Kyousuke screamed and tried to break out of Sayaka's grasp. He accused her of torture and she forced herself not to listen. To avoid his pained expression, she looked out the window.
Silhouetted against the setting sun was Kyubey. Watching, waiting.
"Kyubey," she said through telepathy. "Show him you exist. He needs to know there's a way."
"I cannot," it replied. "It is unnecessary for the contract and a risk that jeopardizes my duty. I must-"
"It has to be part of MY contract. It's only fair that he knows."
A pause, then an answer. "Very well." It jumped through the curtain and on to the hospital bed.
Suddenly, Kyousuke halted his attack and pulled Sayaka close. "Sayaka, get back! What the hell is that thing?!" He tried to kick the creature away, but his crippled legs couldn't even twitch.
She held his hands down and tried to reassure him with a smile. "Miracles and magic exist," she said. "Kyousuke, this is Kyubey."
"I am pleased to meet you," it said in greeting. Its large, fluffy tail swished from side to side. "I am a magical being called an incubator and your friend Sayaka is willing to make a contract on your behalf. It is best if she explains the circumstances to you herself."
"Kyubey can grant wishes," said Sayaka, as she straightened up and let go of Kyousuke. "Any wish, even your miracle. The only catch is that Kyubey turns me into a Puella Magi, a magical warrior who fights dangerous monsters called witches." She pounded her fist into her palm.
He didn't want to believe it. This was either an elaborate tasteless prank or a childish dream. But a greater part of him was desperate enough to consider it. He listened.
"It's really dangerous stuff!" said Sayaka. "Only a few days ago, I watched a friend die fighting. It almost scared me off, until I remembered someone worth dying for." The excitement from her voice trailed off and she only managed the next word in a whisper. "You."
Twin blushes colored the awkward silence as their hearts spun and made them dizzy. Wishes and contracts were temporarily forgotten.
"Do you really like me that much?" he asked before realizing it was a stupid question.
"I just said I did!"
"Of course. Of course you did. It's just that I never-" Fear held him back, then he realized that she must have felt the same with her confession. "I never thought of you that way. But now that you're talking to me like this, I don't know anymore. I guess- I guess there could be something more."
He didn't need to see the expression on her face to know that he was breaking her heart. He almost shouted out the rest of his speech. "I meant to say I like you! I do! I think I've been confused all this time. I loved the music too much before to think of anything else. And now I've been too depressed to do the same. Feeling like this about you is new to me. I'm sorry I don't know what it means."
"Oh Kyousuke," she said with a punch to his shoulder. "You always did need someone else to straighten your bowtie."
For a short moment, the room was serene enough that one could hear Debussy from the discarded earphones on the floor.
Then, a blank alien voice echoed in their minds. "Let us return to our order of business," said Kyubey. "Sayaka, will you make a contract with me and become a Puella Magi?"
"Yes," she answered. "Let's do this."
"No, wait!" said Kyousuke. "You just said someone died!" He was sure she loved him. Her words had the weight of a marriage vow. But did he love her back? It was unfair if she put her life on the line for someone who didn't feel the same. And yet, maybe it was worth the risk if it would let him play again. That would make him a horrible person.
But he would be able to play again.
Sayaka looked at him, trying to tease out the smallest insight into his thoughts. If he truly loved her, shouldn't he have known it instantly? Or maybe that was just what the cheesy romances wanted her to believe. It was classic Kyousuke to have things like this sneak up on him. Adorable, when it wasn't annoying.
"It's okay," she said, finally. "I won't just be fighting for you. Witches hurt other people too and someone needs to protect them." It was true! She really did want to protect them. But there was more to it than that. "And it's not only that. This friend I mentioned, she brought me with her on witch hunts and let me help a bit. Remember that baseball bat I had?"
"The one you never used for baseball?"
They both laughed at the shared memory. She had swung that bat before, but not for sport.
"It was enchanted to hurt witch's minions," she continued. "I smacked a few of them and nothing ever felt so right in my hands. Whenever I scored a solid hit on one-"
He finished for her. "You could feel your body and soul vibrate with the music. I know that feeling." He unconsciously held his scarred wrist.
She nodded her head excitedly. "I think this is what's right for me too. I was this close to making the contract without telling you, but I thought that you should know."
He smiled. "Then go on. Follow your gut."
"It is decided!" announced Kyubey. "Make your wish, Puella Magi."
o o o
The next day, on the way to school, both Sayaka and Madoka had a story to tell.
"You first," said Sayaka."
"Last night, Hitomi and I were almost eaten by a witch."
"Wha?! How'd you get out? Did you-" She grabbed Madoka's hands and searched for the telltale ring and sigil. She gasped. "It was Hitomi who made a contract?"
Madoka pulled her hands away and hid them behind her back. "No! It was nothing like that! Homura appeared just in time to save everyone."
Sayaka frowned. "That vulture! She hasn't wasted any time taking Mami's territory."
"What's wrong with you?! I wouldn't be here if she hadn't saved us! And if she really wanted to steal Mami's territory, she wouldn't have tried to warn Mami back at the hospital before she-" Tears welled up around her eyes.
"You didn't tell me about that."
Madoka wiped the tears on her sleeve. "I only thought about it now. I have a lot on mind lately."
Sayaka gave her a surprise hug to stifle the tears. "Sorry for bringing up the topic," she said. "But I can't shake the feeling that she's up to no good. Remember that she almost killed Kyubey. Don't let her trick you."
Madoka nodded, even if she couldn't believe it. Unlike Sayaka, her vague feelings about Homura told her the opposite. There was a sadness about the mysterious girl, not a selfish evil.
Sayaka broke the hug. "And I'm sorry too for not saving you last night," she said.
"But you couldn't have-"
"I made my wish yesterday," interrupted Sayaka, showing the soul gem ring around her finger. "I failed to protect you on my first night. I should have been there. Everyone's safety is too important to leave in Homura's hands."
"Aren't you afraid?!"
"Now that I've found what to wish for, I don't feel so scared anymore. I feel like I can do anything, like I can just grab the sun out of the sky. And it's all thanks to what-" Sayaka paused at the name that could hurt her friend, but there was no way around it. "It's all thanks to the advice Mami gave me. Without her, I think I would have made the wrong decision." Or the same decision, for the wrong reason.
Madoka took a deep breath. "Sayaka, if you ever find it too dangerous or too scary, you should ask Homura for help."
"Are you nuts?! I just told you not to fall for her scam!"
"She's not like that! After she saved us, we had a long talk together. I know her a lot better than you do. She can help, she really can!"
"I can't imagine how I would need her help."
"Then there's no harm in promising to do just that, is there?"
Sayaka played with Madoka's twin tails. "You've been taking pointers from Kyubey, haven't you?"
"Promise me, Sayaka. Please."
"Eh, fine. I'll do it for you." She placed a hand on her heart and shifted to a mocking tone. "As a last resort, I promise to ask the mysterious girl for help. Good enough?"
"Of course! You always keep your promises."
o o o
Creative Commons CC-BY
o o o
A.K.A. Mahou Shoujo Sayaka Magica
Most of this story lay fallow in my drive for way too long. The action-packed ending remains unfinished, though, and may be delayed.