Epilogue
No. It did not match.
A dark and humid tunnel, dimly lit by fluorescent lamps. The gray concrete walls were accompanied by long metal tubes. The air was heavy, almost suffocating.
It did not match. Not at all. Not with the visual of that magical girl.
A white dress with blue details, where her great skirt reached the feet, Victorian fashion. Following the same color style, she wore a mitre, which rested on her long ash-blond hair. Like her silver circular soul gem in her collar, her olive green eyes sparkled, confused.
It did not match. She knew that, but there was a more pertinent question.
How did I get here?
Oriko Mikuni searched her recent memory, but without finding answers. To make matters worse, there was no apparent way out, not even a hint of an access to the outdoors.
This place looks like it is subterranean.
Seeing no option, she decided to explore the place, following the metal tubes.
[Someone there?]
Her telepathic calls did not get a response. If she was in magical girl garments, it could be a combat situation, her family could be in danger. However, she could not feel the presence of magic or miasma.
Oriko continued through the tunnel to its end. However, she did not expect what she would find next.
She had arrived in a huge gallery. The ceiling was so high that the light from the lamps on the walls did not reach there. In terms of square meters, Oriko had no idea, could only imagine what reason for such space.
In one of the gallery walls was written in bold letters with white paint:
MITAKIHARA 02
"So I'm still in the city." Oriko told herself.
Then a movement catches her eye. A small white creature ran past her.
Oriko recognized the creature immediately. "Kyuubey!"
Even being close to the girl, Kyuubey completely ignored the calling, as if she was not there.
So Oriko smiled, now she knew what was happening.
Less apprehensive, she tried to follow Kyuubey, who was entering another tunnel that was in the gallery.
It did not take long to find the other end of that tunnel. Like the previous, this also ended in a gallery, but there was something else...
Oriko gasped.
In the middle of the gallery was a large prism, floating and rotating, of transparent amber color. Inside there was a girl standing, who appeared to be asleep or unconscious.
The girl had very long hair, her locks are accommodated as best they could within the prism. It was difficult to discern the colors due to the blending with the color of the prism, but Oriko was sure that the two bows that tied the hair of the girl and the dress were white, like her own magical girl clothing. But the dress of the girl was more revealing compared with what Oriko was wearing, especially in the legs, where it was possible to see small wings on her shoes.
Seeing the five gems in the chest, Oriko had no doubt that she was a magical girl too.
There was a much smaller prism, also of amber color, which orbited the bigger one. It seemed to have something inside, but Oriko could not tell what it was at that distance.
Above the large prism sat a dark globe of similar size, which was also floating or could be hanging from the ceiling. There was several metallic branches protruding from its top.
These branches were dividing along the path, until reaching their destinations, which left Oriko terrified.
Tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds, of Kyuubeys were receiving the ramifications in their holes open in the back. A good portion of them were on the ground and that 'white carpet' stretched and climbed the wall of the gallery.
Those who were not connected to the dark globe, wandered near the prism. In fact, at that time, they were crowding together.
They seem agitated.
Oriko knew that the Incubators are creatures that do not express emotions, but their behavior in group brought evidence that corroborated with her observation.
Then the smaller prism, which was orbiting, began to shine brightly. Its amber tone became a violet one. However, soon the glow faded and the prism turned black.
Finally, it broke.
What came out left Oriko scared. A dark deformed mass with tentacles, which soon gained size.
The Kyuubeys who were nearby scattered, but some became victims of the powerful whippings of that black creature. Their bodies became a red paste that stained the floor.
That being of tentacles, which continued to grow, did not appear interested in pursuing the Kyuubeys. Instead, it went to the prism where the girl was. Its tentacles embraced the prism.
Oriko found that the creature was applying constricting force and its intentions were to break the prism.
However, the monster began to lose part of its mass, which was evaporating in the form of a dark essence and being absorbed by the dark globe.
Is this a creature composed of grief? Oriko could not help but notice the similarities of that with the purification process of a soul gem.
Despite the loss in mass, the creature returned to grow, fueled by the same dark essence, coming out of the broken smaller prism.
Thus, even though a part of it was absorbed by the dark globe, the creature had tripled its dimensions. Several of its tentacles now whipped in all directions.
"Ah!" Oriko reacted before a tentacle that came, but it crossed her without hurting.
I forgot that I am not here.
Other tentacles began to destroy the metallic ramifications and smashing the Kyuubeys. Many of them began to flee.
The black creature spread through the gallery. Its tentacles embraced the prism even more firmly, crushing and cracking it.
That is not good.
The prism then broke into several pieces and the creature enveloped the girl. Quickly the monster began to lose volume as it entered inside her, until it disappeared completely.
Only the girl was left, fallen to her knees and agonizing on the gallery floor. Now Oriko knew she had pink hair, her five gems near the collar were dark.
But it was not only the gems.
When the girl opened her eyes, they were completely black, it was not possible to discern the iris from sclera. In her twisted and trembled feature, she said. "W-Why? W-Why... I failed? It was... not to happen like that!"
The heart of Oriko tightened with the anguish she was witnessing.
The girl lifted her arms in the air, as if there were something to grab. "Everyone... sorry... I... I could not save... IIIIEEEEEEEAAAARRRRRGGGHHHHHH!" An inhuman scream left out of her mouth as her body began to swell, deforming and earning a dark look like the creature from before.
That made Oriko aghast, it was a horrible sight, even for someone who hunted demons.
The dark mass filled the gallery completely, reaching Oriko. Then the magical girl found herself elsewhere, she was in the midst of the cosmos.
However, it was disappearing.
Oriko saw every galaxy, every nebula, every star, disappear, leaving behind only a void and lifeless background.
No! It can not be!
She tried to scream those words, but no sound came out because there was no air, there was no more. She tried to blink in order to see if there was a light, small as it was, but she could not felt her own eyelids, there was no more. She hugged herself, wanting to feel some warmth.
But there was no more Oriko.
Even the concept of existence was difficult to assimilate, her thoughts were only fragments. Her conscience was disappearing, just the feeling of being condemned to be part of this void remained.
... Love ...
Another fragment, a voice that seemed to resonate within her mind.
"Love!"
It was louder, clearer, she even seemed to be listening to it.
"BIG BIG LOVE!"
In a long gasp, Oriko got up from the bed. She was sweating cold and shivering. Her muscles complained of fatigue for a moment.
Beside her was a girl wearing a black nightgown, with a short purple hair and eyes that seemed like citrine gems, who was also lying on the double bed. She expressed concern. "My love! You were struggling and started screaming. Is everything okay?"
Oriko breathed deeply, she saw that she was no longer with her magical girl's attire but with a white gown. "Ah... It is okay, Kirika."
In this, the two hear footsteps of someone running down the corridor, heading toward the door of the dark bedroom where they were.
When the door opened partially, the corridor's light lit the environment. At the opening, appeared a couple of living and inquisitive blue eyes, belonging to a little girl of green hair. She was quick to speak. "I heard the cry of mama."
"Yuma, sorry to frighten you. It was just a bad dream." Oriko smiled at Yuma.
"Yes my little love." Kirika pointed to herself. "Papa here will take care of her. You can go back to sleep."
"Hmmm... Okay." Yuma smiled. "I'll wish to mama has a good dream now."
"Thank you, my sweetheart." Oriko spoke with a soft tone.
The door closed.
Kirika ran her hand on the bare arm of Oriko. "It wasn't a bad dream, was it?"
In response, Oriko raised her left hand. Then her silvery soul gem appeared, resting on the palm. The bright glow lit the room, revealing the wallpapers to be torn and damaged by mold.
Despite the brightness, Oriko could see a dark cloud floating in the gem. "It was not."
"What did you see, big love?" Kirika was curious.
"The end." Answered Oriko.
"Of what?"
"Everything."
tey toN