Magia Resurrection (PMMM Quest)

You clutch your chest. Concern compels you to stand. You glance to Sayaka, then to the arcade's entrance hall. "I'm going after her."

"What?" Sayaka says. "What, why?"

It was a natural question to ask. Midori simply said she was leaving. Outside of her hasty retreat, she gave Sayaka no reason to worry. The ephemeral glow of the ring. How she cut the conversation. None of it added up. There was only one conclusion.

"She was lying."

"I mean, yeah, it was probably to spare your feelings."

Sayaka was right. It was possible that was the case. Regardless, it didn't sit well with you to just leave this alone. "If you don't want to come, that's fine. I'm checking on her."

"We just sat do-- okay." Sayaka stands up. "But if it's nothing, we're coming right back."

"Deal."

The deafening sounds of the arcade recede as you step into the mall's open floor. The crowds have thankfully thinned, allowing you to spot Midori. She was dashing toward the opposite side of the mall. Your suspicions confirmed, you run after her. You avoid benches, stalls, and people in your race to catch up to her.

Light gradually dims as you continue running. The open space of the mall gradually filters into a dark corridor. Storefronts are replaced by locked doors and hanging chains. There was no sign of her.

"Huff." You exhale. "Where did she go?"

"No idea!" Sayaka hunches over, her hands on her knees. "Looks like you were right. What the heck is going on?"

"No idea, but we've got to--" The distant slam of a steel door spurs you on. You run.

"Oh come on!" Sayaka complains.

You run down the hall, nearly skidding as you round the corner. Your lungs burn. Your body stumbles with each step. You look a the characters fashioned on the door. It simply says 'Storage'. You sigh, raising your hand to clasp the handle. With a single push, it opens.



A storage room. There was supposed to be a storage room beyond it. Wet floor signs, maybe some unused cleaning equipment. Something familiar, something you understood.

But, no.

No. It was darkness. A cold, piercing darkness.

"Sayaka, get ba-!" You warn, you plead, but the words die in your throat. Air leaves your lungs.

A chilling wind rips you forward. You fall. Your mind was racing, scrambling. What was happening? How was it happening? More questions, no answers.

You descend with the snow.

You just wanted to help. That's all. You were concerned. It was a short meeting, but you never thought it would end in your death. How could you have known? There was no way you could have predicted this. No way you could have done anything about it. It wasn't fair, but as your mother often said, life wasn't meant to be fair.

Why? Why now? A week before your birthday? You weren't even going to make it to fourteen. You think of Madoka, of your brother, of your family. The news of your unceremonious death and, with your luck, probably no body to be found. Who was going to come into this frigid hell and fish it out? Who was going to be burdened with delivering the news?

It was going to be Sayaka. Would Madoka blame her for this? No, she's too kind for that. It would eat at her. This was your fault, not anyone else's. You dragged her along for this. It was your fault that you were going to die.

Small lights flicker beneath you. White fills your vision. Snow.

The ground. You close your eyes. You didn't want to see it, to feel it. It should be instant.

You brace yourself. Your body scrunches up.

It happens.

You land not into the cold embrace of death, but on a threaded cushion. Was this just a nightmare? Were you back home in your bed?

No. Opening your eyes confirms that it was reality. You were on a coiled yellow ribbon.

"We made it in time." A soft voice echoes from the darkness. The clump of fabric disappears into thin air. It disappears as if it wasn't even there to begin with. "Are you alright?"

You stare. You can do nothing but stare. How else were you supposed to react?

The girl furrows her brow. "Miss Sakura, could you escort her out? I can see to the witch."

"Mami, seriously?" 'Sakura' stomps through the snow. "Makin' me babysitter already?"

"I'm sorry." Mami smiles. "I shouldn't be long."

"Pah. Whatever." Sakura holds her hand out. A flash of red forces your eyes closed. When you open them again, she's holding a spear. A spear. Where did that come from? The same place as the ribbons?

You braced yourself for death. You conceited any hope of survival. You were still alive. You were by what you could only be described as magic. Magic used by girls your age. Magical girls? Magical girls were real?

"Miss, what's your name?" Mami asks.

"M-momoka. Momoka Kaname."

Mami and Sakura exchange glances.

"Small world, ain't it?" Sakura shrugs. "Alright, Momoka. You're coming with me. We're getting out of here." The butt of her spear hits the snow.

No. No, wait. You shake your head. You were looking for someone. "Have you guys seen a blue-haired girl? About this tall. Kind of long hair. She ran this way. I was concerned so I …"

"Another one?" Sakura says. "Mami, you know about this?"

"No, I didn't." Mami narrows her eyes. "In that case… we'll talk after, Miss Sakura! Get Miss Kaname out of here."

What just happened? What were they talking about? Hello?

"Hey, you deaf?" Sakura lightly pushes you on the back, forcing you forward. "Unless you want to freeze to death, better get your ass moving."

"R-right." You stutter. You walk through the snow, navigating the darkness with flickering lamplight. "Your… name was Miss Sakura, right?"

"Kyouko's fine."

You hug your shoulders to combat the biting cold. "W-why is it so cold?"

"You're telling me." She looks back over her shoulder. "Pretty annoying, but it's manageable."

"Scrk." You hear a noise. No, not a noise, a cry. You weren't sure how to describe it. Was that a chicken? A plucked chicken with black sockets for eyes. Metallic tongs smack in the open air. "Scrk!" It screeches, descending from the sky.

"Get down!" Kyouko says as you dive into the snow.

A soft impact on the snow. It was split in half.

"Scrk! Scrk!" More of them.

"Alright, pick up the pace." Kyouko walks past you. "I'll cover ya."

You run. You run for your life. You hear the sound of sundering flesh and raining blood. You don't look back. You keep running, following the lamp posts that line each side of the path. The snow recedes, revealing the cobblestone road beneath.

"Scrk!"

Again? Where was it coming from?

Clamp..

That was…

Clamp.

Right above you.

"Huh?"

The serrated tongs close like a vice grip. You were--

"Idiot!" You were flattened against the floor. "Pay attention!" Another spray of blood.

"S-sorry." You had no other recourse. What were you supposed to do? You bow your head.

"Alright, here we go." Kyouko swings her spear in a wide arc. The air, or rather the space, in front of her rips open like paper. The rift reveals what looks like the storage area of the mall. Where it came out, you didn't know, but it certainly beat staying here. "What are you waiting for? Go."

"What about you?"

"What about me? I gotta go make sure Mami doesn't get herself killed."

"Right. Sorry." At the expense of being hit again, you scramble through the barrier. "Please, look for that girl I told you about. Please!"

"Yeah, yeah." With a flick of the wrist, the 'portal' completely disappears. You were left alone with--


"H-hi." You weren't alone. In fact, there was someone behind you.

"Hello?" A girl a little shorter than you. Hair the same crimson as Kyouko's. Instead of a messy ponytail like our own, it was cleanly braided. And in her hands was a cat. A catbunny. A catbunnysquirrel?

"Hello, Momoka!" It speaks, but its mouth does not move. It was an echo in your mind. What was this thing? "It's nice to meet you."

"I'm going crazy." You lose strength in your legs. "I'm definitely going crazy."

"Ahaha." The younger girl laughs. "N-no, you're not going crazy. That's just how Kyubey talks. It takes some getting used to."

"I guess." You slump to the ground, immediately reaching for your phone. It had service, but low battery. "Give me a second." You call.

"Momo? Where are you?! What was that!?" You pull your head away from the receiver.

"I'm fine. I'm fine." You were not fine. You were the furthest thing from fine. "I'll tell you when we meet up. Don't open any doors. Head back to the arcade."

"No, I can come look-"

"Sayaka, head back." You have to stop yourself from yelling. "Please. I'll explain when I get back. Please."

A contemplative silence. "Alright. If you're not back in five minutes, I'm looking for you whether you like it or not."

"Got it."

Click.

Strength leaves your body. Your hand goes limp as the phone slides onto the ground. "Shit. What was that?"

"That was a Witch Barrier."

"Rhetorical question, rabbit." You stare.

"I'm not a rabbit. My name is Kyubey." He tilts his head to the side. It was cute, but slightly disturbing.

"Kyubey, whatever." You grab your phone and push yourself to your feet. Stumbling, you use the wall for support. "A Witch Barrier. Okay, so let's say for the sake of the conversation, that makes sense. What are Kyouko and Mami? Magical girls?"

"Yes, that's right. Kyouko and Mami are magical girls. You're perceptive, Momoka."

"Was that a joke?"

"Joke? No, not at all. What you said is correct."

"Magical girls are real, and they fight monsters called witches." You stare up at the ceiling. "This was not how I expected today to go." You clutch your head in your hands.

"I'm sorry." The girl says. "When I first found out my sister was a magical girl…" Her voice becomes frail. Then, her eyes flare with determination. "I-I know it's hard to accept, but they're not bad people!"

"I didn't think they were." Where did that come from? "I mean, they saved my life. I'm grateful. I… really am."

You were going to be able to go home.
You could see Madoka and Takkun again.

You were alive.

"Dang it." You wipe away fresh tears.

"They are. Big Sis Mami and Kyouko are heroes." Momo hugs Kyubey close. "I… wish I could be like them some day."

"You can, Momo. You can make a contract with me and become a magical girl whenever you want."

Her name was Momo? Is that what Kyouko meant by 'small world'? That was going to get confusing fast.

"Kyubey, no. Mami and Big Sister said no. Stop trying to get me to sign a contract!"

"A contract?" You ask.

"It's the cost of becoming a magical girl." Momo sets Kyubey down. "You make a wish, but you have to fight witches."

"It's just as Momo said." Kyubey licks his paw. "You can wish for anything you can think of."

A wish. Did you even have one of those? Outside of whatever problems you were dealing with in the day to day, you didn't have anything you wanted to wish for. But if making a contract meant having to deal with …

The fall, the snow, the void. Your life flashes before your eyes. You shudder to think what would have happened if Mami and Kyouko hadn't appeared.

"Can anyone do this?" You frown.

"No." Kyubey shakes his head. "Only those with the potential to be magical girls can see me."

"So, I have potential?"

"Yes, of course. You can make a contract with me and become a magical girl."

This wasn't something you were going to do on a whim, if it was something you were going to do at all. A wish in exchange for the power to fight witches. Something told you those chicken monsters weren't witches. Mami ventured further inside the wintry hellscape, so the witch was probably hiding further in.

"I don't have anything in mind right now, but if I ever do, I guess I'll let you know."

"Of course. I don't want to force you."

"Oh, you're still here?" A red blur emerges from the shadows overhead. She hits the ground, her arms crossed. "I thought I told you to get out of here. Not very good at listening, are you?"

"Miss Sakura, there's no need to be so rude." A second later, Mami lands on the ground next to Kyouko. "How are you feeling? I don't see any immediate injuries." The white dress vanishes, replaced by a modest turtleneck.

"Fine. I'm mostly fine. I was just getting some answers. That's all."

"Kyubey asked her to contract." Momo says, eying the furball.

"Can't go five seconds without asking someone, can you? Annoying bastard." Kyouko bites on a piece of pockey. She extends the box to you, expecting you to take one. "Don't listen to a damn thing he says. Just get on with your life and forget about this."

"I agree with Miss Sakura." Mami folds her arms. "It's not a job just anyone can do."

The conversation was moving too fast. Midori comes to mind, wandering alone in that strange realm called a barrier. "Did you find her? I mean, Midori? The blue-haired girl."

"Ah, yes." Mami nods. "She was a great help against the witch."

"So she's a magical girl." The mystery of why she had to get up and leave so quickly was solved. "I'm happy to hear that. I mean, not happy to hear that she's a magical girl, happy to hear that she's alright. Yeah, that's it."

Mami and Kyouko exchange glances, the younger sister laughs.

"W-what's so funny?" Blood rushes to your face. You shove the offered pocky into your mouth to hide your embarassment.

"Nothing." Mami chuckles. "We can escort you out if you want, Miss Kaname."

You couldn't exactly say no. If another witch or whatever attacks, you are basically defenseless. Being with two magical girls was the best security you were going to get. As you exit the bleak storage wing, you see your fuming friend walking toward you. "I'm so sorry for any trouble she caused you." Sayaka apologizes on your behalf.

"H-hey." You try to hide

"It's no trouble at all." Mami says.

"Could've been worse." Kyouko shrugs.

"Miss Sakura." Mami reprimands with a nudge of her elbow.

"What? I'm not gonna lie."

"Anyway, it was nice meeting you, Miss Kaname, and…?"

"Ah, Sayaka. Sayaka Miki."

"Miss Miki." Mami nods.

Momo lets out a yawn. "Well, I suppose it's time to go." Mami pats Momo on the head. "Are you coming, Miss Sakura?"

"When are you going to stop with that?" Kyouko rests her hands in her pockets. "Seriously, is my first name that hard to say?"

"Well, it's not really about that."

"I feel like you're doing it on purpose." Kyouko says. "What if I called you Miss Tomoe every damn time?"

"W-well, I wouldn't like that." Mami frowns. "I thought we've gotten closer, Miss Sakura."

"Yeah, I knew it. You are doing it on purpose!"

Their verbal sparring intensifies as you approach Momo. "Are they alright?" You point at Mami and Kyouko.

"When Big Sister is around Big Sis Mami, they fight." She sighs, exasperated. "A lot."

"They look like an old married couple." Sayaka chuckles.

With one last farewell, the four of them depart from the mall. You got Momo's number as a way to keep in contact. Afterward, you drag yourself over to a bench and just sit. You sit, stare, and mull over what just happened.

"So… what happened? I saw you just fall into a door and… like… " She hesitates, unable to finish the thought. How do you describe what happened? There's no succinct way to do it. You weren't even sure if you had to keep the fact that Mami and Kyouko were magical girls a secret. With that in mind, you …

[_] Tell Sayaka everything that you experienced, down to being offered a contract and a wish by Kyubey.
[_] Talk about Mami and Kyouko being magical girls and saving you, and nothing else.
[_] Don't say anything. It was best that she didn't know.
[_] Custom

The two of you leave the mall in silence. Passing the city blocks, you cut through the familiar path marked by fallen leaves. The cold air nips at your skin, throwing you back to the descent into the darkness. You stop walking, turning to look up at the murky sky.

Magical girls, witches, and wishes. A world of the unknown. Experiencing it was nightmarish, and speaking about it was almost impossible. More questions sprung to mind than answers. It didn't matter where you started explaining; beginning, middle, or end—it still wouldn't make any sense.

"Momo?" Sayaka looks over her shoulder. "You alright?"

"Yeah, just thinking about how to start this." You pause. "Those two girls that escorted me out, Kyouko and Mami, they're… magical girls."

"Magical girls? Like, the kind you see in an anime?"

"Y-yes." You nod, embarrassed. "I know it's hard to believe, but please, I'm telling the truth."

"I mean… I saw you poof into thin air. There really isn't much of an explanation besides magic." Sayaka scratches the back of her head. "So, magical girls." She mulls over your absurd statement.

"There's this white cat-thing called Kyubey."

"Oh, yeah, that's what the other Momo was holding." Sayaka says. "I just thought it was a plushie from the arcade."

Sayaka was capable of making a contract. You're worried, but you continue the explanation. "You become a magical girl by getting a wish granted and making a contract."

"A wish?" Sayaka gazes out across the field. "Now it sounds like you're speaking nonsense."

"I know it sounds hard to believe, but it's true, as far as I can tell."

"You can just wish for anything you want?"

"From the sounds of it, yes."

"That's a little too good to be true, don't you think?" Sayaka walks, her hands behind her head.

"Yeah. If he was telling the truth, then I think the catch is being a magical girl."

"Really? It sounds like a sweet gig to me. Being able to use magic and stuff."

"After seeing what they had to fight… no, I don't think so."

Opening that door killed what comforting ignorance you had. Magic was real. Monsters were real. The proof was irrefutable. Mami and Kyouko saved your life. You had stepped into another world and were fortunate enough to get out.

"What do they have to fight?"

"Witches." You clutch your chest. "That door pulled me straight into its domain. It was cold and dark. No light at all. I couldn't see where I was falling." Your hands tremble just thinking about it. "I kept wondering when I was going to hit the ground. I closed my eyes, waiting for the impact."

You would be blood in the snow; a pile of nameless meat. Nothing to show for your death. You would make your family grieve. Madoka would cry for the loss of a sister, and your parents the loss of a daughter.

"But I knew I would be okay."

"Momo, you aren't fooling anyone." Sayaka places a hand on your shoulder. "I'd be scared too."

"But I wasn't—" Your vision blurs with tears.

"Listen, I was afraid that you wouldn't come back. I didn't have any idea of what to do."

You listen in silence.

"I just stood there like an idiot." She laughs at herself. "I looked inside the room, you weren't there, I ran around, called your phone, looked everywhere. Nothing." Sayaka averts her eyes. "Honestly, it was my fault for not stopping you. I was supposed to be watching out for you."

No fault lies with her. She blamed herself for something she could never have predicted, never known. If anyone was at fault, it was you.

"You couldn't have known." You wipe your tears with your scarf.

"Well, I didn't have to know about that witch or whatever to stop you from running ahead. That's just common sense."

"I guess." You were involved in the world of magical girls whether you liked it or not. It was the price you paid for the decision. Whether Sayaka truly believed you or not was another question entirely.

"Come on." She pushes you up the hill. "Let's get back to your place. I'm freezing."

"Okay, okay!"

As you walk over the crest of the hill, the familiar sight of your home emerges. When you left home earlier, the path was still visible under the sheet of autumn leaves. It was overrun with reds, yellows, and browns. With every step, the leaves crumpled with a scrape and a crunch. The trees in your front yard were left naked, stripped by the wind.

"Momo, hurry up!" Sayaka starts jogging in place on the porch. "Open the door!"

Unlocking the door, you step inside the dimly lit hall. It was silent. You walk through the hall and into the kitchen.

"Alright, Madoka we're—" You stop short as you enter the living room.

Madoka lies on the couch with her brother cradled in her arms. Her hair, frayed and loose, covers her face like a veil. The warmth of her smile set your heart at ease. Tatsuya holds your sister's red ribbons tightly in a balled fist. Your sister stirs from sleep, rustling the blankets. She reaches for the slipping edge of the blanket.

You hand it back to your sister's grasping hand. Madoka mumbles, rolling over to embrace Tatsuya once more.

"That's adorable." Sayaka whispers. "Haven't seen her like this in a while."

"Let's go." You tap her shoulder and point up the spiral staircase. "Come on. Don't want to wake her up."

"Yeah, yeah." Sayaka kicks her shoes off. "Whatever."

"Still kind of sad we didn't get to eat that cake."

"Well, it's still downstairs."

"Not going to disturb them for some cake."

"Come on, you guys are sisters, she'll understand."

"She'll understand you put me up to it."

"Come on, it's not that big of a deal."

---

Momoka and Sayaka's bickering slowly fades as they walk up the steps. Nestled in the warmth of the blanket, Madoka smiles, satisfied.

___

Next week is your birthday, as well as Madoka's. Aside from getting a present and spending time with Madoka, you want to spend your time…

[_] Getting into contact with Momo. You had more questions about pretty much everything you experienced.
[_] Scoping out for Midori. You were still concerned about her. Something about the situation didn't sit well with you.
[_] Leaving the magical girl business behind you. Your priority was your own life. You learned your lesson. Stay away from it.
[_] Write-in