AN: Well...that was humbling. I've never seen a Madoka fic jump to 18 reviews so fast...hell, I don't think I've seen one get that many for an individual chapter- leave alone the first chapter -since I got into the fandom.
Thank you everyone! Also, yes this chapter is up quick...see the bottom.
Hope everyone enjoys it!
Madoka Kaname looked up at the ceiling of her room, finding it difficult to fall asleep. She had been feeling...off...all day in fact. Like something really wrong was going to happen, but she had no idea what that could be. Not to mention it wasn't like her to have that type of bad feeling. Madoka didn't have any problems with her life, not really. So for her to feel like something was wrong was...rather odd, really. Hence the fact she was unable to sleep, tossing and turning in her bed before giving up and looking at the ceiling.
I wonder what it is?
The pinkette sighed softly, before rolling onto her side, hands reaching out to clutch one of her favorite stuffed animals. The big bear had been with her since she was a kid, and even now was a major comfort for her. She knew that Sayaka would laugh at her if she saw it, but that didn't matter much to Madoka. She clutched tightly at the shirt on the stuffed bear, shutting her eyes in an attempt to sleep. The comfort of her familiar stuffed animal proved to work wonders in that regard. Madoka's grip gradually loosened, as the elusive slumber finally began to come to her.
But even when her breathing evened out, the girl would not be spared from her bad feeling. Her dreams were a collection of images of an unfamiliar girl, fighting horrible, terrifying monsters. Madoka saw herself holding a bow, fighting by this girl's side. She saw them fight for what felt like months. But her breathing would pick up, when she saw the end of the dream. There was an instinctive sort of fear in her system, even as she had no idea what she was seeing. Even though she was just dreaming.
Homura-chan. I don't want turn into a Witch. Please help me. Help me Homura-chan. Help. Help.
It was only when the darkened pink gem in her hand shattered, that Madoka's eyes snapped open. And it was not just her eyes.
No! I don't want to...
Her mouth was also open, in a silent scream as pink light flashed from her chest. Pink light that began to fade to black, as the pinkette's body shook in her bed. Pain the likes of which she had never felt ran through her, forcing her to clench her legs to her chest. Madoka couldn't think past the pain, eyes squeezed shut now. Her head felt like it was being split open, a pounding headache joining the pain in the rest of her body.
I...I...
The light, vibrant pink of her soul, faded completely to black. Madoka slumped in her bed, a dark black orb falling on her chest.
"Protect. Save. I must save everyone."
Soft muttering came from the girl, eyes still tightly shut as she blindly reached out for the orb.
"Must create a perfect world. Have to end suffering."
Her muttering grew more and more frenzied, as the girl struggled to find the orb.
"Destroy. Destroy all sadness."
Her eyes finally snapped open, red tint to the normally pink coloration. Madoka's hand clenched on the orb, bringing it to her face. She stared long and hard at the object, before her arm fell down. A soft laugh came from her lips, a laugh tinged with insanity. A laugh that would never have come from her lips in any other situation. Madoka was sane and perfectly average, in every meaning of those words. She was not a problem child. She had never been a problem.
But then...
"Homura-chan. You brought me back with you? Right?"
This wasn't Madoka Kaname.
"How did this happen?" Kriemhild Gretchen held a hand to her head, shock at feeling a human face running through her jumbled mind, "I was saving everyone. But Homura-chan left me behind. I should have stayed behind, and made a perfect world."
Instead...she found herself laying in a familiar bed. A bed that she had forgotten when she was 'born', so to speak. Yet, her memories of her life as Madoka were coming back, very slowly. Memories of fighting together with Homura Akemi. Fighting with the girl who, while mysterious, did everything she could to help her out. Train her, and be a friend to lean on when being a Magical Girl became too much. When Sayaka succumbed and Kyoko sacrificed herself to end the 'danger' that Oktavia presented...Homura had been there for Madoka. Been a shoulder to cry on, and a rock to keep her sane. Madoka had been very attached to Homura because of that.
Kriemhild, in her own way, was much the same. Though in her case, it was not the emotional support. She valued Homura for her skills, and the way the girl had always helped. And yes, maybe some emotion was in there as well. But she was a Witch. A strangely sane one, now that she was in this body. But still...a Witch. And that meant that...
Oh, who was she kidding.
"Homura-chan, you got me stuck here," Kriemhild ran a hand through the hair she shouldn't have, "and now I can't save everyone. Well, I guess I'll just have to save you at least."
The other girl was the most important one, to both Madoka Kaname and Kriemhild Gretchen.
"I can't even destroy the evil in this world anymore. I can't remove the misfortune and suffering. My perfect heaven...my Labyrinth...my home...it's all gone. Oh Homura-chan, you are lucky I like you."
Sighing heavily, the Witch-in-human-form rolled onto her side, and looked out the window of Mado...her...room. Only to have her still slightly-red eyes narrow in undisguised anger. The familiar white shape of a certain bunny-cat alien was sitting on the windowsill, head tilted as he stared curiously at the girl. Kyubey's expression was the same as ever, that maddening and hated grin refusing to leave his face. She really shouldn't be surprise the rat showed up, but even so, Kriemhild felt her temper rising as she stared at that grinning face.
If there was any one thing in this world she truly, utterly hated, it was Kyubey. The little rat was the source of the vast majority of the suffering and despair she so desperately wanted to destroy. The one who spread misfortune wherever he went. Maybe as a Witch she should value him, as if it weren't for Kyubey, the girl known as Kriemhild Gretchen would not exist. But that did not balance out for the suffering he spread. Her entire purpose, her entire reason for existing as the Witch of Salvation, was to cleanse the world of this pain and make a perfect world in its place, one where everyone was safe and happy.
He spat on all of that.
"Kyubey," Kriemhild spoke, her voice short and harsh.
"Fascinating," the furball replied, "You know who I am? I have never contacted you before Madoka Kaname."
"Oh you have. And my name is not Madoka."
"Interesting."
"That's all you can say?"
The rat jumped into what was now her room, strolling up to the pinkette. Kyubey looked up at her, scratching his ear absently, "I know the names of all potential Magical Girls. You are Madoka Kaname. Are you not?"
"No, I'm not," the Witch countered, "I'm surprised you haven't realized it yet...Kyubey."
"Hm," he didn't change expression, carefully observing Kriemhild, "If you claim to not be Madoka Kaname...then who are you?"
Kriemhild laughed, the slightly unhinged sound getting Kyubey to tilt his head further, "That's funny. You're the entire reason I exist Kyubey, and you have no idea. I thought you knew everything."
"That is interesting. You claim that you exist because of me, yet I have never encountered you before."
"Maybe not me, but you should know what I am."
Before the rat could reply, Kriemhild held her Grief Seed in her hand. Kyubey's eyes zeroed in on that, his expression remaining stubbornly the same, other than a slight twitch of his body. At least she had gotten that much.
Damn rat.
"A Witch in a human body?" Kyubey actually sounded interested, "That is impossible. If it were possible, we would have known."
"Well, I'm here so it's not impossible," Kriemhild, by contrast, had more than a little smugness in her voice, "maybe you think I should thank you for that?"
Kyubey didn't show any reaction, "Perhaps, if that is what you wish. I have never understood the human concept of gratitude. As a Witch, I would not believe you could understand it either."
"I wouldn't normally. But in this body, let's just say I'm not your average Witch. So, Kyubey...any idea how this happened?"
Honestly, Kriemhild didn't expect an answer to that question. She had her own idea on what had happened- Homura-chan... -but she doubted that Kyubey had any ideas. He didn't know about Homura, so he couldn't possibly make that assumption. And she wasn't going to tell him either. She hated the little rat, so why would she sell out the one person she cared about to him? That wouldn't be a good idea, and even a Witch could see that. Perhaps a Witch could see it better than a human...Kriemhild knew that she couldn't trust anyone. Not even Homura.
And most certainly not Kyubey.
"Not at all," the rat answered, absently swishing his tail, "as I said, this is an anomaly. No Witch has ever retained her original body. Nor have they ever been anything but mindless monsters, most certainly not capable of logical thought. This is an...interesting...situation."
As he said that, Kyubey jumped back to the windowsill, flat red eyes not once leaving Kriemhild's face, "Perhaps you can explain? I am interested in learning exactly how this came to be. I would assume you possess some memories."
"Hmm..." the Witch tapped her chin, "Maybe I do, maybe I don't. But..."
Her hand gripped her Grief Seed tightly, dark energy flowing from it into her body.
"I don't think I need to tell you that. After all, you didn't ask me my nature as a Witch."
Kyubey continued to show no emotion, "What exactly is that?"
"Kriemhild Gretchen. Witch of Salvation, with the nature of mercy. And you want to know something Kyubey?"
"Yes?"
"My perfect world has no sadness or suffering. So you and your antics? I hate them."
Dark magic flew out, surrounding Kriemhild's body. Darkness that obscured everything in the room, including the girl herself.
And Kyubey never knew what hit him.
Mitakihara Middle School
Standing beside Kriemhild, Homura Akemi wondered why there was an almost sadistic smile on her face. And promptly decided she did not want to know. Seeing a smile like that on Madoka's face was almost more than she could handle as it sat. She didn't even want to think about what was going on in the Witch's head. It would be something that would make it all the harder for her not to shoot Kriemhild...Homura knew that much. And she already was only holding back because it was Madoka's body, and the fact that she needed to discover how exactly this had happened before she even thought about doing something.
And unfortunately, she didn't have the slightest idea of what could have caused this. Nothing she had any experience with could have possibly left her walking side-by-side with a Witch in her only friend's body. Witches left behind their human bodies, becoming the monsters she was familiar with. Kriemhild had been no exception to that rule. So how then...had she come back in time with Homura, and on top of that, hijacked Madoka's body?
I need to research this. There has to be an answer somewhere...I must find out before I reset. I cannot allow this to happen again.
"Madoka!"
Head snapping up at that, Homura saw Sayaka Miki waving happily in the distance. She couldn't say she was fond of the bluenette...not when oftentimes it was her self-destructive tendencies that got Madoka killed. Or ruined any and all attempts at teamwork with the other girls.
But, at this point, at least she was familiar.
"Hey Sayaka-chan!" Kriemhild waved back, doing an impersonation of Madoka that would fool anyone but Homura and perhaps her parents.
"Where'd you run off too?" Sayaka asked, once they had reached her, "And why's transfer student with you?"
Kriemhild frowned, "She has a name Sayaka-chan. And I had to take her to the nurse. Homura-chan needs her medicine...right?"
Her elbow jabbed into Homura's side. The time-traveler had to resist every impulse she had to draw a weapon and open fire. If it had been Madoka, she would have just moved away and sent a disapproving look. But to say she didn't trust Kriemhild Gretchen would be the understatement of the century, if not human history.
"Yes..." instead she slowly answered, sending a glare at the Witch.
"Oh," the blunette scratched her head, "Sorry about that Akemi. I just worry when Madoka runs off on her own, y'know?"
"Of course," Homura answered, mentally adding, Far better than you could ever know or understand Sayaka Miki.
"I can handle myself perfectly well," the pinkette reminded them she was there, crossing her arms irritably.
Sayaka just shook her head in clear amusement, "Man Madoka, you've been so much more assertive lately. I'd almost say you're a different person!"
"Maybe I am?" Kriemhild grinned widely, her pink eyes glancing at Homura.
Who felt sick at the reminder that the girl next to her was not, and never would be, Madoka.
"Yeah, something's different, that's for sure."
In any case, Sayaka seemed more amused by the change than anything. Homura somewhat expected that...Kriemhild was acting enough like a more assertive Madoka, that it could be passed off as such. The bluenette probably just thought her friend was goofing around, or going through a phase or something of that nature. She had no way of knowing that Madoka Kaname was dead and gone, replaced by a monster wearing her skin. Homura knew that when Sayaka inevitably contracted, that would change.
She could only imagine the betrayal the bluenette would feel when she discovered that her 'friend' was the monster she was supposed to fight. Homura already felt it herself, far more potently than anyone could hope to match. And Sayaka was far from the only problem in that regard.
I fear the day when Mami Tomoe discovers the truth. If Kyubey has not already informed her for some reason.
Homura didn't fear Mami. She knew exactly how the blonde fought. Exactly how to mentally manipulate her in combat, if not outside it. But that did not mean she looked at the inevitable conflict with hope or excitement. Despite the fact that she should be working with Mami to destroy Kriemhild...
The time-traveler found herself sick at the thought of Mami attacking. At the heart of the matter, it was still Madoka's body. And Homura needed Kriemhild alive, at least until she could identify how to kill her without sending her back again. So it was quite likely that would bring her into conflict with Mami Tomoe. After all, no matter what Kriemhild was...she was still a Witch. And Mami would not hesitate to kill any Witch.
It was her meaning in life. Just as it was Homura's to save Madoka.
"You okay there Akemi?" Sayaka's voice broke in.
"Yeah, zoning out Homura-chan?" Kriemhild added, though her voice was less curious and more annoyed.
For her part, Homura flicked her hair behind her, "No, I was not."
"If you say so," the bluenette shrugged, "So, Madoka? What do you want to do after class? Hitomi wanted to head to the mall for some food. You up for that?"
"Only if Homura-chan is."
Sayaka blinked, "But..."
"I said what I meant Sayaka-chan."
The bluenette bit back an annoyed sigh, turning to Homura, "Do you even want to come Akemi?"
"Not particularly, no," Homura replied shortly, "I have work I need to be doing."
"Then it's settled," Kriemhild nodded, "I'll go with Homura-chan."
For what might very well have been the first time, both Homura and Sayaka sent each other a look. Annoyance, not directed at each other. Though to be fair, part of it was directed at Homura by the other girl. But the time-traveler reserved all her annoyance- at least for the moment -for the Witch. Just because she needed her alive, did not mean that she had any intention or desire to spend time with Kriemhild. It was annoying.
"Madoka..." Sayaka attempted, "I thought..."
"Can't I have new friends?" the Witch cut in, sending an 'innocent' look at Sayaka.
Who sighed heavily, "Yes, I mean...that's good that you're friends with Akemi...already. But what about me and Hitomi? Don't you want to..."
"Sayaka-chan, we always spend time together. What's wrong with me spending time with Homura-chan?"
"Uh...nothing? But...Madoka..."
"It's settled then! See you tomorrow Sayaka-chan!"
Before anyone, even Homura, could react...Kriemhild had her arm firmly around the time-traveler, and was dragging her off. Homura looked at Sayaka, who looked a curious shade of red. This was not off to a promising start...if the Witch could not even attempt to act like Madoka- who was always more interested in getting her friends to be friends with each other, not splitting them apart -how was she supposed to blend in at all? Not to mention Homura did not appreciate being dragged along like this. She had never enjoyed physical contact much, outside rare hugs from Madoka.
Being pulled by a Witch wearing her friend's skin was not exactly pleasant for her. But even more so than Madoka herself, Kriemhild had a lot of strength hidden in that small frame. Homura's attempts to pull her arms free didn't come to much, other than getting the Witch to tighten her grip to an almost painful level. Almost painful because Homura cut off feeling to her arm when it became apparent that Kriemhild wanted her to stop struggling. This Witch...girl...was even more forceful than she was.
"Stop fighting already," Kriemhild hissed at her, as they moved out of sight of anyone else.
"I see no reason for you to drag me like this," Homura shot back.
"If you would have come with me, I wouldn't have to. I told you Homura-chan...we're partners, even if you don't want to work with me."
Homura frowned, "As I said, I have no reason or desire to work with you. We are neither friends nor comrades. You are a Witch, I am a Magical Girl. We should be enemies."
"And I am enemies with Magical Girls," Kriemhild replied with more than a little annoyance, "If only because other than you, they'd kill me on sight. But you aren't like the rest Homura-chan. You're my friend."
"No, I am not. Madoka was my friend. You may be wearing her face, but you are not her."
With that statement, Kriemhild finally released her hold, turning her eyes on Homura. Who saw a tinge of red in them, as the other girl glared up at her once again. Her temper was the equal of Kyoko Sakura...if not worse.
"You are my friend," the Witch repeated, glare daring Homura to argue the point, "My only friend. Homura-chan, I'm a Witch as you like to point out. I should have no need for friends, but Madoka was not a normal girl and I'm not a normal Witch. Believe me when I say the average Witch would only be concerned with herself, and hunting. Hunting for food, and to spread despair and suffering."
The time-traveler's eyebrow shot up in clear disbelief, even on her mask, "And you are not?"
"No!" Kriemhild practically screamed, "Never Homura-chan. I told you already...even when I had my Labyrinth and was 'normal' for a Witch...what I wanted was a world without misery and suffering. A world without any grief or despair. Yes, I would crush and destroy the sources of that despair...I still will, if given the chance. But at my heart...I want to save people. Those who deserve it anyway...like you! I need you as my friend Homura-chan...I can't do what I need to do. Can you imagine what it feels like to be a Witch that can't even make her Labyrinth? I feel naked! I'm not safe!"
It seemed very contradictory to Homura. Here was a Witch, a creature of despair that existed to spread that darkness. They fed off of it...off of suicides and murders that they forced humans to perform. Yet, Kriemhild was proclaiming the exact opposite. That she wanted to end all of that, killing every Witch in the process even if she didn't mention that point. On top of that, she seemed quite vehement in her desire to genuinely protect those she felt deserved it.
Though, who knew how arbitrary that the Witch would be in that judgement. Homura was willing to be that only a pitiful fraction of humanity would be deemed 'good' by a Witch. Even one as strange as Kriemhild was still, at her heart, one of those monsters. She would have a different moral code, if one at all. And she would kill most of humanity.
Homura couldn't forget that.
"So you say," the time-traveler flicked her hair again, "though I have no evidence to believe this claim."
Kriemhild's lips pressed into a thin line, "Nothing I say will convince you?"
"No."
"Of course," the Witch shook her head in annoyance, "Fine then. I'll just prove it through my actions Homura-chan. What were you planning to do today?"
"Hunt Kyubey," Homura answered, "As that is no longer needed however..."
Clearly, that wasn't a lie. At least now she had an answer to why Kyubey had been avoiding Madoka. If Kriemhild was even remotely telling the truth, she would hate Kyubey nearly as much as Homura herself did. There was no greater source of misfortune, grief and overall misery in the world than the Witches, and they would not exist were it not for the Incubator.
To be fair, neither would Kriemhild. But Homura didn't think the Witch cared about that, if she were telling the truth at all.
An almost scary giggle came from the Witch, "Yeah, you don't have to worry about Kyubey. Though I wouldn't complain about killing him a few times either. That's something I enjoy a lot."
Hearing those words in Madoka's voice almost gave Homura a heart-attack.
I will never, and should never, get used to that.
"Killing him is no longer necessary," Homura continued, "the only reason to do so would be to prevent Sayaka Miki from contracting. That is neither my problem nor my business, now that I no longer need to protect Madoka."
"Sayaka-chan...nothing we did would stop her anyway," Kriemhild nodded, "and I'd rather avoid Mami if at all possible. That's another reason to stick with you Homura-chan...you don't like her, so I don't have to worry about running into her. She'd shoot me before I got a word in."
"Yes, she would."
Not much point in denying that fact. Mami shot first and asked questions later when it came to Witches...though this situation might make her hesitate. Maybe. Okay, probably not. The only hesitation at all would be because Madoka's body was the Witch, and that wouldn't be enough to stop her. It might just break her, especially if she realized the truth. But it would do nothing to stop the blonde at all.
"So, what are we going to do then?"
Homura sighed softly, "I am going to gather Grief Seeds. With no need to monitor Kyubey, I can increase my supply quicker. If I am to beat Walpurgisnacht, I must have enough magic."
"So Witch hunting. I can help with that."
"I do not want..."
"Homura-chan," Kriemhild held up a hand, "I'm a Witch. We avoid each other, and you never thought how we do that?"
"...no."
The Witch laughed, though there was less mirth in it than a Madoka laugh, "We can sense each other even better than Magical Girls can. I can find you Witches a lot faster than you could."
"I know where Witches will appear."
"Maybe, but you never know. Things are clearly not the same...right?"
That, would be an understatement.
If there was one thing Homura was realizing though, it was that Kriemhild Gretchen was not going to leave her alone. Then again...at the very least, it would make it substantially easier to keep an eye on her.
Look at the positives. It was the only way she had remained sane to this point.
AN: There we go. Is it bad that I'm finding Kriemhild rather fun to write? She's a character I'm not used to that's for sure...closest would probably be ole Metal Mask in SEED...but that's not the same.
Hopefully, I'm doing a good job with her.
Now, as above...there's a reason this is up so fast. Mostly because that many reviews lit a fire under me, and made me want to get at least one chapter up quickly. I'm going to also use this though...to see what the schedule is. Three options here, let me know which you readers want:
1. Update whenever a chapter is done. Pro here would be that it could equal fast postings like this one. Cons, on the other hand, include that writers block is a thing. So this is the most likely to get a schedule slip...since I wouldn't build up a support net of chapters before posting.
2. New Hope-style (update every 5 days). This is still faster than average, but it gives me time to build up a surplus.
3. Standard weekly updates. Gives me the most time to make up spares, but it is also the slowest. For a certain value of 'slow' anyway.
Let me know what you all want!
Reviews:
Guest, TwinCarcino, yoru no kodomo, DrSnakesUchiha, laryssa1234, Thirsty Reviewer, Arararararargi Rage: Thanks for the reviews!
A simple fool: Yeah, Never Alone is a much happier story, I can say that much. Ironically, one of my other ideas for this was a literal reverse Rebellion...Homura caught in Kriemhild's Labyrinth.
Puella. Magi . Kuro . Magica : I saw your fic. Very interesting so far! (oddly, I need the spaces or your name doesn't stick)
As for Kriemhild...I don't think she'd go that far. Maybe.
scapheap: Glad you like it! And yeah, it is ironic how ideas can develop along the same lines, even when so random.
kayceenorth: Well, I'm glad you like it.
Nobody Smurf: Twilight Zone Never Alone? I can see it.
And Homura's as safe as anyone can be really. Not sure I'd call Kriemhild a Yandere though. I mean, she is protective of Homura. And does want to keep her around. And does get a little possessive. And...and...
Oh god.
Drinkie: That fic sounds somewhat interesting.
Aceina: ...it might go in that direction.
1C: Nope. Let's just say how Kriemhild got to where she is isn't easy to replicate...Homulily would be, well, Homulily. Not a Witch in a human body.
Agnishwattas: Well, I'm glad that the Kriemhild/Homura dynamic is working as intended.
wofldude16: That's the angle I'm going for with our friendly neighborhood Witch. A dark inverse of Madoka, in more ways than one. Glad you like it!
DrKnives: Well, I don't have any intention of leaving this unfinished at least.
AN: Thanks again for all the reviews everyone! I hope we can keep up this level of interest. More reviews=happier/more motivated author after all.