Chapter 2

"Wow, Akemi-san is so incredible!"

That's what everybody at my school was saying due to Homura achieving a prefectural record in high jump competition. It certainly was incredible to see how high she can jump! Part of me felt very jealous that I had no talents anywhere near as impressive as that...

I must admit that I'm also a bit scared of and unnerved by Homura, and the constant attention that she gives me. After she accomplished that high jump feat, she looked straight at me with such piercing eyes! It instinctively made me move behind Sayaka for protection, while I gripped her shoulders.

There's no doubt that Homura is very cool and talented, but there's something about her that deeply frightens and worries me. As such, I decided to discuss that with Sayaka and Hitomi over dinner at a restaurant.

"Wait, what?" Sayaka exclaimed to me in question after I revealed to her and Hitomi everything that Homura had said to me.

"I don't get it..." I said to that, as I really couldn't make much sense out of it myself.

"I thought she was a genius beauty, smart, and athletically talented, but she's just a nut!" Sayaka stated, based on what I had told her, "How many points is that transfer student trying to show off?"

I don't think that Homura is trying to show off, but her intentions are a real mystery to me, and that's what concerns me the most.

"Is this really your first meeting with Akemi?" Hitomi asked of me.

I wasn't sure how exactly to answer that properly...

"Hhmmmm..." I began in answer, "In all reality, yeah, but..."

"So what, you recognize her from unreality or something?" Sayaka asked in turn.

'Unreality' made me think of the latest SHAFT anime I had watched with Hitomi and Sayaka, and I thought about joking about that, but I decided to stay on topic.

"Well..." I continued, "I feel like I met her in a dream last night..."

Sayaka and Hitomi started laughing loudly at that. I hate it when people laugh at me when I tell the truth, because the only alternative is to lie, and I don't like lying!

"Wow, you're trying to make an impression too?" Sayaka jokingly asked.

"Meanie!" I shouted to her, "I really am wondering about it!"

"I've got it!" Sayaka said teasingly in reply, "This is fate! You're destined friends, brought together by the universe itself!"

Sayaka probably meant it jokingly, but there was a strange ring of truth to what she said there. Before I had a chance to think much on it, though, Hitomi asked me more about the dream I had with Homura in it.

"What kind of dream was it?" Hitomi asked.

"I don't really remember" I answered, "Just that it was something weird."

I admittedly did remember how Mitakihara Town was getting wrecked in my dream, but I didn't want to bring up that specific detail, since it might make me seem crazy to my friends.

"Maybe you really did meet her." Hitomi said, "And she just left so strong an impression that, even though you don't remember her, she popped up in a dream."

"Isn't that a bit far-fetched?" Sayaka asked of the idea, "It's just a coincidence."

Well... one of them is probably right. Both ideas sound like reasonable explanations for why I saw Homura in a dream before I really met her. Still, the fact is I've seen a lot of different girls in various dreams lately, many of those girls being ones I've never met before! Maybe I should reveal that to Hitomi and Sayaka to see what they make of it? I'm afraid they might laugh at me again if I reveal that to them, but on the other hand, it might be nice to get their take on it.

Choice 3:

A) Talk to Sayaka and Hitomi about the other dreams I've had.

B) Keep those other dreams private to myself.

If you choose B, skip over Response A.

Response A

"Well, it might help if I told you that I've seen other unfamiliar girls in my dreams lately" I said to them.

Hitomi and Sayaka blinked uneasily about this. They looked increasingly concerned.

"Have you met any of those other girls since they showed up in your dreams?" Sayaka asked.

"No" I answered, "At least not yet..."

"What did those girls look like then?" Hitomi asked, partly out of sheer curiosity I think.

"Well, one had really twirly blonde hair, and another had long reddish hair tied up into a long ponytail" I answered.

"Kind of funny how they all have long or fancy hair, especially if you count Akemi." Sayaka joked with a smile, "I guess that I'm not in your dreams much then!"

"Well..."I began in answer, deciding to reveal as more about my recent dreams given that I've already revealed a lot, "You were in a couple of my most recent dreams, and you were wearing a fancy outfit in them."

Sayaka looked a bit uncomfortable over that revelation, and I think she blushed a bit over it. Hitomi thankfully decided to clue things up on a less tense note.

"You certainly have an active imagination, Madoka!" Hitomi perkily stated, "I wish that my dreams were as fun and memorable as yours seem to be. But I wouldn't worry about it. Sayaka is probably right. It's probably just a coincidence. You're dreaming about so many different girls you've never met that the new transfer student was bound to look like one of them!"

What Hitomi said made some real sense to me, and put me a bit more at ease. It doesn't explain why Homura approached me the way she did, though. Maybe Homura is just worried about me for some reason? I probably shouldn't dwell on it too much.

!Response B ends here!

"Wow, it's already this late." Hitomi said, since our conversation had basically ended, "Sorry, I've got to get going."

With Hitomi about to leave for Tea Ceremony, Sayaka asked me if I would accompany her to the record store. She wanted to pick up something for Kamijo, no doubt. I decided to accompany her.

While at the record store, Sayaka and I decided to put on some head-phones and listen to some nice music. A love of classical music, enka music, and pop music is something we share in common. But while I was listening to a pop song with a great beat, I heard something cry out 'Help me!' to me!

This prompted me to take off my head-phones to see if what I heard was due to a malfunction with the head-phones. But the voice persisted!

'Please, help me!' the voice shouted again.

For all the weird dreams and meetings I've had lately, this is the weirdest yet! Still, I hated the thought of not listening to a cry for help.

Opportunity Choice 1:

If you chose C for Choices 1 and 2, and A for Choice 3, you may now choose to ignore the cries for help. If you opt to ignore the cries for help, please read the following section. Otherwise, skip over it.

Section Madoka chooses to ignore the cries for help

No, I shouldn't listen to this voice crying for help. I can't let myself be sucked into this sort of madness. I have to be bold and firm!

Besides, Homura told me that I should reject anything strange, and this voice I'm hearing is very strange, and doesn't seem to be coming from anywhere near enough that I should be able to hear it.

My imagination is simply running wild again, like it's been doing in all of my weird dreams lately. Maybe Homura somehow knows I'm having mental problems lately just as she somehow knew where the Nurse's office was. Maybe she's just incredibly perceptive, like she's incredible in so many other ways. I have to be perceptive too, by focusing on reality, and ignoring these weird cries for help.

"Sayaka-san..." I say towards her uneasily, after carefully removing her head-phones.

"Heh?" she says in startled response to that.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not feeling very well today" I said to her, while making a sheepish smile, "I think I need to head home now."

'No, don't go!' the strange voice cried out to me again, 'Please help me!'

The voice must be inside my head, and I decided to fight against it.

'Leave me alone!' I kind of shouted back at it, in my head, 'You're not real!'

'I am real!' the voice persisted, 'And I need your help!'

'No, you're not real!' I responded, 'Leave me alone!'

"Wow, Madoka..." said Sayaka, "You really aren't feeling well! You just totally spaced out while I said that it was Ok for you to go on home, and that I'd visit you later to check up on you."

"S-sorry" I responded, having not heard what Sayaka said due to this strange voice in my head distracting me.

"No, it's Ok" Sayaka said to me with a smile, "It was selfish of me to not want to help you right away. I'll walk you home right now, Ok?"

"...Thanks!"I said in response to that, "I appreciate it."

I hated to bother Sayaka like this, but I really didn't want to be alone while I was having these weird mental problems. So Sayaka and I left the record store together, and headed home.

3 years Later...

I've been at North High in Tokyo, Japan for almost three years now, and I'm nearing my high school graduation! What started out as a difficult period of transition for my friends and I has turned into a truly wonderful three years.

Not long after I met the mysterious Akemi Homura, the entire city of Mitakihara Town was levelled in a bizarre natural disaster! Many people tragically died, or at least were never heard from again during that disaster. In fact, before the disaster even struck, there were reports of missing students. I never saw Homura again after her very first day at Mitakihara Middle School. I also heard that a blonde girl only a year older than I also went missing at the same time.

From my brief meeting with the unforgettable Homura-san to leaving the demolished Mitakihara Town in order to move to Tokyo, it all eerily seems like ages ago, and even having occurred in an entirely different world.

After the disaster, an international peacekeeping organization named GHQ made its return to Japan. They helped to bring aid and stability to my country, while millions of people, including my family, friends and I, all tried to move on after the disaster.

Sayaka and I ended up in North High, while my mama was thankfully able to get a job transfer to Tokyo. Hitomi would end up going to a fancy all-girls school nearby North High. Sayaka and I were admittedly a bit jealous of her at first, but that was only until we met the Ouma brothers.

Yahiro Ouma confessed his feelings to me in person only a week after I started attending North High! He told me that he found my pink hair very pretty, and he could tell from overhearing my conversations with Sayaka that we shared a love for the same type of music. I was a bit embarrassed by Yahiro's confession, and he never struck me as particularly handsome. Still, he seemed to be a very nice person, and I had wanted to know what a real romance would be like, so I accepted his confession. Am I ever glad that I did!

A few weeks later, Yahiro's twin brother Gai would romantically confess to Sayaka! The two met each other a lot after classes due to a shared love of competitive swimming. Sayaka took up that sport to help herself get over how Kamijo was one of the casualties in the Mitakihara Town disaster. Gai was so good at the sport that he earned the nickname of Triton! As Sayaka became better and better at competitive swimming, Gai decided to give her the nickname of Octavia. The two have become pretty well-known throughout North High as the Swimming Stars Duo!

Sayaka and I have been going out with the Ouma brothers for over two years now, and they've been great to us. We've had so many fun double-dates because of it! Yahiro and Gai also have really nice parents. Their mother has been very friendly to Sayaka and I, and even insisted on us addressing her by her given name of "Hare". She often tells us of all the problems she had wooing her husband, which made for some funny chats over the Ouma family dinner table while Sayaka and I were there. We could tell how embarrassed Mr. Ouma was by the chats, but also how fondly he remembers what Hare was referring to.

The only downside to being at North High in Tokyo has been our old, creepy homeroom teacher Segai-Sensei. He has this horrible scar on his face, and he's just sometimes so creepy in how he acts and talks. Still, he sometimes tell us some funny stores about his old friend "Mr. Dan" of America, and I have to admit that those are amusing. I also once asked Mr. Ouma and Hare about Segai-Sensei, and I could tell that there was a troubled history between all of them.

Still, life has been very good to me in North High, and I'm feeling more confident and assertive each and every day! I've studied up on business and math a lot in the hopes of one day being like my mama, and both my mama and Yahiro have been very supportive of me here. I hope that Yahiro might one day be to me what my papa is to my mama...

Sayaka and I often joke to each other about how cool it would be if we end up kind of being Sisters-in-Law! Since we've both been in happy romances with the Ouma brothers for a long time now, that seems very possible, and even likely.

Even though I only met her briefly, I can't shake the feeling that Akemi Homura had a major effect on my life. I wonder sometimes what might have happened if I hadn't followed her advice? What would have happened if I had listened to that strange voice that had been crying out for help? But I'm pretty sure that I was just imagining a lot of things back then, and I'm glad to be where I am now. I'll always have fond members of my childhood in Mitakihara Town, and feel sad over what happened to the place I was born, but I also feel great about my present and future.

I'm confident that I will continue to find happiness and purpose in life, while alongside the warm and loving Ouma family, and my best friend (and possible future Sister-in-Law!) Sayaka.

The End

!Section Madoka chooses to ignore the cries for help, ends here!

Not wanting to turn away someone who needs my help, I started to focus in on the voice crying out to me. I cupped my hand to my ear, and listened carefully to it to see if I could find where it was coming from.

I walked downstairs, and noticed that a floor had been closed for remodeling. Still, the cries for help persisted, and seemed to be coming from just that floor, so I cautiously opened the door to it and walked through. It was very musky and dimly lit, with only hazy natural light shining in through the wide open sides ends of the floor.

Suddenly, and much to my shock, a ceiling tile gave way right above me, and a badly injured animal came crashing down from it! I loudly gasped at the sight of how harshly hurt he was! I quickly but gently gathered him up into my arms.

"You?" I asked towards him, to determine if the voice had been coming from him.

"Help me!" he cried to me again, in a weak voice.

But then... a large chain came crashing down to the ground, frightening me. As I looked at where it had fallen, I saw Homura standing behind it! It was hard to fully make out in the darkness, but I could tell she was wearing darker and different attire from her student uniform.

"Homura!" I cried out to her.

"Stand back." she stated to me.

Why would she want me to stand back? This poor animal needs help!

"But he's hurt!" I shouted to her.

He had scars and wounds over his body, and his breathing was raspy. Homura just stood there. Was she the one who did this to him?

"No!" I cried out to her, "Don't be mean!"

"This has nothing to do with you" she said, as she walked towards me.

"But he called out to me!" I shouted back at her, "I heard him ask me for help!"

"I see" Homura said.

Homura then came to a stop, and the two of us made eye contact. It was... very intense! It was like a blinking contest, both literal and figurative! I didn't know what to do next, as Homura didn't seem willing to back down.

Just when I thought the situation would be too much for me, Sayaka came to the rescue! She shot off a fire extinguisher at Homura, dousing Homura with its contents.

"Over here, Madoka!" she shouted to me.

"Sayaka!" I cried out to her, while I sprinted over towards her, and then moved behind her while she continued to hold the fire extinguisher in her hands.

Once the fire extinguisher had been completely used up, Sayaka threw it away, and the two of us raced off, while I continued to hold this little animal in my hands.

"She's running around in cosplay?" Sayaka shouted while we sprinted alongside one another, "What's her problem?"

"What is that thing anyway?" she asked of me, referring to the animal I was holding in my hands, "It doesn't look like a stuffed animal. Is it alive?"

"I don't know!" I shouted in exasperated answer, "I don't know, but I've got to save him!"

While Sayaka and I continued running, the scenery all around us... became breathtakingly bizarre! I could see... Butterflies wearing crowns! Barbed wire on fences! Mounds of reddish dirt all over the place!

"Huh?" asked Sayaka, stunned by this sight just as I was, "Where's the emergency exit? Where are we?"

"What is this place?" I asked, in absolute astounded amazement, "It's changing all around us!"

I saw... eyes against a blue background of nothingness. Old British men in top hats but with their faces shrouded. Black horses on their two hind legs. It all came out of nowhere! None of it seemed real!

"What's going on?" Sayaka exclaimed in frenzied question.

We were truly starting to panic!

"Something's there!" I cried out, as I heard lots of squeaky rustling feet moving behind me.

When I turned about to see what was causing that sound, I saw... I saw the same things that were chasing me in one of my dreams!

Sayaka and I were soon surrounded on all sides by them, and they started making these high-pitched chants. The floor beneath us became... became too weird to even try to describe! It was like something straight out of the mind of Akiyuki Shinbo, only made real!

Sayaka wrapped her arms around my shoulders, and held me close to her. It gave me just enough comfort and reassurance to keep me from going crazy! I was glad that she sought to protect me, even while she took a defensive posture herself.

"This has to be some sort of joke..." she said, as she pulled me in closer and backed away, "I have dreams like this sometimes. Right, Madoka?"

Sayaka and I were at our wits end! What was going on? How could we possibly fight these things? Large, clunky chains started falling all around us! Could anybody save us?

But then, suddenly... a brilliantly bright rainbow-coloured light emanated out from below us, in a large circular shape! Right after a large explosion that seemed to push everything away from us!

"Huh? What's this?" Sayaka asked, as that rainbow-coloured light started to dissipate.

"That was a close one" came a strong and very elegant voice, "But it's all okay now."

Sayaka and I turned around to face where the voice was coming from. There before us was a blonde girl walking towards us... and she was wearing the same student uniform as we had on! And... and I think she was the same girl that I had seen in one of my dreams! Part of me wanted to shout that out, but I was just so relieved to be helped by her... just as she had helped me in my dream. She was holding a large yellowish egg-shaped gem in her hands.

"Oh, you saved Kyubey" she said towards me, "Thanks. He's a dear friend of mine."

"He called out to me!" I replied to her, "His voice popped into my head!"

"I see" she responded, "Those uniforms are from Midakihara, aren't they. You're, what, eight-graders?"

"... Who are you?" asked Sayaka in turn, as she and I were both eager to find out who this elegant and charming blonde girl is.

"Oh, right, I forgot to introduce myself." she replied, while raspy metallic coil-like branches threateningly came out of the ground behind her, "But first..."

She then spun about like a beautiful ballerina, and threw the yellowish egg-shaped gem into the air. She then clicked her heels, and it was like brightly coloured but transparent flowers started appearing around her!

"There's something I need to finish up!" she exclaimed, while holding her gem in the two palms of her dramatically outstretched arms.

Scintillating swerving streaks of yellowish tinted rainbow light emanated out of her gem, and began to engulf her! A thunderous gush of wind struck against Sayaka and I while this blonde girl t-transformed! Her new outfit was so gorgeous and so majestically cool!

She summoned forth... an army of muskets! While she jumped and practically flew in the air! All the muskets shot off in rapid and almost simultaneous succession! Their loud blasts filled the air! It was like.. it was like one of the historical wars I had read about in school! It was like Napolean at Waterloo, or the American Civil War!

After creating an enormous explosion, this bodacious blonde bombshell landed on her feet, with all the agility of a cat! Sayaka's mouth was agape in awe, as was my own!

"~Wow!~" I exclaimed.

And then... the scenery somehow turned back to normal. I was so thankful and relieved! However, I was still getting over everything that had just happened.

Part of me wanted to rush at this blonde girl, and thank her profusely for saving Sayaka and I!

Choice 4:

A) Regain your composure, and wait to see what happens next.

B) Run at the blonde girl from behind, wrap your arms around her, and thank her!

Response 4A

While Sayaka, this blond girl, and I all caught our breath, Akemi Homura suddenly appeared before us, standing on a ledge high above us.

"The witch ran away." the blonde girl said to her, "If you want to catch her, we'd better give chase. It's up to you."

"I have other plans." replied Homura sternly.

"You're pretty dense." the blonde girl responded, "I was implying we're letting you go."

The scene once more became very tense, as Homura and the blonde girl entered into a standoff much like the one I had with Homura before. Sayaka stood slightly in front of me, holding one arm out in front of me, while she glared at Homura. I wasn't sure how I felt about all of this. Between this blonde girl and Sayaka, I felt protected, but I couldn't shake the idea that there must be a good reason behind why Homura is acting as she is!

After a tense pause that seemed to last forever, Homura turned around and headed off. Sayaka and I both made a big sigh of relief, which caused the blonde girl to giggle a bit. We then made our exit.

!Response 4A ends here!

Response 4B

I rushed at the blonde girl from behind and cried out "Thank you!" to her while I wrapped my arms around her waist and nestled my head against her back. I think that Sayaka was a bit startled by my gesture here, as was the blonde girl herself.

"Thank you so much for saving me!" I exclaimed to the blonde girl, "I was so scared!"

"Huh? Is that..." asked Sayaka, while she caught a glance of Homura moving away.

The blonde girl carefully moved my hands fingers to sort of unfasten my arms from around her waist. She then turned around, and beamed down at me with such a gentle smile.

"There's no need to be that afraid" she said with such a soothing tone to me, "You saved Kyubey, and that's all the thanks I need. But thank you for your gratitude all the same."

She then gave me a hug, and patted my head a bit to comfort me. My eyes watered a bit at how sweet this blonde girl was being to me, but by the time she had released me from her hug, I had regained my composure.

"Now" she said while holding my shoulders, and looking back and forth between Sayaka and myself, "It's time to take our leave."

!Response 4B ends here!

In an adjacent room, the blonde girl used some sort of... glowing power... to heal the injured animal I had helped rescue.

"Thanks, Mami!" he said to her, "You saved me!"

"You should thank them" Mami said to Kyubey, referring to Sayaka and me, "I just happened to pass by."

Kyubey then turned about to face Sayaka and I. I have to admit that he looked really cute! Like one of my many plushy toys!

"Thanks! I'm Kyubey!" he shouted to Sayaka and I.

"Did you call out to me?" I asked him.

"Yeah, Madoka Kaname! And Sayaka Miki!" he exclaimed in answer.

"How do you know our names?" asked Sayaka.

"I came here to ask you something!" he began in explanation, "I want you to form a contract with me and become magical girls!"