Episode 3: The Choice

Chapter One

Another thorn bush whacked my arm, but I wasn't about to slow my run for anything. A second later my feet hit pavement. I could already make out the mouth of the twisted road that led up the hill and across a cobblestone bridge to Madoka's house, or rather, her mansion. Saving Madoka instead of Kyousuke had been a hard decision to make, but I just couldn't say no to Homura as she lay there, helpless. I couldn't deny my new friend's last wish, no matter the cost. I tried not to think about the pain—hers and mine.

Rows of poplar trees swayed in the wind and tiny tidal waves ripped across reflecting ponds. Mrs. Kaname was pretty high up the executive ladder at Yutani—a big Japanese technology corporation—so the family had plenty of money. And it showed. Her husband stayed home and helped with Madoka's baby brother, Tatsuya. I whispered a brief prayer that maybe he and Tatsuya had gone out for groceries or a diaper run. The less people I needed to defend, the better.

Lightning cracked through the treetops. I got scared and tripped. Something slid out from my pocket and scraped across the ground. Homura's package? She'd told me to open it in the woods. I'd forgotten all about it! It was a cell phone wrapped in pink notebook paper with a message hastily scribbled in pencil: Sayaka, thank Madoka for being my friend. No matter what happens. Your phone broke. Use mine.

I've never seen Homura hang out with Madoka, I puzzled. I guess...maybe that was different in previous timelines?

My thoughts became rambled. I wondered why the dark haired girl had distanced herself in this cycle. Maybe she couldn't bear the pain anymore? I knew all about running—the memory of murdering Akio and Haruka chased me during idle moments—so I couldn't blame her. She'd simply lost hope. Just like I did when I ran away from Madoka, shouting at her not to follow me because I was lost. She cried so much, but I shut her out. I hurt her, so, so deeply. And Homura...

I bet it's torture for Homura, seeing her best friend die no matter what she does...and what all did she do?

I thought back to our conversation on the rooftop of the apartment complex, about how she'd admitted to killing people. It made me shudder.

Madoka was Homura's best friend, no doubt about it—would you relive the same month for three years for someone you didn't love with all your heart? No wonder Homura was so quiet and angsty. And all this time, I thought Madoka and I were close and Homura was just some crazy, pretentious transfer student. What would I say to Madoka? How could I encapsulate the events of the past three days into one, short blurb? How do you tell someone that they're actually best friends with a girl they don't really even know? Nothing came to mind.

You simply can't prepare for this sort of thing, I thought.

I flipped open the phone and dialed as I jogged up the road and crossed the bridge, but it wasn't Madoka's number. I'd see her in person soon enough. I was calling Kyousuke's house. Maybe I could give him some advanced warning? The phone picked up on the third ring. I could hear a string quartet playing softly in the background. That meant he had guests. A dinner party. This was bad. Bad, bad, bad! My hand was shaking so bad I thought I'd drop the phone.

"Kyousuke's residence," came a squeaky, girly voice.

"Hitomi?" I gasped.

"Yes, this is she. May I ask who's speaking?"

A rush of emotions poured over me and I almost lost it. But I didn't feel anger about her being with Kyousuke like I'd expected. Instead, it was more like gut-wrenching fear. I was truly and sincerely afraid for Hitomi's sake! For everyone with her! I needed to get them out, needed to protect them, but how? They were all the way on the other side of town. The Organization must've known about this. Of course they did. I thought carrying the guilt of Akio and Haruka's deaths was bad enough, but now, because of my decision, I'd have to carry this too...no, I wouldn't let myself think that way! There must be something I can do, right? I'd just do the best I could, save as many lives as possible. I composed myself and braced for the challenge.

"Hitomi, this is Sayaka Miki."

"Oh my God!" Dishes clattered on the other end. "Where are you? Everyone's worried sick! You were on the news!"

"I know, I know. Calm down. How many people are with you?"

"What? Sayaka, you need to—"

"How many?" I hissed.

"Um," she seemed startled, "I don't know. Maybe thirty or forty?"

I winced. You made the wrong decision, Sayaka!

Put it aside, came the woman's voice I'd first heard back at the orphanage. You can't let yourself feel frightened about things beyond your control. That's exactly what the Organization wants—to use your emotions against you. You've got to focus!

"Okay," I said half to the voice, half to Hitomi. My teeth chattered as rain pelted me in sheets. "Do you remember Friday night, two weeks ago? The freaky mass hallucination thing where you wandered off to that warehouse?"

"Uh, yeah, but who cares? Please, tell me where you are!"

I ignored her. "This is going to sound really crazy, but it wasn't a hallucination. All the stuff you saw was real! You and that whole crowd were under a Witch's spell—you were all going to kill yourselves by mixing bleach and detergent so that the Witch could eat your souls."

Nervous laughter. "You're right! That sounds really crazy!"

I closed my eyes and swallowed. Think, Sayaka, think! It's not like I could break the news easy to Hitomi, and I didn't want her calling the cops on me. That'd probably just get more people killed. But how could I make her believe me? Then it hit me—I'd seen her that night, when I was fighting the Witch. Maybe she'd seen me too? It was a stretch, but I jumped for it.

"Hitomi, do you remember the girl in blue with the cloak and the sword?"

The laughter stopped. "How did you—"

"That was me. I saved you. Listen carefully. Something's headed your way, something big. I don't know what it is. You need to get everyone out of there, immediately. I don't have time for explanations. I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Hold on." She said excuse me to someone else and closed a door. "So, the cat thing...it's real too?"

Every part of my body went cold. I couldn't think. I couldn't speak.

"Hello? Sayaka, are you still there? Cueball was its name, I think."

"Kyubey." I could hardly breath. "When did you see it?"

"A year ago, when Mom died. It wanted to make a deal or something."

"Did you?"

"No, of course not! The Bible warns against that kind of stuff. I mean, who in their right mind would contract with a demon cat? I went to a Christian therapist instead and the monster stopped bothering me. I figured the hallucinations were a relapse. I didn't think they were reallyrealthough, just tricks of the Devil, like my therapist said. Sayaka, did you contract with the cat? Are you a Magic Girl? You need Jesus, Sayaka."

The phone nearly slipped from my hand. This was more surreal than a Witch Maze! Hitomi knew? So many things went through my mind.How long has the Organization been doing this? Why are they doing this? How many Magic Girls are out there? I'd never paused to think that the nightmare extended far beyond my little world at the Mitakihara Junior and Senior High School Center. I floundered for words. Finally, I found my way back to the present. I decided to just go along with Hitomi's train of thought, Jesus and all. Getting her to safety was top priority. Why hide anything?

"I was a Magic Girl," I began. "But I got out of it. Now I'm a..." I fished for a term—what exactly was I anyway? And what would satisfy her? "...Holy Knight of God. We fight against Kyubey and the bad creatures to protect people's hearts for, um, Jesus. I told you, you're in serious danger and—"

Gunshots and screams crackled on the other end! Oh God no! It's beginning! Wait, gunshots? Did the Incubators even have guns? How could they shoot with their paws? A man shouted, but he sounded far away from the phone. Maybe it was him defending himself? Images of the orphanage popped up. The blood, the bodies. Imagination and reality mixed. I heard footfalls. I could see the Kyubeys hurling through people's chests. The guitars were on the floor, shattered. I could hear Hitomi breathing very hard—I knew that part was real. I assumed the main action was going on in another room. It was too late for her. I was almost certain. But didn't matter. I'd try to save her anyway.

"Hitomi!" I screamed. "You've got to hide! Don't listen to anything or come out for any reason! Do you understand?"

Click. The line went dead.

My hand balled into a fist. That was the last straw—Kyubey was going to pay! I charged for Madoka's front door with my new sword drawn. I wasn't so sure if the Incubators could feel pain, but they'd learn how to fast enough. An extremely willing and able teacher was on her way. Time to put the blonde girl's words about light overcoming darkness to the test—I didn't care if she was a Witch or not. I determined then and there that I wasn't going to be afraid anymore. I wasn't going to play into the Organizations taunts and threats.

"No more shrinking back, no more tears, no matter what!"

Chapter Two

Ding dong.

Kyoko opened the door with a muffin in her mouth and her eyes closed in ecstasy. "Oh pooh! I was half-hoping you wouldn't show. This food isway too good for you, but come on in anyway!"

Then she saw me—bloodied arm, drawn sword, sopping wet hair. I wonder what was going through her mind. She couldn't possibly know about the horrors Homura and I had just seen. Witches weren't the only bad guy in town anymore. I wasn't even sure they were still the scariest bad guy. I had so much to tell her, so much that she absolutely needed to know.

"What the..." Her snack plopped to the ground. "Where's Homura?"

"She's—"

I never got to finish my sentence. In fact, I forgot everything I was about to tell her. In that moment, all I could focus on was the terror gripping Kyoko's eyes. She was looking straight past me. What was behind me? All the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I didn't even want to look. Was it more Kyubeys?

"Get down!" she shouted.

Wham! A strange looking spear crashed through the decorative window on the door. Kyoko shoved me against the carpet of the entryway. Red ribbons streamed around her. She'd already donned her Magic Girl armor.

"What are they?" she shrieked.

I glanced around. Strange, white, husk-like beings with spindly limbs and huge, featureless heads twisted and spun through the air in unnatural ways! They weren't Ghost People. They weren't Familiars or Witches. I didn't know what they were, but they had this weird fluer-de-lis looking symbol on them that kind of reminded me of Kyubey somehow, color and texture-wise. One thing, however, I did know—I had really powerful lungs judging from the sound of my screams. I'd seen plenty of terrifying things. Scary shows no longer fazed me after I'd started hunting Witches. But something about these creatures, the way they bent and flexed like hollowed out skin drifting in the wind...

"Sayaka!" Kyoko cupped a hand over my mouth and looked me straight in the eye. "Now's a perfect time for you not to freak out! Prove yourself useful for once!"

I nodded and we rose together, trembling, ready to fight to the death.

Chapter Three

The creatures clicked and moaned. I think they were coordinating their attack. Kyoko pressed her back against mine. We turned, unsure which ones to charge first. And we were going to have to charge—our cramped quarters in the entryway left us no choice. I guess in retrospect it was stupid, but I really didn't want to rough up Mr. Kaname's house. I could've easily knocked out a wall to get in a better position, but I was afraid he'd get mad at me.

Just then, footsteps hammered down the stairs. "Kyoko," scolded a man with an unusually high voice, "did you break something? I swear! I shouldn't have let you get anywhere near the sugar! Why I never—"

Mr. Kaname froze, baby Tatsuya in his arms. We gawked at each other as he took in the scene of us decked out in full Magic Girl armor, surrounded by creatures from some horror movie. This could get messy.

"Get to the basement!" barked Kyoko.

Madoka's dad hesitated. The redhead and I shredded through the enemies. We were trying to make it to him before they did. We knew he wouldn't last long. And Kyoko's instincts were spot on—there was only one way in and out of the basement, and it'd be easy to defend. But I didn't know where Madoka was, and she was my main priority. If she was upstairs, defending the staircase would be simple enough. Kyoko and I could split up. Unless, of course, the creatures found another way in.

The creatures burst in brief flashes of light whenever I struck them. Kyoko's spear affected them differently—let's just say it was kind of gooey and disgusting. We both took a few blows, but it was okay. Magic Girls are much tougher than ordinary people. Since our souls are trapped in gems, our bodies can take a lot of punishment before we feel pain. We also heal pretty fast. But then again, I wasn't a Magic Girl anymore. So, how was I staying alive through all this? I honestly didn't know. My arm that was cut felt a little better, but it still burned a bit when I swung it. I didn't feel numb like I used to when I was in battle. I hadn't noticed the change at the orphanage because of all the adrenaline and shock, but now I could clearly tell there was something different about me. Physically. But what was it? For now, it was a question for another time.

Mr. Kaname looked so scared and confused. Just like us. But unlike us, he was absolutely helpless. Well, maybe we were too, but at least we had the illusion of strength. Kyoko cut him a path.

"The basement!" I shouted. "Now!"

One of the monsters began shimmering with a strange light; I don't know how else to describe it—the creature swam through the floor like a ghost fish! The basement would be useless. No walls, no boundaries at all, could defend against these monsters. It was like, they didn't fully exist or something. They were slightly out of phase with our world. I said they were like ghosts, but they weren't quite like ghosts. They were solid when they wanted to be. We'd have to devise another plan. I wondered if Mr. Kaname had also realized the basement wasn't an option. Judging from the way he twisted his mouth in something that looked like a cross between surprise and excruciating pain, he had.

"Oh screw that!" Mr. Kaname huffed.

He snapped into action and put Tatsuya, who was now wailing, under his shoulder. Then he kicked down a large landscape painting. Behind it was a safe. He spun the knob and pulled out a pistol. Bang! Bang! Black goo spurted from the heads of two of the creatures. We had backup? From Mr. Kaname? Kyoko and I exchanged shocked expressions.

"Take the middle!" he shouted. "I'll cover you!"

Fair enough. He burned through clips like there was no tomorrow. Monsters fell right and left. I don't think he missed a single time. So much for the quaint stay-at-home-dad. Madoka mentioned her father went to the shooting range on Saturdays, but I always thought she was kidding. Kids would tease her about him being a wuss, letting his wife dominate him and all, and I figured his hobby as a marksman was a silly lie to counter the bullying. I'd laughed about it once or twice. I wasn't laughing now.

Something pink caught the corner of my right eye.

"Daddy!" Madoka wailed as she ran down the stairs.

She clung to his leg. The commotion must've woken her. She was in her pajamas. But I knew where she was now, and I couldn't help but feel a massive wave of relief. Mr. Kaname fired more rounds as we slashed through hordes of foes pouring in from every direction. It was like they were appearing out of thin air—then we realized, they actually were appearing out of thin air!

"Sayaka," Kyoko grunted as she pushed a corpse off her spear, "we can't keep this up forever. I hope you're packing a plan somewhere in that pinhead of yours!"

She could hope all she wanted; my mind was blank. My only strategy was to keep Madoka alive longer than me, and that was proving to be quite a lofty goal. I chopped down a few more enemies and turned my gaze to the Kaname's. Not good! New kinds of monsters were popping out from the ceiling. These guys wore tattered purple suits and held crossbows—all aimed at Madoka. I knew instantly what I had to do.

"Wait!" Kyoko shrieked.

She tried to grab me, but it was too late. I leapt right into the line of fire! Arrows of hot, red energy zinged toward me. I put an arm around the Kaname's, hugged them tight, and closed my eyes. I will shield them, I reasoned—if it could be called reasoning. It was meaningless. My sacrifice would only buy them a few more seconds. I imagined myself as a cresting wave on an angry ocean, somehow stuck in place, sheltering a tiny flock of seagulls—the storm would rip me to shreds.

Chapter Four

Klink! Klink!

The finishing blows never came. Instead, the crossbow creatures let out earsplitting wails as something hit them. Madoka and Mr. Kaname gasped almost in unison. Slowly, I relaxed and lifted my head. The room was quiet. Did we win? How on earth did we do it? I knew I hadn't done anything.

Riku! It had to be him!

"Sayaka," the pink-haired girl tugged my sleeve, "look."

But no, it wasn't him. It was something far stranger. A bubble of blue energy, almost like a protective case of ice, had surrounded the three of us. I don't want to say it was ice, because it didn't look solid. It shimmered and shifted—and it was coming from me! Most of the monsters were squirming on the ground, scorched by the bolts it had ricocheted back at them. The few that were left scurried away to the shadows and disappeared. Kyoko stood scowling in the midst of shredded ribbon barriers she'd hastily conjured. Scowling, yes, but unharmed.

"Geez, Sayaka!" the redhead stomped. "Next time, when you, without any warning whatsoever, feel the need to put up a shield and bounce a lethal cloud of sharp objects everywhere, try to aim even closer to my head!" She slammed her spear on the ground. "What the heck did you just do anyway?"

"I, uh, I...don't know?"

It was the best response I could make.

"Hmph." She glared at me for what seemed like an eternity. I swallowed. She wouldn't attack me, would she? Finally, Kyoko broke the stare-down and just shrugged. "Eh, whatever." She cracked a smile as her ribbons melted away. "No harm, no foul. Good job."

I sighed and grinned. "Thanks."

What had I just done? I never experienced that sort of power as a Magic Girl. I tried the trick again on only my hand. A little patch of rippling, blue energy appeared. All I had to do was feel the right emotion and push it outward. I wondered what another, different emotion might do, but it's hard to force yourself to feel a certain way when you don't already.

I felt so relieved. We'd won the battle. But the war? We were dealing with a girl who could apparently control memories, a time-traveling transfer student, a guy who commanded shadows, and a creepy Organization bent on harvesting hearts and hunting Madoka down at all costs. We didn't know which side to trust either. Who do you call to handle Witches, monsters, magic, Incubators, and Ghost People? The police? And how would I explain to Madoka how I killed those two men? Akio and Haruka? My chest tightened just thinking about it.

I reminded myself that explanations would have to wait, and that helped a little. Mr. Kaname would have to wait. Kyoko and Madoka would have to wait too. I needed to get to Kyousuke's place. Fast. I could handle it myself. I was pretty sure. I'm getting the hang of my new powers. And if I screwed up, I had the woman's voice to guide me. Kyoko could get the Kaname's to safety. She could drive. Not legally—she wasn't old enough—but she could do it very well and very fast. I'd rendevous with them soon. My departure might seem a bit sudden to Mr. Kaname and my friends, but there was no way around it.

I had to find Hitomi, even if it was just her body.

In my head, I scanned through the streets I used to ride my bike along after school, trying to decide on the quickest route. Meanwhile, everyone else was getting their bearings back, shifting from combat to conversation. Sometimes, it can feel like slamming into a brick wall.

"Right," Mr. Kaname scratched his head, pistol still in hand. "So, if you don't mind me asking...what's going on?"

Kyoko snorted. "As near as I can tell, Sayaka brought some of her friends to my sleepover without asking."

"Kyoko," I started down the stairs, "I have to go. Get the Kaname's somewhere safe. Take a car. Keep driving until you run out of road. I'll tell you everything later."

"Wait!" The redhead shrieked and blocked my way. "Don't keep Mr. Kaname staring at me for an explanation! I've got nothing. I swear, you have such a penchant for trouble! You're always throwing a wrench into everything!"

I turned to make a response, but a force slammed me against the wall before I could get a word out. It's not over! Adrenaline surged fresh in my veins. I summoned my sword.

"Throwing a wrench indeed," came a sarcastic, swaggering voice. "Or more like a Keyblade. Man, oh man! You'd think that one day, I'd finally learn to stop tangoing with you Keyblade wielders!"

A portal of shadow coiled up a few feet from Kyoko. She was too petrified to move. She hadn't swung back into action fast enough, so nerves got her. Madoka pulled close to me and squealed. Mr. Kaname emptied the last rounds from his gun. No effect. A figure in a dark robe emerged. Was it Riku? No, the voice sounded nothing like him. This guy was too big. He tossed back his hood to reveal a yellow-toothed smile and one, sickly colored eye. The other eye—if he had one—was covered by a black patch like a pirate. A jagged, ugly scar ran along his cheek.

"Then again," he chuckled, "messing with your sort has only cost me an eye and a heart, a pretty penny, sure, but not bad for what I got in return." He pointed toward me. "Aqua! Greetings from the Organization. Good to see you're back in the saddle!"

What did he just say? My head flicked ever so slightly, like someone had called me. But Aqua wasn't my name...was it? I felt suddenly light headed. I shook it off. Who was she? I couldn't think of anyone called Aqua. It was such a bizarre name, but it sounded so incredibly familiar. Was this some sort of mind game? Subliminal messaging? And now there were actual people in the Organization? It wasn't all just Kyubeys and monsters? I got spooked and my brain shut down. All I could do was stand there watching, dumb, with Madoka huddled against me.

"Don't you remember me, Aqua?" The man patted his chest. "It's good old Braig! Well, Xigbar now, but, details. Ha ha! It's just like back with Master Xehanort. You haven't got a clue!" He winked at Kyoko. "My condolences for your friend, Sayaka. Though, as they say, the memories will live on."

Kyoko shook free of her daze and thrust her spear to his throat. "Who the hell are you and what are you yapping about?" she snapped. "I want answers, not riddles!"

"Whoa! Easy there, tiger." He grabbed the spear and pushed it down with a snigger. "It's rather simple. Magic Girls don't come back from being Witches. So, whatever's in that body, it ain't 100% grade Sayaka. Kapeesh?"

"Stop it!" I screamed. "Just stop it! None of what you're saying is true!"

I completely lost control. You might think that by this point, after enduring so many mind games and traumas, I'd be over in the corner banging my head and crying. But my instincts kicked in and I thrust myself over the staircase, slicing my blade deep across Xigbar's stomach. It didn't even look like he had time to react. Some sort of spiked gun made of crystal materialized in his hand and fired off a shard, but it was too late. Xigbar lay panting before me. He seemed to be evaporating into little flecks of shadow, moving out from the gash. There wasn't any blood.

Then I heard Madoka make the strangest, smallest little sound, almost like a wounded bird. Slowly, I turned around. Kyoko's spear was on the ground. Her hands were cupped to her mouth. Madoka was covered in blood, but it wasn't hers. In the place where baby Tatsuya's head should have been, a shard of crystal jutted from Mr. Kaname's chest. The two bodies fell together down the stairs, jerked, and then were still.

"Oops." Xigbar rasped with a smile. "Catch'ya later, Aqua! Next time, bring trickier targets. It'll be way more fun that way."