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

Chapter Two

         Haruki’s face paled in terror as the monster she would soon refer to as a Witch moved forward towards her.

           She had never seen anything like this before, and therefore had no idea what to do to fight it, or even just to escape.

          She flinched and curled up into a ball as she heard the sound of one of the spider-things crawling over the gate behind her.

           Her eyes shut tightly, Haruki’s mind raced, but she couldn’t think of anything that would help her.

           A prick on her leg told Haruki that one of the spiders had found her, and in that moment, she resolved that, no matter what happened, she would no longer give the monsters the satisfaction of seeing her curled up in fear.

           Easier said than done, though, when opening her eyes meant looking into the face of the spider-butterfly on her legs.

           Haruki forced down a scream and bravely stood before the monster, hardening her terrified expression into a resolute neutrality.

           The spider, still on her leg, crawled around to her side, then her back, as even more of the bugs found her feet and followed the first.

           The monster was right in front of Haruki now, its two green eyes full of hunger and death.

           “What the literal hell are you doing there?” A female voice called over the gate—and then the girl it came from jumped over the same gate.

           Standing beside Haruki now was a girl who seemed to be about her age, with a large red ponytail similar to her own (except Haruki’s ponytail was pink, of course). She wore a blue jacket, blue shorts, and black boots—and she had a stick of pocky in her mouth.

           Haruki just stared at the girl in wonder—what is she doing here, Haruki thought. She’s just going to get herself killed!

           But then, something happened—something magical.

           The girl held out her hand, palm up. Sitting on her open palm was a large, red and gold crystal, in the shape of an egg with a small stand-like circle on the bottom.

           And then it began to glow, and before Haruki knew it, the gem had disappeared—and the girl’s outfit was different. She now wore a red dress with frills on the bottom, and red boots.

           And she held a large spear with a bronze-coloured handle and a silver-and-red blade on the end.

           She jumped into the air, way higher than any human being should’ve rightly been able to, and her spear… broke?

           No, it separated into different pieces, each bar a section of the original spear’s handle. The different pieces were connected by chains, and the spearhead was connected as well.

           The girl twisted the flexible weapon around her, and as she came back down to the ground, skillfully whipped around the spearhead and sent the spiders flying to their deaths—even the ones on Haruki.

           She then turned to the larger monster. “So weak,” she commented cheerfully. She then spun her spear around the monster’s neck, and grabbed the other end, creating a noose on the demonic thing.

           The girl pulled the chains tighter, and tighter, until finally in one large burst, its head flew off and reality returned to how it should be.

           The girl, now back in her regular clothes, turned to Haruki and offered her hand out. “Want some?” She held a box of pocky, the open side towards Haruki.

           The assassin blinked, gaped, and stuttered, but after a moment managed to say “I… I have some already…”

           The girl’s eyebrow shot up, and she took a stick of pocky for herself. “You have good taste, then. My name’s Kyouko. Kyouko Sakura.”

           Haruki smiled at Kyouko. “I’m Haruki Sagae. You… saved my life. Can I… repay you somehow… Sakura-san?”

           Kyouko laughed and finished eating her pocky. “Just call me Kyouko, I don’t like formalities like that. Am I right, Haruki-chan~?”

          Haruki grinned. “Indeed you are—well I’m in your debt, Kyouko.”

           Kyouko waved it away with a hand. “Don’t worry about it, I mean it’s my job anyway.”

           Haruki looked at her, surprised. “You… do that all the time? What was that, anyway?”

           “I’m a Magical Girl, and my sworn duty is to fight and defeat Witches like that one.” Kyouko winked. “Speaking of which…”

           She reached down and picked something off the floor—a small object, black and clear, made up of a sphere with a spike coming out of one side and a smaller spike on the other ending in a smaller sphere.

           “What is that?” Haruki asked out of curiosity.

           “It’s a Grief Seed,” Kyouko answered, “a Witch’s egg. When they’re in this form, they’re useful for restoring a Magical Girl’s magic powers. Watch!” Kyouko held out that red and gold crystal again. “This is my Soul Gem, what makes me a Magical Girl. If I hold it against the Grief Seed like this…”

           She allowed the Soul Gem and the Grief Seed to touch, and some dark, cloudy stuff transferred from the Soul Gem to the Grief Seed. Kyouko’s Soul Gem seemed to be a bit brighter after that, though Haruki thought it could’ve just been a trick of the light.

           “When Magical Girls fight, we use up magic—these Grief Seeds can restore that magic.”

           Haruki nodded, understanding somewhat. “So…” she began.

           Kyouko looked back at Haruki after pocketing the Grief Seed. “Hm?”

           “How does one become a Magical Girl?”