After telling Komachi and Hiyori about the Sasa fiasco, I decide to take a look at how things are going in Tokime village. Last time, I accelerated the timeline by showing up out of the blue and attacking the Mikoshiba elder, but even without my interference, they should be able to figure out the truth and bring her down. Of course, there's nothing special to see today, so I decide to check in once a day until either the Mikoshiba is defeated or it's time to reset. There is after all a possibility that the Mikoshiba's downfall occurs after Walpurgisnacht ravages Mitakihara, so I might not even be able to pin it down exactly, but even just knowing it's later will be useful.
Closer to home, it seems that Sayaka and Kyouko have formed a true team, consistently fighting witches together both during and after school. Well, that's partly extrapolation, since I'm not watching them every minute of every day, but still, they're getting along far better than they did in the third timeline that I experienced, or in the actual anime.
It's a few days later that the next milestone comes.
April twelfth. Sayaka and Kyouko are fighting Elsa Maria together, tearing their way through hordes of familiars to get at the witch. Sayaka's combat style is extremely reckless – power straight through and let her healing magic take care of any injuries.
"You know, I think you've managed to get a tiny bit better!" Kyouko says. "But are you sure you're okay with this? Doesn't it hurt, taking so much damage? And it must take a lot of magic to heal it all."
At that point, a pack of familiars descends upon them, and she pauses to cut them down before continuing. Sayaka also lays into them, ignoring their attacks and consistently taking advantage of the openings created at the moment they strike.
"You've been hunting witches full-time these days," Kyouko continues. "You haven't even been to school, have you? You won't last if you keep this up…"
"But… if Walpurgisnacht is really coming, it means Mitakihara's in for a pounding, right?" Sayaka says. "So I've gotta get better before then, even if it's only a tiny bit!"
As Sayaka leaps for the witch's main body, Kyouko calls after her.
"Hey, wait!"
The vines reach out and engulf Sayaka.
"Sayaka!?" Kyouko gasps.
But Sayaka cuts herself out of the enclosing vines, darts through another few familiars, ignoring the woody spears that pierce her body and slicing the head right off the witch. Then she raises her sword and swings downward, bisecting the rest of the witch's body.
"Hey, stop that!" Kyouko protests. "It's good that you're stronger and all, but the way you fight is way too reckless!"
"Do you think so, Sakura Kyouko?" Kyuubey asks, appearing behind them. "I advised her on her fighting style. She can recover from damage many times as quickly as the average magical girl. Don't you think she would be unbeatable if she just shut down her pain receptors?"
"You really think she could survive that way!?" Kyouko asks angrily.
"Helping her to improve in such a short period of time is a nigh impossible task," Kyuubey says. "I suggest you set aside such concerns."
"It's alright, Kyouko!" Sayaka says confidently. "I think I'm made for this kind of fighting! I don't think anybody can beat me like this!"
"Well, I wouldn't go bragging about it," Kyouko says. "But…"
As she speaks, the barrier collapses, and before she can finish her sentence, they both see Homura standing before them.
"It's you," Sayaka says coldly.
"I didn't expect you to come to us," Kyouko says.
"Miki Sayaka," Homura says. "You must stop using that foolish fighting tactic immediately. You will only kill yourself if you continue."
"Don't you give me your crap!" Sayaka shouts. "You have no right to say anything to me! Kyouko, do it!"
Suddenly, the three of them are surrounded by one of Kyouko's chain barriers. Homura looks around, startled.
"This'll stop you from getting away!" Kyouko says.
"Now we can finally finish you off!" Sayaka shouts.
And from there, it breaks out into a total brawl.
About a minute and a half after the fight starts, I spot them in my regular vision as I land on a nearby roof. Having anticipated the event, I'd left the Hayashi house ahead of time to aim for the approximate location where Elsa Maria would be found, so that's the only reason I'm able to locate them so quickly.
In such an enclosed space, Homura is unable to get much mileage out of her time stop. Her right arm is currently dripping blood from quite a serious injury to her right arm, and as I watch, she teleports behind Sayaka as she's on the verge of a finishing blow. Despite her injury, she grabs a pistol in her right hand and shoots Sayaka in the legs before grabbing Kyouko and holding the gun to her head, only to take a sword through her gut despite her hostage. She then shoves Kyouko aside and jumps back, out of Sayaka's range.
As I leap down from the roof, summoning Teddy Mk II and initiating charge in mid-drop, an explosion fills the interior of the barrier, one of Homura's bombs. Even though it blew up literally right in Sayaka's face, she's still pretty much uninjured by the time the smoke clears. I pull out my sword and cleave straight through Kyouko's barrier, landing next to the opening and positioning Teddy to aim through it.
"I know I already called in my favour, Miss Sakura," I say, "but I'm still going to have to ask you to stand down."
While the smoke was obscuring vision, it seems that Kyouko has captured Homura and now has her spear held across the emotionless girl's throat, preventing her from using time stop in any useful way. Kyouko stares at me.
"The hell're you doing here?" she shouts.
Sayaka is facing away from me, but turns to look.
"Who the hell are you?" she shouts. "Are you working with the transfer student?"
"If you must know, Miss Akemi threatened me at gunpoint just a few days ago," I retort. "So I can't say we're working together. Even so… I can't allow you to kill her. I need her alive."
"I have no idea who the hell you are, but this has nothing to do with you!" Sayaka shouts.
"Right, this little shit killed Mami!" Kyouko shouts.
"Go take your alternative facts elsewhere," I retort. "I saw Miss Tomoe die myself. Although Miss Akemi could certainly be held responsible for Miss Tomoe's death, there's no evidence that it was intentional. Should I describe everything I saw in detail?"
"Don't lie," Sayaka retorts. "There was no-one else there but Madoka and the transfer student!"
"I never said I was there," I say. "I only said I saw it happen."
"Don't pretend to be clever," Sayaka says. "It's obvious that you have to be there to see it happen!"
"Says the person who heals any injury within seconds," I retort. "That's no more believable than my claim, now is it? I don't have to be there to see it."
"Except that your claim is a lie," Sayaka says. "The only ones who saw it were me, Madoka, and the transfer student."
"By your logic, it's not possible for me to have heard this, right? 'Between a person I can't stand and another I can't get along with… let's give that girl a surprise! Until then, I'm in your care!'"
Sayaka and Kyouko gasp. Although I'm quoting Kyouko, I don't make any attempt to mimic her voice, but I do try to at least get a similar same cadence as she used for that line.
"There's no way! I would've noticed if someone was eavesdropping back then!" Kyouko shouts.
"Then how about this? 'Oh, it might be better to have the extra firepower, but I ain't gonna work with someone who I can't even trust.'"
Kyouko blinks. "Stop being creepy and repeating my lines back at me!"
"Maybe this'll convince you? 'Who's helping you? I'm just here after an evil witch. Unlike you, I don't wait until someone weakens the witch in battle first.'"
"W-what!?" Sayaka gasps. "I'm sure there was no-one around then, either!"
"Are you really gonna be so adamant about disbelieving me?" I ask. "Alright, those were just warmups. Perhaps this will convince you?" I take a deep breath before quoting Mami herself. "What Miss Tomoe said to Miss Kaname… 'Miss Miki is right. You were too reckless… but even though I should be lecturing you, thank you, Miss Kaname. If it weren't for you, I would be dead right now. It's okay now! I will not be careless this time!' …surely that's sufficient to convince you that I witnessed it?"
"Th-that's… that's exactly what Miss Mami said after Madoka saved her…" Sayaka gasps. "How could you possibly know that!? Even the transfer student wouldn't know that…"
"I literally said it right from the start," I say. "I saw the whole thing. Geez, I feel like I'm arguing with a brick wall here… I'm a magical girl, you know? Why are you so surprised that I have magic powers?"
"Wait… so you're saying… Miss Akemi didn't kill Miss Mami?" Kyouko asks doubtfully.
"No, I was there!" Sayaka says. "I saw it all! It was definitely Miss Akemi's fault!"
"The two statements 'it was Miss Akemi's fault that Miss Tomoe died' and 'Miss Akemi killed Miss Tomoe' are not at all equivalent," I say. "The first one is probably true to a degree, but the second one is demonstrably false. It was Cha– um, the witch that killed Miss Tomoe."
Sayaka glares at me. "Enough of your lies! I don't know who you are, but I've had enough of standing here listening to you!"
She leaps at me with her sword, but I respond by shouting my attack.
"Ultimate Teddy Glittering Gunk!"
The glitter beam strikes Sayaka head-on, causing her to stumble in mid-leap and fall flat on her face. It then continues on to strike Kyouko and Homura. Somehow, perhaps because I'm viewing Homura as a friendly, she seems to be unaffected by the charm magic and manages to wriggle her way out of Kyouko's grasp.
"Damn you and your charm magic," Kyouko grumbles.
Homura kneels by Sayaka and flips her over onto her back, using a grief seed to purify her soul gem. Then she simply vanishes from sight, leaving the three of us there. Kyouko blinks.
"The hell was that about just now…?"
«Don't think this is enough to make me trust you,» Homura's voice sounds within my head. «I still think you're a dangerous wildcard.»
«You know, you could just say thank you,» I retort.
«It's not like I needed your help,» Homura replies.
«Yeah, well, that's only because Miss Miki would've turned into a witch if I hadn't come,» I reply.
"Kyouko… who is she?" Sayaka asks.
"Ashley Taylor," Kyouko says. "An exchange student… barely managed to get the best of me one time."
"Huh… she was able to beat you?" Sayaka asks.
"Only thanks to that dirty charm magic of hers, but yes," Kyouko says. "Now that I know about it, I'd easily cream her."
"I don't see how my charm is so different from Rosso Fantasma," I say.
Kyouko narrows her eyes.
"You've been talking to Mami, haven't you… before she died, that is…"
"Perhaps," I say ambiguously.
"What's a Rosso Fantasma?" Sayaka asks.
"That's none of your concern," Kyouko snaps.
"Now look here," I say. "You don't have to like Miss Akemi, but killing is wrong, okay?"
"Tell that to Miss Akemi!" Sayaka shouts.
"Waaay ahead of you there," I say. "I already had that chat with her a couple of days ago. Remember? When she was holding me at gunpoint?"
"Pretty brave to be talking back to someone holding a gun to your head," Kyouko says.
"Yeah, you could die…" Sayaka says.
Sayaka gets to her feet and turns to face me, brandishing her sword.
"But that's beside the point… if you're working with the transfer student, I can't let you get away!"
I let out a sigh. I guess she does have no reason to trust me, but after both me and Homura clearly said several times that we weren't working together… and furthermore showed no signs of being especially friendly with each other… this must be something like what Homura felt like when she tried to tell people the truth.
"You really are an idiot, Miss Miki," I say. "You should try actually listening to people for once. Maybe then you wouldn't keep dying in vain. I just saved your life, you know… you could at least say thanks."
Before either of them can ask me what I mean, I hop on Teddy's head and fly off.
"Hey! Come back here!" Sayaka shouts.
But I ignore her, and she can't jump high enough to reach me. I check on the two of them with my clairvoyance now that I'm gone.
"What's with her?" Sayaka asks. "She really gets on my nerves, a lot like the transfer student… it's not quite the same, but it's similar… and what does she mean, saving my life? We had the upper hand, dammit!"
Kyuubey pops up between them.
"Ashley Taylor…" it says. "Could it be… you also remember?"
"Remember what?" Kyouko asks.
"Never mind," Kyuubey says. "It is just idle speculation."
"Well, I don't mind Ashley Taylor as much as Homura," Kyouko says. "And from Homura's reaction when she showed up… I don't think they're working together. Homura seemed both surprised and not pleased to see her."
"Huh… really?" Sayaka blinks. "But if that's the case… why would the exchange student save her?"
"I have no freaking idea," Kyouko says. "But she did, and they're both gone now, so who cares? We can figure it out later. Let's go for some chow."
"S-sure…"
April twentieth. Kyouko and Sayaka face off against the witch Suleika. Although Sayaka's sword can't reach the witch in melee, this time she's smart enough to throw her swords instead, which is quite a bit more effective. As a result, the two of them make short work of the witch. However, Sayaka's soul gem, already pretty dark from the past few days of fighting mostly against familiars, has finally reached its limit. Perhaps it's even Homura's appearance that finally pushes her over the edge.
"You!" Sayaka shouts, pointing her sword at Homura. "Why do you keep showing up everywhere!?"
"You got a death wish or something?" Kyouko asks.
"I just want to make sure that you will be ready to face Walpurgisnacht when it arrives," Homura says coldly. "Whether you like me or not, I share your goal of defeating it."
"Then this is where I end you, Akemi Homura!" Sayaka shouts.
She raises her sword and steps towards Homura, but as always, Homura easily dodges her slash by teleporting out of the way. Sayaka turns on a dime and raises her sword to attack again, but before she can even begin her swing, she doubles over, her transformation cancelled as her soul gem begins to crack.
"Sayaka! Your soul gem!" Kyouko gasps.
Homura takes out a grief seed, but she's too late – the transformation is already complete.
"Kyouko… I… I'm sorry…" Sayaka gasps. "Ma…do…ka…"
Then her body slumps over as Oktavia von Seckendorff emerges, a labyrinth rapidly forming around them.
"Sayaka!?" Kyouko gasps. "W-what just happened?"
Kyouko dodges a barrage of cartwheels and darts in to retrieve Sayaka's body.
"Dammit! Where the hell'd this witch come from!?" Kyouko asks.
"Somewhere deep in your mind, you must've realized it by now," Homura says. "That witch is what used to be Miki Sayaka."
"Y-you…! What are you talking about!? What did you do to her!?"
"I did nothing… you saw it yourself, didn't you? When a soul gem is completely saturated with impurities, it becomes a grief seed and the magical girl is reborn as a witch."
"That can't be right," Kyouko says. "You're saying this thing is Sayaka!?"
"Yes… or rather, it used to be Sayaka."
As the witch throws another volley of cartwheels, Homura destroys them with carefully-placed shots from her pistol.
"There is no way to save her now that she's become this," Homura says. "I'll take her out."
"Wha…!?" Kyouko gasps. "Ain't there a way!? Any way to save Sayaka!?"
Homura visibly hesitates before giving her answer.
"None. Accept that she's gone."
"Hey! You wait one—"
But before she can finish her sentence, a series of explosions destroy Oktavia, and Homura shifts to a new position, facing away from the explosions as she flicks her hair. Kyouko points her spear at Homura's throat.
"You jerk!" Kyouko shouts. "I noticed, you know! You hesitated for a second there! There must be a way to save her now that she's become a witch!"
"There is no good way," Homura says. "I have seen Miki Sayaka turn into a witch countless times, and only twice has she been saved. Those two times can only be described as miracles. One time, it was Madoka who made a wish for her to come back to life. Another time, that girl in the jester suit, Elise Pierrot, used her strange power to take Sayaka's despair upon herself, returning Sayaka to normal but becoming a witch herself in exchange."
"Th-then… I'm sure Madoka would…"
"No," Homura says firmly. "I promised Madoka that I would not let her become a magical girl."
Kyouko glares at her, but whatever she may have been thinking of saying never comes out, because Kyuubey shows up to gloat instead.
"From the looks of things, it appears Sayaka didn't make it," it says. "Personally, I thought that encouraging Kyouko and Sayaka to team up and fight you together was a good plan… and since you didn't dare aim for their soul gems, Sayaka's regeneration powers were a serious threat to you, right?"
"Incubator…!"
"But it seems Sayaka must have used too much magic on her healing," Kyuubey continues. "Well, it was a desperate ploy, so I should have expected this."
"What is all this crap!?" Kyouko shouts. "What are you talking about!?"
"Having seen this, perhaps you will actually listen to what I have to say, Sakura Kyouko," Kyuubey says.
At that moment, a patter of feet is heard, and Madoka rounds the corner, gasping at the sight of Sayaka's body lying lifeless on the ground. Exactly how and why she's in that place at that time is unclear. Perhaps Kyuubey summoned her?
"Sayaka-chan…"
"Madoka…"
Kyouko and Homura power down as Kyuubey explains everything it knows about Homura, while Madoka sobs over Sayaka's body.
"So you see," it finishes. "Akemi Homura is a magical girl from the future."
Kyouko glares at Homura.
"I suppose that fits the facts, how you seemed to know so much and why you acted all high-and-mighty," she grumbles. "So you've relived this time period over and over, huh? I don't want to believe it, but… I can't see any reason to call it a lie. Still, if it's true…"
Suddenly Kyouko steps towards Homura and seizes her by the collar.
"You shoulda just explained everything from the start!"
"I did," Homura says, her calm voice masking a bitter undercurrent.
"Huh!?"
"There have been several instances where I explained everything," Homura says. "But not once did you believe me. In the end, nobody ever believes in the future… Sakura Kyouko, if I had explained this to you the first time we met, would you honestly have believed me?"
Kyouko seems to be rendered speechless by the question. Before she can think of any kind of retort, Madoka jumps up and pushes them apart.
"Stop this now!" she says. "Homura-chan was doing what she could to try and save Miss Mami and Sayaka-chan!"
"Is that right…?" Kyouko says. "Guess you got your own point of view… but… even if I know now, it don't mean it changes nothing."
She kneels down to gather up Sayaka's body.
"I ain't gonna stay around here any longer," she says. "See, I never had any real duty to fight for this town anyway."
"But… what about Sayaka-chan?" Madoka asks.
"I'll take her body back to her house," Kyouko says. "Can't leave her out here forever, can we?"
With that, she just walks off.
"Kyouko-chan…" Madoka sighs.
"Looks like this little chat is over," Kyuubey says. "And… it seems you have no chance of getting Kyouko to help you. Still… Walpurgisnacht will be here in just a few days. What will you do now, Akemi Homura?" It then turns to Madoka. "Madoka, anytime you want to become a magical girl, just say so. I remember you'd already decided on a wish last time."
"That's true, I had, but… I don't want that wish anymore," Madoka says.
"Surely there is another wish you could make," Kyuubey says.
"Well… I'm not sure," Madoka says.
"Say, I've been thinking, Ashley-nee," Inui says.
It's the day after Sayaka's witchification, and the two of us are in a witch's labyrinth at the haunted house, yet another duplicate of the Box Witch. I glance in her direction as I destroy three one-winged angels in a single swing.
"It just hit me a few days ago, but… you're going to go back in time, right?"
"Huh? Yeah, that's true…"
"But you promised we'd be together forever, didn't you?"
"Did I?"
Inui falls silent for a few seconds as she unleashes a blast of pink flame that fries about twenty familiars at once.
"Well… maybe I was the only one who heard it that way," Inui admits. "But you did definitely promise we'd be together until August, at least."
"I don't even remember saying that… but if you're saying I said it, then I'll believe you."
"So on that note, Ashley-nee, can I go back in time with you?"
I blink at her.
"Eh!? Um…"
I stop and stare at her for a few seconds.
"…what are you looking at me like that for?" Inui asks. "Isn't it an obvious question? If you go back in time and I don't, we'll be separated, right?"
"That… that's true," I admit.
A fresh wave of familiars distracts us, and we break from the conversation to take them down. Once we're in the clear again, I speak up once more.
"So, just wondering, but… if you went back in time with me, what would you do about Sho?"
Inui shoots me a strange look.
"Who?"
I blink at her. "Uhh… that was his name, right? Your former boyfriend? Who was killed by the Sleepwalking Spectre?"
"Oh, him?" Inui says. "Was that really his name? I don't even remember his face, much less his name…"
"Really? You seriously forgot about him?"
"No, of course not," Inui retorts. "I just can't remember his face, that's all. I can remember all the time we spent together, for what little that's worth."
"So… back to my question…"
Inui shrugs. "I dunno. Maybe I'd dump him. He'll probably be killed again anyway, so maybe I wouldn't even bother. Maybe I'd beat him up, just for fun."
I guess it's not exactly sudden or anything, but I'm surprised at her shift in thinking about him. I didn't think she'd be able to get over him in just one month.
"I… I see," I say.
"Was that a test?" she asks. "Were you going to say I can't come if I still love him?"
"No, no, it wasn't anything like that," I say. "Just curiosity really. Um… I'll think about your request, okay?"
"Sure," she says.
Do I have any reason to refuse? When Yuuri asked to go back, I said I wasn't sure if Homura could take four people… and I guess that still holds. Although Madoka came back this time, I did not, so it was still just three people… although there was also Kyuubey, and I'm not sure if it counts as a person. Having an Inui who remembers would certainly be helpful, though…
Well… it's not like I have to decide now. I have until the end of next week to ponder her request.
The last day of April finally arrives. Unfortunately, once again I have the unpleasant sensation of waking up in a witch's labyrinth. I'd thought Inui was okay, but perhaps she took the lack of response from me as a sign that I was planning to refuse her request, and forgot to tend to her soul gem. I was even ready to tell her she could come, and she had to turn into a witch before I got the chance… With a heavy heart, I defeat Uhrmann with Hiyori and Komachi for the second time.
I check up on the Tokime clan one more time. From what I can tell, it looks like the fateful day has come – Shizuka's soul gem is at least eighty percent corrupted, and she appears to be preparing for her coming-of-age ceremony, after which the Mikoshiba will push her into the river. That means the defeat of the Mikoshiba and her pet witch will probably happen early the following day, and bringing down Lucy is likely to be later in the afternoon. Then there should be at least a week of dealing with the aftermath before the three of them decide to leave the village.
I review my notes on my laptop, wait for the evacuation order with the Hayashi sisters, and finally accompany them to the evacuation shelter. When I get there, I find Madoka with her family, brooding. While the Hayashi sisters head over to meet with Claire, Elise, and Liliane, I go talk to the Kaname family.
"It's already pretty bad out there," I say. "How are you doing, Miss Kaname?"
She and her parents turn to look at me in surprise.
"Oh, are you talking to our daughter?" Mrs Kaname asks.
"Y-yeah," Madoka says. "She's something like… a friend of a friend? We've only spoken once, but I've heard a lot about her."
"My name is Ashley Taylor," I say. "I'm an exchange student at Mitakihara High School."
"Oh… so you're a foreigner?" Mrs Kaname asks. "Your Japanese is pretty good though. I never would've guessed you hadn't been born and raised here." She turns to look at Madoka. "It seems like there's something on your mind, so why don't you have a little chat with Miss Taylor in private?" she suggests.
"Y-yeah, sure," Madoka says.
So the two of us step outside into the hall.
"I can't say I'm alright," Madoka says. "I've seen my friends die in front of me not once but twice… I can't even imagine the kind of pain Homura-chan has been through, seeing them die hundreds of times over…"
I nod. "Yes… there's no doubt that she's been traumatized by the experience… but I didn't come here to talk about Miss Akemi. Miss Kaname… before Miss Akemi dragged you back in time, what were you about to wish for?"
"I… I just wanted to… erase all witches before they were born," Madoka says. "Every witch, past, present, and future."
I nod slowly.
"It sounds like a good wish on the surface, but… what did you really intend to accomplish by wishing for that?"
"Well… without witches, magical girls won't have to fight anymore, right?" Madoka says. "Or at least, that's what I thought back then…"
"Yeah, it's dead wrong," I say. "Witches are not the only monster born of human emotions. Even if you eliminate them, something else will just pop up for magical girls to fight. Furthermore, that wish… it would only lead to a grand tragedy of cosmic proportions, because Miss Akemi would never accept it. And while it's not quite as grand, destroying all witches going forward is possible even without a wish."
"But… it's not fair!" Madoka says. "If anyone tells me it's wrong to have hope, then I'll tell them they're wrong, every single time!"
"Is that the true purpose of your wish?" I ask.
"Yes, I think so," Madoka says. "I just want to let magical girls continue to have hope."
"I see. But Miss Akemi is dead set against you making a wish. Did she ever tell you why?"
Madoka shakes her head.
"No… I don't think she did."
"Well, I know why," I say, nodding. "When you were lying on the ground, about to turn into a witch, you asked her to make you a promise. She promised to go back in time and save you before you were deceived by Kyuubey. I think it's that promise that has sustained her all this time, so she can't bring herself to compromise on it."
"I don't remember that," Madoka says.
"Of course you wouldn't," I say. "That was when Miss Akemi still wore glasses and pigtails. She didn't have such a cool aura back then."
Madoka giggles. "Homura-chan in pigtails could be pretty cute though…"
"Oh, she was," I say. "You probably wouldn't've even recognized her…"
"Miss Taylor, how many times have you gone back in time?" Madoka asks.
"Well… I only remember four timelines other than this one," I say. "I'm not really sure what happened to me in all the other ones, but… I know they happened, because I have another friend who's also been piggybacking on Miss Akemi's power, and she told me there were around a hundred timelines where I just mysteriously went missing."
"Huh… why would that be…?" Madoka wonders.
"Well… that's not important," I say quickly. "Do you understand now why Miss Akemi doesn't want you to make a contract?"
Madoka nods. "I get it… it was her promise to me," she says. "But… I don't even remember making that promise… and if I go into it already knowing what I'm getting into, it's not like I'm being deceived anymore, right?"
"Yeah… so if you feel you need to make a wish, Miss Kaname, please don't hold back… as long as it's not the one you thought of last time. But there's still time, too, so no need to do it right now."
Madoka nods. "I'm not sure if I want to anymore," she says. "But I've definitely been considering it. And if I do decide to, I can get a cool magic weapon, right?"
"That's all I wanted to say," I say, nodding. "It seems like Miss Akemi wants to have a chat with you now."
I turn to where Homura has emerged from the shelter room, glaring at me.
"Didn't you say you wouldn't encourage her to make a wish, Miss Taylor?" Homura asks.
"Oh? You call that encouraging her?" I say. "I just told her to do what she wants. I did say I'd neither encourage nor discourage her, remember?"
"And that friend you mentioned… who is she?" Homura says.
Oh… she heard that? Ugh… well, hopefully this'll be the last run where I need to be wary of her, so maybe it doesn't matter, but… just to be on the safe side, I think I'll keep it under wraps a bit longer, even though to do so also risks antagonizing Homura.
"Do you really think I'd let you know my trump card so easily?" I ask.
"I haven't noticed anyone else who seems to know about the time travel," Homura says. "Except for those four… but the previous time I encountered them, they clearly didn't know, so you must have just told them about it directly."
"That's correct," I say. "Don't waste your time thinking about it. She's not someone you've ever met before."
Well… I'm not one hundred percent confident on that point, but it's pretty unlikely that Homura has ever managed to run into Hijiri. At least, Hijiri never mentioned it.
"I'll leave the two of you alone now," I say.
I head back into the shelter room and look around for the quartet. After a moment, I find them together with a wholly unexpected extra – Kure Kirika.
"Ashley-chan, hurry!" Hiyori says. "Miss Kure said she wants to talk to you!"
I hurry over, a little worried, but then Hiyori spots me and waves me over. Liliane isn't with them, and after looking around for a moment I spot her chatting with Sachie a short distance away.
I take a seat with the quartet and Kirika.
"So, what's this all about?" I ask.
"Are you Ashley Taylor?" Kirika asks.
"Yes, that's me," I say.
"Cool! Oriko told me to tell you that we should leave Walpurgisnacht to the trio with red, pink, and black hair."
"As in… Kyouko, Madoka, and Homura," I nod.
"Was that their names? I forgot," Kirika says. "Anyway, apparently, we don't have any chance of beating that witch anyway, so there's no point in throwing our lives away to try."
"I wish I could deny that but I can't," I sigh. "So, does Miss Mikuni have a plan?"
"She already made friends with the pinko," Kirika says. "So all we gotta do is watch her. If she shows any sign of becoming a witch, then bam! She dies."
"Is she planning to take additional measures to lower the chance of Miss Kaname becoming a witch?"
"Well duh!" Kirika says. "If she becomes a witch, the whole planet is doomed! Apparently that old hag agreed to make her a weapon."
"Huh? Pernelle agreed to that without even meeting Miss Kaname?"
"No, she already met the pinko," Kirika says.
I blink. It seems like there's been a bunch of things going on with Oriko that I completely missed this time around. This also puts one of Madoka's comments a little while ago in a new perspective – she must've been talking about a weapon that Pernelle promised to craft for her.
"So um… is that the whole reason you're here, Miss Kure?" I ask.
"Pretty much!" Kirika says. "But if you wanna hear it straight from Oriko, I can call her up."
"She's not here?"
Kirika shakes her head.
"Nah, she and that axe lady are at the other evacuation shelter," Kirika says. "I wanted to be there with her, but she said I had to give you this message."
"I guess they don't have a small child with a hammer with them, huh?"
Kirika tilts her head. "I never saw someone like that?"
"Alright… I'd love to have a little chat with Oriko directly, but is a call going to be okay in this weather?"
Kirika shrugs. "Dunno… anyway, she said we should do it in the hall where people won't hear us."
As Kirika and I head out into the hall, I peek on Homura and Madoka and see that they've already left the evacuation shelter.
"I can't stop thinking about it though," Madoka says. "This monster could kill so many people… and Oriko-chan told me it was too powerful for her to defeat…"
Homura suddenly spins to face her.
"Y-you met Oriko!?"
Madoka blinks at her.
"Yeah… a few times," she says.
"Did… did she hurt you at all?" Homura asks.
"N-no… she seemed like a nice person," Madoka says. "She took me on a trip and even bought me dinner…"
Homura blinks.
"Oriko being… nice…? That's… I've never seen that happen…"
"W-what's the matter, Homura?" Madoka asks. "I'm sure she's a good person…"
"But she's killed you in several other timelines," Homura says. "Maybe she's trying to get close to you so she can finish you off more easily…"
"I don't believe that!" Madoka protests. "I don't think you can fake that sort of kindness so easily! M-maybe she did kill me in some timeline, but… whatever her reason for that was, I'm sure it doesn't exist this time…"
"Hmm… well, it's true that she didn't try it in most of the timelines," Homura muses. "Still, this is very strange behaviour for her… she never intentionally initiated contact before, either…"
"We've become friends, Homura-chan, so please stop saying bad things about her," Madoka says firmly. "I also met her other friends, Kirika-chan and Miss Komaki…"
"Asako Komaki?" Homura asks.
"Y-yeah… do you know her?"
Homura shakes her head.
"Not really… she usually ended up dying early on, at least in the timelines when I noticed her at all… I've only heard her name."
Madoka sighs.
"Anyway, the thing is, Homura-chan… you know how much magical potential I have, right? If I just made a contract, defeating Walpurgisnacht would be easy!"
"No!" Homura shouts. "There's no point to all this if you just make a contract!"
"But it's hard for me to stand by and watch you take all the punishment," Madoka says. "Miss Taylor told me about the promise you made to another me, but… haven't you already fulfilled it? Even if I become a magical girl now…"
"No!" Homura insists. "If you become a magical girl now, you'll just turn into a witch as soon as you defeat Walpurgisnacht! I can't bear to watch that again! And that witch of yours will destroy the entire world! Did you forget that!?"
"It's true, even Oriko-chan warned me about that," Madoka sighs. "But even so…"
The conversation is interrupted at that moment by Kyuubey.
"Oh, so here you are," it says. "Well, it seems like Sakura Kyouko intends to fight Walpurgisnacht alone, but judging from your talk, you two don't seem all that keen to join."
Madoka gasps. "Kyouko-chan is!?"
She breaks into a run.
"Madoka, wait!"
But before Homura can run after her, Kyuubey's words bring Homura to a halt, and she turns to stare at it.
"What purpose would it serve to chase after her?" When Homura doesn't offer a response, it continues. "Well, Akemi Homura? Wouldn't it be easier for you to go back in time right now by yourself? You and Madoka may be looking in the same direction, but your goals are entirely different. The only reason you bothered trying to save the other magical girls is because Madoka wanted it. I think you've already realized it. At this point, neither of you will reach your goals if you work together… and if she is only going to get in your way, then your best option is to start all over again from scratch, on your own. That's what you've always done, right?"
Homura stares at the incubator for several long seconds. Then she turns and runs after Madoka.
"Righty-o, here she is, Oriko!"
Kirika suddenly shoves her phone into my face, distracting me from the vision. While I'd been watching Madoka, Homura, and Kyuubey chat, Kirika had called Oriko and made her report. Now, it seems, it's my turn. I accept the phone from Kirika and hold it to my ear.
"Good afternoon, Miss Oriko," I say.
"Since when were we on a first-name basis?" Oriko's voice responds. "Well, I will let it pass for today. You're the sort of person who likes to know everything, is that not correct?"
"Well… I don't think there's much point in hearing absolutely everything," I say. "We only have about an hour before time is turned back again, after all. But a summary would be nice."
"Well then, I shall cover the main points."
March twenty-sixth. Oriko took the train to Asunaro and located the address Ashley had given her. The house claimed to be for sale, but it was undoubtedly the correct address, so Oriko walked up to the door and knocked. After a delay, a woman answered the door, with long brown hair and painted nails. She did not wear a magical girl ring.
"Who might ye be?" the woman asked.
Her Japanese was overly formal and a little archaic, but still understandable.
"Are you Pernelle Flamel?" Oriko asked. "My name is Mikuni Oriko. I was referred to you by a girl named Ashley Taylor."
"So Miss Taylor sent you… then I suppose I should invite you in," the woman said. "Ye may call me Pernelle. Would ye care for some tea?"
"Yes, thank you, Miss Pernelle," Oriko said.
Pernelle led her into the kitchen and served her a cup of tea with the bag still in it. Oriko wrinkled her nose a little, as the tea was not very good quality, but she did not say anything. However, Pernelle seemed to pick up on that little gesture.
"If ye dislike it, plainly say so," she said irritably.
"It is not my preference," Oriko said. "But you are the one who offered me tea, so I shall drink it."
Pernelle raised her eyebrows. "Why come ye hither?" she asked.
"There are two things Miss Taylor said to me that I wished to verify," Oriko said. "First… she claimed that you can create a weapon that will lessen the burden of a magical girl's magic on her soul gem."
Pernelle nodded. "Indeed, the Sword of Saint Catherine that I once crafted for Jeanne d'Arc had that property."
Oriko blinked. "You are claiming not only that Jeanne d'Arc was a magical girl, but that you personally knew her?"
"Is that so difficult to believe?" Pernelle said. "Ye know my name. Ye can verify my date of birth in the annals of history."
"If you would excuse me…"
Oriko took her phone out and did an Internet search on Pernelle's full name. The first result was the Wikipedia page placing her birth date in the year 1320.
"You are the wife of Nicholas Flamel?"
"Indeed I am," Pernelle said.
"And your long life is owed to this… stone of the philosopher?"
Pernelle shook her head.
"The Philosopher's Stone has prolonged my husband's life, but it has no effect on me. I am a magical girl… the only deaths open to me are the destruction of the soul gem or the metamorphosis into a grief seed."
Oriko removed the tea bag from her cup and set it aside, then raised it to her lips to take a sip. After setting the cup down again, she resumed her questioning.
"So, you confirm that you could craft a weapon as I previously mentioned?"
Pernelle nodded.
"It is within my power, but I am first and foremost a scientist, not a blacksmith. If I take a liking to the intended wielder, or if whimsy takes me, then perhaps I will craft the weapon, but there is no price you can offer me that can purchase the service."
"I understand," Oriko said. "Now to my second question. Miss Taylor made a truly baffling proposal, and mentioned that you may have information to back it up." When Pernelle didn't comment, she forged onwards. "Miss Taylor proposed eliminating all witches from Mitakihara and placing a barrier to prevent new ones from entering. On the face of things, it would seem like an anti-solution, but I would like your thoughts on the matter."
Pernelle chuckled.
"I understand her thinking," she said. "Humans leak excess emotional energy at all times, which slowly builds up in areas where many humans gather. Under normal circumstances, witches consume this energy and slowly grow in strength. However… what then if there were no witches in the area? If that energy builds up faster than it can dissipate, then eventually, it will coalesce into monsters that attack humans and feed off their emotions."
"Then… it is true?" Oriko said.
"I have seen them with my own eyes," Pernelle said. "I have killed them with my own hands. They appeared most often in groups, though if left unchecked, they would consume each other and grow in strength. When killed, they dropped these."
She produced a grief cube from a pocket somewhere and handed it to Oriko.
"I have kept that for hundreds of years, but I no longer have use for it. Ye may keep it."
Oriko took it and examined it.
"What is this? It seems a bit similar to a grief seed…"
"Indeed, it has a similar purifying effect to a grief seed," Pernelle said. "A single one of those monsters drops several of them. In a world without witches, magical girls would not have to worry about whether or not the monsters they fight will drop a reward. However… the incubators would not simply sit back and allow it to happen. If you wish to follow that path, you must be prepared to defend yourselves against their machinations."
Oriko changed her soul to gem form and tried pressing the grief cube against it. Sure enough, the few impurities in her soul gem were transferred into the cube, the same as when she used a grief seed.
"But… if that's the case… why has no-one attempted this before?" Oriko asked.
"I can think of at least three reasons," Pernelle said. "First, the logistical concerns have never been met. Magical girls are typically territorial even when they form teams, and convincing them to perform an experiment of this magnitude rarely works out. Second, there are few actually capable of creating a barrier that keeps witches out. And third… as I said a moment ago, if the incubators caught on, they would do anything and everything in their power to stop it."
"Then how were you able to witness these monsters?" Oriko asked.
"This very island we presently reside on is the answer," Pernelle said. "Since it was created out of nothing with the wish of a magical girl, there were no people nor witches here back then. That girl brought many people to this land free of witches, and owing to the barrier of the strait, no witches arrived from without. She eventually became the first witch on this island, but until then, she and other magical girls from her family fought against those monsters. Since the monsters were a novelty to me at the time, I hung around to study them."
Oriko nodded and drained the last of her tea.
"I see… you have given me much to think about, Miss Pernelle. The girl I had in mind for the weapon is someone else, and while she has yet to become a magical girl, it is all but inevitable that she eventually does. Would you mind if I brought her before that happens?"
Pernelle shrugged. "If it is merely to determine whether I would accept the job, then it matters not whether she is a magical girl. However, she would still need to visit again after contracting before I can determine the nature of the weapon to craft."
"Understood. Then, we shall meet again soon, Miss Pernelle."
March twenty-seventh. Oriko disembarked from the train in Kamihama and began to search randomly for a witch. It didn't matter where or when she found a witch – merely the act of finding one guaranteed that a magical girl would eventually appear there. After an hour or two, she finally picked up a witch's trail and traced it to an abandoned construction sight. Just as she revealed the portal, however, the signature vanished and a girl with purple hair, white skirt, black witch hat and cape, and scythe stepped out. The two of them blinked at each other for a few seconds, and then she spotted the soul gem out on Oriko's palm.
"Ah! You're a magical girl too!" she said. "I'm Misono Karin! Nice to meet you! I'm sorry for stealing your kill…"
"That is quite alright," Oriko says. "You see, I wasn't here to fight a witch in the first place."
Karin blinked at her. "Eh? Then… why were you here?"
"To meet you, Miss Misono," Oriko said. "I am Mikuni Oriko. It is a pleasure to meet you."
"Why would you want to meet me?" Karin asked. "I'm not famous or anything… I mean there was that phantom thief incident but it's all in the past…"
"Please do not misunderstand, Miss Misono," Oriko said. "I was seeking not you specifically, but just a magical girl of this city who can give me the information I desire."
"Ah… well, I'm not sure if I can help, but… what are you looking for?"
"I seek someone known as the Coordinator."
"Oh, I can take you to her!" Karin said. "She might not be in this early on a Sunday… but you can always wait for her."
"Thank you very much, Miss Misono," Oriko said.
Karin powered down and began to lead Oriko towards Mitama's shop.
"By the way… it's not often people from outside come asking for the Coordinator," Karin said. "Where'd you hear about her?"
"A girl named Ashley Taylor told me about her," Oriko said.
"Ah! You're a friend of Ashley-chan!?"
Oriko shook her head.
"We are not friends… she is but an acquaintance," she said. "We may even become enemies in the future."
"Aww… well, I hope that doesn't happen," Karin said.
"It seems like you are close with Miss Taylor?" Oriko asked.
"Well, uhh… not super-close," Karin admitted. "But when she visited awhile back, we bonded over a shared interest, you know? So… I do consider her a friend. I don't have that many friends, so I really treasure the few I do have, you know?"
"Is that so…"
Eventually, Karin led her to a building that appeared abandoned from the outside.
"Here we are!" Karin said. "Mitama's office is just through there… if she's not around, she'll probably be in later, so you could just wait. Um, I've got things to do, so… I'll see you later?"
"Yes, goodbye, Miss Misono, and thank you for taking the trouble to help me," Oriko said.
"No problem!"
Karin headed off, and Oriko ducked through the indicated doorway into the bright, inviting reception room. As fortune had it, there was someone there, who looked up as Oriko entered.
"Welcome!" she said. "I haven't seen you around here before… I'm Yakumo Mitama, the Coordinator!"
Oriko bowed. "I am Mikuni Oriko," she said. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"So, Miss Oriko… what brings you to my place?" Mitama asked.
"I have been informed that you perform services for magical girls in exchange for grief seeds," Oriko said. "And in that vein, I have a question for you."
Mitama nodded. "You have something that you want, and you'd like to know if I can do it, is that correct?"
Oriko nodded. "Yes. Suppose there were a magical girl who uses her magic up too quickly, who needs to use two or three times as many grief seeds as other magical girls. Is there anything you could do to help that magical girl require fewer grief seeds?"
Mitama nodded. "I understand your request… but unfortunately I can't give you a straight answer," she said. "There are several reasons why a magical girl might use up her power so quickly. Some of those reasons are things that I can treat… others, the girl herself must learn with experience. Although, I can also offer training as a service, if that interests you."
"I see," Oriko said. "If you examined the girl in question, would you be able to identify whether any treatments or training would help?"
Mitama nodded. "Of course. Would the magical girl in question happen to be yourself?"
Oriko tilted her head thoughtfully.
"I had another girl in mind," she said. "But I cannot deny that I too have had some trouble getting enough grief seeds to keep my soul gem pure. Perhaps I can use myself as a guinea pig to test your claims."
Mitama nodded. "I'd be happy to take a look at your soul gem," she said. "It'll cost you a grief seed… and if you'd like, I'll even throw in a standard tune-up as a bonus. When I'm finished, you'll be able to share your magic with other magical girls for a more powerful attack."
Oriko shook her head and smiled.
"No, I think I will stick to just the stamina checkup today," she said. "It does sound intriguing though, so perhaps I will try this tune-up some other time."
Mitama nodded. "In that case, follow me into the back," she said.
She led Oriko into the back room and indicated the bed.
"Please take off all your clothes and lay down on the bed."
Oriko shot Mitama a look before laying down on the bed, choosing to simply ignore Mitama's crazy request. Mitama let out a sigh.
"Aw shucks, you serious types are no fun," she said. "Anyway, hand over your soul gem."
Oriko transformed her soul to gem form and passed it to Mitama, who delicately poked and prodded at it for a few minutes. Eventually, she nodded.
"You do appear to have a slight deficiency in your magic pathways," she said. "If you'll part with a grief seed, I'll happily correct it for you."
"Please," Oriko said.
She produced a grief seed and handed it over, and Mitama resumed prodding at her soul gem, frowning a little. After about ten minutes, she looked up again.
"Well… try using your magic," Mitama said. "See if it seems smoother."
"I understand," Oriko said.
She closed her eyes for a moment, attempting to summon a vision. She saw Madoka fighting a witch and using up all her magic to defeat it, at which point Kirika leapt in to shatter her soul gem before she could turn into a witch. Then the vision reset, with a different Madoka. Despite doing almost the same thing, this second Madoka had a respectable margin remaining after defeating the witch.
Oriko opened her eyes and looked at her soul gem. She'd already gotten a feel for about how much grief a vision would introduce into her soul gem, and it did indeed seem as though it was less clouded than she had come to expect, although not by much. Still, the vision itself proved that Mitama's treatment would be even more effective on Madoka.
"Thank you," she said.
She sat up and held out her hand, and Mitama passed the soul gem back.
"You're sure you don't want a tune-up?" Mitama asked.
"No," Oriko said. "I will consider it for next time. Thank you for your help."
"It has been my pleasure," Mitama says. "I hope to see you again, Miss Oriko."
March thirty-first. Oriko was sitting in a café, sipping at her cup of tea, and Kirika sat beside her, slurping up the remains of a frappucino. The door opened to admit Madoka and Komaki. Komaki looked around, spotted Oriko, and pointed to her table, then joined the line to order while Madoka headed over to greet Oriko. Kirika jumped up to join Komaki in the line.
"Um, hello," Madoka said. "You're… Mikuni Oriko, right?"
Oriko nodded, so Madoka continued speaking.
"Um, I'm Kaname Madoka," she said. "Miss Komaki said… she said there was a magical girl who wanted to meet me, but I shouldn't tell Homura-chan… why is that?"
"If Miss Akemi were to find out about this meeting, I believe no good could come of it," Oriko said. "In the worst case, I may even lose my life."
"Eh!? I'm sure Homura-chan wouldn't do something like that!" Madoka protested.
"Well, I did say 'in the worst case'… anyway, please take a seat," Oriko said.
"So um… why did you want to meet me?" Madoka asked.
"Miss Taylor suggested I should meet the one who is destined to destroy the world," Oriko said.
Madoka blinked. "Uh… what? D-do you mean… me? I'd never do something like that!"
Oriko raised her eyebrows. "Oh? Have you not even once been tempted by the incubator's promises?" she asked. "Would you truly never give in and become a magical girl?"
Madoka fell silent for a bit.
"I… I can't say I never would," she said. "I had a wish in mind before… before this happened… but Homura-chan really seemed set on me not becoming a magical girl, so I thought I could at least wait until Walpurgisnacht arrives again before deciding, for her sake."
"I see," Oriko said. "But do you not comprehend what would happen if you became a magical girl? You'd destroy Walpurgisnacht in one shot, but that would take all of your magic."
Madoka blinked. "Um… based on how you're talking… could it be you're from the future too, Miss Mikuni?"
Oriko shook her head. "No… I merely have the power to see what is to come," she said.
"So are you saying I would turn into a witch immediately after defeating Walpurgisnacht?" Madoka asked.
"Yes, and that witch would be even more terrible than Walpurgisnacht," Oriko said. "Your labyrinth would swallow the entire planet… it would be the end of civilization as we know it. I cannot say that it would be total annihilation, but… it would be a very different world."
"But how else are we supposed to beat that thing!?" Madoka protested. "If I can't do it because I'd become something even worse just by trying… what other option is there!?" She paused for a moment. "W-what if I… if I crushed my soul gem as soon as Walpurgisnacht was dead?"
Oriko closed her eyes for a few moments. Then she opened them and shook her head.
"It would seem that approach is too optimistic," Oriko said. "The window in which it is viable is too small to rely upon. Even if you are fully prepared to take your own life, you may still be too late."
"Then… there must be another way!" Madoka said. "I can't accept just allowing that witch to destroy the city! What if… what if you and Miss Komaki and that other girl joined the battle? Maybe I wouldn't even be needed then?"
Oriko shook her head. "Your potential is so much greater than ours that we would just be a drop in the bucket," she said. "It would probably take at least a hundred magical girls to substitute for your power… although, I think fewer would be sufficient to defeat Walpurgisnacht. All the magical girls in Mitakihara and Kazamino are certainly not enough, however. Especially not if Miss Tomoe perishes."
"Are there no others besides Miss Mami and Kyouko-chan and the two of you?" Madoka asked.
"There are quite a number of them," Oriko said. "As you see, I have a team of three, and there is a team of four in the west, near Mitakihara High School. There are also some solo veterans besides Miss Tomoe, and there is a team of five in Kazamino. But even though that sounds like a lot – it comes to around twenty in total, I believe – many of them are on the weaker side. It is too early for me to reliably predict if there are enough magical girls to defeat Walpurgisnacht… with Miss Tomoe and Miss Sakura together, and a few others to back them up, there might be a chance even if you did not contract, but it is a very slim chance. Even if we were to round up all the girls with potential in this town and convince them all to make a wish, I do not believe it would be enough to defeat Walpurgisnacht without the aid of either yourself or both Miss Tomoe and Miss Sakura."
"I can't accept that it's hopeless," Madoka said. "There has to be something…"
At that moment, Komaki slammed a drink down in front of her and plopped down in the next seat over.
"Ain't nothing you can do but not contract, right?" she said. "Leave the witches to those of us who can fight. One way or another, we'll figure something out."
Kirika also plopped back down in the seat she was occupying earlier, now furnished with a fresh frappucino.
"Well, it doesn't matter to me," she said. "But I know Oriko will be able to come up with something even if you don't join us."
"Well, that would be the ideal outcome," Oriko said. "By the way, this is my other teammate, Kure Kirika."
"Ah… pleased to meet you, Miss Kure," Madoka said. "You go to my school, I see…"
"Sometimes," Kirika shrugged. "When I feel like it."
"R-right…"
"But even if you did become a magical girl, Miss Kaname," Oriko continued, "there may be ways to stave off the witch transformation."
"L-like what?" Madoka asked.
"I believe I would not be the best person to ask about that," Oriko said. "Miss Taylor recommended someone who could make some suggestions. Would you like to meet her?"
Madoka considered for a bit.
"Y-yes… I don't currently plan to make a contract but… if Walpurgisnacht comes again and it seems like it's the only way to defeat it, then I won't hold back," she said. "Please let me meet that person!"
Oriko nodded.
"Very well… then how about this Saturday?" she suggested. "You can meet me at the station. Please keep this a secret from Miss Akemi."
Madoka nodded. "Okay… I'll be there."
April second. Oriko led Madoka and Kirika through Asunaro and knocked on Pernelle's door. It was nearly a minute before she answered.
"Oh, Miss Mikuni," she said. "Is that the girl in question?"
"Yes, this is she," Oriko said. "And this is my teammate, Kure Kirika."
"Come in, come in," Pernelle said. "What is your name?"
"Um, I'm Kaname Madoka."
"Ye can call me Pernelle. Ye are not a magical girl, I see…"
Madoka nodded. "At least, not yet… I still haven't decided."
Pernelle led them into the living room, where the two of them let out a gasp at the sight of a portal bearing her emblem.
"Eh? Th-there's a witch in your house?" Madoka asked.
"Shall I kill it for you!?" Kirika shouted.
"Nay, this is my personal barrier," Pernelle said. "Please, step inside."
"Oh, it's yours!" Kirika gasped.
She tapped the portal, then stepped through it, and the three girls quickly followed suit. They emerged into a blank white room with several doors.
"It looks pretty normal," Madoka said.
"Boooring," Kirika said.
"I can mould it however I see fit," Pernelle said.
She formed a chair and some sort of elaborate device out of the floor.
"Miss Kaname, please take a seat."
"O-okay!"
Madoka sat down in the chair, and Pernelle swung the device across the chair to examine her with it. A moment later, her eyes went wide.
"This magical potential… it is truly unprecedented!" she said. "Is that the result of the convergence of countless timelines?"
"Eh? Wait, Miss Pernelle, you know about the time travel?" Madoka asked.
"The sense of deja vu at the beginning of a timeline is hard to miss," Pernelle said. "Furthermore, Miss Taylor already mentioned the possibility before time had even started to loop."
"…who is this Miss Taylor I keep hearing about?" Madoka asked.
"That matters not at this moment," Pernelle said. "Given this magical potential, I would not recommend that ye become a magical girl."
Madoka blinked. "Eh? Why not?"
"Because I have no way to predict what may happen," Pernelle said. "At this level, ye could probably rewrite all of history with your wish, if ye so desired it. To someone like me, that would be the worst outcome imaginable."
"S-so… you think my wish is… is wrong?" Madoka asked.
"What wish did ye have in mind?" Pernelle asked.
"To… to erase all witches before they're born," Madoka said. "All witches, past, present, and future."
Pernelle frowned.
"If ye were to make that wish, it would make you my enemy," she said coldly. "Not only is it trampling on everyone's efforts to get to this point… not only is it potentially scrambling all of my research thus far… that in itself is bad enough, but on top of that, the wish itself is utterly useless."
Madoka blinked. "Eh? W-what do you mean?"
"I mean, it accomplishes nothing useful," Pernelle said. "Ye would destroy millennia of human history just for your own personal agenda? Ye cannot comprehend how much our history has depended on witches. Without witches, we would not be where we are today. The witch Armageddon Twilight may be the very foundation of my faith, of Christianity and even its predecessor, Judaism. The witch Ragnarok Noon probably paved the way for the Viking society that expanded throughout northwest Europe. The witch Queen's Twilight instigated the legend of Jeanne d'Arc, and without that witch, I never would have met her. Even Walpurgisnacht, terrible though she is, has driven humanity forward. If ye view witches as pure evil, then ye are missing the bigger picture. Adversity drives civilization forward, after all. We must defeat witches, of course; but without witches to defeat, where would we be now? It would be a very different place. It may still be a good place, but it would not be the same, and I for one am quite fond of this world."
"I… I see," Madoka said. "I guess… I guess I didn't… think it through enough… I'm sorry…"
Pernelle sighed. "Well, ye are yet young, so 'tis a lot to expect from you," she said. "But also, if your goal was that magical girls wouldn't need to fight, then ye would have failed."
"Eh? But without witches…?"
"There would be other monsters in their place," Pernelle said. "They would not be born from magical girls, but they would be just as much of a danger to humans."
"But that wasn't even my goal, really," Madoka said. "Fighting or not fighting isn't the real problem. All I wanted to do was make sure that magical girls can continue to have hope… it's not fair that a magical girl is destined to end in despair. It's wrong that they're told they cannot have hope. That's what I really wanted to change."
Suddenly Pernelle smiled.
"I see… in the end, ye may be naïve, but ye are actually a lot like Jeanne d'Arc," she said. "Very well… if ye do become a magical girl, Miss Kaname, I will forge you a weapon that will help your magical stamina and control, similar to the weapon I forged for Jeanne d'Arc. Just ensure ye come see me as soon as possible after you make your contract. Otherwise, I will not be held responsible for the witch that ye may become."
Madoka nodded. "Thank you so much, Miss Pernelle! That makes me feel a lot better!"
"If I may ask, Miss Pernelle," Oriko spoke up. "Are there any additional measures that could be taken? Miss Taylor also mentioned something called Puella Care…"
Pernell nodded. "The techniques of Livia Medeiros should be able to improve magical efficiency to a degree," she said. "Besides that, the only other cure is carefully training her magic control. It will take time and effort, but it should greatly decrease the chance of accidentally using up her magic."
"In other words, the risk of her transformation will go down over time," Oriko said. "Many thanks for agreeing to help, Miss Pernelle. I am greatly indebted to you. However… I must also ask a rather depressing question. What about the worst-case scenario where Miss Kaname does become a witch despite all of our efforts? Is there any way to stop her if that happens?"
Pernelle shrugged.
"Given her magical potential, it is impossible to tell," she said. "Perhaps if the legendary so-called Holy Trinity of magical girls were to appear… maybe they could stop her. But I know not if they even still live. Even then… Scheherazade alone may be enough, given time, and certainly Hilda and I would also join the battle in any event. But if ye sought a fool-proof way… there is no such thing once the witch has spawned."
"Well, I hope it will not come to that, then," Oriko said. "That is the reason I am going to these lengths, after all."
"I believe that covers the main points," Oriko finishes.
"Interesting that she suggested Scheherazade might be able to beat Kriemhild Gretchen alone," I muse. "Is she really that strong? Or is she just… invulnerable or something? Well, in any case, thank you for telling me, Miss Mikuni."
"It is my pleasure," Oriko says. "Farewell, Miss Taylor."
With that, she hangs up, and I pass the phone back to Kirika. Then I turn to Hijiri.
"We'd better hurry," I say.
While I was on the phone with Oriko, Kyouko and Homura have been fighting against Walpurgisnacht. At first, Kyouko was fighting alone, with some impressive use of her barrier magic and the chain-like nature of her spear, though I saw only glimpses of it, since my vision was focused on Homura. What I saw in the corner of my eye while Oriko was explaining things was mostly Homura chasing Madoka through the ruined city towards Walpurgisnacht. Then, just as it seems like Kyouko is about to be crushed beneath a hundred thousand tons of steel and concrete, she's gone, reappearing a short distance away with Homura. In other words, Homura saved her from being crushed with her time stop.
Madoka runs up to check on Kyouko.
"You too!?" Kyouko gasps.
"Kyouko-chan, are you alright?" Madoka asks anxiously.
"What the heck are you doing here!?" Kyouko shouts. "Both of you!"
"I just… can't give up on Madoka while there's still even a little hope left!" Homura says fiercely. "This time, I swear I will defeat it and protect Madoka!"
"D-don't give me that crap!" Kyouko shouts, jumping to her feet. "What were you thinking, bringing her right into the middle of all this!? You'd be better off getting her outta here and taking her someplace safe!"
"Y-you've got it all wrong, Kyouko-chan!" Madoka said. "See, I… I realized… I just can't leave the people of this town to die!"
"What idiot would come this far for that?" Kyouko retorts. "And the same goes for that idiot trying to fight Walpurgisnacht! Dammit, I'm surrounded by idiots!"
"Kyouko-chan, please!" Madoka says. "I know I have no right to ask it, but please fight alongside us!"
"Us!?" Kyouko shouts.
"Us!?" Homura gasps at the same time. "Madoka!?"
"What are you talking about!?" Kyouko shouts. "Isn't this one supposedly fighting to protect you!? Besides… Sayaka wouldn't want you in the fight either…"
"Kyouko-chan… but… I don't want to stand here watching while you both get yourselves hurt…"
"Madoka…" Kyouko says.
"Please, just one more time," Homura begs her. "This time, I promise I'll protect you… and the town…"
"Get it?" Kyouko says. "That's what this is about. Taking down witches is what a magical girl does! You're not a magical girl, so this ain't your fight!"
"But Kyouko-chan—"
"There are still magical girls here to protect the town," Kyouko says. "So beat it!"
"Kyouko… so… you'll…?" Homura says
"What choice do I have?" Kyouko grumbles. "This is the town that she… that Sayaka was defending… so I'll help you out."
"Thank you…"
"It ain't for your sake," Kyouko retorts.
"Kyouko-chan!" Madoka says. "You're still the same Kyouko-chan… I remember the things you told me!"
"Huh? What're you talking about?" Kyouko retorts. "Sorry, but I don't remember telling you nothing!"
"Madoka," Homura says.
She and Madoka gaze at each other for several seconds, and then Homura speaks again.
"I'll be back soon."
Madoka sighs and nods. "Right…"
Homura and Kyouko leap into the air together, heading for the witch.
"So you've fought this thing a buncha times, right?" Kyouko asks. "You got a plan?"
"I do, yes," Homura nods. "The very plan you taught me, in fact."
As she speaks, the witch rotates to face them, opening her mouth.
"Here she comes!" Kyouko shouts.
"Kyouko, grab hold!" Homura shouts, reaching out her hand.
As Walpurgisnacht emits a stream of baleful flames from her mouth, Kyouko grabs Homura's hand and they both vanish at the last moment. They reappear quite some distance away along with a swarm of rockets in mid-flight, which zoom straight up at Walpurgisnacht.
"Now, Walpurgisnacht!" Kyouko shouts. "This next attack is gonna be quite the show!"
She enlarges her spear to many times its regular size and hops on like a surfer as it flies into the sky like an arrow shot from a ballista.
"Kuuuuugaaaaatachi! How's that!?"
The spear splits into several smaller spears as it nears the witch's main body, striking in several locations, mostly on the body but a few even on the gears. Unfortunately, it has little effect. It's not that there's no damage at all, but it's only minor damage.
"What!? Even that didn't work!?" Kyouko gasps.
"No, that isn't possible!" Homura shouts. "It must've done some damage! Now it's my turn!"
She darts in front of Kyouko and seizes her soul gem, flinging it into the air as she pulls out some sort of artillery weapon. Kyouko gasps.
"Don't be an idiot!" she shouts.
She leaps into the air to snatch Homura's soul gem.
"W-what!?" Homura says.
"What are you thinking!?" Kyouko shouts. "You were gonna sacrifice yourself!? That might end the witch, but… what happens to the girl you leave behind!? How could you even think of leaving her all alone!?"
Kyouko seizes Homura's hand and slots her soul gem back in where it belongs, on the back of her left hand. As she does this, Walpurgisnacht rotates slowly to face them once again.
"Kyouko…!"
"We'll discuss this later!" Kyouko shouts. "Here it comes!"
Kyouko raises one of her lattice barriers as the witch breathes another stream of baleful fire, but it's not quite enough – a few licks of flame get through her barrier, and Homura jumps in front to block them using her shield.
"Listen up, you!" Kyouko shouts. "Don't you dare give up in the middle of battle!"
While she's distracted by scolding Homura, Walpurgisnacht lifts up an entire office building and tosses it at them. Homura gasps, and Kyouko sees it a moment later.
"Dammit! Crap, why now!? Outta my way!"
Kyouko barely manages to get out from beneath the falling mass of steel and concrete, and she glances back, no doubt assuming Homura has already escaped with her time stop… but she's still there, not moving an inch, staring up in terror at the falling masonry.
"Homura!?" Kyouko gasps.
Then the building comes crashing down, and Walpurgisnacht follows up with a stream of baleful fire. Kyouko narrowly dodges it as it melts a hole right through the building that just fell, most likely aiming for Homura underneath it.
"Homura!?" Kyouko shouts. "D-dammit!"
Then she's struck by a speeding chunk of rubble which sends her flying away from the still-collapsing building, landing on the ground well out of the disaster zone. Madoka runs up to her.
"Kyouko-chan!? Hang in there, Kyouko-chan!"
"Ugh… forget about me, what about her?" Kyouko asks.
"Eh?" Madoka blinks.
"Homura!" Kyouko shouts.
"H-homura-chan!?" Madoka gasps. "Oh no! W-where is she!?"
"Underneath… that building that just fell," Kyouko mutters.
"Noooo!"
Madoka allows her grief to overtake her for a few seconds, but then she falls silent. After a moment, she looks around desperately.
"You're here… aren't you incubator!" she shouts. "Please! Make me into a magical girl, and make sure that Homura-chan lives!"
Even as she speaks, Kyuubey appears abruptly behind her, and when she's done, it speaks as it draws out her soul gem.
"Your wish has surpassed entropy," it says.
Madoka transforms and leaps into action, heading for the building and beginning to dig Homura out. With her newly-enhanced magical girl strength, it takes only a minute or so before she has Homura's unconscious body in her arms, restored to life by her wish. She calls Homura's name over and over until the other girl wakes up.
"Madoka…?" Homura says.
"Homura-chan!" Madoka says. "Oh, thank goodness! Thank goodness!"
"I'm… w-why…" Homura suddenly gasps, pushing Madoka back. "Y-your outfit! D-don't tell me… you did this for me!? Why!? You should've just left me to die! W-what was the point of me repeating this so many times, then…!?"
"I'm sorry," Madoka says. "I know you've done so much to try to keep me from making this contract… but… I just couldn't sit by and watch you or anyone else get hurt because of me…"
"Madoka… in the end, I've even stolen your one wish…"
Madoka shakes her head. "No… even now I think my wish was the right one to make," she says. "After everything I've experienced this past month and a half, I've come to realize just how much you've put yourself through for my sake. Therefore, I have absolutely no regrets about becoming a magical girl for your sake, Homura-chan! And ever since meeting Miss Oriko and Miss Pernelle, I've come to realize that the wish I planned to make before was wrong… so please, if I try to make that wish again, make sure you tell me that, okay?"
At some point while they were talking, Kyouko has come up, standing a short distance away and just watching.
"Madoka… but since you've become a magical girl… I can't save you from…"
"It's alright," Madoka says, hugging her.
"M-madoka!?"
"It's alright!" Madoka repeats. "My wish this time was for your life to be saved, and as long as you're alive, Homura-chan… how could I ever despair!"
"But…!"
"Perhaps you have forgotten one thing," Kyuubey says. "You magical girls cannot continue to function without purifying your soul gems. While despair hastens the process, even if you avoid despair, your soul gem will eventually become clouded."
"Well, I think you're the one who's got something wrong here," Kyouko retorts. "It ain't such a bad idea to gather up grief seeds after all."
"Kyouko…" Homura gasps.
"It's just one more thing I gotta do if I wanna stay alive," Kyouko retorts. "Why does everybody gotta overthink things?"
"Homura-chan, you've been fighting for our sakes all along," Madoka says. "I think that you'll get to where you need to go… just try to work with people a bit more, okay? People like Miss Oriko, or Miss Taylor… anyway, this time I decided. Since you've been fighting for me all this time, it's my turn to protect you. Is that so wrong?"
"No… thank you, Madoka," Homura mutters.
"I can help you now," Madoka says.
"No! This time I want to help you!"
"Then let's do it together!"
"Y-yes!"
Madoka slaps Homura's hand, and I see the tell-tale flash of a connect skill activating, which startles me since she hasn't even met Mitama yet. Madoka's rose bow grows in size, becoming more of a ballista, with both Homura and Madoka drawing it back together. The magical diagram of Madoka's ultimate attack appears, but oriented vertically in front of them, rather than horizontally way up in the sky.
Then the arrow flies, striking true in the centre of Walpurgisnacht's chest, the lower part of her body separating fully from the rest. Even without hitting the witch's weak point, the sheer amount of damage dealt by that one arrow seems to overwhelm her healing power, and cracks suddenly spread across the gears. Within seconds, the entire gear superstructure shatters, the main body of the witch disappearing in a puff of smoke as fragments of gear rain down.
"That's it!" Madoka shouts. "We did it! We took down Walpurgisnacht, Homura-chan!"
"That's… that's great," Homura gasps, falling to her knees. "That's wonderful… and it looks like you… still have some magic left, Madoka…"
She powers down as she falls.
"Eh!?" Madoka gasps, looking at Homura's soul gem, which has only a few pinpricks of light remaining. "N-no! H-homura-chan!"
"It's only to be expected, really," Kyuubey says. "She wanted to make sure you didn't use up all of your magic, Madoka, so she ended up using up all of hers. For you, Madoka, that was just a tiny bit of power, but for a normal magical girl like Homura, it was all she had, indeed more than she could usually muster."
"I'm sorry, Madoka," Homura gasps.
She turns her soul into gem form and shows it off again. In that form a bit more brightness is visible, but it's still very close to its limit. Fortunately, she hasn't entered a grief spiral.
"No!" Madoka gasps.
"Sorry about this, Kyouko," Homura says, holding out her hand with the soul gem resting on her palm.
"What!?" Madoka gasps.
"I keep asking you to do the dirty work," Homura continues. "Please, before I become a witch…"
"Oh, that?" Kyouko says, reaching out for Homura's soul gem. "Well, whatever the reasons, you caused Mami's death, right? So I guess this is revenge."
"No!" Madoka gasps. "No, don't!"
But then Kyouko produces a grief seed that she'd hidden in her palm and presses it against Homura's soul gem, drawing out nearly all of the impurities. Madoka and Homura gasp in unison, and Kyouko turns and takes a step away.
"Y'know, it pains me to save a person like you," she says. "But, well… y'know…"
Madoka suddenly glomps Homura.
"Thank goodness! Isn't that great, Homura-chan!?"
Homura actually seems to be crying a little, and Madoka is clearly overjoyed that she made it. Eventually, Madoka and Homura separate and stand up.
"So, you're planning to stay in this timeline, Kyouko?" Homura asks.
"Yeah, I got no reason to stick around with you," Kyouko says. "And I'd only be able to go back a month and a half… that's nowhere near far enough back for the time I wanna do over."
"I see," Homura says. "Then this is where we part ways."
"Yep, just get outta here already, will ya?" Kyouko says.
Then Madoka steps forward to stand by Kyouko's side, eliciting a gasp from both of the other girls.
"Huh?" Kyouko blinks.
Madoka turns to smile at Homura.
"Well, take care, Homura-chan!"
"Huh!?" Kyouko gasps.
"…Yeah, I thought you might say that," Homura says.
"What are you talking about!?" Kyouko shouts. "You both made it through this! You should do it over together!"
Madoka shakes her head.
"No, we can't, Kyouko-chan," she says. "Homura-chan's wish can't come true if I go along."
"Yes," Homura says. "My wish was to repeat my first meeting with you in order to protect you."
"Are you sure you're okay with this?!" Kyouko gasps. "You became a magical girl so you could save her, right?"
"It's fine, Kyouko-chan," Madoka says. "Besides, since I followed Homura-chan out here, I'm sure Mama and Papa are worrying about me. Perhaps they're even frantically looking for me. So this is where we need to part ways, alright Homura-chan? I'll continue to fight in this timeline alongside Miss Oriko and Kyouko-chan, and you can continue to fight to save the other me however many times it takes."
"Yeah," Homura says, hugging her one more time. "After all those times repeating history… you're the first who ever understood what it meant… it makes me think perhaps it was worth it after all."
She releases Madoka and takes several steps back.
"So I'll fight as many times as it takes," she says.
She grips the shield, preparing to turn it, but it seems like the sand timer isn't quite empty, and it won't turn. A few minutes pass in silence.
Hijiri and I locate and sneak up on them while they're having that whole discussion, and once Homura steps back and grips her shield, Hijiri carefully reaches out with one of her signature hairline wires, coiling it around Homura's foot. After a few minutes of silence, during which I compose and send a brief email to Pernelle letting her know that Madoka contracted, the sand timers finally empty, releasing the locks and allowing the shield to turn. Homura spins it a half turn, and time turns back yet again