Chapter 5



The Approaching Storm



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Hey! Just reminding you that were all meeting at the mall at noon! Don’t be late!

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"Madoka?"Madoka eyes slowly opened. It was a moment before she got her wits about her, but to her surprise, she found that she was lying in her bed, in her pajamas.She sat up, and looked around. Yes she was definitely in her own room, and those strange creatures were nowhere to be seen.Madoka wondered to herself. She looked at her hands. She could still remember the feel of that giant key in her grip. It had felt right. So. Very.. But it was a dream. Just like that other one, realistic or not.She then heard a shout from downstairs.“Madoka? Are you awake?” It was her dad.Then Madoka smelled it. Tomato and pepper omelets, bacon, and pancakes. Breakfast!She rushed downstairs, to see her mother and Tatsuya sitting at the table while her father was placing the plates on the table. Up close, the smell was mouthwatering.“Oh, goodmorning sweetie. I wasn’t sure if you were even awake. You slept like a log last night!” Tomohisa said.“I did?” Madoka asked. The tiredness was starting to catch up to her, and she found herself yawning as she sat down to eat.“Yeah, you came home and went straight to bed."“Must have been a wild party.” Junko said with a wink. “Anybody cute you hooked up with?”“Pahty! Pahty!” Tatsuya repeated as he put pieces of syrup drenched pancakes in his mouth.“Don’t talk with your mouth full.” Tomohisa reprimanded.“Not you too? Sayaka said the same thing yesterday.”“Oh really?”“Yeah, we really didn’t do anything.” Madoka said. “It was just Mami, Kyoko, Nagisa, Sayaka, and me. We just hung out for a bit and then watched a movie. Nothing dirty, I swear!”“Speaking of dirty, what happened to your uniform?” Her father asked, getting up from the table.“My uniform?”He reached into a nearby laundry bin. Madoka nearly choked on a slice of pancakes at what she saw. After downing it with a large gulp of orange juice, she looked again at her school uniform. It was dirty and torn, with a noticeably large tear on the shoulder.She recalled the previous night when the creatures attacked her. It wasn’t a dream! Madoka took another big drink of orange juice in an attempt to calm herself down. When she managed to keep a straight face she turned back to her father.“Seriously! What happened?” He asked.“Maybe the party was wilder than she’s letting on!” Junko said, a knowing grin spreading across her face. “I remember the things I got up to around your age...”“N-no, it’s not like that, Mama!” Madoka said. “I… tripped while walking home. It was dark, and when the power went out, I couldn’t see anything for a while.”“Well, your lucky it’s summer break now. I’ll have plenty of time to patch this up good as new!” Tomohisa said with a smile.“Just be glad you still have summer break.” Junko said. “It’s shaping up to be a very hectic day at the office. I’ll probably be working late. So, dear, don’t worry about dinner for me, I’ll eat out tonight.”Madoka internally sighed in relief. Though she now felt guilty about lying to her parents. But would they believe her if she told the truth? Was thatthe truth? Maybe she was actually going insane. That’d be just fitting, wouldn’t it? Weird dreams. Voices in her head. Hallucinating monster attacks.Madoka mused on these thoughts as she finished breakfast and returned to her bedroom. The hallucinations seemed oddly specific, though maybe that was true of all of them? And that’s if it even was a hallucination. Gaining power from a dream to summon a giant key to fight shadow monsters? It sounded like the plot to some convoluted game or anime.If it was real, then why? Was she some sort of chosen one? But then, why would anyone choose her of all people? She wasn’t really good at anything. She wasn’t smart only getting poor to average grades. She was horrendously uncoordinated and almost the opposite of athletic, so no good in a fight. She wasn’t especially good looking either, feeling short and rather pudgy at times, like a big child. Sayaka said she was cute, but she was probably just joking or trying to make her feel better. She didn't feel confident or charming either. Her friends had more or less come about as a result of her knowing Sayaka and she was always just the tag along anyways. The third wheel. She always faded into the background.But then there was something special about her heart. According to the dream-voice (which she noted, felt different from the previous not-voice) that was. She placed her hand to her chest, feeling her heartbeat. Somehow, it felt like the dream-voice wasn’t referring to the organ that pumped blood throughout the body, and instead something else. What did it all mean? She still vividly remembered everything that had happened. The strange stained glass dream. The fight with the shadow monsters. The key.The key. It was perhaps one of the strangest things she had ever seen. And yet, it had felt so…. So perfect in her hand, like a natural extension of herself. Of course, that was if this all was real. Becoming the Chosen One to save the world from darkness and bring hope. This could all very well be a hallucination. But were hallucinations this real? She was right in that she didn’t know anything about how this stuff worked.And then there was Homura. She had appeared in her dreams, and she had felt compelled to talk to her about it despite the fact that the two of them hadn’t interacted since Madoka had first transferred. She then remembered that day as if it was a normal dream: hazy and vague. Odd… how could she have forgotten the details until now?The way she talked, it was as if she knew her. But they had just met. And was she crying? The whole thing felt like another dream. An actual one. Barely remembered.And speaking of dreams, she hadn’t immediately dismissed Madoka when she spoke about her dream. In fact she seemed to take a strange interest in it.Madoka looked at her nightstand, where her favorite ribbons lay. She picked them up to inspect them closely. There didn’t appear to be anything unusual about them, just your run of the mill ribbons one could buy cheaply just about anywhere. But Homura had given these to her. Maybe she knew something about what was going on. Madoka should ask her. It was worth a shot anyways. She’d visit Homura and-Madoka jumped at the noise, before realizing it was her phone. She opened it to see she had gotten a text from Sayaka.Oh right. There was Sayaka as well. For what it was worth, she really seemed to have it out for Homura, claiming she gave her the creeps. Madoka couldn’t see it though. If anything, Madoka felt pity when she looked at Homura. She never smiled. There were severe bags under her eyes and she always looked exhausted. She had perfect grades in everything. Maybe all that work took it’s toll on her? Or maybe she knew something other people didn’t?And yet Sayaka had seemed legitimately concerned for her safety when she had talked to Homura. Did she also know something about this? Madoka sighed again. This was so frustrating. And that’s assuming she wasn’t just going crazy. But she supposed she should get ready for the day.“You look like somethings eating at you, dear.” Junko said as the two of them stood by the mirror in the bathroom.“Really?” Madoka asked.“Yeah, what is it?”“Um...” Madoka struggled to put things in a context that didn’t sound weird. “So… there’s this girl from school.”“Oh!” Her mother gave a knowing and encouraging smile.“No, it’s not like that!” Madoka hastily corrected. “I just wanted to talk to her, but Sayaka got real upset. She doesn’t like her for some reason.”“What reason would that be?” Junko said as she combed her hair.“I don’t know. I’m not sure if she really knows either. She says that that girl gives her the creeps though.”“Do you feel that way about her?”“No… I kinda feel... sad for her. She never smiles and she’s always alone.”“Maybe you should speak with her.”“But Sayaka says-”“Sometimes you just have to ignore your friends.”“Wait, what?”“Madoka, you have a good heart. I can tell you hate to see people sad. That’s something I’m really proud of in you.”“And I should ignore Sayaka?”“It’s ultimately up to you. If she’s truly your friend, then Sayaka might be upset at first, but she’ll come around to understand your decision. I mean, that’s if you decide to go through with it.”“I’m still not sure.”“Madoka. There are times when you have to listen to others, and times where you have to trust your own judgment on what to do. You can’t always be beholden to others, or you’ll end up being easy to take advantage of. Sometimes you just have to do what your heart tells you.”“I’m not sureit’s telling me.”“Well if after weighing both options you still can’t decide, just flip a coin!” Junko said with a wink.“Really?”“Sometimes you just have to pick a choice and commit to it.”“But what if it’s the wrong one?”“It’s better than letting yourself get paralyzed by indecision. Life’s too short. You can’t know everything. Sometimes you just have to barrel ahead, hope for the best and accept the consequences of whatever happens. That's really the secret. Nobody has all the answers. At the very least, it’s good to make your mistakes now, while your young.”Madoka paused as she gave her words some thought. “Thanks.”“You’re welcome. And for what it’s worth, I have full confidence that whatever you choose to do will be the right one.” Junko checked her watch and sighed. “Now, I really do have to go now. It’s going to be a long day...”It was a beautiful day, Homura observed as she walked down the street. The air was clear and warm, though a cool breeze passed through. She closed her eyes and let the refreshing gale wash over her, feeling it blow her hair out behind her.She then turned to Madoka next to her, who appeared to be doing the same thing.“You seem to be enjoying yourself.”“It’s a nice day. Who wouldn’t?” Madoka said with a smile.“I mean, they’ve all been nice lately.” Homura said.“Not just that.” Madoka said. “It’s you!”“Me?”“It’s because your here with me. We haven’t been able to be together in so long.” Madoka said. “I’ve missed you!"“Um… m-me too.” Homura stammered. “S-so what do you want to do next?”“The fountain! Race ya!” Madoka took off running, giggling all the while.“What?!” Surprised, Homura stumbled for a few moments, allowing Madoka to run out of sight. “Madoka! Wait!”Homura ran through the park after, eventually catching up to her at the plaza with the fountain.“Took you long enough, slowpoke.” Madoka laughed. Homura leaned over, catching her breath. Madoka held out a hand, helping her up.“Sorry about that.” She apologized.“Don't worry, I'm okay.” Homura said.“Oh wow! It’s amazing!”When she looked up, she saw Madoka staring at the fountain. It had begun it’s sequence, mixing spouts of water with multicolored lights, creating a beautiful rainbow display. Homura had to agree.She then felt Madoka hold her hand.“Homura, thanks for coming out here with me today. It’s been wonderful!”“We haven’t done anything out of the ordinary. Just lunch and shopping at the mall.”“But it’s with you!” Madoka said, looking at Homura. “It’s always great when I’m with you! It doesn’t really matter what were doing, I just like doing it with you!”Homura blushed. “T-thanks. I like being with you too.”The fountain erupted water high into the air, creating a mist illuminated by rainbow lights.“I wish every day could be like this.” Madoka said.“It could.”“What do you mean?”Homura felt a grin spread across her face. “Madoka...”“Homura, what’s going on?”It was easy. A twist of her arm and a sweep of her leg, and Madoka was on her back.“Homura, what are you doing!” Madoka asked with wide eyes.“We can be together, forever. Isn’t that what you want, Madoka?” Homura’s breathing became heavy. Excited. She straddled Madoka, using her legs to pin her arms. Madoka squirmed and struggled, but to no avail. She couldn't break free.“Homura, your scaring me!” Tears formed in her eyes.“Don’t worry, it will all be over quick.” Homura drew a knife from her sleeve while she caressed the trembling Madoka’s cheek with her other hand. “And then we never have to leave each other...”Homura awoke with a jolt, breathing heavily. It took a moment to calm down and realize where she was. She was sitting on the throne in her castle. It didn’t take long to realize what had happened.A dream. She had tried to sleep again.Homura checked the time. Five minutes. It had only been five minutes since she had dozed off. She sighed. It didn’t matter. She would just have to keep doing without sleep. Wasn’t any more than what she deserved anyways.She turned to see a large, demonic grinning face staring at her.“What is it?” Homura asked the Clara Doll.The doll said nothing and instead giggled, before prancing away. Homura rolled her eyes and stood up.A single step took her from the throne room down to the jagged, rocky, beach. She looked back at her castle and island from there. Looking at it again, it really was an ugly mess. It fit.She turned back to the ocean and sat down, an armchair appearing for her to slump in. A side table with a cold drink appeared next to her. For a while she simply sat there, observing the ocean, sipping her drink.Eventually, she lifted her arm, the crystal on it appearing. Her Soul Gem emerged from it, and floated in front of her. She had pondered this thing many times. What was she in truth? She called herself the Devil, but that was just a title. An indication of her sins. Was she a Puella Magi again? Was she still a Witch? A Goddess? Was this truly a Soul Gem? A Grief Seed? Something else? When she wasn’t reveling in her status, she had to admit that there was so much she didn’t know about how it worked. How she had become what she was? She had absorbed the entire universe into her Labyrinth, so she could still be Homulilly. But she also had her human body and her mind. It was all a mystery.It was then that Homura noticed something nearby. She turned to see a strange black ant-like creature. She first thought it one of her familiars, but quickly dismissed the idea. There were no natural animals on this island, so it couldn’t be that. It wasn’t a familiar, a witch, a wraith, or a nightmare. What was it?The creature was simply staring at her, not making movements other than the twitches of it’s antennae. Out of curiosity, she made her Soul Gem float back and forth, and watched as the creatures yellow gaze followed it with rapt attention. She returned the Gem to her hand and the creature focused on her.Then, without warning, it leaped towards her, claws outstretched. Homura acted fast, vanishing from the chair, as the creature tore into it.She reappeared on a rock nearby, watching as the strange creature tore into the chair, ripping out the stuffing like a savage animal. It paused abruptly in it’s frenzied assault upon the upholstery and slowly turned to face Homura.Without missing a beat it charged towards her again. She stepped aside, watching as the creature face planted into the ground. It would have been almost comical if the presence of the creature didn’t put Homura on edge. It felt unnatural. Wrong. This was clearly some sort of magical creature, though one she hadn’t seen before. She would have to learn more. With a flick of her wrist, a titanium cage formed over the shadow creature and dropped down on it. With it captive, she’d have plenty of time to study it and…The creature suddenly flattened to the ground, becoming two-dimensional and slipping beneath the cage to freedom.Well, that was annoying. When the creature made another leap at her, this time, Homura encased it in a diamond sphere. It clawed and pounded at it’s new prison, and even attempted to flatten again, but to no avail. It was trapped. The sphere lowered into her hands where she now examined the creature close up. It really did look like a giant bug, albeit with only four limbs. It’s yellow eyes were unblinking, and it made no expression. It’s movements were jerky and stacatto, again uncomfortably resembling a bug the size of a dog. She could detect no mouth or any other orifice to the creature, and it’s body seemed completely undifferentiated, lacking anything resembling pores, bones or veins.Homura looked up into the air. “Reiketsu! Noroma!”Two Clara Dolls appeared before her, accompanied by a platoon of Lotte soldiers. One of them with long blonde hair bowed. “Homura handed the diamond sphere to Reiketsu. “Take this to the north tower so that I might examine it. Noroma, search the island for any more of these creatures.”Both dolls nodded. Reiketsu departed, leaping towards the castle. Homura was about to join her, when she heard a strange sound, like water flowing, but distorted. As she watched, dark splotches formed across the beach, with hordes of the shadowy monsters emerging from them.These ones were different , carrying oversized push daggers and wearing armor with a strange heart symbol emblazoned in the chest. The face-plates on their helms were open, revealing a face similar to the bug-like creature, but with the addition of a jagged mouth.Immediately, the Lotte soldiers took formation, spears held forwards as they advanced. The invaders did the same, charging forwards in attack.These things dared to attack herHomura snarled as she held out her hand. Her black bow formed, with a purple energy string. When she pulled on the string arrows made of dark purple flames formed, aimed at the creatures locked in combat with the Lotte soldiers.However, before she could fire them, something impacted her hard in the back. She was sent sprawling to the ground, though she quickly rose back to her feet and dodged out of the way as a towering creature encased in rock and wielding an axe came crashing down towards her, cracking the ground and kicking up a huge cloud of dust.As she stood up, she found that she was grinning. The reason was immediately apparent. Screw all this complex long-term planning. This was a. It was. Something she knew intimately. Kill or be killed. Her clothes transformed into her Puella Magi uniform, and she relished the feeling. The pull and tug of the fabric. The click of the high heels. Homura ran her hands through her hair. She had missed thismuch.Two of the armored creatures rushed towards her. She kicked one away, sending it smashing into a nearby boulder, destroying it. She ducked beneath the swing of the other and rose up, grabbing the creatures head. There, she squeezed, denting and cracking the armor while the creature twitched and writhed until it dispersed into a cloud of smoky darkness., she could definitely do this. Her breathing intensified as a thrill ran through her. She dismissed the bow as the giant monster emerged from the dust cloud. Clenching her fist, she gave wild laugh and charged towards the creature while the battle raged around her.