The Carnelian Sparrow

Another day that ends in "Y". It might not have been in those exact words, but that was the gist of the thought running idly through the static noise that was Yui Arashi's mind. Today was like any other day, just like every other day that preceded it since the start of the new school term. The blanket of dull gray over the sky was only broken up by the unending sea of skyscrapers, the only horizon Mitakihara City had ever known. Gray enough to hide the sun and threaten rain, but not enough to follow through.

A resigned sigh left Yui's lips as she crossed the threshold of Mitakihara High School's campus proper. An open iron gate signifying Yui's temporary prison of state-sanctioned education. Her short, jet black hair was as neat as she could manage without the saccharine scorn of the counselors, two short twintails hastily bound on the top and side of her head. Her uniform was clean enough, but only just, and wrinkled in a hasty disarray passing enough to be presentable. A quick shake of her head, and lids shut, covering her pale, violet eyes. Her hands rested in short skirt pockets, and she made her way into the school's main building.

"Yui!" A cheerful voice, perhaps overly so given where it came from, broke Yui's sleepy trance through the morning routine, right outside her classroom.

"Midori." Yui gave a halfhearted wave, walking by the blur of caramel-colored hair that her sleep-deprived brain could process. The uniform resting on this blur was much neater, though not so that it could be mistaken as pristine. "You're like... way too happy to be here, y'know that? I mean, I get it, we're not freshmen anymore, but..."

"Maybe she's just bringing up the average." Short, mint green hair slid into the other side of Yui's peripheral vision. It was equally well kept as Yui's, in as much as it was as neat as one could manage in a hurry, and it hung a head shorter than the other girl's. "I think it's the coffee." The third uniform was clean enough. No signs of trouble to disrupt the cleanliness, but as far from perfect as her friend's..

The blond girl, Midori Shirahara, put her hands on her hips and gave an exaggerated pout. "Hey! I don't drink coffee before school anymore. Don't blame me for waking up on time, Alice."

"I think I can blame anyone for wakin' up at all these days," Yui muttered through a yawn. Before Midori could retort, Yui turned to the other girl and changed the topic. "Hey, Alice, we still on for tonight?"

The girl on Yui's left, Alice Rinju, shook her head with a sigh of her own. "It's rehearsal, Yui. Everyone's 'on' for tonight. I'm not sure why you even asked."

"Even the new chick? I mean, sure, she killed it at the audition, and even has her own bass. But I don't remember any of us like, tellin' her where I live, or where we practice. Doesn't help that she's a year behind us."

Alice poked Yui's shoulder, her emerald eyes showing a more serious expression. "We took care of it. If you'd stop sleeping every day away, you'd be aware of what was going on around you."

"All the more reason to stay asleep, babe." With a dismissive chuckle and a smug smirk, Yui slipped into the classroom, Alice and Midori following behind her.

The overcast sky made Mitakihara feel just as morose as ever. The wind was calm, yet it seemed to blow around Hanako Sasaki, as if she were not there. Long, blonde hair, completely straight and neat hung perfectly down along her back. Her uniform was straight, clean, impeccably kept, just shy of pristine. Standing right at the front door to Mitakihara High, the girl hesitated. She would sigh, a ritual complete just like every day before this, before opening the door to head inside.

Hanako's locker was as tidy as her outward appearance, with nothing personal or vain to speak of. Just the average school supplies expected of any first year high school student. Hanako's perfect silence was broken with a quiet, yet equally deafening in tone clearing of the throat. "Hanako."

"...Good morning, Koharu." Hanako's voice was soft, yet virtually lifeless. Her greeting was sincere, however.

"Your article." As Hanako's locker closed, Koharu Shirahara's messy brown hair and pointed, yet dull, mahogany gaze gave Hanako pause. She knew better than to waste time when Koharu meant business, and handed over a perfectly neat stack of papers. Koharu wasted no time at all thumbing through them, skimming the typed words with an expressionless nod, much more swiftly than anyone else would have been able to read with any sense of comprehension. “This will do."

That was as close to a 'thank you' as Hanako could expect from Koharu, though she didn't hold it against her. This was just how Koharu was, and Hanako had learned to accept this some time ago. "Did... Shinju give you her article?"

"She did. I was waiting on yours to finish the paper before Friday's deadline." Koharu stuffed Hanako's contribution to the school's newspaper in a folder, haphazardly organized, yet a chaotic enough language in which Koharu was fluent. She turned away, taking a few steps before pausing. "Ah, there's no meeting tonight. Shinju said something 'came up'."

"...Probably that... that band she joined last week," Hanako said, just above a whisper, yet enough that Koharu could still hear.

"I don't get what she sees in those girls. It's not some ploy to appeal to her upperclassmen." Koharu's tone was equal parts scorn and academic curiosity, as if trying to study their friend's behavior at the same time.

Hanako sighed, closing her eyes as she made her way to Koharu's right side, the pair beginning to walk towards their classroom. "She... seems to genuinely enjoy herself. I've... I've never seen someone so joyous in something so mundane as..."

"You just don't like the noise," Koharu replied matter-of-factly. It was true, of course, Hanako had problems with any form of loud noise. Her sensory vulnerability, however, there seemed to be something else bothering her. She couldn't put her finger on it, so she let it go, though it would often linger in the back of her mind, contributing to the veil of fog clouding her mind. "It isn't getting in our way, so she can do whatever she wants."

The rest of the walk towards class was silent. Seconds felt like minutes on days like this, and minutes were as hours. It was a chipper voice that would shatter Hanako's perfect silence. “Yo! Hanako, Koharu, there you are! Class is about to start, and I was worried you two'd finally keep that threat of ditching!” Her greeting was followed by a relieved, yet bright laugh. Hanako seemed to snap from her trance, catching sight of the voice's source. Deep blue hair, about as straight as Hanako's though not as long and nowhere near as neat lay across her back, strands resting casually over her shoulders. Her uniform was kept with the neatness of a soldier's, yet her stance was much more relaxed. Her eyes shone with optimism, seeming to make up for the other two.

“...Good morning, Shinju.” Hanako's reply was as lifeless and toneless as her greeting to Koharu. She would give a slight nod in acknowledgment, and the trio made their way into the classroom.

“You still feeling down, eh Hanako?”, Shinju finally said, once the girls were in their seats. “Psst... I'll bring some fresh pics of Kinu tomorrow.”

Hanako jumped in her seat, as if to mask her anticipation of seeing Shinju Hayama's pet chinchilla. “...A-As you wish,” she meekly replied, to a triumphant grin on Shinju's face. Hanako would hide her own little smile in an open textbook as the bell finally rang, the school day finally starting.

Unlike the start of the day, Yui was energetic as she left the school grounds. Practically the first out, and without the company of her friends, she would make her way away from the school. The surrounding neighborhood, nice as it was, didn't suit Yui, and she didn't feel comfortable until she spotted a familiar pothole in the road. The crumbling infrastructure an invisible barrier between the 'good' part of town, and Yui's home. Tonight, however, Yui was not directly homeward bound.

Taking a turn down an alleyway, Yui ducked down under a fire escape between two trash cans. Pulling a small object out of her pocket, gripped in her fist, Yui took a slow, deep breath. “Yeah, I can feel it, alright. Heh... bold one, comin' so close to my turf like that. Better put up one hell of a fight and make it worth my time.”

A flash of violet light enveloped Yui's body, and when it faded, Yui was no longer wearing a normal high school girl's uniform. Her shoes were replaced with long, black combat boots, coming up to just under her knees. She was still clad in a skirt, but it was purple, with black squares forming an uneven, unpatterened checkerboard formation. Her blouse was replaced with a black top, short sleeves covering her shoulders, and matching black, leather, fingerless gloves on her hands, silver plates along her knuckles. The bands tying her hair equally changed; plain black wraps replaced with vibrant, violet ties. Lastly, on her wrist, an ornate amethyst bracelet sat, tight enough to stay, yet loose enough for Yui to move with ease.

A smirk lit her face as she strode swiftly down the alley, then along another. Her gaze was fixed, as if she were a wolf sniffing out its prey. Following the alleys one after another, she came upon a dead end. A lone, brick wall, and no way out aside the way she came. “Found you. Well then,” Yui said, cracking her knuckles, then her neck, rolling her shoulders and bouncing on the balls of her feet a bit, “...let's dance.”

Hanako was sitting on the edge of her bed, still in her uniform. Her bed was still neat and perfectly made. Lime green comforter resting on plain white sheets, two pillows in matching green cases. Beside her sat a small, white, feline-like creature, its bushy tail swishing curiously behind it. Its beady eyes gazing up at Hanako, their color matching the scarlet ring on its back. Its mouth didn't move as a light voice broke the silence. “So? Have you decided yet, Hanako Sasaki?”

“...I haven't yet, Kyubey. ...I'm sorry.” Hanako's hands were folded in her lap, eyes staring down at nothing in particular. “I'm... not much of a fighter, as I told you before... though ignoring the plight of those around me is...”

“Don't overthink it, Hanako.” Kyubey's voice was soothing and calm, though it continued to sit beside her, unmoving. “It's not an easy choice to make. But as you said, it would not be wise to ignore the suffering in Mitakihara. And not everyone has the potential to become a Magical Girl.”

Hanako closed her eyes, a soft sigh escaping. “I do not see this... 'potential' you see in me, even after all these meetings. ...Even... Even Koharu and Shinju claim to see something in me. Mother and Father have said much the same ever since I was a child. But... I cannot.”

“Don't forget that friend you made in that little game your doctor told you to try!”

“...Ueno? Ah... I haven't... heard from her in some time...” Hanako shuffled uncomfortably at the thought of the radio silence. She had stopped playing the game after a week or so after Ueno had. The two had sent a few fleeting messages back and forth, but after that, things had become quiet.

“My point stands. You are not alone, even if you feel like the whole world is against you. Even if you can't see your own worth, those around you definitely can!”

“I'll... remember that. ...I'll try to remember that, Kyubey. But even if I agree... I cannot decide on a wish so easily. I only get the one, right? And... well, to waste it would be... a terrible thing.”

Kyubey placed a paw on Hanako's knee in an attempt at a reassuring gesture. “This is true. I cannot make any suggestions, either. Though, the obvious one is still there—”

“I cannot wish my... condition away,” Hanako interjected with a rare fierceness. “I... I will overcome it, or it will be the end of me. But I cannot wish it away with magic.” Hanako sighed, laying flat on her back, staring at the ceiling instead of the floor. “It would... be far too easy, given how much time and money Mother has wasted on treatment... All those doctors, those medications... those therapy sessions... I cannot put that to waste.”

“Well, I'll give you more time to think about it. The threat of Witches in Mitakihara is ever growing, but even in my world, you would not be alone! So don't rush, okay? And don't stress yourself out, either.”

“...Thank you, Kyubey.” Hanako flopped back onto her bed, staring blankly up at the ceiling.

Right outside the front door to her apartment, Yui's transformation would fade in an instant, leaving her in her school uniform again. The sun had long since set, and Yui only stopped twirling a drumstick between her fingers to pull out the keys to her home. Letting herself inside, the sounds of a televised sports game filled the room, only matched in thickness as the cigar smoke. Yui didn't flinch at all. “Yo, Pops.”

“Eh? Back from practice already? Damn kid, never gonna go pro goin' easy on yourselves like that.”

Yui made her way to the tiny kitchen, reaching into the fridge to pull out a can of soda. “Not my fault the law makes me go to school every day. In a couple years, I'll make sure to keep us up all night makin' sure our music sounds good.”

The old man looked up from his torn armchair with a smug smirk. “Damn well better, kid. I didn't raise no half-assed brat. Now grab me a beer, will ya?”

Rolling her eyes, she reached in for a second can, dark gold in color, and tossed it in her grandfather's direction. Hearing the pop of the can opening moments later without looking, Yui opened her own, satisfied that her aim hadn't diminished either. “Hey, when do I get one of those, anyway?”

“A beer? Are you stupid? You're sixteen, kid. I ain't goin' to jail over something like that.”

“You know I can just take one whenever I want, right, Pops?”

“No, I don't, and if you wanna keep us under this goddamn apartment roof, you'll stop tippin' your hand. Dumbass...”

Yui sighed, taking a big swig of her soda. “Well, you know where I'll be.” A dismissive wave from her grandfather, and Yui returned to her bedroom. Her room was, as expected, a complete mess. Clothing was piled chaotically around her bed, which lay messy and disheveled. Posters of various bands, professional and independent rested crooked along the walls. The only care put into the appearance of the room was a small, pink rabbit plush sitting against Yui's pillow. It was stitched together, repaired repeatedly from years of love and care, and its empty, black eyes 'stared' up at Yui, who dramatically sighed down at it before flopping face first onto her bed.

“God damn, Sabby... you would not believe the day I had.”