The Carnelian Sparrow

Chapter 8

Another blanket of dull, pale gray covered the sky as Hanako made her way to school. She had spent most of the previous evening staring at a scrap of paper given to her at the end of the previous school day, but never mustered the courage to use the information it contained. A resigned sigh left Hanako’s lips as she walked. She would have to find another way of approaching this, she felt. Perhaps her friends would know what to do with this development? She never did tell the others about her encounter with Esther Rinju, after all.

“Hey.” A voice as cold as ice called out, one Hanako knew quite well by now, yet she couldn’t help but notice how much calmer it was today. “Come here. And don’t give me any crap about me attacking you. This is an olive branch.”

Hanako was silent as she turned to face Rui, trying not to show any signs of fear, but the smirk on Rui’s face told Hanako that that plan already failed. Still, she took a cautious couple steps closer before stopping.

Rui merely nodded, seemingly satisfied with the inch of progress. “There we go. Look, I know you’re in that Newspaper Club, the one that the school’s saying I vandalized, right? Well, word is, you lot are actually trying to clear my name.”

“…Yes. That is exactly what we are trying to do, yes.”

“Why?” Rui’s expression was calm, yet her words still cut to the bone.

“…Because. Because we know that… that you did not break the window. It is… an established fact. None of us in the Newspaper Club… none of us feel right… letting someone be punished for something they did not do.”

A sincere, yet sinister smile crept upon Rui’s face. “Well look at that. We finally have some freshmen who know how the world works. So how do you lot plan on clearing my name, anyway?”

Hanako looked away, shuffling her legs nervously. “…We are… still working that part out.”

The smile faded from Rui’s face as quickly as it came. “So you had something to do with it? What, are you afraid of the repercussions of your actions? You’d get a slap on the wrist at worst. You look well connected, you might get a talking down, but that’s about it.” Rui scoffed before she continued. “No, you have a solid head on your shoulders. It’s not fear of getting in trouble holding you back. It’s got something to do with -this-, right?”

Rui reached into her pocket, quickly pulling out a pearl-white Soul Gem, immaculate in condition. Not a speck of corruption, not a hint of a cloud of grief could be seen on its perfect surface. She held it out for Hanako to see before placing it back into her pocket.

“…You sure are observant, aren’t you? … Y-Yes. It was… it was a Witch attack that ultimately led to the damage in our club room. As such… providing evidence to clear your name is… going to prove difficult.”

Hanako expected a worse reaction than Rui gave. “Hm. That’s going to be a pain, yes. I’ll leave the details to you, then. Now, for the real reason I wanted to speak to you today.”

A blank expression lit Hanako’s face as Rui said this. “It wasn’t… to give me a hard time, was it? Or to somehow… make peace, given what I—…What we are trying to do for you?”

“Not at all. You see, I came to make an offer. This is a one time deal, so pay attention, Hanako Sasaki.” Rui’s eyes flashed with a rare spark of life. She was being genuine, Hanako could tell that much, but Rui’s intentions were anything but pure. “Join me. I’m not after an apology, or a fight. What I’m after is…” Rui paused, as if calculating the rest of her sentence. “…Friendship. Allegiance.” Sensing Hanako’s apprehension, Rui’s expression darkened. “Total, unwavering loyalty. You would never have to live in fear again. How about it, Hanako?”

Hanako was stunned in place where she stood. She understood what Rui was saying perfectly clearly. And in a small part of Hanako’s mind, she was weighing this option carefully. A girl like Hanako had lived most of her life in fear up to this point as it was. Having the protection of someone far stronger than she was, it was an alluring offer.

However, Hanako had found a resolve that she had never known before. Had Rui made this offer a year ago, Hanako might have taken it without much thought. But now that Hanako had friendship, the kind made without threats or demands of loyalty, Hanako could tell what Rui was really asking for. A minion, someone to aid her and lift her on whatever mission this girl found herself on. “…You and I… both know what my answer was always going to be… Rui.”

Eyes closed, Rui simply nodded. “Yeah. Still, it was worth asking out loud. Just so there’s no confusion later. It’s a shame, really. Having someone like you in my corner would’ve made this whole thing so much -easier-. Oh well.” Rui walked past the nearly petrified Hanako, placing a hand lightly on her shoulder. “I do wish you luck, though. You’re going to need it. If you’re serious about us being enemies, that is.” Rui then walked off without another word.

“Tempting. We have the same goal. Working together wasn’t a terrible idea.” Koharu was pondering with her chin and jaw resting in the palm of her hand. “But she asked too much. I agree. She wanted a pawn. You did the right thing, Hanako.”

Hanako was hugging herself around the waist, sitting in the far corner of the club room. “…It doesn’t… it doesn’t feel like I did, though. It would have been… so easy, to just…”

Koharu waited for Hanako to trail off completely before interjecting. “Too easy. Too much asked of you. No, it’s better this way. Even if it’s more difficult.”

“I’m with Koharu on this one, Hanako. You give a bully an inch, they’re gonna take the entire mile, then tell you that you’re not giving them enough. It’s better to rip that bandage off now and deal with a tough fight than lock yourself into this girl owning you.” Shinju had a concerned look on her face, but an underlying frustration hid behind her eyes.

“No word from your sister?” Koharu was still not looking at either of the others.

Shinju sighed, folding her hands behind her head and staring up at the ceiling. “Nope. Didn’t get a good chance last night. She’s allegedly off duty tonight, so I should be able to get a hold of her this time. Sorry… but can you all hold on one more night?”

“I’m not her target. Ask Hanako.”

Hanako jumped, seemingly shaken from her trance, staring sheepishly in Shinju’s general direction. “I… I can, yes. I’m… I’m okay. Don’t worry so much. I’m… tougher than I seem.”

“When is the next Fencing Club meeting?” Koharu’s bluntness kept Hanako anchored in reality.

“Tomorrow, after school.” Hanako didn’t elaborate any further, but it was obvious that Koharu was expressing concern in her own way, something Hanako was grateful for.

Shinju clapped her hands together and sighed in half-relief, half-exasperation. “Well, just make sure you get home safe tonight, okay? Y’all can text me when you get home, and I’d feel a lot better for it.”

“…Okay.” Hanako slowly uncurled from her seat and stood up with a stretch.

Koharu, on the other hand, began tapping the end of her pen against the table. “I don’t get it. She could start this trouble after we clear her name. What is she after that she can’t wait? Or at least help us out first. It makes no sense.”

Hanako glanced over in Koharu’s direction. “She… Tomatsu is a bully. I… I doubt there’s much logical in the way she thinks to begin with…”

“You don’t seriously believe that do you?” Koharu sharply turned to face Hanako. “The way she approached you made sense. The threat did not. But her initiative made sense. She has enough logic to be planning something. I just can’t figure out what.”

Shinju scratched her cheek, still staring at the ceiling. “And this is the girl whose name we’re clearing?”

“Yes. Much as it bothers me. But she did not break that window. The truth comes first.”

“Mmmh… I agree with Koharu. Even now… even after that threat… we have a job to do.”

Shinju stood up, stretching as well. “Well, count me in. But I don’t have to put up with the bullying part. I’ll think of something.”

Koharu returned to gazing at nothing in particular, tapping her pen against the table. Hanako timidly grabbed her bag, and the rest of the meeting was held in near silence.

A familiar sensation took hold of Hanako not two steps out of the school’s gate. A Witch, and much closer to the high school than the last one she fought. She didn’t give much thought to the idea that this could be some sort of trap set by Rui. Hanako didn’t think that someone could ever have the kind of power to control a Witch. Hanako did consider, however, that Rui might be lying in wait, in an attempt to ambush Hanako.

Still, Hanako could feel that the cloudiness in her Soul Gem was starting to accumulate. Kyubey had explained to her, before she made her contract, that by using her magic, her Soul Gem would become clouded. The only way to cleanse the Gem was by using a Grief Seed to drain the corruption, usually after defeating a Witch.

What Kyubey didn’t mention to Hanako was what would happen, should a Magical Girl go too long without cleansing her Soul Gem. Hanako had asked, once or twice, but she never recalled getting a straight answer. All that mattered now, as far as Hanako cared, was that she needed desperately to actually defeat a Witch, and on her own this time, in order to avoid whatever vague fate awaited her, should she let this corruption accumulate any further.

She made her way towards the barrier. Another alleyway, Hanako thought. She mused that perhaps this was a preference for Witches? To reside in alleyways and strike from a distance? It was a sound strategy, she had to admit. Seeing the results of the Witch’s Kiss on Koharu was enough, after all. Reaching her hand out, Hanako shifted into the barrier.

Inside, Hanako found herself walking on a railroad track, seemingly floating in midair. Several other tracks, coming from and going to nothing in particular, in random directions hovered around. Above, below, beside, and in some cases intersecting one another. She didn’t dare to even think about what would happen should she fall. A lavender haze filled the space, and Hanako couldn’t see any ground below her.

Not a minute after Hanako had these thoughts, still trying to get her bearings, did she hear the sound of a train in the distance, though she couldn’t tell where it was coming from, and she felt the rumble of the tracks beneath her.

Hanako didn’t have time to think. As the sound grew louder, and thus, closer, Hanako had no choice but to leap onto a neighboring track. As soon as she did, the sound had vanished, with no sign of any train on the track she was just on. On top of that, Hanako found that she was anchored to this new track, which seemed to lay vertically in the space, at least compared to the other one. She took a few steps upwards to confirm this, feeling no different than walking on solid ground.

As soon as Hanako became comfortable in the space, however, the noise of an approaching train began anew. Hanako tested her new theory and jumped onto another track, this time hanging upside down over the space. Once more, Hanako found herself standing on solid ground, as if this were the ‘proper’ gravitational alignment. Once more, the sounds of the train vanished in an instant.

She quickly realized that she could take her time with this Witch. It didn’t seem to attack whenever Hanako changed track, and with her wind to help her hover, jumping from one to the other was a simple task. It afforded Hanako plenty of time and breathing room in order to formulate a strategy. She would jump from track to track every time she heard the approaching train, all while waiting to see how she would counter attack. The unfortunate thing about this strategy was that Hanako had yet to see the Witch, or its attack. She was safe, hopping from track to track, but she couldn’t do anything in return like this. Hanako knew she would have to take a chance and let the train approach her, trusting in her wind to carry her away before impact.

Before Hanako could attempt this strategy, however, she found herself caught off guard. The sting of cold steel found its mark alongside Hanako’s cheek, and she couldn’t dodge in time. She didn’t even sense the attack, nor did she see where it came from. Thinking fast, she jumped to another track, only for another attack to graze her shoulder.

This time, Hanako saw the object. A silver dagger with a bright yellow-and-black striped handle flew by her side, just missing her. Hanako would jump from track to track, spinning to avoid the new onslaught of knives flying just past her. Her personal cyclone flared as she struggled, which helped deflect the knives, allowing her to catch her breath.

Was this the Witch’s actual power, Hanako thought? It didn’t make sense. The previous Witches Hanako fought followed a logic that was reflected in their barriers. She was expecting a train-like Witch to confront her here, not these knives. “…Show yourself!”, Hanako eventually called out.

“Huh. I’m impressed, most people fall over when I send my knives after them.” Emerging from a track opposite Hanako, a girl with short black hair, wearing a yellow-and-black striped dress stood on top of a still train, as if it had been derailed. Her gaze was fierce, piercing even, and locked square upon Hanako’s shaky, wavering form.

“Do you… do you make a habit of this? Attacking others like us… on our hunts?” Hanako had finally caught her breath, keeping her cyclone around herself in a defensive posture. “I was… I was under the impression we… had the same goal.”

“Oh, we do, alright.” The girl hopped down from the dead train-Witch and onto a track right beside Hanako, all without taking her eyes off of her. “That is, when your goals align with hers.” She brandished a slightly larger dagger, pointing it square between Hanako’s eyes. “Or didn’t Rui tell you that there would be consequences? It’s not like her to leave that part out.”

Hanako jumped back, giving some distance while pointing a freshly summoned rapier back at her assailant. “…I see. You’re one of hers, then. My answer is unchanged, Even more so now, now that I see what the consequences are of… defiance.” The wind flared around her. “I have friends. I’ve no need of… of an empress.”

“Yeah. We get that a lot.” The girl then leapt forward with blinding speed, catching Hanako’s cheek in a quick slash, landing behind her. “I’ve gotten pretty good at dealing with people like you, though.”

Hanako clutched her twice bleeding cheek, stumbling back. “Who… who are you, anyway?!” In a panic and a desperate rage, Hanako threw a rapier at the girl, aided by a strong gust of wind. The assailant managed to roll out of the way, though it grazed her side, tearing at her outfit.

“Huh… been a -long- time since someone actually landed a hit. Good, I hate holding back anyway.” She turned, launching herself at Hanako with a flurry of slashes. Hanako parried each with her rapier, but she was gradually being pushed back. Soon, another dagger appeared in the girl’s hand, and before long, Hanako’s rapier was thrown from her hands. As it was, two quick cuts landed on Hanako’s chest and right arm.

Jumping back again, Hanako summoned another rapier in her left hand. She staggered from the injury, yet she showed no sign of backing down. “I… I said… I asked… who are you, anyway?!”

The girl merely shrugged. “My name’s Yasu. Rui and I go way back. That’s all you need to know. Anyway, it’s been fun and all, but…” Soon, a swarm of knives formed behind Yasu, not unlike a cloud of wasps whose nest had been disturbed. After a moment, they all flew in Hanako’s direction.

Hanako deflected what knives she could with a freshly called rapier. Her cyclone helped curtail a majority of the attack, and she summoned a second rapier into her right hand, doing the best she could to fight off the attack. Eventually, however, she would become overwhelmed, falling down off of the track with a pained scream, with Yasu looking down with a blank expression.

She fell for what felt like minutes, and the knives had long since passed her. Despite how long she fell, she still couldn’t see the bottom of the labyrinth, and managed to catch herself on a track. She struggled to pull herself up onto the rail, panting heavily. She couldn’t see where she fell from from here, but she could feel the entrances to the labyrinth, at least one of them not far from where she was.

Rui had made good on her threat. If she couldn’t have Hanako under her thumb, she had every intention of having her taken out. The thought kept her stunned as much as her injuries. Hanako felt the blood running down her cheek, as well as her front and side. She was hurt pretty bad, but she was still alive.

Still, what could she do? Going to a hospital seemed out of the question, as it would lead to an impossible inquiry, both from law enforcement and from her mother. The last thing Hanako wanted was to put her family in the line of Rui’s sights. As Hanako’s breathing slowed and calmed, she clutched her Soul Gem. As she did, she felt a sting on the cuts she endured, as if the wounds were beginning to close. “Eh…?!”

Sitting up, clutching the Gem a little tighter, she began to focus on this feeling. Sure enough, her wounds were gradually beginning to heal, much faster than logically possible. Was this a power Hanako had herself? Or was this some trait that all Magical Girls shared? Just what -was- she now, Hanako thought?

Before she could lead her mind to any sensible answer, the barrier would fade. Hanako was left in an alleyway far from the one she entered from. “…Right. First order of business… is to get myself home.” With some effort and pained groans, Hanako managed to rise to her feet, limping out of the alleyway. “…I… I then need to… see what else was… damaged with her attack…”