Sorry it took so long to update. Here's the next chapter, focusing on Mami.

Enjoy what you can, and for what you can't enjoy, I'm deeply sorry.

MADOKA MAGICA

Mami Tomoe had always been adept at facing against witches. She was confident in her ability to defeat them, but she never underestimated them. She always knew when they were above her power to destroy.

But she always felt alone. No matter how good she was, Mami Tomoe remained lonely in her life as a magical girl.

I understand, though.

What she's experienced would leave anyone yearning for someone to be with. A friend, a rival, an equal – anyone to bring her out of the darkness in her life.

Which is why she's taken to recruiting others to become magical girls. Perhaps she saw them as potential allies but none of them ever remained with her long enough. Besides, for one reason or another, not one of Mami's recruits survived.

Yet she still continued recruiting

When I told her what she had been doing – what the truth of becoming a magical girl was – she was devastated. She found out what she had gotten those girls into and it broke her.

Granted, I didn't tell tell her the whole truth. No need to mentally scar her even further...

MADOKA MAGICA

Mami Tomoe stood at the roof of Mitakihara middle school that afternoon with a frown on her face. The sun on that cloudless day bore down on her, leaving her face cast in shadow. Opposite her was the small white creature, known only as Kyubey. His fur, despite being the purest possible white reflected no light, leaving him to look dark in comparison.

"I am here, Mami Tomoe. What did you wish to discuss?"

Mami looked at the creature angrily. "Why didn't you tell me?" She held up her hand and materialized her soul gem. The jewel's golden glow was dim in the blistering sun light. "Why didn't you tell me you tear out our souls and put them in our gems?"

"Who told you that?"

"Answer me, Kyubey"

"It was not necessary for you to know that information. It would have been a distraction from your goal of defeating witches." Kyubey replied simply "Besides. What difference would it make if I HAD told you?"

"What difference?" The blond said in outrage. Her voice, was loud and clear, despite not yelling. "You LIED TO ME, Kyubey. I did not ask my soul to be ripped out of me and put into a crystal egg."

"That doesn't answer my question." The creature said, seeming almost annoyed. "The action of removing your souls was part of our contract. For you to become a magical girl and access your powers, your soul gem must be created." The creature explained

"WHY"

"Your potential for magic is in your soul itself. Only when the soul is not tethered to the body does it become possible to use your powers." Kyubey told her. "It also serves as a way to protect magical girls from being killed by witches"

"What are you talking about"

"Have you ever wondered how you could be stabbed in the chest by a witch yet continue to fight on despite having a pierced lung and several broken ribs? A normal person would pass out from the pain alone but you and all other magical girls like you can get back up and continue the battle." Kyubey began walking towards the blond, causing her to step back on reflex. "The soul gem is a sort of buffer. Not only does it allow for your body to use a hundred percent of its muscle power and increase your brains perception capacity, it also dampens all of the pain you feel to tolerable levels, making any injury manageable. Even you loose all of the blood in your body or if you get your head bitten off, your magic can just fix everything and you can get back in the fight."

The gunner stood there, teeth clenched in frustration. What Kyubey said was logical. In fact, Mami was impressed with how the problem was dealt with despite being a victim of the apparent solution.

"It doesn't change the fact that I'm a walking corpse now. This body... this isn't even mine anymore." She squeezed the gem in her hand. She held it out towards the creature. "THIS is my body now. WHO GAVE YOU THE RIGHT TO DO THIS?"

"You did." Kyubey stated. "You gladly accepted my offer of a wish in exchange for a life as a magical girl. You traded your soul for a miracle."

"You're a monster!"

"If that is what you think, then so be it." With that, Kyubey walked into the shadows and disappeared, leaving Mami in the blinding rays of the sun.

The blond fell to her knees. And I'm a monster too... Those girls... I did that to them... I convinced them to become magical girls because I was lonely... because I was selfish... I'm a monster too... She could feel her soul gem darkening in her clenched fist but she didn't care.

"Mami Tomoe, get a grip"

A familiar voice resonated in her head.

"You are very proud to think that you are the sole reason those girls contracted. All of them had wishes they yearned to be granted. If they didn't want to become a magical girl in the first place, then they would never have contracted. Stop letting your emotions get the better of you and THINK"

Mami almost smiled. Homura Akemi... She's the reason all of this happened. If she never told me the truth, I wouldn't be an emotional wreck right now... Then again, in a way, she's taking responsibility.

Her soul gem began to clear up once more. "Very well, Ms. Akemi. I believe I still owe you. I'd rather not kill myself before I settle that debt."

"You'll do more than kill yourself if you let your gem darken. Make sure it doesn't happen again."

With that, the connection was severed and Mami collapsed onto the floor.

MADOKA MAGICA

The Mitakihara Mall lied in the heart of the city and many places of note (a supermarket, a hospital, the local high school and middle school, etc) were mere ten minute walks from the center.

That said, it wasn't very surprising to Mami when she found the place fairly busy despite it being a Monday. In fact, she'd find it more surprising is there were FEWER people there during a school day.

She sat at a small tea shop on the ground floor. The shop was small and cozy, with only a few people ever entering – Mami being one of them. It was a miracle the place could afford to stay open.

As the blond sipped her tea, she scanned the area for a certain Madoka Kaname, a girl with pink hair whom the other magical girl, Homura Akemi had described. She was to find her wandering the mall in the direction of the construction site. So far there was nothi-

There. Walking cautiously behind a blue haired girl, was one with pink hair. They seemed to have the same uniforms as she had.

So they're from Mitakihara Middle School too... First years...? Second years?

Mami watched the blue haired one enter the construction area. The pinkette seemed to hesitate in following her but after a few minutes, she entered as well.

Mami Tomoe, there has been a change of plans. Kyubey has switched targets. He's made contact with Sayaka Miki and they're about to enter a barrier. Get in there now!

The blond sighed. She had hoped to prevent any of them to get mixed up in all of this but it seems she was too late. Mami stood. Time to get to work.

MADOKA MAGICA

Witch's labyrinths have always fascinated the blond. Call it a morbid fascination but there's no denying the wonder of these dreamscapes. They may lose their novelty after a few battles and their surprise factor starts to fade, but they remain interesting, nonetheless.

The particular barrier Mami had entered could be summarized in one phrase: 'construction site flower garden from hell'.

Most of the walls matched the design of the rest of mall, it's just the they were several meters taller than the building would allow and were covered with technicolor vines and bushes. The ceiling was now a dome, with the hanging industrial lights changed to become elaborate chandeliers – also covered with colorful vegetation. Strewn across the floor were several I-beams and rebar, along with what looked like blocks of solid concrete.

The gunner shook her head. She had no time to be admiring the scenery. She had to rescue the two girls.

There. Within a throng of puffballs with butterfly wings for legs, two middle school girls clung to each other in fear.

Those familiars will tear them apart. Mami realized.

With a greater sense of urgency, she rushed in with ribbons in hand. With a mid air twirl, she jumped into the crowd, pushing the creatures away from her objective with a spiral of fabric.

"That was close." She sighed.

"W-who are you?"

Mami looked at the two. They were still in a panic, but it seemed that the blue haired one was the calmer of the two. She held onto Kyubey tightly.

"My name's Mami Tomoe. I-" The sound of snipping cut her off. The familiars returned. "This introduction might have to wait. Let me take care of this"

She pushed the two back and summoned a hundred muskets at once. It was overkill – probably not worth the drain on her soul gem – but she needed to take out the familiars quickly. Besides, it's better safe than sorry.

The muskets went off, one after another. Magic bullets sprayed all over the battlefield, causing mini-explosions with every impact. It didn't take long for the familiars to become nothing more black sludge on the floor.

Mami looked at the two and smiled. "We're safe now"

Suddenly, a massive boom resonated the labyrinth, followed by a small tremor. The dreamscape slowly faded away shortly after, leaving the three back in the empty construction site.

The blond blinked. "We're even safer now, I guess." She defeated the witch? Already? She works fast... "As I said before, I'm Mami Tomoe. Nice to meet you"

"S-sayaka. I'm Sayaka Miki. She's Madoka Kaname" The bluenette said, still somewhat shaken. "W-what WERE those things?"

"I guess I have a lot to explain..." The gunner sighed. She looked at Sayaka once again and her face grew stern. "May I please talk to Kyubey first?"

"Kyubey?"

"The creature you're holding" She clarified, holding out her arms gesturing for the girl to hand over the animal.

Upon receiving Kyubey, Mami dropped him onto the floor and blasted its head off.

"What the hell are you doing!" Sayaka yelled in outrage

"That creature isn't as innocent as you think it is." Mami said sternly. "Did he ever ask you to make a contract with him? Did he ask you to become a magical girl?"

"Contract...?" Sayaka said, taken aback. "Well... he did... sorta..." Scratching her head, she continued. "I sorta saved him for this other girl in cosplay. While I was running away from her, this guy suddenly started talking. Something about becoming a magical girl. What was that about, anyway?"

Mami grit her teeth. "Ms Akemi. They know. This wasn't part of the plan."

"Don't worry. At this point, ignorance will no longer be protection. Inform them of the world of magical girls. Bring them to your apartment."

"Are you sure...? Wait, my apartment...?"

When the raven haired magical girl didn't respond, Mami frowned. She looked at the two in front of her.

"Come with me. I will explain everything."

MADOKA MAGICA

Humans who are brought into a witch's labyrinth will have no idea they ever entered it. If they happen to be saved by a magical girl, they will believe that what they had witnessed was nothing more than a nightmare – a bad dream – in other words, not real.

It is different when those who walk into a barrier happen to have the potential to become a magical girl. Provided they survive the encounter, they will remember everything in unfortunately vivid detail.

This is the very reason I wished for Madoka Kaname and Sayaka Miki to not encounter the creature called Kyubey at all. If I had kept them completely ignorant, they would have little to no incentive to enter a contract with him.

However, with their partial knowledge, keeping information from them will only worsen the situation. They must know everything and I must make sure the Mami Tomoe does not find out what I did not tell her... for all our sakes...

MADOKA MAGICA

So how was it? Tell me what you think in a review.

It might take a while for the next chapter though...