This Book was originally planned to be a big multi-chapter thing involving intrigue and dark transformations and mind control and such, but I revised it and ended up starting from scratch. Sorry.
THE FOLLOWING THINGS ARE THE PROPERTIES OF THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS; I DO NOT OWN THEM AND MAKE NO MONEY OFF OF THIS STORY
Mahō Shōjo Lyrical Nanoha (Teana, various other characters) – 7Arcs
Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni (Shion and friends/family) – 07th Expansion and Studio Deen
Shuffle! (Kaede Fuyō and associated characters) – Navel and Asread
Erika's New Perfume (Marie, Sarah, Erika, Timmy, Veronica) – DeviantArtist 'Lance the Young'
Mai-chan's Daily Life (Mai, Kizuna) – Waita Uziga
Star Wars (Ahsoka, Cody, Rex, Force Unleashed cast) – George Lucas, Lucasfilm
Halo (Forerunners, UNSC, Sangheili Alliance) – Bungie, 343 Industries
StarCraft (multiple characters, events, and devices) – Blizzard Entertainment
Naruto (characters, techniques, abilities) – Masashi Kishimoto
Mahō Sensei Negima (characters, spells, abilities) – Ken Akamatsu
Kingdom Hearts (characters, weapons, enemies, concepts) – Square-Enix
Neon Genesis Evangelion (characters, concepts, tech) – Studio Gainax
Elfen Lied (Kaede K., others) – Lynn Okamoto, Arms
Red vs. Blue (The Blood-Gulch Crew, the ex-Freelancers) – Rooster Teeth
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic – Hasbro, Lauren Faust
MLP fanfic villain Checker Monarch – Fanfic author 'Kendell2', used with his permission
Transformers Film Series – Hasbro, Michael Bay
Transformers: Beast Wars – Hasbro, Mainframe Entertainment
Bishōjo Senshi Sailor Moon – Naoko Takeuchi
Digimon – Google and Wikipedia won't tell me who presently owns this franchise
Yu-Gi-Oh! – Kazuki Takahashi, Viz Media
Sonic the Hedgehog – SEGA
Gears of War – Epic Games
Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles – Columbia Tristar (I think)
Mass Effect – Bioware
Metroid – Nintendo
Puella Magi Madoka Magica – Gen Urobuchi, SHAFT
The Legend of Zelda – Nintendo
Tōhō - ZUN
PLEASE READ & REVIEW, AND TEND TO THE TROPE PAGES
-BOOK 24 START-
Starshot – Portside Rec Room
Four Days After End Of Book 23
Miyako Ishimura sighed contentedly as she and the six other members of 'Team Madoka' relaxed in the lounge after a few rounds of sim-training. Ever since finding and being brought into this little group, she had experienced so many things, met so many people, been so many places, and made such wonderful friends – Erika and her sisters, Twilight & Fluttershy, Cremia & Romani, little Link, and of course the six she was with right now. Sayaka & Kyōko were always helping her have fun, training together with her, swapping stories and jokes, and such; she'd bonded with Homura during the Termina op, helped by how Homura saw parts of her old self in Miyako; Mami liked to fuss over her in a big-sisterly way, and taught her all sorts of things; Madoka liked to play with her while helping build up her confidence; and Kyōsuke, well… Miyako couldn't look at him for more than four seconds without blushing – less than two seconds if he was smiling.
At the moment she was seated between Kyōsuke and Mami, resting her head on the former's shoulder (while Sayaka had her head in his lap, and Madoka was seated in Mami's lap), listening to the random little conversations the group was having, chiming in on occasion. After a few minutes, Teana walked in.
"Hey guys," she said, "sorry to interrupt your R&R, but I came to let you know you've got a mission tomorrow. You're to investigate strange energy readings and Heartless sightings on Sayden, a TSAB Administered World; it's sparsely populated, only about 50,000 people, and most of the main continent's terrain is split between cool rocky wasteland and grassy plains. You guys get dropped off there tomorrow at 1300 hours, and if you don't find anything in seven hours you'll be pulled out and another team will take over. Just letting you know ahead of time."
"Understood" Mami replied. "We'll be ready."
'It shouldn't interfere with what's planned tonight, at least' she telepathically sent to Madoka. The pinkette grinned and nodded.
-SCENE BREAK-
Starboard Guest Quarters Section
Same Day – 7:45 PM
Miyako walked through the hallway, heading for her room. There seemed to be nobody else around, and the pale-purple-haired young girl was a little bit nervous to be walking down the silent, empty corridor (at least it was fairly well-lit). And she hadn't seen the others for several hours; they all said they had something important to do. She'd spent most of the day viewing combat footage of Mami, Kyōko, and Homura, hoping she could pick up anything from the more experienced Puellae Magi.
There was one more small lounge/commons room to pass through before she reached the section with her room, and the door to it was straight ahead. She reached the automatic door, which slid open…
"SURPRISE!-!"
…and revealed a room decorated with streamers and balloons in shades of blue and light purple (predominantly the pale purple color of her hair), with refreshments set up on the tables, and filled with a multitude of people: the six others of Group Madoka, the Swanson sisters, Romani & Cremia, and three ponies – Twilight, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie. Miyako looked around, shocked.
"W-What is all this?" she asked.
"Miyako-chan…" Madoka said, holding up a calendar. "Don't you remember what today is?"
After a few seconds, Miyako's eyes widened.
"I… I c-completely forgot. I'm… I'm 14 years old today…"
"Yep!" Pinkie chirped. "Come on in! The party's fine!"
"We spent a couple hours puttin' this together for ya" Kyōko said. "Hope we ain't oversteppin' bounds or anything…"
The shy purple-haired girl gave a teary smile. "N-Not at all…" she replied. "This is… I h-haven't had a birthday party since… since my daddy was still with me… Thank you, all of you…"
Madoka offered her hand, and Miyako took it.
-SCENE BREAK-
TSAB AW#13 – Sayden
Next Day – 15:20 Hours
The search had been fruitless and uneventful so far. The locals had directed them to one of the rocky areas, where there was little life, though thankfully it was not a hot desert, hovering around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Miyako was still in a good mood from last night (especially the very special present Kyōsuke gave her), a little smile on her face as she and the others searched.
"Are we sure the reports were accurate?" Sayaka said. "Maybe the locals saw something else, like an undiscovered native lifeform."
"The descriptions of what they saw unmistakably match that of Neoshadows and Darkballs" Mami replied. "There are definitely Heartless here."
"Then why haven't we seen any?" Kyōko asked. "I mean… Madoka's got a Keyblade; ain't that supposed to draw Heartless to her like a beacon?"
"Not if there's someone commanding them who's intelligent enough to rein them in" Homura replied.
At this, everyone went on guard a little more, realizing that they may be dealing with a member of Xehanort's group. They continued, magical senses active, walking into a large, flat area 'ringed' by rock formations. The moment they reached the center of this area, the surrounding rocks pulsed and glowed a dark purple light. Suddenly, a rapidly-expanding wave of energy enveloped the area, along with the seven people within it, the colors of the world becoming faded and distorted.
"Dimension-shift barrier!" Homura said as she drew an M6E pistol from her subspace storage. "Trap!"
Everyone else made ready – Kyōko and Sayaka readied spear and sword, Mami conjured a magic-bolt musket and a shotgun, Madoka summoned her Keyblade, Kyōsuke readied his gauntlets, and Miyako conjured her hammer. All seven of them were on edge, looking around for the inevitable attack. After several tense seconds, Homura suddenly formed her rune-shield and angled it to deflect a Darkness blast from above and to the left.
"Not bad" a girl's voice said from not too far away. "And without using your time-stop powers, even. You have impressive reflexes, Akemi."
From the side walked a girl with black hair and tanned skin, with golden irises staring at the group as if sizing up prey, wearing a tight, low-cut black shirt with matching mid-thigh-length skirt, and knee-high boots. A Grief Seed was set into her upper chest just below her neck.
"Malia…" Madoka scowled at her.
"Ooh, you remember me~" the fallen Puella Magi said with exaggerated fake cheerfulness, complete with lilt in her voice. "And I hope you don't mind that I brought some friends along…"
Two more figures approached from different directions. The first was an Equestrian unicorn mare, with dull-blue fur and light-grey mane & tail, and – like Malia – irises of golden-yellow from Darkness corruption. The other was humanoid, tall and clad in white powered-armor with black portions and a red face visor.
"No way…" Kyōko's eyes widened at seeing the latter. "You're dead! You died on Ulnar!"
The armored figure let out a quiet chuckle and tapped at the Heartless symbol now in the center of his chestpiece.
"That's not The Meta, at least not all of him" Mami told Kyōko. "He's become a human-form Heartless, just like Xehanort and Malia. Xehanort must've snatched him away and turned him into a Heartless before he could completely bleed out, while we were too busy being distracted by Amon to notice."
"Correct, Tomoe" Malia replied. "That is pretty much how it happened. Now then… Thanks to this Dark Barrier, we are cut off from the outside world, and from your allies. So, without any worry of interruption, how's about we 'play' for a little while?"
"Yes…" Checker said in a near-hiss, a predatory grin on her face. "Let's play a game: which of us three can break the most bones amongst you all?"
The Meta's Heartless, incapable of speech as always, growled softly as he readied his Brute Shot.
"This might end up badly…" Kyōsuke murmured as he and the girls formed a tight circle facing outward.
"W-We should be able to handle them seven-on-three…" Miyako said. "…I hope…"
All at once, the three members of the Seekers of Darkness attacked – Malia and Checker launched two barrages of Darkness-type magic bolts, while The Meta fired Brute-Shot rounds. Madoka, Mami, and Miyako formed Shield spells to block the shots, and then Group Madoka split into three to handle each of the threats – Miyako, Kyōsuke, & Kyōko against Malia, Mami & Homura against The Meta, and Madoka & Sayaka against Checker. Malia summoned her Dark Keyblade and worked to block a ferocious barrage of strikes from Kyōko's spear, stepping back and giving ground to avoid being overtaken. Soon, she flash-stepped back to get out of it, and then charged Kyōko; now she was the one launching a flurry of strikes, with the redhead having to frantically block them. Kyōsuke came in from the right with a super-strength gauntlet punch, forcing Malia away, and then Miyako launched several ice spears at her, only to be deflected by a Dark Barrier. Malia grinned and then rushed at her.
The Meta formed a bubble-shield to block the wave of bullets and gold magic bolts that Homura and Mami sent his way. Once it was done, he dispelled the shield and charged at them with near-Spartan speed, dodging some of the shots they sent his way and letting his energy shield stop the others. Mami readied the shotgun-variant gun construct she'd formed, and when The Meta was close enough she fired. However, he twisted to the side to dodge the brunt of the blast, only a few of the little golden energy pellets glancing his side, and lashed out with a punch strong enough to dent tank armor. Mami just barely managed to move her head to the side enough to avoid taking it in the face, feeling the whoosh of air as the fist grazed her hat. She then lashed out with a magic-charged uppercut to the solar plexus… and was thankful that the magic protected her hand's bones from being pulverized as the blow was stopped by The Meta's armor. The Meta let out a quiet chuckle and then hit Mami in the gut with a rising knee, followed by a backhand to the face that sent her tumbling. Homura then blindsided The Meta with a flaming kick that did the same to him. Mami groaned as she got back up on her feet, thankful that the magic reinforcing her body protected her from any serious damage; either of those blows was strong enough to have killed her otherwise.
Sayaka used well-placed thrown swords to deflect the metal javelins formed and telekinetically launched by Checker. She then formed a quick hand-seal sequence and sent a Suikōdan no Jutsu at the evil unicorn, who teleported out of the way and returned fire with a Darkness-type Sagitta Magica barrage. Madoka intercepted with a Light-type SM barrage of her own, followed by a powerful Wind spell that pushed Checker back several meters. Checker growled as her body crackled with dark Lightning magic, and she charged at the two while conjuring a pair of metal staffs/javelins. She telekinetically wielded them as swords, metal clanging together as she and Sayaka dueled. Madoka got into it as well, and soon managed to land a blow across Checker's side; the evil pony teleported back several meters, holding a hoof to her stomach. She growled as she formed and fired another Dark SM barrage.
Miyako staggered back, having just been hit in the face by the broad side of Malia's weapon. Malia followed up with a stabbing thrust aimed at Miyako's heart, only for Kyōsuke to flash-step in and smack the blade aside, followed by him pointing his gauntlet-mounted blaster at her face and opening fire. Malia bent over backwards to dodge the fire while sweeping one of Kyōsuke's legs out from under him, flowing into an arcing swing of her Keyblade at his torso, only for Kyōko's spear-blade to block the hit; the redhead then nailed her with a headbutt and then jabbed her in the gut with the base of her weapon. She swung her spear around and tried to stab Malia in the chest with it, but Malia threw herself backward, while at the same time throwing her Dark Keyblade in a Strike Raid attack, knocking Kyōko back and into the other two; she groaned in pain as they got back up.
"Whoopsie~" Malia said with a smirk. "Gotta watch your step there, hon."
"We'll see how long you keep that stupid grin up once we've knocked out all your teeth" Kyōko snapped in response.
The Meta's Heartless stayed in constant motion to dodge the bullets & bolts that Homura kept trying to hit him with, his shields protecting him from those he couldn't avoid. Mami had managed to shoot his Brute Shot out of his hands a minute ago, and now Homura was not about to let him get to where it had landed. Snarling in frustration, The Meta pulled out the one smoke grenade he'd brought along for this mission, and tossed it. The thick grey smoke quickly filled the air between him and the two Puellae Magi. They'd be expecting him to make a run for his dropped Brute Shot… so instead, he ran right for Homura with the intent of taking her out, a few bullets cutting through the smoke but missing him or being deflected by his shields. He burst out of the smoke right in front of her, gravity hammer drawn… and ran right into a Ribbon Bind trap from Mami, who'd expected his plan. As he struggled to break out of them, Homura pulled an M6 Spartan Laser out of her subspace storage and took aim at him. He growled and struggled, the binds starting to snap, but they wouldn't break in time. The red glow from the weapon's barrel grew brighter and brighter, preparing to fire…
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a fancy-looking boot – black with white lacings – kicked Homura in the side of the head, knocking her away and sending the Spartan Laser's shot wildly off-course into a distant rock formation. Before Mami could react, a Darkness-charged punch sent her flying over to where Homura had landed. The Meta's Heartless burst free of the Ribbon Bind, and nodded to his rescuer. Homura and Mami picked themselves up, and gasped as they beheld their new foe.
She was around their age or a little older, apparently, with slightly tan skin and long black hair with a white streak in the bangs. Her gold-iris eyes stared coldly at them, analytical, and a thin smirk appeared on her lips. She wore a tight, low-cut dark-grey shirt with matching mid-thigh-length skirt, and there was an oval-shaped pure white gem on her upper chest, just below her neck. Other than the outfit's color differences, that gem, and the faint pale-grey marks on her cheeks just below her eyes, she looked exactly like Malia.
"Her other half…" Mami whispered with realization. "Malia's Nobody…"
At the same time as this was happening, Checker Monarch managed to land a lightning-infused blow that knocked Madoka back, the pink-haired girl's muscles briefly locking up from the shock. Sayaka then got in and lashed out with a powerful magic-charged roundhouse kick that caught Checker by surprise, sending her tumbling back. The blue-haired girl then fired an explosive blast of magic that seemingly enveloped Checker; Madoka then threw in a Light-type Sagitta Magica barrage for good measure. However, as the smoke cleared, it revealed a Dome Shield with Checker and a new figure in the center. The shield vanished, and the newcomer stood up. Tall and clad in armor that was pure white except for a tiny black symbol in the center of the chest, with a pale-orange face visor. The Meta's Nobody let out a soft hiss as he stared at the two.
"Of course…" Sayaka said wearily. "Shoulda figured that if he had a Heartless…"
At this point, everyone on the battlefield noticed the two new arrivals. Malia's Heartless grinned as she saw her other self.
"Malaxi!" she called out. "Good timing! Things are just starting to heat up! What's the status outside?"
"Bureau teams are attempting to take down the Barrier" Malia's Nobody replied. "However, they have no specialists on hand, and at their current rate it will take them around 10 minutes."
"Excellent. So we have a little more time to play…"
"You seem to have made a habit of saving my flank" Checker said to her rescuer; Nobody-Meta shrugged his shoulders in response.
"This could be… problematic" Homura said as she stared down The Meta's Heartless and Malia's Nobody.
"Now, then…" Malia's Heartless said, as she charged power into her Dark Keyblade. She stabbed it into the ground, and three more Dark Barriers, flat and vertical, sprang up inside the primary one, separating the three fighting groups. "Round two!"
Malaxi and Heartless-Meta sprang into action, the former conjuring a rapier-like blade and rushing at Mami and Homura, distracting them, while the latter ran for his Brute Shot, grabbing it up without breaking stride and firing a few rounds at the girls. Homura froze time, grabbed Mami and pulled her away, and then un-froze and let the rapid-fired grenades explode against the ground where they'd just been standing. The evil duo were quick to locate them, however, with Malaxi firing a wave of Darkness-type Sagitta Magica while Heartless-Meta charged right behind the dark-magic bolts with gravity hammer at the ready. Mami conjured and fired a large amount of magic muskets, the golden bolts impacting and cancelling out the dark projectiles, but The Meta simply swung his hammer, letting the gravitic pulse deflect the shots headed for him as he closed in. Homura stepped between him and Mami at the last second and brought up her special rune-shield projected from her buckler; the shield, rated to withstand S+-rank attacks, stood strong as The Meta's Heartless tried to hammer through it. However, Malaxi appeared behind the girls with blade drawn, and Homura & Mami had to make magic-powered leaps away to avoid being skewered.
Madoka swung her Keyblade, throwing out a slicing wave of magic that Checker ducked under and Nobody-Meta leapt over. Checker charged at Madoka, two conjured metal spears in her telekinetic grip, and Madoka used her Keyblade to parry and block and counter, both combatants trying and failing to get past the other's defense. Nearby, The Meta's Nobody had stolen one of Sayaka's conjured swords and was engaged in a duel with her; his massive size compared to her meant that her short-sword looked positively tiny in his hands, but still he used it with surprising skill, keeping the blue-haired girl on her toes. Meanwhile, Kyōko and Miyako double-teamed Malia's Heartless, striking out with spear and hammer, trying to get past her Dark Keyblade and land a decisive blow. Malia gave herself some breathing room by quick-firing a small Darkness burst to force both of the girls back, and then swung the blunt end of her Keyblade into Miyako's side; Miyako let out a sharp cry of pain as she felt one of her ribs crack. And then Kyōsuke came in from the side, left gauntlet reared back and crackling with his Lightning-type chakra that formed glowing 'claws' at the fingertips. He swung, and Malia's Heartless cried out in pain and anger as the lightning claws slashed across the right side of her face, leaving four large gashes that 'bled' Darkness particles. She growled as she held a hand to her wounded face.
"Oh, you're going to suffer for that, pretty-boy!" she snarled.
Kyōsuke brought his armored gauntlets up to block the barrage of strikes that Malia's Heartless made against him, the fallen Magi's rage fueling her strength as she tried to batter her way through his defenses. She formed a Dark Shield to block Miyako's attempt to hammer-smash her from the side, but then Kyōko used the lightning-chakra-enhanced blade of her spear to slash through the defensive barrier, bringing it down and enabling Miyako to land a blow that sent Malia skidding back, groaning as she doubled over a little. Then she straightened back up and growled as she eyed the pale-purple-haired girl. Malia flash-stepped forward, stunning Kyōko with an elbow to the face, and then stuck her palm out at Miyako, a powerful Darkness blast rapidly charging. Miyako formed an Ice Shield just as the attack fired, but when the blast hit it detonated, the concussive force shattering the ice and sending Miyako flying. She smacked against the dividing barrier and fell to the ground, covered in wounds from ice shrapnel and the concussive blast. A soft groan of pain and a failed attempt to pick herself up showed she was still alive, but she wasn't about to get up.
"You'll die for that, bitch!" Kyōko roared as she swung her blade at Malia's neck. Malia bent backward to dodge the decapitating strike, and fell back onto her hands while lashing a magic-supercharged kick upwards, knocking Kyōko's spear out of her hands. She then went for a low rising swing of her Dark Keyblade aimed at Kyōko's body, only for Kyōsuke to land a kick to her wrist that threw the attack off enough that the only part of Kyōko to take damage was her dress. He then hit Malia with what he called the Shock Palm attack, and she bit back a scream as the electricity from his gauntlet coursed through her body.
As Kyōko – having retrieved her spear – leapt in for another attack, the sclera of Malia's eyes turned black as her rage grew even more. The human-form Witch/Heartless' hands were wreathed in Dark power as she caught Kyōko's attack. She then used one hand to deliver a crushing blow to the redhead's stomach that knocked the wind out of her, followed by a point-blank blast of magical energy that sent her flying into a rock formation that couldn't withstand the impact, burying Kyōko in rock and dust. She re-summoned her Dark Keyblade, channeling her full power through it, and swung at Kyōsuke, who felt his right wrist break as the gauntlet he used to block the hit came apart, enchanted metal shattering under the force. The gauntlet fell to the ground in a few pieces, and Kyōsuke tried to bring the other one to bear, only for his left hand to be smacked aside, and a charged fist to smash into his chest. In addition to causing a small fracture in his sternum, the impact also set up a complex and powerful Dark Bind, which rapidly coiled around his arms and torso before then shooting down into the ground, anchoring him in place. He struggled in vain as Malia's Heartless leapt back, landing about a dozen meters from him. She carefully ran a hand along her now-scarred cheek, and growled as she stared at Kyōsuke.
"Play time's over…" she said softly, as she began charging Dark power into her left hand, which she held with fingers extended and pressed together to form a spearhead-like shape. Once she was done charging it up, she took off, rushing straight towards Kyōsuke with her left arm reared back. By chance, the other two Puella pairs managed to look, and eyes widened as they saw what was happening. Kyōko, too, had finally managed to free herself from the rubble, but she knew right away she wouldn't make it in time.
"No!"
"Damnit!"
"Kyōsuke!-!"
There was a flash of movement from the side, followed by a sickening sound. Everyone stared in silent horror, unwilling to believe what they were now seeing. The battlefield seemed to have gone silent and still. Kyōsuke, blood spattered on his face & chest, stared at Miyako's back, which had Malia's hand emerging from it, the fingertips mere inches from his heart. Malia's Heartless looked in surprise at Miyako's determined eyes. The pale-purple-haired girl coughed out blood, and tightened her hands' grip on Malia's arm. There was a pulse of magical power, and Malia screamed out in surprised agony as an ice blade shot out from Miyako's palm. The evil girl jumped back, now minus her left arm from halfway between her shoulder and elbow. Darkness particles flowed out from the stump like blood, as her right hand desperately clutched onto it. The severed left arm rapidly disintegrated into Darkness particles, leaving open the hole it had punched through Miyako's chest. Blood streamed from the entry and exit wounds, as the young Puella Magi collapsed.
"No…" Madoka whispered, shaking her head as tears formed in her eyes. "No…"
Suddenly, there was a loud sound like glass cracking from above, followed by a shattering sound as a thick bright-pink beam of energy punched through from above, the Divine Buster obliterating the Dark Barrier that surrounded the area. The Ace of Aces flew in, launching a huge Accel Shooter barrage at the five villains. Faced with the legendary White Devil herself, Checker and Malaxi were first to retreat through Dark Gateways, followed soon after by the two halves of The Meta. Malia's Heartless snarled as Nanoha landed in front of her, glaring at her with cold anger. Malia looked at the spot where her limb had been severed, and then immediately formed and fell backward through a Dark Gateway, vanishing. The Dark Bind on Kyōsuke came undone, as did the three lesser barriers separating the others.
"Miyako-chan!"
The other Puellae Magi rushed to their fallen friend's side. Nanoha gasped in horror as she saw the state Miyako was in.
"Raising Heart, contact the ship and have them warp us up!" she ordered.
"I cannot comply, Master" the AI replied. "Before they retreated, our enemies erected a field that has disabled communications and teleportation in this area. The field will not wear off for approximately 20 minutes."
(MUSIC: Naruto Shippūden Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 – "The Dying")
"Madoka!" Kyōko shouted, biting back tears. "Can't you do something?-! You and Sayaka have healing magic, don't you?-!"
"I can't…" the pinkette whimpered. "Sayaka-chan and I… Our healing magic can't handle something of this magnitude. There's… There's nothing we can do" she said in a whispered sob.
'It's alright.'
They gasped softly at Miyako's telepathic voice; the damage to her lungs prevented normal speech, but she still had enough left in her to 'speak' with her mind. She smiled up at them, eyes half-open and blood streaming from her lips.
'It's alright…' Her mind's voice was faint and weak. 'I'm too far gone; Even if we could get to the ship right now, I'd never make it, anyways. Please… It's alright… You were all such wonderful friends, and I'm so glad to have known you…'
"Don't talk like that!" Mami said, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Don't talk like you're going to leave us! You're not leaving us! You-"
"Mami."
The blonde stopped mid-sentence, turning to the girl next to her.
"These are Miyako's… last words…" Homura said, her voice hitching. "We need to listen to them."
'I'm using what magic I have left… to reduce the bleeding so I can stay alive for long enough to tell you girls goodbye… It won't last too long, though; not long enough for help to arrive…
'Mami… From Day 1, you looked out for me, helped take care of me… I'm glad to think of you as a big sister, and… I hope you felt the same…'
Mami nodded, too distraught to speak.
'Kyōko… You and Sayaka have been such good friends to me… You've spurred me on, helped me be a little braver… You two stood by me… And on the anniversary of my dad's death, even though I didn't tell anyone, you… were the first to figure out why I was so glum, and comfort me… I'll tell your little sis you said 'hi'…'
The redhead finally lost hold on her tears, letting out a sob.
'Homura… You seemed so cold when we first met… but I've seen the warmth inside you – the passion burning in your heart, like your name. Despite your façade, I know you have a big, sensitive heart… Please don't try to hide any pain my passing causes you; let the others help you through it.'
"I will…" Homura whispered as she nodded, her eyes brimming with tears.
'Kyōsuke… I've enjoyed the time we spent together, so much… To be honest, I hoped that Sayaka & Kyōko would… share you with me… Please, don't blame yourself for this… It was my choice alone, not yours, for me to give my life for you. Don't blame yourself… Thank you for the 'gift' you gave me last night…'
"No problem" the boy croaked out, trying to dry his eyes enough to see clearly again.
'Sayaka… I'm sorry you won't see me attending your & Kyōsuke's little recital next month. I'll be there, though; just feel for me… Give me your hand…'
The blue-haired girl, who was barely holding back from breaking down, did so, her shaking hand gently grabbing hold of Miyako's, feeling how it was already cold. …And then it got much colder, and Sayaka gasped as she felt magic flow into her body. She shivered as the temperature briefly dropped within her, and felt the sudden weight of Miyako's hammer, which had been summoned and now rested in her hand, its color scheme changing to match hers before it then dematerialized into motes of light that flowed into her body.
'Your affinity is Water… You'll be able to make the best use of my powers… Give Malia an icicle to the eye for me, would ya?'
"Sure thing…" Sayaka sobbed out.
'Madoka… You're the one who made it all possible… Your light freed me from the Incubators' curse, and lured me to you all… And you've always encouraged me, cheered me up, helped me be happy… You're an amazing, wonderful person, Madoka; no wonder a Keyblade chose you. You're going to do even greater things, I just know it. The future's in your hands… I'm so glad to call you my friend…'
Madoka grasped Miyako's hand, tears streaming from her eyes.
'You were… such wonderful friends… I love you all… Goodbye, and…' "Thank you…"
With that, Miyako's eyes closed, a small bloodstained smile still on her face as her spirit left her body. Madoka broke down, kneeling over and partially embracing the body as she wailed. Homua & Mami held each other, as did Sayaka, Kyōsuke & Kyōko, as the pain of loss overcame them. Nearby, Nanoha was on her knees, staring through teary eyes at the heartwrenching scene.
"I'm sorry…" she whispered. "I couldn't get here in time… I wasn't fast enough… I'm so sorry…"
Their friend was gone.
And Malia would pay.
-SCENE BREAK-
Konohagakure – Training Field
One Hour Later
An odd assortment of people had gathered at the training field, having spent the last couple hours intermittently training and relaxing; Naruto, Kakashi, Sakura, Subaru, Fate, the Swanson sisters, Twilight, Pinkie, Fluttershy, young Link, and Romani & Cremia. They were currently in the latter phase, split off into smaller groups and engaged in little unconnected conversations.
"…and so the guy says, 'They gave me a Chihuahua?'"
Pinkie grinned as Romani, Erika, and Subaru laughed at her joke. Twilight chuckled and shook her head as she turned back to her group. "So, Teana's helping oversee some training?" she asked.
"On Ala Alba's Earth, yeah" Sarah replied. "Evangeline's Resort comes in handy for that."
"I still can't wait to examine it magically; that sort of time & space compression? And don't even get me started on the Hyperbolic Time Chamber…"
"So the party was nice last night?" Fate asked.
"Of course" Marie replied. "It was a Pinkie Party, after all. Miyako was so happy that she actually got to celebrate her birthday for once. She really liked the gifts…" her grin turned sly "especially the one Kyōsuke gave her…"
"Huh?" Naruto spotted someone coming from the direction of the main village, and grinned. "Yo! Ero-sennin!"
Sure enough, everyone turned to look as Jiraiya arrived. However, something seemed wrong. His expression was downcast and serious, something rarely seen on the old pervert-sage's face.
(MUSIC: Dragon Ball Z OST – "Sage Music")
"Everyone" he called out. "I have news to report…"
"Well, come on over and join us while you tell us" Pinkie called out, pulling a bowl of chips from seemingly out of nowhere. "We got snacks!"
Jiraiya's expression remained unchanged, and he looked as if he were struggling to say something. The friendly smiles on the others' faces faded into looks of worry.
"…Ero-sennin?"
"What's happened, Jiraiya-sama?" Kakashi asked.
Jiraiya looked down, eyes closed as he let out a sigh, before returning his gaze to the others. "A little while ago," he said, "Kaname Madoka's group was sent down to the TSAB planet of Sayden to investigate reports of Heartless sightings. There, they were ambushed by Malia Abaddia's Heartless and Nobody, along with Checker Monarch and the Heartless & Nobody of The Meta."
A few soft gasps were heard.
"Oh, come on!" Marie said. "Now there's two Metas?-!"
"What happened?" Cremia asked. "Did they win? …Are Miyako and Homura okay?"
Jiraiya seemed to wince at that question, going silent.
"Jiraiya-san…" Fate said softly.
"…They engaged the enemy, until Takamachi Nanoha managed to break through the Dark Barrier surrounding the battlefield and chase off the assailants. Kamijō-kun and most of the girls are alright, not too badly hurt, but… But Ishimura Miyako is dead."
It was like a lightning bolt shot through the hearts of everyone who heard those words. Eyes wide in shock, the only sound was Pinkie's mane & tail deflating and going flat. Erika and Fluttershy started trembling, and Link and Sarah briefly forgot to breathe.
"Malia… struck her down…"
There was a soft thud as Erika fell to her knees, eyes staring forward but not seeing anything. Fluttershy teared up, lightly shaking her head, trying to deny what she'd just learned.
"That's…" Cremia whispered. "No… That… That can't be right…Y-You can't be…"
"I'm sorry…" Jiraiya murmured, his head down.
"No… S… She was only 14… She was just a child, a little girl! H-How could this…"
"Yesterday was her birthday…" Pinkie said in a quiet, trembling voice. "S-She was so happy last night. And now, she's… she's…"
Fate knelt down by Erika's side, finding the girl still in shock. She pulled the little one close, and after a few seconds she clung tightly onto her, letting out a quiet sob muffled by the tall blonde's shirt. Little Link valiantly tried to keep himself together, but as soon as Sakura pulled him close that came to an end. The three ponies held each other close, Fluttershy sobbing quietly into Twilight's shoulder, while Romani & Cremia embraced and wept as well.
"…Where did Malia go?" Naruto asked, his voice low and deadly serious.
"We're trying to track her down now" Jiraiya replied. "…From the reports, Miyako-chan managed to lop off Malia's left arm just before she died, so that's something, I guess; might make her easier to handle when we do catch her. Though now that we know that her Nobody, Malaxi, is active with the enemy as well…"
"And there's the fact that The Meta has come back as a Heartless and a Nobody" Kakashi added. "One of them might be partnering with her until she can recover."
"…They're already making arrangements for the funeral. It'll be closed-casket, though; Miyako-chan died from having a hole punched through her chest, and that's not something we want the mourners to see."
"Of course. How many others have been notified?"
"We have people spreading the word…"
-SCENE BREAK-
Mahora Academy – Evangeline's Resort
20 Minutes Later
Blasts of magic and ki filled the air, along with the sounds of blows being traded. Four figures flew about in the air high above the training zone, in a four-way free-for-all sparring fight. Asa Shigure and Reisen Inaba exchanged a flurry of blows as they floated high up off the ground, Itachi and Aqua watching them from below. Nearby, Kotarō Inugami grinned as he fought, a grin that was matched by his current opponent, a human man with a muscular build, spiked-up black hair, and scars crossing his face, wearing a red and blue gi. On the ground, Natsumi watched with amazement (and the little bit of worry that she felt whenever Kotarō fought), while Puar waved a tiny flag as she cheered Yamcha on.
After a little while, they traded opponents. Kotarō began trying to find a way around Asa's shields, but Aqua's training had made her quite adept at quick-casting and maneuvering the glowing green rune-circles to block rapid attacks from multiple angles, and the bright green bursts of offensive magic occasionally fired by them kept him on his toes. Meanwhile, Reisen and Yamcha fired ki blasts at each other, occasionally flashing in close to trade melee attacks. They landed simultaneous blows that sent each other hurtling back, and then began charging power. After several seconds, Reisen thrusted her hands forward and fired a purple-tinted beam of energy, while Yamcha fired a Kamehameha. The two beams met in the middle, pushing against each other, seemingly evenly matched until Yamcha's began to win. Then, with no warning, Kotarō flash-stepped in and lashed out with a kick at Reisen, while Asa fired a few blasts at Yamcha. Both were forced to cancel their attacks, and then engaged their new opponents.
The quartet all rushed in at each other, heading for a four-way clash. Suddenly, Teana appeared right where they were going to meet, Stage-0 Susanō arms forming to catch their blows.
"Hey," she said, "my big bro just got here. He says he's got something we need to here."
The five flew down to near the Resort's entrance platform, finding Tiida there with everyone else. Kotarō had to admit that it was still weird, having seen this guy's death in the records, as well as Jiraiya's, and having witnessed Chao's death personally, but now they were alive again thanks to that crazy stuff involving Edo Tensei and the Alicorn Personification of Death; Yamcha, in contrast, was used to this sort of thing (hell, he'd been down that road twice already), so he paid it less mind.
Teana immediately noticed that her brother's expression was solemn. Used to reading people, she quickly realized what his message probably was, and her mood sank as she walked forward.
"Nii-san… Who did we lose?"
Tiida's eyes widened slightly at Teana's deduction, but then nodded. "Miyako Ishimura, from Kaname's group" he replied. "Malia Abaddia killed her."
The few who'd met Miyako personally – Teana, Aqua, Evangeline, Itachi – widened eyes slightly, and then sadness crossed their expressions.
"Man," Yamcha said, "and the Dragon Balls are still out of commission 'cause of Amon's curse…"
"The funeral's likely gonna be tomorrow," Tiida said, "maybe the day after. We think Malia ran off to a world that the DDF has yet to visit; we're in the process of tracking her down. …Also, she had help: her Nobody, Malaxi, as well as the Heartless and Nobody of The Meta."
Teana fought back a wince; there were two Metas now, and another Malia?
"Where will the services be held?" she asked.
"Well, she has no other living relatives on her world; all the people she knew were part of the DDF. The services will be held aboard the Starshot in the main hangar, and then per her wishes her body will be placed into a capsule and fired into her realm's Neptune; apparently, when she was a little kid she decided it was her favorite planet, and that if she ever died… Well, with her world's rate of tech development, it's highly unlikely she'd have lived long enough for it actually happen had we never found her and the others from that realm, but with what we can do…"
"Right…"
-SCENE BREAK-
Starshot Starboard Hangar
Next Day – 7:15 PM
Madoka, dressed in dark grey, leaned against the energy barrier that overlooked space, staring out at the beautiful blue gas giant, still looking at the spot where distance had finally rendered Miyako's coffin – a gleaming silver pod with shining blue and pale-purple snowflakes painted on – too small to see. Her friends – the other five members of Group Madoka – stood with her. Behind them, mourners and soldiers were already beginning to disperse. The service had been beautiful, with hymns sung and speeches by Aqua, Nanoha, and a surprisingly moving and thoughtful one by A.J. Johnson, of all people, despite that he'd only ever met the girl once or twice.
The group heard footsteps behind them, and turned to see none other than Fleet Admiral Hood approaching; he signaled them to be at east before they could even start their salutes.
"I'm sorry this happened…" he said in a soft, comforting tone. "I know all too well what it's like. I have some news I think might interest you kids, though… We think we know where Malia ran off to."
Now he had their attention.
"It's a world we've yet to visit," he continued, "a planet apparently called 'Remnant'. Malia's energy signature was detected on the continent of Vytal, not too far from a place called 'Beacon Academy'. From what we can tell, it's a place for training of uniquely skilled, possibly magically-adept young people, in order to fight dark creatures they call 'Grimm'. Malia's gone to ground in that area, and we think she, or her master, is up to something; if Xehanort can gain control of the Grimm, he'll have yet another asset at his disposal. The DDF will be dispatching teams to that world as soon as possible, and I wanted to ask if you girls wanted to be part of the first wave."
Madoka and the others looked to each other, nodding their assent.
"Of course, sir" Madoka replied, conviction in her voice. "We're ready."
"Very well. Lanstar and a few others will accompany you, with further reinforcements to come later on. Expect trouble, and keep an eye out for local talent that might be of help. You ship out tomorrow. …As you were."
With that, Hood turned and left. Madoka and the others gathered together, exchanging thoughts and plans. Whatever happened, one thing was for sure:
They would not let Malia get away.
-BOOK 24 END-
I'll admit: I got a little teary writing this. I'd planned this out a while ago, but it was still hard for me to write.
Next Time: the hunt for Malia is on. Look in the Lyrical Nanoha & RWBY crossovers section for "Book 25: Red Like Roses". See you then.