The contract
His gaze watched the new event. The universe had just been rewritten and now he was again in an abstract environment. Plunged amid a kaleidoscope of colors, his white and bushy tail swung to chance.
[Homura Akemi? Are you there?]
His telepathic call got no answer.
[Apparently a new reconstruction is taking place.]
"It's not a reconstruction, but a deconstruction, Incubator."
That voice caused Kyuubey to lift the tip of his ears. The one who approached was no more than Madoka, with her golden eyes and wearing a divine dress in pure white.
[Madoka Kaname, or rather I should call, the Law of Cycles.]
Madoka smiled. "I prefer Madoka. It was how you always called me."
The red eyes of Kyuubey examined every detail of the visual of Madoka. It was peculiar and matched the soul of that girl, unless an exception. He saw that in the right ear of Madoka was a black earring and in its tip was a violet gem with a very familiar format...
[Where is Homura Akemi?]
"She's no longer with us." Madoka answered.
Kyuubey closed his eyes, pondering. [Hmmm... I must consider, by the way you said, you did not take her away. But I doubt very much that you destroyed her.]
"No." Madoka evaluated carefully the next words she would say. "But I guarantee that she'll no longer be a threat to the order of things."
[Order...] Kyuubey opened his eyes. [I concluded that human emotions lead to irrational and dangerous conclusions, are a natural enemy of such concept. Madoka would you, as a deity, able to have transcended this fact? Understand why we have done this?]
"I know all about entropy, as well as I know that the universe is in danger. In the futures I saw, there's nothing." Said Madoka.
[Yes. The energy obtained with the demons is insufficient, the disorder is accelerating.] Kyuubey lifted one of his legs, pointing to Madoka. [If you know it, I can not understand why you fought against our solution.]
"Incubator..." Madoka paused before continuing, the dress tail fluttered, revealing different viewpoints of the universe in the inner parts.
[Yes.]
"You're not fighting entropy."
Kyuubey blinked a few times and then tilted his head to the side. [This is not true. As stated, the energy obtained is not enough and...]
"You're not getting any energy." Madoka interrupted.
This time, who made a pause before continuing was Kyuubey. [It is interesting to talk to something that is considered only as a concept. However, I must point out that there are techniques and tools to check the energy obtained.]
Madoka looked away from that focused look of Kyuubey. "You were deceived."
[Are you telling me that the information we get is being manipulated?] Kyuubey looked at his own tail. [And I should assume that there is someone or something behind it.]
"Yes. Believe it." Madoka confirmed.
[I do believe as it makes sense. The acceleration of disorder is a strong indication that there was a possibility of something way more serious. Can you tell me what is the cause?]
Madoka looked back at Kyuubey, her expression had become more serious. "About that I've taken a proper action. Actually I'm here to inform you of the situation in order that you can repair the damage."
[Hmmm...] Kyuubey embraced his own tail. [I do not think is possible.]
"Why not?" Madoka said worriedly.
[That is not how things work.] Kyuubey began to spin across the environment, grabbed at his tail. [Imagine that the universe is like a big cold glass with ice cubes inside. If we isolate this glass of any outside interference, the ice will not melt. That is what serves the energy we collect.]
[Sometimes the energy could become scarce for a moment, the system loses its isolation. In such cases, the system acquires a certain amount of disorder. A small part of the ice begins to melt.] Kyuubey begins to orbit around Madoka. [However, when the insulation returns, that little amount of disorder will be distributed evenly throughout the ice. Water freezes again. Due to this feature, the universe can last for a long time. It is through our efforts that your race have the luxury to naively believe that your planet will no longer support life way before the universe itself.]
Kyuubey let loose his tail and moved away from Madoka. [However, since no energy has been obtained for a long time, the system now has too much disorder. Perhaps already have more water than ice in the glass. Even if isolate this system, the disorder will be distributed and all the remaining ice will melt. It will be the end of the universe as we know it.]
"Is it not possible to revert? Use energy to freeze this... water." Madoka asked.
[A constant amount of energy is used in a long span of time to isolate.] Kyuubey continued. [Reverting is theoretically possible, but it would need a large karmic energy in a small window of time. We are talking about a similar pattern of a supernova.]
The gem in Madoka earring flashed vaguely. "What if I told you that I can get this energy?"
Kyuubey shook his ears. [I would be very interested to hear.]
Madoka smiled broadly. "Incubator, so make a contract with me."
Kyuubey was completely static. [Contract?]
／人 ◕‿‿◕ 人＼
On a green and bloomy hill, Kyouko and Mami, in their uniforms of magical girl, watched Mitakihara waking up to a new day.
"Yeah... That crazy girl gave us a big scare, but I have to thank her for the ride." Kyouko started. "After we freed her from Kyuubey, I wanted to see how we were going to take all those people through that desert."
"We would help." Just behind the girls was Sayaka also in her uniform of magical girl. "Or do you think we would leave you to burn when the sun comes, after all that happened."
Next to Sayaka was Madoka in her divine white costume. Behind her was a large flower-shaped aura, where her infinitely long locks of hair disappeared. Something made her worried. "Mami-san, I feel you're afflicted."
Mami glanced at the rising sun, its brightness gaining momentum. "It's about Bebe. It's true what she said? She was alone..."
"I visited her, but it's true, most of the time she was." Said Madoka.
Mami closed her eyes. "So it's better that she stayed with Akemi-san."
"I never imagined she would do that." Sayaka commented. "But to tell you the truth, I knew very little about her. I can only say that there are other girls there, no one is forced to be alone."
"Heh. I bet you must be taking a beating from them." Kyouko completed.
"Oh yes? One day, when you come, I'll show how much I have improved." Sayaka countered.
Kyouko turned to Sayaka, with an incredulous expression. "When I show up there? Girl... don't hold your breath! I only go when I'm old and senile. Moreover, I have to take care of that blonde here."
"Is it not just the opposite?" Mami was quick in her answer.
"We're talking about fighting, battle. Got it?" Kyouko crossed her arms.
"Huhu." Laughed Mami. "I took that into consideration."
"Tch..." Kyouko was sulking.
"Wehihi." Madoka was enjoying the good time, but she was aware of the inexorable passage of time. "Well... we must go."
"Kyouko..." Sayaka reached out.
"Don't try to make me cry." Kyouko smiled and held the hand of Sayaka.
The aura began to shine brightly.
"Continue to believe in the stories of love and courage. They are allies of hope." Sayaka said with a smile.
That was the last image that Kyouko managed to get before she became completely blind. Soon she felt her hand was empty.
When the light faltered, Madoka and Sayaka were gone.
Kyouko felt tears on her face. "That dummy... I told her to not do it!"
Mami also had bloodshot eyes. "Even I believing in the Law of Cycles all this time, only now I can say I'm really relieved for her. In peace."
"Yeah, but her family will still suffer a lot." Kyouko said, wistfully.
Mami agreed. "I should have advised better, but we should respect her wish."
"I hope that boy is happy." Kyouko spoke with an irritated tone. Then she calmed down. "And now? What are we going to do?"
[Play your role as magical girls.] Kyuubey appeared on top of the hill.
Kyouko conjured up her spear and extended it towards Kyuubey. Her expression does not hide her anger. "You have to be very dumb to come and talk to us after what happened."
[Better not waste your magic, Kyouko.] Kyuubey swung his tail. [Because, in the evening, you will have to deal with demons. Do not forget that you need me to discard the used grief cubes.]
"Lower the spear." Ordered Mami.
"Mami!" Said Kyouko, in surprise. "You won't be on his side, right?"
"Kyuubey!" Mami ignored Kyouko.
[Yes, Mami.]
"I want you to come to my apartment every morning, on the time that usually I'm preparing to go to school. We'll deliver all the cubes collected." Mami continued in a more threatening tone. "And don't appear any other time, and don't talk to me or to Kyouko. Otherwise I'll feel inclined to waste my magic."
The solid red gaze of Kyuubey seemed to be analyzing Mami end to end. Finally, he turned and vanished from sight. [Very well. So be it.]
Kyouko shortened her spear. "I'd rather never see this white shit."
"We have a city to defend and we need him for that." Mami started to go down the hill.
"Tch." Kyouko followed. "Hey Mami. Has a lot of time passed?"
"Hmmm... I didn't think about it." Mami was poking her chin. "We'll know when we get home. I remember I had remains of a cake in the refrigerator."
"Damn! Think it's spoiled?" Kyouko gritted her teeth. "Grrr. One more reason to strangle the ears of that white thing."
And the two walked together, toward to their old routines. But now sure that love, courage and hope are able to overcome anything.
／人 ◕‿‿◕ 人＼
Under the amalgamation of colors that the universe has to offer, Sayaka followed Madoka closely. Although the Law was safe, she knew that the mission was not a success. They failed to bring Homura and worse, Nagisa was left behind.
However, it was something else that bothered Sayaka, something seemed to be coming into her mind at that moment.
Bright colors were blending, resulting in the purest white. The two were now in a room with no beginning, middle or end. Where their only companions were numerous chairs that were floating.
But the white background was soon taken by various colored emblems. Madoka's golden eyes were watchful. "Many are in need of me right now."
A discomfort, an anguish, took the body of Sayaka. She looked suspiciously at the black salamander, in a form of earring with a violet gem, which was in the right ear of Madoka. "Madoka..."
Madoka turned and said calmly. "Sayaka-chan."
"S-Something happened, right?" Sayaka began to feel a shiver.
A saddened semblance was instaured on Madoka. "I... I hid many things from you." Then, like a tentacle, one of the long pink locks of hair curled into Sayaka.
"Ma... Mado... gnngn..." Sayaka fell to her knees and began to sweat. Images in her mind began to appear, memories of a forgotten future.
"I'm sorry for the way the things turned out." Madoka continued. "More than ever, you deserve the whole truth, even if it's going hurt."
Tears came out of Sayaka's eyes at every memory. The betrayal of Homura, her vain attempts to bring Madoka back, her coexistence with Kyouko, surrendering to the curse, the revelation of the relationship between Kyousuke and Hitomi and the fateful struggle she had with Nagisa.
She looked down at her hands, which were now gauntlets of iron. "nO! WHY dId It hApPEN THiS WAy?! aaAAaAAaAaHhhhHHhhGgggGG!"
"Sorry, Sayaka-chan." Madoka said as she watched her friend turning into a witch.
Oktavia raised her large cutlass against Madoka, but soon more strands of hair held her body and arms. She struggled with all her strength to break free. "AaaAAaaaAAHHhNHhhHHhGgggGGg!"
"I guarantee that I'll bring you back. I have much to say beyond what you saw. It's even unfair, but for what will come, I'll need you again, my dear friend..." Madoka turned her back to Oktavia, she would work hard to recover her friend, but she was only one. Right now, many witches were in need of her presence, it was necessary to make up for her recent absence.
Meanwhile, the gem in her earring sparkled...
Next chapter: Words of the jailer