A/N: Hey guys, first off let me just say how glad I am that you all liked the prologue so much, like really I'm surprised how enthusiastic you all got from just a prologue, hopefully I can live up to those expectations. Anyway, enjoy the story.
Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Puella Magi Madoka Magica
A Scattered Dream and a Far-Off Memory
"Sora… Sora! Wake up you lazy bum!"
Madoka struggled to open her eyes as the intense light of the morning sun shined on her face. She struggled to fully wake, the calming scent of the island breeze and the soothing sounds of the waves crashing on the shore threatening to lull her back to sleep. Eventually she summoned the strength to sit up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes before she took a look at her surroundings.
"This is… my room?" Madoka said quizzically. It took a moment but she recognized the space as her own bedroom, decorated with various posters and stuffed animals collected over the years. She let out a loud yawn as she stretched out her tired muscles. "I dreamt of that place again, how many times does that make it? …Sora." She said, she had many strange dreams like that, but that name was the only thing that tied them all together, just who was Sora? She set the matter aside as she glanced over at her clock, a look of panic appearing on her face once she realized the time.
"Ah, I'm going to be late!" She cried as she hopped out of bed and collected her belongs, including a notebook on her desk that was open to an unfinished sketch. She threw it into her book bag before grabbing her uniform off the wall and began changing.
"Good morning!" Madoka called out to her friends. She trotted up to them as they turned to greet her.
"Cutting it a bit close there aren't we Madoka?" Sayaka asked teasingly.
"Honestly, we event went with Mami to drop off Nagisa at the elementary school and we still beat you here." Kyoko added.
"Hihi, sorry." Madoka giggled, scratching the back of her head apologetically. They continued their trek to school, other straggling students going about their own business as they walked the stone path to the schoolyard.
"Oh, Madoka did you hear, Hitomi and Kyousuke broke up yesterday." Sayaka informed, much to the pinkette's shock.
"Eh, really!?"
"Are you really that surprised, it was a long time coming if you ask me." Kyoko stated, her head leaning back on her hands lazily. "I've only talked to that girl a handful of times and every single one all she did was complain about Violin Boy."
"Yeah, that's true." Madoka lamented, it was plain to see how frustrated Hitomi was getting with the musician; it was a wonder how they managed to stay together for nearly a year.
'It really has been a year, hasn't it?' Madoka thought to herself, looking up at the sky. It was hard to believe that she had been back in Japan for almost a whole year now, she remembered how much she struggled to get readjusted in the beginning, but before she knew it, it was like she never even left. She instantly reconnected with her childhood friend Sayaka, and made fast friends with her classmate Sakura Kyoko. The rather wild girl was living with a kind upperclassmen of theirs, Tomoe Mami, who had also took in a young elementary school girl, Momoe Nagisa. Madoka really admired Mami's drive, despite taking care of two roommates, she managed to get into a very high quality high school and till managed to drop Nagisa off every morning. She was really glad to have such great friends; it was almost too good to be true… to the point where she found herself having to validate it all to herself just like this every now and again.
"…Oh, Sayaka-chan, this could be your chance!" Madoka encouraged, returning from her thoughts.
"As if, after seeing how terrible of a boyfriend Kyousuke is I kind of feel like I dodged a bullet on this one." Sayaka replied with a lighthearted chuckle.
"Sure, sure, and that new hairpin your sporting is in no way meant to try and get his attention, now is it?" Kyoko teased with a smug grin.
"Th-that is completely unrelated, I just saw it at the mall the other day and liked it!" Sayaka retorted, a slight blush on her cheeks. Though it was easy to see where Kyoko got that idea from, as the pin was shaped like a musical note. Kyoko and Madoka shared a laugh at Sayaka's expense as they walked up the steps to the school.
It was still a bit disorienting to have to go to the third year classrooms rather then the second years', but they found their classroom quick enough and just in time as well. As soon as they walked through that door Madoka's eyes immediately fell on a seat at the edge of the classroom, the student sitting there looking lazily out the window. Akemi Homura, she was in Madoka's class last year as well, and just like back then she gave of a feeling of loneliness every time she looked at her. She was a rather pretty girl, long black hair contrasting pale skin, if she just got a little bit more sleep her bag free face would certainly be beautiful, and yet everybody avoid her like the plague… no, it was more like they didn't even notice she was there.
Madoka was brought out of her thoughts by the sound of the morning bell, she along with the rest of the students quickly took their seats and gave their homeroom teacher their attention, all accept for Homura, who continued to just stare out the window.
"Eh, living shadows?" Madoka gasped in surprise, it was lunch period and the trio of girls went up to the rooftop to enjoy the beautiful spring day as they ate their food.
"You've been looking at that stupid urban legend site again haven't you?" Kyoko said with disinterest.
"I'm telling you, this one's different!" Sayaka insisted as she pulled out her phone and practically shoved it into Madoka's face. "Here, take a look."
"Umm… black shadows pop out from the ground and spirit people away?" Madoka read the awkwardly worded title of the article.
"You know all of those disappearances that have been happening down at the shopping district, well a lot of people are saying that they've been seeing these moving shadows in that area to, some even saw them attacking people!" Sayaka explained.
"Ehh, really?!" Madoka cried in distress.
"Oh please, that's totally just people overreacting about the kidnappings, isn't it?" Kyoko asserted as she stuck a pocky stick in her mouth. "It's like the UFOs all over again."
"…I saw it though, with my very own eyes." Sayaka rebuked with a confident smile, much to her friends' surprise.
"Say what?" Kyoko replied incredulously.
"You saw a weird creature Sayaka-chan, did it attack you?" Madoka asked with concern.
"I'm fine, I'm fine, I just saw one wondering around an alley when I was shopping the other day." Sayaka claimed. "It was this weird, black, bug looking thing, and after it was done feeling around it faded into the ground and just… disappeared." She said with a dramatic, eerie hand gesture.
"Yeah right." Kyoko replied with a roll of her eyes.
"Don't believe me, well then take a look at this!" Sayaka said as she snatched her phone back and searched it before holding it out for them both to see. On the screen was a very poorly taken picture of an alleyway with a black smudge on the ground that just barely resembled the shape of a creature. "See, hard evidence of the shadow fading into the ground!" The blunette boasted.
"Are you kidding me, that's obviously just the shadow of a dog or something!" Kyoko insisted.
"Mmm… I don't know Kyoko-chan, it looks a little weird to be a dog or a cat." Madoka said, boosting Sayaka's confidence.
"Then it's photoshopped or something, but there's no way that there's evil shadow creatures spiriting people away!" Kyoko asserted with an annoyed scowl.
"Oh come on, is a picture and an eye witness seriously not enough for you?" Sayaka replied with a fed up expression of her own.
"Until I see it for myself, I'm calling it a hoax and you delusional!" Kyoko shot back, the two girls standing off with each other. Madoka however didn't pay much attention to their argument, her eyes firmly glued to the picture on Sayaka's phone. The image, while poorly photographed, didn't looked doctored in any way to Madoka, why that was she couldn't exactly tell, it just seemed natural to her… familiar to her. She could just picture the shadow rising from the ground, brandishing sharp claws as its beady yellow eyes stared down it's prey before leaping at its…
"What about you Madoka?" Sayaka asked, bringing the pinkette out of her thoughts.
"Eh, s-sorry, what was that?" Madoka replied quizzically.
"We're going to the shopping district tomorrow to look for proof of the living shadows, you wanna come with us?" Sayaka offered.
"To look for… monsters?" Madoka said in a frightful tone.
"Oh come on Madoka, you don't actually believe we'll find anything, do you?" Kyoko reassured teasingly. "Besides, when we don't find anything, this idiot here's gonna treat us to some ramen." She added smugly.
"We'll see who's treating who when I get the first candid shot of an evil shadow spirit." Sayaka rebuked confidently with a playful wink. Their banter put Madoka at ease as she considered the invitation. As long as they didn't stay out to late they probably wouldn't risk being the latest victims of the kidnappings, and regardless of what they found it would at least by a fun day out with her friends.
"Ok, sounds like fun." Madoka replied with an enthusiastic smile.
"That's the spirit Madoka." Sayaka said as she and Kyoko sat back down to finish their lunches.
The final bell was a welcomed sound to the students of Mitakihara Municipal Middle School, few paid attention to the teacher's closing remarks as they quickly packed up to head home, and Madoka and her friends were no different.
"Come on Madoka." Sayaka rushed as she and Kyoko passed her seat on their way to the door.
"Ok~." Madoka cooed as she put the last few pieces of school supplies in her bag. She placed the bag strap over her shoulder and stood from her desk, however before she moved from it Madoka couldn't help but notice that Homura was still sitting in her own seat, notebook and pencils still out as she rested her cheek on her hand and looked out the window.
"You coming Madoka?" Kyoko called from the doorway.
"Huh, oh right…" Madoka trailed off as she glanced back at Homura. "…Just give me one second." She requested as she made her way over to the only other remaining student in the classroom.
"Madoka wait…" Sayaka attempted to stop her, only for Kyoko to hold her back, a knowing shake of her head enough explanation for the blunette.
"…Um, Homura-chan?" Madoka addressed her, causing the girl to turn her attention to her, Homura's piercing gaze alone making Madoka consider retreated.
"What is it, Madoka?" Homura replied casually, despite the heavy tension that could be felt in the air.
"Um, well… the three of us were going to go shopping together, Sayaka-chan is even treating us all to ramen afterwards, so…"
"Heh~, sounds like a fun outing." Homura interjected, an amused but forced mile gracing her features.
"Uh, yeah, it's going to be really fun, so if you want…" Madoka continued enthusiastically, but was once again cut off by Homura standing from her desk.
"Well, then I'm sure you'll enjoy it, this is your last year of middle school after all, you have to have as much fun with your friends as possible." She said before taking her leave.
"Ah, wait, Homura-chan!" Madoka pleaded, making Homura stop at the automatic door.
"You really are kind Madoka, but don't worry about me. Just continue living happily like you have been." She stated, her back turned to her as she walked out of the classroom and the door closed behind her. Madoka started at the door solemnly, another failure it seemed. She let out a sad sigh that turned into a gasp of pain when Sayaka flicked her on the forehead.
"Madoka, I thought I told you to stay away from that girl!" Sayaka scolded with her hands on her hips, Madoka just rubbing her forehead in anguish.
"That hurt Sayaka-chan!" Madoka whined.
"Serves you right for not listening." Sayaka insisted.
"What's your beef with Homura anyway, she doesn't seem that strange to me." Kyoko inquired.
"Are you kidding me, she's a total creep, always sitting there alone with that cold emotionless stare, and then the first day Madoka comes back she goes and harasses her!" Sayaka asserted with a clenched fist.
"I wouldn't say she harassed me." Madoka defended.
"She hugged you out of nowhere and then asked you some weird questions, how is that not harassment?" Sayaka rebuked, Madoka not being able to argue with the point. It's true her first encounter with Homura was rather strange to say the least, but they hadn't really interacted since then, all of Madoka's attempts to get close to her were immediately shot down by the mysterious girl.
"Yeah, I guess that does sound pretty creepy, especially since she just went right back to being a loner." Kyoko admitted. "Speaking of which, why are you so keen on befriending her Madoka, I mean she's obviously not interested, so why put in the effort?"
"Eh, w-well…" Madoka struggled for an answer, why did she want to reach out to Homura so much? After what happened on the first day, she should've been afraid of her, or at least brand her a weirdo like Sayaka had, and yet she continued to wear the ribbons she gave her on that day, and consistently ask her to join her for lunch and friendly outings, why?
"It's just… Homura-chan is always alone; nobody ever talks to her, or even tries to be her friend. I guess I just thought… it would be better if she weren't alone all the time." Madoka said, clutching her chest at the strange solemn feeling that filled it whenever she thought of Homura. Sayaka noticed her friend's unease and sighed in defeat before petting the girl on the head.
"Well hey, maybe if we get proof of the living shadows she'll get interested and want to come along next time." Sayaka suggested.
"Really, you think so Sayaka-chan?" Madoka said as she brightened up.
"Of course, loner emo chicks love the occult, she'll definitely want in on the capture mission." Sayaka assured with a puffed out chest, and Madoka seemed to be eating up, much to Kyoko's exasperation. With that the girls finally left the classroom, chatting about their plans for the day off, all while blissfully unaware of the strange, giggling children spying on them from around the corner.
That night, Madoka stayed up till well after dark, all dressed for bed but sitting at her desk, doodling in a notebook illuminated by a single desk lamp.
"Hmm… It's hard to show details when they're just black shadows." Madoka mused as she shaded in her latest drawing. She had been drawing what she believed the living shadows would look like, a "weird, black, bug looking thing" as Sayaka had put it. She drew it rising up from the ground, on all fours, on its hind legs, and finally leaping to attack someone. The drawings came… a little bit too naturally to her, in fact she found herself tempted to veer off the description and make them more menacing, maybe put them in armor, or make them fly, or simply make them bigger. She looked at the completed series of drawings in thought.
"If we do find something, will Homura-chan really be interested?" She asked the air as she pondered her mysterious classmate. "She seems pretty mature, maybe she'll say it's too dangerous and won't want to go." Apprehension arose in her mind at that thought, but it was just as quickly swept away at the sight of the time. "Ah, it's already this late, I better get to sleep." She said as she closed the notebook and switched off the lamp. She plopped herself down on her soft, comfortable bed, grabbing her stuffed rabbit before pulling the covers over herself.
"I wonder… if I'll dream about him again." She whispered, as she got comfortable, her thoughts and worries slipping away as sleep took her.
…
…
"…Awaken."
A bright light blinked into existence before engulfing Madoka's entire vision, the girl tightening her already shut eyes and raising her hand between her face and the source in a desperate attempt to find relief. Eventually, the light died down and she was able to open her eyes. They widened in shock as she found herself not in her room, but in a dark abyss, the only light being a ray from above that illuminated the stained-glass floor she stood on. Her shock increased further as she saw that the yellow floor depicted herself in a peaceful sleep.
"Huh, w-where am I?" Madoka asked out loud, but of course no answer came. However, suddenly at the other side of the pillar, a dark portal appeared, and through it walked a figure dressed in a black coat, their face obscured by a hood. Madoka gasped at the sudden arrival of the hooded figure, a look of worry and fear painted a cross her face.
"Who are… am I… dead?" Madoka asked, apparently assuming the figure to be a sort of grim reaper. A wave of relief washed over her as the hooded figure silently shook its head. "Then, where am I, and who are you?" She inquired, though only gained silence in return. "Um…"
"So much to do, so little time…" The figure finally spoke; it's voice confirming it to be male. "Take you time. Don't be afraid."
"Huh?" Madoka breathed quizzically, not sure what to make of the statement.
"Now, step forward." The hooded figure instructed, holding his hand out to her. Despite the soft voice, Madoka was still rather intimidated, rather then step forward, she took a step back, only to find that she was standing right at the edge of the pillar above a deep, unwelcoming void.
"Mmm…." With nowhere else to go, Madoka took a deep a breath and began walking towards the mysterious boy. However, his welcoming hand turned into a signal to stop just halfway through. Madoka obeyed with a confused tilt of her head.
"Power sleeps within you. If you give it a form, it will give you strength." Before Madoka could ask, the hooded figure curled his fingers and in a bright flash of light a sword appeared in his hands, much to Madoka's shock. The sword had a yellow guard with a red circle encasing a black symbol that she could swear resembled the head of a mouse.
"The power of the warrior. Invincible courage. A sword of terrible destruction." He changed before releasing his grip on the weapon, letting it float in the air before Madoka.
"Whoa." She gasped at the sight before her. The hooded figure then held his hand out to the left of her, this time a red rimmed, black shield adorned with a red "mouse" symbol appearing in his grasp.
"The power of the guardian. Kindness to aid friends. A shield to repel all." He said before letting the new weapon go and float off to the side. Finally, the figure held out its opposite hand to the right of Madoka, a green staff with a blue mouse head crystal appearing in it.
"The power of the mystic. Inner strength. A staff of wonder and ruin." He stated before unhanding it, letting it float away. The figure then turned its back on Madoka another black portal appearing before him.
"Choose wisely." He advised before stepping through the portal.
"Eh, w-wait!" Madoka called out as the portal disappeared, leaving her all alone once again. "…Choose?" She wondered as she looked at the three weapons. Some how this set up felt almost like the beginning of an RPG, choosing a class or stat growth tree and such, and with that in mind the sword seemed like the obvious choice. She walked up to the bladed weapon, remembering the hooded figure's words as she reached for it.
"Invincible courage. Terrible… destruction." She couldn't bring herself to grab it. She just couldn't picture herself wielding such a destructive weapon, battling evil like a courageous warrior all simply in the name of honor and glory.
"I could never… be a warrior." She admitted with a dejected sigh. She lowered her head in thought when out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of the shield, floating off to the side where the hooded figure had left it. Without much thought, she walked over to the weapon, admiring the neatly polished black and red metal before reaching out and grabbing it with both hands. Its weightlessness disappeared as she hefted it in her hands, admiring its design up close before flipping it over to see its metallic handle. It was more than long enough for the girl to grasp it with both of her small hands, it felt light and natural, and it gave her a sense of comfort that the sword didn't.
"Kindness to aid friends. A shield to repel all." Madoka repeated the hooded figure's words, a smile coming to her face, there was no doubt this was the power she wanted. As soon as she felt that certainty the shield disappeared in a flash of light, followed soon after by the sword and staff. "Huh?" Madoka gasped in confusion, did she choose wrong. Her answer came in the form of a beam of light illuminating another stained-glass pillar a few meters away from her own, standing on the edge looking down at her was the mysterious hooded figure.
"Ah, Hood-san!" Madoka called out with the nickname she gave the figure. The only response she got was him turning around and walking out of sight.
"Hey wait!" Madoka pleaded, reaching out her hand towards the pillar as if that would bring him closer. Suddenly, she heard a strange sound, like the sound one would think a flash of light would make if it made any sound at all. She looked over to the source of the sound and saw a series of rectangular stained-glass platforms appear at the edge of her station, creating a path all the way up to the other.
"Am I… supposed to follow?" Madoka deduced before walking over to the pathway. She felt frightful apprehension as she looked between the space between the station and the first platform at the endless abyss down below. She looked around as if to look for any other option, but of course there was none. Whatever was happening to her, there was no getting around it, and no turning back, so with a deep breath she took her first step onto the floating platform. It felt perfectly stable, as did the next, her resolve strengthening as she made her way up to the second station.
Once there, she noticed that it was identical to the first, only purple in color as opposed to the previous yellow. Waiting to greet her was the hooded figure, once again standing opposite of her at the edge of the station.
"You have gained the power to fight." He said immediately, much to Madoka's confusion.
"Eh, fight?" Before she could question further the Dream Shield reappeared in her hand, making her jump in surprise.
"Use this power to protect yourself and others." The figure continued.
"W-wait, hold on just a second, I can't f-fight!" Madoka denied frantically, clutching the shield nervously. The figure didn't answer her protest and simply waved his hand, three shadows suddenly appearing on the ground and surrounding her. If that wasn't odd enough, those same shadows quickly became three-dimensional, rising from the ground with their bright yellow eyes trained on Madoka.
"Eh… eh, EHHHH!" Madoka cried in disbelief as she looked between the three Shadows.
"There will be times when you have to fight." The figure said regaining Madoka's attention only to see his back turned to her. "Keep your light burning strong." He added before disappearing into a dark portal.
"No, wait, please!" Madoka begged as she attempted to chase after him, only to be confronted by one of the Shadows. Madoka trembled as the creature came closer and closer, her hands gripping the shield's handle like a lifeline as she stepped back. The Shadow seemed to notice her fearful retreat and suddenly sprang into action, leaping up into the air with its claws brandished and somehow making streaks into the air as they came down on her.
Madoka let out a terrified scream as she brought up her shield to defend, she nearly lost her balance from the force of the Shadow's claws against the slab of metal but there was no time for relief as the Shadow kept clawing at her shield, each one forcing her back a step. Her frailty did not go unnoticed by the other Shadows as the one to her left took the chance to rush in and ram her in the side, sending her tumbling to the ground. Madoka groaned in pain as she struggled to get up, however she was forced to roll away when the Shadow attempted to claw at her, its claws scraping across the stained-glass floor. Madoka frantically crawled back over to her dropped Dream Shield, jumping in shock when she saw the third Shadow rise from the ground under it. Somehow Madoka found the strength to stand and took a few steps back as to not be surrounded by the creatures. She gripped the Dream Shield by the handle and began swinging it.
"No, stay back, don't come any closer!" She demanded with each swing, however it did little to deter them as they continued their approach. Madoka shut her eyes, swinging more frantically just hoping for the best, when suddenly the shield made contact with the head of the center Shadow, making it retreat back in pain.
Madoka opened her eyes as if to confirm if she had in fact hit it, the other two Shadows seeming much more apprehensive in attacking. Regardless, the Shadow to her left leaped into the air to strike at her, Madoka quickly swinging the Dream Shield at just the right moment for the two strikes to meet in the air and bounce off of each other. They both stumbled back at the sudden recoil, but the moment Madoka saw the disoriented Shadow, she quickly closed the distance between them and began bashing it with her shield, three hits later and the Shadow evaporated in a puff of darkness. Meanwhile, the two remaining Shadows fazed into the floor and snuck behind Madoka, intending to catch her by surprise. However, Madoka turned around just in time to block their strikes and counter with a wide swing that hit them both. They staggered back, allowing Madoka to land another hit on the first Shadow, defeating it, before turning on her heel and swinging the Dream Shield at the last Shadow, making it stagger one last time for Madoka to land the last hit, defeating it.
Madoka panted as she tried to calm herself down; once she realized that she was safe she let out a sigh of relief as the Dream Shield vanished from her grasp. Moments later, she heard the another pathway appear and turned to see another station illuminated in the distance where the hooded figure once again waited for her. Madoka let out an annoyed grunt as she rushed up the pathway to the third, pink colored station.
"That was mean Hood-san!" Madoka whined to the hooded figure, who turned to face her once again. "Those things really could've hurt me!"
"But they didn't." He finally seemed to reply to her. "You insisted that you couldn't fight, and yet here you are, victorious."
"But…" Madoka attempted to rebuke, but she couldn't argue with his logic. She was certainly scared, but she defeated her adversaries nonetheless, she should probably feel rather proud of herself. "…But I… I don't want to fight." Madoka said as tears began to well up in her eyes. She gripped at her skirt as she remembered how afraid she was when the Shadows attacked her; it was merely adrenalin, a sense of self-preservation that allowed her to fight back.
"Don't be afraid," The hooded figure assured, Madoka wiping her tears to give her attention. "You have a great light supporting you." As he said this, the light that illuminated the pillar became more intense, it was warm and inviting and Madoka couldn't help but step forward into the ray and attempt to find its source.
"But just remember, the closer you get to light, the greater your shadow becomes." Madoka nearly gasped at the warning, turning around to see that the ray of light was in fact casting a shadow of her on the station floor. It was long and dark, Madoka raised her hand to see if it was truly her shadow, and it copied her, confirming that it was. Madoka giggled a bit, memories of doing something similar with she was child coming back to her, however this nostalgic feeling was soon washed away when the hand of the shadow came rising from the ground. Madoka's eyes widened in shock as the shadow began to move on its own, rising from the floor and towering over her as it began to look less and less like a shadow of her. It soon took the form of a large, muscular monster, its tendril like hair draped around its glowing yellow eyes, a strange heart shaped indent placed right in the middle of its torso. Madoka came face to face with her Darkside.
"No, not again… please don't make me…!" Madoka pleaded, only to see that the hooded figure had already left. She turned her attention back to the Darkside standing tall and menacing over the frightened, pink haired girl.
She instinctively summoned back the Dream Shield, the action catching the attention of the Darkside as it clenched its fist with dark energy and reared it back in preparation to strike. Madoka attempted to avoid the strike, but as the dark fist slammed into the ground, the shockwave caught Madoka in the back, sending her tumbling to the floor in agony. Fortunately she managed to hang on to the Dream Shield and once she stood back up she noticed that the Darkside's fist was still embedded into the ground, stuck inside a pool of darkness. Madoka saw this is an opportunity to strike, but just when she gathered the courage to charge forward, three Shadows emerged from the pool of Darkness, forcing Madoka to redirect her attention.
"Oh come on, you guys again!" Madoka said exasperatedly as she stood her ground waiting for the first strike. The center one simply faded into the ground and retreated, while the one to her left simply strutted forward with its claw brandished, allowing Madoka to quickly string together three hits to defeat it. However, the one that had retreated now snuck its way behind her and clawed at her back, the sudden jolt of pain making Madoka stagger forward, but surprisingly she stayed on her feet and turned to face her assailant. She blocked a follow up slash and bashed it twice before having to block the claw of the third Shadow, pushing it away and swinging widely in order to hit them both, defeating the second. Before the third Shadow could recuperate, Madoka slammed it with her shield head on, causing it to fall and leaving it open for Madoka to bash it one last time, defeating it.
At this point the Darkside had freed its fist from the floor and stood back up straight. It seemed to notice Madoka had defeated its minions and leaned back as purple energy began to collect in its heart shaped cavity. Madoka noticed just in time to see the Darkside fire a small blast of purple energy that slowly came floating towards her. Madoka avoided it easily enough, however the Darkside then fired a second blast, which Madoka had to block. Unfortunately, Madoka failed to notice the first blast was still active and homed in on her exposed back, knocking her down long enough for the Darkside to fire one last blast. Madoka's eyes widened as she saw all three blasts home in on her, forcing her to awkwardly roll on the ground to avoid them all.
The Darkside straightened itself up again before charging its fist with more dark energy, this time Madoka was prepared, she stood back up, waited for the monster to slam its fist into the floor, and leaped over the resulting shockwave, just barely managing to land safely back on her feet. Once again the Darkside was stuck in a pool of darkness, and Madoka took this chance to begin wailing on its exposed arm with her shield. Just as before, three Shadows emerged from the pool of darkness, but Madoka largely ignored them, simply keeping her swings wide as to hit the multiple targets. She defeated two of the Shadows this way, but had to give the third her attention when it managed to claw at her back for some major damage. Just as she was about to deal the final blow, the Darkside raised its fist out of the floor, taking a surprised Madoka along for the ride.
"Eh, w-w-wait, ah!" Madoka struggled to keep her balance on the shadowy hand, and to avoid falling off as the Darkside's arm became more and more vertical she had to run up the arm and actually managed to stand on its shoulder, the creature completely oblivious to her presence. Once Madoka regained her footing, she began bashing her shield against the Darkside's exposed face, causing noticeably more damage than when she hit the arm.
The Darkside, somehow still not fully aware of her location, opted to counter attack with the blasts of energy, firing the first that made its way to Madoka and was simply batted away by her shield. She turned her attention to the second blast, ducking under it and then turning to block the first blast that returned to her. Once the third blast was sent, the Darkside became fully aware of her position and thus somehow guided all three blasts to her, the force them hitting the Dream Shield all at the same time made her loose her balance and fall off.
She felt as if she was falling in slow motion as her eyes met the yellow beads of the Darkside, the creature raising its fist to slam her back onto the ground. Madoka began to panic, clutching the Dream Shield in her hand knowing that it wouldn't be enough to block it. Her mind raced for a solution, but before she came to one her body seemed to already have the answer as she threw the Dream Shield at the Darkside's face, the metal slab colliding with it in a burst of light in darkness, stunning the Darkside.
"Oww!" Madoka cried in pain as she landed on the floor. As she struggled to sit back up, the Darkside's body began to go limp before falling forward onto its hands, shaking the whole station. Madoka attempted to scoot back as the Darkside began to melt away into darkness, however she found herself stuck in a pool of darkness herself, unable to free herself.
"No, let me go… Hood-san!" Madoka pleaded to her absent guide. The Darkside was now simply a large pool of darkness that engulfed the station and threatened to swallow Madoka with it, but just as Madoka was losing hope, the hooded figure did indeed appear to her one last time. "Hood-san, help me!" She asked continued to struggle against the dark pool.
"Don't be afraid, you have a great light supporting you." He replied as Madoka sunk further and further into the darkness. Suddenly, the hooded figure summoned something in his hand in a flash of light, but Madoka's vision was obstructed by the shadows surrounding her.
"Hood-san please…" Madoka begged, tears streaming down her face.
"And don't forget," The hooded figure began as it grasped the summoned object on both hands. Just as the last of Madoka's vision disappeared from her, the hooded figure struck the object into the floor, sending a bright surge of light out all across the station, instantly freeing her. This light, it felt so familiar to her, it was warm and comforting, washing away any pain and fear she had felt up to that point. Madoka let herself be taken way by the light, catching a quick glimpse of the object that rescued her implanted in the center of the station. The light was still bright and made it difficult to see clearly, but she could've sworn it looked like… a key.
"Now is the time… to reclaim your heart."
Madoka's eyes fluttered open as the light of the morning sun filled her room. She stared at the ceiling for a moment before she sat up on her bed, letting out a loud yawn before squeezing her sleeping companion.
"Just a dream." She told herself, she was no stranger to weird dreams lately, so this was just another one to add to the list… right? "…Reclaim my heart, what does that mean?" She pondered, remembering the hooded figure's words so clearly. She glanced over at her clock, it wasn't terribly early, but early enough to warrant another hour of sleep without being late to meet up with her friends.
"Oh, that's right, we're going to go look for the… living shadows today." Madoka remembered, suddenly losing all desire to return to sleep. "…It was just a dream, there's no way something that scary could be real, no way." She told herself before she looked out the window, the sight of the skyline of Mitakihara City calming her down a bit. "Well, better get ready." She said as she hopped off her bed and began picking out her outfit for the outing… completely unaware of the giggling creatures watching her through her window.
A/N: And there you have it guys, Madoka's Dive to the Heart. Admittedly I pretty much just followed the pattern of Sora's original Dive to the Heart, but I figured giving her a physical guide gave it some originality, right? Anyway, next chapter probably won't be for a while, I need to write for my current primary fic, really sorry to leave you guys like this, but I promise I'll work on this as soon as possible. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed, and remember to R&R please.