Chapter 48

A Rather Rude Awakening

A blue-haired figure stepped up to the bed. High time for the girl to be up, she thought with a disapproving shake of her head. Shades drawn, the room was still dim and she grasped at the bedsheets, giving them a quick yank.

"Rise and shine, Saya-AAAHHHH! Wh-what?! Who are YOU?!"

Kyoko's eyes snapped open, instantly awake and heart pumping insanely fast. Bed, room, home, screaming woman, no immediate danger was the first chain of thoughts to flash through her mind like lightning, aware of the situation before her eyes had time to focus. Barely able to master the urge to lash out violently, she tried instead to get away from whatever had just scared the shit out of her with that terrible noise-

Sayaka sat up, open-mouthed and blinking in confusion. Her sleep-addled brain was still focused on the strange dreams that had been playing through her mind. Slowly, she realized that this wasn't the home she lived in with Kyoko on the beach, she was actually in her apartment, where she lived with her parents, one of whom was screaming-

Oh no.

"Mom, MOM!" she tried, waving her hands defensively as she tried to clear her throat. She saw a pale shape dart across the floor as Kyoko rolled out from underneath her bed, hands dexterously snatching up the clothes Sayaka had lain on the dresser and nearby chair. Stopping her roll, the redhead sprung forward in what would have been a very revealing somersault if the room hadn't been so dark.

Mrs. Miki had backed up, glancing between her daughter and the edge of the bed. The flash gone before she could make out any clear details. "Who are you? Get back here! Who is that?!" she cried, heading toward the door. Sayaka tried to intercept her with waving hands.

"Mom, no, you don't-"

Kyoko hopped across the kitchen floor, managing to stuff her other leg into the shorts. Zipping up her trusty green sweatshirt, she flipped the hood up and skidded around the corner, flying across the living room, barreling into the door, which she flung open with a brief glance behind her.

No sign of pursuit.

She ran right into something at pretty much full tilt, and her head spun forward to watch the tall, thin man who was stumbling backward, falling into the wall with a solid THUNK and a subdued "Ooof-" A paper bag overflowing with groceries fell to the hallway floor, and Kyoko heard the distinctive sound of breaking glass.

"Uh, sorry," the redhead muttered, knowing she hadn't made the situation any better, and whatever she did now would only make it worse. She heard Sayaka's mom yelling from inside the house, then, and decided that today, discretion was the better part of valor. For a second, she was tempted… but she spun away, taking off down the hallway instead. Sayaka had made it very clear that she wasn't supposed to "do anything" to her parents. Her magical girl mind tricks were perfect for situations like this… but the blunette had been adamant, almost offended at the suggestion during some idle discussion back in Motogawa.

Two minutes later she was street level again, three blocks away and only slightly out of breath. The day was bright, the sun well above the horizon. It was way past the time that stupid alarm was supposed to go off. What the fuck just happened?

Sayaka sat on the living room couch, blinking back tears in eyes that felt aflame. This is so unfair…

"Look," she tried again, "If you would just listen to me-"

"I think we've heard quite enough, young lady." Her father's expression was sour as he rubbed the back of his head. The lump was impressive; he'd made a point to show it. Sayaka was sure it had been an accident, but… "This… trespassing friend of yours is the final straw. Last week, you missed how many days of class? The entire week, according to the message we received from the principal's office. He himself left another message, requesting a meeting next week! I can't afford to be missing work, not because my daughter has suddenly decided to become a truant! Your grades have been slipping, you've been staying out late-"

"What? No I'm-"

Her father held up a hand as he shook his head, disappointed and angry. "I expect better out of you. We expect better. Don't lie to us, Sayaka. We've known for a while you've been sneaking out. For weeks, now."

"We hoped that, well, you'd let us know what was going on." Her mother's expression was pained, like she was wondering where she'd gone wrong. Sayaka squirmed on the couch, trying to collect her thoughts. What was a good reason to sneak out at night, aside from protecting the world from Witches and Familiars? Think, brain, think!

Her father was clenching and unclenching his hands repeatedly. "I was worried about something just like this! Didn't I tell you it was probably some boy?"

"Well, it certainly wasn't a boy, dear-"

"I realize that, honey, but my point-"

"Hello! I'm right here!" Sayaka shouted. "If you'd just ask me-"

"Is it drugs?" her mother asked suddenly, clutching her daughter's shoulders and searching her eyes. "Did that girl get you hooked on the drugs, Sayaka? It's okay, we want to help you."

"Drugs?" The blunette laughed harshly. "Mom, seriously, I'm not doing any drugs. Or drinking, or anything like that."

"How can we believe you?" Her father's face was stern, determined. Despite the talk of help, what his daughter seemed to need most was a good dose of reality. "Sneaking out after curfew, skipping school, the moodiness-"

"I am NOT moody!" the blunette roared, red-faced and furious.

"...the disrespect, disregard for the rules… this isn't like you, Sayaka. It's like I hardly know my own daughter anymore." He sighed sadly.

After a moment, her mother chimed in. "Now, about that girl being in your room…" Sayaka cringed.

"Bringing a stranger into your bed while you're grounded? What were you thinking? This is exactly the kind of thing that ruins a girl's reputation."

"Oh my god! Nothing happened!" Sayaka was furious at herself for blushing. "Nothing like that. She's not a stranger, Dad. She's my g-good friend-"

"Who is this 'good friend' we've never met?" her father asked. "I'd like to contact her parents. How long has this been going on, exactly?" He stared intently, frown deepening as the silence stretched. "The thought of you… messing around with anyone! Inside our home… it disgusts me, Sayaka. I am filled with shame." He hung his head. "This stops. Today."

"Whatever happened to that Kamijou boy?" her mother asked. "He was such a nice young man, so well-mannered and quiet."

"Not like that thug of a girl." Sayaka bit back a sharp retort. "You said her name was Kyoko?" Again, her father rubbed the back of his head. "With that get-up, she looked like some kind of criminal-"

"Shut up," Sayaka growled, and felt a chill wash over the heat of her rage as both parents turned to stare at her. She swallowed. "She's not a thug, Dad, it was an accident! So she's got a jacket with a hood. That doesn't mean she's a criminal! God!"

"Well, I'm just glad I realized she was a girl, otherwise I was about to pull out some of the old Akido-"

"Oh, honey," her mother muttered, slowly shaking her head disparagingly as the man got into a passable stance.

"There will be consequences for your actions, Sayaka. You're grounded until the end of the semester-"

"WHAT?!"

"-and you will go directly from here to school, and after school come directly back home."

"But I need to-"

"You will stop seeing this Kyoko girl, immediately-"

"Dad, you can't-"

"And no phone for two weeks."

Her mother patted her shoulder consolingly, earning a heated glance for her efforts. "Sayaka, I know you can't see clearly at the moment, but this is for the best. You need to start thinking about your future, and taking things more seriously."

"We've enrolled you into an evening program, focusing on mathematics and English. I know you've been struggling in those subjects. We love you, Sayaka, and want to see you succeed. We've sacrificed, your mother and I, in order to provide you with this opportunity. We think it will help you refocus on what is important."

The voice seemed to go out of focus. If only I could show them what I do, Sayaka thought in desperation. If I could convince them… but no. That route would probably end up with her being checked into rehab or something, if it didn't spark some horrible cosmic tragedy like the one Kyoko had suffered. "If you loved me, you'd trust me," she tried, blinking her burning eyes furiously.

Her father's stern face softened slightly, but he ignored her plea. "I know it's a difficult time for you, what with all the, er, changes-" She desperately tried to tune out the rest of her dad's painfully embarrassing attempt at empathy.

Oh my god what a nightmare. Sayaka buried her face in her hands. Her parents continued the conversation as if she wasn't there, seemingly taking great pains to point out all of her recent shortcomings and telling her what she was feeling.

As if they know. As if they can understand. Hell, I don't even understand, myself. She took a deep breath.

"-hardly blame you for being confused, what with all the things you kids are bombarded with nowadays, all these non-traditional-"

"It's just a phase," her mother was saying to her father, before turning to include her in the conversation. "It's just a part of growing up, Sayaka. It's natural to feel confused, but the important thing is recognizing priorities."

"-what parents are for, to help correct problems their children aren't aware of-"

"Ground me for as long as you need to," Sayaka tried after waiting futilely for both adults to wear themselves out. "But after this week."

Her father shook his head, adjusting the wire-frame glasses he wore. "You know that's not how it works, Sayaka. You don't get to-"

"Just until Wednesday, then. Please Dad, Mom. I'm begging you, it's important." She tried to put all her innocent charm into the wide-eyed, pleading look she shot at her father. It wasn't something she was good at, but sometimes it had worked on him. The sternness seemed to melt for a fraction of a second, until-

"You heard your father," her mother stated definitively in her most disappointed voice.

The blunette had stomped off to her room, a flickering storm cloud of righteous anger.

"Think of it as an oppor-" SLAM.

Shrugging helplessly, the redhead decided to circle the block one more time. Just in case… what? Sayaka showed up, chased out of her home by her parents? Not likely. Kicking a rock, she watched it sail across the street, narrowly avoiding a middle-aged pedestrian, hitting the glass window of a small shop and creating a nice-sized chip. Turning the corner, she allowed herself just a tiny smile of satisfaction, but it felt somehow hollow. She's probably double-grounded now.

Well, she's got my number, Kyoko thought. The best thing she could probably do now was to stay out of the picture. Not exactly her forte. Patting her back pocket again to make certain she still had her phone, Kyoko pulled out a small wad of bills. Flipping through them, she decided it was time for breakfast.

And then, maybe, a trip to the arcade.

Ignoring a nagging sensation that had bothered her since she'd fully woken up, something that seemed important that she remember, Kyoko circled the block two and a half more times before heading toward the only place she knew of that had food and arcades.

It's bad enough we don't get any recognition for what we do. But to get in trouble for basically risking my life to protect other people, people who remained blissfully ignorant of the dark forces that lay just beyond the shadows of this reality…

Sayaka rolled her eyes, staring at the ceiling. Just a touch dramatic. She glanced at the traitorous clock, the blinking digits informing her that an entire three minutes had passed since she'd last looked. Somehow, the stupid thing had gotten unplugged during the night, which was the ultimate cause of her current predicament.

Well, that and having a stranger found in her bed.

It was infuriating. Her parents refused to listen, and worse still, she couldn't say what she really needed to.

She couldn't just stay here. That was the only thing she'd decided upon. Her parents didn't understand. They didn't know what she was going through, they didn't trust her, as she'd hoped they would. Somehow.

Kyoko. That was all that really mattered right now. And Madoka, as well as the impending specter of Walpurgisnacht. Why should she care about her grades or her future when everything seemed to be hanging by a thread? Wasn't her obligation to her friends, her fellow Puella Magi, more important that being a dutiful daughter, at least at this point and time?

Now, it was time for action. The consequences could be dealt with later. She'd pay them, willingly… but not right now. And if, in the process, she somehow managed to redeem herself in her parents' eyes, altering their opinion, so much the better. Shoving the pile of books and folders from her desk into her backpack, Sayaka jotted down a brief note. Pausing, she erased a line, writing something different. At the bottom of the page, she wrote a few lines before tearing it from the rest of the page and folding it several times.

Heart pounding with the thought of her imminent flight, Sayaka opened her door and headed to the bathroom. She grabbed her shampoo, her special soap and toothbrush. She flushed the toilet for the sake of appearances, then turned on the faucet pretending to wash her hands before darting back down the hallway into her room.

The blunette approached the window. If Kyoko could do it… looking down, the dozen plus meters between herself and the ground below gave her a moment of hesitation. Steeling herself, she opened the window. The hardest part about this, she thought, clamoring out after glancing at the street below to make sure nobody was in the vicinity, is going to be leaving my phone behind.

Shutting the window behind her, unbalanced by the heavy backpack full of books and clothes, she paused to stuff a folded wad of paper in a crack along the ledge before slowly inching her way along the ledge.

Madoka slowly walked across her room, thinking about the complexities of life. It felt like she was being pulled in a million different directions, almost like that time where Sayaka had rescued her from the creepy winged Familiars of the computer Witch. The blunette had arrived just in time, saving her life after Madoka had saved Hitomi. In the aftermath of Mami's death and all the craziness of the past few weeks, Madoka hadn't had time examine the gratitude she felt toward the blunette.

My best friend. But then, Hitomi was her best friend, too. Or used to be. Now… everything was so muddled and mixed up, she couldn't quite get a grip on what she was feeling. She hadn't talked to Hitomi in forever, at least three days, and Sayaka… Sayaka had a new friend. One that, in all honesty, is impossible for me to compete with. Shaking her head at the thought, Madoka was unable to deny that she was, on some level, profoundly worried about something. She just couldn't figure out exactly what.

Maybe just a bunch of little things, all added up.

Opening her hand slowly, a steady pink gaze followed what looked like snow falling from her fingers. She'd been picking up errant bits of feather from around her room all morning. Smiling suddenly, the pinkette remembered how quickly and thoroughly Kyoko had worked at cleaning up the mess last night, her hands a blur as she scooped up armfuls of the almost weightless fluff and wadded it into a ball before placing it in the plastic garbage bag. When the redhead had left after a brief farewell, disappearing into the uncomfortably cool night, Madoka had been surprised by how much she missed the older girl's presence.

A sudden chill caused her to spin around, undone hair tickling her shoulders. I didn't open that, she thought to herself, staring at the open window as the drapes billowed into her room.

Greetings, Kaname Madoka.

Madoka spun again, this time toward her bed. "Kyubey!" A pair of sinister eyes stared at her, perched atop a malevolent smile. Blinking, the pinkette felt her heart freeze, taking a step back as her pulse began to race.

The small white creature sat on her bed, curled up against a plush hedgehog. Its wide, sparkling eyes regarded her patiently. The smile, ever-present, was the same as it always was. Taking a deep breath, Madoka felt the sudden sense of panic fade. She'd just been startled, that was all. "You scared me, Kyubey!" she said with a giggle, but the sound was saturated in nervousness to her own ears.

My apologies, that was not my intention. The creature paused, and the pinkette had an uneasy feeling.

"I haven't seen you in a while," Madoka began, remembering the last time she'd encountered the Incubator.

And in that time, you have done well, Kyubey began. Your actions saved the lives of your friends, and you were able to change the cours-

"What do you mean?" Madoka interrupted, eyes narrowing in confusion. "I didn't save anyone, the Barrier disappeared and I couldn't get to them. You made it sound like they were going to die, so when they didn't return..." The pinkette sniffed delicately, a misty gaze staring at the floor as she was overwhelmed by the memory of misery.

The smile didn't change, and rose colored eyes continued to stare into her. And yet, they live. Is it not obvious, Kaname Madoka, that your wish is what allowed them to survive? You have done this.

Madoka shook her head, but not in denial, exactly. Something was wrong. "I… I have to grab s-something," she began, edging toward the door. The small head swiveled to watch her movement.

Your friends are alive, thanks to you, but your work is not done, Madoka. You are the only Magical Girl who can defeat Walpurgis, Kyubey projected matter-of-factly. Madoka stopped, staring. I do not recommend you take everything Akemi Homura says at face value, but in this she is correct. It is a powerful Witch, and without you the entire city could be destroyed.

Madoka stared at the white cat-like creature, heart beating rapidly. It was like she could sense something in the creature's thoughts, a tone of voice on a level she'd never noticed before. Most of what it was saying seemed true, but for a moment there, she could have sworn the Incubator was lying. Which was impossible, right? Clenching her fists, the pinkette took a steadying breath.

"I… the other girls, they don't…" Madoka broke off. "Homura-chan says I can't fight the Witch. She says if I do… I'll turn into one." She stopped, waiting.

Ah, yes. Akemi Homura's judgement has become quite clouded recently. This is often the case when Puella Magi learn about the relationship between themselves and their nemeses, those you call Witches. The Incubator's body language spoke of nonchalance, swishing its tail occasionally and occasionally breaking its stare to glance around the room. Your other friends have been affected by this as well.

"You could have told us. Before," Madoka said, the concept still unreal to her. It just didn't make any sense. Kyubey stared at her, unblinking. The pinkette began to feel her skin crawl, despite the creature's face maintaining its ever-present look of smiling contentment. "It's… It's not fair."

For a second, Madoka looked at that smile and saw something different. Almost predatory. Its eyes gleamed with a vicious intellect, the earnest curiosity replaced with a look far more unsettling. Maliciousness. It was gone in a flash, but… "K-Kyubey… w-what's wrong with you?"

Wrong? the creature asked, cocking its head as if puzzled. I remain the same as always, Kaname Madoka.

"I… something's different. You…" she laughed nervously. "It's silly, I know, but… you seem… tense?" She couldn't help her voice from raising at the end. What she really felt made her much more uneasy.

Kyubey had frozen for a moment, before swishing its tail. Most interesting. As a consequence of your wish, you are developing a heightened sense of awareness about those around you. No doubt you are getting some confusing readings. That is to be expected; recall that Incubators are incapable of emotion, which seems to be interfering with your perceptions.

It made sense, but Madoka couldn't shake the feeling-

Another possibility is that you are going insane, your psyche unable to deal with the new reality you perceive yourself in. Often in the cases of mental disorders, the mind will begin playing tricks on itself, projecting your own thoughts and feelings out on others in an attempt to cope with whatever horror initiated the breakdown. Madoka frowned, pretty certain she wasn't crazy. Well, mostly certain. As certain as someone who had magical powers, a soul trapped in a crystal, and a sentence of transforming into an evil monster hanging over her head could be. Are you feeling tense, Madoka? Is anything wrong?

The pinkette clenched her hands at her side, turning away from Kyubey. She walked over to her phone, still needlessly plugged in to the charger. She knew nobody had returned her text yet, but you just never knew… Nope. She'd never wanted to talk to someone so badly in all her life. She had her friends. She was helping Homura and Sayaka. And Kyoko. Honoring Mami's memory. And, in a roundabout, big-picture way, Hitomi, and her mother, and everyone in Mitakihara, including a certain violinist. Her sigh turned sad, thinking about her rocky relationship with the transfer student, and how, just when it seemed like they were getting to be friends, she was moving on to something completely different. Sayaka's erratic behavior the past week, and the feeling of tagging along rather than being included when they were around Kyoko. The fact that she wouldn't see Kyousuke-kun for two more days, and that he barely knew she existed.

He would never know, though. And her mom, and everyone else, couldn't ever know about what she was doing. It was still worth it, still worth doing, but it just made everything so hard.

Who else has this ability worked on? Kyubey asked innocently, picking up on the girl's body language. Madoka thought, thankful for an opportunity to distract herself. Akemi Homura? She nodded. Sakura Kyoko? Madoka shrugged, then gave a tentative nod as she remembered a long, uncomfortable walk. This is exceptional. Miki Sayaka? Frowning, Madoka shook her head.

Interesting. Madoka heard the creature's thought, like an echo of an echo. When you were inside the Barrier last night, did your presence produce similar results to when you fought with Akemi Homura? The pinkette nodded, slowly. Sensing something in her reluctance, Kyubey pressed. Anything… unusual?

Madoka, lost in her thoughts, shrugged. She'd tried not to dwell on it, but maybe Kyubey could help her figure it out. "I… I fought alongside Kyoko-chan, and… we kind of combined our power. It made our attacks different. Well, not Sayaka-chan's, that didn't work. Kyoko-chan t-tried something… she drew power from me." Her eyes had a frantic intensity as she leaned over the long-eared creature, whose tail had begun to swish animatedly halfway through her story. She could almost feel the creature's interest through the placid smile. "It hurt, Kyubey. Why would it do that?"

The Incubator sat, staring for a moment, the only movement a mechanical swish of its tail. Unknown. Occasionally, when the underlying structure of one of the foundational elements this reality is built upon is broken, during the granting of an excessively overarching wish, for example, certain relationships are changed or destroyed. Madoka stared, hoping for further explanation, as that made practically no sense. Another possibility is that you are able to draw upon others, but they cannot, or should not, draw from you. Another possibility is that you imagined it, as a product of an increasingly severe psychotic episode.

"I'm not crazy," Madoka stated firmly, frowning. "Wait. How did you know about Homura and me?"

The Incubator stared, unblinking, its head tilting a fraction to the side. I am an Incubator, Kaname Madoka. It is my duty to know such things.

Waiting, the pinkette eventually concluded nothing more would be forthcoming. "Were you… spying on us?" she asked in a soft voice, remembering the vehemence with which Sayaka had spoken of the creature that sat on the edge of her bed. Fluffy, harmless-looking, with that perpetual grin…

I am an Incubator, Madoka. It is our duty to aid Puella Magi in their quest. In many respects, Incubator is just another word for nurturer. It is in all of our best interests that you succeed at what you are designed to do. Witches must be destroyed, and Grief Seeds must be collected, which brings me to why I am here. It paused, waiting for questions.

Madoka didn't interrupt. The others have collected several Grief Seeds that are close to the breaking point. They need to be disposed of, properly. Do you have any used Grief Seeds, Madoka? the creature inquired, almost hopefully. Madoka sighed. They must be properly contained before they hatch.

"I don't have any, Kyubey."

That is unwise. Akemi Homura? it asked. Madoka shrugged.

"Probably. I guess."

Sakura Kyoko? This time Madoka just shrugged, her out-thrust lower lip and raised eyebrows conveying her honest and complete ignorance. Miki Sayaka? Again, the pinkette shrugged. That is interesting, since we had clearly sensed something about the girl.

Madoka frowned. We? But then she realized something. "The gems! I bet you are talking about the Soul Gems Sayaka-chan has."

Kyubey continued to stare, its ears flailing momentarily. Please explain what you are talking about.

The pinkette scratched the back of her head for a moment, considering. Was it a secret or something? Sayaka had been reluctant to reveal anything about them at first, but who else was there that would know what to do with the things. The girls. "Sayaka and Kyoko found them, after fighting their way out of the Barrier that disappeared before I could join them. One of the Witches had been, um, collecting them?" The pinkette shivered delicately. "I don't really understand, but… they seem unhappy. Possibly… disoriented." The understatement made her wince, but she waited to see if Kyubey would add anything.

It did not.

"I… I was wondering. Do you, ah, know how to… fix them?"

Fix them?

"Yeah, like, make them whole."

They don't have bodies.

"Exactly."

Before anything else can be done, they need bodies.

"Um… how?"

Nearly any body would do.

"Huh? Anybody? I don't- No. I was thinking more like, um, mental healing?"

I have never heard of this happening before. Usually, when removed from their physical vessels, the souls of Puella Magi quickly become corrupted. They could shatter, hatching a Witch at any time. You should convince Miki Sayaka to turn the gems over to me.

Looking into those innocent pink eyes and that quiet, satisfied smile, Madoka knew with utter certainty that Kyubey, for some reason, wanted those Soul Gems.

Far too long a wait; please continue to let me know your thoughts and feelings. I'm internally grateful for all of the reviews and feedback.