Puella Magi Rei ♥ Magica: The After Story

Chapter 5: "A Devil's Threat"

"Help me, Rei!.. Please!.."

Konomi shrieked as she struggled for air. A large, mass of black water enveloped around her, while the person she cried out toward, stood on the cliff side.

The girl struggled to keep up with the current that threatened to drag her down. She gripped her soul gem, crying out in frustration... Desperation.

Rei stared down at her, and watched, emotionless.

"REI!!"

"Why should I?"

Konomi's eyes widened, before gasping for air.

"You took everything from me."

Rei spat, bitterly. She lowered her hand to her soul gem, tears in her eyes.

".. Plus.. This only ensures that I have one less magical girl to worry about."

"R-Re--"

Konomi gasped, before being swept underneath the black water.

...

Suddenly, at the crackle of thunder, a geyser shoots out of the pool, into the sky. The mass of black liquid began to take shape.

Rei's eyes widened, "W-.. What?.." She whispered, as the figure took the shape of a magical girl. It glared down at Rei, before letting out a gut wrenching cackle.

...

Rei gasped for air, throwing herself into a sitting position in her bed. It was 3:15 in the morning, she had nearly sweat through her nightgown. She rubbed her forehead, panting. ".. It was only a nightmare.." She whispered, before looking across the room at a very feint, dull glow coming from her desk.

Hopping up from her bed and changing out of her nightgown and into a pair of robes, she walked over toward the desk.

Her eyes widened at the sight.

Her soul gem, that she had striven to keep pure at all times.. Was half-way filled with a black and green, swirly substance.

".. My soul gem.. Is tainted?.." She whispered, before quickly pulling open her dresser drawers, gritting her teeth when she saw not even a single grief seed. ".. And my stash is empty.. What the..?"

She turned her head to view upon the grinning gaze of Ryu, in her window sill.

"Y-You!!" She growled, sprinting over to the window and throwing it open. She grappled the feline by his neck, before slamming him against the wall.

"I've put up with a lot from you.. But raiding my stash when I needed it most is too far!"

"How do you know it was me that raided your stash? Or did you even -have- one to begin with?"

Rei's eyes widened. She dropped the cat before backing up, holding her chest as her heart raced, her soul gem darkening more and more by the second.