Pocky and Soulmate (Akuma no Riddle / Madoka Magica - Crossover Fanfic)

Chapter Seven

"Okay then... Akemi-san." Haruki awkwardly used the girl's family name out of instinct, since she didn't really know her well enough to call her by her first name out of nowhere. "I'm Haruki."

Homura smiled, clearly amused by Haruki's struggle to speak to her. "That's a nice name."

Haruki raised an eyebrow. Did she really think it was nice, or was this girl just using the age-old tactic of flattery?

"Well, you already know I'm looking for Sakura Kyouko... say, do you know what this is?" Homura set her elbow down on the table and raised her hand, palm up. Resting on her palm was a Soul Gem-it looked just like Kyouko's did, except it was purple instead of red.

Haruki swallowed nervously and nodded once, staring at the gem curiously before Homura covered it with her fingers again, and-was it her imagination, or did the Soul Gem just glow and... turn into a ring?

Homura, clearly noticing Haruki's curiosity, held her hand out for the pink-haired girl to see. The Soul Gem had vanished, and the dark-haired Magical Girl was now wearing a small silver ring engraved with some sort of runes. "It's to make it easier to keep with us," Homura said as Haruki stared in fascination.

Haruki leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes and sighing softly. "Alright, enough staring for me. Could you tell me why you're looking for Kyouko?"

Homura nodded, paused for a moment, and then spoke, looking downwards at the table while she fiddled with her ring. "I... come from the future. Since my wish was related to time, I gained the ability to reverse the flow of time as a Magical Girl-"

"Wait, what?" Haruki interrupted. "Wish?"

The Magical Girl looked up, surprised. "You didn't know? The contract to become a Magical Girl grants you a wish and then removes your soul from your body, making it into a Soul Gem and binding you to a life of fighting Witches until your Soul Gem breaks or you turn into a Witch yourself."

Haruki gaped for a moment. "Kyouko didn't tell me about the contract." Then she shook her head as if to clear her thoughts. "But nevermind that. Carry on, Akemi-san."

Homura raised an eyebrow. "Kyouko?" She chuckled softly. "So you're on first name terms-or did she say you could call her that as soon as you met? Ah, it doesn't matter. I'll continue." She went back to fiddling with her ring. "A very dear friend of mine... her name is Kaname Madoka. She holds immense potential for a Magical Girl, but I promised her I would save her form that fate... so I've spent years repeating this same month again and again... but the last repeat, Madoka decided her wish would be to save all Magical Girls from the fate of becoming a Witch, and she became a sort of Goddess, and I was the only one who remembered her. I've spent a long time trying to find a loophole in time that would let me return to a world where Witches still exist, to try to save her, and I finally managed it-but I fear this is my only chance; my time magic is starting to fail me. So I need Kyouko's help."

Haruki just sat there for a good half a minute or so, stunned by Homura's story. There was something that seemed slightly... off. "But if you couldn't save her after repeating the month hundreds of times... how could Kyouko help you now?"

There was silence, and after a brief moment where time seemed almost frozen, the Magical Girl's eyes darkened, and her hands clenched into fists on the table. Her voice was barely a whisper as she spoke again. "I don't know... I tried before, getting the other Magical Girls to help me defeat Walpurgisnacht-the Witch that triggers Madoka to make the contract. I tried so many times to kill it... but I just can't. I know just getting Kyouko probably won't help, but..." Haruki's eyes widened as a tear began to roll down Homura's cheek. "I just... don't know what else I can do. I'm so used to being able to do things over that only having one chance just... I can't think of any way to save her, and it's driving me crazy."

Haruki took a deep breath, and opened her mouth to speak quietly. "What about if you had another Magical Girl to help?"

Homura looked up, eyes wide. "No... all the other Magical Girls in Mitakihara are dead already... I was too shocked to save them. It's... it's all my fault. I screwed up... And now..."

Haruki shook her head. "I didn't mean them." After a few seconds of silence, she continued. "How do you make a contract?"