So hey, here's another MamiLotte themed Resonance Days prequel. Same disclaimer as before: assumes that the reader has already read the main story and will not make sense if you haven't. Also: yes, this is Rated M for a reason. Hoooo boy, this should be interesting.

First Nights

Now…

Mami's stomach was fluttering. The hour was swiftly approaching, and as it did, she found herself becoming more and more apprehensive. She squirmed in her seat, her legs rubbing nervously against each other.

Taking notice, Charlotte leaned over and whispered, "You okay?"

"I'm fine," Mami assured her. "It's just…this is the first time we've done something like this. I'm…I'm not sure if I'm ready."

Laughing softly, Charlotte kissed her lover on the cheek. "Oh, relax. We'll be fine."

Mami wished she had her confidence; but then, that was the normal state of things in their relationship. "But what if we do something wrong? What if something breaks? What if we set ourselves on fire?"

"Then we jump overboard and wince a lot until we regenerate," Charlotte answered promptly. She gave Mami's hand a comforting squeeze. "Seriously, don't worry so much. It's not like Shizuku and Nats haven't been coaching us on this for months now."

"Coaching you on what?"

The two girls looked up to see a tall girl with shoulder-length blue hair in a black shirt, white pants, and white jacket approaching. Natsuru Senou sipped from the large diet soda she had gone to purchase as she sat down next to Charlotte.

"Oh, nothing," Charlotte told her. She nudged Mami's side with her elbow. "Mami here's just having another panic attack about us being left alone for a week."

Indignant, Mami scowled at her and said, "I am not having a panic attack!"

"Uh-huh. Yeah you are."

"I am not! I'm simply expressing concern!"

"Sure." Charlotte slurped noisily at the plastic straw of her own drink. "Whatever you say."

Mami huffed, but she allowed herself a small smile.

The three girls were sitting in one of the waiting rooms of Freehaven's skyport. In contrast to the sterile but otherwise inoffensive counterparts found in the world of the living, this one more resembled the lobby of an upscale hotel, with velvet carpeting, gold filigree on the walls, and sizeable chandeliers of gold and crystal. Personally, Mami felt it was a bit unnecessary, but she supposed that, given that all the chairs were enchanted to accommodate whatever species needed to sit down, and enchantments always made the object in question look like it had come out of a Sultan's hoard, it did make a certain amount of sense that the permanent décor would be made to match. Golden chairs studded with gems would definitely stand out in a plainer setting.

"Did I miss something interesting?" said a fourth girl as she approached, this one with waist-length hair that was midnight black on the outside and shimmering silver beneath.

"Not unless you count Mami being Mami to be 'interesting,'" Charlotte told Shizuku Sango. This earned her a light smack on the backside of her head.

"Actually, I find Mami to be very interesting," Shizuku said, taking a seat next to Natsuru. When the blunette shot her a hurt look, Shizuku gave her a teasing wink. "In a purely platonic sense, I assure you. I take it this latest expression of her personality has to do with you two about to be taken off the leash and turned loose with nobody to hold your hand?"

Mami sighed. "Please don't. That doesn't help."

"If you're really that nervous, it's not too late to call Vickie and ask her to send someone over to help," Natsuru suggested.

Shizuku checked her watch. "Actually, seeing how we'll be boarding within the next twenty minutes, I'd say that moment of opportunity has long since passed."

A few weeks ago, Natsuru had been browsing through magazines at the local bookstore when she had come across a sweepstakes drawing for an all-expenses-paid weekend trip for two to the Vienna Resort in New Kingston. As Vienna was as exclusive of a lovers' retreat as you could get, not to mention ungodly expensive, she had jumped at the chance to enter.

Of course, this had earned her mocking and teasing in varying degrees of severity from all of her housemates and friends once word got out. After all, there had to be thousands of applicants. What chance did she have of winning? The contest was probably rigged anyway, if it wasn't an outright scam, and she really should have known better. But what can one expect from a ditz like Natsuru?

And then she won.

To Natsuru's credit, she had kept the gloating a minimum, and on the occasions when she had indulged in a little rib-poking, Shizuku had defended her lover's right to rub it in. "She earned it, after all," was the stated reason. "Even if it was pure dumb luck. But fortune does favor the foolish." Mami strongly suspected that Shizuku's uncharacteristic tolerance came from receiving a free trip to New Kingston.

At any rate, the original plan was to have a couple of the Freehaven dock girls come over to supervise the Nautilus Platform's operations in the meantime. But then Charlotte had suggested that they let her and Mami fly solo for the week.

"I mean, come on," she had said. "It's not like we haven't been doing this every day for months. We know how to run this place better than any of Vickie's girls. Besides, what better way to learn?"

Shizuku had been skeptical at first, especially since neither of her wards was entirely emotionally stable just yet. However, with some supportive prodding from Natsuru, she had relented, on the condition that they continue to fulfill at least half the Platform's daily quota of mermaid eggs, that they call Vickie immediately should something go wrong, that they continue to take their medication without complaint, that the Platform's extensive alarm system not be taken offline for any reason, and that they do not call Shizuku or Natsuru for any reason other than to exchange small talk and gossip.

Though Mami had not argued, she personally wished that they did have someone over to watch the place. While she knew that they could keep up the harvesting and avoid burning the place down for a week, she was just scared of being left alone, which was odd, seeing how she had lived by herself for the last year of her life. But Shizuku and Natsuru had practically led her by the hand ever since she had arrived, and going on knowing that they were not in the next room was an intimidating thought.

Well, at least Charlotte would be there. That was a definite upside. And maybe spending a weekend alone with her girlfriend did have its advantages. Cheered by the thought, Mami relaxed just a little bit.

Soon a voice sounded over the skyport's intercom. "Now boarding: 7:30 PM departure for New Kingston at Gate A-3."

"And that would be us," Shizuku said, standing. She hefted her shoulder bag. "All right, let's go."

She and Natsuru headed toward the line to board, with Mami and Charlotte following to see them off. "You know, considering we're the ones who will be doing all the harvesting, don't you think we should be allowed to keep the money?" Charlotte said as they walked.

"What?" Natsuru said, sounding surprised. "Well, uh, I guess…"

"Oh, certainly," Shizuku said, nodding.

Charlotte blinked. "Wait, really?"

"Absolutely. Provided, of course, that you supply your own boat, tools, wetsuits, snorkeling equipment…"

"Okay, okay, point taken," Charlotte groused.

"…food, living space, shower, clothing, bedding…"

"I get it! Normal cut, check goes right to your account, etcetera."

"Glad we got that straightened out." They were near the gate now. Outside a glittering mechanical serpent was curled up on the tarmac. It was as almost as long as a city block and made from pure silver, and its hide shone with topazes, emeralds, and sapphires.

"Aw," Natsuru said, her face falling. "I wanted one of the gold ones."

"Oh, I think silver has a certain elegance to it." Shizuku turned to Charlotte and Mami. "Well ladies, looks like this is it. Remember the rules. No parties, no one over that isn't a professional brought over to solve an emergency, no violent episodes, keep an eye on the gas…"

"Yadda, yadda, yadda," Charlotte said, rolling her wrist impatiently. "There's a big honking list on the refrigerator. We're not going to forget."

"Oh, let me have my fun." After a round of farewells and other pleasantries, it was finally time for Shizuku and Natsuru to leave. They stepped through the gate and headed toward the elysian.

"Well, there they go," Charlotte remarked as she and Mami watched their hosts leave.

Mami nodded. "Yes."

"I still can't believe it. New freaking Kingston. How in the hell did she pull that off?"

Mami slipped her hand into Charlotte's. "Well, someone had to win," she said as she leaned in close and laid her head against the taller girl's shoulder. "Why not her?"

"Law of Personal Association. High profile contests that are determined by random chance will always go to someone you have never heard about."

"Oh really?" Mami said wryly. "Then explain that." She nodded toward the departing elysian as it circled higher and higher into the sky. When it reached the top of its corkscrew, two thin arms extended to either side of its head and a glistening membrane stretched from them to near the end of its tail. And then it was off.

Charlotte watched until it was out of sight. Then she shook her head and said, "Natsuru."

"What?"

"That's my explanation. She won because she didn't know better." The two girls turned and headed away. "Ah well, at least we've got the place to ourselves."

Mami's discomfort returned. "Yes. There is that."

Laughing, Charlotte elbowed her in the side. "Stop being so gloomy! We'll be fine. We've come a long way since we first got here, after all."

…

Then…

"And last but not least," Shizuku said, opening the next door with a flourish. "This is the guest room! As the name implies, this is the room set aside for the use of our guests; which includes you two for the foreseeable future."

If either of her guests found her cavalier attitude to be amusing, neither of them showed it. They simply entered the room and looked around with expressionless eyes. "It's…it's nice," Mami said. And it was, with its walls, sloping ceiling and floor made from stained wooden panels; two neatly made up beds; a bookshelf loaded with worn paperbacks; and a dresser sitting under a circular window at the far end. Simple, but comfortable. However, neither Mami nor Charlotte were feeling especially talkative, for reasons completely unrelated to their hosts or the seabound house they had been brought to.

"It is," Shizuku said agreeably. "Now, so long as you two are staying here, our home is your home. Feel free to avail yourself of the kitchen or the bathroom, and should you need anything, please do not hesitate to ask."

Behind her, her girlfriend Natsuru suddenly blurted out, "We're also going to see some friends later on this evening. Friday's poker night, you see. If you want to come, you're more then-"

Shizuku swiftly clamped a hand over the blunette's mouth. "Natsuru, honey, I think that playing cards is the furthest thing from our guests' minds." She turned Natsuru around and marched her out the door. "And in light of the circumstances, I think we can forego poker night for one week." Turning to look over her shoulder, she said, "You'll probably want to get freshened up. Just a word of warning: the hot water only lasts for five minutes, so do beware. And if you feel like eating, dinner's at eight."

With that, she left, closing the door behind her.

Mami considered cleaning herself up. A shower did sound wonderful; after all, she hadn't so much as changed her clothes since their arrival, and she was still covered with dirt, sweat, and other pieces of filth picked up during their long trek through the forest.

Instead, she walked over to one of the beds and collapsed on top of it, still fully clothed. The shower could wait. For now, she was exhausted beyond belief.

Behind her, she heard Charlotte wordlessly fall into the other bed. Mami supposed that the other girl was less in the mood to talk than she was, and while Mami was fine with that, she found herself suddenly wishing that they could talk about something. If she was talking, she didn't have to think. And thinking only made her acknowledge horrible truths that she had been staunchly trying to avoid.

But now, as she lay quietly in the dark room, she could hide no longer. They rose up in her mind and sank into her heart, threatening to suffocate her.

Dead. She was actually dead. This was the actual afterlife. Not even close to what she had pictured, to be honest. Granted, she had never really had a clear idea of what she had expected; only that she would be reunited with her mother and father, and they would live happily together for the rest of eternity. Copious amounts of trees, flowers, and sunshine also featured prominently, but those had just been backdrops.

But now, everything was different. She had gone through the great beyond and found…what had she found? Terrible truths, for one. She had been deceived, completely and utterly duped by someone she had thought to be her dear friend. Kyubey had lied to her, claiming to be a savior from beyond the stars come to Earth to raise up heroes in order to defend it from monsters indescribable. But instead, he was no better than a butcher, a butcher that trained the cattle into slaying one another. That's all she had ever been to him: brainwashed into doing the butchering for him, and the monsters she had been fighting, had been killing were nothing more than other girls. Girls just like herself, girls just like…

Mami rolled over to look at her roommate. Charlotte lay with her back toward her, presumably asleep. Mami wondered about her. What had her life been like? Did she have a family, one that was still alive and waiting for her to come home? Did she have a mother who had read her stories as a child and fretted over her whenever she caught sick? Did she have a father who had helped her with her homework or had been as nervous as her own had been when it came time to explain exactly how human reproduction worked? Brothers and sisters, with whom she had played and fought with equal amounts of enthusiasm? Friends? A boyfriend, maybe? Pets? Plans for the future? Hobbies? Favorite television show? Anything?

Whatever it was, it was now gone. Charlotte claimed to remember nothing of substance about her life. If she did have a family, they were probably still frantically searching for her, speaking to the police daily and hiring detectives, all the while praying that she would be returned safely to them, that she hadn't been taken by some lunatic and used for nefarious purposes. Unfortunately, the truth was far more horrible than they could comprehend.

Then Mami was struck by another troubling thought. Had she known Charlotte, or at least known of her? Had they gone to school together, passed each other in the halls without ever learning each other's names? Mami didn't really remember anyone who looked like Charlotte, save for maybe Madoka Kaname, and there the resemblance was simply passing. But given the size of the school, it was certainly possible.

As her mind delved deeper into her dark thoughts, Mami found her fingers curling into a tight fist. Then tears came unbidden as her breathing grew ragged. This wasn't right. Kyubey and his kind had no right to use them the way they had. She had been robbed, Charlotte had been robbed, and now the blood of all those girls was on her hands…

When she heard the sound of crying, her first thought was that it was her own. But then she saw Charlotte's shoulders shaking, and realized that the girl was probably drowning in dark thoughts of her own. Mami wondered if she should do something. Maybe she could say something comforting, or touch her shoulder, or even hold her as she cried, thought admittedly that last one would go both ways. Mami really wanted someone to embrace her then.

But she didn't. Even though they had forgiven each other and became friends of a sort, there were still walls. Mami couldn't look at the tail without remembering that hideous clown-caterpillar that had ended her life, and she knew that Charlotte still remembered what it was like to be blown to pieces as Mami had pursued her through Dead Drop City. She hoped that time would heal those wounds. Goodness knew how much they needed friends.

Sniffling, Mami turned to her back and stared up at the ceiling. Her eyelids were starting to grow heavy. And though she had never really been all that religious, as sleep took her she found herself praying to anyone that would listen for those that she had left behind: that Madoka Kaname and Sayaka Miki would be protected from Kyubey's schemes; that Homura Akemi, once thought an enemy but now proven to have been right all along, would be successful in protecting them; and that her fallen partner, Kyoko Sakura, would realize the truth before it was too late.

Please God, she thought as darkness claimed her. Or gods. Anyone. Give them the chance I was denied. Please, spare them at least.

…

Now…

Freshly showered and changed, Mami stepped out from the Nautilus Platform's small bathroom. She shook out her damp hair, letting it fall around her shoulders. Humming to herself, she wandered into the living room and looked around.

Though Mami had been very nervous about being without her hosts for four days, that was mostly centered on keeping the business going and making sure the Nautilus Platform stayed in one piece without their supervision. It wasn't until they were gone and she and Charlotte were back at the Platform that she noticed that there was another problem with Shizuku and Natsuru being gone.

And that was just how quiet things were without them.

She had never really noticed it before, but the two of them were pretty animated, and their evenings were often filled with the four of them jabbering away over a variety of subjects. But now that it was just her and Charlotte, the Platform felt a whole lot smaller. Not that they weren't capable of conversation on their own, but it did feel like something essential was missing.

Maybe she could call…no, it had only been a little over an hour since they had left, and it would take three for them to reach New Kingston. Mami sighed and used the hand towel in her hand to finish drying out her hair. She was just going to have to get used to their absence.

Strange though, Charlotte wasn't around. Usually around this time she could be found reading a book on the couch or working on a jigsaw puzzle. Mami quickly checked the rest of the house and, finding her girlfriend in none of the other rooms, called out, "Charlotte?"

"Out here," came the response from the outside. The front door was slightly ajar.

Mami slipped on a grey turtleneck sweater and went out into the chill night air. It was still mid-spring, and the weather had been very generous as of late, perhaps to make up for the heavy showers they had endured the previous month. Now, the sky was clear, the sea was calm, and the winds gentle. The moon shone brightly overhead, waxing three-quarters.

Being a bit on the isolated side, the Nautilus Platform didn't offer much more than the surrounding catwalk to those in the mood for an evening walk, but what it lacked in size it made up in ambience. Mami closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, letting crisp, sharp air fill her and clear her mind. She hadn't had much opportunity to visit the ocean during her previous life outside of the occasional trip to the beach with her parents, and in her final year she had never found the time or inclination to do even that. Perhaps she should have made the attempt. It might have helped her see things more clearly.

Charlotte was sitting on the edge of the catwalk, her legs dangling over the side and her arms resting on the middle bar of the railing. A blanket had been laid out for her to sit on, with part of it draped over her shoulders. Noticing that Charlotte had spread enough of the blanket to form a second seat, Mami took it as an invitation and gladly accepted.

"Evening, miss," Charlotte said as Mami slide into the spot beside her. "Come around here often?"

Feeling playful, Mami said, "Oh, on occasion. When I have a cute little pinkette to keep me company."

Charlotte grinned fetchingly. "Hmmm, sorry. Not many of those around these days. Would you settle for snarky and tall?"

Laughing, Mami slipped an arm around Charlotte's slim waist and gave her a peck on the cheek. "Well, it's not my usual habit, but I think I can make a onetime exception."

"You are too generous, my dear lady. I'll try not to disappoint."

They sat in silence for a time, listening to the ocean as it gently lapped against the Platform. Mami had to admit, she did miss the soothing drone of the night insects, but this was definitely an acceptable substitute.

"So," Charlotte said, breaking the silence. "A whole week, all to ourselves." She glanced at Mami and smirked. "Still nervous?"

"A little," Mami said honestly. "It does feel very strange, not having them around."

"Mmmm, a bit." Charlotte looped an arm around Mami's shoulders and drew her in close. "But I think we'll be all right."

"I know," Mami sighed as she leaned in, resting her head in its usual spot on Charlotte's shoulder. That was one of the great parts of dating someone taller than herself: her head and Charlotte's shoulder were of perfect fit. "It's funny though. I lived by myself all through my last year of life, and here I am, worrying so much about one week."

"Well, you weren't in charge of a moderately successful smelly, squishy ball harvesting business back then," Charlotte said with a snicker.

"Yes, but I did have to…" Mami realized she was one word away from making a serious faux pas, and quickly adjusted. "I mean, it wasn't like I didn't have responsibilities!"

That wasn't much better, but though she was certain that Charlotte had picked up on the witch-hunting reference, she thankfully didn't comment on it. "Maybe, but no one really knew about them," Charlotte said, idly fingering a lock of Mami's hair. "You screw up here, you got Shizuku coming down on you."

Mami glanced up at her. "Do you really think that's all there is to it? Fear of Shizuku?"

"Well, not really," Charlotte said, shrugging her free shoulder. "To be honest, I think it's more of fear of not having Shizuku. Or Natsuru. It's the fear of being taken off the leash, to go forth without them leading us by the hand." She made a dramatic flourish with her right hand. "I mean, up until now, even if we screwed up big time, we could always count on them to bail us out. But now, we're on our own, standing together against a frightening, yet exciting, new world!"

There was a long pause, and then Mami quietly pointed out, "They're gone for one week…"

Charlotte laughed. "Yeah, but I like the way I tell it better." She looked down at Mami and grinned. Beneath the catwalk, her leg started to roam over the back of Mami's calf. "Besides, I don't think you're really considering the numerous advantages of having them gone!"

"With that long list-

"I wasn't talking about parties." Charlotte turned toward Mami and gently cupped her cheek with her hand. "I was talking about no more Shizuku Zone," she said, her grin growing ever larger.

Mami's stomach plunged and her breath caught in her throat. The Shizuku Zone was Charlotte's nickname for their host's uncanny tendency to always show up whenever her wards were engaging in any physical intimacy more passionate than simple kissing and gleefully ruin the moment. While Shizuku had repeatedly denied that her appearance in all such instances was a complete coincidence, the fact that she always wore that infuriating knowing smirk whenever she showed up did not set Charlotte's suspicions to rest, and she had repeatedly accused her host of possessing some kind of psychic ability.

But if Mami were to be fully honest, though she had always been embarrassed and disappointed whenever Shizuku spoiled another moment, she felt a little relieved as well. Though she had never admitted it to Charlotte, advancing the physical aspect of her relationship with Charlotte had always felt…wrong. And what galled her was that she wasn't exactly sure why. At first she had assumed her hesitation was due to lingering remnants of the aversions she had originally possessed toward same sex relationships, but the more she had thought about it, the less sense that made. She had gotten over that a long time ago. Then she had wondered if it were due to her and Charlotte being unmarried. That had made a little more sense, but not enough to satisfy her. Living with Shizuku and Natsuru and her interactions with her friends from Freehaven had also eroded her reservations concerning that subject, and while she would still like to one day be married, she no longer clung to her old views of the proper order of things like she once had.

So what was the problem? It wasn't traditional morality; it wasn't fear of pregnancy, disease, or dishonor; it wasn't even the inherent nervousness of plunging into something so new and exciting, though that was almost certainly a factor. It just felt wrong; there was no other way to describe it. It felt like she was sneaking into someplace she didn't belong to take something she had no right to. Which of course was ridiculous, but while her mind was well aware of this, her gut still twisted with guilty discomfort.

But now that Shizuku was gone…

"Oh!" Mami said, her face burning bright pink. She timidly looked away. "Well, there is that…"

Chuckling, Charlotte swung her legs up and sat down on her knees. "Finally caught on, did'ja?" Despite the pinkette's cavalier attitude, the pitch in her voice and the way she was trembling told Mami that she was pretty nervous about this herself.

"You know…" Mami swallowed noisily. "You are usually more…up front with…things."

"Yeah, but we have this nice, romantic mood going," Charlotte said. "Didn't want to kill it."

Mami hesitated, and said, "Char, I don't know if…"

Charlotte silenced her with a finger to her lips. "Only go as far as you feel comfortable," she said, staring intently into Mami's eyes. "If you want to stop, just say so."

Mami numbly nodded, and Charlotte leaned forward to kiss her. After a brief moment, Mami closed her eyes and responded.

Actually, this is pretty nice. Mami let herself relax a little and let herself enjoy the feeling of Charlotte's lips moving against her own. After all, this at least was familiar territory.

Then Charlotte moved in closer. She slowly moved her slender arms around Mami's waist, her fingers timidly roaming over her curves until she reached her back. At the same time, she continued to lean forward, gently bearing Mami down to the blanket. Their kiss deepened, and Mami could feel Charlotte's tongue poking its way out from between her lips to brush up against her own.

The next thing Mami knew, she was lying flat on her back, with Charlotte lying full upon her, with one hand cupped behind Mami's neck and the other one wandering up and down her hip. She pushed herself in as hard as she could, their breasts pressing together through the fabric of their clothing.

Oh God, Mami thought numbly as she felt the weight of the pink-haired witch move against her. This is really happening. They were now dancing along the edge of the Shizuku Zone. In fact, she was fairly certain they were now well past it. Her heart pounded loudly, and though she knew it was only an illusion, the sound of it thundering in her ears was quite believable. Low growls were coming out of Charlotte's throat, and her hand fingers were starting to slip under the bottom of Mami's sweater and shirt, brushing against the soft flesh beneath.

But while the touch of Charlotte's hands and lips was sending sharp thrills through Mami's body, the pit in her stomach was yawning ever wider. This was…this was incredible no doubt, but it was wrong. She shouldn't be doing this, she had no right. But she couldn't stop! Her legs were moving through their own volition to wrap around Charlotte's, and their hips were starting to move in synch, rubbing against each other in an interesting way.

It was wrong. She didn't know why, but it was wrong. But she couldn't stop. Charlotte's tongue kept flicking and dancing over her mouth, teasing its way in. Mami finally opened her lips, letting it slip in, and…

And then the phone rang.

"Motherfucker!" Charlotte snarled into Mami's mouth. She lurched off of Mami, banged her hip against the railing, and hopped on one leg over to where the offending phone was. "Damn it! Daughter of an inbred Incubator!"

Now utterly bewildered, Mami stayed where she was, flat on her back and hands still held in front of her. She stared as Charlotte cursed her way over to the door.

"It's Shizuku, I know it is! She knows! Somehow she knows!" Charlotte snarled. She stopped partway down the catwalk and growled, "You know what? Screw it. Let's just let it ring."

Finding her voice at last, Mami said, "B-but what if it's an e-e-emergency?" Given that they were Freehaven's furthest piece of property out to sea, it wasn't uncommon for the mainland to call on them to head to the site of an accident.

Charlotte was silent for a time, then she snarled. "Damn it. It better be." With that, she stomped into the house. Taking a deep breath, Mami straightened herself up. Her body was shaking and her legs were wobbly, but somehow she managed to get to her feet.

Though her steps were unsure, Mami managed to make her way to the front door, holding onto the railing for support. Through the large picture windows, she saw Charlotte close her eyes, mumble something under breath, and finally answer the phone. "Yeeeessss?" she said through clenched teeth.

Though Mami couldn't hear the person on the other line, the expressions passing over Charlotte's face told her that this wasn't a social call. The angry grimace softened first into a look of confusion. "I-I'm sorry, who?" she said. Then her eyes widened. "Oh! Uh, hi?" She listened, and then said, "N-no, this is Charlotte, one of their, uh, employees. Right, right. Uh, I'm afraid not. They're on vacation right now. It just me and Mami for the week." The other person said something, and Charlotte's brow furrowed in concern. "Why, is…something wrong?"

Mami made it into the house. She eased herself into a chair and watched.

"Of course," Charlotte said. "We've been there a few times to…Wait, what happened?" She listened, and then her eyes widened with shock. "Oh my God, are they…Oh no. O-of course!" She shot a frantic look to Mami, who frowned and mouthed, What is it?

Charlotte covered the received and said to her in a loud whisper, "Emergency. Get the ES ready."

The Electric Schwert was the larger of the two craft owned by the Nautilus Platform. Though Mami couldn't fathom what sort of emergency would call for the bigger boat instead of the faster one, she didn't hesitate in running (well, stumbling. Her legs were still a little shaky) for the door, grabbing the keys as she went.

Down at the dock, Mami quickly untied the Electric Schwert from its moor and started the engine. Above, the door slammed, and Charlotte scampered her way down the girders to join her.

"Charlotte, what's going on?" Mami asked. "Who was that?"

Charlotte's face was pale. "Monica Linemann," she said as she strapped herself in. When Mami didn't immediately recognize the name, she added, "Y-you know, mayor's wife? Head of the Militia?"

Mami's eyes went wide. "The Militia? Then…"

"It's the Aurora Borealis," Charlotte said. She frantically motioned for Mami to get the boat moving. "It's under attack."

Mami gasped. "What?" she said as they pulled away from the Platform and headed out into open sea. "From what?" Then, with the slightest of hesitations, she said, "It's not…Oblivion, is it?"

Charlotte shook her head. "No," she said in a flat voice. "One of their girls just went full witch."

…

Then...

Forward. Keep moving forward. Musket at the ready, senses alert, body poised to attack. The witch is here. Somewhere. Just have to find her. Just have to keep moving.

The city is empty. Where is everyone? It is midday; the streets should be filled with people. And yet, she is the only living thing. Even the birds are gone.

Irrelevant. Her priority lies with the witch. The city will take care of itself. She needs only find the witch's labyrinth, enter it, and defeat its master.

The skies are such a strange color though: dark yellow, like old amber.

No sign of the witch on the streets. Move to the alleys, where the garbage cans are filled with teacups. She has to be getting close. She has to be…

Wait. A sound. Movement nearby. Someone has just entered the alley, another Puella Magi. An ally? A rival? Must be careful.

Except she knows this newcomer. She knows her very well…

Kyoko! It's Kyoko, her former protégé! Elation soars through her veins. It is true, they had parted on unfriendly terms, but surely that now water under the bridge. Now was the moment she had dreamed of, when she and Kyoko would fight side-by-side again, and in the process mend their damaged relationship.

Strange though, Kyoko doesn't seem happy to see her. In fact, she looks downright hostile, with her face burdened by a grim look of determination. Confusion now. Why is Kyoko so angry? Surely she couldn't still be holding a grudge.

More footsteps, and two other people enter the alley from the other end. What? Madoka Kaname and Sayaka Miki? But why would they…Their outfits, they're different. Madoka is wearing that frilly pink dress she had doodled in her notebook, whereas Sayaka's outfit resemble a military officer's dress uniform, done in blue and white. They've contracted! They've come to join her.

But if that was the case, why did she then feel afraid?

"Found her," Kyoko growls. She readies herself, spear poised to strike. Sayaka and Madoka likewise take position behind her, blocking her exit.

Wait, what was going on? Why were they-

"Don't let her get away!" Kyoko screams as she charges forward.

No!

Move now, wonder later. Straight up, leaping over a fire escape. Up, up, up, over the rooftops, her pursuers close behind. But why were they chasing her? They were her friends! Were they affected by a witch's mark?

Plaza ahead, large one with a tall fountain in the middle. Not good. No cover. Move across it quickly and lose them in the-

Hit! Something striking from the side. Falling now, fountain below.

Pain. Hurt. Lying injured in the shallow water, fountain jets sprinkling from above like rain. Who-

New face, but still familiar. The mystery girl, Homura Akemi, staring down at her with merciless eyes. Can't defend self, too much pain.

Others approaching, Kyoko in the lead. This wasn't right. Why were they attacking her? They should be working together to find the witch, not-

Wait. A reflection in the water, that of a painted clownlike face. Whose was that? It couldn't be hers, she looked nothing like that. This looked more like…

No. No, no, no. It couldn't be. She wasn't a witch, she wasn't!

A scream of rage. Kyoko is now in the air, leaping toward her with her spear lifted high above her head.

"This is for Mami, you twisted bitch!" Kyoko snarls.

But she was Mami! Couldn't Kyoko see that? No, please don't-

The spear hits, and-

-Mami snapped awake, the last vestiges of her terrified scream muffled by her pillow. Still caught up in the delirium of the dream, she frantically tossed away her sweat-soaked covers. Somehow the sheet has become tangled around her foot, forcing her to kick it away until she was free.

Whimpering to herself, Mami scooted up against the bedframe and curled up into a ball. She felt sick, horribly sick. Her face…it felt normal to her fingers, but she couldn't see it, so how could she tell?

"Not a witch," she cried softly. "I swear I'm not a-"

Then a sleepy said out of the darkness, "Mmmmm…Mami?"

Mami inhaled sharply. Her head jerked up and her eyes darted back and forth. "K-Kyoko?" she said fearfully.

There was a long pause, and then the voice said, "Nooooooo, definitely not Kyoko. Sorry if that's a disappointment."

There was a click, and the room lit up with a soft light, making Mami shy away. Another bed was nearby, and in it was…Madoka? No, not Madoka. This was…her name was…Charlotte. That was right. Let the dream drift away and remember.

They had been at the Nautilus Platform for nearly three weeks now, and Mami's nightmares were getting worse. She woke up crying more often than not, which put her in a sour mood for the rest of the morning. Charlotte and Natsuru had both tried to get her to talk about her dreams, but she had always evaded their questions and changed subject. It was her cross to bear, after all.

However, this was the first time she had woken up with a scream. There was no way she could pretend she was all right this time.

Charlotte squinted at her through sleep-bleared eyes, her hand still holding the chain of her bedside lamp. "What…what happened?" she yawned. "You sounded like you were being attacked or something."

Though her body was still shaking, Mami forced her muscles to unclench and her limbs to unwind. "I'm s-sorry," she said. "It was j-just another dream."

"Sounded more like a Class-A nightmare." Charlotte's brow furrowed with concern. "Do you want me to get Shizuku and Natsuru?"

Oh God, definitely not. "N-no," she said as she gathered her scattered bedcovers. "It was just a dream, no need to bother them."

"Yeah, but-"

"Just a dream," Mami said firmly. She pulled her blanket up to her chin and turned away from Charlotte. Hopefully the other girl hadn't noticed the tears on her cheeks. "I'm sorry I woke you. Go to sleep."

Several worrying seconds went by, and then Charlotte clicked off the light. Mami sighed with relief. She didn't need to worry the others with this. She could work through it on her own.

Except now that the light was gone, there was nothing holding the darkness back.

It surrounded her, pressing in from all sides and threatening to suffocate her. Mami could swear that there were shapes moving through the lightless room: vague but terrible creatures that danced on the edge of visibility. She squeezed her eyes shut, but it did no good. The monsters were still there, only now they had faces, those of witches she had battled against. There was the garden witch, the battle-axe witch, the spinning fan witch, the school uniform witch, the water bottle witch…

And Charlotte.

There was a strange rushing in her ears, one that she was certain did not exist outside of her mind. Her body started shaking again, more violently this time, and her breath came out in frenzied gasps. No water was touching her, but she was drowning, she was being smothered, she was being crushed under the weight of the darkness, she was…

Then someone sighed with resignation. There was a click, and the light returned.

"Mami," she heard Charlotte say. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Mami said nothing. If she tried, she would start crying. So she said nothing.

There was another sigh, and then she heard Charlotte slipping to the floor and walking over to her. The mattress creaked as Charlotte sat down on the side of Mami's bed.

"Mami," she said, laying a hand on the shivering girl's shoulder. "C'mon. Talk to me here."

A sob forced its way out of Mami's throat. She couldn't even turn to look at Charlotte. She didn't want her to see how scared she was.

"Mami?"

Nothing.

Finally Charlotte removed her hand. "All right," she said, and moved to slip off Mami's bed.

Before she knew what she was doing, Mami's hand shot out to grab Charlotte by the wrist. Startled, the pink-haired girl stiffened. She stared at Mami with questioning eyes, silently asking for an explanation.

But Mami had none to give. She herself didn't fully understand why she had stopped Charlotte from leaving. She just knew she wanted her to stay.

Fortunately, Charlotte seemed to sense this. Her shoulders relaxed and she shook her head. A small, almost-smile tugged at the edge of her lips. "Okay," she said in a soft voice. "Okay."

Mami nodded. She released Charlotte's wrist and lay back down, scooting forward a bit to give Charlotte room. Fabric rustled as Charlotte slipped under the blanket behind her. She shifted around so that they were back-to-back

"Just so you know, this bed isn't real wide," Charlotte said. "So if you start kicking in your sleep, my butt's going overboard." She yawned. "Just…keep that in mind, okay?"

Mami didn't laugh, but she did manage a smile.

"You want me to kill the light?"

Mami shook her head.

"'Kay," Charlotte murmured. "Oh, uh, Mami? You know, if you ever want to talk…"

"I know," Mami whispered.

"Okay." Charlotte yawned again. "'Night."

Even though she was the one facing the light, Charlotte was the first to drift back asleep. Mami stayed awake, staring at the door, thinking.

The light of the lamp kept the shadows of the room at bay, and the warmth from Charlotte's body held back the ones in Mami's mind, and yet she did not sleep. As she lay there, as the last clinging tendrils of the nightmare left her mind, taking with them that mindless fear, they left in their place a horrible realization.

The monsters in the shadows may be gone, but there was still one left. She was in the bed with Mami, so close that only the fabric of their pajamas separated them.

Stop it, Mami angrily told herself. Charlotte's not a monster. She is not a witch, not the kind I used to fight.

She killed you, whispered a small voice from the back of her mind. As you tried to kill her. You are enemies.

What happened was not her fault. Besides, we forgave each other.

You are enemies.

Mami's face grew hard. No. The only enemies are Kyubey, Reibey, and the rest of their kind.

She is a monster, a witch.

Mami's patience snapped. I would have been too, had I not been killed! Only a few weeks at most, and I would have been like her! Now, be quiet and let me sleep!

This time, there was no repeated counter-argument. Upset, confused, and scared, Mami closed her eyes and concentrated on calming down. Fortunately, now that the voice of her doubts had been silenced, Charlotte's presence was soothing. Mami could hear her easy breathing, and slowed her own breath to match the other girl's.

This is actually kind of nice. Mami glanced over her shoulder and smiled. It reminded her of the sleepovers she and her friends would have back when she was nine or ten, when everyone would snuggle closely together. Granted, the constant giggling was missing, but she didn't miss it.

However, something else was new. Something was crawling over her leg. Mami inhaled sharply. A witch had gotten in, a witch was…No, be reasonable. Was it Charlotte's hand? No, it didn't feel human. An animal, perhaps? Had a snake gotten into the house? Could snakes make it this far?

It started to wrap around her thigh, and Mami realized what it was. Shaking with terror, she quickly reached over and shook Charlotte's shoulder.

"Charlotte," she hissed. "Charlotte! Wake up!"

"Hmmm?" Charlotte mumbled as she turned just enough to see her.

"Y-your tail! Your tail is-"

"Tail?" Charlotte mumbled. She yawned and glanced under the blanket. "Oh. Whoops. Sorry about that. It does that, sometimes. I'd wake up and try to get up only to find it wrapped around the bedpost. Really annoying."

Her tail quickly withdrew and she tucked it under herself. "There. Shouldn't do that again. Sorry."

Soon she was again asleep, blissfully unaware that her bedmate was wide-eyed and shaking with fear, as visions of sharp teeth and hot drool danced in her head.

It was a very, very long night.

…

Now…

The boat shot through the dark waters, its lights barely illuminating the dark void in front of it. Mami was hunched over the steering wheel, which she held in an iron grip. Charlotte sat in the passenger's seat, her crossbow sitting in her lap.

Before too long, the lights of the Aurora Borealis came into view, soon followed by the facility itself. Originally it had been a shipping freighter that had the bad luck to be caught in a storm and run aground onto a sharp reef, ruining its hull in the process. Rather than spend the money on costly repairs and enchantments, the owners had instead sold the whole thing off to a group of researchers looking to establish a facility in Freehaven's waters. They had secured the ship to the reef, fixed up what they could, filled it with everything they needed, and then moved right in. As their closest neighbors, the girls of the Nautilus Platform were on quite good terms with them, and they had visited each other on a number of occasions.

But this time was no pleasure trip. Mami could see smoke rising from the facility. What was more, she felt something tugging at her, directing her toward the beached ship. It was a familiar sensation, and that horrified her. It was the same feeling her soul gem would give her when she had hunted witches.

The ship itself sat sandwiched between two rising rock walls, like a hotdog stuck between two buns. It rose up at an angle, with about a fifth of its length entering the water. Lights and sensory equipment had been set up along the rock walls, and a several catwalks and ladders were attached to their sides. One of the walls sloped down and evened out to a nearly flat surface that descended to the water. It was over this that the Aurora Borealis's dock had been constructed. Mami could see most of the researchers assembled on the dock. All of them looked frightened.

As Charlotte brought the boat up to the dock, Mami hopped onto to it and jogged toward the group. "Hey!" she called. "We're here! What happened?"

"Mami!" said Denna, an older Jewish girl with short hair and glasses, as she rushed up to embrace Mami. She was the head researcher. "Thank God you're here!"

"We came as quick as we could," Mami said. She gave Denna a comforting pat on the back and drew back. "What happened? Who was it?"

Pain filled Denna's eyes. "Jezebel."

Mami let out a small gasp. Jezebel had been the youngest of the team, a small, shy girl with olive skin and sad eyes. As a witch, she had multiple brass hoops sticking out of the back of her arms, neck, and back, requiring her to wear special garments to keep them from chafing her. She had always seemed so quiet, but Mami hadn't imagined that she would go so far as return to being a full witch.

"How?" she said in a low voice.

Denna shook her head. "We don't…I mean, she's always had…problems, but we had no idea they were this bad."

"Did she say or do anything before she witched out?" Charlotte asked as she approached.

"Not that I know, but I don't usually work with her." Denna looked at Mami and Charlotte's boat. "Are Shizuku and Natsuru coming?"

Mami shook her head. "No, they're on vacation. It's just us."

"Monica Linemann gave us a call," Charlotte supplied. "She said you needed help with the evacuation.

"Evacuation?" shouted one of the scientists. It was Nina, a little girl near Jezebel's age bearing the same complexion, though she was taller and wore her hair long. "We're just going to leave her there to suffer?"

This was met by a murmur of agreement from some of her friends, while the rest looked frightened by what was being suggested. "What exactly are you saying, Nina?" one of them said.

"What do you think?" Nina responded. "We need to go back in there and bring her back!"

And there was the problem. Should someone once again become a full witch, the only way to bring them back was to deal with them the old-fashioned way: enter their barrier and destroy them. Doing so released the negative energies and caused the poor girl to return to her original state. However, doing so was somewhat controversial, as demonstrated by the response Nina's suggestion received.

"Absolutely not!" Denna shouted.

"Why not?" Charlotte challenged. She hefted her crossbow. "Makes perfect sense to me."

It was then that Mami learned that, despite being brought back to their right minds and a human state, there were still some very fundamental differences that separated witches from Puella Magi. The team of scientists had a fair number of both groups, and it was the witches that looked like they were in full support of bringing Jezebel down. The Puella Magi, however, looked sickened by the very thought. Mami didn't blame them, as her heart was rebelling against the notion as well. It wasn't because doing so was considered inhumane (quite the contrary), but because, for a Puella Magi, having to once again fight a witch, this time with full knowledge of what they were and bearing lingering trauma of the circumstances surrounding their deaths, was an utterly abhorrent notion. Many tried to retreat as far from the duties given to them by the Incubators as possible, going so far as to refuse to use magic or summon weapons. Mami wasn't one of them, but even she was terrified by the thought of once again entering a witch's labyrinth.

However, this revulsion didn't extent to the witches themselves. "I'm with them," said one, a pigtailed girl whose exposed skin was patterned with red and black diamonds, clubs, spades, and hearts. "No way is Jezebel going to stay like that for another minute."

A small outcry rose up in response as the two sides started arguing with each other. However, further debate was cut off by the sharp sound of metal slicing into rock.

All eyes turned to Nina, who had summoned a large battle-axe made from green and yellow crystal and driven it into the rock wall. A look of grim resolution was on her face. "I'm going in there," she declared to the others. "And I'm not coming out without Jezebel. Come with me if you want, otherwise stay here and wait for the marshals."

Denna started to speak. "But Nina-"

Nina cut her off. "I'm not leaving her like that. I've already-" Her voice cracked, and she grimaced and tried again. "I already failed her for n-not seeing that she was hurting. I'm not going to fail her again."

Then, without waiting for a response, she bounded off toward the ship. A heartbeat later, the other witches followed. After a short hesitation, three of the Puella Magi went after them as well.

"Come on!" Charlotte shouted as she moved to follow.

"But-" Mami started to say. Unfortunately, Charlotte was already out of earshot.

Mami felt like she was being torn in two. She did not want to go anywhere near a full witch. Their twisted labyrinths still spread through her dreams, and the very thought of entering a new one froze her heart with dream.

But Charlotte was already entering the ship. How would Mami be able to live with herself if she abandoned her?

She shook her head. This was by far one of the strangest nights she had ever had.

Steeling herself the best she could, Mami leapt after her.

…

Then…

It took time for consciousness to return, but when it did, Mami was still on her bed, just as she had been when she had summoned one of her muskets and used it to blow her own head clean off.

She felt curiously lightheaded and idly wondered if she was still headless. She brought her hand up and confirmed that, nope, she wasn't. Her head was back where it belonged.

"She's awake!" she heard someone blurt out. Craning her neck, she saw that Shizuku, Natsuru, and Charlotte were all on the room with her. It was Natsuru who had spoken, and as soon as she saw that Mami was moving, she rushed over to her side.

"Are you okay?" she said, her face full of concern. "Why would you do something like that?"

Mami didn't speak. She just stared.

"Mami?" Natsuru said. "What happened? Why did you shoot yourself like that?"

With a small whimper, Mami let her head sink back into the pillow. She closed her eyes.

Shizuku cleared her throat. "Natsuru? I think you should give Mami some space."

"Okay." Mami heard Natsuru slowly move away from the bed.

A long pause followed, and then Shizuku said in a soft voice, "Mami? I took the liberty of calling Dr. Cynthia. She's on her way."

Dr. Cynthia was the therapist that Mami and Charlotte had been seeing to help deal with their post-death trauma. The sessions had helped, but Mami had always felt that there was something more to their new condition that they weren't being told, something horrible.

She had just found it.

Mami made a small sound of acknowledgement. It was all she felt like doing.

Another awkward moment passed, and then she heard someone leave the room. Cracking her eyes open just a peek, she saw that she was now alone with Charlotte.

The pink-haired witch was sitting hunched over on the edge of her own bed with her hands clasped over her knees and her head bowed. She looked absolutely miserable. Sniffling, she glanced up and said, "Why did you do that?"

Mami swallowed. She breathed in a rasping breath and croaked out, "What does…it matter? I'm…I'm a ghost. Just a ghost."

"Shut up!" Charlotte snapped. Startled by the sudden anger, Mami turned her head to stare at the other girl.

Charlotte got up and furiously stomped across the room. "Don't say that!" she shouted. "Don't you dare say something like that, as if that makes you any less real!"

"It's true," Mami insisted. Tears startled to prickle in her eyes, and that just upset her more. What right did something so natural have happening to her? "I don't…I don't even bleed anymore! Everything's a lie. Everything I feel, everything I think is normal, even my heartbeat isn't real. I'm just a ghost."

"Yeah? Well, I'm a ghost and a witch!" Charlotte shot back. "Does that mean I'm even less real than you are?"

Stunned, Mami could only stare in silence. After a time, Charlotte's trembling body started to relax, and she sat down on the bed next to Mami.

"Mami," she said slowly. "Look. I know you're scared. I am too. Things are…really weird right now, and I don't think they're ever going to stop being weird. But don't you ever scare me like that again. I can't lose you. You're one of the few friends I've got."

…

Now…

Jezebel had worked fast. Mere moments after she had entered the Aurora Borealis, Mami found herself entering her labyrinth.

Mami found herself standing at one end of a marble hallway. The ceiling overhead was curved into a long arch, and the floor was covered with red velvet. On the walls were framed pictures of keyholes, all of them crooked. At the other end was a door.

The others were there as well. Nina and the witches were racing toward the door, while the Puella Magi were hanging back.

Mami was one of the latter. She felt a wave of terror sink into the pit of her stomach. Grimacing, closed her eyes and clutched her musket tightly, willing it away.

"You, uh, going to be okay?" asked one of the girls.

Mami forced her eyes open. "I'll have to be."

"You know, you don't have to do this," another said. "Jezebel's our responsibility, not yours. So you don't have to-"

Instead of answering, Mami cocked her weapon and started moving forward. After a short hesitation, the others followed.

They joined Nina and the witches by the door. "All right," Nina told the others. "This place is going to be like a labyrinth, a literal one. Lots of turns, lots of corners, and lots and lots of doors. Each door will take you to a random part of the maze, all except for the red ones. Take three of those, and we'll make it to Jezebel. So, everyone stick together and follow me."

"What about those servant monsters?" Charlotte asked. She frowned. "What were they called again?"

"Familiars?" Nina said. She nodded. "They'll look like keys with stick-figure arms and legs, with facing floating in their keyrings. Forget the faces and hit them in the center of their mass. That'll take them down."

Mami blinked. "How do you know so much about this place?"

A small smile tugged at Nina's lips, one without much humor. "How do you think I died?"

And suddenly, Nina's attitude made a lot more sense. If a Puella Magi and a witch were to fall together, they rode the same wave of released energy down to the afterlife to wake up together in the same Spawning City. And once the truth was made clear to them, it was quite common that they would become very close friends afterward, sometimes even lovers. Mami and Charlotte were an excellent example, as was Freehaven's mayor and her wife.

There were certain stories and legends that claimed that when that happened, it was because dying together created a sort of spiritual bond between them, where one would feel incomplete without the other. Nothing had been verified, but it happened often enough to become the common belief. Mami certainly had no trouble believing it, and if she still had her doubts, the look on Nina's face was all the proof she needed.

"Any questions?" Nina asked. When no one offered any, she nodded and said, "Okay, let's go!" With that, she opened the door.

Nina hadn't been exaggerating about the labyrinth. If anything, she had understated her description. It was a winding nightmare of hallways, one that paid little heed to sense and the law of gravity. It was like something out of an MC Escher painting. The group found themselves making numerous turns around corners, running straight up walls, and scurrying across ceilings. And everywhere, there were doors: wooden doors, metal doors, beaded archways, double-doors, barred doors, glass doors, doggie doors, plastic doors, hatchways, sliding doors, and every other variety imaginable.

Remembering Nina's instructions, everyone was careful to ignore the doors and follow Nina. Unfortunately, she didn't seem to remember the exact way, but she plowed on relentlessly, navigating the maze with surety.

There! A red closet door was set into the ceiling up ahead. The group ran up the wall, turned the ceiling into the floor, and ran towards the door. Without hesitation, Nina threw it open and jumped in.

They found themselves in what could only be described and a three-dimensional hedge maze, one that formed a cube and floated in a blue sky. This time, instead of the topsy-turvy hallway, the doors were spaced along the hedges, which grew to about waist-height in between. Charlotte peeked over the hedge to the expanse beyond and whistled.

"Hey, Mami?" she said. "Were the labyrinths always this…freaky?"

Mami set her mouth in a straight line. "Well, the themes were all different, but yet."

"Okay then." Charlotte hesitated a moment before asking her next question. "Mine too, huh?"

Mami couldn't speak, so she just nodded. There was a flash of pain and regret in Charlotte's eyes, and she quickly turned away.

Mami took a deep breath and put her hand on her girlfriend's shoulder. Charlotte glanced and her and slowly covered it with her own, giving her fingers a light squeeze.

"Same rules as before," Nina shouted. "Only this time, don't fall!"

They started running again, but before they had gone far, the doors all opened around them.

And Jezebel's familiars appeared.

Like Nina had described, they were all human-sized keys of every type and make. They were standing upright with their teeth or pins facing down. Skinny, cartoonish legs and arms were stuck to their sides, and brass key rings were attached to the tops. In the center of each key ring was a ridiculous looking face with tiny eyes and comically large lips.

"What. The. Fuck." One of the witches deadpanned.

"Couldn't have said it better," another said, staring.

Despite the severity of the situation, it was actually kind of interesting. Thanks to the amnesia witches suffered, entering a barrier and encountering familiars was a wholly new experience for them, despite them presumably having done it several times as Puella Magi and even creating their own.

But there was no time to appreciate the irony, because the familiars were upon them.

They jerkily marched forward, waving theirs hands in the air, jabbering nonsense in the squeaky voices. Mami let old instinct resurface and take over. She took aim at an approaching truck key and fired. Her shot hit the center of its body and it fell to pieces. Before the metal shrapnel hit the ground, she had already pulled out two more muskets and destroyed a house key and, strangely enough, a card key. Nina and the three other Puella Magi did the same, drawing their respective weapons and going to work.

As for the witches…

The pigtailed one thrust her arms forward. The patterns on her arms glowed, and from them a flock of playing cards fluttered into the air. They swirled briefly around her before shooting out, slashing through the familiars like thrown blades. Another leapt onto the top of one of the doors and held out her hands. Three of the familiars were turned into giant photographs of themselves, which were then cut apart by whoever was nearby. A third turned her body into a swarm of tiny black snacks, which slithered over the familiars and sank their tiny white fangs into their bodies. Despite being made from metal or plastic, the anthropomorphic keys were bitten as easily as if they were made of flesh, and were quickly dissolved.

As for Charlotte, she had no useful witch powers that they knew of, at least none that she would allow herself to use. Instead, she merely crouched down and fired one bolt from her crossbow after another, blowing the familiars apart.

It was somewhat surreal. Though Mami had mostly worked alone, there had been times when she had teamed with other Puella Magi, but never this many. And having other witches fight beside her was…bizarre, to say the least. Together, they were making short work of the keys.

Unfortunately, there seemed to be no lack of them. They just kept pouring out of the doors in an endless tide.

"Keep moving forward!" Nina shouted. She swung her axe, slicing four keys in half. "We need to find the second door.

Everyone started running between the hedges, shooting, slicing, and smashing their way through the familiars.

"There!" one of the girls said at last. Partway down one of the paths was a rotating door made from red-tinted glass. The group instantly changed direction and ran toward it.

Then they heard the scream. Mami turned around and her face went white with shock. The photograph witch had been overpowered by the keys and was being dragged toward one of the doors.

"Ashley!" the card witch cried out. "Hold on, we're-"

Too late. Ashley was dragged through one of the doors, which then slammed shut.

Everyone started to move to save her, but then Nina screamed out, "Wait! Don't!"

"What?" said one of the other Puella Magi. "But we have to help her!"

"We can't!" Nina said. "Only the red doors are consistent. That one won't even take you to where she is!"

"Then what do we do?" another girl wanted to do.

"Reach Jezebel," Nina said. "Take down the labyrinth. It's the only way to help anyone."

The others tried to argue, but Nina slammed her axe into the ground. "We don't have time for this!" she shouted. "I've done this before! Trust me!"

She was right; there was no time to debate her. The familiars were coming again. Reluctantly they moved forward and passed through the spinning door.

The third labyrinth was the strangest one yet. It was another Escher-type construction, this one made up of hundreds of concrete cubes stuck together with some of them removed, forming an internal network of spaces and rooms. There was no consistency either: some of the rooms between had one exit, others three, and some were dead ends. And once again, the doors were everywhere: ceiling, walls, and floor alike.

"Oh, shit," Charlotte moaned. Mami agreed. Finding the red door in here was going to be next to impossible.

Fortunately, it seemed that Nina wasn't interested in old-fashioned searching. Instead, she simply drew her axe back and slammed it into the wall. The concrete block shattered into dust, while its attached doors remained, seemingly unaware that their support had been destroyed.

"Destroy the blocks!" she shouted. "The doors are indestructible, the blocks aren't!"

They set to work, everyone smashing the blocks with their weapons or, for those without, their bare hands. It didn't matter, the blocks were destroyed just the same.

Soon a space containing a several freefloating doors took shape. Mami summoned up her ribbons, forming a network of tightropes that allowed the others to reach the blocks out of reach.

"Where are the familiars?" she called to Nina.

"None here," she called back. "Last time, they were just in the second labyrinth and…" She winced. "…and around Jezebel."

"Nina!" one of the girls called. She was clinging to one of the upper blocks. Next to her was a red café door.

Mami formed a bridge, and everyone converged on the final door. Nina kicked it open, and they went through, entering the center of the labyrinth.

It wasn't a pretty sight.

It was an egg-shaped room, formed by nothing but thousands of red doors stacked on top of one another. More doors flew and soared in circles around the room. Several of the key familiars danced around on top of the flying doors.

At the bottom of the room was a giant keyhole, with a giant brass house key stuck inside. Attached to the key was a key ring, which was in turn attached to another key ring, which in turn was attached to several more key rings, dozens, maybe hundreds of them looped together, forming a humanoid shape that had more keys for fingers, hair, and teeth. Two other keyholes floating in place of eyes.

Jezebel, the Key Ring Witch.

Everyone gaped at the sight, with the remaining witches murmuring uneasily among themselves. Charlotte especially seemed dumbstruck by the sight, no doubt mentally putting herself in Jezebel's place. As for Nina, she stared with wet eyes at what her friend had become. The look on her face was absolutely heartbreaking.

Then her face hardened. "Bring her down!" she screamed.

Mami nodded, readying herself for a fight. They leapt forward as one, and the familiars moved to meet them.

Using both the doors and the bodies of the familiars as springboards, Mami bounded and rebounded forward, moving ever closer to Jezebel. Around her, everyone else did the same. As soon as they were able, they rained fire down on the witch, blowing apart keys and shattering metal hoops.

I'd better end this quickly, Mami thought. She glanced up toward the top of the room. There were very few familiars up there. If she could manage to get above Jezebel, she could send a Tiro Finale straight down.

Her course decided, Mami landed on one of the flying doors and crouched down, reading to propel herself upward.

And then the room dissolved. The door all faded away like mist, the familiars vanished, and the door she was crouching on turned into a metal catwalk. The next thing she knew, Mami was standing in the engine room of the Aurora Borealis.

Dumbstruck by the sudden turn of events, it took Mami's mind several seconds to realize what had happened. Even when she had worked alone, she had been more than capable of quickly defeating witches on a fairly regular basis. As such, against a team, a single witch would go down very fast. While she had been considering how best to deliver the killing blow, someone else had gone and done it instead.

Well. Okay then.

"Mami!" Charlotte cried as she ran across the catwalk toward her girlfriend. Mami started to stand up straight, but was brought down by a flying tackle.

For a long while, neither of them moved; they didn't want to. They just lay there, with their arms held tightly around each other. Charlotte was trembling, and Mami was pretty sure she was too. All in all, that had been one of the most horrific things they had gone through since their deaths.

Finally Charlotte's body stopped shaking. She sighed into Mami's chest and looked up. They regarded each other for a moment, as if trying to reassure themselves that the other was there. Then Charlotte relaxed. "Thank God," she murmured, and leaned down to kiss Mami on the lips. This time, there was no nervousness, no guilt. Just simple shared affection.

They held the kiss for a time, celebrating that it was over. Then Charlotte drew back and rested her head on Mami's chest again. "Are you okay?" Mami said in a low voice.

Charlotte shivered. "I think my nightmares just upgraded. I mean, wow." She glanced up. "You?"

"I don't know," Mami said honestly.

"Yeah."

They might have stayed that way longer, but the sound of weeping drew their attention. Charlotte rolled off of Mami and they both sat up and look down the floor below.

Nina was there, sitting on her knees. Held tightly in her arms was a small, naked girl, whose back, arms, and neck were pierced by dozens of key rings.

…

So hey, this is happening. I guess an explanation is in order.

See, a few months back I made a deal with angel0wonder, the writer of A Happy Dream. The details aren't important, but my end was that I had to write a MamiLotte lemon. And though the subject of sex is honestly a rather uncomfortable one for me to write about, I'm a man of my word and did my best.

That's the official reason for this story at least. Truth is, there are other reasons as well, and the deal was really more of an excuse. But it's 4:30 in the morning and I'm freaking tired. So I'll post the full…whatever it is on my tumblr after I get some sleep. So yeah. Tumblr, few hours, link's on my profile. Full explaininess, I promise.

And yes, I know this chapter jumped around a lot in regards to tone and…well, everything. Sorry about that. Most of it was me distracting myself while working up the nerve to tackle that scene on the catwalk. The next two chapters should be more streamlined.

…

I'm new at this sort of thing, okay? Leave me allllooooonneee!

Bah, I'm rambling. Sleep times are now. Like I said, there'll be two more chapters. And stuff. Yeah.

=cough=

Welp, until next time everyone. Boy, this is gonna be interesting.

Oh, and happy birthday, angel! Hope you liked it!