Accursed Citrine - Yet another Dark Soul/Madoka Magica Crossover

[X] Ask some more questions
-[X] Once I find Oriko, what then?
-[X] Can you tell me anything useful about this world?



This whole situation is making your head spin. You rarely paid much attention in class and Oriko's smarts never seemed to rub off onto you, so this is all pretty confusing. This girl – Madoka, or whatever her name is – says she's some super powerful person from another world and wants to help you. She claims she can save you and Oriko, but what does that mean?

"So, once I find Oriko," you start, eyeing the girl in front of you cautiously "what then? Why would you want to help the ones that killed you?"

Madoka chuckles awkwardly at your question. "Ah, well… I was pretty scared when you came for me in those few timelines I encountered you and Oriko, but I do understand why Oriko was doing what she did. I want to help all the Magical Girls, no matter what they did!" She clears her throat and chuckles again after that dramatic declaration.

"As for what happens after you find Oriko, that would depend on the situation." She continues, putting her hand to her chin and frowning in thought. "Hopefully I'll have figured out a way to return you to our reality by then, but it's possible you'll be stuck there for a while afterwards. I can sense a number of magics not entirely different from a Magical Girl's soul-related magic in the world you're in, so maybe they could help somehow. Of course, what state Oriko is in will change things too."

Her frown deepens. "It should be no problem retrieving even just her soul gem when I do find a way to reach you, so long as it's intact enough to still hold her soul. The problem is, I can sense at least one extremely powerful entity very near to her. Their energy feels… strange. It's possible that might cause problems when I try to bring you back to our reality."

You give her a grin, cracking you neck and knuckles. "So, I just need to kill whatever's giving off that weird magic and it'll be all good, right? No problem at all."

"Haha, well, I don't doubt your abilities – I've seen them firsthand, after all – but this entity is probably far stronger than any witch. Maybe even stronger than Walpurgisnacht…" Madoka replies, shaking her head. "In fact, can sense sources of massive amounts of power all over the place in this world. High and low, far and wide; mostly focused in and around the city you're in."

You slide back into your seat with a sigh, crossing your arms and frowning. You're sure you can handle anything that gets in your way, so long as it means finding Oriko – even if you have to become a witch again to do it – but this place does sound pretty crazy. Oscar's already mentioned different kinds of magic and it might be a problem if there's as many of these super powerful things around as Madoka says.

Maybe you should refrain from just trying to brute force everything. This place seems pretty different from your world and you don't know enough to properly deal with things that might show up. Oriko proved just how much you can do with a bit of information, after all. It might help to figure out what's up with this world.

"You said you can sense a bunch of stuff in this world, right?" You ask, sitting back up and leaning forwards on the table hopefully. "You said Oriko's really high up and that there's stuff below and around the city. Does that mean you know things about this place that might be helpful?"

Madoka once again brings her hand to her chin thoughtfully. "Well, I can't give you a perfect map of the city, but I can try to put together a general layout. I can also point you in the direction of those powerful entities, although I don't think that'd be much help until we know for sure that we need another way of getting you back to our reality.

"I should be able to tell you more about the magics of this world once you encounter them. I can say for certain that there's at least three kinds of magic. One of them seems to be not too different from our soul-based magic and is focused around where I can sense Oriko is. Another is a bit odd with a feeling that's hard to describe; it's also mostly focused high up near where Oriko is, but there's also a few pockets of it scattered around the city. The third one feels somewhat… uncontrolled. Violent and calm at the same time. Thankfully, the last one seems focused deep below, so you shouldn't need to worry about it."

Madoka shudders suddenly and grabs her head with an almost pained expression. "I can also sense something… dark, like a deep, all consuming void. Worryingly, it's almost like the warped and corrupted power of a witch. Such raw emotions running wild; it makes me feel sick just looking at it." She looks up at you, a worried look in her eyes. "It's mostly focused in an area right beneath the ruins you're in. I don't know if your soul gem will react to it, but you should stay away from it as best you can."

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[] Ask some more questions

[] Leave this place… somehow

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[X] Leave this place… somehow



"Riiiiight. I'll keep that in mind, then." You reply, looking around at the garden. Looking closer, it's clear that this is nothing but an illusion. Your ability to manipulate time means you've had plenty of chances to see the difference between how time effects the real and illusions. The way the plants and flowers move in the breeze – it's slightly off, like something remade using just the memory of what they are.

Strangely, it's a similar feeling you got when looking up at the sun when you were being carried by the crow.

"Ah," You hear Madoka exclaim, returning your attention to the pink-haired girl. "I think I should send you back now. Your knight friend is trying to wake you."

"Wake me?" You echo, tilting your head slightly in confusion. "But I'm wide awake."

Madoka smiles and gets to her feet. Her long hair and flowy white dress float about at the movement. "I'll do my best to put together a general map for you by the time we talk next. I might even have something else for you too, if I can figure out how the laws of this world work." She says, rounding the table.

You stand to meet her. "I, uh… thanks for helping out with finding Oriko." You say, scratching the back of your head awkwardly. "She always says I need to thank people when they help. Oh, my mum probably does too, I guess."

Madoka chuckles at your thanks. "There's no need to thank me. My wish was to save all the Magical Girls, so of course I'll help. Besides, you haven't found her yet…" She says, frowning at her last words. After a moment, she smacks her cheeks and shakes her head. "Ah, sorry. We'll find her, no matter what! I promise!"

"Well, yeah. Of course we will." You reply, nodding. "Even without your weird 'different worlds' magic, I'd tear this place apart until I find Oriko. And if it's too late when I do…" You frown and ball your fists. "I'll tear apart whoever took her out."

Madoka claps her hands cheerfully. "I'm sure it won't come to that. Now… Oh, before I send you back!" She holds out her hand and gives you a warm smile. "Could you give me your soul gem for a moment?"

"What do you want with it…?" You reply, eyeing her suspiciously. This girl's been nothing but nice and helpful so far, but asking a magical girl for there soul gem is a bit…

"Ah, it's nothing bad, I promise!" She exclaims, waving her hands about in a panic. "Your soul gem's over half-way tainted, so I want to cleanse it for you. There doesn't seem to be any incubators in this world, so you may have trouble cleaning it otherwise."

You hesitate for a moment longer before raising your hand and summoning your soul gem. You give Madoka a small nod, then she holds her hands out to either side of the gem.

She closes her eyes and you feel a strange sensation ripple through you. After a few seconds, the blackness tainting your soul gem begins to seep out and reach over to Madoka's palms. Your gem's glow grows stronger as the corruption moves from it to her until the darkness is completely gone.

Madoka lets out a held breath in a small shudder and lowers her arms.

"Did you just… absorb the corruption?" You ask, a little bit surprised by what you just witnessed. "But you don't have a grief seed!"

Madoka chuckles, holding her head and leaning against the table for support. "This is the power my wish gave me. I can draw a magical girl's grief out of their soul gem and take it into myself. I wouldn't be very good at saving people if I couldn't at least do this much. Besides, I've already become a witch once already, so it's fine."

You admire the citrine glow of your soul gem, frowning. "Becoming a witch didn't seem to have stopped me from getting all tainted…"

"Ah, I'm a bit of a special case, I suppose. Now," Madoka says, standing up straight and holding out her hand palm-up "I think it's time for you to return to your search. Mister Knight is starting to get really worried."

"Oh really?" You chuckle, obediently placing your hand in hers. "Well, I better go then. Don't want him to embarrass me by making a big fuss."

Madoka giggles and a small pink light begins shining between your hands. "Good luck, Kirika. Let's both do our best."



"Come on girl, wake up!"

Your eyes suddenly snap open. The ruins reach up around you and you can spot the grey-cloud sky through the giant tree branches. Oscar is knelt down beside you, clearly worried.

"Kirika." You mumble, pulling yourself up and pushing off his hands.

"What?"

"My name." You reply, rubbing your eyes. "My name's Kirika Kure, not 'girl'. I-" Your eyes stop on the little crow at your feet. It's flapping its wings and hoping about crying "awake, awake!" over and over.

"You!" You snarl, grabbing at the bird and making it jump in surprise. "I'm going to pluck out your feathers one-by-one and turn you into a crow kebab!"

"Caw! Mistake! Mistake! Caw!" It screeches in a panic, flying up out of your reach.

"There's no mistake, you little bastard! Give me back Oriko's shard!" You demand, getting to your feet and summoning your claws.

Suddenly, a giant black mass swoops down on the little crow. You stumble backwards at the force of the wind as heavy beat echo in your ears.

"ENOUGH!" A deep voice booms. The giant crow lands on a nearby wall, the little crow squirming in one of its claws. "Misunderstandings bequeaths fault, but this are't no sin at all. Thou are't both in the wrong."

Oscar stares up at the giant bird, his jaw probably hanging behind his helmet. "You can speak?"

"Of course!" The crow replies, less booming this time. "I merely had naught to say to thee."

"That little rat still has Oriko's shard." You growl, glaring up at the bird. It looks down at you with a look of a parent putting up with a child throwing a tantrum.

"Mistake! Caw! Mistake!" The little crow cries. It stops its squirming when its captor tightens its grip and looks down at it.

"Mistakes are't not sin themselves, however can breed sin as a result. Thou must repent!"

The little crow lets out a small, almost fearful "caw" as the two birds look at each other, then the big crow loosens its grip. The little one flaps its wings and flies back up to its nest with all the speed it can muster.

"Hey!" You exclaim "What about the shard?!"

"Patience, child!" The giant crow booms, snapping its gaze down to you.

Shrinking back under the shout, you decide that yes, maybe you can wait at least a little while.

After a few moments of thick, awkward silence, you hear a few 'caw, caw!'s from the nest and look up to see the little crow flying down. It slows and comes to a stop on the ground in front of you and meekly approaches.

In its mouth is the faintly glowing shard of Oriko's soul gem, which it gently places on the ground. "M-Mistake! Mistake! Caw!" It says, bending itself down in a sort of bow. Next, it flaps its wings and takes off, revealing a small, dirty doll. "S-Sorry! Caw! Caw! Gift! Gift!"

You reach down and pick up the two offered items. You return the shard to the safety of your pocket after giving it a quick once-over, then turn your attention to the funny little doll. It's filthy – clearly been sitting around somewhere for a while – but also seems to be somewhat well made to your untrained eyes. The colours have worn and faded, and there's a lot of wear from overuse, probably from before the crow picked it up, so it's hard to tell what it was originally meant to look like. Even so, it has a pretty intricate dress with overlapping bits, and a small tail coming up from its rump.

Unsure what to do with this weird apology gift, you decide to just store it in your bag and figure out something for it later.




With that whole situation cleared up – or, at least as far as you're willing to take it with that giant bird glaring down at you – you turn back to Oscar.

"I warned that the nest was too high." He says after a moment. "I don't know how you survived that fall, but I suggest you don't try that again."

You give him a nonchalant shrug. "Hey, I didn't feel anything and now my soul gem's – ah, that reminds me…" You cut your reply short to take out your soul gem.

Yep, completely clean, just like that pink-haired girl said. Well, that weird fiery outline is still there, but otherwise it's fine. Guess that wasn't just a dream after all… That means her saying Oriko is high up happened too.

Looks like you have a direction now, at least.

"So, find anything else while I was out?" You ask, stretching your back. You frown when you don't feel your bones popping, then remember you shut off your senses. You try again after turning them back on, but you annoyingly don't get the same satisfying result as the first probably was.

Oscar watches you for a few seconds before replying, shaking his head as he speaks. "There's a less than friendly cleric over there, but otherwise just a few odd trinkets laying about. I found a large hole of some kind leading up, but I doubt even your… peculiar leaping abilities would be able to reach the top."

It doesn't take much to figure out what that means. You make a face, not at all happy about where this is going. You're not too keen on going through a sewer…

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[] Go through the sewer bridge thing

[] Take a look in that graveyard Oscar mentioned

[] Surely that "ghost town" below isn't as bad as Oscar made it out to be?

[] Write in