Chapter Text
It was that dream again. This time, the boy found himself standing alone at the peak of a large building looking over a falling city. The sky was a stoic and dismal grey, and within it, a cacophony of silhouettes danced in the sky, celebrating its fall. They all sported dresses and frills, their faces blackened out like splotches of ink or blood splattered against the floor. They spun and sang and danced, their laughs spreading everywhere around them, swallowing the city whole. They were small and seemed to be endless—but, in the middle of them all, the largest of the figures outstretched long branching arms above them, clamoring as tears fell down its masked face.
Fissures spread across the streets, and the clouds whirled and formed darker streaks of haze. Once more buildings crumbled, the figure continued to lift its arms higher and higher toward the sky, begging for its attention, while the uncaring void above it simply remained silent. Watching the scene unfolding before him, there was a fear in the pit of the boy’s stomach, a fear that boiled into anger the longer those shadows continued to dance. But he couldn't move. He could never move.
“You weren’t supposed to be subjected to this fate, you know.” Snapping from behind, a voice laced with deceit and distance spoke with a sing-song tone. He realized that no matter what, those words were all he could ever hear. “Is it still fate if you weren’t meant for it?” It seemed to question nobody once it finally came into view, pawed legs walking along the wall and sitting before him, tilting its large head. It was some cat-like creature that faced the boy, eyes of blood glimmering against the gold ringlets that accessorized its long ears. “Well, fate is fate. There’s no questioning why you were brought into this. Oh well.” Uncaring, it waddled off.
The boy turned back toward the city, staring in shock. What was happening? Why was he here? He found that the anger within him didn't go away, the unbridled wrath growing and growing, only to finally falter when a young woman appeared beside him and took his hands, staring into his eyes.
She was…tired.
Her darkened eyes were so hollow and so low, her fair skin devoid of color or life, resembling a fragile porcelain doll on the verge of breaking. Why was she so exhausted? She was the same age compared to him, likely older, and yet those eyes seemed to have experienced lifetimes. In the dream, she always ran over to him, desperately shaking her head and crying in relief. He didn't know why she was crying, and he never heard the whispers under her breath. Holding his hands tight, she always pleaded afterward, mouthing more words that he couldn’t hear, her golden hair flowing in soothing rows. While the words were empty, they made him calm, and soon…he woke up. Staring listlessly across the bed, he opened his eyes.
“Olo, it’s time to get up now.” Pushing the door open gently, the older man leaning against the frame crossed his arms. “Come on buddy, your Mom is already getting breakfast on.” The boy’s father turned and left the door open once Olo stirred, sitting upright. Hazel eyes glared listlessly as they dragged across the bedroom, the familiarity of the room being enough to soothe his nerves. He brushed aside the long brown strands covering his face, now blinking, the dream soon faded away into a distant memory, and finally he sat up to walk out of the room.
Brushing his teeth, his little sister hobbled up toward the sink beside him, turning on the faucet to wash her face. She glared expectantly at him while he continued brushing, and it wasn't until he handed her the toothpaste idly that she began to talk.
“Well, unlike someone, I’m excited!” She began, cheerily beaming and spreading the paste against the brush. “This year I’ll be in your school, right? So today makes it a super exciting day!”
“Mmh,” Olo responded dryly as he spat out the water, now rinsing his mouth and emptying it. “You’re growing fast, Cleo.”
“Of course I am." Her grin widened to the degree a devil's would, jutting a finger in his direction. "And I’m gonna catch up to you in no time, and be smarter and cooler than you ever will be!” Bouncing off of her step stool, she set it aside before darting out of the bathroom to change.
Olo was left to wash his face, staring at his reflection silently. The sight of his tired eyes sparked the small memory of that dream once more, yet he dismissed it again, leaving the bathroom to get his uniform on. He listlessly buttoned a long white shirt, taking a cursory glance over the papers stacked beside his bag. He functioned quietly and with a complete lack of self, his eyes now low and distant when he trodded downstairs.
Standing in the kitchen, he only seemed attentive when his mother set a plate down ahead of him just after he had entered, Cleo humming and swinging her legs as she poked at the homefries and eggs with a small fork. When he sat, the boy looked up to nod at his father in greeting, attempting to offer a small smile.
The woman pulled a chair out, sitting beside Cleo and resting her arms neatly across the table. “And are you excited for your first day of school, dear?” When her son quietly nodded, the man behind her rested a hand on her shoulder, grinning.
“They better be, it’s the first year they get to walk to school on their own! Come on and eat up guys, you two need that energy for today!” Despite the man seeming more than energetic at first, their father’s posture staggered when Cleo waved an inquisitory forkful toward the man’s words, offering her brother a knowing glance.
“Papa just wants us out of the house early. We won’t be late so we can take our time eating.”
“It’s their anniversary today, so give them a break.” Olo silently muttered, only to look up at the frazzled father, who wasn’t expecting his children to poke at him so easily. “If you want Dad, I can take Cleo out to the mall or the arcade after school, then we can go home and order something for us two if you plan on taking Mom out to dinner. Or stay out of the house if you plan to...not do that.”
Stunned, he seemed to nod at the idea, reaching an arm out to ruffle his son's head, his messy hair actually straightening out a bit. “And what did I do to deserve such a good wingman for a son? That sounds like a wonderful plan! I’ll give you some cash so you can enjoy your day, alright? I don't think we planned much, but we'll let you know if anything buddy.” Opening his wallet, he smiled and handed neatly folded bills to Olo, who accepted them reluctantly. It was a lot more than expected, but part of it felt like a reward for both noticing and helping push the unspoken plan his father had forward, a wry wink from behind the gaze of the boy's mother indicating that there was a lot more planned than he let on.
“Thanks." Olo nudged his sister, taking her now empty plate on top of his own. "We should hurry and leave so they can kiss and stuff.” Standing, the boy cleared his plate as well before setting both aside, his sister turning and feigning disgust when her mother hugged and pecked against her forehead. Grabbing her bags, Cleo hopped from her chair to the floor and skipped over to the door, continuing to hum some unfamiliar song.
“Have a good day, guys!” Waving, the woman smiled endearingly. “I love you both, stay safe.”
“We will, Ma. Love you too!” Waving both of her arms, Cleo darted out of the door as Olo nodded and waved absentmindedly, before turning to follow her.
“I think tonight’s program is the series finale. They haven’t been able to air many episodes this summer because of the storm that hit their studio, but I'm just glad that the series was already wrapping up so nothing feels, like, rushed." The girl balanced along the sidewalk's edge while she spoke about her favorite show. One would assume it was some cartoon of sorts judging by her age, but Olo knew it was a cop drama likely too violent for a girl like her to be watching.
“Did they ever catch the guy that framed the detective?” He walked idly beside her, speaking halfheartedly. In trying to remember the details of the show she blabbed about constantly, the characters and what they had done just blurred together. When the pair had to stop their stride the moment a holographic hand spun and appeared before a crosswalk, cars whizzed by when Olo thought on. “I think he almost got away with it too, right?”
“Uh, they framed the lieutenant. The detective is the one trying to figure everything out before her boss gets put in jail." Her judgemental gaze broke quickly, waving his mistake aside. "But you get half credit for trying. He almost got away with it too though...they tracked him down in a warehouse and the next and probably final episode is gonna show what’s gonna happen to him. I still think the one who framed her is actually her own father, but it’s more of a crack theory than anything, y’know?” Giggling, the girl darted across the street the second the lights changed, the holographic strip flickering when she ran through it.
"Who is teaching you those words..." Olo dryly followed, sluggishly trailing along when the girl looked farther down the road. When a sharp gasp left her lips, the boy's head snapped to attention when he saw that she began to dart down the street. “Hey, Cleo! Mom said you need to stay close!” Jogging down the street faster, he managed to turn a corner the moment his sister ran around it.
“It’s just a cat though, I want a picture!” The girl called out before she ran into an alleyway, her brother rushing after her, losing sight of her inside.
“Cleo! You can't just...Cleo?” Panting and already winded, he was reminded of his thin and weak form when he stepped inside the alley and looked around frantically for the girl. Where did she go? It was like she disappeared in seconds. “Cleo, come on!” He shouted out again, lifting trash can lids and dumpster covers, the fear creeping further into his every action. Either from exhaustion or anxiousness, his heart didn't stop pounding. Their parents would be more than horrified if anything happened to her. This was his fault, so of course he was responsible. Would he even be able to look at himself if something did happen to his sister?
And yet, tapping him from behind, the girl suddenly laughed at his face when he flinched back. “Cleo! Where were you!?” Snatching her hand, he stared when she pointed off to the side.
“Oh shush, there was a cat, a really pretty white one! Right over there! I wanted to take a picture of it for my cat collection, but it ran off, soon as you started yelling. So it's your fault, doofus!” Punching Olo’s back, she snatched her hand back when the boy only sighed, moving to pull her out of the alley and back onto the street.
“Well, you need to stay close...come on. Next time you see a cat why not let me know, so I can stay close and stay quiet? The cat probably smelled you coming anyways and got sick.” Trying to laugh softly at his joke, Olo gave one last glance into the alley and found himself frozen in shock, staring wider.
The distant red gaze caught his own as the white figure shimmered in the distance. Its long tail swished from side to side. It looked like the same creature, the exact same one in his dream. It glared for a moment, simply to trot off. Maybe it was just a normal cat after all. Turning slowly, he hesitantly continued out of the alleyway. “Alright. C-Come on, let’s head to class before we're late.”
“Uh, I’m waiting on you, you know!” Huffing, the girl set her phone back inside her bag and made her way ahead once more.
As they walked, more students filled the street long before the cars whizzing past died down. Nobody Olo recognized or knew, but his sister giddily waved at old faces, occasionally running up to a group to greet them and chit-chat for a moment, just to run back to her brother. Soon the roads were replaced by a park surrounding campus grounds followed by a creek, the long sidewalk growing into a gorgeous walkway with flowers and bushes decorating an expanse across the water, and when the large statue of the school's so-called patron goddess greeted them, Cleo brightly stared in awe. Atheni Academy. It was one of the nicer schools in Argenti Minor, a large campus holding facilities sporting the most technological prowess around.
While the crowds of students bumbled on, the siblings talked about their later plans for the day, like which place to order dinner from and which stores to go to at the mall. Now planning to include any of the friends she made today, Olo had begrudgingly agreed to be demoted to chaperone for the outing, but didn’t seem to complain.
Finally getting ready to part at the gates, Cleo’s eagerness to head into her new class was enough to make Olo relax, watching her excitedly pair up with a group of girls her age, finally heading off and out of sight. Yet when he broke his gaze and turned down the hall, his eyes fell. For him, classes likely weren’t going to go as brightly.
He unfolded a sheet and studied the contents of it carefully. The order of classes he was in, their room numbers, his locker number, trying his best to commit them all to memory. Tentatively pacing across the new route, he could barely ingrain all of the information, scrubbing the old routine out of his mind and replacing it with a new one. Even if it was oddly saddening to discard what became muscle memory last year, this was a new year. Time that has passed meant time that was gone, after all. Making his way to his locker first, Olo set his bag inside and pulled notebooks from within it, carrying them toward his class. It did take bit, but soon enough he made his way inside the very moment the warning bell rang.
“Mister Tachibana, you’ll be sitting next to the young girl there." Holding a clipboard diligently, a teacher nodded at him. "Please register your fingerprint at your desk and take out a spare sheet of paper, and of course, good morning.” They outstretched a hand and gestured to the front of the room, the aforementioned girl he was meant to sit beside turned to stare up at him in stunned confusion, snapping her gaze away sharply when he stepped closer. Not making sense of it, Olo quietly assumed his seat, pressing his thumb into a small panel on the desk. It flashed blue, then his name scrolled across the upper screen, indicating it was now registered. He did as he was told, unveiling paper and reaching to grab a pencil, only to falter when he felt her glaring at him again. At first, he ignored it, but when he noticed the girl’s stare didn’t let up, he idly lowered his head more, trying to keep the long strands of hair against his face, averting his eyes the best that he could.
“A lot happened.” She finally said. Pushing up her square-framed glasses, the girl turned to face him properly now. Even if her gaze was sharp, her words held no ill intent. Much to Olo’s surprise, however, the color of her eyes were mismatched, the same as her hair. A bright green eye shimmered while it faced him, brown locks covering most of her face, in contrast to the black hair on the opposite side facing him revealing a dark brown eye that seemed to study its surroundings more carefully.
“Oh..." He started, the words falling off when he shrugged confusedly. "I uh, I don’t think I was late or missed anything, people are still coming in—” When she coldly clicked her tongue, he fell silent.
“I didn’t mean that. I meant with Veronica Alia Matthew.” Her words were low and monotone now, which didn’t help Olo in realizing what she meant. All he could do was listen, already snapping his head away quickly, stiffening at the mention of that girl’s name alone. Hearing it was already one thing, but the stranger whispering it so uncaringly made his throat tighten. He averted his eyes and lifted his paper, simply for the girl to keep talking, knowing that he would keep hearing.
“She used to be super popular, right? Trendy, peppy, a bit of a class icon. Then there was that boy that everyone knew didn't belong so close to her.” A shrewd laugh fell out of the girl when she shrugged. “But, after she dumped him, the mob tore her apart too. It’s no surprise that an angel like that fell so far." Her pale skin added greatly to her gaunt demeanor, but the laugh faded too quickly, and Olo felt his throat tightening more and more.
"What are you...saying." He finally forced enough words out.
"I'm saying she’s a nobody now, so you don’t have to worry about not having friends or being seen in such a pathetic way. Well, not to say that you aren't." Lifting a pale finger, the girl inched it toward the back of the class, a lone desk shutting and marking a student absent.
Shaking, Olo followed her gaze, merely to look back up toward the girl now. “Who are you...?”
Dismissing the question, she returned her focus back to class. “You don’t need to come to this place with your head held low anymore. She got more than she deserved, Olo Tachibana.”
The boy shut his mouth and kept his eyes on his feet for the remainder of the class. Whenever he tried to question or query further, she shot a sharp glare at him. In every class since, she continued to look at him with a much colder stare too, making introductory work difficult. Yet the moment the bell rang, the strange girl beside him was out the door quicker than ever, the lump in his throat not going away when he realized he wouldn’t be able to talk to her at all to find out just what she was saying.
Meeting his sister at the cafeteria when lunchtime hit, Olo silently pulled his school card out of his pocket and swiped it through a terminal, eyeing a set of meal options lethargically before he picked one, letting Cleo do the same once he had passed through. She followed him after getting her tray, happily bouncing ahead with each and every step, even humming to herself.
“I made a new friend!” The girl's expression glowed. “She’ll come to the mall with us later, so be nice!”
“I don’t think I’m ever mean though…?” Olo silently muttered, his thoughts still erratic.
Skipping toward the stairwell, Cleo led him onto a step, turning to face her brother. When her face flashed concern for a split second, he waved away whatever caught her eye, only to watch her settle into the steps comfortably, turning to stare at him.
“What about you, huh? You make any new friends?”
“Not yet." He seemed to debate telling her at all when her gaze seemed insistent, finally slumping his shoulders off to the side. "But…do you remember Veronica?” Wincing, Olo watched Cleo’s face lower into a scowl, pouting and crossing her arms once he had said her name.
“I do. Is Veri still giving you trouble!? You were a pariah the entirety of last year because of her!" She merely continued to pout when Olo paused, impressed by her vocabulary change. Yet when the girl continued, his expression reverted. "I’ll beat her up if you need me to!” She seemed rightfully overprotective of her brother, but that made Olo sigh and discard her concerns.
“No, no…it’s the opposite really. Some weird girl sitting next to me said she’s…fallen? I mean, I noticed the girls that used to hang out with her are on their own now, and it doesn’t even look like she came in today...” He poked idly at a juice box while he spoke, knocking it over and pushing it up again.
Plopping a french fry into her mouth, she tapped at her chin after flicking it free of crumbs and oil. “Hm, that is weird…but it means nobody’ll really get in your way, right?" She snatched some of her brother's fries too now. "If you’re like, free from whatever curse she put under you, that’s...that's a good thing!”
“I guess, but…it’s uncomfortable. It’s as if she had disappeared or turned invisible…nobody else is really talking about her. None of the teachers that loved her seem to care, wouldn't your favorite student disappearing at least deserve some kind of attention?” Olo held his head, poking at the rest of his food silently with his opposite hand. Cleo bit into another fry, thinking aloud and leaning back.
“Maybe she feels really really bad about everything? Well, she should, but…shutting yourself out from the world would kinda make sense. Do you feel…worried? About her?” Cleo scooted closer, tilting her head in what seemed like genuine concern, but cracked a grin when she raised a hand to ruffle his hair the way their father did, to which Olo awkwardly swatted her away from trying.
“Kinda, but also…confused. I still have her Mom’s number, I could ask about her sometime, or maybe stop by just to visit.” With that, the pair fell silent and continued to eat their food.
Finally thinking again, Cleo set her tray aside. “Hey, was the girl that told you this cute or something? Maybe she wanted to know if you'd be totally available and over your ex.” She gnawed against the straw to her juice box and gave a wry smile, goading him into relaxing.
“I don't think that's what she was doing. She was really weird and honestly kinda…creepy." Olo sighed, sitting back as he moved to stare up at the ceiling, only to meet the mismatched gaze of the girl he was just talking about, yelping and nearly falling down the stairs.
“It's rude to speak so rashly about a stranger." Her low tone seemed judgemental, but she shrugged idly. "But I take no offense.” The stranger's passing glare was a lot less tense than before, it seemed. Why she wearing a lab coat from the science classes, however, made no sense to Olo.
“Are you the one who told my brother bout Veri?” The younger girl turned, curious and cautious, but not upset in the slightest, even going out of her way to stick out a hand in greeting, trying for a warm smile. Yet, Cleo silently slithered her hand back to her arm when the pale girl curtsied with her lab coat.
“My name is Eliana. I suppose that makes you Cleo Tachibana. Please come with me." When the girl's brother stared, she shot down his eyes with a familiar gaze. "Alone, if you do not mind. Someone wishes to speak with you.” She spoke plainly and flatly, which Olo found misleading and in contrast to the distant flickers of glee that flashed on her face, but whenever her blank expression took hold once more, another scary look was directed at him, as if punishing him for simply noticing.
“Why can’t Olo come with us?" Defensive, Cleo stood to her feet. "If this is about Veri I think he deserves to be here more than—” A familiar click of the tongue made the girl fall silent.
“This isn’t about some silly relationship issue. He doesn’t need to be involved in any of this.” Pausing, she seemed insistent, but then, she fell silent. Her brows lowered just barely, and finally clearing her throat, she corrected herself. “But, if it would make your cooperation easier, I suppose he can come for now. We’ll be heading to the rooftop to meet someone who wants to speak with you, Cleo Tachibana.”
“Someone who…uh, give us a bit...” Trailing off, the girl clutched her brother’s sleeve, dragging him down the steps and out of earshot, tensing. Her caramel-colored eyes looked back up toward the stranger named Eliana, who seemed unbothered. Straightening a loose bundle of strands from the lighter side of her hair, she took great caution in adjusting the twin buns that stuck out on either side of her head.
“Isn’t that girl totally super-duper suspicious?” Cleo returned her focus as she whisper-yelled, holding close to Olo’s side and glaring daggers up the staircase. "Well, like you said, she is creepy…but I think we just go along with her for now, but totally bounce the very moment it gets any weirder, yeah?” Offering a more confident look, she nodded again.
“Uh, I guess so…it’d be a mess if we resisted anyway…I doubt it’s anything bad…” Olo whispered.
“Right, like a club recruitment tactic! I heard Atheni Clubs are super devoted to getting new members!” Readying herself, Cleo turned to face Eliana, smiling and even offering a mock salute. “Alright, we’re ready!”
“Okay?” Eliana shrugged, not moving when she watched Cleo blankly stare on. Trodding up the steps, the girl turned to look back at Olo, who decided to slowly follow.
The Pantheon. The academy campus’ tallest building held most of the standard classrooms in this central hall, including the cafeteria and lecture rooms. Wide screens and panes filled those floors too, yet atop the roof, the now-disbanded gardening club’s floral escape remained, the sprawling colors of various blossoms spiraling year-round being an oasis of peace in nature, the rooftop area home to a few scant benches, a table, and even a pavilion. Some groups did use the rooftop garden as a reading or study area, and the other extracurricular clubs pitched in to upkeep the garden in the late gardening club’s stead, but typically, it remained untouched. For most students, it was a peaceful refuge from the bustling high-tech nature of the school, but for Olo…it held a lot more importance. After all, it was where he first met Veronica.
Shoving the memory into the back of his mind, he stared on when Eliana shoved the door open, lazily leaning against it to allow Olo and Cleo to pass through. Stepping onto the rooftop, Cleo clutched the large bow that was tying her hair up when the wind blew against it, her brother wincing and settling his eyes across the sole woman standing on the opposite side of the rooftop garden, and more importantly, the small white figure beside her. Trembling, Olo stepped back.
It was the girl from his dream and the cat he had seen both in the same dream and earlier this morning.
“Hey." Eliana trudged past the others, her tone with a shocking amount of respect and warmth. "I brought her, but she insisted on dragging her brother along too. I guess it’s whatever if you said it was fine though…” Pushing up her glasses, she eventually sat beside the stranger on the bench. Setting down a cup of coffee, they smiled, straight locks of brilliant blonde hair shimmering in the sunlight, her darker eyes lifted at attention, a crimson-colored uniform out of place compared to the white and orange ones the other three wore.
“I don’t think she’s a student from this school…” Pursing her lips, Cleo quivered and moved to hide behind Olo, who pushed forward out of the pressure to look strong for his sister.
“What is this about…why is that thing here…?” His voice was shaky, with his hazel glare looking at the small animal that stood on the railing overlooking the campus grounds and bustling city further off. Unnaturally, it careened its head toward the group, then nodded to face the other girl next to her.
“Oh~? Have you met our friend Kyubey before?” The stranger finally said, her voice pristine and proper.
“We exchanged a glance this morning when I was scouting Miss Cleo." Swishing its tail, the small animal spoke with an inquisitory tone, their voice within Olo’s mind. Turning to his sister, judging by her reaction he was able to assume she heard it too. "I am surprised he was able to recognize me, as I don’t recall making myself visible to him. Then again, finding a way to appear in front of the girl alone was indeed troublesome.”
“Ah, I see.” Standing and setting her coffee aside, the blonde girl walked over to the pair, outstretching a hand as she smiled softly. “In that case, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Hestia Renae. I’m excited to finally meet you, Miss Cleo. There’s no need to hide behind your brother, dear. You can trust me.” Her voice was warm, and her eyes were warmer. Coming out from behind her brother, Cleo took Hestia’s hand and shook it quietly. "And I'm assuming you've met Ellie and Kyubey as well?" Hestia smiled at Olo, gesturing to the others. The girl still on the bench jutted her head back, glaring.
"I said not to call me that." She muttered. Eliana seemed like this was a drag of sorts, her gaze devoid of attention and emotion. The one named Kyubey, on the other hand, seemed to drag a tongue over its paw, idling about like any animal would.
Looking between them, Olo felt tense. "Uh...kinda." He frowned more when he could only remember being glared at by both of them. Yet when a bright laugh rang out from Hestia, she seemed to bring her focus to him.
"You must be Olo Tachibana then, Cleo's older brother. It's a pleasure, although it is quite odd to be introducing myself to you, isn't it?" Her eyes lifted higher, but before Olo could even question what she meant, Kyubey cleared its throat quite abruptly.
“Now that everyone is acquainted, I believe we can finally begin.” Hopping off of the railing, the small animal stared up toward Olo’s sister while it trudged past. Its red eyes were mesmerizing, and Cleo found herself enchanted by the fact that it could talk. “Cleo Tachibana. I want you to make a Contract with me.” Kyubey stared on as it bounced up to the top of a small pavilion, looking down. “A Contract to become a Magical Girl.”
Surprised at the words, Cleo watched on in awe, stepping closer to Kyubey. Magical? That was the word used, wasn’t it? Magical. Glistening, Cleo held her hands to her side. “Why me?” Her gaze sharpened, trying to think properly and grasp the situation. When she took a step away out of caution, Kyubey's head tilted off to the side, dismissive.
“Told you she wouldn’t leap at the opportunity right away.” Eliana silently jabbed her words toward Hestia, who tried not to grin. Now waving the split-haired girl’s whims aside, she returned to the bench, picking up her cup once again before taking a hearty sip.
"Now now. Cleo, your affinity to become a Magical Girl is higher than most, in addition to the Karmic weight of your soul, which just means how much more powerful you would be able to get. In entering a Contract with Kyubey, you'd be able to wish for anything you want in exchange, and I have no doubts that you'd be able to make quite the wish, dear." Setting her cup aside, Hestia purely continued to smile with warmth.
Kyubey’s tail swished about more when the woman spoke for it, jutting its head back to bear down on Cleo. “That sounds like a good deal, doesn't it?”
“And what does a Contract even mean?” Remembering his father’s words about a contract’s specifics, Olo interjected, standing in front of Cleo and glaring.
“Well. As a Magical Girl, she'll be tasked with defeating Witches. Embodiments of all the evil and despair in the world. Missing persons and all sorts of tragedies are usually hiding a Witch’s tricks behind them. As for you, Olo Tachibana.” Kyubey’s piercing glare fell on the boy, who tensed. “You have no business with this side of reality. I’m sure you may have realized that. Apologies for getting you swept up in these affairs, but understand that this is not your place to meddle in at all." Rolling over to scratch its back against the roof, it uncaringly flopped upright again to await him accepting this.
An undeniable calmness washed over Olo when those words were said. This was not his business. The lump in his throat faded, and he stepped back, nodding in submission. Cleo, however, somehow seemed to take offense to this by yanking Olo back to stand beside her, tugging on his sleeve.
Turning toward the girls, Cleo urged on. “Do these Witches hurt people? Like, how evil are they exactly?”
“Really evil.” Eliana rose from the bench, leaning against it and crossing her arms. “I’ve seen the things they’ve tried to do. Luring people and eating them, or siphoning energy off of emotions. It’s bad.” Despite her flat voice, Cleo was egged on by such words, beaming and pulling against Olo harder.
“Do you hear that, Olo!? Really evil! Miss Hestia said I have a high affinity too, so I might be a super cool Magical Girl or something!” She squealed in excitement, struggling to calm herself, taking a cautionary breath and returning her gaze to the white fairy. “Are there any limits to my wishes? Like, is it the same way a genie works?”
“Rather than three wishes that are hindered with deceitful rules, with me, you get one wish of anything you desire. Once you make your wish, I'll fashion you a soul gem, containing all of your power and magic. Anything your heart can come up with for a wish, it will be done.” Kyubey’s red eyes shimmered as it careened forward, hopping off of the pavilion and strutting toward Cleo. “Now, Miss Cleo Tachibana. What wish will make your soul gem shine?”
“Wait, you said one wish?” Eliana interrupted, pointing an accusatory finger toward Hestia, who set their cup down in surprise. “Apparently Hestia totally got two.”
“I did not! It was a technicality!” Rushing to dissuade her comrade’s antics, the girl now flinched upward, bashful about the ordeal. “I was an incredibly indecisive young girl, at first I merely wanted to pass a math test, but I decided it'd be better that I study instead, so I asked for unlimited sweets, only to think that I'd get tired of them. Then, I wished for lots of money, but it seemed unfair considering I was already well off thanks to my parents." Winded, she tried to wave away the unfair judgment in her own defense. "So in the end, I decided to wish for good intuition…but when neither Kyubey nor I really knew what that would entail, we simply settled on donating a bunch of money I wished for…and it was simply enough of a curiosity in Kyubey’s mind to allow that intuition to be granted as well. I don’t think it even got that better anyways…but if it led me to meet you, Cleo, maybe it did come true?” Hestia laughed softly, for her smile to fade when Eliana’s gaze didn’t persist, already dragged off elsewhere once again.
“It was a fair assessment and a uniquely special case. I doubt it would’ve come to much worth in the end, so figuring out what a ‘good intuition’ meant was surely a worthwhile endeavor. Abstract wishes tend to yield the most interesting results, after all. Now, Cleo has a wish to make, am I correct?” Kyubey trotted closer to the siblings, pushing Hestia's words aside.
“Anything you want…that’s a lot of pressure,” Olo mumbled, crossing his arms. “A bunch of cash wouldn’t hurt, but still…”
“I shouldn’t ask for too much,” Cleo spoke calmly, thinking carefully. “My Mom always says…one more cookie for me is one less cookie for someone else! The more I take, the more I might be denying others. The one thing I really want to have is…” Thinking, Cleo looked between Hestia and Eliana, then up at Olo.
Her eyes focused, thinking back to last year. Even if he didn’t show it, Olo had to have been hurt back then. He was still hurting now, scared to smile or even laugh as warmly as he used to in the past. His face was always so stiff too, and the exhaustion around his eyes was enough to show that he still wasn't at peace. He was betrayed by someone who he thought loved him, and those he trusted had also turned their backs on him…if Cleo became a Magical Girl, would stepping into this new world leave him all alone? She pulled tighter against his sleeve, ultimately turning toward the others, nodding.
With that, Cleo made her choice. “I wish for my big brother to fight by my side, and for him to protect me no matter what!”
Kyubey stared on while the sky shifted, white trails of clouds spinning and spiraling above the rooftop. Overhead, it seemed a storm had begun.
Olo found himself awake in the middle of the night, shivering. The weather outside did not yield, rain splattering against his window. Knocking against the door, it swung open to reveal Cleo, who was sniffling and shaking, the younger girl hugging her blankets and pillow tightly.
“O…” She whispered. “I’m…uhm…”
“Can’t sleep?” Sitting up, Olo tried to calm himself. It wasn't until he saw that she was scared too did he steel his nerves and calm his heart. The young boy had to be strong for her, after all.
Nodding, the girl bunched her sheets up tighter and dragged them into his room, flopping onto his bed and roll over toward him. “Papa and Ma are watching scary movies downstairs, and I can hear it all...”
“In this rain…? They must be crazy.” He sighed.
“Thrill seekers…” Cleo held closer to him, retorting.
It was quiet for a moment, Olo trying to think idly before his sister spoke more.
“Am I lame?” She finally mumbled. “For being scared?”
“No, no. You aren’t lame or anything like that. The reason why Mom and Dad aren’t scared is because they have each other. It’s okay to be scared, I mean, I guess I get scared too…but I have you, and when I need to protect you, I feel like being scared can wait.” The boy laid back down, hugging his pillow to his chest.
“Oh.” Cleo smiled, her eyes thinking for a moment, only to bear forward, sparkling. “Promise you’ll protect me forever?”
“Of course, Cleo. I promise.” Olo smiled, and the pair fell asleep amidst the storm.
When he opened his eyes, he stared on in surprise. Glaring expectantly, Kyubey spoke with an alarmingly sharp tone. “Well. Olo Tachibana. You heard her, didn’t you?”
Tensing, he realized everyone’s gazes were on him now. Hestia seemed impressed, while Eliana and Kyubey were surprised and stunned by the decision. Yet it was Cleo’s gaze that shook Olo’s the most. Her normal radiance had doubled, grinning eagerly.
“If you…uh, wouldn’t mind, I guess.” Lowering his head, Olo winced the moment he felt that his response was underwhelming, even more so when he said it aloud.
"Very well.” Kyubey stood back, strutting back to hop along the railing it was standing on earlier. “Olo and Cleo Tachibana, thank you. Argenti Minor would benefit from both of you fighting against Witches. Her wish will be granted.”
With that, Cleo stepped back when she felt her heart skip a beat. Glowing softly, her chest felt light and fluttered, a golden glow emanating from her body. Holding her hands out, it subsided when the pulsing warmth settled into her hands. The jewel that was born into existence was a marvelous shade of amber, and in holding it closely and cradling it next to her heart, she felt a glimmer unlike anything else. It was bright and pulsed ever so gently, dazzling in her grasp. Turning to her brother, she smiled when he began to glow as well. A much more silver and pale light rose from within him, and soon he too was holding a more pearlescent jewel that shone with a colder shade compared to the warm gold Cleo held in her hands, the weight of it in his hands making him feel a particular dullness.
Olo stared at the soul gem in his hands longingly. He admired it carefully and soon held it tightly as his arms fell to his side. So that's what soul gems were, it seemed.
Looking up, Hestia was already standing closer to them, reaching to hold each of their hands in hers. Her eyes were proud and full, but the longer Olo stared into them, the more he could merely see that face distorted in pain, exhaustion, and misery. It was odd to see, and just when he wanted to say something about the familiarity he shared, she spoke again.
"That was some wish, Cleo. I never would've thought we'd be seeing something like that." Her expression grew warm when she nodded toward Olo. Waving the dreams’ flickers from his mind like always, he nodded back. For now, it didn’t matter what it all meant.
“I’ll do my best, I’ll learn all that I can so I can help you all.” The boy tried his best to sound confident, Cleo bobbing her head brightly in agreement.
“And I’ll do my bestest too!” She giggled and cheered, only to hold onto Hestia longer, seemingly quick to trust.
“I’m thankful.” Letting go and returning to pick up her cup, Hestia smiled and finished the last of it before taking a precautionary exhale. “Eliana and I have been doing our best here in this corner of Argenti Minor by ourselves, I usually operate in the Downtown Campus area, where my school is…but lately it’s been a—”
Cutting her off with no more than a warm hand on her shoulder when she walked ahead, Eliana crossed her arms once she was beside the others, Kyubey sitting on her shoulder daintily. “They don’t need to know about all that yet. As Magical Girls, they’ll catch on with experience more than anything. For now, are there any important questions for me or Kyubey?” Her low tone once again caused Olo to feel an awkward haze in the air that made it difficult to breathe. Someone speaking so flatly shouldn’t smile so kindly.
Still wracking his mind, though, the boy slowly raised his hand the same way he would if it were a classroom. When the creature forced a nod to urge him to answer, Olo finally spoke. “Uh. Kyubey. You said Magical Girls, right? I don’t turn into one or anything, do I? Uh, since I’m a boy, wouldn’t I be called a Magical Boy?” He didn't want to ask such a thing, and felt even more ridiculous when Eliana and Cleo mocked him with their reactions.
“Well it is a force of habit, I apologize. A Magical Boy, then. Would that suffice?” Kyubey pawed Eliana's shoulder when it seemed to dislike being atop her for long, already hopping down.
“Yeah…it would be fine, thank you.” Olo winced at the stale answer that made it seem obvious.
“That reminds me, I did put makeup on him once, and he actually didn’t look that bad! Plus he keeps his hair long since he thinks it looks cool, so I style it sometimes! Are you sure he can’t be a Magical Girl?” Teasing, Cleo giggled and watched Hestia perk up, facing Olo.
“If your sister really says so, why not open your heart to it Olo, hm~? The gracefulness of a maiden is a core factor to us Magical Girls, a necessity almost!” Nodding, she chirped and turned to Eliana for support, who dryly stared toward the boy the way she would a bug.
“It’s like a dog in a cat café—no, it’s probably weirder—I get that he’s scrawny and might look good in frilly clothes, but…” She cringed. “Still a dog.”
An unexpected mixture of hurt and flustered, Olo returned his eyes to Kyubey when it began speaking, the creature seeming to find a blank amusement in this situation. “Well. With that, I’ll take my leave for now. I’m sure you both can do the rest for the siblings. Eliana. Hestia.” Trotting off, Kyubey leaped off the building and to wherever else it needed to be.
“Definitely! Before anything, let’s all exchange information on our phones, just so I can get in contact and all that. Also, I figured you all might need these.” Hestia leaned under the bench and grabbed her bag, dusting it off and holding it upright on her lap. Producing a series of yellow sheets, she handed one to each of the other three.
“Late passes…? From our school no less. Where did—” Cleo was cut off when Eliana crumpled her paper, shoving it in her pocket and dryly standing next to Olo.
“Her Mother is a professor here.” Scoffing, she pushed her glasses up. “The boy and I have the next class together, so we only need his pass for both of us.”
“Ah, I guess so,” Hestia muttered. Passing the siblings' phones back to them, she smiled forgivingly at Eliana. “You don’t need to sound like I’m some sort of villain for nabbing a few passes…now Cleo, Olo. I’ll likely get in contact after classes for…hm, let’s call it onboarding? Until then, remember that this is secret stuff, okay? Adults or the general public don’t really react the best…” Pressing her hands together, Hestia winced. “After all these years I still can't give a straight answer when Father reprimands me for being out so late..."
“We'll do our best, but I feel like that goes without saying…I’m sure our parents would understand why we gotta keep quiet about this to them. Besides, it’s their anniversary today, so we actually have tons of time that we can spend with you guys!” Cleo beamed, clutching her soul gem to her chest, eventually taking caution and holding it out. “Scared to drop this though, so…do one of you guys hold it for us until we’re ready?”
Quick to respond, Eliana loomed over the younger girl, speaking sternly. “It’s yours, so hold onto it yourself.” Now walking forward, she turned back to Cleo, holding out her hand. “It’s easier to do this, anyway.” Opening her palm, a ring shimmered into form, revealing a bright green soul gem. “It can turn into a ring. Plus, this way it’s useful for more than just making it easier to prance around with your soul gem inside. For now though,” Pushing Olo, she swung the door open to the rooftop. “We gotta get back to class. It’s the first day, so even if we have passes I don't want to bother being late."
“Right…well Cleo, dear, you should head back to class too. It was extremely nice to meet you! Sorry if this is a lot, you know? Back when I first started…” Trailing off, Hestia smiled wistfully, dispersing the subject and moving to stand on the railing, shaking her head. “Ah, nevermind. Honestly, it was similar enough. You take care now, alright?”
Cleo stared on, waving off Olo and turning when she nodded. “Right…I hope to do my best in all of this, I promise I won’t let you down!” Spinning on her heel, she made her way back inside the building just as the bell rang out. Staring at the soul gem in her hands, all it took was a thought for it to turn into a ring, and the girl slipped it onto her finger quietly. When the wind blew past her ears again, she let it brush by her cheeks, a comforting chill against her face.
“I’m…a Magical Girl.” She whispered to herself. Smiling, she ran back to her classes with newfound excitement.
The rest of the day was eerily normal. On one hand, Olo was expecting that, but after a sudden and otherworldly experience like what happened earlier, it made sense that the contrast was so jarring. Following Eliana around now that he hoped she wouldn't be as cold, he occasionally asked a question that was either bluntly answered or ignored entirely.
"What was all that about Veronica earlier?" The boy set a beaker full of water down when he finished measuring it, Eliana's lab coat not looking out of place within the science class.
"You were a loner last year and I saw the seating charts. I didn't want you dragging the mood down whenever I sat next to you, so I thought to let you know." She sounded like it was a joke when she said that, a witty and sly grin flying past her lips only for the girl to shrug. "Or I guess it was a way to get you to think I'm weird and not bother me, but since I'm stuck with you now, it was a pointless decision for me to make." Her cynical gaze reached its peak when she poured the water from his beaker into another full of talcum power and red pigment. It wasn't until Olo realized she was trying to perfect the red hue of blood that he stopped talking to her for that class.
Now walking up to her in the hallway, he found another thing to prod her mind with. “Are Witches scary?” Olo urged.
“Not really." She shut her locker with a stern sigh. "They make your skin crawl the first few times but after a while, it’s the same sense of morbid fascination in finding a gross-looking plant or a larger-than-normal bug, or finding out your mentor's first pick in forever ended up flubbing it by wishing her brother into this mess. So in my opinion, a Witch brings the same amount of discomfort to me that you do."
"I don't think I'm comparable to someone who eats people." Olo sourly mumbled.
Another class went by, and another hour ticked on.
“Hey. Do I have to wear like, a dress or something? Is the ‘Magical Girl’ outfit mandatory? Is it like the shows?” The boy whined softly, setting down a textbook and eyeing the girl sitting ahead of him. The fact that they sat so close in every class made a lot more sense in understanding why Eliana wanted to not deal with what she had assumed would have been a pitiful loner. But judging by her reaction to his newest question, she seemed to believe that this was much worse.
“According to Hestia, the apparel and weapon is a subconscious reflection of the Magical Girl." Despite her exasperated expression, she always answered in some way, which the boy was grateful for. But after every answer came some kind of indirect jab or insult, so he listened on at his own risk when Eliana turned to face him. "The clothes at least can be consciously altered, but they’re magic clothes. So, y’know.” The pale girl shrugged absentmindedly, before finally jutting a finger at him. “I think you should ask yourself some questions if your subconscious puts you in a frilly dress.”
“I don’t think my subconscious would do that to me…” The boy dryly murmured, all but used to her behavior now.
In the last class, minutes slipped against the clock, falling down to seconds.
Olo turned to the side to face her, holding a work tablet to his chest. “Were you and Hestia the only Magical Girls in the City before Cleo?”
For some reason, this question caused Eliana to pause. Turning to him, the girl scowled the way she did earlier this morning, her expression enough to make the boy tense and regret asking.
“There are more. Mainly in different locations around Argenti far from here, but there are more. It depends on the City, but most large ones have numerous girls separated into different sections and districts…” Sighing, she shifted to face him fully, even dragging her desk over. “The more Magical Girls there are in an area, the more bad things are bound to happen. Supply and demand. Argenti has a lot of Magical Girls, so think about what that means, and keep whatever answer you dig up to yourself. It’s only your first day. Leave the bigger issues to the veterans…not even Hestia needs to tell me everything, so I wouldn’t try finding out more than what you already need to know.” Her words were more cautious than anything, the warning and otherwise serious answer enough to steer Olo’s mind off of queries for a bit.
"Right. Sorry for asking." It was hard to read the girl, considering how approachable she seemed to be judging by her smile, but how sharp everything else was.
When the final bell rang, they got up silently. Surprisingly, Eliana followed him all the way to the lower floors, where they met his sister. Hugging Olo, Cleo giddily greeted her brother, now attempting to lean in to try and give Eliana a hug too. The split-haired girl merely wormed out of the attempted embrace, however, mumbling complaints to herself.
“I had to apologize and change plans with that friend I made earlier...” The younger girl's shoulders slumped over but soon lifted with newfound motivation. “I did say we’d totally hang out another time though! Just told her that my parents needed me to do some important chores all of a sudden.”
“Hm, I do all the chores though…at least give a lie that suits you.” Olo tossed his bag over his shoulder.
“Well you’re so much better at housework than me…when you get up early on the weekends there aren’t any chores left that I could do to learn!” A smug grin from her was enough for Olo to plant a hand on her head and ruffling her hair up, a giddy whine emanated from the girl.
“Hm. House chores are a pain, I suppose. I tend to dislike cleaning since it feels fruitless when another mess just ends up forming. But, I’m glad you aren’t as lazy as you look, Olo.” Eliana, gradually seemed to get used to him in her own way, eventually making her way toward the school’s exit before opening her phone knowingly.
When the device dinged on cue, Cleo and Olo felt their phones do the same, Cleo’s emitting a cheery whistle while Olo’s just vibrated roughly. “Uh. A group chat?” The boy muttered, leaving his own in his pocket and leaning closer to his sister, opting to look at her screen once she opened the notification revealing a message with directions posted to the three of them by Hestia.
“Yeah, seems like a group chat! She wants us to meet in this new bakery…ah, it's kinda far on foot...but we should be able to take the train, right? Our school cards give us two free rides a day, don’t they?” Clapping, Cleo beamed. It was obvious that she had wanted the ride the train for a long time, and even if Olo already knew this, Eliana still sniffed it out in seconds.
“It’s right at the midpoint between our schools,” Eliana added. “I guess we can take the train then. This bakery though. I haven’t heard of it. We usually just congregated in this one family restaurant in the past, but Hestia liked their french fries a little too much, so before summer hit she swore off visiting that place to keep her slim. Ah, if you ever want to win her over, I guess that’d be how.”
“Is that how you won her over?” Cleo tilted her head as they walked, Eliana chuckling dryly and shaking her head, the two seemingly warmed up to some degree.
“I wouldn’t say that she likes me all that much. I’m just the only one that stuck around.”
Falling silent, Olo moved to ask what that meant, but he held his tongue. Remembering her words from earlier, it was best not to ask too much, or worse, learn more than needed. Whatever she meant by that, her words now were heavy enough for even Cleo not to ask either.
Once they finally arrived at the station, upon noticing they were the sole passengers in the train car the three of them sat quietly on the cushioned bench. Above them, advertisements scrolled across a brightly lit display, emitting cheery jingles and tunes that could only sustain the ambiance for so long. Facing the pair, Eliana soon held out her soul gem, the green jewel shimmering in the afternoon sky. Staring quizzically, Cleo admired the soft streaks of green that danced in the shadowed reflection, smiling up at her with an innocent glee. Olo meanwhile, stared blankly at the dark and muddied flickers that streaked across the brilliant green every now and then, feeling uneasy for some reason.
"Soul gems are important. They're the source of all the magic you'll be able to wield. Yet, that magic gets corrupted with time and use." Her tone was flat but held a teaching tone in it all the same. "When it gets like this, where you can barely see it getting muddied, try to hunt a Witch to cleanse it."
“Thanks for telling us! So Witches help clean our gems when we get them! Got it!" Cleo giddily saluted, understanding the words the best she could. Leaning closer, though, she merely smiled wider. "So…what was your wish, Elly~?” The young sister began, the girl opposite to her with the mismatched gaze somehow taking no offense to the nickname, unlike with Hestia back at the rooftop.
“To never be sad again.” Her bitter tone was enough to cause Cleo to flinch upon hearing it.
"Oh." She responded delicately. Anyone else likely would’ve said that it was smart, or understandable. ‘You would always be happy!’ they might say, and to them, it would be seen as a good thing. Yet, Cleo’s expression shifted in secondhanded pain. Empathetic as the girl was, though, finding the right words seemed to be a struggle, understanding the necessity of sadness being a crucial way to process pain.
Speaking up, Olo leaned forward. “I’m sorry.” He whispered. “Not being able to express that must be…” He trailed off, his eyes staring into the floor silently.
The train rumbled. Turning, Eliana’s eyes focused on the clouds sitting heavy in the sky. “It was my own foolish wish. Don’t apologize. I thought it would be a good idea at the time. Not like I can say I’m miserable now since that wouldn't really work, would it?” For a moment, her face twitched again, the remnants of a smile taking place.
Olo's eyes widened at that, realizing just what was going on. “You’re forced to be happy…when you don’t want to be. That’s…”
Careening back into the bench, Eliana’s expression stiffened when she continued to hold her soul gem. “God, you're a pain. Nothing gets by you, does it? It's paradoxical, I know. I can’t be sad. Yet I have so many reasons to be. I imagine the myth of Tantalus, the man who hungered and thirsted every day, yet water and fruit eluded him. Time and time again. My emotions starve me, while similarly forcing me to feel pleasant sensations and pulses of joy.” Distant, she turned her gaze back to the pair.
“Being a Magical Girl is a fatal service. You never asked your brother if he wanted to suffer alongside you.” She spoke coldly, only to stand, clutching her soul gem. “But more importantly, we need to move. I feel a Witch nearby. We’re getting off.”
Staring in shock, Cleo flew upward, almost falling over. The girl moved to speak, but her gaze darted between the two. She never asked him. She knew that fighting Witches was a part of the job, and they could kill her, couldn’t they? Was she putting her brother in danger? It was a reckless decision to make such a wish, but she didn't want him to be alone.
“It’s okay." The boy shook his head, washing away her worries. "I promised to always protect you, right?” Olo urged silently, squeezing her hand and standing up alongside the others. Turning to Eliana, the boy scowled. “A Witch, though. We’ll be careful for sure. We’ll follow the moment the train—”
Opening the train doors, the emergency light blared, the wind whipping the dual-colored strands about when the girl shimmered and glowed. Eliana transformed into a new outfit, sporting a long white toga accessorized with jade and a laurel wreath on her head, split between gold and bronze the way her hair was split too.
“I said we’re getting off. That means now.” With that, the tallest of the three leaped out of the train while it still ran, diving deep into the city below.