Chapter 1

A wish born from the dark

–Unknown date-

-Mitakihara City-

The clouds above Mitakihara city were apocalyptic. They were grey and heavy, filled with torrential rain and devastating winds. The unfriendly wind blew hard across the city, hitting the skyscrapers and making their joints emit eerie sounds that echoed everywhere. It looked like a heavy storm would hit the town, and all would be destroyed when it hit.

The streets below were all empty. Loud noises of storm warnings blared from the city's intercoms, warning everyone of the approaching storms. The people were already gathered in evacuation centers, all safe and sound, away from the impending disaster.

No one would be going outside.

"Augh!" Suddenly, a loud, disembowelled grunt erupted along the streets. The side of a building suddenly burst as a shiny object – a humanoid suit of armour – crashed down on the middle of the road.

The lights around the suit of armour, with a futuristic design of red and gold colour, blinked as its components inside short-circuited. And then, with a soft hiss, the armour face plating of the humanoid armour opened. The face of a middle-aged man looked out to the dark world. The man possessed a small mustache and a chiselled face. He would've been handsome without the excessive blood covering his face.

"Guys, you still there?" the man asked, his voice haggard as he laboured for breath. His questions travelled through the empty streets and were drowned out by the sound of the howling wind's crescendo.

"Samurai X! Clint Eastwood Knockoff! Fruit Bat!"

"Look out!" As if his question was answered, the man looked up and saw another man crash on the side of the building. He gasped in terror as the familiar pink kimono fell on the road with a loud thud.

"Battousai!" The man quickly moved towards the other downed man. His friend had landed on the sidewalk, and just like him, his face was all bloodied up. His kimono, coloured pink, was now bright red from his blood. The only thing left intact was the pink soul gem on his hair clip, tied around his ponytail behind his head.

"Kenshin! You okay, Fruit Ninja?"

"Tony-dono…? I'm fine…I think." The man named Tony looked down and saw that both of the man's legs were twisted at an odd angle. His friend, Kenshin, was a hardened samurai warrior and wouldn't go down so quickly. Seeing him in such a dire situation sent terror down his spine.

"No, you're not fine, Kenny!" Tony thundered with worry and took out a Grief Seed. He put the seed on Kenshin's hair clip and watched as a cloud of black smoke floated out. The hairclip of the Samurai warrior shone brightly, and his injured legs were healed instantly.

"Can you stand?"

"Yes." Tony helped the man and pulled him up. Kenshin let out several hard breaths before he looked up.

"She's too strong, Tony-dono…too strong. No matter how much I multiply, she just brushed me away!"

"I know, but we can still push this thing away from the city…" the man paused as he spat out one of his loose teeth.

"Now, where's Batsy—"

Tony's question was cut off when the building behind them exploded. The two quickly looked behind them and saw a man, clothed in black and grey, land hard on a bus. The vehicle cratered from his impact.

"Not you, too, Batman!"

"Bruce-dono!"

The two quickly ran towards the wrecked bus and saw their third man. Bruce Wayne, or Batman, was lying in the center in a much worse situation than the two. The man's legs and arms were all battered and twisted, while the bat on his chest, his symbol and his soul gem, was now disgustingly murky grey.

"Oh God…" Kenshin gasped in horror. Batman was also like the Battosai, a hardened warrior and vigilante gifted with vast knowledge of fighting. The man would never go down easily and always found a way to defeat enemies, even if it was a god. To see Bruce all bloodied up frightened Tony.

"There's no…God here, Kenshin Himura." Suddenly, Bruce spoke, blood shooting from his mouth, dying his mask red, "Only that…the Walpurgisnacht."

"I still have three Grief Seeds left." Tony pulled out another Grief Seed and kneeled at the man. The murkiness of Batmna's sigil quickly disappeared, returning to its glowing gray hue.

"Ugh…is this your idea of ballroom dancing with that thing, Tony? Because we are getting the short end of the stick here! The Walpurgisnacht has minions – tons of them!" Batman grunted as he felt his arms repairing.

"According to the Magius, they were once Magical Girls who gave in to despair. And they are preventing us from attacking the target." Kenshin looked at Tony and added with a saddened and terrified voice. "Tony…we are losing… we can't stop it."

"No! We should all try harder. If this thing hits the evac center…then our loved ones will be killed!"

"We know!" Batman growled vehemently before Kenshin helped him stand up.

"Wait." Suddenly, the Samurai warrior glanced around after noticing someone missing in his group. "Where's Arthur?"

"Arthur…is still up there," Batman answered and looked up. "His soul gem is almost black, but he still wants to continue attacking her."

He's still there! Tony Stark, in alarm, widened his eyes as he remembered something. He quickly flew up and looked around. His eyes darted around the dark sky. Grey clouds scattered in his vision with broken skyscrapers and buildings that the wind had swept up.

Where are you—? Suddenly, the former avenger's eyes caught a familiar glint of bronze. The clouds suddenly parted and revealed a fantastic sight: a horse made of hundreds of bronze bullets galloped and made a trail with its legs. It whined and hurled as its rider pulled its reins, making it gain more speed. As for its rider, Iron Man recognized him as the fourth man of his group.

"Arthur!" The man called him but to no avail. No, your soul gem is almost black. I know what you are planning! The wind drowned out his voice as he shouted more. "No, Arthur, don't sacrifice yourself!"

Arthur Morgan, the fourth man, zoomed out of the clouds and shouted. His horse whined and galloped more while his ocean eyes were locked in front. Suddenly, his ears caught the familiar voice of Iron Man, and he couldn't help but make his lips form a small smile of sadness.

"Don't worry about me, Tony…at least you guys are all good." The man closed his eyes and lightly exhaled. Despite all of the chaos around him, Arthur was calm and devoid of fear. His heart beat fiercely while his hands gripped the reigns around his horse softly.

"Even though it was a short year, I thank all of you for being my comrades." Arthur opened his eyes before his horse entered a large cloud again. "The wish I'd made with that accursed Kyubey, despite being all twisted and cruel, was wonderful. I met him again. I redeemed myself to him, and I loved him one more time." The man opened his palm, and right in the middle of it, showing nothing but murky brown, was his Soul Gem, the physical form of his soul…and his last remaining weapon.

However, Arthur's thought was cut when the clouds parted before him. The roar of the wind was suddenly gone, but in its place, another raging sound filled his ears.

And so, I've arrived at my brand-new story's main enemy. "Hello there, I am your last dancer…Walpurgisnacht!" Arthur shouted tauntingly as he pulled his black gambit hat from his head. His face showed a mad smile while his eyes became bloodshot, like a predator facing his prey.

The sound that enveloped him was no longer the storm's roar but of laughter. The laughter was heavy, belittling, and maddening, as if it came from a witch.

And it came from a witch floating in front of the lone magical cowboy.

At last, I get to see you, Walpurgisnacht, the creature that will send me back to where I belong – in Hell.

The Walpurgisnacht – the mother of all witches and the one that brought disaster to humankind. It was the enemy he must face, for it threatened the lives of his loved ones and those living in the city. The creature was vast. It floated upside down in the sky, surrounded by chaos and destruction. Like a doll, it had white porcelain skin and was clothed in an elegant blue gown from the bygone era.

If an average human could see this creature right now, that person would die on the spot out of fear. However, to Arthur, her terrifying appearance was nothing. What was inside his chest right now was pure excitement and rage. He had the same feeling when he did his first heist with his old friends from the previous world he originally came from.

"I don't care about your parlour tricks…You're just a large bitch that I could kill right now." Arthur haughtily said as he waved his gambit hat in front of him. And just as he did that, the clouds behind him parted, revealing millions of floating gatling guns lined up in columns.

The cowboy's grin grew menacingly. This was it. He was facing the largest enemy that he had ever seen, and because of that, he must enjoy himself with this.

"Without further ado…shall we dance!?"

The Walpurgisnacht must have understood the man's intention, for it gave another round of unfathomable laughter while the cowboy waved his hat again before he shouted with a determined voice.

"CHARGE!"

-Unknown place-

Where am I? Arthur Morgan slowly opened his eyes and saw nothing but infinite darkness. He couldn't feel or hear anything – no air, heat or even nature's ambient sound. The place he was in was nothing but a black void.

Where is this place? He thought again while he glanced around more. And then he stopped, his eyes widening as scenes began to flash before his eyes. He recognized the scenes that were currently playing. It was his memories. He stood still and felt the emotions flowing inside him as he remembered everything about his life.

Oh, that's right. I'm already dead. Tuberculosis got me…which means this place must be the afterlife. Arthur finally remembered what happened to him. He already knew where he was.

So, this is the afterlife, huh? It's ultimately nothing. The man knew nothing about the afterlife. Sure, he heard it was a paradise locked beyond a massive pearly gate or an endless desert where the heat was unbearable and deadly. Arthur knew that he didn't belong to the former but to the latter. He expected to see hell as he opened his eyes.

But it seemed he was wrong again. The endless void stretched before him, and Arthur couldn't comprehend whether he should be terrified or saddened by the fact that this place would serve as his soul's final destination.

Is this it? Is this where I would stay forever? Arthur couldn't help but give a sad smile. "If this is my final destination, I will stay here."

Arthur knew that he was bound for hell and never to heaven. He was, after all, an outlaw and died as one. His life was filled with crimes – murder, robbery, and many others. He had done a lot of heinous activities for as long as he could remember, and he only got to redeem himself after death finally got to him. Hell was the rightful place for him. After all, he had to pay for his transgressions. He had hurt many innocent people, and he was sure that all of them were hoping for his demise.

"I guess I will accept this kind of fate…" All I can do is walk into this darkness forever.

"Are you sure about that?" Arthur's eyes widened in shock, and quickly darted his eyes everywhere. The light, cheerful and almost childlike voice had answered him back.

"Right here." the voice called him again, and this time the man looked in front of him. A bright light suddenly appeared and chased the darkness away. He shielded his eyes from it, and it vanished again just as fast as it appeared. "Howdy, pardner." Arthur lowered his hand and blinked towards the person that greeted him. A small, startled gasp escaped his lips after he saw the one who was talking to him. It wasn't a person. It was an animal.

The animal wasn't normal. First, it was cat-like, but it had four ears. The upper one was that of a cat, while hanging underneath were rabbits-like. Second, its fur was an unnatural white with a red ring on its back. And third and last, its eyes were red – blood red – and seemed devoid of emotion. Both of them reflected the cowboy's still startled face.

"Uh…" Arthur lost his words. He was in what he thought was hell, for he knew that he was dead, and now a talking creature that looked like a cat had just greeted him. The outlaw had seen many strange things, but this scene took the cake.

"Hello, little one." Finally, Arthur found the courage to speak. "What are you…? Are you an angel? You're too little to be one."

The creature glanced at him, making several blinks as it inquisitively observed the man more. "Many people called me that. Others even called me God himself. But for your sake…call me Kyubey."

Kyubey? "That's a weird name…for an angel." Arthur smiled as the creature only nodded. "My name is Arthur Morgan. Nice to meet you, Kyubey."

"Likewise." The creature named Kyubey scratched its ear before it rested its beady red eyes on the man. "Arthur, do you already realize that you are dead?"

"Yes." I know this because I'm sure this void doesn't exist in the real world. Arthur looked around, observing this place more before he closed his eyes and contemplated. Kyubey tilted its head. It seemingly took an interest in his answer, which contained nothing but acceptance.

"That's nice. If I'm allowed to ask you, how was your life? Is it good, or is it bad?"

Arthur opened his eyes and gazed at Kyubey with a thoughtful look. The life of the outlaw began to play again as he absorbed the angel's question. Memories of good things flashed before him, and he felt nothing but happiness and joy. However, the bad memories quickly followed suit. His crimes popped out with the familiar sound of his guns, phantom screams of his victims filled his ears, a heavy feeling of reminiscence filled his chest, and it made his frown deepen more.

"There were good things that occurred in my life. I have created many happy memories with my former gang, whom I considered as my family." Arthur smiled again, remembering his gang, the Van der Linde Gang. "Our gang, however, were outlaws. We live by doing crime. We survive by the edges of our blades and the bullets coming from our guns."

The man deepened his smile more, turning it into a sad one. "I… never had an honest life, Kyubey. I'm a criminal, once and always will be, and thus, the reason why I'm in this hell right now."

Kyubey stared at Arthur for a moment, its tail lightly wiggled. It must have been pondering the story the cowboy had told him, thinking about how he could reply. But after a minute, it closed its eyes and made several nods.

"Oh, it seems you had a very rough life. Not to be rude."

"You're not."

Kyubey opened its eyes again and arched his tiny mouth to what seemed to be an understanding, soft smile. "Arthur, despite the fact you've accepted your death, I've detected some hesitation." Arthur shifted his frown to a thoughtful one as the angel spoke more. "I know you're already prepared to live here in this afterlife…but by any chance, do you still have hope that things in your life could be different somehow?"

"What do you mean by that?" Arthur asked. However, he already got the gist of what the creature was saying. The cowboy knew nothing throughout his life except to live as an outlaw. His gun was his way of living, plundering and stealing from others, lying and scheming for a big heist. Those were the only things that he knew. But some days, he did think of a different life.

"I do wonder sometimes. I sometimes think about having a different life. Would I be happy if I grew up in a normal household? Would I be happy living a proper and honest life? Those questions popped into my mind." Arthur paused and lessened the arch of his tiny smile into a disappointed one. "But I don't ponder that, Kyubey…because I always accept what's before me. I don't know any life beyond the life of an outlaw, so I always brushed those dreams aside."

"I understand that." Kyubey paused as it tilted its head before asking the man again. "However, do you still wish things could be different?"

Arthur didn't answer the angel immediately. He only looked down with curiosity slowly building up inside of him. The man always brushed aside the idea of having a different life when he was still alive. However, the idea returned and lingered faintly inside his mind.

Yeah, I do somehow still think about it. Despite what Arthur had done, he still thought about it. And with that, he had a slight feeling of yearning for that dream. And that yearning was just a little wish that he kept to himself.

He knew it would never happen, so why bother saying it to others?

"Yeah, Kyubey, I sometimes wish my life would be different…but just sometimes."

Kyubey's tail wagged a bit, and its white fur faintly shone. "So then…what if I told you I can grant your wish to relive your life? Would you make a wish then?"

What? A soft gasp escaped Arthur's lips, startled by what the creature said. The nonsensical feeling of having a different life returned to his mind. However, unlike before, when he could easily brush it off, it was stronger. The thought was screaming at him, turning it into something he knew.

Since it had turned into a desire, Arthur couldn't help but gulp down in strong wonderment.

"Kyubey—I mean, can you do that?"

"Yup. I can,"

A different life… Arthur's wonderment was nagging him. Now that he knew he could have that kind of life, an honest and good one, he couldn't help but want to give in. But he paused as he remembered the words of his former family.

Hosea told me that for every deal you make, there will always be a catch. The cowboy gulped down again, this time in cautiousness. Kyubey's deal was excellent. However, his life experiences told him that... "There's no such thing as a good deal. There's always a catch. So, what's the catch, Kyubey?"

Kyubey looked at him. Its beady red eyes stared at the man unmoving, reflecting his serious frown. Then, after a few seconds of silence, it spoke to him. "Well, there's indeed a catch. You will live your new life in another world, but for it to happen, you must form a contract with me."

"A contract of what?"

Kyubey blinked again at him before it answered him. "To become…a MAGICAL MAN and to do battle against WITCHES."

It was now Arthur's turn to be dumbfounded. Witches, Magical Man, what the fuck? Kyubey told him what he usually told Jack, John's son, as a bedtime story to help him sleep. Now he was hearing it, from an angel nonetheless, that these things were real. He was baffled.

"Would you like me to elaborate further?" Kyubey asked, and the cowboy silently nodded.

"By forming a contract with me, you'll become a Magical Man, and you are dutifully bound to fight against Witches, creatures and anomalies born out of the wickedness of humans."

Whoa, this is too much. Arthur struggled mentally as he tried to understand what the angel said. Magical man – would this Kyubey turn him into someone with magical abilities and who had to fight against these things called witches? It seemed to be the case, and he didn't like that.

He didn't want to live under someone's thumb, and most importantly, he didn't like to live by the bullets of his guns anymore.

"Wait, I want to live a different life peacefully. Why would I battle against these witches? That seems contradictory."

"Even though you are dutifully bound to fight Witches, you aren't required to always engage with them. You can still have a life. Not to mention, the powers that you'll get are enough to defeat them. Also, you were a gunslinger before. Your skills are adequate for battling them. Are you okay with that?"

Kyubey tilted its head again, beaming what seemed to be a charming and angelic smile. So far, Kyubey's answer was compelling for him. He would undoubtedly get a new life, only that the cost was to battle these so-called 'Witches.' Arthur was a hardened warrior, and he wanted to have a good life. However, it seemed he wouldn't get that life very easily.

Well…Oh, what the hell. At least I wouldn't stay here in this God-awful place. Arthur sighed vehemently and made up his mind.

"What do I have to do then, Kyubey?"

"For starters, I will create a 'Soulgem' out of your soul. It's your soul and the source of your new power. It would be what makes you a Magical Man." Kyubey scratched behind his ear and beamed his happy smile again. "Now then, are you prepared, Arthur Morgan? Do you want to become a Magical Man and live an honest and good life?"

Arthur stood still for a moment. Kyubey's deal was almost on the tips of his fingers. His new life awaited if he said 'yes'. However, a slight feeling of doubt nagged inside his chest. It was telling him not to take the creature's contract. He felt that there was something off about it.

Arthur, stop being a doubting Thomas for once. You will have a good life. What more do you want? After convincing himself adamantly, Arthur finally opened his eyes. A look of determination formed on his face.

"Kyubey…I am prepared."

"Then say it to me, Arthur. Say it like you are truly wishing for it."

Arthur gulped down and took a huge breath. "I wish to live again, this time with an honest life, in another world and another time."

"THEN WITH THAT, THE CONTRACT IS SEALED. WELCOME TO YOUR NEW LIFE, MAGICAL MAN, ARTHUR MORGAN."

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of PMMM and Red Dead Redemption 2. Names, places and events are fictional.

Special thanks to Pure Red Crane for Beta-reading.