Aftermath (A PMMM fanfic)

Route 6:II

*One Last Chance

I opt to steer the conversation towards letting Mami take the reins of group leader. It is successful - she agrees. We then call Madoka and Sayaka, who in turn will invite (coerce) Kyōko into coming to our place for a meeting. Mami gives them the necessary details, she's better at talking than I am.

They arrive at our place, all three of them together. We all seat ourselves on chairs round a table, Mami beside Kyōko who is next to Sayaka, on whose other side is Madoka and me next to Mami. Kyōko then stands up and pointing a finger at Mami asks, "I remember you three from the Con, but who's she?"

"I'm Mami, ally to you all and the one who asked for us to meet here." Mami then gets some fruits on a platter and serves us, Kyōko first. She is very flustered and remains quiet for a while, nevertheless she accepts an apple.

I get the cups and some tea which we all drink. Then Mami begins to explain, Sayaka filling in at points. She asks me for my phone, so that she can give a background of sorts with the snaps from 'Magica'. It helps as proof, considering the fact that books are tangible. They seem to understand the gravity of the situation pretty quickly, given the looks on their faces.

After letting them know their identities, Mami asks me how they are supposed to unlock their powers. I tell her it is very simple, they just need to force a link to their gem in their minds. Everything else would fall into place. She then asks the others if they have their gems.

Sayaka removes a ring from her finger. It is silver laced, with tiny blue gems in between. Kyōko and Madoka look puzzled, my guess would be that they don't have rings. Mami then asks if there's anything they use that's always present wherever they go. Kyōko pulls out a necklace and so does Madoka. While the pendant of the former is a red oval, the latters' is shaped like a pink teardrop. These are clearly gems.

"Good, since we all have our gems we can change form. Next, we will need to fight any familiars that stop our path. Which weapons would you consider using? I use mainly guns, but if anyone is better with swords or close-range material, do let us know."

Sayaka replies,"I can use a sword pretty well. Definitely better than a bow, Madoka's good with those."

Kyōko stifles a laugh. "A spear would be better here, it works for both attack types." She looks at me.

"What would you use?"

"Um..."

Mami saves me from having to reply.

"Unlike the rest of us, you'll have to be our relay. We might not have the time to look out for each other, so you'll have to observe."

"So the rest of you get weapons and I don't?"

"Don't take it that way. We have no clue whether you have power and can't take chances. However, should this battle take a turn for the worse, you'll be our last hope. For that you need to be safe and away from the centre of battle. We'll also need to take into account the lives of civilians and only someone not wrapped up in the fighting can do something about it. Your part is just as huge, if not bigger than the rest of ours."

They aren't aware of Madoka's role and need to know now.

"The biggest role doesn't go to me, but to Madoka. Do you remember what she told you that day? Your first day at school." I look at Madoka while saying that.

Sayaka looks surprised, while Madoka speaks of the discussion Homura had with her, from the law vs desire question to the ribbon exchanging.

"Madoka has a form unlike other magical girls, whose appearance Homura wants to prevent. This is because of a wish she asked for, which was granted. What we need to do is protect Madoka till she reaches Homura at the centre. Around that point, she will have to change into that form and then let her take control."

Madoka looks away, even more confused than before. Probably not comfortable with being the centre of attention.

She finally asks,"How will I know what to do after changing form?"

"Your form will be in full control and it will let you know what action to take. Certain memories that are locked now will unlock then. Although I could unlock your memories now, it wouldn't be wise as she'll be alarmed. Just have some faith in yourself."

Mami chooses to talk. "We now have a rough idea of a plan. Sayaka and Kyōko can go forward as soon as we reach the ground. I'll stay at a distance, so that we three can scout the place. Madoka will stay with me till I deem so. Then she will near Homura while staying in my line of vision. As soon as she crosses the two of you, she'll change form. The rest of us will have to turn beforehand."

She looks at me. "That's where the relaying can come in. In case of things going horribly wrong, we'll need to go with our gut. Be prepared for the worst."

"But what do we consider as our worst case scenario?"

"It could be decided by the presence of three of five conditions:

~Madoka being nearly defeated, physically or mentally.

~Madoka turning evil. There's no telling what can happen in the heat of battle.

~Homura is about to die but the reins to control the universe haven't been passed on.

~Civilians, even those far away from the battleground are being injured by a so-called unknown cause.

~Only one of us remains conscious and able to fight at a certain point."

We are quiet. We really don't want it to get to that point. All of a sudden, there's an unsettling feeling. The sky darkens, although it's afternoon and we run out.

Continues in 7 B