AN: So, I'll 'fess up. For the most part, I love reading fluffy oneshots, especially ones depicting one of my favorite pairings.

But...I'm not very good at writing them. However, I did my best, and I think I managed okay, even if it might be a bit lacking in the fluff department. Also, I can't for the life of me remember if the rifles Mami uses actually have triggers. But for the sake of this story, please disregard my horrific lack of knowledge in all things weapon-related and its canonical errors. Please?

[Request by FF user kanakokiriha. Hope you like it, Kiriha.]

The night sky twinkled with countless stars, Mitakihara's light pollution unable to reach this far out. The three Puella Magi walked through the grounds of the abandoned power plant, all three with a content and accomplished way about them. Upon closer inspection, one could see that they were all sweaty, and their collective breathing was just now becoming more even.

But they were far from tired, that much was clear. Sayaka Miki was half a step before the other two, excitedly waving her arms about with an unfading energy. The wind caught her white cape, making it flow out behind her in an impressing manner. Her energetic gestures kept her warm, as her Puella Magi outfit wasn't the most appropriate clothing for cold and windy nights, cute as it might've been.

"That was awesome!" Sayaka exclaimed, making her two friends giggle at her childish enthusiasm. "I know I'm not supposed to think that it's fun to fight witches, but seeing you fight is amazing, Mami-san."

"I'm not that special, Sayaka." Mami Tomoe mumbled with a humble smile, not used to the attention the blunette was giving her. She couldn't say she didn't like being looked up to, but it was certainly a strange feeling. On her left, the third Puella Magi shook her head.

"You keep saying that, but it's not true." Madoka Kaname said, fiddling nervously with her puffy dress. "You've saved a lot of people, and now you've enabled us to do the same. Even if I don't think that was what Sayaka-chan was referring to..."

"Madoka..." Sayaka pouted, feeling very immature all of a sudden.

"...you shouldn't lie to yourself like that. Okay?" The sentence was ended with one of the pinkette's innocent smiles, and Mami couldn't help but return it. Madoka was such a ingenuous young girl, but Mami didn't see that as a negative trait.

"I'll try. But really, it's not like I did more than you, Sayaka."

"I know, but your fighting style is just so cool!" The blunette said, back in idolization mode. "Instead of a sword or a bow, you actually fight with guns. I'm kinda jealous..."

"Sayaka-chan is right. Compared to us, you seem so strong." Madoka agreed, rubbing her arms with her gloved hands. She looked around, only greeted by metal cubes decorated with pylons reaching high into the air. Wires ran between them, the majority of these populated by birds as dark as the sky.

"Well, with some training and a bit of luck, you two could be just as strong." It sounded a tad cheesy, Mami thought, but it was the honest truth. There was especially something about Madoka that impressed the blonde. Despite her seemingly fragile personality, her power was staggering and her fighting skills were nothing to be ashamed of.

"Hey, Mami-san?"

"Mm?"

"Do you think we could try...you know, firing one of your rifles? I want to know if it feels as great as it looks." Sayaka wondered, her enthusiasm strangely infectious. Madoka looked a bit hesitant at Sayaka's "we", but had no time to correct her friend.

"That has to be the first time I've gotten that request. But I don't see a reason why not."

"Seriously?"

"Sure. Find a target of some kind, and I'll see what I can do."

Sayaka resisted the impulse to jump up and down, and instead just gave a quick thanks. She ran off, her feet kicking through the gravel with a crunching sound. Mami noticed Madoka's expression, and smiled compassionately.

"You don't have to try if you don't want to. Sayaka just seemed so excited."

"Yeah, she's like that." Madoka said with a happy sigh. She loved the blunette's forwardness and enthusiasm, a perfect contrast to Hitomi's calm and her own timidness.

"Will these do?" Sayaka returned, holding a rusty can in each hand.

"They'll be perfect. Now we just need some place to set them up."

"There is a railing just around the corner." She informed them, and proceeded to lead them to the spot she had found. A metal railing ran as a divider between two pylons, with small, raised platforms on each side. Mami gave it her seal of approval, placing down the two cans on the railing. She then took a few steps back, looked at one can with one eye closed, and then backed up some more.

Satisfied with the distance, the blonde held out her hand. A silver vibration went through the air, and a flintlock rifle materialized in Mami's open palm. She gestured for Sayaka to come closer, and the girl swiftly complied.

"There really nothing complicated about the hardware." Mami explained in an authoritative tone. Madoka came closer as well, as curious as Sayaka was. "It's nothing like modern firearms, no safety or anything like that. All there is to it...is to aim and pull the trigger."

With those words, Mami spun around and extended her arm. The end of the glittering weapon slid into her hand, and it was if the entire world held its breath the second before she pulled the trigger.

A deafening bang echoed out across the power plant. The bullet hit the top of one the pylons, which exploded into a rain of small, blue sparks that proceed to rain down on the ground. Madoka looked like a child who had just seen a giant Christmas tree light up, while Sayaka was more impressed with the actual skill involved with the shot.

"So...wanna have a go at it?" Mami asked cheerfully, summoning another rifle while throwing away the used one. Sayaka took the exquisite firearm in her hand, surprised by its weight.

"Wow, you throw these things around on a regular basis? You're stronger than you look."

Mami chuckled softly, instinctively rearranging her strange headwear an inch or so.

"I'll take that as a compliment. But please, go ahead..."

Sayaka took a look at her target, the bent can that stood innocently a few meters away. She raised the rifle, with obvious effort, and had to lower it and change her stance before attempting it again. Mami coughed politely, and Sayaka turned her head in the blonde's direction.

"Um, you might want to hold it with both hands. I've used these things for years, and I'm used to the recoil. You on the other hand... I'd hate for you to break an arm because of me."

Sayaka took the advice, only mildly discouraged. She had seen enough bad action flicks to know how to hold a rifle, and while that information was not the most reliable, it worked well for a magical flintlock rifle.

Madoka felt as if Sayaka stood perfectly still for minutes. Nothing moved, and even the birds that had returned after recovering from Mami's shot didn't make a sound. In her friend's azure eyes was a look of absolute focus, and even with the less than intimidating outfit, Sayaka looked mighty impressive.

Then, with no warning, came the bang. It seemed to surprise Sayaka more than it did the other two, even if no one had time to make this observation. The can she had been aiming for was torn into two, both pieces flying spinning through the air. The recoil loosened Sayaka's grip of the weapon, and the rifle took a mischievous leap into the blunette's chocked face. Which at least got rid of the surprised look.

"Sayaka-chan!"

"Hng! Sonofasonofasonofa-goddamnit-that-hurts!" Mami ran up to her friend, Madoka beating her to it. Sayaka had her hands cupped around her nose, and a small rill of blood trickled onto her lip.

"I'm so sorry, Sayaka."

"My fault, my fault." The injured girl said in an frustrated, thick voice, halfway between embarrassed and angry. Sayaka squatted down, releasing a few more grunts of pain. Mami allowed herself an empathetic smile, and recalled that she had had a similar experience once. Or course, she had cried where Sayaka had (almost) cursed.

"Here." Madoka offered her two piece of cotton, taken from a bigger ball in the pinkette's hand. Sayaka accepted it with a thankful nod, before tilting her head back and easing the white and fluffy objects into her nostrils.

"Why do you have that, Madoka?"

"Well, I figured since we were going to fight evil witches and all..." The shy teenager replied sheepishly, having learned that Puella Magi regenerated a lot quicker than normal humans just the other day. "I should bring a first aid kit."

"Good thinking. And seriously, that was totally my fault." Sayaka stated in a serious tone. A pair of pink and a pair of amber eyes looked at her with a curious look, and then both her friends broke down in muffled laughter. Sayaka's voice sounded pretty odd, as anyone who has ever had a nosebleed or a bad cold can relate to.

"Still...hrm...terribly sorry." The upperclassman managed to convey between fits of laughter. Sayaka sighed through her mouth, which took away some of the annoyed effect. She was about to say something about laughing at an injured person, but decided that if she wanted her friends to calm down, the best idea was to be quiet.

"I'm sorry...too...you just sounded so silly, Sayaka-chan." Madoka took a couple of deep breaths, the sight of the heroine with a pair of white tufts sticking out of her reddening nose tickling her funny bone even more.

"Well, now it's your turn." Sayaka exclaimed triumphantly, a sadistic glint in her spirited eyes. Madoka's laughter ended abruptly, turning into a nervous hiccup.

"W-What?"

"Sayaka, I don't think that is such a good idea." Mami objected after a quick glance at the pinkette's terrified expression.

"Come on, Madoka. I hit my can, now you have to hit yours!" There was that excited tone in Sayaka's voice again, as if she had forgotten the whole getting-socked-in-the-face part of her shooting experience. "C'mon, won't you at least try? For me?"

Madoka couldn't help but giggle nervously at Sayaka's pleading ways, and she knew she couldn't say no. After having such a laugh at her friend's expense, she had to do something in return. And maybe, just maybe, there was a part of her that wanted to try firing the flintlock rifle, even after seeing what it did to Sayaka.

"It's okay, Mami-san. I'll give it a go."

"Are you sure?"

"Mm-hmm." Madoka flashed her most confident smile, a rare sight that had the same effect on Mami as Sayaka's pleading had on Madoka. How could she say no to that?

"So, to reiterate: The recoil is stronger than you might think, so try to hold on to the barrel." In mere seconds, Mami handed a third rifle over to Madoka. It somehow felt like giving a child a box of matches.

This feeling was only validated as Madoka nearly dropped the metal object, as taken aback by its weight as Sayaka had been. She fought to keep her balance, and grabbed rifle tight with both hands. Mami had a sudden impulse to take her firearm back right then and there. But what explanation could she give for that?

"I don't want you to get hurt." Was that it? Mami had from day one felt a need to protect Madoka, which wasn't that unusual. The gunslinger was a protective and caring person in general, the perfect Puella Magi in a sense, the worst in another. But Madoka in particular affected Mami strongly, and she saw a much more complex person beneath the clumsy, awkward girl that at the moment was trying to hold a flintlock rifle without tipping over.

"I can't let myself get beaten in a shooting competition against someone who uses a sword, right?" Madoka laughed, attempting to mimic Sayaka's stance. She never had been one for action flicks.

"Just don't point that thing in my direction, okay?" The blunette grinned at the trouble her best friend was having, but felt it was time to stop messing around. "Hey, Madoka...I was just kidding. You really don't have to-"

"Sayaka, not to diminish your efforts, but would you mind if I instructed Madoka?" Mami inquired, a sincere question in everything but the context. Sayaka blinked once, not quite sure if she was expected to answer or not. The blonde smiled at her, apparently taking her silence as a yes.

Mami walked up to Madoka, and gently turned her to face the one remaining can. Guessing what Mami wanted her to do, the girl raised the rifle with trembling hands. She could feel the cool metal through her gloves, could practically sense the energy locked inside the weapon, just waiting to be unleashed.

"It's too heavy, isn't it?" The blonde said, as much to herself as to Madoka. She didn't know what she was doing. Contrary to her earlier impulses, she now wanted to see Madoka accomplish this task.

"I don't want you to get hurt." Madoka could play with dynamite over a pit of lava for all Mami cared, as long as she could be there to assure the pink-haired girl's safety. She wanted to protect Madoka, wanted to take care of her. Why? Because Mami knew that there was another side to Madoka than the helpless, timid person she so often portrayed. And she realized that she would do anything to see that side.

So what could be better than a boost in confidence?

"A little, yeah." Madoka admitted. "My bow is so light compared to this, it just feels wrong somehow."

"I get that, it must be very awkward to be expected to aim with a lump of metal like that."

Madoka sighed a quivering sigh, and raised the barrel even higher. She closed one eye, the other aglow with light red determination. Mami knew the shot was coming before trigger was even pulled, and she could see Sayaka jump out of the corner of her eye.

For the third time that night, the black birds scattered with loud and discontented caws. There was a dull sound as the bullet lodged itself into the actual railing, a good bit from the target can.

On the bright side, Madoka's stiff iron grip on the weapon kept it from harming her in any way, and her features reminded intact. The bang echoed out in the night, and with a disappointed sigh, she dropped the useless rifle on the ground.

"I can't relax." was her explanation. "I know the recoil is going to be strong, but I don't trust myself to be able to withstand it."

It was a very analytical observation, one that impressed her two friends. Madoka shrugged it off, smiling valiantly, though they could both see that she was disappointed with her attempt. Sayaka opened her mouth when Mami once again beat her to the punch.

"I have an idea. Here, try again." Another shining rifle sprung from Mami's hands, and Madoka gave her a doubting look. The blonde insisted, confounded by her own persistence. She didn't want to see Madoka fail, even with such a mundane thing as this.

"You can do it, Madoka. Just pretend it's a bow." Sayaka said tauntingly, but her eyes were kind and Madoka decided to humor her fellow Puella Magi. She accepted the flintlock rifle, a little more accustomed to its weight this time. She swung around and flicked the weapon into position, once more becoming aware of the item's potential power.

Instinctively, her body became tense to brace for the recoil. Her arms and shoulders were now beginning to ache from her previous shot, and she knew the same thing would happen again.

"Wait." Mami was right behind her, and her voice was almost hushed. "You're way too tense, Madoka."

A single sweat drop rolled down the pinkette's cheek, the reason for it a mystery to her. There was nothing physically exhausting about holding the rifle, it was just awkward.

"I know. I just can't..." Her voice trailed off, not able to put into words what it was she couldn't do. Mami glanced at Sayaka, who was starting to feel bad about the entire situation.

Without thinking significantly about what she was doing, Mami positioned herself as close to Madoka as she could. She made a motion as if to hug the struggling girl, but instead let her own arm hold up Madoka's. This didn't make the pinkette relax, quite the opposite, but Mami stubbornly denied the awkwardness of her actions.

"Okay, if I'm going to help you, it would probably be best if you held it with one hand."

Madoka decided not to mention the small detail that she had never asked for help. She cautiously let go of the rifle's barrel, feeling the gravity dragging the muzzle downwards. But Mami's hand supported her, and the blonde's arm became like an extension of her own. Even if she now held the firearm with only one hand, it felt much lighter and a lot more natural.

But she still couldn't relax. And that wasn't a weight or recoil related issue.

"Now that you're just using one hand, fluidity is a very important aspect. Don't fight the recoil." Mami tried to keep her authoritative tone, even in her low voice. A faint scent of conditioner originating from Madoka's pink locks washed over her, as she was slightly taller the the girl she was instructing. It took a few tries to get her next sentence out, for some reason. "Madoka, you have to loosen up. If you try to fire it like this, you'll break your wrist."

Loosen up. Easier said than done when your instructor was breathing down your neck. Literally. Her hand was still trembling, even if Mami's hand was holding up most of the rifle's weight. It wasn't that she wasn't used to the physical contact. Being best friends with Sayaka warranted a few hugs a day.

But it wasn't Sayaka this time. It was Mami Tomoe, the upperclassman who was also a very powerful, witch-fighting Puella Magi. It was someone Madoka very much looked up to and wanted to please, and she wanted to prove that she could be just as strong as her. She was nervous, naturally.

"Tell me what you're thinking about." Mami said on a whim. Her voice was a proper whisper now, only audible to Madoka. The strange request, combined with Mami's warm breath grazing her was so sudden that Madoka almost dropped the weapon.

"Y-You." The pinkette mumbled truthfully, and only then realized what it sounded like. Her cheeks flared up, and she was very grateful that Mami stood between her and Sayaka.

"Me?" Mami echoed, actually sounded somewhat amused.

"I m-mean, I, I want to be as strong a-as you, Mami-san. I want...to show you that you made the right decision letting us become Puella Magi."

Madoka's clumsily constructed explanation meant more than she knew to Mami, who had been alone for longer than she cared to think about. She couldn't imagine what she would do if something were to happen to her new friends.

"Madoka...that was never up to me. You made that decision, I was just there to help you understand it."

Mami's other hand stroked the shorter girl's shoulder in a way that hopefully was interpreted as calming. The blonde could faintly feel Madoka's pulse, and she wondered if Madoka could feel hers. Would she notice that it was just as rapid?

"But you-"

"Did nothing. Your strength is entirely your own, Madoka." Mami took a deep breath, unavoidably inhaling the scent of the timid girl. "You told me not to lie to myself, right? Well...don't be such a hypocrite."

The pinkette couldn't help but smile, and her blush became even deeper with the compliment. Hitomi and Sayaka had said similar things in the past, but Madoka knew that she was a very mediocre person in almost everything. Her mother had also tried to convince her a number of times, saying that she would never get anywhere in the world if she couldn't believe in her own abilities.

This was the first time she could actually believe those words. Taking a slow, deep breath, Madoka could feel every tension in her body disappear. The rifle seemed weightless as she squeezed the trigger, and she knew that she wasn't going to miss this time.

A fourth bang tore the air apart, the muzzle flash and the sparks from the magic gunpowder illuminating the area for a split second. The rifle's recoil sent a shockwave through both Mami and Madoka, pushing the latter back. Mami stood firmly planted behind her, and as the shy girl was pushed even deeper into her instructor's arms, there was a ripping sound as a rusty old can was torn into pieces.

"Yeah, nice shot!" Sayaka shouted, and Madoka's heart skipped a beat, as if she had forgotten that the blunette was with them. "I told you you could do it, Mado...ka."

Madoka stood in her puffy, pink dress with her hand across her chest, as that was where the rifle had ended up. Thus, Mami had her arm around Madoka, and the pinkette's facial color was nearing that of her hair. Sayaka couldn't stop the smirk that crept onto her lips.

"Though to be fair, you seem to have gotten more help than I did."

-I-

The glass bottle shattered in a rain of tiny, glittering shards. Sayaka stood with her hand shielding her eyes from the blinding sun, giving an impressed whistle at the feat.

Madoka laughed triumphantly, flashing a victorious grin at her best friend.

"Told you." Speaking in an unusually confident tone, the Puella Magi put her hands on her hips. Sayaka sighed and shook her head, humble defeat lining her voice.

"Okay, you win. I won't accuse you of being a bad shot ever again."

Madoka just gave her a beaming smile, and ran to pick up the pieces of glass that had scattered across the ground. This of course meant crossing the entire schoolyard, but the girl didn't mind the trip. Her aim had improved tenfold over the past week, something she had just demonstrated to Sayaka.

Having collected all of the shards, her bow disappeared in a shower of pink sparks along with her magical girl outfit. Sayaka came up to her, handing over her schoolbag.

"You're almost on Mami-san's level now, ya know. We should arrange a shooting competition or something."

"Wouldn't that be a little unfair? I mean, a bow and a rifle..."

"Even better, you two could switch weapons! Can you even imagine her with a bow..."

Together, the two girls began their trek home, discussing Sayaka's idea as they went. Madoka was still a bit giddy with her victory, and the blunette's comment about Mami made her think. The blonde was an exceptional shot, the result of many years diligent training.

But Sayaka was right, she was improving. She didn't think she'd get better than her mentor any time soon, but even Madoka couldn't ignore her own proficiency. A warm, cozy sensation settled in the pit of her stomach as she walked, and it was the feeling of being good, even great at something.

Of course, she would never admit that when the arrow of energy lay perfectly against the bowstring, right before she let go of it, she would imagine Mami's hands guiding her own. She would feel herself relax in the gunslinger's arms, and could almost hear the encouraging words from that night whispered softly into her ear.

She had almost learned how to keep herself from blushing when practicing.