Puella Magi Contract Registry

Name: Mami Tomoe

Weapon: Muskets

Power: Alteration magic via ribbons

Home world: Earth γ—Mitakihara City

Wished for survival after suffering a severe car crash. Previously lived an ordinary and stable life; no irregularities or severe hardships. An experienced and loyal Puella Magi who utilizes the flexibility of her magic not only for offense, but tactical use as well. Due to her longevity, very little will catch her off guard in battle.

Additional notes: "An exemplary Puella Magi in every way. She has the charisma that any girl would gladly and willingly follow, while also able to be ruthless when needed. Her ability to lead has quelled many a would-be rebellious spirit, and her combat prowess on the battlefield is likewise in top form."

"Her loyalty to the Organization is inspiring, and she has the capacity to accomplish most any task required of her. She is without question a valuable asset to the Organization."

"The only problem I see with Drills is that the others love her a little too much. Like Ol' Goldilocks, she's one of the go-to girls when the others have problems, and whenever they're out on mission, you can practically hear the whining all the way from up here. So annoying."

"She's a fine enough Magi, but there just isn't a shred of musical ability in her soul…gem. She doesn't play any instruments, and her singing voice is only decent at best. About the best she can do is keep a steady tempo. She'll get the job done, but it sucks that for everything she's good at, she's missing the most important thing."

"There's no denying that she's good…perhaps too good. She wears the same expression in a fight as she would over a conversation. Even the other veterans don't look so at ease in battle. Fear, anger, concern…anything would be better, even just being a little more serious because you know where you are and, well, you know what's at stake. But a face like hers, so soft, so…calm…it's kinda creepy, seeing her so at ease in the heat of battle, although I guess I'm not one to talk…"

Chapter 6

"...She was completely incompetent and refused to listen to anything! I'd say that's grounds for insubordination, if not treason."

Homura rolled her eyes with a deep scowl. She heard the rumors—the stories about the Organization's Savage Nymph, and how despised she was amongst Magical Girls. Compared to every other member, even the assassin, whose hands had slain countless girls seeking freedom, every single one agreed that the worst member was, perhaps ironically, the sole woman of Organization XIII. When Homura answered her summons to find Larxene waiting for her, she had hoped that the stories were mere exaggeration. However, as they progressed through their mission, she came to find that Larxene wasn't as bad as the stories made her out to be. She was worse.

Saix had his arms crossed, not looking pleased. "Explain."

"Well first, she abandoned me in battle. Numerous times," Larxene said. "Wouldn't lift a finger to fight, even when under direct orders."

"I can't deny that," Homura replied when Saix looked over at her. "But only because she moved too fast for me to do anything. There was no telling if my shots would have hit the Heartless or her, and I would hate for the Organization to think I would attack one of their own." Larxene's preferred strategy seemed to be to strike everything at once. The speed and ferocity of her attacks made it seem like there were multiples of the Nobody, and since she was keeping her powers hidden, Homura just couldn't follow the action.

Larxene huffed. "Useless and disobedient. She also directly violated our code, walking up and talking with the locals. She selfishly risked exposing the Organization for nothing."

Homura knew the woman was grasping. "Secrecy is your weapon. Isn't that why you use us to begin with? To be the unsuspecting spies that interact with the public?" She noticed Saix nod ever so slightly. "The Heartless were going after a group of travelers, outside the city. Obviously, your reports couldn't have accounted for that. If I hadn't overheard that conversation, we would've been running around in circles."

"But let's not forget your biggest crime!" Said Larxene, refusing to be deterred. "You attacked me in a pitiful attempt to eliminate me!" She pointed to a small cut across her cheek. "She even get a few hits in before I stopped her."

What! Homura seethed. That was just straight-up untrue. In fact, it was the other way around. She still wasn't sure if it was her own actions or those of some particularly annoying Heartless, but during their final battle Larxene suddenly turned her fury onto Homura. She just barely reacted, only able to avoid the attacks by tapping into her magic for the first time since her encounter with Luxord. She doubted Larxene noticed how she dodged as her rage continued surging her forward into a lone tree. The force of her blow sunk her kunai into the trunk, and the lightning bolt that came after shot out of the tree with enough power to violently shatter it. The explosion sent bits of wood flying everywhere, and while Homura was far away enough to remain unscathed, Larxene was not so lucky. That cut on her face wasn't her only injury, but now she knew why the Nobody didn't fully heal herself.

Not only that, but the explosion brought the attention of the townspeople, forcing them to make a quick getaway before anyone came to investigate. Everything happening now was just the complaints of an arrogant Nobody with a wounded ego. Homura was about to explain that when Saix cut her off.

"I've heard enough. Homura, as punishment for poor performance and disposition, you will be detained for two days." Saix snapped his fingers.

"What!?" Two towering figures appeared behind Homura, wielding massive claymores.

"Don't make things any worse for yourself," Saix warned. Beside him, Larxene wore an overly-satisfied grin that made Homura furious. One of the summoned Nobodies went to grab Homura, which she immediately and violently shrugged off. She wasn't about to let herself be dragged away; at the very least, she'd keep her dignity intact. She marched out of the room of her own will, allowing the lesser Nobodies to lead her.


"Serves her right. Maybe now she'll lose that "holier-than-thou" attitude and learn her place."

"And now that you're done for the day, maybe you should use this time to consider how to prevent all these little outbursts." Saix turned to his desk, filing away the details of the recently completed mission. "It's certainly strange how so many Puella Magi decide to break conduct while under your command, especially so for those with otherwise clean records."

Larxene huffed. "Please, we both know they're all a bunch of psychological nut-jobs just waiting to crack at any moment. You can't blame me when one suddenly decides to go off the deep end."

"Then perhaps we should suspend your usage of Puella Magi and see if their sanity improves. I'm sure the Superior would agree if he were to see these reports." His glanced back at the Savage Nymph. "Your business is done here. You may be on your way."

"You…" Larxene hissed. "Don't think you can just—"

"You should also get a potion for that cut. Honestly, I'm surprised you haven't already done so. Unless, of course, you wish to keep that as a reminder of your carelessness and inadequate leadership. I'm sure Xigbar could give you some tips on facial scars."

Larxene stood speechless. She stormed out of the room, her good mood having disappeared as quickly as it came.


When it became clear she was being taken to the dungeons, Homura assumed she'd be put back in those spacious cells. She was wrong. The cells specifically built for containing Magical Girls were smaller—much, much smaller. In fact, cell was probably too generous a term for the space she was thrown into. With barely enough room to even lie down, it seemed more appropriate to call it a box.

As soon as the door slammed shut behind her, a faint light glimmered through the room, spreading in a tile-like array. The light faded quickly, but Homura was certain it wasn't gone, and upon touching a wall the shimmering returned, rippling out from her hand and shortly ending in the shape of one of those hexagonal tiles.

Of course it couldn't be that simple, Homura thought, but it wasn't entirely unexpected. It was clear the Organization knew much—if not all—of the details behind Magical Girls. They knew a simple cell wouldn't hold any of them, so these force fields were most likely put in place to bar their magic and keep them contained.

Homura sat down, taking in the small space around her. A small pipe jutted out of the ground, too small to even consider climbing through. She suspected she already knew what it was for. Aside from that, the cramped area was completely barren. Even examining the door revealed nothing but a small, barred window—not even a flap to push food through.

So was that it, then? Was she just going to be locked in here for two days, denied of both food and water? Homura grimaced. She could heal any physical effects from malnutrition, so at least she won't die of starvation or dehydration, but even with her Soul Gem providing her body energy, she won't be able to stop the grumblings of her stomach or the eventual dryness in her throat. She won't die…but she will suffer.

As the minutes started trickling by into hours, Homura became absorbed in her thoughts. After all, there was little else she could do. She thought of Larxene, and her anger boiled. Luxord was still at the top of her list, if only out of necessity, but if the chance ever arose…well, perhaps she could do the timeline a favor and off that blonde monster before she left.

More time passed, and soon enough Homura felt her body beginning to clamor for food. The protests were small and easily ignorable, but they would only grow with time. Homura steeled herself, but began wondering: she had a purpose that demanded she get past this inconvenience, and she will, but how many other girls found themselves in here without that same resolve? How many questioned their ability to survive? How many grew weary and fearful in their deprivation, and sunk to the pits of despair? How many Witches were born down in these cells, under the orders of Organization XIII?

There was a faint noise outside. Faint, but getting louder. Were those…footsteps? She could hear a voice too, but not clearly enough to make anything out.

"Hmm…uh? Oh!" A face appeared within the door window. His sandy-blonde hair was slicked upward in a punk-like style. Homura recognized him as the Organization's number nine. "Let's see…black hair? Check. Shield? Er…oh, check. Sullen attitude? …Sure, I guess. Homura, right?"

"I'd rather not deal with any of you right now." Homura spat, stubbornly looking away.

"Sorry, but orders are orders, and I don't want to listen to Saix go on and on over something like this." Metallic clicking caught Homura's attention, and creaking soon followed as the door opened. "All right, there you go."

Homura glowered. "Is this supposed to be a joke, or a trap? Either way, it's pathetic."

"What? No, it's exactly what it looks like. You're free to go, girl. Saix's orders."

Homura huffed. "As if that man would ever go back on his decision."

"Jeez, what's going on here? I thought releasing a prisoner was supposed to be easy." Demyx sighed and pulled out a card. "Look, I have it right here: 'Release the subject in two hours and tell her to stay within the city settlement for the duration of her quote-unquote punishment.' I mean, I know it's been a little longer than that, but we can just keep that between us, right?"

Slowly, Homura stood up. "This…isn't a trick?"

Demyx sighed again. "You were with Larxene, right? She's always trying to get some poor Magi in trouble. It's such a bother for all of us, so Saix devised these fake punishments to satisfy Larxene without harming you guys too much. A PR stunt, I suppose. All Saix requires of you is that you spend the rest of your time in the city and keep out of Larxene's sight."

"And what guarantee do I have that what your saying is true?" Homura wanted to take his offer and leave, but considering it was the Organization, she had to hold to her suspicions.

Demyx thought for a moment before shrugging. "I mean...I guess you don't, but I swear I'm telling the truth! Ask any one of your Magi pals, they'll say the same thing, probably even help keep you away from Larxene." Homura sighed, but was satisfied enough to take the risk and walked out the cell past him. "You know, you should consider yourself lucky. All that imprisonment time is now vacation time; free to do whatever you want. Man, what I wouldn't give for a couple days off, but no, it's just mission after mission, day after day. I work hard for the Organization, and what do I get...?"

Homura barely paid him any mind as she walked away, leaving Demyx to rant alone.


A black-clad figure sat on a darkened shore, staring up at the night sky, its empty expanse broken only by the soft, dim glow of a faded sun. There was something…nostalgic—comforting, even—as he quietly sat there. This tranquil feeling was almost familiar, which was strange, since Radiant Garden was just as busy at night as it was during the day, and he himself was always engrossed in his research.

But the solitude didn't last. A small white creature appeared on his right and looked out at the rolling waves.

'It's been almost a week now. I'm surprised you haven't put Roxas to work yet.'

"Not yet, but soon. He needs just a little more time to adjust before he can learn."

The Incubator turned towards him, tilting its head. "How odd. The Organization I know is much more efficient with its members. None of the Nobodies before needed such accommodating."

"He is not like other Nobodies."

'Indeed, even among Nobodies, he seems incomplete. Why is that? He should have retained all basic human functions as well as his previous life's memories during his creation.'

"That would be the case, had the transference of data between person and Nobody not been…interrupted. Sora regained himself, and quickly enough that he held onto his memories."

'Ah, so it's true. The newest Keyblade wielder survived.'

Xemnas nodded. "I've been to see him. Even as incomplete as he is now, his power is incredible. The samples I've gathered should more than satisfy Vexen."

The Incubator's ears twitched as he perked up. 'Does that mean he's done it? Has he created a working replica?'

"Not yet, but progress is well underway, more so than we expected. I'm told it'll be ready in a matter of hours."

'The potential of this breakthrough could shake the very foundations of the worlds. You may well have found a way to artificially create life.'

"Don't be fooled," warned Xemnas. "The replica has just as much "life" as we do. It has no heart, but merely clings to a few stolen memories. In a way, it has even less of an existence than us."

'Regardless of its defined "existence", the fact is you have created sentience. You have contained and harnessed the infinite possibilities of the human spirit—the ability to learn and make decisions, both logical and not.'

"Heh, you give us too much credit. Plenty of other worlds have long since produced beings with a similar sort of sentience."

'And while such creatures are fascinating, they can only go so far. The results of the replica program may already surpass even that, and this is just the beginning. You may only create a hollow life now, but perhaps someday you can create life that does exist, an entity with a real heart and real emotions. Something that can truly feel the greatest hopes and the deepest despairs.'

"The heart is not so easy to recreate as you say. If it were, we wouldn't be here." The conversation came to a brief lull, replaced by the sound of waves, until eventually: "What else do you have. I know you didn't come just to ask that."

'We've made contact with another potential Magical Girl. This one's in the city of London.'

"I see," said Xemnas. "On which Earth?"

'None of them,' the Incubator replied. 'This one is actually in the world you call Neverland. Her name is June Rawlinson.'

"And you need me there." The Nobody stated more than questioned.

'Not immediately, but soon, yes. Although…' The Incubator trailed off, an unusual thing for the alien to do. Hesitation is so rarely seen in something that cannot feel. '…I've found my thoughts often wandering as of late. It's not bad enough to affect our tasks, but my head isn't "in the game", as I believe humans say.'

"Let me guess: your focus towards any new recruits is being split because of our most recent addition."

The Incubator closed its eyes and nodded. 'Precisely. The mysteries surrounding her are simply too distracting.'

"You're not the only one." The rim of his hood bobbed as Xemnas agreed. "But with each day, we get a little more insight, bit by bit. We recently discovered another record of her: a transfer file for a local school. Perhaps she thought she could hold onto the simple, normal life she once had. Alas, one such as her can never go back; that life is not for their kind."

'Is that the only reason? Something tells me there's more to it than that.'

"It's simply speculation until we gather more data, but if you're so convinced, what are your thoughts?"

'Hmm…' The Incubator paused to think. 'Sometimes Magical Girls are drawn toward places—or people—of certain significance. Like a magnet, they are pulled along, sometimes without realizing it. Perhaps one day, that school will play host to an important turning point for the world, or maybe one of the students there drew her in. If so, I'm quite curious as to what could possibly call out to a Magical Girl as unusual as Homura.'

"A student…" Underneath the hood, Xemnas's eyes brightened. "On the day we found her, Homura was watching a family. At the time, I deemed it unimportant—a foolish mistake as I see now. That may be the person of significance you're looking for."

'It's very possible, yes.'

"I will have the location reconfirmed. You should expect the infor—"

A dark portal opened nearby, cutting off the conversation. Another cloaked figure stepped out and slowly walked toward the Alien and Nobody. With the newcomer's shorter stature, Xemnas knew exactly who it was, even with his hood obscuring his face.

"You have arrived…"


"Today is a momentous day. I am pleased to announce that a new comrade has been chosen to wear the coat."

Roxas walked through the castle. Yesterday's meeting was still fresh on his mind, although it wasn't like he had much else to think about, if he was being honest. With his cognizance fully developed only a scant few days ago, the only things he could really remember were that and the day before, and he'd rather not think about all those confusing things Xemnas said to him.

A group of people came into view. None of them were from the Organization, but those…those…

Girls. The word suddenly popped into his mind. While he didn't know what the word meant, it felt right. Those "girls" supposedly weren't part of the Organization. But then, why did he keep seeing them around?

There were three of them: a brown, a green, and a black, judging by their hair. It was a trick he began using with the Organization, since he barely knew anyone's names, and it seemed like that same trick could be used here as well. The brown and green girls were on either side of the black one, who seemed distinctly different from the other two. Not physically, per say, but her face was definitely more…downward, he supposed, especially compared to the other two talking with her.

As he got closer, the girls took notice and stopped. All of a sudden, the brown girl crossed an arm over her chest and bent forward, while the green one did a strange dip while holding the ends of her skirt. The two girls spoke abruptly and so close together that he barely made them out.

"Sir!"

"My lord!"

Both Roxas and the black girl watched in confusion. The two girls held their positions, eyes cast downward. Were they expecting something from him?

"Uh…" Roxas stammered, feeling a sudden urge to leave. Acting on that instinct, he slowly took a few steps and continued on his way, restraining himself from looking back. What was that all about? And why did they call him those names? This wasn't the first time he'd been called that either, both by other girls and—for some strange reason—those weird white things. He didn't even know those things could speak, and yet they kept calling him by the wrong name! He wasn't 'Sir' or 'Mielord' or anything like that, his only name was Roxas…well, that and thirteen, but that was just a number. Although, he supposed that could count for a name as well. So why didn't anyone call him one of those? He wondered if this was part of that "true name" stuff Xemnas mentioned.

Roxas made it to the Grey Area to find the room rather empty, considering its size. In the corner Z…Ze…the grey one sat reading, while Axel leaned against the windowed wall. In the center of the room Saix (Was it Saiex or Syx? Roxas was still figuring out how to pronounce that name) was talking with two more of those strange girls—a yellow one and a small white one. Upon seeing him, Saix ended his conversation with the girls and turned his attention to him.

"Roxas, your work begins today. I will issue missions, which the Organization expects you to carry out." Roxas kept quiet, vacantly nodding his head as he let Saix continue. "For now, these early missions will be simple; think of them as training exercises. You still have much to learn before we put you to the real test. Axel will be joining you for your first time out."Saix glanced over at the spiked redhead. "Isn't that right, Axel?"

"Wait, what!?" Axel yelled, nearly leaping off the wall behind him. "That's what you called me for? Since when was I the kid's mentor!?"

"Surely you don't mind showing Roxas the ropes?"

"Well, sure, but there are plenty of others who could show him better than me." Axel's eyes darted over to the two girls. "How about it, Mami? You've trained up tons of Puella Magi. Ready to try your expertise out on Roxas here?"

The yellow girl (Mommy? Roxas wondered at the name Axel said) was taken aback from suddenly being brought into the conversation, but quickly regained her composure. "I suppose I could lend my assistance, if you—"

"Roxas is one of us, Axel!" Saix cut in harshly. "A Puella Magi cannot teach him the duties expected of a member of the Organization. He needs to be taught by a true Nobody. Now, Mami," he spoke to the two girls. The smaller white one was practically cowering behind Mami. "You've already accepted your mission. Take Nagisa and get going."

"Yes, sir." Comforting the girl behind her, Mami summoned a Corridor of Darkness and gently guided her through.

Saix looked back at the two Nobodies. "As for you two, come see me when you're ready. Oh, and Axel? I'm restricting your use of any Puella Magi for this mission. I will not have you getting any…ideas."

As Saix left, Axel let out a loud sigh. "Well, you heard the man. Starting today, looks like I'm your babysitter." He waited for a response, but amidst the chaos, Roxas wasn't sure what to say. "Sheesh, quit acting like zombie, will ya? Let's just get this show on the road."

Axel approached Saix again, with Roxas slowly following behind. Saix briefed them on the mission, handing Axel the file. They began speaking, but Roxas's attention was pulled toward the echoing footsteps from the room's entrance. Another Organization member was coming in, a shorter one—the new one.

"…What's wrong?" Roxas realized Axel was speaking to him now. "You worried about the new kid? What was that name again?"

"Number fourteen, Xion," Saix answered.

"Right, right. I knew that."

Roxas watched as Xion vacantly stood off to the side. "Xion," he muttered. As one Organization newcomer to the next, perhaps he should try extra hard to remember that name.

"Heh, got it memorized, Roxas?" It was as if Axel had read his mind. Roxas nodded. "Oh yeah, then how about my name?"

"…Axel." It was one of the few names here Roxas knew for certain.

"And how about our boss's name?" Axel continued with his sudden quiz.

"Xemnas."

Axel clamped a hand on Roxas's shoulder. "Ha, you see, I'm doing great already!" He said loudly at Saix. "There's no way he's gonna forget any of that now! Aren't you, buddy?" There was a weird tone in Axel's voice that confused Roxas. The redhead summoned a dark portal and the two of them departed.


Axel sighed, bored out of his mind, as he watched Roxas run around. Wasn't he supposed to be teaching him how missions are carried out? Instead, he was teaching the kid how to run, jump, and even how to open a chest. Seriously, how did the kid not know that? The urge to open a treasure chest was something everyone had, heart or no. The mission quickly devolved into Axel giving Roxas different paths within the area to navigate, but with how straightforward Twilight Town's tunnel system was, Axel's "obstacle courses" were little more than fancy laps for Roxas to run through again and again.

Some use for a "true Nobody", Isa. Clearly, climbing a waist-high ledge is too hard for a Puella Magi to understand.

Axel grumbled. Thanks to the Nobody's paranoia, he couldn't even bring along a friend to make this so-called mission a little less tedious. But then again, it wasn't like he had anyone within the Puella Magi he considered a friend…

"All right, that's enough!" Axel shouted, fed up with the boredom. Roxas obediently came back to him. "So, whaddya think? Got the hang of this mission business?"

Yeah, "mission". And maybe next time, Saix'll have me teach you the alphabet and how to tie your own shoes. He joked, but Axel sincerely hoped that wasn't what he had planned for them.

"Uh-huh," Roxas quietly responded.

"What was that? Couldn't quite catch that." Axel overdramatically put a hand behind his ear.

"I said…" Roxas trailed off, looking at Axel. The redhead glimpsed the look in Roxas's eyes, glistening as if he recognized something. Had he begun to remember anything? "I said I could've done it blindfolded."

Axel chuckled. It seemed the kid did have a sense of humor. "I don't know if I want a blindfolded zombie on the loose." A sudden thought came to him. Well, more like a craving. "All right, smart aleck, you did good. And no successful mission is complete without a little icing on the cake. Come on." He knew he certainly deserved something extra after sitting through such a tedious mission, and lucky for him, he just remembered the treat they had last time they were here.

That was the first time I've had one of those in…jeez, how long has it been.

It was saltier than he remembered it being, but taking a bite out of that ice cream brought back some pleasant memories—memories of his home, his childhood, and his friends. The lazy days spent in a world filled with flowers and light, back when the only troubles he had were scheming to sneak into the castle.

Man I miss the old times, Axel reminisced. Even to this day, he still had it memorized.


A/N: Probably the most fun I had when writing this chapter was Roxas's bit. Maintaining a simple perspective that doesn't fully understand the world around him was enjoyable, if a bit tricky in some areas.

Regarding Roxas's abilities: that's a good question. One I hadn't quite thought about until now. The possibilities are worth looking into, and while Roxas won't be able to use all of his future abilities for...obvious reasons, I do think that the Organization's wielder of light should use his own element a bit more...