Author's Note: I finished re-watching Madoka Magica a few hours ago, and decided to get writing. This fic has nothing to do with the original series, I just really like the concept of the show and the world it's set in. Kyubey is obviously involved, but it's not the same one, and there won't be any cameos I'm afraid. But I hope you enjoy it still.^^
Chapter One:
Dave Gordon dashed through the crowd haphazardly. If he missed his first lesson, he had failed. He had ten minutes before the lesson ended, and Mr Hopkins started to hand out the entry forms. Dave crashed into a bald man who had been purchasing an ice cream from a food van. The ice cream fell out of his hand and landed with a splat on the ground. A small girl nearby immediately started crying, but Dave was already running away. He could hear the man shouting after him, but he couldn't afford to care. He needed that entry form. It was for an art competition. The winner would be given a scholarship to one of the most prestigious art colleges in England. Dave's father clearly wanted him to one day take over his funeral care business, but Dave had other plans.
The bell was ringing as Dave arrived. He was running out of energy but he increased his pace anyway. Dave crashed through the classroom door, causing Mr Hopkins to turn and scowl at him.
"Gordon, there's no need to make an entrance," he tutted, pushing his glasses up his nose.
"Sorry, sir," Dave panted, leaning on the door frame. "I ran here."
The class tittered, and Dave could see the class's 'resident bitch', Melissa Adams, whispering to one of her lackeys. He made a point of bumping her shoulder as he walked past and took his seat behind her.
"Anyway, class, we just got in the entry forms to the art competition," Mr Hopkins announced, making Dave sigh with relief. "Take one from my desk as you leave, if you wish to enter."
The class got up and started packing their things up. Dave went straight to the front desk and reached for a form. He was pushed aside by Laura, Lissa's closest friend.
"Watch it, freak," she snarled at him.
"Watch it, yourself," Dave growled.
"Laura, do you have my form?" Lissa asked behind them.
Laura handed Lissa the form proudly, like a retriever that finally found a tennis ball.
"Are you sure you want to enter, David?" Lissa sneered. "I have such an advantage over you."
"Advantage?" Dave said gruffly, examining his own form.
"I'm actually talented, of course," Lissa replied with a mischievous look to her otherwise dull brown eyes.
"Right," Dave said simply, pushing past her to get his bag from his desk.
Laura was giggling at something Lissa was saying as he left, but he couldn't be bothered to care. He was always careful around Lissa. She was easy to piss off, and too popular for him to make an enemy of. Although she had already made it perfectly clear that she wanted nothing to do with him. He had learnt in the first few days of school that if he brought up the scar on her face she would punch him; and she was surprisingly strong. It started at her brow and ran across her nose and cheek, and Lissa was clearly insecure about it.
After school had finished, Dave left as soon as he could. He wanted to be alone with his thoughts. He began to jog home. He thought about what he should do for the competition. As he walked, his head dropped. Soon, he was no longer paying attention to where he was going. Lissa's words rang through his head.
"Are you sure you want to enter, David?"
"Am I sure?" He mumbled to himself, without realising he had spoken aloud.
"Are you sure you won't fail, David?"
"I might fail," he murmured slowly, his steps were slow and his feet dragged across the floor.
"What will happen if you fail, David?"
David didn't reply to this. It wasn't Lissa's voice anymore. This voice was worse. Slowly, he came to his senses and looked around. But he had clearly taken a wrong turn. In fact, he doubted he was even in England anymore. All around him were abstract shapes and bright colours. Silhouetted babies in white nappies danced around him, and waterfalls of milk poured off cliffs. He rubbed his eyes to be sure he was really seeing it, but it was real.
A flash of green shot past him. He cried out as one of the nappy babies grabbed his trouser leg, and he dropped his rucksack. The green flash went whizzed past and knocked the nappy baby flying. It stopped before him, and he realised it was a girl. She wore a dark green, high waisted skirt, and a pale green blouse tucked into it. Her face was freckled, and her brown hair was long and unkempt.
"Follow me, I need to get you out of here," she instructed him, and started to run back the way he came.
Dave sprinted after her, panting with every step he took. All around him things were moving, he couldn't tell what was alive and what wasn't. Even the walls seemed to live. Coloured building blocks with letters and numbers on them were whizzing through the air, and some even came close to hitting him.
When a bright light appeared ahead of them, Dave knew instinctively that it was a good thing. The girl stopped beside it and turned to wait for him.
"Go through the light, and go home," she ordered him. "Nobody will believe you, so don't bother telling anybody."
"But, my bag," he protested. "It has my sketch book in it."
"That's not important," she snapped. "Get out of here, I don't need any collateral damage."
He did as he was told and stepped through the light, and realised he was standing in the street like normal. He turned to face the portal. It was just a mess of shadows and faint colour. He debated waiting for the girl to return, but figured she'd be mad if he did. Reluctantly, he went home. He knew he wouldn't sleep that night. The image of the girl refused to vacate his mind.