onepassingnight | Candyland?

Heavy footfalls resounded through the halls of the Fortress of Solitude, the cavernous halls of the building magnifying the sound. They sped up as Superman felt something was just a bit off, and when he entered the main hall he stopped and stared. The gigantic memorial of Krypton, supported by statues of Jor-El and Lara, his long dead parents, had been replaced…

By a gigantic jawbreaker being held aloft by peanut brittle likenesses of his parents.

“What,” he all but shouted, looking around the room for intruders. And it was then that it hit him. It wasn’t just the memorial, it was the entire fortress. The ice caverns had mysteriously changed into translucent rock candy, the chairs were constructed entirely out of solid peppermint, and there were boxes upon boxes of sweets of all shapes and sizes all over the floor, stacked neatly into every open space.

“…What’s going on here?”

He had to be dreaming. There really couldn’t be any other explanation, but then again maybe Mr. Mxyzptlk was up to his old tricks…

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A part of her found it strange that, even seeing this much of her, he treated her so normally. Homura supposed it was due to Superman's own powers. It was... a nice feeling, she had to admit to herself; soothing, to be treated frankly.

"I have my reasons for my actions and decisions," she said mildly, which was as near as she came to saying she appreciated his willingness to accept that.

"Doesn't everyone?"

Still, that drew a wider smile from him.

In her experience? Unfortunately, no. "There are people who are rash and empty-headed, and who begin fights for no purpose."

She has described herself as an enemy to that type - a pointed message to Kyouko at the time. Anything less than careful stepping in her world tends to have consequences.

"There are. Those are the sorts that usually get hurt for no reason, too."

"When that happens, they have only themselves to blame for their predicament," Homura washes her hands of responsibility. "Especially," she adds, "if they have already been warned to change their ways."

"I agree," he nodded, thinking of Conner and Kara. "Headstrong youth, in particular. The ones out to prove themselves."

Japan's coming into view now, so they start to descend.

She thought of Sayaka and Kyouko, hot-tempered magical girls who'd clashed from the moment they met - and ignored her warnings to stay apart and her ultimatum for Kyouko to refrain from moving against Sayaka.

So Homura had stepped into their fight, until an emergency had made them put all that aside. They'd been like Clark said: out to prove themselves against each other.

Her hold tightens, little enough to barely be noticeable, as they begin the descent.

"I will not allow hot tempers to bring harm to what I want to protect," she said simply.

He felt her grip and squeezed back gently, offering what security he could. She wouldn't fall on his watch. Her words, though, touched him. The subject reminded him of plenty of the younger generation of heroes, though her own attitude struck him as more like their elders.

"A good way to look at it, Homura. Better than letting them stomp all over you."

It wasn't anything quite that noble. What she wanted to protect most was simply Madoka. Protecting the rest had been an outgrowth of that.

And those rash arguments had hurt Madoka. Thus, she had put an end to them.

"It is simply the decision I've made," she says.

"Doesn't make it any less of a good one," he replied quickly as he descended further.

"Which prefecture again?"

"Mitakihara." It was a bit out of the way, but a thriving enough city with plenty of commerce and trade and a hefty enough population.

"Alright, not much farther. Just point me towards your house."

Wooosh!

"The park will be close enough." There's a moderate sized park in view by now, which makes a good landmark.

"Alright," Superman said as he swooped down and landed with a soft crunch on the pavement. After setting Homura down on the darkened path he started looking around approvingly. The entire journey had taken less than ten minutes.

"Seems like a nice place, Homura. What's it known for?"

"It is known as place where many strange incidents have taken place." Mostly mysterious suicides and murders, which a magical girl would know for a witch's doing.

It is a place where, now, fighting continues on, this time with different foes attacking humanity from the sides and shadows.

"What sort?" was all he could think to say.

"Unsolved disappearances, and murders or suicides." Most young girls would probably not name these events so calmly.

And part of Homura doesn't, either. They are regrettable incidents that she prevents in the instances she can prevent them.

"However, these have lessened in number lately." The threats now are different.

"And I'm going to guess you've got something to do with that, Homura."

It wasn't a question, it was a statement. She'd talked about protecting people, and having powers. This was the logical conclusion.

She disclaimed the credit. It was Madoka that had saved them all, and made this new start possible. And Homura... wouldn't be fighting at all without her.

"There was someone else, someone precious, who gave everything in order to create that chance."

"Ah, a friend," he nodded. "You know, if you ever need help with something..." He trailed off, knowing she could figure it out.

Her only friend. Perhaps that wasn't entirely true anymore - she'd grown closer to the others after fighting with them for awhile - but Madoka would always be special.

"Thank you." she was unused to accepting help like Superman's offer, but she would keep any refusals for the future. The gesture... was not unappreciated.

"Of course. Helping people is what I do, Homura."

"That is an act which may lead to trouble for you, and end in you being hurt," Homura points out. Besides that, she knows very well that all help comes with a price - even regardless of source or intention. The world does not reward virtue.

"And? Homura, it's just what I do. Anything less would be wrong."

"That type of thinking may be called noble," Homura persists, with that same bland tone, "However, it also leads to mistakes and misfortune. There is no reward for it."

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themanoftomorrow - 2012-11-24 07:57 (UTC) - Expand

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