Puella Magi Malefica Magica

[Aikalynn]

Imagine that you could have one wish--any wish that your heart desired--granted.

Would you be willing to pay the price?

All you have to do is fight Witches. They are born from evil and can only be stopped by the magic of the Puella Magi. The rules are simple--I'll be around, so if you need me, just think.

The day was reaching its metaphorical mid-point. At any minute the bell would ring, dismissing the students of their school duties and releasing them into the town. The day itself was a bit on the windy side, nothing unheard of, but it was rather strange. The news of the Ume Skyscraper seemed to be what everyone was talking about, as more visual progress had been made.

Nevertheless, it just seemed like any other day. At least, that was how it seemed to everyone else.

To those who were chosen by the messenger of magic, it was another day to hunt Witches and obtain grief seeds. Another day to fight for territory, another day to avoid conflict with the other Puella Magi. Still, a sense of change was in the air, and it almost felt like an unseen timer was ticking off, slowly but surely.

"It's coming very soon."

The voice belonged to Kyubey, as it stood atop of a literal pedestal, looking down at one of his many Puella Magi of that area. She wore her uniform, and a grief seed was in her right hand, scratches covering her body. Her look was one of disbelief, and a hint of nervousness.

"Is there anything I can do about it?"

The question seemed to linger between the two for a few moments. She wanted an answer, though at the pit of her stomach doubt weighed heavily. Could she even do anything? Perhaps. Her magic hadn't failed her yet, but the way Kyubey spoke about it made her rethink her confidence.

"Of course." Kyubey finally answered, its tail swaying back and forth. "Although I think your power won't be enough--no, none of your powers are enough alone."

"You mean the other Puella Magi in this town." She clarified his statement.

"Yes. Though the idea of Puella Magi working together isn't very attractive--for many reasons that you're already aware of. I haven't even told the rest yet, seeing as how they're in school. You're quite bold for deciding to skip class."

Of course it was bold, she would never even have thought to skip. She was too much of a good girl. Ignoring the comment, she continued, "Do you plan to tell them?"

"You could always do me the favor and relay the message."

"And get myself killed?" Puella Magi hardly got along, never mind trusting the words of one another. "You'd instill this knowledge and just leave everyone else blissfully. So be it. I'll do what I can."

Kyubey remained silent. Was it thinking? She couldn't tell. She waited for some kind of response, but he simply stepped down and looked back at her. "I know. I've kept up my end of the bargain. I think I'll go see Kokoro, now. The bell's ringing, can you hear it?"

Sure enough, it rang loud and clear for the whole place to hear. It was coming, and time became precious. It was time for her to gather up the Puella Magi, start gaining their trust. But how? She knew only of their presence but no names or faces. It's like knowing someone's there in the dark. Not to mention that she herself had even clashed with a few. The Witches will have to show me, then. Clutching the grief seed in her hand, the sparkle of the sun's rays hitting her ring caught her eye, her symbol on her middle finger.

That's right, in their sealed forms... Catching an idea, the girl pocketed the thing and turned on her heel. I'll start at the mall, then.

[IntenseInsanity]

Miyuki shifted uncomfortably under the stares of her classmates, glancing around with an annoyed glint in her eye. They wouldn't notice, though, because she hid it well behind a well placed smile. The bell was about to ring, and with no distress calls from Kyubey, Yuki thought it would be a good day to hang out on the roof. Her eyes shifted to the clock, her fingers beating a soft song on her desk. She bit her lip, her fingers soon copying the tick of the clock. The tick rock became louder, drowning out the scratching of pencils, the murmurs of the students, the chatter of the teacher.

Tick

Tock

Tick

Tock

Her smile widened, curving up as the final minute arrived. She began to quietly pack up her pencils and note books, slipping them into an expensive looking bag. The chatter suddenly grew louder, an impatient teacher finally shut up. Expectant eyes turned towards the door, hungry for allowance to exit. Yuki straightened, her bag now slung over her shoulder. Stand tall and mighty. Three. Smile wide, act sweetly. Two. And look out for Witches, do your job right. One. The bell rang out and the adolescent bodies all piled out of the room, a tired teacher slumping down behind her desk. A group of students had ran to catch Yuki at her desk, but she had already gone. Gone where, though? They never knew how she managed to leave so fast, or where she managed to go.

Miyuki let out a sigh as she opened the roof entrance door, cool air meeting her face. She glanced down at her right hand, staring at the white oval on her middle fingernail and then at the ring. Nothing in the area. She did, however, feel some sort of pressure, as though something was coming closer, but she nodded it off as an after school headache. The white-haired girl wandered to the fence, gripping the metal that separated her from the ground tightly, staring off into the city. Her blue eyes narrowed in silent sorrow as she spotted the hospital, but she shook it away. Sing.... came a soft voice in the back of her head, You know you want too Yuki bit her lip, staring up at the blue sky,

"Like an apple from a tree, I am brittle, strong and sweet. But of course that isn't me, It's what I truly want to be. What I hide behind my smile, Isn't really that worthwhile. Go ahead and laugh at me. What I always thought would be..." she started softly, but soon ended up wailing the song, her throat tingling with satisfaction of words leaving her lips. Her feelings being conveyed again, almost like how she fought. Everything felt good and wonderful and amazing when she sang, like she could cry without worry, but she held back the useless tears, her hand reaching up to cover her mouth. Singing so loudly, someone will notice.

Crap.

Someone did, Yuki turned around to find a small crowd of students, staring at her with awe. They overwhelmed her suddenly, cheers of enthusiasm filling the air. Yuki gave her sweetest smile,

"Thank you for always being there for me!" Leave me alone, I want to sing alone "I wouldn't be who I am today without my fans!" Go away go away go away go away. A sharp sound filled her ears, her ring glowing lightly. A witch in the area? A small smile of relief covered her face,

"If you could excuse me!" she gave her politest bow and pushed through the cheering crowd, vanishing through the door. She was soon at the front of the school, her white soul gem in its natural form, glowing brightly. Into the town? Miyuki ran forward, pushing passed anyone in her way.

(If I messed up on anyone please tell me ;-;

[Darcness]

~Yasu~

Miyuki was quick to pack up her things to escape the normally crowded classroom when the bell finally cried like it so often did. Miyuki was the kind of girl Sanae avoided, at least that was when she was Sanae. The girl rose from her seat and began shuffling her things into her bag while she herself made her way out of the room and into the hallway stopping before the rest station and sliding her ID to remove credits and allow the vending machine to spout free a soda. Her mind however trailed back to Miyuki for a moment, as if she'd seen her on TV or something. Shrugging it off wasn't a hard task for her to do but the lingering feeling at the back of her mind remained. The few memories of Sanae that lingered inside this host didn't reflect well on her- probably personal preference.

The shoe lockers were busier than usual today, all with the buzz of the new skyscraper going up down town that mean the city would finally be getting some long deserved recognition. With a strong gust of wind, a piercing sound radiates through the orange soul gem as she allows her eyes to trace down to her hand- baring the ring of her pact. It sparkled bright and the sound had drifted down into a soft hum; no one could hear it from her understanding but the glow was enough to signal that something was in fact coming or was near by...

"Hey Matsuri-san!" calls a girl with her friends near by the shoe lockers, girls that Yasu knew from the class. "Do you want to get some tea on the way home? We noticed you lived near our classmate, Kirishima-chan!" the girl ads as Yasu forces a smile to politely decline and that alone already seemed like it was forced. The girls seemed oblivious to this harsh rejection but they said their good byes and left Yasu alone beside her locker.

When she was sure they were gone and there were fewer people around, she tugs on her shoes and morphs her soul gem into it's egg shape inside her locker and pulls it out to stare at the detection become more and more prominent. There was definitely something near by in town- witch or familiar. Yasu allows her face to sink- she couldn't ignore this one today, her gem was already a shade darker than it was earlier this week and considering what could possibly happen when a gem taints was already a very grim thought. watching a magical girl fall was never a promising sight- even though it meant a body for free...

The thought washes into realization as her frown became a toothy grin that followed her out the door as she pockets her gem, feeling it resonate as she continues her way down the steps and into the school forum- eyes dead locked on the gate with intent in her eyes of a more sinister plan... Knowing that there were other Puella here was already a good note that start on. The skip in Yasu's step became a bit more lively as she made her way off the grounds.

~Ayase~

The gem was glowing brightly in a way that only meant that a battle was coming soon- with a witch, familiar, or even another magical girl. This territory around the mall was normally always a hot spot. It was never the kind of place that Aya would compete over so thus she never ran into any magical girls to confront against. If it really came to it, Aya loomed around the hospital and would find a witch every so often there and considering how minimally she used her power, it wasn't always a problem. If she was desperate enough, she would allow a familiar to fully grow into a witch before she defeated it for a grief seed. Keeping her Pastel Blue gem clean was her number one concern, and the less hassle, the better.

Aya had already wandered out of school the road that lead to the bridge that separated the town of Shusseiauke in half by the great Ayame river. It was such a beautiful town and the culture and people were enough for Aya to fight for.. even it she wasn't recognized for the things she was doing to keep it safe the way it was. Aya stops just the foot of the bridge, her eyes closing and sinking her hand into her bag to pull out the grief seed she had secured only a few days ago, the 9th actual witch she had ever defeated. The glyphs read clearly, "Agatha" but was that really the thing's name or was it something it earned? The bauble was ornate, the patten of a pentagram on the top with two balls on the top two tips. The front of the seed had the symbol of a shooting star pentagram on it. the girl rolls it about in her hands a few times before finally pressing her gem to it- taking some of the little darkness it had garner away into itself.

with a quick look around to ensure she was alone, Ayase transforms into her Puella form and leaps onto the railing, hopping down onto a support beam and making her way across the river and on her way toward the glow of her Soul gem was leading her.

[Pacifista]

As the clock ticked down to the end of the school day, Minami Rio’s head was bowed as she looked into the gem set into her ring. Normally it would shine a brilliant gold, but now it was quite clouded. She needed a Grief Seed to restore it's luster, but every time she’d fought a Witch, she’d use her magic to defeat it, use the Seed, then heal her injuries, which would cloud it once more...exactly the cycle she’d feared after she’d gotten hit by that car. There was no helping it though, she’d just have to manage to defeat a Witch without using too much magic. Some Witches didn’t drop Grief Seeds though: were those even Witches? Didn’t Kyubey say something about that? Rio couldn’t remember. How long had she been at this? Not that long, but it felt like she was forgetting something so basic...

The class was over before Rio even realized it. Before she heard the shuffling of chairs and desks, one of her classmates leaned over and asked, “Hey Minami, where’d you get that ring?”

Rio had an intake of breath before answering softly, “It was my grandmothers, I got it from her a while ago.” She’d come up with that explanation ages ago, but she generally took it off while at home since she hadn’t been able to think of a reasonable explanation that would brush off suspicion. Friends didn’t often give away stuff like rings and ‘I found it’ just invited more questions. She also didn’t get enough pocket money to explain a purchase.

Getting up, she headed out of the classroom to her locker. Her mind was in the process of wondering where to begin a Witch Hunt. Not all of her searches were successful, and there were even times where she’d been on the trail of a Witch before it suddenly went cold. She’d have to work quicker, maybe? She didn’t know how to explain it either: if the Witch was running, it would make the blinking less frequent, but it wouldn’t stop altogether. As she walked through the front of the school grounds on her way out, letting her mind wander, a taller girl came from behind her, surprising Rio with a hand on the shoulder. Rio looked at her upperclassman with eyes widened by surprise. “Aha, sorry, Minami, didn’t mean to scare you,” the girl with long dark hair said. Continuing, she explained, “Baseball practice got pushed back to the day after tomorrow. See you there?”

Rio nodded, “Okay, I’ll be there.” Rio wasn’t too interested in why, but another day to get some Witch Hunting in wasn’t a bad thing, since it was a bit more important. So was doing homework, Rio remembered... Well, although her grades had fallen, she hadn’t been threatened about getting kicked off the team.

Well, not yet.

Sighing, she wandered the paths away from school, stopping at a vending machine to get a can of juice before looking around, checking too make sure no one was around. When she felt like it was clear, Rio shaped her ring into its natural Soul Gem form. With the gem gripped in her hand to avoid anyone seeing it easily, she began to follow its guidance, hoping to find a Witch before it got too late.

[mitsuo nakamura]

Akane sighed, leaving the class when it was over. 'Another miserable day at school. Too bad they didn't do a history lesson, that would have been nice...' She observed the crowd at the front of the school, surrounding some popular girl. Akane rolled her eyes and stepped out a side entrance. She senced a witch nearby at that moment, so she followed its trail towards the woods. "Good, this is a better location than I expected..."

She waited until she was far enough away from the school, before transforming to Puella form. She pulled a Nanbu Taisho-14 service pistol from her magic arsenal, loading it and preparing for the worst.

(I hope I didn't mess this up, I'm sort of clumsy today, sorry~)

[Zombehs]

Just across the school, one would find a suspicious man standing atop the surrounding buildings. His back was to the sun hiding any features, but even with his silhouette alone, a sense of danger would fill those who happened to glance at him. Of course it was just that, nobody did, who would bother to look up. As the minutes ticked past the silhouette stood utterly still, looking more of a statue than a living being. Yet with the ringing of the school bell the silhouette would finally twitch, slowly stretching as if breaking free from a stone prison.

Yawning, Mitchel couldn’t say he really liked the feeling of the sun overhead. The heat was irritating, more so when one took in the fact that he was clothed in several layers. However it was a necessary irritant to deal with. As the students began to pour out of the entrance, he let his gaze run over the student body. It hadn’t been too long since he himself had been a student at the school if only temporarily. The memories, contrary to what one would expect from high school, were melancholic at best. Letting his gaze rest on several of the students, each one a possible Magi in his mind, Mitchel sighed. A sense of sadness fell over him as his eyes wandered, wondering how many of these students had fallen for Kyubey’s sly words, how many of them would never graduate. How many would die and vanish within the Witch’s barriers?

Shielding his eyes as a breeze snatched the hood off his head, Mitchel had to smile lightly. Like he always said, people never looked up. In the distance and close to the school, a number of Soul Gems glowed softly. He didn’t really care who they were, but knowing how many Magi were in an area was always useful. Turning away, he pulled up his hood, hiding his face and walking towards the sun. Reaching into his pocket, Mitchel pulled out a few Grief Seeds, three of the latest he could call his. It was a particular strategy of his own even if some other Magi he knew of found it distasteful.

Pour enough energy to revive the Witch and then defeat it while building up less Grief. It was a cycle in which he would always be the winning side, a paradox of things, but was this entire system not a perversion of entropy? Throwing one seed into the air playfully, it spun over and over, yet when he snatched it from the air he was no longer there.

[Hagazussa]

Lark listened as the teacher explained about some important battle in history, the young girl always had problem with this class it was not that she was in any way stupid, quite on the contrary, but Mr Omari spoke quickly and with a dialect and Lark's Japanese was far om perfect, it took all her concentration to just get what the man was saying. When the school bell rang Lark smiled, it was a relief to not having to listen to old Mr Omari anymore, well not until tomorrow, it was not that the aging teacher where unkind, on the contrary Lark quite liked him, but he was just so hard to understand so she had to guess at every other word that he spoke and piece it all together by context, it was quite exhausting. Lark stood and adjusted the skirt of her uniform before packing down her books, hum..if she hurried she would have the time to get a cup of tea at the nearby mall, perhaps drop by the music store on the way and see if they had any new CD's she might like. Yes in this digital age where everything was downloads and MP3s Lark still preferred CDs, she liked to be able to hold a physical medium for her music collection in her hand, it felt more real that way.

Lark left the school grounds and texted her father as she walked, the man would probably not be home for closer to supper time, but just in case he was home early she did not want him to worry.
"Hey dad, I am going to have a cup of tea at the mall and drop by the music store on my way, I will be home in an hour or so, text me if there is anything you want me to grab at the store--love Lark."
The young girl dropped her white cell phone back into her bag and continued towards the mall.

It was a warm tingling on her hand that told Lark that a witch where nearby, or perhaps a familiar, something magical at least. Taking her hand out of her pocket Lark saw the dark red gem in the center of the silver ring that she always wore, which where not just as much a part of her as her arms and legs glow dimly. Lark swore softly in English, she allowed herself to swear only when none else was around, was there never peace to be had. With a sigh and a quick glance around to be sure that she was indeed alone Lark let her soul gem bloom up to it's natural form, a blood red, glowing rose pulsating with magic and yet with a growing darkness at its core.
"Show me the way."
Lark whispered to her soul gem knowing it could not answer her, and with the fear that always came before a fight she started walking around, seeing which way her soul gem would glow brighter to use that to dowse for the witch and find her way, well she had to give up on that relaxing up of tea it seamed, oh well duty had to come first.

[Lookie]

Chie hadn't seen Kyubey since she had last fought a witch. That had happened a week ago. The girl would have been worried if it weren't for the fact that this was exactly what Kyubey did, every time. Perhaps he sensed that she didn't want him near her that often, or perhaps he was just looking after the other Puella Magi, maybe the newbies who were more likely to get hurt. Chie was just fine with that, so long no others would come to Shusseiakue. The young girl didn't say no to help when it was offered of course, she wasn't that stupid. Sometimes you needed help, especially with Witches, but there was a limit there. You couldn't trust everyone, and too many cooks spoil the soup, or however you said it. Too many Puella Magi ruined a good Witch hunt. If that wasn't true, the teen didn't know what was.

"... And you're not even listening to me!" Next to her, Saki had stopped her rambling, knocking her forehead with a mockingly angry look on her face. Oh yeah, they were walking Chie sent her best friend an apologetic look as the girl continued. "It's important. We need a plan for this. It will be the best birthday party in the WORLD!" Saki almost screamed the last word, unapologetic in her loudness.
"Yeah, sure. You need a bit of help with those ideas of yours," Chie told Saki, shooting an amused glance on her direction. It was fun, seeing her so excited. Saki got like this during every holiday or special occasion. Chie couldn't wait for the disaster she would be calling her first date. It would not end well. At worst, Saki would probably want to tag along as a chaperon. That wouldn't end well...

"All my ideas are always great," Saki said, nodding vigorously, short violet hair bouncing to her springy movements.
"Nah, they're not. That's why you need me," Chie replied, getting an indifferent hand wave as a response. Chie watched her best friend walk ahead, towards the lockers, huffing out an amused chuckle. Maybe a costume party was a childish idea, but Chie knew there was no stopping her now. She could hear Saki's humming over the other students even as they separated. Saki was never quiet, she was always humming or rambling about something silly. Over the few years the girl had known Saki, the habitual humming of the short haired girl had become calming to her, however aggravating some others might have found them. Especially teachers.

Shuffling to her own locker, Chie quickly started to head towards the exit, but not before stopping by Saki to tell her that she wouldn't come by her friends house tonight. Saki forced a hug on Chie and told her to stay safe, before turning around and heading to home. It made Chie feel happy, knowing her best friend cared for her safety so much. Saki had never held affection for Chie's family, the opposite reaction to Chie's reaction to Saki's parents and siblings. That was fine. It would have been worse if Saki had tried to make her... reconcile with Kimiko or something. That wouldn't be worth the effort. Saki didn't need to worry her head about it. The girl would would get around to walking home, but not yet. Maybe if she got hungry, or something, but not right now. It wasn't like she was in a hurry.

As she moved away from the crowd of students, the ring on her finger turned into a lavender Soul Gem in her hand. Chie didn't need a grief-seed badly, not right now, but destroying another witch sounded like a smart idea. She felt the familiar pulse of a witch close by. Towards the mall, then?
"That works just fine," the Puella Magi mumbled to herself, starting to shuffle to the right direction, shoulders hunched and Soul Gem kept close to her chest. The girl just hoped she wouldn't crash into any others of her kind before she found whatever was giving off the energy.

[Hagazussa]

Lark was walking, following the light of the Soul Gem, it was not the easiest or most convenient tracking method, a few steps walked in one direction, then the light dimmed, then a few steps in another direction and it glowed brighter, Lark felt like one of those water dowsers that there on TV every now and again on shows like unexplained mysteries and the like, the girl had to give a chuckle, she did not know if the Tarot readers and dowsers and healers really had some magic, perhaps they did, but she still thought all of them and the producers of the shows would have a heart attack if they ever saw a Puella Magi and what one of her kind could pull off.

Lark was still giggling over the idea of how your average psychic or occultist would look if they ever saw her pull her scythe out of thin air when she noticed another girl who seamed to be doing exactly the same thing that she herself was. Lak remembered the other girl from school, she was one year behind her so that meant she was sixteen, Lark had never talked with her other than a muttered thank you when she lost a book on the floor and the younger brunette picked it up for her, Lark did not even know her name, Chie something she think...yes that was it Chie Sato. Lark felt herself tense, she had only met another Puella Magi once and that had ended in blows exchanged between them, it would be nice to have allies but when all of her kind where looking for the same rare resource that meant competition was not exactly welcome. Lark take a deep breath, if she had noticed Chie then it was a good chance that the younger girl had noticed her as well, it would be better to just go in an say hi and hope the other young woman was not hostile than to skulk about and hope she had not been noticed.
"Miss Sato"
Lark called, it was always wise to be polite, though Japanese politeness and those words added after everyone's names was confusing at times, san and chan and who knew what else all after a person's rank and position in society compared to oneself, Lark had grown up in England, she was just simply Lark to her friends and peers at school and Miss Hashimoto to everyone else, well other than a few of he Japanese friends that was who had a problem pronouncing the word Lark and simply called her Hashi, the point was that there where no added phrases, no fuss, but when in Rome do like a Roman, anything else would be impolite and Lark was nothing if not polite.
"It seams we might have something in common Miss Sato."
Lark said and lifted her hand so Chie could see her Soul Gem, just in case she had not already, and then offered a prayer to a God her mother though she had forsaken when she accepted Kyubey's contact and the gift of magic that she would not be attacked for her trouble.
"I think perhaps we are after the same prey this fine afternoon Miss Sato, now what should we do about that?"

[Lookie]

It wasn't often that people called out to her outside of school, not the said person was Saki. Chie couldn't deny that she liked it that way, it just being Saki and her most of the time. But now this girl had stopped her, all polite and proper as most people would, and Chie couldn't help but wonder why. Glancing at the other girls direction, but not turning towards her, the brown haired girl slowed her walk.
The girl looked vaguely familiar with her elegant looks and lavender hair. Chie liked the color lavender, always had. Part of her thought that was why her Soul Gem was just that color. How did the Soul Gem choose it's color, anyway? Maybe she would ask Kuybey, if it still bothered her later. The polite girl looked about Chies age, so they probably knew each other from school. For a moment, the girl thought of simply pretending she hadn't heard the girl and continuing on her way, but the girls words stopped her.

Something in common... Chie quickly understood why the girl had tried to get her attention, though the reasoning behind it still escaped her. Another Puella Magi. Probably a new one too, seeing she had contacted her during a hunt. That was a stupid move, if you asked Chie. Halting her walk completely, Chie squeezed her Soul Gem even closer to her, turning her head towards the other. The other girls Soul Gem was a deep red color, rather different from her lavender one. But that didn't matter. The color would have been her favorite in the whole wide world, and Chie wouldn't have cared. Another Soul Gem meant that this girl was competition. She could even be a potential enemy, even if it seemed like she had no intention to attack Chie at the moment. While the brown haired girl would protect herself if needed, the idea of attacking others like her still rubbed her the wrong way. They were just teens, all of them. The worst part was that some of the said teens seemed to be just fine, killing off competition. Chie had yet to stoop to that level. She wondered if it was inevitable.

What should they do. That was a good question, if Chie had ever heard one. The brown haired girl hummed, keeping her eyes on the elegant girl. There was no reason to trust the other girl, but Chie wouldn't jump to conclusions just yet.
"You could leave, or I could. That should be pretty obvious." Chie responded to Lark, light eyes narrowing slightly in suspicion as she folder her arms, still keeping her Soul Gem safe inside her hand. The girl kicked the ground before continuing. "What do you want?"