Author's Note: This story has quite a few spoilers for both series, and they begin in this note. "Galaxy of the Lost" is set in the Madoka Magica timeline that takes up most of the show, and starts in episode 3. The actual dates get a bit screwy, since according to Oriko Magica the series takes place in 2011, but I'm changing that to being further into the future. The Yu Yu Hakusho timeline is some 50-75 years after the end of the manga.

Warnings: There may or may not be yaoi and/or yuri (aka homosexual pairings) in future chapters. I haven't decided yet. Considering the nature of these two series, there will be possible gore and definite violence in this fic. These warnings will be updated in the future to reflect newer chapters should they require it.

"And it's so sad to see the world agree

That they'd rather see their faces fill with flies

All when I'd want to keep white roses in their eyes."

- Holland 1945 by Neutral Milk Hotel.

Galaxy of the Lost

by ElectronicSiliviy

Chapter 1: A Meeting Over Cake

Smash. The witch's body slammed into the ground of its barrier over and over again as Tomoe Mami fired at it. She summoned rifle after rifle as soon as the ammunition in one ran out, destroying the small creature's body in a rain of magical bullets.

When the body moved no more, she dropped her last gun. She was almost disappointed. It had been so weak that it hadn't even dropped a Grief Seed. It was probably a familiar that had grown more powerful recently. The Puella Magi gave it one last look, waiting for the barrier to break down around her, when she felt the rush of air in motion as something long and black that should not have been able to fit inside of that tiny creature came out of it. It stretched toward her, its white clown face broken up with two technicolor eyes above a party-favor nose and a grinning mouth.

Mami froze, her shock and sudden fear not fully processing. In fact, nothing at all was processing, save how sharp the teeth that seemed to surround her head in slow-motion were.

'So this is the end,' she thought, feeling a passing regret that her not-yet juniors would have to continue without her. Their wishes would be as rushed and impetuous as hers had been. What a pity.

"Rose Whip!," a voice cried out- a male voice, actually. How strange. The only male voices she'd ever heard inside of a barrier were from familiars, and they never spoke with words she so easily understood.

The mouth surrounding her suddenly fell to the side, the witch now occupied with a new target: a red-haired boy. It screamed its fury and slammed into the ground where the boy stood- no, had been standing. He was too quick for it and lead it further away from the blond as he out-maneuvered the monster.

With the deadly attention that had been on her gone, Mami felt her knees weaken and buckle beneath her. Her whole body trembled as she watched the boy duck and weave his way around the creature, a green whip spinning around him.

"Mami-san!," came a pair of voices, along with the clattering footsteps of Madoka and Sayaka. She managed a wobbly half-smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, which were too wide with fear.

"Are you alright? The witch almost-," Madoka said, the relief and surprise at Mami's close encounter with death choking off the rest of her words. She settled for pulling Mami to her feet, and along with Sayaka, dragging her behind a part of the barrier away from the battle still raging.

The three of them huddled together, staring out at the intruder and their savior. Sayaka, one hand gripping Madoka's and the other curled behind Mami's back for comfort, asked, "Mami-san... Who is that?"

"I... I don't-," another crash interrupted her, making the three wince in unison. Mami looked to Kyubey, who was sitting on the large cupcake that grew out of the ground they had hidden behind, expressionless as ever.

"I don't know who he is, either. I have only ever made contracts with girls."

"It's rude to speak of someone where they can hear, you know," came that strange, lilting voice again as the red-haired boy spoke from behind her, his tone half-mocking and half-scolding.

The Puella Magi turned her head around to get a better look at him, taking in his bright green eyes and a smile that somehow seemed so familiar, though she knew they had never met before.

This was going to be a very strange and confusing day, and Mami knew that it was only just beginning.

As the barrier collapse around them and left behind only an ordinary bike-rack outside an ordinary hospital, the boy turned his long, thorny whip into a flower, then a seed as he tucked it away in his hair. Running one hand through it to make sure the seed didn't fall out of place, he turned to stare straight into Mami's eyes. It was a rather disconcerting feeling, like her very soul was being taken apart and judged by a simple glance.

"Tomoe Mami-san, right?"

"Excuse me?" The words caught her off-guard, and her smile flickered back on to hide it. 'One must always act like a proper lady,' her mother had told her, 'especially when feeling most unladylike.'

The boy's own smile quirked up as well, his bright green eyes glittering with something like mirth. How he could be amused at such a situation, she didn't know, but it annoyed her just the same.

"Your name. It's Tomoe Mami, isn't it? And those two behind you are Kaname Madoka-san and Miki Sayaka-san."

The pair holding onto her hands jumped and squeezed her hands even tighter. It was obvious that they were shaken by her close call, so she allowed it. She needed all the emotional support she could get right now, too.

"How did you know that?"

'Ah, Miki-san. Always the bold one,' Mami thought. Sayaka sounded a bit frightened, but mostly indignant.

"I was sent out to find you. Luckily, I managed to make it before things got...," he paused, struggling to find an appropriate word.

"Worse?" Mami chimed in, the grim humor of it all weighing down on her. Her smile had disappeared now, leaving only stark truth and honest confusion behind. So many things were falling into place, but even more questions surfaced in their wake. As the red-head nodded his thanks, Mami continued, "Akemi-san sent you, did she?"

That girl was the only person she could think of that would have known where she and her two future-juniors (Well, possible future-juniors. It wasn't really looking good for that prospect after this.) would be at that time.

"Hm, no. Though now that you mention it, we should go release her from your binding spell, shouldn't we? She's been dangling there for quite a while."

Sayaka threw a confused look at Mami. Oh, dear. This was not turning out at all liked she'd expected.

"I suppose so," she demurred, not returning the blue-haired girl's glance. She didn't really know how to explain what she'd done, which in hindsight seemed incredibly foolhardy and rash of her. How things might have gone if this person had not arrived in time...

She straightened, determined to understand precisely what had and currently was occurring around her. First, she need to know who this man was.

"Ah, excuse me, but you seem to have us at a disadvantage, sir. What is your name?"

His grin widened, showing off his sharp, white teeth. With a bit of a chuckle, he replied, "When I lived in this country, I was known as Minamino Shuichi. Now, I'm just Kurama. It's a pleasure to meet you."

And as she looked at that smile, all glittering bone and charm, Mami was struck by a realization.

This new acquaintance was going to be around for quite some time, and she was not sure she liked that idea at all.