“Human Resources” Shouldn’t Be This Literal: A PMMM/ProjectMoon Quest

[Lepidoptera]

I suppose these could be counted as a spoiler, and you could skip them for now if that's the case. But realistically, you all knew this was coming. I got a flash of inspiration recently, so work is going well. I've had these for a while, so take them in the meantime.

Oh! And since some people requested it, I have another Quest running. It'll be on the back burner for now, but since HR will go on hiatus when Part 2 ends it won't be for forever.

Spoiler: Crossbow Puppet

Crossbow Puppet

A puppet created by the Rumor of Jae-Heon under the direction of the Adult Who Tells Lies. Was once somebody.

Puppet Skeleton: The body of a Puppet is composed of purely organic matter. Flesh is hardened into a wood-like substance that is used along with bone to form the Puppet's main body over the course of creation while muscle fibers, veins, and nerves are woven to create the strings that control its movements. The victim retains full awareness and sensory capabilities, but lacks any control over their own body.

Puppets are supernaturally durable and absurdly strong, the transformation process extracting a level of power the human body cannot normally achieve. Even when striking armor or successfully blocked, the sheer force of the impact will generally leave a target shaken and off-balance. The pain of the consciousness trapped inside amplifies this force, their coerced suffering fueling each devastating movement.

Manipulated Flesh: The strings which connect to each Puppet and control their movements, connecting them to the Puppeteer's command. Under their direction, Puppets move at a speed that should be impossible for creatures so bulky and unwieldy. Even the largest and most cumbersome-looking Puppets are ridiculously agile.

So long as the strings controlling them remain intact, a Puppet may continue to move no matter how much damage it incurs. To destroy a Puppet, one must either cut the strings above them or destroy enough of their body that the strings within them are no longer connected. Successfully striking a string is no easy task, and actually damaging it is another. Once the strings are snapped, the person sealed within the Puppet will finally be free to pass on.

Ghgh… Ghgh… Gigigig…: The most prominent feature of this Puppet, a large crossbow fused with their forearm. The inside of this accessory is lined with special crystals which contain the soul, entrapping the Puppet's former magical abilities in their new body and twisting their original Magic to something more suitable to the Puppet's purpose.

The crossbow functions by firing bolts composed of the Puppet's bone, which can be freely regenerated and will not run out. There are many possible modifications to these bolts that can be made, but their primary magical effect is a corruption of the Puppet's original ability. The bolts will attempt to undo anything the come into contact with, corroding anything near the wound. This even extends to destroying other supernatural effects. If not given anything else to target, this destructive Magic will eventually eat through the bolt itself.

Spoiler: Halberd Puppet

Halberd Puppet

A puppet created by the Rumor of Jae-Heon under the direction of the Adult Who Tells Lies. Was once somebody.

Puppet Skeleton: The body of a Puppet is composed of purely organic matter. Flesh is hardened into a wood-like substance that is used along with bone to form the Puppet's main body over the course of creation while muscle fibers, veins, and nerves are woven to create the strings that control its movements. The victim retains full awareness and sensory capabilities, but lacks any control over their own body.

Puppets are supernaturally durable and absurdly strong, the transformation process extracting a level of power the human body cannot normally achieve. Even when striking armor or successfully blocked, the sheer force of the impact will generally leave a target shaken and off-balance. The pain of the consciousness trapped inside amplifies this force, their coerced suffering fueling each devastating movement.

Manipulated Flesh: The strings which connect to each Puppet and control their movements, connecting them to the Puppeteer's command. Under their direction, Puppets move at a speed that should be impossible for creatures so bulky and unwieldy. Even the largest and most cumbersome-looking Puppets are ridiculously agile.

So long as the strings controlling them remain intact, a Puppet may continue to move no matter how much damage it incurs. To destroy a Puppet, one must either cut the strings above them or destroy enough of their body that the strings within them are no longer connected. Successfully striking a string is no easy task, and actually damaging it is another. Once the strings are snapped, the person sealed within the Puppet will finally be free to pass on.

Giiih… Giiih… Giiih…: The most prominent feature of this Puppet is a large halberd fused to one of its arms. The inside of this accessory is lined with special crystals which contain the soul, entrapping the Puppet's former magical abilities in their new body and twisting their original Magic to something more suitable to the Puppet's purpose.

Where this Puppet once carried on the hopes of the fallen, now they are only a receptacle to allow their suffering to exist beyond death. The Puppet has accumulated a large number of abilities from various deceased Magical Girls who wandered into the Emerald City, though its ability to use them is hampered by a lack of understanding. They are wielded without prowess or insight, instead relying on sheer overwhelming power to crush opposition.

Spoiler: Cube Puppet

Cube Puppet

A puppet created by the Rumor of Jae-Heon under the direction of the Adult Who Tells Lies. Was once somebody.

Puppet Skeleton: The body of a Puppet is composed of purely organic matter. Flesh is hardened into a wood-like substance that is used along with bone to form the Puppet's main body over the course of creation while muscle fibers, veins, and nerves are woven to create the strings that control its movements. The victim retains full awareness and sensory capabilities, but lacks any control over their own body.

Puppets are supernaturally durable and absurdly strong, the transformation process extracting a level of power the human body cannot normally achieve. Even when striking armor or successfully blocked, the sheer force of the impact will generally leave a target shaken and off-balance. The pain of the consciousness trapped inside amplifies this force, their coerced suffering fueling each devastating movement.

Manipulated Flesh: The strings which connect to each Puppet and control their movements, connecting them to the Puppeteer's command. Under their direction, Puppets move at a speed that should be impossible for creatures so bulky and unwieldy. Even the largest and most cumbersome-looking Puppets are ridiculously agile.

So long as the strings controlling them remain intact, a Puppet may continue to move no matter how much damage it incurs. To destroy a Puppet, one must either cut the strings above them or destroy enough of their body that the strings within them are no longer connected. Successfully striking a string is no easy task, and actually damaging it is another. Once the strings are snapped, the person sealed within the Puppet will finally be free to pass on.

Gigigi…Gigigi…: The most prominent feature of this Puppet is the series of evenly spaced cuts made through its body, dividing it into several small segments. Its strings run through these gaps, connecting its separated parts. These wounds are lined with special crystals which contain the soul, entrapping the Puppet's former magical abilities in their new body and twisting their original Magic to something more suitable to the Puppet's purpose.

This Puppet is capable of creating various kinds of barriers and shields focused on containing or excluding certain things. While the range of this ability is low, it is extremely versatile and this Puppet in particular is highly talented at shaping the shields they create to control the battlefield. These barriers are not indestructible, but can easily be replaced if destroyed. Individuals overlapping the area of a barrier's creation will be anchored to it for as long as it remains. This ability has remained almost entirely unchanged from its original version.

Spoiler: Opened Puppet

Opened Puppet

A puppet created by the Rumor of Jae-Heon under the direction of the Adult Who Tells Lies. Was once somebody.

Puppet Skeleton: The body of a Puppet is composed of purely organic matter. Flesh is hardened into a wood-like substance that is used along with bone to form the Puppet's main body over the course of creation while muscle fibers, veins, and nerves are woven to create the strings that control its movements. The victim retains full awareness and sensory capabilities, but lacks any control over their own body.

Puppets are supernaturally durable and absurdly strong, the transformation process extracting a level of power the human body cannot normally achieve. Even when striking armor or successfully blocked, the sheer force of the impact will generally leave a target shaken and off-balance. The pain of the consciousness trapped inside amplifies this force, their coerced suffering fueling each devastating movement.

Manipulated Flesh: The strings which connect to each Puppet and control their movements, connecting them to the Puppeteer's command. Under their direction, Puppets move at a speed that should be impossible for creatures so bulky and unwieldy. Even the largest and most cumbersome-looking Puppets are ridiculously agile.

So long as the strings controlling them remain intact, a Puppet may continue to move no matter how much damage it incurs. To destroy a Puppet, one must either cut the strings above them or destroy enough of their body that the strings within them are no longer connected. Successfully striking a string is no easy task, and actually damaging it is another. Once the strings are snapped, the person sealed within the Puppet will finally be free to pass on.

Gi… Gi… Gigigigi: The most prominent feature of this Puppet is the large vertical gash in its chest, giving it the appearance of having been nearly torn in half. This cavity is lined with special crystals which contain the soul, entrapping the Puppet's former magical abilities in their new body and twisting their original Magic to something more suitable to the Puppet's purpose.

This Puppet's Magic, which could burn up lifespan to convert it into the same energy used to grant Wishes, has been harvested for use elsewhere. The leftover body is weakened as a result, but significantly more feral in behavior than the typical Puppet. Perhaps something fundamental inside of it has been broken.

Spoiler: Birdcage Puppet

Birdcage Puppet

A puppet created by the Rumor of Jae-Heon under the direction of the Adult Who Tells Lies. Was once somebody.

Puppet Skeleton: The body of a Puppet is composed of purely organic matter. Flesh is hardened into a wood-like substance that is used along with bone to form the Puppet's main body over the course of creation while muscle fibers, veins, and nerves are woven to create the strings that control its movements. The victim retains full awareness and sensory capabilities, but lacks any control over their own body.

Puppets are supernaturally durable and absurdly strong, the transformation process extracting a level of power the human body cannot normally achieve. Even when striking armor or successfully blocked, the sheer force of the impact will generally leave a target shaken and off-balance. The pain of the consciousness trapped inside amplifies this force, their coerced suffering fueling each devastating movement.

Manipulated Flesh: The strings which connect to each Puppet and control their movements, connecting them to the Puppeteer's command. Under their direction, Puppets move at a speed that should be impossible for creatures so bulky and unwieldy. Even the largest and most cumbersome-looking Puppets are ridiculously agile.

So long as the strings controlling them remain intact, a Puppet may continue to move no matter how much damage it incurs. To destroy a Puppet, one must either cut the strings above them or destroy enough of their body that the strings within them are no longer connected. Successfully striking a string is no easy task, and actually damaging it is another. Once the strings are snapped, the person sealed within the Puppet will finally be free to pass on.

Hhhhh… Hhhhh…: The most prominent feature of this Puppet is the strange ring embedded into its body, forming a sort of crude halo behind it.. This accessory is lined with special crystals which contain the soul, entrapping the Puppet's former magical abilities in their new body and twisting their original Magic to something more suitable to the Puppet's purpose.

This Puppet's Magic, which could create illusions, has been harvested for use elsewhere. The leftover body is weakened as a result, but significantly more feral in behavior than the typical Puppet. Perhaps something fundamental inside of it has been broken.

Spoiler: Sakura Puppets

Sakura Puppets

A series of puppets created by the Rumor of Jae-Heon under the direction of the Adult Who Tells Lies.

Magnum Opus: A design intended to hurt somebody.

Puppet Skeleton: The body of a Puppet is composed of purely organic matter. Flesh is hardened into a wood-like substance that is used along with bone to form the Puppet's main body over the course of creation while muscle fibers, veins, and nerves are woven to create the strings that control its movements. The victim retains full awareness and sensory capabilities, but lacks any control over their own body.

Puppets are supernaturally durable and absurdly strong, the transformation process extracting a level of power the human body cannot normally achieve. Even when striking armor or successfully blocked, the sheer force of the impact will generally leave a target shaken and off-balance. The pain of the consciousness trapped inside amplifies this force, their coerced suffering fueling each devastating movement.

Manipulated Flesh: The strings which connect to each Puppet and control their movements, connecting them to the Puppeteer's command. Under their direction, Puppets move at a speed that should be impossible for creatures so bulky and unwieldy. Even the largest and most cumbersome-looking Puppets are ridiculously agile.

So long as the strings controlling them remain intact, a Puppet may continue to move no matter how much damage it incurs. To destroy a Puppet, one must either cut the strings above them or destroy enough of their body that the strings within them are no longer connected. Successfully striking a string is no easy task, and actually damaging it is another. Once the strings are snapped, the person sealed within the Puppet will finally be free to pass on.

…: This series of Puppets was designed to look more humanoid, assisted by a stolen Magic which can create illusions. Their bodies are less durable than a normal Puppets but dramatically denser, meaning they are more easily hurt but can receive absurd levels of damage before actually being destroyed.

Each Puppet in this series is equipped with a spear that gathers the injuries they receive, transferring them to the weapon and then passing them into the individual struck. This effect does not actually allow the Puppets to heal, but removes all forms of harm other than physical damage.

 

[ObservadorCha]

So, Iroha, Yachiyo, Alina, Touka, Mifuyu and the Sakura family I guess?

 

[quantum lurker]

That's certainly a thing: Did we make a mistake with our team allocation?

Give how this looks like a team that would need X or Argalia to take out and all

 

[questioningmeme]

It depends on where these puppets are deployed.

But yeah, these will be problematic for sure to our girls, especially since 1 of these is built to counter Kyoko while the other ones are all really strong in comparison to our kids.

This is also in combination with the other normal MGs the Adult has on her side.

 

[Nyarky]

That's certainly a thing: Did we make a mistake with our team allocation?

Give how this looks like a team that would need X or Argalia to take out and all

Click to shrink...

If we had put X and/or Argalia somewhere else, we would be wondering if we should have put them on the bird.

As is, X being where she is allowed us to gain a new EGO gear and potentially get access to Apo Bird, and Argalia is singlehandedly taking care of his assigned zone.

Also, nothing in the post tells that all these puppets are in the same place, Library has times where you get puppets attacking without the direct control of the Jae-Heon, but as reinforcement for someone else, don't see why it wouldn't be the case here.

 

[questioningmeme]

Also, nothing in the post tells that all these puppets are in the same place, Library has times where you get puppets attacking without the direct control of the Jae-Heon, but as reinforcement for someone else, don't see why it wouldn't be the case here.

Click to shrink...

Besides that, we will always be on the back foot in terms of who to fight anyhow.

The Adult has the Rumor Ensembles + Their minions (Rumor Oswald + Jae Heon) + The Magical Girls + her own minions.

A big question is what X will be able to do with Sena and whether she can be convinced to help us out or not.

If she can be convinced to help us out, that frees up X to help the other groups.

 

[Lepidoptera]

Progress is still being made, but I'm nearing the end of my semester so things are winding up and I might have less time left to write as a result. I'm still hoping to get the next chapter up this week, but there's still a good 2k words left to write and the most important parts are still not even started yet.

 

[Lepidoptera]

So I'm done with both of my classes, but I still have a few finals left. Regardless, I believe the next chapter will finally be published tomorrow. I apologize for making you wait for so long, but I hope what comes will be worth the wait. I'm certainly going to enjoy it.

 

[Makuta]

I apologize for making you wait for so long, but I hope what comes will be worth the wait. I'm certainly going to enjoy it.

Click to shrink...

There are quests that take far longer to post less, you have nothing to apologize for.

Take your time, your mental health matters more than some faceless people on the internet.

 

[Nyarky]

So I'm done with both of my classes, but I still have a few finals left. Regardless, I believe the next chapter will finally be published tomorrow. I apologize for making you wait for so long, but I hope what comes will be worth the wait. I'm certainly going to enjoy it.

Click to shrink...

Lepi, Devourer of worlds had an announcement that the next update was coming after two years, and the thread is full of positive answers, you don't have to worry too much about this kind of thing, questers can be awfully patient.

Also, as someone pointed out in Devourer: One of the big advantage of this being on a forum is that the voters are still there, doing something else, so they don't tend to unwatch thread that they like but have no activity, and can come back when it does.

 

[Lepidoptera]

You all have no idea how much I held back from a "The fault lies with you, _!" in this next chapter. No idea.

I will not be holding back from adding a warning for this chapter for self-loathing and potential suicidal thoughts, though, as that may very well be needed.

 

[Lepidoptera]

Chapter 157 - I've Been So Stupid

"Well, that could've gone better. Any other ideas?" Sayaka asked, having finally gotten her breath back after her and Kyoko's hasty retreat. The alleyway they ducked into was enough cover to avoid the sniper up in the tower, but she'd figured out fast enough that this place didn't have actual safe spaces. If they stayed here too long, they'd get swarmed by magic spiders or attacked by flying worms or teleported into the middle of the ocean or something like that. Sayaka didn't know, whoever was making these traps was clearly a lot more creative than she was when it came to ways to do horrible things to people. Still, it'd hide her and Kyoko for long enough to get their strength back.

"Here's one: Don't go running off ahead like that. Your Magic's good for support, not fighting head-on. I can afford to take hits and still be fine, you can't." Kyoko answered. Reading expressions was impossible with Kyoko the was she was, but if she were still human Sayaka was sure she'd be scowling in disapproval right now.

The bluenette winced under her companion's criticism, but not for long. "Hey, you didn't exactly look like you were 'fine' back there. If you've already forgotten, that thing up there was actually shooting you to pieces!"

Kyoko leans forward as if to bite back, then pauses and slumps down. A tiny flick of fire emerges from the place where her mouth would be, mimicking an exhale. Some morbid part of Sayaka wonders if that's actually her breathing or just copying something she knows she should be doing. "Right, you wouldn't know. Basically, this-" she raps a hand on her opposite forearm. The sound of glass striking glass fills the air. "-is kinda like a suit of armor. Or a bug's shell, or something. It's part of me, but the important stuff's all safe underneath. When it breaks, I can just make more to replace it."

"But doesn't it hurt? You almost lost an arm!" Sayaka asked. Kyoko's unimpressed stare returned.

"But I didn't. You, however, got shot twice. In your actual body, which you need."

Logically, Sayaka knew she didn't have time for this argument. Staying in one place like this in the middle of what was basically a war zone was asking for trouble. Unfortunately, she wasn't exactly focusing on that fact at the moment. "Hey, I healed just fine! X said as long as my Soul Gem doesn't break, I won't actually die, so I'm just as safe as you are! Why do you care so much, anyways? I'm fine!"

Kyoko huffed, letting out another tongue of flame. "Look, I've been doing this shit for years and you made your Contract what, a week ago? I'm s'posed to be responsible for what happens to you. If you get yourself killed-"

"I'm not gonna get myself killed! I've only been a Magical Girl for two weeks, sure, but those weeks haven't exactly been peaceful. I know how to defend myself." Sayaka insisted. She knew she was the weak link compared to the test of the group, but that didn't make her helpless. She trained, she practiced, she knew to stick to the back lines most of the time, she knew what she was doing.

"-if you get yourself killed," Kyoko continued, undaunted, "who do you think they're gonna blame for it?"

Sayaka blinked in confusion. "What? Nobody's gonna blame you if something goes wrong. You know they're not like that."

"Why shouldn't they? I-"

But whatever Kyoko would've said next was cut off by the arrival of a grinning, skull-like Witch looming over the alleyway. Its eyes glinted unnaturally, but before it could perform whatever attack it had prepared Kyoko turned her spear upward. A faint blue glow shrouded the weapon's tip, feeding the fire gathering on it before casting itself upward along with the wave of heat that reduces everything above her and Sayaka to ashes.

The two stared up at the raining spot for a moment before slowly, quietly returning their attention to each other.

Sayaka shook her head, forcing away any further arguments so she could focus. "Right. Like I said before, do you have any ideas on how we can actually make some progress?" It came out more confrontational than she had intended.

Kyoko stopped to think for a second, before slowly turning to face her side towards Sayaka. The younger Magical Girl couldn't help but shiver. She had caught glimpses of it before, but having Kyoko's weapon-riddled body presented so clearly was entirely different. Four ash-stained spears shaped a little like oversized crosses were wedged into her back, each producing a spiderweb of cracks that leaked fire and molten glass like blood. Sayaka inhaled sharply, barely stopping herself from rushing over to try and heal the wounds. They weren't actual injuries, just part of Kyoko's body, but even so…

"Get on." Kyoko ordered, dragging Sayaka back to attention.

"What?"

"You heard me. Get on. It's the best way I can think of to keep you from getting shot without slowing down." Kyoko repeated. Sayaka stared at her, trying to figure out if this was a joke or not.

When the moment passed and Kyoko still hadn't started laughing, Sayaka only felt more confused. "But… you're a person!"

If Kyoko had eyebrows anymore, she would definitely be raising one right now. "Excellent observation. But I'm also this-" she spat, gesturing to her own body. "so we might as well take advantage of it. So hurry up already, we're wasting time."

"I- I can't ride you! It's degrading! You're a human, not a horse!" Sayaka protested.

"Really? Because I look a lot more like one of those two things than the other." Kyoko replied, morbid laughter in her voice.

"You can't decide if you're human by how you look!" Sayaka shouted.

"Why not?"

The swordswoman deliberated. When she answered, her voice was shaky but still firm. "Well, that Abnormality that ate you looked human, didn't it? But it wasn't. And you and Homura and Leonie are all Distortions, but Homura looks way more human than either of you. It doesn't make any sense for that to also mean she's more human for some reason."

"This is ridiculous. Why do you even care so much?"

"Why shouldn't I care?"

"Because you're just going to get yourself hurt!"

Kyoko's voice reached its peak, and the air rippled with heat. A dog-like creature made of tightly-blind feathery wings leapt out from a nearby window, frantically clawing at the pair before Sayaka's sword pierced its head. The two stares at the disintegrating body, making sure it wasn't going to explode or something else like that, before slowly turning back to one another.

"Whatever. I'll do it, but I'm still worried about you and I'm not going to get hurt because of it, got it?" Sayaka insisted as she stepped closer to the other girl.

"You keep telling yourself that." Kyoko grumbled. Sayaka ignored her, staring at the Distortion for a moment trying to find a way to climb up before giving up and jumping directly onto the other girl's back. It was extremely uncomfortable. Sayaka had never ridden a horse before, much less one made of fire and broken glass. She still thought this whole plan was stupid, but unfortunately couldn't think of anything better. At least this way she wouldn't be slowing Kyoko down.

"Hey, why are you a horse anyways?" Sayaka asked. She was still adjusting her seating, trying to find some way to sit that didn't involve shards of half-melted glass pressing into her skin. The spears driven into Kyoko's back made it harder, forcing the young Magical Girl to sit at an odd angle to avoid brushing up against them. Kyoko was pretty blasé about the weapons impaling her, but Sayaka really didn't want to put any pressure on them.

Kyoko froze for a moment, trying to draw up the memories of her discussions with X about her new body. She had only actually understood some of it and remembered slightly less than that. It had all been really depressing and mostly just confirmed things she already knew about herself. Nothing about why she was a horse.

"Ask X sometime later, we have bigger problems to deal with. Have you ever ridden a horse before?" Kyoko said. She probably should've thought of that before going with this plan, shouldn't she? Whatever, too late to back out now.

"No." Sayaka admitted. "Have you ever been a horse before?"

"…I'm not even sure how to answer that."

"Right. We've got a job to do here. Just do whatever you were planning, I won't slow you down like this."

For some reason, Kyoko had to stop herself from blurting out that Sayaka wasn't slowing her down. The thought burst into her head before the justifications for it. The Emerald City was too dangerous to progress through quickly. They needed to keep pace with the other teams, not run ahead of them. Sayaka could keep up with Kyoko even if she were going full speed. None of it managed to pass from her head to her voice. Instead, she shifted until the new weight upon her back was positioned comfortably and charged back out into the open cityscape.

—————————

Somehow, Kyoko's stupid plan was working.

It had just sort of come out, and Kyoko had hardly realized she'd said it instead of thought it. And when Sayaka had expressed a reasonable doubt at Kyoko's dumb idea, she had defended it instead of admitting it was stupid. So now Sayaka was seated in Kyoko's back, awkwardly shuffling around to try and find a position that didn't involve getting poked with molten glass because in all her years as a Magical Girl Kyoko had only seen two or three costumes that actually included pants. Not that durability seemed to actually change between parts of the body that were covered and weren't, but it probably would've been more comfortable with some kind of barrier there.

Neither of them had any idea what they were doing. Protecting somebody was pretty much the exact opposite of what Kyoko was good at. Becoming a Distortion had proved that. She was all heat and sharp edges, hurting anyone who got close. Hell, losing concentration for even a moment would have her burning everything around her to a crisp, Sayaka included. The only people safe around her were people like X, who were just too strong for Kyoko to hurt. She would still remember the sight of the older woman, engulfed in flames and completely uncaring because she knew she could heal faster than they would burn her. The more Kyoko thought about it, the more ridiculous it got. She wasn't a protector. The closest she could ever get to that was destroying something before it could hurt someone else. And in spite of all that, it was working.

Carrying a rider didn't throw off Kyoko's balance like she'd expected. There was no need to adjust consciously, even as she felt her instincts adjusting to not throw Sayaka off every time Kyoko made a sharp turn or accidentally smack her in the face with the butt of her spear. The weapons driven through her body formed a barricade, blocking off easy angles of attack while somehow still allowing Sayaka free range of motion to cut down stragglers that Kyoko didn't turn to ash as they charged across the Emerald City. The arrows from the tower were thwarted just as easily by the simple fact that Kyoko's body completely covered Sayaka's so long as she faced towards their destination.

It still wasn't easy, of course. The stretch of city surrounding the observation tower has clearly been built with it in mind. There were no side-alleys to duck into, no especially tall buildings to take cover behind. The traps were designed to slow and disable rather than kill, leaving that up for the sniper camping up in the tower. That, and the endless waves of smaller creatures swarming in poorly-organized ranks.

Kyoko's weapon flowed through the newest onslaught, parting flesh and crystal alike with each swing. A second wave leapt in as the first disintegrated, hoping to take advantage of the momentary gap in Kyoko's guard as she drew her spear back. Unfortunately for them, she had Sayaka with her. With a speed and deftness she would never have been able to manage in her own, Kyoko's spear melted into a gout of fire that poured back into her waiting hands, reforming already in the motion of skewering the unlucky monsters. Another flick, and it was a wall of burning chains separating the horde into easily-crushed pockets. That said, it was still the furthest thing from a simple fight.

Kyoko was forced to slow her advance as the archer in the tower fired another pair of arrows, one aimed at her head and the other off to the side. She barely managed to snap her spear back into position in time to intercept the first arrow, only for the second to bounce off a nearby building and graze Sayaka's neck behind her. Kyoko swore loudly. She couldn't afford mistakes like that.

"You still good?" Kyoko called back. Sayaka nodded, then realized Kyoko couldn't see her.

"I'm fine, keep going!"

Her voice was tight and wheezing, but Kyoko could respect the willingness to tough out some minor injuries. She proceeded forward, only to nearly crash as a thin black barrier rose up in her path.

"Shit."

They'd nearly run into these things before, when they were still going relatively slowly through the Emerald City's outskirts. The barricades were, as far as Kyoko could manage, completely indestructible. They had gaps, yeah, but finding an opening in the barely-visible wall in the middle of combat was quite a pain. Kyoko turned sharply to circle the shield for its entrance, only realizing once she had already finished moving what she'd done. At this angle, Sayaka was out in the open. The archer in the tower wasted no time loosing another arrow towards her. Kyoko hastily turned to intercept it before it could strike, but the distraction cost her. A snakelike Familiar jumped forward and latched onto Kyoko's waist, fangs grinding against glass. It didn't manage to break her skin before she tore it in half, but still left two sticky black marks where its teeth had been. Probably some kind of poison or acid or something.

Kyoko swerved to keep Sayaka out of the path of another arrow and received a blow to one of her legs as a result. She wove a wall of chains to hold back the crowd of enemies and was stabbed in the side while her attention was elsewhere. She jumped to escape the blast radius of an explosion and was shot in the neck as she landed. There was just too much for Kyoko to keep track of, and Sayaka just wasn't strong enough to hold her own here.

The rhythm the battlefield had fallen into was a painful one. The enemies had figured out by now that between Sayaka's support and her natural survivability, actually hurting Kyoko and making it stick was practically impossible. Instead, they were just trying to weigh her down long enough to go for Sayaka instead. Because of course, even when she was trying to protect somebody, she'd just put them in more danger.

The air rippled with heat as Kyoko strained to turn aside another volley of arrows. She'd passed the first barrier, but run into another one close enough after that she barely had space to move between the two. She hasn't reached it yet, but Kyoko was almost completely sure that the door through the second barrier was on the opposite fucking side of the district. She could run pretty fast, but it still cost time. More time to get hurt. To screw up somehow. The air burned with every breath Kyoko took. It was getting harder and harder to keep control. But she couldn't slip up, not yet. If that happened-

As Kyoko ran, the archer let loose another volley of arrows. But this time, a single one managed to slip past and strike the ground beside her. And because Kyoko wasn't the sort of person who could protect others, it exploded in a flash of blinding white.

—————————

Things had been going so well until then. Sayaka actually felt like a proper hero, riding their noble steed to rescue the captured princess. Except her steed was a person, Kyoko was doing most of the work while she just sat there, and Sayaka really didn't want to think about what had happened to Madoka. What was probably happening to Madoka right at that moment. No, she just needed to focus on saving her. Everything else could come later.

Then the explosion went off. Sayaka didn't see it happen, she was just too slow, but she felt it. She felt the way she was suddenly carried through the air, the way her scrambling limbs found only air, the way it seared her through her skin to the flesh and bone underneath. She crashed through something cold and sharp and landed in a tangled heap. The rubble covering the ground felt like a bed of nails stabbing into her collapsed body. She tried to stand, only for a sudden stab of pain to end the attempt before it could begin.

Sayaka held her eyes shut as she let her magic flow through her body, washing away injuries layer after layer until she could fight again. Part of it was exhaustion. She'd gone on hunts longer than this, maybe, but only by a little, and the end was still nowhere in sight. Even if she'd barely done anything compared to Kyoko, who'd done most of the fighting so far that day, she still felt drained. But more than that, she was afraid to open her eyes and see just how badly she'd been hurt. Sayaka'd taken hits before, obviously, but nothing like this. She was usually sitting in the back lines, not facing danger head-on like everyone else. She could feel parts of her body that were just missing being filled back in and the prickling, piercing agony that came with it. How was she even still alive? X had explained that a Magical Girl's mind was kept in their Soul Gem to keep them alive if they were ever hurt like this. So why could she still feel everything? Why did it have to hurt so much?

The pain refused to disappear, but soon Sayaka was healthy enough to lift herself off the ground and back to her feet. She reached down to cleanse her Soul Gem, picketer the now-spent Grief Seed, and scanned her surroundings. Everything was a wreck. She'd been thrown through a nearby building by the explosion. The outer wall had completely collapsed, exposing a decayed living room to the street outside. The house's interior looked normal, not the weird creepy aristocratic castle aesthetic that the rest of the Emerald City had, but it was replaced by something even worse. The furniture was worn and rotted to the point where its surface was probably more mold than fabric. The walls were covered by half-peeled, half-bleached paint. There were piles of some sort of sludge that smelled like expired meat lying on the floor.

Just outside, the city was burning. Without Sayaka there to make her hold back, Kyoko had started really letting loose. She watched as her teammate carved into the churning swarm of enemies which had long since stopped looking like individual creatures and become a living sea of teeth and claws. Sayaka couldn't help but stop and stare in awe. This was what real strength looked like. The kind of thing Mami, Homura, X, or Gebura could do just because they decided it. That was the sort of power that let you be a hero.

Sayaka wanted to be able to do that more than anything in the world.

For now, she'd have to be content with just watching. The heat from the fight was bearing down on her uncomfortably even from her temporary safe haven. If she tried running out to join up there right then, she'd probably end up cooked alive. The memory of searing light tearing through her skin, still fresh and raw, pushed to the forefront of her mind. Sayaka winced. Yeah, it would probably be better to wait for things to calm down. The enemies were thinning out, and the archer had stopped shooting. Maybe this would be over soon.

But those hopes were dashed as Sayaka watched Kyoko freeze. The air rippled and wavered, and the ground under her feet bubbled and steamed. Her spear scraped across the ground, held limp at her side as she watched three figures emerge from the crowd.

The air caught fire.

—————————

Kyoko thought she was prepared. She thought she was ready. She knew this was coming, X had warned her and asked her if she'd be able to handle it and she'd said yes. She had to. Mami was counting on her. X was counting on her. Sayaka and Homura and Madoka all needed her to hold it together today. People, people she cared about, were depending on her being able to hold it together until the end of the day no matter what was thrown at her.

That should've been the first sign that she would fuck it all up.

So even though she should've known better, should've done better, Kyoko freezes when the three figures step out from the receding swarm of monsters.

They barely even looked like people. They were more like some sort of grotesque marionettes, complete with a set of thin red strings emerging from each one and trailing off into nothing. Ash and soot stained the flesh-toned wood that made up their bodies. Near the joints, the material turned a dull, spongy red. All across each of the puppets were the shapes of teeth and grasping hands carved into their bodies. Their arms and legs were spindly and bone-like, the hands of each puppet fused to the massive spears they carried. Their heads were the worst part. They didn't have even the slightest resemblance to something human. Clusters of bloodshot eyes peeled out from cracks in the otherwise-featureless faces. Clumps of stringy, matted red hair hung down from their scalps in messy tangles. Every movement was stilted but smooth and started and ended abruptly, creaking all the while. They were just monsters, nothing more.

But none of it stopped Kyoko from seeing what they really were. She could see her sister's smile, her father's hard stare, on their faces. Hear her mother reading to her and her sister as they fall asleep in each creak and whine. If she let her focus drift even for a moment, they didn't look like puppets at all. She could see her family standing there, alive and unharmed, waiting for her.

The puppet pretending to be her mother stepped ahead of the other two. It smiled at Kyoko even as held its spear towards her.

"Kyoko." the puppet said, voice overflowing with fake care. "Are you here for us?"

Kyoko said nothing, but her grip on her spear tightened. Around her, the street had been reduced to a lake of molten earth. It bubbled and sputtered, failing to find purchase against her brass hooves.

"After you left us to die, we never thought we'd see you again." the puppet continued. The other two advanced from behind it, spreading out and beginning to encircle Kyoko. It took longer than it should've for her to realize they were boxing her in.

"You're not real. You're just some bullshit fakes that monster made to try and trick me." Kyoko spat at the puppet. She wished she felt any of the confidence her words suggested.

"Right. Because people can't come back from the dead. We're gone forever because of you." the smaller puppet said. It stepped closer, spear in hand. Kyoko stepped back.

The puppet of her sister moved closer, spear at the ready. In that moment, Kyoko's mind went blank. She couldn't focus. Couldn't decide what to do. And so, faced with an enemy approaching her with a weapon, she did the only thing she could do. Guided by instincts developed over years of battle, Kyoko slashed at the puppet.

The flesh of the thing pretending to be her sister split in two easily. A large gash opened in its body, stretching from its leg all the way up across its face. Kyoko watched in horror as fire spilled from the wound, charring her sister's body to black in an instant. The putrid scent of burnt flesh filled the air. She stared frozen is horror as the thing continued its approach.

"You killed us, Kyoko. You killed your family because you were a fool. And you'll do it again."

"Th-that's not true. It- it wasn't-" Kyoko defended, her false confidence cast into the flames that were consuming her surroundings. The puppets of her mother and father stepped through the flames towards her, uncaring of the way their bodies were scorched by the ravenous fire.

"It was your fault. You know that now as you always have known it." The puppet of her father declared. "It was because you consorted with that creature. You condemned your own soul to Hell, and because you could not accept your mistake you doomed us in your place."

"Shut up! You're not real!"

"Oh? So you deny it? You know that that creature was a deceiver. You know it wishes this fate to come. You know it brought this on us. And who was the one who dealt with it? You allowed yourself to be fooled, and it killed us all!" her father's voice cried as one of the puppets lunged at her. Kyoko moved too slowly to deflect it, and the soot-covered spear scraped against her skin.

"You ran away and left us to die!" her sister yelled as she too charged forward.

"I didn't mean to-" Kyoko stammered, leaving a trail of boiling earth behind her as she stepped back. She lashed out at the approaching puppets, her spear an arc of glittering red and gold. The smaller puppet ducked under the swing, while the larger puppet took the attack head-on. Kyoko watched in horror as her father, too, was consumed by flames. He glared at her hatefully, the very same expression he'd worn on the night he died.

"You always run away! You always let others pay for your sins! It was because you were too weak that you left your partner alone, wasn't it? But it wasn't you who suffered for it, was it? No, it's always the people who care about you." Kyoko's mother said as the third puppet rushed her. Kyoko swung her spear wildly at the attacker, missing by a wide margin even as the puppet made no attempts to dodge. Its spear struck Kyoko square in the chest, leaving a wide crack across her body.

"She was so happy to see you again. She would've welcomed you back at any time. But you never came back, did you? You would've left her alone until the day she died, thinking you hated her." Kyoko could hardly distinguish between the voices anymore.

"It was a good thing that that creature almost killed you. It would've been a better you than you ever were. A better daughter to us, a better sister to Mami. But you were selfish. You wanted to live even though you know it would just hurt the people who love you again."

"Shut up!" Kyoko screamed. The puppets surrounded her, stabbing and slashing and chipping away at her body bit by bit. Liquid fire leaked from the cracks spreading across her skin. It was true though, wasn't it? Everything they'd said had been correct. Even now, she was on the verge of losing control. Maybe she already had, and Sayaka was lying dead somewhere while Kyoko cried about her stupid life. No, Sayaka had to be fine. She had gotten to a safe distance, right?

"And you'll do it again. Because all you ever do is hurt people trying to help you. Your friends. Your family. Everything you touch burns and you run away unharmed. It's all you ever do. It'll never get better. You'll never change."

"I…" Kyoko's voice trailed off as the puppets forced their spears deeper into her body. Everything was ruined. She ruined it. She failed, because of course she did. It was all Kyoko could ever do. At least maybe Sayaka would-

"Kyoko!"

The wounded Distortion's head whipped to the side to see a streak of blue charging through the fire. Had she been shouting that whole time? When did she get so close?

"You idiot, what are you doing? Stay away from me!" Kyoko cried. Sayaka ignored her.

"Get away from her!" Sayaka yelled, charging at the puppets with her sword drawn. The first puppet casually twisted its body to the side to avoid the Magical Girl's assault and responded by slamming the shaft of its spear into her chest. She stumbled back, stepping into a puddle of melted earth and toppling to the ground.

"See? This is happening because of you." her family's voices said. "Another person suffering in your place. For as long as you live, you will always fail, and you will always let others pay the price! That is who you are, Sakura Kyoko! It is all you ever have been, and it is all you ever will be!"

"Kyoko, don't-" Sayaka began to say, but she was too late. With those final words, something inside Kyoko broke. The flames coiling inside her spilled out, eager to consume everything but her. Because that was who she was, and everyone could see it. The world itself has been telling her, making her like this. Trying to show her that she would burn everything around her. But Kyoko had tried to fight it. She'd tried to be better, to change who she was. And in doing so, she'd just dragged more people close to her. Because she'd been selfish enough to want them there even when she knew it would hurt them. But there was no more pretending. No more hiding from the truth.

For the second time in her life, Kyoko's world caught fire.

———————————————

Porccubus' Sapling - Observation Level 2/3
Schadenfreude's Sapling - Observation Level 2/3
CENSORED's Sapling - Observation Level EXPUNGED/REDACTED

 

[Lepidoptera]

Whew! There we go! Took me long enough, huh?

I'll admit that I have been feeling a little bit of burnout regarding Human Resources recently, especially as we get to points in the story I really want to make perfect. So I'll be taking a short break to update some of my other works before circling back around to this story. Specifically Machine Learning, a Cave Story quest I started recently that will have its first vote closing soon, and A Voice Like Sunshine, an older ProjectMoon quest of mine which never received quite as much love as this one.

 

[questioningmeme]

Ah, I was kinda expecting this. Given the sneak peeks on the puppets last time.

Uh. Here's hoping Sayaka can dodge the firestorm.

Kyoko should be fine regardless, probably not mentally, but physically she should be fine.

 

[Gwedillion]

Sigh

Welp, all we can hope is Sayaka gains an EGO from this or something. This seems like a make it or break it moment. Her body's probably charred to cinder so it'll be just her and her thoughts.

 

[Kdblya]

Argh. I was going to say this update was funny then argh.

 

[Suleverf]

It seems Kyoko's mindset has become further distorted, and I'm guessing her ability to hold back the flames when she first distorted is gone now. Was there a way to prevent this? Unfortunately sending Sayaka gave more leverage for the puppets to play into Kyoko's Iron Lotus complex, but the most likely swap would've been into the Wizard's court, which could've been even worse in how mercilessly it targets Sayaka.

Welp, all we can hope is Sayaka gains an EGO from this or something. This seems like a make it or break it moment.

Click to shrink...

At this point I'm thinking distortion is more likely over E.G.O., though the coin toss is still up in the air. She's been left feeling like a burden, and 3 of 5 model people with the power to be heroes in her mind are distortions/abnos.

 

[questioningmeme]

X really is collecting Distortions like pokemon huh...

 

[SoulDiver]

Carmen is making up for her loss streak in Limbus

 

[questioningmeme]

Carmen is making up for her loss streak in Limbus

Click to shrink...

: It wouldn't have been possible without the help of my daughter of course. If only she'd help herself too.

 

[DuoRogue]

there's still hope of getting madoka ego! don't give up!

 

[Nyarky]

there's still hope of getting madoka ego! don't give up!

Click to shrink...

I mean, she is under tender care by the Adult, not sure there is hope of giving her EGO.

 

[questioningmeme]

PrAyin to Ayin real quick rn.

Trust in the PlAn.

 

[DuoRogue]

Madoka was under binah's care to gain ego, do you really think the adult is scarier?

 

[diplomacy]

Heh, I remember someone complaining earlier in the thread that these two are a bad match. Well, I don't know about canon, but it's pretty impressive how they complement each other here in all the worst possible ways.

(Nice chapter title, by the way. Though, I'm not sure it's a symmetrical enough situation to justify it.)

Since it's probably going to come up again, do you all prefer me to update faster? I know I've been late before, but having no story updates for weeks hasn't really happened outside of designated hiatus periods before now. I do want to deliver on these upcoming chapters, especially since some of these moments have been planned and anticipated for actual years for me (and isn't that wild to think about), but not if it's not what you want.

Click to shrink...

Tacit admissions to being a terrible, no-good railroader aside... I don't know, maybe it's just the plot being where it is right now, but I kind of really like this quest lately. So, maybe what we're truly meant to do as readers is not let you update more than once every two weeks, or something stupid like that.

(Actually, quests having any kind of schedule is kind of insane in itself if you think about it. I think serialized fiction writers typically have backlogs to smooth out the fluctuations, but in quests, you can't do that by definition.)

Obviously I want lots of good stuff and quickly, in some ideal combination, but I'm also just a reader ignorant of how that tradeoff works for you personally, or even whether you think about this stuff in such a way, so me telling you what to do would be worse than useless.

So basically, don't listen to us plebs. Write when thou wilt is the whole of the schedule! It'll work itself out. If there's a hiatus, it's there for a reason.