View source for 956/The Fate of All Puella Magi

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2016/01/31
|Location=Uminari City - Central Harbor
|Synopsis=There's a secret that Homura and Kyubey have been hiding.
|Cast of Characters=129,55,9,7,8,78,23,119
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:129|Sachiko Hayakawa| (129)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Morning dawns on a damaged Tokyo. There's so much work to do, but the people survived, and that's what mattered most. Right?<br /><br />Anshi Hayakawa spent the night with a friend; not at her house, but out in the streets, searching for Mami, or for a witch to give her a grief seed. With her own soul gem already dangerously close to completely black, Anshi has been living on the constant edge of manic insanity and cheerful optimism. <br /><br />It's not a fun edge to be on.<br /><br />Sitting against a destroyed wall, Anshi leans her head on Greta's shoulder, then mumbles, "I don't know where else to l--" she starts, then slaps her forehead. "Phone," she mumbles.<br /><br />Reaching down, the Puella pulls out a small apricot-hued cell phone and dials Mami's number. But she doesn't talk into it herself ... instead she hands the phone to Greta. "Tell her," she mumbles.

:'''{{#var:55|Greta Legend| (55)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It's been a pretty long night, and for Greta Legend, she's bee trying to keep her friend, her only friend, from completely losing it. She has learned in the last few days and more recently in the last few hours, that whatever deal that Anshi has made to become a magical girl was totally NOT worth this much pain and suffering. She had to find this 'Tomoe-Sempai', get some grief seeds for Anshi, and get her to calm down, and be back to normal.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Upon realizing, just as Anshi does, that dialing this Tomoe-sempai on the phone would have been a great time saver, she facepalms as well, "Of course!" Who doesn't carry a cell phone around these days?<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She blinks as Anshi hands the phone over, and lifts it up to her ear, "Alright, I've got this..." She sucks in a breath and mentally goes over her Japanese language once more, "Come on... Come Oooon... Answer the phone...!"

:'''{{#var:9|Mami Tomoe| (9)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Mami is still exhausted and resting on the couch in Runealy's place. Her phone rings and it takes her a substantially longer time than usual to answer it. "Hello?" she asks, groggily, sitting up to lean against the couch. She hadn't checked the ID and she doesn't recognise the voice. "I'm sorry, who is this? What's going on?"

:'''{{#var:55|Greta Legend| (55)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Never mind who I am! Anshi is in trouble!" Greta rapidly explains, hoping that the girl on the other end would take the gravity of the situation seriously, "She's been freaking out ever since that Walpurgistnacht thing! She showed me her soul gem! She needs those seeds, she needs them now!" She sniffles and tries to keep herself together, "Please, we're at the harbor! She needs those seeds or else she's gonna---She's gonna..!" She covers her mouth, trying to keep herself from sobbing.

:'''{{#var:7|Sayaka Miki| (7)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sayaka had spent most of last night and this morning sleeping, totally exhausted from the battle to end all battles last night. She had brought Kyouko to her apartment, but had stayed the night with her, worried for her friend. Although Kyouko's soulgem had already been purified and she had no obvious wounds, still Sayaka was mildly worried and hoped that a good night's rest would be enough to restore her.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The next day, Sayaka left the apartment, having found the letter that Kyouko had written her, which had left her a little confused and..Thoughtful. She needed fresh air, which is why she's out on the streets of Tokyo now, pondering grabbing something to eat and maybe check ground zero to make sure it wasn't all just a dream.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It doesn't take her long to spy the Puella from yesterday, and some unfamiliar girl she doesn't know. The Puella doesn't look so good and she frowns, moving towards them. "Hey! You're Anshi-san, right? Are..Are you alright?"

:'''{{#var:8|Madoka Kaname| (8)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Madoka is in an incredibly happy mood, which is a bit of a dichotomy when put against the heavy damage that her hometown has suffered and the lives that were lost defending it. She does feel bad for the people who have had their homes damaged and destroyed, and she feels even worse for those that have lost friends and family. But right now?<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Right now she's rejoicing in the fact that Homura's long struggle has finally ended and that the two of them have, for the moment, decided to be happy together. The only reason she's not holding onto her hand as they walk down the street together is that she actually decides she needs the practice not clinging to her. After having done so yesterday after they got home she realized just how easy it would be for her to hug onto her endlessly, which wouldn't be proper.<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;So instead she's walking with her arms held behind her back her eyes moving between watching where she's going, peeking over at Homura, and surveying the damage to the city as they walk together on the streets of Tokyo. "I wonder how long it will take the workers to clean everything up and put things back together."<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She tilts her head a little, "I've never felt so lucky to live when I do before now. Walpurgisnacht was able to be tracked by people who couldn't sense magic early enough to evacuate everyone into shelters. Something like this happening if everybody was still here, that would have been awful."<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; They round a corner together, a block or so away from a small grouping of familiar faces and Madoka blinks a little, "Sayaka-chan? Oh! Look, Homura-chan, it's Anshi-chan, too!" She doesn't immediately realize anything is wrong, lifting her hand to send a friendly wave.

:'''{{#var:9|Mami Tomoe| (9)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Mami sits up a lot straighter as Greta talks, and she's running out the door. "I'm on my way. Try to keep her comfortable! It won't take long, I'm coming as fast as I can."she says. But the events of tonight have taken a real toll on Mami, and she's just not as fast as she would be normally...

:'''{{#var:129|Sachiko Hayakawa| (129)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Anshi manages a smile when Sayaka rushes over. "I'm fine, I'm fine," she assures the blue-haired girl. "You were amazing yesterday," she tells her. There's a little twitch of her lips as the smile cracks.<br /><br />Pushing to her feet, slowly, Anshi staggers a little. She's still in her henshin, but most of it's been burned or destroyed. There are holes in her shorts, the lace is all but gone. But at least that collar and ball-and-chain look fine, right?<br /><br />"And we saved the city," Anshi says to Sayaka. "Everyone's safe. Right? Everyone ''is'' safe, right?"

:'''{{#var:78|Puella Magi Kyouko| (78)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kyouko seemed to be mostly fine, other than, y'know, unconscious. Although when she had first been brought home she had been deathly pale and cool to the touch, over the course of the night as Sayaka had watched over her, her color had returned and her body had warmed to a more normal temperature. It seemed that, although still sleeping, she would be ok, so it was safe for Sayaka to leave.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kyouko wakes up a while after that, groggily looking around. It takes her a few moments to realize she's back in her own apartment. "I'm alive? I.. oh.. I guess that means we won." She slumps back onto her pillow.. then jerks upright again in a panic, staring at the ring on her finger. But her Soul Gem isn't cracked, it's intact. She heaves a hugh sigh and then slumps back onto her pillow.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then sits bolt upright again, once more panicked. Her eyes dart to the bedside table where she had left The Letter. The envelope is still there, but it's open and empty. Kyouko's panic increases, and she can feel her cheeks burning bright red as her eyes widen with horror. "Oh god! Why didn't I die?!" She exclaims, turning and slamming her face back down into the pillow and kicking her legs in helpless mortification.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But this can only go on so long. Eventually, although still red, Kyouko gets up and gets dressed. She's weak, as if just recovering from a long sickness, and she stumbles while doing so, barely strong enough to move about under her own power. "I need to find Sayaka.. I need to tell her it was.. it was.." It was what? Not true? Kyouko couldn't lie to Sayaka, and she doubts the girl would believe her if she tried. Arrgh, life, why you so unfair!<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Either way, Kyouko puts on her coat and leaves the apartment. She weaves a bit as she walks, and has to stop frequently with a hand against the building wall to rest. But she heads down towards the harbor. It just seems the place people are likely to be. It's going to take her a few minutes to get there, though.

:'''{{#var:55|Greta Legend| (55)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Alright, but get here soon, please!" Greta sniffles, before hanging up, and handing the cell phone back to Anshi... "She's coming, she'll be here soon. See, everything's going to be fine! Nothing to worry about!"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For the record, Greta is in her Magical Girl uniform of red, yellow and white, staff in hand as she's keeping Anshi propped up. If you were at the Ice Skating party, you remember her as being the loud girl protesting that it was a bad idea.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then she hears people approaching, she blinks a little bit, recognizing some faces. Madoka more specifically. "You--You're from that ice skating party?" Relief! She smiles a little bit and quickly blurts out, "You guys can help, right?! You've got Grief Seeds, right?"

:'''{{#var:23|Homura Akemi| (23)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Homura was really out of it last night, and today she still seems a little weird. Yet, still, she seems different. To those who have only seen her grumpy side, she seems decidedly off. Almost as if someone tried to make a carbon copy of her and yet couldn't master her grumpy look.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Yet it is the same Homura from the night before, walking next to Madoka. She often stares straight ahead, looking somewhat like a zombie or someone sleepwalking. Truth is she just doesn't know how to cope with a world where everything she loves isn't in some kind of unavoidable danger.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Yet when she does look over to Madoka, it's with a smile. Madoka's here, alive, and well; therefore Homura is happy. She just... doesn't know what to do with that happiness. So she kindof... doesn't do much at all.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"It might take months to clean. Some places even a year or so. I don't know. It depends on how active people are about it." Homura shrugs. "Actually, if magical people get involved, it might take a lot less time. I can't really say."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Homura turns to look as Madoka points out the presence of Sayaka, Anshi, and Greta. She half-heartedly raises a hand to wave. From this distance, Anshi seems cheerful enough. Wounded, obviously, and she probably should not be in henshin if she looks like that, but Homura doesn't think it's anything to worry about.. yet.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Until she takes a closer look at Greta's face. She walks forward briskly, then breaks out into a run, possibly outpacing Madoka. She shouts, "What's going on?!"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Grief Seeds? Uhhh...<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A look of horror dawns on Homura's face. She henshins immediately. She digs through her shield, looking for a Grief Seed. "I... maybe I have one? I used so many last night..." She tosses out a handgun, then a spoon, then a knife, just dumping these things on a beach. "Um... I'm looking."

:'''{{#var:7|Sayaka Miki| (7)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Unfortunately, Sayaka didn't bring any grief seeds with her as she ran out of Kyouko's apartment, mostly because she'd used all of them up fighting Walpurgisnacht last night. Seeing that Tokyo is still intact, and they had actually beaten the 'unbeatable witch' brings only temporary relief however, once she sees the state that Anshi is in.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;What happens to a Puella when their soulgem goes completely black, anyways? They might just lose consciousness like Kyouko did, or perhaps in her state, Anshi might just slip into a coma..<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Anshi-san? You don't look fine! You should lay down..Here's a bench, over here, c'mon! I think you'd better de-henshin, it'll preserve some energy. Hold on, I'll call Kyouko-chan. Maybe she has some grief seeds..." She glances at Greta, vaguely recognizing her from somewhere but she's not sure where, exactly. "How long has she been like this?" <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As she pulls out her phone to text Kyouko with an urgent message, Sayaka spies a cheerful looking Madoka accompanied by Homura as usual, headed towards her. She smiles weakly at them and waves, although it's clear that she's worried for Anshi, "Madoka! Homura..Do any of you have grief seeds? Anshi-san's in bad shape.."

:'''{{#var:8|Madoka Kaname| (8)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Madoka would consider her conversation with Homura more but suddenly the Puella is hurrying forward after having noticed something she failed to herself. It seems there are people who aren't having such a good time after the battle as she is.<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She stands still for a moment as Homura henshins, looking between the assembled girls and realizing only now that Anshi and Greta are henshined. "What's wrong? What's going on, was there another fight?" Then people are asking for Grief Seeds and she freezes, standing rooted in place. She reaches out towards the group a little, shaking her head with slowly widening eyes, "Grief Seed? No, I don't... I've never had any of those. They're not safe for me! W-why do you need a Grief Seed?"<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She knows there is only one reason they'd be asking with such urgency.

:'''{{#var:9|Mami Tomoe| (9)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Mami is exhausted - but she's moving as fast as she can. Unfortunantly, the toll she took setting up that barrage to end Walpurgisnacht is still evident - while her soul gem is clean, just managing that kind of magic is physically exhausting. So rather than ribbon-lining through Mitakihara towards the harbor, a lot of what she's been doing is running, making spectacular leaps, and gasping for air like that's going to help.<br /><br />Mami, though, has finally made it to the beach, towards Anshi and Greta, and she's got a black grief seed in her hand as she rushes forwards.<br /><br />"Just hang on, Anshi-san!" There's no last name now, no time for proper commentary - it's too important for Mami to care about anything other than getting the message across. "I'm here! You're going to be ok!"

:'''{{#var:129|Sachiko Hayakawa| (129)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Anshi takes the phone back and lets herself be led away towards a bench. People are here, and her smile comes a little easier, now. <br /><br />"Oh good, everyone's safe," she mumbles. "Hello, Madoka-chan," she greets with a smile that's still all in the lips. "I'm glad you were safe, too.""<br /><br /> Then Anshi's phone rings. She stares at the phone a little confusedly, then puts it to her ear. "H-h-ello?" she asks.<br /><br />While Homura's looking for a grief seed, and Mami is on the way, darkness descends on Anshi's face. "No? I don't know whe ... she was supposed to make it to a shelter. Mama was supposed to take her to a shelter."<br /><br />More talking ont he other end, and the Puella looks crestfallen. "To the police station? But wh... but why?!"<br /><br />"But where is Sachiko?" Anshi asks a second later. "WHERE IS SACHIKO!?" It's not anger, it's panic, and it's rising fast.<br /><br />But whoever's on the other end of the line doesn't deliver good news.<br /><br />The phone falls from Anshi's hand and clatters where it lands on the concrete.<br /><br />"Mama's dead," she breathes. "Mama's dead and I killed her."<br /><br />She turns, a rictus smile on her face, and looks at Greta--through greta. "Mama's dead. Sachiko's missing. I killed her," she repeats.<br /><br />And then the world explodes. It's like passing through the frames of an old movie; flickering frames and just a little too much brown. Straight back into an older time. A simpler time.<br /><br />The Puella, Greta, and Madoka all find themselves standing on a wide brick-lined street, with carriages made of brass touting steam as they make their way along. "Make way, make way," comes a tinny voice. "Make way for the accused!"<br /><br />It's like a talking brass trash can that comes up between them all, trying to shove them out of the way. A trash can on wheels, covered in little knobs, with an eyestalk and strange whirling gears atop its head.<br /><br />And it's not alone. All around, the various brass carriages and gizmos and gadgets and whatnots begin making way, clearing the road as instructed.<br /><br />For behind the brass tash can comes a spider-like contraption, steam whistling and hissing as it escapes. On its back it bears a cage of gold, and in the midst of that cage is a plateful of apricots.

:'''{{#var:78|Puella Magi Kyouko| (78)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kyouko had mostly just been walking. She wasn't really sure /what/ she was going to do, or why. She was a turmoil of emotions inside, and she just needed to walk it off.. even if she could barely walk in the first place, having to stop every few moments and rest with her hand against the wall.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then she gets a text, her phone buzzing in her pocket. She blinks a few times.. then reaches into her pocket and pulls it out. It's from Sayaka. Her cheeks flare red again. Oh god. But she checks the message, and.. grief seeds? Emergency? She turns a bit cold- that doesn't sound good. At first she thinks Sayaka herself is in trouble, but then she reasons that can't be true- she had purified Sayaka during the fight. She couldn't have used that much magic again so quickly, could she? But something was wrong.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kyouko tried to hurry to the harborside, where the text said Sayaka was. But she's so weak.. she can't move very fast. She has two Grief Seeds in her pocket- all that's left of her supply after last night. But there's no way she'd make it in time.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She senses the Witch Labyrinth explode into being. "Ah.. shit." She mutters. Though she doesn't know what caused it, she figures whatever Sayaka's gotten herself into, it'll be there. She tries to run but stumbles and nearly trips onto her knees on the sidewalk. Gritting her teeth, she forces herself to go slowly but steadily. She'll be there soon.

:'''{{#var:55|Greta Legend| (55)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Greta looks to the other girls, smiling a little as she's calming herself down. Everything will be okay soon, "Okay, it shouldn't take long then? Alright..." Grief seeds, coming soon.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then the phone call. Greta blinks a little, as she looks to Anshi, watching her, listening to the one end of the conversation, and her eyes widen, her relief replaced by worry again.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then Anshi says those last words. Greta goes wide eyed gazing into Anshi's own, but not really seeing focus. She shakes her head, "Anshi--Nonono! She can't--We'll find Sachiko-chan! You'll see!" She reaches for Anshi's hands to try to grip and reassure her, that everything was going to be fine.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And then the world explodes. Anshi has disappeared. The world has changed, all this punctuated by Greta's device announcing, "<span class=" bold_fg_b bg_n ++ hb">/TIME-SPACE DISTORTION DETECTED, MASTER/</span>" To which Greta goes wide eyed, looking around in a panic, "What---Where? Anshi!? ANSHI!! WHERE ARE YOU!?"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She looks around, before realizing the other girls are also there. They'd know! She runs up to the other girls, homing in on Homura, "What the hell is going on?! Where did we get transported to? Where did Anshi go!?" Tears streaming from her eyes.

:'''{{#var:23|Homura Akemi| (23)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Homura just turns her sheild sideways and dumps out a large number of small items onto the ground. There's silverware, magazines, ammo boxes, small guns, towels, a spare set of clothes, and numerous other smal items. She drops to her knees and starts digging through them, her panic ever increasing. "Where is one... where is one... I need one... Just one is all I need..."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She starts muttering, quietly freaking out. "Not now... not now... not like this... not now..."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Giving up on her shield, she starts patting her own person, searching her pockets, even running her hands through her hair because maybe this is her lucky day and one got stuck there.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She doesn't find one, and she looks up at Madoka hopefully. "How about the one you use to-- no no you don't have that one in this timeline. Couldn't possibly."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Homura starts digging through the pile again. Is Basu here? Is the White Flower? No, both of those are gone, one used up and the other kept safely elsewhere. Augh... what if she hadn't thrown away the one Riventon made? She only needs one and all she needs is just one Grief Seed...<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Homura you idiot! How could you just throw that one away?!<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Maybe if Meriko or Belina's bodies around here they might have some on them? No, no, Homura would never find them after a storm like that.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She looks up at Anshi, reaching out. "Here... here let me see your Soul Gem... maybe if it's not too late... maybe I can find some at home. Just... just don't get sad alright? Whatever you do, think... happy thoughts! Or something!"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Homura never thought she'd hear the phrase 'think happy thoughts' coming out of her own mouth but... anything! Anything to delay this moment long enough for her to figure out how to stop it!<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Oh my god Mami is here. It's going to be alright. It's going to be o---<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Homura stares dead at Anshi, hearing a terrible phone call. She reaches towards Anshi, still on her knees from searching for a Grief Seed. She sees the look on the other Puella's face. She hears the words. "No... no... it's not your-"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The worst happens. Anshi is gone. Homura knows exactly what just happened right in front of her eyes. This was the big secret, the one thing she had to keep from everyone. It was the last duty she had to perform and she completely screwed it up.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the middle of that old timey street, surrounded by what she knows to be a Labyrinth, Homura feels so alone right now.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She screams. It's very loud. Poor Greta, she probably gets an earful of it.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Homura's scream ends, and at first it might seem like Homura didn't hear her... but then Homura's zombie-like stare turns towards Greta, and she speaks. "Didn't you see it? She's a Witch now. Her Soul Gem became a Grief Seed."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She turns her gaze down to the ground. "I told people that Puella Magi die when their Soul Gems get too corrupted. Well... that's not the whole truth. The truth is... they turn into monsters... monsters like the one that created this Labyrinth. Anshi doesn't even exist anymore. There's only a mindless Witch in her place."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Homura is quiet for a few more moments. The ground she's sitting is barren now, most of her junk being left outside the Labyrinth. She props one leg up, and then the other, slowly standing. "Considering her last words... I'm willing to bet that the Witch that Anshi became... is the 'accused'."

:'''{{#var:7|Sayaka Miki| (7)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sayaka is relieved to hear that Mami is on her way. Homura is already searching for a grief seed. She glances back at Anshi, remembering when Kyouko overdid herself. What's the worse that could happen? she might go unconscious..Or she might lose her powers.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Hang in there, Anshi-san! Mami-san will fix this, I know she will.." She smiles as she sees Mami has finally made it and waves to her. "Mami-san! Over here! Thank goodness!"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It seems that Kyouko's received her message as well, and Sayaka smiles briefly upon seeing her. However, remembering the weird letter she just read causes Sayaka's face to redden a bit, looking away. "Umm..Kyou..Chan.."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And that's when all hell breaks loose. Anshi receives the phone call and Sayaka listens with dread. Oh no. Not now. But then things just go down hill from there.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Suddenly the scenery changes. A witch? But where? How? It's only when Homura speaks, that Sayaka is suddenly filled with dread. And fear. "What are you talking about, Homura!? What are you saying!!!" No...No, she's crazy, she did NOT just say that! She's just tired and confused.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;All Sayaka knows is that another witch has hatched. And they have to fight it. Lifting her ring finger to the sky, Sayaka transforms..

:'''{{#var:8|Madoka Kaname| (8)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Madoka lets out a sigh of relief. Anshi is getting upset by her phone call, but Mami is here. Mami and Homura are Veterans. Everything is going to be okay. It's going to be alright- there's nothing that Mami and Homura together can't-<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Everything is not okay. There's an explosion in front of her, centered on the group of magical girls, powerful enough to blow Madoka clear off her feet, sending her tumbling backwards head over heals. She lets out a scream of shock and fear only to be slammed backwards into a building that soon fades out of existence as the new Labyrinth establishes itself.<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The blow is strong enough that Madoka is out of it as the new world takes shape but the fact a Witch has decided to intercede at this most delicate moment is clear to her. She's lying in the middle of the Laybinth's street, about to get swept up by the golden trashcan, when something cuts through her mind like a dagger of ice.<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It's Homura's scream.<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;More stunned than injured it causes her to flinch and then spasm. It shocks her back to reality, or unreality as this setting might imply, just in time to notice the strange familiar headed towards her and roll out of the way. She picks herself up and rushes as best she can towards Homura, worried that the Witch might have caught her off guard and done something horrible to her. She stumbles and trips, still dazed, having to catch herself with her hands more than once.<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She finds Homura standing up, just in time to hear her speak.<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Pink eyes widen in dawning horror and desperately seek solace in pools of soothing purple, "No. That's not true... That's impossible!" She drops to her knees suddenly and tears start flowing freely from her eyes, "Anshi-chan can't be a Witch! Please tell me you're joking, Homura-chan! The world can't be this cruel! Puella Magi are born to fight witches, they protect people from witches, they don't become them!"

:'''{{#var:9|Mami Tomoe| (9)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Mami's running - and then there's a Labrynth everyone is pulled into, and Mami simply doesn't get what's going on - at least, at first - running forward and generating rifles. "NO! NOT NOW!" She turns to look at everyone. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING, WE HAVE TO SAVE ANSHI-SAN!" She says, raising a rifle in each hand.<br /><br />And then Homura starts talking - starts explaining what's going on. And Mami's world, her vision suddenly gets blurry. "No... no, that can't be right." she says, defiantly. "You're not telling the truth, Akemi-san!" she turns at her angrily. "There's no way that we could become monsters like that. I..." Mami's mouth is moving but words are not coming out. Her guns dissapate, and she just sinks to her knees. "...if what you're saying is true..." and somewhere, deep down, the obviousness of it all is overwhelming "...then what have I been doing, trying to get others to contract? To become Puella Magi?"<br /><br />And for at least the current moment, all Mami Tomoe is doing is wrapping her arms around herself. "There's... there's no way that can be true. Kyubey wouldn't..." and she just loses herself in mumbling and tears.<br /><br />"But Puella Magi fight witches..."

:'''{{#var:129|Sachiko Hayakawa| (129)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Indeed Puella do fight witches. And yet, here's a witch that needs fighting. "Make way make way!" the brass trashcan familiar says as it hustles past. The eight-legged contraption with the apricots just marches right past, hissing and stamping and stomping as it marches down the boulevard.<br /><br />As the great contraption passes, a casket comes into view, bourn behind it on a frame. The casket is made of aged wood and lined in gold edging. The top of the casket is apricot-hued glass, and through it, Anshi's body can be seen, positioned for quiet repose. Her face is still in that rictus grin, but the rest of her body is laid out properly for a funeral.

:'''{{#var:78|Puella Magi Kyouko| (78)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kyouko was not actually on hand to witness Anshi's transformation. Nor was she close enough to get sucked into the Labyrinth as it formed. She /felt/ it form, with her Puella senses honed from years of hunting Witches, but she wasn't actually there- she had just come into sight, as Sayaka noted, before it happened. So she saw the Labyrinth form, and the people vanish into it.. but she's still outside.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Dammit.." She mutters. It looked like Homura was there too.. and Mami? She had only seen for a moment. Anyway, there were enough Puella there that a normal Witch shouldn't be the end of the world.. but she can't shake a feeling of dread anyway.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Despite the fact that she can barely stand, she holds out her hand and henshins anyway in a flash of red light- then nearly collapses onto the ground on the spot, panting. "Uugh, I am so not up for this right now.." But she also can't leave Sayaka alone in there. Or Mami. (Homura, ehhhhh.)<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She forces herself back to her feet, using her spear as a crutch, and hobbles over, all but falling into the Labyrinth and finding herself on some old timey street, not too far from the others. "Saya-chan!" She calls out, keeping clear of the big eight-legged steampunk spider-thing, which is currently between her and the group.

:'''{{#var:55|Greta Legend| (55)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ow. Eardrums. Owowow. At the very least, Homura screaming right into her face gets Greta to pause long enough to at least give Homura a chance to explain, and the explaination is not at all what she wants to hear. "Soul Gems... Turn into Grief seeds... And turned her into a witch...?" She's been exposed to the Puella world pretty peripherally, and only through Anshi, but she's already the pieces together.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Greta looks to the other girls. She doesn't really know them, but they must be other Puellas, and they seem to be reacting in disbelief... It's here that the coin drops, and the panic and dispair leaves her mind, in exchange for anger. "And you knew... You -knew- this is what happened." Her eyes on fire.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She reaches and grabs at Homura's shirt, to shake her. Granted, Greta is short for her age, so it might look funny, but the situation is too serious to be funny, "You KNEW! You knew and didn't tell ANYONE?! You knew and KEPT HUNTING!? You knew and KEPT RECRUITING!?"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She shakes at Homura, "This wouldn't have happened if Anshi never became a Puella! Anshi would be right here, laughing with us! AND NOW SHE'S----!!"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She stops. Her attention now drawn to the tinker object, the weird thing with the casket... Her eyes widen as she sees who it contains. "ANSHI!!" With that, she BOLTS! Running for the construct, "I'LL GET YOU OUT OF THERE, ANSHI!!"

:'''{{#var:23|Homura Akemi| (23)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The fact that Madoka was launched by the Witching out shockwave registers a bit too late to Homura. When she realizes it, she curses herself. She can't even protect Madoka right. After she stands up, she walks towards Madoka, even as the other girl rushes towards her.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Those purple eyes full of sorrow and regret aren't lying at all.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Homura's eyes linger on Mami for an unnaturally long time, watching her reaction closely. Maybe it's fortunate that this happened after Walpurgisnacht instead of before. Mami was a useful warrior, but after finding out this secret she didn't usually last long. Even worse, sometimes she'd take people down with her. People that Homura needed, like Kyouko.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Of course, the worst such episode was many timelines ago. Homura was a lot more experienced now, and a lot better equipped to... deal with the Mami problem. Even if she hated the idea of it.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Homura forces herself to pull at least some of her attention away from Mami, and onto the Labyrinth. She needs to both fight the battle she's in right now, and prepare for the battle that will happen immediately afterwards.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It's then that Greta grabs her by the shirt, shaking her. Homura's like a limp ragdoll in her grip. Instead of explaining it to each person individually, she explains to all of them at once. "First off, no. I did NOT keep recruiting. I only gained the help of those who had already become Puella Magi, only those for whom it was too late. I did everything I could to talk people out of it. No one believed me. No one cared what I had to say. No one ever does... except Madoka."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Secondly... how could I stop hunting? Witches are still muderous creatures. We need to hunt them to live. We don't have a choice anymore. Besides, it's not like they're human. Not anymore. None of us Puella Magi are human anymore."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"And lastly... I tried telling people. I tried over and over again, timeline after timeline, and no one wanted to listen. But that's not the worst of it." Homura involuntarily peers at Mami before making an active effort to look back at Greta. "... the worst part of it was when people actually believed me... when they started hunting us... killing us... sometimes they'd even hunt down those who never even contracted, when they were helpless, just because they had ''potential'' to be Puella Magi. This is a secret that cannot get out. Please understand."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I would never tell a lie this cruel... but now you know... why I don't want people to contract. Of course... people just ''ignore'' me anyways. Doesn't matter what I tell them. Unless they see it with their own eyes, they never want to believe it. Even if they did... they'd be better off not knowing."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Why would Kyubey do this? Homura pauses a long time before she responds. "Why don't you ask him yourself?"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Homura blankly looks at the casket, and she sees Anshi's body. She frowns. "Huh... so if the body's the accused, then... where is the Witch?" She looks at the procession, and tracks with her eyes where the path leads. After a pause, she turns to Madoka and says, "Madoka, for now it'd be best for you to stay with us. There's no place to really hide here."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;... If the Witch isn't in the procession, then it might be at the destination. Of course it would be. "Of course that was wrong. What kind of Witch would execute itself? That's ridiculous. No, the Witch must be the executioner. I guess I'm just not thinking straight today..."

:'''{{#var:7|Sayaka Miki| (7)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sayaka peers around at the labrynth, still shocked and confused by what Homura just said. It makes it difficult to focus, to think straight. Surely, she must be joking. Some kinda sick joke. Or maybe she's just really tired from last night. Right!? It'd explain that awful screeching of hers.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sayaka narrows her eyes, summoning a sword and pointing it at Homura, "What kinda sick game are you playing, Homura? We're the ones who fight witches remember? Quit messing with our minds!" She never did trust her! Maybe she's the witch!<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Mami kneeling to the floor, sobbing. Madoka's nearby too, speechless, and Kyouko's suddenly here, exhausted, but transformed anyway, ready to fight. Her head is spinning, confused, not sure who or what to believe. But Greta reaches Homura first, shaking her and demanding answers, it's what Sayaka would have done if she'd had the chance. Then, as Homura explains it, it slowly dawns on Sayaka that she MUST be telling the truth. This is the real reason why she came back in time, to spare Madoka of this cruel fate..That's what Homura meant when they spoke that last time..<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But it's too late for the rest of them. It's too late for her, and Kyouko.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Kyouko..." a tear wells up in her eye upon seeing her. She was such a fool, living an illusion, feeling so happy. But now...So much is going on. The labrynth, the witch...Anshi's dead body in a casket!? She cant think straight, doesn't know what to do..Except run to Kyouko, her vision blurry from tears..And hug her tightly. "Kyouko...." she sniffs, seeking some kind of comfort in all of this insanity..

:'''{{#var:9|Mami Tomoe| (9)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>She hears... well, some of the things. It's a lot like being underwater, though. Everything is a little more dim, a little more quiet, a little subdued. She lives in her own little world for a moment until some of the things Homura says grabs her hard. And Mami reacts quickly, and about the time Greta drops Homura, Mami's ribbons come up and wrap around her. Mami herself isn't armed, but she's stomping towards Homura with tears in her eyes.<br /><br />She does have her hand balled up into a fist. "What?! You never told me anything about this!" she shouts into Homura's face. "You told me everything else but you left this part out." Mami's not, even in her grief, an idiot, and she's put some of the peices together. "You did all of this just to save her, and you never gave up, but you gave up on everyone else! Even yourself!"<br /><br />"So what if it happened in the past. You said this timeline is different than the others. But you never told me anything about this! Anshi! Shinobu! Everyone else I've talked to! I didn't know, but YOU DID!"<br /><br />"NOW I KNOW?! NOW IT'S TOO LATE." she screams into homura's face at the absolute apex of her voice, and it cracks a bit before she has to stop herself from becoming a sobbing wreck. "I DON'T CARE ABOUT WHATEVER HAPPENED IN THE PAST TIMELINES. YOU'RE STILL RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS ONE, HOMURA AKEMI."<br /><br />Then she turns away, and the ribbons binding Homura fade. "You had the responsibility of knowledge the whole time. Only now do I understand. I kill witches. I won't be responsible for anyone suffering because of me." Mami says, as she generates a rifle. Instead of pointing it at anyone else, she's holding it awkwardly, pushing the muzzle against the soul gem in her hair. Notably, unlike other times in Homura's past, her grip isn't shaking, though the tears are falling all the same. "I shouldn't even be alive anyways."<br /><br />On top of one of the buildings that line the streets, there's two beady red eyes attached to a fluffy white creature. "Such a waste." is all Kyubey says regarding Mami's current intent.

:'''{{#var:129|Sachiko Hayakawa| (129)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>As Greta's hands are laid on the casket, there is a slow ticking noise that winds down, as if every mechanism here has stopped winding. Then, as one, they all turn and stare at Greta.<br /><br />Every eye. Every creature. Every ''thing'' in this place stares at the lone Mage. And then hell breaks loose.<br /><br />"YOU TOUCHED THE ACCUSED! HOW DARE YOU TOUCH THE ACCUSED!"<br /><br />The little trashcan robot turns and fires a laser at Greta. "Exterrrrrrrminate." From above, strange flying things swoop down to try and overtake Greta. From the sides, dozens of figures in striped white-and-black jumpsuits begin an awkward rush towards the girl, devices slowly levering out of their arms and hands and fingers like razors and saws and other horrible things.<br /><br />The time for talking is over. The Witch has noticed them, and its familiars are no longer going to ignore them.

:'''{{#var:8|Madoka Kaname| (8)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Madoka is helplessly crying on her hands and knees. The look in Homura's eyes tell her everything she needs to know about her honesty. But she was never questioning that. No, instead she's questioning reality itself. In this moment it's more than she can bear. It was bad enough when she realized a Puella's very soul was darkening with magic expenditure, but the darkness filling it turning it into a grief seed, killing them and transforming them into a witch? That's just too much.<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"This is horrible..." she whines, fingers digging at the ground, lifting her head only to see Greta lifting Homura in the air. She wants to call out to her that she has it wrong but can't find her voice. She'd hate herself for it, except Homura proves capable of stating the truth as it stands in order to defend herself.<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Her mind is reeling, not only caught up in her own suffering at the loss of a new friend and the knowledge of what actually became of her, but at the torment of everyone else around her as well. Homura has gone cold again, but Madoka can still see her pain. Greta is in shocked disbelief and is freaking out running after the body of her dead friend. Sayaka, who had run off to fight the witch, accepted the truth and ran to the one person she can find comfort in. And then there's Mami, who is blaming herself and Homura.<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Each one of them is suffering terribly right now and it hurts Madoka so badly that for several long moments all she can do is squeeze her eyes shut and cry. Even when Homura is caught up in Mami's ribbons she has no control over herself. "This is too cruel! How can this happen? How can this even be possible?" She mumbles to herself, voice tight and cracking.<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;'Such a waste.'<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;That warm sounding but emotionally dead voice. The voice of the one who did this to all her friends. Madoka gasps when she hears it, turning her head towards the source. And then she follows beady red eyes and gasps again.<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Madoka trembles in place, somehow shocked even further into silence as she realizes what Mami is about to do. For a heartbeat her mind completely stops, the girl noticing nothing around her but the sight of Mami Tomoe with a ribbonmade rifle held to her soulgem, reflected in soft pink eyes.<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Noooooo!" Her voice is a screech, and she pushes herself up and charges forward in a single motion. Sprinting is perhaps the one athletic ability Madoka is actually legitimately good at and now she's running faster than she ever had before.<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She doesn't bother trying to slow down, crashing into Mami at full speed, though with a henshin it's likely to do little more than bump her. One hand reaches up, trying to shove the barrel of the gun away, while the other swings up, even the shorter Madoka crashes into her chest, to deliver a stinging slap right across her face, as hard as she can deliver it.<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It might even break her wrist if Mami holds firm, but right now Madoka doesn't care. "Mami-san NO!" she cries, shaking her head violently back and forth. Once the shove and the slap are delivered her arms wrap around the blonde Puella and pull her into a fiercely tight hug. "You can't do that! That won't solve anything. We /NEED/ you Mami-san! This is already horrible enough without losing you too! We've already lost so many friends! I just lost Anshi-chan! How can I lose Mami-san too? Please, please don't do that!"<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The strength melts away and now Mami has bawling teenager clinging to her, "We can't do anything about what's already happened. We can't change the past. Not even Homura-chan can do that anymore. All we can do is keep moving forward and trying to make things better, and that is NOT the way to do it!"<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She looks up to Mami, then, face completely stained with tears that run fast down her cheeks, "Please don't. Please don't leave me too..."

:'''{{#var:78|Puella Magi Kyouko| (78)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kyouko has no idea what's going on. Well, she's pretty clear on the Witch part, but.. Mami is crying on her knees and Homura is getting hoisted by everybody and Sayaka is running at her, also crying?! Before Kyouko can even really register what's going on Sayaka is hugging her and sniffling at her.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"W-whoa, hey, what's going on?" Kyouko asks, nearly knocked over because she's so unsteady on her feet to begin with, but keeping her feet thanks to her spear acting as a crutch. After a moment she wraps her arms back around Sayaka, her brows drawn together and her face concerned as she tries to look into the other girl's face. "What's the matter, Saya-chan? What happened?"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Before she can get a clear answer though, she sees over Sayaka's shoulder as Mami tries to turn her gun on herself.. and then suddenly Madoka tackles the other girl to the ground before she can. Kyouko scowls slightly. "What the hell is going on?" She repeats.. only to suddenly find all the familiars opening fire on them.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Well, this at least she knows how to deal with. Even if she can barely stand. She keeps one arm around Sayaka, but spins in the same motion, snapping her other arm out. It's the one with her spear. The spear segments, breaking into chunks connected by chain, whipping like a snake in a semi-circle as it slashes through the air, taking out half a dozen of the small flying familiars just before they open fire on Madoka and Mami. "Have you all lost your goddammed minds?!" But even as she says it, she doesn't loosen her hold on Sayaka.

:'''{{#var:55|Greta Legend| (55)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;You know that moment when you're at a club, and every now and then the music inexplicably goes quiet and you can hear someone shouting something awkward. Greta is kind of experiencing that kind of deal. Suddenly all those people and contraptions just go quiet, and stare. Directly at her. Greta is aware of this, and can't help but go, "Uh...." While her Intelligent Device's more hotheaded voice calls out, "<span class=" bold_fg_r bg_n ++ hr">~EVASIVE MANEUVERS, LITTLE LADY!~</span>"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;With just in the nick of time, Greta LEAPS right back off the contraption, just narrowly dodging the firepower leveling on her, and she twirls her staff which turns into a Tomahawk! "You monsters! I'll get Anshi out of there! Let's FLY!" "<span class=" bold_fg_r bg_n ++ hr">~GRETA WING~</span>" A cape manifests on her outfit, and she shoots into the air, flying around to dodge all incoming fire. Until she gets help, though, she's stuck going evasive, rather than on the vengeful attack!

:'''{{#var:23|Homura Akemi| (23)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Homura doesn't even respond to Sayaka. She used to the accusations by now, and it doesn't even matter at this point. Besides, once Sayaka's tears start falling, it becomes clear that her words got through anyways. No point in saying anything else.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Homura is released by Greta only to be ribboned by Mami. It's here that she wakes up and starts to panic, shouting, "No! Mami! Don't do anything a member of Virtue shouldn't do! Listen-"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But then Homura sees her hands, without guns, and she's... calmer. What's going on here? Maybe Mami just hasn't decided to strike yet. There's still time... still time to talk her out of it.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It's only after she calms down that she starts really hearing what Mami is saying.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Given up?<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"... yeah that's right. I've given up. Do you have any idea how hard it was to even just save one person? Saving all of you was impossible. Especially both you and Kyouko, who contracted long before my timeloop began."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Either we die as Puella, or we live long enough to see ourselves become Witches. Since Witches get hunted down, well... we die either way don't we? There's nothing that will ever turn a Witch back into a Puella Magi. It's hopeless."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Homura's tone is soft, subdued. Her words are harsh, but spoken through the voice of a very tired girl. "I did the best I could. Maybe it wasn't good enough. Fine. Whatever. You all just rushed headfirst into your own deaths, every single time, and every time I tried to stop it you'd just spit in my face and try to kill me. So yeah. Pretty much just screw all of you."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Homura pauses for a moment, and then mutters. It's the kind of thing she would never say if she was thinking clearly. But she clearly isn't. "Why would I ever tell you? You're the one who flips out and kills everyone. You're still the murderous little psycho from those previous timelines. Just because you haven't done it yet doesn't change the fact that you would. "<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Except that this Mami clearly wouldn't... because she doesn't. Instead of turning on the others, she releases Homura, turns around, and puts her gun to her... own Soul Gem? "Wait! No! WAIT!"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Well... this is it. Homura did have a plan for dealing with Mami Tomoe, and now it's time to put that into action. She expected to get it done before Mami ribboned her, and she also expected to be saving... anyone other than Mami Tomoe. She doesn't like it, but she's probably the only one with the strength and foreknowledge to pull it off...<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Except that Madoka has the same idea, even without foreknowledge. If Homura ever wanted justification for loving her, this is would be it. Well, what Madoka had the strength to start, Homura is going to ensure finishes.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She's suddenly behind Mami's back, Soul Gem glowing to put just a little more strength into Homura's arms. She spreads her arms, catching Mami in what might look like a hug... but it's the kind of 'hug' that pins Mami's arms to her sides, and while Mami could certainly fight against her and break free, it'd be a struggle of veteran vs. veteran.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Even if the hold doesn't last, it should give Homura enough time to speak her piece.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Mami-san! Stop! It's not like that at all. What about what happened yesterday? Didn't you help save an entire city? Because I'm pretty sure I saw that! Your life still has meaning, Mami Tomoe! Or do you plan on leaving me to fight that battle alone? If Walpurgisnacht comes again, and you aren't around to help, do you really think it'll go as well? Do you really think we'd still have a city?"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Because I have ''tried'' to do this without you alive. I have '''tried over and over'''. It '''could not be done'''!"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The familiars charging in on them are seemingly ignored. Seemingly. The sudden explosive traps that go off around the three of them betray the fact that, yes, Homura did put some thought to her own defence before commiting to this.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;No, the explosives aren't close enough to hurt the two Puella and they especially aren't close enough to hurt Madoka. Homu knows how to shape her charges.

:'''{{#var:7|Sayaka Miki| (7)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sayaka is overcome with a range of emotions: Confusion, sadness, anxiety, fear..It's overwhelming, and time just seems to have stopped for her. It's only when Kyouko comforts her, that she is able to focus a little. "Is it true? Are all Puella fated to be...Witches? Why didn't Kyubey say......?"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Stop being weak, Sayaka! She silently chides herself. This isn't what it means to be a hero! There's a witch out there, and innocents - Madoka at least, is helpless! When Greta touches the casket, that's when the familiars come out. No..Not now. She cant fight like this.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But she must. She cannot be weak!<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;With a yell, Sayaka lets go of Kyouko, rushing at the familiars hacking and slashing blindly at anything that moves. She pauses only briefly next to Mami, getting ready to support Madoka, except that Homura gets there first. Homura is given a cold look, but Sayaka just doesnt have the words for her now. She will deal with HER later! But right now, they have a witch and familiars to fight!<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Get ahold of yourself, Mami-san! We have a witch to fight! Don't throw your life away so soon!" Her eyes are still blurry, but the sadness she felt is quickly replaced by anger, focus. If she can just focus on killing these familiars and the witch, she can forget about everything that Homura said.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She'll deal with the impact of Homura's words later..

:'''{{#var:9|Mami Tomoe| (9)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Mami just flat out wasn't prepared for anyone to stop her, much less stop her by engaging her by tackling her and slapping her across the face. It stings. That's her first thought. It stings. The slap stings. The tears in her eyes sting. Her gun is knocked free, and fades into a glowing pop of yellow light and flower motifs. And Madoka is wrapped around her.<br /><br />"You don't understand, Kaname-san." Mami says, her voice still breaking a bit as she sniffles. And she's pushing Madoka away - which would be a lot easier if she wasn't exhausted, if she wasn't emotionally torn apart. She just about gets herself pulled free of Madoka when Homura's there.<br /><br />"Akemi-san!" she says, trying to wrestle. The two of them are both exhausted from yesterday, but Mami's heart is perhaps even more broken than Homura's today, and she doesn't succeed. And that means she's forced to listen to her. "I saved a city. I doomed too many." she says, quietly. "Don't you understand!?" she asks. "I'm a monster too, you said it yourself. All I've done to protect people - and aren't I going to turn into something like this, too?" she asks, looking at the labrynth. "Aren't you??? Sakura-san and Miki-san? What's the point if we all become the same monsters we hunt?!"<br /><br />Mami's just running on fumes at this point and she just sinks back down. The terror of the moment is still real, but she's so tired. "And now I have to kill Anshi, don't I? Because she's a witch. All of the witches I've killed, they were just magical girls like us once." she says. "Maybe you're right and we've done a lot of good. But... you've been trying to stop girls from becoming Puella Magi. And I haven't. I didn't know. But I still haven't been." she says, her voice very small now. Explosions go off, and it almost seems like Mami's unphased. "What else don't I know, Akemi-san?"

:'''{{#var:129|Sachiko Hayakawa| (129)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>The prison-striped petitioners explode into a variety of gears and cogs and wheels, as Homura's shaped charges all leave their mark. Kyouko's snake-like spear destroys a horseless carriage bearing down on her, but the driver just keeps right on streaking towards her, turning into a drillbit aiming straight for her heart. Sayaka manages to chop apart a quartet of table-lamps that turn their brilliant light on her, before they can quite burn her.<br /><br />But the bearer--that spider-like monster with Anshi's corpse on its back and a gilded cage on its top, continues trundling along the way to its destination. The procession will not be stopped.<br /><br />The trash-can shaped familiar lances beam after beam after Greta, but the magical girl is faster than its aim. Not one of them hits, but they're all so painfully close.<br /><br />In the distance, the destination of the spider-like creature becomes clear: a towering stage, on which stands a dark figure wrapped in black robes, with a white plague mask on its face, the beak long and sharp. Brass goggles are on the eyes of the mask, and a multitude of brass tools for tinkering on its belt. And in its hand, a tall staff of brass, with a gleaming apricot-hued glass axehead at its tip. The Tinkerwitch awaits, patient for the accused to reach the chopping block it stands beside.

:'''{{#var:78|Puella Magi Kyouko| (78)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kyouko is close enough now to hear what Homura is saying, as she responds to Mami. About how all Puella are fated to be Witches. About how we die either way, and about how it's hopeless. While hugging Sayaka, comforting her (and spearing Familiars at the same time because Kyouko is that kinda badass) she hears these, and she puts it together.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It's really not much of a stretch. Kyouko's been around a long time- she knows /something/ bad happens when your Soul Gem turns black. She knows there's some kind of symbiotic relationship between Witches and Puella. It all falls into place as Homura speaks- Puella become Witches. And then get hunted by other Puella. It makes perfect sense.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But Kyouko doesn't cry. She doesn't even feel sad, or depressed. She just scowls. And then, as Sayaka peels away and sets about destroying the Familiars (Kyouko lets her go easily, seeing her determined face), the redhead stalks up to where Homura holds Mami. Or, she tries to stalk- it's a bit wobbly.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"What the hell is wrong with you, Homura?" She snaps, her face reddening slightly, though with anger this time. It's not for the reason one might assume, though, as she continues, "It's hopeless? Screw all of /us/? Just because we'll probably all day get turned into Witches and hunted down?"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She turns her head and spits on the ground. "Pah! This changes nothing! Nothing! I dunno what crazy world you been livin' in, but I got news for ya. /Everybody/ dies. Sure, we're gonna die. Normal humans die too. So do Mages, and Pretty Cures, and everybody else! You signed up for a dangerous job, you accept that you ain't gonna live to a ripe old age. Hell, I'm surprised to still be alive /today/. Just cause we're all doomed don't mean you gotta get all effin' mopey about it!"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"You gave up on savin' me? When the hell did I ever ask for your help? And anyway, all this shit about Puella turning into Witches? How does that change a damned thing? If anything, it gives us /more/ reason to hunt Witches. I know when I go, I would want you to take me out post-haste before I do too much damage, right? It's like doin' a service for your fallen comrades- it makes the hunt even more important."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Besides, who says its inevitable? Keep huntin' Witches, keep yourself in Grief Seeds, and keep livin'. That's sure as hell what I intend to do. And I'll make sure there's a bunch of people who know just what to do with me if I ever do... die. Turn. Whatever. But I ain't gonna mope around about it now, because what's the point of that? I can't take back my wish, even if I wanted to, and this sure as hell doesn't make me want to any more than I already do."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She's shouting, and her face is red, but it's not incoherent screaming or anything. Kyouko is laying out her thoughts in plain, simple terms, and the force with which she speaks goes to show how much she means it. "You know what I'm gonna do? I'm gonna do exactly what I was doin'. I'm gonna keep hunting Witches down and I'm gonna feel /better/ about it now, knowing I'm putting a comrade out of her misery every time I kill one. And I'm gonna hope that someone will do the same for me someday, but in the meantime I'm gonna keep trying to do what I can to make the world a better place, because Sayaka and Mamoru and Usagi showed me that there's still stuff in this world worth protecting for as long as I've got to protect it!"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And then her eyes turn to Mami, and she sneers. "And you, Mami Tomoe. Sack the /fuck/ up. I will not have you take the coward's way out just because you can't handle the fact that the world is a shitty place. So you encouraged a few girls to wish. Boo goddamned hoo! If they saved a dozen lives while they were Puella, and knowing you they probably did, the balance is more than paid and most of them are probably happier to have made a difference! So instead of crying about how unfair it all is, why don't you just decide, knowing now what it really means, to /do better?!/" Kyouko screams these last words, because they're really directed at herself.

:'''{{#var:78|Puella Magi Kyouko| (78)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then she stops, breathing heavily, flushed and hyperventilating.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then she crumples into a heap on the cobblestones, totally out cold.

:'''{{#var:8|Madoka Kaname| (8)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;''You're still the murderous little psycho from those previous timelines.'<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Madoka turns her head towards Homura and gives her a look. It starts as a sharp, 'Not. Helping.' look, but it slowly melts into one that says, 'Really? 'Screw all of you'? Is that really how you feel?' It's not really the compassion that's usually there in Madoka's eyes. This time it's a profound sadness that right now Madoka is unable to cope with. Maybe later, but right now her heart is already full to the brim with everything else she's also seen.<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Mami tells her she doesn't understand, and now those pink eyes turn to meet yellow. She doesn't turn away or look away. She doesn't act sad and chastened. She looks hurt.<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Mami-san... how can you say that? How can you say that I don't know when I've been following you all around? I've been here for almost everything, I've seen almost everything. Just because I can't fight doesn't mean I'm not helping. Every time one of you gets hurt, or gets sad I'm there, seeing my friend hurt and crying. You don't really think it hurts me any less to see a friend die, do you? You don't actually mean that, right?"<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Most of it is intended to try to break through to Mami, to see that she's being unreasonable. But there is a part of her that is wounded by the accusation. She's been trying hard, for months even, to help without fighting. She'd thought she had finally found the way how, but now doubt creeps back into her mind. Was it wrong of her? Was she just 'playing' at magical girl, not fighting along side them but sharing in their victories and losses?<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She doesn't want to think so but lingering doubt has been a part of who Madoka is for so long that it isn't hard for it to begin to take root once more, like an invasive weed.<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Homura prevents Mami from really being able to push Madoka away physically, but she's said what she wanted to say. If Mami really doesn't want her help, she'll let her be.<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Maybe Kyouko's rant will get through? Madoka hope's so.

:'''{{#var:55|Greta Legend| (55)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Oh good! Not everything is entirely focused on trying to kill her anymore! Now Greta only has to deal with the trash-can thing, and there's a moment as she zips around the labarynth, in order to dodge laser fire, before she calls out, "You're not going to keep me away, you Doctor Who reject!" She's English, she notices the similarity!<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She twirls her axe, and boosts herself into the air, hopping to a wall, and then uses that to ricochet about, and give the contraption a hard target, before suddenly Bolting right towards the thing, "TAKE THIS!!" She winds up her axe, which the debice makes even BIGGER, and she lets out a feral cry, SWINGING the massive magic tomahawk at the trashcan and aiming to cleave it right down the middle and fly past it while doing so.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"NO MORE DELAYS!" She hopes that's enough, because she wants to take the Tinkerwitch on.

:'''{{#var:23|Homura Akemi| (23)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;What else does Mami not know? Homura actually doesn't have much of an answer.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"How can I answer that? How can I tell you about Oriko, or Suzune? How can I tell you about people who might not even exist in this timeline? There's a ton you don't know... but probably the most ''relevant'' thing is the why."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Homura pauses, keeping Mami trapped in her arms. She buries her face into Mami's back. She really doesn't want to face the world and the Labyrinth right now. "Kyubey's doing this because it helps him save the universe. In our universe we have something like entropy. I forget the exact way he says it, but the concept of entropy means that the amount of energy in the universe constantly decreases. If left alone, eventually all the energy in the universe will run out. The process that a Puella Magi undergoes while Witching unleashes a huge amount of energy, enough to help counteract entropy."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"He's... too cold and heartless to realize how terrible this is. He thinks he's giving us a fair deal in exchange for our souls. He doesn't have any emotions, and that's why he comes to us, because it's our emotions that fuel the magic he needs. He greases the wheels of the universe with the blood of Puella Magi."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Homura's purple eyes stray towards the familiars battling around them, but her focus remains on Mami. She has to talk this out. "So what? So what if we're monsters? What's so great about being human anyways? We may not be human anymore, but we're still ''people''. If you or I turn into a Witch, well... I'm sure Kyouko or Sayaka or someone else could handle that. You want to save people, don't you? There's a lot of people you can still save. There's a lot we can do."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kyouko actually pulls her attention away from Mami for a moment. "Yeah that's right. You don't want my help, and that's exactly why I don't bother giving it." Still... something Kyouko says does... change her tone a little. "... same to you. If I become a Witch, I expect you to be there."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She doesn't interfere with anything else Kyouko says, because it's the kind of thing that Mami needs to hear, even if most of it is aimed at Homura.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Well, one minor correction. "Actually. Not ''all'' Witches come from Puella Magi. Some of them come from Familiars that break loose. I mean... people already knew that. I'm just reminding."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It's probably a good thing that Homura can't see the way Madoka is looking at her.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Meanwhile the Witch fight happens around them... but she's not letting go of Mami unless she's reasonably sure she wont kill herself.

:'''{{#var:7|Sayaka Miki| (7)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sayaka continues to silently strike through the hordes of cogs and clockworks and other steampunk themed creatures that advance upon them. While most of the Puella are locked in a hopeless argument with Homura, Sayaka takes out her anger and frustration and pain on the familiars, spinning her swords around, unleashing typhoons around her spinning blades to cut through whole swathes of familiars.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But it's the witch she's really after. Tears continue to swell in her eyes, pausing only briefly as she hears Kyouko's words. It gives her some hope, even as the realization had filled her with dread. But can she do it?<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Shaking her head, she steps towards the witch, smiling sadly at the axehead that was once Anshi's soulgem. "I'm so sorry, Anshi-san..We never even got to be friends. Now I have to kill you..Being a Puella sure sucks..How wrong I was!" She's laughing and crying now as she swings out her sword, extending it into a massive chain whip, unleashing a devastating wave of blue energy upon the witch.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sayaka is vaguely aware of the conversation between the Puella. Painful emotions and more painful words intermixed from what Mami, Homura and Madoka says. It's only Kyouko who ever makes any sense to her in the end. And then, she collapses again. Aww crud. Kyouko's gone and knocked herself out again. Guess she'll have to deal with that AGAIN, when this is all over.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"C'mon you guys! This isnt the time for talking! Do you really wanna die tonight!?" she's pretty sure that for some, that might be a 'yes', but with Madoka defenseless, and Kyouko passed out..Sayaka will at least continue fighting to protect them, even if her own life no longer means anything to her.

:'''{{#var:9|Mami Tomoe| (9)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Mami's just shaking. It's unclear what it is that makes her STOP shaking, though. Is it Homura, Kyouko, Madoka, Sayaka? The reality is, it's probably all four of them. It might be easy to ignore one of them, two of them. But all of the voices, all at once, everyone telling her that continuing isn't in vain - that she can save more people - and, in a strange way, that they won't allow her to hurt people when it comes time for her to... end up this way.<br /><br />There's a lot of strength around her, and Mami is, for a moment, aware of the fact that she's the weak one. And somewhere it clicks.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;This isn't how a sempai should act.<br /><br />Mami suddenly breaks out of Homura's grasp. Like Homura's strength was just a velcro latch. There's almost a slight glimmer around her, a shine on her soulgem in her her hairclip.<br /><br />"Anshi wouldn't want to hurt anyone. She wouldn't want things to be like this." she says, creating a rifle in her hand. "You're all right. We still have things to do, here. We still have a witch to kill. We have a comrade who wouldn't want to be that thing on the ridge. Lets get this handled before we worry about ourselves. Because..."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Because we're still magical girls."<br /><br />And then Mami's tearing forward, like she's not exhausted at all, creating rifles out of all the ribbons on her outfit, blasting everything she can with pinpoint accuracy, making headway to catch up with Greta and Sayaka. "Maybe after this I'll go for a walk in the park!"

:'''{{#var:129|Sachiko Hayakawa| (129)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>The little wanna-be Dalek doesn't stand a chance. Greta's blast tears the trash-can familiar in half, and then it explodes.<br /><br />Meanwhile, the eight-legged hearse/prison-wagon reaches the stage, and the witch reaches out with a gloved hand to lift the cage full of apricots. The cage is placed on the headman's block, and the witch wiggles its fingers almost excitedly. Reaching down into a pouch on its belt, it pulls out a patchwork doll with twin-tails, and places it atop the cage.<br /><br />Sayaka's blast, however, interrupts the witch's actions. That wave of blue energy rolls over the witch, which rocks back from the assault. The plague doctor turns its head, and those goggles take a few moments to foucs in on Sakura. But oh how they focus.<br /><br />The witch tilts its head at her, then whirls its own brass and apricot axe and swings it in Sayaka's direction, sending a matching wave of coloured energy towards the Puella Magi.

:'''{{#var:78|Puella Magi Kyouko| (78)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kyouko just lays unconscious on the road like a piece of the scenery. Hopefully Sayaka will remember to drag her ass back to bed later, cause Mami and Homura probably would just let her lie there until she gets impounded by the city.

:'''{{#var:8|Madoka Kaname| (8)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Madoka breaks free of Mami and backs away. Their words seem to have broken through to her and that, at least, is some weight off of Madoka's heart. It is quickly replaced as Homura's words break through her mind and she begins to understand them.<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;'He greases the wheels of the universe with the blood of Puella Magi.' Almost silently, her back turned to all the others, Madoka gags. She stands there for a moment, hair covering her eyes, and then gets moving.<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;So far as she can tell there are two orders of business: destroying the witch that once was Anshi, and protecting Kyouko, who is suddenly even more helpless than Madoka herself. The pink haired girl has no magic to help with the former, as Mami just reminded her, so she instead rushes over to Kyouko's side. She isn't strong, but her meager limbs will have to do, bending down and sliding one arm under her back just below while the other goes under her knees, Madoka straining to lift her up into the Princess Carry she's seen(and experienced) several times now. The question is: where does she carry her to? Where is the safest spot right now?<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Away from the people doing the stabbing and shooting, probably.

:'''{{#var:55|Greta Legend| (55)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There was nothing stopping Greta now! All she had to do was destroy the witch, and this would all be over. There had to be a way to undo all the damage, and Anshi would be back to normal! The Denial and Anger stages of grief seem to be meshed into a single massive stage, so she'll probably get to bargaining at some point.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She drops to the darts to the side and out of the way of that massive axe-slash by the Witch, and growls in anger, "You... All we have to do is vanquish you, and Anshi will be fine again! I'LL FREE YOU, ANSHI!"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;With that, she twirls her axe-device towards the witch, and cries out, "TRI SOUL! FIRE IT UP!" The three voices for the first time say something in unison, as the axe-head shifts into a form of laser barrel form, "<span class=" bold_fg_g bg_n ++ hg">&lt;GRETA BEAM!&gt;</span>" A green energy gathers in the device, charging up massively, as Greta points at the witch, "FIIIRE!!!"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;With that declaration, a single massive energy shot fires off from device, blasting at the Tinkerwitch, as Greta screams, "RETURN TO THE DARKNESS!!" Something she normally shouts at the beasts she normally hunts.

:'''{{#var:23|Homura Akemi| (23)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Mami breaks free of Homura's arms... and Homura just doesn't have the strength to fight back. Not anymore. If what they said wasn't enough to get through, then there's nothing left to say. Once Mami is gone, Homura falls to her knees, looking down at the ground, the top of her face cast in shadow. Her head turns slightly towards the Executioner Witch. Yeah... that thing will drop a Grief Seed, right? She needs those...<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;''Who cares?''<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It's a bit hypocritical, after everything she just told Mami... but then, didn't she just try to save someone she herself admitted that she had given up on? Homura was full of hypocrisies. One more wouldn't hurt.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She glances towards the knocked out Kyouko, the cold frown on her face becoming an impish smile. She reaches into her shield, starting to pull out a sharpie. How would Kyouko look with a moustache, she wonders? Maybe some silly spirals on her cheeks? Stars on her forehead?<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then she stops. Madoka is here. Not only that, but she's actually helping Kyouko. What would she think if Homura just started pranking Kyouko while there was a Witch to fight?<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;What is Homura even doing? She should be fighting the Witch with the others. How ridiculous she is, just sitting around and moping after telling Mami to stand up and soldier on. She gets up to her feet. She pulls out one of her handguns, and begins slowly walking towards Josepha. Against a target that big, she can probably hit it from this distance. She aims and just starts shooting. With 3 other Puella Magi here, it's unlikely they'd want to share with Homura, and she really doesn't want to fight with them over it. She's only putting in a token effort, and keeping back so she doesn't waste magic by getting herself hurt.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She keeps one eye on Madoka, noting where she goes. Well, she should be safe, provided that the other Puella Magi can hold the Witch's attention.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then she feels a tinge of guilt for being so half-hearted about it. So she pulls out a single RPG, aimes it up at Josepha, and fires. There. You got one good boom. Homura hopes you're happy.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She's starting to feel sick, and literally cannot get out of here fast enough. She blinks at Greta, but she doesn't say a word. She already said it once.

:'''{{#var:7|Sayaka Miki| (7)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Out of the corner of her eye, Sayaka sees that Mami has joined the fight. She smiles weakly, "Thanks, Mami-san! I knew I could count on you.." She's still aware of an unconscious Kyouko on the ground somewhere, and when familiars start puddling around her, it's enough of a distraction for her to not notice the blast of energy headed towards her, as she turns around instead, to hurl a multitude of swords at the familiars that dare to get too close to Kyouko.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Leave her alone!" she snarls, then yelps in pain as the Witch's counter attack strikes her in the back, slamming her into a nearby building.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Ugh!!!" cerulean eyes flash angrily at the witch, staggering to her feet, her wounds already rapidly healing. And for a moment, the look in Sayaka's eyes is pure insanity as she rushes at it again, "I'll destroy you, witch!!" yes, maybe she can dull the physical and emotional pain, just focus on the battle. Maybe she can survive her fate that way..<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sayaka enters a berserker state then, rushing madly, blindly at the witch, dancing and twirling around the witch, slashing and slicing at it from every angle, her twin blades whistling and singing on the wind with a new ferocity. No doubt, Homura at least, may remember when Sayaka started down this branch..

:'''{{#var:9|Mami Tomoe| (9)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Mami is clearing the way of Familiars, and sees the witch up ahead. After Walpurgisnacht, and the emotional beating she just took, one solitary goofy looking plague doctor witch is pretty minimal - and with most of the familiars out of the way and so much firepower headed in, Mami just decides the best thing to do is join with it, and give Anshi-san the honor of a swift death, before her witch form can cause any trouble.<br /><br />After all, much like Mami, Anshi was a part of the defeat of one of the greatest monsters to ever menace Tokyo - and that's how she should be remembered, not as this creature. The sooner it's gone, the sooner Mami can remember the happy, smiling, excitable girl she knows. Mami generates what looks like a massive single shot pistol, several times larger than the girl herself, and winks as she fires it.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;TIRO! FINALE!

:'''{{#var:129|Sachiko Hayakawa| (129)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Greta's beam strikes the witch full on in the chest, and sends it reeling backwards. But Sayaka is already there, following up with a berserker fit that the tinkerwitch has no time to react to. Bullets strike the figure everywhere, and an RPG explodes against the mask.<br /><br />But it's that onelast little ribbon of hope that does the witch in.<br /><br />Explosions ripple through Josepha the Tinkerwitch, exploding outwards until the entire labyrinth begins to collapse.<br /><br />The girls find themselves dumped back in the destruciton of Tokyo Harbor. A glowing iron baubble flips into the air, the gem at its core gleaming with purple despair. It strikes the ground between them all, and the little clockwork watch on the butt of the gem ticks one more second before coming to a complete stop.<br /><br />Josepha the Tinkerwitch is no more. Gone too is Anshi Hayakawa. All that remains is a virtue cell phone on the ground: apricot in hue.

:'''{{#var:8|Madoka Kaname| (8)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The magical girls unleash their power, the witch is destroyed, and the Labyrinth collapses. Madoka holds Kyouko carefully in her arms, more worried about her knees growing weak and falling over on top of the redhead than anything else. When reality is finally reasserted Madoka carefully walks over to the bench, the one Anshi was near when she got that fateful phone call, and sets Kyouko down upon it as gently as she can manage, dropping to a kneeling position.<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Because she's trained to do so she looks her over for injuries, slowly, carefully. Finally she stands back up. "She should be fine. I think she just pushed herself too hard before she was recovered from before." Madoka's voice is quiet. Dull, even. It doesn't have the cheer it usually might, or any sign of sadness. That in itself might mean something, but right now Madoka is doing absolutely nothing to call attention to herself as she walks slowly away from the unconscious Puella.

:'''{{#var:55|Greta Legend| (55)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Labarynth collapses, and the world returns to normal around Greta, and it takes a moment for her to catch her breath. Her Intelligent Device, Tri Soul, opening up its vents and releases all the built up steam from the use of magic, and Greta slumps over, propping herself on the device, and catching her breath.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She finally looks up and around, searching for Anshi's body. "Anshi...? Anshi, where...?" She takes a few steps before spotting two things in the center if it all. She walks over to the objects and stoops to the ground, reaching for the dark gem, and then Anshi's phone. "No... That's not right... We beat the witch, she should have come back..." She sniffles and holds the phone close. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;If she's the first to get to the Grief Seed, she also would hold onto that tightly.

:'''{{#var:23|Homura Akemi| (23)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Oh? So the battle's over now? Fine. Now Homura can go home. She turns away from the Grief Seed and whatever battle happens as a result of it. Yes, she doesn't have any right now, and yes she does kindof need one. However, she did recently top off and she also conserved her magic in this fight. She has enough to take on another Witch if she manages to find one by herself.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Her eyes go towards Madoka... She walks up to her, turns her gaze away, and mutters, "... sorry..." She knows she said some things she probably shouldn't have... but even the stuff she shouldn't have said still came from the heart. "... and thanks for looking out for kyouko..."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She stands still, quiet and despondent, before she turns away. "... I need to go gather up my stuff."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Homura walks over to the spot near the bench where hse had dumped out a lot of stuff in a desperate search for a Grief Seed. She starts gathering it into a pile, and starts shoving that pile into her shield. She wonders if anyone will approach her right now... Hopefully they'll be distracted by something else.

:'''{{#var:7|Sayaka Miki| (7)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;So that's it, another witch defeated..Only this time, Sayaka is not full of the usual joy at defeating another evil. Instead that joy and triumph is replaced by..Emptiness. Eyes stare blankly at Madoka and Kyouko, picking up the unconscious Kyouko with a soft sigh. She too, glances around for Anshi, to see if she really was the witch. But she doesn't see her anywhere.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She glances sadly at Madoka once more as she walks away. "Goodbye, Madoka-chan.." The way she says that suggests she might try something crazy next time.

:'''{{#var:9|Mami Tomoe| (9)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>With the Witch destroyed, and Anshi... laid to rest, as Mami chooses to think of it... this place is now far sadder to her than it once was. She knows what it all means, and yet she's very quiet. "I think... I think I'm going to go for that walk in the park now." she says, her head still hung a bit low.<br /><br />But then she thinks better of that. "No, Runealy-san would be worried if she got back and I wasn't there." she says to herself. "I'll just go back."<br /><br />Then she turns and looks as Greta retrieves the grief seed, and sighs. She walks over to her. "I'm sorry, Miss. I don't know your name, but I gather Anshi-san was very important to you." she says, quietly. And what she's about to say leaves her with a bit of a bitter taste in her mouth. "But... if you hang onto that thing... it'll just hatch again. And when it does, it might hurt people again. And I don't think Anshi-san would want that to happen. Only Puella Magi can handle grief seeds like this."

:'''{{#var:8|Madoka Kaname| (8)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Madoka pauses as Homura walks up to her. Homura averts her gaze but the gesture is unnecessary; Madoka doesn't turn to look at her. She hears her, judging by the fact she stopped walking and that her head angles downward.<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A few moments later she gives a nod and a quiet affirmative noise without really speaking, followed by another as Homura excuses herself.<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;One last nod is given to Sayaka, whom she also doesn't look at. And then she resumes walking off in the direction of her own home, unless someone stops her.

:'''{{#var:55|Greta Legend| (55)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Greta has been sitting there for a few minutes now, clutching onto both the phone and the Grief Seed, ready to hang to it for as long as it took, when suddenly a familier voice from above her. She blinks and looks up, rubbing her eyes dry, and realizes that it's one of the other girls... "You're... Tomoe-san, right? I got you on the phone... I'm... Greta. Greta Legend." For the first time introducing herself to this bunch of people she met in passing the other day. That phone call seemed so long ago.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Greta finally pushes herself back up to her feet, listening to the explanation, and's all she could do now to not snap into another rage. "You... The only reason you need this is because it keeps you going..." She glares to Homura in contempt, and then at Mami, "This isn't right... There should be a better way to deal with this Witch problem... If Witches are just Puellas that lose it, then you need to recruit more, right? And then they fight, and then they lose it... It's a pointless cycle---Why even IS this neccessary?" She's still trying to make sense of everything.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She growls before holding the seed out, and then after a moment of thought withdrawing briefly, "I want to know who's behind this. Who set you guys up to lose. WHO IS IT?"

:'''{{#var:23|Homura Akemi| (23)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Homura scoops up her things, getting the last of them in her shield. She sees Madoka walking away and...<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;... and while she could literally, cold-bloodedly, and with absolute cruelty abandon anyone else on the planet, she really can't just leave Madoka alone. Not... not without saying anything.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Homura stops time to hurry up putting her things away, and then doesn't resume time until she's walking right alongside Madoka. She doesn't stop her, but she does walk next to her.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;... What is she going to say? Sorry doesn't really cover it, and she already said that.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Madoka-chan..." Homura's voice is low. Madoka is close enough to hear it. "... I... I don't..."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;...<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"... Are you going to be okay?"

:'''{{#var:8|Madoka Kaname| (8)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Homura packs up her things quicker than Madoka would have guessed. She thought she could walk away quietly and without being noticed. She doesn't know what to do or say. Normally she does, but right now she feels at a loss for words. Like there's nothing but a hole where those should be. It's not the first time this has happened, of course, and it likely won't be the last either.<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She doesn't acknowledge Homura as she comes up beside her, which is a sign of something, especially given how close they've been recently. Words are spoken. A question is asked. She considers how to respond, and she keeps walking.<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;...she doesn't want to hurt Homura. Right now, that's what she wants the most.<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;So rather than telling the truth, saying what she wants to say, she closes her eyes and turns her face towards Homura while wearing smile, tear stains dried onto her cheeks. "I'll be fine. ...mata ashita!"<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And then she looks away again and speeds up to a jog, but not so quickly that she couldn't be stopped.

:'''{{#var:9|Mami Tomoe| (9)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Right, I'm Tomoe-san. Mami Tomoe." she says, quietly, looking at the girl, in a personal pain as much as any of them are. "I'm the one Anshi-san had you call. I've been doing this longer than anyone else." Well, technically, maybe Homura can claim that title, but Mami doesn't know the extent of her timeloops. "Look, I have a few more seeds. I don't need this one to keep going, specifically. But even if I did - that'd mean Anshi could help more people by keeping me going. That's really the best thing we can do to honor her sacrifice." she says, quietly.<br /><br />She's as much talking to Greta as herself. "Look. I know who's responsible. But fighting him won't do much good." she says, pointing to the white rat on the roofs. "But holding onto this seed could do a lot of bad."

:'''{{#var:23|Homura Akemi| (23)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Tch." Now Homura knows that something's wrong. She literally couldn't care less about anything else right now, but seeing Madoka suffering, not just upset but actually suffering...<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Homura hesitates, for a moment, as Madoka runs away. She doesn't stop her, thinking that this is her own fault, and maybe she deserves the distance she knows she's just created...<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;... but this has never been about Homura. Not to her. This is about Madoka. It might be a crazy way to think, but there should be little doubt remaining in anyone's head that Homura is more than a little broken inside. So she chases after Madoka. Not at her full speed, as the athletic Puella could likely overtake her, but instead she follows after her.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Homura... actually wants there to be some distance between the two of them and this place before she even tries to talk to Madoka.Homura doesn't want to be here either.

:'''{{#var:55|Greta Legend| (55)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;That's ALL the information that Greta needs. She turns her eyes to spot the rat perched up there, and growls as he anger is once again refueled. She might have been angry at Mami and Homura, but they weren't the real reason Anshi was dead. Greta grits her teeth and shoves the Grief Seed into Mami's hands, and tells her, "We'll see about that."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She twirls her staff, as the device shifts into Tomahawk mode once more, and she bolts up into the air, bee-lining it for the cause of her pain right now, growling as she glares at--<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Adorable looking, red eyed, white rabbit-cat thing...<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Wait what..? Even the device is confused. "<span class=" bold_fg_y bg_n ++ hy">/EMPTY SPIRIT DETECTED, MASTER./</span>"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She shakes her head, "You... What the hell are you?"

:'''{{#var:9|Mami Tomoe| (9)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Mami nods as she presses the grief seed into her hand, and Greta turns her attention to Kyubey. This time yesterday, she'd have defended the little strange creature. Today? Well. "Karmic destiny, Kyubey." Mami says as she walks away. She hopes Runealy hasn't worried too much about her while she's been gone. The Veteran and The Princess have a lot to talk about, and much of it will be very sad, she fears.

:'''{{#var:119|Kyubey| (119)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Kyubey looks at Greta, tilts his head, and scratches one of his long ears with a hind leg.<br /><br />"Well, I'm Kyubey." he says, quizzically. "Why does that matter to you? You've got no stake in Puella Magi or Grief Seeds." he asks, a sound of genuine confusion. "I don't try to involve myself in all of the other magical things going on around Tokyo. They are not my concern."

:'''{{#var:55|Greta Legend| (55)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A pretty straight forward answer, to say the least, Greta couldn't argue that. She hefts her axe and growls, "You're the reason my friend is dead... My only friend..." Not going to cry, now isn't the time for that. She continues, "You're as much a monster as any other in this world. All this suffering is your fault!" She huffs, "If it wasn't for your stupid wish, Anshi would be alive right now... She never did tell me what she wished for..." She sniffles and growls, "Give me a reason I shouldn't end you right now!"

:'''{{#var:119|Kyubey| (119)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"No, I'm not." Kyubey says, sitting up. "She's dead because she made a wish. A contract. She knew the terms. She knew the rules better than most girls who make the deal with me. Mami made sure to give her all the information she could. She made a wish and accepted this life in exchange to adjust reality. For a miracle. She knew it would kill her, too. Sooner or later."<br /><br />And then Kyubey stares at Greta. "Because killing me wouldn't do any good. This body is just a shell, much like Anshi-san's body was. I have many spares. It wouldn't even mildly inconvience me. It would, however, be a waste of resources, and I just cannot condone that."

:'''{{#var:55|Greta Legend| (55)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"It would certainly make me feel better..." Greta resentfully growls. She's about ready to swing her axe, but after a moments of consideration, she sighs and lowers the axe. If Kyubey was right, then it would just be a waste of energy on her part, "I suppose you're right... That won't bring her back." She huffs a bit... From Denial and Anger to Bargaining.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There after letting her head clear, she remembers something, and looks back to Kyubey, "What did she wish for? You've got nothing to lose in telling me."

:'''{{#var:119|Kyubey| (119)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"She said 'I wish my dad was free to help me carry this burden'," Kyubey says, calmly. And then he adds. "And see? Now she's entirely unburdened, and her father was already helping her be less burdened even before she became a witch!" Kyubey says happily, rolling over onto his back and sticking his feet in the air, pawing at the sky a bit.

:'''{{#var:55|Greta Legend| (55)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"What... What's that even mean? Free from what?" Greta is not a fan of this Kyubey, no not all all. It's more aggravating than anything to get any information. "What burden? Give me a straight answer you lousy cat-thing!"

:'''{{#var:119|Kyubey| (119)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Well, I didn't ask that. That's not how wishes work. I don't need to know the details." Kyubey says. "But I imagine it was the burden of caring for her little sister, while dealing with her drunkard of a mother. Of course, how she thought her murderous father would take care of it... well, I guess he did the one thing he was good at? But that left poor Sachiko all alone."

:'''{{#var:55|Greta Legend| (55)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And with that last piece of information, everything falls into place. Greta's eyes go wide in the realization of the meaning behind Anshi's last words. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;'Mama's dead. Sachiko's missing. I killed her.'<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Those last words echo in Greta's mind as the horror dawns her her, before her faces twists once more into rage, and she lets out an anguished scream, "YOU MONKEY'S PAW, WISH GRANTING BASTARD!! RAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!" Without even thinking, she grips her axe and swings overhead, aiming to smash the oversized axe-blade right down at Kyubey to split him down the center.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Once she's done that, she breathes heavily, before turning and saying, "Sachiko.... She's still out there... I'll find you, Sachiko-chan!"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She turns and bolts through the sky, planning on commencing her search...
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