Chapter 23: Encounters and New Contracts

The creatures nearly ran into Key and his friends as they came crashing through the woods.

Mami, Key, and Nagisa had been following some tracks, illuminated by lights powered from mobile generators (itself also a sign that some of their friends had likely come this way). They had eventually found themselves heading into a park of some sort. There had been a rather disturbing journal left on a desk in one of the entrance buildings, but they couldn't afford to linger.

The problem had then become that the tracks had first moved to a map of the park (that also had a scrawled picture of the Slender monster on it) and then started moving away from any light source, seeming to hug the fence line as it could. Even as the blinking lights in the distance that marked the radio tower had come on, they had decided to follow the tracks a little bit longer.

Worst of all though, as the tracks meandered, they had stumbled quite literally over a bat. Its fantastical shape and lack of weight would've left them in no doubt, even if Mami hadn't recognized it. It was the enchanted bat that Sayaka had been given. The signs of a struggle (broken tree limbs and smashed bushes) nearby did nothing to help the spike in fear that they felt.

As they tried to get their bearings, Key cast back through what he remembered of Charlie's memories, trying to pull some sort of useful information out. Suddenly, they heard the sound of many feet hitting the ground and all three whipped around, weapons coming to the ready.

Five figures suddenly materialized into the circle of light lit by Mami and Nagisa's Soul Gems. Materialized was perhaps the wrong word, for they came barreling out of the darkness and nearly tripped over themselves as they became aware of the two girls and alien.

For a moment, the two groups sized each other up. With a start, Mami realized that they weren't human, rather they looked more like human sized dolls than anything else. Each one was carrying a weapon of some sort, with the leading one having blonde hair and a giant needle.

The leader had also been looking extremely angry about something as it came upon them, but its expression changed as they all stared at each other.

After skidding to a halt, the five creatures had stood, frozen. To Mami's eyes, it looked like they were unsure what to do next. Their posture gave off guarded uncertainty. For a full minute, both sides sat, staring at each other.

Finally, Mami decided to take the initiative, the fact that they hadn't attacked yet giving her some courage. She let her guns lower to point at the ground and took a step forward.

"Mami! What are you doing!" came Key's voice in her mind. Nagisa looked nervous as well, so Mami raised a hand to calm both of them.

"It's alright" she said, though she wasn't sure that was true, "Just let me try something."

"Are you . . . lost?" Her voice was low and she deliberately tried to be and sound as calm as possible.

The head doll creature seemed to twitch, looking Mami up and down with a calculating expression. One of the other dolls opened its mouth and said something incomprehensible. To Mami and Nagisa's ears. Key's eyes narrowed however.

"She just asked if we were worth it to capture."

Mami and Nagisa glanced at each other nervously.

"Are they Familiar's? Is that why you can understand them?" Nagisa's mental voice was nervous as she idly gripped her trumpet.

"Normally Familiar's just say gibberish or stuff to do with their Witch's theme. But these five, they almost sound . . . I don't know, german-esque? But as far as them being familiars, I mean, we aren't in a labyrinth, at least I don't think we are. So if they are, they're different from any other kind I've seen before."

Mami considered the information. She opted to try diplomacy again, seeing as these beings seemed self-aware to a degree.

"My name is Mami Tomoe, what's yours?"

The lead Doll-thing blinked, then turned to talk to its compatriots.

"What are they saying, Key?"

Key's ears were up as the Dolls spoke quietly.

"She's saying something about 'the mission being incomplete.' Some of the other ones are ranting about some sort of traitor but the lead one's insisting that they circle back around an-"

A sudden glow drew all those present attentions to it. Somewhere in the distance, relatively close, there was a glow starting that was oddly familiar. A second later, the doll-creatures were springing away through the trees, not in the direction that they were going previously, but more or less in the direction of the Radio Tower.

Back through the trees, the glow intensified and Mami heard Key suddenly gasp.

"No . . . no! He can't! DON'T DO IT!"

With a cry, he sprang away and took off towards the light. Quick to follow, Mami and Nagisa found themselves barreling through the woods for a minute before the light began to dim. Luckily, or perhaps unluckily, they found its source just before it vanished completely.

Soundtrack: Puella Magi Madoka Magica OST – Signum Malum

Key's voice could be heard at they arrived.

"No . . . you didn't! Tell me you didn't just . . ."

Mami and Nagisa caught up to Key and beheld the scene. Two girls were standing in a small clearing. Standing in front of them was Kyubey. Both girls, one looking to be mid-teens with dark green hair, and another looking to be a pre-teen, also with dark green hair, were glowing and dressed up in what were unmistakably Magical Girl outfits.

Kyubey licked one of his front paws.

"I do need more information if you are going to accuse me of something."

It was then that Mami recognized the younger girl. It was the one that she had seen with Kyoko. Mami's stomach plummeted as she stared at the child, who had just sold her soul for something almost certainly not worth the price.

Yuma looked up at Mami.

"Hey, you're that girl that Onee-Chan didn't like to talk about."

Mami's heart seized up even further. She stood stock still, staring at the small girl, unable to even begin to think of what she should do.

"You made a contract with her?!"

It was Key's near screech that brought Mami back to some semblance of normality. She shook her head and got down on one knee, trying to calm her thumping heart.

"I'm assuming that wh-when . . . when you say 'Onee-Chan' your referring to K-Kyoko?"

The little girl nodded.

"Onee-Chan didn't like talking about you. I asked and she wouldn't answer. I think it made her sad."

Mami didn't know how to respond to that observation.

Nagisa had stepped up beside her, staring at the small girl with a mixed sad and scared look on her face.

"What did you wish for?"

Nagisa's question caused the little girl's face to scrunch up, as though she was concentrating on something. Then her face grew horror-struck.

"Onee-Chan's in trouble!" she yelled. Then with a sudden movement she turned and began running up the hill towards the radio-tower. At the same moment, the other girl gave a cry of "Fuminori!" and followed after the smaller girl.

There was a moment's shocked hesitation, but then Key took off like a bolt of lightning, chasing the two.

"WAIT, I NEED TO HELP YOU! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'VE DONE!"

Unwilling to lose the three, Mami and Nagisa rushed after them. All of them dashed off, hoping to catch up before something else horrible happened.

Author's note: Wanted to release at least one more before Christmas. May release another Christmas Day, but just as likely not. In either case consider this a Christmas Present!

Merry Christmas everyone! God Bless!

Mailbag:

reggielacey2

he should get a human form

I suppose I'll have to thank you for leaving reviews across the years, even if this is about the fourth time you've left near the exact same sentence and nothing else. LoL. But as for an answer, we'll see, but I doubt it. Hope you enjoy the story!