AN: THANK YOU TO:
TheShadowHunter0547
NeonGal123
And those who read this!
Your support makes the sun shine during my day!
Disclaimer: I do not own Madoka Magica (being just another crazy fangirl). All characters belong solely to Aniplex and other companies.
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Round lollipops speared the tiled floor, white sticks gleaming. Behind them, Madoka shuddered as a group of creatures with swirled patterns scuttled past her.
"Sayaka, are you okay?" she asked nervously. There was a pause before her blue haired friend answered.
"Of course I am!" Sayaka flapped a hand, Kyubey bouncing up and down on her shoulder. Mami put a finger to her lips.
"You want to be quiet now. We can't accidentally cause the witch to hatch earlier than expected. Let's talk telepathically," the last part was said silently. Madoka nodded.
The magical girl opened her hand, revealing her Soul Gem. It was shimmering. Flecks of gold danced lightly over the surface while tiny flowers sparked and vanished. "Let's get to the main chamber, girls. I have a feeling that this witch is going to be a handful."
Kyubey swished his tail. "If something goes wrong, just make a contract with me so you can defend yourself! Just one of you will do," he peered at Sayaka, who seemed slightly uncomfortable. Madoka let out a breath.
Mami stood up slowly and the girls followed suit. They dashed out of the clump of lollipops into a cluster of slabs of rock candy. She touched one, which flared dark orange and rolled backwards, revealing a small tunnel. They hurried through and found themselves in a forest of dully colored candy. Sayaka plunked herself behind a log-sized marshmallow.
"This place is huge!" she widened her eyes hilariously as Madoka crawled in beside her. The pinkette darted above the marshmallow for a quick look beyond and gasped lightly. A huge cavern, looking strangely like the inside of a layered chocolate cake, opened up around her. Stools of various heights were placed randomly on the caramel floor. Dark staticles hung from the curved ceiling.
"It's here," Mami warned. A cereal box, set on the highest stool, began rocking back and forth. The rapid movement increased in speed until suddenly, it stopped. Madoka barely had time to form a thought before it exploded.
Waves of energy sliced over their heads, relentlessly pounding into the surrounding walls. Madoka grabbed onto Sayaka while Kyubey was forced to claw into Sayaka's lap to shield himself from the wind. Gradually, it settled.
A tiny doll-like creature floated in the air, wide sleeves waving. Its painted face smiled blankly in the direction of the intruders.
Mami fearlessly stepped out of cover, transforming as she did so. "I'll finish this quickly, Madoka and Sayaka. We still have to hunt that other witch later!" She stepped towards the witch.
She's not afraid...and she wants to fight two witches in a row just so people won't get hurt? She's so strong… Madoka stared at her senior in awe. Sayaka muttered something under her breath.
Smiling serenely, Mami whisked her hat in a circle. Rows of rifles appeared, which she used to slam the witch into the wall. Hails of bullets punctured holes in it as it writhed in agony. Threads of light danced, binding it around the middle tightly. The blonde tossed aside a rifle and watched in satisfaction as the witch was lowered to the ground.
"I guess today just wasn't your day," she tutted. "Too bad about that." She pulled out a rifle and pushed it against the witch's head. Sayaka clapped as the shot rang out.
"Nice one, Mami!" she hollered. The threads rose and dumped the creature on a stool. Mami picked up her last rifle. It grew in her hands, expanding into a large blaster. She winked and pulled the trigger.
"Trio Finale!" The resounding blast sent Madoka tumbling. She raised her head, waiting for the labyrinth to dissolve. It didn't. The witch moved limply against its bonds and Mami's expression melted into fear. She had been too confident.
The head of the creature slithered out of its body, revealing its true form of a serpent. Its eyes leered down at the trembling girls and it licked its lips in anticipation. Mami froze.
"Screw this." Sayaka stood up, eyes shadowed. "Hey Kyubey, can I make my wish now?"
"Of course."
"No!" Madoka cried, not knowing why she was upset. "Don't, don't…"
"I wish," Sayaka began defiantly. " I wish that Kyosuke's hand will heal now and that lots of people will be able to hear him play his violin and that he'll be famous. I wish that he and my family will not suffer much and find happiness in the world!"
A cool blue glow surrounded her. The girl lifted slightly into the air, clutching at her chest. The Incubator looked on impassively.
"Your wish has been granted, Miki Sayaka."
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Throughout her life, Mami had been alone. Her parents had died in a car accident when she was little, and she had only a few pictures and memories to remember them by. After that, she had been deemed 'unapproachable' by relatives and peers, and was sent to live by herself in a comfortable but isolated apartment. Life as a magical girl was dangerous, and Mami only worked so hard because there was no one to care. There was no one in the world who she had attachments to, and none who felt any attachment to her. Only her logic provided her with a sense of self perseverance. The longer she lived, the more innocents she saved. That didn't change the fact that she was desperately, achingly lonely.
That was why she was shocked when the girl fighting at her side had made her wish. Partially for her family and sweetheart, yes, but also partially for her. Mami marveled at the fact that someone had decided a life of comfort without her was worse than a life of danger including her. It was a novel sensation.
"Don't freeze up again when you face that thing!" Sayaka scolded her mentor. "You'll get killed! You're lucky I got there when I did." Her white cape flapped behind her as she slashed at the enemies.
"That I was," Mami wove her ribbons into a rappel and swung Sayaka in an arc around the area. With a wave of the new magical girl's hand, a barrage of sapphire swords formed and sliced the desperately attacking familiars into pieces with ease. The witch howled in anger and thrashed as Mami cocooned it with ribbons. "Two against one almost seems unfair."
"That thing nearly killed you. Don't tempt fate," Kyubey warned. Suddenly, the witch fell quiet.
"Hey Mami, do you feel something strange in the a-" Sayaka was cut off by an explosion of energy. With a sense of dawning horror, Madoka recognized the pattern of waves. She crouched down and buried her head in Kyubey's fur, shaking.
"It can't be," Mami murmured, bracing herself against the wind. The cause of the explosion had seemed to come from underneath a stool. "We're already inside a labyrinth. It's almost unheard of for two witches to hatch at the same time in the same place!"
"What's the point of me making a wish if life just throws another witch at me?" Sayaka wailed. "We're so dead…" She stabbed her sword next to her friend and watched as the hidden egg began to glow. The Grief Seed rose and morphed into a writhing black mass. Gradually, the labyrinth began draining of color, all objects and creatures turning an odd combination of white, black, or red except for the witches.
"We can do this," the golden haired girl said to herself. "It's a combined labyrinth now. There's two of them and two of us."
"Yeah, I'll take the new creepy thing and you take the oldie," Sayaka waved her sword. "Good luck and don't die!" They both launched off the stool they had been standing on. Mami twisted midair and fired at the already trapped witch.
"Should I make a wish?" Madoka asked Kyubey worriedly. She wondered what she would wish for. Then she wondered if she wanted to make a wish.
"They can handle it, I think," Kyubey replied. "I just hope that Sayaka doesn't drain her Gem too quickly." They watched the bluenette dart around the witch, striking it with one or more swords at a time. Her vigorous attacks began to slow down after a while, and the swift attacks of her opponent left gaping wounds on her body.
"Sayaka!" Madoka screamed as the witch hurled the magical girl across the cavern. The girl hit the wall with a sickening crack and didn't move. "Mami! Help!"
The blonde glanced over, distracted. The serpent reared, fangs flashing. Ribbons tore. The crunch of Mami's Soul Gem as it shattered echoed the sound of Sayaka's as it was crushed. Kyubey leaped into the air.
"Madoka! Make a wish, any wish! Hurry!"
The urgency of his voice couldn't shake Madoka out of shock. She couldn't tear her eyes away from Mami and Sayaka, both in pools of crimson blood. They had been alive only moments ago. Now...now they were dead and it was her fault.
The serpent began feasting. Sayaka remained unmoving, empty eyes glazed over. The second witch thumped its bloodstained limbs on the ground.
"Wish for something!" Kyubey cried.
"I...I wish…" Madoka stammered. "I wish that I-"
"That won't be necessary," a cool voice rang out. A lithe girl dressed in black and purple vaulted through the air. "They are my opponents." Madoka could only watch in dazed shock as the newcomer slipped a hand behind her small round shield.
An explosion rocked the entire labyrinth. The second witch screeched as it was torn to shreds and faded away into the smoke had cleared, Kyubey shook with excitement. The serpent drew back slightly.
The raven haired girl paused on top of a stool, looking back.
Tears slipped out without Madoka knowing it as the final witch imploded upon itself. She remained seated on the floor as the labyrinth finally gave way to reality. "I can't believe this," she whispered as the magical girl made her way over. It was dawn in the real world, the sun peeking through the blinds of the windows of the cafe. "I don't want this." Sayaka, Mami, you both died for this, for ? How could you both be so strong? I could have saved you, could have done something, but I...Her eyes rose in despair, and met blue ones.
"Madoka?" the other girl asked hesitatingly. She didn't question how the stranger knew her name when they had never met, or why there was that ache in her voice which told her that yes, this girl did indeed know her. But then again, miracles were the result of magic. Miracles and magic. She could do anything, now would do anything to save her friends. Even if that meant…
Kyubey looked up at her, swishing his tail. "Are you ready?"
"NO!" the magical girl screamed. Gunshots rang out and Kyubey fell soundlessly to the floor. Madoka barely had time to gasp before another creature-Kyubey?-whipped through the door, evading the spray of bullets.
"Stop!" Madoka grabbed the other girl. "What are you doing?!"
"Homura," the creature said. "I am prepared to use as many forms as it takes to grant her wish." Homura's eyes widened, and she let the gun clatter to the floor.
"It's come to this point?" she murmured. "After all these times I've tried, now you're trying too?" She stared pleadingly at Madoka. "Don't, Madoka. Please."
Madoka stared back at the girl, sadness filling her eyes. She turned back to Kyubey.
"I wish," she said carefully. Choose wisely. "I wish that I can travel through time, any time, any place, and be able to save my friends and family. I'll do it all over, only I'll be strong enough and powerful enough to do that and more!"
"No," Homura whispered as pink light expanded throughout the room. "It wasn't supposed to be like this!"
Pain curled around Madoka's heart. She cupped her hands and brought them up, blinking away tears as the light overwhelmed her. Slowly, her uniform changed into a pink dress, cherry shoes gently leaving the floor as she lifted into the air.
"Your wish has overcome entropy. Go now, and use your new powers!"
Madoka pressed a hand to her chest. Her Soul Gem glowed, red hot against her collarbone. Back in time, to another world, when Sayaka and I were happy, when Mami first met us…
And she was gone.
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AN: Reviews always appreciated, flames ignored. Until next time!