Author's Note: So, figured I'd let you see the next installment of this story. Hope you enjoy it!
(Soundtrack: "Ori and the Blind Forest – Ori, Lost in the Storm)
Key lay curled up in the grass, his eyes closed and his body comfortable. A soft feeling of contentedness filled him, a soft music was in his ears that soothed him, and kept him in this place between sleeping and waking. He felt as though all he needed to do was simply stay here, the wind tossing his fur and the grass in a peaceful breeze, the smell of a forest in his nostrils, and the soft tinkling of notes of a musical voice humming in his ears.
" . . . listen . . . come . . ."
The voice was not intrusive, and didn't rouse him much. In truth he could barely hear it, as though it was but a whisper from a long way off. It sounded vaguely familiar, the way that someone whom you heard long ago will sometimes leave an imprint of their voice in your mind years after they left.
" . . . needed . . . guardian . . . legacy . . ."
Key shifted slightly, growing more comfortable in his bedding, he was home at last, and he didn't want to leave just yet. He finally had a place to be where he didn't have to fear.
(Soundtrack: "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince – The Drink of Despair")
Except, fear grew in him, and he suddenly smelled smoke. His eyes snapped open and he sprang to his feet. He was no longer in a forest as he'd assumed he'd been before, but in a city on Earth. It could've been any city, but it was burning. It looked as though it had been struck with flaming meteors. Key was standing, gaping in one of the alleyways when he heard what sounded like the shifting of some creature behind him. He turned quick as lightning and gasped at what he saw.
"No . . . your gone . . . I sent you away!" he said wildly as he stumbled backwards. The creature that stood before him was eldritch, terrifying to look at, but far more terrifying was the familiarity it had. The creature, gelatinous and slimy like a giant slug, oozed forward, it's eyestalks blazing as they stared down at him. A voice issued from it, filled with strange harmonics as it didn't seem to have a mouth anymore.
"nEvER gooOONne. WeeEE NeEVveR LefT. WeEE'rRe iNSide yOu! YooUU'lL nEvEr be FREEEEE!"
Key continued to stumble back, then he tripped and stumbled over something. He looked up and with a thrill of horror, saw a little girl, not 11 years old, laying on the ground. Her eyes were wide, as if with disbelief, staring at him with a look beseeching him, begging him to tell her why, why had he done it to her? Why had he made her think that he was her friend only to let her become a monster? Key looked around wildly, but everywhere he looked, another body greeted his sight, another girl he had promised everything to, and then betrayed without a second thought.
Out of their bodies, creatures rose, each unique, but each unmistakable to him. The monsters, the Witches, all turned towards him, each staring with utter hatred and loathing. Key turned back, his eyes wide like a hunted animal as he stared at the first Witch imploringly. Every Witch gazed back with the same amount of pity he'd shown them when they had first been born.
With that, the Witch lunged and Key cried aloud, shutting his eyes, not even able to think of running. But then he was pulled back by the tail and he head the Witch scream in pain. The smell of smoke ceased and Key opened his eyes. He was back in the forest glade, and floating in front of him was a small orb of light.
A voice issued from the orb, soft, and yet full of power. "you need to let go of it Key. You need to find the right way to do it. But right now you need to wake up."
Key's eyes snapped open and he bolted up. For anyone else, they might've dismissed the dream out of hand, what with it being so strange. But Key was a bit more used to strange things, being one himself. Still, in spite of him being perfectly willing to accept the possibility of his dream meaning something more, that still left him out of ideas on what it might mean.
He sat, pondering his dream, until bright light distracted him. The sun was peaking in through the windows and a moment later, Homura came striding in. She looked over at him, and nodded as he strode up to her.
"If we wish to arrange a meeting with the others, Madoka will likely be the most open. We should attempt to talk to them before school to arrange the meeting time."
Key nodded as the two of them headed towards the door.
"Like I said last night, to let them know that we're not trying to trick them into a trap or anything, we should have the meeting at somewhere they're familiar with. Mami's apartment would most likely be the best place. I've already met her there once and she'll probably be more comfortable if we meet there instead of here."
Homura nodded blandly and the two of them continued towards Mitakihara school.
(Soundtrack: Puella Magi Madoka Magica OST - Incertus)
Madoka and Sayaka were a bit tired after being out late with Mami last night while she hunted down a Witch that had taken up residence in an abandoned Movie Theater. They were walking to school along with their friend Hitomi, comparing notes for one of their assignments as they walked up to the school gates. Kyubey was perched on Madoka's shoulder, silently observing. Then, as they came up to the entrance to the school, Homura and Key stepped out from behind a tree in front of them.
Sayaka immediately stepped in front of Madoka, her face growing tense as she spotted them. Madoka simply looked slightly nervous and Hitomi looked confused as she looked between the 4 of them (for she still couldn't see Kyubey or Key of course).
"I would like to speak with Ms Kaname and Ms. Miki, alone" Homura said simply to Hitomi, who looked even more confused. Sayaka didn't look very eager to stick around, and opened her mouth to say something defiant, but Key interrupted her.
"I promise that we don't mean to hurt you at all. We just want to talk and try and clear things up."
"It's alright Hitomi," Madoka said softly as she looked at Homura. It was a bit weird, but there was something in the back of her mind saying that she could trust the black haired girl. And after all, the strange Kyubey-like creature had saved Mami in that fight against the plant Witch. "Go on, we'll catch up."
Hitomi looked between the two groups, then, looking slightly hurt but seeming to decide that it wasn't any of her business, she nodded and continued walking on.
"Just don't stay too long," she called back. "School begins in ten minutes!"
"We won't" Madoka called back.
Once Hitomi was out of earshot, Sayaka rounded on Homura and Key, "what do you want? I thought you didn't have anymore to say. You were just gonna "hope" that we didn't become Magical Girls or some crap like that!"
Key stepped forward, "first off, my name is Key. I should've mentioned that before now, but we . . . well, my name is Key. Pleased to meet you Madoka and Sayaka."
The two girls, somewhat caught off guard by the politeness being shown to them, simply stared at Key. Kyubey hopped down off of Madoka's shoulder and walked towards Key, who looked as though he wanted to shrink back, but held his ground. He seemed to ignore Kyubey as the creature stopped directly in front of him. Key instead focused on Madoka and Sayaka.
"We're here because we realize that things have been kind of . . . tense between us."
"Gee, I wonder why," said Sayaka sarcastically.
Key winced, "yes, I am sorry for making you feel so threatened by us. But I promise that we never meant you any harm. We want to set up a meeting later today so that we can work things out and compare notes. We have things that we can tell you that Kyubey won't, or doesn't want to that you need to know. It's vital for you to hear what we have to say if you want to truly understand what it means to be a Magical Girl."
Key turned and glanced at Kyubey, "we'd also like for this meeting to be private, so no Kyubey."
Sayaka, who'd been taking in what Key was saying, snorted at this last bit. "Yeah right, you probably just want to lure us out somewhere so that you can bump us off! No deal, either Kyubey comes or we don't come at all."
Homura, who'd been staring in an almost bored fashion until now, looked slightly angry at Sayaka's accusation. She opened her mouth, but at a pleading look from Key, she shut it again angrily.
Key looked back at the two girls with pleading eyes, "I know you don't trust us, but that's why we want to meet. To build trust. We want Mami to be there too, and to meet and her apartment, so you can be sure that we're being honest."
"What isn't Kyubey telling us?" Madoka asked softly, her question directed at Homura. Homura, instead of answering directly, stared at Kyubey, who stared back at her without blinking.
"Where do Witches come from, Kyubey?"
The magical creature's answer was quick and concise, "I've already explained. Witch's are born from curses. It's why they're the opponent of Magical Girl's who're born from wishes.
"But where do these curses come from Kyubey?" Key asked, his eyes narrowed.
Kyubey didn't answer, he simply stared at them.
"Why are you so eager to get girls to become Magical Girls to fight Witches?" Homura asked again, a slightly mocking edge on her voice. At that moment, the warning bell rang for School. Madoka, before Sayaka could speak rashly, said, "I think we can meet at 5 after school. Just promise that you won't hurt anyone!"
Homura's face softened as she looked at Madoka, "if they don't hurt me, I won't hurt them."
"I promise" said Key, then they looked pointedly at Sayaka, who crossed her arms and huffed. But eventually she rolled her eyes and said, "fine, I'll get Mami to agree. But just watch yourselves, I've got my eye on you."
Then they turned and strode off towards school, the two groups walking slightly apart from each other. Both considering what they had just agreed to.
(Soundtrack: Puella Magi Madoka Magica OST – Scaena Felix)
Lunch saw a group of three girls, Madoka, Sayaka, and Mami specifically, all sitting down outside so that they could talk a bit and so that Sayaka and Madoka could pass along the message of Key and Homura. Mami listened intently as the two girls explained the situation and how they'd already agreed provisionally. She chewed some food thoughtfully with her eyes closed. Then she opened them and looked between the two girls.
"I suppose, if Homura's agreed to be peaceful, and Key does most of the talking, then we can meet in my apartment."
Sayaka tilted her head, curiosity and confusion written across her face, "how'd you know his name was Key?"
Mami smiled slightly, "he came to my apartment last night and we talked for a little bit. He introduced himself then and said that he had things he wanted to tell me."
She yawned cavernously and the other two girls giggled.
"That explains why you look so tired," Madoka said, smiling. Then she put down her drink she'd been sipping on, looking interested, "what did Key tell you?"
Mami's face clouded, "not much, we didn't get very far before Kyubey came and he ran off."
"Speaking of which" Mami continued, glancing around, "where is Kyubey, I thought he was with you two?"
Madoka and Sayaka glanced back and forth between each other.
"We've been wondering that too," Madoka said hesitantly. "After we talked with Key and Homura this morning, he ran off as soon as we were out of sight of them."
"Did he say anything?" Mami asked, curiously.
Sayaka nodded, "yeah, something about 'new Magical Girl candidates' or something like that. He ran off so fast that I almost didn't catch it. I think he went" she concentrated for a second, then pointed off in the direction of the city hospital, "that way."
There was a little bit of silence as they all ate some more food. Then Mami said confidently, "I'm sure he'll return soon. He often has to go, he says he has scouts out Witch's Lairs for us to find so that we can protect people."
"Still," said Sayaka as she thought back, "it's kind of odd that he'd leave before we could ask him any questions."
The three of them chewed on their food for a bit more in silence, each contemplating Kyubey's behavior. Then Sayaka looked up.
"Mami, did Kyubey ever tell you where Witches come from?"
Mami chewed and swallowed, "it's like I told you, they're born from curses, just as Magical Girls are born from wishes."
Sayaka looked pensive, "yeah, but did he ever actually say what he meant by that? I mean, you know how he makes a Magical Girl, you make a wish and he give you your powers, but has he ever told you how Witches get made."
Mami contemplated for a bit, then she remembered her conversation with Key the night before.
"Now that I think about it, no he never went into specifics about how a Witch comes about. To be honest, I've been so busy hunting and fighting them that I haven't had much time to think about it. Though it's odd. Last night when we were talking, Key seemed like he was about to tell me about something to do with Witches before Kyubey came back and scared him off."
Mami looked intently at the two girls, "why are you asking?"
Madoka and Sayaka glanced at each other before Madoka answered, "when we met this morning, Homura asked Kyubey where Witches came from. He didn't answer and like we said, he ran off before we could really ask him ourselves."
The school bell rang, signaling that lunch was over and that it was time to move on to the next class. The girls stood up, each collecting their school things and trays. Mami smiled as they began walking away.
"Well, at least it will all be cleared up tonight. We'll meet at my apartment at 5. Who knows, maybe we'll even end up being friends!"
The three of them smiled and giggled a bit. Then they separated, Madoka and Sayaka heading for their own class, Mami heading for hers. School progressed normally, their teacher Ms. Saotome even managed to make a lesson concerning the Oregon Trail about how one of her former boyfriends had died of Dysentery.
Finally, the end of school bell rang and the two girls filed out. As usual, Sayaka immediately turned in the direction of the Hospital in order to see her friend Kyosuke Kamijou. Today however, Madoka had decided to tag along, hoping that another familiar face would help cheer up Kyosuke even more (and privately, she hoped that she could cheer up Sayaka as she always seemed slightly downcast at seeing Kyosuke in such a state as he was in the hospital.)
They talked along the way, mostly about nonsense stuff, but also throwing suggestions back and forth about what sort of wishes they would make and what it would be like to be a Magical Girl. Sayaka even asked Madoka if she'd be willing to sketch a potential costume for her, since the pink-haired girl had already made a design for herself. They talked about Key and Homura a little bit, but they were waiting until they got to the meeting to really ask questions. It felt nice, almost as if they were being granted a moment of peace from the hectic adventure that their lives seemed to have become in the past week or so.
They had entered the hospital and were walking through the halls towards Kyosuke's room when Sayaka suddenly noticed that Kyubey had reappeared. At some point he seemed to have come out of a room and was walking along beside them. She started a bit, for Kyubey had not announced himself, but had simply walked along slightly behind them, his glassy red eyes staring up at them.
"Kyubey, where did you come from?!" Sayaka said as Madoka turned to look at him as well.
"I told you this morning, I was scouting around for other potential candidates to become Magical Girls" Kyubey said in his light voice.
"You were in a real big hurry to leave" Madoka said as she peered down at him. "We didn't really know what to think. We wanted to talk to you about what what Key and Homura said."
Kyubey began walking and the two girls fell into step beside him as he spoke up at them, "I am sorry. But the situation was such that I couldn't answer any of your questions at the moment."
Kyubey then cocked his head, "do you still intend to go through with meeting them. I would advise against it, who knows what they have planned."
Both girls nodded and Sayaka answered"yeah, but you and Mami will be there, and if things get ugly, I could just make a wish and become a Magical Girl. Besides, we might be able to find out how Key is nuts so that we can help him. We might get to learn something if we can ask some questions."
Sayaka then got a tense look on her face and she glanced down at Kyubey, "which reminds me. We had some questions for you Kyubey."
Kyubey said nothing, but continued walking on, his face now staring ahead and not in their view. The silence stretched on and became uncomfortable before Madoka decided to break it.
"What was Key talking about, Kyubey?" she asked the little creature as they walked along, passing by the mental health ward and approaching the physical therapy section of the hospital..
"I'm sure their simply trying to drive a wedge between us. My ill friend is clearly decaying much faster than I anticipated."
"Yeah," said Sayaka noncommittally, "but what were they talking about?"
"That knowledge is unimportant to you right now" Kyubey said brightly as he walked alongside them. Madoka and Sayaka glanced at each other.
"Why isn't it important?" asked Madoka cautiously.
"You aren't Magical Girls, are you?" Kyubey said. "Therefore, such things aren't your concern."
Sayaka grimaced, starting to get a bit annoyed, "yeah, but you've been trying to get us to become Magical Girls for the past week. Shouldn't we know everything before we make that commitment?"
Kyubey was silent. They walked for a little bit, both Sayaka and Madoka getting more and more unnerved as Kyubey didn't elaborate on things. Finally, as they got to the floor of Kyosuke's room, Madoka asked another question.
"Kyubey, why don't you call Key by his name?"
Kyubey's answer was matter of fact and light, and somehow, this didn't make it any nicer to their ears.
"I see no reason to encourage another element of his mental illness. If I referred to him as 'Key' it would likely only validate him and make it all the harder for him to get treatment."
The two girls glanced at each other again, then Sayaka said, "well, why don't you call him by his real name then."
"Because Drone #01072011is often too much of a mouthful for you humans to say all the time."
Sayaka blinked, "you think that just because he has a name, he's mentally ill?"
Kyubey tilted his head, "I just told you his name, or his designation if you want. He changed that and so, he's not a part of our mission anymore."
Madoka was looking confused, and a little bit concerned, "Kyubey, why do you think he's insane?"
Kyubey turned away and sped up so that he could peer into Kyosuke's room. Sayaka and Madoka glanced at each other yet again. Why wouldn't Kyubey give them a straight answer?
"Kyubey's back with them" Key commented as he peered around the corner of the Hospital Hallway. He could see the girls walking down it, and Kyubey had just reappeared walking beside them. They appeared to be asking him questions, and to Key's relief, they were actually asking some probing questions that Kyubey would have a hard, if not impossible time to wriggle out of.
"I wonder what the girls are doing here though, they know we've got a meeting in less than an hour?" Key asked idly as he saw the girls turn a bend and he scurried after them with Homura following him.
Homura answered in a bored voice, as though she'd heard the answer to this question enough times for it to lose all impact, "Sayaka is pining for a boy named Kyosuke Kamijo whose hand is crippled. She visits him whenever possible."
"That's nice of her" Key said with some approval. He turned, and just caught Homura rolling her eyes.
"What's wrong with Sayaka visiting her friend to give him some comfort?" He asked reasonably, he had noticed that Homura seemed to be a bit more openly disparaging of Sayaka than the other girls that they'd had contact with. With Mami, she just seemed to be rather apathetic (to a slightly frightening degree in his opinion, considering what might happen to her if she weren't made aware of how Witches were made) and with Madoka, Homura showed the closest Key had seen her show to kindness. Sayaka however, Key got the feeling that there was some sort of history between the two girls, which was odd, because they acted like they'd never seen Homura before she transferred into their class.
Homura continued to walk behind Key, keeping her face schooled impassively as Key looked back at her.
"The boy is a weakness for her. She would do anything for him, anything to heal him. She views him as a 'tortured artist' who just needs the use of his arm back in order to be happy again. Can't you think of a a creature that offers any wish in exchange for too high a price. Don't you think that this creature will be watching and waiting for the moment when she's vulnerable to get her to make a wish to save him."
Key gulped, and looked back up the hallway where the girls they were tailing had turned another corner. That made . . . a frightening amount of sense. If he were still . . . well he would've wasted no time in finding out Sayaka's weak points and would've probed them endlessly until she gave in. He would've been subtle enough that she wouldn't have questioned him until it was too late. Too late to save her soul, too late to prevent her being added to his collection of grief. Too late . . . like so many others who had trusted him . . . him . . . a monster.
A sharp nudge disrupted his thoughts and he jumped. He'd drifted off into thought and had stopped walking. Homura was standing over him with a raised eyebrow as she withdrew the foot that had pointedly nudged into him to get his attention. He shifted a little guiltily. Getting lost in thought was another new experience for him, very different from before, but that was no excuse.
He opened his mouth to say that they should continue on, but then his ears flicked up and his eyes grew wide, his long tentacles that sprouted out of his ears stood almost on end as he tensed and turned to stare down a hallway they were just passing by. Homura noticed all this and, somewhat in response to her still not being used to Kyubey (or at least something that looked like him) showing emotion at all, glanced down the hallway as well.
"What is it?" She asked, noting that the hallway was barred by some locked doors and that it apparently lead to the mental illness ward. She'd never had reason to visit there before.
"I don't know . . . I can feel something in there, something not human. It feels . . . it feels . . . wrong. I can't think of any other way to describe it, just wrong" said Key, as he stared wide-eyed at the doors.
"Is it a Witch?" asked Homura, thinking that perhaps Kyubey had given a wish to a girl in that ward and she'd finally gone off the deep end.
"No" Key said quickly, his gaze locked on the hallway. "No, I know the feel of a Witch, and this feels different. It feels . . . wrong." His eyes narrowed. He began to creep towards the door, but Homura stepped in front of him.
"What about Madoka and Sayaka" she said simply. Key flushed slightly, but stood a little straighter.
"We'll be seeing them within an hour anyway. I doubt they'll make any wishes before hearing what we have to say. I even think that they're starting to get suspicious of Kyubey. Besides, I need to investigate this. If it's a danger to the humans in this hospital, then it needs getting rid of."
Homura raised an eyebrow at him, a move that Key was honestly starting to get used to, she used it so much when she thought he was doing something stupid or pointless. After a few moments however, she snorted lightly and said, "very well. If this thing really is a danger to people in this hospital, then Kyosuke could be in danger too."
With that, she strode towards the doors, thick and locked though they were. Key ran to catch up, slightly curious.
"I thought you said it was stupid that Sayaka and Madoka cared about him? Why the sudden concern?"
Homura tossed her hair as she came up to the doors, "you're right, I don't care about him particularly much, but his death would be another opportunity that Kyubey would use to try and get them to form a contract."
She fell silent, and after a moment, Key nodded and walked up to one of the doors. It was well locked and thick so no patient could escape, but locked doors were no obstacle to Kyubey and not to him either. Deciding on a simple approach, he inserted the tip of one of his ear tentacles and fiddled around in the lock. With a click, the door sprung open and both the Magical Girl and the Rogue Incubator strode in, locking the door behind them.
(Soundtrack: Dragon Age: Origins OST – The Fade)
These rooms were, unlike normal hospital rooms, clearly meant for security. Each room had a door that could be locked electronically and had both physical and electronic keys for opening them. Sharp objects were absent and, as they walked past some trays piled atop a cart, they could see that all the eating and drinking materials were made of non-sharp plastic. Still, sunlight came in through the windows and the indoor lights shone brightly. All in all, it seemed a normal, if not entirely pleasant part of the Hospital.
But in spite of this, Homura felt, slowly at first, but building, an unquiet feeling. As they walked further and further into the wing of the Hospital, she felt increasingly that they were intruding into the realm of some creature, something that didn't belong and that would not take kindly to intruders. A soft sweat broke on her forehead and she clenched her teeth, beside her she saw that Key was tense as a Deer that had sensed a predator and was trying to sense it's location.
With a small internal start, Homura noticed something and voiced it immediately, her voice barely steady.
"Where's the staff? Why are we the only ones here apart from the patients?"
Key's ears flicked back and forth forcibly reminding Homura of a hunted Deer once again
"Gone" he hissed quietly. "Most humans would've run at the first hint of this creature. You've got a sixth sense that is usually pretty good for sensing danger like this, even if it's only subconscious. In fact, the main reason we can stand it is probably because I'm not exactly human and . . . well . . . neither are you technically."
Homura nodded, it made sense.
"Are you certain that this isn't a Witch?" she asked quietly. Key gave her a slightly sardonic look.
"Does this feel like a Witch's lair?" he asked, the slightest bit of sarcasm evident in his voice.
No, no it didn't. Well, yes in the sense that it felt like the natural rules of the world were being violated. But this was different still. A Witch created their lair as a sort of miniature world, where their own rules and torments haunted them and whatever unfortunate soul happened to wander in. But in spite of that, Witch's Lairs were still the product of a human mind. No matter how much they'd been twisted and befouled by an inhuman tormentor, they were still the product of humans, or at least creatures that had once been human.
This, even though the world looked the same, it felt as though something lived here that just shouldn't exist, that didn't belong. It felt as though some beast from a far off land had been pulled out of it's rightful habitat and deposited here where it didn't belong. It felt-
A soft noise caused both Girl and Incubator to whip around. It had come from a room at the end of the hall, and they thought they heard the soft sound of voices, though one of them sounded odd. She and Key glanced at each other, then nodded. Homura reached into her shield and out came a pistol clenched in her hand. Key's fur began to stand on end as they both crept, silent as the grave, towards the room.
As they drew up outside the door, the voices became distinct enough for them to understand what was being said. Though one of them sounded . . . inhuman would probably be the best way of describe it. It had layered harmonics and was guttural, though it sounded oddly female.
"-eased tomorrow. You know where I live?" A young man's voice asked. He sounded tired.
"YeS," the strange voice said. In spite of how odd it sounded, both Key and Homura felt that they could definitely hear a note of concern coming through in the next few words.
"wIiLl You BE aLRIght gEtTiNg HoME? YoU'Ve beEN HaVIng a DiFFiCuLT TimE AcTIng NorMAl"
"I'll be fine, I can handle this curse just so long as you are there for me. You're the only comfort I have in this new horrible world."
At this, Key peered around the corner and looked into the room. Homura watched his expression go from curiosity, to fear and finally to horror as he stared, his eyes so wide they looked at though they might pop out of his skull. Homura, unable to resist, turned to glance in herself.
She barely caught a glimpse, but that glimpse nearly caused her to scream. Something that looked like rotting bloody meat, with slime glistening on it, moving in such a way that demanded that it fall apart at the seams, but somehow it didn't. But before she could look further, one of Key's tentacle appendages shot out, extending and covered her eyes, shoving her back from the doorway and blocking her sight.
"DON'T LOOK!"
The sound her stumbling made was only a slight one as she staggered back, but a sudden flurry of movement and what sounded like a roar alerted her to the fact that whatever was in the room had heard and was aware of them. It came out, and Homura shoved her eyes shut, not wanting to see it, hearing it move with a sickening squelching noise was enough.
"FOOOOOOD!"
She heard it move towards her and moved her hand to her shield. She could feel tentacles lashing around her feet, smell its putrid odor. The tentacles tugged and she fell to the ground, the pistol she'd been holding flying out of her hand. She felt herself being drawn inexorably towards the creature and nearly threw up as she smelled its hot and unnatural fetid breath.
"Please don't let me die!" she thought in a panic, her normally unflappable calm all but shattered by this strange and unnatural creature. "I still have to save Madoka. Please let me live to finish that! Please God, anyone, PLEASE HELP ME!" Her hands groped her shield, but before she could rotate it, she heard and felt what seemed like a blast of fire. Heat washed over her as the tentacles let go, but she reveled in it, for it seemed to burn away the rotting smell. She heard a soft thud and couldn't help but open her eyes.
The creature that had come from the room and had been drawing her in to eat her lay a few feet away, and if Homura had not been so hardened, first by being a Magical Girl and second by fighting Witches for years on end, she was certain her mind would've snapped on the spot. As it was, she barely avoided voiding her bowels. Its form denied comprehension, bloated and bloody, tentacles sprouting from it at random, mouths with shark-like teeth forming and vanishing within it as it squelched along. It looked like nothing so much as an assortment of rotten putrefying meat that had been given form and function. And yet still, its very existence seemed a revolt against the laws of physics, as though it didn't belong and its presence warped the very air around it.
(Soundtrack: Sword Art Online OST – Stand At Bay)
However, at the moment it was cringing away from her, and Homura looked down and was startled by what she saw. Key was standing in front of her, his hackles raised, his body crouched and tense as if to spring. His tentacles were stretched up over his head, a ball of bluish energy crackling between them, large as a volleyball. His eyes burned with a fire and a silver mist almost seemed to leak out of them as he stared at the creature. Any and all of his usual timidity had vanished and his eyes promised pain and suffering to the creature if it dared to come within 5 feet of them again. He snarled and the creature started back. Homura realized that her earlier description of him as a Deer had been inaccurate. Deer were prey, and in this situation Key was clearly the predator, he was the Wolf.
"NOBODY TOUCHES HER!" Homura felt Key's psychic shout and heard patients waking up with cries several rooms down, it had carried that far. The creature cringed, and Homura stared in wonderment at this small white creature that had seemed so cowardly and useless to her as it strode forward, the energy he was holding pulsating and looking like it was barely restrained, as though reflecting the rage he felt at one of the closest thing he had to a friend being threatened.
"IF YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOOD FOR YOU!" Key said in a thunderous voice, Homura would swear she almost felt the walls vibrating at the force of his voice, mental though it was, "YOU'LL GET OUT OF HERE AND NEVER COME BACK TO HURT ANYONE. IF YOU EVER HARM ANOTHER HUMAN BEING, I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN AND I WILL MAKE SURE THAT YOU FEEL EVERY OUNCE THE PAIN THAT YOU SHOULD FEEL BY YOUR EXISTENCE HERE! "
With that, he let loose the energy blast and the scream of the creature definitively did shake the walls and floor as it felt a white hot burn once more. Then, apparently deciding that it wasn't worth it to stick around, and with many a disgusting sound and noise, it picked itself up and tore off down the hall. Distantly, they heard the breaking of a window and knew that it had left the hospital.
(Soundtrack: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Rebellion OST – Take Your Hands)
Homura sat, panting and gasping as though she'd just run a marathon and stared at Key, who was still glaring after the disappeared monster, a foreign emotion playing inside of her. Long ago, she'd let go of all but the smallest kernel of hope that she could ever change the situation she was stuck in, that she could ever truly save Madoka. She'd been alone, but now, as she looked down at the white creature, she felt something warm in chest.
He had protected her, even when she had made him feel utterly frightened and unwanted, he'd protected her and sworn that he would never let anything touch her. Her lips quirked up the teeniest bit and she felt her eyes water ever so slightly. How long, how long had it been since anyone ever said anything on her behalf, since anyone had ever protected her instead of the other way around. If she were being honest, she had a hard time remembering anyone other than Madoka in the first few timelines . . . and Mami, who had seemed to care for her like this little creature did. She'd thought when she first met him that Kyubey did, but that had turned out to be one of the worst mistakes she could've made. But this creature . . . Key . . . he was what Kyubey should've been.
Key began to turn, his body relaxing, and Homura quickly forced her body to do the same. She wiped her eyes and assumed her usual stoic expression. Luckily for her, Key didn't seem to notice or didn't comment on it if he saw. Instead, he walked up to her, his eyes full of concern.
"Are you alright?" he asked gently, as he cleaned the slime and blood off of her clothes with a wave of his tentacled appendages. Homura felt something clench in her chest as he stared at her with nothing but love and understanding in his voice and had to fight off a fresh wave of tears. She wasn't weak, she was strong, she had to be strong to save Madoka . . . so why did she feel like all she wanted to do now was keel over and cry her heart out in front of Key?
Key's eyes were far away, as though seeing her like this reminded him of something. How many girls had he seen break down she wondered. Homura put her head down against her knees, desperately trying to keep herself from shaking and barely succeeding. Then she felt something rubbing up against her side and saw that Key was nuzzling her.
"I understand, it was horrible for me too" he said softly, his eyes downcast and sad. As if he sensed that she was trying to hold herself back because of his presence, he turned and strode into the room that the monster had formerly been in. After he had gone, Homura finally did allow several large tears to leak out of her eyes, and she shook as she leaned back against a wall, indulging for a few moments in her fear and sorrow, allowing herself to be weak for just a bit.
Finally, after a minute of this, she wiped her eyes and stood, brushing herself off and composing herself, her stoic mask falling back into place more comfortably. From the room that the creature had been in, they heard a man calling, more like screaming, for someone called 'Saya.' She turned and walked in. The room in question was no different from any of the others, but the man laying on the bed looked at her, and then turned away, grimacing, as though the sight of her was a blight on the world that he'd rather not look at.
Then he yelled again, "WHERE'S SAYA, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HER! IF YOU'VE DONE ANYTHING TO HER I'LL KILL YOU!"
He made as though to leap out of the bed and probably would've attacked Homura, but Key, who'd been rifling through some papers on a desk in the room, turned. Quick as lightning, one of his tentacles had extended and come to rest on the man's forehead.
"Sleep. Sleep and find some rest from your hurts."
With that, the man keeled back onto his bed, fast asleep, his face growing peaceful. Homura looked down at him, then at Key.
"Who's Saya?" she asked.
Key's face was grim, "I think she was that thing I just ran off."
Homura blinked, then blinked again, and again a third time. Finally, after several seconds of silence, she said, "what?"
Key leaped up onto the mans bed, putting one of his forepaws on the man's head. Key's expression grew sad as he stared down at him.
"He's suffering from a mental illness. It's called Agnosia and it makes it so he sees the world in a horribly distorted way, as though everything looks like it's made of rotten and bloody meat chunks, and humans look like inhumane monsters. If he sees the world like that . . ."
Homura followed the line of thought to its natural conclusion, "he might see that thing as looking normal."
"Precisely," said Key as he ran his forepaw over the man's forehead. His face grew sadder still.
"I wish I could stay to help, I think I can cure his disease."
"How?" asked Homura, "Incubators don't give wishes to boys, much less to men."
Key did not look at her, instead choosing to look down at the man with tired eyes, eyes that had seen and partaken in so much suffering and yet had to see more.
"For a long time, when I granted wishes, I went to hospitals or places where girls were hurt. They often wished for me to cure their diseases and injuries. I gained a lot of knowledge on the Human body from these wishes and how they work. But fixing this would take time that we don't have. I'll have to come back later." With that, he leaned over and seemed to be sending a message to the man, though it was not directed at Homura.
Then he straightened up, ears flicking again, his eyes alert. Then he whirled around.
"There's a Grief Seed about to Hatch downstairs! I think the girls have gone into it's lair!" he said in an anxious voice. Homura bit her lip as she turned to run out of the room with Key at her side. If the girls had gone into the new Witch's Lair, and if the Witch was who she thought it was, then it might very well kill them. They needed time to get there. Time.
She glanced down at Key. She tried to keep her abilities as secret from him as possible, out of a fear that this was just some trick of Kyubey's. But now . . .
With a grunt of annoyance, she grabbed Key by the scruff of his neck, ignoring his small yelp, and plopped him onto her shoulder. He stared at her, she had made it quite clear before that he was not welcome to ride on her like Kyubey usually did with other Magical Girls, so why had she seemingly changed her mind? But before he could ask, she had grabbed her shield and spun it. They both heard what sounded like gears spinning and suddenly, the world turned slightly grey and indistinct as though looking at it through a filter. As they passed a nurse frozen in the act of pushing a patient down the hall on a gurney, Homura heard Key mutter, "time magic . . . of course" but ignored him. There was nothing to be done about it now.
They exited the building and saw the entrance to the Witch's Lair. They ran, and with a leap, Homura and Key vanished into it.
Further into the lair, Mami and Madoka had been walking quickly along, hoping to catch up to Sayaka and Kyubey before the Witch hatched fully. Mami had been slightly angry when Madoka had come running up to her, telling her that a Grief Seed was hatching at the hospital and that Sayaka and Kyubey had gone into the forming labyrinth in order to keep an eye on it. However, all had gone well so far and Kyubey had been guiding them through the Witch's labyrinth so that they could get to the Witch as quickly as possible, maybe even before it hatched.
Truth be told however, both were slightly distracted in thinking about the meeting that they were set to have after this was all done. The inside of this Witches lair was strange as ever. Half of it seemed to be taking after the motif of a Hospital, with needles and hospital equipment scattered around and making up the superstructure of the place, which made sense considering it was hatching just outside of a Hospital. What made less sense was that the other half seemed to be patterned after an obsession with candy and . . . cheesecake for some reason. It had been relatively peaceful thus far, with Mami and Madoka being able to avoid any of the little Witch Minions that had been wandering around.
"Um, Mami?" Madoka said in a questioning voice.
Mami opened up her mouth and yawned cavernously, then she answered, "yes Madoka?"
"How close do you think we are to the center of the Labyrinth?"
Mami wrinkled her nose, "not far, why do you ask?'
Madoka looked down, "well, I'm just worried that we're going to be late for the meeting with Key and Homura."
"I see" Mami said. "Well, I wouldn't worry about that, I'm sure that I'll be able to defeat this Witch quick enough for us to make it back to my apartment in time. It's not a full Witch yet, so it will likely be unprepared for a Magical Girl, even if it manages to hatch before I get there."
They continued on walking, the walls now looking as though they were made of bleached white hospital beds all stacked up against each other. Both girls minds pondered what the meeting would be about. They'd both had some very interesting few days. Madoka had found out about a whole other world layered on top of the one she knew, and Mami had found out that there was far more information to what she was and what she did that she'd even realized. What that information was was still a mystery to her at the moment, but that was why they were having a meeting after all.
Mami's head tilted downwards and her voice was quiet as she voiced a question, "have you reconsidered?"
Madoka blinked, "reconsidered what Mami?"
"Becoming a Magical Girl. Now that we both know that there might be more things to it than just what I know, are you and Sayaka reconsidering becoming Magical Girls?"
Madoka looked away, her expression uncomfortable. "I, uh. I just . . ."
Mami gave a sigh, but she turned for a half-second and gave Madoka a small slightly sad smile.
"It's alright Madoka. I won't blame you if you are. You have a luxury I never did. You actually get to know what you're getting into and whether or not you want to get into it. I would be ashamed if I didn't allow you to know all the facts before you made your decision."
Madoka looked at the ground. They had passed into a new section of the lair, and it now seemed to resemble a catacomb made up of the insides of a slice of cheese, with numerous holes serving as paths forward.
"Well, I don't want to think that Kyubey would do anything bad, but . . . he hasn't seemed like he actually wants to answer any big questions we have."
Mami nodded, "he did seem to try and dodge the questions we asked, didn't he." She thought for a moment, but then shrugged, "hopefully this will all be cleared up after we get rid of this Witch."
Mami made to speed up, but Madoka grasped her hand with both of her own.
"But Mami, I just want you to know that I have been thinking really hard about what sort of wish I might want to make" she said tentatively.
Mami continued to move forward slowly. After a moment, she replied.
"I assume that this is just in case you still want to contract after hearing what Key has to say?"
"Yes," Madoka responded.
"Hmmm," Mami mused, "Do you have a favorite?"
". . . Yes . . . but, I think it's kind of naive and if I told you, I'm worried you might get mad."
The blond haired girl chuckled kindly, her hand that was holding onto Madoka as she led the way was warm and comforting.
"Let's find out. What's the wish?"
"Well, there's nothing special about me. I've never been good at school and I don't really have any talents. I'm scared this is how my life is going to stay. Always asking for help and never really being able to help when people need it. I can't stand thinking about it."
They had reached a door of sorts that seemed to stand up alone without a frame or a wall to support it. Mami nudged the door open cautiously, peering into the new room that the door somehow led to, in spite of their ability to walk around it in a full circle.
Madoka continued to speak, "but then I met you Mami and you showed me what it's like to stand up for people and really help them. And them, when I found out that I could do the same thing, I don't think I've ever been happier in my whole life!"
Mami contemplated this, frowning slightly while she weighed it in her mind as Madoka spoke further.
"And that's my wish, because if I did decide to be a Magical Girl and it's like what you've showed me, it would be a dream come true. I'm not good at anything. But if I can help people out like you, then I can be proud of the way I live. And that's the best think I could wish for."
Mami let go of Madoka's hand as they walked on. Her voice when she spoke was serious, as she truly urged Madoka to consider what she was planning to do.
"It won't be easy. You will get hurt. You won't have time to go on dates or have fun with your friends."
Madoka smiled brightly, not put off in the least, "I know, but after seeing how you keep doing your best, I really look up to you Mami! I think you're one of the coolest people I know."
Madoka's smile fell as Mami suddenly stopped walking and stood stock still. Though she couldn't see Mami's face, Madoka could hear her voice grow strained with emotion.
"I don't deserve it, you need a better role model."
Madoka gasped a bit. Mami's mind had once more been drawn back to a redhead that she'd once been best friends with, and had subsequently let down. She thought of how lonely her life had become ever since their ways had parted, and how happy she'd been these past few days as she'd mentored Madoka and Sayaka. Her mind jumped to Key as well, and how much he'd seemed to want to be near her and to be her friend. An ache formed in her chest as she compared these days to how her life had been for a long time now.
"When I'm scared or hurt, there's no one I can talk to. All I can do is cry on my own. It's not fun, being a Magical Girl. Even if the meeting we're having didn't change anything, I wouldn't blame you if you didn't want to be involved anymore."
Mami stared straight ahead, her posture poker stiff. But then she heard Madoka's voice speak again, kindness and understanding evident in it.
"I hear you Mami, but you're not alone anymore."
Gratefulness swelled within Mami's chest. But it was doused slightly when she remembered that Madoka and Sayaka might hear something at the upcoming meeting that would make them not want to contract.
She pulled her hand out of Madoka's grip and clenched it.
"I'm not alone right now," Mami intoned, a tiny note of bitterness in her voice. "But what you don't contract?"
She felt Madoka put a hand on her shoulder and started a bit at the physical contact.
"It doesn't matter if I never contract Mami. Even if I never become a Magical Girl for as long as I live, I'll always have your back and be there to cheer you on and help you in any way I can."
Mami's eyes widened and she quickly turned to look at Madoka, grasping the younger girl by her shoulders as she felt something pricking at her eyes.
"Do you really mean that? Would you really stay my friend even if I had to deal with crazy stuff like this?" she gestured around the current room of the layer, which was a long path situated far above a small army of Witch familiars. Mami's eyes were wide, and tears began to leak out of them as she stared into Madoka's orbs, as though she was begging for the companionship and acceptance that she so craved but had been denied for time out of mind.
"Do you really want to stand by my side from now on? Do you really want to stay with me?"
Madoka's answer was given without any hesitation, "yes. If someone like me will do?"
A smile blossomed over Mami's face. She rubbed her eyes, feeling slightly embarrassed by her tears and actions.
"L-look at this. It isn't the type of behavior you'd expect from a role model, is it? I guess I'm not very good at this sort of thing."
Madoka smiled again, "but you are!"
Both girls smiled lightly as Mami spoke again.
"If you do end up taking the contract, so you may as well try and get something out of it. You could wish to be a billionaire, or to have the perfect boyfriend."
Madoka sighed slightly, "yeah I know, it's a once in a lifetime opportunity."
Mami continued on jokingly, "okay how about this, if you can't decide what to wish for by the time I finish off this Witch and you still want to become a Magical Girl after the meeting. Well, then we can throw a feast and you can wish for the best Cake in the world."
Madoka looked a bit surprised, "what, a cake? I can't make my wish for a Cake!"
Mami laughed slightly as she turned and began to walk further down into the labyrinth.
"Well then, decide on what you do want."
"Mami!" came Kyubey's telepathic call. Both Madoka and Mami immediately tensed.
"The Grief Seed, it's about to hatch!"
Madoka glanced at Mami, and saw to her astonishment, that Mami was smirking.
"Fine then. I'll finish this one off quickly! We have a meeting to get to and I have a feast to plan!"
(Soundtrack: Puella Magi Madoka Magica - Mirai)
Mami spun on the spot, and with the golden light that Madoka had seen many times by now, Mami stood before her in her Magical Girl outfit. Madoka and Mami were standing on a large bridge, and below them sat many little Witch minions that looked like some sort of Chocolate Chip candy.
With a smile and a laugh, Mami leapt off of the bridge, ribbons springing up behind her to form a protective mesh around Madoka in case anything tried to get at her. Mami landed in the middle of the small creatures, smiling widely as they sprung at her. In a flash of light, a flintlock rifle appeared in her hand, several more appearing behind her, ready for use. Mami flicked her hand and her rifle boomed, the bullet smashing away the first monster. With the same swing, she brought the gun slamming into another monster that had tried to leap at her back. Less than a second later, she had grabbed another gun and had shot another monster away while knocking yet another one into goo.
The creatures screamed in rage and darted forward in a swarm, but an equally large swarm of bullets met their advance and Mami darted in amongst them, all fear forgotten. The Witch's Minions fell like wheat before a scythe. Mami conjured up more and more guns and wreaked a path of destruction as she blasted her way forward, with Madoka following close behind. It was as though a literal storm of guns had descended on that place and the destruction they wreaked reflected that image.
Mami felt light as a feather, as though she could do anything. The joy that she had felt as she realized that she once again had friends that would stand with her and help her filled her to such a degree that she felt like she would burst. She was happier than she had been since she and Kyoko had been friends, since when she still had her parents.
She grasped Madoka's hand and both of them ran forwards, the lair opening up before them. The warmth of Madoka's hand only caused Mami's smile to widen as she carved their path forward. There was no fear, no hesitation, no sadness in her as she led her pupil forward. Finally, as the inner sanctum of the Labyrinth loomed up in front of them, Mami let go of Madoka's hand as they both rushed forward. They spotted Sayaka and Kyubey hunkering down behind a giant piece of candy and hurried over to them.
"Sorry it took so long" Madoka apologized to Sayaka.
"Careful, it's coming" Kyubey said.
(Soundtrack: Puella Magi Madoka Magica OST - Venari Strigas)
Sure enough, the Witch had hatched fully. This Witch looked reminiscent of a doll mixed with (appropriately enough) a piece of candy. It laid itself down onto a very tall chair, flopping like the doll it was imitating. But only for a moment, because Mami was already in motion, one of her guns slamming into the legs of the chair and toppling it over. As the Witch fell, it suddenly found its face acquainted with the stock of her gun as she swung the weapon into it. The candy-like head of the Witch was the first to hit the wall as it was catapulted through the air. It immediately began sliding down the curved border of it's lair as several shots came whizzing towards it from Mami's guns. It twitched and rolled, managing to avoid the shots as it slid down to the ground. Once there, it flopped bonelessly on the ground for a second and then lay still.
Mami strode up to it, wondering privately why it wasn't moving very much. She put her gun to its head, point-blank range, and fired. A small hole was left as she stepped back and the Witch did not move, but Mami intended to make sure it was dead. She summoned some ribbons and they hoisted the Witch into the air while keeping a firm grip on it. Mami decided that, as she wanted to get this over with quickly, she may as well use her most powerful move to finish it off here and now. With a flash of golden light, a massive gun manifested and Mami took aim.
"TIRO FINALE!"
Mami smirked as her finishing move hit home, though it did feel slightly weaker than that one against the flower themed Witch that Key had interfered in. It pierced the Witch and convulsed in what seemed to be death throes. Madoka and Sayaka both cheered as they witnessed all this. But it was premature, for out of the remains of the doll-like Witch's mouth sprouted something that seemed like a worm the color of tar with a mouth lined with sharp teeth like a shark. The doll's mouth stretched impossibly wide as the horror erupted from it like some perverse jack-in-the-box. As it moved, it grew large, large as a whale and it flew forward. Faster than Mami could react, it was suddenly in her face, its jaws opening up and moving around her head. Its breath smelled like rotten cheese and hospital chemicals. Mami blinked, something inside of her screaming to move, but all she could manage was a look of stunned disbelief.
As if in slow motion, the the mouth closed around her head, cutting off her view of Madoka and Sayaka's horrified faces. Time seemed to be stuttering to a halt as she gazed stupidly at the inside of the Witch's maw. But then she felt a sharp bite of pain in her neck.
CRUNCH
Her world dissolved.
Author's Notes:
Yes, I'm quite cruel aren't I?
Originally, this was gonna be longer, but somehow I felt like this worked better as a cliffhanger. Good news is that Chapter 4 will be that much longer because of this. Hopefully I can get it out to you guys soon.
So, as you probably already figured out, Saya and the mental patient (Fuminori) are in fact characters from another work of Urobuchi, the main writer of Madoka Magica. The work in question is called Saya No Uta and their inclusion is a part of the overall plan for the fic, and trust me, they're not gone for good. I'm hardly the first author to have this idea, another excellent fanfic called "Broken Cycles" (a Madoka and Doctor Who crossover, link here: s/10352376/1/Broken-Cycles ) used this idea, though they ended that little crossover long before I plan to (though don't worry, it's not gonna usurp the plot, Walpurgisnacht is the major threat at the moment, not Saya). The Madoka series does have a dash of cosmic horror as a part of its makeup, and part of my intent with the inclusion of Saya is to add to that.
I feel like the inclusion of Saya is the first of a trend that's your either gonna love or hate. I'm expanding on canon. As it stands right now, the Madoka Universe has general knowledge of the Witches, Magical Girls, and Incubators. But in order for what I have envisioned for this story to work, I'm gonna have to try and both work within the bounds of the current knowledge (what with this being made after the movie Rebellion and before any other film/series comes out) as well as try and fill the gaps where they need it for this story. As I've said before, this is still gonna operate on the story structure of the Anime (Walpurgisnacht is coming, and eventually, Winter . . . sorry, I had to do it.) There are things going on that, I hope, will pay off massively further down the line. To say much more would be a huge spoiler for this story.
If you aren't a fan of me doing this, I completely understand, my biggest worry is that this'll end up not feeling like Madoka, but then again, that may be a bit inevitable given the trajectory of the story. I simply ask that you give it a fair shot, and if you still don't like it, fair enough. I've agonized over it and other story ideas myself, but ultimately, all I can do is try my best.
Writing is simultaneously gratifying and makes you want to rip out your hair.
Anyway, thanks a lot for reading! Make sure to leave a review to tell me what you thought? Constructive criticism is welcome, I won't pretend that this is the best thing ever written and would love to hear your opinion on how I could improve it!
Edit: As of 3/28/2019 this the conversation with Madoka and Mami was modified to give it a bit more variance from the canon. The main change is that Madoka shows reluctance to become a Magical Girl without knowing all the facts. This is in response to some good criticism from voiceless_choir who made some extremely good points. Thanks a lot for the help!
