Vera Justitia - I
A/N : I am looking for a beta reader to help me with characterization and general beta stuff. In this alternate universe, none of the anime events have taken place, but the characters still exist. Imagine it as taking place before Homura or Madoka ever contracted for the first time. In case you are wondering why I've started a new story, it's because my old one was really bad and I wanted to start anew.
In this fanfiction, Mitakihara and New York have been combined into one city. Mitakihara is a neighborhood in the city.
Thanks so much for reading~!
[Unknown Apartment Basement] – Mami
Mami Tomoe landed with a huff as her ribbons wrapped and bound the teddy bear witch. It was a relatively simple fight, no surprises of course. With force, she ground her heel down into the stuffing floor, hoping to gain purchase on the surprisingly slippery terrain. The stuffing gave way under the pressure, allowing her to ground herself as she summoned her Tiro Finale. Black buttons of every size and shape were raised in front of the trapped witch, like a pathetic and weak final attempt at staying alive.
The bullet easily pierced the witch, causing an explosion of red sand as the workshop labyrinth faded around her. A familiar clinking was heard by the blonde as she grabbed the grief seed from the floor. It was a unique location for a witch, yet understandable in a way. The basement of an apartment building was a surprisingly good choice, as it would easily allow the witch to feed on the people living within.
Holding the grief seed up to her soul gem, she felt the tug and allowed the sensation to continue. It always gave her a sense of satisfaction when she saw the darkness from her gem being cleaned, if she had to describe it, it would be like a weight being lifted from her soul. The basement felt cleaner now that the witch had died, a lot less creepy too.
Mami willed her transformation away in a sparkling yellow flash, smiling slightly as she stuffed the grief seed into her purse. After a while of stuffing things into small pockets, she had found it was useful to have a bag on her during a hunt, there was actually a surprising amount of normal things that would be useful to a magical girl. Maybe she'd teach it to somebody, a magical girl partner. The thought made her heart ache, she was feeling lonely lately. Her old group, lead by the girl with an orange bob-cut, had begun practicing questionable things. It was a large disagreement when it came to ethics, but nothing messy though. Mami had parted ways on peaceful terms.
Walking alone at night was not something she enjoyed, but it was not an activity which she feared either. Mami had the ability to easily overpower any normal person, however, she had never really gotten into a situation where that had actually been proven. In all reality, she had no idea if her guns would even work on anything except a witch, but if her ribbons could catch people, they could probably cause harm too. The thought of doing that left a bad taste in her mouth, it would make her no better than those people on tv that the superheroes defeated. Those people were the ones she probably wouldn't be able to overpower, but surprisingly, she harbored no ill towards them.
Mami had been surprised when Kyubey told her that most magical girls despised the heroes, but she quickly came to understand why. From the little knowledge she had on the suited vigilantes, they had probably received their enhancements without having to fight witches in return. There were often times when Mami wondered if any of them were secretly magical girls, but she doubted it. While being a veteran meant that your soul gem corrupted at a drastically slower pace, she still probably wouldn't have been comfortable polluting her soul gem to fight anything except witches. This didn't mean she wouldn't do it of course, and would happily jump at the chance to work with them, even if it was unadvised by Kyubey.
Kyubey had told her that the government would probably use her as a weapon, and he was probably right. She liked to think otherwise though, and often indulged in her childhood fantasy of becoming a masked vigilante to fight alongside those on T.V.
Her apartment was cold when she entered, it had been a cool night and she had forgotten to turn up the heat. Shivering slightly, she gently placed her bag in the porch and went to fill herself a glass of water. It wasn't that the fight had dehydrated her, which was impossible according to Kyubey, but she was too tired to make herself a cup of tea and wanted a drink before sleep. Her rest came effortlessly, the silence helping her sleep with ease.
English class was different today. Instead of reading from a dusty textbook, they had a prompt on the whiteboard. It asked them to write about what their powers would be if they had them. She smiled knowingly at the teacher when she raised her hand to be excused. Mami had briefly considered detailing the powers she already possessed, but instead chose to get some fresh air. There had been a window open at the end of the science wing, and the breeze would probably carry the scent of the blooming trees planted nearby.
The window was closed.
When she returned to her class, it was rife with chatter. She didn't bother to eavesdrop, and instead, she focused on writing about her powers. It's not like she'd get caught or anything, because as far as the teacher knew, it was just some schoolgirl's fantasy. Hopefully, it would give her a good grade, as she was hoping for a scholarship.
Mami Tomoe was walking towards her teacher, paper in hands when she heard the crash. It was very loud and startling, seemingly coming from her left. She turned and glanced at the window, genuinely surprised at the sight of what appeared to be Iron Man. He was one of those heroes that she had seen on T.V, and an embarrassing amount of excitement pumped through her veins as she saw that the man was punching somebody in a black costume.
Students jumped from their seats as they quickly got up to take a peek at whatever was happening. For most of them, it was probably just an excuse to stop doing work. The sounds of surprise told Mami that they were not actually expecting it to be anything exciting and that they had been using it as an excuse.
A brief urge overwhelmed her. What would happen if she decided to transform now and help Iron Man? Rationally speaking, she'd probably have to switch schools while being monitored by the government. Emancipation had been difficult, but she had done so to be independent, and having a government babysitter certainly wouldn't be so. Idealistically speaking, her classmates would crown her a hero and she'd become Iron Man's sidekick. That would probably never happen of course, Mami Tomoe truly believed that she would be stuck fighting witches alone for the rest of her life.
Iron Man had gone as quickly as he arrived, waving at her classmates who gawked behind glass. He had taken the person in a black suit with him, the jets on his feet allowing for a quick getaway.
"Settle down class. I'm surprised and excited too, but he's gone now so we have to get working again. Take it as an inspiration for your powers, and pass it in before the bell for bonus points."
[S.H.I.E.L.D Headquarters] - Samantha
A nervous worker quietly knocked on the door of Director Fury. Normally, Samantha wouldn't have ever bothered him, but this felt different. A voice muffled by a glass door instructed her to enter. She did as instructed, gripping her dossier which had been stuffed with paper and research. He didn't recognize her, which wasn't really that surprising. He looked curiously at her dossier, before speaking.
"I'm interested in the 'alarming news' you promise to have. This better not be some attempt at getting autographs."
She shook her head, before unloading the heavy file onto his desk. Her fingers went to undo the knot holding it together, it took a bit of fiddling, but the bow eventually gave way, leaving the papers to slide out.
"Sorry for the mess, but I had to have many examples to be sure it wasn't just some coincidence."
If he was intrigued, he didn't express it outwardly. Instead of reading the papers that had slid out of place, he waited for the analyst to explain herself. Her mouth went dry, and the words had trouble forming, but she eventually let them out after stuttering for a bit.
"I-I... I work as a data analyst here, and I'm pretty new so pardon my nervousness. When I was in seventh grade, me and my best friend drifted apart, now I know this doesn't sound relevant, but I promise it is."
She stopped, as if waiting for him to give her permission to continue. He nodded, hands tapping at his desk.
"As I was saying, her grades dropped and she eventually quit the Volleyball team. She had made honors last year, and was the captain of the team, so it was a pretty big shock to everybody. Eventually, she started missing classes before disappearing entirely. Currently, she is presumed dead. I wanted answers, so I began looking everywhere. This lead me to another disappearance, which had the same general circumstances. I eventually found another past disappearance, but in another state entirely. There was an investigation once, but it got nowhere. I have other disappearances from all around the globe, in the dossier."
Samantha glanced towards her feet, regretting her decision to bring forward her findings. After looking back up, she saw that the director had his hands held together in a pose which suggested deep thought and concern. Maybe this time, they'd actually find something, hopefully anyway.
"This is definitely a problem, and if there are as many cases as there are papers in that file, you may have stumbled onto something terrible. Lucky me, I'll run it by Pierce now shortly. I'll have somebody look into it before he approves it, because he probably will anyway. Can you tell me the most recent disappearance?"
"Yes, it was reported only a few weeks ago actually. Her name was Eliza Grahm, from Mitakihara Middle School. From what I've accessed, she is in the general age bracket of the other disappearances. Since it happened so recently, I haven't been able to contact anyone to confirm the other similarities."
Director Fury took a sip from his coffee before sighing and leaning back into his chair.
"Have a good day now, you will be contacted if your services are required for this problem in the future."
Standing outside, she heard this muffled voice talking on what she presumed to be a phone.
"Today's your day Natasha, I have a job for you."
[Mitakihara Middle School] – Mami Tomoe
They had a new English teacher. Her name was Natalie Hauffman, and was a replacement until their old teacher fully recovered. Normally their old teacher was private, so it wasn't too big of a shock for nobody to know what he was recovering from. Mami had asked their new redhead teacher, but she simply shook her head while replying that she had no idea.
Mami had yet to form a detailed opinion on the young teacher, but it was relatively positive so far. Natalie wasn't the kind of teacher to let disobedience run rampant, and the blonde magical girl respected her for that, and was thankful for the silence that was all too rare. As expected, her writing project was given back, and the bonus points brought her mark past a one-hundred. From the handwriting, it was apparently graded by the new teacher.
The boy sitting next to her had barely passed, which was a relief. It meant that the teacher hadn't given the same mark to everyone, and that her English skills had paid off. Even if Mami Tomoe was a magical girl and was often quite busy, it made no reflection on her mark. She was proud, and rightfully the class representative that everyone could look up to.
After the bell had rung, Natalie walked over to Mami's desk. There was a curious glint to her eye, one that probably meant trouble. The teacher was probably going to ask about the only girl that was absent, Eliza Grahm. Since Mami was the class representative, it only made sense for the substitute to ask her. It was impossible for the teacher to know that Mami was a magical girl, but even then, she couldn't help but get a bit nervous when the teacher sat on the empty desk in front of her, arms laying on her gray pencil skirt.
"So, . There was a student absent today, Eliza Grahm. I normally wouldn't have bothered asking about it, but I saw the sad look on everyone's face, yours in particular when I called her name. You can tell me about her, right?"
Mami nodded slightly, before moving her bag closer to her desk. The teacher seemed strange in a way, in a manner she couldn't put her finger on. Regardless, Mami would at least try at being inconspicuous. At the mention of Eliza, Mami couldn't help but remember the orange bob-cut of her friend. Her location was unknown, so she had probably gone somewhere else for fresh territory. It was a shame they couldn't get along, Mami was actually quite impressed on how the girl used her throwing daggers.
"We weren't close, but we all miss her. As far as I know, none of use have any ideas about where she went. Eliza was a sweet girl, so pardon me being upset. I have to get going now, so thank you for teaching us."
The redhead nodded before she went back to her desk to look over a few papers. Mami turned to exit, her stomach upset by the stress of having to lie. She had always been a bad liar, but a surprisingly good one at lying when the target was herself. A few kids filtered around the halls, making their way to their after school clubs, but it was mostly empty. It was surprising how fast the students left after the final bell.
Walking alone during the day was much more preferable than at night. Mitakihara was always so peaceful looking during the day, and the abstract architecture was always something to look at. A few people were on the streets, mostly students walking home. Mami was crossing a crosswalk when she felt the presence in her soul gem. A witch was nearby.
The grief seed from the teddy bear witch was still in her bag, with a few more uses left, but having a surplus of grief seeds was never a bad thing. Besides, the magical presence didn't feel too strong, so it would probably be just a bit more challenging than the one before. Yellow eyes scanned the street to make sure nobody was watching. She waved her hand over the silver ring inscribed with alien runes. It shone a sparkly yellow before changing form to become her soul gem which was glowing brightly.
A faint trail of grief was pooling to her left, approximately two-hundred and fifty meters if accurate. The witch was hiding somewhere in the mall, in the section closed off for construction. Perhaps it would be easy to slip past any workers. Mami wouldn't have an explanation for wandering a construction site besides wanting to take photos. It was practically her excuse for everything, which is why she kept an instant film camera in her bag. Even though the excuse had only been needed twice before, it was still useful just in case.
Large glass panes and doors stood in front of her. The front entrance to the mall was quite beautiful in its weird Mitakihara styled architecture. Mami passed a bush, which rustled to her surprise. From it, jumped Kyubey, straight into the blonde's arms. It was an easy catch, even if he had startled her at first.
"Why hello there Kyubey, how have things been?" Speaking telepathically had always been strange, but she was getting used to it.
Magenta eyes glanced up at her.
"Mami! We have no time to chat, two schoolgirls have been trapped by a witch and they need your help!"
The news was worrying, enough so for her to start running. Realistically, unless they contracted, they'd most likely perish. Something like that could never be allowed to happen by Mami, especially since she was so close. People stared at the girl who appeared to be holding nothing, but she ignored them and continued her sprint until she came to a maintenance door. The energy from a witch could be felt behind it.
"Kyubey! Why haven't you contracted them yet?"
The cat-bunny in question blinked emptily.
"I wouldn't make it in time, and one of them is kissed anyway. Even if I somehow made it, there's not guarantee that they'd still be alive, and that would mean I'd be defenseless against a witch. You're my best chance her Mami Tomoe!'
Plastic sheets hung from the ceiling while Rubar and buckets littered the floor. She paused, glancing at the far wall. On it, were runes, similar to the ones on her ring. It was weird, because Mami had no idea how to read them, yet instantly knew how at the same time. Everything in the construction site was dusty, as it had probably been abandoned due to a bunch of freak 'accidents'.
Holding her yellow soul gem up the wall, she focused her energy against the barrier, allowing it to overpower the grief. Suddenly, a large pair of monarch butterfly wings appeared along with a circle of repeating runes which read, "Gertrud."
As Mami crossed the barrier, she landed on a concrete floor with her knees bent. There were thorny vines everywhere, along with playing cards, hatchets and lamp posts. Bronze circles of cardboard complimented the royal blue colored sky nicely. She ducked under a line of caution tape and looked around, hoping to easily find the schoolgirls.
"To your left! Down that stairway."
Following Kyubey's lead, she turned to her left to see a stairway decorated with butterfly arches. At the bottom, she could see two girls surrounded by familiars. One had pink hair in pigtails, and the other, a blue bob cut. The familiars appeared to be cotton balls attached to a stem with butterfly wings for legs. It was certainly weird, but not the weirdest familiar she had even seen.
Acting quickly, she created a barrier of energy that shined yellow down in a circle around the girls. Patterns of blooming flowers danced at their feet as ribbons whipped away the familiars. Now that the threat was gone, all she had to do was introduce herself. The blue hair girl groaned, rubbing at her neck. She had been kissed, but the energy shield created by Mami had dispelled the witch's presence.
The pink haired girl whimpered, with shock and awe spreading her eyelids wide.
"S-Sayaka! Are you o-okay? I don't know what's h-happening..."
As Mami began to speak, both girls turned to look at her, holding each other in an embrace from fear.
"That was close, wasn't it? But don't worry, you're safe now."
Kyubey jumped from the hands that held him and stalked over to the feet of the two. He looked up, red eyes analytically gazing. Mami held out her soul gem, which was shining brightly with cartoon flowers that danced around it. Making it flashy was sure to make the girls feel better, even if it wasted a slight amount of magic. Mami liked fighting with class anyway, it made her feel majestic and unstoppable.
"Thank goodness you two are okay, I don't know what I would've done if I hadn't gotten here in time. I'm very grateful that Kyubey here helped me find you, he's a dear friend of mine."
The blue haired girl, who had been called Sayaka, was the first to talk.
"W-what happened to me? All I remember is somebody scary calling out to me in my head. I'm freakin' out here guys, this is like a nightmare, and I don't remember going to bed."
Mami nodded, before making an 'ah' sound.
"I see, that was a witch's kiss. You don't have to worry about that now though, thankfully, I've gotten rid of it. From your uniforms, I can tell you go to Mitakihara middle school like me, I'm a senior there. Are you eighth graders?"
The quieter girl nodded, but Sayaka was the one asking the questions.
"Who are you?"
Mami let out a small smile, before answering.
"Oh that's right, Maybe I should introduce myself," she laughed in a reassuring yet elegant manner.
The rusty snapping of shears to her left drew the eyes of three girls. The familiars were still coming, and she'd need to transform if she wanted to go into combat effectively. It was a perfect time too, she'd definitely use this chance to impress Sayaka and her friend.
"Actually, it's going to have to wait a bit."
Her smile grew feverishly wide as she spun her left leg around, kicking up a bunch of cartoon flowers. After her graceful spin had been completed, she reached her hand up and tossed her soul gem up into the air. Rays of yellow light danced across the labyrinth as flowers danced at her feet. Mami grabbed the soul gem and held it in front of her like a beacon of light.
"Please excuse me, I have to wrap this up first."
Ribbons of golden light jumped from the yellow gem as they wrapped around her feet, melding into a pair of yellow and dark brown lift boots. More strands tangled themselves around her legs, creating a pair of brown and yellow striped socks which wound up past her knees. The transformation continued, creating her skirt and corset of colors which matched her footwear. A white puffy top was fastened by golden ribbons which turned into brown suspenders as a hat popped into existence on her head. Finally, a flower shaped soul gem fastened a white feather to the side of her hat as she spun around once more.
A wave of air blew past the two girls as her transformation finished, both bracing their faces from the air. Both looked up to see Mami as she jumped on a mound of doors. She let out a courageous yell as dozens of muskets floated in the air around her. They fired off in unison, shooting off bursts of yellow light at the army of cotton ball familiars. After an explosion of monarch butterflies, reality wavered around them as the labyrinth faded.
The pink haired girl could only admire in total awe.
"Wow, Amazing!"
Sayaka laughed in relief, her laughter accompanied by her friend's.
"We're back!"
Mami looked at the two girls, while planting her hands on her hips.
"The witch managed to escape, but we can go after it later after I finish my introduction."
Sayaka nodded thankfully at Mami, she smiled and thanked the blonde with an almost overbearing excitement. It was refreshing in a way that filled Mami with vigor and confidence to fight.
"Thank you Mami! I don't know what we would've done without ya!"
Kyubey curled up to Sayaka, speaking to them mentally.
"Madoka Kaname and Sayaka Miki, you two are lucky to be alive. You would have surely perished if it wasn't for Mami here. My name is Kyubey, and it is a pleasure to meet you."
Madoka gasped, but Sayaka was the first one to ask questions.
"Wait, hold on a sec. How do you know our names, and how are you speaking in my head?"
Mami answered instead.
"He's a very wise creature, and has the ability to let us speak to each other telepathically. Why don't you try it, Madoka?"
The pinkette nodded enthusiastically before calling out.
"Testing? One... two... three!"
Both girls let out a giggle while Madoka began petting the animal. She didn't know what kind of cat it was, but it appeared to be a mix between a cat and a bunny. It had golden rings around its ears, which floated impossibly. It would have been wondrous if they hadn't recently experienced something else that had felt much more impossible than floating rings and talking bunny-cats.
The trio were headed towards Mami's house, who insisted they come along for refreshments and an explanation. Both eagerly agreed, wanting to know more about what had just happened. She led them along with a bounce to her step, maybe they'd become magical girls too, and hopefully even her best friends. It would be great for morale, and firepower too. If the three of them began working together, Mami was sure that there'd be no witches that could ever challenge them.
Thankfully, Mami had remembered to turn the heat up before leaving for school. It was getting dark out and the sun was setting, which naturally cooled off the temperature. Madoka let out an amazed expression at the modern, yet plush, decor.
"Wow, this place is so cute Mami! Where are your parents, I'd love to meet them."
A pang of sadness made the blonde flinch, she didn't like thinking of them. Instead of letting a tear roll down her cheek, she turned away and walked into her kitchen.
"Oh, they died a while back. I live alone here, would you two like some refreshments? I have chamomile tea and caramel coffee cake, if you'd like."
Both girls cringed at the comment, but nodded at the offer. Madoka quickly apologized, terribly embarrassed by her rudeness.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know that your parents have passed."
Mami smiled slightly before returning from the kitchen with a filled tray. The two girls had taken a seat around the triangular glass table. Sayaka eyed up the white cake with brown swirls of cinnamon, her eyes seemingly already devouring the dessert.
She placed the plates of cake in front of the two, following with utensils and their steaming cups of tea. The floral scent of chamomile wafted through the air, mixing nicely with the sweet aroma of cinnamon and sugar.
"Actually, it's good you brought it up. I'm going to talk to you about magical girls, how much time do the both of you have?"
Sayaka bit her lip, her parents didn't really care as long as she texted them with an approximate time of return. She fished around her pockets for the flip-phone, hands gaining purchase as she removed it to text her parents. Madoka's cared, but wouldn't mind if she stayed out late as long as she was safe and with someone else.
"I have lots," Sayaka said, as she cut a piece of the pastry with the side of her fork.
Madoka followed suit, giving her answer after a short sip of the piping hot liquid.
"Me too, and I'll gladly spend time with you, especially since you saved our lives earlier."
Mami nodded, before placing her teacup down on a floral coaster.
"I'm a magical girl, this proves it."
After waving her hand over the ring on her finger, it sparkled before turning into the yellow gem. She placed it on the table next to her cup. Kyubey hopped up onto the table before curling around the soul gem. He looked at it emptily before speaking to the two classmates.
"Madoka Kaname, Sayaka Miki, do you wish to make a contract with me to become magical girls?"
Mami covered her mouth while laughing, not wanting crumbs to spray out over her guests.
"Now, now, Kyubey, I think it's a bit too early for them to decide right now. Neither one of you should take this lightly.
Another bite was taken by Sayaka.
"It can't be too bad, right?"
Mami shook her head, sighing slightly.
"Actually, by being a magical girl, you are putting your life on the line whenever you fight a witch. In order to enter a contract and receive a soul gem, you must make a wish with Kyubey."
The cat-bunny in question nodded, while keeping a blank and expressionless face. Madoka piped up a question while petting Kyubey.
"Oh! What can I wish for?"
"Anything within your magical potential, but make it something that you won't regret. I didn't get the chance to think it over, so I hope you will."
Sayaka finished the last bite of her cake while tapping her fingers on the table. She appeared to be very deep in thought, almost to the point of ignoring everyone else around her. Suddenly, she spoke up, startling both other girls. Her voice was clear, but someone listening attentively would have been able to make out a slight shake to her words.
"I know what I'm wishing for and will never regret it. My wish can be for other people, right?"
Madoka reached out to stroke her best friend's back, in a careful yet comforting manner. Mami was worried that the girl was rushing too quickly into a decision, but she recognized that tone. Even if it was a bit cruel to say, it needed to be said.
"Actually, that might not be the best idea. If you use your wish to grant someone else's you should be careful to know exactly why you're doing it. Are you doing it for someone else's benefit, or the opposite, for someone else's everlasting gratitude? The motive behind a wish is what matters most, you know."
Mami took a sip of her tea, attempting to ignore the hurt look on Sayaka's face. This probably wasn't the best step to making friends, but it was what a real friend would do. The right thing isn't always easy after all, or kind for that matter.
"That's kinda harsh, don'tchya think? I'm still happy with my wish though, I know it's not for his gratitude. He doesn't deserve what happened to him, and I have a chance to change that. I'm not going to wait for another idea, I want this."
Kyubey jumped up from the table and made himself comfortable in Sayaka's lap. Mami apologized, her tone controlled and calm.
"I am sorry. But I had to say it now before it was too late. If you're not 100% sure why you're doing it, you'll most definitely regret it later."
Sayaka nodded, almost sadly. With a new found dedication, she set the cat-bunny on the table across from her.
"Kyubey, my wish is for you to heal Kyosuke Kamijou, I want to hear his music again."
Kyube spoke telepathically to the group, but more so directed to Sayaka.
"That wish can certainly be granted with your power! Brace yourself, this may be a little painful."
Mami had to look away, she remembered what it felt like. For her, the feeling had been beyond painful, and was like her body was being ripped out of itself inch by inch. There was nothing she had ever experienced that could compare to the pain of becoming a magical girl, not even the crash itself.
Kyubey held its ears up, casting a blue glow over the room.
Madoka sent a wary look towards the blonde, who only smiled in reply. The pinkette was worried about her friend, and rightfully so. Sayaka let out a wail, but quickly covered her mouth when the ears first touched her. They went into her stomach for a few moments which caused the blue glow to becoming blindingly bright. Mami cringed at Madoka's eyes that had grown wide at what appeared to be torture.
It was over quicker than Mami had expected. With the removal of Kyubey's ears from Sayaka, came a blue soul gem, followed by the panting of the blue haired girl. Actually seeing the soul gem made a twinge of hope blossom in the veteran magical girl, she finally had a partner.
"Congratulations Sayaka Miki! The contract is complete, you are now an official magical girl, so go and fight witches to defend your wish."