CHAPTER 13: YOU ARE THE SOURCE

Homura's Apartment

*KAIRI'S THEME*

Kairi smiles with closed eyes as the other girls, in their normal clothes, look at her with different looks; she just finished speaking about who she truly is. Madoka, who is sitting next to the Keyblade Wielder's left, looks at her with astonishment. Sayaka, who is on another backless sofa, or divan, looks at Kairi with admiration in her eyes. Across from her in another divan is Mami, she looks on with her own look of astonishment. Directly facing Kairi, across the table is Homura. Though her mouth is closed, her narrowed eyes are filled with amazement. Kyoko, sitting on the edge of the same furniture as Sayaka, sitting between the bluenette and Homura, looks at the Keyblade Wielder with narrow eyes as well. Her left eye twitches for a few seconds. "Let me get this straight," she starts out, "You're not a Magical Girl at all. You're something called a Keyblade wielder?"

"That's right," Kairi responds confidently.

"And when that scarred freak called you a princess, he isn't talking about you being royalty or anything like that?"

"Correct, I'm one of seven maidens who are known as the Princesses of Heart; whose hearts do not possess darkness."

"And to top it all off, you're from a completely different world…" she says with her hands in the air above her head.

"That sums it all up," Kairi said with a smile.

"That's hard to believe…" Mami mutters audibly.

Kairi opens her eyes and turns to the blonde. "I know it sounds farfetched but it's the truth," she said in response.

"Say, Kairi," Sayaka says, getting the Keyblade wielder's attention, "So all that stuff you mentioned before, like where you came from and all that."

"Oh, I wasn't lying to you," Kairi responded with a waving hand. "I just didn't say that it's in another world, that's all."

"And your wish?" Sayaka asked with a raised eyebrow.

Kairi sadly smiles, "That's true as well. But it's something I have to accomplish myself. I don't want to be left behind again…Nor do I want to lose them as well."

"Kairi," spoke Homura and the Keyblade Wielder turns her head towards her. "Earlier, just before you saved Sayaka, you mentioned about losing someone to the darkness."

"Yeah," she says softly, bringing her right hand to her left arm. "What I said is true; I even mentioned it to the others without going into specifics." Kairi pauses; closing her eyes. "Riku willingly gave himself over to the darkness in order to save me; only to be trapped in the Realm of Darkness. As for Sora," she brought the raised hand to her chest, "he sacrificed himself to save me, and in the process he became a Heartless."

The girls gasp in response. A second later, Madoka remembers the general version of the story. "But he's okay, right?"

Kairi looks up at the pinkette before she nods, "In fact, that's pretty much how I saved Sayaka."

The bluenette's eyes widen a tad before slowly forming a slight frown, "You had to fight him as well?"

"Actually, even as a Heartless, Sora recognized me. I'm not exactly sure how, but he did recognize me, just as I recognized him. We were then surrounded by more Heartless. I decided it was my turn to protect him. When they started to attack, I embraced him" she says as she slightly hugs herself, "trying to protect him. Then somehow, he came back." She lowers her arms, "He later told me that the whole time he felt himself fading into the darkness. But after he heard my voice, he followed it and came back to me."

Sayaka's eyes widen. "The same with me…" she looks towards the ground, "I remember all of you calling out to me." Sayaka slowly hugs herself, "But, I didn't bother. I just wanted everything to be over with. But then you called to me. Somehow what you said… filled me with hope. Hope that I still have a reason to exist." She lowers her arms before looking back up at Kairi with a grateful smile, "And for that, I'd like to say thank you." Kairi nods with a gentle smile.

"So what about that other guy? Riku, right?" Kyoko asks with a curious tone.

"Oh he's fine," she's says nonchalantly as she waves her hand several times. "Until I tell him off," she said with an 'innocent' smile.

The other girls, except for Mami, look at the Keyblade wielder in confusion. Homura's eyes widen when she realizes the meaning to Kairi's words, "Is Riku here in this world as well?"

"That's right," Kairi quickly chimes in.

A couple seconds later, Kyoko's eyes widen. "Wait…Don't tell me…" she says with a suspicious tone; narrowing her eyes.

"Yep, he's the one that you and Sayaka fought before."

Sayaka looks at the Keyblade wielder with wide eyes, "So, I guess he did more than save you couple nights ago."

"Yeah, we had a talk, mostly of our observations with Witches and Kyubey. Afterwards…" she starts to trail off nervously.

"Afterwards, what?" Kyoko demands with a glare, getting an idea of what Kairi's about to say.

Luckily for Kairi, Mami decides to defend her, "It isn't her fault. She only asked him to check on you two."

The pair that fought the Keyblade Master looks at Mami. Seconds later, Sayaka looks at Kairi with intimidating, yet curious glare, "I'm willing to bet that you didn't expect him to fight us."

"That's what I meant about telling him off," Kairi said with her 'innocent' smile.

Kyoko blinks a few times. She smirks before chuckling, "Something tells me you're not going to let him go easily." Kairi slightly laughs at the comment.

Sayaka's eyes widen a tad, "Hey, that guy in the black cloak…" Kairi turns to the bluenette, "He mentioned something about a 'Keyblade Master.'"

"He was referring to Riku," Kairi responds with a small smile, "he just became a Keyblade Master recently."

"So if he's a Keyblade Master," Kyoko said looking up with a thoughtful expression. Her expression turns into a sheepish grin. "I hate to see him when he goes all out…" she says before giving a nervous chuckle; realizing that Riku is possibly stronger beyond her imagination.

"Kairi," Homura said in a calm tone, getting the said girl's attention, "Since you are from a different world, what is your real reason for coming here?"

Kairi looks down, closing her eyes. After a few seconds, she looks back up with a serious expression, "I suppose…now that Kyubey's no longer here, it's okay to tell you why I'm here." The other girls look attentively at her, "I'm here… to investigate a disturbance."

"A disturbance?" Madoka asks with a confused tone.

"Yes, my master, the one who taught me magic and how to use the Keyblade properly, felt a powerful force coming from this world. He originally sent Riku to handle the task before he sent me here a couple days later. So far, we concluded that the disturbance is neither the Witches nor Kyubey. But we believed they are connected to our mission."

"So, you've helped us defeat Witches in order to find this disturbance?" Mami asked inquisitively, raising an eyebrow.

Kairi turns to the blonde "That's one reason. But I also want to protect the innocent people here." She turns her head back to the others. "And now, I feel it's my responsibility to help all of you."

"Yeah," Kyoko said with a wide grin, "We certainly need you around just in case we turn into Witches."

"Please don't joke about it," Sayaka said flatly. The bluenette does not want to be reminded of the entire ordeal.

"Whatever." Kyoko said with a slight smirk. She turns to Kairi, "So do you have any leads in your case?"

"Actually," Kairi starts to say before trailing off, bringing a hand to her chin. "I do have one clue."

"What is it?" Madoka asks.

Kairi lowers her arm before looking straight ahead; facing the black-haired girl, "Homura," she simply says. Homura slightly gasps before the others draw their attention to her. "Kyubey identified you as an anomaly. I can tell that you come from this world since you're a Magical Girl like the others. What I'd like to know… is where you come from exactly?"

Homura glances to the side, hesitating. She looks at Kairi, "Would you believe me?"

Kairi brings up a sympathetic smile, "Like I said when we had that talk the other day; I'll believe you."

# SCAENA FELIX#

The black-haired girl looks down. "I'm…" she looks back up, surprising the others with a soft expression, "I am not from this timeline."

A wave of shock washes over the audience. "Okay," Kyoko interjects, "I can believe in people from other worlds. But time travel is very ludicrous."

"But it explains a lot of things," Kairi states, getting the Magical Girl's attention. Kairi focuses on the black-haired girl. "When we first met, I experienced your magic. You have the power to stop time around you and anyone else that's in contact with you, correct?" Homura nods in response. "Kyubey told me before that a Magical Girl's power is born from the wish that's made. I'm guessing your wish is to travel back in time. But for what purpose?"

"My wish…" Homura says softly before looking at the pinkette, "is to change Madoka's fate."

"Change my fate?" Madoka asks with amazed eyes.

Homura nods, "You see… from my timeline, you were already a Magical Girl before I met you. I was inspired by you," a small smile graces her lips, "you were always looking out for me." Homura frowns, "But then… it came…"

Kairi's eyes widen a tad, "Walpurgisnacht…"

Homura nods, "At the time, it was only you and Mami. The two of you fought with everything you had…but you were killed."

"That was when Kyubey came to you," Kairi said, getting an idea of what happened next, "You wished that you could go back in time and help Madoka avoid that fate."

"Yes…" she says with tears forming in her eyes. "When I went back in time for the first time, we worked together and stopped all the Witches we encountered. Together, we were able to defeat Walpurgisnacht," Homura lips quivered, "However…" she pauses after that.

Sayaka's eyes widen, "Madoka became a Witch, and you found out that truth."

"I tried again, hoping to warn all of you. This time, you and Kyoko were there. But…none of you believed me." Homura starts to tremble, clenching the edges of her seat. "Then Sayaka became a Witch…I defeated her…afterwards…Mami killed Kyoko and was about to kill me…but Madoka saved me and killed her… and we were the only ones left."

"But only for the result to be same…" Kairi says with a slight frown.

"Not exactly… I was ready to become a Witch. But Madoka… she used her last Grief Seed to save me…" Homura's tears continue to build as trembling became more noticeable. "She then asked me to make a promise…" she trails off for a few seconds before looking back up, "Prevent her from becoming a Magical Girl."

Everyone's eyes widen, "So that's why…" Madoka starts to say before trailing off. She brings a hand to her chest, "You've been protecting me this whole time from Kyubey." Madoka gazes at the time traveler in amazement.

Homura nods. "In that timeline, after you made that request, you asked me to kill you… to prevent you from turning into a Witch. And since then, I've done everything I can…" she starts to trail off.

"But no matter what happened, you couldn't change Madoka's fate," Kairi says a second later.

Homura hugs herself, unable to hold back her tears, "No matter how times I fight Walpurgisnacht," she says with a quivering voice, "I could never defeat it. And each time…Kyubey turns Madoka into a Magical Girl… She defeats Walpurgisnacht in one blow… then becomes a Witch capable of destroying this world!" she screams out before she crying.

Kairi's eyes widen, realizing the truth of the situation. The continuous cycle of pain of suffering Naminé mentioned, she thought, it's endless because of Homura kept going back in time, trying to rewrite Madoka's fate.

"I'm sorry…" Homura says as she tries to recompose herself. Unexpectedly someone wraps their arms around her. Homura looks up, finding Mami with a motherly expression.

"It's okay. I'm sorry too. For not trying to understand you at all," she says softly. "You've managed to hold on out for this long, I would have given up already…and for that, I truly admire you…" Mami says with a warm smile.

Homura stifles as she tries to wipe the tears from her eyes. Sayaka and Kyoko look on with sympathetic expressions. Madoka continues to stare at Homura in awe. Kairi however, is contemplating on something, having a hand under her chin. "Thank you…" Homura says softly before Mami takes her arms off of her. It takes a few seconds for the time traveler to recompose herself. She turns to the Keyblade wielder with a calm face, her eyes no longer cold. "So now you know. As Kyubey stated, I'm an anomaly in this timeline. I'm the one you're looking for."

Kairi heard Homura but something doesn't fit in her puzzle. "I don't think so." The girls look at Kairi in confusion. "If you are the disturbance, then I should have arrived here when you first went back in time." Homura's eyes slightly widened, realizing this truth.

"What do you mean?" Madoka asks.

"Based on what Homura said about the second time she jumped back in time…I wasn't mentioned at all. Meaning," Kairi's eyes slightly narrow, "I was not there in that timeline. And most likely this is the first timeline that I appeared in this world."

"What are you trying to say?" Kyoko asks with a raised eyebrow. Though Kyoko understands Kairi's logic, she is still confused on why Kairi does not think that Homura is the disturbance.

"Let's see…" Kairi states before closing her eyes. After a minute of contemplating, she finds there is something that seems to be inconsistent before her eyes open. "Just to be clear, in the first few timelines, it's always a struggle for you and Madoka to defeat Walpurgisnacht, right?"

"That's correct," Homura said calmly.

"But you mentioned that each time you went back in time, every time Madoka becomes a Magical Girl; she is able to defeat Walpurgisnacht in one blow." Homura nods in response. Kairi close her eyes. "I think I understand it now… why I am here…The disturbance that I was sent to investigate…" she looks to her left as she opens her eyes, "is you." Kairi pauses for a couple seconds, "Madoka."

#SIS PUELLA MAGICA#

The pinkette's eyes, as well as the Magical Girls', are wide open. "Me?" she said in loud, astonished tone.

"No!" Homura shouted as she stands up. "It has to be me!" Homura shouts in a pleading voice, bringing a hand to her chest.

Kairi looks at the time traveler, "It's okay. My mission is to simply find the source; not destroy it." She closes her eyes. "Madoka is the reason I'm here." Nothing is said for a second, "However…" she opens her eyes, directly looking at Homura, "You are the source."

"I'm the source?" Homura asked slowly with trembling eyes.

Kairi nods. "Have you noticed it before, how Madoka is able to defeat Walpurgisnacht in one blow when it was such a struggle the first time?"

Homura's eyes widen, starting to realize the paradox of these facts. "What do you mean?" She wants to know where Kairi is going with this inconsistency.

"Your wish is to change Madoka's fate. Based on how much potential Madoka possesses now and you go back each time Madoka dies or becomes a Witch; something from Madoka in one timeline gets transferred to the Madoka in the timeline you start over in."

"So, wait?" Sayaka quickly interjects, "You're saying that each time Homura goes back in time. Madoka becomes even more powerful?"

"That's a good way to summarize it." Kairi responds. She looks towards Mami before slowly looks back at the bluenette; taking in Homura and Kyoko as her eyes passed them. "But it's not just Madoka."

Mami blinks, "What do you mean?" she in a curious, yet serious tone.

"How to say this…" Kairi says before closing her eyes. After a few seconds she looks back up with open eyes. "Just before I came here, I had a dream. Someone was calling out to me… I went to five different areas, each one representing a different person."

"Five…" Kyoko mutters before scanning the room. Minus Kairi, she counts five girls in the room, including her. She slightly gasps, "You mean us?"

Kairi nods, "There's… a part of me that was able to see the pain that sleeps deep inside your hearts. You may not feel it or realize the memory… But the memories from each timeline gets transferred to the next, in the deepest parts of your hearts, where you can't reach, is where all the hurt lies."

"You know," Sayaka says while looking towards the ceiling, "when I…" she trails off; not wanting to say the words, though the others understand what she is talking about. "It… felt familiar," she turned to Homura, "How many times did I become a Witch?" she asks with a worried tone.

Homura looks down, eyes closed, "In nearly every timeline you became a Magical Girl, you turned into a Witch." She opens her eyes, tilting her head back up slightly, "There were times that Kyoko and Mami became Witches as well…" Kyoko and Mami looked down; both thinking what could have happened for them to lose hope and gave in those times.

"Hey, look on the bright side!" Kairi said suddenly getting all the girls attention, "All of you are still here, so there's no need to worry about what happened in the previous timelines; we just need to focus on this one." Sayaka and Mami hold a small smile while Kyoko and Homura look at Kairi with calm faces.

"Um…" Madoka starts as she looks to her twiddling thumbs. Kairi looks at her. "I understand that I get stronger in each timeline…" She looks back up, "But what about Walpurgisnacht…"

"What about it?" Kyoko responds.

"Would it become stronger as well in each timeline…? I mean… Homura could never beat it… but she has to be stronger now than when she first started out, right?"

Kairi hums on the thought, "Considering that your fate usually ends with Walpurgisnacht; I suppose that's a possibility." Kairi's eyes widen before looking at the time traveler, "In that final battle, is it just you or were the others around?"

Homura looks down, "I'm always at the final battle…" she brings a hand to her chin, "There are times when I have at least one of you with me, but I usually find myself fighting alone."

"Just out of curiosity, is this the first time that all the Magical Girls, except for Madoka, are here to fight Walpurgisnacht."

Homura contemplates on this; trying to recall all the timelines she went through. She looks at the Keyblade Wielder. "Actually, this is the first time everyone is here."

"Then…let's keep it like that," Kairi says, getting the others' attention. Kairi brings her right hand near her face; swiftly closing it at the end of the movement. "I'll make sure that all of you survive this battle," she said with a determined smile; voice full of confidence. Confidence that seeped into the hearts of the other girls.

"Yeah!" Kyoko said with a smirk, "With all of us here, that Witch doesn't stand a chance!" she said with a fist pump near her face.

"Remember," Mami starts with a concerned expression, "Walpurgisnacht is extremely powerful." She looks at Kairi, "I'm sure we can win with you around." Mami slightly turns her head to focus on Madoka, "But we need to protect Madoka. That is Homura's goal after all."

"There's no need," Homura said. "Now that Kyubey's gone, it's impossible for Madoka to become a Magical Girl. This is the closest I ever come to fulfill my wish." She looks at the pinkette, "It is best if you take shelter when Walpurgisnacht comes. Though you can use magic, you can be easily killed."

"But…" Madoka started to protest before trailing off and looking down.

Sayaka looks at her best friend. "I think she has a point," Sayaka said in agreement with Homura. "If anything were to happen to you, Homura would go back in time to try and save you again. And by doing so, I might become a Witch again in the next timeline…" she shivers at the mere thought of it. "But more importantly, if Kairi said is true, then our hearts would be in even more pain." She then looks at Kairi, "And there's no guarantee that you will be here in the next timeline."

"Stop thinking negatively," Kairi said with a smile. The smile loses strength. "But if there's anyone that has a true say to this," she turns to the girl next to her, "it's Madoka. Tell me, what is it that you want?"

"What I want?" the ordinary girl looks at the Keyblade wielder in confusion.

Kairi nods. "Don't tell me what you should do. Nor what we want from you. But deep down…inside your heart. What does your heart truly want?"

"What my heart truly wants…" Madoka echoes the question in a soft voice. She straightens out her body before looking down, closing her eyes as she brings her hands to her chest. All the girls look at her. Five seconds later, she looks back up, "I…I want to fight as well," she states; opening her eyes, now filled with determination.

"No, you shouldn't-!" Homura declares but is interrupted by Kairi.

"That's enough. Her heart has chosen the path she must walk," she said softly

Homura looks at the Keyblade Wielder, "I refuse. I won't allow it," she says, making a fist with her right hand.

Kairi shifts her gaze to the black-haired girl, "I know it's not what you want. In truth, I don't want her to fight as well,"

"But, Kairi," Madoka starts to say.

Kairi continues, "However, one must not interfere with the choices made by another's heart. That's something I've learned even before I truly became a Keyblade wielder." She recalls how both Ansem the Wise and Maleficent helped her friends defeat the previous Organization XIII. The statement becomes even truer for her as she remembers how Sora acts. "One must always follow their heart," she says softly. "And it is in my heart, that I want all of us to survive this battle." She places her right, open hand on her chest, "I promise, I won't let any of you die."

Nothing is said after a few seconds. Kyoko breaks the silence with a deep sigh. She turns to the Keyblade wielder with a pitiful smile, "What's with making promises that are nearly impossible?"

Kairi can't help but make a self-depreciating smile, "I know the promises I make sound impossible to accomplish. But… To me, making a promise gives one strength."

"I think I understand," Mami states with a smile, "By making a promise, you're not assuring the person your promising, but assuring yourself…motivating yourself, to keep on going." Her smile deepens, "So you can fulfill the promise you made."

Kairi gives an appreciating nod. "The promises I made to all of you." She tilts her head slightly forward, bringing a hand to her chest as she closes her eyes. "To help you survive… to make sure none of you become monsters…those words, they truly come from the very depths of my heart. And as long as I follow my heart," she looks up at the girls with a sincere smile, "I have no doubt that I will keep all the promises I made."

Everyone looks at Kairi in awe. Homura's expression slowly turns into a small smile, her head tilting slightly forward, "Alright." She looks back up, "Somehow… you've convinced me."

Kyoko looks up thoughtfully, "So any ideas on how we can be ready?"

Kairi looks at the time traveler. "When is Walpurgisnacht suppose to arrive?" Kairi asks.

"In two days, Walpurgisnacht will appear." Homura answers calmly.

Kairi smiles at the response, "Don't worry, I know how to do it." The other girls look at her. "However, its already late, and since most of you go to school tomorrow; how about we meet right in front of the school immediately after classes are over?

"Can't argue with that," Sayaka said. She understands that she would need to head back home and back to school to put everyone's worries at ease about her. The other girls nod in agreement.

"It's settled then," she turns to the blonde, "And Mami."

"Yes?" she asks, blinking a few times.

"You might want to bring a very large wallet," Kairi said sheepishly.

"Why?"

"You'll find out. Trust me," she said with a silly smile. The other girls look at her in confusion.

The girls are walking in an alley. Madoka, Sayaka, and Homura, are all wearing backpacks. Earlier, Kairi and Kyoko met the school girls at the front gate. Kairi suggests that they should spend the night at Mami's house. Though it's a school night, Kairi told Madoka to tell her parents that she is going to do a study session at a friend's house. Luckily, Madoka convinced her family. Sayaka and Homura also made the agreement. After they all rendezvoused at a nearby ice cream shop, Kairi led the girls into an alley. They have been walking through the alley maze for about ten minutes.

"Here we are," Kairi said after stopping and turning to the right. The others move behind her. They look down, only to find a blue diamond standing on the tip in the narrow space between two buildings. Kairi walks up to it before kneeling down to touch it. As she stands up, the gem glows.

*INNOCENT TIMES*

Seconds later, "Kupo!" Mog, the Moogle, shouted out as his projection spins around before facing the girls. The girls, minus Kairi, look at the creature with dots for eyes with a small jaw drop.

"Nice to see you again, Mog," Kairi said with a friendly smile, arms behind her back.

"Oh, nice to see again, kupo," the Moogle responds. "Have my items been helpful, kupo?"

"Sure have," Kairi responds with a nod.

Mog notices the other girls, "Oh, are these your friends, kupo?" he asks with a curious tilt of his head.

"Yes, they're the ones that live in this world."

The two converse for over a minute. Mainly about why Kairi didn't introduced them to the Moogle earlier. The girls are still in shock. Kyoko finally speaks out, "Kairi…" The Keyblade wielder turns her head around. "What…is that?" she asks while pointing at Mog.

Kairi slightly giggles, "Oh, this is Mog. He's a Moogle."

"And Moogles are…" Sayaka asks suspiciously; eyes wide open.

"Well," Kairi starts out by looking up, bringing a finger to her chin, she grabs the elbow of that same arm with her other hand. "You can think of them as merchants, item synthesizers…" She looks back at the girls, lowering one arm and waving at them with the hand on the other, "They mostly deal in magical items. Namely enchanted accessories and armor… weapons, potions and other concoctions to restore health and magical ability, and Command Cards."

"You mean those gold cards you gave to us the other day?" Mami asks and Kairi responds with a nod.

Madoka finally gets over her shock and looks at it with big eyes, "Oh, it's so cute!" she exclaims hands grasped in front of her.

"C-c-c-cute, kupo?" the Moogle responds by scratching the back of his head with a slight blush on his cheeks.

"Can we trust him?" Homura said flatly.

"Hey!" the Moogle yells out, pointing its right arm at the time traveler with a small vein on its head, "I have you know that everything I sell is one hundred percent guaranteed to work, kupo!" Mog crosses his arms, "If it's not one hundred percent, then I might as well give everything away and close my shop for good, kupo."

"Sell?" Mami asks with blinking eyes. A second later, her expression turns to realization. She then smiles as she turns to Kairi, "So this is what you mean by bringing a large wallet."

"Yep," Kairi says with a sheepish smile, "If we want to beat Walpurgisnacht without any casualties, it's best if we stock up on potions and accessories." She turns around to face the merchant, "And that's why we're here."

The Moogle tilts its head for a second before straightening it out. "Is there a big battle coming up, kupo?"

Kairi nods before leaning towards the hologram, hands clasped in front of her; fingers in one hand lined up with another with no gaps between the fingers. "That's right,"

"What kind of battle, kupo?"

"Nothing much. Just your typical fate-of-the-world-hangs-in-the-balance kind of battle."

"That bad, huh?" The Moogle contemplates while crossing its arms. It raises one arm towards the sky, "Well, since you are a valued customer, how about this: For this one time only, I'll hold a special Final Battle Half-off Sale, kupo."

"Really?" Kairi said ecstatically.

"Of course, I don't want to lose my customers, kupo."

"Of course." Kyoko said flatly.

Mog then asks what Kairi is interested in. Kairi hums before turning to the time traveler. The Keyblade wielder asks her what kind of attacks Walpurgisnacht uses. Homura responds by stating that Walpurgisnacht is able to use its surroundings, as well as using fire blasts and dark Familiars. With that information, Kairi asked about resistance equipment the Moogle has. The Moogle suggests using Inferno Bands. Kairi places an order for twelve of them; two for each. She also requests fifty Hi-Potions along with ten Elixirs.

"Is there anything else, Kupo?" Kairi thinks about that for half a minute. Since the Moogle is selling things at half the price, she believes it's a good idea to get some Command Cards as well. Kairi ordered a bunch of cards first before asking the Magical Girls to come forward. Sayaka, Kyoko, Mami went through the same process Kairi went through to determine which cards they can use. Homura on the other hand, decided not to do so. Madoka didn't go, because she knew that Kairi picked the first set of cards for her. "Is that everything, kupo?"

Kairi hums as she thinks. She wants to make sure they have the advantage in the coming battle. She looks behind, hoping seeing the girls to give her an idea. When her eyes land on Madoka, the only one of them who is neither a Keyblade wielder nor a Magical Girl. Knowing that Madoka is capable of defeating Walpurgisnacht is she becomes a Magical Girl, along with the fact that Madoka is barely scratching the surface in her hidden power. Kairi thinks about what she can do to help Madoka tap the very core of that power. She finally recalls something from another time she visited the Moogle. She turns around, "Just curious, how's that special project going?"

The Moogle's ears twitch. "Well~" the Moogle starts before pausing. "You're in luck! I got it finished just this morning, kupo!" Kairi asks if she can take a look at it. Mog replies with a slight hum. "Well…It's not a staff, really." Kairi asks what it is exactly with a curious look. The Moogle raises its arm and a screen pops out. To Kairi's surprise, the item in question is a bow. The bow comes in two layers, a pink metallic sheen towards the front, the bottom layer protruding from the top layer in the shape of curved wings is gold plated. At the center, the form makes an indent between two small spikes at the edges. On that indented space is a bright, diamond-shaped sapphire jewel. Mog mentions that the bow itself can shoot arrows forged from the user's magic.

Though it is not a staff, if it can help Madoka reach her full potential during the final fight, Kairi is willing to take it. "I'll also like to take that. How much is it?"

"Considering how much time I've spent working on it…" the Moogle says before raising an arm to the sky. "I would price it at five hundred thousand Munny, kupo." Everything goes silent. Silent enough for a slight brush of wind is very audible. "But," says Mog, "Since you've been a good customer and this is actually a prototype that I am very confident in, I'll give it to you for free."

Kairi's eyes shoot wide open, her jaw completely dropped. "You're serious?!" The Moogle nods. Kairi beams with a smile. After a few seconds, she tells Mog that's everything. The Moogle calculates everything, minus the bow. Mog presents the number. The cost is a staggering 250,000 Munny. Kairi doesn't seem to mind the price, but the other girls look at the price with blank faces. Mami is especially appalled at the amount, along with the currency the Moogle demands. Kairi notices this and assures the rich girl that it's the same amount in Yen. Mami makes a small sigh before smiling. Mami took Kairi's words yesterday to heart; she brought along twice that amount. Mami takes the allotted amount of money before presenting it to the merchant. Mog raises his arm towards the cash, transforming it into Munny, which floats around before disappearing into the gem. The girls are slightly amazed that the Moogle turned the cash into Munny.

The next moment, pouches and small bags appear in the air before dropping. The girls, minus Kairi and Homura scrambled around to catch them. Kairi stood still until the bow appears and it drops into her hands. "Thanks a lot, Mog," she says with a bright smile.

"No problem, kupo. You better win, so I can start selling more of those bows, kupo." A sweat drop appears behind each of the girls' heads; wondering if that's what the Moogle is really worried about. "Well, good luck. I hope you are victorious, kupo," he says cheerfully. The projection of the Moogle fades away.

Kairi walks to the pinkette before presenting the bow. Madoka gently places the pouches in her hands on the ground. She takes the bow from Kairi's hands and looks at in different angles and views; turning and twisting her arms to get a better idea of it. As Madoka observe her new weapon, Kairi picks up the items the pinkette placed on the ground.

Kyoko looks at the Keyblade wielder with a raised eyebrow, "By the way," she starts out. "Is Riku going to show up as well?"

Kairi smiles, "Don't worry, he'll show up." She crosses her arms, "He better so he can apologize to the two of you." Homura asks how Kairi can be so sure. She responds that she contacted Riku by using the Dreamsphere, stating that she went 'easy' on Riku.

Mami's Apartment

Four hours passed since the girls purchased their new items from the Moogle. Mami is busy making dinner, the size of a feast. Kairi asked earlier if Mami is going a little overboard and that shouldn't a dinner of this size be saved for the victory party. Mami said that she wants to cook as much as she can, so the girls can enjoy one final meal before what could become a deadly confrontation. Kyoko is on a couch, eating an apple in a bag next to her. On the floor are the backpacks belonging to Madoka, Sayaka, and Homura. Right now, it's just the two Magical Girls.

Homura walks through the front door, followed by Sayaka. Kyoko asked where the two were. Homura said she was making final preparations. Sayaka told Kyoko that she wanted to see Kyousuke and Hitomi one last time. She managed to get to talk to Hitomi alone and told her friend that Hitomi deserves Kyousuke more than Sayaka. Sayaka simply states that she wishes them the best of luck and asks Hitomi to watch over him.

Minutes later, Kairi and Madoka walk into the apartment. Madoka drags her feet across the floor before slumping into a nearby sofa, face first. Homura inquires on Madoka's condition and the Keyblade Wielder told her they were doing some last minute training with Madoka's magic, alongside with mastering her new bow.

After Mami presented dinner, the girls ate to their heart's content for the next hour. Each one sharing lifetime stories. Kairi talks about some of the stories Sora told her and mentions that in one of the worlds there was a magical Genie that can grant three wishes with no strings attached. It wasn't until eleven at night that the girls are all fast asleep.

Just as a new day begins to dawn, Homura is already up. She walks to the door. After putting her hand on the handle, she looks back at the others. After looking at Madoka for over a minute, her gaze hardens. Though they can work together, she is determined to end this fight alone, to protect them from facing off against the final witch. She walks outside before gently closing the door. Minutes later, she is marching forward with her hard, determined gaze. "This time… I'll end it once and for all," she mutters.

Riku's Log 12

I have just eliminated the remaining Witch on the list that Saïx gave me. Now there is only one Witch left. And from what I'm sensing, this one is extremely powerful. Of course, the Organization decides to leave us with the hardest task possible. But if we can defeat this Witch, then this world will be finally be free from their kind.

I can feel the darkness gathering in one spot, Mitakahira City. No doubt Kairi will fight alongside her new friends to stop this Witch. However, her friends are Magical Girls. Not that I have anything against them, but there is a good chance they can become Witches during the battle. Even if victory can be grasped, it would be for naught if any of them were to turn into Witches.

In relation to this subject, apparently Kairi has found our target: a girl named Madoka. She isn't a Magical Girl, but she has potential that she can easily defeat this final Witch: Walpurgisnacht. Apparently there is a link between Madoka and Walpurgisnacht, another Magical Girl called Homura. Homura is not originally from this time. In her original timeline, Madoka is a Magical Girl but dies at the hands of Walpurgisnacht. Homura's wish is to go back in time and be able to save Madoka from her fate. However, things did not go as she had hoped. She has been 'trapped' in a continuous loop; where Madoka becomes a Magical Girl and her fate always end in either two ways: her death or she transforms into a Witch. Since Homura has kept going back in time in order to change Madoka's fate, Madoka herself becomes trapped in the cycle as well. And in each repetition of the cycle, Madoka becomes more powerful. However, so does her fated enemy, Walpurgisnacht.

Yen Sid must have sensed this girl's increased potential when Homura came to our timeline. If Madoka does become a Magical Girl, the resulting Witch would then destroy her world. What would then happen next? Perhaps this Witch would wonder the cosmos, destroying any world in its path. The same can be said of the Familiars that would be born of this Witch. This must be the danger Yen Sid foreseen. However, we shouldn't worry about that anymore due to three new factors that come into play.

The first of these factors is Organization XIII. According to Kairi, the Organization has destroyed Kyubey's homeworld, eliminating his entire race, and if I'm right, the Organization may have taken Kyubey to the Realm of Darkness as a permanent means to dispose of him. Not only that, Saïx has been killing off Magical Girls so they don't become Witches. He too has been doing Witch Hunts, but he considers Magical Girls as Witches as well, leading him to this extreme course of action.

The second factor is that all of Madoka's friends, Magical Girls, are present. From what Kairi has told me, this is the first time when all of them have made it this far. At this point, Homura would be the only one to fight the final battle. This time, however, all of them are here and determined to put an end to Walpurgisnacht.

This second factor is made possible because of the final factor: us. Kairi and I have been busy ourselves against these Witches. While I hunted down Witches outside of Mitakahira City, Kairi hunted down Witches over there. Thanks to Kairi, she saved two of those Magical Girls. One from being devoured by a Witch and the other by transforming her back to normal. The girl saved in the latter situation is no doubt from Kairi's power as a Princess of Heart. Just like with Sora, she used the connection between her and her friend to save that girl from the darkness.

I too, will head on down to Mitakahira City. If this Walpurgisnacht is as powerful as I have heard, no doubt that Kairi may be in over her head. Speaking of Kairi, she has been teaching magic to Madoka. Her reason for this action is to help give Madoka confidence in herself, so she couldn't turn to Kyubey to become a Magical Girl. If Madoka can fight with our type of magic, then with her power, alongside the strength of her friends, and the power of the Keyblade wielded by both Kairi and myself, perhaps we can finally end this cycle of fate.

This final passage is a request to anyone who comes across these logs. If these Witches still exist, seek out the sorcerer Yen Sid. Give these logs to him so he can determine the proper action to end this crisis.

Author's Note: Chapter 13 is finally up.

Sorry for the delay folks. I am finally done with college.

Now that's out of the way, I have more time to spend on this.

Just so all of you know, the Riku's Log here is the final one.

Meaning that the last few chapters won't have these logs.

I'd like to thank all of you, the readers, for taking your time in reading this tale.

Considering all the ideas I have to deliberate into putting into the next chapter,

it would probably take me a month at most.

Until next time.

Preview

You still have us to deal with.

You're gonna lose it all!

No way I'm backing down.

Won't you help me?

PROMISE

I'm not going to let it end like this!

About time you showed up!

It's finally over…

Next Chapter

IT TRULY IS A MIRACLE