Foresight (Puella Magi Hunger Games Sequel)

Chapter 20

"They're all awake," Lyubey reported. "Except Homura." Jyuubey looked up.

"Wake her up as well," he told her. "Homura is the one Madoka cares most about, out of the magical girls. Once Homura is defeated, she'll be much more likely to contract."

"Got it," Lyubey replied, stabbing a button on the keyboard. A purple light flashed on the keyboard, as the code activated the release.

Homura opened her eyes, a small puff of air coming out. All she registered, was that she was in a glass tube, before the glass broke before her eyes. The shattering sound filled her ears, as she herself, was sent tumbling out, to land on the marble floor with a thud.

Wincing, Homura picked herself up, getting to her feet slowly, her limbs feeling like lead.

She spotted her soul gem, resting on a pillow on the floor across the room. She walked towards it, her legs trembling. What had that girl done to her? Why was she so weak? She could never protect Madoka like this at this rate.

Picking up her soul gem, Homura bit down a spark of despair, as she gazed at the darkness climbing its way up the purple soul gem. She let it turn into a ring, sliding it on her finger, turning to leave the room. Time to find a way out of this place.

"Wapurgisnacht's only one hour away," Kyubey reported. "We should start preparing to release the magical girls." Lyuubey nodded, typing in some more keys.

"It's set to activate once Walpurgisnacht is 30 minutes away," she said. "The magical girls won't have enough time to prepare, and they'll all be struck down by Walpurgisnacht. Madoka will have no choice but to contract."

"Madoka," Kyubey's voice called, clear in Madoka's mind, amidst the hustle and bustle as everyone was escorted to the evacuation centre. Madoka stopped, looking for the white incubator.

"Madoka, come on," Junko urged her, tugging her hand. "We don't have time to stop. The storm hits in only twenty minutes."

"Sorry, Kyubey," Madoka thought to the incubator, wherever he was. "I have to go. You'll find me in the evacuation centre."

"Don't worry," Kyuby chirped in reply. "I'll see you later." Hearing this, Madoka let herself be dragged away by her mother.

"Time for them to be released," Lyubey cheered, watching as the time counted down to zero. A light flashed, signalling that the magical girls were being teleported.

Yuuki watched emptily, as her soul gem fell to the ground. She was waiting for the telltale smash to reach her ears, telling her that everything was over and she could rest. With Sayaka.

Miku had started forward, seeing the soul gem fall, but even she knew she couldn't stop it. Yuuki was going to die in front of her eyes.

As the soul gem reached the ground, both Yuuki and Miku felt something hit them.

"Wha-" Miku began, feeling as though she was being absorbed somewhere. Darkness swooped in among her, and she let herself fall.

She landed with a bump, sitting on the ground. Looking around, she saw Yuuki as well, sitting a couple of metres away from her, looking as stunned as her. Her soul gem, which had just been falling to the ground a minute ago, sat in her lap.

Miku looked down to see her own blue soul gem on her lap. Picking it up, she let it turn into a ring, sliding it onto her finger.

A rumble made her look up, and see the rolling storm clouds that were coming into the city. It looked like she was in Mitakihara City. Every sense and nerve in her body told her that this was no ordinary storm. She let her ring transform back into a soul gem, and saw, despite its grief, the soul gem pulsed heavily, an indication of a witch.

"We're back," Oriko frowned. "What just happened?" She clambered to her feet unsteadily, looking around at the buildings of Mitakihara City. Kirika got up next to her as well.

Rumbles sounded, and Oriko felt a splash of water land on her.

"Wha-" Oriko frowned. "Something's wrong." Kirika looked down at her soul gem, seeing the soul gem pulse, small glows of red breaking through among the grief in it.

"There's a witch," Kirika said, looking at the sky. "Whatever witch it is, it's not good."

"We're back," Ayame frowned. "That's funny." She and Kana had just been trying to find a way out of the room they were in. Now they were back in the city.

"How did we get back?" Kana asked Ayame. "Did you do that?" Ayame shook her head.

"No, I wonder who's behind all this," her voice was thoughtful, then she paused, looking around. "Where is everyone?"

Where the normal hustle and bustle of Mitakihara normally resided, the city was empty and desolate, derelict even.

"Mayb-" Kana began, but stopped when her soul gem pulsed.

"A witch is coming," Kana realised. "A big one."

Emiria frowned at her surroundings. How did she get back into the city so quickly? It definitely wasn't her doing.

Footsteps behind her made her spin around.