- Location
- Florida
[X] Fight side by side
Seeing Red [PMMM x LoR]
[X] Fight side by side
[X] Fight side by side
CanIChangeMyName
Just a passing through rider fan, remember that!
- Location
- What are you a cop?
[X] Fight side by side
Wait, what's this! OH MY, AND IT'S WHITE NIGHT WITH THE STEEL CHAIR!
Wait, what's this! OH MY, AND IT'S WHITE NIGHT WITH THE STEEL CHAIR!
- Location
- Earth
Looks like it is time to close the votes
And we have a strong majority for a good old two-on-two.
As a quick note, there may be some delay with this week's chapter. Something around six to twelve hours, depending on when I get home on Sunday.
Also
And we have a strong majority for a good old two-on-two.
As a quick note, there may be some delay with this week's chapter. Something around six to twelve hours, depending on when I get home on Sunday.
Also
Pretty much, yes.
1
New
- Location
- Earth
Fight side by side
Just as the bowstring draws taut, an ochre streamer connects to Yuki's temple. She explodes forward, dragging Oriko along in her wake. Plenty pink projectiles surge past, the few aimed her way deflected before Yuki even knows they are there. Her hands move only half of her own volition, guided by knowledge of what will be. It flows into her head, makes her swerve minutely to avoid more and keep her friend safe.
Homura interposes herself between her and Madoka, buckler up. Yuki's mallet smashes into the magical metal like a gong. Homura is pushed back despite bracing herself, all the way until her back lightly touches Madoka's chest.
In that momentary stalemate however, Oriko overtakes with fluttering skirts. Her E.G.O reaches out as she flies past, but Madoka grabs Homura around the waist and drags her to safety. Yuki has to deflect a bullet from its path to Oriko, else she could have stopped them.
A fractal away, golden rays clash with pink ones, underlined by the whoosh of displaced air and cracks of ignited gunpowder. Mami easily holds her own while Kirika stalks the pair, wary of using her own power over time lest the Price of Silence return.
Yuki follows her adversaries, responding to the motion of Homura's gun before it begins to rise. Homura flinches back, barely avoiding the mallet aimed for her dominant hand. Blurs of viridian and grey surround them as they swipe at each other; Yuki avoids it all by virtue of Oriko's precognition, Homura deflects and dodges by skill alone.
Behind her friend, Madoka tries to draw back her bowstring again. Yet this time, with her protector occupied, Oriko's E.G.O winds around her hands and keeps them still. Oriko keeps some distance to avoid the stronger girl, directing her tendrils and Yuki. Madoka hops over a swipe meant for her legs, only to be taken in the side with a gasp.
Homura immediately breaks off her scuffle with Yuki to help, but has to dodge another swipe for her head. Yuki capitalises, closing the distance and driving Homura away from Madoka.
Nearby yet eternally distant, a stream of bubbles drives another pair of the same people apart. The wave follows Homura, who has to keep running to stay clear of the explosion. But when Madoka tries to take aim, a slip of green nearly bashes her head in. Despite only having her staff, Yuma bravely faces the other girl head on.
Homura holds, as she always has. But Madoka is bereft of her bow and unable to close the distance to Oriko. But then her eyes adopt a gleam and, were Oriko not a seer, she would have surprised her by charging straight through. Madoka's clothes and skin are torn by sharp edges, but the attempt fails all the same; her hands grasp nothing but air because Oriko vaults over her with four smokey tendrils. They stab downward, taking the pinkette in the shoulder.
At the same time, Yuki has to stop driving Homura away; Oriko's connection with her is nearly broken from the distance her tendril needs to stretch. Yuki stops and falls back, racing to finish Madoka off.
But with that reality in front of her, Homura's magic responds anyway. Just a brief flash of stopped time, but she overtakes Yuki and interposes herself with it.
Again, the two girls clash. Just like Sayaka's cutlass smashes into another Homura's buckler while Kyoko harries her Madoka. Blue and black turn into a flurry of clashing steel, only to scatter when a ballistic pinkette slams into her partner.
Yuki starts to feel tired by now. She fought for a while without real rest. She is stronger than Homura and Madoka, who both avoid her devastating strikes at all times. But they are fresh while she is not. And they know it, too. Everyone on her side is beginning to flag, turning an uneven battlefield even again.
At the same time, determination drives them all. Fingers twitch, limbs shake in their clashes, but they do not give.
Nagisa takes gunshots without flinching, only to be healed up by Yuma.
Sayaka bulls through Madoka's barrage and cuts her bowstring, all while Kyoko runs Homura over with the momentum she built up.
Kirika hamstrings Homura, who sacrificed her achilles heel to deflect Mami's volley from Madoka. Mami dances amidst the return barrage, uncaring for the scraps of cloth each arrow tears from her body.
And when Yuki finally draws back her mallet from Homura's buckler, Oriko's tendrils wind around the arm to pull it aside. Yuki's motion flows into a follow-up, the risk calculated.
Madoka leaps at Oriko to rain punches down on her.
Oriko yields her flesh with pained grunts.
And Yuki claims Homura's bones.
Her arm shatters with nasty cracks and tearing noises, exploding in a shower of gore that reaches the feet of Oriko and Madoka. Homura takes it withouch flinching, ramming the stump into Yuki's face. She follows up with a kick while her blood blinds Yuki, regaining distance.
But even without seeing, Yuki knows where she went. She and Oriko switch targets, the seer now bruised all over from Madoka's frenzied assault. Madoka tries to fall back, but Yuki is on her. And with Oriko now holding Homura back, there is nothing to intercept this time.
Soft like a whisper, "Tiro Finale!" echoes through the fractals. At the same time, Kyoko and Sayaka bury their own opponents in cages of red steel. Yuma and Nagisa hug their battered pair into submission, taking them into sleeper holds.
And Yuki lets go of her raised mallet, surprising Madoka. The weapon flies away, her evasive maneuver cut off. Yuki's fist smashes into her solar plexus, driving the air out of her lungs.
Then Yuki backhands her, hard enough to send the pinkette flying. She goes airborne with a pained grunt, only to slam into Homura who flies the other way.
The pair drops in a tangle of limbs. Another pair comes to lie next each other after tumbling across the endless battlefield. A third is now chained together, just as battered. And another falls slack in the iron grasps of smaller bodies.
None of them gets back up.
Curtain call for the Reception of World's End
Just as the bowstring draws taut, an ochre streamer connects to Yuki's temple. She explodes forward, dragging Oriko along in her wake. Plenty pink projectiles surge past, the few aimed her way deflected before Yuki even knows they are there. Her hands move only half of her own volition, guided by knowledge of what will be. It flows into her head, makes her swerve minutely to avoid more and keep her friend safe.
Homura interposes herself between her and Madoka, buckler up. Yuki's mallet smashes into the magical metal like a gong. Homura is pushed back despite bracing herself, all the way until her back lightly touches Madoka's chest.
In that momentary stalemate however, Oriko overtakes with fluttering skirts. Her E.G.O reaches out as she flies past, but Madoka grabs Homura around the waist and drags her to safety. Yuki has to deflect a bullet from its path to Oriko, else she could have stopped them.
A fractal away, golden rays clash with pink ones, underlined by the whoosh of displaced air and cracks of ignited gunpowder. Mami easily holds her own while Kirika stalks the pair, wary of using her own power over time lest the Price of Silence return.
Yuki follows her adversaries, responding to the motion of Homura's gun before it begins to rise. Homura flinches back, barely avoiding the mallet aimed for her dominant hand. Blurs of viridian and grey surround them as they swipe at each other; Yuki avoids it all by virtue of Oriko's precognition, Homura deflects and dodges by skill alone.
Behind her friend, Madoka tries to draw back her bowstring again. Yet this time, with her protector occupied, Oriko's E.G.O winds around her hands and keeps them still. Oriko keeps some distance to avoid the stronger girl, directing her tendrils and Yuki. Madoka hops over a swipe meant for her legs, only to be taken in the side with a gasp.
Homura immediately breaks off her scuffle with Yuki to help, but has to dodge another swipe for her head. Yuki capitalises, closing the distance and driving Homura away from Madoka.
Nearby yet eternally distant, a stream of bubbles drives another pair of the same people apart. The wave follows Homura, who has to keep running to stay clear of the explosion. But when Madoka tries to take aim, a slip of green nearly bashes her head in. Despite only having her staff, Yuma bravely faces the other girl head on.
Homura holds, as she always has. But Madoka is bereft of her bow and unable to close the distance to Oriko. But then her eyes adopt a gleam and, were Oriko not a seer, she would have surprised her by charging straight through. Madoka's clothes and skin are torn by sharp edges, but the attempt fails all the same; her hands grasp nothing but air because Oriko vaults over her with four smokey tendrils. They stab downward, taking the pinkette in the shoulder.
At the same time, Yuki has to stop driving Homura away; Oriko's connection with her is nearly broken from the distance her tendril needs to stretch. Yuki stops and falls back, racing to finish Madoka off.
But with that reality in front of her, Homura's magic responds anyway. Just a brief flash of stopped time, but she overtakes Yuki and interposes herself with it.
Again, the two girls clash. Just like Sayaka's cutlass smashes into another Homura's buckler while Kyoko harries her Madoka. Blue and black turn into a flurry of clashing steel, only to scatter when a ballistic pinkette slams into her partner.
Yuki starts to feel tired by now. She fought for a while without real rest. She is stronger than Homura and Madoka, who both avoid her devastating strikes at all times. But they are fresh while she is not. And they know it, too. Everyone on her side is beginning to flag, turning an uneven battlefield even again.
At the same time, determination drives them all. Fingers twitch, limbs shake in their clashes, but they do not give.
Nagisa takes gunshots without flinching, only to be healed up by Yuma.
Sayaka bulls through Madoka's barrage and cuts her bowstring, all while Kyoko runs Homura over with the momentum she built up.
Kirika hamstrings Homura, who sacrificed her achilles heel to deflect Mami's volley from Madoka. Mami dances amidst the return barrage, uncaring for the scraps of cloth each arrow tears from her body.
And when Yuki finally draws back her mallet from Homura's buckler, Oriko's tendrils wind around the arm to pull it aside. Yuki's motion flows into a follow-up, the risk calculated.
Madoka leaps at Oriko to rain punches down on her.
Oriko yields her flesh with pained grunts.
And Yuki claims Homura's bones.
Her arm shatters with nasty cracks and tearing noises, exploding in a shower of gore that reaches the feet of Oriko and Madoka. Homura takes it withouch flinching, ramming the stump into Yuki's face. She follows up with a kick while her blood blinds Yuki, regaining distance.
But even without seeing, Yuki knows where she went. She and Oriko switch targets, the seer now bruised all over from Madoka's frenzied assault. Madoka tries to fall back, but Yuki is on her. And with Oriko now holding Homura back, there is nothing to intercept this time.
Soft like a whisper, "Tiro Finale!" echoes through the fractals. At the same time, Kyoko and Sayaka bury their own opponents in cages of red steel. Yuma and Nagisa hug their battered pair into submission, taking them into sleeper holds.
And Yuki lets go of her raised mallet, surprising Madoka. The weapon flies away, her evasive maneuver cut off. Yuki's fist smashes into her solar plexus, driving the air out of her lungs.
Then Yuki backhands her, hard enough to send the pinkette flying. She goes airborne with a pained grunt, only to slam into Homura who flies the other way.
The pair drops in a tangle of limbs. Another pair comes to lie next each other after tumbling across the endless battlefield. A third is now chained together, just as battered. And another falls slack in the iron grasps of smaller bodies.
None of them gets back up.
Curtain call for the Reception of World's End
44. The End Is Never The End
New
- Location
- Earth
With the cessation of battle, reality itself begins to relax. The fractured plane slowly pieces itself together, tears vanishing. Madoka and Homura, their many separate selves, merge back together. They overlay in the same spot, and their victorious opponents gather around them.
All magical girls are spent. Deep gulps of air are taken with every breath, hearts pound heavy with leftover adrenaline. Their bruises and wounds vanish as if washed away, but the exhaustion remains.
"Homura?" Madoka asks softly into the wary silence. "We're being dumb, aren't we?"
A soft, agreeing hum comes from the other girl half buried under her. No, she is a woman in truth. Just like the reassembling goddess above her, she has since eclipsed the age and maturity at which to be called a child.
Without further input, Madoka herself utters a soft huff.
"How ironic. We're atemporal entities, you and I. Yet we were so caught up in the moment that we forgot what's important."
"I guess so. I was too busy figuring myself out, you were too focussed on the big picture. You always are."
"Heh. I guess so. But even if I can see that now, I still don't know what to do from here."
So saying, she slowly sits up. Her body grows from one blink to the next, clad in pristine white yet again. Golden eyes look upon the magical girls with kindness.
"Thank you, everyone. For reminding me not to forget the people in front of me. Do you happen to have any ideas for what comes next?"
"Uh, isn't that kinda your job?" Kirika prompts, waving awkwardly for the pair of sitting deities. "Not like we can fix the world. Which is, uh, still broken?"
She taps a tiny tear in reality with her claw, making it spark and grow a fraction wider.
"It would break slower if you stopped doing that," Homura deadpans. Her expression cycles from blank over embarassed to thoughtful, one brow scrunched. Just like Madoka by her side, Homura begins to stand as a subtly taller version of herself. Rather than the fluffy and revealing dress, she adopts a purplish black dress with gloves reaching up to her shoulder. Mirroring Madoka once again.
"We told you several times and it hasn't miraculously changed by us losing to you: this reality wasn't made to last. It will continue to degrade until it collapses. We can't keep it stable forever, even just a few months were brutal on both of us. The Witch system is defunct under The Law Of Cycles, and I have neither the will nor the desire to maintain a world where it exists."
"There still has to be a way," Kyoko snaps, arms crossed. "There's got to be something you can do."
Yuma nods empathetically by her side. She and Nagisa both copy Kyoko's stance, though the subtle threat in the older girl's posture is absent from theirs.
Homura offers her a soft nod, still visibly thinking. As her gaze wanders over the arrayed group however, she seems to realise something.
"Madoka."
"Yes?"
"These girls are a closed circle. Their social group is just each other."
"I... see?"
She clearly does not see. Yuki tilts her head as well, silently prompting Homura to continue. The Devil half-turns to look at her beloved, motioning for the eight of them.
"We can't maintain this reality. But stabilising just them and sending them elsewhere should work. I can do that much... if you help me."
The others perk up upon hearing that. Thoughtful looks are exchanged, though some are also depressed from the reminder. Mami and Kyoko have no one but each other in this world. The same is true of Yuma, who had yet to truly connect with any of her classmates. Nagisa has living relatives and friends, but she is already part of The Law Of Cycles. The same goes for Sayaka.
Oriko and Kirika are obvious, as is Yuki. But that still leaves two others.
"What about Junko and Kazuko?" Yuki asks.
By the pained expression on Madoka's face, she already knows the answer.
"Both of them know a lot of people," the pink goddess explains softly. "If we included them, they would eventually miss those. And then the net grows wider until we have millions, if not the entire human population to contend with. We can't do that, Yuki. It's not possible."
"But-" "It's fine."
Yuki stiffens, as does everyone else. When they turn back, two familiar faces come walking their way; Kazuko hides herself partly behind Junko, who strides with confident steps. A melancholic smile graces Junko's lips.
"How did you get here?" Homura asks for all of them, utterly confounded.
Junko shrugs, looking way too cheerful. "Beats me, but I heard enough to get the idea. Not that I understand any of it."
Noticed only by Yuki, there is a clip in Junko's hair; it glistens in the faint light shining from nowhere, in the shape of a blue heart. Kazuko has one as well. The star has connected their hearts one final time.
"What do you mean, it's fine?" Yuki presses. "I don't believe that you're fine with just vanishing."
"Of course not, silly. But if it can't be helped, then it can't be helped. Not like I'm actually dying, either."
She giggles, even while trying to hide her trembling hands. "I won't pretend it's not scary. But I'm not going to bully my daughter about it."
"Same here," Kazuko echoes, stepping out of Junko's shadow now. She graces them all with a proud smile. "I'm just glad you're all fine, and that you all will be fine in the future. And, well, how often do we get to speak to actual goddesses?"
Junko laughs along, then lunges forward to hug Madoka. Who is actually taller than her now, if not by much.
"I knew you'd make me proud," she whispers to her daughter. "Come visit another me sometime, yeah?"
"Of course. I always do, Mama."
"Maybe it's for the best that we won't stay around," Kazuko quips sardonically. "She'd start calling herself the mother of God, and I don't want to experience that."
"Oi, I get to brag about my cute daughter whenever I want!"
Several people manage to chuckle about their banter. Even Yuki's lips tug up ever so faintly, but the reality of what they discuss pulls them back down.
"I don't want you to leave," she says, cutting through the mirth. "I want you to come with."
Junko promptly hugs her, too. Yuki is swept up and held with surprising strength, then enveloped from both sides when Kazuko joins in.
"You know, life isn't just about meeting people," Junko explains kindly. "It's also about saying goodbye. Some things aren't meant to last, even if it hurts."
Kazuko hums in agreement. "Sometimes there are no good options, you know? Only less bad ones. I wouldn't want to be without my friends and family, that would make me more sad than vanishing scares me. Just remember us fondly, and that's enough."
Yuki sniffles. She only just found those two, but now she has to give them up?
"It's unfair."
"Such is life," Junko agrees. "We have to roll with the punches, Yuki. You'll be fine."
The two friends set Yuki down, after which Kazuko ruffles her hair affectionately. "I didn't always agree with you, but I'm still proud how far you came. Don't worry about us."
Despite herself, Yuki manages to return her smile. Once she sees that, Kazuko nods and turns to the other girls gathered around them. "This goes for all of you. I'm happy I could call some of you my students, and that I got to meet all of you."
"Thanks, Ms Saotome," Kirika answers with a genuine smile of her own. "I know I wasn't the best student, but I won't forget you anytime soon."
"Same here," Sayaka adds. Mami nods her agreement.
"It was my pleasure to meet you," Oriko then says.
Kazuko brightens up ever more under the positive responses, only to vanish in a faint glimmer of light. Junko gives Madoka one last hug before doing the same.
The smiles drop with their departure. No one wanted to say goodbye, not even the two women.
"What about us?" Nagisa then asks, primarily her goddess. "Sayaka and I, we can't leave either, can we?"
"No," Madoka admits softly, "but you made your point about remembering, I think I can keep your memories intact. You will have to say goodbye for now, but we can find a way to visit. Sooner or later. Right?"
The last bit goes to Homura, who offers a slow nod. "It should be possible. I will look into it."
"This is... not ideal," Mami says. Although she maintains her composure, it is visibly brittle. "Are there any more complications we should know about?"
Madoka considers the question for a moment, but thankfully shakes her head. Not that it lifts Yuki's mood from its pit. She just had to see off two friends and has to say goodbye to two more.
With a slowly growing frown, Yuki steps forward. She approaches Homura and stares up at her with firm eyes, both fists pressed to her hips.
"Ai. I want her to come with us."
Homura startles for just a moment, but she does not argue. Rather, while the other girls watch with bated breath, the younger goddess becomes thoughtful. Then she raises her hands and claps, just once.
Between her and Yuki, purple light begins to shine. It quickly takes a humanoid shape before fading to reveal Ai, once again in her human guise. Her clothes remain their actual black, though. If anything, there are more ruffles now. She clasps a familiar worn-down, pink elephant plush in her arms.
Ai stares owlishly, first at Homura and then at Yuki. Then back to Homura when The Devil speaks.
"You're free of me, Ai. Of us. Yuki wants you to go with her. Do you want to go?"
Seconds pass, feeling infinitely long. Ai eventually stops staring, fully comprehending that she has indeed returned from wherever it was she went. Her lips quirk up into a familiar grin.
"Yeah, I'd like that. But did you have to make me human? It feels kinda itchy. And sloshy. Why is my body moving on the inside?"
Kyoko snorts at that, almost too quiet to be heard. A moment later, Yuki tacklehugs her friend thought lost. Dainty arms wrap so tightly around the taller girl that she wheezes.
"Welcome back. Don't ever do that again."
"Heh, heya. Not like I can, you know? No real use beating Mom over the head again."
"...Mom?" Sayaka asks for all of them, hesitant. Then a cheshire grin breaks out on her face, followed by a coo. "Aww, the transfer student's a mother already? Why didn't you tell us, hmm?"
Homura blushes. For the first and final time any mortal will ever see, The Devil is flustered beyond belief.
It takes Kyoko knuckling Sayaka's head to stop the blunette from teasing any further. They start lightly slapping each other instead, playing around more than fighting. Yuki is still hugging the air out of Ai, happy to at least have one friend back. Kirika stands at the sidelines to laugh at them all.
"All this aside," Madoka eventually puts an end to the merriment, "where will you go? We can't just drop you in a world where any of the girls already exists, that can cause... disruptions. And I don't want Homura to overwrite another's memories with theirs to avoid the problem."
Letting go of Ai, who takes deep breaths with gratitude, Yuki turns fully to The Law Of Cycles. Her glowing amber gaze is filled with benevolence still, but also a clear sternness: she will not compromise on this. Going to another version of Mitakihara is out of the question.
Quite honestly, Yuki does not mind. It may drop them into something unfamiliar, but a clean cut might just be what her friends need to face tomorrow.
"I have an idea about that," she says, struck by sudden inspiration. "But first of all, I need to know: will we remember you?"
Madoka says nothing at first, making her worry. But then Homura speaks up instead, a pleased smile on display: "When Madoka ascended, I walked a step by her side. Just one, till beyond the end of everything. You did the same with us. Don't worry, it will be fine."
"And will you visit us, too?"
"Yes."
"That may be a bit harder to do," Madoka adds onto Homura's assurance. "We can't manifest as regular people without drastic measures. I still have my memories, but I became a law of reality; Homura may just follow the same path soon."
"I feel like the original problem wasn't answered," Kyoko notes with a vague motion toward the two deities. "What about the two of you?"
Madoka graces her with a beatific smile in response.
"You're still under the misconception that I'm not happy like this. I'm not deluding myself, you know? Maybe the Madoka I once was wouldn't like how things are, but I'm content. I get to meet and befriend every magical girl that ever was, is, and will be. Present company included. I can go wherever I want, whenever I want, to see whatever I want. I was never lonely. Now that I have Homura with me, I won't ever feel lonely, either."
Homura makes a bit of a face. "When your memories were suppressed, you told me yourself that you didn't want a future where you can't be with everyone."
"But I am with everyone."
"Not like this. And I think, if I still have wiggle room with my own powers, that's what I'm aiming for. That you and I, and the rest by extension, can properly interact with other beings."
Madoka hesitates, much like everyone else. Then she smiles again, clasping her hands.
"That sounds lovely."
"It really does" Oriko agrees, echoed by several others. "But we digressed. Yuki, your plan on where we should go?"
The shorter woman tells them. And soon enough, both goddesses are smiling. Nobody else has any objections, either.
And despite all her complicated feelings, saying goodbye is not as hard as Yuki thought. She gives a tight hug to Sayaka and Nagisa each, who have to go with their goddess; they also give their word to come by, sooner or later. Extracting the same from Madoka takes a bit more expectant silence and a bigger hug.
With Homura, she hesitates. The other woman made her feelings on physical contact clear in the past. But seeing Yuki hold back, Homura comes forward herself.
"Is that offer still open?" she asks, not even waiting before taking Yuki in her arms.
"Of course. Make sure Madoka does come visit, yes?"
"I will."
Eternity around them has fractured more and more as time went on. The endless plane begins to fade, just like everything else dissolves in light. The goddesses and the angels vanish, leaving the rest floating in a bright void for just a moment. The soft touch of a hand on each of their shoulders is the last impression they get of them.
In that moment of transition, Yuki also feels a hand on her head. He is no more than a faint impression upon her eyes, but she recognises Ayin smiling proudly at her. Not a word is spoken, and not a word is needed.
Then a dull sky comes into view. The seven friends stand on a sandy road, surrounded by abandoned houses. Something skitters away just out of sight, the soft crunch of gravel under countless feet grating on the ears. Bone dry air fills their lungs, so unlike what Mitakihara once gave them.
Yuki's arms lower, having just held a friend now impossibly far away. She takes a deep breath and looks around, just like everyone else.
"Doesn't look all that friendly," Kyoko quips.
"It isn't friendly," Oriko adds, pointing Kirika in a specific direction. "Strike now."
Her girlfriend explodes forward, slicing through a car-sized centipede with human faces emblazoned on its carapace. The beast chitters angrily, spitting acidic bile and trying to wind each half of its body around Kirika until Yuki smashes its head.
"Let's go," Yuki says, pointing. "This isn't where I expected to land, but at least we're not far."
The massive spire is impossible to miss. It makes the largest building in the area, grasping into the sky. Branch-like protrusions still give it the faint impression of a tree.
A soft "whoa" from Kirika and Yuma accompanies them beginning to move. The group stays close together, with Oriko watching over them. But after that first encounter, nothing stops them from leaving the destroyed village.
"Out of curiousity," Mami asks along the way, "where were you expecting to land?"
Yuki shrugs. "Nest L. That's where it was when I left. But this isn't any Nest, I'm pretty sure its not even the City at all. Probably the Ruins or the Outskirts."
"Those are words," Ai quips, making Yuki roll her eyes.
"I'll explain later. For now, we're here."
They ascend a flight of stairs, the dull-golden colour half hidden by sand the wind blew over it. Yuki leads the way to the massive gate, closed as it is, and knocks three times. Every single knock would break apart a regular door, but here it merely echoes along the massive structure.
They have to wait a minute, which Yuki spends applying a fresh translation spell. Eventually however, the gate cracks open. Inside stands a figure familiar to everyone, though most just by the way he dresses; the Japanese girls take notice of his well-tailoured suit, black as the night. The man is fairly well groomed, giving off the impression of a typical salaryman to them.
To Yuki, he is just Roland. She gives him a shy smile and a little wave.
"Hi. I'm home, and I brought some friends. Can we stay here with you?"
Admittedly, the bewildered expression on his face is funny. Roland looks over them without a hint of malice, at most some wariness.
"Huh. Not what I expected from today," he muses, then leans down to look at Yuki up close. "And I didn't expect to see you again, either. Angela figured you dissolved in the light at the end, like some of the others."
"I didn't. Honestly, a lot happened."
He nods. "You can say that again. Come on in for now, girls. Name's Roland, nice too meet you all."
He pushes the door open a little more to let them in. Yuki leads the way with a bright smile, hit by a wave of nostalgia upon seeing the inside. Motes of golden light still flutter in the air, greeting her like an old friend.
"Welcome to the Library, everyone," she says, pointing ahead into the massive space. "It's even bigger on the inside."
Roland watches the girls come inside one by one. Oriko follows Yuki, gracing him with a smile before looking around in interest. Kirika waves as she strolls after her girlfriend, followed by an awed Kyoko and Yuma. Mami comes after them, somehow able not to gape at the massive structure. Ai forms the rear, an impish grin on display.
"I like the place," Ai says once they are inside. "Looks cool, too."
Snap
"I appreciate the compliment," a new voice answers, making the whole group turn their heads. The door falls shut again, revealing Angela next to Roland; her skin is pale as death, the dark clothes and light blue hair standing in stark contrast.
"Welcome, dear guests. I am Angela, librarian and director of my role's namesake."
The words themselves are as stiff as they were in the past, but her tone is warmer, much friendlier. She even smiles, amber eyes almost sparkling. That most of the girls before her seem intimidated does not matter; her eyes flicker from one to the next before resting on Yuki.
"I may have misheard, but did you say you brought friends?"
"Yes," Yuki deadpans, motioning for the group again. "This is Oriko, Kirika, Kyoko, Mami, Ai, and Yuma."
"I believe the actual question," Oriko cuts in pleasantly, "is how you of all people return with a group of friends." She inclines her head to Angela, who gives a faint nod back. "Suffice it to say, a miracle happened. Yuki, which is this woman's name now, overcame her nature. Else I would have died after turning into the Hermit of the Azure Forest. I am Oriko Mikuni."
"A miracle, you say?" Angela repeats idly. "That's certainly what it would take for an Abnormality to grow in such a way."
"No more a miracle than it took for both of you to be alive," Yuki counters, earning a confused blink.
Roland chuckles, though. "You got us there."
Then Yuma pipes up, raising her hand: "Um, are you alright, miss? Your skin's so pale, are you sick? I can help if you are."
Angela's eyes twitch ever so faintly, but then she smiles and shakes her head. "I'm not sick, but even if I were, you couldn't change it. It's a novelty to meet people who don't know, but you'd find out before long: I'm an AI, so my body is artificial."
Contrary to the reaction Angela expects, Yuma just does not know the term. Ai and Kirika become excited at the prospect, with Ai in particular ragging on Yuki about why she never said anything. Mami can not hide her intrigue, either.
"Please forgive my curiousity, but may I ask what it feels like to be an AI?" Mami inquires after a minute of introductions.
Angela shrugs in response. "There was a time when I thought being human would be better. My thinking is a hundredfold faster than yours, I can't forget anything I ever experienced, and both of these things weighed on me for a long time. But now I find that it doesn't really matter. If anything, the fact I don't have a sense of taste annoys me still. But that is this, and this is that. I will find a solution sooner or later."
"O-Oh. I see. My apologies."
"Don't be sorry. To be honest, you girls are among the most positive interaction I had from outsiders coming in. I don't mind fielding a question or two."
Oriko, who had been quietly talking to Roland, joins in at this point. She has her crystal ball in hand, almost showing off the E.G.O with pride.
"If I may pre-empt our friends peppering you with questions, miss Angela, there was someone I was hoping to meet. That is, assuming... ah."
Oriko does not even finish her sentence. She turns her head, prompting everyone else to follow.
There, atop the main staircase, Binah silently peers down at them. A smug little smirk plays around her lips, framed by hair as dark as night. Golden highlights run through the pitch black mane, resembling the thin trails of gold along her robe.
"Welcome," she greets the group. "And welcome back, Naftali."
Hearing her second name again sends a shiver of excitement through Yuki. An actual smile breaks out on her face. She all but runs up the stairs to meet Binah, followed more sedately by Oriko. The light clinging to them begins to recede with the reunion.
There will be many questions, held both by their willing hosts and the girls they agreed to take in. The group is not whole anymore, with half of their number lost among the countless stars. Their world is gone.
But their memories are real. And in the end, that is all that matters.
All magical girls are spent. Deep gulps of air are taken with every breath, hearts pound heavy with leftover adrenaline. Their bruises and wounds vanish as if washed away, but the exhaustion remains.
"Homura?" Madoka asks softly into the wary silence. "We're being dumb, aren't we?"
A soft, agreeing hum comes from the other girl half buried under her. No, she is a woman in truth. Just like the reassembling goddess above her, she has since eclipsed the age and maturity at which to be called a child.
Without further input, Madoka herself utters a soft huff.
"How ironic. We're atemporal entities, you and I. Yet we were so caught up in the moment that we forgot what's important."
"I guess so. I was too busy figuring myself out, you were too focussed on the big picture. You always are."
"Heh. I guess so. But even if I can see that now, I still don't know what to do from here."
So saying, she slowly sits up. Her body grows from one blink to the next, clad in pristine white yet again. Golden eyes look upon the magical girls with kindness.
"Thank you, everyone. For reminding me not to forget the people in front of me. Do you happen to have any ideas for what comes next?"
"Uh, isn't that kinda your job?" Kirika prompts, waving awkwardly for the pair of sitting deities. "Not like we can fix the world. Which is, uh, still broken?"
She taps a tiny tear in reality with her claw, making it spark and grow a fraction wider.
"It would break slower if you stopped doing that," Homura deadpans. Her expression cycles from blank over embarassed to thoughtful, one brow scrunched. Just like Madoka by her side, Homura begins to stand as a subtly taller version of herself. Rather than the fluffy and revealing dress, she adopts a purplish black dress with gloves reaching up to her shoulder. Mirroring Madoka once again.
"We told you several times and it hasn't miraculously changed by us losing to you: this reality wasn't made to last. It will continue to degrade until it collapses. We can't keep it stable forever, even just a few months were brutal on both of us. The Witch system is defunct under The Law Of Cycles, and I have neither the will nor the desire to maintain a world where it exists."
"There still has to be a way," Kyoko snaps, arms crossed. "There's got to be something you can do."
Yuma nods empathetically by her side. She and Nagisa both copy Kyoko's stance, though the subtle threat in the older girl's posture is absent from theirs.
Homura offers her a soft nod, still visibly thinking. As her gaze wanders over the arrayed group however, she seems to realise something.
"Madoka."
"Yes?"
"These girls are a closed circle. Their social group is just each other."
"I... see?"
She clearly does not see. Yuki tilts her head as well, silently prompting Homura to continue. The Devil half-turns to look at her beloved, motioning for the eight of them.
"We can't maintain this reality. But stabilising just them and sending them elsewhere should work. I can do that much... if you help me."
The others perk up upon hearing that. Thoughtful looks are exchanged, though some are also depressed from the reminder. Mami and Kyoko have no one but each other in this world. The same is true of Yuma, who had yet to truly connect with any of her classmates. Nagisa has living relatives and friends, but she is already part of The Law Of Cycles. The same goes for Sayaka.
Oriko and Kirika are obvious, as is Yuki. But that still leaves two others.
"What about Junko and Kazuko?" Yuki asks.
By the pained expression on Madoka's face, she already knows the answer.
"Both of them know a lot of people," the pink goddess explains softly. "If we included them, they would eventually miss those. And then the net grows wider until we have millions, if not the entire human population to contend with. We can't do that, Yuki. It's not possible."
"But-" "It's fine."
Yuki stiffens, as does everyone else. When they turn back, two familiar faces come walking their way; Kazuko hides herself partly behind Junko, who strides with confident steps. A melancholic smile graces Junko's lips.
"How did you get here?" Homura asks for all of them, utterly confounded.
Junko shrugs, looking way too cheerful. "Beats me, but I heard enough to get the idea. Not that I understand any of it."
Noticed only by Yuki, there is a clip in Junko's hair; it glistens in the faint light shining from nowhere, in the shape of a blue heart. Kazuko has one as well. The star has connected their hearts one final time.
"What do you mean, it's fine?" Yuki presses. "I don't believe that you're fine with just vanishing."
"Of course not, silly. But if it can't be helped, then it can't be helped. Not like I'm actually dying, either."
She giggles, even while trying to hide her trembling hands. "I won't pretend it's not scary. But I'm not going to bully my daughter about it."
"Same here," Kazuko echoes, stepping out of Junko's shadow now. She graces them all with a proud smile. "I'm just glad you're all fine, and that you all will be fine in the future. And, well, how often do we get to speak to actual goddesses?"
Junko laughs along, then lunges forward to hug Madoka. Who is actually taller than her now, if not by much.
"I knew you'd make me proud," she whispers to her daughter. "Come visit another me sometime, yeah?"
"Of course. I always do, Mama."
"Maybe it's for the best that we won't stay around," Kazuko quips sardonically. "She'd start calling herself the mother of God, and I don't want to experience that."
"Oi, I get to brag about my cute daughter whenever I want!"
Several people manage to chuckle about their banter. Even Yuki's lips tug up ever so faintly, but the reality of what they discuss pulls them back down.
"I don't want you to leave," she says, cutting through the mirth. "I want you to come with."
Junko promptly hugs her, too. Yuki is swept up and held with surprising strength, then enveloped from both sides when Kazuko joins in.
"You know, life isn't just about meeting people," Junko explains kindly. "It's also about saying goodbye. Some things aren't meant to last, even if it hurts."
Kazuko hums in agreement. "Sometimes there are no good options, you know? Only less bad ones. I wouldn't want to be without my friends and family, that would make me more sad than vanishing scares me. Just remember us fondly, and that's enough."
Yuki sniffles. She only just found those two, but now she has to give them up?
"It's unfair."
"Such is life," Junko agrees. "We have to roll with the punches, Yuki. You'll be fine."
The two friends set Yuki down, after which Kazuko ruffles her hair affectionately. "I didn't always agree with you, but I'm still proud how far you came. Don't worry about us."
Despite herself, Yuki manages to return her smile. Once she sees that, Kazuko nods and turns to the other girls gathered around them. "This goes for all of you. I'm happy I could call some of you my students, and that I got to meet all of you."
"Thanks, Ms Saotome," Kirika answers with a genuine smile of her own. "I know I wasn't the best student, but I won't forget you anytime soon."
"Same here," Sayaka adds. Mami nods her agreement.
"It was my pleasure to meet you," Oriko then says.
Kazuko brightens up ever more under the positive responses, only to vanish in a faint glimmer of light. Junko gives Madoka one last hug before doing the same.
The smiles drop with their departure. No one wanted to say goodbye, not even the two women.
"What about us?" Nagisa then asks, primarily her goddess. "Sayaka and I, we can't leave either, can we?"
"No," Madoka admits softly, "but you made your point about remembering, I think I can keep your memories intact. You will have to say goodbye for now, but we can find a way to visit. Sooner or later. Right?"
The last bit goes to Homura, who offers a slow nod. "It should be possible. I will look into it."
"This is... not ideal," Mami says. Although she maintains her composure, it is visibly brittle. "Are there any more complications we should know about?"
Madoka considers the question for a moment, but thankfully shakes her head. Not that it lifts Yuki's mood from its pit. She just had to see off two friends and has to say goodbye to two more.
With a slowly growing frown, Yuki steps forward. She approaches Homura and stares up at her with firm eyes, both fists pressed to her hips.
"Ai. I want her to come with us."
Homura startles for just a moment, but she does not argue. Rather, while the other girls watch with bated breath, the younger goddess becomes thoughtful. Then she raises her hands and claps, just once.
Between her and Yuki, purple light begins to shine. It quickly takes a humanoid shape before fading to reveal Ai, once again in her human guise. Her clothes remain their actual black, though. If anything, there are more ruffles now. She clasps a familiar worn-down, pink elephant plush in her arms.
Ai stares owlishly, first at Homura and then at Yuki. Then back to Homura when The Devil speaks.
"You're free of me, Ai. Of us. Yuki wants you to go with her. Do you want to go?"
Seconds pass, feeling infinitely long. Ai eventually stops staring, fully comprehending that she has indeed returned from wherever it was she went. Her lips quirk up into a familiar grin.
"Yeah, I'd like that. But did you have to make me human? It feels kinda itchy. And sloshy. Why is my body moving on the inside?"
Kyoko snorts at that, almost too quiet to be heard. A moment later, Yuki tacklehugs her friend thought lost. Dainty arms wrap so tightly around the taller girl that she wheezes.
"Welcome back. Don't ever do that again."
"Heh, heya. Not like I can, you know? No real use beating Mom over the head again."
"...Mom?" Sayaka asks for all of them, hesitant. Then a cheshire grin breaks out on her face, followed by a coo. "Aww, the transfer student's a mother already? Why didn't you tell us, hmm?"
Homura blushes. For the first and final time any mortal will ever see, The Devil is flustered beyond belief.
It takes Kyoko knuckling Sayaka's head to stop the blunette from teasing any further. They start lightly slapping each other instead, playing around more than fighting. Yuki is still hugging the air out of Ai, happy to at least have one friend back. Kirika stands at the sidelines to laugh at them all.
"All this aside," Madoka eventually puts an end to the merriment, "where will you go? We can't just drop you in a world where any of the girls already exists, that can cause... disruptions. And I don't want Homura to overwrite another's memories with theirs to avoid the problem."
Letting go of Ai, who takes deep breaths with gratitude, Yuki turns fully to The Law Of Cycles. Her glowing amber gaze is filled with benevolence still, but also a clear sternness: she will not compromise on this. Going to another version of Mitakihara is out of the question.
Quite honestly, Yuki does not mind. It may drop them into something unfamiliar, but a clean cut might just be what her friends need to face tomorrow.
"I have an idea about that," she says, struck by sudden inspiration. "But first of all, I need to know: will we remember you?"
Madoka says nothing at first, making her worry. But then Homura speaks up instead, a pleased smile on display: "When Madoka ascended, I walked a step by her side. Just one, till beyond the end of everything. You did the same with us. Don't worry, it will be fine."
"And will you visit us, too?"
"Yes."
"That may be a bit harder to do," Madoka adds onto Homura's assurance. "We can't manifest as regular people without drastic measures. I still have my memories, but I became a law of reality; Homura may just follow the same path soon."
"I feel like the original problem wasn't answered," Kyoko notes with a vague motion toward the two deities. "What about the two of you?"
Madoka graces her with a beatific smile in response.
"You're still under the misconception that I'm not happy like this. I'm not deluding myself, you know? Maybe the Madoka I once was wouldn't like how things are, but I'm content. I get to meet and befriend every magical girl that ever was, is, and will be. Present company included. I can go wherever I want, whenever I want, to see whatever I want. I was never lonely. Now that I have Homura with me, I won't ever feel lonely, either."
Homura makes a bit of a face. "When your memories were suppressed, you told me yourself that you didn't want a future where you can't be with everyone."
"But I am with everyone."
"Not like this. And I think, if I still have wiggle room with my own powers, that's what I'm aiming for. That you and I, and the rest by extension, can properly interact with other beings."
Madoka hesitates, much like everyone else. Then she smiles again, clasping her hands.
"That sounds lovely."
"It really does" Oriko agrees, echoed by several others. "But we digressed. Yuki, your plan on where we should go?"
The shorter woman tells them. And soon enough, both goddesses are smiling. Nobody else has any objections, either.
And despite all her complicated feelings, saying goodbye is not as hard as Yuki thought. She gives a tight hug to Sayaka and Nagisa each, who have to go with their goddess; they also give their word to come by, sooner or later. Extracting the same from Madoka takes a bit more expectant silence and a bigger hug.
With Homura, she hesitates. The other woman made her feelings on physical contact clear in the past. But seeing Yuki hold back, Homura comes forward herself.
"Is that offer still open?" she asks, not even waiting before taking Yuki in her arms.
"Of course. Make sure Madoka does come visit, yes?"
"I will."
Eternity around them has fractured more and more as time went on. The endless plane begins to fade, just like everything else dissolves in light. The goddesses and the angels vanish, leaving the rest floating in a bright void for just a moment. The soft touch of a hand on each of their shoulders is the last impression they get of them.
In that moment of transition, Yuki also feels a hand on her head. He is no more than a faint impression upon her eyes, but she recognises Ayin smiling proudly at her. Not a word is spoken, and not a word is needed.
Then a dull sky comes into view. The seven friends stand on a sandy road, surrounded by abandoned houses. Something skitters away just out of sight, the soft crunch of gravel under countless feet grating on the ears. Bone dry air fills their lungs, so unlike what Mitakihara once gave them.
Yuki's arms lower, having just held a friend now impossibly far away. She takes a deep breath and looks around, just like everyone else.
"Doesn't look all that friendly," Kyoko quips.
"It isn't friendly," Oriko adds, pointing Kirika in a specific direction. "Strike now."
Her girlfriend explodes forward, slicing through a car-sized centipede with human faces emblazoned on its carapace. The beast chitters angrily, spitting acidic bile and trying to wind each half of its body around Kirika until Yuki smashes its head.
"Let's go," Yuki says, pointing. "This isn't where I expected to land, but at least we're not far."
The massive spire is impossible to miss. It makes the largest building in the area, grasping into the sky. Branch-like protrusions still give it the faint impression of a tree.
A soft "whoa" from Kirika and Yuma accompanies them beginning to move. The group stays close together, with Oriko watching over them. But after that first encounter, nothing stops them from leaving the destroyed village.
"Out of curiousity," Mami asks along the way, "where were you expecting to land?"
Yuki shrugs. "Nest L. That's where it was when I left. But this isn't any Nest, I'm pretty sure its not even the City at all. Probably the Ruins or the Outskirts."
"Those are words," Ai quips, making Yuki roll her eyes.
"I'll explain later. For now, we're here."
They ascend a flight of stairs, the dull-golden colour half hidden by sand the wind blew over it. Yuki leads the way to the massive gate, closed as it is, and knocks three times. Every single knock would break apart a regular door, but here it merely echoes along the massive structure.
They have to wait a minute, which Yuki spends applying a fresh translation spell. Eventually however, the gate cracks open. Inside stands a figure familiar to everyone, though most just by the way he dresses; the Japanese girls take notice of his well-tailoured suit, black as the night. The man is fairly well groomed, giving off the impression of a typical salaryman to them.
To Yuki, he is just Roland. She gives him a shy smile and a little wave.
"Hi. I'm home, and I brought some friends. Can we stay here with you?"
Admittedly, the bewildered expression on his face is funny. Roland looks over them without a hint of malice, at most some wariness.
"Huh. Not what I expected from today," he muses, then leans down to look at Yuki up close. "And I didn't expect to see you again, either. Angela figured you dissolved in the light at the end, like some of the others."
"I didn't. Honestly, a lot happened."
He nods. "You can say that again. Come on in for now, girls. Name's Roland, nice too meet you all."
He pushes the door open a little more to let them in. Yuki leads the way with a bright smile, hit by a wave of nostalgia upon seeing the inside. Motes of golden light still flutter in the air, greeting her like an old friend.
"Welcome to the Library, everyone," she says, pointing ahead into the massive space. "It's even bigger on the inside."
Roland watches the girls come inside one by one. Oriko follows Yuki, gracing him with a smile before looking around in interest. Kirika waves as she strolls after her girlfriend, followed by an awed Kyoko and Yuma. Mami comes after them, somehow able not to gape at the massive structure. Ai forms the rear, an impish grin on display.
"I like the place," Ai says once they are inside. "Looks cool, too."
Snap
"I appreciate the compliment," a new voice answers, making the whole group turn their heads. The door falls shut again, revealing Angela next to Roland; her skin is pale as death, the dark clothes and light blue hair standing in stark contrast.
"Welcome, dear guests. I am Angela, librarian and director of my role's namesake."
The words themselves are as stiff as they were in the past, but her tone is warmer, much friendlier. She even smiles, amber eyes almost sparkling. That most of the girls before her seem intimidated does not matter; her eyes flicker from one to the next before resting on Yuki.
"I may have misheard, but did you say you brought friends?"
"Yes," Yuki deadpans, motioning for the group again. "This is Oriko, Kirika, Kyoko, Mami, Ai, and Yuma."
"I believe the actual question," Oriko cuts in pleasantly, "is how you of all people return with a group of friends." She inclines her head to Angela, who gives a faint nod back. "Suffice it to say, a miracle happened. Yuki, which is this woman's name now, overcame her nature. Else I would have died after turning into the Hermit of the Azure Forest. I am Oriko Mikuni."
"A miracle, you say?" Angela repeats idly. "That's certainly what it would take for an Abnormality to grow in such a way."
"No more a miracle than it took for both of you to be alive," Yuki counters, earning a confused blink.
Roland chuckles, though. "You got us there."
Then Yuma pipes up, raising her hand: "Um, are you alright, miss? Your skin's so pale, are you sick? I can help if you are."
Angela's eyes twitch ever so faintly, but then she smiles and shakes her head. "I'm not sick, but even if I were, you couldn't change it. It's a novelty to meet people who don't know, but you'd find out before long: I'm an AI, so my body is artificial."
Contrary to the reaction Angela expects, Yuma just does not know the term. Ai and Kirika become excited at the prospect, with Ai in particular ragging on Yuki about why she never said anything. Mami can not hide her intrigue, either.
"Please forgive my curiousity, but may I ask what it feels like to be an AI?" Mami inquires after a minute of introductions.
Angela shrugs in response. "There was a time when I thought being human would be better. My thinking is a hundredfold faster than yours, I can't forget anything I ever experienced, and both of these things weighed on me for a long time. But now I find that it doesn't really matter. If anything, the fact I don't have a sense of taste annoys me still. But that is this, and this is that. I will find a solution sooner or later."
"O-Oh. I see. My apologies."
"Don't be sorry. To be honest, you girls are among the most positive interaction I had from outsiders coming in. I don't mind fielding a question or two."
Oriko, who had been quietly talking to Roland, joins in at this point. She has her crystal ball in hand, almost showing off the E.G.O with pride.
"If I may pre-empt our friends peppering you with questions, miss Angela, there was someone I was hoping to meet. That is, assuming... ah."
Oriko does not even finish her sentence. She turns her head, prompting everyone else to follow.
There, atop the main staircase, Binah silently peers down at them. A smug little smirk plays around her lips, framed by hair as dark as night. Golden highlights run through the pitch black mane, resembling the thin trails of gold along her robe.
"Welcome," she greets the group. "And welcome back, Naftali."
Hearing her second name again sends a shiver of excitement through Yuki. An actual smile breaks out on her face. She all but runs up the stairs to meet Binah, followed more sedately by Oriko. The light clinging to them begins to recede with the reunion.
There will be many questions, held both by their willing hosts and the girls they agreed to take in. The group is not whole anymore, with half of their number lost among the countless stars. Their world is gone.
But their memories are real. And in the end, that is all that matters.
"Welcome Back" (ch.44 companion image)
New
- Location
- Earth
Thank you for playing, and for reading.
If you liked this Quest, you may also like...
-In The Name Of Love And Hatred, another PMMM/LoR Quest and this work's big sister, who is also plain better in my opinion; I liked writing Seeing Red, but it does not quite reach its forerunner. Magical girls, friendship, fuzzy feelings, and brutal combat aplenty. Complete, just like this one.
-Bloody Evolution, a RWBY / Library of Ruina Quest by me, in which the players pilot Binah herself on a stroll through Remnant. Featuring tea, Binah, magical girls yet again, Binah, and war crimes (thanks, Binah). This one is less about the destination, more about the journey itself. Complete.
I would put more here, but I do not really follow anything of the newer Project Moon stuff I saw on SV. If you have something you like, feel free to recommend it. Preferably something that is... at least not dead or on hiatus.
Either way, again, thank you for sticking with the Quest until the end.
If you liked this Quest, you may also like...
-In The Name Of Love And Hatred, another PMMM/LoR Quest and this work's big sister, who is also plain better in my opinion; I liked writing Seeing Red, but it does not quite reach its forerunner. Magical girls, friendship, fuzzy feelings, and brutal combat aplenty. Complete, just like this one.
-Bloody Evolution, a RWBY / Library of Ruina Quest by me, in which the players pilot Binah herself on a stroll through Remnant. Featuring tea, Binah, magical girls yet again, Binah, and war crimes (thanks, Binah). This one is less about the destination, more about the journey itself. Complete.
I would put more here, but I do not really follow anything of the newer Project Moon stuff I saw on SV. If you have something you like, feel free to recommend it. Preferably something that is... at least not dead or on hiatus.
Either way, again, thank you for sticking with the Quest until the end.
Thanks for the ride Naron.
Can't wait for next year when we do Happiness' journey and have her accept that Greed can be good if tempered
Homura then realized the implications and spontaneously combusted, the end.
There's a funny contrast between Madoka and Homura here:
Homura has lost her most used power, but is still holding the fort out of sheer experience.
Madoka has not lost her main way of fighting, but her lack of real combat in comparison to her love means she trails behind if not protected.
And there is also a parallel between the two teams:
Yuki and Homura are both on the front, doing most of the tanking and protecting the other.
Madoka and Oriko are both a little bit behind, supporting the front with their powers.
The main advantage Oriko has is the fact she can more easily go to the frontline than Madoka.
You really like that card, do you?
And that, is done.
*Looks at the name of the next chapter*
This is the story of a man named stanley….
For anyone wondering:
Homura is gay.
…
….
…..
Ok, ok, it's more than that:
Homura went to a catholic school (which means she's an orphan when you know how japan works around that) and was almost certainly told how hosexuals were sinners.
That's why her realization that she loves Madoka is also the moment she call herself a devil.
Rebellion is a coming out story on a godlike level, and Homura never had time to properly accept that her feelings for Madoka weren't a bad thing.
You'll understand when you become a mother.
A faint voice: "May I propose you to slay a princess? That would solve all those pesky problems, trust me."
*Begins vibrating.*
*you hear a faint sound coming from a hole in the floor, it sounds like a "YES!"*
Noooooooooo!!!!!!!
Now I can't make that joke!!!!!!
Madoka was missing her memory when Homura asked about it, and Homura asked a leading question at the time.
I wonder, would they have recognized him if he had been in a dress?
Poor Roland, life has decided he was a plaything and he has to live with it.
Now that I think about it:
How much of Binah's decision to name Naphtali was because she could have fun with people asking why she calls Yuki by another name?
Thank you for writing.
Unfortunately, don't know any with those criteria….
I'm incredibly happy to have been able to participate in this quest after reading Ai Quest and the journey was just as enjoyable to me. Thanks for writing this quest.
- Location
- Earth
Curious as that would be to do, Yuki was already difficult to wrangle into a coherent development. Happiness and Justice are both even harder, if for vastly different reasons.
So this is very unlikely to happen
It being a meme card aside, I really like the way its name flows. The words themselves, the way they flow, and how they inform about the technique being used.You really like that card, do you?
In this case, it also made for a nice callback to Yuki using the technique before.
None, actually. She was having too much fun pushing Yuki's buttons to see what happens
