Chapter 7

Unravelling

The Incubator shaped monsters were all the proof she needed that there was some sort of intelligent and sinister plot behind the attack on her island. Unfortunately, Homura had no idea how to go about finding whoever was orchestrating this.

Her first suspect had been the Incubator itself, but the familiars she kept guarding it at all times had reported no change in the little pests behavior. So clearly, the Incubator shaped monster was just to mess with her.

Made even worse was that any examination of her enemies only raised more questions. After the fight, she had immediately warped to the tower where the bug creature was being kept, expecting to find some answers.

Instead, it made her long for more things to fight. Nothing she tried seemed to yield any form of answer, only instead confusing her further. Scans revealed that the captive creature had no organs, no veins, no skeleton, heck, no cells at all! It's body seemed to be made of entirely the same material. Looking further revealed that it didn't even have atoms. How was that even possible?

Trying to understand what she was seeing only served to give her a headache, and make her long for the fight, enjoying the feeling of the kickback as she unloaded a machine gun into crowds of these creatures. Maybe she could stage a mock battle with her familiars…

After she had fully appraised this threat, and ensured her dear Madoka's safety. She needed to continue working. There was much to do. However when she tried to stand, a sudden weariness came over her, mixed with some dizziness. She leaned against the desk, gripping her head. She felt so worn out. Her body ached, her joints were stiff, and her eyes stung. Her throat felt dry and her breath felt raspy. Maybe she could take a break. A nap looked so appealing right about now…

No!

She couldn't rest. If she did… She hated thinking about what happened when she did. Best to keep moving. She forced herself away from the desk and slapped herself, jolting her to awareness. She couldn't sleep. Not now. Not ever.

But maybe instead…

With a step, Homura returned to the beach. From there, she looked back at the castle, her frown deepening. What was she thinking? Building an over the top evil lair like some edgy brat. She was overcome with a sudden urge to destroy it, but stopped. The urge faded after a while.

Homura turned towards the ocean, watching the waves. Eventually, the sound came to her head. Slow, elegant, and rhythmic music only she could hear. She got into position, and began to twirl and leap. She had no particular sequence in mind, instead letting the movements come to her as they did.

In truth she didn't know why she felt the urge to dance nowadays. She might have blamed it on Homulilly. She had once been the Nutcracker Witch but she had felt no urge to dance back then. Now, it felt like the only real solace she had, losing herself in the graceful movements.

Eventually, however, the song came to an end, the music in her mind fading. Brief respites like these were all she was allowed, and then everything in reality came crashing back.

The shadow monsters. She sighed. What were they? She recalled the heart-shaped symbol they carried. It reminded her of the symbols of Witches. They very well could be a familiar of some sort, but then where was the Witch who created them?

Regardless, if there was a Witch, then things had gotten a whole lot more dangerous. Before investigating, she should check up on Madoka, make sure she was safe. And then move from there.

With a step, the world flew past Homura, and she arrived outside her home, invisibly of course. When she took stock of her location, her heart sank into her stomach.

When Sayaka saw the police car outside of Madoka's house, all her worries were confirmed. She picked up her pace, almost running. Madoka had been acting off the last few days. Sayaka hadn't said anything directly, but she could always tell when something was bothering her best friend. She had talked to Homura, Homura of all people! And then at the mall, she had abruptly ran off without any real explanation, and came back looking shaken and scuffed up. The others seemingly hadn't noticed, but even after they had been apart for years, Sayaka knew Madoka. Something was wrong with her.

As she approached the gate, she could overhear the conversation.

"We've checked with every hospital in Mitakihara. Nobody named Junko Kaname or anyone resembling her appearance has been admitted." The officer said.

"Are you sure?" A worried male voice. Must be Mr. Kaname.

"I'm sorry, sir. Do you have anything we could go off of? Anything out of the ordinary? What was the last thing she said to you?"

"She told me she was working late. But that's something she does often. Are you sure there's nothing you can do?"

The police officer sighed. "Look, I'm going to be honest, we have no real leads on this case. The high-ups are scrambling day and night to find something, anything. Considering so many prominent and well known figures have gone missing, human trafficking is looking very unlikely. Were talking business leaders, politicians, celebrities, the kind of people who's disappearances get noticed. The next logical guess would be some kind of terrorists, but there's been no release of any demands or dissemination of any kind of ideology. Heck, at this point, maybe all the tinfoil hats are right and it really is aliens."

There was a disappointed growl. "Thank you for your time, officer."

"For what it's worth, I've lost friends as well. I understand what your going through. I'll inform you the minute we find anything."

Sayaka approached the house as the police officer left, with a small nod to her. Mr. Kaname's eyes widened. "Sayaka? How much of that did you hear?"

"Most of it." She said.

He lowered his head. "I'm sorry to have bothered you with something like this."

"It's fine." Sayaka replied.

Mr. Kaname's eyes looked red, like he had been crying. Behind him, Madoka didn't look much better.

"Why are you here anyways" Mr. Kaname asked.

"Papa, we were going to go out shopping again today." Madoka said.

Mr. Kaname paused, and then his frown deepened. "Madoka, please don't."

"What? Why?"

"It's… just… for the time being, I'd feel a lot better if you stayed here."

"Oh…" Madoka turned around and went back inside.

She couldn't let it end here though. "Mr. Kaname. Do you mind if I hang out here, with Madoka then?"

"I don't see why not. It'd certainly help her take her mind off of things."

"Thanks." Sayaka said. She rushed up the stairs and to Madoka's room.

"Knock knock! You decent?" Sayaka said. "Not that I'd mind either way…

"Sayaka? Is that you?" Madoka quickly opened the door. She then looked around the hallway. "Come in!"

"Ooh, I like where this is going!" Sayaka said.

Madoka's eyes rolled, but she saw her grin slightly. Score!

Sayaka followed Madoka into her room. It still looked the same as always, a collection of stuffed animals, and pink everywhere.

Madoka sat down on the bed while Sayaka took the chair.

"So..." She had to get to the bottom of this. Something had been off about her for the last couple days. She wasn't entirely sure about this, but she couldn't back down. She took a deep breath. "Sorry about your mom."

Madoka looked to the ground. She looked sad, but there seemed to be some guilt mixed in there as well. Why though?

"What happened?"

"She said she was working late, which is normal for her. But, then she never came home. Papa got worried. He kept trying to call, but no answer. He called her office, but they said she already left. So he called the police. At about 4 in the morning, they found her car crashed by the side of the road, but no sign of her." Madoka looked like she was about to cry

"Oh…" This was a bad idea. "Don't worry, I'm sure they'll find her."

Madoka looked away, staring out the window. She was breathing heavily, and clenching and unclenching her fists, like she was trying to psyche herself up. What was going on?

Madoka took a deep breath. "Sayaka, can you keep a secret? At least for a little while?"

She was tempted to make a flirtatious joke, but thought better of it. This felt serious. "Yes. What is it?"

Madoka closed her eyes and held out her hand, like she was concentrating. Then the strangest thing Sayaka had ever seen in her life happened. There was a flash of light, and a dance of flower petals, and suddenly, Madoka was holding a giant key.

"What the hell?!" She couldn't help herself, falling out of her chair.

"Quiet!" Madoka hissed.

"S-Sorry!" Sayaka said, eyes still wide, unable to take them off of the giant key, that Madoka was now holding. When she managed to get some semblance of composure, she started questioning.

"Still, what the heck is that?!"

"It's called a Keyblade. This one's name is Crystal Clarity." Madoka said.

"A Keyblade?! This one?! Crystal Clarity?! What's that even mean?!" Sayaka exclaimed.

So Madoka launched into her story. Sayaka stared with rapt attention, barely managing to process everything she was saying. A dream with stained glass depictions of herself and her friends? Shadowy bug monsters? A cat man and a demon woman? It was like she had stepped into some sort of anime.

And it all was apparently centered around that thing called a Keyblade.

"Can I see it?" Sayaka asked.

"Sure." Madoka said. She handed the blade to Sayaka, who gave it a few swings. Despite the fact that it looked more like it belonged in an art gallery than on a battlefield, she had to admit it felt sturdy and well-balanced in her grip. She gave the weapon back to Madoka.

"Wow… this is… a lot to take in." Sayaka said. It did seem fairly simple however when one took a step back. Madoka was some sort of chosen one. There were supernatural monsters called Heartless on the loose, apparently under the control of a pair of villains.

"Well, it all seems simple. Fight the monsters, beat the bad guys, save the world!" Sayaka said, with a smile. Unfortunately, Madoka didn't seem to share her enthusiasm. She looked even more sad.

"What's wrong? I know it seems scary, but I'll be there for you! I'll protect you!"

"It's not that. It's… Mama. That cat guy said he was going to turn me into a Heartless. What if Mama was turned into a Heartless? What if one of those Heartless I fought was my mother? What if I killed my Mother?!" Madoka struggled not to sob.

"Whoa." Sayaka was at a loss for words. That was… Wait! "You fought those guys around noon right?"

"Yes."

"Ms. Kaname didn't go missing until after dark. So, there's no way you could have fought your mom!" Sayaka deduced.

Madoka pondered for a moment, then seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. "Thanks."

"But it does leave the question, what do we do now?"

Madoka looked out the window again. "Homura."

Sayaka stiffened, the mere mention of her name making her uneasy. "Why?" She managed to ask.

"She was in my dream. When I told her about it, she seemed curious. She must know something!" Madoka said.

No. She couldn't let her do this. "Stay away from her. I keep telling you, she's bad news!"

"Why do you have it in for her so much? Honestly?"

"It's because..." Come to think of it, why did she hate Homura so much? Every time she came up, Sayaka always felt an intense loathing. It felt like Homura had done something wrong. Something awful and unforgivable. But what?

"You, Homura Akemi, are a demon!"

It was her voice. Her words. Sayaka knew that. She'd always known that. Yet she could not explain why. Like something was missing. Something important.

"I… don't know." She admitted. "I still don't trust her."

"Maybe, but she's the only lead we have right now. I have to see her."

Sayaka grit her teeth. She didn't like it, but Madoka made sense.

"Fine. Let's go."

"Actually, can you please stay here?"

"What? Why?"

"I'm worried about Papa and Tatsuya. I need you to keep a watch on them, make sure they're okay. Call me immediately if something happens."

Sayaka took a deep breath. Madoka made sense again. Dammit, she didn't like this one bit. "Alright."

Madoka stood up, left the room briefly, came back, and opened the window.

"What are you doing?" Sayaka asked.

"Papa's asleep downstairs, by the front door. Tatsuya's next to him. I don't want them to worry, so hopefully, they'll never know I was gone."

"What?!" Sayaka gasped as she saw Madoka leap out the second story window, a pink aura surrounding her.

After the police report was finished, Homura stepped away. There was nothing more to see. Now, one question burned on her mind.

Where was Junko Kaname?!

Homura was growing increasingly frustrated. There was no trace of the woman in Mitakihara City. She had scoured hospitals, shelters, gang hideouts, prisons, businesses, military bases, and everywhere else she could think of to find her, and came up empty. She had expanded her search to the region and then the entire country, only to conclude that Junko Kaname was not in Japan.

She expanded her search across Asia, then Europe and Africa, and then to the Americas and Australia. She even went to Antarctica! And yet nothing. No trace of her, as if she had disappeared off the face of the earth.

Her thoughts went to the strange creatures that had attacked her earlier. The Witch theory was starting to look more likely. Had Junko Kaname been pulled into a Labyrinth? But how was a Witch even possible? Madoka had destroyed them prior, and Homura's better world, there were no Magical Girls to begin with.

She supposed it was a question for later. Right now, what mattered was a course of action. Considering how long Junko Kaname had been missing, if she was trapped in a Labyrinth, she was likely to be dead. In which case, creating a duplicate of her would be necessary. Regardless, hunting down the Witch took priority.

Homura returned to her manor in Mitakihara, gathering her familiars and preparing to fan out and search from there, only to pause in shock again as she looked at who was standing at the front gates.

Madoka had never liked roller coasters, the sensation of vertigo and falling always made her nauseous. So, it was quite to her surprise that when she was using her powers to leap across the city that she felt perfectly fine. Great even. She leaped from rooftop to rooftop, bouncing off walls and even windows that should not have been able to support her weight. Yet the glass didn't break. She grabbed onto a light pole, and swung around, launching herself into the air where defying all logic (and common sense) she landed on a power line and began grinding down it.

Throughout the entire time she couldn't help but give out cries of excitement, never mind the circumstances. Here she was, running and leaping across the city like a ninja, feeling the wind rush past her, and she couldn't help but laugh.

Soon enough, she arrived at her destination, on the outskirts of the city, and gasped at what she saw. A mansion. She had looked up the information and the records stated that she lived here. But really? A sprawling mansion?

She walked up to the front gates. She didn't see any indication of where to enter so she called out. "Homura? Are you there? I need to talk to you!"

What was Madoka doing here? What was Madoka doing here?! She was at her house. She should be at her house!

No! Homura took a deep breath. She would be calm about this. No need to panic. The would just talk. She should welcome her inside. It was getting close to noon. They could have lunch. That would work well.

But then Homura thought back to her dining hall. The only place to eat in the house, and it was a large room. What was she thinking? A smaller room would have worked better. But what kind of smaller? Her first thoughts were of a breakfast room with a table fit for two. No, too intimate. Maybe a larger room? But not too large, or she felt like she would be showing off. Maybe instead-

Surely, Mistress Good-For-Nothing was a most indecisive and cruel beast, yet, was it not the fate of the mistress and her creations to suffer? Nekura was most unfortunate to have responded to Good-For-Nothings commands to prepare a lunch, only to have the dining room spontaneously warp. As she was setting the table, the walls suddenly closed in with rapid force, launching her across the long table that splintered behind her, and ending up in a pile of broken porcelain. The room had contracted, though it didn't last long, barely enough for Nekura to rise, before the room changed again, the pile of porcelain springing up into round rustic wooden table, launching her head through the ceiling. Then the ceiling shifted, dropping her to the ground, in a room that was now rapidly filling to the brim with Hollandaise Sauce…

And then if she took the weather balloon and-

"Hello? Is Homura here?"

Oh right. Madoka was still at the front door. She had grown noticeably over the past few years, developing more of a bust and more curves, even if she hadn't grown too much in height. She was beautiful as always, so much unlike herself. She still wore those ribbons with the same cute hairstyle. It was summer break, so she wasn't in her uniform, and instead wore a white tube top and black miniskirt, with white thigh-high stockings and a pink jacket. Madoka still had that unsure demeanor about herself however, which made a knot form in Homura's stomach at the thought of it. Despite growing some, she was still so insecure. But there wasn't any time to dwell on that.

Homura took a deep breath and stepped outside. She could do this. Just stay calm.

The gate opened in front of Madoka, which she took as a sign that she should enter. And then Homura stepped out the front door. Madoka had to admit she had been jealous of Homura's looks for a long time. She was so tall and slender, and her hair was so long and silky in a way that Madoka could never dream of hers being. She had long, shapely legs, and her body was lithe and graceful like a dancer.

And she lived in a massive mansion like this. It made Madoka feel slightly intimidated. There were plenty of boys and girls at school who were clearly attracted to Homura, but she never really seemed to acknowledge or even notice any of them. She had perfect grades and was incredibly athletic, and she was walking right towards her.

Madoka hoped if she was blushing, it wasn't obvious.

"Madoka Kaname? Why are you here?" Her voice was neutral, she didn't seem to be surprised to see her despite the sudden visit.

Madoka thought back to everything that had happened over the past few days. The Keyblade. The Heartless. The strange dreams. The half-remembered conversation. It had all led her here. She had no doubt that Homura knew some truth that she didn't.

"Homura. I'm not sure if you've noticed, but there have been things happening. Around this city. Around me. To me. I'm still completely confused, but I think you have answers."

Homura stiffened at Madoka's words. Had she offended her? Was she too direct?

"What... kind of things?" Homura finally answered.

"It starts with the dream, and then-" Before Madoka could say anything else, she heard a sound, like some sort of distorted water flow, and Heartless appeared all around them.

~Dragonexx