A/N: Thank you everyone for your support on the last chapter. I was ecstatic to see how many of you enjoyed it.
Chapter 25
"She's a Seosten," Homura spoke, stepping forward when no one else did. "One on our side."
"You knew about her?" Mami asked, wide-eyed.
"I'm not the only one," Homura said. She faced Carmentae. "Right?"
Carmentae shrugged. "Pace and I saw her with the choker during the fight. She was possessing Flick, but not controlling her."
Before she could continue, Avalon was in front of her face. "What the hell are you saying? Flick can't be possessed!"
Homura could sympathize with the Heretic. They had all seen the effects of Seosten possession, and just how terrible it was for the host. If Madoka had been possessed by one of them . . . Homura would make sure there was nothing left of the creature.
Yet she knew this was different. That child had been prepared to risk her life for Flick. She had stayed with her to the end. Or rather, what should have been the end.
That was another topic to think about. Flick had turned into a Witch, then come back from that state. Doing so should have been impossible. After countless timelines, Homura had never seen a Witch be saved. Even Kyubey had thought it to be impossible. Despite all that, here Flick was, breathing calmly in her slumber.
What did this mean for Magical Girls? Their fate was supposed to be helpless, yet Flick Chambers had defied those odds multiple times. She'd needed help tonight, but even so, Homura felt as though it had to be Flick who showed her this truth.
It would take time for Homura to digest all that had happened.
"Why not?" Carmentae asked, looking honestly confused. That Avalon looked ready to bring out one of her knives didn't seem to faze her.
"Because she—" Avalon bit her lip and looked away. "She's not a slave."
"Of course not," Carmentae said. "I already said the kid wasn't possessing her. She was hiding in Flick, probably for years. Maybe Flick knew about her."
"She did not," Homura said. "I spoke with this girl myself. She helped Flick where she could, but hid her existence so no one would figure out the truth."
"The truth?" Kyoko echoed. "You gonna fill the rest of us in?"
Everyone nodded in agreement, and Homura realized they would be willing to listen to her. Even Sayaka Miki, a constant obstacle in her gaining the others' trust, raised no suspicions.
Another miracle brought about by Flick Chambers.
Even so, Homura wouldn't relax yet. Miracles always came at a cost. That, she would always believe.
Homura sighed. "Let's bring them somewhere safe. I'll explain along the way."
They needed her truth. All of them, ignorant of despair, could not go on in such a state. She knew she had to help them, more than anything.
A sharp pain in her head threw off her thoughts. It was her only sensation, as everything else felt numb. What was happening to her? Where were the others?
The others. Homura, Mami, Sayaka, Pace, Avalon, Madoka, Kyoko, Carmentae. Weren't they all together?
Her mind was fuzzy. Why would Avalon be with everyone else?
Come on, Flick. What's the last thing you remember?
Sayaka. Flick was with Sayaka. The events were still not there, but the emotions were. The desperation. The fear.
The despair.
That's right. I . . . I turned into a Witch!
Was this being a Witch, then? This emptiness?
How tragic. And no one understands until it's too late. That's why I have to make them understand.
Wait, what? Why would she want anyone to feel this pain? Why did she especially feel as though she had to show her friends how her despair felt?
No. That's not right. It can't be.
They're fools. I have to guide them.
They're happy the way they are.
That happiness is a lie.
Not after all they've been through together.
They would be better off knowing the truth. The truth I've always seeked.
THIS ISN'T WHAT I WANT TO BRING TO THE WORLD!
Flick jolted up, screaming. She flailed at nothing, trying to fight her own thoughts back. Her mind was racing, and she could hardly breathe between large gasps for air.
Before Flick could gather her scattered thoughts, the door slammed open, a familiar figure rushing in.
"Flick!" Avalon blurted, skidding to a stop beside the bed she was in. "It's okay! Calm down! You're safe now."
Putting a hand to her pounding heart, Flick took a deep breath. "W-what—what happened? Where am I? Is everyone—"
"Everyone's safe," Avalon interrupted. "This is a spare room in Homura's apartment. The others are in the main room, waiting for you to recover."
"Recover?" What had happened? Why was she having trouble remembering?
"You . . ." Avalon swallowed. "You turned into a Witch. We were able to bring you back."
Those words were they key Flick needed to unlock her memories. They all came rushing back. Her despair, and what she had done.
There was just enough time for Flick to push Avalon away before she started throwing up on the floor.
All of them had come close to dying. Pace had been left barely alive. They were all Flick's friends, and she had—she—
"I—I didn't mean to," Flick croaked. "I was just—my mind was—oh, please, no."
Her eyes were filled with tears, and she felt as though needles were pricking her entire body. She hardly noticed as Avalon approached, then wrapped her arms around Flick.
"It's not your fault," Avalon said. "You saved Sayaka, Flick. Everyone's alive. No one blames you." She exhaled. "I'm glad we were able to save you."
"H-how?" Flick asked. "How did you free me from . . . from that?"
Avalon looked away.
"Avalon?" Flick asked.
"I'm sorry," Avalon said.
"What do you mean? You have nothing to apologize for."'
"I do, though," Avalon said, and then transformed. The cloak meant nothing to Flick, but the object in the center of its clasp was unmistakable.
"You're . . .?"
"A Magical Girl," Avalon said. "I'm sorry."
This time, it was Flick's turn to hug Avalon. She felt the girl stiffen in her arms, before slowly raising her own arms to return the embrace.
"Thank you," Flick said, "for saving me. And for trusting me with this."
"I . . . I wanted to earlier," Avalon said. "Kyubey knows who I am, now. There's no doubt about that."
Flick stilled. "Are you in danger?"
"Not any more than you are." Avalon pulled her tighter. "All that matters is that you're alright."
"Avalon . . ."
Their eyes met, and Flick saw her own feelings reflected in Avalon's eyes. A silent agreement passed between the two of them. Though they held similar hesitations, they both wanted to treasure this moment while they still had the chance.
Flick leaned forward, touching her lips to Avalon's.
She felt magic.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
Homura's gaze snapped toward Flick, who was entering the room alongside Avalon. Both of them practically had sparkles in their eyes.
"Flick!" Mami said. "Are you feeling alright?"
Flick smiled. "I am. Thanks, Mami. And all of you. I seriously don't know how to repay you."
"You—" Sayaka began, before snapping her mouth shut. When everyone turned toward her, she looked down, her voice far more quiet when she spoke. "You already saved us. You . . . you gave yourself up for me. I was so awful to all of you, yet you still . . ." Tears fell down Sayaka's face. "I'm so sorry!"
Not a second passed before Flick was at Sayaka's side, embracing her. "Hey, it's okay," she whispered, and Homura was the only one close enough to the pair to hear. "You were used, Sayaka. The despair was controlling you. I don't blame you. So you don't need to apologize, okay?"
Sayaka shook her head. "But it's my fault you became a Witch."
"I'm still here, Sayaka," Flick murmured. "I'm not going anywhere, I promise."
"How do you know?" Sayaka's voice was barely intelligible past her sobs. Flick pulled away just enough to meet her eyes, and show her a soft smile.
"After all we've been through," Flick said, "why wouldn't I have faith in all of us? We can survive, Sayaka, I promise."
Flick then turned toward Homura. "I promised you that, too, Homura. I'm so happy I didn't have to break that promise."
Homura blinked, and for once a response didn't come to her. Having a promise you cared for, one you were determined to see through, was all too familiar to Homura. To see hers through, Homura had to not rely on anyone. Except Flick, with her stubbornness, wasn't even giving Homura a choice.
It has to end now, Homura realized. If I can't save Madoka in this timeline, then how can I expect to succeed in any other?
The thought made her shiver.
"While you're throwing out sweet words," Carmentae said, "I think she could use a few."
It was then that Flick's attention fell on the youngest occupant of the room. The girl, Tabbris, was awake, and she met Flick's stare with wide eyes, her body filled with tension.
Flick took a few steps forward, then kneeled to be at eye level with the girl. "You were the one holding me back," Flick said. "When I was a Witch. You . . . kept me from hurting them."
"I-I did," Tabbris said. "Do you remember? It's me, Tabbris."
"Tabbris?" Flick asked. "That's . . ." Then, her own eyes widened.
Tabbris. Flick had met her before. It was a memory she hadn't actually experienced, but thanks to the effects of her wish, it came back to her at that moment. Five years before, her mother had introduced Tabbris as Flick's little sister. Not knowing everything yet, Flick had been eager to spend time with her. For a few weeks, she had done just that, getting to know her new sibling.
Then, her mother had pulled her aside and said Tabbris was in danger. That they were protecting her. She said Flick had to forget about Tabbris while the girl lived inside her, that way no one would detect her.
Though she had been scared, and not fully understanding the situation, Flick had agreed. At the time, she only understood that Tabbris—her sister—had needed her help.
She had let her mom, along with some others whose faces she still could not remember, erase her memories of her time with Tabbris. Not forever, though. They were set to return the moment Flick heard Tabbris' name, from the girl's own mouth.
Her sister was with her. Tabbris had been protecting her all this time, just as much as Flick had been protecting her.
"I remember now," Flick said. "Tabbris, you stayed with me all this time."
"I . . ." Tabbris met her eyes. "I couldn't leave you alone."
Those were the final words Flicks needed to hear. After everything that had happened that evening—nearly losing Sayaka, falling to despair, recovering from that terrible mental state, kissing Avalon, reuniting with the others, and now this—she couldn't hold her tears back. She pulled Tabbris close, hugging her as tightly as she could without hurting her. Tabbris returned the hug with equal enthusiasm, and the two cried into each other.
"My sister," Flick whispered. "You're here. You're actually here."
"I missed you," Tabbris said. "I wanted to talk to you, but you forgot about magic and I didn't want to burden you. Then you made your wish and I was afraid, because I don't remember the timeline you came from, but I have all these other memories with you and I was scared you were different. But you're not. You're my sister. Felicity."
They grew silent after that, holding each other as they cried. Nothing else mattered. Kyubey, Walpurgisnacht, the Seosten, all of that failed to grab her attention away from this beautiful moment.
Even if Flick had never known about Tabbris, they would always be family. And now Flick could say she had part of her family with her again. Not only that, but her friends, and someone even more special to her, all surrounded her.
Flick wasn't alone anymore.
An hour later, they disbanded for the night. There was plenty more that had to be discussed, but they were all worn out from the long night, and many of them needed time to come to terms with their own emotions. Pace was also still unconscious, recovering at Homura's. So they agreed to meet up again in the days leading up to Walpurgisnacht, and plan for the battle. Avalon still had to wonder if they would be ready.
She hadn't gotten far from Homura's place when she heard someone call her name. Spinning around, she saw Madoka running her way.
"Madoka?" Avalon asked. "What is it?"
Madoka fidgeted. "It's um . . . I was just thinking about before. When we used that spell on Flick. You were right, I was able to feel my magic reserves. And, well, it didn't really feel like I was using up much of it, you know?"
Avalon nodded. "I felt the same."
"So if I turn into a Witch, then . . . you won't be able to put my soul back."
Oh. So that's what this was about.
"You're right," Avalon admitted. "We were only able to use the spell on Flick because you had more energy than her. I doubt any one person would have more potential than you have."
"In that case . . ." Madoka looked straight at Avalon. Her mouth was set in a straight line, and there was a determined spark in her eyes. "I need your help. There's a spell I want you to put on me, if possible."
"A spell?" Avalon frowned. "Magic isn't that easy. Depending on what you need, we may not have the power, or it just might be flat out impossible. What kind of spell are you thinking of?"
Madoka told her.
"That's . . ." Avalon considered. "You would really want to do that?"
Madoka nodded. "It's the only way. I want to protect everyone."
There was a minute of silence as Avalon considered.
"We would need Gaia's help, but I think we can do it. Still, don't make a contract with Kyubey unless you absolutely have to, okay? Hopefully this spell will be for nothing."
"I know," Madoka said. "I'll put my faith in all of you."
Avalon exhaled. Madoka had been in the fewest fights—had the least experience in magic—out of all of them. Yet in some ways, she was wiser than any of them.
"In that case, we'll try our best so you don't have to sacrifice yourself."
It took time for her to get checked into the hotel. By the time she made it to her room, she wanted to throw down her bags and sleep.
Not yet, though. Joselyn had to prepare for the next few days.
First, she placed some enchantments around her room. Simple spells, which would hopefully keep her from being detected, and give her a warning if she was. Once those were in place, she sat on her bed, cross-legged, and closed her eyes.
The pair of eyes she saw through upon opening them was that of a gold and red monkey. That was her version of the theriangelos spell, which let her control the animal it created. She did so now, having it climb and jump around the city. Before all else, she wanted to scout the area. If any of her enemies were expecting her, she wouldn't fall so easily into their trap.
Hours passed as she explored, but she couldn't spot any abnormalities. Finally, she had the monkey hide in a safe place before disabling the spell.
A moment later, her phone was out, and she dialed the number given to her.
"Hello?"
"Gaia. It's Joselyn."
"Joselyn. You made it to Mitakihara safely, then?"
"I did. There's definitely something powerful approaching. I can already feel its presence."
"Are you going to talk to your daughters before it arrives?"
Joselyn's grip tightened on the phone. "No," she said. "I know Avalon told you that they trust Carmentae, but I can't take any risks before this Witch arrives. Once I fight it openly, word will get out that I have my memories. Acting before then isn't worth putting this city in more danger."
"Are you sure you're ready? I know these last few years haven't exactly been retirement for you, but you won't have anything resembling a normal life when there's a target on your back."
Joselyn sighed. "You know me, Gaia. Once my mind is made up, I'm not going to change it."
"I suppose so. In that case, I wish you luck. If you need my support, contact me. I'll find a way to slip past the Committee.
A smile crept onto Joselyn's face. "Thanks, Gaia. This will be easier, knowing that you're looking out for me."
"Always," Gaia said, and Joselyn felt a weight lift from her shoulders. There was only so much Gaia could do from her position at Crossroads, and Joselyn had always known that. Still, the moment Larissa and Sariel had restored her memories, she found a way to contact the baroness. After Larissa disappeared, Gaia still remained one of her closest allies, alongside Gabriel Prossor. They had planned together: how to help the hybrid students at Crossroads, ways they might be able to find and rescue Sariel, times when they could secretly save Alters, and so much more. With Gaia supporting her, Joselyn felt her ideas for the world wouldn't be impossible.
"By the way, you should know something before we hang up."
"Oh?"
"Avalon called me not long ago. Many things happened tonight, all of which I'll explain, but first you may want to know she and Felicity kissed."
Joselyn dropped the phone.
"Whaaat?!"