Madoka Magica: Unlock the Spiral (An AU Incubator Quest)

Mami looks at you and smiles. "Hell yeah." It's not her usual small smile, it's a grin that speaks of awesome about to unfold. Taking the Soul Drill from around her neck and holding it in her right hand, she steps forward with her left foot and calls out, "Mami Tomoe!" Then, stepping forward with her other foot, she twists her Soul Drill to the right. "Spin On!"

An electric-yellow aura surrounds the blonde-haired girl as her Soul Drill flares with a brilliant minty-green light. Then, a green tornado of energy runs down Mami's right arm, leaving a brown fingerless glove and a white poofy arm-warmer in its wake. Once the green energy makes its way to Mami's shoulder, it spreads out across her body, streaming up her head, down her other arm, and all the way to her feet. Once the green energy completes its work, the aura around Mami fades, revealing Mami Tomoe in her poofy blouse, yellow skirt, dark stockings with knee-high shoes, and a hunter's hat atop her head. "Team Magi!" she says after she's done transforming.

Your reply comes immediately. "Let's roll!" Then, the two of you take off out of Mami's apartment, a yellow streak being the only sign of your movement.

It's a speedy affair, with Mami sticking to the rooftops to avoid being seen. Occasionally, she consults her Soul Drill, using it to get a fix for how close she is to the Witch by studying how quickly it pulses. "...We're getting closer! It's..."

Your eyes narrow. "It's at the mall, isn't it?"

"That's what it's looking like, yes!"

"Damn! That fuzzy menace might be bringing Sayaka and this 'Madoka' girl into a Barrier! Step on it, Mami!" you shout.

Mami nods, now practically sprinting across the rooftops as fast as her enhanced speed would allow her to go. Occasionally, she wraps a ribbon around a flagpole to speed herself up or change her trajectory. Then, she sees it, the front door of the mall. Sending a pair of ribbons out, she pries open the door and pulls the two of you through the now open doorway, keeping out of sight of the visitors as she finds the access way to the mall's basement levels.

Her boots skid down the metal railing as she practically surfs it all the way down, throwing out some sparks as a result. Then, she pushes herself forward into a combat roll. "Ready, Kyubey?"

"Always!"

Mami tears through the open doorway, her yellow eyes narrowed in concentration as your own reddish-pink eyes look for any sign of trouble. Now glowing near constantly, Mami's Soul Drill bathes the area in yellow light, alerting her to the Witch's presence while your eyes can see what hers can't: the Barrier itself. "Brace for Barrier!" you call out right as Mami plows headlong into it.

The landscape shifts from being the dark hallways of the mall's sublevels into an eerie dimension of shapes and colors. Little puffballs with mustaches can be seen everywhere, attached to butterflies in some weird amalgamation of insect and plant. Amidst the chaos, one of your ears pricks. "...right?" you can hear, as well as some chanting. "I'm stuck in a bad dream, but I am dreaming, right? Right, Madoka?!"

You recognize that voice. "Sayaka!" you call out. "Mami, two friendlies, trapped by Familiars!"

Mami nods, readying her abilities as you spot the pink-haired "Madoka" and your aqua-haired companion from earlier, your eyes narrowing as the two of you prepare to act...

[] Tomoe Special: Death From Below
[] Kaminabey Special: DYNAMIC ENTRY
[] KAMINABEY + TOMOE SPECIAL: STAY AWAY FROM THE INNOCENT LITTLE GIRLS KIIIICCCCKKKK!!!!

It doesn't take either of you two long to come up with an idea. Mami summons forth a rifle with a large-enough caliber to fit you comfortably in, an electric-yellow glow coming from the back. "Kyubey-Tomoe Special!" the pair of you call out right as Mami pulls the trigger on her large Tanegashima-style rifle. A massive crystal slams down, throwing sparks as the flintlock does its work, and, with a mighty BANG, you're launched forwards at speeds that would make a roller coaster blush. Glaring daggers at the circle of Familiars surrounding Madoka and Sayaka, the words out of your mouth are shouted loud and proud. "STAY AWAY FROM THE INNOCENT LITTLE GIRLS KIIIICCCCKKKK!!!"

Mami's aim proves true, as does her control over the ribbon, and together, you plow a swath of destruction through the familiars. The blonde-haired girl adds a little flourish as she arcs the ribbon slightly, effectively slicing it at the apex of your arc and letting you land four paws square in front of Madoka and Sayaka. The glowing yellow ribbon hangs in the air briefly... and then explodes in spectacular fashion, enveloping the downed familiars in a blaze of glory. Incidentally, the light from the rising fire plume is caught by your shades, making them give a twinkle at the tip. "You two, stay close!"

Sayaka looks between the creature in Madoka's arms and you, recognizing who you are just by your attitude. "Kyubey?!" she gasps. "How'd you--"

"No time to explain! Back-up's on the way!"

Not even a second after you say that, the voice of your companion makes itself known. "That was close, wasn't it?" Mami says, her Soul Drill pulsing with green as it throws its yellow light everywhere. "Don't worry, you're safe now." It's then that Mami notices the creature in Madoka's arms. "...so, you found 'Norbey'?"

"Wait, you have one, too?" Madoka asks, looking at you with a curious expression.

"Yes, this is Kyubey. He's a dear friend of mine."

You grin and climb up on Mami's shoulders, looking at Madoka "So, you're Madoka, huh? Nice to meet ya! I'm Kyubey, but you can call me 'Bro'!"

Sayaka sighs. "Madoka, he said the same thing to me. Just... just roll with it," she says to her pink-haired friend.

"So, what's Bakabey up to this time? And why does it look like he got in a fight with a garbage disposal?" you comment, raising an ear.

Madoka shakes her head. "I could hear his voice inside my head..."

"Ah, I see..." Mami mutters. "I can tell by your uniforms that you both go to Mitakihara Middle School. Are you eighth-graders?"

That catches Sayaka's attention as she looks at Mami. "W-Who are you?" she stammers out as the sound of rattling barbed wire begins to echo through the area.

"Madoka, Sayaka, meet Mami Tomoe. We're Team Magi!" you answer for Mami. "But we can get more acquainted later. Mami, we got bogeys closing in!"

"Right. Let's wrap this up!" Mami replies, leaping up in the air. In the apex of her arc, she summons forth vast amounts of the same kind of rifle she used earlier. "Thunderous Barrage!"

The name of her attack definitely fits; as each flintlock rifle's hammer slams down, the rifle lets loose a crack of thundering fire, resulting in a storm of gunfire raining down on the group of familiars that had been closing in and was now beneath the girl. Every shot hits home, a terrifying torrent of fire and smoke enveloping the familiars and wiping them off of the playing field. In a final flourish, Mami does a flip and lands gracefully on her feet, silhouetted by the firestorm she'd caused.

At that moment, the Witch's barrier seems to fade away, the sublevels of the mall now taking their place as realspace reasserts itself. "Awesome!" you reply. As the sound of footsteps rings out, however, you all turn to look at the new arrival.

The only words you can find to describe her are "determined", "skilled", and "ominous". Her black-haired form stands atop a tarped crate, the position of height adding to her imposing figure. She's clothed in an outfit resembling a schoolgirl but with greys and blacks amidst the white making her look that much more menacing. Her gaze wanders over your group, her eyes flicking between you and Norbey. You yourself look back at her with equal intensity. 'Who the hell is she?' you wonder, gazing at the jewel on her hand. '...a Soul Gem?! Damn, Bakabey musta got her!'

A tense stand-off ensues...

[] Homura makes the first move
- [] "You. With the glasses. Explain yourself."
- [] A cautious approach?
[] Mami makes the first move
- [] "Witch escapee"
- [] An offer to just talk?
- [] Invite to tea-time?
[] You make the first move
- [] Try to diffuse the tension by being openly friendly
--- [] "How about we have some cake to cool off? Anyone hungry?"
[] A look into the headspace of Homura