Author's Notes: Merry Christmas, you PMMM fandom folks! I know, I know... I haven't been able to update as quickly as I should, but it's all good. What I lose in speed, I'll try to make up for in quality and entertainment! Here's Episode 9 and I hope you all enjoy it!
Warning though - this chapter does not exactly have a Christmas vibe to it... I'll tell you that now to spare you the trouble and the complaints :P
Magia, Pacem, Bellum Terrarum
I Want To Believe
Kyuubey sat serenely among the books that piled in the bookshelves in the vast whiteness of Homura's room, looking almost guileless. Almost. Homura had noticed him enter her room but quickly ignored his presence after making him continue with his flashback to the 1940's. For the first time in a few hours, Kyuubey stirred. He swated his tail to the other side and finally, Homura gave him a steely glare.
"Do you find me that interesting to stare at, Kyuubey?" She asked tonelessly.
The formless screens froze, a scene of Audrey, Ligaya, Elise and Lorelei walking back to the Gumamela Building still showing.
"Aren't we one person short today?" The little creature asked. He blinked, but his round, red eyes still trained on Homura. "Won't she mind? After all, she finally started thinking the two of you are in on this together."
"There are things she must not find out."
"Things that… you have found out, Akemi-san?"
Homura didn't reply.
"I thought you wanted to protect the other Puella Magi?" Kyuubey seemed amused. "Even those only slightly involved – in particular, Madoka Kaname."
Homura's gaze narrowed. "My business is my business, not yours, Incubator."
"And yet, you still involve yourself in other people's business – stickin' your finger in a lot of pies, as Ms. Burnham used to say." Kyuubey then lay down on his side. "You argue like that, yet ask me to show you these things for nearly nothing in return."
"And yet, you show me all of this."
Kyuubey pondered for a moment, squirming until he lay flat on the surface. "By watching you, Akemi-san, I have learned more than you would have ever showed me willingly." Kyuubey stood upright then casually walked through one of the formless screens, making the picture fuzz as he passed. "You never fail to surprise me, Akemi-san. However, I am starting to see through your enigma."
"Let us resume, Incubator." Homura took out a Grief Seed and ran it by her darkened Soul Gem to cleanse it. "You try my patience with your riddles."
"As you wish."
…
.
...
Act XXII – All I Have Left
Audrey Burnham stepped into the bathroom of their room in the Gumamela Building, heaving a heavy sigh that resounded in the room's marble tiles. Fresh in her mind was that image – the image of the two girls sprawled out on the bloody Manila streets. No matter how hard she tried, she could not get it out of her head. Then, the large, posh bathtub at the end of the bathroom beckoned to her.
Perhaps, a nice long bath would help her forget, thought the American. Maybe it would. She turned the water valves and let the water fill the tub, steam slowly rising up to and filling the room.
The American untied the ponytail she wore and let her soft brown hair flow down gracefully to her shoulders. She changed out of her travelling clothes and folded them neatly, setting them aside on the porcelain sink. Then, the ring she wore on her finger, encrusted with her amber gem, she removed and placed it neatly beside her clothes. Naked, Audrey turned to the mirror above the sink and watched her reflection. Every inch of her fair skin, the curves of her strong, toned arms and shoulders and her supple breasts… they were all that of a twenty-one year old maiden.
In Audrey's mind though, that person she faced in the mirror was only but a child – a child who ran away from home.
She took a quick shower then slowly sank into the now filled tub, feeling the warmth of the water surrounding her skin as the gentle steam fills her lungs. She leaned back against the tub and closed her eyes, letting her tired mind wander off. Her eyes and her mind were tired, but she could see it clearly – a window to her past.
The American girl was born as Audrey Wilhelmina Burnham late in New York City in 1918 at the end of the First World War. It was a time of euphoria, her parents would tell her, showing her lithographs of the celebrations in New York City. Banners and streamers hung from the buildings as people flocked to the streets and to the shores, watching the first of the many US Army transports coming home from Europe.
One of the pictures showed Mrs. Burnham carrying the newborn Audrey in her arms while holding up a small US flag. Beside her stood the father, Mr. Burnham, proudly grinning as she showed off his M1907 Springfield rifle. Behind the couple was a big brass band, marching underneath the streamers in a welcome-home parade.
That picture was Audrey's favorite lithograph as a child – it was her favorite memory. As the years passed, it became clearer and clearer that the lithograph Audrey loved was just that – a distant memory. Come the height of the Great Depression in 1929, Audrey realized just how distant it was.
"You insolent bitch!" Mr. Burnham growled, letting his briefcase drop to the floor with a thud, "I'm the one brining money into this home, and all you do is complain, complain, complain!"
"You spend it all on alcohol though!" Mrs. Burnham shouted back at him, "You come back home shitfaced… and you smell of perfume! Where the hell have you been?"
"That's none of your business! And it's not like you're any better!" Mr. Burnham argued furiously, "Just how much money have you lost on the blackjack tables?"
"Shut up!" Mrs. Burnham demanded. Mr. Burnham intended to do no such thing.
"Woman, this economy's gone to hell – Wall Street folk are shitting their pants left and right. Despite this, you expect me to go and magically conjure up cash? Listen here. I've already gone to the government for those compensations for the vets already, but we got squat! Ten times they denied us – TEN FUCKING TIMES!"
"JUST STOP IT ALREADY!"
Arguments like these were commonplace in the Burnham household at the turn of the decade. The glow of the victory in the First World War quickly faded as reality set in. Thinning wallets and rising prices was its harbinger. The Burnham family, like many an American family, had believed in the American Dream – boundless prosperity and happy, loving families. The family's disillusionment was acute and bitterness reigned in the Burnham household. Audrey's parents blamed each other for the state they were in and, on occasion, took out their anger on the Burnham daughter. Audrey took this punishment in silence.
This was the casualty of the Great Depression, Audrey believes. It wasn't just the crash of the US economy. It was the loss of love within families. The hatred that had manifested in love's place was the true murderer of the American Dream. What was immense wealth without love, after all? Audrey knew this, and she couldn't take it anymore.
Audrey wanted to get away from the madness that consumed her family, and her eyes fell on the Philippine Islands. The archipelago was the perfect place for her – it was a US Protectorate and she had relatives she was in good terms with who lived there. Most importantly, though, the archipelago was half a world away – as far away from New York as she was ever going to get.
One night, as her parents were wrapped up in their endless arguments, Audrey snuck out of their New York home unnoticed. She stowed herself away on a midnight train headed for California. Her parents didn't even bother looking for her, saying that they finally had one less mouth to feed.
The fifteen year-old Audrey was in a tough situation, she would admit, but Audrey was a very clever girl. With just ten crumpled dollars in her pocket, she survived the coast-to-coast trip without skipping a meal. She sold whatever trinkets she had brought with her and whatever she could rummage from her travels – her favorite wares being baseball cards and cigarettes. She would use a San Francisco hotel telephone to call her relatives for free and refuse the hotel administration's demand to pay for a long distance call – she argued that the Philippines was US territory, thus making it a local call. Finally, she posed as a male crew member on a cargo boat headed for Manila.
She swept the deck of a less-than-luxurious cargo boat with her eyes turned to he vast Pacific Ocean as she waited to arrive in Manila. In the Philippines, she would make her fortune and make a name her family would respect. Perhaps, if she could do this, she could bring her family back together… revive the American dream she had believed in so firmly.
The moment she got off her boat (sneaking out, no less), her mission began. Audrey travelled to Mariveles on an ox-cart and met with her relatives who welcomed her with warm food and a cozy room. In return, she proposed and helped to start the hacienda business that would become thoroughly successful. Stacks of money and tins of the highest quality cigars were plentiful. Audrey was able to travel around the archipelago at her leisure, though she often stayed in Manila to promote her hacienda's goods at the local markets.
She wasn't quite someone the President of the Philippine Commonwealth would come out to meet and shake hands with (though the Malacañang Palace was an occasional patron to her hacienda's cigars), but she was loved in Mariveles and had accumulated respectable wealth. She had done it, she thought, so she decided to try to write to her parents for the first time. However…
"Audrey…" Her uncle brought in the morning newspaper, his tone somber. "You should see this…"
Audrey took the paper, wondering why her uncle looked troubled. The paper was turned to the International section and on the front page…
"No… it can't be…"
It was a black and white photograph – a horrifying scene of a murder and suicide right outside of her New York home. There, her father lay dead with a young girl from one of the New York brothels beside him. Not far from them was her mother, a smoking gun still in her hands. The family she had hoped to reunite was gone.
The twenty-one year old Audrey fell into despair and locked herself up in her room. The arguments of her parents, an endless exchange of hateful, hateful words, echoed in her head. She bawled like a child, trying her best to drown out the sound. Then, there was silence.
"I have heard your cries, Ms Burnham."
A white creature appeared before her, wagging its tail as it watched the weeping girl with its round, red eyes.
"You bear heavy burdens in your heart; burdens you feel will never be lifted."
"What are you…?"
"I can help you make light from this darkness – to create a miracle from this nightmare." The creature wagged its tail as it spoke, "I can help you piece back your shattered dreams."
"My… dreams…?"
"Yes. I will grant you a wish. Just make a contract with me and become a Puella Magi!"
The creature then told Audrey of the Witches, the foul beings that drove mankind to madness and fed on their energy without remorse. These Witches were responsible for sowing seeds of bitterness and fury in her family, driving her parents to fight one another then to kill each other. Many other families too were victims of these Witches, divided by them… destroyed by them. The tearful Audrey shook as she listened.
"A… a w-wish, huh… you mean I c-can wish for anything?"
"Almost anything. I cannot bring your parents back from the dead as I do not have power over life and death." The creature paused. "I am not God, after all."
"What the hell should I ask for then?"
"I am not permitted to make suggestions, Ms. Burnham." Kyuubey shook his head, "Look into your heart – what is it that you want? What is it that you lack?"
"Courage…" Audrey had finally stopped crying. "Give me courage to fight these Witches you speak of. I ran away from home thinking I was strong, but I was a fool – a coward afraid to face her parents… a coward afraid to save her family. Give me courage so that I can save other families from being torn apart by Witch's influence! I want to drive away these Witches that bring grief!"
"Ah, such an earnest wish." Kyuubey extended his ears towards Audrey's chest. "Your Soul Gem, the source of your power, will be a strong one. I can tell."
Amber light filled the room and Audrey fell back, floating down slowly onto her bed. The light came together in a pear shape and Audrey reached for it. Her vision blurred and she saw that scene in 1918 New York with the streamers and banners decorating the streets of her hometown. Then, she saw a battery of artillery firing a 21-gun salute, welcoming the US troops home. She then set off on her journey as a Puella Magi.s
Audrey's eyes opened again and she found herself back in the bathtub in the Gumamela Building. She turned to the nearby sink where she set aside her things, along with the ring that bore her bright, amber Soul Gem. Every Witch she had faced since she made the contract, she fought to help keep families whole. She protected the family of her relatives as her own until the day they died at the coastal road by the Manila Bay. Then, she fought to defend the girls of her newest family – Salvae. In particular, Ligaya de la Cruz.
The scene of the Puella Magi dead on the streets of Manila greatly troubled the American girl. She had vowed to protect her family, but was she doing enough? What would she do if the killers took her friends or Ligaya away from her? She didn't know. She didn't want to know…
"Hey Audrey." Ligaya knocked on the door of the bathroom. "Are you going to be staying for much klonger?"
"Oh, I'm almost done. Gimme a minute." Audrey sat upright in the tub, "Why, what's up?"
"Carissima Elise and Lady Lorelei called for us just now. It sounds important."
"Gotcha. I'll be out soon, Ligaya."
The Filipina girl sighed then stepped away form the door.
"Wait a second!" Audrey halted her.
"Yeah?"
"Ligaya, I will protect you no matter what."
"Audrey…?"
"Witches, Puella Magi killers, Japs… I don't care. I'll fight them all. You and Serafina… and all the other girls here… I'll protect you."
First Interlude
The room of Elise de Lamarliere was always a spectacle to behold, thought Lorelei Sankt as she looked around. The large collection of aged French wines, intricate paintings of the French countryside and photographs of Alsace-Lorraine that decorated the room always amused Lorelei. Every time she visited, there was a new vintage bottle, a new landscape or a new photograph that graced the room.
"Your collection never seems to stop growing." Lorelei noted, humming as she browsed through wines, "But, the original will always be the best."
She knelt down and picked up a half-drank bottle of 1918 Bordeaux wine. The Magni Domina smiled. "It seems only like yesterday."
"Salvae Terrae Magicae has spread its wings." Elise took the bottle from Lorelei and opened it, pouring them both a glass. "We should be proud of how far we have come… how far you have come, Lorelei. What we have built here was no simple feat."
"That's true." Lorelei took a sip of her wine, "You and the other girls have sacrificed so much – so much for me. Lately, though… I've started to wonder if it's worth it."
"It's definitely worth it. Believe in me, Lorelei." Elise's tone was desperate, "We've stopped the cycle of death in its tracks! The battle is fought and we have won."
"Can you really say that?" Lorelei asked, "A chess match isn't over until a checkmate is dealt – and I do not see a checkmate."
Lorelei turned to Elise.
"You've felt it too, haven't you, Elise?" The Carissima couldn't look Lorelei in the eye, "Your room grows more beautiful as the years pass – it worries me."
"Lorelei…"
"But not as much as these rogue Puella Magi who prey on their sisters." Lorelei added, "It's an entirely new front – a whole new chessboard, if you will."
"That is… unfortunately the case." Elise crossed her legs and set aside her glass, "You received my telegraph, haven't you – about my proposition?"
"The drafting, you mean? Yes I have. I don't think it's time."
"Why not? It would bolster our strength significantly and maybe even put an end to…"
"The girls deserve a choice in the matter." Lorelei disagreed, "Each and every one of the girls have been forced into a lifetime of fighting as Puella Magi one way or another – I don't believe we should force the Ritual onto them arbitrarily.
Only those truly willing to fight under our banner with relentless loyalty to our cause are the ones who deserve promotion. To be a Zealot, Maultier or Carissima of Salvae is a lifetime dedication, after all. Not every Aspirant can handle those sorts of responsibilities – a hasty, baseless promotion may be something they would come to regret."
"It is as you say, Lorelei." Elise calmed down, taking her wine glass again to drink, "As for Ms. Burnham and Ms. de la Cruz… do you believe they are worthy?"
"They have good hearts, I can tell." Lorelei smiled, "If their Soul Gems can become as strong as Kyuubey says and are truly willing to fight for us, then perhaps. When the time comes to fight back against the rogues… or anything else that may come up, we will need them at our side."
Act XXIII – Discipulas
Audrey and Ligaya walked into the room of Carissima Elise and were graciously welcomed by the bouncy Lorelei. Elise merely acknowledged the presence of the two girls with a nod, her aura of authoritative dignity ever present about her. The two girls took seats opposite the Carisima and Magni Domina and were offered drinks by Lorelei. Audrey asked for a bottle of Coca Cola and Ligaya shyly requested orange juice.
Moments later, Kyuubey joined the girls in the room and sat between the four of them. He too had been called by the Carissima and Magni Domina, it seemed.
"I've been asked to come in and take a look at your Soul Gems." Kyuubey said, wagging his tail casually, "Would you mind putting them before me here?"
The two girls did as they were told. They transformed their rings into their gem forms then set it before the white creature that wasted no time in observing them.
"My hypotheses are correct, Lady Lorelei." Kyuubey smiled at the Magni Domina, "I assume this is favorable news to you."
"Wait a sec." Audrey halted, her brow raised, "What's with all this hypothesis stuff and favorable news and whatnot?"
"Forgive us for the lack of explanation, Ms. Burnham." Lorelei apologized, "You see, before you girls came in, Elise and I were talking about an issue our organization is starting to face."
"The Puella Magi killers…" Audrey caught on quickly. Lorelei nodded.
"Precisely." Lorelei continued, "We called you girls in since, when the time comes to do battle with the rogues, we would like you to play a bigger role in the fight."
"Us?" Audrey and Ligaya gasped at the same time
"Why just us?" Ligaya asked, "There's a lot of other Puella Magi in the branch – Aspirants and Zealots – all of them wonderful fighters. Audrey and I are just ordinary Puella Magi, why just us?"
"It's simple." Elise took a big sip of wine, "You two aren't ordinary Puella Magi."
Audrey and Ligaya fell silent, holding their breaths.
"You look surprised." Elise crossed her legs, "The prowess you've shown in your fights against the Witches alone shows just how much a cut above the rest you two girls are… but there's more to it than that."
"What would that be?" Audrey asked, a mix of skepticism and wonder in her voice.
"Potential, my dears." Elise continued, "You are right. My hardened veterans definitely fare better against Witches than rookies like you… but you girls have tremendous potential, sleeping, laying dormant here in these gems of yours."
"I… don't quite follow." Audrey said bluntly.
"Then please allow me to explain." Kyuubey said, wagging his tail leisurely. "Whenever a Puella Magi makes a contract, she is granted a wish – and this wish determines the Puella Magi's combat capability. Generally, the weapons and skills a Puella Magi will take to battle against Witches are set in stone. Take for example your friend Serafina Larivenko – her illusion magic and her rapier are all she can call upon in a fight. Not to mention the conventional weapons the girls bring to battle."
Kyuubey then watched Audrey and Ligaya.
"The two of you, however, are curious exceptions."
Audrey and Ligaya listened to Kyuubey with faces of disbelief. The creature lied down on its back lazily and continued, stopping to look into the Soul Gems of the two girls..
"I have travelled with Ms. Burnham since she first started her journey as a Puella Magi." Kyuubey said in an almost reminiscent tone, "Thus, I have seen her develop her skills. She started out with her mortars, then mastered her first anti-tank gun and an anti-aircraft gun most recently."
The American girl leaned to the side of her seat and confirmed what Kyuubey. She remembered first seeing the 57mm guns she loved to use at a military parade in the Intramuros compound in Manila in 1940. The anti-aircraft guns, she learned to make in a pinch during the Japanese air raid on Clark Air Field.
"Thus, you have the potential – the potential for growth." Lorelei smiled. Audrey blinked and fell silent in contemplation. "You are what I like to call 'Discipulas', learners."
"Eh? But what about me?" Ligaya asked, a little apprehensive, "The Peashooter's the only thing I've got…"
"I doubt that." Kyuubey shook his head, "I believe you have the ability to create more than just a Peashooter. Here."
The creature gestured to Ligaya's Soul Gem.
"Set your Soul Gem near your heart and close your eyes," Kyuubey said, watching as the Filipina slowly picked up her gem. "I'll help you see what I can see in you."
The Filipina closed her eyes and listened to her heartbeat. Images of the times she had shared with her father flashed before her eyes – images of times long gone. She still clearly remembered the Peashooters her father maintained daily and took to the sky. She hoped so dearly to see it fly again… then, the town of Mariveles in flames and the men of the platoon fighting the Japanese, and the M3 Stuart tank around which the platoon rallied.
The details were vivid in her mind, the lines and rust spots, the mud struck in the treads and the sound of the hand-cranked hydraulics from its turret… then her father, wearing his USAFFE cap instead of the M1 helmet, leading the platoon bravely from the commander's cupola. Ligaya tried to come closer to the tank, but her feet would not move. Then, the commander in the cupola faded away, crumbling into dust that dispersed into the wind. When Ligaya opened her eyes, she was in tears.
"Armored fighting vehicles, particularly tanks and planes – this is your power." Kyuubey said, insensitive to the shaken Ligaya. "The emotions you brought into the contract truly do determine your powers, as is the case with Ms. Burnham."
Audrey turned to Kyuubey at the mention of her name.
"Those 2-inch medium mortars you started out with…" Kyuubey said, "Your father was a gunner in a field artillery regiment in the Battle of the Somme in the Great War. The nickname he gave you was 'Toffee Apple', I believe."
"How did you…"
"I will speak no further about that – that is a private matter, after all." Kyuubey blinked as Audrey gritted her teeth. "With everything said and done, we can now truly be certain that the two of you are Discipulas.
There still are limits to your power, of course, like every other girl. Ms. Burnham can only use artillery, while Bb. de la Cruz can create certain kinds of fighting vehicles. The difference is that your powers have variation… and potential for growth."
"This is why we have called you here tonight." Elise took a sip from her glass of wine, "With proper training, the two of you could very well be some of the most powerful Puella Magi within our ranks. Therefore, it is only proper that you two play a larger role in crushing these vile murderers. In accordance with this, once you two are ready, I would like to offer you two a promotion to Zea…"
"Honorary Carissimahood." Lorelei butted in. Elise was caught by surprise. "Not that I don't trust your command, Elise - these two will still be under your jurisdiction after all, but I don't believe a mere promotion to Zealot properly reflects your importance in this conflict. I, personally, need your loyalty."
Elise turned away, pouring herself a new cup of wine.
"Reasonable." Elise continued, "However, the title of Carissima is not something given to just about anyone. These girls have a lot of work to do if they want to prove themselves worthy of a binding of such high degree. As the locals say, they still have a lot of rice to eat*."
Audrey's brow crumpled a bit. She knew Elise saw them as rookies, but her criticism seemed sharper than usual that evening. Then she sight. With the high regard Lorelei was giving them though, perhaps there was reason for the Carissima to scrutinize them. However, there were questions hanging around in her mind. Especially about the binding – Lorelei could tell.
"Don't worry, Ms. Burnham, the binding will be made clear to you and Ms. de la Cruz in time. It is something better experienced than explained, you see." Lorelei then promised, smiling at the two girls. "That is an issue for a later time. And let me assure you this - should you choose to refuse, I will not take it against you. We all act on our own free wills after all."
Lorelei eyed Elise for a moment. The Carissima just sipped her wine.
"So then." Lorelei put her hands together, "Ms. Burnham, Ms. de la Cruz, when the time comes, will you lend us your strength?"
Audrey prepared to speak for herself and Ligaya again when the Filipina beat her to the punch.
"You can count on us, Lady Lorelei." Ligaya replied with a similarly bright smile, "I'm sure we'll also gain Carissima Elise's trust before long."
Lorelei gave a warm nod and Elise seemed amused. A smile soon tugged at Audrey's face too. The student she had mentored was learning to stand on her own two feet. She knew that she too had a long road to walk in the coming months. She too had to be strong.
"I couldn't have said it better myself, Ligaya." Audrey then turned to their superiors with a confident face, "When do we start?"
Act XXIV – Comrades
The training of Audrey and Ligaya began the very next day in the basement of the Gumamela Building. The booths set up for target practice were taken down and the concrete walls, the ceiling, the floors and the wooden columns that held the building up were imbued with defensive magic by a handful of Elise's Zealots.
Elise met with the two girls there in the mornings and Lorelei would pull up a chair and watch. A regimen of exercises and challenges were prepared for the Americana and Filipina, exercise akin to those of a boot camp. They ran through tires, climbed up nets, crawled under barbed wire. Then, they would do some sparring against some of the Zealots or against Elise herself. The Carissima who wore the heavily plated armor of a French knight and wielded a radiant great-sword proved to be more than a match for the two girls.
Despite the heavy armor she wore, Elise moved freely and gracefully. She danced around Audrey's artillery fire and easily outmaneuvered the strafing fire of Ligaya's planes. The American girl was defenseless once Elise bypassed her guns and a flurry of clean sword strikes tore Ligaya's tanks apart. The Carissima would then tap the girls with the blunt side of her sword to claim victory.
"Be thankful this is training." Elise said, transforming back into her regular clothes, "There were so many ways you two girls could have died."
"You're too harsh, Elise…" Lorelei complained, "I think the girls are getting better."
"Getting better does not mean anything if they die." Elise countered, "The Witches or the killers will not be very merciful."
The defeated Audrey and Ligaya then picked themselves up from the floor and cleaned up the room until lunchtime
After their afternoon meals, they would then set forth on patrols with a fellow aspirant and hunt Witches along the way. No party of Puella Magi would set out on a Witch Hunt without them in the roster. Then, at the end of the day, they would go through blueprints of artillery guns, tanks and planes and studied them until they fell asleep. This was their daily routine, but it was not as lonesome as it sounds. Lorelei Sankt oftentimes lent a hand to the girls and talked with them to get to know them better and to encourage them.
"Not a lot of girls could stand up to Elise in battle. She is my most powerful ally, after all." Lorelei told the two, "And so far, your powers are the only ones she actively tries to evade. That should say something."
Lorelei left after two weeks, but Audrey and Ligaya were not sad. They saw more of their fellow Aspirants during the Witch hunts and grew closer to them. At the dinner hall of the Gumamela Building, they would listen to and share with the Aspirants the stories of their battles. They all became good friends. More than ever, Audrey and Ligaya felt that the Manila Branch was their home.
Then, in a sunny afternoon in July of 1943, their first and closest friend would arrive.
"Ah, the Philippines." A Ukrainian girl starched her arms out wide, savoring the breeze from the rooftop of the Gumamela Building. "How I've missed the warm weather!"
"Staying up in Russia during the winter will probably do that to you." Audrey gladly handed the Ukrainian a tin of cigars she had rolled up in her free time, "Welcome back to Manila."
"And I'm glad to be here!" Serafina gave a long, long sigh of relief. She took a cigar and let Audrey light it for her – she puffed on it rather appreciatively. "The moment I got back to travelling, I made sure Manila was my first destination! Elise's been working you two like horses, I heard, with this counteroffensive and all."
"Yeah." Audrey agreed. She took a cigar for herself too and lit it. "Ligaya and I have been training and training and hunting Witch after Witch after Witch… gosh, we were on the roster of every Witch hunt the Manila Branch had for the past few months!"
"Ungh… don't remind me Audrey…" Ligaya groaned. She opened up a can of orange juice Serafina had given her from her inventory. "As much as I like hunting Witches with our friends, my feet hurt from all the running around town we have had to do."
"It's only natural, I guess." Serafina exhaled and watched the smoke dissipate before her eyes. "Lady Lorelei's eyeing you two to become honorary Carissimas. That disciplinarian Elise probably thinks you two have to earn that title."
"Actually, that IS exactly what she thinks." Audrey laughed heartily. "Speaking of Carissimas, you're an honorary Carissima already, right?"
"I am." Serafina grinned. "Don't call me one though – I don't think I'll ever get used to the title."
"Congratulations, Serafina!" Ligaya cheered, absolutely delighted, "You were a hero to the girls of the Stalingrad branch. You were so brave!"
Serafina's eyes lowered.
"I don't know if I would call it brave, comrades…" Serafina spoke softly. "I might even call my actions cruel."
Serafina puffed again then started walking around the rooftop, re-imagining the scene of the devastated city of Stalingrad.
"A lot of girls died trying to do their duty as Puella Magi in Stalingrad. The shelling had razed the Romashka Building, our Stalingrad branch building, and the Carissima and her zealots died in the wreckage. The Aspirants were led to fend for themselves and were in disarray. Both the Germans and the Soviets open-fired on the girls on their way to the Witch's barriers, thinking they were the enemy or deserters…"
Serafina then stopped walking.
"What troubled me the most was the sudden attack of Puella Magi against our girls – they're the killers everyone's been talking about. They struck at the remnants of the Stalingrad girls like vultures."
"I don't get it – why do they do such a thing?" Audrey folded her arms, ashes falling from the tip of her cigar. "Isn't Salvae here to protect the welfare of Puella Magi? They should just join if they want food or shelter."
"You tell me, comrade. I have no clue." Serafina sighed, shaking her head. "The organization does exist for the welfare of Puella Magi, but you can't shake hands with a closed first… that's why I had to fight them.
Eight of the killers died by my hand… Lady Lorelei promoted me to Carissima and said I have done Salvae a great service… but I'm not wholly proud of it."
Serafina then shook her head.
"Oh, what am I saying… you girls only got free time now to welcome me back." Serafina forced a smile. "We should be having fun!"
As she said this, she spotted a formation of six aspirants led by a Zealot walking through the streets of Manila. They seemed to be headed south towards Cavite."
"Looks like a Witch hunt." Audrey said. She and Ligaya joined Serafina to look over the railings. "Sending seven girls is kinda overkill, don't you think?"
"You can never be sure – Witches are curious creatures." Serafina hummed, "If you want to kill it with fire, bring a lot of fire – that's what I say."
The Ukrainian girl then grinned.
"I know how we can have fun. Why don't we watch them fight today? I'm sure it'll be a spectacular show."
"That's actually not a bad idea." Ligaya agreed. "We'll even get to introduce you to some of our friends – a lot of them are in that hunting party. Are you with us, Audrey?"
"Sure thing." Audrey smiled, "It's not every day that we get to watch the other girls fight, after all."
Second Interlude
A chessboard was set up in Elise's room, populated with pieces distributed in an unusual manner. A group of six white pawns marched in formation, led by a white bishop. There were no black pieces in play, all of them lying sideways in a wooden container. Elise sat on one end of the table while Kyuubey sat on the opposite end, the two of them studying the board carefully.
"Are you really okay with this, Carissima Lamarliere… sending these girls?"
"Would you suggest that I send more, then?" Elise asked, her tone calculating.
"That would depend on your intention, dear Carissima." Kyuubey countered, eyeing the bishop accompanying the pawns.
"You know very well what my intentions are, Incubator." Elise replied coolly, "I just need a little more time."
"A few more sacrifices, you mean?"
"Not sacrifices – maintenance."
"I see." Kyuubey sounded interested. "And what about the outsider? What if she shows up again?"
"I expect her to come, knowing her. After all she's done – she must be running out of steam. She would be playing right into my hands."
Third Interlude
"Help us!" An aspirant cried out through telepathy from within the Witch's barrier, "We're under attack – we aren't prepared for this!"
The Zealot who had accompanied the Aspirants to Cavite stood watch outside of the barrier. She clearly heard the Aspirants' distress calls, but she did not budge.
"We're trapped!" Another aspirant desperately called, "Where are you? We need help!"
Still, the Zealot held her ground, unmoved by the shrieks that grew eerily muffled. Then…
"I knew you'd come." The Zealot said.
A Japanese girl stood in the distance, her long black hair and her morning glory patterned kimono flying in a gentle breeze. The naginata in her hand reflected the sunlight and her eyes stared daggers the Zealot standing guard at the entrance of the barrier. The Zealot smirked then walked back slowly, disappearing into the barrier while facing the Japanese girl – challenging her.
Michi Hideyoshi was no fool. She had seen this scene so many times before, there was no need for explanation. She knew her enemies were prepared, but she did not have a choice. The lives of six innocent Puella Magi were on the line. With her naginata at the ready, she hopped into the barrier.
Her wooden slippers settled on barnacle-encrusted wood, runes carved unevenly in the planks. The smell of salt and blood mixed together, forcibly filling her lungs. A sprawling fishing village of nipa and wood stood over an orange ocean but warped together, forming an odd, towering spiral of houses that climbed up to the sky.
Six scaly hands held splintered fishing rods with strings of hair tied into rope to form the lines. Rusty hooks hung from the lines and swung around as the six Aspirants were caught up in them, struggling to get free. Some hung by their clothes, while the others had hooks dug into their limbs. The Witch, a large, hungry-looking fisherwoman with a crocodile-like jaw sat atop the spiral, opened up her large mouth and leisurely shook her fishing rods.
An Aspirant slipped out and came tumbling down, bits of flesh and blood flying out as the rusty hook ripped through her back. She fell straight into the sharp spiky jaw of the Witch with a sickening splatter.
Michi did not flinch. She wanted to help the girls hanging from the lines, but she knew could do no more than watch. Standing between her and the spiral from which the fisherwoman Witch sat were not minions, but Puella Magi in their magical forms. There were twelve of them, each and every one of them wearing black shawls. The Zealot Michi had chased into the barrier turned around and mocked Michi with a smirk, putting on a black shawl of her own.
"I applaud your efforts, Japanese." The Zealot said, summoning a fan of playing cards to appear in her hand. "However, this is the… end of the line, for you. The odds are stacked against you."
The Zealot and the girls in black shawls laughed , but Michi said nothing. She just held on to her naginata and kept a defensive stance. She watched the thirteen girls in front of her with sharp eyes, looking constantly for even the slightest opening in their lines. Then, there were footsteps behind her.
Michi watched the reflection in her naginata and saw seven more Puella magi with black shawls She was surrounded.
"Odds are just odds – probabilities." Michi said calmly, "Your empty threats do not scare me."
"Then how about a little action?" The Zealot pointed at Michi and two of the Puella Magi at her side charged forward. One of them wielded Arnis sticks and the other had a kampilan sword. Both of them came at Michi.
This was the opening Michi had hoped for. She dashed forward to meet her assailants.
With a quick backhand slash, she broke on of the arnis sticks of the first girl then jabbed the sword-woman in the face with the butt of her naginata, making her flinch. The Zealot then tossed her cards like daggers towards Michi, trying to take advantage of the confusion. The Japanese girl reacted quickly, pulling the staggered sword-woman into the path of the cards which struck her viciously.
Michi took a back step then lunged forward, thrusting her naginata through the chest of the arnis girl. She pulled out the bloody blade easily then swung at the swod-woman next. Both Puella Magi fell, their magical attired disappearing in flashes of light. The Zealot was not pleased.
"What the hell are you waiting for?" She cried to the girls with black shawls, "Go get her!"
The other Puella Magi promptly jumped in to fight Michi, closing in on her in all directions. All the while the fisherwoman Witch tugged at her fishing rods and ate. The battle cries of the Puella Magi that surrounded her mixed in with the hysterical screams of the Aspirants. Michi closed her eyes and blocked out the noise, taking a deep breath as she gathered her inner strength.
"I will not falter." Michi said, a flurry of cherry blossom petals flying around her. Her eyes widened and her grip on her naginata grew tight. "You will pay for your crimes!"
The cherry blossoms burst forth at her assailants like daggers and pushed the bulk of them away. Three more Puella Magi fell to the barnacled floor, lacerated with many small knife marks and their Soul Gems shattered. The rest of the girls nursed varying degrees injuries, but still rose up after Michi's powerful ability, ready to fight. The battle, however, was still far from over.
Michi's steeled stance slowly grew frail as cherry blossoms fluttered to the ground. The turquoise blue gem of her hairpin grew dark. She reached for her purse and pulled out a Grief Seed – her very last one. She cleansed her Soul Gem then threw away the seed. The Zealot saw this and taunted the Japanese girl.
"Oh, and what's this?" The Zealot wiped the blood that dripped from her cheeks, "Your magic has limits too. Just give up! You will not last this fight."
The Japanese girl stood upright then pulled out an Arisaka rifle she had brought with her then stuck on its bayonet. Her other hand then rested on the Type 100 submachine gun that was holstered at her hip. The Zealot's brow crumpled.
"Fine then! This will be your final hour!"
Act XXV – Casus Belli
"We're here." Audrey said, resting a hand on her hip, "Sangley Point Naval Base… or what's left of it. Lots of good warships were docked here before."
"Now, it's a place where 'criminals' are executed." Serafina noted the mass of headless bodies littered at the sides of the military complex, large ditches dug for a mass grave. "It's the perfect place for a Witch to reside."
"L-let's go back…" A shaky Ligaya said, "I don't really like this place…"
"We came here to watch the girls fight a Witch." Audrey hummed, "In all honesty, with the seven of them, the battle would have ended a long while ago."
The American girl looked up to the sky – the sun was already starting to set.
"Do you think they got into trouble?" Ligaya asked. Her companions shrugged. "Give me a second, I'll try contacting them."
Ligaya held out her Soul Gem and faced the entrance of the barrier, trying to hail her fellow aspirants within.
"Regina…? Fatima…?"
No response.
"Yolanda? Mariana…? Nina…?"
Sweat dripped down Ligaya's brow. She gulped, then tried one last time.
"…Esperanza?"
"Ligaya!" The Aspirant Esperaza cried out, panic clear in her voice, "Umalis ka dito! Diyos ko po! (Get out of here! Oh my God!)"
"Anong nangyari, Esperanza? (What happened, Esperanza?)"
"Ipinagtaksil tayo, Ligaya! Ipinagtaksil! (We've been betrayed, Ligaya! Betrayed!)"
Esperanza shouted wildly, her worlds maddened and growing incomprehensible. Ligaya had heard enough.
"Something is going on in there." Ligaya urged her companions, "We have to check it out."
Puzzled, Audrey and Serafina followed the worried Ligaya. The three girls drew their Soul Gems and disappeared into the naval base, all of them holding their breaths. They appeared in the barrier of the fisherwoman Witch and were greeted by the most unpleasant sight – corpses.
A body floated out in the green waters, tendrils of crimson red spreading around it. The body drifted down underneath the wooden planks on which the three girls stood, coming from further down the barrier. Her wounds were familiar ones – large slash marks that gutted the girls' limbs. This time though, the girl had bullet wounds too and burn marks, as if she had been shot with a rifle point blank.
"Oh dear..." Serafina noted, seeing the odious piece of black cloth still wrapped around her shoulder, "Black shawls…"
Another body of a girl floated on down, a black shawl also on her shoulders.
"What's up with those shawls, Serafina?" Audrey asked
"The killers I faced in Stalingrad…" Serafina wore a serious face, "They all wore black shawls like these – our girls ran into an ambush. We must hurry."
They looked up to see the fisherwoman Witch of the barrier cheering with a shrill voice. It bounced happily as blood dripped from her mouth, the leg of one of the aspirants sticking out of it, lifeless. The leg disappeared into the Witch's mouth with a loud slurp, then she spat out the bones, cleaned of all its flesh.
One last girl hung from the fishhooks – Esperanza. She hung from the fishing rod and squirmed in vain. She knew she was next. Then, a declarative shout rang through.
"ENOUGH!"
It was a familiar voice – the voice of one of Elise's most trusted Zealots. The sounds of struggle could be heard in the distance. She seemed to be in the middle of a fight. The three girls ran towards the voice, eager to rush in and help… but nothing could prepare them for what they saw.
Bodies were piled up around the Zealot who wore a proud grin, unmoved by the weeping of Esperanza hanging far at the end of the barrier. About ten or so Puella Magi stood in the Zealot's presence, wearing their black shawls and brandishing their weapons. They were not fighting against each other, but against a lone Japanese girl they surrounded.
Six different kinds of ropes and chains held the Japanese girl down, bent over with one hand tied to her back. Still, she held on to her Arisaka rifle with her last hand, trying her best to aim at the Zealot. The Zealot snickered then kicked the rifle out of the girl's hand. She then kneeled down and lowered her face to the stooped Michi and gloated. Audrey, Ligaya and Serafina took cover behind a wrecked house and listened.
"Indeed, you are as troublesome as we thought you would have been. You killed ten girls in this one encounter – how do you feel about that?"
Michi didn't reply, just glaring at the Zealot furiously.
"No. Not just ten girls." The Zealot laughed, conjuring up a Queen of Spades card "You also ambushed six Aspirants of Salvae, Terrae Magicae and tried to attack one of its Zealots! Yes... that's right. You have a lot of blood on your hands, Japanese."
The Zealot grunted and swiped her card on Michi's hand, slicing it. Michi winced in pain.
"We were starting to get worried, to tell you the truth." The Zealot then said, watching Michi's suffering with glee. "Keeping all of this a secret was getting troublesome. Girls were starting to get wind of our operations – asking where this girl went or how she died. Even now, the Magni Domina grows suspicious… Then you came along."
With a wave of her hand, the Zealot created a Queen of Clubs, folded it into a wedge then stabbed it into Michi's open wound. Michi shook violently, but was held in place by the ropes and chains.
"We are what we like to call 'Incognitas', the girls who work under the shadows – the hidden arm of Salvae. Our 'activities' have been going on well before you arrived, and all over the world – not just here in the Philippines. Lots of girls have... 'fallen victim' to our deeds. The usual 'she died fighting a Witch' didn't cut it anymore, you know? Now that you're here, we have a face to put on the wanted poster, so to speak – we have a convenient scapegoat. Or so we thought."
The Zealot summoned a handful of cards then fashioned them in the shape of an executioner's ax.
"While you run amok killing our girls, our losses have started to surpass our gains." The Zealot looked at her ax of cards as if admiring it. Grinning madly, the Zealot slowly raised up the ax. "Now it's time to liquidate our asset."
Suddenly, a whistling noise reached the Zealot's ears. Dozens of 'Toffee Apple' bombs came crashing down from the sky, striking at the Incognitas around the Zealot, throwing them off their feet. The Zealot turned to her side and saw three Puella Magi prepared for battle. Audrey had just replaced her mortars with a battery of 57mm guns and a pair of 75mm cannons she had just mastered. Serafina readied a rapier in one hand and a PPSh-41 submachine gun in the other. Then, Ligaya wielded her Peacemaker revolver as she walked steadily beside an M4 Sherman medium tank. Sweat dripped down the Zealot's brow.
"Well, I'll be damned."
Audrey and Ligaya shelled the Incognitas a second time and the invisible Serafina rushed forward to the unprepared Zealot and slashed at the ax to disarm her. The Ukrainian then set the edge of her blade against the Zealot's neck.
"Any last word, comrade?" Serafina asked
"I have no regrets." The Zealot said spitefully, "Do you?"
Serafina closed her eyes and tore the girl's throat with a quick slash. She spun around then followed through with a powerful stab, cutting straight through the Zealot's heart. The Zealot's Puella Magi attire disappeared. Audrey and Ligaya had finished fighting their opponents too – smoldering craters sitting where the Incongitas once stood.
The magical chains and ropes that had bound Michi disappeared and she fell face first to the floor, revealing the injuries she had sustained. Audrey Burnham squatted down beside Michi.
"Ligaya, Serafina – go save Esperanza." Audrey said, pointing to the Witch who now started to shake the last of her six fishing rods. "I'll support you from here."
Ligaya and Serafina nodded, running down the wooden path towards the Witch. The two girls disappeared in a veil of maroon light and a pair of P-40 Warhawks roared overhead and flying ahead of them.
Audrey then turned to the Japanese girl then turned her over on her back. She took Michi's injured hand then laid her own hand over it, bathing it in warm amber light. The wound began to seal, as did the other wounds on Michi's body. The Japanese girl's tired eyes met Audrey's and the American girl smiled.
"It's my thanks for what you did in Mariveles." Audrey said, "We have this hunt in the bag, don't worry."
As she spoke, Ligaya's Warhawks strafed the fisherwoman Witch with their many machine guns while Serafina handily cut off one of its arms with her blade. Once Michi's wounds had healed, Audrey stood up and spread her arms out wide. A large battery of 57mm and 75mm guns formed in front of her and fired in unison. The precise shells flew straight through the Witch and dealt the killing blow.
The barrier dissipated and the girls were once again in the ruins of Sangley Point, Cavite. The fishhook from which Esperanza hung disappeared too and Serafina caught the Aspirant in her arms. Audrey sighed in relief. She then handed Michi a Grief Seed.
"Now is not the time to feel relieved, American." Michi said, coughing a bit as she got back up to her feet, "This battle is not over yet."
"What do you mean?" Audrey sounded puzzled, "We defeated the Witch already. I know we weren't able to save everybody, but we kept the killers from killing Esperanza at the very least."
"These so-called 'killers' of yours aren't just plain butchers." Michi shook her head, watching as the blackness of her Soul Gem transferred to the Grief Seed. "Their modus operandi is more complex than that – and we have failed to stop them in this instance."
Michi tossed the Grief Seed away then pointed to where Ligaya and Serafina were. In an instant, the two girls were forced skyward by a strong force of energy emanating from Esperanza. Over the young Aspirant's body, a Witch was spreading her wings and a new barrier quickly started to replace the old one. Audrey's eyes went blank in shock.
"This is the true face of Salvae, Terrae Magicae." Michi said, drawing out her naginata "I want to put an end to it… and I'll need your help."
…
.
…
"Madoka…" Sayaka sighed, sinking into her chair, "You sure do have the weirdest dreams."
It was Tuesday morning in the Mitakihara Middle School. The sun was bright and the sky was a cheerful shade of blue.
"First, you said you saw Transfer Student fighting against a powerful Witch…" Sayaka continued, "Now, you've got this…"
Madoka's eyes lowered, remembering the scene of the realm of blank and white squares, the hail of chess pieces… and the three girls marching through it.
"I met with Mami yesterday, actually…" Madoka said, fidgeting in her chair "I wanted to talk to her about it too, but I couldn't. I can't just go to someone and say 'I dreamed about you last night'."
"Yeah, you shouldn't!" Sayaka suddenly burst into laughter, "Mami might think you're interested in her in 'that' way, haha!"
"Jeez…" Madoka pouted, "But really now… what do you think about this, Sayaka? I've been troubled by it for a while now… and you're the only one I could talk to about it…"
"You really probably shouldn't worry about this one, Madoka." Sayaka assured with a grin, "After all, it probably doesn't concern us."
Madoka didn't reply.
The classroom door then opened and the transfer student, Homura Akemi walked in. Madoka and Sayaka turned to her immediately. Homura had been quite content lately, maybe even bordering on warm… but today, she looked frigid. Her expression was guarded and her eyes leering. For the first time in a long while, she glared at the two girls and forced them to look away.
"Mami-san…" Madoka used her telepathy, searching for their upperclassman in the school. Madoka could not find her. Mami Tomoe did not go to class that day.
In the confines of her apartment, the golden haired girl embraced her knees with her back against the wall. Mami shivered uneasily as she held on to an empty paper bag and her flash drive card, sniffling, sobbing… crying. Then, she stopped.
Mami stood up, though wobbling slightly at first, but eventually getting up on her feet. Her face was now one filled with determination, but the air about her was sharply spiteful.
"I can stand on my own too, Homura – and I can prove it."
To Be Continued
Episode 10 Preview
"Kaname-san, Miki-san... would you go on another Witch hunt with me?"
"Sure thing, Mami-san. We'll go, right Sayaka?"
"Of course! I'll bring my bat, just like always."
"That's good to hear - I'll be waiting for you at the park tonight then."
"But Mami-san..."
"Yes, Kaname-san?"
"You haven't been inviting us to Witch hunts lately... why invite us now all of the sudden?"
"Well... I just felt like it... and,
I don't want to be alone."