"Come on Rin, we're going to be late," crossing her arms over her chest, Maki watched the girl run through her house, hurriedly getting ready for school.
"Sorry, Nya. I forgot to set my alarm," grabbing an apple as a substitute for breakfast, Rin scurried out the door in pursuit of her red haired friend, who was on the move, and already halfway down the street. "Where's Kayo-Chin?" Rin questioned, following a large bite of her apple.
"She's not feeling well today, something about a low fever. She thinks she'll be okay by tomorrow though." Maki kept her walk at a swift pace. She refused to be late on the first day back to school of the new year.
"Well, I hope she feels better," Rin replied, a soft frown crossing her features. Maki watched her energetic friend's face turn somber, an expression that rarely made itself seen. Rin and Hanayo were practically inseparable and had been friends almost their entire lives. They met as small children and instantly bonded. Rin couldn't stand going more than a few days without seeing her friend, and Hanayo enjoyed the company just as much. Maki had just recently joined the duo. Earlier in the year, her first year in high school, Maki befriended Hanayo, since they sat side by side in class. Rin was part of the package, and Maki had grown to love her, even though her energy could drive Maki up the wall at times.
The two girls walked the rest of the way in silence, slipping into class mere seconds before it started. Letting a sigh of relief brush across her lips, Maki pulled out her notebooks for class. Time seemed to slow to a crawl, but that was to be expected after having some time off. Her brain wasn't accustomed to having to focus on one topic for so long.
When lunch finally rolled around, Maki was glad for the break. While she wasn't one of those people who hated being in school, it wasn't her favorite thing in the world. Rin and Maki chatted through lunch, time passing quickly. Class was resumed and she was immersed in the world of literature and learning. The familiarity of it all made a gentle smile ghost across her features. While school wasn't exciting, it provided a sense of routine in her day life. It was something something so ordinary and yet it actually offered some comfort, especially when viewed through the rosy lens of nostalgia.
After school Maki and Rin headed Homura Sweet Shop, per Rin's suggestion. Pushing the door open, Maki was greeted with the aroma of various treats, sugary and sweet.
"Hi! Welcome to Homura Sweets! I'll be right with you!" A voice called from behind the counter. Eyes darting to the girl, Maki discovered it was Honoka Kousaka, a second year at her school. She was the new student council president. Though Maki didn't know much about the girl, she thought she was a little scattered to be student council president. "What can I get for you two!" Honoka's beaming smile broke Maki from her inner musings, pulling her back to reality.
"I'll take two chocolate dipped madeleines," Maki ordered after examining the contents of the dessert case.
"Oh! I want the matcha pound cake," Rin's voice was quick with excitement, her eyes locking onto the baked good. The girls paid for their sweets and took them to go. Snacking on the way back to their individual houses, the pair parted ways for the night.
Entering her rather large house, Maki made her way to her bedroom. Dropping her bag on the desk, she sat down to start her homework for the night. She clicked on her desk lamp: it cast a soft glow around the room. The gentle illumination was enough so that she wouldn't strain her eyes, but felt somehow fitting for the falling night.
"Hello." The word was sharp in contrast to the dull scrawl of a pencil dragging across paper. Upon hearing the voice, Maki whipped around, expecting to see an intruder in her room. Heart pounding, she stood and looked around, but there was nothing to be seen.
"Who's there?" She questioned in a hesitant voice, trying to push the fear out.
"It's only me. My name's Kyubey." A creature stepped out of the shadows, revealing itself to a stunned Maki. It was catlike in build, with a sleek ivory coat. It's eyes were hot pink with a dark center. Long ribbon like extremities hung down from it's ears, and faded into a gentle rose color. They were surrounded by seemingly floating golden rings that gleamed when they caught the low light.
Shock settled over the redhead, her breathing ragged. Closing her eyes, Maki began to talk to herself. "It's not real. I must be dreaming, or maybe seeing things." She attempted to convince herself of the creatures fantasy origin, her voice barely a whisper.
"I can assure you that I am completely real." Hearing the voice again made something snap inside Maki. Giving into her every logical thought, she knew this creature had to be real, standing before her in this reality. Maki bit down on her bottom lip, teeth digging into soft pink flesh.
"What do you want from me?" She fought the tremble in her voice, trying to maintain a calm facade. There was no logical reason for this creature to be here unless it wanted something, there was no logical reason for it to be here at all, but that was beside the point.
"I'll get straight to the point. I want you to trade your life as an ordinary human to become a magical girl and fight witches." With a tilt of his head, Kyubey stated his purpose for invading her home. Maki took note of the fact that his mouth never moved, even when speaking. It was somewhat unsettling; hearing a voice with seemingly no origin.
Shaking her head, Maki shoved a hand through her styled hair, causing the waves to become messy and scattered. "Magical girls? Witches? Fighting?" Glancing at Kyubey, the confusion was evident across her features.
"I will explain it all in time. I don't need a decision today. You can take as much time as you need," Maki fell backward into her bed, staring up at the ceiling, trying to absorb all the information being thrown at her. "If you do decide you would like to be a magical girl, I will grant you a wish. It can be anything at all, but in doing so, you would be putting your life in danger, and spend your time fighting creatures we call witches." Kyubey continued to list off everything that came with making a deal and becoming a magical girl.
"Maki!" The familiar voice of her mother echoed through the empty halls. Getting up from comfort of her bed, Maki walked to white door that separated this world of disarray from the rest of reality.
"Yes, Mama?" Maki asked, poking her head out into the hall.
"It's time to eat." A kind smile graced her mother's face.
"Okay, I'll be down in a minute," she replied with a curt nod. Pulling back inside her room, Maki shut the door, turning back to Kyubey. "I have to go, stay here. I can't let my family see you," Arms crossed over her chest, Maki made her way to the door.
"No worries, they can't see me anyway. Only magical girls and prospective magical girls can see me. We can also communicate through telepathy, as I have been speaking to you this way. You can speak to me this way as well." Kyubey hopped up onto Maki's shoulder, perching amongst the fiery curls.
"Fine, just don't cause any trouble," Maki headed out the dinner table, mind whirring with thoughts. She ate in silence, only speaking when she was addressed, spending the rest of the time trying to sort out what had just happened.
After dinner, Maki went to bed early, falling into a restless sleep.
The cacophony of sound coming from her alarm startled her from her slumber and the nothingness of a dreamless night's sleep. Dragging her tired body out of bed, she made her way to her closet, pulling out a uniform for the day. Maki slipped into the clothes and walked into the bathroom. She splashed cool water over her face, the icy temperature waking her up considerably. Patting it dry with a towel, she found herself going into autopilot to finish the rest of her morning rituals.
The walk to school was fairly uneventful, Kyubey atop her shoulders the whole way. He was explaining more about witches and the type of fighting she would be doing. "Witches are awful beings. They take the lives of innocent humans for their own benefit. The more humans they kill, the more powerful they become. That's why it's so important for magical girls to fight them," Kyubey explained.
"So, let me get this straight. You want me to fight these things, who kill people, all on my own," Maki raised an eyebrow, an incredulous look covering her features.
"Well, yes. Although as a magical girl would would have strong powers that would enable you to kill the witches with ease. Once you learn how to control them that is. You also don't necessarily have to be alone either. There have been some girls who team up to fight the witches, but teams are far and few between. Fighting between magical girls is much more common." Kyubey then went to explain the cause of these fights and how grief seeds worked.
Upon arriving at school, Maki sat down on a bench outside, for she was rather early. She watched as students arrived, all going to their classes or chatting with friends. She snapped out of her people watching when a girl sat down next to her. By the color of her tie, she was a third year. The girl had ebony hair tied in twintails by pink ribbons. Large jet black sunglasses concealed a large portion of her face. Something about her seemed familiar, but Maki just assumed it was because she had seen her around school before.
"I'm warning you now, don't make a deal. It's not worth it," The mystery girl spoke, keeping her words sharp and her voice clear. She crossed her arms over her chest, leaning back against the bench.
"What are you talking about?" Maki questioned, voice harsh. It almost sounded like this girl knew about what she was currently going through.
"Whatever you do, you can't make a deal with him," She simply repeated the same idea, and turned her head away from Maki.
"I can do whatever I want! Besides, who are you anyway?" The raven-haired girl flinched at those words, seeming to shrink further into her already small and fragile-looking body.
"You really don't recognize me, do you?" Her voice softened, and the girl slid the sunglasses off her face, revealing bright crimson eyes. Seeing those eyes, Maki began to piece everything together. The twintails, the pink ribbons, scarlet eyes, small stature, and determined voice.
"Nico?" Maki asked, realization hitting her as an epiphany. Emotions began swirling inside of her, everything from anger to sadness to joy. There was so much she wanted to say, but no words came. Nico offered a sorrowful smile in response. Bowing her head, Nico looked to the ground, kicking at the pavement below. For a third year, she still acted like a child sometimes. "Why did you- What made you- How could you-" Maki tried to form a sentence, but there were too many thought in her head. "Why?" She settled on the single word, pain clear in the word, as well as her eyes.
"Him," Nico gestured to the creature who had settled onto the arm of the bench. Kyubey tilted his head to the side, directing his attention to Nico.
"I didn't do anything. I merely made a contract with you. Everything from then on was irrelevant to my presence," He stretched and sat down on Maki's lap, making himself comfortable.
"I don't care about him. You were my best friend, you know that? You meant everything to me, and you just vanished without a care in the world." Tears stung at Maki's eyes, her fists balled tight, nails pressing little curves into her flesh. Her voice was cold and emotionless, but her body betrayed her true feelings.
"I didn't have a choice. I was doing it for your own good," Nico's words were soft, somewhat detached.
"What do you know about what's good for me!" Maki's tone was sharp, words like daggers. Pulling Kyubey into her arms, she abruptly stood up, heading for the school at a brisk pace. Nico was left on the bench, alone, watching as Maki's frame grew smaller until she entered the building, out of Nico's view.
Maki went through the school day in a daze, words passing through her head with no comprehension. She was lost in her own world, too distressed to pay any attention to her teacher. Normally, Maki would take every precaution not to let things like that affect her. This was too much though. Her world had just been spun on it's head due to a small catlike creature waltzing into her bedroom. Then Nico came along, the last person she ever thought she'd bump into. Although, they didn't bump into each other, Nico sought her out. To warn her about Kyubey and the deal.
Later, Rin and Hanayo offered to walk home with Maki, but she dismissed them with the excuse of not feeling well. It was somewhat true. She had felt sick since her encounter with Nico that morning.
Upon arriving at home, Maki closed herself in her bedroom. She laid on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. She began to reminisce about the times she had spent with Nico. The two met when Maki was in the 6th grade.
Maki sat down on the bench with a sense of purpose. Fingers resting on the ivory keys, she began to play. Soft notes drifted around the otherwise silent room. A haunting melody rose from the instrument as Maki closed her eyes, letting her memory take over, guiding her fingers to the correct keys. It was a piece she had been composing. She had been working on it for several months. She was nearly complete, but she wasn't satisfied. It was just missing something. The notes were correct, but the emotion was missing.
Nico, who was the founding and only member of the idol study club, sat in her clubroom. She had been thinking of how to gain members, when the sound of piano began to drift through the walls. Initially she was annoyed. How dare someone in the music room be disrupting the great Nico-Nii's thinking. The longer she listened, the more she began to appreciate the music that echoed through the room. It felt fitting that such a sad song be playing next to her clubroom. All of a sudden the music came to a halt.
Nico waited a few moments, but the music never returned. This process repeated day after day, until Nico decided to do something about it. Moments before the piece would end, Nico made her way to the music room, opening the doors as the final note rung out through the room. There was a girl with vibrant crimson hair seated at the piano.
"Nice song," Nico commented, breaking the girl out of her concentration.
Upon hearing the statement, Maki spun around, her cheeks becoming a shade of red not unlike her hair. "H- how long have you been standing there?" Maki questioned, crossing her arms across her chest.
"Not long, I'm Nico," She introduced, a smug smile covering her lips.
That fateful day was forever engrained into Maki's memory. It was the start of their friendship. It was rocky at first, but the two girls grew extremely close over the time they spent together. They would walk to school together and home together. The two would often go to each others home and spend time together, even doing separate things. They grew to be rather comfortable in the other's presence.
That was until one day, Nico simply vanished. Maki attempted to get a hold of her in every way she could. She called, texted, and even went to her house. Nico refused to answer the door, or answer any of Maki's calls. Because of Nico's age, she went to high school that next year, and Maki never saw her again. That's when Maki finally finished her piano piece. She used the anguish and despair of losing her closest friend to create the haunting tune. She put all of her emotions into it, and was able to put the piece to rest.
Weeks passed and Maki didn't hear from Nico again. The raven-haired girl went to great lengths to avoid Maki, not want her presence to cause Maki any additional harm.
Walking home from school with Kyubey perched atop her shoulder, Maki put her earbuds in. She had been recently listening to a school idol group named A-Rise. They were really good, and provided some contrast to her usual piano pieces that she would listen to. As Private Wars blared in her ears, she zoned out, her feet carrying her in the direction of her home. What she didn't realize was that her surroundings began to morph around her. What was once a cobblestone street became one of white slate with harsh black swirls cast about. Lace and crepe fabric were draped across every surface, adding shards of pastel mint and turquoise. Looking up from her shoes, Maki stopped in utter shock. Head whipping around, she attempted to make sense of her environment. Yellow tape measures were floating through the air, some aimlessly, and other with purpose, coming directly towards her.
"This is called a labyrinth," Kyubey's voice invaded her mind, clouding her hearing. "This is where a witch lives and how she conceals herself from the average human. Unfortunately though, sometimes a passerby gets trapped when a labyrinth opens. The only way for you to get out is if the witch flees or someone kills her."
As Kyubey spoke, these mannequin esque figures emerged from seemingly nowhere. They carried large scissors, which more closely resembled shears. Black markings were etched about their bodies in radial patterns, all emerging from a central point with a symmetrical design. There was something eerily beautiful about them, but that was overlooked due to their vicious nature.
"How can I get her to flee?" Maki asked quickly. She was in no position to kill her, so that was the only option.
"Well, typically they only flee if they feel they are in danger of being killed, such as starting to lose to a very powerful magical girl. The only option I see is you become a magical girl. Of course, I can't force you though. If you do nothing, you will almost surely perish." Bluntly stated, Kyubey explained the nature of witches.
Chewing on her bottom lip, Maki wrestled with the idea. Becoming a magical girl would mean a destiny of fighting witches. That wasn't what she wanted. She was supposed to become a master pianist or composer. There would be no time for that if she were constantly fighting witches. But the only other option seemed to be death, and there isn't a fate crueler than death, she thought. As she debated, she was thrown off by a bright rosy flash coming from behind her.
Turning around, she was faced with none other than Nico Yazawa, the girl she so longed to see, yet also dreaded seeing.
Her black tresses were tied up by thick baby pink ribbons that trailed down to her shoulders. They were placed perfectly on either side of her head, framing her face and drawing attention to her burning crimson eyes. She wore a sleeveless dress that was a bit corset-like in design. Black ties laced up the front. They were loose at the top, revealing a frilly ivory blouse underneath. The garment itself was a deep cerise pink. Small white polka dots were scattered about the fabric. It flared out to a subtle tutu skirt with black ruffles filling out the bottom. A small bundle of roses were placed at her left hip, right where the fabric bent away from her body. Her feet were clad in knee-high lace up boots with a chunky heel. Laces were a gleaming gold that easily attracted the eye. Although, the most eye-catching piece was a glittering gem in the shape of a diamond that lay above her heart, between her collar bones. It was suspended in place by a gold chain that hooked around her small neck.
"Nico?" Maki gasped, watching as the older girl leaped into the air, landing on a suspended platform. She watched in shock as Nico began to battle the witch. The witch was pale pink in color with sewing needles sticking into her skin. She was humanoid, looking like a crude mannequin. Large sheets of ebony fabric were draped over her body. They served as shields, blocking large amounts of the magical attacks.
Nico fought with what appeared to be extensions of her hair bows, as well as small throwing knives. Swirls of pink fabric shot through the air, attempting to ensnare the witch. They would wrap around her body, only to be disintegrated by the magic of the black cloak.
Pulling out a few needles, the witch used her magic to hurl them at Nico, all while her familiars worked to surround Nico, shears opening and closing rapidly, creating a harsh metallic clicking that filled the labyrinth. Nico was hurled backwards, gritting her teeth at the needles cut gashes deep into her arms.
"What's going to happen to her?" Maki turned to Kyubey, venom dripping off her words.
"Well, I can't predict the future, but as of now, it's not looking good. Nico has been using immense amounts of magic, but this witch is very strong. She has been feeding on human lives and they have been giving her large amounts of power," Kyubey explained as battle raged on in front of them. Nico was no longer making advances, but rather throwing up barriers of ribbon to block attacks, losing ground with each blow. "She most likely won't survive the fight. Even if she were able to kill the witch, she has used so much magic that she'll perish even with a victory."
"I can't just sit here and watch her die!" Maki was beginning to become frantic, looking from Nico to Kyubey, wracking her brain for any idea of how to prevent that dreadful fate.
"There is one thing you can do. Why not make a contract with me and become a magical girl? You can save Nico and defeat the witch." Kyubey offered, cocking his head to the side.
Maki bit her lip, war raging inside of her. She didn't to have to be magical girl for the rest of her life, but she couldn't be a bystander and let Nico die when there was something she could do to help. At this point, Nico was constantly being thrown to the ground, unable to make any sort of attack. The barrier were growing smaller and weaker, only up for seconds at a time. The raven-haired girl heard Maki's voice, and turned to face her.
"No! You can't make a deal. Don't do it!" She screamed, her voice raw and scratchy. Nico's warning fell on deaf ears, as Maki had made up her mind.
"I'll do it. My wish is to save Nico, make it so that she'll live through this battle and many more," Maki stated, holding her shoulders back and keeping her head high to disguise the fear rumbling insider her.
"The contract is complete. Your wish has overcome entropy." Kyubey spoke, creating Maki's soul gem. Searing pain ripped through her chest as a blinding turquoise light rose above her. Her feet were lifted off the ground and a whimper escaped her lips. All of a sudden, it all stopped and she dropped to her knees. A soul gem appeared in her hand, cool against her heated skin.
As her mind cleared, Maki looked up to see Nico, now lying motionless on the ground The witch was nowhere to be seen, and the two girls were back in the normal world. Cobblestone streets were once again under their feet, and the cloudy grey sky above their heads. "Nico!" Maki shrieked, running to her. Kneeling by her head, Maki pulled the smaller girl's head into her lap. "Please be okay, please be okay," She whispered, stroking her wavy black hair.
Crimson eyes flashed open, boring up into Maki's. Jolting away from the redhead, Nico sat up, now a foot of so away from Maki. "What have you done?" Nico exclaimed, clenching her pale hands into fists. "Why didn't you just let me die?" She spoke through gritted teeth, pain in her features. "You have no idea how big of a mistake you just made," Nico spat, crossing her arms over her chest.
"It's not a mistake! I know that because you're living and breathing," Maki shadowed Nico, also crossing her arms.
Letting out a breath, Nico looked to Maki and Kyubey, "What's done is done I guess," she muttered, as there was no point in arguing about it now.
"So what now?" Maki asked, realization hitting her with massive force. She was now a magical girl and had to fight these witches for the rest of her life. They were awful beings, and Maki had just witnessed their true power, as well as the danger she was in for. Her hands were trembling, but she looked to the elder magical girl for guidance.
"Training," Nico stated, pushing her mixed emotions away for the time being, "You need to learn how to use your powers in combat."
Exhausted and out of breath, Maki fell onto her hands and knees. She rolled over to lay on her back. "I need a break," She panted. They had been training for hours, and Nico wasn't going easy. At first, Maki was just getting used to her weapon. It was a long black scythe with a silver blade. Decorative details lined the base and twisted up the shaft. This wasn't her only power though. She had the ability to control sound waves, as well as fast healing. Kyubey had explained that Maki's love of music had carried over and given her manipulation over sound waves. Also, since her wish was one of healing, she would be able to heal herself rather quickly. Nico had discovered that she was more powerful as well. Maki's wish had given Nico much greater magic than she had ever possessed.
"I think this is a good time to call it a day," Nico replied, sitting beside Maki, leaning over her to see her face. A smile slipped onto Maki's lips.
"I missed this you know. Spending time with you," Maki felt a flush rising to her cheeks at that thought.
"I did too. I just wish it wasn't under the circumstances," Nico admitted, lying down beside Maki, so they were both looking to the sky. It was quite beautiful at this time of the day. The sun was starting to set, leaving streaks of orange scattered throughout the blue.
They laid in silence before Maki's voice broke Nico from her reverie. "Why did you leave. Why didn't you just tell me," She asked, voice soft and gentle, as if not wanting to scare the older girl.
"There are things you don't know. I just couldn't tell you alright," Nico replied, her words quick.
"Just tell me the truth, what don't I know?" Maki questioned, turning so she could see Nico's face. To her surprise, tears were sliding down Nico's face. There was a sad smile gracing her petite lips, and it was breaking Maki's heart. "Just tell me, it's okay," She laid a hand on top of Nico's.
"I just can't," Nico replied, knowing the truth would be too much. Maki would never forgive her, and they could never be friends. Nico blamed herself for Maki becoming a magical girl, and her eventual transformation into a witch. She knew it was her fault that Maki was now nothing more than a measly rock in a gold stand. Tangling her fingers with Maki's, the redhead accepted that she wouldn't be getting anything from Nico right now.
The pair fought witches side by side, falling into a cycle. They went to school, fought witches, then went to bed. It was the same thing every day. Most witches weren't a challenge for the duo, and they were actually having some fun. One witch battle, things weren't going according to plan. They were fighting a particularly strong witch. She was adept in illusions and trickery. It was a game Maki could play too. She would use sound waves to create the illusion that there explosions behind the witch, when in reality there was nothing. She could use sound waves to simply shatter almost anything, but because of the veil of deception surrounding the witch, Maki could never even really attack. The witch was never where she thought she was. The witch would also hide Nico from her. Nico would just vanish, at least that's what Maki saw, when in reality, she was still fighting alongside Maki.
Delivering a hard blow, Maki began to make real progress with the witch. Nico would use her ribbons to hold her in place and Maki would attack, using her scythe to hack away at the witch. Just as the witch began to disappear, a harsh scream pierced Maki's ears. The labyrinth ebbed away, but the witches magic had travel down Nico's ribbons, creating a devastating attack. Rushing to her partner's side, Maki looked to Nico's soul gem. It was pure black, not even the slightest hint of pink shining through. It was too late for a grieve seed, there was nothing she could do.
"No, no no no no…." Maki muttered, watching as the soul gem began to shatter, metal bending and gem falling to the floor in shards.
"I'm sorry," Nico managed to get out before a scream ripped past her lips. Looking back to her soul gem, Maki's eyes widened in shock as she discovered that it was no longer a soul gem, but a grieve seed, the metaphorical egg of witches.
A labyrinth opened around her, and Nico's body disappeared. It was filled with all things Nico. There were floating music notes and the color pink was scattered about the labyrinth. Familiars swarmed her. They looked almost like rabbits that stood on two legs. Forced to make a quick decision, although an undesirable one, Maki decided that she had to fight. She couldn't just let Nico kill everyone in the city. Even if she let her go, another magical girl was bound to come around and kill her then. Nico would just suffer in despair if she didn't do anything.
Taking a more defensive approach, Maki used her scythe to fight off the familiars. She spun around, taking many out with a single swing. "Nico, I know you're in there," She yelled, using her magic to amplify the sound, sending it straight toward her witch. The witch would have been beautiful if it weren't the chains holding her down. She was wearing a dress adorned with stars and bows, but all the pain she had been through was evident in her form. What should have been elegant and beautiful seemed miserable and suffering. "I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm here for you. I always have been," Maki yelled, trying to get to the friend that lie beneath the creature before her eyes. Nico, or the witch, began to send pink ribbons at her, each one tipped with a glinting blade. The hit the ground directly beside Maki, the girl having to jump to the side to dodge them. "Not pulling any punches," she muttered under her breath, jumping up to a higher platform, one that put her at eye level with Nico's witch. Getting closer, Maki could hear that screams were coming from the witch. They were constant and coming from all directions. It was the kind of scream that tore at a person's soul. One of complete and utter agony. They made her blood run cold and caused shutters to run down her spine.
"Please, I'm begging you. Don't do this," Maki cried, ducking to avoid being struck by the blades. She had to be constantly moving, or she would be struck. Jumping from platform to platform, ducking and dodging, Maki continued to yell at the witch. "Nico!" She yelled, voice going raw. She could feel the magic draining from her soul gem. Using all these blocks and using sound waves to shatter the metal was draining, and Mai knew she couldn't keep it up much longer. She was getting grazed by the blades and knocked to the ground. They sliced at her arms leaving gashes running up and down her body. As soon as she could get back up, another struck, throwing her back down. Summoning a much larger scythe, Maki drew large amounts of magic from her soul gem. "I love you Nico. I always have. I'm so sorry," She whispered, tears slipping down her cheeks. "I'm sorry," Maki pulled the scythe back and closed her eyes. Swinging with all her strength, she struck the witch, nwing the amount of power would surely kill her. As expected, the labyrinth disappeared, leaving only Maki and the greive seed of her former best friend.
Taking one look at her soul gem with glazed eyes, Maki knew she was done. Unwilling to use Nico's grieve seed, she clutched in her hands, leaving her soul gem to sit beside her. "It's not worth it. It's not worth being here without you," She cried, white hot pain ripping through her body. A sob broke through her lips as she curled around the grieve seed. "After all I tried, after I fought so hard, I still couldn't protect you. I wasn't good enough to save you." She whispered. Fiery, searing pain pulsated through her body, and a scream rang through the air. All the pain and despair echoed on her voice. The sound cut off and another witch was born.