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Puella Magi Aemulator Labyrinthum

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"Tomoe Mami? What timeline are we in anyway?"

"Potentially any of 'em. You know anything to narrow it down Nodoka?" Yuki replied. I pursed my lips. The talk of timelines sounded vaguely familiar, like something that I should know but couldn't quite remember. Like last Monday's supper.

I didn't answer, and did not even shrug my shoulders in response so that nobody took it as a sign of anything. One of them, and I knew I needed to get their names at some point, shot a stream of fire from their weapon. The copied her actions, as though they had never used their magic before. I followed behind them, softly stepping around anything that seemed vaguely trap like. I watched our backs as the frontline stepped forward with one another.

A fight broke out with a familiar, but was swiftly ended. Not too unexpected for a familiar, but it made me wonder what those girls were like before their minds went the way of the dodo.

Finally, I gave up the ghost. "I have no idea what you're talking about. What's this about timelines again?"
 
Narcissist said:
Finally, I gave up the ghost. "I have no idea what you're talking about. What's this about timelines again?"
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"Homura Akemi, resident Slider/Time Looper. Her power lets her hop from timeline to timeline, effectively emulating going back in time. The Timelines aren't consistent though, so there's little discrepancies here and there. Like that one where Kyousuke Kamijou played guitar instead of violin."

I pause. "Are you... not familiar with the Madoka franchise? I kinda assumed since..." I trailed off and gestured at myself and the other three.
 
As she gestured to me, I chuckled.
"I'm not familiar with the franchise either. Just hung around a forum long enough that so much has been spoiled that I don't see the point. Watched a couple, but by no means would I call my self knowledgeable."
 
"Are you… not familiar with the Madoka franchise? I kinda assumed since…" I tiled my head as Yuki swept her arm in the direction of the other girls. For the umpteenth time I wished I had my diary with me, Yuki's explanation sounded... not wrong. But it clashed with what I knew. For starters….

"Akemi isn't a magical girl," I told her flatly, "and I have no idea who Kyousuke Kamijou is." I reached my fingers up and scratched a delightful spot at the base of my Kyubey ears; and clicked my tongue. "Tomoe, Kyubey, and myself would have noticed if she were just pretending she wasn't... and what's this about Madoka now?"
 
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Narcissist said:
"Are you… not familiar with the Madoka franchise? I kinda assumed since…" I tiled my head as Yuki swept her arm in the direction of the other girls. For the umpteenth time I wished I had my diary with me, Yuki's explanation sounded... not wrong. But it clashed with what I knew. For starters….

"Akemi isn't a magical girl," I told her flatly, "and I have no idea who Kyousuke Kamijou is." I reached my fingers up and scratched a delightful spot at the base of my Kyubey ears; and clicked my tongue. "Mami, Kyubey, and myself would have noticed if she were just pretending she wasn't... and what's this about Madoka now?"
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"...Okay. Right. Just to clarify, are you or are you not from another world?"
 
LostDeviljho said:
"...Okay. Right. Just to clarify, are you or are you not from another world?"
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I gave her a 'look'. The same look I've reserved for people who have said or done something monumentally stupid or downright bizarre. Like the time Miki thought I was stealing her things, or when Mom starts ranting about her boyfriends in class.

It was in that moment where I felt the headache slowly creeping up on me. As stress pooled up in one massive, throbbing pocket that just would not go away and wouldn't get out of my mind until I dealt with the issue. Again, like the time Miki thought I was stealing her things.

"I think… we'd better turn around and get you out of here. The barrier seems to be affecting you as well, you just asked if I was from another world. I really don't want to be the next victim."
 
Narcissist said:
I gave her a 'look'. The same look I've reserved for people who have said or done something monumentally stupid or downright bizarre. Like the time Miki thought I was stealing her things, or when Mom starts ranting about her boyfriends in class.

It was in that moment where I felt the headache slowly creeping up on me. As stress pooled up in one massive, throbbing pocket that just would not go away and wouldn't get out of my mind until I dealt with the issue. Again, like the time Miki thought I was stealing her things.

"I think… we'd better turn around and get you out of here. The barrier seems to be affecting you as well, you just asked if I was from another world. I really don't want to be the next victim."
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I rub my temples. "Okay, yeah, I'll take that as a 'No'."
Great, so I'm I'm stuck inside a Witch barrier, with two other Inserts, one probably-insert, and a genuine native magical girl. Yaaay.

"Right. Just... forget everything we've said so far, it's probably irrelevant and'll just make everyone sound more crazy.
Important question though: Do you know the significance of the shiny rock?"
 
I shook my head as soon as she asked me to forget what she was talking about. Not about to let her get off just like that, not when she's piqued my curiosity and given me a headache. Even if now isn't the best time, a headache should be paid back by a headache. I wanted to know anyways.

"Do you know the significance of the shiny rock?" Yuki asked shortly after. I paused, tumbling the thought in my head for a moment. I'm pretty sure she means our Soul Gems. I extrapolated her meaning, and nodded.

"You're not getting off that easily. Who are you? What's going on here? I've never seen you before, but you apparently know Madoka, Tomoe, and Akemi…." I took a quick step back, holding my chakram close to my body in a defensive position. "Are you a creeper?! Have you been spying on us?!"
 
Narcissist said:
I shook my head as soon as she asked me to forget what she was talking about. Not about to let her get off just like that, not when she's piqued my curiosity and given me a headache. Even if now isn't the best time, a headache should be paid back by a headache. I wanted to know anyways.

"Do you know the significance of the shiny rock?" Yuki asked shortly after. I paused, tumbling the thought in my head for a moment. I'm pretty sure she means our Soul Gems. I extrapolated her meaning, and nodded.

"You're not getting off that easily. Who are you? What's going on here? I've never seen you before, but you apparently know Madoka, Tomoe, and Akemi…." I took a quick step back, holding my chakram close to my body in a defensive position. "Are you a creeper?! Have you been spying on us?!"
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"No, I just watch anime and read fanfiction. Fanfiction about the fictional universe with the fictional magical girls and the fictional Witches in their fictional barriers except it apparently not fiction, because here I am, a magical girl, in a witch barrier, and I have no idea how the fuck I got here or what the fuck is going on and the only good bit is that I don't have to worry about the only person here who has any fucking clue what they're doing freaking out because one of us broke our necks or something, because of course someone's gonna end up breaking their neck or some shit because this is Madoka Fucking Magica and being meguca is fucking suffering GODDAMNIT!" At the last word I slammed the blade of my swordstaff up to the crossguard into the ground and leaned my weight on it, resting my forehead against the butt of the shaft.

I let out a long breath. "Goddamnit." I whispered, completely drained after my bout of hysteria.
 
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I hold out my hands.

"Woah! Let's not get hostile over a misunderstanding!"
 
"If it makes you feel any better, I'm a cannibal~" I sing songed to the MG.
"Sorta. Anyhow, I just realised we need to do something! I'm Rize Kamishiro. I have a giant fuck off whip thing, and can do... Um... The cannibal thing. Who's you?"
 
I laid a hand Yuki's shoulder and squuezed lightly.

"It'll be fine. Everything will be fine. You have us right here, no?"
 
LostDeviljho said:
I let out a long breath. "Goddamnit." I whispered, completely drained after my bout of hysteria.
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I narrowed my eyes and pursed my lips as Yuki went on a tangent. So convinced of herself that even I thought that she might not be completely crazy. Each hysterically emphasized word brought feelings to the forefront. I felt dread, happiness, sadness, hope, a veritable rainbow, if you could give feelings a colour. Even still, I couldn't help but shuffle awkwardly as she made a scene, and I made a point to avoid looking at her while she went off like a volcano. I noticed that her staff bit into the ground formed by the witch's barrier as she slowed down.

"Hey," I began slowly, "I'm not entirely sure what you meant by… any of that really. But it's going to be alright." I nodded confidently. "Tomoe and Kyubey will know what to do! And if Kyubey of all people doesn't know how to get you home… we'll find it ourselves. We'll reach out and find the truth together. After all, we're magical girls! If someone puts a wall in our way, we'll smash it down no matter how impossible it might seem!"
 
"Oh yes, miss "let's have civilians follow me into a combat zone" tomoe and mr "I totally dont want to remove your soul and turn it into a misery monster so I can harvest the energy generated by your suffering" kyubey. I feel so reassured!"
 
"Did nobody told you that Kyubey is an soulless hivemind alien piece of shit that press gang young girls into being MG so its can harvest their emotion to counteract entropy?"
 
"Well, I don't actually think it's soulless, but that's besides the point. In any event, we should be focusing on the witch right now."
 
"More Fighting! Fun. Sooo, people. Onwards, ho! May the brigade ever charge further!"
I started walking towards the end of the hallway.
 
Sereg said:
"Well, I don't actually think it's soulless, but that's besides the point. In any event, we should be focusing on the witch right now."
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I don't respond for a few moments, then straighten up and yank my weapon out of the ground.
"...You're right. Witch now, freak out later."
 
"You have absolutely no idea what you're talking about beyond names, don't you? Tomoe has never brought anyone into a 'combat zone'!" I shouted after her assassination of Tomoe's character. "And frankly, the idiots who don't ask Kyubey the right questions deserve everything that happens to them.," My voice got dangerously low as I stomped towards Yuki. Until I was… face to chin with her, and looked up into her big, dumb, doe eyes.

"The fact of the matter is that Kyubey and Tomoe know more about magic than you ever will, which makes them your best shot at getting home. " I all but growled. "Now put your god damn big girl panties on and stop bitching at the person who's trying to help you. "

I huffed at Yuki, satisfied with my righteous anger. I had been about ready to order a full march so that we wouldn't have to deal with each other for much longer, when No-Name and Tweedledee spoke up.

"Yeah. Trusting Kyubey tends to end badly."

"Did nobody told you that Kyubey is an soulless hivemind alien piece of shit that press gang young girls into being MG so its can harvest their emotion to counteract entrophy?"

I rolled my eyes at both of them, briefly considering switching Tweedledee's title after her mangling of language.

"Wow… Did nobody 'told' me? 'Is an souless', 'MG'? What a stellar use of words, truly. You are a poet to rival Matsuo Basho." I laughed, a derisive, mirth filled titter that spoke of just how low my opinion of Tweedledee was, and I shook my head at her. "You always have a choice of whether or not you wish to be a magical girl. There's no one to blame but yourself if you end up regretting your wish. That's the way of things. Miracles aren't cheap."

"More fighting! Fun. Sooo, people. Onwards, ho! May the brigade ever charge further!"

I turned my head, and watched as the speaker went down the hallway. With a sign, I nodded.

"She's right, let's get a move on."
 
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Narcissist said:
Tomoe has never brought anyone into a 'combat zone'!
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"Maybe not in this timeline." I mutter, "But a Witch barrier is a combat zone by default and she just let people waltz in after her..."
Narcissist said:
And frankly, the idiots who don't ask Kyubey the right questions deserve everything that happens to them.
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I glare at her. "Oh yes, because people don't usually have 'will this eventually turn me into an eldritch abomination of pure suffering?' as their first question, they totally deserve that, eh?"

With a huff, I turn and head down the hall after Purple.
Narcissist said:
"You always have a choice of whether or not you wish to be a magical girl. There's no one to blame but yourself if you end up regretting your wish. That's the way of things. Miracles aren't cheap."
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"And, for the record," I toss back over my shoulder, "I didn't get a choice."
 
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You can hear the creaking sound of metal, as well as low, rumbling sounds of engines, in the distance, both in front and behind you.
 
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"I didn't get a chance to ask Kyuubey questions either. But right now, I guess we have to go after that sound."

I charge up my sword and do so.
 
I started speaking in English as I walked down the hall, trying to drown out the engines.

"Half a league! half a league!
Half a league onward!"
I spun round now, and continued walking backwards, speaking with a grin on my face.
"All into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred."
 
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