Puella Magi Rei ♥️ Magica: Afterglow

Chapter 2: "Finding The Next Signatures"

It was now late sunset. The skies were beginning to darken as Sayaka made her way to the abandoned warehouse. She took a deep breath, trying to dodge wandering workers from the neighboring facilities as she finally approached the entrance to the warehouse.

".. This is the exact path that I took.. So I should be getting close, now.." Sayaka said, as she slowly and quietly opened up the door of the warehouse.

"Be careful, Sayaka.."

"Eah?!-"

Sayaka quickly turned around, to find Mami had appeared behind her. "M-Mami?! Where did-.. How did?!-"

"I followed you after you left the house." Mami smiled. "I had to make sure you weren't getting yourself into trouble out here."

".. Alright.. Fine! Just.. Keep your head down!" Sayaka whispered, before sneaking further into the warehouse.

...

After a bit of walking, Sayaka comes to the place where it all happened. ".. Back when Madoka needed help.. The entrance of the Labyrinth was right here. I.. Remember going in there, and there were tons of minions.. They were trying to pull Madoka apart but I was able to intervene, and destroy the witch responsible." Sayaka reminisced.

".. Your fondest memory is saving Madoka?" Mami smiled. "Aww.. That's sweet."

"I-It was my proudest moment as a magical girl, okay?!" Sayaka hunched over, her face a bright red. "..It was also my first witch!.. Of course I'm going to remember the moment fondly!"

".. Well?" Mami crossed her arms. "Do you feel anything?"

Sayaka stood there, looking at her arms and her hands. "..N-No.. Not at all, actually.." Sayaka frowned. ".. Oh Rei, come on! This was the most obvious place you could have sent us." She called out. "Where is my magic hibernating at?!"

".. Maybe.. This isn't the place, after all.." Mami pondered. ".. Think about it, Sayaka.. This was your proudest moment.. But this was also before you met Rei. What if it's somehow linked to the experiences you've had with her? " Mami questioned.

".. T-True.." Sayaka blinked. She hadn't thought of that before. ".. Well.. To be honest.." Sayaka placed her finger on her chin. ".. I'm having a hard time remembering the nitty gritty on a lot of my experiences with her.. You see a lot of the more endearing experiences Rei and I had took place within Homura's world.. Helping her formulate plans alongside you.. Going to Kamihama with her to get Nagisa.. Watching her dethrone Homura.. Those experiences I will always keep close to my heart.."

Sayaka blinked a couple of times, her eyes flaring a thin shade of azure blue for only a moment.

".. The places those memories were based in no longer exist. This is regular Mitakihara now.. Not a warp version of itself.. The city in Homura's world was laid out entirely differently than it is here." Mami frowned. ".. But I think you might be on to something.."

Pacing around, Mami kept her fingers on her chin. ".. She would have gave you something to keep those memories alive, instead.. Since you cannot physically revisit the sites that you were once in.. It's only natural to give you something that reminded you of them.."

Sayaka and Mami look down at the floor, in thought.

...