1120/Mermaid and Unicorn: Epilogue

Mermaid and Unicorn: Epilogue
Date of Scene:	16 February 2024
Location:	Radiant Heart Academy
Synopsis:	Sayaka, once more whole, meets with Hinoiri. The two... have a lot to talk about. To clear up. But... in the end? They're both better for it. It was a long, winding road to get here, but now they're both where they need to be. Just because they're enemies doesn't mean they can't be friends.
Cast of Characters:	Hinoiri Kirara, Sayaka Miki

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Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara was... on the roof of the school. Sitting. Hidden from the view of most, she sat with her back against the edge of the roof. Her phone vibrated on occasion, but... she couldn't look.

How long after she'd called for help did it happen?

... How long was Klarissa dead by the time it happened? It couldn't... she couldn't... She couldn't open it and see the message. She couldn't know that... that Klarissa was dead.

And it was her fault. She wasn't a monster. She tried to say she was, but she wasn't. She had feelings... and... she'd hurt them. Hurt Sayaka. Hurt so many people in her little bid for knowledge.

And how... how much had she hurt Sayaka? Was there any part of her left?

She hugged her knees to her chest, occasionally tears dripping down onto her knees.

She never wanted this. IT was just an experiment. That was all.

She was so sorry...

Sayaka Miki has posed:
Going back on her trail is reverse was a peculiar experience for Sayaka, especially as she has memories of chasing and being chased at the same time, but she is feeling way better than she has felt in a long time, even if she was leading a split life for a good part of it.

She can feel all the tumultous parts of herself that clashed with and confronted the more confident parts of herself now finally in harmony, and she is actually comfortable as she jumps rooftop to rooftop back to the school. She is about to sneak into her own dorm room from the window when she notices a lone figure on the roof, that of Hinoiri, tearfully lost in her own thoughts.

"Hey, Hinoiri", the bluenette says, jumping over and sitting next to her. "It's me, Sayaka. The actual one, I mean. I am whole again. Are you still thinking about what the Klarissa part of me told you?" she inquires looking at her still figure.

"I was quite harsh with you back then, but I feel much better now, and about what I said when halved, that's something you can reflect on and build on." She then just waits for Hinoiri to reveal her thoughts before she says anything more.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara looked over and... looked a little relieved. But then... ashamed. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words didn't come. Instead...

Instead Sayaka kept talking. And Hinoiri stared. A few tears dripping down her face. Wait... that's...

"Klarissa... part of you? But you... but she... I thought... you two... I thought... Klarissa isn't... she's not... I didn't..."

"... I thought... I killed you..." Hinoiri whispered. "I-I never meant to... I... I thought..."

"... I never wanted to hurt you... I'm sorry. I... I tried to undo all of this... I even... I even tried to make a wish... but Kyubey... is a jerk and... apparently I-I'm not important enough to... to..."

And then she just lunged and she *hugged* Sayaka. Around the neck. And she just held her. And SHE cried. Tears flowing down her face.

"I-I'm so sorry. I'm so... so sorry... I never wanted this. I never... wanted... any of this..."

Sayaka Miki has posed:
Sayaka hugs Hinoiri back as she lets the other girl release the tension by crying on her, listening to what she has to say.

"You can chalk it up to a unique miracle that things went the way they did. The Sayaka half has fused back with my Witch form, Oktavia, that's her name, so everything turned out for the better", she explains as she accesses that part of her memory.

"I have done a lot of mistakes too, but everyone has been there to give me their support despite everything, and my desire to do the right thing has never stopped, it has become better instead."

She caresses Hinoiri's hair. "So, I don't regret anything anymore, and now I am happy with myself as a Puella Magi. I accept your apologies. Cann you do the same, making peace with your regrets and going forward bettering yourself? It's never too late to look towards the future."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara just hugged Sayaka and cried for... well... another reason. She nodded. "A miracle... huh? Heh. Heh heh. I guess... they are real. I didn't think they could be..." She pulled back and then looked down at her. "Heh. Heh heh. So... you're... better?" Hinoiri asked. "I mean... do you... remember everything and..." She sighed.

"I'm sorry. I wanted to be there for you. When we started this, I just... I wanted to thank you. For everything. For... saving me." She pulled back and sat back on the roof, exhausted, now. "But... then it all got out of control. I... realized... I didn't think... we were right. You've... really got this whole warrior of justice thing going on. Self sacrificing and I'm just... not..." She reached up a hand of her own, gently stroking the one caressing her hair. "But I didn't want to make it worse. And I think..."

Slow, deep breath. "I do care about you, Sayaka. Little Starfish. I think... you mean a lot to me. But I don't think it's romantic. I think... I guess... I think..." A conflicted look on her face. Before she, finally, grudgingly admitted it. "I think you're my friend. Like... really my friend. I... sometimes wonder if this is what Sora meant... but..."

"... We're on opposite sides here. And I... shouldn't have told you. Or... maybe I should have. Or... I... I don't know. I... like this world. But there's still things I have to do, that I... I can't stop. But you're also precious to me and..."

"... I'm sorry I slapped Madoka. I think I finally understand why you got so mad at me for slapping her."

Sayaka Miki has posed:
"Yes, I remember everything", Sayaka nods somberly before resuming a more relaxed demeanor. "A lot of it isn't pretty, and then there is how it feels to be a Witch, but I really am back, Hinoiri."

On that note, even just the revelation of Puellae becoming Witches would have demanded a different approach, but having those memories... "You know, I don't think I can bear giving Grief Seeds over to Kyubey. I know they need to be fought and stuff, but I still don't know what he does with them, and I don't want to give up our kind over to him, so I want to try and find some way to keep them safe from him." She doesn't know how her new condition works yet, or even if she should tell Hinoiri, but maybe she can have a way to safely store them now.

"I don't fault you for how you handled me. In the first place, this Scroll of Ka business proved that I myself am bad at handling me. If it weren't for everyone that stepped up when they did, half of me would be living her life as a normal girl, but this time even without the option of a contract with Kyubey to help people, while the other half of me would be stuck in a Grief Seed, prisoner of both it and her own despair. If I am here at all, it's because my friends stuck with me beyond the impossible."

And what she does when Hinoiri says her love is platonic is give Hinoiri a smile. "I think I am good with that. I actually had a fun time with you, but I can see that we didn't really work out, so being friends is actually good now, even if I took it badly as Klarissa. And my answer regarding you as Sunbreaker hasn't changed. I know you have things you feel you need to do, and I will be there to help the people that fall victims of your schemes, but I still want to be friends with you." That's her approach, and she is sticking to it.

A withdrawn nod is done after Hinoiri mentions slapping Madoka. "I am glad you said that, and since that's water under the bridge for Madoka, that's it for me too."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara moved a little closer... and leaned against Sayaka. On her shoulder. Even if Sayaka was shorter than her. "I... missed you. I know I didn't get to know you that well before... all of this. But... I'm happy you're better now. And yeah. If there's... a way to like... fix... it...? To make it so they don't go to Kyubey anymore? That'd be... nice." Pause. "Cause I kind of... exploded... Kyubey... earlier," she said sheepishly. "If there's anything I can do to help, let me know. I... owe you that much. I won't ask anything in return."

She reached up a hand and gently ruffled her hair. "And... yeah. That scroll thing is nasty. Who'd want to be split in half? Just... keep it away from me. I don't want to know what'd happen to me. I'd probably have a unicorn half and a human half and it would *not* be pretty. For anyone."

She reached down a hand and... gently put it over Sayaka's, giving her hand a squeeze. "I... want to be friends with you too. I really... do. I don't mind if you try and stop me. In fact... I'd prefer if you did. It's who you are. And I always want you to strive to be the best you that you can be. Even if it means we butt heads. You being yourself... the greatest warrior of justice? That... I want you to be that. Even when we fight."

She sighed and closed her eyes. "I have one more thing I need to do. One last... thing. If it all goes as planned? It'll give me everything I need and I'll be done. I'll... finally ascend. And... maybe... I'll be able to do some things here without being your enemy. Before I go home."

She gave Sayaka's hand a tight little squeeze. "You're going to make someone very happy one day, little Starfish. Someone who will, hopefully, make you just as happy. And... thanks. I think I've learned a lot from you. I honestly... before I met you? I didn't... really think I was capable of caring... of... loving someone. Else. But... seeing you... seeing a part of you..." Her hand squeezed Sayaka's a little tighter, this time not loosening. "I'm sorry I ran... I just... I couldn't... hurt you. Not after everything I'd done to you. I couldn't... fix you... and I'm... I'm so thankful someone else could..."

Sayaka Miki has posed:
Sayaka giggles after recovering from an astonished look when Hinoiri reveals that she exploded Kyubey "You actually did that? Honestly, good. Even if it doesn't mean much to him, that's the least he could do to pay for his secrets. I believe Klarissa took him out too before we got back together." She isn't quite sure about that with how busy she was avoiding being hit, and Oktavia... wasn't exactly at her best to tell.

"Or maybe you would be Sunbreaker and Hinoiri separately", Sayaka theorises. "I don't know if it's because I had a completely opposite perception of those sides of you when I was Oktavia, or due to some more mess from the Scroll, but there were two familiars clearly based on you as Sunbreaker and you as Hinoiri." Though the answer likely is the former. She had taken a big part of their lives with her.

Sayaka registers Hinoiri holding her hands with a calm smile. "Thank you, and I hope you can find your own true happiness one day, not a hollow one dictated by what Sora did to you in the past."

Sayaka frowns slightly when Hinoiri mentions going home after one last thing. "I see... It is this soon. I will honestly miss you then, Hinoiri", the bluenette says, moving her free hand over to place it on the one Hinoiri is using to free hers, in three layers.

She nods when the other girl mentions running away. "I was more shocked at seeing my own body in front of me, but I remember that too. And I was really scary back then. I just appreciate you didn't want to hurt me."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara blinked a few times. Then groaned. "Oh great. So there's more of him? Delightful..." she grumbled. That or mascots just respawned. Ugh. Waste of her energy.

"... I think being Sunbreaker and Hinoiri separately would not be good. I'm... Hinoiri, regardless. Sunbreaker is just the alias I take. To hide who I am. It's... not me as another person... I'm... happy I meant that much to you, though. I think."

She twitched slightly at the... happiness, though. She didn't know if she could find it. Was happiness something she'd have? Could she earn it? Would... she ever have it? Could she enjoy it if she did?

... Maybe.

"I'll try and come back and visit. But... I don't belong here, in the end. This isn't my world. I'm just a visitor. Nothing more..." She closed her eyes and relaxed against Sayaka with a sigh.

"We'll fight in the future, I know. We'll probably hurt each other... but... for now? I think... I'd like to just be around you for a bit. Next valentines day... I figure you'll be with some other guy or girl who'll be better for you. But tonight? I just... want to be selfish and rest with you for a bit longer. Okay?"

... Sure, they were enemies. In some ways. Friends in others...

And maybe that wasn't so bad.

Sayaka Miki has posed:
Oh, Sayaka didn't know that Hinoiri had yet to find that out. "Quite. And each of them is the exact same, so he hasn't split himself. Nevermind the fact he seemed unaware of the power of the Scroll by how he was urging to kill Oktavia. That makes me relieved. That there are powers that elude even him."

Or he was just hiding that too, so Oktavia would become a Grief Seed. But Sayaka wants to hope that isn't the case, that they have a chance in this unfair situation he created.

Yes, Sayaka can't just ask Hinoiri to stay away from her home. It'd be selfish, and it would possibly just make her bitter. "Making visits sounds good. And maybe I can see your world for myself before you go."

Sayaka nods, enjoying the moment of peace. How long has it been since she and Hinoiri had one? Far too long. "Of course, just rest all you like. I don't have anything to do."