Eight Spokes

Chapter 2: Meeting

"Okay, which movie do we want to see?" John asked the two girls as the three of them stood outside the theatre, looking up at the posters.

"Oh! Oh! What about Spiderbreath? That new one!" Jade chirped, pointing up at a poster showing a heavily photoshopped black and white picture of Vriska Serket with a tarantula climbing up her face.

"She looks familiar," Rose said, "That name, too. Vriska Serket?"

John nodded and said, "Yeah, she even goes to our school! Imagine, she's in our grade and she's already a really famous actress, isn't she the coolest?"

"John showed me her other movie, Spider's Claw, last week!" Jade exclaimed, still pointing up at Vriska's face, "This's the sequel! Come on, we have to go see it!"

"Frankly, it looks terrible."

"Are you kidding? Vriska's the best thing since Nic Cage!" John proclaimed. Then he paused, crossed his arms and stared at the ground. "Not that anyone in the world is as good as Nic Cage."

Jade gently pushed Rose and John towards the theatre. "Come on, we going in or not?"

Rose grimaced at the dark movie advertisement, but figured it would be impolite to complain. John and Jade were already nice enough to invite her, she couldn't be rude. Making friends was always a good first step when you moved to a new place, if all the books she read served her right. She'd had to leave most of her library back in her hometown when she moved; it still felt so strange to wake up in a tiny apartment with hardly any books in sight.

The group went inside and headed over to the ticket booth. "I do not think I have ever heard of Vriska Serket," Rose said.

John shrugged. "She's pretty new, Spider's Claw just came out last summer! But she's really great, I think she even went Dave's middle school or something. You could ask him about her! I hear he hung out with her a few times."

"And she attends our school?"

"Yep, she's even a freshman like us! How cool is that?" John gushed, "I haven't talked to her yet, but I've seen her walking around! You think it'd be weird to ask for her autograph? Or just talk to her?"

"I do not think it would be strange at all," Rose said, "After all, she's our classmate."

John grinned. "I like you already, Rose! I'll be sure to get you a copy, too, when I ask her for an autograph tomorrow!"

"I will look forward to it."

"Come o-o-on, you guys!" Jade whined, tugging John toward the ticket booth, "We seeing a movie or just listening to you fanboy over Vriska again?"

"Yep, of course we're seeing it! Come on!" He dragged Jade over to the tickets, Rose quietly following suit. They bought their tickets and after John had gotten his usual Fruit Gushers, they found the theatre and took their seats.

The movie was not much better than Rose had expected—in fact, she would've dared to say it was worse. Vriska may have been a pretty face but her acting was atrocious, far too over the top for Rose's liking. The plot wasn't much, either, something about pirates and treasure, filled to the brim with the usual adventure movie tropes. Rose had to give Vriska credit for one thing, however: no matter how many lines she had in a scene, she always managed to make herself the center of attention. This would've been a bad thing if the movie had been any good. According to Jade, this was the new blockbuster that was breaking all kinds of records for revenue, but Rose could only smile and nod and pretend she understood.

"I hear you are here on exchange?" Rose said as the three of them exited the theatre as the credits scrolled.

Jade nodded and said, "Yeah, my grandpa sent me here for the year! I really like it here so far, and it's so nice to see John!"

"Did you travel far?"

"Yeah! I mean I live on a tiny island, so I guess I did travel a long way," Jade said with another dopey grin, "I miss it a little sometimes, especially Bec."

"Bec?"

"My dog! He's my best friend in the whole wide world."

"Really," Rose said, "I have a cat, you know. Jaspers."

"Oh, that's so cute, Rose! You'll have to let me meet him sometime!"

Rose shook her head. "He still lives back with my mom—Dave's apartment building doesn't allow pets."

"Aw, that's too bad."

"It is," Rose said, "Well, I am afraid I have to go. I will see you both in school tomorrow."

"Yep! See you, Rose!" John wrapped her up in a hug goodbye and waved as she started down the street to the bus stop.

The Strider apartment was a sad place, and not even because it was barely the size of Rose's living room when she lived with her mom. Grey dishes filled a grey sink, piles of swords lay scattered everywhere, and the apartment was stuffed with old furniture and musty clothes. The whole place was the hovel of two people who tried too hard to slip ironically under the radar, in Rose's opinion. She didn't even glance at the smuppets anymore; they were such a creepy part of the environment they almost seemed to fit the scene in a way most, well, ironic. They fit the place better than she did—she decided not to dwell too long on that idea.

Mr. Strider—Dave called him Bro, and insisted Rose do the same—tried to keep the place decent. At least he kept the microwave clear of smuppets and swords. Cleaning was mostly Dave and Rose, though, unless Bro was in one of his strange parenting moods. Rose locked the door behind her as she came in, walking to the kitchen where Dave was trying to warm up some mac and cheese.

"Hey," he greeted her as she set her bad down on the counter.

"Hello, Dave," she responded. They were silent for a while, both painfully aware of the gap between them. The fact that they were twins somehow made it even more depressing.

Dave turned back to the microwave. "So how's school been so far," he muttered.

Rose watched the mac and cheese bubble questionably through the glass. "It has been going well," she said, "I just returned from a movie with John and Jade."

"Oh, you met John?" Dave asked, a glimmer of interest sparking in his voice, "He's pretty much my bro, I love the guy. Best dork there is."

Rose shrugged and eyed the bubbling goo. Too unappetizing; Rose was in the mood for some actual food. "I am going out," she said, "I will be back after I find a decent meal."

Dave nodded and sat on the counter. "Bro's not back until four," he said, "Got a deejaying gig downtown."

"I will be back," Rose said as she went into their room to change out of her uniform. The apartment was just big enough for two people, but Bro had managed to squeeze a bunk bed into Dave's room when Rose moved in. No one was very happy with it but it was the best they could do. She threw on a pair of jeans, a black shirt and boots. She added her black jacket for good measure.

The city was so busy at night, always lit up with beautiful lights reflecting off the glass buildings. Rose tucked her knitting needle (just in case) into her waistband, pocketed her wallet and was on her way to find dinner. Chinese sounded good tonight.

She caught a train to Chinatown and searched out her usual place, a small store barely big enough to walk around in with an ordering window in the back. She paid for her food and stepped back out into the narrow street to make her way back to the train stop when something made her pause—crying. And not just little sobs, either: someone was in pain. Rose's fingers closed around her knitting needle. She carefully crept along the now deserted street towards the sound. She was about to turn the corner to face the scene when the crying voice spoke:

"I-I cannot continue on like this for much longer!"

Rose held her breath; even after only knowing her for a couple of days, she knew Kanaya's voice.

A high, calm, androgynous voice responded then, and Rose could not explain why her blood suddenly ran cold. "It is only a part of your contract," it said, "Your wish was slightly more cumbersome for you because it suppressed an apparently fundamental part of your human nature. This is only an added side effect."

"S-Side effect? It has turned my life upside down."

"I do hope your wish was worth it, then."

A hacking sob, through it sounded more like Kanaya getting sick. "I would not have wished for anything else. It is what I needed."

"Then if I were somehow able to empathize, I would hope you could manage this small wrinkle in your contract," the strange voice said again, "Otherwise, I am sure you know the consequences?"

The faint sound of Kanaya crying again. Rose couldn't stand this anymore—she turned the corner and pulled out her needle, poised for anything.

What happened next went so quickly Rose could barely keep up. An odd white rabbit creature stared at her, floating golden rings tinkering on its ears as it turned its head. Rose opened her mouth—to ask a question, to scream, she wasn't sure—but before she could make a sound she was pinned up against the cold brick wall. She tried to fight back but was so stunned she knew there wasn't much hope of escaping. The needle clattered to the ground.

Something pierced the skin of her neck—was her attacker biting her? She tried throwing them off again—they were about the same size as her, actually—and shoved them off of her. The attacker stumbled away, holding their face in their hands. Rose grabbed her needle and was about to strike back when the realization dawned on her. "…Kanaya?"

Kanaya backed into a wall and slid down to the ground. She took a handkerchief out of her pocket and coughed into it, dabbing at her mouth and putting it away. Rose's stomach turned as she caught a glimpse of the dark red spots on the white cloth. Kanaya looked up at Rose, then before she could say anything, she stood up and rushed over to her again. Rose willed herself not to flinch but held her needle even tighter.

But Kanaya dug through a small purse and began fussing over her instead, the whole time whispering over and over: "Sorry, sorry, my apologies, sorry…"

Rose let her work with no complaint, if only out of shock. She watched as Kanaya bandaged the wound of her neck, took care of the bruises forming on her arms and legs, readjusted her pink headband. For the first time Rose got a good look at her outfit.

Kanaya was sporting a long ruffled green skirt and a laced black top that would've looked like a corset had it not been tastefully covered with a long purple cloak. A pair of heeled black boots finished her getup. The whole outfit was surprising and very out of place, and yet strangely suited her. A dark green gem glinted dully from a purple choker on her neck.

Kanaya caught her staring and shot her hand up to cover the gem. "Sorry…," she muttered again.

Rose touched the bandage on her neck. So Kanaya had bitten her. She leaned back against the wall to steady herself and said, "What would you like me to ask you about first? Your obviously out of place costume? Your inexplicable attack and my bandaged hickey? Or would you rather explain that rabbit sitting over there and watching our every move?" Rose pointed to the creature, fixing Kanaya with a look that demanded answers.

Kanaya followed where Rose was pointing, and all the blood seemed to drain from her face as she breathed, "You can see him…?" Suddenly, she shot up and grabbed Rose's shoulder and shook her. "Look at me. Look at me. You must get away from here. Move away, if you are able. Just run away from here, this city is not safe!"

Rose grabbed Kanaya's bands and lifted them off her shoulders, fixing her with another look. "I will not be going anywhere without a very viable reason, Kanaya Maryam. Though I would love to hear an explanation for all of this."

Kanaya opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by the creature. It hopped down from the windowsill it had been watching from—it looked like a rabbit but moved like a cat, Rose observed—and crept up to sit in front of Rose. "Oh," it spoke in that unsettling childish voice, "I was starting to wonder when you'd show up." Its lips did not move as it talked, its red eyes latching onto Rose's like it could see all the way down to her core.

Rose narrowed her eyes at it and said evenly, "Care to offer me some answers? My dinner is getting cold."

The creature flicked its bushy tail back and forth, back and forth. "First, my name is Kyubey. I grant wishes."

"I could discern that from your earlier conversation. If it can be called that."

"What is it you want, Rose Lalonde? What do you desire most in the world?"

"Wishes. These come at a price, I assume."

"On the contrary," Kyubey said, "You will become a puella magi as you make your wish. You will gain immense power, fight witches, and gain anything you please from your wish."

"Too good to be true."

"Indeed it would be, if I were not offering it to you right now."

Rose thought for a moment, turning over Kyubey's words in her head. "You mentioned witches," she said, "Are these the adversaries of the puella magi?"

"Yes, they are," Kyubey said, "Witches are born of despair and sadness. They draw others into their mazes, creating more darkness and despair. The job of the puella magi is to rid the world of them."

"And if I wish?" Rose asked; it was always better to test the waters before diving, "Will I start to attack bystanders at random in the middle of the night?" Kanaya cringed at the comment, and Rose suddenly regretted it.

Kyubey flicked his head; his floating rings chimed in the quiet. Kanaya took Rose's arm again, but more gently this time. The look in her eyes was no less serious, though. "Like I warned you before, Rose," she said, "You must get away from this city. Once he sets his sight on you there is almost nothing you can do aside from absconding."

"You will become a puella magi," Kyubey continued as if Kanaya had never spoken, "And fight witches. You will gain incredible power to be able to defeat them, all for making a wish."

Rose crossed her arms and said, "There is a catch, obviously. But you are not about to spoil it for me. Though Kanaya apparently knows something of it."

"The price of the wish is your transformation into a puella magi."

"It hardly seems like a fair trade."

"Do not listen to anything he says," Kanaya hissed, "He is a crafty salesman of the worst kind."

"Do you realize how much sadness and fear there is in the world, Rose Lalonde?" Kyubey asked, once again brushing aside Kanaya's warnings, "Too much for you humans to handle on your own."

"How sad. I was hoping you will give me a get-out-of-jail-free card for this one, as I obviously have no way of bringing about world peace on my own."

"Oh but you can," Kyubey said as he stared at Rose, "You most certainly can, Rose. All it takes is a wish. You have potential, possibly the most of anyone I have come across. You could do great things with this power I have to offer."

Rose looked over at Kanaya. "Your clients do not seem to fare very well, I must say," she said.

"Returning to the original topic," Kyubey said, "Witches are everywhere, always forming and seeking out sadness and darkness. They feed off it. as a puella magi, you will fight these witches and collect Grief Seeds from them."

"I completely know what a Grief Seed is. Allow me to pull one out of my pocket and offer it to you as a token of my understanding of this concept."

Kyubey flicked his head again, but his expression did not waver. "I do not appreciate sarcasm. Grief Seeds are the remains of witches, and they grant puella magi even more power. You will be extremely powerful as a puella magi, Rose. One of the best."

Rose tapped her finger against her arm and said, "You are quite insistent on this matter considering this is the first time we have ever met."

Kyubey only stared back at Rose. A beat. Rose began to feel a little pang of victory at finally having cornered this slippery little creature when he said, "This is only the first time you have met me, Rose, not I you. Not at all. I will look forward to your wish and contract."

Rose only stared after him in shock and something she did not want to call fear as he slunk away into the shadows.

Kanaya coughed into her handkerchief and dabbed at her lips. "We really must leave," she said. She seemed a little calmer now that Kyubey had gone.

Rose tucked her knitting needle away and picked up her plastic bag of smashed vegetable stir-fry. She offered her hand to Kanaya and said, "Would you like a hand in getting home?"

"To the train would be fine," Kanaya said, "One moment." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Suddenly she glowed white, there was a rustle of wind and a quick flash of light, and she was standing there in front of Rose in ordinary street clothes. Rose decided she had some fashion sense, or at least tried to, if the black shirt and long red skirt were any indication. "Let us be on our way," she said, dropping the small green gem from her choker into her pocket.

"…yes," Rose said, for the first time in a long time stuck scrambling for words, "I am on the train line going into town."

Kanaya looked a little disappointed when she replied, "I am in the opposite direction."

"I can walk with you to the stop," Rose offered, her small smile playing at her lips again. Kanaya smiled in return and the two set off to the train together through the night.

A quick note: not all the characters are puella magi at the beginning of the story (the prologue takes place much later into the story, obviously Rose is not a puella magi yet), but some of them are! In keeping with the Madoka Magica canon, I kept to only having puella magi and not puer magi. However, the guys are still very important to the story, I'd never leave them out! I hope everyone liked this installment!