Final Chapter

Mami and Michio

With a swift downward slash, Michio knocked the flint lock rifle from Mami's hands; the gun discharged with a loud bang, sending the bullet spiraling into nothing. Her foot caught the edge of turned up rock, and Mami felt herself tumbling backwards. Her fall was met with equal insult as Michio slammed the butt of his sword into her face, cutting her cheek and sending her straight to the floor. With one eye barely open, Mami saw the world around her morph into the images etched onto Michio's soul. The buildings crumbled to pieces, leaving nothing but a barren wasteland of ash and fire. The park took a new shape, and before her stood the massive interior of a golden opened aired palace. The sky twisted with a forming darkness; a screeched echoed through the halls. Her observations were short lived. Michio thrust his sword at her; Mami found barely enough time to roll to the fide, flipping back to her feet with the use of both her hands. She materialized another gun, but Michio was already upon her. He chopped down. The blade of his sword whizzed through the air. Unable to act offensively, Mami did the only option available to her: block his sword with her riffle. The sword connected with the rod of metal, causing bright sparks to scattered. Michio relented his first strike, using Mami's lack of close quarter's combat experience to his advantage. Pulling the gun away from her and again striking her with the hilt of his blade, he threw her down a flight of stairs with a strong kick to her head. Mami's body tumbled down an endless amount of steps until she rested on her back. Breathing heavily, she fired two newly formed rifles. Michio's blade caught each of the bullets. He made stride down the stairs.

With each shot Mami fired, Michio's sword was ready to act as a shield. Spinning it a like the blades of a ceiling fan, he caught the scores of bullets and made his approach even quicker. Mami pulled away as Michio descended upon her; her bullets toppling from his sword like flies. Sweat trickled off her forehead as she kept her distance, making worthless potshots that were sure to be deflected, and with each shot, Michio could only smile. He had Mami trapped in dead end hallway; her back smashed up against a wall. His golden palace beamed like the sun in the oncoming darkness. Mami was an unfortunate casualty, a betrayer of the peace. To him, she caused the ensuing despair in his world.

But Mami saw Michio was what he really was. The barrier fed upon his Soul Gem, sapping energy away like no other. She had no explanation as for why it was using his Soul Gem unless the witch that occupied this barrier was still alive and in hiding. Nevertheless, Mami fired her rifles fruitlessly. A trapped mouse will do anything to survive even if such a tactic has proven ineffective. Another sword appeared in Michio's hand. He threw his arm back, holding the blade like a spear and released the pitch like any professional baseball player. In a split second, Mami fired her last flint lock; the bullet struck against the tip of the blade, killing the trajectory. The blade stuck into the wall inches from her head. Mami wrapped her small fingers around the hilt and pulled it from its resting place. Michio began another frontal assault. He brushed off Mami's attempts to handle a sword as heavy as his. However, in a moment of inner strength, Mami held the blade high above her head. The two swords connected; Michio's eyes widened as his next calculated move was thrown out of proportion. Mami, on the other hand, prepared her first trump. Forming a cannon upon her free hand, she aimed it at the ground between them. The medium sized fire arm let out a tremendous screech. Mami felt her body lifted off the ground, taking by the force of the explosion. A sharp pain enveloped her back as she was tossed into the same wall she clung to earlier. From the corner of her eye though, she saw Michio picked up as well; his body flung out the nearby window. The glass shattered, sending fragments every which way. His sword fell from his hand and toppled into the lifeless oblivion below. Michio fell to a lower tower on his generated palace. The force of his fall collapsed the roof, dropping him yet another level. Mami knew it had ended when she heard the loud thud from below. She dropped to her knees.

Blood trickled from her mouth as she tried to re-orientate herself with the surroundings. The blast from the cannon left her dizzy and with a horrid ring in her ear. She stumbled through the hall until she gained her bearings. The shattered window caught her attention instantly. She gazed down at damaged tower; a massive hole remained where Michio fell. Unable to see inside the structure from her current angle, she leapt out of the structure and down the gapping puncture. The lower half of the palace was still as golden and lovely as the upper. With the exception of the damage caused by a falling body, the walls were still radiating with a gold tint. Pictures of Ayami Ibuki lined the walls. Wondrous artifacts rested on pillars that lined the hall. However, Mami could only be tempted by such riches for a second. A trial of blood leading away from the debris enticed her to follow, and Mami did just that. She blood trail led her to a massive banquet hall. Tables with red table clothes and finely crafted chairs sat around the room. In the center and under the grandest and longest of all the tables sat the mirror image of Ayami. She did not move from her seat but watched as a horde of imageless guests chatted away. Mami listened to the noise that permeated the room. It sounded like a wedding ceremony with dancing and chiming wine glasses. However, Ayami appeared to be the only feasible guest in this world.

"Lovely, isn't it…?" Michio said, appearing before Ayami like the ghost. His entire left arm was covered in blood; a bone jutted out from the wound by at least a few inches. Michio took his place by Ayami's side. She reached out a touched the wound on his arm, healing it within an instant. No painful looking bone remained tearing through his flesh. The blood even flaked away with her heavenly stroke.

"Michio, let's stop this," Mami pleaded, "This fight is pointless. We shouldn't be fighting each other; we should be fighting witches!"

He let out the most magnificence belly laugh Mami had ever heard. "That's where you're wrong Mami. Kyubey is our enemy as well as the Puella Magica. We need to kill them, not these witches. Within time, we can deal with the remaining ones, but for now, we have a far more difficult task at hand. Come! Let us save this world from itself."

"And once you kill all the Puella Magica, then what will you do?" Mami posed, "Will you kill yourself. You're a Puella Magica too."

"That's precisely what will happen," Michio replied, "You and I will have to die. The world is not safe until all of us and Kyubey are destroyed. Mami, isn't this what you wanted? You said you wanted to help people. This is the time to rise up and make our stand."

Mami shook head. "I can't do that. I don't even know why you're thinking like this. Is this because of Ayami? Do you think she'd want this?" In a fit of rage, Michio crushed the chair behind. The pieces of gold and metal scattered about. A new sword formed in his hand.

"I'm doing this for Ayami!" Michio screamed, "And for all the people of the world. As long as Kyubey exists, the innocent are threatened."

"It's the witches who are destroying people not the Puella Magica!"

Michio sighed. "This is pointless. You won't listen to reason."

"You won't listen to reason! You're going mad with these diluted thoughts."

"And you're the one who can't see the facts presented to you." Michio stepped away from his broken throne. He pulled a cigar from his pocket, stuck it in his mouth, and prepared his lighter. He clicked away at the small grey lighter, but no flame formed. Placing it against his ear, he shook it a few times, sighing upon realization that it was empty. He threw it to the side and pocketed the single cigar.

A sad grin appeared on his lips. "A shame… I was hoping for a smoke before we began again." He leapt to the center of the banquet hall. The voices stopped in an instant and he chided Mami to attack. His sinister lips became like glass, morphing his mouth into one terrifying scowl. He circled his opponent; Mami aimed her rifle at him, knowing full well that she wouldn't have any hope of hurting him with such a straightforward assault. He cursed under her lips.

But Michio made no moves beyond simply walking in circles around the girl. Mami surveyed her surroundings; the banquet hall was as lavish as the halls she'd seen earlier. However, a single piece of grand décor stood out to her. A crystal chandelier hung in the very center of the room. It was encased with gold and jewels beyond the simple crystal exterior. It glowed as nearly every light focused its attention on this one piece. Mami bid her time, praying Michio would not grow bored of such a stalemate and make a solid attack. Her partner continued circling. He created a mind a game, toying with her into making a mistake. Mami saw through this though Michio made no attempts to conceal his efforts. Finally, he passed under the chandelier; Mami took aim and fired. The bullet from her rifle whizzed through the air, striking the hanging ornament at its base. The crystal and light gold broke away. The chandelier fell at incredibly speed; Michio looked up at the impending object. His uppercut with blade of his sword stuck against the sharpest end of the chandelier. The crystal and gold shattered into a million pieces. Shrapnel tore into Mami as she tried her best to defend herself with a makeshift shield, a table which had been kicked over. When the pieces settled, she checked around her shield. There was no sign of anyone, alive or dead.

It was only when a searing pain burned in her left shoulder that she panicked, tearing away from her shield. The blade of the sword stuck through the table; Michio's blood soaked body stood directly behind it. He pulled the weapon from the wood, splintering it and adding to his already extensive wounds. His body was a sliced wreck. Gold and crystal littered the wounds covering him from head to toe. He spit blood from his mouth and scratched at the pieces that remained lodged in his skin. Mami stumbled backwards, clutching the gaping wound in her shoulder. It burned worse than she expected as though her body allowed extreme pain again. She cursed again as she saw that Michio ignored his multiple scars, and with his quick speed, he was once again upon her. His right hand clenched around her throat, pulling her off the ground. Her legs kicked as the wind slowly drained from her lungs.

"I think you owe me one," he said. With his might, he tossed Mami half away across the banquet hall. She crashed through another window, landing just on the balcony. Her limp body rested upon the railing; her head slunk back enough to see the dark oblivion below. Michio, shattering out the jagged glass in the windowpane, joined her. His body towered above her very frail one. Mami cried as she realized the fight was nearly over, a major loss for her.

Michio again gripped her by the throat, pushing her head firth back and rest of her closer to flipping over the guard. "It's a real shame. I actually like you. You were so cute and fun. I said 'if I could never get Ayami, I'd want a girlfriend just like this.' Shame you turned out to be such a useable bitch." With his free hand, he jammed his fingers into her shoulder wound. Mami screamed out in pain. "See, this is what being a Puella Magica has gotten us. Kyubey, he turned us against each other to keep us from stopping him."

Mami tried to choke out anything that could retort Michio, but her larynx was slowly being crushed by an inhuman force. She kicked her legs, scrambling to break free. Michio pushed her further back; she swore her spine wad about to snap in two. Michio's black eyes sparked with glee as she drained the life out of her. Mami gasped for what little air she could soak up. Her head spun, and her vision dimmed to a depressing colorless world. Her mindset prodded her to fight, but her body gradually lost the will to fight. Mami witnessed the world go bleak for a second as a the simple life of a young girl played out like a movie before her eyes.

But she couldn't die just yet…

Using the smallest fraction of energy left within her, Mami summoned half a rifle. Fragments from within toppled out the jagged and unformed barrel. She gripped the butt of the gun as tightly as she could, stabbing the pointed in within Michio's back. The young man screamed in pain; Mami threw him off her. She jumped away from the railing and regained her position to challenge Michio if he dared strike again. Conversely, Michio stumbled about balcony, pulling at the jagged hunk of metal impaled into his back. He dislodged it while tearing out a huge hunk of skin and blood. The back of his armor oozed red as she gripped the back of railing with all his might. A cry escaped his lips.

Mami aimed a rifle at the back of his head. Her finger twitched upon the trigger. She shook in anxious anticipation. "It's over Michio."

"No!" he yelled, "We're not done yet. The night is young." Like lightning, Michio flung a newly produced sword at Mami. The tip of the steel bounced off the barrel of the rifle. Mami fired; the bullet found its new home within the stone balcony. Michio jumped upon her, flinging her body off the balcony. Mami plunged from the palace and into the bleakness below. With her eyes shut, she pulled off the red ribbon on her blouse and threw it like a rope. The silk band extended, wrapping around a single pillar, and Mami was left hanging for dear life. She painted as she climbed up her makeshift rope. The tension on the ribbon could only last so long before it snapped and sent her down into oblivion. Mami held her breath as she worked her way up. Sweat poured off her brow until she gripped hold of the base of the pillar and pulled herself up to safety. She was practically on the underbelly of the floating palace. Caught in nook with barely any room, she scrunched her body into a tight ball, hoping that she could rest before Michio found her. It would not be long. His acute senses for witches and Puella Magicas made him a deadly tracker.

Curled up, she shut her eyes, thinking of all the times she spent with Michio and Akio. Though it wasn't long, it meant the world to her. They were her first real friends. She considered them beyond that of mere acquaintances. Michio may have angered her at times, and his dark antics put a damper on her mood in occasions. However, she could see past all those to the truly wonderful person on the inside. To see this corrupted version of her friends was sickening to say the least. Michio cried silently to herself. The world around her collapsed into nothing but a smoldering pile of ash. It was like the day her parents died. There was nothing.

After a good hour of waiting, Mami began her climb up to the palace. She hadn't sensed Michio in that time frame, but the barrier remained, meaning he existed somewhere within these walls. She was bidding his time until they could confront each other once again. Mami knew this and prepared herself for the worst. The world around her felt frigid as she made her way up to the lowest point in the palace. She stepped into a far different world than that of the above. Instead of gold scattered all over the walls, the basement of the palace was covered in rusty dirt covered metal. A strange bang bounced off the walls and into Mami's ear. Smoke emitted from multiple vents lining the floor. Mami, however, instantly saw the boy with the blackened eyes. Michio gripped his sword tightly. The palace seemed to shift to his licking. The vents shot out waves of fire instead of smoke as if someone had taken a lighter to gasoline. The walls melted away any excess paint in compliance of the far darker atmosphere. The lighting shifted from one of richest to poverty.

"This is how our world really is constructed," Michio said, "Most people don't even see the world as this. They see much darker, only able to survive with a roof of garbage over their heads. So Kyubey will come to them and tell them about all the wonderful wishes. They will be caught in temptation and seal their fate with just a few words of hope. This is what this grand palace really looks like."

"I'm sorry that you're heart has become so dark!" Mami yelled.

Michio cocked his head. "My heart? Oh no… This is not my heart at all. This is yours. I've created this world to mirror exactly who you are." Mami swore her heart stopped in that moment. She looked at all the walls; they became nastier with filth. "The palace above was the illusion, my illusion, so instead, I decided to wake both of us up from that dream and introduce us to your side of the story. Everything you see here is a reflection of your inner thoughts and desires. At this very moment, you're contemplating whether or not you should kill me. Your heart tells you I can be reasoned with given time, but your brain cannot accept that logical outcome. Deep down, you're convoluted with thoughts of murdering your friends in the name of…what you might call justice. You can't accept that if I die you will be alone again, but you cannot face a world in which my dreams of Puella Magica free world exist. Ever since your parents died, you're mind has shifted towards this rout. You're becoming dark just like me, unable to accept the lies around you but still unable to deny the proof of those lies. You create small distraction to keep your mind from this. You claim you have your friends and your job defending people, but we both know that is a sad excuse to keep yourself alive. After all, you lack a point without being a Puella Magica. Mami, do you honestly think you would have survived long even if you lived through the crash. The thoughts of your parents dying and leaving you alone, with reason, would drive you to insanity, and you have ended your life within the first week. That's the price of loneliness that we all face. Even so, as a Puella Magica, you are more alone than you have ever been before."

The darkness on the walls seeped off onto the ground. It slid towards Mami, surrounding her in sticky substance. It clung to her like glue, feeding off her mindset and energy. She shook her body with as much force as she could muster. The goop fell from her like filth before retreating into the shadows. Mami's whole person underwent a systematic change. Her arms and legs stung as though they sat in a bath of ice water for days on end. Her heart screamed out in pain while she tried to hold herself up. It became a difficult task to even stand.

Michio grinned. "You feel weaker. That's the power that lies inside your soul. It can be your greatest alley and your worst enemy." In both his hands, Michio summoned two identical swords. Each one glistened with silver, the blade being constructed from the finest and purest metals. The golden handles brought a much needed light to the palace's now dark exterior. Michio tossed the sword, sticking the blade in the ground right at Mami's feet.

"Take it," Michio said, "You and I know you cannot defeat me with your current weapons. Your guns are handy, but in a fight like this, a sword will be much more useful. Let's face it. I'm faster than you can summon and shoot them, and the gun provides little in the ways of offense at close quarters."

Mami removed the sword from its spot. She stared at the blade, at her own reflection. She saw a girl covered in blood and bruises, but this falsehood that Michio talked about was nothing more than a gratuitous lie, thought up to drain her. Mami threw the sword back at him; Michio caught it with his free hand.

"I don't need it," Mami stated sternly, "If I can't stop you with my own abilities, then I deserve to die. After all, a Puella Magica is designed to fight no matter what their goals are."

Michio shoot his head in disbelief. "You do realize you will die without putting up much of a fight. I've already proven to you that I'm stronger than your prissy little guns. You should surrender and accept your fate. Join me. Together we can put an end to all this." Mami didn't even bother to give him a reply. She fired a row of rifles; each lined directly at Michio's head. The bullet flew by. Many were caught in his swift reaction with the two swords. The blades flipped about, striking shells out of the air. Michio began his assault. He charged forwards, still swinging his swords like mad. Mami created rifles at the greatest speed she ever had. The sound of detonating gun powder filled the air. The smell of sulfur tickled her nose. Of all the shots, none had met their mark. Michio crossed slashed both swords, aiming directly for Mami's neck. Avoiding decapitation, she performed a cartwheel backwards. The tip of her foot struck against Michio's jaw; a crack whispered in her ears. Michio gripped the end of jaw, trying to hold the blood it. His mouth filled with the vile red substance. Each spit consisted of more blood then saliva.

Mami took the only chance she saw. Diving headfirst at him, she struck him upside the head with her gun and then lodged a bullet within his leg. Michio fell to one knee, screaming in pain as she slashed across Mami's chest. The blade grazed her breasts and slashed opened part of her blouse. Mami covered her wounded chest; the swell of heat reminded her of pain throughout the rest of her body. Her yellow and white outfit had been colored with natures paint; she looked like a walking horror show. Through all this, Michio dug his fingers into his leg, tearing out the bullet with nothing but his finger nails. Still, metal ball chipped away and left fragments deeply implanted in his tissue. A sting like never before hovered in a single part of his leg. It traveled up his arteries and vein, danced on his heart, and mocked his brain. To be wounded so carelessly was an insult. Mami was weak; he could easily take care of her.

He reached out to crush her neck. With her unloaded gun, Mami swatted his hand away, distancing herself from him by several feet. The blood stopped on her chest, a result of such a minor wound and her improved body from Kyubey. However, Michio's lighter wounds were also closing, but she knew what remained of the bullet in his leg would continue to haunt him. Watching him struggle to stand, Mami loaded another flint lock rifle. She took aim directly for his forehead, a shot that would probably be blocked. In fact, she wanted him to block it. Mami cupped the trigger with her finger. Her shot traveled down the barrel and out towards Michio. As before, she sliced the bullet in two, but the force was enough to drop him back to his knees. The wound was deeper than she anticipated and stuck within a key muscle.

She put her weapons down. "Michio, you're beat. Let's get out of here, and we'll see what we should do with you."

"You'd take me to Kyubey wouldn't you?" he asked, breathing heavily. His fingers stick ripped into the bullet wound, searching for the last fragments. He felt no pain anymore. There was only a desire to survive and live.

"Yea…" Mami replied, "I don't what he'll say or do, but we might be able to convince him to take your powers away or something."

Michio snickered. "You can't take away my powers. Once a Puella Magica, always a Puella Magica. We're all dead on the inside. It's just a clock ticking away. You're life is no different." Using his sword as a crutch, Michio stood on both his legs. Though wobbly, he found his balance without using his weapon as an aid, and he stood ready to continue the fight. His left leg was barely recognizable.

"Michio, you're not gaining anything by going on," Mami said.

"No… and you're not gaining anything by living either." He stampeded at her, holding the sword high above his head. He yelled at the top of his lungs, a desperate battle cry to seal that he hoped would seal both their fates. Mami shot multiple rounds at him; each one passed in and out. Michio kept coming, unfazed by the pain of being shot. Mami sucked in as much air as her lungs could hold. He was an unstoppable tank, barreling at her with incredible speeds. If her weapons did nothing, she was doomed by this. She held before her hands out front, praying for a miracle. Miracles rarely happen, but as Mami shut her eyes, she saw a single image pop into her head. It was a gun, a really big gun that resembled her rifles. It ate up immense power could blast a hole in anything that got in its way. She didn't care if it killed; she was dead if nothing happen. Mami opened her lips, yelling out the simple words that came to mind.

…Trio Finale…

A massive flint lock pistol materialized behind Michio. The flint struck the powder, sending out a massive charge. A rocketing bang exploded through the sound barrier. Michio's chest was torn open as fragment of bullet ripped through every sustainable organ in his body. His blood bathed Mami; Michio struck the Earth his hands and legs sprawled out on the floor. A tremendous pool of blood formed below him as he looked up at the gun that destroyed him. The killing weapon faded from existence; his gaze averted to Mami, who could barely believe the outcome. Their eyes met. Mami was forced to look down at what was left of her friends. Though his body retained all its limbs, his flesh peeled away from the massive holes that resided where his chest once was. Michio still breathed though his air intake was short and light. He would die in a matter of minutes.

He opened his mouth; nothing but dribble could be heard. The blood and bone fragments hindered all intelligible speak. She made out three words which were spaced quite bit: Soul Gem and destroy. Michio's palm opened, revealing the egg. It rolled from its spot, finding its final resting place on the barrier floor. Around her, the palace collapsed. The barrier that Michio kept open with his Soul Gem could no longer hold from such a lack of energy.

As Mami aimed her gun at darkly covered egg, she heard one audible phrase come from her closest enemy. "Thank you…" She pulled the trigger.

vvvvvvvvvvvv

The death of Michio and Akio weighed heavily on Mami's soul. For the next week, she went to school, made up her face with a fake smile, and acted as cheerful and loving as possible. The attack by the witch had largely gone unnoticed; it seemed those killed faded from existences with only a few people remember brief instances of their life. No one talked of Ayami Iubki, and another teacher had filled what some called "an oddly empty position." Michio's loss wasn't taken seriously. Most marked his disappearance as normal, figuring he would have quit school before he graduated. His grades were mostly in the toilet. Akio's death provided equal results. Many were shocked when the police pulled his lifeless body from the water. Several of his classmates commented of how happy go lucky he seemed. Mami later learned the tip came from Nana, who had witnessed the suicide that night. She hadn't been to school all week; rumors spread about her death. However, they were quelled when Nana came to school that Friday, saying she was morning the loss of her boyfriend. She walked into class with a smile and never looked depressed or down. She talked with her fellow students but avoided Mami whenever she tried to talk with her. For the third time in her life, Mami felt all alone in the world. Kyubey had abandoned her; she hadn't seen him since the attack on the school. Much of the world lacked the light and color it once had.

That Saturday, Mami didn't bother going to class. She slept in, finding little strength to embrace day and move on with life. The clouds were black and cold; a light drizzle graced the streets. It was days like this where she wished everything could melt away. To pass the time, she dug boxes of her old things, decorating her place lavishly like she had at her old home. The apartment resembled what her once did, a bright cheerful place any young girl would love to stay in. She filled the open space with old furniture, books and candles. She left shelf space for a few potted plants and set up picture of her family. The apartment seemed whole again, but it did nothing to help her feelings. The room became one massive material possession, which resembled her family's once rich lifestyle. It had been the reason they were ousted by the rest of her family. They couldn't stand that their dad worked his way up the corporate ladder while the rest of them worked minute jobs with no end in sight. Mami restored a bit of that lifestyle, crying silently to herself as she realized the things she had lost.

The buzz of her doorbell was the only thing that could pull her away from her thoughts. She answered, thoroughly surprised at who was there. Nana, in her school uniform, stood in the door way. She held her hand up and smiled.

"Can I come in?" she asked.

"Of course." Mami stepped aside as Nana put her bag down and made her way over to the table. "Let me get you some tea. Is there any kind that you like?"

Nana replied, "It's fine. I won't be staying long." With that, Mami took a seat across from her. The girls were locked in each other's gaze, an unbreakable force between two that had suffered so much. When her full attention had been gained, Nana's pristine smile quickly flipped into a frown; a tear formed at the end of her eyes.

"I'm sorry…" she said, brushing it away, "I've been very strong these last few days, and it appears to be catching up with me. I wanted to talk to you about Michio though. I'm sure you've heard the news reports concerning Akio. Yes, he did commit suicide."

"But why?" Mami asked, "He was so happy with you and what he was doing. I can't fathom that he would do such a thing." Nana placed both her hands on the table, laying the left over the right. She took a deep breath as her story began to unfold.

"He didn't commit suicide," she said, "Michio killed him in cold blood. He blamed everyone for Ayami's death and took it out on him first. Because I wasn't a Puella Magica, he spared me and told me to go on with my life. You killed him though, right?"

Mami nodded. "I did…" Nana's words struck Mami's dearly. Michio told the truth when he said Akio was probably dead. He killed his best friends and then acted like it was nothing. A million pounds of weigh wrapped around Mami's heart. Her fight with him a week early seemed so justified yet completely perverted. That day, she wasn't fighting Michio but some sick concoction of hate and despair that had taken his place.

"You shouldn't cry over it," Nana reminded, "Michio had lost himself. He wasn't the same person we befriended. I'm sorry that it had to end this way."

"What will you do now?"

"I've decided to take a study abroad program in America," Nan informed, "I'll be studying in an American college to try to find an end to entropy."

"Entropy?"

Nana stood up from her seat and walked to door. Picking up her bags, she said, "Look it up sometimes. I might be good for you to know."

"Then this is probably the last time we'll see each other." Mami sighed. "I wish you the best of luck." Nan nodded her head before stepping outside and shutting the door, leaving Mami in the dark apartment without even a light to spare. She ran from the apartment as quickly as she could. She couldn't bear the words that had come from her mouth. Bolting passed the park, she stopped to catch her breath.

He was waiting for her there. "You've done me a great service, and I thank you."

"I didn't like lying like that…" Nana replied, "especially not to Mami… She doesn't deserve it after all that girl's been through. But… this is what Akio would have wanted. I don't know why, but he supported your plan to stop entropy. He really was far smatter than us all. You guys must have been great friends…"

Kyubey said as he jumped up to a railing. "Akio understood the world at a different level form most humans. He conceived it at a very logical level, removing all human emotions from the equations. Even many of your logical humans couldn't do that. He was no in a million. Either way, Mami will continue her service to me, and I won't have to worry about her becoming a witch for quite some time. She's strong, and this ordeal had made her stronger. It was important to keep her from the truth and as I am incapable of lying, I figured you would make an excellent messenger for me. I needed Mami to keep tabs on my newest investment, teach her, train her as Michio did. I've invested and lost a lot in her, and I don't intend to lose any more. Mami is a good girl; she'll do what I say."

"You disgust me…" Nana spat, "All you ever do is manipulate. First it was Michio and Akio and now it is Mami. You're filth."

"Speaking like Michio will get you nowhere…" Kyubey replied, "They served their purpose, and if it will offer you any closure, I do regret what has happened. It did not go as planned, and I understand your race is susceptible to such failures especially when it has negative consequences on your loved ones. I can only offer you one service. If you agree to become a Puella Magica, I can resurrect Akio or at least his spirit. The body can be tricky depending on time and the amount of damage done to it."

Nana growled, "Don't tempt me! I was there when you told Michio and Akio everything that happens to the Puella Magica. I'm not an idiot and will not throw my life away like that. Akio…he wouldn't want that." Unable to bear such a conversation anymore, Nana began her long walk back home. Her mind was fully set on her journey through life and where it would take her. She ignored Kyubey, who lost interest in her the moment she rejected his proposal, and went about her life. She would study as hard as she could for Akio's sake. If it was in her time and power, she would end entropy and create a better world. It was her only wish.

vvvvvvvvvvvv

Kyubey's arrival at her apartment was a lifesaver for Mami. When nana stepped through her door, she all but accepted that loneliness would over take her existence. However, she had one friend who returned with his never ending smile and big red eyes. She curled up next to her before Mami had a chance to greet him. Kyubey was just like a cat, licking his paws and rubbing his face.

"I thought you abandoned me…" Mami said, "I'm glad to know you're still here."

"I would never abandon one of my Puella Magica," Kyubey assured, "Not one in such a critical stage as you. I understand you might feel down about Michio and Akio, but you shouldn't let it get to you. Some are unable to accept such powers and will abuse them when given a chance. You, though, have the powers to protect this city and all in it. I see great things from you."

A smile formed on Mami's lips. "You really mean that?"

"Of course, this city needs protection. The Puella Magica who once defended it our dead now," Kyubey continued, "You cannot forsake their sacrifice no matter how brutal. Time will pass, and one day, you will be as potent as they were." Mami hugged Kyubey in her arms. Everything Michio said was a lie. This lovely ball of fluff could never hurt her, so she held him closure to her heart than anything she had before. He was a lovely creature.

But, the events of a week ago left a sour taste in her mouth, and many observations refused to add up in her head. "When Michio was in the barrier, it didn't collapse, and his Soul Gem filled with a black filth of some kind. What…happened there?"

"Michio had been running out of energy," Kyubey replied with one of his many half truths, "You use Grief Seeds to replenish your magic; he never did, and it caused his Soul Gem run dry. The barrier was most likely contained by his energy levels. A witch and Puella Magica share very similar energy waves, and some barriers can hone in on that energy and stay open for extended periods of time. When he died, the energy link was cut, and the portal shut, leaving Michio to his fate in oblivion."

Mami muttered, "Similar energy?"

"Don't worry yourself about it," Kyubey said, "A Puella Magica's job is to destroy witches, and you'll do just that." Kyubey jumped from her lap and perched himself up on the windowsill as always. He stared down at Mami like a superior being; his mindset followed a similar pattern. His smile never ended.

"I do have three requests for you. There is another Puella Magica who keeps tabs on a town not too far from Mitakihara. She's a deferent breed; you might not be used to someone of her brashness or caliber. Her name is Kyouko Sakura, and I have enlisted both your services in destroying a very powerful witch that had popped up in between your two homes. Secondly, I want you to monitor a Madoka Kaname for me. She is a student who goes to your school; I'm sure you'll recognize her and her name. If she becomes a Puella Magica, I would like you to show her the ropes as Michio did. It might seem daunting at first, but I'm sure you'll do well."

But the most important part came last. "Finally, I need to inform you about Walpurgis Night."

(Final Chapter End)