Idle note: Sis Puella Magica is a royal pain to play on the piano. But tons of fun.
…..I know. I'm late. Unfortunately, without an outline to work at, I'm kidna making the plot as I go, and...well, as I get ideas, things gotta change. 15K words alone went into this chapter. .
The next chapter may take a week at most. I really need to get this right.
But thats what I get for not outlining, I guess. So...ergh. Hopefully this makes up for it. I'm workin' as fast as I can!
.
Enjoy.
Chapter 7
Awaken, New World.
"..doka.."
"Ma...oka"
"MADOKA!"
Madoka jumped up like a startled cat, inadvertently slamming her head into the person that was hovering above her, shaking her shoulders. Shaking off the head on collision, Madoka looked up to see Homura, reeling backwards from the direct impact.
"Homura? What happened?"
Shaking her head to regain her composure, Homura adjusted her hair slightly, shaking off the hit. "You were out of it for quite some time. What did that thing do to you?"
Madoka glanced around, rubbing at her eyes wearily. "I...saw her. It felt like a dream, but at the same time..." She gently touched her lips. "It didn't."
"I see..." Homura nodded at the new information. Trying to get much else out of Madoka would have been useless. Homura could see the look of confusion on her face; she was just as unsure about what happened as she was. But at least she saw something.
Clearing her thoughts for the moment, Homura was about to continue before she saw the seed in Madoka's hand begin to glow a faint cerulean color. Speechless, Homura watched the glow intensify slightly, as if it were responding to Madoka's gentle grip. That was something the time traveler wasn't expecting, and it took her a moment to regain her voice.
"Madoka! Whats going on with the seed?"
Jumping slightly at Homura's words, Madoka focused her attention on the object in her hand; It began to glow a bright sky blue, coating the entire room in its warm tinge. Madoka and Homura watched in amazement as the light began to concentrate itself above the bed, swirling around like a hurricane of light. With a sudden movement, it flew downwards, engulfing the once-vacated body of their friend.
As the light subsided, and the color in the figure's cheeks began to warm once more, a voice filled the room, loud and distinctive...
And clearly Sayaka's.
"Bring me back...take me back to them!"
As if moved by another power, Madoka slowly and deliberately placed the Seed of Purity into Sayaka's hand, shifting farther away form her body as she did so. The room was suddenly engulfed in a bright light, the intense glare so great that Madoka and Homura were forced to turn away.
"I get it..." Homura muttered to herself, keeping her eyes shielded. "Normally a neutral soul can change nothing, since they can feel no emotion. But if someone else does it for them, shows them how to feel again...then they have the power to change themselves!" She turned to Madoka. "If Sayaka has a new hope, then that means..."
The two watched in awe as the white-bony skeleton of the Seed of Purity dimmed slightly. Slowly, the light faded, and the two watched with utter fascination as the seed began to transform right in front of them. Gold plating lined the bottom of the seed, expanding like an organic material to wrap around it. From there, hardened glass covered the top like the many panes of a window, all glowing blue from the interior light.
The newly reformed Soul Gem gently set itself down; Madoka watched with pure and utter joy as Sayaka Miki opened her eyes.
Sayaka groaned slightly. The immense pounding in her head sounded like a kettle drum, adding further to the stiffness and aches she felt across her entire body. Rubbing her eyes slightly, she tried to sit up and get a better idea as to her surroundings.
Pain flared in her back, a fiery tinge that ignited everything within her; she couldn't discern if it was her bones or her muscle burning in pain. Groaning, she fell flat on her back once again, trying to will the pain away.
She felt something warm snake its way around her lower back, gently helping her sit up once more. Sayaka's first reaction was to fight whatever was grabbing hold of her, but her strength had been drained by...something. She couldn't tell what. Aside from that, the feeling of whatever it was around her was...comforting, in a way. Like she knew the feeling before...
Slowly, her vision returned to her, and she was able to make out several distinctive shapes and colors surrounding her. Most notable to Sayaka were the humanoid shaped figures, one of them right next to her on the bed, and the other resting on the opposite end. The closest figure caught her attention first, that pink hair seemed way too familiar...
It became immediately clear to Sayaka who that person was, however, as she felt the arm that was around her remove itself from her back, only to return instantly in a gentle, yet full-body hug that nearly sent Sayaka onto her back once more.
"Whoa, easy there, Madoka!" Sayaka said in slight shock, not expecting the head-on impact. The mere touch from her friend sent floods of memories back into her mind. "It's not like we were just talking five minutes ago!" She then smiled softly, tears filling her eyes. Placing her arms around Madoka, they sat there for several minutes until she muttered, "I missed you too..."
A slight cough interrupted the two, however, and Sayaka turned to the other figure resting on the bed. Black hair, pale face, and a nonchalant facial expression made Sayaka immediately recognize the girl. What she didn't expect was the slightest tinge of red on the girl's cheeks. Both Madoka and Sayaka chuckled nervously and pulled away slightly, a similar tinge of red flushing across both their faces.
Sayaka locked her eyes with the time-traveler, Homura, doing her best to stare her down. Although she had a feeling Madoka was working with her, the previous interactions she had with Homura were less than friendly.
Coughing slightly, Homura looked away, her eyes suddenly becoming downcast. "Good to see you again...Sayaka."
"Th-thanks?" Sayaka sputtered, surprised at Homura's tone of voice. Ignoring it for the moment, she took in the dreary surroundings of their cheap hotel room. Though most of her memories were back, she didn't want to risk saying something stupid. "So...what in all happened, while I was gone?"
Homura shifted to face the girls and did her best to fill Sayaka in on the situation, leaving out several details pertaining to conversations with Madoka. She told Sayaka of the witch fight, Kyouko's absence, and Madoka's unrelenting stubbornness, something which caused both girls to blush even deeper.
The part about Kyouko surprised Sayaka the most. "You actually allied yourself with her? How did you manage that?"
"She's not that bad a person, once you're on her good side." Madoka said, grasping Sayaka's hand once again. "You've seen some of that yourself; wasn't she the one that found you first, at the train station?"
Sayaka thought for a moment, her eyes shut in concentration. Her memories were still slightly foggy, but she could vaguely remember Kyouko pleading with her at some point... "Yeah, I guess that was her, huh? Interesting." She shook her head. "I didn't think she had it in her."
"She does." Homura said. "Aside form Madoka here, she was the one that kept us on track. The Seed of Purity was her idea as well."
"Huh. Remind me to thank her." Sayaka said. She sat herself up farther against the bedrest, finally getting a view that wasn't blocked by the bed or Madoka.
Noticing Homura's arm, Sayaka's eyes widened slightly. "What the heck happened to you?"
"A minor injury. I'll be fine." Homura said, trying to brush off the situation. The slight movement, however, caused her to wince in pain.
"It's clearly broken. Hang on, I may still have my regenerative powers." Placing her hands on Homura's broken arm, she muttered a small incantation. Immediately, a faint glow filled the room, the musical runes circling Sayaka flowed along her body and manifested into Homura's arm. With a slight shout from Homura, the bone was forcibly reset, the marrow knitting itself back together.
"There." She proclaimed. "That better?"
Homura tested her newly healed arm, shifting it in various directions. Seemingly satisfied with the results, she removed the makeshift sling and tossed it aside. "Yes." Then, with a tinge of forced effort behind her voice: Thank you, Sayaka."
"Don't mention it." She said, smiling. "You helped Madoka through all this. It's the least I can do."
Homura remained stoic, clicking her tongue slightly as she turned away from the pair.
"Still the quiet and stubborn one, huh?" Sayaka muttered, frowning slightly. "You certainly haven't changed much." Shrugging, she turned back to Madoka, relaxing her gaze as she focused on the girl that saved her life. For a moment, she hesitated, unsure what to do, but Madoka, to her surprise, took the initiative and wrapped her arms around Sayaka once more. Sayaka returned the embrace fully, choosing to put her questions aside for now.
Madoka needed her, after all.
After several minutes, a thought came to Sayaka. Pulling back from Madoka slightly, she tilted her head in confusion.
"Madoka...you said you were working with Kyouko, right?"
"Yeah." Madoka replied, confused as well. "Actually..." She began glancing around the room. "Where is Kyouko? She should have been back by now. A witch is normally no problem for her..."
"Homura!"
As if on cue, a white light filled the room as a small construct seemed to appear out of nowhere. The ever smiling face of Kyubey materialized in front of the girls. "Madoka! Homura! Kyouko is-" He stopped short, finally recognizing that three now stood in his presence. Without batting an eye, he stared at Sayaka, clearly standing tall.
"Sayaka? How are you alive?"
Upon hearing the casual voice of the one that betrayed her, Sayaka quickly stepped forward and snagged Kyubey by the neck, hoisting him high into the air. "What the hell do you mean, how am I alive? Madoka brought me back from the hell you just put me through, and that's all you can say?"
"I have no problem with you being alive." Kyubey stated, struggling against the bone-crushing grip. "But why you're alive doesn't make sense. I didn't sense any energy loss from your Soul Gem..."
Madoka cocked her head to the side. "Energy loss? What...do you mean, Kyubey?"
Homura's face lit up in understanding. "Remember the rules of entropy, Madoka?" She asked, turning to the girls. "When Kyubey contracts with someone, some of the energy he gathers is used to fulfill a wish. When they subsequently transform into a witch, a large burst of energy is released, which Kyubey collects." She sat up, beginning to pace around the room. "If this is true, the reverse situation, or the infusion of hope that Sayaka received, should have consumed energy."
She folded her arms over her chest, furrowing her brow. "I'm curious about that myself. Why was no energy used up?"
"You said the wish Kyubey granted me had to have consumed some energy, right?" Sayaka asked, without releasing her tight hold on the construct's neck.
"Correct." Homura affirmed.
"I may have an idea then." Sayaka turned to the two, her eyes burning. "I didn't make some stupid miracle happen this time. What brought me back was the hopes of everyone here..." She gestured around the room, frowning slightly. "There was no miracle, and there was definitely no wish involved. The hope that revived me was accomplished with Madoka's help, not Kyubey's magic."
She sent a smile toward the girl in question, who immediately blushed, but smiled back.
"That seems logical. Needless to say, I can't change the fact that you're standing here." Kyubey stated, ceasing his struggle. "If no energy loss happened, then I don't mind. I came here for different reasons, however."
With a bit of effort, Kyubey wriggled free from Sayaka's grasp and dropped to the floor, locking eyes with every girl in the room before speaking. "Kyouko is trapped in a witch's barrier. She was defeated, and she's running the risk of dying in there."
"What?" Homura near-yelled. "Why didn't you tell us sooner?"
"I didn't know until I checked." Kyubey stated, his cheery-sounding voice betraying the grim situation. "I went back to see if she had any more Grief Seeds when I saw her unconscious. Dying before her Soul Gem can be put to proper use would be-"
"Shut it, rat." Homura interrupted, knowingly stealing the derogatory nickname from Kyouko. "Why the hell didn't you help her?"
"I can't." Kyubey stared at Homura. "I can only use my powers when granting a wish. That's simply how we work."
"Whatever." Homura shot back, clearly agitated. "At the very least, thanks for letting us know. Now get out of our sight, we need to get to her!"
"Wait." Sayaka pulled away from Madoka and stood up. Holding out her Soul Gem, a dazzling display of blue lights covered her entire body, transforming her into her Magical Girl outfit. Materializing an ornate saber, she swung it once in a graceful arc. "I'm going too. It looks like I can still fight."
"Fine." Homura nodded. She turned to Madoka. "You should go check in with your parents. If they ask about Sayaka, they can know we found her. Don't tell them if they don't ask though." Homura started towards the door. "We'll meet you at your house, Madoka. Is that okay?"
"I guess, but..." Madoka sighed. "Why can't I come?"
"It's going to be hard enough rescuing Kyouko. We don't want two burdens to look after while we're in the barrier."
"Homura!" Sayaka bristled slightly at Homura's choice of words, but the dark-haired girl chose to ignore the outburst.
Madoka merely nodded, trailing behind Homura as she headed for the door. When she did speak again, it was nearly inaudible. "Make it back alive, okay?"
Turning to Sayaka, she placed her arms around the girl, pulling her close. "I know you can handle yourself out there, Sayaka. But...be careful, okay? I don't want to lose you again."
Sayaka could hear the tremble in Madoka's voice. Returning the hug, she put her lips next to Madoka's ear. "I wont' die. I'll never die as long as you're with me."
Madoka smiled at the tender statement. Pulling back, she kissed Sayaka's cheek quickly. "Okay then. Now get going, I'm really worried about Kyouko too."
Sayaka nodded, giving the girl a thumbs up. "You got it!"
The three girls exited the room, heading for their separate tasks.
The timed beating around her didn't seem to stop.
Kyouko slowly opened her eyes, only to shut them just as fast. Her eyes burned, and she could feel every wound across her body as if someone had rubbed salt into them. She opened her eyes more slowly, and was able to glimpse some of the blurry imagery around her.
She tried moving her arms and legs, but found them tied to what looked like organic arteries. Above her, a gaping hole revealing the walls of the barrier was the only thing beyond the smooth red lining, coated with viscous fluid.
'Shit...I better not be where I think I am...'
Glancing up at the hole, however, Kyouko could only come to the one logical conclusion. The witch had somehow devoured her, had her trapped inside the monstrous, hollow heart. She tried summoning her spear, tried to cut her way through the arteries that had her bound. Nothing seemed to work.
"Dammit!" She shouted aloud. "How the hell do I get out of this one..."
Kyouko's thoughts were interrupted as the clear sound of a rushing liquid made her ears perk up. Trying her best to ignore the rhythmic thumping of the witch heart, Kyouko isolated the sound, figuring it must have been above her.
The rushing sound got louder and louder, until she finally heard a viscous liquid splashing behind her. Craning her neck to get a better look, her face paled.
The one connected artery was a tunnel for whatever fluid was flowing into the hollow heart. The familiar blue substance Kyouko saw before was now pouring into the chamber, steadily rising as the liquid became trapped. She could only assume that the heart trapped its victims inside of it, only to flood the chamber with whatever the liquid was, subsequently drowning its victims. What the substance did Kyouko didn't know, and sure as hell didn't want to find out.
She struggled against the restraints once again, making no progress. The hollow began to slowly fill, and Kyouko put into words the only thought she had at the moment.
"Oh, son of a bitch!"
Stumbling slightly, Sayaka scrambled back to her feet and leaped the rooftop with a graceful jump. Eyes widening slightly, she slammed into the low rooftop, absorbing the entire impact. Stopping was an unwise move when trying to follow a much faster Magical Girl, but Sayaka had a trick up her sleeve. Bending her knees, she uttered a small chant, allowing a complex array of runes to embed themselves into the soles of her feet. With a small shout, she propelled herself forward, clearing three buildings in the span of one leap, rolling several times as she skidded to a halt next to Homura.
"You move way too fast, y'know that?" Sayaka slammed her hand to the roof, regaining her breath.
"There's no time to rest. Kyouko is in danger." Homura stated nonchalantly. "If you can't keep up, then follow on your own accord."
"Touchy..." Sayaka muttered under her breath, watching as Homura took off once more. She was ready, however, and within seconds had caught up to the time traveler with a series of well-timed leaps. The two jumped the rooftops at an astounding pace; a naked human eye could barely keep up with them.
"Homura?"
"Hm?"
"I want to ask you something." Sayaka's voice was flat, suppressing as much emotion from it as she could.
"Shoot." Homura said, without breaking stride.
Taking a gulp of air, Sayaka cleared the high drop off the accounting office with a graceful flip. "Why were you trying to save me? I can understand Kyouko's view in all this. She...wasn't all that bad during those last few days. She understood me." She found herself smiling at that.
Regaining her neutral composure, she continued. "But you...never really liked me. Madoka told me about all those times you told her to give up on me. I remember that day near the apartment complex as well. You gave me a Grief Seed..." she paused, eyes closed tightly. "And then you tried to kill me."
She paused to clear the next roof before continuing. "I've never mattered to you before, but suddenly you seem to care...even if its only a little bit. Why?"
Homura did not reply for several seconds, continuing to clear the rooftops with practiced ease. Sayaka had given up on an answer before she finally spoke, slowly and with emphasis dripping in each word.
"At the time, a mercy kill would have been best for Madoka's sake." Homura stated. "You were acting brash and illogically, and I did not want to see Madoka hurt by your stupid actions."
"Why you...!" Sayaka fumed at the statement, but was interrupted before she could go any further.
"However..." Homura's eyes became downcast. "That was then. Grief is an understanding of past sin. Kyouko told me about your speech at the train station; you actually regretted what you did. It took some convincing, but...I finally realized that saving you may have been possible."
"That was mostly Madoka's doing, huh." Sayaka said, more as a statement than a question.
"Yes. I didn't want her to go through the same pain I have. So...it was for her well being, in the end. It was simply a change in objective."
Something clicked in Sayaka's mind. "You liked her, at one point. Didn't you."
Again, it wasn't a question.
Homura paused a moment. "Yes."
Sayaka flushed red, fuming slightly. "But...she said she-"
"Remember your own words, Sayaka. You said I liked her at one point. You are right, I did." Homura smiled slightly. "I...lost my chance. I gave it up many times, out of my own folly. You deserve her, that is all." She spoke the words like a chunk of lemon was caught in her throat.
Sayaka's face remained beet red, but this time it was out of embarrassment rather than anger. "I...I guess so."
"I know so." Homura said, the words coming easier this time. Without another word, she returned her gaze forward, her eyes resuming their stoic appearance. "Pick up the pace. Kyouko's in danger."
"Got it!"
The two paused a moment, focusing their magical will into their legs. With a sudden gust of wind, the two launched themselves forward, clearing several rooftops as they did so.
"Look!" Sayaka pointed forward after several harrowing leaps, noting the flickering light in her Soul Gem. In between two of the bustling business districts lay a small gap in the buildings, presumably where an alley lay. There were slight tinges and distortions in reality around the site; Homura could make out the blurry images of hearts floating up and outwards. "That must be the barrier up ahead!"
"I feel traces of Kyouko's magic in there..." Homura mused, picking up her pace even more. "Let's get inside!"
Nodding wordlessly, Sayaka followed the time-traveler down into the alley.
"Mama?"
Madoka gently shut the door to her house behind her, removing her shoes and placing them on the wooden landing. Stepping up to the main living area, she scanned the downstairs floor. There was no sign of her parents or Tatsuya; assuming they were either upstairs or out on an errand, she went to the kitchen and grabbed herself a glass of milk. The ordeal with Sayaka had left her very little time for the required three meals a day, and as such the dairy product was quite refreshing.
Wiping at her lips, Madoka quickly ascended to the second story, double checking each room to see if anyone was home. However, the restroom, as well as her parents bedroom, were completely empty.
"I wonder where they are..." She mused. 'Oh well. I guess I'll just grab a nap for now...'
Madoka quietly opened the door to her bedroom, slipping inside. Since she wasn't wearing any shoes, she barely made a sound on the wooden floorboards. Gently closing the door behind her, she heard a slight sound come from her bed...
Whirling around, she came face to face with none other than Junko Kaname, sitting on her bed reading an old manga Madoka had stored in her bookshelf. She could tell her mother wasn't very engrossed in the book; she had not reacted at all to the door opening and closing, and her eyes were far from the pages of the book. Taking a step forward, Madoka waved her hand in front of her mother's face.
"Mama?"
The response was instantaneous. Junko shot up with a startled cry, nearly hitting the roof and landing flat on her rump on the bed. Scrambling to her feet, she whipped her head from side to side, desperately looking for some form of self defense weapon...
Something clicked. That voice was way too familiar...
Junko finally got a good look at the source of the sound. The pink hair and school outfit looked a little too-
"MADOKA!" Junko near wailed, grabbing her daughter in the traditional mother's-death-grip. "Where have you been? You should have checked in sooner! Are you hungry at all! How's the search for Sayaka!"
Madoka smiled, placing her arms around her mothers back as she continued to rattle off questions and ramblings faster than she could follow them. Junko must have gone through half the national lexicon itself when Madoka finally spoke up.
"I'm fine, Mama...just got a little homesick. Hehe..." She trailed off, nuzzling further into her mothers embrace.
To Madoka's slight disappointment, Junko let go, placing her daughter on the bed. "Where are your friends, Madoka? And...how goes the search?"
Junko expected Madoka's eyes to become downcast, for tears to fill her vision as she told them of the lack of luck they had...
To her surprise, Madoka smiled gently, her vision gazing into something beyond the room.
'Well, Homura did say I could tell her.'
"Mama, we found her."
"WHAT?" Junko's jaw dropped. "That's great news, Madoka! Though..." She paused, looking around. "If you found her, why isn't she with you? Why are you here without them?"
"Oh! Uh..." Madoka stammered. "They...they had to go to the police first! Sayaka was reported missing, remember?" 'Well, I'm not technically lying...'
"I see...that would make sense." Junko nodded, accepting the answer. "I should head down to the police station then. Maybe I can be of use."
"Ah, wait!" Madoka jumped up, suddenly panicked. "Could you...uh...make some food first? I'm really hungry..."
As if to back up her cover story, Madoka's stomach growled slightly. Junko couldn't help but laugh at that. "Alright, food first. We'll decide what to do afterward, alright?"
"Okay..."
Satisfied with the answer, Junko exited Madoka's room, presumably to prepare the lunch Madoka so desired.
"That was close..." Madoka sighed, collapsing back onto the bed. Her cover story was a good one, but if Junko went to the police station and learned Sayaka was never there...
Madoka wondered if the telepathic channel Kyubey opened for them was still any good. If she could contact Homura and have them head to the police station, then everything would be fine!
Focusing into her mind, Madoka found the channel. "Homura?"
"I'm here, Madoka. What is it?" Homura's voice rang in her head.
"I kinda had to lie to my mom. Once you're done at the barrier, can you head to the police station? We still need to sort out the missing persons report with Sayaka..."
"Can do. Stall her for as long as you can otherwise, okay?"
"Okay!"
Satisfied, Madoka closed the channel and flopped back into her bed, closing her eyes as she relished in the feeling of her own bedroom once more. For a brief moment, she swore there was a flash of light outside of her window, but couldn't see anything beyond the fauna and bustling street.
Her concentration was broken, however, when Junko entered her room once more, carrying a plate of several onigiri in one hand and a glass of orange juice in the other. Setting them down at Madoka's bedside, she moved back to the door, only turning to face her daughter when she exited the room.
"Eat quickly, Madoka. We're heading to the station the moment you're done."
Madoka gulped slightly. "O-okay, Mama."
'Homura...please hurry.'
Red eyes glanced into the window. The daytime sun actually helped to conceal the small creature; his white fur blended in with the blinding sun, hiding him all the better.
Waiting was difficult for him. After all, he'd been waiting for several weeks. The minutes felt like hours as the two conversed over a plate of human sustenance until he saw the older woman finally exit the room. That left the one person he wanted to talk to alone.
Tapping his paw against the window, he watched the girl turn around in shock, nearly dropping her food in the process. Slowly, her shock turned to a neutral sense of understanding.
Slowly, she began walking towards the window.
He would not fail this time.
"Whoa..." Sayaka glanced around the massive labyrinth, nausea overcoming her as the familiar feeling of grief and despair flowed around her. Drawing her sword in a diagonal slash, she cut down two of the familiars: flying, seemingly suicidal hearts, with ease. Behind her, Homura was busy mowing down what looked like hideous forms of archers, utilizing two handguns, one in each hand.
Dropping prone to avoid the suicidal charge of a group of hearts, Sayaka found her opening. In a flash, she materialized a second sword in her hand and launched it outwards, the long blade skewering several of the hearts as they prepared a second attack. She gave a shout to Homura, who, after emptying her magazine, quickly followed her.
The two worked their way through the barrier, routing some of the familiars, eliminating others. At one point, a stray flying heart made its mark on Sayaka's knee, sending her sprawling. A sustained burst from Homura's assault rifle was needed to hold the tide at bay until Sayaka could heal herself properly. Once she was back on her feet, it took two extra magazines' from Homura, as well as a flurry of thrown blades from Sayaka to stem the tide.
Panting slightly, the two girls raced along the corridor wall, trying to find some sort of doorway to the barrier core. Sayaka led, her sword dangling behind her. "Homura! I think we're going in circles!"
"You're right." Homura agreed, firing blindly. "We need to find some trace of Kyouko. She knew how to get in, so can we."
"Yeah, but where-" Sayaka cut herself off. "Wait, is that it?"
Up ahead, a small tear in the barrier wall was slowly beginning to close. There had been quite a bit of structural damage to it, and several dangling pieces of organic tissue were still laying along the floor.
"Did Kyouko...cut her way through?" Sayaka asked, dumbfounded.
"Looks like it. Come on, I think we can still follow her."
Sayaka nodded. Summoning a second sword to her hand once again, she began to hack and slash through the barrier wall, cutting through the organic matter like tissue paper. Behind her, Homura kept her assault rifle pointed outwards, providing suppression as Sayaka cut her way through the narrow hallway.
"Homura! Do you hear that?"
"I hear it too. It's..." She paused. "A heartbeat?"
"I'll try to cut our way there! That may be where the witch is!"
The two continued the slow process of cutting, making their way towards the source of the sound...and hopefully where Kyouko was.
Several minutes of hacking and slashing later, Sayaka and Homura stumbled into a large, cavernous room, spluttering as they wiped the blood off of their faces and bodies.
Swiping at her eyes, Sayaka's jaw dropped at the monstrosity before her. The witch spanned at least ten stories, and appeared to be a gigantic black heart encased in a golden cage, oozing blue fluid from a gaping hole in its body. 'Looks like Kyouko did some work here...but where is she?'
Homura finally caught up. "Any sign of Kyouko?"
"Nope." Sayaka glanced around. "Kyouko? Are you here?"
"What the fuck? I think I'm hallucinating now..."
Kyouko struggled once again against the organic bonds, trying to separate herself from the steadily rising tide of liquid. "Do I shout out, or...?"
Deciding to give into whatever the hell her mind was playing with, Kyouko shouted out in response.
Sayaka's ears immediately perked up. "Homura, did you hear-"
"Yeah, I did." Homura sent a wave of tracing magic out, trying to pinpoint Kyouko's location in the vast chamber. After several seconds, however, she paled.
"Homura? What is it?"
"She's..." Homura stuttered for the first time. "She's trapped. Inside the witch."
Sayaka paled as well, but snapped into action moments later. "Then why are we standing around! Let's get in there!"
Nodding slightly, Homura charged into the fray, Sayaka not far behind her.
"We're getting you out, Kyouko!"
"What the hell? She's here?"
Kyouko shook her head, trying to clear the voice from her mind. That was impossible, she was still dead...
Smiling softly, she let her head hang. If they were here, she'd be rescued. If they weren't...
"Why the hell did I only bring one box of Pocky...?"
Weaving past the familiars, Sayaka launched herself forward and left a clean and decisive cut against the main tissue of the massive witch. The moment she had ducked, Homura unloaded an entire magazine from her assault rifle, peppering the body with multiple holes. Blue, viscous fluid poured out of the gaping wounds, coating the floor in the slippery substance.
"Ha! Take that, you little..." Sayaka cut herself off once again. She watched in awe as the holes Homura made, as well as the gouging slash from her sword, were immediately closed up and healed.
"What in the..." Homura mused, shifting her focus and blowing away several familiars with a few well-placed bursts. "How do we damage this thing!
"I don't know!" Sayaka shouted, back flipping to avoid a torrent of arrows being sent in her direction. "Attacking it is useless!"
Homura switched to a handgun, peppering the flesh of the witch with holes, to no avail. "It has to be receiving its healing powers from something. There's no other way it could regenerate this fast!"
Sayaka decided not to answer, instead focusing on the witch's body. Nothing they were throwing at it worked, every slash she delivered to the main body was in vain. Spinning in the air in a pirouette, she cut away the charging familiars and refocused her attention on the witch. There had to be a weakness somewhere...
"Homura!"
"What?"
"How did that hole up there get made?"
Homura glanced up, ignoring the familiars for the moment. Her eyes furrowed as she examined the gaping hole. "I don't know...but it hasn't regenerated. That means there's a weakness!"
"Yeah, but what...?" Sayaka muttered to herself. Flipping herself over, she barreled straight upwards, landing on top of the caged heart and examining the hole. Pieces of gouged flesh lay tattered about, but there was a copious amount of fluid surrounding the injury. Somehow, that gaping hole near the top was still there. She could tell from the flopping piece of flesh hanging from it that it wasn't a natural occurrence. Something had happened there, to which the wound couldn't have been healed... Whipping her head around, she noticed the artery connected to the wall, pumping at a blinding speed.
"That's it!" She cried out. "Homura! Cut off the vein!"
"What vein-" Homura started, turning to Sayaka. She cut herself off when she saw the massive artery, pumping with wild abandon.
"Homura!" Sayaka looked over in a panic. "If Kyouko's inside of this thing, we need to cut that artery off, now!"
Homura nodded. Without another word, she froze time, launching herself into the air towards the vein that connected itself to the witch and the wall. Landing on the exposed artery, she pulled out her shotgun, quickly loading it with shredder rounds; designed to tear through flesh with practiced ease. Similar to her encounter with Oktavia, she placed several shots into the artery circling around it. With the spread of the buckshot, her intent was to tear the artery off entirely with gaping holes, as opposed to a precise shot from range.
Leaping off the doomed artery, she raced back to Sayaka, resuming time as she did so.
The swords-woman looked extremely shocked at Homura appearing out of nowhere, as well as the resounding shockwave that shook the barrier to its very core, but Homura gave her no quarter. Without a seconds pause for explanation, she tackled Sayaka to the ground, covering her head as she did so.
The response was immediately clear; With both arteries disconnected from the ebony heart, there was nothing to support itself. Cut off from the supply of healing magic it utilized, the golden cage around it disappeared without a trace. The heart, now released from its supports, tumbled to the ground with a sickening squelch, bluish contents of its supposed lifeblood spilling around the barrier.
"Kyouko!" Homura immediately got up after the resulting crash was over. Using her shotgun, she blasted a hole in the now-dead witch's body and entered the cavernous body slowly. Sayaka followed close behind, having recovered from Homura's sudden tackle, hacking her own way through the heart's wall.
Upon entering the remains of the dead witch, Homura paled instantly.
Kyouko lay there, still suspended by two pieces of flesh, viscous blue lifeblood covering her entire body. The wounds on her were tinged purple, her own blood mixing with the life force of the witch.
"Stand back." Sayaka said, pushing Homura to the side as she approached the wounded girl. Using her sword, she cut away the rest of the restraints and caught Kyouko as she fell to the ground. The familiar musical runes surrounded Sayaka as she poured her regenerative powers into Kyouko, her wounds sealing one after another.
With a strangled gasp, Kyouko's eyes shot open glancing around with wild eyes, materializing her spear in sudden self-defense. In her crazed movements, she didn't notice the barrier around her collapsing, the real world slowly returning to its original state within the dark alleyway. "What...what the hell is going on?"
The crazed girl was immediately restrained by Homura. Sayaka stepped in front of her, locking eyes with Kyouko as she dissolved her sword.
It took Kyouko a moment. When she recognized the blue-haired girl standing in front of her, all memory of the witch, her imprisonment, and her near death went out the window as she broke free from Homura and engulfed Sayaka in a death-grip hug.
"Sayaka! You made it!" Kyouko jumped up and down, dragging the poor girl along with her. Tentatively, Sayaka returned the embrace, waiting for Kyouko's tirade of words and flailing to end.
After several seconds, Kyouko pulled away, locking her eyes with Sayaka once more. "So, how didja do it? We couldn't get you awake after we drained off your grief...so something happened while I was gone!"
Sayaka smiled. "Madoka got to me. She found her way to where I was and...taught me how to hope again." She flushed red slightly at the memory.
"I knew that girl would be useful!" Kyouko whooped. Then, her eyes narrowed, a curious glint in them. "So...did she tell you?"
Sayaka flushed another ten shades of red. "I...don't' know what you're talking about..."
"Yeah, sure, kid." Kyouko smirked knowingly. "Only reason we made it this far was Madoka being a stubborn little...well, you get the idea!" The mischievous glint in her eye returned. "So how did she do it? A kiss? Massive glomp? Or..." Her eyes seemed to be covered in shadow this time. "Don't tell me, you can actually do that as a-"
"Kyouko!" Sayaka shouted, smacking Kyouko across the head as she did so, leaving a fair-sized bump on her head.
Shaking off the bump as if it were nothing, the glint in Kyouko's eyes didn't dissipate. "Touchy, eh? Heheh..." Then, serious, "It's good to see you again."
Sayaka nodded. "You too. Thanks...for everything you did."
Kyouko brushed it off. "Don't mention it." She turned to Homura, who thus far had remained silent. "Hey, you haven't contributed to this conversation Homura! Get over here!"
Homura didn't respond. Her eyes were closed tightly, and her brow was furrowed as if she were talking to someone in her head.
Kyouko and Sayaka stepped forward, concern etched in both of their faces. "Homura?"
Homura's eyes shot open as she took in a massive gulp of air. Turning to the other two girls, her eyes remained wide. "We need to move. Madoka's mother is headed to the police station. She apparently had to tell her about finding Sayaka."
"What?" Sayaka paled. "Does that mean..."
"Yup." Homura sighed, obviously not liking it either. "When you vanished, Sayaka, the school filed a missing persons report. Now that you're restored...we need to settle things with them."
"Dammit..." Sayaka winced, not liking this at all.
"No choice, kid." Kyouko began walking towards the exit of the alley. "It's gonna happen sooner or later. At least you'll have your girlfriend to help you out."
Sayaka could find no words to retort to Kyouko's teasing. She was still pale from the idea of talking to others about the situation. What would happen if she lied and messed up?
"Don't worry." Homura said, placing a hand on Sayaka's shoulder. "We'll figure it out."
"Yeah..." Sayaka shrugged. "I guess we have no choice."
"Is that what you want?"
"Yes..." The girl hesitated. "That is my wish."
"I must admit, I've never heard of such a strange wish." The construct shook his head. "Surely there is something better that you would like for yourself?"
"No." She shook her head. "You need this. You need this more than I do."
The construct sighed. "I suppose its your decision. Very well."
A bright light filled the room; In the instant that the soul was ripped from its host body and placed into a gem, Kyubey suddenly dropped to his side, flailing about in agony.
"What...what did you do to me?"
Chapter End.