Nemesis
No. It did not match.
Everything went as had been planned, according to her visions. No deviations. Except, perhaps, the time factor and to avoid a possibility of the Incubators to interfere. Even so, for Oriko, those people before her should never be there.
"Do you know her?"
Oriko heard the girl with white hair asking to her companion, who remained silent. Her black dress and leather that covered her body passed an air of death and her eyes were cold and unfriendly. The fact that girl apparently know her made this set even more threatening.
While the other did not show such dangerouness. Oriko soon noticed on the girl's belt buckle a violet gem in a candy shaped golden frame. Although it did not placate her fears, she at least knew with what she was dealing. "You are magical girls. What are your names?"
"Magical girls?" From her serious expression, Homura suddenly grinned. "Not really."
Oriko was even more stunned when witnessed more girls coming up suddenly behind those two. No, they were not girls. They looked more like mannequins, but moved as if they had life! "What... W-What?!"
The dolls, with their large black pins in hand, changed the color of their eyes and showed their teeth in front of so many Kyuubeys.
"Children! Children!" Homura clapped to get their attention. "Not those! There is a larger white rat to take care..."
When the dolls turned their disturbing visages to Oriko, she took a step back. It was then that the magical girl realized that the Kyuubeys had walked away from her.
The dolls passed next to Nagisa, walking toward the white magic girl. "Homura-chan?"
However, Homura did not answer on such questioning, just crossed her arms with apparent satisfaction.
Oriko returned to retreat with the dolls's advance. She looked at the girl with long black braids, with violet and red ribbons. Before that there was only one thing to say. "Why...?" But she have no hope of an answer. She turned her head, staring at the empty spot of the gallery of earlier and soon after to the large prism where Madoka was waiting for salvation.
It was true, nothing was happening as predicted, but the goal was still there, intact. With regained determination, Oriko began gesturing and her spheres obeyed. Throwing the arms forward, she threw them against the prism.
The dolls acted fast. Using their pins as bats, they batted the crystal balls.
Seeing the balls returning in her direction, Oriko made a new gesture to stop them and then made to orbit at a high speed around her.
"Homura-chan!" Nagisa was stunned with the fight that was being established. "Why are you doing this?"
"Her name is Oriko Mikuni. I met her during my journey through time." Homura answered, without looking at the little girl. "She only has one purpose in her life, which is to kill Madoka Kaname."
"What?!"
"I made a grave mistake when I leaved Mitakihara." Homura continued, slightly looking down. "But I can still fix. It'll be quick."
The dolls struck with their pins, paving their way through the spheres, until one jumped in front of the magical girl and her bright silver gem.
Oriko gave a mere step to the side, away from the tip of the pin and then held it.
The doll looked with surprise at the stern expression of the girl.
Oriko then used her great strength as a magical girl and threw the pin, with the doll and everything, against the others. Without waiting for the outcome, she jumped, avoiding pins that ended up exploding the gallery floor, and landed on one of her spheres.
Even though with their precision in striking away the balls, the dolls were not able to cope with such amount of angles of attack.
However, Oriko soon found how much they were relentless. They are made with something very hard, I need more strength. At a glance, she looked at Madoka within the prism. "I can not fail." Jumping from sphere to sphere, she avoided quite easily the dolls and their pins, while more balls appeared.
Homura, still with folded arms, raised one of her eyebrows.
While Nagisa not even blinked. "She is amazing..."
"Pay more attention." Homura said. "Observe her gem."
Nagisa saw the bright glow in the gem of Oriko. "She's using a lot of magic."
"Controlling all these spheres, especially at the speed they are, it's costly to her. But this is not the greatest burden on her resources."
"Huh?" Nagisa saw the hair and dress of Homura to flutter.
"She has the power of prescience. She is now seeing what will happen. That's what's behind her reflexes and precise counter attacks." She then smiled. "So we should pay in kind."
Ibari, Ganko, Wagamama, Yakimochi and Higami turned their attention to their master.
Nagisa saw those dolls leave the swarm of spheres and position themselves in front of the prism.
Continuing with her leaps, Oriko felt she had opened a good distance from her pursuers. With a focus on the prism, she joined some of her spheres and released. It was great her surprise to see dolls jumping from ground and get in the way, blocking her attack with their own bodies.
"Guck!" Surprise was even greater when a pin pierced her chest. The agony was brief, because soon it exploded.
Oriko held her gem firmly, still with the living memory of what would eventually happen. She realized that there really were now some dolls next to the two girls on the ground. At that moment, she exchanged glances with the girl with black dress, who reciprocated with a squint. She predicted what I was going to do?! She waited until the moment I would lower my guard. She saw that the other dolls that were still in pursuit were learning the pattern of her attacks, some even already jumped from sphere to sphere too.
With them closer, Oriko knew there would come a time that she would be cornered, even knowing the future, this would be inevitable. "Cursed are you all... these creatures... these girls... why... why are they in all my visions now?" She again looked at the empty spot in the gallery. "Am I seeing this?" The thought that went through her head she believed would calm her, but what grew inside her was a mixture of anguish and fear. "No... I do not want to die." Along with her voice, the tearing exuded sincerity in those words. "No, it can not end like this. NO!"
The spheres lit up and then burst into light, illuminating the entire gallery.
"AAHHH!" Nagisa protected herself before the blinding light.
Amid that light, the dolls were chasing Oriko flew out, falling over the damp concrete.
"This Oriko..." Homura unfolded her arms and clenched her fists.
When the light was losing intensity, Nagisa ascertained that Oriko was still there, in the air on a sphere and with open arms.
The numerous other spheres began to group and merge, forming a total of four larger versions of themselves, with three meters in diameter. They made their way to orbit around their owner at extremely high speed, varying their axes constantly. The wind generated by that lifted the long skirt of Oriko, as the veil of her mitre and her hair.
The dolls stood up and hurled pins, but exploded when they were intercepted by the giant spheres.
"Stop children! Stop..." Ordered Homura. "You've played enough."
"She's using even more magic!" Exclaimed Nagisa.
Homura saw when Oriko took a handful of grief cubes. "She came prepared." She reached out, summoning a hourglass. "As usual." In her other hand, a large black pin.
"How so?" Nagisa hear again that disturbing clinking of the pins inside the hourglass.
"She is exploring the future, seeing what options she has. If there is any way she could reach what she wants..." Homura lifted her pin and began to strike with its tip on the ground.
The dolls did the same in unison, in a morbid pace.
"It comes down to a matter of time. You can feel it, can't you?"
"W-What..."
Still striking with her pin, with her attention focused on Oriko, Homura said. "Oh my! Despair of course. No matter how and where, when the inevitable approaches, is always what we carry within us. ufufuF."
It was not the first time that Nagisa had been afraid regarding Homura, nor would it be the last, but the tone of voice and the expression that her companion used bore a intimidation that she could only conclude that it was different from the past.
"How... is that possible?" Oriko was breathing through the mouth, great was her fear. "How does she do that?!" Finally, she pulled her hand, containing cubes, away from her gem. If I use more, I will not have enough to Madoka. Soon the darkness returned to take over her gem, as she passed a hand on her neck and looked at the prism.
Behind that black viscous mass and the amber crystal, Madoka was in her serene inertia.
This view became blurred. Furiously pressing her eyes to let the tears fall, Oriko could only ask the same question again. "Why...?" Using the hope she had nurtured as a force, she stretched and opened her hands. "WHY CAN I NOT SAVE HER?"
Everything happened very quickly. Nagisa barely noticed that the giant spheres had left their orbits toward the prism when a series of explosions occurred. "AAAHHH!" Lowering her head, she felt fragments of silver and blue crystal reaching and falling around her. When the rain stopped, she searched for Homura, but she was not at her side anymore.
The raven haired girl was flying in her big dark energy wings. In one of her hands, the throat of Oriko.
"Guhhnnn..." The white magical girl widened her eyes, feeling the pressure of that cold and rough leather. She tried to take it off with her arm, but she had not enough strength. She then moved her fingers, creating a sphere.
Soon intercepted and pierced by a pin of Homura. "You look pretty surprised. I see that you took some time to understand my magic."
"Gaak, Ggnn..." Oriko opened her mouth, but nothing intelligible came out. She then looked deep in the cold eyes of the other one. [Who are you?]
"Does it really matter?" Homura frowned. "Why do you always ask that question?"
[What do you mean?] While waiting for an answer, something in those strange wings caught her attention. Amid the meaningless pictures, it was forming another that was an old, silent movie. It was someone with a camera running through the halls of a mansion.
"Gn?!" Oriko soon recognized that those corridors belonged to her home. Suddenly the camera fell to the ground and slowly turned.
She would have uttered a sigh if she could.
The camera showed a girl, exactly the same that was holding her, but with different clothes, an uniform. She was able to conclude that it was of a magical girl. The girl with the same cold stare, pointed a pistol at the camera. Then came a hand, than would be from the cameraman, asking for clemency. Oriko could not help eye-popping at this point because, even bloody, she knew very well that the sleeve that accompanied that hand was from one of her dresses.
A flash from the gun and the video faded, giving way to dozens of others that involved with various points of view of her home. Bedroom, kitchen, bathroom... some of them ended with a fateful encounter with that murderer, others simply went out, leaving the burden to her to imagine what was its terrible end. In particular, one in which she was enjoying tea in her garden and suddenly she violently hit with her head against the table and the cup.
"Do you like this garden, right? Most of the time I met you there." Questioned Homura with a brief smile. "Despite some differences, it all comes down to the same patterns, we can not help but cherish them. Even those who seek to escape from it, end up falling into a routine, so to speak as death."
The dolls had been formed in a march, with its raised pins, heading to the location below where the two girls were.
"I lost my humanity long ago." Continued Homura. "I should thank you for always remembering me of that."
[I do not understand. I have never met...] "Gaah!" Oriko was shaken by Homura, strong enough that her mitre fell off.
The hat met its fate in the tip of a pin of the dolls.
"True, 'you' never saw me, but I DID!" Homura tightened the throat of the girl.
Oriko not even managed to choke, just a spasm that made her open her mouth and let her tongue out. Her face was taken by crimson tones and her eyes bulged.
"I thought you were more intelligent, but maybe I'm being too demanding in those circumstances, isn't it? inukiM okirO."
In agony, Oriko firmly gripped the arm that was strangling her. At that moment she saw the other's mouth open in a sadistic expression. Inside there was no gum, tongue, or any hint of flesh, just bones wrapped in darkness. [Please... I need...]
"Save the world. Oh yes... everything according to your visions." Homura interrupted. "By the way, I think I should take this opportunity to do a little experiment."
Oriko saw the girl approaching the other hand. In her palm, between the leather seams, emerged a long needle.
Homura was with the needle close to those olive eyes. "Can you see the future without them? Hmmm...?" But the desperate look of the girl was losing focus, the hands that held her arm buckled. "Ah... you're already losing consciousness." She concluded, discontent, but soon smiled again. ".ydaerla eid dna rovaf a em od tsuJ .rettam ton seoD"
When Homura let go, the end of Oriko would not be other than the impalement, if not for the giant bubble that was in the way and absorbed her.
"What?!" Seeing Oriko in safety, Homura took satisfaction with the responsible for that.
However, who spoke first was Nagisa, still on the gallery floor, her face transformed. Showing her sharp teeth and her bizarre wide and furious eyes. Her voice, guttural. "SHE SAWWRID 'SAWRVERR'!"
With clenched fists, Homura gritted her teeth. "Witch! And you believed?!"
Nagisa answered with another question. "Why would she want to kill Madoka?"
Homura shook her head. "You don't know anything. She wants to kill her so she... won't... become..." But froze under epiphany.
"Homura-chan." Still angry, Nagisa asked again. "Did you really exit that labyrinth?"
Homura looked at Madoka and her white divine dress, and then to the black leather that covered her own body. "I, a miserable being. So how it is..."
Nagisa calmed down, the worst had not happened. "We still have possession of our souls. Nothing is lost."
"Very well." Homura descended to the ground and scattered her children. "But I say again, you should not trust her."
"I understand." Nagisa did the bubble go down more and approached it. "But she deserves the benefit of doubt."
"Cough, cough..." In a hoarse cough, Oriko regained her consciousness, only to come across to scary colored eyes accompanied by a mouth lined with sharp teeth. She backed off as she could inside the bubble.
"Oh." Nagisa pulled her long hair to cover her face, as she released them, her face was more human. "Sorry..."
Oriko passed a hand on her bruised neck. [What are you?]
"You could say that we're defenders of hope." Nagisa winked.
[Hope...] Oriko turned to exchange looks with Homura, who was in a serious expression.
Nagisa joined hands and brought them to her chest, more afraid. "She doesn't seem, but she's also one... hehe... but don't worry, you're safe if you don't try to get out of the bubble."
"That she already knows." Homura commented, then spoke to Oriko. "You thought I would not feel the magic even you camouflaging it?"
Oriko flinched and looked down.
Nagisa was curious. "What you mean?"
"She used her clairvoyance to discover what would happen if she tried to escape." Homura gave a slight smile. "Now she doesn't have enough to do it again, or run the risk of not having magic even to keep her clothes."
"Yes?" Nagisa moved closer to the bubble, sliding her fingers over its surface. "So that's one less reason for you to want to hurt her."
Homura answered promptly. "Believe me, never will lack."
Oriko stopped to look at the girls outside and just kept clearing her throat.
"Mitakihara Zero Three." Nagisa read the huge white sign on the wall. "We're back to your world."
"It's not mine." Homura said as she watched the Kyuubeys collecting the used grief cubes that were on the floor.
"Not?"
"Long story."
"Ah..." Nagisa turned her attention to the prism and its monster. "What are we going to do?"
Homura too. "Madoka seems safe inside and that is being absorbed and losing strength."
Nagisa looked at all those Kyuubeys connected with the black orb. "Yes but..."
[So you really know Madoka.]
The telepathy of Oriko called the girls. They saw her trying to stand inside the bubble.
[Please! Break the prism, is the only way to save her and everything.]
"Break..." Nagisa stammered. It was difficult for her to absorb that idea, when there was an abomination of black tentacles with obvious intentions towards Madoka, one which saved her from a cruel fate.
[I had a vision of the future! Believe me!] Off balance, in part due to her desperate claim, Oriko leaned against the bubble wall, moving it briefly.
"I believe you should shut up." Homura said, after she spoke with Nagisa, but not looking at her and instead to a point. "Besides, we have a more urgent problem."
"Urgent?" Nagisa followed the look of Homura up to a tunnel with a dense fog.
Continued the girl with long black braids. "It's a witch's barrier."
"Really?!"
Witch? Barrier? Oriko listened intently, as she wiped her face and swallowed saliva with difficulty.
"You should not be so surprised." Homura turned her head for a moment, seeing a glimpse of the prism. "Can you feel the disturbances in the portal? There are magical girls inside."
"Yes." Nagisa agreed. "In addition to the witch, I think it has three more sources of magic."
"Two girls are together, the other one is in the deepest parts..." Homura approached Nagisa, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Listen. The magical girls in this world should not know how to deal with witches. They are in great danger."
Nagisa turned. "Oh no..."
Homura held the girl's shoulder more firmly. "By the desire of Madoka, you must intercede for all of them, even to the witch, right?"
"Yes, I..." Nagisa looked down and frowned. Shortly after, she moved away suddenly, her voice was accusing. "You want to be alone with her."
The dolls, just behind Homura, was whispering to each other smiling.
Homura stood impassive in front of the other for a moment, until a tip of her lips rose slightly. "Smart little witch... but you're wrong if that's what you're thinking. I even hear what she has to say, as well as Kyuubey."
"Please." Nagisa pursed her lips with apprehension. "I want so badly to believe in you..."
The dolls focused on Nagisa, their hands clasped to their chest and bowed heads.
While Homura opened her arms. "Never forget. I want the best for Madoka."
Nagisa pondered to what was said and nodded. "By the desire..."
"The deepest of them."
Nagisa sighed and closed her eyes, smilling a little before turning and leaving. In a leap, she entered into the mist.
Feeling the portal reacting with the entry of its newest visitor, Homura could not help but wonder. "How can someone be so smart and yet so naive..." Turning to the bubble and the girl inside. "What do you think?"
"W..." Oriko opened her mouth, but the voice did not come out with cohesion. [What?] That was when she saw one of the dolls point her pin direct to the bubble. That mannequin of red hair with a small black hat, in a short skirt dress, with a sharp and wry smile.
"A witch so coincidentally close. Should I doubt that this is your doing?" Homura raised her eyebrows. "Hmmm...?"
Oriko gestured, pleading. [Wait! Wait!] To her surprise, the doll quickly lowered her pin and laughed without making a sound beyond the mechanical snaps.
"I should kill you now, but this little girl reminded me that I don't spill blood in front of her." Homura looked at the creature with tentacles, struggling both to break the prism as not to be absorbed.
Oriko approached her face from the bubble surface. [I ask you to understand! If I had found another way, I would not have done that.]
"Oh no... you would not..." Homura closed her eyes. "Perhaps you would be killing a whole school."
[What?!] Oriko gaped. [This is an absurd!]
As suddenly as she opened her eyes, Homura turned her head. "But to protect the world you would, would you not?"
Oriko stepped back, her eyes wide.
"You wouldn't think twice... I respect that." Homura broke into a wide and ephemeral smile, soon replaced by seriousness. "Incubator!"
Through bubble Oriko saw a Kyuubey passing underneath.
[Homura Akemi, to me your return is not a surprise, although I did not expect you to come accompanied.]
"I'm not happy." Homura interwined her leather fingers. "However, I must say that there is a certain nostalgia to hear your voice again."
[True? I do not think the time that has passed since our last conversation was long.] The creature shook its pointy ears. [Even to human standards I would say, but I could be wrong. I see that you again changed your clotheeEEHH...]
Oriko put her hand to her mouth when she saw Kyuubey being caught from behind and swallowed by one of the dolls.
"No. ro. ma!" Homura scolded her. "I already told you about putting toys in mouth."
The doll looked scared at her master, while the fluffy white tail that was out of the mouth struggled.
With a threatening tone, Homura spoke again. "I will not repeat..."
The doll bowed her head and then spat the creature on the legs of black leather of her master.
Homura sighed, relaxing a bit, then gesturing to her children. "Go play, but only among yourselves. Okay?"
With disheveled fur, but still with full body, Kyuubey left the feet of Homura. [These beings have no saliva, or even a throat, interesting.] With a paw, he began to flatten them. [Continuing... I could not help noticing that your magic, yet familiar, have some subtle differences.]
"Ho... mura... A... A... ke... mi."
Seeing that Oriko intruded in the conversation, Homura did not ignore. "Now! Are you already able to speak? Did you use a little magic or did I not squeeze enough?"
The white magic girl again cleared her throat before continuing. "This is... your... na... me."
[She does not seem to know you, Homura, but you know her.]
"Yes." Homura agreed with the statement of Kyuubey.
[Actually was it on one of your time travels that you told me?]
She remained silent.
But Oriko did not. "Ti-Ti... me... travels? Cough! Cough!"
The red eyes of Kyuubey reflected the girl with her hand on her neck.
"Time... manipulation... that is your magic. So that is why you know... so much..."
[This may be the answer to another fact, Oriko, one that you should have asked to yourself.]
The two girls were curious about what the creature had to say.
[I did not notice any preventive measures being used by your part with the arrival of Homura.] Kyuubey shook his tail, who did not know him would say that he was expressing contentment with his conclusions. [It means she never contained in your visions, is it not?]
"Supposedly it was not for her to being here." Homura added. "And it was not you who brought her."
[You are correct.] Kyuubey nodded. [She found this place by her own abilities.]
"Indeed. I... did not see her." Said Oriko. "Only after she appeared... this changed."
[Oriko.] The creature stared at the girl. [You gave me the last piece I needed to understand the extent of your power.]
"The extent?!"
[Right.] Kyuubey turned to Homura. [We also were not able to feel you all this time, until you manifested.]
"What does that mean?" Homura observed the fragments of the small prism that were on the floor.
[The fact that we do not feel still left many possibilities open. However, with the information that Oriko gave, we can focus on the idea that you and the other girl, which our records indicate that she is Nagisa Momoe, were in a fabric of space-time different from ours.]
"What?!"
Kyuubey returned to talk to Oriko [Another dimension, if you do not understood, and here is the limit of your magic. The 'visions' that your magic gave to you actually are possible scenarios that it builds, using elements belonging to the same fabric of space-time in which you are located at this point. The two were not and therefore your magic adapted your vision with what was available.]
"This... this is unacceptable! You are completely wrong, Incubator." Furious, Oriko pointed to the black shapeless mass clinging to the prism. "That... thing must have come from the same place that these two and I saw it!"
"No. He's right." Homura drew attention of the other girl. "For what you called 'that thing' is Madoka."
In expression of complete surprise and confusion, Oriko remained speechless.
[Hmmm... That explains a lot.] Said Kyuubey. [Now we know why this entity has such interest in her to the point of ignoring us. Was that all the accumulated grief by her?]
Homura took one of her braids, babbling. "I never imagined that she could loathe herself so much..."
[What did you say?]
"That you're right." Continued the girl, caressing the red ribbon. "It's an irreversible process, seeking to merge the two, and don't have the strength to escape."
[A trap.] Concluded Kyuubey. [For this purpose we built this apparatus.]
"As you had been instructed." Homura saw Kyuubey blinking twice, as well as the other ones in the gallery also did so at the same time.
[Homura Akemi, you...]
"Been... instructed?" Oriko was not yet recovered from the shock of these revelations.
However, Homura would not wait. "Incubator has a contract with Madoka. He is working under her orders."
[How did you get such information?] Kyuubey was quick to inquire.
"Simple." Homura smiled. "I was there."
[Ah... I see] Kyuubey closed his eyes. [Madoka was never alone.]
"But I had no influence on her decisions. The choice of this place..." Homura looked down, her voice quieter. "... for example..."
Oriko heaved, her gaze lost. "I-I believed that the Incubator had forced or convinced her to... to..."
[I and Madoka share the same desire to maintain the universe.]
"You don't know anything, Oriko Mikuni." Homura spoke. "It's better to rest until this is over."
"Wait..." Oriko looked at the monster that was being absorbed into the dark sphere. The tendrils covered only a little more than half of the prism. "This... this can not end this way! You can prevent it!"
"Did you not hear me?" Delivered Homura in a more threatening tone.
"I may have fooled myself with something that I have not seen." Oriko put her hands on the surface of the bubble, getting closer. "But this appears in my sights! If that, which you consider to be Madoka too, is completely absorbed, we will all be extinct! No exceptions!"
Homura kept watching the creature of black tentacles. "Tell me what you saw."
"Everything will be consumed by a light and it will extinguish. Nothing will left in the aftermatch."
[This is very vague.] Said Kyuubey. [Especially now that we are certain that your visions are not reliable.]
"You damned..." Oriko exasperated. "You dare to tell me that you value reliability when all you are based on is in estimates!"
[That refer to energy obtained...] Kyuubey answered. [As we have talked, the certainty we have is that the universe will be actually extinct if the entropy is not prevented right now.]
"YOU ALREADY HAVE THE ENERGY THAT YOU NEEDED!" The saliva of Oriko sprayed on the surface of the bubble. "You greedy and liar..."
Kyuubey was more succinct. [As Homura said, the process is irreversible, we have to go all the way.]
"Ah!" Oriko punched the bubble and inhaled deeply. She could not give up. "Akemi-san... you know him, you were a magical girl, and, especially, you are a human."
Homura continued to observe the abomination which had its tentacles wrapped around the prism's vertexes, trying to resist. "I'm not."
"I do not know what happened to you, but to me you are more human than the Incubator would ever be."
[Considering the historic of conflicts that your kind has to each other, using the 'humanity' as an argument is...]
"SILENCE!" Oriko continued. "Listen, Akemi-san. Whatever this contract is, do you think he would respect?"
Some tentacles detached from the prism. Homura saw those shaking ends vainly trying to reach her.
[We take seriously with the contracts that are made, we have very strict policies in this regard.]
Oriko ignored Kyuubey, focusing on Homura. "If that what you say is Madoka, after it is absorbed, do you think he will stop? What do you think he will do with the girl?"
Homura continued to watch...
"Akemi-san? Do you hear me?" Oriko despaired. "Akemi-san! Please! Believe in what I say!"
Kyuubey returned to manifest. [Homura, I'm just doing according to what was agreed.]
"Shut up!" Losing her composure, Oriko insisted. "Akemi-san! Break the prism, it is our only hope."
[Homu...]
"ENOUGH!" A shock wave originated in Homura, lifting her hair and her clothes. The puddles of the gallery rippled, the large ears of Kyuubey were thrown back and the bubble spun, unbalancing Oriko.
When everything calmed down, Homura said, still without exchanging glances. "I will not do anything."
Oriko was taken by frustration. "Why? You trust him?!"
"I don't." Homura said. "But I have a promise to keep."
Oriko frowned. "Would you condemn us all for a promise?"
Turning, Homura exasperated. "Yes! Yes I would!" Lowering her voice, she continued. "I did it once..."
Shaking her head slowly in denial, Oriko concluded. "So you have not lost your humanity, you betrayed it."
Homura looked away. "Yes... you can say in that way."
／人◕‿‿◕人＼
Without direction or purpose, just following where those stone walkways take them, the paper soldiers marched religiously.
Until they began to step on a violet aura.
They barely had time to stop before their members and heads had been separated from their bodies. Their beautiful kimonos crumbled into ashes before disappearing among the rocks.
The only thing that was left there was a girl and her energy claws. [Little love, the coast is clear.]
[Okay. I'm coming.] Yuma appeared in the fog, witnessing Kirika undoing her claws.
"One more group of them and no sign of a way out of this shit sauna."
"Papa." Yuma moved closer. "Maybe we should go back to Mami-senpai."
"She wants to be alone." Kirika answered promptly. "And she can take care of herself."
"I know." Yuma pressed her lips. "But she looked so bad. Does she know anything? Perhaps about Kyouko-neechan."
"Yeah... maybe..." Kirika turned her face. "I only know that when this mist formed, we were already separated. So we have to find big love to find out what is happening, or Kyuubey or this other girl that you talked about."
"She's sleeping inside a crystal, I don't think she can speak."
You didn't tell me about this girl, Oriko. It's because of her that you asked me to do that? Kirika pondered when she felt her uniform being pulled.
"Papa! Papa! Look!"
Kirika followed to where Yuma pointed, facing with a strange black creature with red dots on the low wall of stone.
"It looks like a mouse, but is much larger." Yuma held her wand more firmly. "I-Is that an eye? I-I think it saw us."
"This here is turning into a freak show!" Annoyed, Kirika conjured her claws.
Seeing this, the creature shivered and ran along the short wall, disappearing into the fog.
"Hey! Come back here your little monster!" Kirika came to take a step forward, with full intent to start a chase, but then stopped. "Wait a second. I feel something."
Yuma put her hand on her nape. "Me too. It's a source of magic, isn't it?"
"Yes and it's approaching fast." Kirika was keen to leave her claws even bigger.
"Monster?"
"And a big one." Kirika turned to Yuma with a smile. "Don't worry. Papa is here to protect you. Just be ready."
"Yes!" Yuma energized her wand, making the hairy ball at its tip acquire a greenish glow.
"Here it comes!"
It was only Kirika finished speaking that a figure appeared walking in the mist.
Yuma squinted. "But that's..."
"A little magical girl?" Kirika raised her eyebrows.
Nagisa stroked the pyotr on her lap. "You found the two, nicely done."
"Yes..." Yuma kept winking. "She even wears a cap with ears like mine."
Coming closer to them, Nagisa asked. "Hi. Okay with you two?"
"Yep..." Faced with this question, Kirika looked at her own claws, making them disappear soon after. "This creature is yours?"
Nagisa looked at the pyotr and then nodded, confirming.
Kirika continued. "Then that thing is your magic."
"You could say so." The girl with long white hair smiled shyly.
Yuma's wand stopped glowing. "Hmmm... looking this way, it's kinda cute..."
The pyotr shook its big blue ears. Nagisa understood that this was the sign that it wanted to return to the ground. Soon after releasing it, the creature ran to disappear in the dense fog once more.
Kirika returned to question. "From where have you come girl?"
"Ah! I came from..." The conviction in the words of Nagisa soon faded. "I... really not sure where I was... hehehh..."
Kirika slapped her forehead. "Oh... great."
Looking to escape the embarrassing situation, Nagisa sought another topic of importance. "There was another magical girl with you?"
The question was like a punch in the stomach of Yuma, the surprise had made her forget about it for a moment. "Yes... Mami-senpai..."
Nagisa widened slightly her eyes. "Mami?! You said Mami?"
"You know her?" Yuma was curious.
Kirika clenched her fists and swallowed.
"Yes! Yes!" Nagisa nodded several times, urgently. "Tell me what happened."
"She's fighting a huge monster." The voice of Yuma was getting sad, while she lowered her head. "We would help, but she didn't want." Then she felt the other approach more. The blue gaze met the orange and yellow.
"You must really like her." Nagisa affirmed.
"Uh-huh..."
Nagisa grinned. "It's gonna be okay. She will accept my help."
Yuma came to sigh with relief and some hope, but it was short. "There's another girl, Kyouko-neechan. We didn't see her after that fog appeared. She must be lost somewhere."
Nagisa's smile gave way to a more serious and worrying expression. "S-So I have to go." She passed between Yuma and Kirika, following the stone walkway.
"H-HEY!" Kirika called the attention of the girl who was about to disappear. "Could you at least tell us where is the way out of this damned place?"
Nagisa did not stop, but answered in the form of telepathy. [I think it's safer that you two wait here. Stand still and don't use magic, then you should have no problems.]
"HEY!" Kirika again called. [HEY!] But in vain, only thing left to do was to put her hands on her head. "I can't believe! First I encounter monsters I never see in this bizarre place and now this little girl. What madness is this?"
"She said that this place is safer?" Yuma was apprehensive with what was about to say. "So mama..."
"Of course we won't stay here!" Kirika exclaimed. "Do you think I'm going to listen to her? Big love is priority!"
"But how we will leave this place?" Yuma asked.
Kirika looked at where the girl had come, trying to remember the direction she felt the magic. "This girl may not know, but she certainly didn't come from nowhere. Follow me."
／人◕‿‿◕人＼
Without direction or purpose, just following where those stone walkways take them, the paper soldiers marched religiously.
Only stopped when a girl came flying through fog. Her boots knocking two soldiers from the walkway in a flying kick.
Quick with her musket, Mami gave a thrust with her bayonet in a soldier when she landed. With it on the tip of her weapon, she pushed against the line of soldiers. The flame of the candles eventually ignited it.
The fire spread quickly among the creatures of paper, bringing chaos. Mami backed in a small jump and turned her musket in a ribbon. Using as a whip, she disarmed and cut those who had escaped.
Soon only left piles of ashes. It was a sight that brought satisfaction for Mami because she had used little magic to get this done. Satisfaction only was not greater because the wound in her abdomen bothered, but fortunately the ribbon tied at it was enough to her not lose more blood.
Lights. Flashes that made Mami get to the ground without thinking, her battle instincts protecting from a sudden threat. Lying, she discovered that the source were lasers that cut through the fog. "But that's..." She thought aloud, knowing what it meant. She crept up to the short wall and peered with due care.
The beams of light came from a specific point, but too far away to be able to discern it in the fog. Fortunately, Mami saw that there was another bridge in a higher position near that place.
The jump would be risky. If a beam of light hit her, she probably would not have enough magic to heal such an injury, that if it was not immediately fatal. Mami awaited the moment that the beams lessened and then she put magic in her legs.
In the air, as she reached the walkway, she conjured up a musket in hand in case of an unwanted encounter, but it was not needed. Even though she was now in a more advantageous position, Mami approached carefully the wall to watch.
Below, partially covered by fog, her suspicions were confirmed.
Demons, more than a dozen of them, were in a direct confrontation with the army of paper and their candles. The numerical advantage of those soldiers with kimonos showed not to be relevant before the beams of light that pierced and burned their ranks. While some were able to throw fireballs, the demons simply teleported away from danger.
While Mami witnessed that unfair battle, she heard the sound of hoofbeats. A large flame heralded the approach of a giant rider in speed. Hooves crushed the soldiers on the road without mercy, spear pointed toward the ethereal men and their white garments.
Mami, with all her experience, could predict what would be the reaction of demons. Once the rider come closer, they teleported and surrounded her and her horse.
But what came after...
Sitting in lotus position, the demons began chanting a mantra and an aura of white light formed where the rider was.
"What?"
The rider tried to get out of that aura, but her horse of ceramic balked when reached the edge. Soon the hooves left the ground.
As if it were a wallpaper, the fog above the demons tore, revealing stars shining on a bright colorful background. Large flower petals came and surrounded the hole, as if they were dancing a majestic choreography.
Mami gaped at what she was seeing.
The rider was floating, approaching more and more of those stars, until she disappeared suddenly without a trace.
With this the mantra stopped and the mist covered the flowers and stars. Mami saw the demons 'looking' at each other. Something is not right, I think it was the same that happened to me.
Suddenly a spear came flying, piercing the chest of one of the demons. While this one was taken by the darkness, a red robe unfolded from the baton and behind it the rider and her faithful horse left.
Mami told herself. "I was right. It's Kyouko's magic." It was then that she noticed large flames coming from both sides of the walkway where the demons were. "Huh?! Could it..."
More riders appeared, which are all identical. The demons had already changed their positions and a new battle began.
"Ah!" Mami tried to protect better behind the short wall in front of the new rays of light being fired.
That did not deter the riders, even though some of them had been shot down and sliced, turning into ash clouds. The boldness of one of them was so great that she jumped with the horse and all against the hail of light. Before being completely disintegrated, she buried her spear at one of the demons.
Another rider acted differently. She hurled her spear and disappeared. The demons dodged the attack, but made a mistake by letting the spear to pass, because a rider appeared in the mist in midair to receive it. She swung it, knocking down several of them at once.
Mami was watching everything. "I can't keep still, maybe this is my chance." She flung her musket in the air and when it fell, were several of them. Picking up one at a time, she was shooting at the most busy and distracted demons. Her fast bullets offered no chances.
Until the last grief cube bounced on the walkway rocks.
Now Mami had all the attention of those riders on the other bridge. "Kyouko! That was a good hunt..." She smiled. "Do you remember?"
One of the riders took a giant leap to where Mami was. All the giant's weight was revealed when landed, causing her to unbalance by the impact. However, the blonde would not back down.
The rider waited, just the horse moved, its empty black eyes on the girl.
Mami could not fear, must not, that was Kyouko, her companion with whom she taught and learned.
Or not?
A disturbing question took her mind. That was Kyouko? Rather, that was the real Kyouko? Her line of reasoning was eventually stopped when the vibrate and rumble announced that another rider had landed behind her.
Mami did not move, but now more by tension than caution. Within her, the sense of hostility warned. "Kyouko... I helped you. I'm by your side! I know you don't want hurt me."
The rider pulled her spear, ready to strike.
"No!" Mami jumped into the air to dodge and looked back.
The other rider was not looking at her. In fact, she was with her back turned.
Mami's eyes widened. Quickly, she made ties came out of her sleeves, forming two short-barreled cannons. Shooting both in one direction, she pushed herself back.
She could feel the wind on her face when those giant hooves from the horse kick went close. Startled, she watched the walkway and the riders disappear in the mist.
Only then she realized she was still flying. She undid her guns into ribbons and sought any bridge where she could attach.
But was too late.
The violent impact behind her made her to lost all the air in her lungs in a silent cry of pain. Now certain that was falling, Mami could only think it had been a short wall of an unseen walkway.
In her falling trajectory another walkway appeared, red rocks growing before her eyes. Mami reinforced her body with magic and braced for impact.
The side shock made her body bouncing once. "Uuunnn..." Even with the blocked pain she still felt some discomfort due to fright. Her heart was racing.
A tinkle. The sound of metal meeting with the rock.
Mami opened her eyes to see small fragments of what was once her hair pin. Urgently she sat, ignoring the fears regarding a possible broken bone or crushed organ. For all this there was a solution, but for what she began searching, not.
Stroking her hair, she saw that she was no longer with her beret. More uneasy still, she felt her another hair pin, the most important one, was still there, but with wrinkled or broken tips. To her relief, however, the gem in its center was intact.
But she did not sigh, because something thick was dripping from her nostrils. She passed the sleeve there and its white fabric gained dark crimson tones.
The marching sound. Flames flickering through the mist.
Mami rubbed in a hurry to clean up and reached out, getting used to the new pains. Laces projected from her sleeve, creating a double-barreled musket. She needed some peace to recover and then go back to look for Kyouko.
And when I find her?
The hand holding the gun shuddered.
Even if I find the real Kyouko, what can I say to her?
The taste of blood filled her mouth.
Why should she listen to me? If I gave no heed to her?
The gun fell to the ground. It was heavy. Everything weighed too much.
"What senpai is that? Who am I kidding? I failed with Miki-san, Akemi-san..."
The walkway began to vibrate rhythmically, following the steps of the soldiers getting closer.
"... and I failed with Kyouko... and it was not the first time."
Tears did not come. No... she could not regret it, the fault was all on her. Perhaps all that was a due punishment.
A new sound of something bouncing in the rock. It was not just one, but two similar. Were soda cans with black labels with red polka dots.
Mami saw them roll up to the shapes of the soldiers who stuck out in the fog and then burst, generating a great barrier of bubbles. Mesmerized by that, she barely noticed the person landing in the front of her and hugging. Feeling an impulse from the other, she found herself again flying, the flames getting smaller and disappearing, long white strands of hair that dangled.
She felt an impact, but much softer than her last. The arms that held firm demonstrated care to put her back on the ground. When the person moved away slightly, she was faced with a miracle.
"Bebe?" Mami said in a weak voice, unblinking.
Nagisa ran her hand on the blonde's face. "Hi..."
That Mami held with her own in an almost immobile expression, just a subtle movement of her lips. "A-Am I dreaming?"
"No." Nagisa opened a tender smile.
Mami shivered, now by not containing the joy that was emerging. "So the Law of Cycles... they..." However, she looked away and pondered. "No... wait... you left with Akemi-san."
"I left with her..." Nagisa frowned slightly at what she had heard. "Yes... that's..."
Mami looked back at Nagisa. "Is she here?"
"Homura-chan? Yes, she's with Madoka. Kyuubey is also there and... and..." Nagisa stopped, seeing that Mami was immobile again, without blinking.
The blonde stood for a moment with her mouth open before the first words came out. "Kaname-san?! Kyuubey?! A-Are they here?"
Nagisa nodded shyly.
Mami's eyes widened, staring at the floor, completely lost. "Oriko-san did not lie?! But..."
"Oh... you're referring to that girl." Nagisa said.
Mami came back with a questioning look.
That intimidated her. "Erm... Once we met her, Homura-chan fought against."
"Did she kill her?"
Nagisa felt a familiarity in that tone of voice, but still it was disturbing, because it should not have came from that person. "Homura-chan wanted to, but it looked like she wanted to save Madoka. So we only subdued her."
"Save Madoka? From Kyuubey?"
"I think so. In fact, Homura-chan said she'd take care of it, she seemed to know something but would not tell me." Nagisa smiled to ease the tension. "You know how she is. Hehe."
"I... see. So that's what's happening." With a lost gaze, Mami stood. "Ok..."
Nagisa saw the other girl put her hand on a bloody ribbon tied on her abdomen.
Something that Mami noted. "Don't worry, it's already dry. It's not as serious as it seems to be."
One side of those blond hair was loose. The hat was missing. One sleeve also has a lot of blood. Even without considering the small but numerous injuries, Nagisa was not convinced. "Are you sure? You can rest, I protect you."
"I'm fine." Mami poked the curl that was left, leaving her hair completely loose, her pin with the gem serving only as adornment. "I have no time to rest. I... I need to find..."
Since Mami had not finished the sentence, Nagisa asked. "The witch of this place. Is she..."
"Kyouko."
Nagisa fell silent. Seeing Mami in that state, she was not able to measure the dimension of the distress she must be going through.
"Bebe. I wanted to ask you a question."
The little girl listened intently.
"Since the last time I saw you, I've been thinking about what happened to Akemi-san. About her becoming a witch... now Kyouko too." Mami crossed her arms and breathed deeply. "I don't know if you can give me an answer."
Nagisa bowed her head and turned her back to the other.
"You, as well as Miki-san, by chance gone through the same thing?" Mami continued. "This is the fate of magical girls?"
Then there was a silence between the two. Something that only reinforced what Mami was believing.
Finally, Nagisa broke it. "Do you see those symbols on the rocks?"
It was as if the question had opened the eyes of Mami. Yes, there was strange markings that repeated along the walkway.
"I'm able to read them. It's something that has become natural to me as soon as I was taken by the Law." Nagisa said. "You should be aware of the symbols on your ring. It's the same thing and they describe our names we received in life."
Mami pondered, absorbing the information, before inquiring. "And what is written on the rocks?"
"Ophelia." Nagisa answered. "This must be her witch's name."
"Witch's name?!" Mami raised her eyebrows. "Of Kyouko?! But what does..."
"This Madoka explained to me. Even before we were born, we receive names. This is how others around can identify us." Nagisa continued. "However, this only serves to describe the tangible. Our souls have a proper name, which is molded from the emotions we feel, as our destinies are drawn."
Mami looked around, more specifically at the flashes of light in the fog and the images they formed.
"My name is Charlotte."
The voice of Nagisa was lower, but husky, is what Mami noted. "Charlotte? That's not the name of that..."
"Convenient, isn't it?" Nagisa turned, her face white and colorful eyes. "After all I am the dessert witch."
"'The dessert witch'... guess I should not be too surprised about that."
"Yeah." Nagisa closed her eyes tightly, smiling, turning to her human appearance.
"Right." Mami said. "If you can read these things, then would you be able to communicate with Kyouko?"
"If she say something, I can even grasp." Nagisa returned to be serious, looking away. "However, a conversation would be another story. In this condition, everything is different, between emotions and memories, she is completely lost..." Suddenly she felt hands holding her tightly.
"TELL ME! PLEASE!" Mami pleaded in desperation. "CAN WE BRING HER BACK?"
Now, what was going with Mami was more palpable. Unfortunately, Nagisa was aware this was a totally different case of what happened with Homura. Her limited experience only indicated Madoka as the only solution, but it was not within her reach. However, being responsible for crushing the hopes of the person in front of her, one of her high esteem, was even more unthinkable. "Of course! We've done it once... but that may be a bit harder."
Mami remained tense.
"It's just... uhmmm..." Nagisa grimaced, raising an eyebrow. "Because it's just the two of us this time."
"Ah... that's true." Mami turned her face, thinking about it. "Sorry to scare you."
"There's no need."
Mami nodded and walked away. "So what can we do?"
"She is now a witch who identifies herself as Ophelia, but Kyouko-chan's memories are still there, she just does not understand why." Nagisa spoke. "I know by me that each one of them is always linked with some emotion. It would be like putting together a puzzle and you, being the person closest to her, would have the best chance of achieving it."
"I was trying just that." Mami held her chin. "Hmmm... but how will I find her among so many illusions..."
"Illusions?"
"It's her magic, one that she lost a while ago, but now returned stronger than ever..."
"Hmmm..." Nagisa wondered with Mami for a while, until her eyes lit up with an idea. "I think I can try something." She said while poking her nose.
Mami frowned.
"Ah! It's a witch thing..." Nagisa was stroking her neck. "Haha..."
"Witch thing?" Mami smiled with curiosity, but soon gave place for a sad countenance.
"Mami?"
"Sorry. Sorry..." Mami shook her head slowly. "I would like to smile more, but the situation does not allow."
Nagisa agreed. "Yes. Yes..."
"But I need to say it as soon as possible." Mami put her hands to her chest. "My heart was burning, such longing that I had for you, even believing I could never see you again. I'm really happy, Nagisa."
The girl ran and hugged Mami. "You'll have time to smile, Mami, alot of time."
The body of the blonde was not prepared for that, and complained of pain, but the tears that fell from her eyes were not because of it. She ran her hand to remove them, feeling that Nagisa was also going through the same.
Colorful fishes circled the two girls embraced.
Until Mami moved. "Nagisa, I just remembered something."
Nagisa looked up, her eyes red, her face wet. "Yes?"
Mami asked. "'Homura-chan'?"
Nagisa held her breath and gulped.
"I'm glad."
"Huh?!"
"Akemi-san was always someone who kept a distance between us. A consented solitude." Mami straightened the brown cap of Nagisa. "When I met Madoka Kaname-san and saw Akemi-san in another state, I nourished hopes, but only that. Now, I'm sure her heart is not closed. Thank you."
Nagisa had nothing to say, just a cute smile. It was really a long history.
"Well." Mami pulled away and turned to where the stone path led, her hair loose releasing colorful flowers during a swing. "We have to go."
Nagisa was relieved to see that some of the blonde's graciousity had returned. That's when her eyes lit up with a new idea. "Wait! There's a faster way to find her."
"Hi?"
"Ride on me!" Nagisa transformed her face and from her mouth came out the great serpent flying, which circulated around the other girl and waited.
"Ah yes..." Mami stroked the black fabric with red dots. "Well done, Bebe." She jumped, getting on the body of the witch Charlotte. "Hmm... I'll end up off balance this way. Just a moment." She opened her arms and send ribbons, which wrapped on witch's body, as well as the legs of the girl. "Much better."
Charlotte folded her sinuous body, getting face to face with her.
"It's up to you." Mami winked.
The witch formed a smile with her gigantic mouth and fanned her blue and red plumes.
The two went flying between the walkways.
"Bebe, let me know if you find her." Mami felt her hair fluttering with the speed. While sought to ensure that her gem was firm, the warm glow of flames caught her attention. "Watch out!"
Charlotte also noticed and made a sharp turn to escape the rain of fire.
Meanwhile, Mami had found those responsible. Paper soldiers on a walkway above them. She held one arm, creating several muskets in the air, and when she pulled her arm back, fired.
The soldiers ducked, protecting themselves behind the short wall.
Mami was preparing to create more muskets when suddenly everything turned upside down. "AAHHH!" More fire came in other directions and her Bebe was doing her best to avoid. "RETREAT! RETREAT!"
Charlotte delved deep into the mist, until she found a place in the barrier without walkways nearby.
The heart of Mami, or even all her bowels, almost went out through her mouth. Her breathing was gasping.
Charlotte turned to the blonde, with her plumes down and making a pout.
"No Bebe... it's not your fault." Mami patted her chest, catching her breath. "The idea is good but, we just need more firepower. I've got it."
The colorful eyes of the serpent widened as more ribbons appeared and joined to form a circular metal base on her body.
Mami, now on this base, continued to magically weave with her ties to create a huge cannon with three barrels.
Charlotte saw Mami manipulating the gun, revealing that the circular base was rotative.
"All right." The blonde wrapped her arms above her head, forming an arch. "I'm good to go."
／人◕‿‿◕人＼
Kirika and Yuma walked by a walkway that seemed to have no end.
"Could we passed a exit and didn't notice?" The little one said.
"I dunno, but this has to get somewhere." Kirika answered. "Only if we're going in circles, but I don't think so, because we haven't seen anymore monsters."
"Ummm... hopefully mama is okay." The words of that magical girl, whose eyes were so strange, repeated in the mind of Yuma. Until a violet light called her. "Papa! Your gem is shining."
"Really?!" Kirika looked at the other girl. "Hey! Yours too!"
"Eh?!"
Kirika lifted her eye patch for a better look when she heard a very distinct sound.
Were steps on puddles of water.
She stopped and looked at the wet concrete floor. The fog dispersed and the scene that presented left her stunned.
A large crystal, a girl inside, many Kyuubeys, just like Yuma had described.
But there was something else.
In a hubbub, pale children with black clothes was jumping from a puddle to another. One of them was looking directly at her.
"What...?" Kirika realized that these 'children' were not exactly human.
The child pointed to her and the other stopped playing.
"Look! It's mama!"
Still somewhat bewildered, Kirika answered the call of Yuma and citrine met with olive when she saw Oriko floating in a huge bubble. The white magical girl was leaning on the surface of it, terrified.
Next to the bubble, a girl clad in darkness smiled.
"Oh... You could not be far away, right?" Homura crossed her stitched arms. "But at the same time I'm surprised by the presence of this little girl." She averted her eyes and stammered. "Does this mean that..." But she did not finish, because she felt the back of her head passing through a smooth surface and then a tug. "Gnn!"
Oriko had pushed the bubble against the other girl, this was the opportunity she needed. While pulling Homura by her long braids, she cried. "KIRIKA! BREAK THE PRISM!"
"B-Big love?!" Kirika looked at the prism and the strange black and living thing that covered half of it. On its way, those kids came up with what she could only discern as a big needles.
"NOW!" Oriko turned her attention to Homura.
The girl struggled, with her head and shoulders already inside the bubble. She reached out and a dark energy formed, creating a hourglass.
Gritting her teeth, Oriko pulled the braids with all her might.
"AAHHHG!" Homura went further inside the bubble and the hourglass slipped from her hand.
The Kyuubey that was close saw it crashing on the ground and reverberating a strong violet light.
That was the last thing he saw.
The explosion that followed disintegrated the white creature and threw the bubble upward. The shockwave definitely pushed Homura into the bubble, compressing Oriko against the top surface.
"Mama!" Yuma energized her wand.
But this time Kirika managed to hold the girl. "Wait!"
"No! We have to help her!"
"No, we have to do what she asked." Kirika looked at the children, approaching, flinging open their mouths and showing their sharp teeth. "She's so desperate about it, must be very important."
"But..."
"Don't worry. Time is on our side. Kukuku..." Kirika conjured her claws. "But I need your strength. I will guide you." Touching the ground with them, the girl formed a violet aura under the children. "Go little love! Use your power without fear!"
Yuma took a deep breath and hit the ground with her wand. Her magic mingled with the aura, the green filling the gaps left by the violet.
The dolls stopped, amazed at all that light. They only put the danger into account when their bodies received an impact that flung them into the air.
Kirika opened her arms, as if to imitate, the violet aura expanded, covering the gallery.
The dolls, which once would soon be back to the ground, now seemed to float, descending slowly.
"All clear!" Kirika started running.
"H-Hey! Papa!" With Yuma doing her best to keep up.
Homura, still recovering from the incident. She saw her children falling and two blurs, one black and one green, passing beneath them quickly. "No!"
With her arms thrown back, Kirika approached her goal. The girl in the prism was what mattered to Oriko, that she was sure. The biggest question was about that black gooey thing, but it would be for after saving her big love.
Doubts are enemies. Clear mind, a virtue.
It even seemed that the environment agreed with that, since the way to the prism appeared to be brighter.
But from a sense it became a certainty. Kirika stopped at the pink light that completely covered the prism.
Yuma too. "What is it?!"
The light came in the form of a flash for Homura, but she did not even blink, in fact, she widened since the image that showed she knew very well.
Kirika was mesmerized by the giant image of an eight-pointed star with a pair of white wings, until the light became even stronger. "Damn!" Protecting herself, she noticed there was a silhouette emerging amid the light.
A paladin and its undulating cape.
Next chapter: My dream