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It had been nearly three weeks since Junko and Tomohisa Kaname woke up, suddenly aware that they used to have a daughter.
They struggled to cope at first. Tomohisa tried calming himself with his gardening while Junko would get even drunker after work than usual. After several days of barely talking, constantly feeling crushed by the weight of this revelation, they both realized they needed to channel their newfound understanding in more positive ways.
They talked to Tatsuya about Madoka, encouraging him to draw her more so he’d keep his lingering memories of her alive. They spoke to each other about her too, sharing experiences they remembered having with her. Even ones they promised Madoka not to tell the other about. It was a very bittersweet experience, talking about happy memories that had never happened, speaking of someone they’d loved but also never known. They also began journaling about her, preserving every last memory that popped into their heads in black ink, no matter how small.
But it wasn’t enough.
Despite remembering who Madoka was and the life they’d had with her, the memories felt foreign, almost dreamlike at times.
Tomohisa and Junko Kaname didn’t feel like parents who’d briefly forgotten their daughter and just remembered her. They felt like they’d just discovered they had a daughter, memories or no memories. They knew these memories were theirs but these memories still didn’t feel like they belonged to them, despite both having felt incomplete without them.
They wanted to do more with these memories than just recite them to each other every day.
“What about that girl Madoka was friends with? The one who did that time traveling? Homura Akemi?” said Junko.
“Yes,” said Tomohisa, adjusting his glasses. “What about her?”
“I may not know how we everything we do, but we do. And in the same way I know Madoka existed and everything that happened to her, I know that Homura Akemi remembers too. We have each other, but she has no one.” Junko looked up, eyes blazing. “I want to get to know that girl so we can share these memories together!” she said.
Tomohisa said “That doesn’t sound like a bad idea, but how would we do that? We only know her through Madoka.” He rubbed his chin in thought.
“We met her a few weeks ago while she was walking in the park. First I’ll try taking Tatsuya in that general area. If that doesn’t work I’ll try checking with Madoka and Sayaka’s school. I’m sure I can come up with an excuse if I need to,” said Junko.
“But how will you get her to speak with us? We can’t just walk up and ask her to speak to us about the daughter we never had?” said Tomohisa.
“I don’t know. Let me think…“ Junko began pacing, her expression lost in thought. Tomohisa knew that look in her eyes. He knew that she’d committed herself to this goal and wouldn’t give it up, no matter what it took. “When I met her she went up to Tatsuya while he was talking about Madoka,” she murmured “She’s also a teenager…” She looked up to Tomohisa with a smirk. “Babysitting.”
Tomohisa smiled. This could work.
Homura walked down the path, lost in thought. She’d done this many times since she’d…arrived. She had memories of this new timeline, but she still didn’t feel like a part of it. She was a traveler from a different world. These memories may be what happened to her, but they were not hermemories. They were not what had shaped her, changed her, made her what she is today.
Fortunately, whatever influence Madoka had used when shaping this timeline to give Homura Madoka’s bow (now colored Homura’s purple rather than Madoka’s pink) had also made it so Homura had “always” had the personality she has now. Or at least for as long as she’d known the other girls. That made it easier. A complete reversal in her personality would have been harder to explain.
As Homura walked she noticed Tatsuya Kaname and his mother. Her mother. They were in the same place as the last time she’d run into them. Tatsuya was drawing Madoka in the sand again while Junko Kaname stood by watching.
“Oh, hello again!” Mrs. Kaname said. “Fancy meeting you here. In the same place as last time.”
Homura nodded. “Hello. Is your son enjoying himself?”
Mrs. Kaname nodded, then said, “Yes, he’s talking about this “Madoka” again” Homura could have sworn there was a slight hitch in her voice when she said Madoka’s name. She dismissed it as nothing. She looked at the red ribbon on Homura’s head. Homura could have sworn there was a flash of pain in her eyes, before being quickly replaced by warm smile. “You’re still wearing that ribbon I see. It still looks great on you. I’m curious, did a friend give it to you?”
Homura tilted her head. “Yes actually. An old friend of mine gave them to me before…moving away. How did you-“
“Ah ah ah. A woman never reveals her secrets,” Mrs. Kaname said with a sly grin.
Homura was unsure if that was some subconscious memory of Madoka, or if Mrs. Kaname genuinely had the intuition to see if an article of clothing was given to someone by a friend. Knowing her, it could very well be both…
“The weather tomorrow is going to be great. Do you have plans?”
“Not really,” Homura said. While she hadn’t made any official plans, she did usually go Wraith hunting with Mami and Kyoko but she couldn’t exactly tell Mrs. Kaname about that.
“Ok,” said Mrs. Kaname. “By the way, do you think $30 is a fair amount to pay a babysitter for a few hours?”
Homura tilted her head. “Yes. But I don’t see how-“
“Great!” said Mrs. Kaname. “Me and Tomohisa need to have a night out and Tatsuya seems to really like you so you can babysit him!”
What?
“Here’s my address, be there around 4:00 PM and don’t be late!” Junko Kaname shoved a card into Homura’s hands before grabbing Tatsuya and rushing off, leaving Homura to try and figure out what the heck just happened.
She looked at the card which sure enough had the Kaname’s address on it. Had Junko Kaname just forced her into agreeing to babysit Tatsuya?
The next day Homura was with Mami and Kyoko. She’d mentioned the Kanames to them the previous night after hunting Wraiths. Both had told her they could handle the night’s hunting without her. But Homura was having second thoughts. Letting herself get roped into babysitting a toddler had been an uncharacteristically poor choice for her. It was obvious she was unfit for babysitting. But for some reason she’d dragged her feet on canceling. Now the time for her to be at the Kanames was rapidly approaching. It was time to act.
“I will be calling the Kanames to tell them I can’t do it after all,” said Homura.
Kyoko looked up from the railing she’d been leaning on, a stick of pocky still in her mouth. “Why? You seemed fine with it last night.”
“I am obviously a poor choice of babysitter. Besides, I am a magical girl. My duty is to hunt the Wraiths,” Homura said.
Kyoko rolled her eyes. “Homura, you’ve been moody (well moodier than usual) ever since we lost Sayaka. Some time off’ll do you good. Go babysit that kid,” she said.
“That principle could apply just as well to you,” said Homura.
“But I actually like killing Wraiths,” Kyoko said as she walked over toward Homura. “So killing them is how I relax. You on the other hand, treat it more like a job. So you nee-.”
Homura said, “Yes it is a job, and a very important one. I cannot sit back while you two-“
“Puh-lease!” Kyoko said, rolling her eyes. She folded her arms. “Cut the crap Akemi. You and I both know me and Mami can handle ourselves just fine! You’re just trying to find a way weasel out of this babysitting gig. And you know what else? I think it’s ‘cause you’re scared.” Kyoko said, poking a finger into Homura’s chest to emphasize her point.
Homura narrowed her eyes and swatted Kyoko’s hand away, “That is absurd. I am quite capable of handling a toddler. I simply have better things to do than babysit for the Kanames.” She took out her phone. “I will simply have to call them and say-“
With the speed of an experienced pick-pocket, Kyoko snatched the phone right out of Homura’s hands.
“Give that back!” said Homura, lunging for the phone.
“Not a chance!” said Kyoko, evading Homura’s attempts to snatch it back with a smug smirk. “You’re going to have the night off whether you like it or not! It’s for your own good!”
“I do not need a night off. I am fully capable of continuing to kill Wraiths! I’m not babysitting tonight, and that’s final!” said Homura finally reclaiming her phone.
Homura looked up to find herself face to face with Mami’s serene smile…
Mami dropped the struggling bundle on the Kaname’s front porch. She turned to Kyoko who was just about to ring the doorbell. Meanwhile the bundle was making a combination of muffled screeches and what sounded like words, some of which Mami suspected were very rude.
“You should get outta here,” said Kyoko. “I have enough experience ding dong ditching that I won’t get caught.”
Why did that not surprise Mami? “No need for that Kyoko,” she said. “After all, it’s completely normal for one’s friends to accompany them places. We’ll just stay here, make sure Homura can’t run until the Kanames let her in. Just follow my lead and we’ll be fine.” She turned toward the door. “And no, you can’t ask them for food,” she added.
“Crap,” Kyoko said. Then she smirked and said, “I almost forgot you’ve got that goody two-shoes act down pat!”
“It’s not an act,” Mami muttered as she rang the doorbell. Kyoko listened through the door. “Someone’s coming!” she whispered.
Mami quickly released Homura from her ribbons. Just as Homura began to regain her bearings the door opened.
“Hello,” Mami said to the man who opened it. “Mr. Kaname I presume?”
“Yes,” said Mr. Kaname with a warm smile. “You’re Ms. Akemi right?” he said pointing at Homura.
Homura went ramrod straight, then nodded. “Yes. I am Homura Akemi.”
“And we’re just her friends who walked her here,” said Kyoko.
“That’s nice. Me and Junko were just getting ready to go,” Mr. Kaname said.
As if on cue, his wife walked into the doorway, dressed for a nice night out. “Hello again! How are you all?”
“Quite well.”
“Doin’ all right.”
“Fine.”
“That’s great. Tatsuya was just having his nap in the upstairs bedroom. You can spend time with him there.”
“That’s good. I guess we’ll both be going,” said Mami.
“Yep. Have fun Homura!” said Kyoko, shoving Homura into the doorway. The two girls ran off, taking one last look at Homura glaring at them before darting around a corner.
Once the two traitors were gone, Homura was shown where the emergency numbers were, and told what to do if there was an emergency. After that both Kanames quickly rushed out the door. Homura wondered what they were doing tonight.
“So honey, what are we doing tonight?” said Tomohisa.
“I have no idea!” Junko said. “I just needed an excuse to get her to come over here!”
Tomohisa nodded. “So, should we just go out and get a decent meal?”
“Then go and get a few drinks?”
“Honey, you can’t get drunk tonight. Otherwise you’ll blurt something out to Homura before any if us are ready.”
“Shit you’re right. Fine, let’s just go get a nice meal,” said Junko pouting at having to spend the whole night sober.
Tomohisa smiled. “Of course dear.”
Homura looked around the familiar house. She’d been here many times in the early timelines. The place now felt like it was taunting her. The familiar objects that were there reminded her of happier memories from a simpler time. The ones that weren’t reminded her of what was lost.
She sighed and walked upstairs to Tatsuya’s room. He was lying in his crib sleeping. As she walked toward him he began to stir.
He looked up. “Madoka?”
“No,” she said. “Homura.”
“Homuura!” he said with a smile so bright she suspected only a toddler was capable of it. Then he stood up and pointed over to several crayon drawings. “Madoka!”
Homura walked over to them and felt a sad smile gracing her lips. They were simple and childish, but there was no mistaking those pigtails, that dress, or that hair color. “Yes, that’s her. Your sister,” she said.
“Story!”
Homura turned back. “What?” She didn’t know any bedtime stories. The ones she had known she hadn’t thought about in years, even before the time travel.
“Story!” he said again, pointing at the pictures.
“But I don-“ she looked back at the drawings of Madoka then back at him, a thought occuring. “Do you want me to tell you about Madoka?” she said.
“Yaaay!” said the toddler. “Story! Story with Madoka!”
Homura had plenty of stories like that. Stories she couldn’t stop thinking about, no matter how painful. She lifted Tatsuya out of the crib and put him on the ground. She sat down in front of him and tried to think of one of the lighter ones. “Let’s see,” she thought for a moment and remembered one. “One time while I was visiting with Madoka, you two’s mother came back drunk. When you came to her, she was so drunk that she thought you were a secretary and said…”
After finishing this story she felt…better. It had been more pleasant than she thought remembering these things would be. So she told another. And another. And another. She continued to tell stories for several hours until the parents returned. She hadn’t even noticed when it had gotten dark.
Junko gave Homura the money they owed her (plus a little extra but she didn’t need to know that). “Thank you for watching over Tatsuya for all this time. He really seems to like you.”
“You’re welcome,” said Homura. “I must be going now.” She bowed and turned toward the door.
“Wait!” said Junko. She hesitated. She couldn’t tell Homura the truth. Not yet. She was a teenage girl going through who knows what and had only just met them. Dropping that bomb on her now might dive her away. Instead she said, “I…don’t suppose you could do this again sometime? Tatsuya really seems to like you after all and you seemed to enjoy his company.”
Homura stared for a moment, thinking. On the one hand, there were her magical girl duties, and the specter of times long gone haunting this house.
On the other, there was the lightness in her chest at the end of the evening, like a massive weight had been taken out of her after sharing memories with Tatsuya. For a moment, the old memories briefly lost their sad tinge.
Yes, these times would have to come to an end eventually, Tatsuya couldn’t stay small forever, but couldn’t she have them now? Couldn’t she have this, if even for a little time? Couldn’t she just this once have something happy for herself?
"You should". A familiar voice whispered in her head.
She turned back to Mrs. Kaname and said, “That would be lovely.”
The next day
Homura walked on the path next to Mami and Kyoko. She was still not talking to them. Mami felt that she and Kyoko should give Homura space. After all it was only natural to be a little irritated after your friends kidnapped you and forced you to babysit a toddler against your will, even if it was for your own good.
Kyoko on the other hand had no such sensitivity, “So, Homura,” she said. “You gonna tell us what happened, or are you just gonna give us the silent treatment all day?”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” said Homura.
“Don’t want to talk about it because it went bad, or because it went great and you don’t want to admit it?”
Homura shot Kyoko an ugly look before walking ahead, not saying a word. Mami glared at Kyoko too. Even if it was an excellent question it was still quite rude!
Kyoko’s lips parted in a toothy grin, which gave Mami the impression of a hungry spark. She sped up a little, and walked in front of Homura. “You didn’t answer my question~,” she said walking backwards.
Homura fixed Kyoko with a glare that would make most Wraiths cower in fear. “I’m scheduled for next Friday.”
Kyoko turned around, her arms folded behind her head. “You’re welcome.”
“I hate you.”
Mami sighed, but smiled at the sight of the other two bickering. She was glad Homura had had a good time. She really seemed to need it.
(She just hoped Kyoko wouldn’t take this success as an excuse to loot her entire fridge to “celebrate”. Again.)