"Woah, that cosplayer or whatever looks like he's a real hoodlum."

"He's been standing there for a while, should we try talking to him?"

Suddenly he fidgeted, and the passersby went on with their day. They had little time to worry about a scary looking young man in front of the busy commuter rail station of Mitakihara.

Natsuki Subaru looked around, and thought about what he should do for a moment. This was a familiar situation to him. Suddenly being in another world, in the crowd going about their day. However, it was wrong.

Subaru: "WHAT THE HELL, THIS ISN'T RIGHT!"

[This is Japan], he thought. [I shouldn't be here, why on earth am I here!]

His mind went back to recent events. After becoming the true Natsuki Subaru, he had, through trial and error, managed to find the winning strategy for the trifecta of enemies in the Pleiades Watchtower.

[That damned Witch, what the hell is this all about?]

He didn't need to be in Japan anymore. He had already resolved his past in the Sanctuary, and had resolved to live in a fashion that would make Kenichi and Naoko proud.

Subaru sat down on a bench to get more in depth in his thoughts. Though it had been at the forefront of his mind the whole ten seconds he was awake, he now finally put it into words.

Subaru: "Rem."

Rem was not with him when he woke up. Though this also meant that the damned archbishop wasn't present. But, frankly, Subaru would rather they both be here than they both be gone. He can deal with an archbishop for sure, but he had little idea where to start with finding Rem.

[Well, first off I need to figure out where I am.]

Subaru looked more in depth at the city he found himself in. It was certainly Japan, and it seemed to be around a 40 minutes ride to Tokyo proper according to the screen over on the station.

[Mitakihara? I've never heard of that place before.]

Subaru thought about Otto, and how he would deal with the situation, being the sometimes cool-headed Internal affairs minister.

[I need information, and the best source would be the internet, but I seriously don't have any technology on me at all.]

Subaru then came up with an idea. There was a sign listing attractions nearby, and a mall was included in these. He could see if one of the stores there had phones that were turned on for display. After all, smartphones were coming into much more use when he was summoned to Lugunica, and he figured after a year or so that they would have caught on fully.

If nothing else, he could find an information kiosk in the mall.

[I wonder how it would've gone if I had a smartphone when I was summoned to the other world]

Subaru started to make his way towards the mall, keeping an eye out just in case he got lucky and Rem was nearby.

He found a store that sold music, and thought that maybe the devices there were able to use the internet to search for information. What he found painted an odd picture.

[So it's a "Japan, but different" situation huh. If it's a parallel universe, I wonder if my parents have the same phone numbers… I wonder if there's another me.]

Subaru decided he'd leave that for when the time came and that he needed to find food, water, and shelter. Water was the first main concern, but now since he was back in Japan, he could fill his canteen full of clean, potable water simply at a water fountain or sink. Food would be next on the list, and he was starving, but he had no money, and wasn't going to stoop to begging just yet. That left shelter. It was getting quite late after all, and he was essentially homeless, so this would be a forefront issue.

[There was that floor that was under construction, I wonder if that place is empty and somewhat liveable.]

And so, he ventured into the construction area, seeing if he could find something soft to sleep on. Finding some insulation, Subaru put a tarp over to avoid itchiness and decided to sleep now so that he could be out before the construction crew got back in the morning. He could leave the search for tomorrow, because while he did seriously want to find Rem again, he doubted that she would find a way to die in modern Japan.

[I need to figure out a more serious plan tomorrow…]

Suddenly, Subaru is jolted from his sleep. And while he is a fairly light sleeper, the sudden change in environment, in bright sights and loud sounds would likely have likely woke up anyone.

Subaru: "What the hell is this, a stop motion film!?"

[Okay, this is very, very different from modern Japan. Did I get transported again?]

Subaru was in disbelief at the situation he found himself in. He thought for sure he found himself in a Japan that may have possibly been a little different from his memories, but this was beyond the pale.

Then, movement occurred all around him, and cotton balls that had mustaches, oddly enough, moved to encircle him. He knew this situation wasn't good. He was in combat.

Subaru: "Beako, Murak!"

Subaru: "Shit!"

He was used to training to fight with his battle buddy and loving spirit loli Beatrice. He had encountered a situation where she wasn't there before, but not having the options she granted was hitting him hard.

Subaru: "Damnit, Imma have to run with my tail between my legs, huh?"

Subaru took out his weapon, the Guiltywhip, out from his belt, and flicked it onto a railing that was floating in the sky. He ran out in a circle, so that he would fly over the cotton balls by hanging from his whip. However, the cotton balls grew thorns, and scissors from the end of the thorn vines themselves.

[AGGGH, that hurts!]

He found himself struck by the thorns, and he was taken back to the floor, though outside the square made by his foe.

Then, in a scene straight out of an old comedic cartoon, a roadsign fell and hit him straight in the face. Though it hurt, and he was on the ground, all his mental faculties were still in place. He tried to extricate himself from underneath the sign, but found he was surrounded by the scissor thorns. In a few seconds, he was torn to ribbons by scissors that cut through his skin, and thorns that tore his insides out.

Subaru: "Kuuuuhhhh-!"

Subaru woke up in the butterfly dreamscape. The same place he had woken up the first time, even. He immediately thought about countermeasures to what he had encountered before.

[The best protection against any foe is not being detected. Failing that, then keep your distance as much as possible. Only then resort to fighting]

He needed to leave. It was exactly as Clind had said. In any fight with only him on one side Subaru would need to run as fast as possible, his proverbial tail tucked between his legs.

As soon as he could, Subaru booked it away from the sure death zone. Though he glanced back and saw the cotton balls, they were far enough away to be a non-threat.

[I have no idea where I'm going, guess I might as well keep going the same direction until I can't or until I find a way out.]

He ran along a scene that showed butterflies, and houses with windows all in odd spots, among other oddities.

Eventually, he came upon another group of cotton balls, and, though scared of them, he saw that he needed to rise above just running away this time. The enemies had two girls, in school uniforms, in a cauldron, much like he had been in his last loop.

[Well, I think I need to do what I do best… be the bait.]

Subaru: "WHEN I DIE I-"

His world froze. The girls that were frozen, one with short blue hair, kind of tomboy looking, and the other with pink hair in pigtails both had surprised expressions on their faces, stuck in place.

The black hand came out of the void. It moved closer and closer, and eventually went into his frozen body. Subaru had his heart caressed, and then mercilessly squeezed. The price he must pay for his power.

He thought it was strange, but he could swear he and the Witch weren't alone in their time.

Subaru: "Aghhhhhh"

Blue haired girl: "Mister, please help us!"

Subaru :"I'll try to, but watch out for yourselves, I'm pretty much just bait right now!"

Subaru told that to the girls, and brought out his weapon. He did an overhead crack, in case the taboo didn't get the attention of the things. He flicked it and ran in wide sweeping motions, kiting them not unlike a video game.

Subaru: "Get out of here, I don't know where, just run!"

Subaru figured he didn't have much time left. His whip, while a devastating weapon to be hit with, was hardly lethal. The cotton balls had all converged, and he had been able to get scant few down.

Just as they closed in to about the same range that he had died last time, a light shone around them and different images appeared in the world, the dangerous cotton balls disappearing with the previous ones.

Mystery girl: "That was a close one, wasn't it?"

It was calmly said by a girl in the same uniform as the other two, sporting drills of blonde hair. However, she looked a few years older, not without thanks to her surely above average chest size.

Pink haired girl: "His voice called out to me, I could hear it inside my head"

She said tearfully. Only then Subaru noticed the… cat… rabbit… thing in her arms.

Subaru: "Uhhh, I know we were just in a dangerous situation, but what is that thing?"

Subaru said, having not seen anything like that before.

"He's my partner, Kyubey." The blonde girl exclaimed.

Blonde girl: "And you two look like you go to the same school as I do, you must be in 8th grade."

Blue haired girl: "Who are you?"

She had said, still a little stunned at everything.

Blonde girl: "Oh, I should introduce myself-"

Subaru: "Uhhh, I think we have bigger issues here!"

Subaru saw the thorns all around them, growing from the sky

Doubtlessly, she had noticed them too, as she said, "I'll get right to it!"

Then, bouncing forward, she takes the glowing gem she held in her hand and holds it in front of her. She started glowing, and her clothes started to change themselves. From her plaid school skirt, she went to a more wide yellow one, and she had donned a white shirt with detached sleeves, and a brown vest over it. Her head also had a hat now, and she put a white feather one the side of it.

This all created a shockwave, which blew the girls back, and Subaru's coat almost horizontal.
The girl then jumped to the top of the new item in the distance. A series of new drawings, some animals, a clocktower, various patterns and a film reel. Then out of nowhere, numerous ornate looking muskets appeared around her, seemingly at her will.

They began firing all at once, one enormous salvo of lead after the other. All of where Subaru had been before was blown away. The musket summoner then gracefully leapt down from her position and turned towards them.

"Incredible!" the pink haired girl yelled.

"I wish I had that kind of firepower!" Subaru exclaimed.

Truly, he did wish that he was more powerful, but, he knew that even if he was never any more powerful than a normal human, he can make all the difference he needs,

Then, space got woozy all around them, and after a few seconds, they found themselves in the closed part of the mall.

Subaru then noticed that the musketeer looked like she was watching for something, which he thought was strange considering the fighting was done. Then he saw what she was looking for. From above, a black haired girl, in diamond patterned tights, and a gray and white dress, with long, flowing straight black hair jumped onto something covered by a tarp.

"The witch escaped, so if you want to finish you off, you should probably get after it. I'll let you have it this time" The yellow haired girl said to her.

"But I still have work to do here." The black haired girl said.

Blonde girl: "I am willing to overlook this. You must not understand. Don't you think it would be best if we didn't do this right now?"

Subaru: "Am I missing something or is there about to be another fight?"

He was trying to defuse the situation by drawing attention to himself.

"I haven't seen you before. What strange clothes too, were you doing cosplay when you got caught in there?" The black haired girl asked.

Subaru: "Uhhh… guilty as charged…"

Black haired girl: "Hmph, well, try not to get involved in something like that again."

Subaru: "It's not like I could help it! I was sleeping here and all of a sudden I woke up in… that place!"

Everyone looked at him with a bit of a questioning look on their face.

Subaru: "Ah, um, I'm a little bit homeless, you see…" he said, scratching his cheek.

Black haired girl: "Okay…" she said, and then jumped down on the other side of the covered object.

The pink haired girl chuckled, and the other breathed a sigh of relief.

Blonde girl: "I should get healing my friend here before we get going."

[I still want to know what that thing is…]

Subaru: "I'll grab a tarp, you can set it on there while you doctor it up."

He takes a tarp off of a pile and sets it flat on the floor.

Blonde girl: "Thank you, I'll get to it now. It requires a little concentration."

Slowly, the animal comes back to life, and says to them telepathically,

Kyubey: [nnnng- Thank you Mami!]

Mami: "You should be thanking them, they saved you, I was just passing by."

Kyubey: [Thank you, my name is Kubey!]

Pink haired girl: "Were you the one calling for help?"

Kyubey: [That's right Madoka Kaname, Sayaka Miki, and-]

Subaru: "Woah, woah, woah, I like to introduce myself when I can. Ahem. My name is Subaru Natsuki, and not only am I homeless, I'm also broke beyond compare!"

Subaru yelled, having his right hand in the air, left hand down, and mid stride.

Madoka: "Hahahahahahahha, you're weird, you know that Subaru?"

Subaru: "Of course I do!"

Sayaka: "Hold on, I want to know… How does Kyubey know our names?"

Kyubey: "I actually have a favor to ask of you two, though, Subaru is out of luck here. I want you to form a contract to become magical girls!"

Subaru: "Magical girls?!" He yelled in disbelief.

Kyubey: [Yep!]

Madoka: "Uhhh I can't do something like that on such short notice, sorry!"

Kyubey: [It's okay, you have plenty of time to decide. Now, I have other business to take care of, but I hope to see you all again soon!"

Subaru: "What is that thing anyway?"

Mami: "He's my partner as a magical girl, he's the one I formed a contract with."

Subaru: "I still can't believe magical girls exist outside of anime. That's crazy."

Subaru's mind was still whirring at the new information.

Mami: "Well, for now, why don't we all head home. You should come to my house after school tomorrow if you want to learn more."

Madoka:"Thank you Mami, we definitely will!"

Sayaka: "Yeah, see you tomorrow!"

Subaru: "Hmm, well I'll see you around I guess."

Mami: "You should stay at my apartment, I have an extra bed, it wouldn't do for someone like you who tried to save those two to go out on the street."

Subaru: "Oh, you saw that, huh. Well, I'm not very strong, but I try to do what I can."

Mami: "As should we all. Now come along, I'll make some tea when we get inside."