Welcome to the world of Puella Magi... A world, where simple wishes for happiness can have the gravest of consequences. There are no heroes here, just unfortunate youths trying to defeat their own despair...

I have been a fan of this series for a long time, and have now decided to create my own inofficial spin – off. This story is entirely original, but set in the world of Puella Magi and loosely ties in to the narrative of Madoka Magica at several points.

Episode 1: From Above

Kamisaki, a city far to the north of Mitakihara and Kazamino...

Two girls, wielding the power of magic, were fighting on the rooftops, painted red by the setting sun. One clad in a warrior's attire, the other covered in the black robes of an assassin, they struggled against each other, unseen by the people below.

The armoured girl charged with her blade, her long, silky black hair flying upwards as the wind rushed past. The dark one blocked the blow with the chain binding her two sickles together. "You never change, do you, Haruka?" The armoured one smirked as she kicked her opponent in the abdomen. "Don't you think that, after all the times you tried to take my head, it would be best to admit defeat and walk away?" The girl in black flew back towards the edge of the roof, stopping right before the gaping abyss. "Bitch...", she spat out, "You know exactly why I won't stop, can't stop... Hime..." Unsteadily getting back on her feet, she prepared for the next strike to hit her. She had fought Hime often enough to know she would not let her take any breaks. However, instead of attacking, her enemy turned around. Mockingly, she said: "Give it up. This fight is pointless. Why should I waste valuable energy on someone like you?" That was it! Haruka jumped at her, preparing to slice her head clean off. Hime stepped aside and slashed at her face, cutting up the cloth covering it and leaving a deep gash in her cheek. The remaining momentum from her attack threw Haruka off the roof.

"Hey, Hyun – chan! Hyuuuun – chan!" Chol Hyun, second year from Kamisaki High, woke up at a table at KFC. "Seriously, why do you always have to doze off like that?" Her friend, Himura Nanako , was sitting next to her, looking annoyed. "S – sorry... I had work till 11 pm yesterday." Nanako sighed. "If only your dad could keep a job for once..." "You know it's not easy for Koreans to find work here, Nanacchi. Let alone keep it.", Hyun complained. Nanako laughed. "Hah, am I glad I don't have such problems... By the way, can I borrow your math notes?" "Tsk... no work morals. Disgraceful...", Hyun scolded her. "Oh, shut up. Ugh! School is such a pain in the ass! We're only young once, you know?" Why was Nanako always this carefree... but in a way, Hyun envied her. Since she was thirteen, she had been working every day of the week, delivering newspapers, as a waitress in a restaurant or at the movie theater. Of course, people like Nanako couldn't understand how hard it was being a foreigner in Japan, especially a poor one. Still, Hyun was glad she had someone to talk to.

After they had moved from Kitakyushu to Kamisaki and Hyun transfered to her new school, no one wanted to have anything to do with her. A dirty foreigner. A barbarian. They never said that out loud, but it was clear they thought that way. Nanako... Hyun didn't know whether it was pity or curious exoticism, but one day, that girl just started talking to her. It was quite the strange experience for her, being welcomed by someone, but it felt... good. They started walking to – and from school together. Some of their classmates did certainly talk behind Nanako's back about her for this, but she didn't mind. Truly, this girl was too kind...

"It's getting late", Nanako said, looking at her smartphone. "We should go home. You've got to work in an hour, don't you?" "Shit!" Hyun jumped up. "You're right! Sorry, Nanacchi! Could you...?" "Yeah, yeah. I'll pay for your hotwings!", she answered, smiling. "Thank you! See you tomorrow!" Hyun ran off and down the escalators. Just as she opened the doors leading outside...

...A person hit the ground.

Hyun was in shock. What just happened? That person before her, lying on the ground, her blood slowly forming a puddle underneath her contorted and broken body... Her face... Everything went black.

Hyun awoke screaming and sweating heavily. Was it... all just a dream? She quickly calmed down and looked at the clock, which immediately made her panick again: She was late for school! She quickly brushed her teeth and put on her uniform. Rushing past her father, who was sleeping on the sofa, she slowed down for a moment, then picked up his blanket from the floor and put it back over his body.

Halfway to school, she caught up with Nanako. "Geez, Hyun – chan! You know how long I waited in front of your door?" "Sorry, Nanacchi... I didn't sleep that well last night.", Hyun apologized. "Yeah. I mean, I would've understood if you didn't come to school at all today, after passing out last evening." Hyun was confused. "Wait, what happened?" "You passed out in front of the mall, probably from exhaustion. I brought you home with the help of Kyoji – kun." Hyun awkwardly smiled. "T – thanks..." "You still don't look good. Are you sure you want to come to school?" "It's fine, Nanako. Besides, we have a math test today, haven't we..."

Hyun and Nanako were sitting at their desk at the back of the classroom and chatting until Miss Toriyama came in. "My dear students, even though I promised you the wonderful opportunity to prove your knowledge about analytical geometry today, the test will sadly have to be postponed until next week, as I lost it in a hard drive crash." Nanako looked relieved. "Also, We have a new friend joining us today. Come in, Nakajima – san." A Girl with short, black hair entered the classroom. Her face had strange features Hyun had only seen once before... but... where? Where had she seen -

It wasn't a dream. In front of the blackboard, without a doubt, stood the girl who should have died less than 24 hours ago.

Hyun couldn't help but stare at her, which luckily wasn't bothering anyone, given the situation. "My name is Nakajima Haruka. Pleased to meet you." As she was saying this, her eyes slowly wandered towards Hyun, who tried to hide her face behind her textbook as soon as she noticed.

After class, a lot of students flocked around Haruka. "Nakajima – san, your skin is so smooth! What's your secret?" "You look beautiful, but, and don't misunderstand me, some of your features..." "My mother was an Ainu.", she answered. "If you've got a problem with that..." "No, no! I'm really interested in that kind of stuff!"

Hyun didn't feel comfortable approaching Haruka, with all these people surrounding her. They may as well have been a concrete wall for a social outcast like her. But she would definitely confront that girl about what happened the day before.

"I'm sorry, everyone, but I must leave early today. My transfer was very spontaneous and my family still has to unpack things." Haruka stood up and proceeded to walk towards the door in the back of the class. Passing by Hyun, she slipped her a piece of paper before quickly leaving. "Meet me by the big tree in the park as soon as you can", it said.

Nakajima Haruka kept true to her word. She indeed sat on a bench under the large, old Oak tree that stood in the center of Kamisaki Park. Hyun sat down next to her, highly nervous, but eager to get some answers. "So, why did you call me here?", she asked. Haruka didn't even bother to turn her head to face Hyun. "I wanted to apologize. I should have helped you when you passed out yesterday." "Sorry?", Hyun asked in unbelief. "What is there to apologize for? I thought you were dead!" "I don't know what you saw", Haruka said, "but I merely tripped. I was in a hurry, so I selfishly ran and left you lying on the ground. I'm sorry for that." Hyun got angry "Are you trying to fuck with me!? I know I saw you bleeding out there!" "What are you talking about?" Hyun sighed. "Maybe... yeah, sorry, I said something weird there. I was overworked and... probably just imagining things." She got up, and started heading back in the direction of the school. "By the way... Why did you call me outside like this?" Haruka stayed silent for a moment, then answered: "I am quite perceptive when it comes to people. You wouldn't have been able to talk to me with our classmates around, would you?" That hit the spot exactly. This girl... she completely saw through her. Hyun could do nothing but awkwardly stare at her, until she shook her head. "If you don't have anything else to say, I would like to go and continue unpacking now." "Yeah, sorry. Go ahead, Nakajima – san..."

Haruka slowly ascended the stairs of the old car park at the western edge of the city. She had never had such a hard time moving to any other city. If that other Magical Girl hadn't been there... things might have gotten really ugly. "Are you going out to hunt again tonight?" Kyubey appeared from the shadows. "No, not really. I will probably just scout out the area for the time being. Besides, if any witches show up, I'm sure this city's Magical Girl can handle them." On the second highest platform, one could see the entire city, the blue of the sky reflecting on the glass walls of the highrise buildings. "...There's one more thing, Incubator. There is a girl at the local high school... Chol Hyun. She has a lot of problems... A good candidate, perhaps?" "Certainly. I have had my eyes set on her for quite a while, but if we had formed a contract, I could not have known how the other Magical Girl would have reacted, and I don't want to waste potential energy sources because they kill each other." "Typical of you", Haruka mocked him, "You don't get us humans at all. There's no way those two would fight over something as petty as grief seeds." "Are you the right one to judge that, Nakajima Haruka? After all, you never had the problems normal Magical Girls do." Haruka leaned against a concrete pillar and took out her Soul Gem. "My soul..."

"...it is black."

Hyun sighed. Nanako had gone home early, so she didn't have anything to do in her one precious hour of free time before work. Going home... wasn't really an option, so she just kept wandering the streets aimlessly, looking at wonderful luxuries on store shelves she could never hope to afford.

...really, it was unjust.

Others never as much as moved a finger and were showered with affection and gifts, while she was stuck with an unemployed drunkard who barely scraped by with the money of her hard labor. And he didn't even care when she collapsed from the strain that put on her. Maybe she should just...

Absentmindedly, Hyun had wandered into a narrow alley. "He should rot...", she mumbled to herself, not noticing her surroundings warp and contort into a strange, hellish landscape of combs and scissors.

Er spielt mit den Schlangen! Er spielt mit den Schlangen!

Hyun was ripped out of her thoughts by a... a walking toupée stomping on her foot as it passed by. What was this? What was happening to her?

Dein goldenes Haar! Dein goldenes Haar!

In the distance, a gigantic mannequin head towered over the comb trees. Its long, blonde hair moved unnaturally, as if it was alive.

Margarete! Margarete! Dein goldenes Haar Margarete!

Hyun tried to get away, slowly walking backwards. However, she soon found she was surrounded by an army of toupées.

Dein goldenes Haar! Dein aschenes Haar!

"No... stay away! Stay awaaaaay!"

Sulamith! Sulamith!

The toupées were closing in on her, scarred, dirty hands emerging from their hairy bodies, yearning to grab her.

Dein aschenes Haar! Sulamith! Sulamith! Dein aschenes Haar Sulamith!

The mannequin's hair separated itself from the head, like a queen standing up from her throne. The Queen of Hair...

Der Tod! Der Tod!

A thousand tiny, but nevertheless strong hands gripped onto Hyun's legs and the toupées started to climb up her body. "No! Nooo!"

Der Tod ist ein Meister! Der Tod ist ein Meister aus -

A halberd made of glimmering silver tore Hyun's hairy assailants to shreds. "Da hell I'm gonna let something like that happen on my watch!" A strange girl in something resembling a gothic lolita dress rushed past her, grabbed the halberd and, like a lightning bolt, struck the Queen of Hair. The monster growled and sent strands of her hair after the girl as if they were tentacles. Continuously flying upwards as if it wasn't anything special, the girl blocked all attempted strikes with the blade of her halberd, until she reached a certain height, from which she shot down at full speed, cutting the beast in half. From one moment to the next, the two of them stood in a normal alley once again.

The strange girl stood with her back turned towards Hyun. "Th – thank you...", she stuttered, still unsure what had just happened. "No need for thanks. It's my job to help people out." Her saviour's voice sounded familiar. "Wait... Nanacchi!?" The girl laughed. "Right on your money, Hyun – chan." A strange, cat – like being appeared from the shadows. "What you just witnessed was a fight between a Witch and a Magical Girl." The thing could talk! Hyun was thoroughly confused by everything that had happened. "What's going on, Nanacchi? What is this creature? Witches? Magical Girls?" Nanako sighed. "I guess I've got a lot of explaining ahead of me..."

The horizon once again began to redden and dusk was approaching when Haruka returned to her hideout. After pulling a bottle of sake out of the bag she kept her belongings in, she let herself fall onto the dirty matress that served as her bed. After a while, Kyubey returned and curled up beside her. "Well, any luck on your front, Incubator?", she asked. "Not yet. I only just contacted Chol Hyun for the first time, and not in a situation that required quick action on her part. Some girls need time to be persuaded, you know." Haruka looked up at the gray ceiling. "I hadn't had any luck, either. No trace of Hime anywhere I looked." "That's unfortunate... How long has it been now, exactly?", Kyubey asked. "..."

"...Too long..."

To be continued

The first "episode" has reached its conclusion. Why is Haruka so fixated on this "Hime"? How does she know Kyuubey's true identity? Why does she work with him regardless? What is special about her Soul Gem? Will Hyun become a Magical Girl? A thousand questions have emerged, and another thousand are yet to be asked, as well as a thousand answers to be given. So "tune in" next time for another episode of Puella Magi Haruka Magica!