[] "Go on. I don't mind. Do whatever you want. You don't scare me."
You stared down your Witches as they approached you. You held out your arms as you gave them a warm smile, "Go on. I don't mind. Do whatever you want. You don't scare me."
The Witches reached for you before they went past you. Olga and Angela got between you and Kyubey as Nacht's tendrils drew you close as Lachesis did the same. Tatyana Empera floated above you as the five Witches in their monstrous forms chose to hold you protectively away from the Incubator, their hostility directed solely on Kyubey as they pressed your body against theirs. You blinked in surprise before you found Lachesis' form shifting to that of a tanned girl wrapped in her film reels
She gave you a small smile before you turned to see Nacht in her white dress walking out of the mass of flesh that was her main body. She stood by your side as she kept her eyes trained on the Incubator. Angela's flaming form adopted a more humanoid appearance in her pixie form, rainbow fire dancing off her body as she floated in the air.
Olga Sethiss' form shifted and changed until she resembled a more human appearance. Though her skin was still steel and her heart still made of iron, she looked like she was halfway between her Witch and Magical Girl form. She stood on guard with a mechanical sword in her hand ready to attack Kyubey if need be.
Tatyana hung from the sockpuppet form that was in the air, her sleepy expression still the same but her eyes were as sharp as a hawk's when looking at Kyubey.
They kept you close, away from the Incubator as you felt their... Souls.
Your eyes widened as you pulled back and stared at them.
"We won't make you Wish. That's we've come to decide," Nacht said as she smiled your way.
"We'll make you happy... Mom," Lachesis nodded with a warm smile as she held your face.
"This too is our choice, Master," Tatyana nodded as she hummed under her breath.
"I won't let you die," Olga firmly declared with a determined expression.
"We'll make you shine without you having to make a wish for yourself!" Angela laughed as she spread her arms.
Your Witches kept you away from Kyubey but you knew they wouldn't hold. It was taking much of their focus to keep themselves in this form so they may not have the leisure of staying with you for long. They hatched and were on the brink of returning to the outside world and fusing together but they were rejecting their own nature to keep you from Wishing.
The effort alone must have been tearing them apart yet here they were with you. You watched them hold on before Kyubey stared at them with a confused expression more than anything. The Incubator's tail started swaying behind it once again as it spoke.
"How interesting. You five have retained some semblance of coherence. But not only that, the integrity of your personalities too. This is a totally unprecedented event. The data acquired from this would be a subject of future research, Yukina."
"She will not make any wishes today, Kyubey," Olga declared. Her eyes were fixed upon the creature as she held her weapon, "You won't be taking her Soul into your twisted system."
"But if there's nothing done, her friends will surely perish. Yukina, you wouldn't want that, right?"
"No. Of course she will not. That's why we'll Wish in her place," Nacht smirked as she held her hands behind her back, "That's it takes, right? A Soul is all you need to grant Wishes. You have five right here, ready and waiting."
"It doesn't matter if we're Witches or human. As long as we have a Soul for you to use a catalyst, it'll go through. We've played your game before Incubator," Tatyana yawned as she gave the creature a look of disdain behind her sleepy gaze.
"Whatever it takes... We'll protect Mom..." Lachesis hissed as she hugged you tight while glaring at Kyubey.
"A Witch? Having a Soul? That's absolutely unprecedented. Granting a contract to a Witch is also unprecedented. It's something that has never been done before! Who knows what would happen!"
"It's Data you want, it's what we're giving you. Sane Witches like us are a rarity after all," Olga replied with a cold tone as she glanced your way, "If it's for her we'll give it our all."
"Even if it means forming a contract again. Now if it turns us into Magical Girls remains to be seen," Angela sneered as she tried her hardest not to burst out laughing, "It's the carrot you've been looking for, Incubator."
"...."
You looked at them all as you shook your head, "Wait... Wait, no. There's no telling what will happen to all of you! You're all at the brink of collapse and even if you all have your own souls now-"
"It's all thanks to you that we regained what little humanity we had left," Nacht sighed as she walked ahead, "Just shut up and take the parting gift."
"You girls... You might end up obliterated! It might not work! Wait!" you tried telling them before Lachesis held you back.
"Mom... Please be safe," Lachesis rasped as she squeezed your shoulder, "You're... Our sunshine."
"So what it'll be, Kyubey? Are you up for it?" Nacht challenged as she crossed her arms.
The Incubator simply stared before blinking,
"Witches... Becoming Puella Magi. In such an isolated scenario... Perhaps if it can work then it would restructure the whole system. I see... I see. It's unprecedented but it might be worth it. Well then, I agree to your terms."
You felt your legs lose their strength as you watched the five Witches walk ahead of you towards the Incubator. They gathered around Kyubey as you could only watch them leave. There's no telling it would work yet they would still do it. All for your sake they would subject themselves to the same contracts which turned them into monsters in the first place.
"Hey... Can you hear me?" you asked them with a shaky tone and trembling voice, "This isn't funny! I don't want this!"
The five of them simply smiled as they turned to Kyubey.
"All of you! I'm going to get you!" you snapped as you got up before a gear kept you from advancing towards them, "Let me do it instead! I can give you your bodies back! You can be human again! You don't have to do this!"
Stubborn... The whole lot of them. Why were they so stubborn?! Why wouldn't they listen!?
"Wait!" you cried out as they spoke.
Nacht parted her lips and was the first one to speak, "I wish for Yukina to be happy and healthy, let her body be healed and be protected from harm."
Angela went next as she smiled brightly, "Let her shine and grow powerful. I wish her unwavering courage will continue to give light to others!"
Tatyana opened her eyes as she spoke, "I wish for her to remain unbound, unfazed, and unyielding to challenges. Grant her freedom and let her dreams be fulfilled. No longer will she be chained to the whims of others save her own."
Olga continued with the same determined look as the magical power coming from Kyubey began to rise. She spoke with a firm voice and said, "I wish that she'll live a long and joyful life. Let her be accepted and loved! I don't want her to die just yet!"
Finally Lachesis raised her head and spoke, "I wish... That we can meet again somehow. Until then, give her strength to fight against everything the world throws at her."
Kyubey began to shine as it looked at the Witches gathered before you. A surge of power came from their very being akin to that of a supernova. You blinked as you heard them spoke as one.
"These are our Wishes. Save her! Make her shine again! These are our Wishes so grant them, INCUBATOR!!!"
They were purged of their Grief as golden light burst from each Witches. Kyubey shined as well as it stared at each of them before resting its gaze at you. You could only watch as it swayed its tail back and forth while your Witches slowly vanished from where they stood. You looked down at your body and found your form glowing too. The gear blocking your path was vanishing.
You watched as the Incubator spoke.
"Granted. The contracts have been completed. Now awaken, Puella Magi!"
.....
....
...
You felt light. So light... As if a great weight had been lifted from your shoulders. You were breathing, you were floating too... You blinked and you found that your vision had returned and you were no longer standing in that familiar desert. You were in a street. It was a street you've been to before. In fact, it was one you were just at a few minutes ago.
There were Chimeras and the sounds of fighting. They were close to being overwhelmed. They? Who were they? You turned your gaze towards the group of Magical Girls cutting a path towards you through the hordes of Chimeras. That's right, they were your friends. Your clenched your fist as you let out a pulse of light. The sound of it being released stopping the horde dead on their tracks before they turned to you.
The Magical Girls all paused as well before finally realizing what was happening. You remained calm as you faced the Chimeras however.
Your body was healed and you felt lighter than before. No, you felt normal again. You looked down your hands and saw that the purple lines and cracks had vanished, leaving your body in a pristine state. It wasn't peeling or crumbling away either. You felt... good.
The Chimeras snarled before dashing towards you with their weapons crafted from Grief. You were able to see their movements. Clumsy and unrefined, you were able to dodge and strike back twice as hard against your assailant. Once in the stomach and once on the face, the Chimera fell down hard before you turned and stopped a grief blade with your bare hand.
Palming it aside, you slammed your fist into your clone's chest before kicking her knee. She fell down before you kept her in the dirt by smashing your heel against her skull. Chimeras around you took this as a challenge before before you clapped your hands and parted them as you spun. Rainbow fire struck them all at once as a Witch manifested beside you.
The Memory of Angela danced her deadly dance before burning the Chimeras with an infernal firestorm that only hurt the monsters. You stopped and withdrew the Witch back into your memories before you held up your hand as the Memory of Olga appeared by your side. Pulling out a mechanical sword from within the Gear, you cut down a Chimera coming for you before smashing your shield into the next one.
Chimeras pounced on you before tendrils of light struck them out of the sky as you defended against a wild attack behind you with a barrier formed by Nacht. The projection of a girl in white giggling by your side came and went away, the Memory of Nacht lingered in your mind as you returned the force landed on you by your foes.
They were swarming you but you cut and kicked them away with grace and ease. You were faster, stronger, but at the same time you didn't have the limits of a normal Magical Girl would have. Waited until they were all over you before you redirected their gravity away from you, parting their bodies away from your own and having them hit the ground one by one.
"Tatyana," you breathed the Witch's name as her Memory manifested above you for a moment before a Black Hole appeared above you. Chimeras were dragged off the ground and drawn into the hole while the Magical Girls you were protecting weren't affected.
Once the Chimeras had been dispatched, you sealed the Black Hole with a sweep of your hand.
You turned your attention to the others before smiling. Reika and Ayana were looking at you with wide eyes as the others pretty much had the same look on their faces. They were beaten up and exhausted, their gems dark and murky, they wouldn't have been able to last much longer. Homura and Madoka stared at you before you tilted your head as you looked down your own body.
You were wearing different clothes. You were wearing a purple dress reminiscent of the Blue Queen's own dress beneath her armor. It was of an elegant design but at the same time allowing you great movement as the skirt split into a slit on your right side. You tapped the ground with your boots to make sure they fit snugly.
Your white hair flowed behind you, becoming the same color as snow. A cloak provided you some warmth as it swayed alongside the breeze which rolled overhead.
"Hey there," you waved as you smiled their way.
Ayana was the first to break, "You're alive-GUK!"
She got two feet of your range before you summoned a gear to smack her head aside. Ayana fell to the ground unconscious as her will left her finally. Reika managed to get close and stop before looking down at Ayana, "Holy shit she's out!"
"Sorry. Reflex," you murmured with a small smile. You turned to the others before they all gathered around you to have a look at your appearance. It might have seemed weird, after all you were on the brink of dying while on the ground.
"You... You're okay," Kazumi blinked as she stared at you.
"I am..." you then glanced behind you as Kyubey walked forward, "There's that to thank for."
Homura frowned as she supported Madoka, "Then... A contract?"
"Yukina... Or rather, Falsus has yet to make a contract with me. What she is now is a being similar to that of the Blue Queen of Hearts. Born from Grief, Remade through Wishes, she's become something else entirely," Kyubey explained as it scratched its face and yawned, "Truly fascinating. This has been quite the adventure."
"Falsus?" Ume raised an eyebrow.
"It's her Named title," Reika sighed as she shook her head.
"Well, I needed a way to differentiate her from the real Yukina. Not that there were real or fakes anyway. Her soul is as genuine as it could get," Kyubey continued before hopping up to your shoulder. You reached for its head and pet it.
"I had help," you admitted as you turned to your friends, "I wasn't alone in reaching this form. I owe it to them."
Kasane's eyes widened before narrowing, "Your Seeds. What happened?"
"That's not important. All I know is we have to stop Pandora," you told the others before you looked upwards, "I'll go after Yukina. The rest of you, evacuate while you can."
"Wait, won't you need our help?" Touko asked you with a tone of concern.
"It'll be fine. I won't be alone," you smiled as you looked upwards. You looked at the Amalgamation of Barriers and grimaced. You faced the others and nodded, "I'll be gone for a bit. So don't panic, okay? Get yourselves healed. I'll stop Pandora."
"You think we're just going to let you hog all the fun?" Chise asked with an amused chuckle.
"I want you to trust me," you firmly stated as you met her gaze. You then spared the others the same look as you cracked a reassuring smile, "You do, right?"
Reika frowned before she walked up to you and grabbed you by the front of your clothes, "We do. But promise us you'll bring her back."
"I... I will," you nodded.
"We're counting on you, Corpse Girl," Reika said as she slowly let you go. She turned to the others and nodded, "Okay, let's regroup back at base."
You perked up and spoke, "Fal."
Reika paused before turning to you, causing the others to stop to blink your way. Even Chise picking up Ayana on the ground stopped as they looked at you.
"Falsus... Doesn't really sound right. So call me Fal," you murmured as you scratched the back of your head, "That way, I won't have to keep Yukina's name anymore."
Reika stared at you before smiling, "Right. We'll see you around Fal."
Homura and Madoka stood side by side as the others started walking away from you. You glanced at them before they shook their heads and shrugged. Reika glanced behind her to look at the duo with a raised eyebrow.
"We'll see her off," Homura said as she glanced at her partner.
"We'll catch up. We'll just make sure she'll be fine," Madoka said as she waved her hand.
Reika wanted to say something but Kazumi simply pulled her aside. The black haired girl waved her hand back, "We'll go ahead then! Hurry up!"
You watched them leave before you found yourself alone with Madoka and Homura. Kyubey sat on your head before Homura faced you with a narrowed look with her purple eyes, "Looks like you managed to cheat death. I'm glad."
"But this isn't over yet," Madoka hummed as she kept her hands behind her back, "You know this, right? Time can only tell how much Kyubey will do with the information you've given it."
"Truly it had been a wellspring of knowledge, Irregular," Kyubey said from above you, "But it was a worthy trade if only to further our agenda. After all, this juncture has only opened up multiple possibilities in the future. Witches wishing when reacquiring their souls, it was an unprecedented act but it has become a success. The GriefBorne System has only continued to surprise us from Kazumi's transformation, Yukina's resurrection and Falsus' metamorphosis."
"What's your plan, Rat?" Homura growled as Madoka held her back from outright shooting the Incubator.
"How does Reusable Energy Soun-" Kyubey didn't get to finish its thoughts before you took it off your head and cradled it in your arms. You started petting the Incubator and scratching under its chin to silence it.
"I don't know if introducing this to Kyubey was right. But I wanted to help you all regardless. If Kyubey does anything bad with this knowledge, I'll stop it," You assured them both. You knew better than anyone what the two of these girls had gone through. You kept petting Kyubey to shut it up before speaking once more, "This is my form of selfishness and I'll take responsibility for it."
Homura stared at you before shaking her head, "The only thing you should be responsible for is your own life. Whatever happens, happens. You should know better from me that taking the world on your shoulders never works out."
"Geez, Homura-chan. That sounded like you were being cool there," Madoka giggled to which the Assassin flushed red. Madoka straightened her back before walking up to you, "You know, a girl in my world once Wished to save everyone. She succeeded but in turn left behind her loved ones alone. Heroes are nice but we still need them after everything is over."
A Hero? You?
You couldn't help but look at your hands before glancing at the reflection of a nearby window. You've changed a lot since the start of the month. Almost like you were an entirely different person. You were... Warmer.
Wishes of Five
[] "I'm not a Hero. I don't feel like one. You must be mistaken."
[] "That's not up to me to decide. That's for others, you know?"
[] "I don't know about that. But I'll still be here when it's all over."
[] Write in...
