*
"... Sorry." (Lastia)
She looked a little conflicted, but only a little. Her brows stifled in confusion before settling into a more resolute state, betraying her thoughts. She was making a decision, whether to help remedy Sariel's pain, or not. From what she could gather, Sariel doesn't want Lastia to be a magical girl, because it was dangerous for her.
Sariel... Widened her eyes in surprise. She could feel her conjunctiva drying as her eyelids spasmed. 'She... Apologised? Why...? It's not her fault... It's mine...', her heart cried out. Would it not make more sense... To prioritise herself and her own desires? Would she simply give up being a magical girl to please her?
She opened her jaws, her tongue stayed in place and her breath escaped with an unending exhale. Her throat couldn't croak out a sound, she couldn't find the right words either. Her emotions felt like a mess that was mixed in a bowl. No, wait... There was something! Something she had to get out...
"You... You're curse... Is it real? You're supposed to forget everything... But you conveniently remember how to speak, what the words mean.
To wear clothes, to eat and drink to stay alive. To recognise us... Tell me, is your curse really real? Or just a contrived act... " (Sariel)
" What would I gain from it? Your coddling? Arin would do it regardless if I lost my memories or not, you... You're fine to do as you wish, I never asked for your help, just to live.
I... I think it's a hell that's barely kept away by a thin thread from crashing onto me. An emotional hell that threatens to crush my psyche and leave me insane or mentally crippled. Each and every Lastia could only hold on for so long, in a way losing my memories only after a day is a relief, the pain of living only goes on for this long.
But inevitably, we find meaning. Because life is more than just pain and dread. Because... You guys are here, here to fill me with abstract ideas, with hope, with amusement, with jubilation, with fun. Do you understand why I apologised? All of us... We would rather preserve this relationship we have with Arin and you than do anything else. Because you are proof of our existence, proof that what we go through isn't in vain. Proof that we have value.
So if anything bothers you, I can't afford to hesitate. You and Arin are the most valuable part of our lives. " (Lastia)
Flowers bloom under the moonlight, shattering the once aloof mirror. They bloom and bloom, leaving no room for regret or any other heavy feelings that weigh down the heart. Lastia's expression could only be described as pure gratitude, wide petals that bear all of its beauty. However, the mirror is silent. The tears that strick down Sariel's face flow down her cheeks and are lost to the night. She had prepared her heart for so much, yet she could do nothing but remain idle, as if her emotions had been drained out of her body.
"No... That's not allowed." (Arin)
From a massive distance away, a magical girl spoke while peeking from the roof of an immensely tall school building. The school buildings were practically all sky scrapers compared to the surrounding homes. The other 2 weren't even transformed, there wasn't a single chance they could hear her.
"Huh...? I... I see... I have to... " (Lastia)
"What...?" (Sariel)
She gazed at Lastia with confusion, something frigid grasped at her heart, something was amiss and she couldn't quite determine what it was. As if the air around Lastia had changed all at once. Strangely, Lastia's words felt like a reply to Arin's words. Even though she didn't hear Arin at all.
A warm light encapsulated Lastia before shattering into fragments. She transformed into a magical girl.
"... Don't kill her, she's important to both of us. Just beat her into submission... It shouldn't be hard at that range." (Arin)
"Alright. I see. Sorry Sariel...
This might be a mistake, but it's a mistake I'm willing to make. If I quit being a magical girl... I might lose the both of you.
The Traces are only growing stronger and more troublesome by the week. If I drop out now, you guys might die. I'm willing to sacrifice my relationships... If it means I can save the people I treasure the most. " (Lastia)
" Good. Good. If not my preparations would have all been for nothing. This was the expected reaction, defiance for your own selfish desires, this is the most natural state a person should be. " (Sariel)
She transforms as well, her tears have already dried. A firm grin fixed on her face. She remained quiet because she couldn't come to terms with her own decision. If Lastia was willing to compromise from the get go... It felt less like Sariel convinced her than Sariel simply forcing Lastia or controlling her like a pet. It was incredibly hard to swallow, as if she made another mistake she couldn't take back.
This might be better for her heart. Even if it was surprise after surprise, from willingly agreeing with Sariel to changing her mind on the spot for some inexplicable reason... Sariel only felt like she had just regained her calm. Perhaps the status quo was what her heart preferred the most.
"Have you finally noticed?" (Sariel)
"... It's hard not to, a faint partial moon has become a blinding full moon." (Lastia)
An absolute glow brighter than the sun plasters residential zone 2A. It's hard not to noticed. How did she do it? It was insane...
"When did you have enough magic to teleport the moon... I was wondering how it became night so quickly..." (Lastia)
"You lied. You have not forgotten everything. This sort of common sense should have been stricken from you by your curse." (Sariel)
"Along with my linguistics right? It doesn't make sense, but it looks like the curse can make up arbitrary partitions between 'categories' of memories.
It's selective. Don't expect it to make sense, it's just convenient enough for me to blend in with society. " (Lastia)
Selective... What if... Memory erasure has never happened. It was memory suppression, that would eliminate the risk of accidentally deleting important memory for survival, such as the skills learned to speak and communicate with others.
If memory is selectively suppressed, it can be selectively unsuppressed... Lastia didn't have photographic memory, she was just unlocking memories she already had.
"Looks like I got something new to write in my diary, but first I'll have to deal with you." (Lastia)
Just a couple minutes ago she conceded her right to be a magical girl. What was this defiance burning in her? Was it related to the curse? Even Lastia found it unnatural.