Laurelin
Ain't got nothing better.
- Location
- Where the Wild Wolves Have Gone
Mami Souls: Prepare to Waifu (PMMM / Dark Souls)
- Thread starter Laurelin
- Start date
- Crossover
Astra Myst
Do you want a wish?
- Location
- Milky Way Galaxy
Solaire's a husbando, not a waifu.
And what exactly good sir, is the problem?
Laurelin
Ain't got nothing better.
- Location
- Where the Wild Wolves Have Gone
Just that in this particular vote, we're explicitly voting for a waifu, not a husbando.
Astra Myst
Do you want a wish?
- Location
- Milky Way Galaxy
Just that in this particular vote, we're explicitly voting for a waifu, not a husbando.
Major Derp
Astra Myst
Do you want a wish?
- Location
- Milky Way Galaxy
[X] Crossbreed Priscilla
Kkutlord
Prince of Breath
- Location
- Indianapolis, Indiana
Astra Myst: You should of insisted Solarie is best waifu, yet openly acknowledging he's a guy. Be like "Solarie is best waifu" "But he's a guy" "Your point?"
Regarding the vote, I really see no reason why they'd have problems. Snuggly can be the team mascot, but Kyubey is just... Hahaha no. So having infinitely-better-Kyubey would give Mami reason to ignore the weasel cat.
Regarding the vote, I really see no reason why they'd have problems. Snuggly can be the team mascot, but Kyubey is just... Hahaha no. So having infinitely-better-Kyubey would give Mami reason to ignore the weasel cat.
WMG
Probably a Dork
- Location
- Several Hours in the Past of You
- Location
- Scotland
Some loser who wished he wrote good fanfics. Not worth your time
Laurelin
Ain't got nothing better.
- Location
- Where the Wild Wolves Have Gone
*smacks Stewie with a rolled up newspaper*
Oi now, none of that self-deprecation! You bring people joy and smiles with your entertaining crazy stuff and you know it.
...
I'm giving a motivational speech to you. It's the end of the world. O.O *shivers*
WanderingTwix
Posting something good once in a full moon
- Location
- United Kingdom
The compass is pointing north, no, south, wait, skyward?
This is so contentious. Would a compromise be good? I'm not sure I'd go as far as just bringing both of them at the start, Though as mentioned, we can potentially pick another waifu later.
This is so contentious. Would a compromise be good? I'm not sure I'd go as far as just bringing both of them at the start, Though as mentioned, we can potentially pick another waifu later.
FlamingB1rd
Happy/Triggerhappy pyromaniac!
- Location
- Bulgaria
The idea of starting off with both might actually have merit if OP feels comfortable in implementing it.
It pleases both parties and their personalities are different enough that it can actually work well for the scene. It also adds the hilarity of having to manage both from the start.
I liked Shadow's reasoning for it that while Pricilla will give Mami an equal interaction-wise, Snuggly will give us happy fun times but would just be a pet, even if sapient. Also, imagine Snuggly pestering poor antisocial Pricilla that just wants her solitude. xD
It pleases both parties and their personalities are different enough that it can actually work well for the scene. It also adds the hilarity of having to manage both from the start.
I liked Shadow's reasoning for it that while Pricilla will give Mami an equal interaction-wise, Snuggly will give us happy fun times but would just be a pet, even if sapient. Also, imagine Snuggly pestering poor antisocial Pricilla that just wants her solitude. xD
Laurelin
Ain't got nothing better.
- Location
- Where the Wild Wolves Have Gone
I'm not against it in principle. Right now, Snuggly is in the lead with one vote, so I'm of the mind to hold a vote with the next update asking whether or not people want Priscilla as well. Mami'd still start with Snuggly, since she did win the vote - for now - and I have some ideas for where to start with there.
Do keep in mind that even if people do vote to have Priscilla as well, it doesn't mean Mami will find Priscilla there when she wakes up. After all, Priscilla is twice the size of an adult human, so not exactly fitting Mami's apartment.
Which also means that, yes, like @WMG mentioned, if you people do want Priscilla, you'd best start thinking on how you plan on housing an over-three-metres-tall dragon crossbreed with a fluffy tail wielding a humongous scythe, provided you manage to find her and convince her to trust you and let you help her.
What, you thought I was gonna do that for you?
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- Location
- Buttfuck, Nowhere, Iceland
Oh, yeah. Fuck me, just remembered that Dark Souls is just fucking packed with huge fuckers, that make Priscella look tiny. Like the Giant Blacksmith, Yhorm, Artorious, Andre all in all, this is just going to get fucking sillyI'm not against it in principle. Right now, Snuggly is in the lead with one vote, so I'm of the mind to hold a vote with the next update asking whether or not people want Priscilla as well. Mami'd still start with Snuggly, since she did win the vote - for now - and I have some ideas for where to start with there.
Do keep in mind that even if people do vote to have Priscilla as well, it doesn't mean Mami will find Priscilla there when she wakes up. After all, Priscilla is twice the size of an adult human, so not exactly fitting Mami's apartment.
Which also means that, yes, like @WMG mentioned, if you people do want Priscilla, you'd best start thinking on how you plan on housing an over-three-metres-tall dragon crossbreed with a fluffy tail wielding a humongous scythe, provided you manage to find her and convince her to trust you and let you help her.
What, you thought I was gonna do that for you?
Laurelin
Ain't got nothing better.
- Location
- Where the Wild Wolves Have Gone
So I was hoping to be able to finish and post the next update today, but I fear that's not going to happen. I could probably push it, if I made it a past-midnighter, but today's the last day of my vacation and I can't afford to be dead on my feet and unrested on my first day of work tomorrow. So I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you all for a bit more patience.
I really am sorry for this delay and I'll do my hardest best to get the update out tomorrow at the latest. But I don't want to rush it and do a bad job either.
EDIT: I've also tentatively named the first 'arc' "Rekindling", just in case the Dark Souls wasn't on the nose enough yet.
I really am sorry for this delay and I'll do my hardest best to get the update out tomorrow at the latest. But I don't want to rush it and do a bad job either.
EDIT: I've also tentatively named the first 'arc' "Rekindling", just in case the Dark Souls wasn't on the nose enough yet.
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Rekindling - 2
Laurelin
Ain't got nothing better.
- Location
- Where the Wild Wolves Have Gone
---
~ Mami Souls: Prepare to Waifu ~
---
~ Mami Souls: Prepare to Waifu ~
---
Hello again! From now on, I plan to start each update with a quick announcement of the winning vote, then give the update, then follow up with a complete rundown of the vote tally and of course the next vote. Sound good?
Anyway, the winning vote for Mami's first Dark Souls waifu is Snuggly the Crow, with 22 votes, just one more than her closest competitor, Priscilla the Crossbreed. More details after the chapter. So, let's dive in:
---
Rekindling - 2When the light dies down and enables you to see again, the first thing you notice is that the flame you held in your hands is gone. The second is that said hands are now wearing a set of fingerless gloves made of brown leather, which they definitely did not before. A quick look at yourself reveals that your entire outfit has, in fact, changed into a perfect replica of the Firekeeper's own clothes, only fit to your size and coloured grey instead of white.
Touching your head, you discover that you are even wearing a headband like she does, that you can see through somehow despite it covering your eyes. You're not going to question how that works, nor do you wonder where these robes even come from; as a former magical girl, you're more than used to making clothes appear seemingly out of nowhere.
You just hope the headband doesn't get in the way of your ringlets, as you're quite attached to those. First thing to look at when you find a mirror, you decide.
One you are done checking out your new look, you turn your gaze up at the Firekeeper, who is regarding you with a patient, warm smile. The tears on her cheeks from before seem to have dried up, no doubt thanks to the heat of the fire you held, and her now empty hands are folded neatly if loosely together.
"'Tis done," she says. "How dost thou feel?"
You place your hand over your chest, to feel the steady beat of your heart. However, when you close your eyes to focus within, you can feel more than just your heart. There's something else there now as well, a glow, a warmth, a presence so soothing and comforting that any words would fail to properly capture its glory and splendor.
You open your eyes again and look back up to the Keeper. "Warm," you reply, smiling apologetically for the fact that you can't describe it any more adequately than that. "I feel warm."
The Firekeeper, however, nods her head knowingly, as if she understands perfectly what you meant from just that one simple word. Given how she was apparently made for and from the Flame she just shared with you, she actually most likely does, you realise.
"The flame of life has been lit within thee," she says. "It shall be with thee wheresoever thou goest, a blanket to shield thee from death's chill, a light to shelter thee in even the deepest darkness. Look but within and there thou shalt find ever now the strength thou needst, the comfort thou cravest, the hope thou requirest."
You glance at your hands, at the burn marks peeking out from underneath your new gloves and do not even feel upset or sad at the sight of the marred skin. Instead, the sight of it almost… comforts you, for it serves as both proof and reminder of the flame you now carry within.
"Thank you," you whisper quietly, giving her a grateful look from behind your new eye mask.
The Firekeeper inclines her head. "Thou art most welcome, child."
"... though, not that I wish to sound ungrateful or anything, but why the new clothes?" you ask, blinking at her curiously.
Her response is soft laughter, like the chimling of beautiful little bells, though she tries to hide it by covering her mouth with her hand. "Thou art a Firekeeper now," she explains, amused. "'Tis only right for thee to look the part, no?"
A fair point, you have to concede.
"Speaking of parts," you say as you rise to your feet. You look down at your feet as you move, not wanting to step on or trip over your new robes. They're rather long and drag on the ground, after all. "You did yours, so I should do mine. I will take a spark with me, as I promised, but…" You wring your hands together sheepishly. "How do I do that?"
The Firekeeper smiles patiently and gestures towards the bonfire.
"Reach inside the flame and thou shalt feel the souls that slumber. Call out to one that speaks to thee, after which thou but needst to lift it from the fire to set it free."
You nod and turn to the waiting flames. Before, being so near to a fire and its heat would have made you wary, but now, you have no fear, for you can feel the part of it that burns within you and know that this fire will not harm you. Thus, you do not even hesitate and put your hands into the flame, the same way you saw the Firekeeper do but a few moments earlier.
As expected, the flames do not burn you, merely make your hands tingle with pleasant warmth. With a small smile on your lips, you close your eyes for the next step, then tried to do as the Firekeeper had instructed and feel.
It's not as hard as you expected. The moment you open your senses, you are nearly overwhelmed by the amount of life you feel within the fire. It is the same as the warmth you felt within you, but greater, an inferno compared to the lit matchstick that is the flame of your life.
It is awe inspiring, as well as more than a little intimidating. You actually feel tiny and insignificant for a moment, before you defiantly push those feelings away. Now is not the time to be impressed, humbling though the experience is. You have a task to fulfill.
You try to block out the presence of the Flame itself and instead try to look closer, to discern the individual drops of water that make up the sea, so to speak. This proves not as simple as detecting the Flame itself was, but neither was making muskets out of energy ribbons, and you mastered that until it became trivial and second nature. So you open your senses even further, will yourself to see these sparks, to hear their thoughts as they slumber.
And you do.
You see the flames within the Flame, all fragments of a greater whole, yet each is alive on their own, you can feel it. Not alive in the literal sense, like you, but they exist, the essence of what makes them, well, them is there, undiluted, unblemished. You're surprised to see that they come in varying sizes and colours, though on reflection you're not sure why you were, as it only makes sense that no individual is the same and that the souls would be shaped and formed depending on their experiences in life, right?
You shake your metaphysical head. You are getting distracted, while you still have a task to complete.
Remembering what the Firekeeper told you, you reach out to the sparks, trying to feel if any of them are close to waking, or are dreaming of it. Immediately, you sense a shift within the sea of life that is the Flame, as some of the sparks drift closer to you. Smiling, you call out to them, beckoning them closer with the promise of awakening, causing some to come even closer, close enough that you can get a glimpse of their… dreams? Thoughts?
You are not sure, but it gives you a faint impression of the souls before you nonetheless. A small one gives you an impression of happiness, while two golden flames radiate a feeling you know all too well: loneliness. One spark feels like two souls intertwined, with a vague impression of family, but it is hard to be certain.
You regard the sparks in your mind's eye, wondering which one to take with you. You have no idea what kind of people they belong to, what they will be like once awakened, so in that sense your choice doesn't really matter since you will be on unknown territory no matter what. You spend some time in quiet contemplation.
Eventually, you settle for the smallest soul, the one that you feel happiness from, if for no other reason than that you yourself are lacking in that regard. You beckon towards the spark and it floats towards you almost eagerly. Gently, you encompass it with your mind and will, tugging it along as you begin to close your senses and shut out the Flame.
You open your eyes and lift your hands from the bonfire, a small, white flame now dancing merrily in your palms. You let out a deep breath you didn't realise you'd been holding.
Success.
"Well done."
You turn to the side to see the Firekeeper smiling at you. She briefly stares at the white flame you're holding in your hands, while briefly holding her own above it. When she pulls her hand back, she nods as if she's just confirmed something to herself, then lifts her head to look at you again.
"A kind spark, bright and innocent in life," she says quietly, before giving you another smile. "Thou chose well."
You look at the white flame, a small part of your mind reeling from the realisation that that is someone's soul you're holding, and hope she is right. You look at the Keeper.
"What do I do now?"
She places her hand on your shoulder. "Now, 'tis time for it and thee to awaken, if thou art willing."
You give an affirmative nod. "I am," you say, while trying to ignore the growing feeling of wary anticipation building up in your stomach. Though you no longer doubt that the Firekeeper is benign, not after receiving the piece of the Flame that now warms you from within, the prospect of going back to your life and leaving this quiet but peaceful shrine behind suddenly seems daunting.
The Firekeeper beckons you to follow as she walks towards the most intact piece of the ruined wall, in which sits the shrine's sole remaining undamaged archway. As the both of you come to a halt in front of it, you wonder what she wants with it.
Your confusion only grows when she waves her hand, causing the archway to suddenly be filled with a thick curtain of greyish, white fog, a veritable wall that your eyes cannot pierce through.
"When thou art ready, thou needst but walk through this gate of fog and thou shalt find thyself back whence thou camest, dreaming no longer and amongst the living once more," the Firekeeper explains, when she sees your confused face.
You look at the gate and swallow hard, for it suddenly looks a lot more imposing, like it is looming over you threateningly and could swallow you whole at any moment. The thought of something swallowing you send a flash of pain through your head and you wince, a brief image of teeth flashing before your eyes. Cold sweat breaks out on your forehead and you lift one hand unconsciously to your throat.
"Child?"
You shake yourself free from your sudden panic and glance to the side to see the Firekeeper leaning towards you with a worried look on her face, her hands folded protectively on her breast.
"It's… it's nothing," you say, more so to convince yourself than her. "Something distracted me, is all. You say I have to just walk through this fog? Do I take the spark with me?"
The Firekeeper looks at you doubtfully, clearly not convinced, but is polite enough to not push the matter since you clearly don't want to linger on it. "It is as I said, thou needst but pass through the gate to awaken," she replies. "As for the spark, I would ask that thou crossest first, so as to light a path for it to follow to thy realm. I shall hold on to it for thee until then, then send it thy way once thou hast made the crossing successfully."
You look between the spark, the billowing wall of fog and the Firekeeper, taking a brief moment to let her words sink in, then nod and carefully hold out your hands to offer her the white flame. She takes it from you gingerly, handling it with the same delicate care you did, as if it a precious treasure made from the most fragile of materials; which you suppose it very well might be.
Once the small soul is safely within her hands, you step back and cast a glance towards the waiting gate, then look back at the Firekeeper. You take a deep breath.
"I… I suppose this is it, then?" you mutter, your hands fiddling nervously with the hem of your new cloak.
"Aye," the Firekeeper nods, smiling. "Thy life is waiting for thee to reclaim it."
A plethora of different and conflicting emotions wells up inside of you and for a moment you are overwhelmed, your composure failing. When you think about what happened to you and what you are about to do, it defies all logic and expectation. You died, bitterly and mercilessly, yet decided that that wasn't life changing enough of an event, for now here you stand, ready to come back to life. Because a complete and utter stranger wanted to give you a second chance, for no other reason than the kindness of their heart.
You don't know what you did to deserve it.
You look up at the Firekeeper, a small smile on your quivering lips, and give her a helpless shrug. "I can't find the words to thank you for what you did for me," you say apologetically, before your voice breaks and words fail you.
A strangled noise, something between a laugh and a choked sob, escapes you while fresh tears well up in your eyes. The Firekeeper smiles in return and shakes her head, then reaches out with one hand to cup your cheek. With her thumb she brushes some of your tears away.
"No thanks are necesary, child," she assures you. "Even if thou didst not come from the realm of the Flame, thou were a lost spark nevertheless. 't Was my duty and my desire to provide thee with what succor I could and so I did."
You lean your head into her hand. "But you gave me so much," you protest. "You gave me another chance at life, while I didn't even give you my name!"
"Child, I know who thou art," the Firekeeper replies, with the same kind of fond bemusement one has for someone they like who just said something silly.
"You do?"
She nods and the smile she gives you is positively radiant. "A friend."
You stare at her dumbfounded for a brief moment, then the last of your composure and sense of propriety breaks and you throw yourself at the woman, wrapping your arms around her tightly. Taken aback, she stumbles slightly, but recovers quickly, and returns your embrace with one arm - her other one still holding out the white soul. She smiles down at you, ever kind, while you bury your face in her robes, the scent of fire and ash filling your nose.
The two of you stay like that for some time. Within her embrace you feel safe, with even the spicy scent of ash in her clothes serving as a welcome source of warmth and comfort. For a brief moment, you actually feel like a child again and think of your mother for the first time in a long while.
Eventually, however, the moment passes and you break apart again. You look up at her masked face, not knowing what to say.
"Remember, child," she says, her fingers gently touching your chin. "Shouldst thou ever find thyself in need of momentary relief from thy struggles, recall this sanctuary in thy dreams and thou shalt find me there. Always."
You can only nod as your lips fail to form any words.
The Firekeeper doesn't seem to mind. She knows what you wish to say even if you cannot say it out loud. She briefly lays her hand atop your head, then gently nudges you towards the gate.
"Go now," she whispers. "Thy life awaits."
You hurriedly do as she tells you and turn to the mist filled archway, knowing that if you wait any longer you'll just end up crying again. The gate looms before you, still as imposing as before. You watch as the roiling fog forms thin wisps that look like pale, ghastly fingers beckoning you closer. A shiver runs down your spine as the image of a Witch's barrier flashes through your mind.
You hesitate and almost even taken a step back, but you catch yourself before that can happen. You take a deep breath and gather your courage, sending out a firm mental declaration that you will not let yourself be frightened.
Yes, what lies before you is unknown. You have no way of knowing if your second attempt at life will go any better than the first and yes, that lack of certainty is scary. But you can not, will not, let yourself be cowed by fear of this uncertainty. You are Tomoe Mami, a veteran magical girl and you have taken these leaps of faith countless times before, such as every time you entered a Witch's barrier.
Yes, that didn't end well the last time, you are all too painfully aware of that. But you have a chance to make up for that now and you will take it. You will face the unknown, the uncertainty, because as frightening as it might be, the future being uncertain is simply a part of life and to face it, to push through despite your fears is to be alive. And you...
You. Will. Live!
With your mind made up, you cast one last glance over your shoulder at the Firekeeper, who sends you an encouraging nod. Enboldened and feeling as ready as you are ever going to get, you approach the waiting wall of mist. Time for the moment of truth, to see if all of this is real or if it has just been a cruel delusion of your dying mind all along.
You take a deep breath, steel your nerves and walk through the gate.
Touching your head, you discover that you are even wearing a headband like she does, that you can see through somehow despite it covering your eyes. You're not going to question how that works, nor do you wonder where these robes even come from; as a former magical girl, you're more than used to making clothes appear seemingly out of nowhere.
You just hope the headband doesn't get in the way of your ringlets, as you're quite attached to those. First thing to look at when you find a mirror, you decide.
One you are done checking out your new look, you turn your gaze up at the Firekeeper, who is regarding you with a patient, warm smile. The tears on her cheeks from before seem to have dried up, no doubt thanks to the heat of the fire you held, and her now empty hands are folded neatly if loosely together.
"'Tis done," she says. "How dost thou feel?"
You place your hand over your chest, to feel the steady beat of your heart. However, when you close your eyes to focus within, you can feel more than just your heart. There's something else there now as well, a glow, a warmth, a presence so soothing and comforting that any words would fail to properly capture its glory and splendor.
You open your eyes again and look back up to the Keeper. "Warm," you reply, smiling apologetically for the fact that you can't describe it any more adequately than that. "I feel warm."
The Firekeeper, however, nods her head knowingly, as if she understands perfectly what you meant from just that one simple word. Given how she was apparently made for and from the Flame she just shared with you, she actually most likely does, you realise.
"The flame of life has been lit within thee," she says. "It shall be with thee wheresoever thou goest, a blanket to shield thee from death's chill, a light to shelter thee in even the deepest darkness. Look but within and there thou shalt find ever now the strength thou needst, the comfort thou cravest, the hope thou requirest."
You glance at your hands, at the burn marks peeking out from underneath your new gloves and do not even feel upset or sad at the sight of the marred skin. Instead, the sight of it almost… comforts you, for it serves as both proof and reminder of the flame you now carry within.
"Thank you," you whisper quietly, giving her a grateful look from behind your new eye mask.
The Firekeeper inclines her head. "Thou art most welcome, child."
"... though, not that I wish to sound ungrateful or anything, but why the new clothes?" you ask, blinking at her curiously.
Her response is soft laughter, like the chimling of beautiful little bells, though she tries to hide it by covering her mouth with her hand. "Thou art a Firekeeper now," she explains, amused. "'Tis only right for thee to look the part, no?"
A fair point, you have to concede.
"Speaking of parts," you say as you rise to your feet. You look down at your feet as you move, not wanting to step on or trip over your new robes. They're rather long and drag on the ground, after all. "You did yours, so I should do mine. I will take a spark with me, as I promised, but…" You wring your hands together sheepishly. "How do I do that?"
The Firekeeper smiles patiently and gestures towards the bonfire.
"Reach inside the flame and thou shalt feel the souls that slumber. Call out to one that speaks to thee, after which thou but needst to lift it from the fire to set it free."
You nod and turn to the waiting flames. Before, being so near to a fire and its heat would have made you wary, but now, you have no fear, for you can feel the part of it that burns within you and know that this fire will not harm you. Thus, you do not even hesitate and put your hands into the flame, the same way you saw the Firekeeper do but a few moments earlier.
As expected, the flames do not burn you, merely make your hands tingle with pleasant warmth. With a small smile on your lips, you close your eyes for the next step, then tried to do as the Firekeeper had instructed and feel.
It's not as hard as you expected. The moment you open your senses, you are nearly overwhelmed by the amount of life you feel within the fire. It is the same as the warmth you felt within you, but greater, an inferno compared to the lit matchstick that is the flame of your life.
It is awe inspiring, as well as more than a little intimidating. You actually feel tiny and insignificant for a moment, before you defiantly push those feelings away. Now is not the time to be impressed, humbling though the experience is. You have a task to fulfill.
You try to block out the presence of the Flame itself and instead try to look closer, to discern the individual drops of water that make up the sea, so to speak. This proves not as simple as detecting the Flame itself was, but neither was making muskets out of energy ribbons, and you mastered that until it became trivial and second nature. So you open your senses even further, will yourself to see these sparks, to hear their thoughts as they slumber.
And you do.
You see the flames within the Flame, all fragments of a greater whole, yet each is alive on their own, you can feel it. Not alive in the literal sense, like you, but they exist, the essence of what makes them, well, them is there, undiluted, unblemished. You're surprised to see that they come in varying sizes and colours, though on reflection you're not sure why you were, as it only makes sense that no individual is the same and that the souls would be shaped and formed depending on their experiences in life, right?
You shake your metaphysical head. You are getting distracted, while you still have a task to complete.
Remembering what the Firekeeper told you, you reach out to the sparks, trying to feel if any of them are close to waking, or are dreaming of it. Immediately, you sense a shift within the sea of life that is the Flame, as some of the sparks drift closer to you. Smiling, you call out to them, beckoning them closer with the promise of awakening, causing some to come even closer, close enough that you can get a glimpse of their… dreams? Thoughts?
You are not sure, but it gives you a faint impression of the souls before you nonetheless. A small one gives you an impression of happiness, while two golden flames radiate a feeling you know all too well: loneliness. One spark feels like two souls intertwined, with a vague impression of family, but it is hard to be certain.
You regard the sparks in your mind's eye, wondering which one to take with you. You have no idea what kind of people they belong to, what they will be like once awakened, so in that sense your choice doesn't really matter since you will be on unknown territory no matter what. You spend some time in quiet contemplation.
Eventually, you settle for the smallest soul, the one that you feel happiness from, if for no other reason than that you yourself are lacking in that regard. You beckon towards the spark and it floats towards you almost eagerly. Gently, you encompass it with your mind and will, tugging it along as you begin to close your senses and shut out the Flame.
You open your eyes and lift your hands from the bonfire, a small, white flame now dancing merrily in your palms. You let out a deep breath you didn't realise you'd been holding.
Success.
"Well done."
You turn to the side to see the Firekeeper smiling at you. She briefly stares at the white flame you're holding in your hands, while briefly holding her own above it. When she pulls her hand back, she nods as if she's just confirmed something to herself, then lifts her head to look at you again.
"A kind spark, bright and innocent in life," she says quietly, before giving you another smile. "Thou chose well."
You look at the white flame, a small part of your mind reeling from the realisation that that is someone's soul you're holding, and hope she is right. You look at the Keeper.
"What do I do now?"
She places her hand on your shoulder. "Now, 'tis time for it and thee to awaken, if thou art willing."
You give an affirmative nod. "I am," you say, while trying to ignore the growing feeling of wary anticipation building up in your stomach. Though you no longer doubt that the Firekeeper is benign, not after receiving the piece of the Flame that now warms you from within, the prospect of going back to your life and leaving this quiet but peaceful shrine behind suddenly seems daunting.
The Firekeeper beckons you to follow as she walks towards the most intact piece of the ruined wall, in which sits the shrine's sole remaining undamaged archway. As the both of you come to a halt in front of it, you wonder what she wants with it.
Your confusion only grows when she waves her hand, causing the archway to suddenly be filled with a thick curtain of greyish, white fog, a veritable wall that your eyes cannot pierce through.
"When thou art ready, thou needst but walk through this gate of fog and thou shalt find thyself back whence thou camest, dreaming no longer and amongst the living once more," the Firekeeper explains, when she sees your confused face.
You look at the gate and swallow hard, for it suddenly looks a lot more imposing, like it is looming over you threateningly and could swallow you whole at any moment. The thought of something swallowing you send a flash of pain through your head and you wince, a brief image of teeth flashing before your eyes. Cold sweat breaks out on your forehead and you lift one hand unconsciously to your throat.
"Child?"
You shake yourself free from your sudden panic and glance to the side to see the Firekeeper leaning towards you with a worried look on her face, her hands folded protectively on her breast.
"It's… it's nothing," you say, more so to convince yourself than her. "Something distracted me, is all. You say I have to just walk through this fog? Do I take the spark with me?"
The Firekeeper looks at you doubtfully, clearly not convinced, but is polite enough to not push the matter since you clearly don't want to linger on it. "It is as I said, thou needst but pass through the gate to awaken," she replies. "As for the spark, I would ask that thou crossest first, so as to light a path for it to follow to thy realm. I shall hold on to it for thee until then, then send it thy way once thou hast made the crossing successfully."
You look between the spark, the billowing wall of fog and the Firekeeper, taking a brief moment to let her words sink in, then nod and carefully hold out your hands to offer her the white flame. She takes it from you gingerly, handling it with the same delicate care you did, as if it a precious treasure made from the most fragile of materials; which you suppose it very well might be.
Once the small soul is safely within her hands, you step back and cast a glance towards the waiting gate, then look back at the Firekeeper. You take a deep breath.
"I… I suppose this is it, then?" you mutter, your hands fiddling nervously with the hem of your new cloak.
"Aye," the Firekeeper nods, smiling. "Thy life is waiting for thee to reclaim it."
A plethora of different and conflicting emotions wells up inside of you and for a moment you are overwhelmed, your composure failing. When you think about what happened to you and what you are about to do, it defies all logic and expectation. You died, bitterly and mercilessly, yet decided that that wasn't life changing enough of an event, for now here you stand, ready to come back to life. Because a complete and utter stranger wanted to give you a second chance, for no other reason than the kindness of their heart.
You don't know what you did to deserve it.
You look up at the Firekeeper, a small smile on your quivering lips, and give her a helpless shrug. "I can't find the words to thank you for what you did for me," you say apologetically, before your voice breaks and words fail you.
A strangled noise, something between a laugh and a choked sob, escapes you while fresh tears well up in your eyes. The Firekeeper smiles in return and shakes her head, then reaches out with one hand to cup your cheek. With her thumb she brushes some of your tears away.
"No thanks are necesary, child," she assures you. "Even if thou didst not come from the realm of the Flame, thou were a lost spark nevertheless. 't Was my duty and my desire to provide thee with what succor I could and so I did."
You lean your head into her hand. "But you gave me so much," you protest. "You gave me another chance at life, while I didn't even give you my name!"
"Child, I know who thou art," the Firekeeper replies, with the same kind of fond bemusement one has for someone they like who just said something silly.
"You do?"
She nods and the smile she gives you is positively radiant. "A friend."
You stare at her dumbfounded for a brief moment, then the last of your composure and sense of propriety breaks and you throw yourself at the woman, wrapping your arms around her tightly. Taken aback, she stumbles slightly, but recovers quickly, and returns your embrace with one arm - her other one still holding out the white soul. She smiles down at you, ever kind, while you bury your face in her robes, the scent of fire and ash filling your nose.
The two of you stay like that for some time. Within her embrace you feel safe, with even the spicy scent of ash in her clothes serving as a welcome source of warmth and comfort. For a brief moment, you actually feel like a child again and think of your mother for the first time in a long while.
Eventually, however, the moment passes and you break apart again. You look up at her masked face, not knowing what to say.
"Remember, child," she says, her fingers gently touching your chin. "Shouldst thou ever find thyself in need of momentary relief from thy struggles, recall this sanctuary in thy dreams and thou shalt find me there. Always."
You can only nod as your lips fail to form any words.
The Firekeeper doesn't seem to mind. She knows what you wish to say even if you cannot say it out loud. She briefly lays her hand atop your head, then gently nudges you towards the gate.
"Go now," she whispers. "Thy life awaits."
You hurriedly do as she tells you and turn to the mist filled archway, knowing that if you wait any longer you'll just end up crying again. The gate looms before you, still as imposing as before. You watch as the roiling fog forms thin wisps that look like pale, ghastly fingers beckoning you closer. A shiver runs down your spine as the image of a Witch's barrier flashes through your mind.
You hesitate and almost even taken a step back, but you catch yourself before that can happen. You take a deep breath and gather your courage, sending out a firm mental declaration that you will not let yourself be frightened.
Yes, what lies before you is unknown. You have no way of knowing if your second attempt at life will go any better than the first and yes, that lack of certainty is scary. But you can not, will not, let yourself be cowed by fear of this uncertainty. You are Tomoe Mami, a veteran magical girl and you have taken these leaps of faith countless times before, such as every time you entered a Witch's barrier.
Yes, that didn't end well the last time, you are all too painfully aware of that. But you have a chance to make up for that now and you will take it. You will face the unknown, the uncertainty, because as frightening as it might be, the future being uncertain is simply a part of life and to face it, to push through despite your fears is to be alive. And you...
You. Will. Live!
With your mind made up, you cast one last glance over your shoulder at the Firekeeper, who sends you an encouraging nod. Enboldened and feeling as ready as you are ever going to get, you approach the waiting wall of mist. Time for the moment of truth, to see if all of this is real or if it has just been a cruel delusion of your dying mind all along.
You take a deep breath, steel your nerves and walk through the gate.
---
AN: Feel free to point out if you feel I didn't portray Mami correctly here at any point in the chapter.
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Vote 2 - One or both?
Laurelin
Ain't got nothing better.
- Location
- Where the Wild Wolves Have Gone
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~ Waifu Vote: Results ~
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~ Waifu Vote: Results ~
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Well, the results are in for the first vote and boy was it interesting and not at all what I expected. Yorshka did not get as many votes as I expected, while the overwhelming support for Snuggly and Priscilla took me by surprise. I mean, I knew Priscilla was a popular fluffy waifu, but damn. I wasn't kidding when I said watching the vote was more tense than the last match of my country during the world cup football! Snuggly and Priscilla kept tying until the very end, it was amazing.
But as I said, a winner was decided, by a margin of just one vote: Snuggly the Crow!
Final vote tally:
[X] Snuggly the Crow
No. of votes: 22
Conjured Blade, NavySeel, Kkutlord, powergoat, Anann, Phasehand, veekie, Broken Base, UrsaTempest, wingstrike96, Raising Kittens, Khona Moshr, Warer, WMG, Felipe Melo, Onmur, TinyGladiator, Makarov, Billthesomething, RookDeSuit, HircumPrinceps, Drebom
[X] Crossbreed Priscilla
No. of votes: 21
Shadowhisker, Salbazier, tzeench, dragonx99, Hannz, Jiven, Jrin, Green[734], SETIFAN, Azerick01, Spector29, Kaizuki, The Phoenixian, kichithewolf, krahe, Astra Myst, Archon, Asael, FlamingB1rd, Quine, Ompa60
[X] Company Captain Yorshka
No. of votes: 3
Omniatrix, RJC1212, Stewart92
[X] Chaos Witch Quelaag & Quelaan
No. of votes: 0
So, that's that. Mami will first meet the peppy bird. However, because Snuggly won with only one vote over Priscilla, I'm inserting a second vote!
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~ Vote for the Fluff ~
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~ Vote for the Fluff ~
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This is a very simple vote. Because Snuggly and Priscilla were so closely tied, I'm letting you vote for whether you want both waifus right now or not. Well, I say 'right now', but Priscilla is still going to have to wait a little bit even if you vote yes. She will appear sooner than she would have otherwise, however, but I do want some time for Snuggly first.
So, voting time! Do you want both Priscilla and Snuggly, or not?
[ ] Fluff for the fluff god! Give us both now! (a.k.a "yes")
[ ] Feathers are all I need in my laifu! Only one waifu! (a.k.a "no")
UrsaTempest
Don't Panic!
[X] Fluff for the fluff god! Give us both now! (a.k.a "yes")
- Location
- Not the asylum anymore
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Damn, this was a good update. You really know how to capture Mami, @Laurelin. I look forward to more.
As if there was any other choice.
[X] Fluff for the fluff god! Give us both now! (a.k.a "yes")
As if there was any other choice.
[X] Fluff for the fluff god! Give us both now! (a.k.a "yes")