33: A Nightingale's Pain
Magical Girl: Nightingale.
That's the Magical Girl who I was looking for, a lady with a shadowy background and a set of skills that specialized solely on death.
And this Magical Girl over here certainly fit the bill.
Who would have imagined that a happy go lucky, naïve cat like me got the opportunity to partnered with a Magical Girl like her.
Her long violet hair flow beautifully with the wind, together with the black long sleeved hooded haori with red rose designs hanging on her back. She was equipped with a sleeveless black leather armor with a long skirt that reached her knees, and long pants and boots of the same color. Attached to her left waist are two weapons of Japanese origin, a katana, and a tanto, with their respective handles donning the black color as well.
Nightingales operated solely by their cold-blooded instinct, and if I approached her carelessly here in the middle of the battlefield, then I may as well be signing my death warrant. She may mistake me for a Diablus and accidentally kill me on the spot, as dictated by the adrenaline of battle.
Better play safe rather than be sorry. I placed myself at a comfortable and safe distance away from her while calling her, "Hey, Nightingale!!"
That caught her undivided attention, and she swiftly turned her piercing gaze right at me. She now looked confused for a moment with a questioning tone, "A Neko?"
When she approached me cautiously, her confusion slowly ceased with each step as she witnessed my lonesome figure.
"S-sensei? Nekowa sensei, is that you?" Ah, now she finally recognized, and it was quite touching for her to do so, despite the many years that we were separated.
"You looked like you've seen a ghost, Nightingale." I greeted her with a smile, "Really now, the first thing that came to your mind when coming back is slaughtering a bunch of Diabli instead of at least saying hi. That kind of stinged, you know."
"I… I'm very sorry, sensei." Nightingale genuinely looked apologetic, and now I felt bad in guilt tripping her, "It's just that, I came back for an important reason."
"More important than me?" I playfully teased her, "Nah, I jest. It's good to see you, Momoka."
It's rare for a Neko to call Magical Girls by their original names. It was customary to refer Magical Girls by their alias, as per tradition that has been going ever since they came to about.
More importantly, it was so that enemies won't discover the Magical Girl's true identity. The name calling was implemented as a way of constant practice, to ensure that referring a Magical Girl by their alias was going to be involuntary by nature, and for their overall safety of their private lives as well.
Of course, that's not to say that you can't refer a Magical Girl's original name in private. Such manner was mostly reserved for close friends, and even lovers.
And the relationship between myself and Momoka was of the former in case you are wondering.
The Nightingale Momoka returned the cat's smile with her own, but I could discern that it was kind of forced, "Likewise, sensei. I'm relieved that you're still the same after all these years."
"Hmm, maybe. It's been many years, after all." I answered in a cryptic manner, "Let's not talk about my boring self. So, what brings you back here?"
"Sensei." Momoka's demeanor quickly shifted to a dark turn, and Nekowa could feel the sorrow that permeates in her, "You… you remember, Daniel, yes?"
"Daniel? Ah, that is the name of your lover, if I'm not mistaken." I nodded, remembering a handsome foreign blonde man, "Why do you ask? Is he the reason you came back? Don't tell me… did he hurt you!?"
"No, nothing of the sort." Momoka dismissed my angered look, "Daniel, he was good to me, and we both loved each other dearly. Shortly after we arrived in the U.S., we got married and lived a happy life for many years. We also had two kids, Hanabi and Lukas. They both grew up and each of them also found their respective love of their lives, giving us one of the greatest gifts of life: having adorable grandchildren."
"I see." I said, wandering where this conversation was leading. Regardless, I was genuinely happy, and there is no greater joy in seeing one of my girls forging their paths fearlessly without any regrets, "I'm glad that you lived a good life."
"Yes, it was the happiest years of my life, together with my loving husband, children, and their partners and kids." Momoka smiled, but I could see clearly that she was in pain, with tears now falling from her eyes.
I do not like where this talk of ours is going. I pretty much knew that from her expression that things did not end well, and this story… never had a happy ending.
"Then, they came without warning." Momoka continued with a bitter voice, "It was during a Sunday morning of our usual family gathering. I was out in the market buying ingredients for dinner when all of a sudden, Diabli rebels invaded our town and slaughtered everyone they see. I… I was too late; I was not fast enough…. I."
I watched in silence at Momoka breaking down and crying amidst the corpses of the Diabli that she slain. It was a heartbreaking scene, one that I teared myself at. I approached her closely and patted her back in an attempt to comfort her, even if it was probably futile.
"Sweet Hanabi, my dear Lukas, my beloved, Daniel." Momoka gritted her teeth in sorrow, "When I arrived home, I find my family, all dead… slaughtered by those monsters. My grandchildren…. not even a year old. Even the poor babies were not spared by their wrath."
"Momoka…" I'm aware that she now has gone mad from her pain if she was telling me all this.
"Those monsters will pay, sensei." Cold rage took over Momoka as she stood up and held the handle of her sheathed katana on her waist. Her baleful eyes pierced right at me, with a look of pure murder in her face, "Their leader, I tracked the bastard down and he is hiding here in this town somewhere like the pathetic coward he is."
"So that is why you came back." I eyed her seriously, "For revenge."
"Naturally." Momoka responded aloofly, "I'm aware that you are against it, always romanticizing me and the other girls about honor and how we must be better than our enemies. I'm sorry that it has come to this, sensei. Please, if you do not wish to help, then at least, do not stand in my way."
I gave a deep sigh and closed my eyes for a moment to contemplate. Once upon a time, I always thought that love and honor will prevail despite the adversaries. The people looked up to the Magical Girls and it is our responsibility to be their role model, to guide the future generations to a better tomorrow.
And that train of naïve thinking led to one of my dear girl's deaths.
Never, never again.
Never shall I feel the sense of utter helplessness ever again. I need to be better, not in the sense of pathetic morality, but in facing the cruel reality of this world that we lived in.
With my newfound resolve, I gave Momoka my answer,
"Allow me to help, Nightingale."