Sayaka had been out a little too late, attending a kendo club tournament..Of course she hadnt won anything, seeing as her mind was too occupied lately. Plus, she'd been so out of shape, having missed so many practices. It was quite disappointing really, especially as she ended up all black and blue..And nothing to prove for it all..
Which leaves Sayaka feeling pretty down as she makes her way to the bus stop..But this late at night, buses are few and far between, and a screech of tires, and flash of headlights indicates that she just missed the latest bus.
"Aah, great!" She mutters aloud, "Fourty-five minutes til the next bus." Might as well walk it. But brr, so chilly tonight!
Apatite had been watching Sayaka. This is something she does, from time to time. Even she doesn't really know why- she can't remember anything from before her service to Queen Beryl began. Not specific events, and for the most part, not people. But she remembers Sayaka.
She doesn't know why she remembers, or why she cares, but she does. And when she finds herself mentally troubled, she will seek out Sayaka and watch her from a distance, as if to make sure the blue-haired girl is still ok. It makes her feel better, although she never approaches, tries not to be seen.
Today though, maybe she's a little too slow. Maybe she hesitated just a moment. But for whatever reason, Sayaka may catch a glimpse of a red-haired figure just up past the bus-stop, vanishing behind a small row of bushes as she approaches.
Sayaka tries to remember the way home from here. She's never taken this route before to get home, as the dojo had recently changed locations. It's a little scary, being on an unfamiliar road in the middle of the night.
But wait, what is that, up ahead? She catches a glimpse of familiar red hair..Could it be...? "Kyou-chan? Is that you!?" she calls out to the shadows, but remembering what Mamoru-san warned her, about what had happened to her, she catches her breath before she can call the second time and instead begins to take off in the direction she last saw the flash of red.
Apatite should probably have just left- vanishing like she had before, returning to the Dark Kingdom. But she heard Sayaka call out.. calling her Kyou-chan. She didn't remember that name. It was meaningless to her. And yet.. she hesitates, pausing.
Just long enough, it turns out, for Sayaka to get around the bushes and find her standing there. Her back is still to Sayaka, and although her outfit, a long white coat with red straps and a white skirt, black leggings, and white boots, would be unfamiliar, there's no doubt its her.
She stiffens when she realizes she's been caught, and then turns her head just enough to look back over her shoulder at Sayaka, her red eye gleaming in the moonlight. "I don't know any Kyou-chan." She says, while feeling in her heart its a lie.
Hmmm, the outfit's different, but the body shape, her movements..the hair..They're all give aways. Sayaka holds her breath as she watches her, feeling awash in a mixture of confused emotions. Relief, confusion...Even fear. Will she recognize her if she turns to face her? Mamoru had said that she had been...Brainwashed, or something. Would she even recognize Sayaka?
When the red-head finally does glance over her shoulder, Sayaka's gaze softens, "Kyouko! It's really you! Don't you remember who you are? Or who I am? It's me, Sayaka! We're friends!" She takes a cautious step towards Kyouko, her gaze softenning as she reaches out to try and grasp her shoulder gently, "I..I was so worried that something had happened to you..I missed you!"
Trying to peer at her features in the darkness, she seems somehow..Older, more mature. "What..Happened to you?"
Apatite doesn't move while Sayaka speaks to her.. doesn't give any sense that she is responding at all. Only when the blue-haired girl reaches out to grasp her shoulder does she respond, by whirling and using her own arm to knock Sayaka's away before her shoulder can be grasped.
"Don't touch me." She says, but her tone is flat- warning, not malicious. She's facing Sayaka now, and a frown is worn on her features.. her brows drawn together. There's confusion in her eyes, as if she's trying to remember something that keeps slipping away at the last second.
"Why do you keep calling me Kyouko? My name is Apatite. I.." She pauses. She was about to say, 'I don't know you', but even she recognizes this is a lie- she had come here to 'check on' Sayaka, after all. She just didn't know why, and doesn't know how to respond now that she's been caught at it.
"I.. I remember you." She says after a moment, her tone faltering. "But I don't know why I remember. I don't remember anything else from.. before." She's still frowning, but it's a pensive look now, as if she's more frustrated with herself than anything. Her body is tense, as if she might just try to flee again at any moment.
Sayaka gasps as her arm is knocked away, which causes her to stumble back a few steps. "Kyou-chan!" she shakes her head in confusion as she warns her. "But...Apatite? Where on earth did you get that name from? Tell me..Who did this to you..And why?"
Does she even remember who Sayaka is? At first Kyouko seems to hesitate, but then she responds. Sayaka breathes a sigh of relief, smiling happily, "You DO remember! Then there's still a part of you that remembers who you really are, that knows the truth! Kyou-chan, whoever did this to you, they must have..Brainwashed you, or something! Do you remember anything else from before?"
She cautiously takes a step towards Kyouko, but pauses when the red-head freezes, looking like she may flee at any minute. No, cant crowd her, cant startle her. "I'm sorry. I wont hurt you, I promise. I only want to help you, remember who you are! Your name is Kyouko Sakura, you were once a Puella Magi, fighting on the side of good, taking down witches! You saved my life a few times, and you probably saved countless other lives!"
Sayaka feels bad that she didn't know Kyouko as well as she would have liked. IS she really the right person to be saying these things?
I don't.." Apatite hesitates again, not sure what she wants to say. She really /doesn't/ remember- she doesn't remember being Kyouko Sakura, or fighting Witches. She doesn't remember anything she did with Sayaka, or why she cares about Sayaka. But she does care, and she can't deny that, and that's the only reason she isn't summoning her spear and stabbing the girl, or running away.
"I serve Queen Beryl, of the Dark Kingdom." She says, as if trying to convince herself. "That's all I know. It's all I need to know. That's my purpose. Anything that happened before.. doesn't matter anymore."
She pauses again, taking one backwards step, away from Sayaka. "I do know one thing though- I've never been in the business of saving lives." There's a hint of sadness in her voice as she says this. She remembers.. regret. Even before, she wasn't a nice person, and she knows that. Even if Sayaka doesn't.
"I see.." Sayaka frowns, "So, who is Queen Beryl and why do you serve her? Do you do so blindly, willingly, or is she holding you against your will? Just remember, Kyouko, you have a choice, you can be her slave...Or you can choose freedom. I dont know what this..Queen Beryl makes you do, but I hear she made you stab Sailormoon..Tell me, can you truly say, in your heart, that that was the *right* thing to do? did it not make you feel empty and sad?"
She senses a sadness in Kyouko's voice and it tears at her heart. What did they DO to her? "Kyouko..What is the one thing you truly want out of life? Do you really think that Queen Beryl can give that to you?" As she speaks, Sayaka clutches a fist to her own heart, eyeing Kyouko nervously as she takes another step back. Sayaka however, doesn't move from her position, not wanting to alarm or threaten her in any way.
"I serve Queen Beryl because I am one of her Generals." Apatite says, and now her face does take on an angry cast. She's not really angry at Sayaka, she's angry at herself, at her inability to come up with good answers to the blue-haired girl's questions, but it makes her snap, "Stop calling me Kyouko! My name is Apatite! The enemies of the Dark Kingdom are my enemies! Of course serving the Kingdom is the right thing to do! It's who I am!"
"What I want.." She hesitates again, her anger fleeing her suddenly, as she turns her head, long ponytail swaying in the air as she avoids looking towards the girl standing in front of her. "It doesn't matter what I want. It never has." That's an odd thing to say, especially if she doesn't remember. She looks back after a moment. "Look- I don't remember who you are. I just remember that it's important to me that you're safe. So you should stay away from me. I'm not safe." She's wearing a serious, determined look on her face now. Although she doesn't remember it, this is an unconscious echo of the same thing she said to Sayaka the last time they spoke, at the concert.
"One of her..Generals?" Sayaka frowns. What does that mean? So..This Queen Beryl is going to war then..Against the magical girls of Tokyo? Or..She shakes her head. Sayaka is so annoyed right now that she'd really like to slap some sense into Kyouko, but now would probably be a bad time to do so..
"Then answer me this. Who am I, and why do you remember me...Why do you want to keep me safe? Is that what you want? Well, let me tell you something. I only ever wanted you to be happy, so..I'll only stay away, if that will make you happy.."
Her lip quivers a bit as she speaks, her eyes getting a little watery. Is this what it feels like when your heart is breaking? But why would her heart be breaking? how confusing..Sayaka suddenly feels so very...Sad when she makes that promise.
Apatite looks confused again. She wants Sayaka to be safe... but she also wants to be near Sayaka. She doesn't want Sayaka to stay away. But she doesn't know why she feels that way and.. the lack of knowledge is confusing. It's like knowing someone is your sister, your friend, or something more, but not remembering ever meeting them before. It doesn't make any sense to her!
"I.. I don't.." She says, hesitating, a look of frustration crossing her face. After a moment, she suddenly snaps into motion. Without really thinking about what she's doing ,she steps forward.. and folds Sayaka into a hug. She wraps her arms around the blue-haired girl and holds her close for just a moment, warm and comforting and definitely still alive, her heart beating.
"I'm sorry," She whispers into Sayaka's ear. "Please.. don't hate me for what I have to do." And then she's pulling away again, quickly, turning to start to stride away with a determined, quick stride. Sayaka may have a chance to respond, but if it isn't quick she'll be out of sight once again.
Sayaka closes her eyes for a brief moment, wondering if this is goodbye..But then suddenly, Kyouko has her in a warm, heartfelt hug. "Ky..Kyouko..?" Now it's her turn to be confused. Is her memory coming back..Or is she just saying goodbye? For a brief moment, Sayaka returns the hug, wrapping her arms around her tightly, not wanting to let her go.
Then suddenly Kyouko pulls away, getting ready to leave. "Kyouko..Wait! At least, promise me one thing..Don't ever forget who you truly are! I know this isn't the real you..And I promise you, there is a way, you can be happy and free! I...Wont forget you either..And I could never hate you. I WILL find a way to free you!"
"I'm afraid.. you wouldn't like the real me." Are the last words Apatite utters, her tone so very sad, before she simply vanishes, swallowed by a wall of shadows that transport her back to the Dark Kingdom.
But she won't forget Sayaka's words. And strangely, they make her feel better.