Chapter 29

Emotion flooded through Flick, only a small portion of which was released through the stream of tears that flowed down her face. She was barely able to hold herself up with her arms after her legs failed her.

Mom. Mommy. Her mom was here. When was the last time Flick had really, truly talked to her? Though she had new memories, they didn't matter. Nothing would ever erase the sacrifice her mom had made for her. No wish would ever erase the guilt, the longing to make up for lost years.

Seconds passed, but they felt like years. Flick took in the sight of her mother, trying desperately to remember every single detail. If she could, she would have never taken her eyes off her.

In the end, the only reason she did so was because her legs regained their strength. Flick jumped into her mother's arms, burying her head in her shoulder.

"Mommy," she whispered, the words barely escaping the emotion in her throat. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it. I love you. I love you. I was so awful and I was wrong. I made a wish for you but it doesn't matter because I didn't trust you and I should have."

She was sputtering, but she couldn't stop herself. Even with Walpurgisnacht rampaging in the background, its giggles loud enough to be heard over the rain and wind, there were words Flick had to get out.

"Thank you," Flick sobbed. "Thank you for everything. Thank you for saving me. Thank you for letting Tabbris stay with me. Thank you for being so selfless. I don't deserve to have a mom as great as you."

Most of her words were probably making no sense. Tabbris hadn't told her mom everything, saying that Flick should be the one to do so. Her mom had no memory of the timeline where she had given up everything for her daughter.

Even so, Joselyn stroked Flick's hair, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Felicity," she whispered. "I'm here, baby. I'm sorry I took so long."

Flick shook her head, words failing her in that moment. Instead, she turned her attention to her sister.

She's here. Mom's really here.

"Yeah." Even in Flick's head, Tabbris sounded amazed. "She's really here."

Come out, Flick encouraged her. She's your mom too. You deserve to see her with your own eyes.

There was hesitation on Tabbris' end, the younger girl not wanting to interrupt the reunion. Still, after some mental prodding from Flick, she emerged.

"Tabbris," their mom breathed, before pulling the girl into the hug. All three of them stayed together like that, tears in their eyes, as they clung to one another.

A building flew by, crashing a few blocks away. That was enough for the family to pull away, gazes turning toward Walpurgisnacht.

"Mom, I—" Flick's words caught in her throat. "There's so much we have to talk about. But right now, we have to stop Walpurgisnacht."

"She's right," Homura said. Turning her way, Flick saw the girl had set up an array of turrets on the edge of the roof. She fired from the first one as she continued speaking. "We're running out of time."

Joselyn took a deep breath. "Right. We don't have time for complicated plans, but if you can steer it back toward the water, I can finish it off."

"You expect us to force that into the right spot?" Kyoko blurted. "Look, lady, I'm good, but not that good."

"I'll support you," Joselyn promised. "I've heard of all you've accomplished, and I know all of us can finish this."

"We'll do it," Flick said, stepping forward. She held her hand out, and Tabbris took it, returning to her. "We'll end it here. I'm sure of it." She looked to Homura as she said that. Having just finished her attack on Walpurgisnacht, Homura met her eyes, indescribable emotion lurking in them.

"Sayaka, Pace." Flick faced the girls. "I need one of you to get Kyoko closer to the Witch, and the other will take Mami. The two of them will keep Walpurgisnacht distracted. Homura, can you come with me? I have a plan for pushing Walpurgisnaht back."

Homura nodded, and Pace and Sayaka transformed into wolves. Kyoko climbed onto Pace, and Mami onto Sayaka.

"Avalon." Flick nearly reached for her, but if she did, she wouldn't be able to let go. "Can you run ahead and set up spells along Walpurgisnacht's path? Anything would help."

Avalon nodded, then transformed and leaped off the building. At the same time, Pace and Sayaka took off, taking Mami and Sayaka with them. Flick stepped to the edge of the roof, looking back toward her mom one last time

"I missed you," Flick said. "Thank you for making it in time. I know you must have been worried. But I survived this far, and I don't regret my wish. Magical Girls are cursed to regret our wishes, but mine was worth the world. Because it brought us together again. I got to see you again. If I died in this battle, that would be enough."

"Felicity . . ." Her mom reached out for her. "I'm here for you. I won't let you get hurt."

Flick smiled, before turning back to Walpurgisnacht. "I know you won't."

Then, she transformed.

Looking back, Flick could see her mom's wide eyes and dropping jaw. Shame rose in her chest, realizing how she must look in that moment. The foreign figure, the creepy eyes, and her overall alien appearance would have put anyone off, but if her mom knew what it all meant, then she knew what had happened to Flick.

There was plenty she didn't know, even now. Flick had to help her understand—

"Flick!"

Those thought again, and toward Mom, no less. What was Flick doing?

"We can do this," Tabbris said. "You said so yourself. I'm here for you, s-sis."

Flick couldn't smile in her current form, but she knew Tabbris felt her swelling joy regardless. Thanks, sis. Let's do this.

Homura finished climbing onto Flick, who took off. Any shock her mother had felt was cast aside as she took to the skies as well. Together, mother and daughter flew through the air, toward the creature that threatened the city.

Multi-POV

Kyoko looked up, seeing the flying figures head for the Witch. She felt a pang in your heart.

"Are you okay?" Carmentae asked.

I'm fine, Kyoko sent back. Just thinking about family.

She left her statement there, tightening her grip on Pace. The wolf rushed past a Familiar, shaped like a Magical Girl holding a mace. When the Familiar swung its weapon, Pace leaned away, making Kyoko tighten her grip.

They rounded the corner, Sayaka and Mami close behind them, and saw the Witch looming above them.

Let's do this, Kyoko thought, as the fight began.

Above them, Flick had also reached Walpurgisnacht. On her back, Homura drew a grenade from a shield. She knew she was running low on effective weapons due to her earlier assault. This had to end quick.

Homura chucked the grenade. As it exploded in Walpurgisnacht's face, a lightning bolt struck the Witch's metal gears. Both attacks made it rear back, and Homura stopped time.

Flick followed her cue, firing multiple concussive arrows from her bow. Looking to her side, Homura's eyes widened to see Joselyn was also moving in her time stop, despite not being in contact with Homura.

The woman took control of the skyscrapers floating around Walpurgisnacht, redirecting them to fly into the Witch. They stopped inches before making contact, out of the time stop now that Joselyn had dropped her hold over them.

With the arrows and buildings set, Homura dropped the time stop. A massive force crashed into Walpurgisnacht, flinging it toward the ground.

On the streets, Avalon saw the Witch descend. She sprinted forward, summoning knives into her fingers and flicking them forward. The spells counteracted Walpurgisnacht's wind, redirecting it toward the water. Hopefully, it would follow the current without a second thought.

Walpurgisnacht began to ascend away from her spells, when a ribbon caught the top of its jester cap.

"TIRO. FINALE!"

Though Walpurgisnacht blocked the attack with another thrown building, it didn't notice Joselyn teleport behind it. She summoned a massive concrete fist, punting the Witch into the ground. The shockwave created by the impact forced everyone back for a brief moment. Joselyn and Flick, the first to recover, dove toward the creature.

Familiars sprung from it, a dozen Magical Girls with wands. They sent blasts toward the flying duo, who spun left and right to avoid getting hit. With Flick as the larger target, most of the Familiars reshifted their focus to her. Eight blasts covered anywhere she could flee to.

Even so, the girl-turned-Witch dodged. She vanished, reappearing on the other side of the attacks when Homura dropped her time stop. The Familiars had no time to react before Flick loosed an arrow, blowing a cluster of them apart.

Those who were left got torn apart as the grounded Magical Girls fell upon them. Kyoko leaped off Pace, stabbing her spear into one. Another Familiar arose from Walpurgisnacht, wielding two swords, but had each of its arms torn off by Pace and Sayaka in their wolf forms. A shot from Mami finished it off.

A roar caught Flick's attention. She floated higher, and saw the parade was approaching, ready to stampede the entire group.

"Mom!" Flick shouted, pointing that way. Joselyn nodded, and a crater opened in the ground. Lava poured out from it, sweeping over the assorted animal-shaped Familiars. They were wiped out in an instant.

As for the remaining Familiars, Carmentae had jumped out of Kyoko, boosting herself and descending upon them. Only Kyoko and Joselyn could keep up as she sliced through them, finishing them off in seconds.

She stopped, and Walpurgisnacht took the chance to strike. The galaxy-like appendage struck Carmentae, sending her flying with a cry.

"Carmentae!" Kyoko yelled.

Giggling, Walpurgisnacht rose into the air. Avalon's spells were pushing it in the right direction, but as it moved, it shot a ball of fire at the Magical Girls.

A shield of ribbons caught it. Mami swung forward with her ribbons, shooting Walpurgisnacht to push it further back. She realized her bullets weren't normal. Once they shot out of her musket, they sparked with electricity, zapping Walpurgisnacht with every hit.

Those same sparks covered Joselyn's fist, as the woman flew forward and struck Walpurgisnacht's torso. It responded by dropping a building on her, which she dealt with by summoning a tornado of fire to melt it. Neither of the insanely powerful beings noticed the heat.

"Flick!" Avalon called out, hoping her Witch form had stronger hearing. "Arrow this way!"

Flick didn't hesitate, firing an arrow straight for Avalon. The girl raised a knife, which glowed a lime green. That same glow outlined Flick's arrow, as it fell into Avalon's possession. Activating the second spell etched on her knife, it grew five times its normal size, the arrow following suit. When she turned the knife, the arrow responded the same. Then, she chucked her weapon. The knife itself hit a building, but the massive arrow struck Walpurgisnacht.

Excess force radiated toward Joselyn. She absorbed it all, sending it back at Walpurgisnacht.

While they were doing that, Kyoko rushed to Carmentae's side. The angel was lying flat against the ground. "Are you okay?" Kyoko asked.

Carmentae grimaced. "Been better." She lifted her hand, and Kyoko took it, letting the girl possess her once more.

"Behind you!" The girl in her head immediately shouted. Kyoko spun around, but was too late to dodge the appendage.

Luckily, she didn't have to. Sayaka appeared in front of her, in her Magical Girl attire. Her cape in front of her hardened, used as a shield.

"You were right, Pace," Sayaka said. "Having two forms is useful."

Knives struck the Familiars which had spawned from the attack, exploding on contact. "Told you!" Pace called out, rushing toward her next target.

"We're running out of magic," Homura said, throwing her last grenade from Flick's back. It struck the group of Familiars which had rushed to the scene. "If we give Walpurgisnacht enough time to breathe, we're finished."

"That won't happen," Flick said. "Hold on tight!"

Internally, Flick sent a message to her Seosten sister. Boost!

Tabbris complied, and Flick blurred past Walpurgisnacht, firing half a dozen arrows as she did so. She spun around the Witch, constantly firing at it. All the while, her mom was taking a tip from the Witch itself, firing her own fireballs between the arrows. She threw them perfectly so that they would not hit the arrows or Flick herself.

Avalon was further out, toward the docks. She threw her knives down, setting up a field of spells.

This will do, she thought. The others just have to get Walpurgisnacht this far, and I can get it to the water.

The wind had picked up in intensity. It was so great that those on the ground had trouble with their footing. Seeing Sayaka nearly trip, Mami connected a ribbon to her. She did the same with the other girls, keeping them all together.

"With me!" she yelled, and the others obeyed. Their distraction wasn't through yet.

Walpurgisnacht began to focus on Joselyn, understanding that she was its biggest threat. Concrete tore itself from the ground, flying her way from every direction. Rather than dodge, Joselyn turned intangible.

A ribbon caught Walpurgisnacht, pulling its head to the grounded Magical Girls. Pace fired off spells to go alongside Mami's bullets, while Kyoko pulled on the ribbon with the chain of her spear. Locked in place, Walpurgisnacht was pelted by projectiles.

It was clearly tired of them. An appendage shot out alongside a ball of fire, and what was left of the surrounding buildings collapsed onto them.

Joselyn sprung off a piece of falling concrete, crashing in front of the girls just before the attacks would strike. A dome rose around her, encapsulating them all while keeping the attacks out. As the shield was assaulted, sweat dripped from Joselyn's brow.

"Now!" Flick yelled, and Homura leaped off her back. Directly above Walpurgisnacht, she dropped the items she had been gathering from her shield. Dozens of land mines, all descending toward the Witch. Using her time stop, she caught a jutting piece of a building and flung off it, fleeing from the blast radius.

Flick steadied herself. The dock was in sight. They were so close. This had to work.

She let loose an arrow, and it struck a mine. Together, they all exploded, creating a massive plume which overtook Walpurgisnacht.

Using the last of her magic, Homura got away with her time stops. Meanwhile, Carmentae had left Kyoko, and she and Pace were supporting Joselyn in keeping the shield up. Flames swarmed around them, licking the dome as they passed.

Then, finally, the explosions ended. The force of them had pushed Walpurgisnacht to the dock.

Avalon was waiting there, with a rune drawn on the ground. Seeing the Witch, she forced her magic into it, activating a chain of spells.

The first redirected the wind once more, pushing it into the docks. Planks fell into the water below, the entire structure threatening to fall apart. This kept Walpurgisnacht from properly balancing itself.

The second made Walpurgisnacht glow red, its energy draining. Though that wouldn't mean much for the Witch, it would take more effort for it to get away from the remaining spells.

The third spell, placed at the very edge of the dock, created a miniature black hole, sucking Walpurgisnacht toward it. This was accompanied by the fourth spell, a wall of ice which funneled Walpurgisnacht that way.

Finally, the fifth spell. The most complex one Gaia had taught her. It was her own time stop, though it only stopped time for the selected target. For a creature this powerful, it would last a second at most.

That second was enough for the others to arrive. As Avalon canceled her spells, every Magical Girl, Pace, and Avalon herself ran forward. All had their weapons drawn, and as one, they attacked Walpurgisnacht.

It was enough. Walpurgisnacht tipped over the docks edge. With it airborne, an arrow from Flick pushed it further into the water.

Joselyn flew over the Witch, its mad laughter resonating around her. She looked down on it, her mouth set in a firm line.

"Your kind threatened my daughter and this city," she said, and the water began to swirl around Walpurgisnacht. It spiraled from the ocean's surface, waves lifting into the air. "I won't stay hidden any longer. I will let the world know—should you threaten that which I cherise, you will suffer the consequences."

By this point, a mountain of water had engulfed the Witch. Its giggles could faintly be heard from within the swirling vortex.

Joselyn clenched her fist, and the water stopped moving. Not just the water surrounding Walpurgisnacht, but the ocean itself was silent. A white glow overtook it all, forcing everyone except Joselyn to look away.

Death itself formed within the mountain. A crack appeared, the stars themselves seen within. Anything it touched was immediately annihilated. That crack spread, further and further, until most of the area had been cleansed. Walpurgisnacht flew for the water, but the liquid was like a wall. The Witch couldn't push past it, before death caught up.

A cry rang out, and the glowing faded. When it passed, the vortex of water was gone, and the waves had moved once more.

Homura looked that way, hesitantly opening one eye.

The sky had cleared. Rubble was all around them, but the calm wind kept any more from being created. As the last of the clouds faded, the sun peeked forth, shining bright above Mitakihara. The last of the rain also cleared up, letting gentle Fall weather take over.

Is it . . . really over? Flick wondered. She turned seeing Homura looking to the ocean with wide eyes.

Walpurgisnacht was gone. In its place was the largest grief seed Flick had ever seen. It floated down, landing gently on the docks.

"I think it is," Tabbris said.

Flick smiled. Kyoko and Carmentae high fived, while Mami offered Sayaka a soft smile. Pace went further, clapping a hand onto Sayaka's shoulder. As for Avalon, she rushed toward Flick, embracing her.

Flick kissed her girlfriend. "We did it," she whispered. "We won."

Avalon nodded. "Felicity, you . . ." She swallowed. Unable to find any words, she kissed Flick once more.

They separated, and Flick couldn't keep the grin off her face. Her mother was landing, picking up Walpurgisnacht's grief seed. It had to be special, coming from the Witch it did. She would know what to do with it, and if not, Avalon's mom would.

Holding Avalon's hand, Flick walked to the end of the dock looking toward the edge of the horizon. The sun shone on them in the moment, and Flick accepted it.

She believed a new light had fallen on Mitakihara.

Everything went to hell.

The sound of shattering glass caused Avalon to whirl around. Behind her, Sayaka, Mami, Kyoko, and Homura's bodies fell to the ground, their soul gems in pieces. Avalon's blood ran cold at the sight, tears forming in her eyes.

No, they can't be dead. They can't! Not after everything!

A weight pulled on her arm, and Avalon looked down to see Flick's dead eyes staring back. A red, glowing bolt of energy was lodged into her soul gem, destroying it.

Avalon's strength left her, and Flick's body thumped to the ground as she lost her grip.

"FELICITY!" Avalon howled, falling to her knees. She sobbed. "No, NO!"

Her Felicity. Her light. Flick thought Avalon had saved her, but the opposite was true. Felicity was far more than an assignment, far more than a friend. She was everything. And now she was gone.

Tears flowed down Avalon's cheeks, the realization leaving her unable to do anything else. Lost in her grief, she didn't notice the massive blade descending toward her.

The blade hardened, pushing into Avalon and pinning her to the ground. Pressed against her neck, it sharpened once more, threatening to slice her throat open with the slightest movement.

Pace and Carmentae were in the same situation, with Joselyn being the only one who reacted in time. Avalon saw her glaring at the woman striding down the dock.

"That was far too easy," Charmeine spoke. "Magical Girls are far weaker than they realize. A simple spell targeting their soul gems was enough to take them out."

"Charmeine!" Carmentae spat.

Charmeine glared at her. "Being a disgrace was bad enough, but you are a traitor to our society. "I would gladly kill you, but you're more useful as leverage."

"Leverage?" Joselyn spoke. Her weapons, absent during the fight against Walpurgisnacht, were now in her hands. She raised them.

"If you try to stop what is about to happen," Charmeine said, "they will all die. I'll push the swords into their throats."

Joselyn lowered her weapons, scowling. "What are you planning?"

Charmeine smirked. "Isn't it obvious?" She snapped her figures, and Kyubey emerged from the shadows. He wasn't alone. A wide-eyed, shaking girl followed him.

Oh, Avalon thought, Oh no.

"Madoka Kaname," Charmeine announced, "it is time for you to make your wish."