Chapter 9

Ghosts

An eternity of emptiness, then:

Is this death? Thought existed for a moment, then instantly receded. Only pain remained. Pain of an unknown, all-consuming failure. She burned in the pain, writhing in agony, aware only of her suffering. Her head was aflame. Let go...

Something pulled her, painfully. Wrenching her arm. Trying to shake off the mermaid that was holding her, pulling her towards the light. Ethereal blue-grey fins stretched back behind them into the darkness.

Burning. Her head was on fire. No mermaids here, only fog. Riding, mounted on something. Walking through the fog, aimlessly. Was this her destiny? She felt the pull, the need to wander... It hurt... but felt right.

Forever, she would roam.

The shimmering, moonless sky lit up the shoreline of an emerald lake with pale, spectral illumination. A messy, ragged trench along the sandy beach emerged from the water, revealing a path that, a few meters ashore, resolved into a single set of footprints leading through the sand, staggered and erratic.

Halfway up a grassy hill a dozen meters from the shoreline, a figure trudged up the shifting slope, sending avalanches of sand behind her with every step of her blue boots. She carried her burden stoically. Her white stockings were encrusted with sand, and her clothes and hair dripped a stream of water along the curve of her body. She shook her head, clearing her vision of the clinging blue hair, and tried not to think about what had been done to Kyoko.

Sayaka had a difficult decision to make, but knew she had already made it long ago. Possibly, even before entering this maze.

After their late night snack binge in the alleyway, the two girls, still trying to get a feel for one another, had set off for Tomoe Mami's residence. Kyoko had been very confident about being able to get inside, and in all honesty Sayaka hadn't really wanted to slink home to face her parents' accusations again. However, on the way they had detected a fairly powerful Witch barrier-just the kind of thing Puella Magi were made for.

Not in the sense of serving Kyubey's mysterious purposes, she'd explained to the dubious red-head. Instead, she meant that Magical Girls were uniquely equipped to deal with the invisible menace the Witches represented to innocent human beings. She was compelled to fight it, before the Witch had moved on, escaping from her. From justice.

Of course she had known Kyoko would come with her. The guilt she was feeling now paled to the heart-hammering elation she'd felt, this first test of their relationship-how far was Kyoko prepared to go? And sure enough, if somewhat surly and yawning, her new companion had followed.

She swallowed the shame that coursed through her veins, preparing to do the right thing.

Minutes ago, she had awoken; alive and re-formed on the beach. Of Kyoko, or anything else, there had been no sign. A few shouts, tentative at first, went unanswered. Wandering along the shoreline, testing out her recovery by putting her body in motion, she decided she felt pretty good. Alright, at least. Ok, actually not so great. Pretty bad, in fact. Worse. Something was wrong. Something bad...

Snapping out of the wild feeling that she was suddenly caught within, Sayaka studied the immediate vicinity, noticing a lot of tracks and impressions in the sand but unable to make sense of them. She shouted in exasperation, and began running along the shoreline. She quickly perceived movement from within the lake, the water visibly roiling out near the center.

Amazingly, once she dove underwater she had understood immediately what was going on. Picking out the massive sphere holding the body of her friend, she thought fast. Her energy ebbing, she summoned a spherical shell of insubstantial, vibrating strings. Encased within its hollow core was where she thought Kyoko must be held. Weaving strands of magical energy into the twirling sphere, she unleashed a cacophony of harsh, throbbing bass. The disembodied heads, some beginning to approach her with their long, tangled tentacles of hair, began to shake, the skulls reverberating, grinning teeth clicking and chattering. The skulls nearest Kyoko shattered, dozens of fragments crumbling in on themselves and fading, while a large area around the now-vanishing net of hair was swept clear by the sonic assault.

She swam to the figure gently floating toward the lake bed, not taking the time to marvel at the ease with which she flowed through the water. Almost without thought, she sent a spray of force behind her, long contrails of bubbles fanning out from behind her as she rushed to her friend's side.

She gasped, and for a moment became aware that she was breathing normally-but this startling realization was eclipsed when she finally took in the state of her friend's face.

What did it do to you? she thought, outraged at the violation of her companion's once-pretty visage. Unfortunately, several dark possibilities demanded her immediate and total attention, clamoring within her reeling thoughts. She put them out of her mind, spending a moment to lay her hands on Kyoko's shredded, skinless face, choking back underwater tears and averting her eyes. More magic, and she began healing the crushed windpipe and spinal column. If only I'd gotten here sooner... The red-head floated, unresponsive.

The familiars, if that's what they were, the things that had done this to her... were coming back.

Enraged at the condition of her friend, Sayaka gently wrapped Kyoko, only partially healed, in a protective bubble of air and water, the act coming naturally without fully understanding what she was doing, only that she must keep her friend safe-these things would not touch her. She shot through the water, her sword materializing as a shimmering, six-meter blade that scythed through the water and the skulls of the encroaching familiars with equal ease. Her powerful surges of movement kept her out of the tentacles' reach, and she found herself reveling in the feeling of shooting through the water, propelled by the bursts of magic that sent remnants of familiars and sheets of bubbles in her wake spinning.

Almost too late, she was shocked to realize she could sense Kyoko-the real Kyoko, just ahead of her. In one of the familiars that floated toward her, tentacle extended. Confused, she cut the thing's long string of hair, pushing forward to grab the grotesque head with a white-gloved hand. The thing bit and chomped, trying to find a finger, but she slammed it against the pommel of her sword, shattering the thing's jaw. As it disappeared, she was left holding a smooth, oval stone the color of dried blood. Understanding, her initial elation was quickly overtaken by dismay at the dullness of the jewel.

She recovered her friend, heading toward the surface as fast as she could, a wide contrail of bubbling spray trailing off behind her, into the nightmarish abyss.

So now. The choice. Which was really no choice at all. She knew she had to repair Kyoko fully; she had begun to moan as Sayaka carried her, piggyback, across the beach and up this hill. After recent experiences, she needed a clear field of vision for peace of mind. Too many attacks had caught her off guard. With an almost wistful glance back at the lake, she idly wished she had found the Witch's Grief Seed, but there had been no trace of the thing's dark energy.

Pulling her hands away from the still-clenched fists of the girl before her-Still ready to fight! Sayaka looked regretfully at her own gem, pathetically weak-the merest flicker of sapphire hidden amongst swirling black clouds. Healing herself, after the damage inflicted by the moon Witch, coupled with the fight underwater, had left her exhausted. Adjusting her golden hairclip, Sayaka extended her hands, a glimmer of rosy light emerging from the cupped white gloves.

"Oh, Kyoko," Sayaka sighed wearily. "Thank you for coming for me. Thanks for always coming for me." It was impossible not to feel the darkness roiling through her soul, awash with fresh loss. But this time, at least, it was bittersweet.

Placing the oval gem on her friend's chest, the blue-haired girl laid her hands on the ravenged face, willing it to rejuvenate, repair itself good as new-pale blue light flashed briefly, and slowly dimmed.

Let it be enough, Sayaka pleaded, crumpling over.

Goddam, Kyoko thought. She felt groggy as hell.

Something was up. Her mental fog beginning to clear, the girl before her blowing away the mists of confusion like a sunrise on an early Autumn morning. I must have socks cleaned, she ruminated, mixing metaphors. Thinking all poetical and $#%&. Her hands unclenched, a sharp, throbbing pain in her left hand help focus her consciousness as she gloried in the pain, a promise of more feeling to come. Not dead yet!

Asserting control over her meandering thoughts, Kyoko shuddered at the memory of the entwining ropes of hair, her hand instinctively darting to her Soul Gem, breathing out a sigh as she found it there. She spat out strands of hair, gagging wretchedly until she'd picked the last from her teeth.

She was lying down on a grassy hill. Bent over, head in the dirt, was the achingly familiar face of her companion-the one she'd tried to save, even as she lay in the grip of oblivion, unrepentant and willing to fight on... only to fail... and be reborn again! Her mind reeled with the complicated events of the past few hours.

Unconscious in a Witch's maze-and a strange one at that. Its a wonder either of us are alive.

She stopped, cold. Sayaka had yet to move. Turning, she rolled the girl over. Blue, watery eyes stared up at her, with a look part adoration, part exultation.

"Y-you're... o... k..." Her lips trembled, even as they pulled back in a pained smile.

"Of course I'm ok, thanks to you!" Kyoko leaned over, knowing her friend too well not to understand what had occurred. She picked up the black orb by its spiky tip, and brought it over in front of Sayaka's tired, pained eyes. A moment of incomprehension, then a widening of disbelief-

"Not to be anticlimactic-" Kyoko began, pulling up the younger girl's shirt, exposing the Soul Gem at her navel. A click as the Grief Seed was brought into contact Soul Gem-an absolute minimum amount of time wasted staring at the smooth, pale skin of her belly. She watched as the crescent shaped gem took on a lighter, more lustrous color. Aqua, Kyoko would have called it, had they not been in clear view of that damn lake of horrors.

She continued to watch the inky black clouds puff away from the blunette's gem, absorbed into the Grief Seed. What the- Kyoko squinted, unsure of what she was seeing. It looked like a trickle of... something... had connected Soul Gem to Grief Seed, just for an instant. A fork of black lightning, or a web of shadowy veins. There it was again!

A torrent of images swirled through Sayaka's mind, a maelstrom of alien memories. She threw back her head and screamed.

\/\/VVvv[12-.-33-.-10-.-40-.-1]vvVV\/\/

A life of quiet defeat. A young girl, wearing an unfamiliar school uniform, quietly picked on, the object of scorn for her threadbare clothes and lack of hygiene. A hanger on, a person who'd tolerate being the focus of abuse, as long as it meant she'd be included. This was how she remembered herself.

A hallway. A school. An incident of deep shame. Cruel laughter and bitter tears. Running, fleeing... and being found.

By a long-eared white fox.

A promise, and a wish.

And just like that, she finally had friends.

Sayaka blinked, aware of Kyoko's concern, her own feeling that something was horribly wrong. Her brain felt scrambled. "That was weir-"

A group. Sisters, friends. She finally belonged!

But it wasn't that easy. Even sisters fight, compete. The others grew cold and distant. The only time they'd spend time together was while fighting Witches. If only there was a way to get them to include me!

The fox's idea. He always seems to know where the Witches are. We'll be together as long as we're fighting them.

He tricked us. The Witch was too strong, and we died. Almost.

"-ELL'S GOIN ON?!" The blue haired girl pushed Kyoko's face back, feeling the need for space. Her heart was pounding. "I think its done. I-"

So alone. She didn't want to be alone, but the others couldn't see her. Just the fox. And it ignored me. It only spoke to the eater. And it said very mean things.

Of course she had survived. The eater was lucky like that. But the fox said so many bad things about her, she just gave up. She changed.

And then she ate us.

We had to watch, seeing through our Soul Gems what our friend, our leader, did to us. What had happened to her? I found out, as the despair became crushing defeat and overwhelming shame, knowing that everything had been for a lie...

Maroon eyes hovered inches away from her own, quickly masking a look of worry as they watched her blink once, slowly. She wasn't about to jinx it this time-

Hunger. She eats. I wish I was her. I'll join her. I too will eat. I'll watch over both, close. Not above, below with them. The shadows will stay above, to bring me tasty morsels. Pulling them up and choking them down.

Waiting. Hanging on. Clinging to the thought of being together again. Even though she steals from me. Steals my sparkle. One day she'll remember. She'll include me again.

Thought of ending with something like: Kyoko stared at Sayaka in concern: unresponsive, wide-eyed horror that had drained the pallor of her face to a bloodless white. It was as if she had seen a ghost...

But it seemed a little much. Anyhoo, thanks again to ShadowStealer, kyosayalove, angel0wonder, Otaku4eva99, Roboferret, and the mysterious double 0 for your comments. I really appreciate your thoughts and will continue to take advantage of the motivation they provide.

I'd apologize for double cliff hangers, but... you know you like it.

Speculation about the Witch's realm: I love it. Thanks angel and Shadow. I love clues. Keep it up.

I'm a huge fan of -double dashes- and am saddened-and dismayed-they don't quite work in this format. Lots, sometimes tons, of commas, and, of course... ellipses...

*Shameless plug* for some young friends' first written work of fanfiction: I Heard Kyousuke Kicked the Bucket by an incredible 11 year old, and Wolfenstein: The Aftermath by another, one of his first pieces of writing, ever (the idea of fan fiction lit a fire under him). An encouraging comment would do wonders for either. Both published under this account. Many thanks!

What follows is a brief explanation of my interpretations of some characters: skip if you couldn't care less.

Homura... ah, Homura. So complex, her reality so fragmented and warped by her incredibly bizarre (and painful) temporal experiences... would she not be a little bit, well, crazy? She's so fixated, that's why personally I like her so much-kind of an opposite to Sayaka: unconcerned about the welfare of anyone outside of her obsession, and willing to do whatever is necessary-or sometimes merely convenient-to accomplish her task. She's focused like a laser. Sayaka tries to do what she considers her duty (a lot picked up from Mami, who after all got eaten), trying to save everyone by rampaging about, plan-less but with noble intentions. Until she goes crazy, at least. Homura is methodical, a planner; Sayaka is passionate, loyal/honorable/duty-bound in an almost Bushido mindset-but is rudderless (and quickly runs afoul of a reef or rocky coastline, were I to continue the ship metaphor, which I obviously just chose to do). That's how I see it, anyway; the most amazing thing about pmmm is the possibility of multiple interpretations for a wide range of events and personalities.

Homura is a flawed hero; maybe even an anti-hero. "Creepy stalker" is just the tip of the iceberg... but I'll definitely be changing it if anyone has any strong objections. Just let me know. I think feet are kind of gross myself, but obsession does strange things to a person's brain chemistry. And the real danger when it starts to escalate...