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Tessa was sitting in the graveyard, lost in her thoughts when a voice cut through her mental fog. “Mind if I sit here?” It was her. Her pink hair in a ponytail, bangs in that stupid shoosh. Heartful Punch. The girl who had replaced Selva, Sally, and Gwen.Like they were nothing. The ultimate magical girl.
When she didn’t say anything, Heartful Punch sat down. Tessa thought about all the bullshit Heartful Punch was about to sprew. All the empty platitudes, the ‘so brave’s, the ‘it’ll get better’s. Founder, what does she know? She could feel the rage bubbling in the stomach. And then she thought of all her responses in her head. Founder, she was going to rip this bitch apart.
The air was heavy as Tessa waited for Heartful Punch to say something. “For me, it was my mother. A monster broke in and killed her and my grandparents.” It was like a hammer hit Tessa in the gut. Whatever she thought what Heartful Punch was going to say, this wasn’t it.
“I was only a baby when it happened, so it’s not quite the same. I don’t have memories to miss. All I remember is a hole in my life. It’s easy to fall into the habit of blaming yourself.”
Something about the way she was talking made Tessa feel like she was missing something. “Why would you blame yourself if you were a baby?”
Heartful Punch let out a sigh. “Look, me and Undine have something in common. The night you healed her, some if not all of your powers went into her. Her eyes are proof of that. And when I was born my Mom’s powers went into me.”
“How…”
“Long story short, my Mom was still a magical girl when she had me.”
“What if she was still a magical girl then how old…”
“17. Yeah, I know.” She paused for a minute while she gathered her thoughts. “It’s so fucking easy to get into what ifs. What if my Mom had her powers that night? What if she didn’t need to protect me? Maybe she’’l be alive, maybe not.”
There were tears in her eyes. Tessa had to admit that this hit close to home. Could she have saved Team Alchemical? Or would she have died next to them?”
“I know you don’t want to hear this, I certainly didn't. But I speak from experience as someone who was where you are now, therapy helps. It’s not a magic cure all, but it’s a step. I understand if you’re reluctant, getting Undine to go was like pulling teeth.”
“Undine,” Tessa mumbled. It had been long since she heard someone else outside her mother mention that name.
Heartful Punch put her hand on Tessa’s shoulder. “She misses you. She worried about overstepping her boundaries, but she misses you.” She looked into Tessa’s eyes. “And I think you miss her. Look what happened to you and Undine, it used to terrify me, It’s why i took so long before teaming up. I just don't want you two to lose anything else.”
Tessa stood there trying to form the words. Her throat felt dry. “I do miss her.” There were tears in her eyes now. It was like a weight had been lifted off her chest. “Thanks for talking to me ah…” Shit she didn’t know Heartful Punch’s name.
“Kokoro. Kokoro Aichi,” she answered the unasked question.
There was so much going on in Tessa’s head right now, it was hard to think of something to say. “You must care for Undine a lot.”
Kokoro was silent for a moment. “I’m in love with her.”
Of all the things for her to say, Tessa wasn’t expecting that. “Whaaa!”
“Look don’t freak out okay, I didn’t mean to fall in love with her, I just... did.”
“Have you, ah told her?”
Kokoro cleared her throat. “We’re actually dating now.”
Wow, Tessa knew that Undine was gay, but she wouldn’t peg Heartful Punch as her type.
“So I’ll let Undine know that you want to get in touch again, or would rather you called her yourself?”
Before Tessa could answer she remembered the words on her windows. “Actually there’s something I think Undine really needs to know.” Kokoro felt a familiar chill go down her spine.