Mitakihara is fucked.
Standing from my own floating island of cement, I can see huge chunks of the city's skyscrapers and debris float in the air as if they were pumped full of helium and scattered like leaves. Storm clouds are blanketing the sky in this thick sheet of gray that leaves the world covered in darkness.
…There's also this ginormous floating spinning clock woman shaped thing laughing her ass off, for some reason…?
No winds though, despite this obviously being some sorta' storm. S'pretty eerie. Might have something to do with the giant lady, if I were to take a guess.
I…think the world is ending? Or at least that's the scene my brain's set, 'cause I'm confident none of this is even real. Y'know that little part of your subconscious? The one that sometimes lets you know if you're in a dream or not? Yeah, that thing is doing me wonders. S'why I'm not freaking out too much over my home being obliterated in real time!
"HAHAHA! HA~HAHAHA!" The woman-thing laughs hysterically, for some reason.
I take an intake of air and cup my hands. "What're you laughing at?!"
The only response I get is even more laughter. Yeah, I dunno what else I expected.
…Hm.
I'm bored. The novelty of a world ending crisis is quickly fading.
I start looking down at the ruined city below me for things to fixate on. My brain must've not bothered to create actual humans, because there isn't a soul out here- wait, nevermind, I retract my statement! From where I'm standing it just looks like a speck of pink, but if I squint my eyes and look real hard the shape seems human.
Can I jump down there? Pretty sure gravity's still a factor, so…wait. The debris.
Lemme just, get a running start and- "Hup!" I leap into the air and land on a lower floating rock formation. That was easier than I thought! Good thing none of this is real too, because if it was, I'd be crying from how far up I am!
Jumping from debris to debris takes me a while, especially since I'm making sure not to slip and fall to my not-death, but I'm gradually making my way to the ground.
...I wonder if I could do this in the real world? I mean- it helps that my nerves are non-existent here, but it's not like the heights I'm jumping from are ludicrous either.
I dunno. Just an idle thought!
Eyeing another platform, I make a leap for it-
"HAHAHA~!" Laugher rings in my ears and the air is shaking why is everything shaking-
Knocked off my center of balance by the freakin' air quake, I'm sent flying! I flail my arms around, hoping, begging to latch onto something, but all my hands end up grabbing are small fragmented rocks and clumps of dirt and now I'm falling to my death oh shit-!
"Urk!" I hit the ground back first. And it hurts.
S-shit, if I knew I could still feel pain here, I'd have thought twice about doing mid-air parkour! The hurt I'm feeling isn't super overwhelming, but it's enough to just make me wanna stay on the floor and not get up. Ever.
Where'd I even land? I turn my from side to si- oh!
Well. That's convenient!
On their knees beside me, cradling me in their arms, is the person, the girl, I saw from above.
She…looks familiar? Something about her just screams "I should know you!" Should also be hard to forget someone with hair that's pink, I'd think. She even goes to the same middle school as me, if her uniform is anything to go by. But I dunno if it's 'cause I just hit the earth at terminal velocity, or the usual fogginess that comes in a dream, 'cause my head's all jumbled up. I can't think straight.
Her name's on the tip of my tongue though. It was Ma-something. Ma…nami? Ma-riko?
This is unrelated, but my lips are chapped. "…M-mayo?" Did I say that? Oh, that definitely came from me. Oops.
"You've done so much for me already…" Her voice, soft and quiet, reaches my ears, and this feeling of warmth just- blossoms in my chest.
The girl gently strokes my curly hair. "But all this pain you've put yourself through, going back again and again, all for me…It's cruel. I can't watch you do all this and do nothing."
"…What?" The fuck is she talking about?
"I just-!" She's crying now. Tears are pelting my eyes. "I wish that-!"
"-you'd get up on time for once!"
"Ugh…?" I make a groaning noise. Fuck am I tired.
"…Well woulda' look at that," muttered the invader. "Kenji was right. Just make a wish…"
I know that voice…well, not that I'd need to anway. Only one person in my house actively speaks English. Why is she in my room…?
I turn my head over and bury my face deep into my bed's blankets. "Mamaaaa…" Please get out of my room, please just leave…
My mom's voice intensifies. "Don't you 'mama' me young man! While you were getting cozy in bed, the school day already started!"
What. I jump out of my blankets because what the fuck man, I thought I set an alarm last night! "What!?"
"Mhm!" She reached a tan colored arm into one of her pants pockets and pulled out her smartphone. "Well, it ain't time for school yet, but with how soon it will be ya' might as well be late!" She promptly shoved the phone into my face. "Take a look, smart guy!"
8:30, the screen read. Classes start at 8:45…!
Bounding toward my closet door, I- "Myodo, I've got your clothes right here, don't bother." Oh. Thanks mom.
I grab the cream colored uniform off her hands and start changing outta' my PJs. "Is papa here? Can he drive me?!"
"You saw the time, right? Your father's long gone." Shit.
The PJs are on the floor, and I'm now getting into my school pants. "Did you ever buy that unlimited subway pass subscription!?"
"Nope!"
I finish up doing the buttons on my school blazer. "Do ya' got cash on you?!"
"Not right now I do!" Why do you sound so happy about that?! "Boy, whether you like it or not, you're biking your way to school today!" Yeah well, I'd really rather not!
Oh god I need a mirror I probably look like shit. I swing open my room's door, take a hard left, and stumble my way into the bathroom. I take a look in the mirror and yep oh wow I look bad.
I've got my dad's dark brown eyes and my mom's curly black hair and tan-colored skin. Coupled with the Mitakihara middle school uniform and y'know, If I stopped the description here, you might've been left with the image of someone presentable!
That's not the case though. No at all.
My hair is just disheveled. Fucked up, even! My curls are all over the place, sticking out in chunks like a bird nest, and my eyes have big black bags under them, courtesy of hours spent staring at screens in the dark.
I mean, to be fair, I've had these sleep-deprived eyes for a while now. But looking at my bed hair always catches me off guard.
Ok Myodo, calm down, just find the hair brush and- "What chu' doin' here boy, you've got places to be!" My mom's hand, 'cause whose else could it be, yanks me outta the bathroom and starts pulling me toward the kitchen!
Ma, what the hell!? "A-at least lemme' bring a brush with me!" You see my hair, right?! I've never even cared about looking good but do you see my hair?!
"Myodo honey, I'd love nothing more than to fix that mess on your head, but you ain't got the time for that!" She made a grab for a plate on the kitchen table, plucked a slice of toast, and shoved it into my mouth. "Now get going!"
Yeesh, how long has this thing been out, it's way too cold! I spit out the edible cardboard into my hand. "Can I get cream cheese with this?"
"Leave!" Ok ok, jeez! "And don't forget your bike!" Wasn't planning on it!
The front door to my house bursts open and I come running out of it, bike and toast in hand. I awkwardly stumble down the steps leading to my home's entrance and hop on my ride. "By mama, love ya'!"
My mother poked her head out of the front door. "Love ya' too hun! And don't forget to wash your hair when you get there!
Doesn't matter how rich Mitakihara junior high is, school water is always iffy, so… "Maybe!" Ok bye now!
My mom shouts something at me, but I ignore her words in favor of biking down the sidewalk at terminal velocity.
…Did I dream about falling last night? I think I did, but…details are blurry.
I believe there was also a girl? I'd rather not think too deeply about that though, dreaming about girls isn't something I ever wanna dwell on!
With a hard crunch noise I bite into the toast.
That failing bit kinda sounds interesting though! Isn't it supposed to mean something too…? Eh, whatever. I got more pressing matters to attend to, like making sure I don't run over someone.
…'Sides, dreams are dreams. I doubt it was that important anyway.
"Your mom is just too cool, Madoka!" She really is, isn't she?
Me and my best friends, Sayaka and Hitomi, are on our way to school. The sun's bright, everyone's happy…
It's gonna be a great day for sure!
"I mean," continued Sayaka, right beside me, "she's smart, gorgeous, and a successful businesswoman!" Careful Sayaka! Mom already jokes about adopting you, but if she heard you saying all that she might just steal you away!
…I'm kidding, of course. Love you mom!
Hitomi, who's walking a bit ahead of us, pivots on her heel to face back to us. "If only I could make up my mind to reject a boy so easi-" "Fwoosh!" Woah!
Something really fast- a bike I think, blitzes past us and down the path to school. I jump up and let out a squeak. T-that scared me!
Sayaka's eyes are as wide as mine. "W-who was that? He could've ran us over with how fast he was going!"
Hitomi looks down the path, and toward the distant image of the speeding biker. "I think that was Okimoto. What's got him in such a rush?" Okimoto…he's in our class, isn't he?
Sayaka tilts her head. "Okimoto? Who's that?" I wouldn't blame anyone for not knowing him, he likes to keep to himself from what I've seen.
"You know," responds Hitomi, "Myodo Okimoto. Tall, kind of looks like a foreigner, sits in the back of the classroom." She looks to Sayaka, probably to see if she recognizes him yet. But when all she gives her is a blank look… "Has the eyes of someone who hasn't slept a day in his life."
"Oh!" With a smile, Sayaka snaps and points a finger at Hitomi. "We're talking about Tanuki boy!" S-Sayaka!
"Sayaka..." That was kind of mean. "You shouldn't just call people that."
"Oh?" Sayaka starts smirking at me. That's usually not a good sign. "You're so quick to defend him! If I didn't know any better, I'd think you have a crush!"
A crush on Okimoto…that's kinda funny. "Nah." Don't get me wrong, from what I've seen, he seems like a nice person! I just don't see him that way, is all. "I don't think he's my type. And I don't know him well enough anyway."
Hitomi's lips form an o. "Wow. Such a quick refusal…" Ah, now I feel kind of bad. Sorry Okimoto! Uh, assuming you actually like me like that, which I don't think you do.
"You're just like your mom, y'know Madoka?" Chuckles Sayaka. "Besides!" She starts hugging me from behind!? "I wouldn't want you running off with boys anyway! You must instead become my bride, Madoka! Accept your fate!" S-Sayaka, stop that!
"Ah…Ahem." Hitomi made a coughing noise. Me and Sayaka, who's still hugging me, both turn to her. Oh no! Don't tell me she got si- oh. Um. Haha…
We're right outside school. Some people are looking at us too…!
Hitomi rejoins us at our side. "Let's…get going."
"Well," drawls Sayaka, "not my fault Madoka started crushing on a boy!" Hey!
"Sayaka!"
"I ki~d, I ki~d!"
Letting out a sigh, I look up to the bright sky. It really is a beautiful day, huh? Way nicer than…
…That dream. Hm.
It was really scary, watching the entire city get torn apart, watching that girl get so hurt, and being not able to do anything about it. I felt so…helpless. Helpless and weak.
Ah, what am I doing, sulking like this? Mom wouldn't let me hear the end of it if she knew I got this like this over a dream of all things!
But still…I wonder what kind of wish I made?
"Oh, Madoka!" Sayaka snaps me out of my trance. "Are those ribbons new? They look super cute on you!"
Aw, really? "Thanks Sayaka!"
AUTHOR NOTES:
I've had this one baking in my head for a bit. I've always seen PMMM as "The Evangelion of magical girls" but now that I've consumed enough content I can safely say…that remark is only kinda right. I also like PMMM a lot more lmao. I will say right now I have a lot of ideas for this story that will seem a little out there for a lot of you (and that's cause they are), but hey you clicked on this fic knowing the protag was gonna be a boy so I'd say most of you are already prepared. Nonetheless I'd love to have you along the ride! Or at least as long as this ride will take us.
To those that have read my previous story on this site…I have begun another story! As you can see. Why? I didn't really like how WeiaB was shaping up. Don't get me wrong, I think I had a solid start, all things considered, but "John" was shaping up to be an original character, when I had originally intended for him to be a SI (this is opposed to Myodo, who I have plans to remain an OC) and I'd been going back to editing the chapters way too much. I realized that I just wasn't satisfied with what I had written. I also began to lose interest in Tales of Berseria. Sorry! Maybe one day I'll dust off my knowledge of the game and go back to that story, but if I do I will probably end up rewriting it.
Comments? Criticisms? Condemnations against this story for daring to exist? Lemme know please. I hunger deeply for feedback. That shit fuels comments and criticisms I mean. That last thing would just make me feel sad I think. Criticisms are especially welcomed cause I need to know if I fucked up bad anywhere.
Also if you like touhou project go read Freakin Gensokyo it's a really good fic ok bye!
