Faithfulness
Key led the Holy Quintet into another witch's labyrinth. Immediately, the group was bombarded with spiky snowflakes in a winter wonderland. The background all around them was full of snow and icicles. The battle with the familiars went about normally before they reached the witch. The witch herself appeared to be at medium strength, not much stronger or weaker than they were used to.
However, that is where Key sensed a problem. He could not explain it, but something felt off. Key froze in place and listened.
"What is he doing?" Kyoko asked.
"Key," Homura said walking over. "What is wrong?"
Key opened his eyes and started trembling.
"We have to leave now," Key said quickly turning around. "They're onto us."
He was sweating profusely.
"Key, what's wrong?" Madoka said.
"Who's onto us?" Sayaka asked.
Key jumped on Homura's shoulder and said, "This labyrinth is fake. I can hear them. Homura, you need to freeze everything! We have to leave before…"
Suddenly, Key was telekinetically lifted from his spot on Homura's shoulder and into a purple water droplet. The Holy Quintet was frozen for a second in confusion.
"Key!" Madoka yelled while pulling out her bow and arrow and shooting at the droplet.
All the other girls unleashed their weapons, too. Sayaka attacked the droplet with her sword. Kyoko stabbed it with her spear. Homura and Mami shot it with their guns. But every time they made a hole, it was quickly sealed again. Key only stared back with desperate eyes.
"I ask you to cease your attacks please," a familiar voice said. "You're interfering with official business."
The girls stopped attacking and saw a Kyubey sitting on the ground under the purple prison. There were a few others gathered behind him.
"What is going on?!" Homura yelled aiming her gun at them. "Let him go."
The rest of the Holy Quintet followed suit.
"As I said before," the Kyubey in front said. "This is official business. This Kyubey is mentally unfit for his duties and needs to be taken home for mental evaluation and treatment. We apologize for the trouble he has caused you and for luring you into this false labyrinth. He has been avoiding us for weeks, and this was the only way we could get him out of hiding."
"Let him go now!" Sayaka yelled.
"Yeah, fleabags!" Kyoko yelled. "We know what your game is and we ain't buying it!"
"We know everything, Incubator," Mami said aiming her gun straight for the creature. "Key told us. We demand you release Key or we will fight you."
"I must insist you stand down," Kyubey said. "Interfering in our matters is irrational. You don't have the authority."
"That doesn't matter to us," Homura said angrily. "We are going to keep fighting you until you give him back."
"I suppose it can't be helped. How about we reach a compromise?" Kyubey said.
"DON'T LISTEN TO A DAMN WORD THAT COMES OUT OF THEIR MOUTHS!" Key screamed at the top of his lungs. "THEY'RE LIARS! I KNOW. JUST KICK THEIR ASSES ALREADY!"
"Don't you see why you need to return to our home planet?" Kyubey asked him. "You're only growing worse. You have emotions of your own which are growing more unstable. You're a danger to yourself and everyone else. You need to be reconnected…"
"So I can be like you instead of the humans you think are inferior? Like hell."
"You need to be helped."
"You're the ones who need to be helped!"
"This discussion is going nowhere," Kyubey said turning back to the girls. "Now, about the compromise. You know well what the fate of every magical girl is, correct?"
"Don't remind us," Kyoko spat back.
"What if I told you there was a way you could be changed back into normal girls?" Kyubey asked. "Our colleague here has done it himself. It only makes sense that we could do it as well."
All the other girls including Homura froze at those words.
"If you allow us to leave without fighting us, you will be changed back to normal," Kyubey said. "You will no longer be magical girls and will be left to live out the rest of your lives in peace. Logically, it is the best outcome for you. After all…"
At that moment, Sayaka ran past the other girls and stabbed Kyubey with her sword. The creature fainted and began bleeding out into the labyrinth. Key sat in stunned silence.
"Sayaka?" Madoka said in shock.
"Why did you do that?" one of the other Kyubeys asked. "That was illogical…"
"Why do you think?" Sayaka asked in anger. "Do you really think we would be content going back to our old lives knowing that there are millions of magical girls who are suffering because of you? You have ruined so many lives. I refuse to go back to being anything near normal until we've made every last one of you pay. Now, leave or you will die."
Kyoko smirked happily. Everyone else smiled. The cage around Key dissolved into thin air allowing him to fall to the ground. The three Incubators disappeared. When they left, the witch's labyrinth disappeared with them.
The Holy Quintet changed back into their normal clothes and started walking away when Key said tearfully, "Thank you, Sayaka."
"Hey! No problem," Sayaka replied picking him up. "You're our friend now. Besides, I've been looking forward to beating them too long to give up now."