Mami Tomoe was alone.

Since the car crash that had claimed the lives of her parents two years ago, she had lived in a penthouse in the centre of Mitakihara City, deprived of human contact. School was her only chance to mingle with others, and yet Mami was always left sitting by herself during lunch hour. Nobody had any reason to talk to her. She was an invisible girl, unnoticed by everybody.

But that was fine. Over the past two years, Mami had grown accustomed to solitude. Living alone was actually quite comfortable – it was a peaceful existence, free from the disturbances of rowdy children and smug adults, and at fifteen years old Mami was perfectly capable of looking after herself. As for being alone at school – well, school was a place to learn, not to have fun. Mami didn't care if she had friends or not. Besides, the state of her social life paled in comparison to the rest of Mami's problems.

Mami Tomoe was a Puella Magi, a magical girl who fought against witches that were born from Grief Seeds, strange black objects that were scattered all over the city. It had been two years now, two years since she became a magical girl. Two years since she made the wish that would change her life forever.

It wasn't as though she'd had much of a say in the matter. Considering the situation she was in, there was really no other choice. That… thing had appeared to her without warning, just as she was beginning to lose all hope. Kyubey was an almost indescribable creature – he was white, and looked like some form of dog, one with tiny legs and a long, bushy tail with strange red markings on it. Then again, there was much about Kyubey that Mami didn't understand. Sometimes it felt like she never would.

Kyubey had been smiling down at her, his impression unchanging, perched on a large piece of debris that must have come from the lorry.

'What is your wish?'

At first, Mami thought she was hallucinating. She must have been having a near-death experience. The only difference here was that she really was going to die. She could feel the pool of blood she was lying in swimming around her, growing more expansive by the minute.

Yet something about this strange creature emitted a feeling of trustworthiness. Mami didn't want to die. Ever since she was a little girl, she had been absolutely terrified of death, fearful of a black void of nothingness. She wanted to live. She had to. She wouldn't allow herself to die here.

'I want to live,' she declared, her voice sounding clearer than she could have thought possible. The transformation was almost instant. The pool of blood around her stilled – her bones felt as though they were slowly repairing themselves, and her brain and heart suddenly felt revitalized and filled with energy.

And so, that day, Mami was able to walk away from the crash, still in a daze, almost unaware of what had happened. It took a while for it to truly sink in. Now that she looked back on it, Mami could only despair at her wish. There was one word which stood out to her, one word which changed the course of her future forever. 'I.'

Mami still didn't know why she hadn't wished for her parents to live as well as her. Was it a moment of madness? Was she being selfish? Or did she quite simply forget about them?

It drove Mami crazy to think about it. For Mami, the past was a dreadful place, filled with stale memories and days she knew she could never relive. Yet she couldn't help dwelling on the past, remembering her parents and wondering what the present would be like, had her past been different.

Despite the initial trauma, Mami 'adapted well to being a Puella Magi,' or so Kyubey had told her. He taught her the basics of fighting and all the terminology. They were just words, of course – something like Kyubey couldn't demonstrate to Mami how wrestle, for example. But Mami learnt best from listening, and paid close attention to everything Kyubey told her.

Nobody else was aware of Mami's double life as a magical girl, and Mami was firmly convinced that nobody needed to be. She didn't want praise or recognition for her work – all she wanted was for Mitakihara to be a safe place for all its citizens, free from the evil of witches and their familiars.

But she knew she was lying to herself when she said that was all she wanted. There was something else.

What Mami Tomoe really wanted was a friend.

Mami Tomoe took her final sip of Earl Grey, absent-mindedly peering out of the window. The evening sun was beginning to set on Mitakihara, casting a pleasant orange glow upon the sky. There were only a few clouds dotting the sunset – almost hardly noticeable. Perfect weather for witch-hunting.

Placing the empty cup in the kitchen sink to be washed later, Mami pulled on a jacket and headed towards the door, about to leave the apartment, when all of a sudden she heard a strange vibration. Her phone.

Bewildered, Mami stopped in her tracks and turned back towards the table, where her phone was lying. Nobody ever called or texted Mami – in fact, her only contacts were organizations such as the dental practice, hairdressers', etc. Perhaps it was just spam.

But it wasn't. The text was from Hana, apparently (Mami had deduced this from the opening like, 'Hey, it's Hana here'), and it was asking Mami if she wanted to go to the new cake shop that had just opened in town with a group of girls from her class. Mami didn't know how or when Hana had gotten, hold of her number, but she felt slightly flattered that somebody from her class had invited her out.

At this point, the thought struck her that she might have just been drafted in as a replacement for one of the other girls. Yeah, that's right, I'm just the reserve. They'll ignore me until they need me.

Mami pondered over the invitation for a few moments. On the one hand, something was suspicious about the last-minute nature of the invitation, and she was probably only invited because there was nobody else available. On the other hand, going to the cake shop would increase her popularity with her classmates and give her a chance to socialize. Plus she really did adore cake.

Mami flipped the phone shut and bit her lip. Then she put her jacket back on and slipped a full purse into its pocket. Hana hadn't specified if Mami would be paying for herself or not.

As she walked out of the door, Mami peered over the fence that gave her a bird's-eye view of the city centre. Was this really okay? As a Puella Magi, she had responsibilities to fulfil. Being the only Puella Magi in the city made them all just stack up, higher and higher until they began to wobble and crashed to the ground.

I've got my Soul Gem with me. If any trouble occurs, I can just make my excuses and head off. After all, being a Puella Magi doesn't mean I'm not allowed to kick back and relax at times, right?

'Tomoe-san!' Hana called from a large table in the corner of the shop. 'Hi! Come and sit down!'

Sheepishly, aware of every pair of eyes that were focusing on her, Mami made her way over to the table, where a seat was empty next to Hana. She slowly slid onto the seat, wondering why all conversation had stopped just because of her arrival.

It was as Mami tilted her head backwards that she got the shock of her life.

It was that girl again. That girl who she had fought unsuccessfully one year ago, that girl who used to be so charming but slowly lost all her ideals and began to sink into an ocean of despair. That girl who had reduced Mami to tears with her harsh words and cruel actions. Kyouko Sakura.

She was sat by the window with Kyubey, slurping on a chocolate milkshake. Upon locking eyes with Mami, she stared at her for a few seconds before sliding off the red barstool and walking out of the shop. Kyubey followed, casting a single glance back at Mami before disappearing from her view.

'Tomoe-san? Is something wrong?'

Mami's thoughts jolted back to the present. 'Oh, sorry, I just got lost in my own world for a moment there. Have you ordered some cake yet?'

'Cake?' Hana giggled. 'Oh, Mami, you don't seriously think we came here to eat cake, did you?' Her smile was thin and her eyes were dull. Mami felt a sharp pain in her stomach. Something was definitely wrong here.

'Honestly,' some of the other girls said. Their expressions looked identical to Hana's.

'What do you mean?' Mami began suspiciously, raising an eyebrow. 'That's what a cake shop's for, right?'

'Oh, Mami, you're so cute,' Hana smiled, raising an eyebrow back. 'No, we were just using the cake shop as a meeting place. We're going somewhere else now that you're here – come on.'

Mami didn't need her Soul Gem to tell her that there was a witch nearby. If her theory was correct, the girls would lead her to its location, and she would be able to defeat it before anything bad happened.

With Hana leading the way, the girls marched up a flight of coiled-off stairs in the city centre. Mami knew this lead to a tall overhanging platform that was extremely dangerous. Nobody else in the town seemed concerned about the girls – they were all going about their daily business. There was no reason for them to be concerned. To make things worse, once the girls were on the platform nobody would be able to see them until they were bloody and mangled bodies in the street. Mami wouldn't allow it to get to that stage.

Hana giggled again as she reached the platform, turning around. Like zombies, the other girls turned around in sync with her. The witches' kisses were clearly visible on their necks now.

'Tomoe-san, why don't you go first?' Hana smiled, for one second looking almost normal.

'No,' Mami said. 'I won't allow this to happen, Hana. I'll save you soon, don't worry.'

Hana raised an eyebrow again. 'Save us? No, Tomoe-san, you've got it all wrong. We're saving ourselves. We're going to a place much nicer than this empty, bleak world.'

'Stop it!' Mami yelled. She'd dealt with victims of witches' kisses before, but no groups as large as this. She felt as though she couldn't keep her eyes off them for one minute or they'd jump.

Desperately, Mami spun around, only to spot a Grief Seed rolling around the floor. One glance upwards showed her to entrance to the portal that would lead her into the witch's barrier.

'Wait for me here, I'll be ready soon,' Mami told them, hoping that this would keep the girls at bay. After a quick transformation with her Soul Gem, she walked up to the barrier and stepped inside.

Debris flew past her the moment she stepped within the barrier.

'Crap!' a voice came. 'There's a normal human in here!'

Mami recognized the voice all too well. Its owner was Kyouko Sakura again, infecting every area of Mami's life like a parasite.

'Kyouko!' Mami yelled, jumping towards the platform she was currently stationed on. 'What do you think you're doing?'

'Get out!' Kyouko hissed, deflecting Mami with a sharp kick to the stomach. In a state of shock, Mami began to fall to the ground, before getting her bearings back and quickly using ribbons to still her flight. 'I'm about to win! I don't need you to interfere!'

Mami hated Kyouko Sakura with every bone in her body, but at the same time she didn't have an elevated view of herself. Kyouko really didn't need her, and this was proved by the finished blow that Kyouko inflicted onto the witch. With an ear-piercing scream, the barrier began to crumble around them, until there was nothing left.

Kyouko and Mami knew better than to stay in their Puella Magi forms in front of the girls that were just beginning to come back to their senses.

'Tomoe-san?' Hana blinked. 'What are you doing here?'

'Oh, Hana,' Mami replied, trying to sound natural. 'I just happened to be passing by.'

To Mami's surprise, the girls seemed orientated and composed, and quickly began to stand up and walk away from the scene, as though nothing had happened.

'Well, that was quick,' Kyouko snarled, leaning against the wall. 'Friends of yours?'

'Just girls from school,' Mami murmured quietly. Seeing Kyouko again brought back too many bad memories for her. She needed to get away as fast as possible.

'I'll be taking this, then,' Kyouko continued, referring to the Grief Seed. 'After all, you didn't do a thing.'

'You specifically instructed me not to,' Mami retorted. She swallowed deeply. Why was Kyouko back in Mitakihara anyway?

Kyouko smirked. 'Well, better luck next time… Tomoe-san.' She began to skulk off, Kyubey not following her.

'I'm going to look for a new contract,' Kyubey called after her.

Both girls gasped in unison. 'What!?'

'Mami can't handle being the town's only Puella Magi. She needs a companion,' Kyubey said simply, walking away from the scene.

Mami and Kyouko cast a single glance at each other.

'Well, there you are then,' Kyouko shrugged. 'Finally, poor little Mami will have a friend. Aww, isn't that nice?'

'Shut up,' Mami hissed, trying to keep her composure. 'I'll see you later.'

Meanwhile, on the city's edge, a lone girl spotted a dying black kitten in the road.