Origin: How I Became A Magical Girl’s Hapless Sidekick In A Craptastic World

As the sun peeked through my window, I stretched and yawned, feeling slightly disoriented. It took me a moment to remember where I was, and the events of the past few days flooded back into my mind. I sat up in bed, rubbing my eyes and taking a deep breath.

Today was the day we returned to school. It felt surreal, almost as if nothing had changed, even though everything had.

I got dressed and cleaned up and headed downstairs to see Talia already up, making breakfast. She smiled sadly at me as I walked into the kitchen, and the smell of bacon and eggs filled the air.

"Good morning," she said, handing me a plate with a frown.

"Mrow?" Kuromaru meowed from his spot on the kitchen counter, looking up at me with his big, blue eyes. I scratched his head, feeling grateful for his comforting presence.

We ate breakfast in silence, lost in our own thoughts. The past few days' events left us both feeling numb and uncertain. But we couldn't let that stop us from moving forward.

"Any word from the others?" I asked, breaking the silence.

Talia shook her head. "No. I've been checking my phone, but nothing so far. I'm really worried about them."

Dior, Morada, and Ranjika were powerful magical girls, but even they were not invincible. The thought of them being in danger was unsettling, but we had to trust that they could handle themselves.

"We'll hear from them soon, I'm sure," I tried to reassure her, even though I wasn't entirely convinced myself.

After breakfast, we packed our bags and entered the metro system. Talia and Midori cared about each other, and the thought of Midori being in danger made my heart ache. We had to find her and Izumi, no matter what it took.

We got off together at the usual spot — the small island of St. Antonia. The prestigious school loomed ahead of us, a reminder of the normalcy we had left behind to help out across the portal. We walked through the gates and into the courtyard, feeling out of place and disjointed.

Students were milling about everywhere, chatting and laughing as if nothing had changed. But everything had changed. Talia and I went our separate ways, heading to our different classes. I tried to focus on my studies, but my mind kept drifting off. The events of the past few days had left me emotionally drained.

Our midterm results had come in, and as usual, I had straight As despite my 'extracurriculars' this term. But the grades didn't seem to matter much anymore. The world outside was in chaos, and I couldn't help but wonder what the point of all this was. Why study and work hard when everything could be taken away in an instant?

My hands ran along the crinkled pages of my history textbook, the words blurring together as I stared at them absentmindedly. The usual murmur of the class was a muted echo in my ears, a muffled soundtrack to my spiraling thoughts. When the bell finally rang, I packed my books and left, feeling like a ghost navigating through the lively chaos of my peers.

The hallway was a cacophony of sounds — laughter, chatter, the clatter of lockers. It seemed like a different world from where I had been a week ago, battling otherworldly creatures in fantastical realms. I navigated the crowded hallway, focusing not on where I was going but on Midori, Dior, Morada, and Ranjika.

Were they okay?

As I turned a corner, the noise in the hallway seemed to abruptly hush, like the stifling silence before a storm. I blinked, taken aback by the sudden shift in the atmosphere.

The hallways, usually filled with the symphony of teenage chatter and laughter, were unusually quiet. A chill ran up my spine as my gaze fell upon a huddled group of girls, their snide whispers echoing ominously.

In the middle of this harsh congregation was a figure I knew all too well. Natasha. Her beautiful, onyx-black curls were in disarray, cascading over her trembling shoulders, and the vibrant green of her eyes had dulled, now looking a sickly olive against the pallor of her face. I'd seen her sad, but I'd never seen her looking this... broken. Her typically sparkling green eyes had lost their shine, now mirroring a deep well of despair.

"Maybe if you weren't so pathetic, you'd actually have some friends, Natasha," one girl hissed, her voice like the crack of a whip.

"Does anyone even remember why she's here? I mean, what's her purpose?" another chimed in, her cruel laughter bouncing off the lockers.

A third girl grabbed a handful of Natasha's curls, tugging it roughly. "This mop looks like a rodent's nest. Ever heard of a comb, Rat-asha?"

The harsh words stung, even as an onlooker. Each was a direct hit meant to knock her down and shatter her.

"Look at poor, pathetic Natasha," one girl sneered, her voice echoing down the unnervingly silent hallway. "Always looking like she's about to cry. What's the matter, scared you'll mess up your half-assed makeup?"

"Or maybe she's just worried she'll trip over her own two feet. Again," another girl chimed in, stumbling over nothing in an exaggerated mimicry of clumsiness. Their laughter rang out, a chilling sound that bounced off the walls and reverberated through the hall.

Another girl stepped forward, a nasty grin spreading across her face as she roughly yanked one of Natasha's curls and slammed her into a locker. "You should cut this mop off, it might help you look less like a lost, homely puppy," she said, setting off another round of malicious laughter.

As I pushed through the tormenting crowd, their laughter faded into surprised silence. I stood next to Natasha, and as she lifted her tear-streaked face, her eyes met mine. Her already pale face lost whatever color was left, her lips parting in a silent cry. She looked at me, her green eyes filled with so much sorrow and guilt that it was unbearable. It was like watching her crumble right before my eyes.

"Nat?" I whispered, the nickname slipping out before I could even think about it.

"I'm sorry..." she whispered.

One of the girls stepped forward, smirking as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, well, well. Look who we have here. The savior of all the losers," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

My eyes widened as, out of all the people who could have appeared at this moment, Carrie pushed through the crowd. The heiress's icy purple eyes scanned the group of girls, her expression unreadable.

"What's going on here?" she asked her tone even.

The girls immediately straightened up, their expressions turning from cruel to sheepish. "Nothing, just having a little fun," one of them muttered. "Just like you always do with this piece of trash," another added, throwing a disdainful glance at Natasha.

A flash of guilt crossed Carrie's face, but it was quickly replaced by a cold, stern expression. "That's enough. I know I've been the queen bitch when it comes to Natasha, but she's off-limits. You hear me?"

"Off...limits?" Natasha trembled, staring at Carrie with pain and... something else etched into her features.

I could feel her body shaking, and I felt that she was on the verge of breaking down.

"Yes. Off limits. If anyone is going to give you shit, it's going to be me," Carrie said, her voice firm and commanding. "Now, all of you, get lost."

"Shut up..." Natasha whispered, her voice barely audible.

"What did you say?" Carrie asked, her tone sharp.

And then, like a dam bursting, Natasha finally snapped.

"I said. Shut. UP CARRIE!" Her voice reverberated down the silent hallway, her face hardening with resolve. The crowd, taken aback, fell silent. Her green eyes sparked to life, burning with a fierce defiance I had never seen before. "You don't get to play fake hero now, not after everything you've done."

Carrie's eyes widened in surprise as she took a step back. The other girls in the crowd shifted uneasily, sensing the change in the atmosphere.

"I have had it with all of you!" she continued, her voice shaking with emotion. "You think it's fun to bully someone? To make them feel like they're nothing? Well, I'm done with it! I am so. Done. With everything!"

Then, to my complete and utter shock, a golden wave of energy began to spill forth from Natasha's hands. It swirled around her, pulsing brighter and brighter until I had to shield my eyes from its blinding light. A haunting melody filled the hallway, ethereal and otherworldly. It was like nothing I had ever heard before, and it seemed to be coming from Natasha's very soul.

The girls looked on in horror, their faces paling as they tried to step back but found themselves rooted in place. Natasha's eyes blazed with an otherworldly power, her hair whipping around her face as the energy surged through her. The music grew louder, more intense, as the energy burst forth from her like a supernova, illuminating the entire hallway.

Carrie stepped forward, trembling slightly as she raised a hand to Natasha. "Natasha, please, this is too m-

"Oh, THIS is too much? FUCK YOU Carrie! FUCK YOU! I am so tired. You think I don't know I'm human garbage?! You think I don't know that I'm useless and pathetic? Well, I am! But at least I'm not a cold-hearted, two-faced bitch like you!" Natasha yelled, her voice rising with each word.

"Natasha —"

"No, Carrie, don't you fucking DARE say my name," Natasha spat, tears streaming down her cheeks, her entire body trembling with fury and pain. "You used to be my best friend, but then you turned your back on me. You were there when it all happened, and you know that I loved them too. That I never meant for them to die. I've carried the weight of your family's deaths for three years. "

Carrie's eyes widened in shock, her mouth gaping open as she stepped back from Natasha. The other girls in the hallway watched in stunned silence, their mouths agape, as the golden energy continued to swirl around Natasha's body. I could literally hear the regret and anguish emanating from Natasha's soul, the haunting music echoing her pain and sorrow.

"I never wanted any of this," Natasha continued, her voice barely above a whisper as she collapsed to the floor, the golden energy dissipating into nothingness. "But you all made sure that this is the only thing I have left. I never asked for this power, this curse! You think I wanted this life? You think I wanted to be a magical girl?! To fight on and on as everyone around me dies?!? To fail you and the people I love over and over again?"

"Natasha, I...I don't," Carrie whispered, her purple eyes filling with tears.

"I loved them, Carrie. I loved them so much that I would have given up anything for them! You never asked. You just assumed the worst. But it wasn't enough. It wasn't enough to save them," Natasha's voice broke, her eyes closing as she let out a heart-wrenching sob.

The golden energy flickered and intensified like it was feeding off her pain and grief.

Natasha's frantic, distraught eyes landed on me, her face softening for just a moment. "I never wanted to hurt you and fail either, Ikki, but I guess that's just another thing I screwed up."

I was an idiot. A blind, fucking idiot.

The pieces were clicking together for me faster than I could process. Natasha had always been different and always had a mysterious aura around her. But now, it all made sense. She was a magical girl, burdened with the weight of saving the world from unimaginable threats. And not just any girl.

This golden aura. This soul resonance effect. The music and golden light. It was unmistakable.

"Nat... I had no idea," I said softly, stepping towards her. "I'm so sorry. Please. Let's just take a deep breath and get some ramen. I don't blame you, Natasha. I... I..."

She stepped away, her hands clenched around the silver' muse locket' hanging from her neck. It shimmered, reflecting the golden energy enveloping her.

With a bitter laugh, she opened the locket, revealing an old, faded picture of a young Carrie and Natasha, their arms slung over each other's shoulders, both of them grinning at the camera in front of a gorgeous Asian woman.

Natasha's eyes filled with tears, and she brushed her thumb over the picture. Her hands began to tremble, and she looked at it for one last moment before closing it and clenching it tightly in her hand.

And with a swift motion, she crushed the locket in her hand, shattering it into pieces that fell to the ground. As the locket crumbled, the golden energy that was swirling around her began to fade until there was nothing left but an eerie silence.

"No more," she whispered, a finality to her tone. Her green eyes, usually so full of life when she was with me, were vacant, lost. "Celestial Sonata is no more. And neither am I."

In the echoing silence of the hallway, a single sob broke free.

Carrie fell to her knees, clutching at her chest as if physically pained, her gaze locked onto the destroyed locket. Tears streamed down her face, reflecting helpless despair. "Tasha..." She choked on her words, reaching out for Natasha.

But Natasha shook her head with a grim, resigned smile. "I'm sorry everyone," she said her voice barely above a whisper. "But I can't be the one to save the day anymore."

With that, she turned and walked away, leaving behind the wreckage of her locket and the shocked silence of her audience.

Her figure seemed small and fragile as she walked down the hallway, her steps echoing in the silence.

I rushed after her, my heart pounding in my chest. I didn't know what to say or how to fix this. I had never seen Natasha so broken, so defeated. I wanted to help her, to be there for her.

"Natasha!" I called out, my voice echoing down the hallway. "Wait up!"

She paused momentarily, her back still turning to me, and I could see her shoulders shaking slightly. Then, without a word, she vanished in a flash of pink.

I was left rooted to the spot, my mind racing. I'd just discovered that Natasha, someone I'd known and cared for, was a magical girl. More than that, she was one of the most powerful magical girls in the world. A symbol of hope.

And she had just renounced her powers.

But that didn't matter to me.

I sprinted down the hallway, my eyes trained on the spot where she'd been standing. I didn't know what I was going to do, but I knew one thing for sure.

I had to find her.