Author's Notes: Finals exams, you get the picture :P. I'll do my best to keep updating, but these chapters are starting to take more and more time to produce. I don't have as much free time as I would normally want :|
There's an issue going on with this chapter right now. It goes on the radar for a bit then disappears from the website after a while. I have no idea what's going on - sorry for the inconvenience. [The issue is fixed now, it seems]
I also edited the second-to-the last portion too! Somehow, things got jumbled up.
In any case, here is MPBT 12! Thank you for following my story all this time, and I hope I was able to give you and will continue to be able to give you all a good reading experience! Please enjoy!
...
The rain poured down heavily on Mitakihara City that evening. Madoka and Sayaka sat together under the shelter of a glass-walled bus stop. Normally, the two of them would be talking about some random nonsense: about what had happened that day, some funny incident they had remembered from the past or their plans for the weekend. However, there was only silence in that bus stop.
Sayaka leaned weakly to her side and rested her head on Madoka's shoulder. The girl was awfully tired and looked very frail. Her usual energy was nowhere to be found. In its place was a small ring she now wore on her finger, bearing a tiny blue gem.
After the death of Mami Tomoe, Sayaka decided to become a Puella Magi to take up Mami's role as the protectress of Mitakihara. As the days passed, though, it became clearer to Sayaka that she was ill-suited for the role. The last Witch she had fought drained her thoroughly and she could barely lift a finger due to fatigue.
A Puella Magi by the name of Sakura Kyouko had been recently trying to wrest the Mitakihara area from Sayaka's protection. This girl, as Sayaka clearly knew by then, would be more than capable to follow through on that attempt. Her wish to heal the hand of the boy she liked had not yielded the sort of romance she had hoped for, or any significant form of appreciation for that matter. Then, sitting beside her in that bus stop was, as Kyuubey had told her, the girl with the potential to become the most powerful Puella Magi the world has known.
"Sayaka-chan…" Madoka spoke softly, her words filled with concern. "Don't fight like that anymore."
Sayaka didn't reply, choosing instead to listen to the rain.
"You're lying when you say it doesn't hurt." Tears formed in Madoka's eyes as her voice started to crack, "It hurt just to watch you fight that Witch."
A tear slid down Madoka's cheek.
"Sayaka-chan… you can't just say it's fine to get hurt if you can't feel it."
Hearing this, Sayaka exhaled and broke her silence.
"If I don't do that, I can't win. I don't have the skill, Madoka…" Sayaka's voice was dejected and thoroughly weak.
"If you win by fighting like that, it's not good for you." Madoka argued, though not very forcefully.
"What is 'good for me'?" Sayaka then asked, turning away from Madoka. Madoka's eyes widened in shock.
Sayaka slowly stood up and held out her hand, letting her ring materialize into its gem form.
"What could even be good for me, Madoka?" Sayaka asked, "What could be good for me now that this rock is all that is left of me?"
"... Sayaka-chan."
"I'm just a rock now, that's only good for killing Witches." Sayaka paced around the bus stop, looking out to the pouring rain around her. "I'm a dead body moving around like it's alive."
On the glass of the bus stop, Sayaka saw her own reflection, causing her to frown bitterly.
"What's anyone going to do that's good for me now?" Sayaka looked up, tired of looking at herself now. "It's obvious how pointless it is now, isn't it?"
"What can I do to make you happy?" Madoka then asked, desperate to somehow revive her friend's cheerfulness. This attempt of hers, as earnest as it was, backfired.
"Why don't you go ahead and fight?" Sayaka replied sharply. Madoka started to grow fearful.
"Kyuubey told me about the potential you have, Madoka." Sayaka continued, her eyes now glaring at Madoka. "You can defeat Witches easily without pushing yourself like me... more so than Mami-san did!"
"I... I can't..." Madoka sounded unsure of her own words.
"If you want to do something for me," Sayaka jabbed, "try being in my position. Of course you can't."
Sayaka then turned around, headed for the bus stop's exit. She stopped halfway to the threshold then spoke more scathing words. "Hah, I don't expect you to cast off your humanity out of pity!"
"It's not out of pity!" Madoka cried
"You say you can do anything, but you refuse to do anything." Sayaka growled, "So I have to do this instead. Don't talk to me like you understand when, in reality, you don't!"
"Sayaka-chan!"
Sayaka stepped out of the bus stop and into the rain. Madoka hurriedly got off her seat and followed her outside.
"Don't follow me!" Sayaka demanded, causing Madoka to stop in her tracks. The blue-haired girl then started to run away. Madoka could only watch as her friend disappeared into the night.
"... but... Sayaka-chan..." Madoka's heart started to pound, "I'm your friend and... I really do want to understand."
The rain grew stronger and rang in Madoka's ears, reminding Madoka that she was alone.
"What is it that I don't understand?"
Magia, Pacem, Bellum Terrarum
I Will Do Whatever It Takes
Prologue
The Gumamela Building was silent as the girls of Salvae's Manila Branch stood in attention at the dining hall. Elise de Lamarliere's sharp eyes swept through the room as she paced around, counting the number of girls that stood before her that morning. In reality, she didn't have to count. The table at the far end of the room, oftentimes occupied by a certain Filipina and Americana and their circle of friends was odiously empty. Their absence was, by then, painfully clear to Elise.
One of Elise's Zealots then burst into the room and ran to Elise's side.
"Carissima Elise, we checked their rooms…" The Zealot whispered, pausing to catch her breath, "They took most of their things – they must have left in a hurry."
"And how is the watch-girl for last night doing?" Elise asked the Zealot
"She's recovering, but she's still groggy." The Zealot replied, "She said that bitch Burnham did her in with a baseball bat… the other girls escaped while she was downed. Dios mio! We only found out about it when it was time to change the guards."
"That is all I wanted to hear. Dismissed."
"Yes, Carissima." The Zealot nodded and joined the other girls at the dining hall, facing Elise.
The Carissima wore a stoic face, the same kind of face she wore around the girls of the Edificio Gumamela. This face shouldered the great strength that the girls of the branch respected and feared. Some might even have said that that face of strength alone was what kept the Manila Branch in line. Despite this, Elise's heart was sinking and the silence in the room was starting to grow deafening. She clenched her fist and took a small breath.
"My dear girls." Elise then spoke in a compassionate tone, "I have gathered all of you here at the hall today to talk to you earnestly. Lend me your ears and your hearts."
The confused silence that had prevailed in the room just moments ago was now an attentive silence. Elise gazed upon her audience a second time and grew heartened herself. She opened her mouth and began to speak again.
"A great tragedy has befallen our branch earlier today. Ms. Audrey Burnham, Bb. Ligaya de la Cruz and a handful of their friends left the Edificio Gumamela in the middle of the night. At the same time, our Magni Domina, Lorelei Sankt, was attacked on the last night of her conference in Tokyo, Japan by the Puella Magi killers."
Gasps and nervous whispers started to fill the room, causing the Carissima to close her eyes. She did her best to hide a pained frown, but her face tensed up in disappointment. She had expected that reaction from the girls, but to see it herself was disheartening. The girls at the dining hall saw this, and the chatter was slowly silenced.
"Your reactions alone compel me to believe that these series of events are not mere coincidences. I fear that the Ms. Burnham and the other girls feel the same way as you. They have lost faith in Salvae, Terrae Magicae and the protection it can provide.
These rouges, the killers of Puella Magi, are misguided girls who kill their own sisters-in-magic for no conceivable reason. Their audacity to attack our Magni Domina in Japan is intimidating – I will not argue with you on that fact. The truth, however, remains that Ms. Burnham, Bb. De la Cruz and their friends have yielded to this intimidation. They are lost sheep, seeking solace in solitude.
Now is not the time to isolate one's self, but rather to work with others! I hope and pray that they will quickly realize the folly of their flight and return to the protection of the Edificio Gumamela. I myself would welcome them back with open arms as I did when they first arrived, but we do not have control over their decisions. Only time will tell what becomes of them – all we can do now is wish them well."
Worried frowns were now etched on the faces of the Aspirants. It showed Elise just how much influence Audrey and Ligaya had – and why a select few even decided to follow them.
"Nonetheless," Elise continued, "this matter has revealed to me an issue of great importance. The force of the Puella Magi killers, despite our efforts to quell them, has increased. Years have passed, yet they are still a force that threatens our daily lives. This force may very well soon escalate into a power we can no longer ignore."
The Carissima then took out a folded sheet of paper from her pocket – a telegraph she had received from Lorelei Sankt.
"In light of these recent events, the Magni Domina has authorized Carissimas to perform the Ritual of Soul Gem Binding for the Aspirants. Bound together, we, the girls of the Manila Branch, will have the strength to finally defeat these killers. We will have the strength to protect each other in this time of need. These are trying times and I ask that you remain loyal to me and to trust in my command. If there is even the slightest hint of doubt in your hearts, the front doors are open and you are free to leave. Otherwise, this is a call to arms and I ask you to defend your home with all your might!"
Act XXXIV – Hopefulness
A loud metallic click resounded in the room of Elise in the fourth floor of the Gumamela Building. The door then swung open and the Carissima walked in with an authoritative gait, the sound of each step mysteriously muffled even on the hard floor. Curtains were drawn over the large windows, blocking the morning sunlight from flowing in. Streaks of light formed lines on the black and white marble and mahogany floor, illuminating the Carissima's room marginally. The photographs, landscapes and vintage wine bottles that decorated her room were dull and nondescript in the darkness – save for one particular oil-on-canvas.
The newest picture that hung on the wall caught Elise's attention. She did not remember putting this picture up on the wall. It was Delacroix's Liberty Leading The People, an artwork depicting the French Revolution – one of Elise's favorites. There were four prominent people in the photo: the young Gavroche wielding two pistols with a passionate look in his face, a composed gentleman who bore a striking likeness to Delacroix with a top hat and rifle, a peasant militia fighter who angrily raised up his saber to signal a charge and the half-naked Liberty who held a bayoneted musket and a French tricolor flag in her hands. The Carissima had always drawn strength from this famous scene, but that was not the case today.
"It wasn't supposed to be like this."
Odd beings, wisps roughly the shape but an eighth of the size of people started to form around the Carissima, wandering around the room aimlessly. They had no voices, just fragments of the delayed echoes of the door's click and Elise's earlier steps. Each and every one of them was focused on Elise, studying her with keen interest. The Carissima promptly drew out her lilac Soul Gem, growing dangerously dull and black.
She calmly drew a Grief Seed from her pocket and cleansed her gem. The second the Grief Seed touched her gem, the odd beings disappeared and the Carissima was alone once more. The oppressive air in the room was lifted somewhat as well and the heavy curtains fluttered slightly from their hooks. However, the painting she did not remember putting up still hung from the walls.
She sighed and squatted down to the wine cabinet with a grunt. There, her favorite bottle of 1918 Bordeaux wine sat. Elise picked up the bottle, found herself a glass and walked over to her grand wooden desk. She sat behind the table and set down the bottle and the glass. As she slowly sank into her seat, she reached into her pockets a second time and drew out a chess piece – a white queen.
Elise studied the piece she held in her hands with the limited sunlight that penetrated the room. She held onto the piece gently and with a great amount of care. Her brow furrowed as flickers of memory appeared in the edge of her mind. Normally, she had kept these at bay, but after the schism in her very own chapter, she allowed them to form.
Moments later, her thoughts were filled with light.
Quaint stone and brick houses of the town of Strasbourg appeared around her, built alongside cobblestone streets. From the French boulangeries and open-aired marches, the wonderful aroma of bread, fresh fruits, vegetables and meat filled the town. Then, there were the parks and the wine vineyards that surrounded Strasbourg in greenery. Elise was no longer in the fourth floor of the Gumamela Building in Manila. The Carissima found herself sitting before an outdoor chess table at the central outdoor plaza of Strasbourg, Alsace-Lorraine, Elise's hometown in the spring of 1914.
That afternoon, Strasbourg played host to a friendly chess tournament between the brightest and most talented young chess players of Germany and France. Many young French and German players had come to Strasbourg to test their mettle against others but only a few would qualify for the semi-finals to vie to become the ultimate victor. There was no cash prize at stake, only the prestige, pride and admiration of the French and German people. This 'prize' was what had drawn Elise out to battle and she was intent on winning it all.
Thus, with that same concentrated look on her face she oftentimes wears, Elise propped the white queen onto the chess table right next to the black king. Her latest opponent, a young nervous-looking French boy started to sweat in anxiety. Elise raised her un-amused eyes to the boy and declared,
"Checkmate."
The spectators gave Elise a thunderous round of applause and the boy's jaw dropped to the ground in awe. Elise rose up from her seat and left the boy to stew in his disbelief. She then moved on over to the chessboard set up in the heart of the plaza. At this table, the final round of the tournament would be played. The hourglass-timer was already set up but the pieces were still kept in the side – no one had been able to reach the final round yet. The fact drew a small smirk on Elise's face. She then just sat there at the table in anticipation.
Every single game Elise had played went overwhelmingly in her favor and the French girl did not expect any less. She had practiced day in and day out for this tournament and had taken to heart the Game and Playe of the Chesse from front to back cover. Elise delivered swift and decisive moves without skipping a beat and her opponents oftentimes fall victim to her whirlwind offensives. The hourglass-timer on Elise's side never lost more than a few seconds' sand in a turn. To Elise, her opponents here were nothing more than stepping stones to reaching her goal – victory.
Her next opponent, whoever it turned out to be, would be no different – or so she thought. A quarter-hour later, a young German girl with short locks of golden hair and sky blue eyes walked over to the final table and took her seat. She then flashed the entrenched Elise a warm and pleasant smile.
"Bonjour." The girl spoke in fluent French, introducing herself "Je m'appelé Lorelei Sankt. Enchante!"
"Elise." The French girl replied in an uninterested tone, turning her eyes away from Lorelei's. Instead, she just waited for the referee to come and assign their pieces. Lorelei wasn't bothered by Elise's avoidance of her, maintaining the pleasant air about her. Elise, on the other hand, couldn't help but steal glances at her opponent's hand. She wore a ring encrusted with a brilliant gem – Elise wondered if her opponent was due for an arranged marriage.
"Oh!" Lorelei then spoke up, noticing Elise eying her ring, "This isn't an engagement ring or anything – it's my own personal treasure. It's very valuable to me."
"I… see…"
Before Elise could say anything, the referee arrived with a small silver French coin in his hands. He then asked the girls which side they would take. Lorelei chose to be heads while Elise chose tails. The referee nodded then tossed the coin in the air, caught it and set it on the back of his hand – it was heads. He then cleared his throat and turned to the audience.
"Frau Lorelei Sankt will play white and Mademoiselle Elise de Lamarliere will play black. The game will now commence. Bonne chance et Gluck!"
With a rough crank, Lorelei's hourglass-timer straightened and the sand started to flow down. The German girl rubbed her chin in thought as she scanned the chessboard before her. A moment of consideration would pass and Lorelei happily made her first move. She smiled then pressed the button of her timer, causing her hourglass to tip to the side and, thus, stopping the flow of sand. Now, it was Elise's hourglass that stood straight – but not for long.
Without a second thought, Elise pushed her king's pawn forward two squares and promptly pressed the button in reply. The balance of the hourglasses shifted again and Elise waited for Lorelei's reply. The German girl's eyes lit up in delight as she studied her opponent's move, absolutely intrigued by it. As the grains of sand slid down her glass, she leisurely pondered her next move.
The game played on and Elise started to grow confident. Elise was at her finest on the offense, but she trusted the defenses she had been able to build. As the game progressed, Lorelei started to take more and more time with each of her turns. Great portions of her sand would sink to the bottom as Lorelei took her time to think. Elise, on the other hand, played easily and swiftly, having planned four or five moves ahead.
The game pressed on, though, and Lorelei withstood any and every breakthrough Elise had attempted. As a matter of fact, Lorelei's forces, though dwindled by the previous battles, slowly but surely controlled more and more of the board and started to encircle Elise to her citadel of pawns. Lorelei had lost a lot of pawns, but her officers started to pick away at what Elise had thought to be an impenetrable defense.
Lorelei's attacks were daring, but with sound logical sense. What Elise had seen as mere flashes of brilliance in Lorelei's logic became a torrent of skillful maneuvers within minutes. The numerical superiority of her pieces started to lose their meaning. Elise started to panic – she was losing the control she had held on to for so long. She gravely underestimated her opponent, and now she was paying the price.
A blur of exchanges followed and pieces of both sides were eaten left and right. When the dust settled, Lorelei had somehow delivered the very same move Elise had dealt to her last opponent. Lorelei set her white queen, under the protection by a bishop, rook and knight next to Elise's black king.
"Oh, wow!" Lorelei gasped, realizing what she had done, "That's checkmate, isn't it?"
Elise breathlessly stared at the pieces on the board, desperately looking for a way to continue the fight for even one more turn – but there was none. This was the end – her own defense had suffocated her king. It was checkmate. She had been defeated.
Pursing her lips, Elise's shoulders drooped as the crowd started to clap for Lorelei. The audience clapped with vigorous excitement and cheered for the victor, but Elise could not hear it. She did not want to hear their fanfare. She couldn't stand being there a moment longer.
Without a saying a word, Elise sprung out of her seat and started walking away from the table. Tears started to form in her eyes. She had been humiliated by a girl she had looked down upon. She would not gain the prestige she had hoped to gain. The applause and cheers in Strasbourg that afternoon were not for her, so she did not want to hear it. One sound, however, would catch her attention – the voice of her opponent.
"Excusez moi!" Lorelei called out to Elise. The voice made Elise stop in her tracks.
The German girl picked up Elise's black king and her own white queen from the board and sprinted to Elise's side after escaping from her congratulators. Elise turned around to face Lorelei, the beginnings of tears in the French girl's eyes. Elise expected mockery, but Lorelei approached her with a smile.
"I just wanted to thank you for a good game." Lorelei said in a pleasant tone. "You're pretty good, you know that?"
Elise was speechless, and Lorelei just looked on happily.
"Here you go." Lorelei then said. She opened up her hand and revealed the black king and the white queen pieces. She then offered the white queen to Elise. "A souvenir for the both of us, to commemorate our meeting, you know?"
Elise reached for the queen, but stopped halfway. She started to feel rather shy.
"Come on." Lorelei gently prodded, "Go ahead and take it! I insist."
Blushing, Elise took the queen and held on to it carefully. She turned to Lorelei and saw that she was doing the same.
"Congratulations, Lorelei." Elise spoke, her tone many times warmer than when she first spoke.
"Thank you very much Elise, uh…?"
"Elise de Lamarliere." Elise replied, a rare smile on her perennially serious face. "And it's nice to meet you too."
With that one simple exchange, the Elise knew she had found a friend. For the rest of Lorelei's stay in Strasbourg, the two of them were always together. Not a day would pass without the two girls going around town. When the days were fair, they would take strolls in the parks and buy groceries in the markets. When it rained, they would stay at Elise's house and have a rematch of the chess game that had brought them together. Elise never won against Lorelei despite the many times she's tried. She did not care, though. She was just happy to have someone she actually enjoyed playing with – someone she enjoyed being with.
Then, the day came for Lorelei to return to Berlin, Germany. Lorelei waved out to Elise as she boarded a horse-drawn carriage and promising to send letters to Strasbourg from Berlin whenever she could. Elise waved back, promising to reply to every single letter Lorelei wrote. The French girl watched the carriage disappear into the distance and emotions started to swell in Elise's heart.
That was when it first showed itself to Elise – the little, white creature known as Kyuubey.
"You want to see her again, don't you?" The creature hummed, startling Elise. The French girl opened her mouth but was too awestruck to speak. Kyuubey saw this and sighed, introducing himself to Elise. Then, he offered to grant her a wish. "If you so wish, I could make it so that the two of you would meet again."
"Really? You can do that?"
"Yes, of course! Just make a contract with me and become a Puella Magi."
Elise gave the offer some thought, but grew more and more skeptical. She asked the creature many questions, but its answers were always simple – simple and maybe even evasive. The offer seemed too good to be true.
"There must be a catch." Elise told Kyuubey once, "There is no way that you would grant a wish for absolutely nothing. That would be unreasonable!"
"I never said that I asked for nothing in return." Kyuubey replied calmly, "In exchange for the wish, Puella Magi will lead a lifetime of fighting Witches."
"Witches…?"
"Yes." Kyuubey said with his eerie smile, "Witches."
Kyuubey sat upright and started to explain to Elise more about Puella Magi and their duty to fight Witches. With every question she asked, Elise grew more and more guarded towards the offer.
"If that is the case, then no, thank you." Elise politely declined. "Lorelei and I will see each other again, even without this contract of yours."
"Ah, is that so?" Kyuubey sounded intrigued, "Well, if ever you change your mind, I will be ready to grant your wish! But, if I may ask… where do you get this confidence in a second meeting with her?"
"Intuition." Elise said, "That is all you need to know."
Act XXXV – The Battle of the Somme
Letters from Berlin arrived at Elise's home as Lorelei had promised and Elise read each and every one with great delight. Without fail, the girls exchanged letters at least once a week. Despite their distance, the two girls grew closer and closer and fonder of each other as the weeks passed. In the coming weeks, Elise would look forward to reading the latest letter from her German friend and to writing back with an interesting letter of her own. Their messages to each other were so lively and spirited that Elise felt as if they were talking face to face –as if Lorelei had never left Strasbourg. The two of them even started planning to meet again in Strasbourg, or maybe even Berlin.
History, however, would have other plans.
On the 28th of June in Sarajevo, the Archduke of Austria, Franz Ferdinand, was assassinated and the nations of the world were thrown into the First World War. Almost immediately, hostilities began as the armies of Germany marched into French soil. It goes without saying that the letters from Berlin stopped arriving at Elise's home.
The German Army marched into Alsace-Lorraine, meeting little resistance from the French. German artillery rained shells upon the quaint town of Strasbourg and Elise found herself separated from her family and running for her life. With a group of Strasbourg refugees, she headed eastward and made it to the Picardy province in northern France.
Kyuubey stayed at Elise's side throughout her flight from Strasbourg, silently extending its offer again and again. Elise knew this and grew to dislike the creature. She could tell that Kyuubey was planning something – as a regular human being, she could only speculate. The little creature followed her, waiting for the moment that she would call out for him. With the way things were, Kyuubey figured that it wouldn't be soon before long.
Homeless, hungry and alone, Elise's resolve was faltering – but she was not about to yield to the creature's pestering just yet. Instead, Elise lent an ear to the call to arms made by the Entente powers. She volunteered to join the French militia as a reconnaissance-person and immediately went to work. Armed with a Fusil Modèle1886, binoculars and a code book of the telegraph signal flags of the French and British armies, the young Elise surveyed the battlefield and wrote and transmitted reports back to her superiors.
Elise grew bitter as she served with the militia. Every moment she spent on the battlefield, she was surrounded by blood and soot, death and hatred. As the days passed, she grew indifferent to all of this and accepted them as realities of life. To her, life was no more than a brittle candle so easily blown out by the winds of fate. Surveying the frontlines, she had seen her share of these candles being put out – and there was nothing she could do to stop it.
The same, she started to think, could be said about her friendship with Lorelei Sankt.
Separated by the war between their countries for so long, it wouldn't be hard for them to forget each other – maybe even hate each other. Elise's only reminder and assurance of their friendship was a folio of the letters Lorelei had sent her in the past and the white chess piece Lorelei had given to her in Strasbourg – the white queen. Then, she remembered that offer the creature had given her time and time again.
"If you so wish, I could make it so that the two of you meet again."
As these words resurfaced in her mind, thunder rumbled in the sky and dark, grey drifted overhead. The heavy sounds of marching boots could be heard from afar. The infantry regiment stationed near Elise's post was mobilizing, heralded by the loud voice of a French officer,
"Attendez! Attendez! " He cried passionately, "Aujourd'hui, nous traversons la Somme! "
They were orders for a mass-infantry charge – to cross the river Somme in plain sight of German machinegun and artillery fire. It would end in a horrific massacre – one even the jaded Elise could not stomach. Elise rushed from her post to try and talk some sense into the officer and the soldiers. However, it was not only that regiment near her station that was preparing to cross – nor was it just the French forces. The British, the Canadians, the Indians and the Dutch– regiments from every nation of the Entente powers were charging headlong to the other side of the river with little regard for their lives.
"What the hell is going on?" Elise gasped, realizing the breadth of the madness she saw around her. "This offensive isn't going to get anywhere!"
"Ah, you realize the futility of it too." Kyuubey then said, appearing at Elise's side again. The French girl grew enraged and quickly pointed her rifle at the creature's face. "Sometimes, the logical capacity of human beings can be questionable, no?"
"You have something to do with this! That's what's causing this whole mess, huh?"
"Well, if I said I had no direct involvement in this matter, then I would be lying." Kyuubey spoke calmly as always, "Rest assured, though, that I am not directly involved in this… let's say, severe lapse of judgment."
The little white creature turned its face up to the grey skies with great intrigue. Elise hesitantly turned up to the sky as well and was shocked by what she saw. Grotesque, pale hands twitched eerily in the skies and held onto countless thin strings that descended town to the earth. These strings were tied onto every soldier at the River Somme and urged them forward towards their inevitable doom.
"… this is a Witch." Elise's eyes grew blank in shock, "That's one of the Witches you've been talking about all this time, right?"
"Yes, but this one is not just any Witch." Kyuubey smiled, "This is a powerful Witch unlike any other. To the Puella Magi of the world, it is known as the Dreadnaught Witch. With its sheer power alone, this Dreadnaught can, theoretically, wipe out the frontlines of both the Entente and Central armies – maybe even all of Europe!"
Elise's heart rapidly sank and the French girl fell to her knees. The rifle she had held on to fell from her hands as she looked up to the sky, distraught. Her eyes widened in fear. Her body shook in anxiety. She felt overwhelmingly powerless and frail.
"Do not despair, though." Kyuubey said, wagging its tail leisurely, "There is still hope for the world."
"… Hope?"
"As long as there are Puella Magi who are willing and able to fight these Witches, peace can be restored!" Kyuubey squeaked, "Look up again, and you will see. It seems your 'intuition' was right all along."
Elise hesitantly raised her eyes again and saw a lone figure in a brilliant white dress floating in the distance. The scepter she wielded was radiant a grand crown rested atop her head. Though she was far away, Elise recognized the girl's short locks of golden hair and her blue, albeit bloodshot, eyes.
"Lorelei!"
"Yes, Lorelei Sankt." Kyuubey nodded, "As it stands, she is one of the only Puella Magi with any strength to challenge this Witch. The rest have already fallen. Given that this is a Dreadnaught Witch, I am not surprised."
As Elise grew more and more absorbed into the influence of the Witch, she started to see corpses she had not seen before and the rank smell of death filled her nose. The corpses that surrounded her were that of young girls of about her age. Their pained eyes were open as their lives ended wincing in pain. Remnants of shattered gems spilled out into the muddy ground. Every single girl also wore a peculiar piece of jewelry – a ring that supposedly held on to a gem. It all then became clear to Elise.
"This is not an engagement ring, or anything. It's my own personal treasure. It's very valuable to me."
Elise lowered her head, wishing she had known the truth sooner. She wanted to ask why Lorelei would keep something like that from her, but there were more pressing issues on her mind.
"Will she make it?" Elise asked, her tone not very hopeful, "Will she be able to defeat this Witch?"
"Of the Puella Magi left in the world, Lorelei's chances are the best. But, chances are never an assurance for victory – it never is. Don't you remember how that chess match at Strasbourg played out?"
Elise gritted her teeth furiously, followed by an oddly composed smirk.
"I do remember how that match ended." Elise said, standing up confidently, "Lorelei won."
As Elise spoke, a blinding flash of light filled the sky, forcing Elise to cover her eyes. As her vision returned to her, the grey clouds that had covered the skies had been dispelled and the pale hands that hovered eerily ceased to exist. Elise's eyes brightened while Kyuubey merely gave a vaguely interested hum. All that was left in the sky was Lorelei, victoriously raising her scepter up to the heavens.
Elise's heart leapt as she was overcome with joy. However, she quickly realized her celebration was made too soon. Lorelei's shoulders drooped and her raised arm fell to the side. Moments later, her magical attire disappeared in a flash of white, replaced by her regular clothes, and she started to fall headlong into the river Somme. Lorelei was unconscious.
"Lorelei!" Elise gasped,
The French girl left her rifle and ran as fast as she could towards the river and Kyuubey followed in tow. The unconscious Lorelei fell into the river and made a large splash. When she resurfaced, the current of the river pushed Lorelei downstream. Elise was not discouraged. As a matter of fact, her feet moved faster, urged ever forward by her desire to save her friend.
In her desperation, Elise jumped into the river and swam after Lorelei. Somehow, she was able to catch up to her and painstakingly dragged Lorelei onto the riverbank. Once they were clear from the water, Elise laid Lorelei down on her back and checked to see if she was alright. The German girl was breathing heavily and was shivering cold. Elise did not have any dry clothes with her, so she embraced Lorelei as tightly as she could to warm her even by a little bit.
"It's all over now, isn't it?" Elise said as she held Lorelei in her arms, "She defeated the Dreadnaught Witch – Lorelei's going to return to her peaceful life now, right?"
"I hate to disappoint you, Mademoiselle de Lamarliere," Kyuubey replied, "But I don't think that will be the case."
"… Huh?" Elise's jaw dropped as her mind processed what Kyuubey had just said. "What do you mean that will not be the case?"
"Frau Lorelei Sankt has fulfilled the ultimate duty of Puella Magi and defeated the Dreadnaught Witch, yes." Kyuubey explained, "But in doing so, she has expended her power to a critical point. Her Soul Gem is approaching its limit."
Kyuubey's words made Elise shudder. She promptly let go of Lorelei and saw her friend's hands clutching onto a peculiar gold-encased gem. The gem was inherently white, but deep darkness was manifesting within it and started to take a checkerboard pattern. Lorelei's breath came in short, racking breaths and her body started convulsing uncontrollably.
"Don't tell me…" Elise's eyes widened, "Puella Magi… they… they become Witches, don't they?"
"That's a wise assumption." Kyuubey praised, "Yes, they do – and Lorelei knew this. Whenever a Puella Magi succumbs to grief, the darkness within her coalesces and she manifests into a Witch. When it comes to Dreadnaught Witches, though, there is one little addition to this scenario. It's what I like to call the Taint of the Dreadnaught."
"… Taint?"
"Only the strongest Puella Magi are able to defeat the Dreadnaught Witches. Once a Puella Magi is able to defeat a Dreadnaught, she effectively becomes the strongest Puella Magi in the world. She has defeated her nemesis – thus, there is nothing left for her but to take its place."
"I-In other words… Lorelei will be…"
"Lorelei Sankt will become the next Dreadnaught Witch." Kyuubey acknowledged, "That much is true."
"How could you do such a thing…?"
"I have a quota to fulfill, to put it simply." Kyuubey promptly replied, "If Puella Magi simply eliminated the Witches, then Dreadnaught Witches would have already ceased to exist and Puella Magi would have no purpose. But no. The war between Puella Magi and Witches is a cycle – one that will not end. Dreadnaught Witches fall, but the Puella Magi that defeat them will be there to replace them.
With each passing manifestation, the Dreadnaught Witches grow stronger and stronger. Thus more and more girls must take up arms in order to defeat them. It is a delicate balance, really, but my quota will be reached before long."
"Is that quota of yours all you ever think of?" Elise demanded
"Yes." Kyuubey said unflinchingly, "It is the same way that the only thing you think of is Lorelei Sankt."
Elise shuddered, her heart skipping a beat.
"So what if that is true?" Elise argued back, "I won't let it end like this… after all that time we've been separated, I won't allow it!"
"I know that." Kyuubey's smile was ever-painted on his face, "So what do you plan to do about it?"
"I will break your cycle." Elise said firmly, "Lorelei's burdens and the burdens of this taint she has inherited, I'll help her carry them all! I'd give her my own life if I had to!"
"You say you would give up your life for her." Kyuubey wagged his tail, "But are you willing to forfeit your soul for her sake too? Make your decision now – Lorelei Sankt does not have a lot of time left."
Elise stood up from where she knelt and faced Kyuubey.
"I'll do it." She said determinedly, "I'll take your contract if you grant me one wish."
"And that would be?"
"Lend Puella Magi the power to share each other's burden – spread out the grief and the taint and make it easier to bear." Elise shouted, "Let Puella Magi come together and defeat the darkness as a whole!"
Lilac light surrounded Elise and a strong wind blew through the river Somme. Elise clenched her fist tightly then declared,
"I will not let Lorelei carry this burden alone!"
First Interlude
A teardrop falls on the face of Lorelei Sankt, rousing her consciousness. She slowly opened her eyes and saw a face – the familiar face of a familiar girl. There were tears in the girl's eyes, but a small smile was growing on her face.
"... Elise?" Lorelei croaked, causing the smile on the girl's face to grow brighter.
"Yes, Lorelei. It's me." Elise replied tenderly. "Don't worry, you're safe."
"But what about the Dreadnaught?" Lorelei asked, trying to sit upright from where she lay, "Was I..."
"You were able to defeat it, Lorelei." Elise assured her, "I saw you defeat it with my own eyes."
"Then my Soul Gem..." Lorelei hurriedly patted her pockets, looking for her Soul Gem, but she could not find it. She turned to Elise and saw her white gem, cleansed and sitting upright in her hand. Beside her gem was a lilac gem she had never seen before. Side by side, the two gems shone brightly.
"Elise, don't tell me you..."
"It's okay, Lorelei." Elise gave a reassuring smile, "I made a wish to save you."
"But that means you're a Puella Magi now and... and..."
"I know about that." Elise shook her head, "Puella Magi have a lot of responsibilities, but I don't mind."
The French girl then reached into her pocket and drew out the white queen piece she had always kept close by. Lorelei's eyes widened.
" Now that we're together again," Elise then spoke, "we can fulfill these duties together. That sounds good, doesn't it?"
Lorelei drew out her own chess piece – the black king – and was overcome with happiness. Both girls held onto their chess pieces, the tokens of their friendship kept safe as the years passed. Tears started to form in Lorelei's eyes.
"... Elise!" The German girl embraced her friend tightly, as if making up for the time they had been separated. "Yes! That does sound good. We will fight Witches and restore hope... together."
Second Interlude
The First World War would drag on for two more years before Germany and its allies capitulated in the Treaty of Versailles. During that time, Elise and Lorelei fought Witches together and were practically invincible side by side. Their Soul Gems resonated in tandem so strongly during battles that the Witches they fought seemed to fear them. The magic they wielded too was powerful and their fighting style, as other Puella Magi would say, was nothing short of a spectacle.
Lorelei's lightning incinerated minions from afar and paralyzed Witches and Familiars with shocking force. Elise's greatsword cut through even the most well-armored of their foes and her own steel-plate armor deflected any and every assault the Witches dared to do. Their proficiency in battle was the result of Soul Gem binding – the process that was borne from Elise's wish, and the process that saved Lorelei's life.
At the end of the war, in 1918, Lorelei and Elise visited the liberated Strasbourg together and decided to use their enhanced powers for the greater good. Over a bottle of 1918 Bordeaux wine, the girls drafted the charter for an international organization of Puella Magi. Together, they would seek out the Puella Magi of the world and gather them under one banner and fight Witches and Dreadnaughts together as an unstoppable fighting force.
Their glasses of wine clinked in the air and Salvae, Terrae Magicae was formed.
Elise opened her eyes again and she returned back to the Gumamela Building. In her hand was a glass of that same Bordeaux wine, raised in the same way she had raised it to mark Salvae's inception. She drank the wine slowly, savoring its taste while it lasted. The sound of Japanese fighter planes patrolling Manila then reminded her of the task she had at hand. She set the glass aside then took out a few rolls of paper detailing the blueprints of the Gumamela Building.
The organization she had formed with Lorelei Sankt would soon be besieged and she knew this - though she knew she was partially responsible for this backlash. Her sharp eyes studied the blueprints and she started to pen down notes and defensive plans. She had no intentions of letting the assailants taste victory.
...
.
…
In the halls of an abandoned building, Sayaka Miki gasped for air. Beads of sweat dotted her brow and her hand held on weakly to an unusual item – her Soul Gem. Clouds of blackness stirred in the core of Sayaka's blue gem.
This corruption had been brought about by Sayaka's reckless use of magic in a personal vendetta against familiars, but also a growing hatred of herself and her foolishness. The wish she made had been granted, but it was not appreciated in the way she had hoped it would be. The boy she had wished to heal was falling in love with another girl. Mami Tomoe was still dead and she had yet to make amends with her friend Madoka. In that silence, it all became clear to Sayaka. Her indecision caused her grief and this grief was starting to grow too heavy to bear.
Sayaka's panting filled her ears and bounced against the walls of the building. Then, she heard footsteps. The girl turned around and found an unwelcome presence – Homura Akemi.
"Why don't you understand?" Homura spoke as she approached Sayaka. "You have no power to spare. Focus on fighting Witches."
"Shut up. It's none of your business." Sayaka gritted her teeth, too tired to say anything more tangible.
"Your Soul Gem is at its limit." Homura then said, "You must purify it at once. Use this."
Homura tossed a Grief Seed that landed at Sayaka's feet. Rather than pick it up, though, Sayaka raised her leg and kicked the Grief Seed behind her. The Grief Seed rattled down the hallway with an empty, glassy noise.
"What are you plotting?" Sayaka demanded in an accusing tone. "Are you planning to use me the same way you used Mami-san?"
Homura's eyes suddenly grew sharp. The dark-haired girl pursed her lips and coolly evaded her question.
"Stop that. You're in no position to be suspicious." Homura said, "Are you so against being helped?"
Sayaka's mouth promptly opened, loosing determined, almost practiced words.
"I'll be a different kind of Puella Magi from all of you."
She then turned to Homura with a dejected glare.
"I will not cooperate with anyone who abandons or uses others. I'm sure Mami-san would have thought the same way."
Homura's face suddenly darkened, drawing a smirk on Sayaka's face. She had struck a sensitive vein in Homura and she knew it.
"I won't ask for payment, or anything." Sayaka continued, "I won't use magic just for myself."
"You will die." Homura then warned.
"I'll only die when I can't kill Witches." Sayaka countered, "That'll mean I'm useless anyways. So I don't care anymore…"
Sayaka's legs wobbled and the tired girl fell to her knees. Despite this, she still raised her dejected eyes up to Homura's.
"If I can't kill Witches, I have no reason to exist. The same is true for all Puella Magi, right?"
A moment of silence fell between them as Homura considered Sayaka's words. Then, the dark-haired girl spoke again in her neutral tone.
"Why are you doing this? I just want to help you."
"Why, indeed…" Sayaka hummed weakly. She then gave Homura a cold glare. "It's because I know… that you're a liar. Your eyes say that you've given up – like they've seen things you would never dare speak of. Everything you say is empty – purposely clouded for your own interests. You just said you're doing this for me, but I know you're really thinking something else.
You can't fool me."
A grim air suddenly surrounded Homura as she spoke with a rattled voice, "You are making Madoka suffer."
"Madoka has nothing to do with this." Sayaka replied innocently
"Yes, she does." Homura's sharp eyes stared right back at Sayaka. "All of this is for her sake."
Suddenly, purple light surrounded Homura and the dark-haired girl transformed into her magical form.
"You're very smart." Homura spoke scathingly, delivering her ultimatum "Yes, you're absolutely right. I'm not doing this to help you. I don't want Madoka to see you destroying yourself."
Homura paced forward towards the kneeling Sayaka and stood before her with an imposing stance.
"If you refuse me now, you will certainly die." Homura's words started to brim with murderous intent. Her left hand started to glow in a blinding purple light. "If you continue to cause Madoka pain… I will personally, right here, kill you, Sayaka Miki."
Episode 13 Preview
With stout hearts and heads held high,
We march forward towards our tomorrow.
The shadow of a Witch looms over each and every one of us,
And yet we are fed to the fires by a malevolent tyrant!
No longer!
There is no turning back now.
This is our destiny.
-Serafina Larivenko-
Epilogue
The Padre Faura campus of the Ateneo de Manila was a small, quaint establishment run by Jesuit Priests and nuns for post-secondary education in various fields. Its days as an educational institution, however, was halted at the outbreak of the war and the priests and nuns found themselves taking care of various refugees and homeless citizens and they accepted everyone who came to their aid.
There, those seeking refuge were free from the oppressive kempeitai and were given at least two marginally decent meals. As speculations of the return of the American forces started to become realities, the wards of the Jesuit priests and nuns grew day by day. Among their latest guests was a group of girls who came to them in the middle of the night.
"Feel free to stay here as long as you want, girls." The nun that took them in said, "However, we've run out of space in the main living quarters. I hope you don't mind staying in our storehouse."
"The storehouse will be fine." The eldest of the girls, a brunette American wearing a ponytail said. "As a matter of fact, that would be perfect."
The nun gave them a nod and led them to the storehouse that would soon become the girls' new home. Once the nun had showed them around, she left to lend a hand with preparing breakfast, leaving the girls alone. The girls closed the door of the storehouse and started to unpack their things.
Many of the refugees came with little more than the clothes on their back and the shoes or slippers on their feet. The girls, however, brought wheeled trunks and large suitcases with them to the Padre Faura. They popped open the lids to reveal their contents. There were clothes, books and various memorabilia the girls had taken. Among these necessities, though, were an assortment of high-end weaponry – M1 Garands, Mark II grenades, M1911A1 pistols, and even bazookas, all of them with an abundance of their corresponding ammunition.
A Ukrainian girl inspected these weapons and made a list to account for each and every one. She then waved her hand and the weapons disappeared from sight, under a veil of magic.
"Alright, girls." The Ukrainian smiled, "Let's prepare for war."
To Be Continued