The walk to the familiar's barrier had been mostly silent. That was mostly due to Kamina's curiosity that caused him to look at just about everything along the way. Mami had whispered to Madoka and Sayaka the short version of his ridiculous back-story where Sayaka almost laughed at it. Eventually, they came to the barrier of the familiar, which was much less unpleasant and hellish than the witch's barrier from before. Kamina had his guard up the whole way, while Sayaka, again had hold in her laughter to how over-the-top and ridiculous he was acting.

Eventually, they came across the familiar, and Kamina didn't even need to join the fight. But that didn't mean he didn't want to. Mami had the thing on its knees within minutes.

"Tiro Finale!" She shouted as she fired the final shot. The disturbing colorful place around them disappeared as the monster burst into an array of orange light. Madoka and Sayaka were very impressed by the display of magic that Mami had put on for them. Madoka took a quick look around and noticed something.

"It didn't drop a grief seed this time."

"That's because it was merely a witch's familiar, and not an actual witch itself." Kyubey replied, running towards Madoka and hopping on her shoulder. Kamina wasn't impressed.

"Man, what a rip-off! That thing was cannon fodder compared to the witch we fought before!" He said, folding his arms. Mami looked at him and frowned.

"Even so, defeating familiars is very important. Because if you let them go free, they will develop into the same kind of witch they came from." Mami replied sweetly. "It's getting dark now. Shall we head back home?" They all agreed and started walking back. The journey back wasn't as quiet as the journey there, as Mami started up a conversation walking on the path back. "So have you two decided on a wish yet?" She asked Madoka and Sayaka. They both shook their heads. Kamina chuckled at that and patted the two on the back.

"What the hell could you two possibly need to wish for?" He made a gesture with his arm that pointed in the direction of the big city in the distance. "Look at what you've got here! You've got buildings that touch the sky! Comfortable clothes! You've got everything I could have possibly wanted back where I came from!"

"I know that much Kamina." Sayaka replied. "But, get this-and this is only an example alright? Does the wish have to be for yourself?" He paused and gave her a questioning look after that, motioning for her to go on. "Let's just say someone was having a harder time than I was, and I wanted to use my wish to help him out." Madoka noticed the change in tone in her voice and spoke up.

"Are you talking about Kyosuke?" Madoka replied. Sayaka immediately turned around and faced her.

"I said it was only an example!" She cried out. Kamina chuckled a bit softer than last time at that. He knelt down to her level.

"That's what this is about? Let me tell you something kid, the only thing you need to solve a problem to help someone, is a fighting spirit!" Sayaka didn't know what to say to that, which Kamina noticed. "You just gotta keep digging until you find the answer! Don't let some fuzzball fool you into making a contract for one guy! Just tell him to believe! Believe in the Sayaka that believes in him!" He smiled as he pointed his finger towards her then at the city as he said that. Madoka turned her head at this, not understanding along with Sayaka.

"What does that mean?" She replied.

"I sort of agree with Kamina-san." Mami interrupted. "Making a wish for someone else's benefit may not be the best idea. If you truly plan on going through with it, then make sure you absolutely know what you're wishing for. Are you wishing for his own happiness? Or are you wishing for him to be grateful to you?"

"Now just hang on a second!" Kamina suddenly intervened. "What's all this talk about why she wants to help him? Why the hell would it matter if they're both happy in the end?"

"That depends Kamina-san. If she's wishing solely for his own happiness, then she would be happy no matter what the outcome was for her. However, if she's wishing just so he can be grateful to her, and he's not, then her wish would be wasted." Mami replied sternly. Kamina didn't like the sound of that. He turned around and faced the two potential magical girls.

"Listen here you two. Remember this!" He said this as he shot his arm upwards and pointed his index finger towards the sky. "If you're going to dig, dig to the heavens! Don't just sit down in the dirt and wish for you to get what you want! You just need to keep on digging! Kick logic out and do the impossible all yourself! That's the way team Dai-Gurren rolls!"

Once again, everyone remained silent for a moment when he showed off his bravado. Madoka had to admit, there was reassuring vibe around him. Sayaka felt the same way, but not as much as Madoka.

"I…guess I could give it a try. Thanks for the advice Kamina." Sayaka replied. "Come on Madoka, our homes are that way." She grabbed Madoka's hand and started walking away from Kamina and Mami.

"R-right! Good night Mami-san and Kamina-san!" Madoka added as she and Kyubey walked off with her. "That Kamina person really is someone else isn't he?" She continued when Kamina and Mami were out of earshot.

"Yeah. The guy's warped in the head with that fancy story of his coming from Mami, but he sure can make a good little speech." Sayaka thought to herself after she said this. "I'll try and convince him that there's hope one more time. If not, then I'm making the wish. I sure hope you know what you were talking about Kamina."

As Sayaka thought this. The tiny creature looked back at Kamina. If one were to read its mind, they'd find that there were quite a few questions in its mind.

"Well, that takes care of tonight." Kamina yawned. "What do you say we head back and hit the sack? It's been a crazy day."

"Yes, that would be a good idea. If it weren't the obvious choice." Mami chuckled before her expression hardened a bit. "I have to be honest though, I'm happy that you're trying to help those two make their final decision. But please remember Kamina-san that the final choice is up to them. Please don't think any less of them if they do make the contract."

"There you go again, blondie. Making assumptions like that." He replied as he patted her on the back. "I'm just saying that I'd rather they not throw their lives away! I'm not going to hate them if they make the contract. I'm just going to be really disappointed, that's all! Oh and another thing, something's bugging me about that Kyubey fuzzball, and there might be more to this magical-girl thing than you know!"

"I know that Kyubey is a strange creature Kamina-san, but that doesn't mean-"She stopped mid-sentence as she sensed something with her Soul Gem. She immediately took it out and turned around. She held it up in the direction she was facing as it glowed. "Hold that thought, I'm sensing another magical source." Mami started running off in the direction she was facing.

"What-the?! Hey wait a second!" Kamina yelled running after her. "Aw geez, don't these things know when to give up?!" They continued running into they came into an open circular area with a strange device that spewed water in the middle. At least that's what it looked like to Kamina. The area was dead-silent except for the sound of water spewing from that device. The two were on their guard, getting ready to find the source of the labyrinth. They waited five minutes, but the labyrinth never came as Mami turned her Soul Gem into a ring which she placed on her finger.

"I think we got a false-alarm there blondie. You sure that thing's working ri-"

"You do understand, don't you?" Came a voice from behind them. They turned around and found a girl with long raven hair. She wore the same outfit as Mami and the others. The expression on her face was cold, and her purple eyes almost showed as much emotion as Kyubey did. "That you're leading innocent bystanders into dangerous territory?"

"They were chosen by Kyubey Homura-san. They aren't just regular innocent bystanders anymore." Mami replied while staring at the girl named Homura with her own cold expression."

"You are trying to lead them down the path where they would like to become magical girls." Homura responded, the expression on her face remaining the same. "In the case of Madoka Kaname, it is a problem. She is the person whom I can never allow to make a contract."

"Oh, so you've noticed the large potential Madoka has inside her?" Mami replied with a smile on her face. "You're just afraid that a magical girl stronger than you will get in your way. Wouldn't you agree Ka-Kamina san?" She looked beside her to find that he wasn't beside her. She turned around to find that he was putting his hands in the water from the fountain and back into his mouth to drink it. He stopped and immediately ran back up to her.

"Hey, sorry about that! I figured you had things under control with her so I got a quick drink. The people on the surface are awfully generous putting out free water like that!" He replied with a smile that turned into a determined smile. "But I heard everything! Listen kid!" He shouted as he pointed his finger at her. "I'm not too happy with this whole contracting business either, but that doesn't mean you have the right to choose their path!" The expression on the raven haired girl's face hardened a bit at that.

"Something like this does not concern you."

"Like hell it does! Just who the hell do you think I am?!" Kamina shot back. "I know of all this magical girl and witch business kid! I'm not going to just sit back and let them make that contract, but that doesn't mean I'm going to force them to do anything! No one should. I know what it's like!"

"Kamina-san. Let me handle this." Mami spoke up. She stepped forward a bit towards her. "Homura, if you want to avoid getting into a fight with me. You would take care to ensure that our paths will never cross again." When Homura gave no reply, she turned around and started walking back. Kamina stood still and turned around.

"That's it? Come on blondie, you've gotta look your opponent in the eye when you're telling her off!" She didn't respond and kept walking. "Blondie wait up just a sec-"He couldn't finish his sentence as the girl suddenly appeared in front of him in a different white and black outfit. She held a shield on her left hand with a strange design of circles on it.

"If you treasure the life you currently have, and have no intention of losing it, you'll stay away from all of them. Farewell." She said as she suddenly disappeared into thin air.

"What the?! Hey kid where did you go? Come back here you coward!" Kamina said angrily. He normally hated it when opponents just ran off on him. But now he was confused along with angry. What the hell was she talking about earlier?

"Ignore her Kamina-san." Mami replied. "She's nothing but a rogue magical girl who fights for her own sake and not for justice."

"I get that there might be some jerks out there with all this wishing power." Kamina responded. "But didn't something feel a bit off about her? I could swear she's hiding something like that fuzzball!"

"Kamina-san, I told you. Kyubey isn't hiding anything from me." She responded, not liking the fact that Kamina was still against Kyubey. "He has no reason to. Anyways, you shouldn't cloud your head with these thoughts. It's not good for anyone. Now, it's really late. We should hurry back to my apartment." As much as Kamina didn't want to do it, he realized that he didn't have many other options here. He remained silent and walked with her back to her apartment.

"There's that fuzzball with the soulless eyes and now there's that kid trying to stop Madoka from making a contract. Something is definitely up here. As much as I'd like to get to the bottom of this now, I guess a good night's sleep would help me out."

He didn't know why, but he had a really bad feeling about tomorrow for some reason.

If one were to take a look inside the hive mind of the Incubators, they would faint from trying to count everything inside it. The Incubators had a hive mind that shared the same thoughts with each other, recruiting magical girls and finding new ones. All of these thoughts went back to the central mind. One could call it the collective unconscious, or the "core" of the Incubators.

This core, had a few questions on its mind. How could a male human being see one of their own? The incubator with the blonde magical girl with him certainly did not intentionally reveal itself to him. Could it be possible to create the first magical boy? It was certainly a plausible idea. Many questions arose from that question as well. How would they process magical energy? What would happen should they fall to despair? For once, the Incubator's core was left to ponder at the possible answers to a question, until something strange happened.

The core detected something. There was an incredibly loud ringing sound and a bright flash in its mind. It was so bright and loud that any regular human being would instantly go deaf and blind at the same time if exposed to it. When it faded, the core was no longer alone.

"Collective unconscious of the Incubators. It has come to our attention that a Spiral life-form has arrived in your universe."

…

Next Chapter: The Two Faces of Hope.

DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING!