"The transfer student?"
Miki Sayaka blinked with surprise, and a bit of concern, at her childhood friend. Ever since Madoka had gone to take the new girl to the nurse's office, she seemed on edge. "You think she's a Magical Girl?" Madoka nodded slowly, expression cautious. "Yes. Although, it doesn't seem like she's realized what I am." She fidgeted with the ring around her finger, glancing out the restaurant window. "I can't quite tell what her motive is, exactly, but it feels like she has something in mind…" Rose eyes narrowed suspiciously. "In any case, I'll have to ask you to keep your guard up, Sayaka-chan." The blue haired girl, sitting across the table from her, nodded in understanding, a look of seriousness on her features. "I got it. You're afraid she might be like that other one, aren't you?" She pursed her lips, azure pools shaking with uncertainty. "But, Madoka…are you sure you don't want me to join you in this battle? I mean, with both of us there…"
"No, Sayaka-chan!" Madoka gently slammed her palms against the table. "If you do that, she'll target you too!" She sighed, shaking her head slowly. "Besides…I want you to be able to think long and hard about your wish. I may not regret the wish I made…" She looked up at the taller girl. "But I do wish I'd had more time to think it through." The blue-haired friend frowned, eyes narrowed as she thought back to the moment in time they'd first encountered the Magical Girl world.
If she hadn't insisted on taking that shortcut…
"Hey, Madoka!" Sayaka called out, catching the younger girl's attention. Madoka stepped lightly over to her friend's side, eyes wide with curiosity. "What is it, Sayaka-chan?" She glanced back toward the sign stating the direction of the detour before looking back at her friend. Sayaka grinned a wide grin, pointing down a path just off to the side, leading down an alleyway. "This goes the same way as the usual path, doesn't it? We wouldn't have to worry about getting home later thanks to the roundabout way of that detour!" Madoka frowned with concern, glancing down the alley. "I don't know, Sayaka-chan…do you think it's safe?" There were dangerous people lurking around alleyways, after all. Sayaka pounded her fist against her chest. "Don't worry about it! If we run into any shady individuals, I'll protect you! Come on; we don't want to be home late, do we?" Madoka nodded slowly, stepping cautiously over to her taller friend. "W-Well, if you think it's okay…"
Sayaka should have been the one to contract. She should have been the one to protect them against those monsters. And yet, when it came down to it…
"W-What are these things?!" Sayaka cried out in fear and alarm, stepping back at the sight of the fuzzy creatures with moustaches. They seemed to be shouting some sort of foreign chant. Madoka stepped back as well, until her back met with her friend's, the two of them staring wide-eyed at the creatures around them. Slowly the fuzzy creatures made their way closer, manifesting strange scissors, snipping at the air menacingly. The chanting never ceased; the girls huddled against each other, fearing for dear life.
"Oh, dear." A child-like voice resounded from the distance. "This won't do. At this rate, you'll die unless you make a wish."
"A-A wish?!" Sayaka stuttered, trying her best to keep her cool. "What the heck is a wish supposed to do in this situation!?" This wasn't real, right? They were just having a terrible nightmare, right? Madoka's eyes widened for an instant, before she stood firm, lips trembling yet her eyes resolute. "Sayaka-chan…stay here." She requested in a strangely calm voice, holding her hands close to her chest. All of a sudden, a bright pink light shone from the girl's small figure, blinding Sayaka with its brilliance and forcing her to shield her eyes.
When she next opened them…pink fiery arrows were raining down, taking out the fuzzy creatures one by one. She scanned the surroundings for her pink-haired friend, confusion and worry on her young features. Finally, a flash of rose caught her attention, and she whipped her head quickly around to face its source. The sight before her took her breath away. There in the distance…donning a strange poofy pink dress with a cream-colored bodice, sporting a bow-like object…was Madoka. Her ruby-red heels clicked against the floor as she landed from an inhuman leap, staring down the last of the fuzzy creatures with a fire of determination that Sayaka had never before seen from the shorter girl. "Ma…Madoka?!" She breathed out in disbelief, finding herself rooted in place, staring at the scene before her.
A soft breath escaped the pink-haired girl's lips as she aimed her sights, the fiery arrow burning bright and true. She pursed her lips, straightened her stance, and released the arrow, allowing it to plunge into the last of the creatures, taking them all down in one breath.
Soon after, the strange landscape around them dissipated.
It still bothered Sayaka that, despite her claim of being the one to protect Madoka from any dangers, in the end it was Madoka who protected her. "I'm thinking about my wish, Madoka." She nodded slowly, contemplation on her face. "And, I think I know what it is I want to wish for." Madoka smiled softly before standing up from the booth, gathering up the trash onto her empty tray. "I'm glad you're starting to get an idea, Sayaka-chan…but I want you to make that wish for you, not for me." Her smile widened just the tiniest bit, puppy tails bouncing with a tilt of her head. "I can take care of the battles just fine on my own, for now. There's no need to rush." The blue-haired girl nodded in acknowledgement, staring down at her barely eaten hamburger. Somehow, all this talk about Madoka dealing with so many ordeals on her own was making her lose her appetite.
The shorter girl stepped near the entrance of the restaurant, clearing out the trash and putting the tray away before making her way out into the street, her expression calm and serious. She could sense that girl watching before. She needed to take care of her before she tried hurting anyone else. Normally, she didn't have it in herself to try to harm others, but in this case she had a duty.
If she didn't protect the people of Mitakihara, who would?
"That's strange…" Homura mused in concern, glancing left and right, stepping lightly through the place she knew Gertrude's familiars would surely be. Yet, try as she might, she didn't sense them anywhere. Was this an anomaly? Were they stationed somewhere else in this timeline? "But more importantly," She noted as she proceeded through the basement of the mall, "I haven't seen any sign of Tomoe Mami anywhere. First Madoka's strange behavior, then Tomoe Mami's disappearance…" She stopped short, staring down at the textured ground, fists clenched. "What is going on here…? Is there a piece of the puzzle I'm missing?"
Miki Sayaka seemed to appear the same, if not a little wary herself; but then, the blue-haired girl was always wary about people she wasn't sure she could trust. In all honesty, Homura couldn't see anything different with that girl. The main problem was Madoka. What did she mean when she said 'one of us'? There was a small part of Homura that had an idea about what she meant, but she wasn't willing to accept that possibility yet. After all…that would've meant her mission had failed before it even began! "Perhaps there's…some sort of dangerous club she's gotten involved in at school, and she…" Oh, who was she kidding? It was plainly obvious that Madoka was referring to the Magical Girl system. But why? Why so early? Homura had even begun school a week earlier so that she could catch Madoka before she contracted!
Did it have something to do with Tomoe Mami's disappearance?
Royal-blue eyes hardened and she stood firm, stance alert. Someone was following her. Carefully, she brought her shield to her hand, preparing to turn it at any sign of trouble. Was it Tomoe Mami?
Without another moment to spare, she quickly leapt from her position. Something protruded from the ground right where she originally was; the crimson blade of a spear, it almost looked like, Homura noted as she landed deftly to the ground, heels clicking against the surface. She pursed her lips, glancing left and right for any sign of her assailant. The attack had been swift. She'd barely had the time to sense it before leaping out of the way, much less have time to turn her shield.
"Wow, you're pretty quick on your feet, aren't you?" A high voice resounded behind her; one Homura hadn't expected to hear in this city for at least another week. She turned on her heel with quick precision, eyes alert as she caught sight of the silhouette standing right by one of the columns supporting the building's foundation. "You…what are you doing here?" The raven-haired girl stepped back just slightly, one eye on the spot where the blade once was, watching it vanish into a scarlet wisp. She quickly looked back at the silhouette, only to find that it wasn't standing there anymore. Something brushed her shoulder, causing her to turn the other way in alarm, her firm stance wavering. She hadn't received a chill from another Magical Girl in a long time.
"Obviously, I hunt here." Scarlet locks caught the raven-haired girl's attention, drawing her sight to the slightly shorter girl standing a couple feet away, arms crossed; an amused smile was affixed to her soft features. "What are YOU doing here? I've never seen you around these parts." Scarlet eyes glinted dangerously as she shifted from crossing her arms to shoving her hands in her hoodie pocket. "Intruding on other people's turf, now are we?" Homura watched the redhead before her with caution. This wasn't how she wanted it to go at all. She was supposed to be the one to startle the redhead, impressing her and getting her to think about teaming up against Walpurgisnacht. In this scenario, she herself was on the defensive. Nevertheless, Homura attempted to maintain her cool composure. "I just moved here. And if you're worried about me taking all the witches, you're mistaken. I only have one goal in mind." She didn't like to speed up the process of the proposal so soon, but she needed to get the girl on her side.
"Oh?" The redhead tilted her head just slightly to the side, staring down the raven-haired stranger in front of her. "And what's this one goal?" She wasn't ready to trust the girl yet; every Magical Girl went after her grief seeds. It was the nature of Magical Girls, after all; they would die otherwise. Still, this slightly taller individual intrigued Kyouko. Homura took an inaudible breath; good, it looked like she'd removed the idea of the redhead skewering her with the spear's blade from the girl's mind. "At the end of this month, a fearsome foe known as Walpurgisnacht will appear, and destroy the town. I aim to be able to stop this colossal witch." Kyouko stepped back in surprise and disbelief, her composure broken for just a moment before she stood firm again, her eyes darkening with suspicion. "Walpurgisnacht…how do you know about that?"
It wouldn't be good to reveal her brand of magic to the redhead, but at the same time she wasn't sure if this Sakura Kyouko would accept her usual reason. "That's my business." Homura concluded finally, brushing her hand dramatically through her raven locks. The redhead remained unimpressed with her answer; she shifted the weight of her lithe figure onto her other leg, eyes narrowing. "Oh, really? Is that what you tell everyone you're trying to earn the trust of?" A wicked fang protruded from her mouth as she flashed a dangerous grin at the raven-haired girl. "Still, you amuse me for now. So, why are you telling me all about your goal then?" Homura pursed her lips, royal-blue pools shifting uneasily to the side. Even when cautiously friendly, somehow the redhead still sent chills down her spine. She quickly composed herself; it wouldn't do to try to recruit the shorter girl when Homura was visibly intimidated. She had to remain calm. "Its power is too strong for just one Magical Girl to face alone. I require your experience and skill in taking down this witch when she appears."
"Oh?" Scarlet eyes piqued with interest as Kyouko straightened up, staring into royal-blue pools, assessing her strength. "And what's in it for me?" Better yet, why was she trying to recruit Kyouko when there was another Magical Girl who was drowning enough in justice that she'd be all over the idea of sacrificing safety for the sake of others? Well, if the raven-haired girl would rather choose an ally that would want compensation, then that was her problem. "I'm not gonna even think about the idea of risking my neck out there without something valuable in return, after all."
"I'll hand over the territory of Mitakihara to you." Homura offered, doing her best to maintain her cool. The raise of the eyebrow from Kyouko at her offer didn't help her nerves. "Nice try, but I already own this territory. You guys are the ones trekking around without my say-so. Got anything better?" Homura prepared another offer when she stopped short. "Hang on…did you just say 'you guys'?" The redhead rolled her eyes at the girl's confusion. "Uh, yeah? What, you don't sense the annoying Magical Girl bounding about the city right now?" Homura frowned in confusion. "Are you talking about Tomoe Mami? She would be the primary territory-holder." That seemed to strike a nerve in the redhead. Kyouko squared her shoulders, standing firm and tall over the raven-haired girl, so it almost looked like she towered over her. "Listen here, rookie. Tomoe Mami is dead." Her expression darkened, taking on a sadistic grin. "I stole her territory, so it's mine. The only other annoying thing around here besides you is that rosy Magical Girl. And, well, I'll see about getting rid of that competition, as well."
"Rosy…Magical Girl?" Royal-blue eyes widened. So it was true! It must have been Madoka she was referring to! "I…" She quickly shook her head, pushing her shock to the side. "I need to go. It's in both our interests that Magical Girl doesn't fight." She turned on her heel and ran through the corridors, leaving Kyouko by herself. The redhead blinked in surprise as she watched her go before dismissing it with a nonchalant shrug, a light chuckle escaping her lips. "Heh. What, was it love at first sight when she saw her at the school before?" The redhead's grin faltered, making way for a frown as she brought her soul gem into view. "Dang it…she just HAD to bring up that old face, didn't she?" She muttered darkly, taking note of the cloudy substance building up. "Now I gotta go locate another grief seed." She sighed in irritation, returning the soul gem to ring-form and taking off, making her way outside.
Why it didn't occur to her to use the flower-shaped grief seed in her pocket hadn't really dawned on her.
"That's strange…" Madoka mumbled, stepping cautiously through the abandoned part of the city. "This is where I usually find her…" As she proceeded down the path leading to the alleyway she'd once fought in, her mind grew clouded with memories of the fight; too many close calls. If she hadn't been careful…she could have lost Sayaka back then.
"Great going, Madoka!" The blue-haired girl cheered on as she watched from the pink dome which shielded her from the rest of the barrier, watching Madoka as she aimed her sights. It may have only been a familiar, but she didn't care. After all, it was a familiar that almost took out her and Sayaka! She took a breath, a silent prayer of support as she straightened her stance, and released the arrow. As it soared through the air toward her target, she was startled to find a sudden golden chain wrapping around the targeted familiar, throwing it out of harm's way from the fiery arrow, the fire extinguishing as it brushed against the wall. Pink eyes widened with confusion, her calm stance faltering as she looked toward the familiar, only to find it running away from the area, the landscape fading away after it.
The sound of clacking heels caught Madoka's attention, causing her to whip her head around to face the source. In the distance she could see a girl, not too much older than herself, with brilliant scarlet locks trailing down behind her, resting against her hips as gravity took hold during the girl's landing. A cold glare startled the pink-haired girl, causing her to trail from the scarlet coat up to the fire-red jewel in the center of the other girl's breasts, and finally to the sharp scarlet eyes staring back at her. "U-Um, may I help you?" Madoka frowned, holding her staff close, subtly glancing back over her shoulder to ensure Sayaka was still protected by the pink dome.
"Hnn…" The scarlet female stared her down, as if sizing up her opponent. "Crafty of the little rat; I turn my head for a brief second and he goes and creates some rookie for me to deal with?" She glanced over her shoulder, looking at where the familiar escaped to. "And on top of that…an idiot rookie who can't even tell the difference between a familiar and a witch?" She sighed irritably, glancing back at Madoka, her hand gripping her spear roughly. "Look, kid. I don't know how long you been goin' about this, but you're not supposed to touch those guys. They don't even have a grief seed, yet."
"I don't see what having a grief seed or not has anything to do with defeating familiars." Madoka countered, straightening her stance as she held the staff tight in her hand, ready to fight back at any sign of trouble. She couldn't place it, but something felt wrong about this girl; it was as if she wasn't really human. "Why did you stop me from defeating it? If left alone, it will only hurt other people!" The redhead gave a cold smirk in reply, adjusting her spear so it was rested on her shoulder before stepping forward, closing the distance between her and the pink-haired girl. "So let it. It's not like people don't die every day, anyway. And this way, we'll have more grief seeds at our disposal." She swung the spear out from off her shoulder, its handle extending until the blade stopped just short of the nape of Madoka's neck. "This isn't some game of justice, after all."
Madoka grit her teeth, stepping back from the spear just slightly. "So then…you see people as your pawns?" She readied her weapon, feeling the swell of energy building up inside her. She didn't feel comfortable with the aspect of fighting a Magical Girl – they were supposed to be allies, after all – but this girl was a danger to the city. "Do you just intend to let that familiar devour innocents?" The redhead stepped a margin closer, retracting the handle of the spear to its original length and dragging it along the ground, causing an ear-piercing scratching sound, much akin to nails on the chalkboard. "Well, of course. If you allow a familiar to eat a few people, say five to ten, it will turn into a witch of its own. Then you can hunt it down, and get a grief seed out of the deal. I'd say that's a good reason to preserve them a little longer."
Pink eyes widened in horror at the prospect. "That's…that's just not right! Something like that is just too cruel! How could you agree with something like that!? How could you live with yourself, believing in something terrible like that?!" Just then, a loud scrape was heard against the concrete before the sound faded altogether, Madoka finding herself staring down the blade of the spear once more. "! W-We're…we're Magical Girls!" She tried, hoping to appeal to the redhead before her. "We're supposed to help people! Why are you doing this?!" Scarlet eyes stared her down, her arm never wavering as she held the spear steady, just inches from the pink-haired girl's neck. "Uh-huh. Is that what you think this is? Some crusade?" She chuckled darkly, swinging her arm to the side and snapping the handle of the spear, breaking it into chained segments, its appearance more whip-like. "Man, are you getting the wrong idea about this!" She stepped back a margin, leaning back as she held her arm at the ready.
Madoka frowned in suspicion, stepping back a bit with concern. Before she had time to react, the redhead swung her arm forward, bringing the whip toward her in full force. The segments made impact with the shorter girl, knocking her off her feet and onto her side. "KYAA!" She cried out in pain, her face meeting with the concrete as she lay in shock. "B-But…we're supposed to be allies…!" She whimpered, her voice muffled by the ground she lay on. A heavy weight met with her back, causing her to wince in pain as the other girl's heel dug into her spine, the girl's cold voice ringing through the still air. "Listen, Rosy. Us Magical Girls aren't like the ones you hear about in anime or manga. We're survivors; we don't give a lick about the rest of the world, we're only out for our own gain." The weight pressed harder; nearby, a pink dome fizzled and faltered, revealing a wide-eyed blue-haired girl. "M-Madoka?!" The taller girl cried out in alarm, placing her hands on the ever-fading dome.
Scarlet eyes glanced back at the cry, a wry smile on her face. "Hohh…it looks like you've been bringing extra baggage with you on your crusade, as well." The weight against Madoka's back faded, leaving her alone on the concrete as Kyouko instead turned her attention to the fading dome. "Well, I think you could put her to better use, personally." She leapt across the ground, heels clacking as she landed just inches from the dome, analyzing its contents. "She'd make pretty excellent bait, don'tcha think?" With a swing of her spear, the rest of the dome shattered, leaving Sayaka vulnerable. The blue-haired girl stepped back in horror, one eye staring worriedly at her friend while the other remained on the predator before her. "S-Stay away!" She barked, stepping back from the redhead that, despite being a fair bit shorter than her, still managed to tower over her. "Leave us alone!" The redhead rolled her eyes at the girl's incessant barking, thrusting out a hand and gripping the girl tightly by the throat as she held her up in the air, watching as she struggled helplessly in her clutch. With a sadistic sneer, she turned back toward the pink-haired girl, holding the taller girl suspended in the air. "What are you gonna do?" She challenged. "If you don't do anything, your friend's gonna become lunch." Of course, she didn't intend for the rosy Magical Girl to get her friend back or anything of that sort. She just planned to rile her up; after all, they were most vulnerable when they couldn't control their emotions.
"SAYAKA-CHAN!" Despite her fatigue, Madoka quickly pushed herself to her feet, staff forming into a bow as she prepared a shot. "Put her down!" Pink eyes narrowed dangerously as she commanded. The redhead across the way stared quietly for a moment at the pink-haired archer. "And if I choose not to? This is some good bait, right here." A burst of energy shot just inches from her ear just seconds after she finished opening her mouth; the proximity caused Kyouko to stop short, eyes wide with surprise. She blinked a few times, gathering her bearings as she looked toward the other Magical Girl; it looked like she wasn't as weak as she appeared; she was going to have to be more careful. "Looks like you've got more of a fight to you, after all." She tossed the blue-haired girl unceremoniously to the side before getting into a battle stance. Despite what Kyouko originally thought, this Magical Girl stayed steady even when driven by emotions – just like her.
"Don't think you can get away with endangering my friend!" Madoka declared, eyes alight with righteous anger. "Your opponent is me!" The redhead rolled her head around, loosening any kinks in her muscles before proceeding to strike. This girl may have been a rookie, but she wasn't going to be an easy target. Without another word she leapt toward the girl, swinging the whip at her with full force, causing Madoka to quickly leap out of the way before preparing another arrow. The redhead kept her eyes trained on the girl's arrow; it was powerful, yes, but it wasn't very flexible. 'The good thing is this opponent relies on precision and strategy; she can only aim the arrow one direction, and can't change its course, unlike me with my spear. She may be tough, but this shouldn't take too long.' Keeping her eyes trained on the direction the pink-haired girl held out the arrow, she sat in place for just a brief moment until the arrow flew, taking the chance to leap over it before the arrow could strike her. It was the flaw of only being able to strike in one direction at a time. This girl didn't stand a chance.
'My usual arrows aren't doing the trick, it seems…' Madoka thought, eyes sharp and alert as she kept an eye on her opponent's movements. Maybe it was time to switch things up a little. With a slow and steady intake of breath, she aimed her sights once more, taking to one knee as she glanced up at the girl who was still in the air. While she was still in the middle of her fall, the redhead wouldn't be able to change position. With a silent prayer, she released her hold on the arrow, allowing it to split off into several, flying diagonally toward the redhead, catching her off guard. 'What!? I thought the arrows could only shoot straight!' With a startled grunt, Kyouko quickly reacted, using the momentum of her spear-whip to quickly move herself from the line of fire. It worked, but only just; she could feel the slight singe on her arm from where one of the arrows grazed her. Not to mention, now that she'd thrown herself out of the way, it wasn't going to be easy to right herself before she made contact with the concrete. Bracing herself, the redhead skidded against the ground, using the power in her legs as she caught the ground with her heels. Her usual tried and true method of fighting close-up wasn't going to work against this girl. She needed to switch things up a bit, herself, if she was going to defeat her. Glancing back over to the blue-haired girl on the ground, a cruel sneer made its way to her face. She was normally above using a human shield, but…well, this rosy Magical Girl had to learn.
If Madoka hadn't been fearing for hers and Sayaka's life against this redhead, she might have taken the chance to admire her trained reflexes. She was powerful, yet graceful in her movements; everything Madoka wanted to be and more. Maybe if they'd met under different circumstances, they could have learned to be good friends. But this girl threatened her best friend, as well as the rest of the city. She couldn't easily befriend a girl like that. Pink eyes narrowed as she took note of the girl's actions. She was heading closer to Sayaka, again! She aimed her sights; she needed to be careful not to hit her friend, of course, but hopefully there was still plenty of distance between the redhead and the blue-haired girl. "Don't even think about it! Leave her out of this!" The shorter girl commanded, her voice strong and fierce.
Kch. So she noticed already, did she? Kyouko leapt back, away from the blue-haired girl. She also seemed to have enough faith in her abilities that she wasn't afraid to start another slew of arrows nearby her friend. 'Alright, then I guess I'll have to take a long-range approach, myself…but first, to move the nuisance out of the way.' A red diamond appeared in front of Sayaka; then another, and another after that, until they all linked together to form a barrier around the girl. With a nod of her head, Kyouko leapt even further back, landing on a staircase for an emergency fire escape. She watched the pink-haired girl, as said female eyed her suspiciously, before flicking her wrist with a snap of her fingers, a sharp blade protruding out of the ground with force just behind Madoka, impaling her from the back.
"UGHAA!" The pink-haired girl cried out, her throat gurgling with blood which proceeded to drip from
Her mouth. Glancing with horror down at her bloodied bodice, she found a sharp blade, stained with her blood, protruding from her abdomen. Thank goodness it wasn't any higher, she mentally noted with relief. Yet the relief was short-lived as the spear was ripped out from behind with just as much force, causing even more blood to gush out of her wounds, forcing Madoka to her knees. "Nggh…!" She grit her bloodied teeth, glaring up at her opponent with unshed tears she refused to let fall for this predator's amusement.
"MADOKA!" Sayaka cried out in horror, feeling sick to her stomach as she watched her shorter friend force herself to her feet. The blue-haired girl pushed and shoved against the diamond-linked barrier separating her from them, to no avail. And what was she hoping to accomplish, anyway? What could she do, as a regular girl?
'There we go, that's better.' The redhead smiled in amusement, pleased with herself for discovering a tactic the rookie Magical Girl wouldn't easily be able to follow. Her smile was short-lived, however, when she found the pink-haired girl forcing herself back up to her feet. Pink rings began to circle around the girl's wounds, creating a gentle glow around her, allowing the injuries to close up. "Kch. So you've got pretty good healing magic, do ya?" Kyouko snarled. It didn't look like healing was her strongest point, she noted as Madoka swayed on the spot, exhaustion threatening to take over. Yet despite her exhaustion, the rookie Magical Girl held firm, preparing another arrow to shoot at her opponent.
It hurt. Everything hurt. Her lungs, her arms, her legs…in addition, Madoka's mind was threatening to cloud over. She had to maintain her stance, however. The moment she fell unconscious, she knew this girl would try to take Sayaka away to give her to a familiar, as she threatened to do earlier. She couldn't fall now. As a last ditch effort, she adjusted her aim, creating a different burst of energy into her make-shift bow, causing the scarlet Magical Girl across the way to tilt her head to the side in confusion. 'What is she aiming at?' Kyouko wondered with vague curiosity, nevertheless keeping alert in case there was any need to run.
"Nggh…!" Madoka grunted in pain as she released the arrow, letting it soar into the air, packed with all her faith and determination. The moment it seemed to touch the sky, the arrow split off, creating a storm of arrows raining down mercilessly at the redhead. Kyouko's eyes widened with realization, proceeding to try to move out of the line of fire. But the arrows were everywhere. They nicked at her form from every angle; her face, her arms, her legs. It was all she could do to defend her front, so as to avoid any fatal damage. This girl was good; whenever she began to lose heart, a new tactic would arise, and she would prove to be an even stronger opponent. Kyouko grit her teeth, having no choice but to allow the arrows to strike, doing the most she could to lessen the blow. The more she moved, the more arrows would hit her.
Finally, the rain of arrows died down.
Madoka fell back down to her knees, panting heavily, as she stared helplessly up at the redhead. That was it, then. Even with her ultimate spell, she couldn't defeat the scarlet Magical Girl. She and Sayaka were at the girl's mercy. Biting her lip in defeat, she allowed the unshed tears to fall as she dropped her head low, awaiting her fate.
But nothing came.
Looking up in surprise, she found the scarlet female knelt down on one knee, blood pouring down her arms and legs, streaming from her head down to her cheek. Releasing a heavy breath, the redhead glared down at her, an amused chuckle escaping her lips. "…Heh…not bad, for a rookie." Forcing herself to her feet, she expertly straightened herself out, carrying her weight carefully so as not to aggravate the wounds any further. "I'll let you guys live, for now." She turned on her heel, using her spear as a support as she leapt into the air, pole vaulting out of sight, the only thing remaining the small pool of blood she left behind.
That had been a close one, Madoka frowned, stopping short as she stared at the ground she remembered herself having been impaled. Although she had the ability to heal herself due to the nature of her wish, it wasn't as strong as it could be, and she had been rattled pretty badly. She would be lying to herself if she said that she wasn't even the slightest bit afraid of the scarlet Magical Girl.
"Kaname Madoka." A cool voice resounded behind her, causing the pink-haired girl to whip around in alarm, eyes guarded, stance alert. The sight of the raven-haired girl from school managed to set her at ease, but only just. While it certainly wasn't the other one that she knew was trouble, she didn't know how safe Akemi Homura was, either. "A-Ah…Homura-chan." She smiled diplomatically, straightening out her stance. "Are you Witch hunting, too?" The raven-haired girl stepped closer, a look of concern etched onto her pale features. "So, you really are a Magical Girl…" She bit her lip in frustration. That was it, then. Now, all she could do was try to defeat Walpurgisnacht, and try again afterwards. "You shouldn't be out here this late," She quipped, her eyes hardening, expression more unreadable. "Go home. I'll take care of any Witches in the area."
"Ah, it's fine!" Madoka's smile grew more nervous, waving her hands in dismissal in front of her. "I can handle the Witch hunting just fine around here!" Besides, she thought with a frown, she needed to locate that redhead so she could make sure she didn't hurt others again. "Um…did you happen to run into any other Magical Girls in the area on your way over here, Homura-chan?"
"Don't worry about her, either." Homura commanded darkly, placing a hand on the pink-haired girl's shoulder in a rough manner. "I'll deal with the rogue Magical Girl. You don't have to worry about a thing." Madoka flinched at the sudden contact, but held firm. "…Homura-chan…somehow, I don't know if I can trust what you say." She looked up at the taller girl, determination in her eyes. "I don't need to be coddled. I can take care of my own battles." She reached up a hand to gently nudge Homura's hand off her shoulder before proceeding to walk past, tracing the ring on her left finger. "I became a Magical Girl for a reason…I'm not going to just sit on the sidelines and watch others suffer – I'm going to protect everyone." With that, she broke out into a run, leaving the raven-haired girl behind.
Homura watched as the pink-haired girl disappeared in the darkness of the alleyway. The sudden strength of will from the younger girl was staggering, yet it reminded her of the Madoka she'd grown to admire in the first place. But…this time, Madoka didn't appear to be on her side.
"…This timeline has become increasingly more difficult."
"There we go…" A scarlet glow now emanated from the previously dark crimson that had shown previously. Sakura Kyouko held her Soul Gem up to the light, staring into it to ensure she'd cleansed it of all the corruption that was inside. "Much better." She smiled with satisfaction, absently rotating the spent Grief Seed in her other hand. She never felt right if her Soul Gem wasn't at its best.
But why did we have to go through all the trouble of getting a new Grief Seed in the first place?
Kyouko flinched at the voice. She hadn't been hearing it too often lately, so having the strange voice inside her head after a long time had caught her off guard.
We've had a perfectly good Grief Seed for months, now! Why go out to find a new one?
Hesitantly, she reached into her hoodie pocket and pulled out another Grief Seed, one she'd now had for a few months…and never used. She stared curiously at its flower pattern, her lips pursed in concern. "Come to think of it…" The flower pattern looked familiar, as if she'd seen it somewhere else.
"Why haven't I used this Grief Seed, yet?"
A/N: Welp, here's Chapter 2 for those who were waiting for it. Admittedly, it took a lot longer than I expected, but I'm churning it out as the inspiration arises. Alas, I've also got work and music videos in my life as well, in addition to socializing with family. Still, I'll see what I can do to try updating more often!
Now, onto the story: Kyouko is hearing voices in her head. Madoka is paranoid about strangers. Sayaka feels helpless. And Homura...well, she'll find this timeline is more difficult than she first thinks. Madoka being a Magical Girl is the least of her worries. This story will touch on the darker sides of the Magical Girl system, aspects Homura didn't even think of.
So, assuming I update frequently enough to keep people's attention (haha), look forward to the next chapter!