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Senior Member
 Author
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Newfoundland, Canada
Age: 42
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Mami Lives Chapter 4
Mami Romance Chain
“I'm going to become a magical girl!”
This declaration by Sayaka initially took Mami and I by surprise. But only for a moment.
“Sayaka...” Mami began in reply to the declaration, “I can certainly understand you wanting to wish Hitomi back to life, but...”
“ Wish Hitomi back to life...” Sayaka said under her breath, while I could see nervous beads of sweat form upon her forehead, “... I'm a bit ashamed to admit that such an option hadn't occurred to me until you mentioned it just then, Mami.”
“Oh?” Mami asked, taken aback by this, “What wish did you have in mind then?"
“Actually, it's the same wish I've been considering for a few days now.” Sayaka answered, “It's just that Hitomi's death has made me realize that this city also needs another magical girl protector.”
“No, this is all my fault.” Mami said, in a tone of depression “If I hadn't been neglectful in my magical girl duties...”
... I think I knew what Mami meant by this. And I didn't like it. I didn't like it at all.
“Mami, what do you mean by that?” I asked, in a hurt tone of voice.
“Madoka, I'm...” Mami began in uneasy reply, with deeply conflicted feelings coming to the fore, “... As much as I truly loved the time we spent together yesterday, it is nonetheless true that if I was properly carrying out my magical girl duties your friend might still be alive.”
If you chose A for M Opportunity Choice 2, read section “MOCA Lingering Effects”. Otherwise, read section “Mami has Second Thoughts About the Romance”.
“No.” Sayaka quickly interjected, “That's not fair to you and Madoka! It's not fair that you'd have to give up on what your heart desires simply to defend this city. And that's why I should become a magical girl! If I become a magical girl to pick up some of the slack for you, then you can afford to have more of a normal life, Mami. And Madoka... Madoka won't have to have her heart broken, which I would hate to have to see.”
The mood in the room was already tense, but Sayaka's words here made them even more tense. While I could tell that Sayaka felt strong in her convictions, I could also tell that Mami and myself were feeling deeply conflicted over the current situation.
When I thought of losing Mami the day after our very first date, it made me so unbearably sad.
But then, if Sayaka became a magical girl for my sake, and was to meet with a horrific end due to it, I don't know if I could live with myself...
Into this tense atmosphere, came a voice which had such a contrasting enthusiasm to it that it was hard not feel the nasty clash of moods.
“I agree with Sayaka Miki!” stated Kyubey, who had arrived in our classroom after following behind Mami, “But it sounds like Sayaka now has two wishes she would like to make, and I can only grant one per contract...”
“That's right.” I said under my breath, before addressing Sayaka, “I know that your wish is to heal the hand of Kamijo, so that he can live out his dream of being a great violinist. But now there is also the matter of giving Hitomi a second chance at life as well!”
Sayaka's face than looked unsteady, as indecision began to take hold of her. That hold would soon be broken, however.
“Second chances often come at an overwhelming cost.” came the cool, crisp voice of Akemi Homura, as she walked into class, before she made a piercing gaze towards Mami, “I hope that my choice to give you a second chance, Mami Tomoe, won't come at an overwhelming cost to me.”
Homura's cold words made me instinctively take hold of Mami's right hand with my left hand, in order to comfort her given the harsh words that Homura may say to her.
“...What do you mean?” Mami asked Homura.
“If you had died in battle against the witch that I saved you from, the sight of that likely would have driven out any desire these two girls would have for becoming magical girls.” Homura began in answer, “These two girls should not become magical girls. There is simply not enough Grief Seeds to go around.”
“Is that all you care about right now?!” Sayaka questioned Homura angrily, “Besides, we wouldn't even be having this conversation right now if you had been there to save Hitomi. Where were you yesterday?"
Sayaka and Homura glared menacingly at each other given their recent words.
“What you want to know is something that I want to talk to Mami Tomoe about privately.” Homura replied, “What she does with that information is up to her.”
“Why can't you tell all of us?” I asked Homura.
But Homura allowed that question to go unanswered.
“As she has made clear, Akemi Homura refuses to trust you.” Kyubey interjected, “So you have no reason to trust her. Sayaka Miki, once you choose a wish I...”
“I will say this one last time.” Akemi Homura said, interrupting Kyubey as she strode over to Sayaka, nearly touching her nose to nose.
Sayaka inched away from Homura ever so slightly in response to this movement, but I could tell that Sayaka didn't want to appear weak in the face of Homura's firmness.
“Don't become a magical girl.” Homura said to Sayaka, as the two made steely eye contact, “I can assure you that you will regret such a choice. Your wish may bring happiness to one, but it will bring much sadness to several others once the full price of that wish is extracted.”
Homura then turned her head sideways, to address me.
“The same goes for you as well, Kaname Madoka.” Homura said to me, “I... sympathize with your sad loss of a close friend, but loss is an inescapable part of life. Trying to break free of those bonds will only bring greater tragedy with it.”
Homura then slowly walked away, leaving the classroom. Mami looked very sad and dejected. Sayaka was trembling in a mixture of anger, fear, and uncertainty.
“She may have saved all of our lives once, but still...” Sayaka stated in a low tone, as I could sense a desire to vent rage swelling up inside of her.
“The fact she saved our lives means that she has our best intentions at heart, though.” I said to Sayaka, “I don't think that Homura wishes us ill.”
“Still...” said Mami, as she started to surprise me by sounding a disagreeing note, “If you and Sayaka were both to become magical girls, the potential for good is immense. Sayaka could wish to heal the hand of the musical prodigy that was mentioned. You could wish for your friend to be brought back to life. With all three of us as magical girls, each of us could afford a semblance of normal life. And then, Madoka... then...”
I could sense Mami taking hold of my shoulders, and staring lovingly into my eyes. I winced at the thought of not supporting Mami's deepest desires here. But Homura's words had also cut deep into me.
“But would there be enough Grief Seeds to go around?” I asked, “I know it seems like a selfish question, but each magical girl needs them, right? Would greater tragedy arise from us wishing to help others?”
“I understand your concern, Madoka” Mami said in such a soothing voice as she patted my head, and held me close to her, “Whatever you and Sayaka decide, I'll be fine with. If you both decide to not become magical girls, I'll do my best to preserve our romantic bond, and my friendship with both you and Sayaka... but I'm not sure that I can make any promises there. If you both decide to become magical girls, then I'll definitely be fine with that as well. In any event, though, you must choose soon. Especially as far as Hitomi Shizuki is concerned. Raising the dead is sure to draw ever-increasing attention the longer the dead has been departed. If a wish to bring Hitomi back to life is made today, then explaining it to the wider world without them learning of the world of magical girls or wishes should be easy. But if we wait too long...”
“Mami is right.” Sayaka said, “We need to choose now. After hearing all sides of the discussion, I can't say that I'm entirely certain of what I should do, although I certainly do now want to become a magical girl. Still, I've always had great respect for your opinion on difficult issues like this one, Madoka. So I want to hear what you think we should do.”
Choice M2:
A) “I find Homura's words very persuasive. I think that neither of us should become magical girls, Sayaka.”
B) “I no longer feel up to becoming a magical girl, but perhaps it would be best if you became one, Sayaka. I think that you're stronger than I am here.”
C) “I find Mami's words very persuasive. I think that both of us should become magical girls!”
If you choose A, read Section M2A and disregard the rest of the Chapter. If you chose C, read Section M2C, and disregard the rest of the Chapter. If you chose B, skip over both of those sections and read the rest of the Chapter.
For Section M2A, listen to the music here, in order to get more of that full VN Effect.
For Section M2C, listen to the music here.
Spoiler for Section M2A:
“I'm... I'm sorry, Mami.” I said, as tears welled up in my eyes and as I felt great shame.
“It's Ok.” she said to me, “I respect your choice, and I'll try to make it all work out...”
“I respect your choice as well.” Sayaka said, “Very well. I will also give up on being a magical girl.”
Kyubey then bid us adieu, after expressing some regret over our decisions. He would later make a couple more attempts to win me over, but with a heavy heart I rejected them. That was the last I would see of him.
Shortly thereafter, Mami met up with Homura. Mami would tell me that Homura's absence yesterday was due to Homura seeking out help from a different magical girl's territory. That magical girl is Kyouko Sakura.
Homura's plan was for her, Mami, and Kyouko to all work together to defeat a monstrous witch named Walpurgis Night. Her belief was that three experienced magical girls working together would be enough to defeat the witch, as the witch would soon threaten the entire city of Mitakihara Town. This Kyouko was apparently not as altruistic as Mami is, as she only entered into the agreement on the promise of two Grief Seeds as payment for help.
While the three magical girls planned and prepared to combat Walpurgis Night, Sayaka and I strove to get back to our normal lives, at least as much as is possible.
Sayaka's love and care for Kyousuke Kamijo grew in spite of, or perhaps even due to, her deciding to not make a wish for him. Shortly after he was released from hospital, Sayaka confessed her love to him. Kyousuke, though still in a state of depression, accepted Sayaka's confession. Sayaka told me that Kamijo appeared halfhearted in his romantic acceptance of her, but that she would do all she could to win his full heart and dedication over time.
Likewise, I tried very hard to make my romance with Mami work. Mami was only able to make time for us once or twice a week, but I took what comfort, enjoyment, and pleasure that I could from that.
The day of the battle against Walpurgis Night eventually arrived. Homura, Kyouko, and Mami all fought valiantly against it, leading to its defeat and most of Mitakihara Town escaping the confrontation unscathed. But one of the three magical girls that fought against it did not survive. Homura did not survive. I mourned her passing, and honoured her heroic and sacrificial lost, promising myself that I would never forget her.
In the months to come, Mami and I grew closer and closer together, as our love blossomed like the flowers we both cared for in our Gardening Club. After Hitomi's passing, I took over as President of that club.
Shortly after the battle against Walpurgis Night, I introduced Mami to my mom, and thankfully my mom and Mami seemed to get along very well. After Mami and I had been girlfriends for a year, we made plans to eventually marry, with Sayaka as the Bride's Maid, Kazuki Kudo as the Best Man, and Tatsuya as the Ring-Bearer. Kyoko Sakura had surprised us by generously offering to conduct the ceremonies for free, as her father had trained her for such a task.
However, Mami died in battle against a witch just a week before the wedding was slated to happen...
I went into a deep depression for most of the rest of my school days and College days due to that excruciatingly painful lost. Sayaka did what she could to comfort me through that time, but she also had her own life to live given her own growing relationship with Kamijo.
After they both graduated high school, Sayaka and Kamijo made plans for their own wedding. I was honoured to be Sayaka's Bride's Maid. A year after her wedding, Sayaka gave birth to a beautiful young girl that she would name Kotomi.
For my part, I recalled how Mami had encouraged me to adopt a child if I ever wanted one based on us later learning that the bodies of magical girls are incapable of becoming pregnant and giving birth. To deal with my sad and wretched loneliness, I adopted a young male toddler named Tomoya that was the same age as Sayaka's daughter Kotomi. This I did while working as a nurse, while Sayaka became a police officer.
Kotomi and Tomoya became childhood friends, which was great as it reinforced my friendship with Sayaka and gave us more opportunities to spend time with one another.
But what really moved all of us, especially Kyousuke Kamijo, to tears of joy, was the first time Kotomi put on a violin recital in a large school auditorium open to the general public.
Kotomi Kamijo's musical talents were a match for her father's, and it was as though his musical talent lived on through her.
Kotomi's talents had left my son Tomoya feeling a bit unworthy of the love that she felt for him, but with the encouragement of their respective parents, the two eventually entered into a romance together. I was very pleased over the thought of my son and Sayaka's daughter being together like this.
At the age of 45, I became a grandmother as Kotomi Kaname-Kamijo gave birth to a lovely young girl named Ushio.
Sad memories of Homura and Mami often kept me up at night, and I was never able to find romantic love again after losing Mami, but I was heartened by the wonderful family and friends that I still had. All the same, I never forgot Mami or Homura.
The End ( Madoka: After Story end)
Spoiler for Section M2C:
I think that Kyubey was pleased by my words, as was Mami and Sayaka.
My decision enabled me to wish to bring Hitomi back to life and Sayaka to wish to heal Kamijo's arm!
Homura was initially deeply disappointed by my decision, but a discovery made a week later seemed to alter her perception of it, as it also stunned her.
That discovery was made due to the relationship between Mami and I. I have to admit that it was pretty embarrassing...
We learned of a way of cleansing Soul Gems that has nothing to do with Grief Seeds! When two magical girls engage in sexual intercourse with one another, that encounter has a Soul Gem cleansing effect equivalent to a Grief Seed so long as the two girls sincerely love one another. This would mean that as long as I was together with Mami, she and I would never need Grief Seeds!
Based on this discovery, another magical girl named Kyoko Sakura started hitting on Sayaka. I have to admit I found it a bit amusing, although Sayaka certainly didn't.
Sadly, though, that would be about the only amusement surrounding Sayaka in the weeks to come...
The resurrected Hitomi and the healed Kamijo would never learn of what precisely had saved them, as Mami felt that if one had learned of the true cause, the other may as well, leading into the world of magical girls and witches becoming overly well-known.
Unfortunately, this also meant that they felt no particular gratitude to Sayaka or myself, respectively.
Hitomi, in an act that angered me deeply, gave Sayaka an one-day opportunity to confess her feelings to Kamijo before Hitomi herself did.
While noting how becoming a magical girl seemed to strengthen my assertiveness and resolve, I confronted Hitomi over this, stating how I felt that her actions represented a brutal betrayal of her friendship with Sayaka. Hitomi and I had a bit of a heated exchange over it, and that put a great strain on our friendship.
Sayaka sadly went into a deep depression due to Hitomi stealing Kamijo from her, at least as Sayaka perceived it. Mami and I tried our best to comfort Sayaka, but I could tell that this loss was a truly devastating one for her. Still, at least we were able to see Sayaka through until the arrival of Walpurgis Night...
Homura took a lead role in developing strategies and tactics for her, Mami, Sayaka, Kyouko, and myself to use in defeating Walpurgis Night while minimizing the damage it could do to Mitakihara Town.
Homura came prepared with enough ammunition to literally start a war with! That ammuntion, combined with Mami's muskets, made up the “First Wave” in the attacks on Walpurgis Night. That “First Wave” was enough to blow a sizable chunk off of Walpurgis Night's body, but it was not enough to defeat her.
The “Second Wave” was to be Kyouko and Sayaka rushing against the wounded Walpurgis Night, aiming to deliver final blows to it. But Sayaka took it even a step further than that. In her deep depression over Kamijo's rejection of her, Sayaka decided to launch herself against Walpurgis Night in an ultimate kamikaze attack.
Sayaka decided that if she could not live happily, she would die a hero. A blue blaze of glory truly pulsated through the air as Sayaka delivered the devastating final blow to Walpurgis Night, expending all of her magical energies in one shot!
Kyouko shouted in angry displeasure over this, while Mami and I wept for Sayaka's passing.
I would later receive in the mail a letter from Sayaka, sent the day before the Walpurgis Night attack. In it she thanked me for my years of being her best friend, and apologized for what she was going to do in battle against Walpurgis Night. She asked me to please remember her in a good light, and to not grow too depressed over her passing.
I cried heavily over that letter, but I took some comfort in knowing that Sayaka did at least achieve two dreams of her's: Healing Kamijo's hand, and being a true hero. I would never forget Sayaka-chan...
But in my life going forward, what was most important to me was my dear, precious Mami-san. The two of us formed a romance that almost seemed like it was out of a fairytale! As magical girls, we could cleanse each other's soul gems, and we would later learn that our aging process was drastically slowed relative to other humans. Magical girls age at a rate of one fifth or one sixth of that of normal humans.
On the other hand, magical girls are unable to become pregnant, so Mami and I never had children.
I decided to search the world over for other magical girls, to inform them of the means by which they could keep their Soul Gems cleansed without having to use Grief Seeds. Kyubey seemed displeased by this, but he had no compelling arguments to make against it.
In time, all of the world's witches and familiars were destroyed, with roughly twenty magical girls remaining worldwide, including Mami, Homura, Kyouko, and myself. I felt that it would be a shame for our powers to go to waste, so Homura, Mami, and I agreed to form a secretive organization called The Justice Girls! I was voted Leader and Chief Founder of this organization. I made the symbol of our organization a Blue-Handled Sword with a White Cape draped upon it, surrounded by a ring of pink and yellow flowers. This was to honour my dearly departed best friend Sayaka.
We would dedicate our lives and powers to fighting crime and protecting the innocent. Two criminal masterminds, one named Jack Napier and another named Alexander Austin, would not take kindly to The Justice Girls. But thankfully, their vile machinations were typically no match for us.
The Justice Girls also served the purpose of facilitating romantic bonds between single magical girls, to try to ensure that each magical girl had another one to love and receive Soul Gem cleansing from. With the aid of two very wealthy magical girls, a large piece of real estate was purchased in Tokyo. On that piece of real estate, we created The Great Hall of the Justice Girls!
Kyouko liked to joke that it's a Great Hall since it's where all the “fun stuff” happens. That was admittedly one of the purposes of the Great Hall, to provide a discreet setting for romantically bonded magical girls to meet and cleanse their Soul Gems, which is why Mami and I chuckled nervously over Kyouko's joke.
With the sad exception of Sayaka's passing, and the loss of Hitomi's friendship, all of my dreams had become reality. I am a hero, fighting for justice! And I would live happily ever after in the arms of my most beloved Mami-san....
The End (Superman End)
“I understand and respect your decision, Madoka...” Sayaka began in reply to it, “But it does make it more difficult for me to know what I should wish for if I go ahead and become a magical girl. Will you hold it against me if I wish for Kamijo's sake rather than Hitomi's?”
I hated the thought of Hitomi's life being cut off at such a young age when one wish could save her, especially with that wish being used to merely heal a young man's hand instead. But at the same time, I had to respect the deep and abiding love that Sayaka felt for Kamijo. Her decision was not an easy one now, and so I didn't want to hold her choice against her.
“No, Sayaka, I won't hold your choice against you.” I told her, “Whatever you decide, I'll be Ok with it.”
“I'm glad to hear that.” Sayaka said, forcing a slight smile.
“But with that being said, Sayaka.” Mami interjected, “If you do wish for the benefit of Kamijo, I would encourage you to make that wish in his presence, with him fully aware of how it is you that has healed his hand.”
“Is it really Ok for Kyousuke to learn about the world of magical girls and witches?” Sayaka asked in reply.
“Well, some normal humans are able to cope with such knowledge.” Mami explained, “After all, Madoka and yourself have both coped well with it, and Madoka intends to remain a normal human.”
“Still...” Sayaka said, clenching one hand into a fist as I think she felt very uneasy over Mami's suggestion here.
Choice M3
A) “I'm sorry, Mami, but I don't think that Sayaka should reveal that to Kamijo. I've known Kamijo for awhile, and I'm not sure if he could cope with this sort of knowledge.”
B) “I agree with Mami!” I shout to Sayaka, “If you do choose to make a wish for Kamijo, you should make that wish in front of him so that he'll know that it's you that he has to thank for being healed!”
Spoiler for Response M3B:
“... Ok then.” Sayaka responded, “Then if I make that wish for him, I'll make sure that Kamijo knows that his hand has been healed thanks to me! Is that Ok with you, Kyubey?”
“There's no rules that the beneficiary of a wish is not allowed to know about the world of magical girls and witches.” said Kyubey, “If you do choose to wish for Kyousuke Kamijo, I have no objections to making my presence known to him, thus fully confirming how it is your wish and decision to become a magical girl that has resulted in his hand being healed.”
“That's great!” Sayaka exclaimed, “I have to admit that I'm pretty excited over this all. Ha ha ha!”
Sayaka's nervous laughter was understandable here, but it still felt a bit out-of-place given Hitomi's tragic passing. Still, I had told Sayaka that I would not hold her decision against her, so I intended to keep my word there.
With that, the three of us, along with Kyubey, left the school for the day.
Later that day Sayaka would indeed make a wish to heal Kyosuke's hand!
After doing that, she sprinted over to a restaurant that Mami and I were enjoying a late evening snack at. Sayaka showed off her new magical girl outfit to Mami and I! I have to admit that it was very dashing, and pretty!
I think I had seen Sayaka's magical girl outfit somewhere before, but I couldn't quite place where... Well, my mind had been so rocked by all of the emotional roller coaster rides of the past few days that it probably made sense that I couldn't remember where I had seen it before.
Sayaka proudly proclaimed to Mami and I that she'd take up patrolling the city for witches and familiars over the weekend so that Mami and I should take this time to further enjoy one another's company. Mami said she'd prefer to accompany Sayaka on Sayaka's first fight with a witch or familiar as a magical girl, and also that she wanted to give me some time to recover from this week's events before the two of us moved forward in our relationship.
Sayaka saw the wisdom in that, and so agreed to it.
But come Monday morning, the day after Hitomi's funeral, Mami would approach me with a new idea...
__________________________________________________ _________
Mami Friendship Chain
Sayaka and I had agreed to meet up with Mami noontime Saturday, in order to come to a final decision on Kyubey's desire for Sayaka and I to contract with him as magical girls. This meeting would take place at a bench near the very middle of Mitakihara Town's main park.
If you chose B for S Opportunity Choice 1, then now read Section MadoSaya Begins. Otherwise, skip over it.
If you chose A for S Opportunity Choice 1, then now read Section Healing Hurts. Otherwise, skip over it.
Spoiler for MadoSaya Begins:
But Sayaka and I decided to meet up there about fifteen minutes ahead of schedule since there was a lot that we wanted to talk about.
As I walked towards the bench, I saw Sayaka already standing in front of it. With bubbly blissful feelings swelling up within me, I started racing towards Sayaka.
“Hi!” I shouted with great enthusiasm to her, while waving my hand vigorously.
“Hi, Madoka!” Sayaka replied to me, with a big but slightly shy smile on her face.
After I reached Sayaka, I instinctively took hold of her two hands with both of mine. The two of us blushed a bit over the gesture though.
“D-did I leave you waiting long?” I asked her.
“No, I just arrived here a minute ago.” Sayaka answered, “Here, let's sit down on the bench, and have a chat, Ok?”
I nodded in agreement with that.
After Sayaka and I sat down on the bench, I could tell that both of us were feeling a bit shy.
“Madoka, I...” Sayaka began.
“Yes!” I piped up, a bit too excitedly I feared, as it seemed to make Sayaka a bit more nervous.
“T-This is silly.” Sayaka said, while rubbing the back of her head and chuckling nervously, “We've been friends for years after all!”
“That's true.” I responded, “But I guess that's what makes it a bit awkward. J-Just a little bit, of course!”
“Don't worry. I'm not insulted by you saying that.” Sayaka responded, “You're right, Madoka. We've been good friends for a long time, so it's probably going to take awhile for us to get used to... to get used to the two of us being girlfriends with one another.”
“Right.” I said, while nodding in agreement of what Sayaka said, “I'm sure we'll get used to it eventually, though. I'll do all I can to not let you down, Sayaka!”
Sayaka looked really moved by my words here.
“That's not something you need to worry about.” she said to me, while wrapping her warm arms snugly around my shoulders and right side, and nestling her face next to my head, “You made me very happy yesterday simply by accepting my confession. There's so much... there's so much I want to say to you, in the days and weeks to come, that I never felt it would be appropriate for me to say to you while we were just friends...”
I wanted to ask Sayaka what it is she wanted to say to me, but I felt that I should give her the added time necessary to feel comfortable saying those things to me.
“But right now we need to discuss more practical matters.” Sayaka continued, “Madoka, we need to decide who we're going to tell about our new relationship, and who we're going to keep it private from.”
“I guess it would be wise to not tell Hitomi.” I responded, with just a slight tinge of dejection in my voice, “Since she considers that sort of thing 'forbidden love'.”
“The same is true of my parents, unfortunately.” Sayaka said, “For now, at least, I want to keep this private from them. What about your parents, Madoka? What do you think they'll think of it?”
“I... I don't know.” I responded, “But I don't like keeping my mama in the dark about important changes in my life, so I think I'd like to tell her soon.”
“Does she already know that you like girls that way?” Sayaka asked in turn, “Because if not, you might want to tell her just that first, and see how she takes it.”
“That's a good idea.” I replied to Sayaka, “Do you think we should tell Mami?”
Sayaka released me from her comforting embrace, but placed one of her hands on top of one of mine while she thought carefully over that.
“Mami already has so much on her mind.” Sayaka answered at last, “I'd rather not add to that if we can help it. So at least for the next few days, I think we should keep our new relationship private from her.”
“So... no holding hands, or hugging, or stuff like that when Mami's around?” I asked in turn.
“Right.” Sayaka said, “Don't worry. I'll try to make sure that there's some private time just for the two of us, Madoka.”
The way Sayaka said that gave me some hot thoughts, but I quickly dismissed them as I didn't want to look overly distracted when Mami arrived.
A couple minutes later, Mami did arrive.
Spoiler for Healing Hurts:
But I had called Sayaka by cellphone early Saturday monrning. I wanted to meet up with Sayaka fifteen minutes before our meeting with Mami-san to ensure that Sayaka was doing Ok. Sayaka thankfully agreed to that over the phone.
As I walked towards the bench, I saw Sayaka already standing in front of it. There was a dour look on her face. I guess that was to be expected.
“Hi!”I shouted out to Sayaka from about ten meters away.
“... Hi, Madoka.” she replied to me, in a slightly sad but calm tone of voice.
After slowly walking over to her, I decided to do what I could to cheer her up.
“Are you feeling Ok this morning?” I asked her.
“As well as can be expected.” Sayaka answered, “Don't worry. I'm sure I'll get over it.”
After a tense pause, I asked the most pressing question on my mind right now.
“...Can we still be good friends?” I asked her.
“I... I'll try, Madoka.” Sayaka answered, “I can't make any guarantees, because it does hurt a fair bit, but I'll try my best to be a good friend to you.”
“That's all I ask.” I replied, “Let's try to seem in good spirits for Mami's sake, Ok?”
Sayaka nodded weakly in agreement with that.
I then made some casual small-talk with Sayaka to try to uplift her a bit. Thankfully, I think her mood started to brighten some from that small-talk.
Not long after, Mami arrived.
Mami was the last of the three of us to arrive at the noontime Saturday meeting place. With a cheerful smile on her face, and Kyubey perched upon her shoulder, she shouted out “Hello!” while waving towards Sayaka and I.
Sayaka and I greeted her in turn.
“It's a bit cloudy today.” Mami said, “But at least the sun's light is still shining through it in order to give the upper atmosphere a golden hue. Now then, have you both made final choices on whether or not to become magical girls, or do you want to talk over it first?"
“With apologies to Kyubey, I've decided to not become a magical girl.” I said to Mami, “There's simply no wish I have that I think is worth risking my life over. Besides, I think that I can still help you even as a normal girl!”
“Yes, I'm sure that you can.” Mami replied to me with a warm smile, “And what about you, Sayaka? What's your decision?”
If you chose B for S Opportunity Choice 1, then now read Section Sayaka Stays a Normal Girl. Otherwise, read Section Sayaka Aims for Kamijo!
Spoiler for Sayaka Stays a Normal Girl:
“Madoka and I are of one accord here.” Sayaka answered, while she playfully grinned at me, “I also intend to not become a magical girl.”
Maybe it was my imagination, but I actually think that Kyubey sighed over this!
“I see.” Mami responded, “Well, I guess that Akemi-san will be pleased then. I should tell you both that I met with her yesterday. She informed me of a looming thread that will soon strike our city. But don't worry. Akemi-san, I, and another magical girl from an adjacent territory are all going to work together to deal with that threat. The three of us will be able to take care of it!”
“Are you sure, Mami?” Sayaka asked, with a touch of concern in her voice.
“I'm sure.” Mami answered, with a smile, “So I was thinking that maybe the three of us could enjoy a bite to eat over my place before I start to work with Akemi-san in preparation for the coming threat.”
“That sounds good to us!” I shouted, feeling confident in speaking for Sayaka here as well.
“Agreed.” Sayaka added, after flashing me a reassuring smile, and then making an eager toothy grin to Mami, “You always have the best food and tea, Mami-san!”
Sayaka and I then went to Mami's house to enjoy a little treat together. It was great!
After we enjoyed the treat at Mami's house, she said that she had to leave to meet up with Homura, to talk with her for a bit.
So Sayaka and I decided to spend the rest of the day helping each other out with our homework, playing some video games together, watching a movie together, and just having a really great time together! We even joked around a bit and shared a lot of laughs.
Slowly, but surely, we were getting used to being girlfriends to each other. When late evening finally arrived after a really fun day of hanging out with Sayaka, I decided to head home. Sayaka offered to walk me home, and this time I took her up on that offer. It felt really nice to have her holding my hand almost all the way home.
Once we were just a couple blocks from my place, Sayaka said that she was going to head back now. Sayaka then motioned to give me a goodnight kiss. I parted my lips for her to kiss, but I think Sayaka felt too shy for that right now, so she just kissed me on the cheek instead.
“I don't want to overdo it so soon.” Sayaka said, “I think we should do this slowly, Ok? I feel more confident it'll all work out that way.”
“Ok.” I said to her, “Good night. Let's meet up tomorrow, Ok?”
“Of course. Good night.” Sayaka answered, “I'll meet you around noon time at your place tomorrow.”
And with that, Sayaka headed home.
I felt very warm over the thought of meeting up with Sayaka again tomorrow. She's a really good person, and she is pretty attractive, I have to admit. I felt such inner joy over her now being my girlfriend.
Spoiler for Sayaka Aims for Kamijo!:
“I've decided to become a magical girl.” Sayaka stated, with a touch of pride, “I've decided that there's a wish that I want to make so badly that I'm willing to risk my life for it.”
“And what wish might that be?” Mami asked.
“It's a wish for a young man that I have strong feelings for.” Sayaka answered, “His name is Kyousuke Kamijo. He was a musical prodigy until his hand was badly injured. I'm going to wish to heal his hand.”
Mami made a sympathetic but concerned smile in reply to Sayaka's answer here.
“That's a very sweet wish on your part, Sayaka.” Mami replied to her, “But please don't forget all the advice I've already given you on wishes.”
“I won't!” Sayaka exclaimed in reply, “...Do you think I should reveal the world of magical girls to him, so that he can know that his hand was healed due to my wish?”
“I have a better idea.” Mami replied to Sayaka with a playful grin.
Mami then whispered something in Sayaka's ear. I wonder why that was? Was it because she didn't want to give me any ideas of a wish that I might like to make?
“Oh wow, Mami, that's a great idea!” Sayaka exclaimed in reply to Mami's suggestion, as Sayaka's eyes had grown wide at the sound of it.
“I'm glad that you think so.” Mami said in reply, smiling wide and pleasantly, “However, Sayaka, there's a few things I want to talk to you about privately, given your decision to become a magical girl.”
“Why can't I join you for this conversation?” I asked, feeling a bit left out.
“There's certain things that only magical girls should know about.” Mami said to me, “Don't worry, Madoka, they're nothing that need concern you. Sayaka and I will be fine.”
Mami then invited Sayaka over to her place to have that private conversation. Sayaka told me that she'd call me by cellphone once the discussion was over.
With just a slight touch of sadness, I accepted that, and made my way home.
On the way home, I ran into Homura!
“You made the right decision today.” Homura said to me, as she walked towards me, “Unfortunately, Sayaka Miki didn't. But I've said and done all I could to prevent that.”
“Well, I'm glad you're pleased with my decision at least.” I said to Homura, “But don't be hard on Sayaka, Ok? She's doing this for the man she loves!”
“I respect that, but her decision is still a mistake.” Homura replied, “From this point on, I'd encourage you to entrust Sayaka's well-being to Mami Tomoe, and to not worry about Sayaka. It would be wise of you to stay as far away as you can from the world of magical girls and witches.”
“That'll be hard given how so many of my friends are now in that world.” I replied to Homura.
“You still have your friend Hitomi Shizuki.” Homura said to me, “Perhaps you should spend more time with her. In any event, that's all I had to say.”
Homura then started to walk away from me.
Affection Calculation Time! An Opportunity Choice will now be made available to you depending on your affection level with Akemi Homura. To determine your affection level with her, refer to the following data table and calculate the net effect of your choices.
Your overall affection level with Homura must be +2 or higher in order for MH Opportunity Choice 1 to become available. If it's +2 or higher, please read the following section. Otherwise, skip over it.
Spoiler for Mami Lives, Homura +2:
For some reason, I felt such a deep desire to reach out to Homura here. The way she talked about the world of magical girls made it seem so sad and lonely! I didn't want to leave her alone, without any friends, in such a world. At the same time, though, her advice did have a cold ring of sad truth to it...
MH Opportunity Choice 1
A) Just let Homura walk away. I should follow her advice, and not get mixed up in the magical girl world.
B) “Wait, Homura! I would really like it if we could be friends.”
Spoiler for MH1B:
Homura came to a sudden stop after I reached out to her with my words like this. Then I think she was actually trembling a bit. What happened next truly shocked me.
“I want to be friends with you too!” she cried out, as she turned her head back towards me, with tears flying from her eyes.
Homura than raced over to where I was standing, and wrapped her arms tightly around me.
I was stunned stiff and speechless by Homura's words and actions here!
“Just don't become a magical girl.” she said to me, breathlessly, as tears trickled down her face, “Don't become a magical girl, and I'll be happy to be your friend.”
“...O-Okay.” I replied, carefully hugging her back, by placing my hands on her shoulders.
After Homura released me from her embrace, she started to brush the tears from out of her eyes.
“Are you Ok?” I asked her.
“... Yes, I'm fine.” she said, after regaining her composure, “... I'm going to be very busy over the next two or three weeks. But if after then, you're still not a magical girl, I'll gladly be friends with you and spend more time with you.”
“...Ok.” I replied, as I put aside my curiousness over what might be making Homura busy for such a long time, given that schoolwork wasn't particularly difficult for our class right now, “Let me give you my number, so you'll be able to reach me if you ever need or want to.”
“Thank you.” Homura replied, “I'll give you my number as well.”
Homura and I then exchanged numbers.
After that, we waved goodbye to each other. I smiled to Homura, and I think she forced a slight smile towards me as well. That might have been the first time I've ever seen Homura smile!
I then made my way home. Sayaka called me later after her discussion with Mami was over, and the three of us decided to eat out for some ice cream. After that, Sayaka and Mami then went on a witch-hunt together, and so I said goodbye to them for the day. I spent most of the rest of the day working on my homework, and just spending some time with my family.
I later called Sayaka to suggest that the two of us hang out tomorrow. Sayaka apologized to me over it, but said she'd be busy hanging out with Mami tomorrow.
I guess Sunday might be my first day of total relaxation in a while then.
With it now very late, I finally went to sleep, after a short chat with my mama and papa. I was looking forward to a Sunday that hopefully would be free of anything having to do with magical girls or witches.
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night_sentinel, due to a specific constructive criticism you've made, I've now edited "15 minutes" to be "40 Minutes" for a certain section in Chapter 9. Major edits can be difficult for me, but I'm always up for good, small ones that my readers suggest. 
Lots of thanks to you, Sol, and Kogetsu for your ongoing feedback. Admittedly, maybe capturing Homura's voice is hard for me. I wanted to make her seem cool, and a bit cold, but not overly repetitive of what we already hear her say in the anime itself. Perhaps doing all of that made her seem a bit off in Chapter 9. I might slightly edit that later, as such.
Hope everybody enjoys Mami Lives Chapter 4 at least! Any and all feedback on that is quite welcomed. ^_^
Last edited by Triple_R; 2012-02-17 at 23:32.
Reason: Reply to night_sentinel
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