Chapter 47

Window Shopping

When the multicolored light faded, Madoka had to first blink the spots out of her eyes. When they cleared, she found that she and the others were currently in the middle of an alleyway. There wasn't much to see, just a few crates and what looked to be a dumpster.

"Everyone in one piece?" Sayaka asked.

"We're all here," Mami said.

"Wherever here is," Kyoko said evenly.

"Well, let's go see!" Sayaka proclaimed before taking off.

"Wait!" Mami ran after Sayaka, the others trailing behind her.

As they exited the alleyway, Madoka gasped at what she saw. Whereas Asgard's beauty came from its splendor and shine, being a glorious golden city of the gods, this place was far more down to earth, though no less beautiful in it's own way. The streets were narrow and paved with cobblestones, while the buildings looked straight out of a quaint European village. Yet, mixed in with this old fashioned look were more modern elements. Streetlights were placed at regular intervals, power lines could be seen up above, and the people wore more current clothing.

Towering over the city itself was a massive castle, of seemingly chaotic but symmetrical design, mixed in with intricate clockwork.

The beauty of the city didn't come from its buildings alone however. Everywhere she looked, Madoka could see a fountain, all in varying styles and designs. Beyond that, nature itself was living in apparent harmony with the city. Blossoming vines grew across walls and barriers, while trees were planted frequently, and flowers were absolutely everywhere.

"Wow..." Even Kyoko had to acknowledge it.

Madoka was transfixed. The city lived up to the name of Radiant Garden and more.

"I think we're finally where we're supposed to be," Sayaka said.

"And it's about time at that," A feminine voice sounded. Madoka felt a vibration and took out her phone, where holograms of the Magus Sisters sprung up, Sandy speaking.

"Getting blown off course and dragged through a bunch of tangentially related nonsense. I can relate." Cindy said.

"Filler arc," Mindy said. "Caught up to the manga but gotta still pay the staff!"

"I wouldn't go that far," Ramuh sprung up. "There was much learned, and we did obtain connections to several new Espers, meaning the girls magical training can continue further."

"You did?" Sandy asked.

"You didn't notice?" Sayaka asked. "I thought you were all just in there."

"A small fragment, to be more accurate." Ramuh said. "Enough to open a connection if we want to."

"We kind of tuned out part of the way through, not paying much attention to the connection. Besides, Odin's no fun."

"We were ghosting you, to put it bluntly." Mindy said.

"So who is… Oh… Maker… not him..." Sandy frowned.

"Who?" Madoka asked, before getting her answer in the form of the squelching, slimy, voice she had hoped to never hear again, accompanied with a foul smell emanating from the phone.

"Helloooooo! It's so good to see y'all! And can I just say how wonderful it is now that I have the number of such bodacious babes like yourselves. Especially the blonde!" A new hologram appeared, this one of an eye surrounded by slimy writhing tentacles. Cuchulain had arrived, and was now eyeing Mami through her phone.

Cindy groaned. "Did you really have to link with him? He's worse than Ultros."

"Oh hey! Magus Sisters! Long time no see! You considered my proposal for a fours-"

"No!" The three sisters said in unison before winking out.

"Oh come on. I'm doing you a favor! You really think anyone else is going to-" Cuchulain's image suddenly winked out, as Mami pressed something on her screen.

"And good riddance."

"I didn't even know this thing had an ignore function." Nagisa said.

"Wait!" Madoka recalled their brief fight in the feast hall in Asgard. "He had talked about someone sending him."

Ramuh sighed. "Unfortunately, it's not likely he could tell you. Whatever part of himself he invested into this connection could be small enough to have that information excluded. Which I suppose has its own benefits. Namely not having to deal with his… eccentricities."

"You mean, being a slimy perv," Kyoko said.

"Sorry you had to deal with this guy, Madoka." Sayaka said.

"Yes, indeed. Right now, it would be best to focus on the reason you were sent here in the first place. Merlin."

Merlin. Despite the fact that her stay in the Nine Realms hadn't actually been that long, it felt like a lifetime. Her original goal of finding Merlin had been all but forgotten with all the chaos. But now, they were finally here.

"Well, where do we even start? This is an entire city." Kyoko said.

"Right here." Mami said, looking towards a random passerby. "Excuse me, sir? Sorry to bother you, but we're looking for a wizard named Merlin?"

"A… wizard?" The man asked.

"Yes, named Merlin. Would you happen to know where we can find him?"

"I'm not sure what you're talking about."

"The wizard, y'know. This is Radiant Garden right?!" Kyoko asked.

"Yeah?" The man replied.

"So there's supposed to be a great and powerful wizard here, ain't there?"

"I don't think so. I'm pretty sure it'd be a big deal if someone like that were here."

"But…"

"I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help."

And it was like that everywhere. No matter who they asked, nobody had even heard of Merlin.

"This doesn't make sense. Yen Sid said he was here. We went through hell and back to get here, and then, nobody's ever heard him." Sayaka said.

"You think ol' Yen Sid could have pulled one over on us?" Kyoko asked.

"No…" He didn't seem anything like that kind of person to Madoka. But then...

"So what do we do?" Nagisa asked.

"Well..."

"Wow, a Keyblade Wielder! Of all the things to encounter today, kupo!" A familiar sounding voice rang out.

Everyone turned, and exclaimed in shock at who was approaching them.

"A moogle!" Nagisa said, instantly perking up.

"So you have heard of us, kupo!" Said the Moogle. "My name's Mog, pleased to meet you!"

"The same." Mami said.

"Haven't seen a Keybearer in a hot minute."

"We were told to seek out the Moogle of Radiant Garden, were we not?" Nagisa asked. "By that moogle in Twilight Town."

"You met Elmina, Kupo?" The Moogle asked, he then flew around the party. "Oh yes. You already have the Inventory. Awesome!"

Madoka recalled back to that conversation. "They said that you could upgrade my Keyblade."

"Oh of course, Kupo. Come with me!" The Moogle gestured to a building on the other side of the street. It had a window and counter that was clearly for doing business, as well as a larger door to enter in. As they followed, the Moogle flew in through the shop window, and then there was a clicking sound from the front door. With that, it opened, beckoning the girls inside.

The Moogle shop was bigger on the inside, reminding her of Yen Sid's tower. Past the shelves of merchandise were numerous machines, each different from the last. There was one that looked like a television with a gigantic star placed on top, another that seemed to resemble a castle shaped ball pit, one that was a strange color-changing spiral, a conveyor belt that wound wildly all over the building. A machine that consisted of a table with automatic gigantic white-gloved hands pummeling some sort of putty, a fountain of some sort of strange liquid, and more.

But the machines weren't alone, tending them were a crew of moogles, who paused in their work as Madoka and the others approached, shouting greetings.

"Hello, Kupo!"

"Salutations, Kupo!"

"Howdy, Kupo!"

"Konnichiwa, Kupo"

"Sup, Kupo?"

"Uh… Kupo, Kupo!"

Nagisa couldn't help but giggle, and Madoka found her mood lifted by the Moogles antics.

"So, do you have any materials then?" Mog asked.

"Any… materials?"

"Y'know, Synthesis materials!"

"Er… I'm not sure what you mean." Madoka said.

"What are they teaching you Key-Bearers nowadays?" Mog gripped his head and shook his pom. He then reached behind him, somehow pulling out a glowing red perfectly cut gemstone that was about half as big as he was. It seemed to flicker inside it's facets, like it contained an actual fire, and as Madoka drew closer, she felt that it could simply radiate heat. "Like this Blaze Gem, imbued with the pure essence of fire. These are then used to create and enchant magical items."

That looked… very expensive. "I've never seen anything like that."

The Moogle's pom wilted. "You mean you haven't? But your a Keyblade Wielder. You've fought magical creatures before, right?"

"Um..."

"Like the Heartless!"

"Oh yes!" Madoka said.

"Magical energies can produce these types of materials. Heartless are a great source of them. Darkness' nature is to consume, and just by being in an area, a Heartless can form these within which are then released when it is defeated. More powerful Heartless of course produce more powerful materials, Kupo. You can also get them from other magical creatures, though Heartless are one of the best sources. All you need to do is..." Suddenly, Mog slapped his forehead, making his pom bounce. "Oh Kupo, now it all makes sense. You don't know the art to detecting and properly extracting these materials."

"There's a technique?"

"Sure, any mage with enough training can do it, Kupo. Though..." Mog's pom suddenly stood straight up. "Yes, that's it, Kupo!"

Suddenly, a group of other Moogles flew out from the workshop, flying around the girls. She felt a hand reach into her pocket.

"Hey hey! Watch the hands!" Kyoko shouted, meanwhile Mami blushed and covered her chest.

The Moogles now held the girls Gummiphones in their hands. "Now that's a nice phone, Kupo!"

"What are you doing with those?" Kyoko demanded.

"Yeah... wait... what are we doing with these, Kupo?"

"I can upgrade these with an app to detect and gather materials!"

"Wait, Kupo, we have an app?" A Moogle asked.

"Since when, Kupo?" Another asked.

"Just now!" Mog exclaimed, raising his hand.

"Er..."

"Trust me, let me tinker with these for a bit, and you'll really be grateful Kupo!"

"What about my Keyblade?" Madoka asked, forming Crystal Clarity once more.

"Oh! That is a very good Keyblade. And you've already started collecting Keychains." There was a blur of motion, and suddenly, Mog was holding Madoka's keyblade. He started looking the weapon up and down. "Yes, yes. One holding the memory of home, of hope, of more, it's… what's this? The power of magic and wishes? And there's more… no… Ah, save that for later, Kupo. The next one is…"

Suddenly, the Keyblade shifted to Eternal Struggle.

"Yes, yes… the essence of challenge, of competition, of… what's this, Kupo… new friends, the hopeful yet anxious beginning of a journey? Indeed! The strength needed for great trials."

"Um..."

There was a crackle of electricity and the Keyblade once more shifted, transforming into Gríðarvölr. "And a keyblade aspected to lightning! Containing… inspiration… a sudden realization… a burst of power, familiar yet different… and yet..."

Madoka was completely lost as to what the Moogle was doing, and not entirely sure what he meant by what he was saying. However, Mog then turned back to Madoka.

"This is an amazing Keyblade. Though since you don't have any proper materials I can't… no… wait… something odd about it… It has absorbed something, Kupo. Hasn't it?"

Madoka thought back to the fight with Gorr. Though the memories were slightly fuzzy, almost like a dream, she recalled plunging her Keyblade into the mass of Aether and darkness that Gorr had become, and the whole thing had been absorbed into the Keyblade. It was later extracted, but what was Mog on about?

She related her story to Mog, who gasped in surprise. "Some sort of reality altering substance was absorbed into this Key."

"Wait, so her Keyblade can now alter reality?!" Sayaka exclaimed.

"No, Kupo. Nothing like that, sadly. What traces remain of the substance are inert, it most likely only functions in its World of origin. However, while it was absorbed into this Keyblade, it made some… alterations to it. Potentiality!"

"Meaning..." Mami asked.

"Kupo, I can refine those changes and improve your Keyblade after all!"

"Wow, really?"

"Of course, Kupo! Give me a few hours, and you'll be treated to an even more powerful Keyblade. Moogle's promise, Kupo! If I have your permission, of course."

"You do." Madoka said.

"Wonderful, Kupo!" Mog exclaimed. The rest of the Moogles around the shop cheered as well. "You won't be disappointed, Kupo."

"Let's get to work!" Another Moogle shouted. The machines in the shop began to light up in a variety of colors, humming and clicking as the workers activated them.

"I should point out that the process of enhancing a Keyblade will take a few hours. During that time, you won't be able to summon your Keyblade, Kupo."

"Okay." Madoka said.

"Wait, Mr. Mog." Mami said. "I have one more question."

"Oh sure, Kupo, ask away."

"We came to Radiant Garden to seek the wizard Merlin. We were told that he resided here, and yet, everyone we've asked as never heard of him."

"Oh, yeah, I kinda noticed that. He does live here, or did… Everyone seems to have forgotten though."

"Forgotten, how does everyone in a city forget something like that?!" Kyoko asked.

"Memory's a funny thing, Kupo, not nearly as reliable as everyone thinks it is. People think it's a solid but it's really more like a fluid, shaping to fit the container. Why, they once forgot the very name of this city!"

"That does not sound good." Nagisa said

"So, this was pointless? Everything we've gone through?" Kyoko made a noise that sounded a mixture between a sigh and a snarl.

"I didn't say that Kupo! There's a new magician in town, where Merlin used to be, just getting set up, he might be able to help you!"

"Who is he?"

"Not sure, he only arrived recently, and I haven't had time to check it out myself. I can give you the directions though, it's just off of the city's Central Square!"

The Moogle's directions led them to a building that very much looked to be in the process of someone moving. Boxes and crates of materials stood outside, as well as a large sign hanging over the entrance, though a cloth was draped over it, obscuring what it said.

Madoka was reminded of her own family moving, though the more she tried to visualize it, the harder it was. It just felt so… fuzzy.

"Hello, little ladies, are y'all looking for the shop? Don't mind the mess, we're currently getting set up."

"Shop?" Madoka turned to see a tall and thin black man in somewhat fancy clothes that looked slightly too small for him.

"Oh, I'm sorry, just where are my manners?" The man bowed low, removing his hat at the same time. A card fluttered out of the hat, drifting through the air towards Madoka, who took it and read it aloud.

"Dr. Facilier's Voodoo Emporium. Tarot Readings. Charms. Potions… Dreams Made Real?"

"Seeing as I'm just starting out, I'd be just honored to have a quintet of lovely ladies like yourselves as my first customers. I'll even cut y'all a deal, spread good word of mouth and all that jazz."

"We're looking for someone…"

"Oh that shouldn't be too hard… for my friends on the others side!"

Radiant Garden

And so here we are, at the start of the Radiant Garden arc. I've got all sorts of crazy plans for this one, expect a wild ride!

~Dragonexx