Aftermath (A PMMM fanfic)

Route 6:b

*Homura Breaks Loose

We were supposed to all be here at 5, yet only Madoka has arrived and it is around a quarter of an hour late. The doorbell rings. Mami opens it to reveal Sayaka and Kyōko, both huffing and panting as if they'd run a race. They enter and we give the two some time to relax.

Madoka and the two of us already had time to form battle plans, at least she knows her role in this before we can get down to business together.

"We got stuck in a sticky situation and apologise for being this late."

Mami is quick to reply.

"Apology accepted. Anyway I hope you all know the reason for being here. Is there anyone who doesn't?"

Nobody answers her, which she takes as everyone being aware.

"Right now we have an identity of magical girls, excluding her." She points to me, then continues. "Out of you, Madoka is as powerful as our ex-friend now enemy. At the same time, she's under her radar so we need to be able to protect her if necessary. We thankfully don't have to deal with Incubators anymore, but those familiars might try to attack us or the people."

Madoka asks,"What if they try to kill her instead? If what you've said is true, then her familiars are bound to do so, being reflections of her low self-esteem."

"If they aren't doing much harm, we can leave them be. But if they are messing with us a lot, then they don't get to see the light of day."

"The three of us have decided on a plan of sorts, it just requires you all to fill in the blanks. Firstly we need flexible positions. Madoka is our trump, so she needs to be able to get to Homura safely before acting. I'm better at ranged attacks so I cannot play bodyguard."

Sayaka chooses the latter role, just as we expected. Kyōko opts to back the two, she thinks she won't be considered a target. Mami has already picked me for relay, it's not like I have any powers or battle experience. She assures me it's as important a role as any, I could be observer and the only one who'd get to make a plan in case things went awry.

I ask her, "What would you take to be the worst case scenario?"

We take a good amount of time to compile what could indicate everything going wrong.

Finally Mami makes a declaration.

"It could be decided by the presence of three of five of the following conditions:
~Madoka is nearly defeated, physically or mentally.
~Madoka turns evil. There's no telling what can happen in the heat of battle.
~Homura is about to die but the reins to control the universe haven't been passed on.
~Civilians, even those far away from the battleground are being injured by an otherwise unknown cause.
~Only one of us remains conscious and able to fight at a certain point."

We then go on to find ways to evade that sort of situation. Then comes a session of small talk, or bonding according to Mami.

It consists of us getting to know one another, strengths and weaknesses, as well as our likes, dislikes, hobbies and a whole lot other stuff. Mami disguised it in the form of Spin the bottle and 20 questions, among other normal teenage icebreakers.

They then try to draw their Magical Girl forms, without having any memories of their past, I being their judge. Of them, Madoka's is the most accurate, plus she's drawn Madokami as well. Sayaka's looks like an improvised stick figure with a cape. At least she got that bit right. Kyōko's and Mami's are rather imaginative, they're vastly different from their avatars.

One thing in all their drawings I notice is that they give the exact shape as well as the location of their Soul Gems. While pointing that out, Kyōko laughs at Sayaka's stick figure once she notices her Gem. Sayaka tells Kyōko to do hers then. "You're all better at drawing, not my fault." Kyōko's version turns out to be almost as good as Madoka's.

We are about to go to stage 3, which includes the Magical Girls controlling their form, however we find ourselves short of time on hearing a bloodcurdling shriek from outside. We all run to its source.

Continues in 7 B