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Employee #709
Forgetful
[X] Save Jester
[X] Save Jester
Ai just overcame her issues with purpose, she'd probably want to help jester overcome her issue.
Ai just overcame her issues with purpose, she'd probably want to help jester overcome her issue.
- Location
- earth
[X] Leave Jester be
kaillll
Judgment Upon You
The sweet release of death just feeds right into the cycle, the cycle of revenge, kill or be killed or the cruelty of Suffering.
If there is no love, then there will be only hatred.
if there's no forgiveness, Then there will only be pain.
Despair will not be fixed by more despair, they can only be fixed by giving hope and love to others.
So, Let's be the bigger magical girl in this story.
After all, that's what love is, right?
[x] Save Jester
But of course, this doesn't rule out the possibility of a betrayal, so god help us, may a jester be sane for once in a lifetime.
If there is no love, then there will be only hatred.
if there's no forgiveness, Then there will only be pain.
Despair will not be fixed by more despair, they can only be fixed by giving hope and love to others.
So, Let's be the bigger magical girl in this story.
After all, that's what love is, right?
[x] Save Jester
But of course, this doesn't rule out the possibility of a betrayal, so god help us, may a jester be sane for once in a lifetime.
47. Curtain Call
- Location
- Earth
Save Jester!
As the last traces of light leave Ai, she gathers her strength and teleports into Jester's path. The other Abnormality's head tilts ever so slightly, but she does not react beyond that. Ai hugs her tight and begins fighting against Blue Star's pull. This close to the event horizon, she has to struggle forward. An attempt to teleport sees her rebound right back to where she is. The sound of a star reverberates through her skull, an offer of peace. Of reunion. Reincarnation.
"What are you doing?" Jester asks her wearily. "Let me go. I want to sleep. The cycle remains unbroken." Behind them, Kriemhild's Grief Seed passes into the star's heart. Black steel gives with a crunch and pained wail. "She will go to the beginning and become me, and from there it will repeat."
Ai's brows furrow. "It doesn't!" she retorts. "It won't! Don't you get it?" She shakes Jester while inching away from Blue Star. "It's not a cycle at all! You just did one extra lap! Going in there again will kill you!"
"Is that so wrong? I couldn't save anyone, in the end. Can't I at least rest?"
"There is more to salvation than killing everyone! And besides, you're wrong!" Streamers of pink float backward from Ai's form. She ignores her aching limbs, screaming over the gales: "You were there this whole time! You stayed with me when I needed help! You watched over me! Without you, I wouldn't have been saved! You saved me!"
The star's gravity steals away her tears. Ai still sees Jester blink. Her body was unsteady, dissolving into wisps of shadow in parts. They regain coherence as Ai's words register. "I did so little," she answers at last. "Barely a drop in the bucket. Neither did I care about your salvation at that time. I was simply curious whether you would persevere."
"So what?! You can save people without meaning to! You saved me then and today I'm saving you! It's over! We can stop fighting! I'm taking you back so you can actually live, just like all of us! At least give it a chance before you throw yourself into Blue Star!"
The star's pull lessens rapidly; it is not distance, Ai realises. The indomitable force she fought against was Jester's desire for a proper end. The shadow gazes upon its radiance once more... and giggles. A familiar sound, if bereft of mirth. "I guess so. The star was born in the depths of despair. It will not fade anytime soon."
Just like that, its shine lessens. The winds calm. Ai rockets away as no force holds her anymore. The ground approaches rapidly, almost too fast for her to decelerate. But then Happiness is there to buffer her. Justice follows, then Courage. All four of them carry Jester downward. She curls up somewhat in their grasp. "But what can I do now? I want to save people. How do I do that?"
"I don't know," Ai tells her honestly. She has to smile, well aware how this admittance would have called forth the Queen a mere two weeks ago. "I just do what comes naturally. Saving people is hard."
"If it were easy," Justice adds gently, "this world would be a better place."
Happiness takes Jester's hand. "Few take up such duties."
"And fewer still find fulfillment in them," Courage ends. Ai favours her sisters with a smile.
"Stay around Madoka for a bit?" she ends up suggesting. "She made up her mind to be such a person. Maybe she can teach you how to do it."
With those words, their descent loses its momentum. The quintet settles down on ravaged ground. Blood and ichor painted Keter into a morbid hellscape. The herd of Mountains has vanished, corpses of familiars finally fading with Kriemhild's death. Only a single Mountain remains, trying to lick the spilled life off the ground with a thousand tongues. Surrounding the magical girls are celebrating librarians; the group greets them with cheers.
Ai is tired once she rises. The Library's second wind gave her enough strength to face Jester, but even that is now gone. She still stands to meet Angela, who is flanked by Roland. Both of them are smiling.
"I see you saved the Jester," the head librarian muses before addressing her directly: "Will you behave?" Upon her nod, Angela seems to accept the matter. "Then be welcome. And good job. Ai."
Hitomi is the first to work herself through the crowd. She clasps Ai's hands with tearful eyes. "We did it! You did it!"
At that, Ai can only shake her head. "I wouldn't have without everyone." Then she embraces Hitomi, who trembles badly in her arms. She must have been scared. In retrospect, so was Ai; the adrenaline blotted it all out, gave her the focus to act. "We won." Her sisters join the hug; Happiness beckons Roland and Tiphereth, but neither of them follows.
Once the girls separate, Angela steps forward. Hitomi glances at her curiously and Ai pre-empts the far older woman. Her friends are just as intrigued, she can see. "Everyone, meet Angela. Angela, this is Hitomi, Kyoko, Yuma, Homura, Mami, Sayaka, and... right. Is Madoka okay?"
Upon remembering that the pinkette is absent, Ai glances back to Angela, who nods. "The last part of the battle seems to have shaken her awake. We will join her in my office. Malkuth, Hod, Chesed, Hokma, see about fixing that hole. Gebura, Netzach, and Tiphereth, get the Abnormalities in order. Roland, Binah, with me." As she gives orders, a visceral snap announces the fallen librarians' arrival. They return in a flutter of glimmering pages.
"Okay, uh," Kyoko starts slowly. Her head swivels this way and that, clearly seeking a staircase. "How do we-"
Snap
"-gah!"
Angela, Roland, Binah, Ai, Jester, and the foreign girls all appear in a vast office space. Golden light flickers along a mountain of books, rising behind a super-sized desk. Madoka blearily stares at them from the chair she sits in; Angela's chair, Ai notices.
Kyoko glares at Angela. "Give us a warning before doing that stuff! Seriously, that's just good manners!"
Angela, being Angela, is unmoved by her minor outburst. While the other magical girls sans Ai still sway from the sudden motion, she chuckles. "My apologies. Everyone here is used to this sort of transportation, I forgot others would not be."
"Yeah," Roland adds with a smirk. "You get used to it after a few times."
"If I may," Mami chimes in, more curious than upset: "What exactly was this ability? It felt different from Ai's teleportation."
With Homura and Sayaka now busy checking Madoka, who slowly grows upset over having missed the battle, Angela has time to respond: "I rearranged our positions within the Library. It conforms to my desires, so yes, this process was subtly different from teleportation. The end result is much the same, though."
"I see. What a convenient ability."
"Indeed it is." Angela inclines her head at the blonde before motioning to her librarians. "Now, while introductions may be superfluous, allow me. These are Roland and Binah, respectively my right hand and the patron librarian of the Floor of Philosophy."
Binah simply peers at the group. A tiny, smug smile graces her pale features, framed by black hair. Despite the heavy combat, her dark robe remains almost entirely pristine. Ai shies away from the calculating look in her eyes. Much the same, Roland's wave disturbs the others a great deal. He falters, then grimaces. "Oh, right. Sorry about the, er, trying to kill you thing. I guess that one is somewhat my fault."
"About that," Ai chimes in as curiousity slowly overcomes her jubilation. "What happened after I died? The last thing I remember is you distorting into... something."
Binah chuckles at that. She settles in a nearby chair, almost lounging with a cheshire grin. "How fitting, no? Unending wrath, once unchained, gave birth to the memory of an avatar of suffering. A memory so powerful that, although dead and gone, it could project itself into the present." Angela nods thoughtfully while Roland rolls his eyes. Binah does not clarify.
"Sit," Angela bids her confused guests. A number of chairs appear while Madoka is tranposed into one of them. Angela herself takes the seat the pinkette just vacated. Roland and Binah sit to her left and right. "And to answer your question, the battle raged for a while longer. I somehow managed to defeat Roland in the end, and spared him. He in turn forgave me, allowing me to return the light I stole. We each had to deal with a number of uninvited guests, including agents from the Head. After that group in particular failed to kill me, we were exiled to the Outskirts."
She says all of this with a straight face, disregarding Ai's surprised gasp. It sounds so fantastical, yet proof positive sits right in front of her. Somehow, Roland overcame his unending hatred. In the end, Ai can only smile in relief. "I see. So that's why I didn't find you at first. Dimension Break sent us to where the Library used to be. A kind man pointed me in the right direction."
Angela's brow twitches in response, but she does not say whatever caught her interest. Rather, she leans forward with steepled fingers. "About that. Explain... no. First of all, do you know anything about the fact all Abnormalities regained their physical bodies? It began around the time we arrived in the Outskirts, soon after Tiphereth realised you were missing."
Ai can only shake her head. No one else has any idea, either. That is, until a stick thin arm rises. Drips of shadow fall from Jester's claw as it points straight at Madoka. All eyes fall on the confused pinkette as Jester explains. Her voice is weak, though: "The wishes Kyubey grants are not monkey's paws. They do not require perfect wording and actualise based on intent. The other you made a wish calling for a saviour. One who needed to fight, to interact with others. Of course she needed a body to do so. But it was such a powerful wish that a great amount of energy flowed into the Library itself, giving every other Abnormality back its proper form. On that note," she adds with a glance to Angela, "I notice you let all of them out. Even Melting Love and the Mountain of Smiling Bodies. Is that safe?"
Angela huffs. "We will speak of this 'wish' in a moment. Whatever exactly it was, it did more than grant them corporeality. Just like most of the Abnormalities we worked with during the Library's opening in the City, their personalities became somewhat malleable. They are still unchanging, but can be reasoned with."
"Or perhaps," Binah interjects, "when Lobotomy Corporation's cycle was broken, they were finally given the time it takes to change. Perhaps they always could," she muses with a glance at the slowly blinking Ai.
Angela nods. "Regardless, most Abnormalities can be spoken to. Melting Love is still on probation; she promised not to spread her love in exchange for being allowed to roam freely. Even in battle, she kept it tightly under control. The Mountain of Smiling Bodies refrained from devouring its living allies." She huffs. "You will notice, Jester, that a certain Abnormality was not among the combatants. That one in particular remains bound into a book until I can figure out how to circumvent its impact on the human mind."
"Uh." Kyoko slowly raises her hand, earning an arched eyebrow. She hesitates, probably intimidated. "It's, um, Ai told me a lot about you people. The few bits she knew about the City, and Lobotomy Corporation. I've seen Blue Star twice now." She taps her headband for emphasis, drawing a look of recognition from Angela. "And that one you synchronised with, that was White Night, right?" Another nod from the head librarian. Kyoko frowns. "It's just, I don't get what else you could have? Those two are already hard to bear with. What could be worse than them?"
Angela studies Kyoko for a moment. From the slight bags under her eyes to the silvery band running over her forehead. Her lips curl up the tiniest bit. "You are a remarkable young woman, Kyoko." The redhead immediately sits a bit more straight. "I have seen men and women twice your age fall to their knees before either of these Abnormalities. Cults have formed in their name. But ultimately, they are benign in their intentions. The one I spoke of is, if anything, indifferent. Lobotomy Corporation had to censor it even through the cognition filter due to how many managers went insane at the mere sight of it. All data regarding its appearance or habits were redacted, even its name. Even the most steadfast agents employed by the company were left gibbering wrecks after completing their work processes with this Abnormality. They required days of rest before they could return to work, assuming they did not commit suicide. Either on their own, or as a sacrifice to the idol they beheld."
Her smile has grown mirthless while Kyoko pales. Angela inclines her head a little further. "I believe you understand why I am careful with this one in particular. Then again, Blue Star was acting erratic for weeks; you may be the reason why. It has been coming and going from the Library through a process we are still figuring out." She pauses and turns to the door; Ai blearily looks as well, only to find Kyubey traipsing inside. She blinks once, twice, before realising the bunnycat is limping.
"Kyubey! What happened? Did you get hit?"
"No. I had to excise brain matter to prevent complete corruption of this body. Some cerebral matter was affected, so motor functions are currently impaired."
Ai shakes off her exhaustion and moves to scoop them up. Kyubey settles in her arms, head lolling to the side. "Why didn't you grab or make a new body?"
Everyone watches the bunnycat, whose head falls back until they can look Ai in the eyes. "There is no need. This unit is contaminated and will be subject to extermination once I reconnect with the hivemind. The experimental hardening to deal with cognito-hazards like the blue star was insufficient. That aside, there is no threat left in the Library that a fully coherent body would allow to avoid. I have to depend on your goodwill, so that I can return this valuable knowledge to my kind."
Ai clutches them protectively when she notices Homura shift. She meets the time traveler's gaze, who scowls at her. Before either of them can start arguing, Kyubey addresses the taciturn girl herself: "Be at ease, Homura. The knowledge I carry is purely beneficial to fulfilling your desires."
Homura stops to stare in naked surprise, then her eyes narrow. "How so?"
"With the new data on possible capabilities of Madoka Kaname's Witch, I understand that her threat level was underestimated. It surpasses our calculations by a siginificant margin, to the point we can easily deal with an interplanetary threat. As unfortunate as it is," they finish as their eyes wander to Madoka herself, "we can no longer offer you a contract. The risks are too great."
Silence reigns. Even Ai is surprised by the turn of events.
"That's it?" Kyoko finally asks. "Just like that?"
Kyubey shrugs with one shoulder. "Our overall plan does not change. While Madoka's potential does roughly equal that of the entire human race till its conclusion, contracting her always meant the end of your world. My quota will be fulfilled regardless. All that changes is the timespan involved."
The girls look between each other, none certain what to make of this. Homura slumps in her chair, arms hanging limp. Mami is clearly disturbed while Sayaka scowls up a storm. Yuma just tilts her head. "You aren't angry, like at all?"
"My race does not have emotions. Humans are rather quite unique in their ability to coexist in such numbers despite their habit of disregarding rational thought in favour of impulsive, emotional responses."
"That explains a few things," Angela cuts them off. She idly taps her fingertips on the desktop, a constant clack-clack. "But I believe we are missing a few details here." She turns to Ai once more. "Explain what happened, from your perspective. Start from the beginning."
So Ai marshalls her energy one final time and begins to speak. She starts with her death to Roland, and waking up in Mitakihara. Meeting her now-friends, one by one. Mami and Sayaka avert their gazes upon being reminded of their original hostility. Kyoko is embarassed for a different reason; Ai purposefully notes she was the first magical girl to be kind to her. Then there is the encounter with Char; Jester freely admits that she passed the train ticket to Madoka. "Just playing around," she justifies herself. Angela is not amused.
Roland frowns when Ai speaks of his memory overwhelming the TV Witch. Kyubey confirms the poor thing is still comatose after that ordeal. At that point however, Ai interrupts her tale. "It was so weird. She dragged so many memories out of me. Abnormalities I never met, conversations we never had. But they all felt so real. Why is that?"
Angela studies her for a long second. As if weighing something Ai can not fathom. The result seems to be in her favour, though: "Lobotomy Corporation's main branch deployed a TimeTrack2 protocol. Time within the facility was accelerated by a factor of one thousand." The foreign girls gasp in shock; even Kyubey perks up in clear curiousity. Angela pays them no mind, firmly looking at Ai. "The ten years the facility was in operation on the outside were ten thousand years on the inside. To create the Seed of Light, a specific order of steps was necessary. A script to be adhered to, all progress reset on a misstep. The memories of all but three people within the facilities were erased. You in particular would not remember anyway due to your nature."
Ai grimaces. She knows well what Angela means. A self-inflicted amnesia to continue preening over her own heroics, never recalling the atrocities that followed them. But what the other woman says bothers her about as much. "Ten thousand years is... a long time." Jester snorts, as does Angela. The two glance at each other, only for the Abnormality to incline her head. Ai's frown grows ever more pronounced. "Who else remembers?"
"Hokma and Binah," Angela responds. The woman by her side takes a sip from her fragrant tea. No other indication of her mood is given.
"Why, though?" Roland interjects curiously.
This time Binah does speak: "I still believe Ayin sought to punish me in particular for past transgressions. But it was prudent as well; the head of Extraction needed to keep an eye on how many of which Abnormality were transported to each facility, just like Hokma had to keep an eye on the TT2 protocol." Her lips twitch upon seeing Ai's interest. "I created hundreds of your type over the years. Fascinating indeed, how each time they would mold into the exact same shape. The exact same thoughts and feelings, the same voice."
"And the same folly," Ai finishes morosely. Binah's smile grows a fraction while she continues: "What happened to the others?"
"Several instances of the same Abnormality will meld into a single one with close proximity. Either that, or they were thrown back down the well to drown within humanity's collective conciousness." Binah's gaze rises to somewhere over Ai's shoulder. She stares into the distance as she recounts, smiling faintly: "As they were born the same, they vanished the same. Crying, pleading, screaming."
A heavy silence hangs over them for a moment. Roland rubs his forehead while Angela's brows have furrowed ever so slightly.
That is when Ai remembers those hurtful words from that day. And something Angela's memory mentioned. "You said that Binah sent me after you, sometimes."
The frown turns a little darker while the woman herself chuckles. "Ah yes, our little games of cat and mouse. It was oh so intriguing to test a thing's patience. To see whether programmed orders can be overriden."
"You just enjoyed annoying me until I came down to Extraction to berate you."
Binah does not respond, but her little smile radiates smugness.
Into the silence, Madoka speaks. Her expression is tight, palms pressed onto the table as she rises to her feet. "You sound so happy about having done these things. Like Ai isn't even a person to you. Hurting people isn't right and it shouldn't be fun, either."
When Binah's gaze finds hers, Madoka stands her ground. All eyes are on her, but unlike in the past she does not waver. In the end, the older woman huffs and rises. She strides around Angela to face Madoka directly; though a bit shorter, the pinkette keeps staring ahead without fear. Binah wordlessly tilts her head up by the chin. "Curious. A great deal of determination. But oftentimes this does not speak of indestructibility, merely a will never tested. You never truly suffered in your life, yet berate those who have lived far longer than yourself." Madoka twitches, but holds strong. The others shift in their chairs while Binah's smile grows a fraction. "You will find, child, that some people find fulfillment in taboos more than anything else. They chase the height of hedonism for their pleasure, regardless the feelings of others. Who are you to judge them?"
For just a moment, Ai thinks she sees tears glitter in Madoka's eyes. Then the pinkette blinks and they are gone. She does not push Binah away, radiant against the dark figure looming over her. "You're right," she admits, "you are older and wiser than me. But that doesn't have to mean you're always right and I'm always wrong. It doesn't matter, either. Anyone who hurts others for fun is wrong. I will stand by that, no matter what!"
"Hm. Adequate."
"...huh?"
Madoka blinks up at Binah, who finally lets go and glides back to her seat. Her motions are soft, almost mesmerising. Ai feels her lids grow heavy again. Binah huffs softly. "Your inexperience speaks for itself, but you are determined. Whatever question you have for us, you may just find an answer." This time Madoka twitches, her intentions laid bare for the group. Binah gives her no time to flounder, though: "But you are incorrect on two accounts. The first being that Ai here is not a person to me. The Abnormality known as the Queen of Hatred is not, but this one is no longer the same." A hand airily motions Ai's way. "She changed far enough to be a unique entity.
"The other matter regards your assumption that I am a good person, or interested in becoming one. I have never been and never will be." Binah sits down satisfied, well aware of the stares levelled at her. She chuckles to herself. "In addition, 'Ai' just fell asleep."
Gazes wander to Ai, who slumped back in her chair. True to Binah's words, the magical girl is out like a light. Once Roland carried her onto a nearby couch, her friends have to finish the tale for her. From Yuma's accidental theft of her E.G.O., over Hitomi's abduction and the following slaughter, and then that fateful day Ai almost broke. Roland apologises again upon hearing how his memory brutalised the entire group. They cover the rest quickly until they get to the encounter with Jester, and Kriemhild Gretchen.
"We called for help," Kyoko admits quietly. "There wasn't anything we could do against something that powerful. But this... I guess Abnormality? Answered." She slowly describes the floating skull again, their golden aura and the cross the bones rested around. Her words draw a faint smile onto Angela's face.
"The being you describe is known as 'One Sin And Hundreds of Good Deeds'. A truly benign Abnormality whose sole desire is to listen to your sins. To grant absolution for any misdeed, no matter how grave. This one has a history of aiding in the darkest hour."
"It seems they sent a gift with Ai when she left for Mitakihara," Jester murmurs. "She carried it this whole time and I never really noticed."
Roland throws her a grin. "We all make mistakes," he jokes. "Some worse than others. On that note, welcome to the 'almost murdered everyone and got beaten up for it' club." His good mood is unperturbed by Jester refusing to acknowledge him. Kyoko fails to hide her smirk, though.
The conversation peters out from there; with the tale concluded, everyone follows their own thoughts. Which is when Madoka takes a deep breath and rises again. Angela glances at her, then stands when she realises the pinkette walks her way. Binah's lips curl up a little further as she watches the display.
Madoka is smaller than Angela, but she meets her gaze evenly. "I have a request to make," she begins. Angela's brow arches ever so slightly, but she motions for the human girl to continue. "From how Ai said it, you are the person who can figure out how magic works. How I can learn to use it without contracting. And that you know how to manifest E.G.O.." Before surprise can even register on her audience, Madoka goes to her knees, head bowed to the surprised gynoid. "So I beg of you, please help me find the key to magic! Teach me how to find my E.G.O.!"
Her words come from the heart, laden with desire and determination. They are almost loud enough to wake Ai.
"What are you saying?" Sayaka calls from her seat. "You don't need to do that! It's okay if you-"
"But I want it!" Madoka does not even look up, still prostrating herself before Angela. "This is what I decided to do! Something only I can! I'm going to bring magic to everyone in our world!" Only then does her head rise, seeking Angela's inscrutable gaze. "But I can't do it on my own," she pleads softly.
Her words silence the rest. Homura dearly wants to pick her beloved friend off the ground, but she knows best how Madoka is when her mind is made up. Meanwhile, Angela keeps staring down at the girl. "You realise what kind of effort this will be?" she inquires idly. "We do not speak of a few weeks or months. It will take years at best to quantify magic. Properly manifesting your E.G.O. will take years as well. Maybe just a single year or less, assuming you can repeat Kali's feat."
"I know," Madoka says. Her head lowers again.
"Then I will help you."
Only to shoot up again, expression shocked. Angela offers her a hand and a kind smile. "If you are willing to put in the work, I can give you the help you need. Most librarians on staff were originally scientists. Figuring out magic ought to tickle their fancy. Gebura and Binah will instruct you on the matter of E.G.O.."
Madoka is almost vibrating with excitement. Her friends are skeptical. Even Hitomi needs a minute to think it through before speaking up: "I imagine you will require a control group of some sort. Madoka possesses magical potential unlike any ever seen. I am willing to provide assistance in this endeavour."
"Of course! Thank you very much, Hitomi!" Madoka hops up and down, completely missing Binah's and Angela's knowing smirks. Mami caught Hitomi's actual intention as well, but does not let it bother her.
"Anyway," Kyoko interrupts the jubilations, "we're kinda stuck here until Ai wakes up, right? Or... does she know how to get us back?" Her question silences the group, who all look to the sleeping girl in worry.
Jester giggles. "The spell she cast was her own, if taught by another. Using the power of one who could become a goddess, had she so wished, to escape my clutches." She shakes her head and disperses; a shadow writhes across the table and into Madoka's own, but the eerily familiar voice sounds one last time: "I will be watching. Do not disappoint."
At first Madoka gapes, but then her firm demeanour returns. "I won't," she promises. At the same time, none truly realise that this is moment a future archmage is set on her path. A revolutionary, backed by a number of the most powerful and capable magical girls of her world. One to be supported by a woman who will combine magical and mundane into a new doctrine to sweep through first Japan, then all of Earth.
When Ai wakes up hours later, she finds her friends scattered across the Library. Yuma plays with Laetitia and the Child Of The Galaxy while Mami and Hitomi chat with Chesed. Kyoko got dragged into a conversation with the Mercenary. Madoka already takes her first lesson under Gebura, cautiously watched by Homura. It will be for Roland to find out why his fellow librarians react oddly upon being introduce to Madoka; Hod will admit weeks later that the girl reminds her of Carmen. Both in her determination and earnestness to transform the world into something better.
The girls soon return to Mitakihara; without Kriemhild Gretchen's barrier to act as a prison, Dimension Break can be cast on her own well enough. Those who still have family reunite with them under tears and overwhelming joy.
People all across town are confused where the city-ending storm went; Walpurgis was subsumed by an even greater Witch, never to be seen again. The other unexplained phenomena are blamed on mass hallucinations; only when magic is revealed years later will this case and many others be reopened.
Even now however, a handful of people know. Within days, the Kaname and Shizuki households are invited to the Library; to meet these people they already heard about. Somehow, Reiji and Roland end up getting along quite well. Malkuth finds a likeminded soul in Junko. Overall, Ai is as happy with the result as can be.
Her days turn into the occasional journey between dimensions, spending equal amounts of time on either side. Her sisters take to learning Dimension Break, but they will need many weeks before they can take some strain off of Ai. Even then, Abnormalities in general are carefully monitored whenever they leave the Library for elsewhere; Ai alone is the exception, having been shifted from containment to honourary librarian. She enjoys Angela's full trust soon after.
Kyoko, Yuma, and Mami join hands to properly refurbish the Sakura Church. Although Izabel is a little skittish to work with someone who once killed her, Ai can talk her around. Izabel and Elsa Maria become the core of a slowly growing organisation to take in and provide for magical girls. Be they orphans, runaways, simply adventurous, or tired of constant battle. All are welcome.
Sayaka is actually their first ward; having quickly realised that her calling lies elsewhere, she takes the chance to retire. Following her newfound passion, she obtains skills at the piano through a great amount of practice. In time, in a sense of great irony, she will come to fame as 'The Pianist'; yet fully recreating the song that started it all requires more than one lifetime. She will chase that dream into the far future, facilitated by her Soul Gem's ability to keep her body at any age of her desire.
Meanwhile, Homura's purpose is fulfilled. After a period of ennui, she will slowly adjust to the fact her endless cycle broke. Although Earth shall forever alienate her, make her feel like a stranger to her own people. At the beginning she only accompanies Madoka to the Library out of caution; soon enough, she will hold conversations with Angela, Binah, and Hokma. In the end, Homura Akemi vanishes from Earth, never to be seen again. Sometimes she returns when Madoka can convince her to visit, but even then she mostly acts as a guard; much like the Jester watching from her dearest friend's shadow.
Yuma's talents will slowly add more Witches to the roster of her budding organisation. Even Kyubey is willing to assist in their endeavour; they help to implement work processes in order to satisfy a given Witch's desires and produce Enkephalin in addition. They have no reason for sabotage when this new organisation produces enough energy to compensate. A proof of concept, they call it. In time, Ai knows, it will grow to encompass the country. Then the globe. Maybe Kyubey will even carry the knowledge ahead of the revolution.
Looking out across Mitakihara, she allows herself a soft sigh. "So much achieved in so little time. I am proud; of them and of myself. When all this began, I was still locked in an endless cycle of love and hatred. It is thanks to you that it broke. I'm free now. I'm Ai. So, thank you. Thank you for guiding me all this time."
She turns around to look at you, beaming. "I'm okay now. I can do the rest on my own. But I will never forget you. Again, thank you, from the bottom of my heart! And farewell!"
She raises her hand as if to wave goodbye. The light recedes.
Truly, the road to hell was paved with good intentions. Yet you directed her through any hardship. Against all odds, you helped her find herself, a group of faithful friends, and above all, hope. Congratulations.
Thank you for playing.
THE END
As the last traces of light leave Ai, she gathers her strength and teleports into Jester's path. The other Abnormality's head tilts ever so slightly, but she does not react beyond that. Ai hugs her tight and begins fighting against Blue Star's pull. This close to the event horizon, she has to struggle forward. An attempt to teleport sees her rebound right back to where she is. The sound of a star reverberates through her skull, an offer of peace. Of reunion. Reincarnation.
"What are you doing?" Jester asks her wearily. "Let me go. I want to sleep. The cycle remains unbroken." Behind them, Kriemhild's Grief Seed passes into the star's heart. Black steel gives with a crunch and pained wail. "She will go to the beginning and become me, and from there it will repeat."
Ai's brows furrow. "It doesn't!" she retorts. "It won't! Don't you get it?" She shakes Jester while inching away from Blue Star. "It's not a cycle at all! You just did one extra lap! Going in there again will kill you!"
"Is that so wrong? I couldn't save anyone, in the end. Can't I at least rest?"
"There is more to salvation than killing everyone! And besides, you're wrong!" Streamers of pink float backward from Ai's form. She ignores her aching limbs, screaming over the gales: "You were there this whole time! You stayed with me when I needed help! You watched over me! Without you, I wouldn't have been saved! You saved me!"
The star's gravity steals away her tears. Ai still sees Jester blink. Her body was unsteady, dissolving into wisps of shadow in parts. They regain coherence as Ai's words register. "I did so little," she answers at last. "Barely a drop in the bucket. Neither did I care about your salvation at that time. I was simply curious whether you would persevere."
"So what?! You can save people without meaning to! You saved me then and today I'm saving you! It's over! We can stop fighting! I'm taking you back so you can actually live, just like all of us! At least give it a chance before you throw yourself into Blue Star!"
The star's pull lessens rapidly; it is not distance, Ai realises. The indomitable force she fought against was Jester's desire for a proper end. The shadow gazes upon its radiance once more... and giggles. A familiar sound, if bereft of mirth. "I guess so. The star was born in the depths of despair. It will not fade anytime soon."
Just like that, its shine lessens. The winds calm. Ai rockets away as no force holds her anymore. The ground approaches rapidly, almost too fast for her to decelerate. But then Happiness is there to buffer her. Justice follows, then Courage. All four of them carry Jester downward. She curls up somewhat in their grasp. "But what can I do now? I want to save people. How do I do that?"
"I don't know," Ai tells her honestly. She has to smile, well aware how this admittance would have called forth the Queen a mere two weeks ago. "I just do what comes naturally. Saving people is hard."
"If it were easy," Justice adds gently, "this world would be a better place."
Happiness takes Jester's hand. "Few take up such duties."
"And fewer still find fulfillment in them," Courage ends. Ai favours her sisters with a smile.
"Stay around Madoka for a bit?" she ends up suggesting. "She made up her mind to be such a person. Maybe she can teach you how to do it."
With those words, their descent loses its momentum. The quintet settles down on ravaged ground. Blood and ichor painted Keter into a morbid hellscape. The herd of Mountains has vanished, corpses of familiars finally fading with Kriemhild's death. Only a single Mountain remains, trying to lick the spilled life off the ground with a thousand tongues. Surrounding the magical girls are celebrating librarians; the group greets them with cheers.
Ai is tired once she rises. The Library's second wind gave her enough strength to face Jester, but even that is now gone. She still stands to meet Angela, who is flanked by Roland. Both of them are smiling.
"I see you saved the Jester," the head librarian muses before addressing her directly: "Will you behave?" Upon her nod, Angela seems to accept the matter. "Then be welcome. And good job. Ai."
Hitomi is the first to work herself through the crowd. She clasps Ai's hands with tearful eyes. "We did it! You did it!"
At that, Ai can only shake her head. "I wouldn't have without everyone." Then she embraces Hitomi, who trembles badly in her arms. She must have been scared. In retrospect, so was Ai; the adrenaline blotted it all out, gave her the focus to act. "We won." Her sisters join the hug; Happiness beckons Roland and Tiphereth, but neither of them follows.
Once the girls separate, Angela steps forward. Hitomi glances at her curiously and Ai pre-empts the far older woman. Her friends are just as intrigued, she can see. "Everyone, meet Angela. Angela, this is Hitomi, Kyoko, Yuma, Homura, Mami, Sayaka, and... right. Is Madoka okay?"
Upon remembering that the pinkette is absent, Ai glances back to Angela, who nods. "The last part of the battle seems to have shaken her awake. We will join her in my office. Malkuth, Hod, Chesed, Hokma, see about fixing that hole. Gebura, Netzach, and Tiphereth, get the Abnormalities in order. Roland, Binah, with me." As she gives orders, a visceral snap announces the fallen librarians' arrival. They return in a flutter of glimmering pages.
"Okay, uh," Kyoko starts slowly. Her head swivels this way and that, clearly seeking a staircase. "How do we-"
Snap
"-gah!"
Angela, Roland, Binah, Ai, Jester, and the foreign girls all appear in a vast office space. Golden light flickers along a mountain of books, rising behind a super-sized desk. Madoka blearily stares at them from the chair she sits in; Angela's chair, Ai notices.
Kyoko glares at Angela. "Give us a warning before doing that stuff! Seriously, that's just good manners!"
Angela, being Angela, is unmoved by her minor outburst. While the other magical girls sans Ai still sway from the sudden motion, she chuckles. "My apologies. Everyone here is used to this sort of transportation, I forgot others would not be."
"Yeah," Roland adds with a smirk. "You get used to it after a few times."
"If I may," Mami chimes in, more curious than upset: "What exactly was this ability? It felt different from Ai's teleportation."
With Homura and Sayaka now busy checking Madoka, who slowly grows upset over having missed the battle, Angela has time to respond: "I rearranged our positions within the Library. It conforms to my desires, so yes, this process was subtly different from teleportation. The end result is much the same, though."
"I see. What a convenient ability."
"Indeed it is." Angela inclines her head at the blonde before motioning to her librarians. "Now, while introductions may be superfluous, allow me. These are Roland and Binah, respectively my right hand and the patron librarian of the Floor of Philosophy."
Binah simply peers at the group. A tiny, smug smile graces her pale features, framed by black hair. Despite the heavy combat, her dark robe remains almost entirely pristine. Ai shies away from the calculating look in her eyes. Much the same, Roland's wave disturbs the others a great deal. He falters, then grimaces. "Oh, right. Sorry about the, er, trying to kill you thing. I guess that one is somewhat my fault."
"About that," Ai chimes in as curiousity slowly overcomes her jubilation. "What happened after I died? The last thing I remember is you distorting into... something."
Binah chuckles at that. She settles in a nearby chair, almost lounging with a cheshire grin. "How fitting, no? Unending wrath, once unchained, gave birth to the memory of an avatar of suffering. A memory so powerful that, although dead and gone, it could project itself into the present." Angela nods thoughtfully while Roland rolls his eyes. Binah does not clarify.
"Sit," Angela bids her confused guests. A number of chairs appear while Madoka is tranposed into one of them. Angela herself takes the seat the pinkette just vacated. Roland and Binah sit to her left and right. "And to answer your question, the battle raged for a while longer. I somehow managed to defeat Roland in the end, and spared him. He in turn forgave me, allowing me to return the light I stole. We each had to deal with a number of uninvited guests, including agents from the Head. After that group in particular failed to kill me, we were exiled to the Outskirts."
She says all of this with a straight face, disregarding Ai's surprised gasp. It sounds so fantastical, yet proof positive sits right in front of her. Somehow, Roland overcame his unending hatred. In the end, Ai can only smile in relief. "I see. So that's why I didn't find you at first. Dimension Break sent us to where the Library used to be. A kind man pointed me in the right direction."
Angela's brow twitches in response, but she does not say whatever caught her interest. Rather, she leans forward with steepled fingers. "About that. Explain... no. First of all, do you know anything about the fact all Abnormalities regained their physical bodies? It began around the time we arrived in the Outskirts, soon after Tiphereth realised you were missing."
Ai can only shake her head. No one else has any idea, either. That is, until a stick thin arm rises. Drips of shadow fall from Jester's claw as it points straight at Madoka. All eyes fall on the confused pinkette as Jester explains. Her voice is weak, though: "The wishes Kyubey grants are not monkey's paws. They do not require perfect wording and actualise based on intent. The other you made a wish calling for a saviour. One who needed to fight, to interact with others. Of course she needed a body to do so. But it was such a powerful wish that a great amount of energy flowed into the Library itself, giving every other Abnormality back its proper form. On that note," she adds with a glance to Angela, "I notice you let all of them out. Even Melting Love and the Mountain of Smiling Bodies. Is that safe?"
Angela huffs. "We will speak of this 'wish' in a moment. Whatever exactly it was, it did more than grant them corporeality. Just like most of the Abnormalities we worked with during the Library's opening in the City, their personalities became somewhat malleable. They are still unchanging, but can be reasoned with."
"Or perhaps," Binah interjects, "when Lobotomy Corporation's cycle was broken, they were finally given the time it takes to change. Perhaps they always could," she muses with a glance at the slowly blinking Ai.
Angela nods. "Regardless, most Abnormalities can be spoken to. Melting Love is still on probation; she promised not to spread her love in exchange for being allowed to roam freely. Even in battle, she kept it tightly under control. The Mountain of Smiling Bodies refrained from devouring its living allies." She huffs. "You will notice, Jester, that a certain Abnormality was not among the combatants. That one in particular remains bound into a book until I can figure out how to circumvent its impact on the human mind."
"Uh." Kyoko slowly raises her hand, earning an arched eyebrow. She hesitates, probably intimidated. "It's, um, Ai told me a lot about you people. The few bits she knew about the City, and Lobotomy Corporation. I've seen Blue Star twice now." She taps her headband for emphasis, drawing a look of recognition from Angela. "And that one you synchronised with, that was White Night, right?" Another nod from the head librarian. Kyoko frowns. "It's just, I don't get what else you could have? Those two are already hard to bear with. What could be worse than them?"
Angela studies Kyoko for a moment. From the slight bags under her eyes to the silvery band running over her forehead. Her lips curl up the tiniest bit. "You are a remarkable young woman, Kyoko." The redhead immediately sits a bit more straight. "I have seen men and women twice your age fall to their knees before either of these Abnormalities. Cults have formed in their name. But ultimately, they are benign in their intentions. The one I spoke of is, if anything, indifferent. Lobotomy Corporation had to censor it even through the cognition filter due to how many managers went insane at the mere sight of it. All data regarding its appearance or habits were redacted, even its name. Even the most steadfast agents employed by the company were left gibbering wrecks after completing their work processes with this Abnormality. They required days of rest before they could return to work, assuming they did not commit suicide. Either on their own, or as a sacrifice to the idol they beheld."
Her smile has grown mirthless while Kyoko pales. Angela inclines her head a little further. "I believe you understand why I am careful with this one in particular. Then again, Blue Star was acting erratic for weeks; you may be the reason why. It has been coming and going from the Library through a process we are still figuring out." She pauses and turns to the door; Ai blearily looks as well, only to find Kyubey traipsing inside. She blinks once, twice, before realising the bunnycat is limping.
"Kyubey! What happened? Did you get hit?"
"No. I had to excise brain matter to prevent complete corruption of this body. Some cerebral matter was affected, so motor functions are currently impaired."
Ai shakes off her exhaustion and moves to scoop them up. Kyubey settles in her arms, head lolling to the side. "Why didn't you grab or make a new body?"
Everyone watches the bunnycat, whose head falls back until they can look Ai in the eyes. "There is no need. This unit is contaminated and will be subject to extermination once I reconnect with the hivemind. The experimental hardening to deal with cognito-hazards like the blue star was insufficient. That aside, there is no threat left in the Library that a fully coherent body would allow to avoid. I have to depend on your goodwill, so that I can return this valuable knowledge to my kind."
Ai clutches them protectively when she notices Homura shift. She meets the time traveler's gaze, who scowls at her. Before either of them can start arguing, Kyubey addresses the taciturn girl herself: "Be at ease, Homura. The knowledge I carry is purely beneficial to fulfilling your desires."
Homura stops to stare in naked surprise, then her eyes narrow. "How so?"
"With the new data on possible capabilities of Madoka Kaname's Witch, I understand that her threat level was underestimated. It surpasses our calculations by a siginificant margin, to the point we can easily deal with an interplanetary threat. As unfortunate as it is," they finish as their eyes wander to Madoka herself, "we can no longer offer you a contract. The risks are too great."
Silence reigns. Even Ai is surprised by the turn of events.
"That's it?" Kyoko finally asks. "Just like that?"
Kyubey shrugs with one shoulder. "Our overall plan does not change. While Madoka's potential does roughly equal that of the entire human race till its conclusion, contracting her always meant the end of your world. My quota will be fulfilled regardless. All that changes is the timespan involved."
The girls look between each other, none certain what to make of this. Homura slumps in her chair, arms hanging limp. Mami is clearly disturbed while Sayaka scowls up a storm. Yuma just tilts her head. "You aren't angry, like at all?"
"My race does not have emotions. Humans are rather quite unique in their ability to coexist in such numbers despite their habit of disregarding rational thought in favour of impulsive, emotional responses."
"That explains a few things," Angela cuts them off. She idly taps her fingertips on the desktop, a constant clack-clack. "But I believe we are missing a few details here." She turns to Ai once more. "Explain what happened, from your perspective. Start from the beginning."
So Ai marshalls her energy one final time and begins to speak. She starts with her death to Roland, and waking up in Mitakihara. Meeting her now-friends, one by one. Mami and Sayaka avert their gazes upon being reminded of their original hostility. Kyoko is embarassed for a different reason; Ai purposefully notes she was the first magical girl to be kind to her. Then there is the encounter with Char; Jester freely admits that she passed the train ticket to Madoka. "Just playing around," she justifies herself. Angela is not amused.
Roland frowns when Ai speaks of his memory overwhelming the TV Witch. Kyubey confirms the poor thing is still comatose after that ordeal. At that point however, Ai interrupts her tale. "It was so weird. She dragged so many memories out of me. Abnormalities I never met, conversations we never had. But they all felt so real. Why is that?"
Angela studies her for a long second. As if weighing something Ai can not fathom. The result seems to be in her favour, though: "Lobotomy Corporation's main branch deployed a TimeTrack2 protocol. Time within the facility was accelerated by a factor of one thousand." The foreign girls gasp in shock; even Kyubey perks up in clear curiousity. Angela pays them no mind, firmly looking at Ai. "The ten years the facility was in operation on the outside were ten thousand years on the inside. To create the Seed of Light, a specific order of steps was necessary. A script to be adhered to, all progress reset on a misstep. The memories of all but three people within the facilities were erased. You in particular would not remember anyway due to your nature."
Ai grimaces. She knows well what Angela means. A self-inflicted amnesia to continue preening over her own heroics, never recalling the atrocities that followed them. But what the other woman says bothers her about as much. "Ten thousand years is... a long time." Jester snorts, as does Angela. The two glance at each other, only for the Abnormality to incline her head. Ai's frown grows ever more pronounced. "Who else remembers?"
"Hokma and Binah," Angela responds. The woman by her side takes a sip from her fragrant tea. No other indication of her mood is given.
"Why, though?" Roland interjects curiously.
This time Binah does speak: "I still believe Ayin sought to punish me in particular for past transgressions. But it was prudent as well; the head of Extraction needed to keep an eye on how many of which Abnormality were transported to each facility, just like Hokma had to keep an eye on the TT2 protocol." Her lips twitch upon seeing Ai's interest. "I created hundreds of your type over the years. Fascinating indeed, how each time they would mold into the exact same shape. The exact same thoughts and feelings, the same voice."
"And the same folly," Ai finishes morosely. Binah's smile grows a fraction while she continues: "What happened to the others?"
"Several instances of the same Abnormality will meld into a single one with close proximity. Either that, or they were thrown back down the well to drown within humanity's collective conciousness." Binah's gaze rises to somewhere over Ai's shoulder. She stares into the distance as she recounts, smiling faintly: "As they were born the same, they vanished the same. Crying, pleading, screaming."
A heavy silence hangs over them for a moment. Roland rubs his forehead while Angela's brows have furrowed ever so slightly.
That is when Ai remembers those hurtful words from that day. And something Angela's memory mentioned. "You said that Binah sent me after you, sometimes."
The frown turns a little darker while the woman herself chuckles. "Ah yes, our little games of cat and mouse. It was oh so intriguing to test a thing's patience. To see whether programmed orders can be overriden."
"You just enjoyed annoying me until I came down to Extraction to berate you."
Binah does not respond, but her little smile radiates smugness.
Into the silence, Madoka speaks. Her expression is tight, palms pressed onto the table as she rises to her feet. "You sound so happy about having done these things. Like Ai isn't even a person to you. Hurting people isn't right and it shouldn't be fun, either."
When Binah's gaze finds hers, Madoka stands her ground. All eyes are on her, but unlike in the past she does not waver. In the end, the older woman huffs and rises. She strides around Angela to face Madoka directly; though a bit shorter, the pinkette keeps staring ahead without fear. Binah wordlessly tilts her head up by the chin. "Curious. A great deal of determination. But oftentimes this does not speak of indestructibility, merely a will never tested. You never truly suffered in your life, yet berate those who have lived far longer than yourself." Madoka twitches, but holds strong. The others shift in their chairs while Binah's smile grows a fraction. "You will find, child, that some people find fulfillment in taboos more than anything else. They chase the height of hedonism for their pleasure, regardless the feelings of others. Who are you to judge them?"
For just a moment, Ai thinks she sees tears glitter in Madoka's eyes. Then the pinkette blinks and they are gone. She does not push Binah away, radiant against the dark figure looming over her. "You're right," she admits, "you are older and wiser than me. But that doesn't have to mean you're always right and I'm always wrong. It doesn't matter, either. Anyone who hurts others for fun is wrong. I will stand by that, no matter what!"
"Hm. Adequate."
"...huh?"
Madoka blinks up at Binah, who finally lets go and glides back to her seat. Her motions are soft, almost mesmerising. Ai feels her lids grow heavy again. Binah huffs softly. "Your inexperience speaks for itself, but you are determined. Whatever question you have for us, you may just find an answer." This time Madoka twitches, her intentions laid bare for the group. Binah gives her no time to flounder, though: "But you are incorrect on two accounts. The first being that Ai here is not a person to me. The Abnormality known as the Queen of Hatred is not, but this one is no longer the same." A hand airily motions Ai's way. "She changed far enough to be a unique entity.
"The other matter regards your assumption that I am a good person, or interested in becoming one. I have never been and never will be." Binah sits down satisfied, well aware of the stares levelled at her. She chuckles to herself. "In addition, 'Ai' just fell asleep."
Gazes wander to Ai, who slumped back in her chair. True to Binah's words, the magical girl is out like a light. Once Roland carried her onto a nearby couch, her friends have to finish the tale for her. From Yuma's accidental theft of her E.G.O., over Hitomi's abduction and the following slaughter, and then that fateful day Ai almost broke. Roland apologises again upon hearing how his memory brutalised the entire group. They cover the rest quickly until they get to the encounter with Jester, and Kriemhild Gretchen.
"We called for help," Kyoko admits quietly. "There wasn't anything we could do against something that powerful. But this... I guess Abnormality? Answered." She slowly describes the floating skull again, their golden aura and the cross the bones rested around. Her words draw a faint smile onto Angela's face.
"The being you describe is known as 'One Sin And Hundreds of Good Deeds'. A truly benign Abnormality whose sole desire is to listen to your sins. To grant absolution for any misdeed, no matter how grave. This one has a history of aiding in the darkest hour."
"It seems they sent a gift with Ai when she left for Mitakihara," Jester murmurs. "She carried it this whole time and I never really noticed."
Roland throws her a grin. "We all make mistakes," he jokes. "Some worse than others. On that note, welcome to the 'almost murdered everyone and got beaten up for it' club." His good mood is unperturbed by Jester refusing to acknowledge him. Kyoko fails to hide her smirk, though.
The conversation peters out from there; with the tale concluded, everyone follows their own thoughts. Which is when Madoka takes a deep breath and rises again. Angela glances at her, then stands when she realises the pinkette walks her way. Binah's lips curl up a little further as she watches the display.
Madoka is smaller than Angela, but she meets her gaze evenly. "I have a request to make," she begins. Angela's brow arches ever so slightly, but she motions for the human girl to continue. "From how Ai said it, you are the person who can figure out how magic works. How I can learn to use it without contracting. And that you know how to manifest E.G.O.." Before surprise can even register on her audience, Madoka goes to her knees, head bowed to the surprised gynoid. "So I beg of you, please help me find the key to magic! Teach me how to find my E.G.O.!"
Her words come from the heart, laden with desire and determination. They are almost loud enough to wake Ai.
"What are you saying?" Sayaka calls from her seat. "You don't need to do that! It's okay if you-"
"But I want it!" Madoka does not even look up, still prostrating herself before Angela. "This is what I decided to do! Something only I can! I'm going to bring magic to everyone in our world!" Only then does her head rise, seeking Angela's inscrutable gaze. "But I can't do it on my own," she pleads softly.
Her words silence the rest. Homura dearly wants to pick her beloved friend off the ground, but she knows best how Madoka is when her mind is made up. Meanwhile, Angela keeps staring down at the girl. "You realise what kind of effort this will be?" she inquires idly. "We do not speak of a few weeks or months. It will take years at best to quantify magic. Properly manifesting your E.G.O. will take years as well. Maybe just a single year or less, assuming you can repeat Kali's feat."
"I know," Madoka says. Her head lowers again.
"Then I will help you."
Only to shoot up again, expression shocked. Angela offers her a hand and a kind smile. "If you are willing to put in the work, I can give you the help you need. Most librarians on staff were originally scientists. Figuring out magic ought to tickle their fancy. Gebura and Binah will instruct you on the matter of E.G.O.."
Madoka is almost vibrating with excitement. Her friends are skeptical. Even Hitomi needs a minute to think it through before speaking up: "I imagine you will require a control group of some sort. Madoka possesses magical potential unlike any ever seen. I am willing to provide assistance in this endeavour."
"Of course! Thank you very much, Hitomi!" Madoka hops up and down, completely missing Binah's and Angela's knowing smirks. Mami caught Hitomi's actual intention as well, but does not let it bother her.
"Anyway," Kyoko interrupts the jubilations, "we're kinda stuck here until Ai wakes up, right? Or... does she know how to get us back?" Her question silences the group, who all look to the sleeping girl in worry.
Jester giggles. "The spell she cast was her own, if taught by another. Using the power of one who could become a goddess, had she so wished, to escape my clutches." She shakes her head and disperses; a shadow writhes across the table and into Madoka's own, but the eerily familiar voice sounds one last time: "I will be watching. Do not disappoint."
At first Madoka gapes, but then her firm demeanour returns. "I won't," she promises. At the same time, none truly realise that this is moment a future archmage is set on her path. A revolutionary, backed by a number of the most powerful and capable magical girls of her world. One to be supported by a woman who will combine magical and mundane into a new doctrine to sweep through first Japan, then all of Earth.
When Ai wakes up hours later, she finds her friends scattered across the Library. Yuma plays with Laetitia and the Child Of The Galaxy while Mami and Hitomi chat with Chesed. Kyoko got dragged into a conversation with the Mercenary. Madoka already takes her first lesson under Gebura, cautiously watched by Homura. It will be for Roland to find out why his fellow librarians react oddly upon being introduce to Madoka; Hod will admit weeks later that the girl reminds her of Carmen. Both in her determination and earnestness to transform the world into something better.
The girls soon return to Mitakihara; without Kriemhild Gretchen's barrier to act as a prison, Dimension Break can be cast on her own well enough. Those who still have family reunite with them under tears and overwhelming joy.
People all across town are confused where the city-ending storm went; Walpurgis was subsumed by an even greater Witch, never to be seen again. The other unexplained phenomena are blamed on mass hallucinations; only when magic is revealed years later will this case and many others be reopened.
Even now however, a handful of people know. Within days, the Kaname and Shizuki households are invited to the Library; to meet these people they already heard about. Somehow, Reiji and Roland end up getting along quite well. Malkuth finds a likeminded soul in Junko. Overall, Ai is as happy with the result as can be.
Her days turn into the occasional journey between dimensions, spending equal amounts of time on either side. Her sisters take to learning Dimension Break, but they will need many weeks before they can take some strain off of Ai. Even then, Abnormalities in general are carefully monitored whenever they leave the Library for elsewhere; Ai alone is the exception, having been shifted from containment to honourary librarian. She enjoys Angela's full trust soon after.
Kyoko, Yuma, and Mami join hands to properly refurbish the Sakura Church. Although Izabel is a little skittish to work with someone who once killed her, Ai can talk her around. Izabel and Elsa Maria become the core of a slowly growing organisation to take in and provide for magical girls. Be they orphans, runaways, simply adventurous, or tired of constant battle. All are welcome.
Sayaka is actually their first ward; having quickly realised that her calling lies elsewhere, she takes the chance to retire. Following her newfound passion, she obtains skills at the piano through a great amount of practice. In time, in a sense of great irony, she will come to fame as 'The Pianist'; yet fully recreating the song that started it all requires more than one lifetime. She will chase that dream into the far future, facilitated by her Soul Gem's ability to keep her body at any age of her desire.
Meanwhile, Homura's purpose is fulfilled. After a period of ennui, she will slowly adjust to the fact her endless cycle broke. Although Earth shall forever alienate her, make her feel like a stranger to her own people. At the beginning she only accompanies Madoka to the Library out of caution; soon enough, she will hold conversations with Angela, Binah, and Hokma. In the end, Homura Akemi vanishes from Earth, never to be seen again. Sometimes she returns when Madoka can convince her to visit, but even then she mostly acts as a guard; much like the Jester watching from her dearest friend's shadow.
Yuma's talents will slowly add more Witches to the roster of her budding organisation. Even Kyubey is willing to assist in their endeavour; they help to implement work processes in order to satisfy a given Witch's desires and produce Enkephalin in addition. They have no reason for sabotage when this new organisation produces enough energy to compensate. A proof of concept, they call it. In time, Ai knows, it will grow to encompass the country. Then the globe. Maybe Kyubey will even carry the knowledge ahead of the revolution.
Looking out across Mitakihara, she allows herself a soft sigh. "So much achieved in so little time. I am proud; of them and of myself. When all this began, I was still locked in an endless cycle of love and hatred. It is thanks to you that it broke. I'm free now. I'm Ai. So, thank you. Thank you for guiding me all this time."
She turns around to look at you, beaming. "I'm okay now. I can do the rest on my own. But I will never forget you. Again, thank you, from the bottom of my heart! And farewell!"
She raises her hand as if to wave goodbye. The light recedes.
Truly, the road to hell was paved with good intentions. Yet you directed her through any hardship. Against all odds, you helped her find herself, a group of faithful friends, and above all, hope. Congratulations.
Thank you for playing.
THE END
"Thank You" (Quest End)
- Location
- Earth
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I saw a number of familiar faces in these three Threads already, but some may have missed them. So here you go.
-"Human Resources" Shouldn't Be This Literal, another PMMM / Project Moon cross featuring Lobotomy Corporation's X; chapters are shorter but quite frequent
-Lost Feather, once again PMMM and Project Moon, primarily Lobotomy Corporation; this time in the shoes of a humble employee far from home; still short, but well written. And yes, I am absolutely using this to pressure the QM into writing the next Update
-KaliQuest, in which SV pilots the strongest there ever was into the world of Remnant; a bit different in tone and with some troubles, but definitely a good read
I saw a number of familiar faces in these three Threads already, but some may have missed them. So here you go.
Lepidoptera
Mother of Monsters, Unverified Impuritas Civitatis
- Location
- Indeterminate Unknown
It's been a ride. Cheers to another story finished!
- Location
- Who knows?
Holy Shit. This was amazing Naron! I love how seamlessly you melded the charater and then two setting together.
And man, gotta say I kinda love your Kyubey here. A truly alien entity with no capability of to either hate or love, just a perogative to fullfil. But yes I did love the minor existential breakdown at the end lamo. And holy shit archmage Madoka? Yes please, god that epilogue is *chefs kiss*
And finally oh man, seeing Ai's growth and progress has been great and I'm proud of my small spare vote efforts towards it! Kinda surprised we managed to avoid murking the other MGs and witchouts amongst the main crew.
And man, gotta say I kinda love your Kyubey here. A truly alien entity with no capability of to either hate or love, just a perogative to fullfil. But yes I did love the minor existential breakdown at the end lamo. And holy shit archmage Madoka? Yes please, god that epilogue is *chefs kiss*
And finally oh man, seeing Ai's growth and progress has been great and I'm proud of my small spare vote efforts towards it! Kinda surprised we managed to avoid murking the other MGs and witchouts amongst the main crew.
Khona Moshr
Pink Flamingo Cabal Healer(they/them)
- Location
- Alabama
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Congratulations on finishing the quest it was very fun, and I will say you did very well at avoiding filler and keeping excellent pacing.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Loved the story from start to finish. This is the first quest that I stayed till the end, not a single regret.
Yeah, I said it earlier: The Jester has been a mostly positive influence since her first apparition, except for the times where she couldn't control her nature she helped us all along the way.
Hey, she is, after all, salvation, hope for saving others, even if it was twisted.
Madoka, taking lessons from Madoka, on how to be Madoka.
Madoka.
Binah has a personal relation with clarifying, it goes like this: "Don't even dare approach if you want to stay alive."
Angela's thoughts: "Ayin, a good man? Well I guess I can let her have this delusion but still." *scoff internally*
Come on Binah, begin a speech about buckets, we know you want to.
CENSORED did nothing wrong!
Welcome to one of the very few positives of having no emotions at all: No Grudges.
Meanwhile, Homura is suddenly very afraid of getting her
Fixed it for you.
I mean, these three are the best persons to share her experience with timeloops, too bad the manager isn't there, I'm sure the stories would be even better.
Nevermind! Seems like the manager was there, after all!
Nottheunmaker
Altman be praised
- Location
- USG Ishimura
A pretty good ride. Had some rough patches, but it reached a satisfying conclusion.
BadassOverlord
I don't know what I'm Doing
Congrats! This was a ton of fun to read along with.
A perfect magical girl story with all key troupe! Iam really like it
