She blinked, her vision blurring. Her heart was pounding quickly, too quickly. Her chest felt so tight. She could barely breathe. She tried to focus on Shu, trying to see if he was okay. For a brief second, her vision cleared and she saw him, free of burns and breathing softly. He was okay. He was alive.
As relief flooded through her, forcing her tense muscles to relax, she heard a high, childish voice in her ear. It came through clearly, overpowering the loud pounding of her heart in her ears. "Would you like to make a contract?" it asked. In front of her tired eyes, a white creature appeared. It looked like a cross between a cat and a floppy eared rabbit. The inside of the cat ears and the bottom of the rabbit ears were tinted pink. At the end of the floppy part of each of its ears were golden rings that seemed to float in mid-air. Below its bright, red eyes was a small mouth that curved into a small, cat-like smirk.
Her voice came out weaker than ever, barely above a whisper. "Contract?" she asked. She couldn't raise her head, she couldn't move. She heard a soft crackle as purple crystals formed over her skin.
"I'll fulfill any one of your wishes! It doesn't matter what! I'll make miracles happen!" the creature said excitedly. Its facial expression remained blank, apathetic.
"I want..." she started slowly, her face to heavy to move with the words. "To stay with Shu..." The last few words came out as a slurred mumble as she crystallized. Half her body was covered in large, violet crystals.
The little creatures ears grew larger, stretching further and further as it stared at Hare with unblinking red eyes.
The rings around its ears seemed to glow as the long white ears reached towards her, effortlessly penetrating her chest. She felt an unbearable stabbing pain as they pulled back out, holding a glowing gem between them. The crystals disappeared instantly, leaving no trace that they had ever existed on her pale skin. The sharp pain in her chest faded as the gem approached her.
"Accept this." the creature said. "This is your fate."
She reached out and clutched the small yellow gem between her hands, letting her tired eyes slowly close and darkness cover her.
"Re... Ha...Re! Hare!" the desperate voice cried just beyond her reach. She became uncomfortably aware of the darkness overpowering her. The brown haired girl forced her eyes to open, slowly focusing on the face in front of her.
Redish brown eyes. Short brown hair. A worried expression. Ah yes, she knew this face.
She smiled. "Shu..." she whispered. His tense features relaxed as he pulled her closer. Warm tears fell on her shoulder. She wrapped her weak, shaky arm around him. She was still alive. She was with him. Here they were, together. These thoughts spun through her mind as she regained her strength.
She glanced over Shu's shoulder, hoping to find the little white and pink creature that had saved her life, to thank it, but it wasn't there. It was nowhere to be seen.
She sighed softly. It didn't really matter, she thought. The only thing that mattered was that Shu was alive, and she would be able to stay by his side.
"I'm sorry... Hare." she heard him say, his voice choked by the tears streaming down his face. "I'm sorry."
She pulled him tighter, letting him know that she was fine, that he didn't need to apologize; that everything would be alright. And she believed that, she truly did.
Ayase shifted in her wheelchair, silently staring down at her useless, paralyzed legs. She hated them. She hated being trapped in a wheelchair. She hated the pity in people's eyes when they saw her. She hated being a handicapped burden.
She wanted to be useful. She wanted to be able to fight without needing an Endlave. She wanted to be able to run on her own like the others.
She only wanted to be like everyone else.
That's why when the opportunity to fix her legs came, she took it. That's why she didn't hesitate to make a contract with the creature that called itself Kyubey.
Despite having heard her reasons, her justification, Tsugumi didn't like the idea. Despite Ayase reassuring her that everything would be alright, that things would be better this way, she didn't trust the little creature. She didn't want to see Ayase get hurt, to put her in danger.
"My wish..." she started, staring down at the same creature that had granted Ayase full use of her once-paralyzed legs, "Is to be able to protect Aya-nee."
With its bright, unblinking red eyes, Kyubey looks at her, examining her for a moment before moving. Its ears stretch and lift off the ground, reaching towards her. Before she can move, before she can protect herself, they pierce her chest, sending a sharp pain through her body. She tries to scream but her voice cuts off in her throat, never reaching her lips.
The pink and white tendrils pull out, and with it, the pain disappears. A red gem glows in front of her eyes. The high voice she hates says "Take this." Her arms reach up and she hesitantly takes the red gem in both her hands.
She falls back, suddenly exhausted. By the time she awakens, the creature will have moved on to its next victim. She slips into unconsciousness, still clutching the soul gem.
"Can you really grant anything?" her soft, weakened voice asks. Her crimson eyes focus on the white haired man standing a few feet away from her, talking to Shibungi. She can't recognize this man anymore. He used to be a caring, charismatic leader, but now he's nothing more than a monster, like her.
"Yes, anything you desire. I can make miracles happen!" the childish voice says. Its red eyes match Inori's in color, but not in warmth. There is no warmth in those eyes, only a cold, calculating stare that reaches deep into your soul to find your vulnerabilities.
There was only one solution she could think of. One solution that would solve everything.
"I wish to be separated from Mana." Inori said.
Same as the last three times, the Incubator reached into her with its long ears. It brought out two different gems, one pink, one purple. One ear separated from the other, each of them balancing a gem on top. The pink one stayed close to the girl suspended by her arms while the other was quickly followed by a ghost image that materialized in thin air, taking the form of Mana Ouma, before she crystallized.
Mana smiled, holding her gem. A black dress hung loosely from her shoulder, quickly forming over her fragile body. She was finally back, finally alive. She walked slowly towards Gai, placing one foot in front of the other with a delicate gracefulness. She wrapped her arms around his torso from behind, resting her head on his shoulder.
The bonds around Inori's wrists shattered and she fell to the ground, her hand closed in a fist around the pale pink gem.
As Mana opened her mouth to say something, the doors to the room burst wide open, allowing Shu and four girls, three of them in bright dresses that matched their soul gems, to come in.
The boy's eyes instantly met a crimson pair. "Inori!" he cried, running straight to her.
"Shu..."She said in a weak, fragile voice. Her white dress had changed to a bright pink on that vaguely resembled Hare's yellow one. The gem had disappeared into the dress.
He picked her up from the ground, holding her tight in his arms. "Inori..."He whispered her name, joyful tears falling from his eyes.
Mana glared at them, unaware of the three magical girls making their way towards her. Kanon stayed behind, clutching her Void while questioning whether she should follow. She had only made it this far through sheer luck-should she really try to keep fighting?
She instead decided to focus on Inori, to see if she was alright. She seemed unhurt, safely clutched in Shu's arms but... Why had she become a magical girl too? What reason did she have?
She understood a moment later, when she saw Mana. By the it took for her to lift the jet black pistol Argo had given her, it was already too late for one of the magical girls.
Hare dropped to the ground, her wide brown eyes lifeless. Scattered around her were the shattered fragments of her soul gem.
A triumphant grin spread across Mana's face. Excitement coursed through her veins. It was easy, so very easy to get rid these puny roadblocks. She would have her Adam very soon. With the power she now had, even Shu wouldn't be able to resist her. Lost Christmas would succeed at last and they would rule the new world.
Ayase and Tsugumi were her next victims. She aimed right for their gems. Ayase swiftly dodged the first attack, but didn't dodge the second attack-because the second attack wasn't aimed for her.
Noticing Ayase's speed and reflexes, Mana instantly deduced that she wouldn't be able to hit her directly. Oh no, she had to aim for someone else. The one person Ayase would protect-the one person Ayase was closest to.
Tsugumi's eyes widened as Ayase fell into her arms, limp and lifeless. She wanted to scream but nothing came out. Before she could move, Mana had aimed for her as well.
Kanon watched all three magical girls fall before her eyes. She wanted to run, but the door was closed. There was no escape. She knew Mana would come for her. She knew she wouldn't stand a chance.
She also knew she couldn't leave Inori and Shu behind with that monster.
What else could she do?
"I wish for protection against Mana!" she screamed, hoping Kyubey would hear her. Although she had decided she wouldn't make a contract, she had no choice. She didn't want to die.
Kyubey appeared before her eyes, sitting in front of her. The gem he brought out was the same purple as Mana's.
The air around her grew cold a few seconds before the gem shattered in her hands. Mana's grin widened. Kanon hadn't had the chance to transform and protect herself against the attack. She crumpled to the ground.
Mana turned her blood-red eyes to her final victim. The last person that stood in her way.
Before Mana could prepare her energy attack, Inori had transformed into a cross between a normal magical girl and her monstrous half. She rushed towards Mana, parrying a blow with the daggers sprouting from her pale hands.
The purple lasers bounced around the room, deflected by Inori's daggers. Neither managed the hit each other; they were equals, matched in speed and skill.
Although neither Inori nor Mana got hit, another victim fell to the floor. Shu's right leg went numb, useless as he crumpled to the floor. He groaned loudly, writhing on the ground.
Both heard the noise, but Mana ignored it, focusing on the fight. Inori, on the other hand, couldn't. The noise sent shivers down her spine.
She turned to him-her greatest mistake. It only took a second of distraction for Mana to aim and shoot Inori down.
She fell to the ground without a sound.
Mana had won. She had triumphed over everyone; she had defeated all the roadblocks on her path to her Adam. She would finally have what she was searching for. It was finally over.
She hung in equilibrium, effortlessly floating in the airlessness of the dimension between life and death. Her soft red eyes opened and focused on the only being besides herself.
Madoka's gentle smile illuminated the darkness that surrounded them. She reached towards Inori, gently taking her hand.
"You've done enough." her resounding voice said. "It's time to move on. There are many waiting for you." Her voice was sweet but her tone was firm. She turned towards a bright white light in the distance.
In that light there were four shadows. She recognized the silhouettes.
"Go, it's over now." Madoka said, squeezing Inori's hand before letting go.
The light was comforting, warm and inviting. She effortlessly moved towards it.
Ayase, Tsugumi, Hare, and Kanon waited for her, welcoming her with open arms. She instantly forgot about Mana and all her other problems. All five magical girls disappeared into the light.