Work Text:
Homura looked up from her knees she had kept huddled close to her. The cave she sat in was almost deafeningly quiet besides the light echo of water droplets hitting the stone. She was used to silence. The silence of her home. The silence of the people when she walked into a room The silence of the audience before she performed in the old world. She didn’t really ever have much to say anyway.
“Who does she think she is?” Someone in her gymnastics group commented.
“Acting like she’s so much better than us. I mean what’s her deal?” Another one added,
Because she was better and she was tired of those below her in terms of strength having more say over her because of their status.
“She’s always so standoffish as well,” It was like they were all in little groups trying to make each other feel better about their failure.
Talking about her like she wasn’t right there to hear them. She preferred when they would be silent, but it seemed the only time that they shut up was when she outperformed them.
But this felt a bit different.
Like something was off in the air. (Or maybe it was just her because the other next to her seemed relaxed as always.)
Homura turned her head to look at the man in the cell across from her.
Maybe Hyoga would want to play a game…?
Homura didn’t know what game but something to fill the silence. Even a simple game of 20 questions would be ok with her.
“Hyo-,”
“No,” Hyoga replied as if he could read her mind.
“Right,” It was quick but Homura was just glad Hyoga replied.
Though now the silence was only more suffocating.
Hyoga was right. There was no need to keep a conversation going, and in any other circumstance, Homura would’ve been ok with the silence, welcome it maybe. But that wasn’t the case right now because they were no longer in the Tsukasa empire. They were in a jail cell after having lost to Senkuu and his crew and their betrayal against Tsukasa.
The hard rock floor gave little comfort and her only companion was the masked man to her left that didn’t seem too keen on talking. (Well less than usual.) Which stung Homura because it felt like there was something hanging over her head.
“Sorry,” Homura blurted into the echoey cave.
“I didn’t mean you had to apologize for it,” Hyoga corrected.
“Not what I meant,” Homura set her chin on her knees.
“Hmh?” Hyoga sounded, turning his head to face the pink haired woman.
“I meant about this,” Homura tried to explain. Felt like she was trying to figure it out as she spoke as well.
“Our situation you mean?” Hyoga raised a brow.
“Yeah,” Homura replied.
“I don't really see what you’re sorry for,” Hyoga pointed out.
Yeah- part of her knew this wasn’t really her fault, but the other part- “For not doing enough,” - still had some lingering regrets about how things played out. “I should have kept a better eye on them and made my way back to report faster,” Homura explained. “Not be taken down by Gen and his tricks,”
“No need to dwell on it,” Hyoga hummed.
“Yeah but-,” Homura felt like that answer wasn’t good enough.
“You followed my institutions as I told you. So thank you,” Hyoga bowed his head ever so slightly. “Loyalty like that is hard to find. Well, competent loyally that is,” He corrected himself.
“Still, there are plenty of things I could’ve done differently,” Homura replayed that moment they had lost in her head. She had just barely made it out of the forest when she saw it. Senkuu Bareilly reached out his finger and then the next Hyoga almost seized on the sand.
“Enough,” Hyoga stated. “Things like what-ifs aren’t useful to us now,” Hyoga looked back at the cave wall.
Homura gave a quick hum of acknowledgment. Hyoga was right and she knew that. They were dealing with the fallout of their plans failing.
Homura felt her face boil. She shut her eyes so tight the tears felt like they were burning her face as they ran down. All that effort they had put into their plan and how close they had gotten. She tried to hide her face further in her arms. Her fingernails basically digging into the palm of her hand.
We were so close to realizing Hyoga’s ideals.
Homura really wanted to see what the world would be like with Hyoga as the leader. A world where the strong were recognized as much and didn’t have to bend to the whims of those under them. That was Hyoga’s end goal in everything. Joining Tsukasa, burning down that village, setting off a bomb to destroy the very cave that gave her her life back. Homura wanted to help in any way she could because-
Hyoga glanced at Homura. “They aren’t useful now,” He reiterated. “Because we need to start with our next plan,” Hyoga stated. “With Senkuu now being the head of the combined empire of might at his village, we’re going to need a new strategy to defeat him,”
Homura noticed how he used the word “we” She looked up at her knees to make sure it was Hyoga saying these things.
“Goes without saying but your help will be crucial,” Hyoga continued. “We’ll try it again, and, and again if we have to,”
She wanted to argue. Ask why Hyoga would want her help still when she had messed up so many times before. Insist he deserved the strongest people to help him realize his goals. But staying by Hyoga to see his new world is what she wanted too.
Maybe it’s shellfish but I want to be there. I want to be the person that helps Hyoga achieve his goals.
“You’re right,” Homura choked down her tears. “As many times as it takes, I’ll be there to make sure your ideals come to fruition,” Homura declared.
As long as it takes.
“Good, because I’d prefer it be you helping me in all of this,” Hyoga replied, still looking at Homura as he spoke.
“I’d like that as well,” Homura smiled.
She moved her hand off her legs and laid it out on the ground and place it towards Hyoga.
“Then it seems it’s settled. Having regrets is pointless when we have plenty of time for a new plan,” Hyoga put his hand out as well.
They were separated by cells so they couldn't touch but it was as close as they could get and that was fine for now.