einwish

[einwish]

アルティメットまどか |  星井★ヒサ

[einwish]

[einwish]

For a few seconds, the Incubator stills.

It is perhaps the most genuine expression of shock Kyubey has ever exhibited in his life short of speaking out loud. What kind of ridiculous wish was he hearing? Did she aim to surpass entropy? In the mouth of a weaker soul things might have gone differently, but if it was this girl—if that was really her wish—

§ Kaname Madoka, you are truly one of a kind. §

After Kyubey regains his senses again, all four ears twitch back to life, his eyes glinting sharply in the light.

§ I see that my repeated visits to this city are only to forestall the inevitable. §

§ You have given me a grand preview. §

He jumps off the sill next, inviting himself into the room of his so-called favorite for the past month (in human time; he doesn't know what kind of clock runs Spirale on a normal day) and padding up to her confidently.

§ I have been repeatedly taken from your side before I could complete the contract. This latest time is no exception. §

He rubs his boy against her ankles, furry tail following softly in his wake like a cat's.

§ But by the wording of your wish, and the fact that I can sense the Soul Gem on you now, I conclude that not only do you originate from the same timeline as mine, but also successfully completed your wish. The question is, what of the world we both left behind? §

What an outrageous situation. A contractor and her incubator, both plucked from their proper places to be puppets in this one.

§ For your wish to be fulfilled, we need to go back to the world you wished it for. §

the abrupt manner her entire body freezes personifies the shock induced by kyubey's voice, a hollow feeling within her chest. it's a surprise that's expected yet still catches her fully off-guard: of course she'd encounter kyubey again, even if the universe they are in is no longer the same. and still ..

" k - kyubey? " madoka lifts her head slowly, with the same hesitance that one might display when checking the closet for monsters. she can barely believe it when a familiar silhouette is spotted on the window's sill. she rubs her eyes, but the image remains: a small animal, seemingly friendly, waiting to be allowed in. " you're alive? "

it's a stupid question and she realises that right as it echoes through her room. incubators can't die - the little creature they puppet around is exactly just that, so it makes sense for him to have survived whatever succeeded after she was taken from walpurgisnacht.

.. still. someone she knows is here. although madoka is unsure of how to feel currently, there is relief in learning that if he's okay, homura might be too.

she considers his words quietly, looking away as she thinks. then, with a determined yet calm look, madoka replies: " for witches to no longer exist .. so puella magis wouldn't have to cry anymore, to feel scared. i thought that since i appeared here the wish wasn't complete, but .. you're here! and you look well! did .. "

her eyes widen, expectation painted clear in her pink pupils. the girl desperately wants to believe she'll hear ' yes ' when she asks, " did it work? "

[einwish]

§ Isn't it easier to help people when you have magic? §

§ You could be strong enough to lift a burning building, or charming enough to make everyone listen to your words. Saving lives through actions and words—or just making the world a better place for your loved ones—isn't that a nice idea? §

Kyubey climbs into Mika's lap before rolling on his back, implicitly asking for tummy rubs.

§ That's why I find girls like you to form contracts with me! §

"Magical...girl?" She had heard the phrase thrown around before among the other students but Mika could've swore the phrase had a little bit more weight behind it. Like a massive event and occasion rather then just something that could happen out of nowhere.

"But for a wish? I mean don't get me wrong I have plenty of things I'd wish for but how does that relate to having to help people out? Couldn't I just do it without being one of them?"

Unless the whole purpose was to become one in the first place because of the magic. The stars of the story in an attempt to make this less embarrassing.

"I guess your right when you say its hard work. I can't imagine having to help fulfill everyone's wishes and keeping people safe at the same time."

[einwish]

Kyubey tilts its head to one side as he listens to Sonic's words. At the end of the spiel he straightens up, the only sign of movement in his unnaturally still body.

§ A human saying goes that worse than ignorance is the soul who thinks he knows more than he actually does. §

§ Having witnessed that today, I can confirm that these were not merely exaggerations. §

The universe operated in a cycle on the cosmic scale, but so too did the life cycles of puella magi. Perhaps the unique environment of Spirale City allowed them to be more wasteful than usual, but the fact was that overuse of one's magical powers without periodic cleansing from a Grief Seed sped up the rate of Soul Gem corruption.

§ Then again, there are those who form contracts for even more frivolous reasons, so who am I to judge? Enjoy your little holiday. I can see that eventually dying for a noble cause excites you more than the practicalities of maintaining your current body. That is a mentality I will applaud. §

Bringing his ears together, Kyubey even begins to clap—a soft, floppy sound.

There's a clear eye roll as the other goes on - he doesn't care very much about what he dubs a unnecessary waste of magical energy, and he doesn't have a problem with him knowing that. He accomplished what he wanted with it, and that's what was important.

"They said enough. That it's all just some.. cycle. That you all know it's some cycle, and that you want it that way, and that's the whole.. reason for all this."

A hand waves at all this, as if trying to encompass everything in it. He doesn't understand why. He just knows they're all meant to die, and it's a cycle that's intended to repeat, not an unfortunate side effect. He should've known with the grief seeds, but.. he didn't want to think that.

"I know how to look after myself, and I know death is just something that happens sometimes - but why would I just sit there and watch when I can do something about it? That's sorta why I do this whole thing."

That's the whole point of being a magical girl is what he wants to say; it's the idealized version of why, anyways. It's the whole reason he decided to become one. To protect anyone who couldn't protect themselves. He knows it's true for him, but.. he holds his tongue on saying it to him. There's something deeper to all of it, even if he doesn't fully understand it, and part of him dreads finding out the full scale of things.

[einwish]

Tail swishing behind him, Kyubey cranes his neck to look up at the impressive figure beside him. She carries a gravitas all her own—not quite a prime candidate for his contracts, perhaps, but a good enough conversation partner in a pinch.

§ My observations indicate that my corner of the universe is functioning in perfect order. §

§ No matter how I look at it, multiple trips to this realm indicate that it is in a perpetual cycle of chaos—creating and destroying itself at the whims of its self-proclaimed "Stars." Therefore, it is the anomaly, not us. §

eyes briefly flicker down to the strange creature by her side, the appearance reminding her of Fou in some aspects. this one, it seems, was capable of speech.

" It does? Perhaps your world functions differently than time elsewhere for it to move fast here."

" But.....there is some truth in your words. If not for how real everything felt, one may think this to be just a dream. With how new memories form for someone without ever leaving this place. to the city rebuilding as if nothing happened when disaster falls.....the logic is muddled."

[einwish]

Rounding a corner, Kyubey finds a well-proportioned tree and scampers up the branches, finding his perch on the tallest one before he peers down with his eyes at his pursuers.

Girl, 1. Cat...also 1? He's yet to meet one so expressively green, however.

Fortunately, speaking telepathically means that he can easily communicate even when the target is still chasing him down the block.

§ Even if you catch me, I can't give you anything now. §

§ But I can promise you something nice later if you ask! §

◓ "Eh!?" Something dashed by Liko's feet, causing the Sprigatito to give chase down the sidewalk. "S-Sprigatito!? Wait up!" What was her Pokémon's interest in that monster? Was it a Pokémon too? There were a lot she had never seen before, so it was definitely possible.

"Sprigatito! Slow down! Don't hurt it!" She had no choice but to pursue the both of them on foot either way.

[einwish]

Lazing on the bed, Kyubey expertly uses one of his ears to lop up a strawberry and bring it to his mouth.

§ I'm glad to see you too! §

§ They always put me in a different house whenever I find myself here, but I never have time to meet my roommates. §

Another ear picks up a berry and offers it to Eiden instead, the incubator's tail patting the space on the mattress next to him so Eiden can sit.

§ I've barely lost time in my world, too. So don't worry, it's good to be back! §

Clueless of the machinations of the mind of the very cute beady-eyed creature Eiden nuzzles his forehead onto Kyubey's. He's not too heavyhanded but happy to wring him about nonetheless.

" You did?! Aww, you didn't have to... " he says placing the little thing back to his bed.

" Wait a sec there, I'll go get the strawberries. Customer brought them today, they're premium and all -- you're not lactose intolerant or anything right? "

After hearing the answers Eiden runs for the kitchen returning soon with the treats. Now bed's not the best place for eating but there's no harm to it if he's careful!

" Y'know, I don't know about being here but I'm glad to see you! "

[einwish]

Weird creatures aside, magical ones had their day in the sun too. A housecat-sized one scurries around the corner, nearly runs into the girl's shoes, and keeps dashing down the sidewalk.

Who could it be? Where was it going?

◓ "I think I'm getting used to this place... although I wish there were more Pokémon."

"I think Sprigatito might have it worse than me with everyone thinking she's some kind of weird creature..."

[einwish]

Kyubey cocks its head, then sits up to stretch its back lazily.

§ A messenger of magic! § he says a moment later, before pausing to chase his tail in circles.

§ I grant wishes and make dreams come true! §

"I think I'm fine with you staying on the ground."

There is something about this creature that's... odd. It's cute, but that almost vacant smile really is strange. Or maybe Clive is just used to weird creatures being weird.

"If you're not a moogle, then what are you supposed to be?"

[einwish]

Four paws pad up innocuously to her side before Kyubey comes to a rest on his haunches.

§ Time in this place moves quicker than my world. §

§ This place has as much logic as a dream. §

Which is to say, little to none.

" So, back here again......and the seasons have changed. Time seems to be always moving, no matter the place."

[einwish]

Food, shelter, love, fulfillment.

As Kyubey spins in circles, he marvels at the self-perpetuating cycle of humans and their feelings. Perhaps one thing that Incubators had yet to grasp (and likely never would) was the concept of emotion being reward. One would give and give until response was received, not in the form of material gain or practical benefits, but the simple notion of feeling good. Apparently the deficit caused in pursuing that high was worth every price.

The pleasure centers of the human brain were a curious thing.

§ I was gone for a while, but now they've brought me back! § The rest of his body's dangling in mid-air, but Kyubey still manages to wrap an ear around Eiden's wrist, keeping him warm and hugged.

§ I came to find you right away. §

§ Let's eat, then. I like your snacks! §

" Ahh, I'm beatttt... "

With a busy day with little to no time for a breather coming to an end Eiden's ready to throw himself to bed. He tosses the his jacket to the hanger heading over to the bedroom to do just that but is stopped by the sight of a familiar figure in the way.

" Kyubey!!! " he chimes taking a leap to catch the creature into his hands and give him a good twirl or two.

" What the helll!!! Where have you been dude!!! Do you want some strawberries?! "

[einwish]

1 / 2 / 3 by Relanoy [pixiv] [twitter]

♡ reprint permission was granted by the artist. 

[einwish]

come learn energy management 101 with coobie

save a puella magi today, harvest a stronger Witch tomorrow!

[einwish]

Kyubey tilted his head forwards, all the better to scratch his ear with one of his hind paws. The words of the other are curious, if a little obscure, but he reacts to them as he does other things: with simple logic.

§ I'm curious to know what my colleague said. §

§ If you're as stable as you claim, then it's more energy efficient to employ a single reliable cell against a host of changing constants. My guess is that they take issue with your unnecessary waste of magical energy. §

He points a paw at the remnants of the tree Sonic's destroyed, clearly unimpressed.

§ Death is the natural order of life. What do you gain from saving two birds, besides hastening the demise of your own? Did your contractor never teach you how to look after your Soul Gem? §

Here he was, mere moments away from kneeling and calling them over - sure, they looked a bit weird for a cat, but he wasn't one to judge. Not until they'd started talking about contracts, anyways. Maybe it's not surprising, considering the not so small magical feat he'd just performed of completely demolishing a tree mid fall.. in his defense, it would've crushed a pair of quails. He should've figured it'd attract attention; especially the attention of someone who sought out people like him.

His expression hardens, turning to a frown and standing up straight now. He'd lived long enough to get wise to the less.. pleasant aspects to his line of work, incubators included. His own had been subtly pressing him to dwell on negatives after some time, and once he'd outlived expectations he'd learned enough to put the pieces together. He wasn't thrilled to see another one.

"It's been great, actually - I'd say sorry that someone beat you to the punch, but I'm not, really. Besides, you'd probably end up disappointed anyways, from what I've heard from the one I signed up with. You're good on your guess about lasting forever!"

[einwish]

§ Of course. Haven't you seen all the amazing things people can do? § The Incubator tilts its head, its tail coming up from behind its body to pat itself on the ears.

§ Some people are born with magic, but others need to find it themselves. §

§ That's where I come in. For a price of a wish, I can turn you into a magical girl! §

Seriously, someone had to put in effort to jumpstart the local Witch population.

§ Even then, the number of people to help never ends...it's hard work that takes a lot of heart! §

"Eh? Magic? Really?!"

She already knew miracles were real from personal experiences but magic was a completely new territory for the student. Sure some people tried to prove its existence but even Mika had a hard time believing it to be true. Despite this world having clear signs that pointed towards it being real.

"That's really thoughtful of you. The two of you working together to help people out. It must've been a lot though, especially if she wanted to help everyone out. Almost every day goes by here with someone who needs some kind of hand..."