"Homura, now!"
The two girls launched their attacks simultaneously, the rocket flying from the barrel of its launcher at the same time the arrow of pink light left its string. The two attacks met among a circle of familiars- a manmade military explosion complimented by a set of fuchsia fireworks. Massive poodles and feminine silhouettes were thrown to all sides, erupting into a black miasma that settled and left nothing in its wake.
"A break in the line. We have to move!" Homura ordered, taking up the front of their five-woman formation. Adjusting her glasses, she rushed forward, her long hair flowing behind her as her heels clacked on the chessboard floor of the clock tower. Behind her, Madoka and Sayaka followed, while Kyoko wasn't far behind. Only one of them hesitated, standing at the landing with her back to the staircase.
"Mami?" Kyoko's voice rang out. She had been halfway up the stairs when she turned around, a perplexed look on her face over the lack of motion from her companion. When her call went unheeded, she went back down a few steps. "If you don't hurry, Homura and the others are gonna leave us behind. Let's go."
It took a few seconds, but the blond finally turned around, and walked to the foot of the stairs. However, she made no effort to climb them.
"Sakura..."
"Huh? What's the matter?"
"I'm... so happy I got to see you again." Mami said, lowly, as she lifted an arm to wipe her eyes on the sleeve of her shirt. "I thought when we parted ways, you were gone forever. That you wanted nothing to do with your stupid teacher who was too soft on everyone else."
Kyoko looked taken aback. What did she say to this confession? As she stumbled over the words to make some kind of reply, the sound of giggling welled up around them, a hushed mocking tone.
"Maybe as an instructor, I failed, but... you were always... my best friend."
"Mami..."
The sound of laughter grew louder, as if it was listening in on the two girls and mocking the blond's confession. One of those silhouettes, whose bodies seemed to swirl with the stars of the night sky, bounded out of the darkness and towards the duo. Without even looking, Mami reached back, a musket sliding out from her sleeve and blasting through the creature's head. It flew back, skidded on the tiling, and vanished, leaving nothing but a smear of black in its wake.
"They've been following us, on our way up. These familiars. If we just leave them, they'll sneak up on us. We can't afford to be overwhelmed. And we can't waste the time to dispatch them. Akemi's time stop only has so long, and-"
"Then we'll take 'em out right now!"
"No!" Mami's voice was hard, insistent. A rarity from her. "The others need you. You need to go."
"Wha-? You can't mean-"
More shadows, cutting through the darkness with their flashes of purple and blue that were shaped in some form of martial arts garb. The gunslinger spun around, extending her arms out by her side, summoning a group of firearms on each side that fired immediately, blasting off chunks of their mysterious figure. From their corpses sprang out ribbon after ribbon, forming a wall that solidified just quick enough to intercept another party of familiars, extremities sliced at all manner of angles before dropping to the floor and bursting into black fog.
"Go!" Mami shouted, spinning in the air and dropping two muskets from her hands and into her sleeves, striking the disfigured monsters as they approached and throwing them back through sheer force. "This is my duty... as a magical girl. I will keep everyone safe."
"M-Mami-!"
"Goodbye, Kyoko."
Ribbons, like rolls of police tape, wrapped themselves over the door, completely sealing it shut. The red magical girl threw herself against it, slamming her fists against the yellow bindings. Although soft to the touch, the ribbons formed a barrier harder than the walls around them.
"Mami! Let me in! Maaamiiiiiiiii!"
Doing her best to block out the muffled screaming that came from behind her, the young veteran focused only on the increasingly large wave of spirits in front of her. Magical girls, all who had succumbed to their curses and become absorbed by the legendary witch herself.
She was but one girl, and now, she was staring down an army.
Choking back the tears that threatened to spill out, Kyoko slowly moved from the doorway, and up the stairs with a heavy heart.
–
Upstairs, Madoka and the others were gathered, weapons ready, awaiting an enemy that hadn't shown itself yet. The pink-haired girl was the first to speak.
"Kyoko! ...Wh... where's Mami?"
She walked past them, straight to the door that would lead them outside, and kicked it open.
"Kyoko?"
"Let's go."
There was nothing for them here, anymore.