Out of Time (A Puella Magi Fanfiction)

III

Manami Sakamoto.

One of the first people Gin had met in her first week in Mitakihara. It was odd to see a ten year old-girl running around by herself at the time, only for Gin to discover she had no one to rely on aside from her guts. It wasn't until a week later she found out Manami was a magical girl and had been for a year. She never got the chance to ask the younger girl what her deal was as she thought it would be too rude to ask- Manami's bark was worse than her bite at times.

She was always a small girl with a loud mouth on her, and she had her reasons for it that Gin eventually learned after several timelines. It made Gin laugh at just the thought of how much Manami despised her before they became friends.

Gin tucked a stray hair behind her ear, somberly smiling before she took another sip of her tea. Oh, what she would do to get that girl back. Yet, that was currently impossible. Manami had said it herself that one day.

"I'm a tough girl. I know that we're similar enough, ya know? It pisses me off, but I'm glad to call ya my friend, Gin. But, I wanted to ask for a favor from ya." Manami had turned to face her, any sense of that childish she wore on her face gone to express the seriousness of the matter.

Gin was confused, but couldn't deny the girl a simple request. After all, it had taken a while for Manami to even ask her for favors, and even when she did, it was rare.

"Go ahead, Sakamoto. I can't entirely promise that I can fulfill it, but I can at least listen." If it was in her power, Gin would do whatever she requested. They were friends after all.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Then..." Manami paused to keep her composure, taking a deep breath and exhaling it before finally delivering the words that would crush Gin.

"If I die in any timeline, don't rewind time just for me. I'm not special, you know? If any of the others have a chance at living and I've already passed, just remember me. That's all I ask. It hurts for me to even ask, but without that damned Incubator, I wouldn't even be alive anyway."

"Manami..."

"Switching to my given name, huh? That shocking?"

"S-sorry. You just caught me off guard..."

"Figured. Can ya do it?" Manami held out her hand towards Gin, her pinky finger pointing outwards. Gin cautiously took the girl's pinky with her own, sealing the pinky promise that Manami still found to be a sign of trust. She was only twelve after all, Gin couldn't blame her for anything childish.

"I promise." Gin held back any tears, trying to keep on her persona of the stoic magical girl who looked after her juniors. Manami smiled, pulling her hand away and yawning loudly.

"Great! That settles things. Now we can talk like adults!" Manami bellowed, sitting up in her seat.

Gin was always so confused by how much this girl's mood changed in the blink of an eye, but she couldn't help but let out her own laugh.

"Got ya laughin' now, huh?" Manami grinned and rested her hand on her chin. "Anyway, Gin, I know you're like me."

Gin raised an eyebrow, crossing her hands in front of her and leaning forwards. "Like you? What do you mean?"

Manami sighed and clicked her tongue a few times. "Have ya really never noticed?"

"Noticed what?"

"Oh, you're helpless then. That's somethin' ya figure out on your own- eventually anyway. Even I can't help ya with that."

"Then why even bother comparing the two of us?"