what-not? I mean... I don't think things will be that much different. We will still be friends and all, and I'll still have my magical girl duties to attend to, but we will still be able to meet up and hang out like this, right?" Sayaka apparently had not realized the impossibility of her dream of the future, especially with the inevitable outcome of certain events that had already been put into motion.
 
"W--What?" Madoka protested. "Of course I don't." This was not what she had been expecting, since she hadn't been the instigator of it all. A pleading look was sent at Hitomi before the pinkette suddenly found herself under assault from tickling fingers. Laughter tore free as she struggled, futilely trying to break free of her friends grip. Sadly there was no such luck there, Sayaka as used to her escaped attempts as Madoka was to her jokes.

"S-Say-yaka-c-chan," Madoka gasped out, grabbing for her sides and trying to remove the hands there. "S-Stop." It didn't stop her friend, but eventually the blunette let go on her own, instead looking up to the sky. Hitomi laughed from beside them, less exasperated by her friends behavior than she had been in similar occasions in the past. It wasn't a serious consideration, and she knew that the pinkette wasn't really the target of her friends affection. No, that was obvious to see to anyone who wasn't a blind man.

The two settled down as their friend did and they walked towards the music store. "Hm?" Madoka asked as Sayaka brought up another aspect of the future, her head tilting in thought. "I don't see why not," she decided at last with a warm aura that spread to encompass the rest of them. "I mean, if we're all in the same place and can meet up." It'd be hard for them to do that sort of thing if one of them was in another country after all.

Hitomi nodded, keeping even pace with the other two. "It shouldn't be impossible to do, though it is a bit early to worry about things like that." They still had a few years to go in school, and that gave them some time to consider things such as that for the future. And while long term planning was something she had been taught about, she didn't see a pressing need to apply it right now.
 
"Yeah... I suppose you're right, Hitomi-chan," Sayaka nodded, "I just worry sometimes that these sorts of days might not come around again." The bluenette smiled, "I guess I'm just being a worrywart for no reason at all." She sped ahead of them and stepped into the music store, the bell chiming as the door turned on its hinge to signal the entrance of a potential customer. Sayaka knew this store well enough to know just were to look for his songs, songs that she hoped she could listen to in person sometime soon. his recovery was proceeding remarkably, after all, so it would not be too much longer to wait.

She stepped over to the headphones and selected a song, her eyes gently closing as she rendered herself helpless before the waves of sound which entered her ears. To her, it was as if an entire orchestra was contained within that single instrument of his, a melody which took hold of her very heart and guided her through the paths of life to its eventual conclusion, its tune extending far beyond even that on into eternity. She swayed back and forth slightly, bending and molding with the music of her love, a song which called out to her and gave her hope even in the darkest hour.
 
"It's fine," Hitomi answered in turn and in understanding. Certainly they seemed to all be on diverging paths, but that did not mean that they would never see each other. So long as they were determined to keep bring friends and made the effort to see each other, then they could continue on. Certainly they could not do so in a vacuum, but graduation would not mean the end.

Together the three of them entered the music store and split up, Sayaka going for the orchestral pieces as a a matter of course. Madoka went for the soft rock music, humming and bouncing on the balls of her heels to the beat. She liked classical, of course, but she preferred to listen to this sort of music when they came out on these sorts of trips. It was easier to pass the time. since Sayaka generally knew what she was doing when it came to picking out music, enough to not really need their help.

Hitomi wandered between stacks, not making it too obvious that she was deliberately avoiding the section where Sayaka was currently searching for music. She knew why, and did not want to interfere if she could help it, did not want to hurt their friendship. She could entertain herself with other kinds of music, and it wasn't as if Kyosuke expected those sorts oof gifts from her anyway. So the two of them would spend their time, waiting for some confirmation from Sayaka that they could move on.
 
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