Chapter 8

Tapana

They were here! Madoka was in danger! Homura stepped forwards, ready to fight. "Madoka get back-"

"Heartless! Homura, get back! I'll protect you!"

"-I'll prote- WHAT?!"

It was like ice had filled her entire body. She saw a key-like weapon form in Madoka's hands, resembling the bow she once wielded. She watched as Madoka stepped in front of her, brandishing the strange key shaped sword. Homura stood frozen and transfixed as she watched Madoka rush forwards and fight the monsters.

No! No! No! No! This couldn't be happening. Madoka was safe. She wasn't a goddess anymore! She wasn't a Puella Magi anymore! She was just a girl! Why was this happening?!

She barely noticed as the creatures were slain, Madoka's sword making short work of them as she leaped about the battlefield. She then turned to Homura, who was still struggling to process everything she was seeing.

"Homura! Are you okay?! The Heartless didn't hurt you did they?"

She felt numb. She had failed. Madoka was still fighting.

"Homura? Earth to Homura!"

What? Madoka was speaking to her. She should say something.

"Madoka Kaname... Are you okay?!" The words sounded muffled, distant. As if someone else was saying them.

"Yeah. I'm fine." She said. "It's not my first run in with the Heartless. But I still need answers."

Not my first run in...

Homura transformed her clothes, donning her Puella Magi uniform.

"Whoa!"

She needed time to think. This wasn't right. She needed to gather answers and find out what had gone wrong. What was wrong with Madoka.

"Please, return home." Homura said.

"What? But-"

Homura gestured, and the world warped. Madoka was transported to the front of her house.

Homura walked back into the house. Inside, she saw several of the Lotte soldiers, sweeping up some broken glass. Apparently, one of the "Heartless" had appeared inside the house and caused some damage before being destroyed.

She watched the dolls cleaning up. Soldiers with spears slung over their backs were sweeping up. It was a stupid looking sight. And the sound of all that broken glass being swept was grating to her ears. One of the Lotte turned and began to salute her. They looked stupid. Stupid. So stupid… She was so stupid!

She grabbed it by the neck and hurled it out the window. Before any others could react, she grabbed another and tore it in half.

Homura screamed.

I'm so stupid. How did I ever think this could work!

She punched another, and then smashed another into the ground.

How could I have not noticed!

She grabbed a vase and smashed it into a painting, destroying both.

So fucking stupid! Can't anything fucking work! No! No it can't!

She lifted a cabinet, and smashed it through the wall, ripping open pipes which gushed out water.

Stupid! So fucking stupid!

Homura collapsed to the ground, screaming, sobbing, and gripping her head as glowing hands erupted from her body, tearing through the manor. Furniture was smashed, appliances were hurled about, and walls punched through, while her familiars fled in panic. A car was lifted and hurled out of the garage and through most of the house, where the engine caught fire. The lights simply exploded.

Eventually the storm abated, leaving the manor in ruins. The hands faded away and Homura stood up, wiping away her tears. She couldn't just stand around here. She needed to investigate. Something was wrong with Madoka, and she needed to fix it. The key she was wielding resembled the bow she had once wielded. That could mean only one thing.

"INCUBATOR!" Homura shouted at the top of her lungs. Her outfit changed, transforming into the dress she wore when she became the Devil. Black wings spread from her back as her eyes blazed with purple fire.

Homura took off straight up, bursting through the roof of the manor. She then took off through the air, flying at super sonic speeds, a blazing purple comet in the sky. The ocean steamed and bubbled in her wake as she flew towards her island, howling in rage.

She didn't pause when she reached it, instead smashing through the side of the volcano, straight into the dungeons of her castle, only stopping once she reached one of the cells.

Outside the cell was a full compliment of Lotte, led by a Clara. Inside the cell a tiny white creature was trapped in a cage too small for it. Its fur was dirty, mangy, and wild, and its eyes were bulging and shaking. Its breathing was labored and raspy.

{H-ho… mu… ra.} Kyubey's telepathic voice, almost always calm, was now weak and fearful.

"What have you done?!" Homura demanded. The cage broke apart and she lifted Kyubey into the air by its neck.

{I'm not sure what you mean?} Kyubey replied.

"Don't play dumb! Madoka! What have you done to Madoka?!"

{I h-have had no contact with Madoka Kaname. Why do you ask?}

"She's a Puella Magi again! Fighting creatures she calls Heartless!"

{Is she? T-that's interesting. I have n-n-not, nor h-has any other Incubator, made a new Contract with her. As to these Heartless…}

"Do you know anything about them?!" Homura shouted.

{Knowledge of these Heartless exists.}

"What do you know?! Tell me!"

Kyubey instead twitched. Its eyes rolled back and forth.

{It's d-difficult to th-think in this state.}

Homura paused, and considered it's words. She then hurled the creature to the ground. A pistol formed in her hands, and she opened fire. Earlier, whenever she attacked the Incubator, it reacted at most with annoyance when it wasn't trying to use it's injuries to score pity points with Madoka. Now, it writhed on the ground, screaming in pain, powerless.

Oh yes! A massive smile spread across Homura's face. She unloaded the entire clip into the little cretin, the prison echoing with the sound of gunshots. After a moments thought, she reloaded the gun and emptied another clip into Kyubey while it was helpless to fight back. That's what you get!

"No more of your word games! Give me a straight answer! Do you know anything about the Heartless that I do not!"

Kyubey was silent and limp.

"For how advanced and rational they claim to be, the Incubators are startlingly ignorant in so many matters. They do not possess the knowledge you seek." A voice behind her said.

"I want to hear it say it." Homura snarled. She held out her hand, and the ground beneath Kyubey began to crack. It was levitated into the air as lava surged forwards, the ground melting away. Homura levitated Kyubey over the lava, roasting it. The creature screamed in pure horror as it's fur began to blacken and burn.

"I know your still in there! Answer the question! Do you know anything about the Heartless that I do not! Yes or no!"

{No! No! No!} Kyubey screamed.

"There. Was that so hard?" Homura said. She returned the cell to it's normal state, dropping Kyubey, not even bothering to recreate the cage. It stumbled over to a corner and curled up, shuddering while staring at Homura fearfully. Small victories.

It was then that she realized that someone had spoken behind her. She turned, and then gasped in shock.

"Kyosuke?!"

Before she could even finish her sentence, Madoka found herself standing outside her house. She didn't believe her eyes at first, but quickly had no choice other than to accept that she had somehow been teleported.

And Homura had sent her away. But that transformation. Her clothes had changed into some weird getup, that kind of reminded her of the outfit she had seen herself wear in her dream.

Homura definitely had answers. She wanted Madoka to wait. But she got the feeling that if she did, she'd lose her chance of finding anything out.

She looked up at the sky. It was completely obscured by thick dark clouds, and lightning flashed within them.

She couldn't stop here. She had to go back. She took off running, leaping onto the nearby rooftops, making her way across the city. Madoka wouldn't be ignored. She'd get her answers.

Unfortunately, her trip was interrupted by the sudden ringing of her phone. When she saw it was Sayaka, she immediately answered it.

"Sayaka? Is that you? What's wrong?"

"Madoka! You have to get back her ASAP! It's-" There was a crackling sound, and then silence.

"Sayaka?!" The call had ended. Madoka noticed a shadow pass over her, and looked up to see a horde of bat shaped heartless flying through the air. Headed in the direction of…

"Home!" Madoka said. "No! No!"

She took off running, leaping across the buildings, returning to her house, hoping she wouldn't find what she expected. Unfortunately, her hopes were not met. Heartless crowded around her home, windows had been broken and the front door was kicked down. Smoke trailed out from inside the building.

Madoka didn't waste any time, she leaped over the mass of heartless outside and came crashing down on them, channeling the energy she used to leap around into an explosion of energy upon impacting the ground, destroying all of them. She rushed towards the front door, only to narrowly dodge a sudden fireball. Madoka looked up to see some sort of armless, bell shaped, Heartless with a yellow hat. As it flew close to her, it glowed, and a fireball streaked out from it. Madoka dodged the projectile, which struck the bushes, setting them on fire. She leaped up into the air, smacking the Heartless to the ground, destroying it.

She then rushed into the front door, cutting down the Heartless blocking her path.

"Papa?! Tatsuya?!" Madoka called. Smoke was gradually filling the building. She heard a crashing sound and a scream from the kitchen. No! It couldn't be what she thought that was.

She rushed into the room to have all her worse fears confirmed. She froze as she saw her father was lying on the ground, blood pooling around him. He struggled to pick himself up. Standing over him was a Heartless that resembled the little bug-like ones, but human sized and covered in glowing blue veins.

"Madoka… Run…" Tomihisa croaked out as he looked weakly at her. Then his eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed. From his chest, a glowing orb like object emerged. Madoka could only stare, transfixed. It was a beautiful, thing, though that awe soon turned to horror as the glowing orb was engulfed in darkness. That darkness then expanded, growing arms and legs and antennae until it transformed into one of the bug Heartless.

Tomohisa's body faded away as the bug creature turned it's eyes towards Madoka. Like all the others, its expression was unreadable. It slowly crawled towards Madoka, keeping its gaze locked on her.

"Papa?" She asked, looking into it's yellow eyes. Without warning, the Heartless leaped towards Madoka. She frantically backed away, and instead stumbled back over a chair, while the Heartless leaped up on top of her. It swiped it's claws, drawing a series of cuts along her cheek. She pushed the monster off of her and stood up, backing away from the Heartless while keeping her Keyblade pointed at it.

"S-stay away!" She said, her voice cracking. The blade shook as the Heartless steadily crawled towards her again. If that was her father, she couldn't kill it. But what should she do then? Him or her? Did it really come down to that?

She was shook out of it by the sound of crying in the next room. Cries she recognized instantly. "Tatsuya!"

Madoka tore herself away from the Heartless that might be her father and rushed over into the living room. There she could see Tatsuya cowering beneath a table while Heartless tried to reach under it to get at him.

"Stay away from him!" She shouted, and charged forwards, cutting them apart with Crystal Clarity.

"Madoka?" Tatsuya sobbed.

"Yes it's me!" She said. "It's your big sis!"

Tatsuya crawled out from under the table, and immediately rushed over to Madoka, sobbing. "Madoka! I'm scared!"

"Don't worry." She said, embracing him. "I'll keep you safe."

As she said those words, she noticed a flash of movement in the corner of her eye. It was too late to react however, and she and Tatsuya were sent flying. She clung to him, shielding her little brother from the impact. He now lay on top of her, still sobbing as she saw the humanoid Heartless stalk towards her.

She brandished her Keyblade with one hand while she clung to Tatsuya with the other. She needed to fight it, but she couldn't leave Tatsuya alone. Then the Heartless jerked, and stumbled, before collapsing to the ground. It's body dispersed into wisps of darkness that when they faded reveled Sayaka?! And she was wielding a cutlass!

"Sayaka?!" Madoka exclaimed. "W-where did you get that?!"

"No time to talk! We have to go now!" Sayaka shouted.

"Y-yes!" Madoka said. She stood up, carrying Tatsuya, and running towards exit. The fire was growing, and the house was filling with smoke.

The three of them made it out of the building and on to the front lawn.

"Where's your dad?" Sayaka asked.

"He… didn't make it." Madoka said, the full realization of what had happened bearing down on her.

"What do you mean he didn't make it?"

"He was-"

All of a sudden, something struck the ground near by, and an explosion rocked the area. Madoka was lifted off her feet and hurled away, rolling on the ground, while Tatsuya was flung from her grip.

Her vision was clouded, and her ears were ringing. Everything hurt. Eventually, her vision began to clear, and she saw Tatsuya lying on the ground. He was in danger. She had to get him to safety. She-

A red javelin impaled her little brother. He made no sound, not a wince of pain, not seeming to comprehend what had just happened to him.

Madoka could only watch on blankly as her brothers body went limp. Holding the weapon was a gigantic creature, resembling an incredibly emaciated one-armed man, bare chested, with it's lower body clad in a robe. A heart shaped hole was in the middle of it's chest. It floated it the air, cross legged like some sort of monk. Strangest of all was it's skull like head, floating above it's body and split in two. In between the halves was the stylized heart-shaped emblem that other Heartless sometimes bore.

The gigantic heartless lifted Tatsuya' into the air, where he began to fade away. As with her father, a glowing orb emerged from his body, and was shrouded in darkness and transformed into a Heartless. That was bad, wasn't it? The bug disappeared, along with Tatsuya's body.

Suddenly, a blue haired girl rushed over to her, frantically looking back between Madoka and the giant Heartless.

"Madoka! Get up!"

Was that Sayaka? She was here? If she was, then…

"TATSUYA!" Madoka shot up as she fully processed what had happened. Her little brother was gone. She gave a raw scream and leaped towards the gigantic Heartless.

"GIVE HIM BACK! GIVE HIM BACK!" She screamed as she wildly slashed at the Heartless. Tears streaked down her face, stinging as they ran over the cuts on her cheek, but she didn't care. It took Tatsuya.

The Heartless, blocked her swings with the javelin and easily batted her away. She crashed back to the ground, and quickly leaped to her feet. She was about to rush it again, when she was instead grabbed from behind.

She turned to see a strange grinning girl dressed in elegant clothing pulling her away.

"LET GO OF ME!" Madoka shouted.

"Komm mit, wenn du leben willst!"

What the hell, was that German?! Whatever, Madoka didn't care, that thing had taken her little brother!

"TATSUYA! GIVE HIM BACK!" She struggled against the grip of the strange girl, trying to get at the giant Heartless, who stood there, blankly watching, while she was dragged away.

"Let her go!" Sayaka ran towards the new girl as well and shoved her away. She stumbled back into the street, and was about to rush forwards again, when a car slammed into her head on.

There was the sound of gunshots and the gigantic heartless reeled back as bursts of light exploded on it's body, sending it crashing back into Madoka's house, shattering the glass windows and tearing out a large chunk of the structure.

Madoka stared Mami Tomoe stepped out of the passengers seat, holding some sort of silver musket. Out of the drivers seat, Kyoko Sakura emerged, wielding a spear. Out of the back seat came Nagisa Momoe. "Over here!" She shouted. "Hurry!"

Madoka looked to her friends, and then back to the Heartless which was rising from where it had been knocked over, the javelin it was wielding now wreathed in flames. It had taken Tatsuya.

"NO!" She screamed again. "GIVE TATSUYA BACK! GIVE PAPA BACK!"

She prepared to rush forwards, only to feel hands grab her. Sayaka, Mami, and Nagisa were holding her back.

"Get her in the car!" Kyoko shouted. "Hurry!" The smaller heartless were gathering again. She rushed towards them, slashing with her spear.

"NO! PAPA! TATSUYA!" Madoka screamed. She tried to fight back, but the three of them overpowered her, and managed to wrestle her into the back seat.

Once she was in, Mami jumped back into the front passenger seat and called back to Kyoko, who ran back and dove into the drivers seat. The Heartless rushed in pursuit, though she quickly righted herself, slammed the door, and floored the pedal. The tires screeched and the car sped away from the burning house while Madoka screamed in horror and grief.

If I had to choose a name, I'd call that boss heartless Tapana. It fits, on multiple levels.

As to the German, I don't speak the language, so the best I can do is google translate.

Again, thanks to The Name Of Love for beta-reading and idea sounding!

~Dragonexx