Chapter I

Pride

Fire engulfed not just the capital of Lugnica, but the entire country. People screamed, drowned in despair as their howls were engulfed by the very flames caused by a lone black-haired man. There were no more candidates apart from Emilia.

Crusch was removed from existence by the White Whale.

Priscilla disappeared.

Felt was murdered.

Anastasia ran away because her precious knight was poisoned.

The entire country was up in flames, unsaveable by even the most prestige Sword Saint - Reinhard.

A lone silver-haired half-elf pushed against the relentless fire, trying in vain to freeze it with her ice. A familiar white cat moved out of her hair, worried about the nature of the flames. "Lia!" The androgynous spirit screamed, "That's a mabeast! Someone's riding it!"

"You're right!" And in that instant, a barrage of icicles attacked the mabeast, and the man riding it fell off spectacularly, dizzyingly getting up without a speck of style. He rubbed off the dust from his black sports jacket, his clothes were from an unfamiliar country. "Ow, wow," The stranger said, holding his head in pain.

"Stop right there, scoundrel!" Emilia demanded, her amethyst eyes glaring down on the enemy.

"...Emilia…" He muttered.

"You...know me?"

"Pfft….hahahaha…" He couldn't help but chuckle.

"What's so funny?" She asked. Emilia felt a surge of anger at this man. He must've been part of the terrorist group responsible for the current destruction of the country.

"No no, it's just, I'm filled with joy knowing that you haven't changed a bit, Emilia. It feels like I've been rewarded, yeah."

Confusion. She felt confused. When had she ever met this crooked man? This crooked seventeen-year old boy? Emilia peeked at his expression. He looked satisfied, strangely enough.

"When have you and I-" She frantically searched through her memories, trying to recollect anything about this boy.

"Lia, don't take anything he says seriously," Puck's voice pulled her out of her thoughts. She shook her head, and stared directly at her enemy.

"How daring of you to call me by my name. How are you going to pay for your crimes against the country?"

Who even says daring anymore?

"Yes, it's as you say. I'll pay my dues. It's impossible to escape either way," He said, pointing upwards, accepting his fate. Emilia, surprised, lifted an eyebrow, in doubt.

"Oh, how sporting of you. How suspicious."

Who even says sporting anymore at this day and age?!

"Listen, Emilia. What I'm about to say is just a madman's rambling. Please, don't remember it."

"...?"

He stretched his arms out, and pulled Emilia's gaze into the fire. "I'm the one who started the fire in the Capital. I'm the one who caused all this madness. The guards trying to put out the fire are simply mishandling the situation. They have no idea how science works, nope. Reinhard's name now as well is knee-deep in dirt. No one's going to respect him now. And the Dragon won't come to save this country either. I've tried, several times to bring him out into the open. Not happening. I got no idea how the covenant works, but if I don't know, no one else does."

"You were the one who set the country on fire? Why? Are you trying to destroy this country?"

"What? No. What a violent way of thinking, Emilia. You see, this was the only way to make you the Queen of Lugnica."

Her eyes opened wide. A wave of realization hit Emilia. "F-for me?"

"Yes, Emilia. All of this was for you! All of it! All of it! All of it!"

"You liar! You liar! You liar!" She pushed her hands to her ears, attempting to block out the stranger's words. Puck looked lost and baffled. "I don't understand! Why?! Why me?!"

Her tears flowed out, and a painful throb hit the stranger in the chest. Oh...how beautiful, He thought. He truly loved this woman.

"You don't have to understand! You don't have to understand it at all! Just know that I did this for you! Someday, when this is all over, everyone will push you up of their own accord. You are the hero that finally put an end to over four hundred years of struggle! You! The one who will kill the mastermind behind the Great Fire will not be Reinhard! But you!"

"W-who are you?! Who in the world are you?!"

He smiled. This was his moment. This was the moment he's been waiting for all these years. No, it was probably only a span of six months. But to him, it was at least three decades.

The stranger stretched out his arms gallantly, pridefully. If he were to cry now, it'd ruin the precious moment with his beloved.

"My name is Natsuki Subaru."

"Su...baru…"

"Yes Emilia. Remember me, engrave me, despise me."

"W-what…" She broke down even further into tears.

Without faltering, he puffed up his chest, and screamed, "I am the final Sin Archbishop, representing PRIDE! NATSUKI SUBARU!"

With all of his meager strength, his legs pushed him to Emilia, running as fast as he could to cut the distance. "I am the one who set the country on fire! I'm the one who destroyed the Witch's cult! And I am the one who kills heroes-"

"You're the one to die," An angry floating rodent hovered over him. Subaru's feet dropped, unable to reach Emilia. He stumbled spectacularly, and just barely opening his eyes, he noticed an icicle spear tearing through his chest.

Subaru was dying. Blood spilled from his throat. He slowly closed his eyes, resignated to his fate.

Until something dropped on his cheek. He opened his eyes and saw Emilia's teary-face, bringing him up to her lap. She was crying for him. Ahh….I really do love her.

"...Why?"

"Why? Why? Why?"

The question was vague, and could mean many things. Natsuki Subaru wanted to answer them all, but only had seconds left.

"...because I love you."

He closed his eyes and embraced death once more.

But Emilia was left behind. She was left behind in a rotting world, one where Natsuki Subaru destroyed everything. There was nothing left.

She gazed over this young man. Did she meet him somewhere? Why couldn't she remember him? The half-elf couldn't keep these thoughts out of her head.

Emilia felt confused. A surge of conflicting emotions wrecked havoc on her heart. Sadness, hatred, and pity. "Lia…" Puck whispered, "Let's go…"

"But..what about him?"

"Just leave him. A monster like him doesn't deserve even a proper funeral," His voice was tinged in anger, but softened as he saw Emilia's tears, "Let's go. It's not good to stay here. There are people out there that need your protection, Lia."

"Mmm," She said quietly, "Yes...you're right." Gently dropping the dead Archbishop down, she placed him against a broken-down wall, and prayed silently for a gentle afterlife. "Let's go, Puck." She sniffled, and rubbed the tears out of her eyes.

They turned their back on PRIDE, and started to leave.

Until they heard a shuffled noise.

"Lia! Behind you!"

"Eh?" Surprised, Emilia's eyes gawked at the now-standing Subaru surrounded by shadows. His movements were choppy, almost like a doll's. His arms dangled beneath him as he arched his back. His unfocused eyes moved rapidly. When his eyes finally moved to the duo, he chuckled.

"Disgusting…." Puck couldn't hide his disdain to the Archbishop's corpse.

"P-Puck? Wh-what's going on?!"

"Lia! Run! It's the Witch's Shado-"

In an instant, Subaru's corpse erupted, and within it, a hurricane of dark energy exploded, heading straight to Emilia and Puck.

It swallowed them whole, separating Emilia from Puck forcefully. The green jewel on her chest flowed out, and she screamed. "P-PUUUCCCKKK!"

"LIAAAAA!"

Her vision was blocked by a barrage of shadows. It felt cold and smothering.

Part II

The sun cleared. The birds chirped. A lone silver-haired half-elf blinked at the sudden brightness. Clear air filled her lungs, and she felt nearly free.

There was an influx of people and carriages around her, paying her no attention.

It was Lugnica, but not the one she knew. She remembered flames, she remembered the screams of despair.

But now, there was none of that. Every building around her was intact, and everyone was smiling. She clutched at her chest, but the spirit jewel was missing. Emilia suddenly felt a drowning loneliness without Puck.

But she had to find him. She had to get to the bottom of this.

After a while of searching, she figured out that she was in the Capital of Lugnica. She checked a newspaper, and found that the date was a year and a half from what she remembered.

Emilia checked the current events, and strangely enough there was no mention of the Great Fire in Lugnica. If she really did go to the future, why was there no Great Fire?

Frantically, she asked every passerby about the Great Fire, and they all shook their heads confused. Some were pissed, and some were scared of her half-elf heritage, but all of them shook no to her question, "Do you know about the Great Fire?"

They all looked at her strangely.

"Hey, aren't you that young lady who is in the Royal Selection?" She passed an Appa Man who spoke with a slight rough accent.

"Uh, yes?" Someone talked to her.

"Yeah, I met your knight a while ago. Man, it's been awhile since I've seen him. Never would've thought he'd become a knight. When I first saw him, he was flat broke. He couldn't even buy an appa!" He laughed wholeheartedly.

"My...knight?"

"Yeup. Didn't believe it at first, but I never would've thought he'd save the Capital from the Witch's Cult. Color me impressed, seriously."

"Y-yeah…" She had no idea how to react, as he kept talking.

"Tell him I said hi," Then he cleaned an appa and handed it to her, "And tell him to buy an appa from me. I can't keep giving out charity y'know."

"T-thanks…"

A little girl popped up from under his arm. It was his daughter. "Hi, onee-chan!" She squealed. Emilia smiled. "Hey hey, I want to see Subaru again, so tell him I said hi!"

Subaru?

"My name is Natsuki Subaru.

I am The Sin Archbishop, representing PRIDE. NATSUKI SUBARU!"

She gawked. Subaru. The terrorist who destroyed the country was still alive. But that raised several more questions than answers.

If he was still alive, why was the country still intact? Why did they mention that he was her knight? And why was everyone so fond of him?

She had to get to the bottom to this.

But first, she had to find Puck.

That was her priority.

She clenched her fist, and found a renewed motivation

Part III

In an abandoned alleyway, a crackling green jewel cut through the concrete, surrounded by electrifying power.

A tall platinum-haired human woman walked towards it, and smiled. Her dark blue eyes hovered over the crystal. Her slender fingers grasped it, shutting its power down.

"Hello there, Puck," She studied the jewel, and saw the monster contained within it, "You and I are going to have so much fun."

CHAPTER END

Author Notes:

Hey there! I based this off of the newest What-If chapter, on Natsuki Subaru being the Archbishop of Pride. Hope you guys enjoy it!

I won't update this too frequently because I still have some Madoka fanfiction projects I'm working on.