692/Getrud's Garden

Getrud's Garden
Date of Scene:	09 December 2015
Location:	Mitakihara - Downtown
Synopsis:	Madoka and Sayaka happen upon a Grief Seed... which hatches into Getrud! Mami to the rescue?
Cast of Characters:	Sayaka Miki, Madoka Kaname, Mami Tomoe

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Mami Tomoe has posed:
It's a crisp, but not chilly, winter day in Mitakihara. Outside of the large sprawning mall in Mitakihara's neon district, people pass by on the sidewalk, unaware of the small black orb, a Grief Seed, sticking into the side of the concrete wall. How could they be - after all, they can't see it.

What some of them do feel is a sense of impending badness, a little bit of sadness. Some of them rush home. A few find reasons to stick around, however, drawn to the fell power incubating within the grief seed.

Atop a rooftop far away, two red eyes watch the scene with intent.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka has been in very good spirits as of late. Though there's been some magical danger things have, to her knowledge, mostly worked out for the best. She's headed to the mall today after school to look for Christmas presents, which is why she hasn't gone with any friends- they're the one she's looking to buy for today!

    She never even makes it into the mall itself however. Instead as she's walking along something catches her eye. "Oh, that's a really neat bike!" Half a second later something -else- catches her eye. "What... what is that?"

    She steps closer to the wall, setting down her bookbag and lifting up on her toes to get a better look at the weird black seed that seems to shine from within. "This is... One of those things Erin-chan used to fight with! But what is it doing here?" She looks around some more, half expecting to see the black haired Puella Magi.

    But Erin isn't here. She frowns slightly, and then with an abundant lack of caution reaches up towards the pointy black egg to try and pluck it from the wall.

Sayaka Miki has posed:
    Sayaka's been thoughtful lately, spending more and more time at the hospital by Kyousuke's side, growing increasingly worried at his state..Would his hands ever heal?

    She was heading for the music store, looking to buy some Christmas presents and try and cheer up Kyousuke - there's always hope, right? However, as she heads to the mall, she feels especially gloomy and sad..What's all this feeling all of a sudden?

    Then suddenly she sees a certain pink-haired girl. Pulling something weird out of a wall!? Taking a double-take she realizes it's none other than..

    "Madoka-chan? What are you doing? What is that thing!?"

Mami Tomoe has posed:
And when Madoka's hand makes contact with the pointy black egg, the reaction speeds up, and suddenly there's a burst of energy. The world grows VERY STRANGE and does so VERY QUICKLY, with the outside area of the mall's side street distorting and twisting and turning. Creating a feeling that's familiar to Madoka...

A Witch's Labrynth. While there are thorns and flowers and overgrown gardens everywhere, it also takes on aspects of the streets around it, and so is also a strange mixture of that and the back streets near the mall, twisting and turning sidewalks, massive walls that seem to loop into nothingness. This labrynth remains true to its name, quickly creating a truly maze-like structure.

And outside, the creature with the beady red eyes simply hops from its perch and goes inside, following the trapped Madoka Kaname, and her friend who was just close enough to be engulfed in the Labrytnth, Sayaka Miki.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    There's a predictable cry of shock as the burst of energy, Madoka's hand pulling back so she can shield her eyes with her forearm, "Ahhhh!" She stumbles away confused as the world spins and distorts around her in an oddly familiar fashion. It's been so long that it almost takes her a moment to realize what this strange world she's suddenly found herself in is.

    Her head suddenly turns to the side, "Sayaka-chan! This..." her voice sounds shaky all of a sudden, "This is a Witch's Labyrinth!" She runs over to Sayaka, trying to stay away from the thorns and vines. "What's a Witch doing here? Why so suddenly?"

    She then gives a little shake of her head, half hugging onto her friend and half trying to take her by the arm, "We have to try and get away. I don't know if we can, but we have to try!" Out of the corner of her eye she sees movement, some kind of strange fluffy creature... with a moustache? When she looks towards it it's gone, seeing just another bush.

    She thinks of something and quickly retrieves her cell phone. "No service..."

Sayaka Miki has posed:
    One moment they're in downtown..The next, the world seems to heave and shake..Suddenly Sayaka and Madoka are alone in some weird bizarro dream world! Sayaka's eyes narrow, running towards Madoka, hugging her briefly with a faint smile - she should be relieved, but now she's worried that she will have to protect both herself and Madoka! Good thing she has her trusty kendo sword with her, which she swiftly pulls out of her bag! She's started to carry it around now in place of that old bat.

    "Madoka..I dunno what's going on here, but..Stay behind me!" She may not be Puella yet, but Sayaka's still determined to protect her friend! "What on earth is going on?!" Did she drink some spiked punch again or what!?

    She grits her teeth, swinging her sword at anything in her path, glancing over at Madoka curiously, "Labrynth? what's....Ohhh, like the one at the hospital that time! A witch caused that? What exactly is a witch then?" Woah, information overload! Seems she needs to take a Puella 101 class!

Mami Tomoe has posed:
For a moment, the Labrynth seems to grow and surge into being with no regard for them - there are small creatures that look like cotton balls with butterflies for legs marching around, and moving twisted flowers around the area. But there's no exits here - anything that might be a way of egress is covered with thorny vines tipped in scissors that lash out anyone nearby.

Which begs the question of how a small, fuzzy, white creature called Kyubey managed to get in. Even still, he runs up to the girls and talks into their minds. "Madoka! Sayaka! This is a Witch's Labrynth, a place that a Witch traps her victims and then devours them. Normal humans can't escape! Both of you need to make a contract with me right now, before the unthinkable happens!"

Outside, Mami Tomoe has been following the pulsing glow of her Soul Gem, and it's lead her just outside. With all of the normal humans either trapped in the labrynth or 'finding reasons' to be nowhere nearby, the area is clear. And she begins channeling magic to force open an entry point.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka nods and steps to the side so she's behind Sayaka as she pulls out her kendo sword. "Okay, Sayaka-chan." She has no idea of the wooden sword will do anything against the Familiar, but... "If we see the Witch, don't try to fight it whatever happens. Someone like you or me can't do anything against a monster like that. Witches are evil creatures that spread terrible emotions and place curses on the world!" It might not be exactly right, but it's the best explanation Madoka can give spur of the moment when afraid.

    Try as she might to help Sayaka guide them out of the Labryth they never seem able to end up anywhere at all. And all around them things are slowly becoming more active. Kyubey arrives and Madoka looks at him with wide eyes, "A contract? Now?! But I'm not ready-"

    She's cut off as one of a pair of scissors snaps past her, trailing vines. She has to jump to the ground to avoid it, having gotten distracted. The vine snags a corner of her jacket and rips it clean off without so much as slowing down as the scissors drag it jerkily along. If that had been her arm...

    "I'm scared, Sayaka-chan," she says in a trembling voice, sitting on the ground.

Sayaka Miki has posed:
    Sayaka blinks as she peers around. "It's so strange, like a dream..But kinda scary! Dont worry, Madoka, I wont let anything happen to you!" Yeah, Sayaka's all big words, even though she knows deep down that she doesn't have the strength to really protect Madoka against a witch, whatever that is!

    Even so, she'll do her best to protect Madoka, just as she has done many times before in the past. "I dont understand, a witch that can create curses? What kinda curses? If we can just find our way out, then we should be okay..Right?"

    Suddenly, Kyubey appears before them, and Sayaka feels somehow relieved to see him there. "Kyubey! Is it really impossible to get out of here? but.."

    But is she really ready to become a Puella just yet? Kyousuke is still waiting for her, can she afford to waste a wish on this? But then glancing at Madoka, Sayaka knows that she must protect another dear friend from befalling a similar fate!

    Suddenly scissors snap at Madoka and Sayaka growls, swinging her sword at the vines, swinging randomly, blindly at anything that comes too close to Madoka. "Madoka-chan, dont worry..It'll be okay, just relax, we'll figure something out. Kyubey, how did you get in here? Cant you just lead us out?"

Mami Tomoe has posed:
Kyubey looks at them. "I can't lead you out. Not alone. I can't move humans through barriers like a magical girl. I don't have that kind of power." he says, plainly. As Kyubey talks, the scissor-tipped vines and the strange Familiars turn, and begin to swarm around Madoka and Sayaka. Chanting in their strange language.

"You have to make the contract now, or..."

Suddenly there's a wave of energy and a burst as one of the labrynth's walls is torn asunder by a bright yellow magic. One of the chomping scissor-vines snaps close to Madoka, and recives a blast from a spherical golden orb, fired from the weapon of one Mami Tomoe.

"Kaname-san, Miki-san?" Mami asks, surprised. "Just a moment." she adds, drawing a suite of guns from the air around her and clearing a space for them to manouver (though they can feel the heat of Mami's explosive rounds detonating near familiars around them, her aim is true and they remain safe.) Only once she's cleared a large space between them does she hop over. "Are you both OK? It's dangerous for you to be in a Labrynth like this!"

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    If this were a less stressful moment Madoka would answer more of Sayaka's questions, but as it is she's too afraid. Sayaka starts swinging her sword around at the scissors and Madoka drags herself closer. "We can't get out, Witches uses these Labyrinths to trap people inside so... so they can eat them!"

    Even Kyubey doesn't have the power to help them escape? Things are really looking bleak, especially as the familiars finally seem to have noticed them and started closing in earnest. More scissors move to snap at her, but suddenly there's an enormous burst of magic and light. At first she's worried this is the doing of the Witch, but then she sees guns and fancy clothes and blonde hairdrills.

    "Mami-san!" Her voice is filled with relief and joy at seeing the elegant Puella. "You're here! Thank goodness. I- I thought we were going to die!" She hasn't picked herself up yet but she looks physically unharmed. Her school jacket is torn up, but the shirt below doesn't look like it was cut.

Sayaka Miki has posed:
    "Ugh! There's too many of them! Madoka-chan, I dunno how much longer I can hold em off..." Sayaka begins swinging her sword around blindly now, feeling overwhelmed as some of the smaller creatures leap on her, tearing at her uniform, snipping at her skirts.

    "Kyubey's right! We have to make a contract, or else....Alright, I wish....."

    Then suddenly Mami Tomoe makes a flashy entrance, blasting through waves of familiars. Sayaka's eyes widen, peering up at the beautifully clad magical girl..Woah...

    "Mami-san? Is that you!?"

    Even as she speaks, Sayaka rushes to Madoka's side, checking over her to ensure she didn't suffer any wounds.

Mami Tomoe has posed:
Mami sighs, running up to them. She's trying to remain her dignified sempai self, but for the moment, she's actually quite concerned, and for a small time, she shows it. "You both really need to be more careful." she admonishes. Oh, the chaos there would be if something bad happened to either of them, or both! Mami looks to the Labrynth around them - but the Witch has also taken notice of the Puella Magi, and notable, the familiars are begining to retreat, rather than continue attacking.

Mami leans down, a burst of guns erupting from her back like wings, drawing them and firing at the familiars in turn as they retreat. Eventually, the Labrynth shudders and the world goes from strange back to reality. Mami looks around - the girls are safe, and the few people the relatively weak witch captured are slowly waking from their stupor.

Mami leans down, looking over both of the girls. "Is everything alright here?" She'll have to back for the witch later. She made a promise to Kyouko Sakura, to protect this girl. Even if that means she'll have to hunt the witch down later on.

Then she notices Kyubey. "Kyubey, why didn't you call me?" Kyubey jumps up, running up to Mami's shoulder. "I didn't realize you were so close by." he says, honestly. "Plus, both of these girls here have the potential to become Puella Magi like you!" he adds, his ears bouncing almost happily as he says it. As if Kyubey could feel happiness, or any other emotion.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    When Sayaka rushes over to her Madoka gives her friend a hug, squeezing her close as if she might never been able to do so again. For a moment there she thought that might be the case.

    She really is fine though, unlikely to even get a bruise from diving to the ground the way she did. "It's okay, I'm alright! Thanks, Sayaka-chan. I can always count on you to look after me can't I?" She pushes off the ground and gets back to her feet, sniffling a bit and taking a pair of deep breaths.

    Pink eyes are set on Mami as the guns appear like angel wings behind her, her shots destroying the familiars with a focused but casual ease. "Wow..."

    The Labyrinth collapses as the Witch runs off, and Madoka clings to Sayaka for another moment as it disorients her. When it's gone she looks around, "The real world? Everything is back to normal?" For once she correctly intuits what happened. "Mami-san, you're amazing! That Witch, you scared it away, didn't you?" Her eyes widen a little, "You can defeat Witches just by being near them."

Sayaka Miki has posed:
    Phew, it's over! At least for now..Sayaka has yet to see a witch, and she's a little scared of the prospect, but the whole ordeal's got her adrenaline running! Madoka might be scared of this kinda life, but oddly enough Sayaka's a bit excited!

    Still, she hugs Madoka, trying to comfort her and calm her down as much as her self. "It's alright, it's over...It's over, right?" She glances over at Mami, beaming.

    "Mami-san! You saved us! Wow, you looked so awesome doing it..So that's a labrynth, huh..And it..Hatched from that egg-thing?" It's a lot to swallow. And those familiars, and the reality warping. "I feel kinda overwhelmed..But..."

    Suddenly her phone rings with a sense of urgency. Picking up her phone, Sayaka listens in a long moment of silence, brows raised in surprise and worry. "Kyousuke! I...I have to go! Madoka-chan, Mami-san...I'll catch up with you guys later!" She calls after them as she hurries off..

Mami Tomoe has posed:
Mami Tomoe watches as the girls come down from the experience. Surely, being trapped in a Labrynth without any powers can be a terrifying experience. Sayaka seems to be handling it well - though she gets a phone call and has to dash, Mami decides she'll catch up with her later. She knows what school she goes to, anyways!

But Madoka's still here, so Mami moves near her, once Sayaka has left. "The witch ran away because it doesn't want to be destroyed." she says, calmly. Deflecting some of the praise (though it does fill her with a sort of visible happiness.) "I'm glad I got here when I did. It's not defeated, just in hiding. Sometime tonight I'll have to start looking for it, so I can make sure it doesn't hurt anyone like it tried to do to you." Mami says, her tone very much all business for a moment.

Kyubey keeps his eyes fixed on Madoka from his perch on Mami's shoulder. "You know, if you contracted, you could help people too, Madoka Kaname."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka blinks in surprise as Madoka says Kyousuke's name after the phone rings. As she runs off she looks after her friend with a bit of worry. Even so she waves, "It's okay, Sayaka-chan! I'll see you tomorrow at school!"

    With that there's nothing left to focus her attention on but Mami and Kyubey, and she steps closer to the blonde Puella. Her intended shopping trip seems to have completely slipped her mind. "It was afraid of you," Madoka says, "I didn't know Witches could be afraid of anything." Before today she'd only faced Witches that were either extremely powerful or under the control of someone else.

    Mami mentions looking for the hiding Witch later tonight, and Kyubey pipes up as she's thinking about something. "Eh?" She fidgets a little and shifts her feet in place. "I know that. I do want to help people, I really do. But I'm not sure yet whether or not I'm willing to live with all the burdens that Magical Girls have to deal with. There also isn't anything I can think of that I'd wish for."

    After another moment she looks off in the distance in the direction of the towering Mitakihara General, where Sayaka ran towards as a matter of fact, and then back to Mami. "Aside from that, there's things I can do to help people right now. I can't save people from monsters like Mami-san... but I can help people. Sometimes even the people that save others!"

Mami Tomoe has posed:
Mami looks to her shoulder at Kyubey. "Give her time. I'm sure she'll make the decision that's right for her. But if you keep butting in like that, you're going to push her away. Boys don't know anything about subtlety!" she adds, grinning as she turns back to Madoka.

"Witches are crafty and they want to stay alive as much as anything else. That way they can spread even more despair." Mami says, the disgust clear in her voice.

"Well, I will say that I think what you do in the hospital is very important, Kaname-san. I just would rather get to people before they're hurt by a witch, rather than tend to them after." She puts a hand to her mouth slightly. "I'm sorry. That didn't come out the way I meant it. What you do there is very important and I'm sure everyone there really appreciates your kind smile." Wether that was an actual slip or not, Mami isn't telling.

"I do think Kyubey is right in that you'd make a fantastic magical girl, Madoka - but I want that to be your decision, not his." Mami adds, reaching over to pet Kyubey.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka giggles and shakes her head, "No they don't." Her eyes briefly look down to her upper chest. Is something there? She does seem to be wearing some kind of necklace.

    She listens to Mami's explanation about Witches wanting to stay alive wit a soft hum, and then smiles slightly as Mami praises her work in the hospital. "It isn't only people hurt by Witches or other monsters. There are people who are sick, or get injured, or just have some problem they were born with that they have to deal with there. But you're right. People there because they were hurt by a Witch," She gives a small shake of her head, "I'd much rather they were never hurt in the first place." If there was an accidental insult in there she doesn't take it as such.

    She also smiles again and steps closer one more time. "It isn't just the hospital, though. Sometimes there are people who are fighting against the darkness that are struggling. A lot of them have a much harder time of it then they let people show. And if I help them when they're sad, overwhelmed, hurt, or lonely? I've learned that I can make a difference by being there for them."

    She's actually thinking of Mamoru while she's talking; she doesn't know anything about Mami's circumstances or life beyond being a Puella Magi and an Infinity student. But there's also no denying the impossibly sweet, kind expression on her face and in her eyes.

    "Do you really think so?" she asks in an upbeat tone. "Maybe so..." she comments, looking thoughtful.

Mami Tomoe has posed:
Mami Tomoe looks intently at Madoka. "I'm sure you'd be great at it." she says, bluntly. "I've seen how you act. You seem afraid, but there's a strength deep down. It's probably the same one you show other people at the hospital. You let other people share in that strength."

"And that's why you'd be a good magical girl. Because you're not selfish. There's a lot of Puella Magi out there who are selfish. And they can become real problems - you've met Kyouko, after all." she says with a bit of a grin. "She can be a great ally, or a great enemy."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka looks mildly embarrassed at that kind of praise, but unlike a lot of times she doesn't do anything to deflect it. Instead she focuses on other things that Mami says, equally important. "Yes, I've met her. She can be selfish, but she's also trying to do better now."

    Her eyes then turn away from Mami's, going over to the red ones of the creature perched on her shoulder, "But... you don't ask people not to be selfish, right? You give them a Wish and in exchange they have to fight Witches for the rest of their lives. Why do you ask people to fight Witches? It doesn't have anything to do with being a hero or 'Justice', right?" It's a bit of an odd question, and particularly cynical coming from Madoka. But then she's spent an awful lot of time around Homura who's done almost nothing but tell her to be weary of Kyubey and not to trust him.

    Her soft gaze turns back up to Mami. "So you see... I don't think I can blame them for being selfish, especially without knowing everything they have to go through."

Mami Tomoe has posed:
Mami actually fields this question for Kyubey, looking to him. "Kyubey grants wishes. Then magical girls fight for their wishes. That's what all Puella Magi do. Myself, Kyouko, Homura, and every other Puella Magi all fight for those wishes we made." She ruffles the top of his head again.

"I think some of us regret our wishes, but that doesn't make the deal we made sour. And Kyubey... he's been a very good friend to me. Without him I would literally be dead." she says, honestly.

Kyubey looks at Madoka. "It's true there aren't many magical girls like Mami though. A lot of them do just fight for that wish, rather than fight to protect people. But that doesn't mean they all do. It's just that grief seeds are a finite resource."

"I can't blame them for being seflish..." Mami admits "...but if I can get by while protecting people, I think they could too."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    The explanation Mami gives her is almost exactly what Madoka had thought. Puella Magi are not contracted to protect people so much as do the specific job of fighting Witches. But the way Mami puts it... she can't argue with that either. "So they should protect people if they can?" It's a reasonable argument.

    Her eyes turn to Kyubey again when Mami says he'd been a good friend. Her head tilts to the side, and Homura's words play back in her mind.

    'Kyubey isn't really selling the chance to be a savior. He's selling a wish and a death trap.'

    'You asked me to prevent you from being tricked.'

    He looks so fluffy and innocent, sitting there on Mami's shoulder. Madoka has a hard time thinking of him as some kind of predator, but she's come to trust Homura and her story. Her lips turn down into a tiny frown for a brief moment.

    She pushes the confusion she feels away. There's opportunity here to learn more about what she might get herself into, what seems to be finding her all on it's own, and she doesn't want to pass it up. She'll just have to be careful.

    "Mami-san?" she asks, turning her eyes once more to those of the Puella Magi's. "You told me you were going to go look for that Witch again later... do you think it would be alright if I came with you? I am considering becoming a magical girl, so I think I should know as much about what you do before I make my decision."

Mami Tomoe has posed:
Mami smiles. "I was going to suggest that myself, Kaname-san. I think it's a small one... maybe we can get Miki-san to come as well. I know Kyubey thinks she has potential, too. But I do think it's very important for you to know what you're getting into, or what you might be passing up."

"I don't want anybody to ever make a contract with Kyubey without knowing exactly what they're getting into - and without seeing firsthand what they're being asked to do."

"Plus, it'll give you enough time to think about your wish. You only get the one, so you should make sure it's something you really want."