おわる

Another day, another witch to fight.

But that was normal for the girls ever since they started to work together. Most of the time it might end up with Lou and Akagi fighting over who can kill the witch first, but it was okay. They were still able to end the day on a good note, though to Quinn, it felt like she was the only one in the group who's able to stop them from choking each other.

But this witch was proven to be more difficult than usual, at least for Quinn. It was easy for Lou and Akagi to fight these types of witches since they've been magical girls much longer than Quinn has. But she didn't want to slow the two down, she just had to give it all she got. “Miss Boucher, Miss Akagi! I’ll take the lead this time to weaken it!” Quinn yelled to the older girls, heading over to the witch. Once there, she swung her sword at its head, only for it to quickly dodge the attack. Quinn's eyes widened. How was it able to dodge that attack?

“Wha- aCK!” Before Quinn realized it, she was sent flying back against the labyrinth wall and fell on the ground. “Quinn are you okay?!” Akagi said after watching the girl fly. Quinn got up with a bit of difficulty and grabbed her sword. “I-I’m fine, I just didn’t expect the sudden dodge and hit. I’ll be okay!” she replied with a smile. Akagi nodded and went for the witch. She set her weapon apart into chains and swung around it, binding them. “This should keep it from dodging for a while, go Lou!”

Lou nodded and made a dart to the struggling witch, with Quinn following behind her. The two ran across the chains from Akagi’s weapon and towards the witch. Lou jumped up from the chains and dived down, cutting through part of the witch. Quinn followed suit and aimed for the other side, only instead she summoned a couple of swords first, just in case it would attack her once again.“This time you won’t get a chance to attack!” she shouted.

The swords made a critical hit on them but it was still going strong. “Damnit, how long is this witch going to keep res- AH!”

Before Akagi could finish, she was suddenly flinged forward, letting go of the end of her trident in the process. Somehow the witch was able to roughly move, even with the trident wrapped around them. “SHOOT! WE GOT A RUNNER!” Lou yelled, leaping out of the way of the now, enraged and speedy witch. It quickly turned around and went back for Lou. Quinn got to her feet and ran to Lou as fast as she could. “MISS BOUCHER! THE WITCH!”

BAAAM!!!

Quinn flew up into the air and landed with a hard thud into the ground. While she was able to push Lou out of the witch’s path, she was the one to take the horrible hit. Lou got up from her knees to meet the badly injured girl. “Ginger?! What the heck did you do to yourself?!”

“A-ah… I-I’m sorry… Miss B-boucher… I… I can’t…” Quinn winced. She automatically transformed back to her normal clothes, weakly holding on to her soul gem…

Which was now getting extremely dark. Lou took notice of this and was stunned. She had to get Quinn out of here and get a grief seed for her fast. “Ginger, I’m taking you out of her. You’re gonna end up dead if you stay here any longer!” Quinn struggled and tried to move around as Lou picked her up in bridal style, but it felt like her body was being crushed to death to even move. “N-no… I can.. Still… fi-fight… AAAAAA!”
“OI! AKAGI! I’M TAKING HER OUT OF HERE, SHE USED TOO MUCH MAGIC! DEAL WITH THE WITCH TILL I’M BACK!”

~~~

Lou ran, ran as fast as she could to find the labyrinth’s exit. It was hard while carrying Quinn in her arms but she couldn’t give up yet. As stupid she though Quinn way for taking the blow, she wasn’t going to leave her in pain and get killed by the witch. “Don’t worry Ginger, we’re almost there! After that, I’ll get you a grief seed from somewhere else! Hang in there!” she cried. But Quinn couldn’t hear her, the pain within her body being up to the point of being too much for her to even speak.
~~~

This is what I get, don't I? For killing them, putting them in danger… and now, the same thing is going to happen to Miss Boucher and Akagi. Only now I was able to do something! So why… Why can't I move my body? Why am I only feeling pain whenever I move? Am I…

dying?

…..

No… not yet I can't die yet… I don't want to die just yet! I-I still have so much I want to do… I still want to be with my family, I still want to be with my classmates, and mainly… want to stay and fight with Akagi a-and… and….

~~~

“Lou…" Quinn muttered, trying to open her eyes one last time. "S-save… SAVE MEEEE AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!” she finally cried out in pain. 

Right as they exit the labyrinth, Quinn’s soul gem suddenly goes off into a dark explosion, blowing Lou back and hitting the wall. “H-HUH?! WHAT THE? WHAT’S GOING ON?!” Lou yelled. She looked up to see a large creature hovering over her. It only looked slightly like a human woman, but the disturbing looks convince Lou otherwise.

Lou looked over to Quinn’s body on the other side of the creature. She wasn’t moving at all.

No… No, that wasn’t possible was it? It shouldn’t, so how could that happen?

“Quinn…. turned into a witch….?”

The moment the soul gem turned completely dark, that was the end of Quinn Clements

~~~

(Valentina)

~~~

“Phew, that battle really was tougher alone, but I got them!”

Akagi stepped out of the now disappearing labrinth, being greeted to the cold night air. Looking ahead, she noticed Lou on her knees, Quinn laying in front of her with her eyes closed. Confused about what was going on, Akagi walked over to the two and gave Lou a tap on the back. “Hey Lou, got that witch taken care of! How’s Quinn doing?” There was no reply from Lou, still staring at Quinn’s cold body, almost like she was unable to move. Akagi felt a bit of unease in the air. What happened while she was still fighting? She took out the grief seed and moved around to face Lou, still looking at the body.
“W-well anyways, I got the grief seed from that witch back there. So we can use it for Quinn!” Her eyes wandered down to what was in Lou was holding something tight in her hands...

A grief seed?

“Wait Lou, you already got a grief from another wi-”

SLASH!

Before Akagi could finish her question, she gave out a small painful gasp then collapsed. Watching her automatically transform back to her regular outfit, Lou released her weapon and stared at Akagi’s now broken soul gem on the ground.

“...I’m sorry Akagi, but I couldn’t… I couldn’t lose you to grief as well and… You don’t deserve to end up like how Quinn did…”

The moment her soul gem broke, that was the end of Akagi Hinoka

~~~

“Okay. I think everything’s here. The room might be a little cramped for the three of us, but we can make this work, right guys?” Lou said, turning to the two cold bodies. It was only a couple of hours since Quinn turned into a witch and Akagi’s soul gem broke, but to Lou, none of those things ever happened.

To her, the two of them were fine.

To her, they two were just too tired to go back home for the night.

To her, the three of them agreed to stay with Lou for a while.

All their items, bags, and clothes were with them too. All so they didn't have to worry about the details later on~

"I gotta admit, I never thought we would have another sleepover but I'm glad. And this time, you guys can stay as long as you want… and… a-and you won't have to leave me alone too… ehaha… hahaha…."

Lou looked outside the night sky. It really was late out. Just then she heard a ringing, coming from Quinn's bag. Panicking and quickly rummaging in her bag, Lou took out the cell phone and immediately hung it up. Then there was only silence in the room. Lou didn't realize that she was breathing heavily until she heard it herself. Placing her hand on her chest, she tried to calm herself. It was fine, everything was fine. Besides, Quinn didn't mind Lou hanging up her cellphone. It was probably just a spam caller again too… that was it, Lou thought.

Until it started ringing again.

Lou hung up the phone like it was nothing, then turned the phone off completely.

There, now no one would keep calling them.

"W-well it's time for bed huh? We got an early morning too. B-but if you guys like, I don't have to open the restaurants you know… We can just stay up here! Together! We don't have to deal with any responsibility, or witches or anything! J-just the…. Just the th-three of us! Haha… HAHAHA!"

Lou gave one last smile to her friends, tears running down her face.

At the end of the night, there was a loud scream heard, then nothing else left. 

~~~
Ah, it seems that the numbers of witches have increased just a little here in Mitakihara City...

“So witches are the reason why all these terrible things happen?”

“Yes, and it’s a Magical Girl’s duty to fight against these witches as well as their familiars. Though, I won’t lie to you, it’s a very dangerous task. I don’t want to force you if not up for it…”

“No no! I mean, with what you’re telling me, yeah it’s going to be dangerous but… if you’re saying that I have the potential to fight them, then why not? I want to help as best I can and…”

“And? Is there something else in your mind?”

“Well… I was thinking that maybe… These witches have something to do with Quinn. People on the news been saying it was probably some group suicide so, maybe they caused her and those girls to die suddenly?”

“I see… So, what do you say? Would you like to make a contract with me, Sunako Hata?"