Chapter 17

EPILOGUE

"Asuka Langley Soryuu Miki may not have been an original Madoka Magica character," Sayaka began, standing over her dead wife's casket. "But she was an amazing woman and I am happy to have called her my wife. We met under the most strange circumstances, and we were married just the same. I guess it's fitting to say that our child is going to be born under the same strange circumstances. Strangeness seems like a good fit for the Miki family."

She stepped away from the crowd and tried not to cry again. She succeeded. She knew that Asuka went out the way she wanted- as a hero. She made the ultimate sacrifice and because of her, the world was now safe from the scourge that was Kiiko Kawakami.

It was just… going to be a little quieter around the house for a few more months…

Madoka and Kyoko sat on their front porch, both of them on rocking chairs. The porch was on the second floor of their fort, though, so it was also kind of dangerous to be doing this.

"Do you want to renew our vows?" Madoka asked.

Kyoko looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "What?"

"Like, we kind of strained our relationship a little. Maybe we should do a ceremony to recommit or something." Madoka was pretty sure she knew where she was going with this.

"Absolutely not, Kyoko said. "Our relationship was never 'strained'. I love you, and you love me, and that's the end of all of that." She leaned over and kissed her.

"Well… I do think we deserve another giant wedding cake," Madoka said.

"No more weddings ever," Kyoko said. "Nothing of the sort."

"Speaking of, I got a card from Nagisa and El Guante." Madoka handed it over. "Never knew his name was literally Santa Anna after all. But yeah... Do you want to… go…"

Kyoko sighed.

Neoakemi rode down the night road on her cyber-cycle. It roared on the highway just like a real motorcycle, as long as Neoakemi wanted it to, that was.

And she did.

She kept Shinigamidoka forever in her thoughts, but that was the only place she would ever be.

"We'd really like you on our team," Madoka said. "You'll even get your own black sombrero. Optional. Of course."

"I can't," Neoakemi said. "I'm my own woman. And I have to figure out what I'm doing with my own life."

This was not her home. Not yet, at least. So she had to discover herself, and learn exactly what kind of person this new universe wanted her to be.

Neoakemi pulled over at a roadhouse and got off her cyber-cycle, which dissipated into nothingness as soon as she stepped away. She kicked the doors open and the tough bikers and truck drivers within stopped what they were doing and stared.

"I'm looking for Wallace Welsh, wanted for murder and extortion," she said. "He was last spotted sixteen miles from here. Anyone know anything?"

"Get lost," one of the bald-but-with-a-mustache guys growled.

"No," she said.

The men began getting out of their chairs and coming over to her. One of them pulled out a switchblade.

This would be fun.

Overlooking San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge was one conspicuous individual. He was not visible to most eyes, despite the way he stood out; this was something he preferred.

The sunset was beautiful this time of the year. Though this was the only time he had ever seen a sunset in this part of the world, so maybe it was beautiful at all times in the year.

He knew that this new world of his was ripe for business. What was this business, you ask?

Witches. Monsters. Entropy.

Kyokannibal provided the intel, and Gyuhey followed through. This new world was strange, wondrous, and potentially very profitable.

It was a bright new day for that blue-furred, green-eyed beast watching the sun sink into the ocean.

"It's a boy!"

Sayaka, high on meds and high on pain, reached out her hand and pointed at the baby. "A… boy?" she stammered out. "That's… really weird!" she shouted before passing out.

The doctors looked at each other and shrugged.

Sheriff Madoka Kaname and Vice-Sheriff Nagisa Anna walked down a dark hallway. Madoka paced with her arms behind her back like an imperial officer or something.

"After we analyzed the Battle of Mexico City, we found the central ineffectiveness that our magical girl trainee system had," Madoka said. "But you know all this. I'm just telling the audience so they can be caught up."

"Of course, of course," the super-tall woman said, with no regard to just how much taller than she was than most any other Japanese woman.

"And, as you and I know but the readers don't, we simply don't have the power set to deal with omega-level threats, much less Hamlet Omega-level threats."

"That was a good pun, Miss Kaname!"

"Thank you."

Madoka came up to a keypad and punched some numbers in. "From the advice and inspiration of the late Asuka Langley Soryuu Miiki, we have come up with the perfect plan to augment our power set."

They were now in a large hangar room of some sort. A dark-skinned man in a military outfit stood in front of them, hands behind his back as well.

Madoka walked up to him and bowed. "It's nice to meet you," she said.

He bowed in return. "Thank you." He took Nagisa's hand and kissed it. "I am Stacker Pentecost," he said. "Director of the Karyuudo program. And I'm here to present you with the first prototype."

He clapped twice, and a massive tarp slipped off behind them, revealing a gigantic mecha robot. It was pink and had a sombrero to match,

"It's beautiful," Madoka said.

"Wow," Nagisa said.

"I guess we're going to have to expand past being the protectors of Mexico," Madoka said. "How about…"

"The world?"

"No," she said. "Maybe just the Caribbean Sea for now."

"Oh. Still fun!" Nagisa gave a thumbs up.

Stacker Pentecost nodded and turned to gaze at the mecha, just as Madoka and Nagisa were doing.

The music swelled and the scene faded out- the credits began to roll.

THE END!

TO BE CONTINUED IN: CARIBBEAN RIM! - COMING SOON! (For real this time)