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The first thing Madoka thought upon being welcomed into Mami’s home was how pretty it looked.
The apartment is large and spacious, well decorated with adorable furniture and a few houseplants here and there. On the right side is where the stair to the upper floor sits, the wall beside it lined with shelves with pictures on them. At the far end of the room is a large window, letting the warm afternoon light inside.
A small distance away, in front of them lies a small table surrounded by three differently styled chairs.
“What a wonderful room!” Her senpai giggles at the compliment, glancing back at her and Sayaka with a soft smile.
“I live here alone, so feel free to make yourselves comfortable.” The blonde girl gives them an apologetic look, hands clasping lightly behind her back. “Though I’m afraid I don’t have much to offer as refreshments...”
Before Madoka could reply, the distinctive sound of plastic rustling caught her attention. Something moves in the corner of her eyes. Or rather a white, fluffy, cat-like someone.
Kyubey walks out from where she guesses is the kitchen, preparing to greet Mami before he sees the newcomers behind her. He freezes up, tilting his head at them when he reaches the table.
He looks surprised, though she can’t be sure seeing as he is, well, a cat- or ferret, something mixed between both.
Upon closer inspection, his coat seems to be coated in dust. No, not dust. Glitter. Sparkly and absolutely everywhere on his white fur.
“Uh, doesn’t he look a bit more shiny than before?” Sayaka asks, staring back at the feline creature whose expression was slowly morphing into the horrified realization of a criminal being caught red-handed.
“Kyubey…” He freezes up, red eyes averting to the floor instead of looking at Mami- who now has her hands on her hip, sternly staring down at him.
“Have you been eating glitter before dinner?”
_______________________________________________________________________
Madoka doesn’t know what to expect when she goes to the apartment of a Precure, but warm tea and tasty cakes aren’t quite what she had in mind. Not that she’s complaining, of course.
She also doesn’t expect to witness the sight of a magical fairy hiding under a chair, sulking to himself after being chewed out over his “bad eating habit”. Which, apparently, is because he’s been eating too much glitter recently.
Madoka isn’t sure what to think about that, so she decides to focus back on the cake in front of her.
“Mami-san, this is delicious!” She says after taking another bite of the pastry. It feels like one of the most delicious things she has ever eaten- could this be one of the Precure’s Magic?
“Seriously-insanely tasty!” Sayaka happily exclaimed after her, clearly enjoying herself right now. It’s rather nice to see the bluenette so relaxed, after what happened earlier that day.
“Thank you.” Mami smiles softly in return. Then, stopping for a moment, she resumes speaking with a more serious tone.
“Since you two have just escaped a Witch’s attack, I believe there are a few things you should know.” The upperclassman says, her eyes seemingly glowing under the sunlight. “Witches don’t like it when their ‘preys’ run off, they’ll undoubtedly come back sooner or later.”
Madoka shudders slightly. That thing they’ve managed to barely escape from was horrifying enough as it is, the thought of being hunted down by several others like it makes dread pools in her heart.
Mami must’ve noticed her nervousness, the blonde’s voice calm and reassuring as she continues.
“Don’t worry too much, I and Kyubey will make sure you’re safe. Now, I’m going to tell you what you need to know.”
“Right… Well, feel free to ask anything you want!” Sayaka awkwardly laughs. Despite her joke, Madoka can tell Sayaka is somewhat scared too.
The bluenette might not say it aloud, but she wasn’t hiding it that well with the clenched fists either.
“Sayaka-chan… I think you got it backwards…” The pink-haired girl replies, trying to put her friend at ease.
Suddenly, there was a flash of gold, and Madoka looked back to find Mami holding something.
A moment later she opened her hands, revealing a small, yellow gem with ornate decorations.
Madoka couldn’t help but be in awe at the mystical object. Enough to almost miss what the other girl was saying.
“This is a Wish Crystal,” Mami starts, “It is given by a Guardian fairy to a Pretty Cure- in this case, to me by Kyubey.”
Out of the corner of her eye, the pink-haired girl spots Kyubey sneaking out from under the chair, moving instead to behind one of the school bags.
“It is the source of a Precure’s power, and what the Witches are after.”
“Wait,” Sayaka cuts her off suddenly, “if those things are looking for these gems, does that mean they’re also after you all the time?”
“That-”
“Why would Kyubey give you something like that?”
“W-well, that’s because of how the Wish Crystals work.” The androgynous voice echo soundlessly, its owner fully hidden by the bags, with only his nose and ears visibly poking out.
“These Crystals exude powerful magic normally, which is how Witches find them. But in the vicinity of someone whose magic resonates with the Crystal’s own, its energy can be dispersed through the person's natural aura, thus hiding it away, like an invisible shield!”
“So… She’s not in constant danger?” the bluenette asks aloud, now noticing the not so greatly hidden fairy.
“Um… I guess yes… and also no.”
“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Sayaka leans over, trying to look at the white critter. Mami lets out a fake cough, and without even looking at where he is, she motions for him to join them.
“Kyubey, you can sit over here too, being all ominous like that isn’t fitting for you.”
The cat ears twitch, then a pair of red eyes stare at them briefly from behind the bags. Slowly, the fairy moves out from his hiding spot, crawling onto the table.
After nearly slipping back down onto the floor by accident, he finally sits up to face the two non-magical humans.
“Let’s start with the basics, I am a fairy from the Land of Miracles, I was one of the newest recruits for Guardianship of the Wish Crystals- powerful artifacts that were created from dreams and wishes, and the source of power for the Pretty Cures, legendary warriors of the kingdom.”
“The duty of Guardians is to seek out those fitting to hold the power of Wish Crystals, and to guide and aid the chosen Precures in their battles against Witches, to stop them from causing destruction and mayhem across the world.”
A brief pause.
“Like what they’ve done to my home that caused me to be sent here as a last resort.” The fairy’s voice takes on a quieter tone, full of uncertainty and sadness over whatever happened to him.
Madoka wants to reach out and comfort him, but before she could, he’s already continued speaking.
“They were chasing after… a legend.”
“A legend?” Sayaka asks, her eyes meeting Madoka’s, clearly as curious as the pinknette is.
“Legends said that there lies a great gemstone beneath the deepest depth below the ground, one so vastly powerful it can grant any wish imaginable, but only ever once for any soul who can find it.”
“Huh? Really?!” Sayaka quickly exclaims, shocks tinting her voice.
“A wish…?” In contrast, Madoka repeats the word quietly, slowly processing the information.
Kyubey continues his story regardless, and she can tell from the way he speaks that this is something important back in his homeworld.
“Many stories said that it’s where the Wish Crystals get their name from, with their power a mere fraction compared to that mighty Gemstone itself. Where the Wish Crystals can only give the ability to use powerful magic, the Great Gemstone can grant even the most impossible of miracles!”
After that last sentence, Sayaka perks up, and Madoka can tell that she is running through all the possibilities in her head right now.
“Anything?”
“Anything!”
“Riches and treasures? Or eternal youth?” Then she leans her face on one of her hands, a dreamy look on her face.
“Or even the fabled 108-dish banquet of the emperors?!”
“Uh, maybe not that last one…” The pinknette awkwardly says.
“What… What would one person do with 108 dishes?” Kyubey asks, confusion evident on his face before shaking his head.
“However excited you may be, it’s just an old legend, though I’ve heard supposed tales of those who’ve supposedly found it before.” He shudders. “And those miracles aren’t granted for free… In exchange for that one-of-a-lifetime wish, an equal amount of pain will be set unto the universe.”
The afternoon light is still casting its warm glow upon them, but Madoka feels a distinctive chill as she hears that. Kyubey doesn’t seem to be enjoying himself either, in fact, he looks almost scared by the story he is telling.
“It is said that witches originate as a consequence from such a wish, though most said it is simply a fable of old.” The white cat-ferret-rabbit-esque fairy stares up at the sky outside. “Not that I’d know, they've been there since before I was born. Same with the Precures, they are warriors duty-bound to do battle with Witches.”
Witches. Madoka heard that word several times today, from the near-death experience of encountering one, to the story of Kyubey’s home.
“Um, Kyubey-san?” The fairy turned to look at her, his large fluffy tail curled around himself.
“Yes, Kaname-san?”
“What exactly is a Witch?”
“Yeah, you keep talking about them, but I still have no clue what they are.” Madoka glances at Sayaka, who’s leaning closer to Kyubey, eyes narrowing as she speaks. “Are they different from Precures?”
Kyubey responds first by giving her a strange look. “I- Of course they’re different from the Precures. Does Mami look like a witch to you?”
He then points at the blonde, who only sips her tea calmly while they speak. Madoka hopes they haven’t accidentally offended her.
“Oh, alright then.” Sayaka winces at that, seemingly realizing how weird her last question is. Kyubey flicks his tail, but answers nonetheless.
“To put it simply, if Pretty Cures can be said to use power born from wishes, then witches are beings who thrive on curses. Just as Precures spread hope to the world, Witches spread despair.”
The fairy’s tail droops back down. “And since they can easily hide from the sight of the living, their acts of evil are quite… insidious.”
“Anxiety and mistrust… Irrational rage and hatred… They sow the seeds of disaster across worlds.”
“Many of the inexplicable suicides and murders that occurs… are caused by a Witch’s curse.” The calm voice of her senpai caught Madoka’s attention.
The room is getting darker now, the sun slowly setting under the horizon. Mami gives both her and Sayaka a serious stare, her next words carrying a sense of warning.
“Its formless darkness grows within the cursed human… Until it consumes them from the inside.”
A short pause, then Sayaka asks carefully.
“If these Witches are so dangerous, why don’t people know about them yet?”
“As I’ve said, they hide from the sight of the living, deep within their Labyrinths. They take care to never appear before human eyes.” He stops for a moment, as if realizing something. “That maze-like place you wandered into today was a Labyrinth!”
“People who stray into them usually don’t make it out alive. They are as dangerous as they are unsettling.” Mami adds to the fairy’s answer.
Madoka stares back at the other girl, finally asking the question that’s been on her mind since that battle.
“And you fight such scary creatures?”
“Yes, often at the risk of my life.” The calmness with which she said that scared Madoka.
“That’s why I need to warn you of what’s to come, those the Witches target don’t tend to escape in one piece. They won’t be letting you go so easily.”
“Especially with the number of Witches’ attacks recently, it seems like they’re searching for someone here,” Kyubey says solemnly, “so you must be extremely careful these next few weeks, there will be a lot more fighting soon.”
Madoka stares at the cup of tea in her hand, several thoughts racing through her mind at the moment. Trapped and chased down by a Witch, meeting a Pretty Cure, finding out about magic and an entire other world exists, learning that she and Sayaka are probably going to be in danger soon…
It’s almost too much for her to process.
“Can anyone become a Precure?” the bluenette suddenly blurts out.
“No.” Kyubey replies, tilting his head while Sayaka lets out a disappointed ‘oh’. “There’s a limited number of Wish Crystals, and I can’t just hand them out at random. Besides, as I’ve said, the magic of the Crystals and the users have to resonate.”
“Well, does my magic do all that stuff then?”
“That will take some time to determine, I need to interact with you for a while before I can sort out if your aura resonates with a Wish Crystal or not-”
“...”
“Wait, do you want to be a Precure? After all that!?”
“Well, it’s a tough choice to make. Fighting against Witches and risking your own life sounds scary, but…” Sayaka nervously laughs, scratching the back of her neck. “Being a hero, protecting the weak and saving people from dangerous monsters, that’s one of my greatest wishes too, you know?”
“...I see.”
“You’ve seen for yourself what it’s like to do battle with a Witch,” Mami gives the blue-haired girl a stern look, “even if you do resonate with a Wish Crystal, you should still think long and hard about whether you’re willing to sacrifice yourself, perhaps even your life.”
The seriousness of which she said sent the entire room into silence. After a while, Sayaka speaks up again.
“So is that transfer student also a Cure, just like you, Mami-san?” Madoka blinks in surprise at the mention of the mysterious girl.
Akemi Homura, the transfer student, who was going after Kyubey earlier.
“Yes, there’s no doubt about it. She seems to be a fairly powerful one, too.” The moment Mami finishes, Sayaka immediately voices her confusion.
“But doesn’t that mean she’s a good guy who also fights against the Witches?” The bluenette shot a glance toward her best friend. “So why would she suddenly start attacking Madoka?”
“She wasn’t, it was me that she was after.” Kyubey chirps up once more, lifting himself off the floor slightly. “Any hostility she showed was only toward me, not Kaname-san.”
“But aren’t you supposed to be her ‘Guardian’ too? Why would she do something like that?”
“I do not know why she tried to hurt me, but I know for sure I’ve never even met her before, much less been the one who gave her the Precure power.”
“Kyubey isn’t the only one of his kind, there are other Guardians like him too.” Mami says. “Though I’ve not met many of them before, and while the other Precures don’t always work together, I have never seen a Cure who’d attack another like that.”
“So basically, the reason that girl was staring at Madoka all day yesterday…” Sayaka has a thoughtful look on her face as she speaks. “...was it because she mistook her for a Precure?”
“I wouldn’t be shocked if that was why, but I hope not. Otherwise, it’s rather… worrying.” Mami gently lifted her hand over the Wish Crystal.
With a flash of bright light, the ornate crystal has turned into a beautiful silver ring with a tiny gem on it.
“Extremely concerning, in fact.” Kyubey sits up, fluffy tail stiffly around him. “Mitakihara has always had very few Witches’ attacks, so it was deemed unnecessary for a full Precure group and their Fairy to be here… Until now.”
He shakes his head, letting out a sigh.
“Now, the Witches are clearly up to something. Any help would be necessary, and any more enemy would be dangerous. Especially when said enemy is someone who’s meant to fight alongside you.”
_______________________________________________________________________
Later in the afternoon, Kyubey tilts his head, curious eyes following Madoka as she leaves for home.
He couldn’t tell why, but her magic felt… different. Stronger, clearer, different. Even Mami doesn’t have that much magic.
He can’t quite feel any resonance between her and the Crystals just yet, but he wouldn’t be surprised if she does.
Someone of her potential is clearly a prime target for Witches, meaning he would need to keep a close eye on the girl to make sure she’s safe.
And then there’s the new anomaly in town. A strange precure that he knows for sure he has never seen before. Who apparently is suspicious of him despite the fact they haven’t even talked face-to-face yet.
All that, and he still has to deal with Walpurgisnatch.
Groaning to himself, Kyubey lazily watches the cars passing by on the street below.
Now he has to find a way to make sure two Witches’ victims stay safe, finds out more about a Precure who wishes to kill him on sight, on top of making sure Mami is safe and trying to convince another Cure to please at least fight against the strongest Witch with them just one more time.
Oh, why does it have to be him who's been given such an important mission? Anyone else would clearly be better at this than him!
He’s not even a full-blown Guardian yet! He’s barely even begun his training!
And why do humans have to have such messed up magic auras? Why do the only people who can work with magic have to be teenagers!?
Not that he’s actually any older than them, but it was still too dangerous, too unfair to drag them into something like this.
Slumping down, he lays flat against the floor, sighing into the floorboard.
Where is the glitter stash when he needs it?