Important Note: I strongly encourage re-reading the "Madoka Is Alone" section in the post linked to within "Madoka Is Alone" below. This is probably necessary to refresh your memory on a narrative chain that hasn't been touched on in a long time...
Mami Lives Chapter 12
Madoka is Alone, Will Sayaka Choose Red or Yellow? Finale
The witch fight we are facing now is an unusual one, to say the least. Most importantly, this witch has had no fewer than four fearsome familiars fighting for her! Kyouko and I managed to defeat the first two, but the remaining two are proving to be quite the challenge…
First it was some weird creature shaped like a teenaged girl, but with a ‘head’ that was just a big mouth surrounded by endless blonde hair. Her screeching, deafening
noise was annoying enough, but even worse was trying to take down that trampy familiar while she bounced up and down on a trampoline!
Then it was a familiar that looked almost exactly like a teenaged boy, only he was wearing a fencing mask as he served up explosive volleys with a badminton racket! Thankfully, I was able to blast away his bombs with my rifles, while Kyouko cut him down to size.
Mami’s Tiro Finale did the job against the ear-searing songstress, but right after she finished her off, she was sent flying by a headless horsewoman shooting off a barrage of arrows! As loath as I am to admit it, I’m now pinned down by a familiar rippin’ off sentai heroes. He’s covered from head to toe in classic sentai garb, and he’s a fast and strong one! I’ve managed to parry his fancy martial arts moves with my spear, but he hasn’t shown an opening yet.
And all of this keeps us from reaching our true goal, the witch herself. Half of her face is like a normal human face, while the other half is covered by a mask straight out of Phantom of the Opera. She sits on a humongous piano, and plays enchanting music on it, while a giant cat that must weigh about five hundred pounds sits on top of the piano, purring contentedly.
I’d be contented too if I was that well-fed! I’ve seen some fat cats before, but nothing like that monstrosity.
But the most important thing now is how time is running out, due to how both Kyouko and I are tiring. I can feel exhaustion begin to set in for me, as sweat lies uneasily across my brow, and my current assailant is able to match every rifle shot I make with explosive arrows of her own.
I can also tell that my Soul Gem is beginning to darken. This witch is an impressively powerful one, to be able to vex two Puella Magi like this. My mind races to think of a way to overcome our current predicament, but I can find none at all.
I can’t help but think that Kyouko and I… need help, and soon.
If you chose
A for
MSA Choice 2, read Section
The Dark Knight Rises to Save Her Red Robin!
If you chose
B for
MSA Choice 2, read Section
From Green Protégé to Blue Savior!
Spoiler for The Dark Knight Rises to Save Her Red Robin!:
I hear a shout, strong and clear, delivered as part of a breathtakingly cool dramatic entrance!
The “Red Ranger” grunts as he’s kicked squared in the chest by a bluish-black streaking strike!
Then, landing on her feet with all the skill of a
thin cat, is somebody I’ve come to know real well, and find pretty hot. But she’s never been hotter than she looks now, since she’s wearing steamin’ black!
“I used to love sentai heroes growing up…” she said, with a touch of melancholy as she faced her familiar foe, “But I’ll make an exception when it comes to those who hurt my dearest friends!”
The voice is Sayaka Miki’s, but her Puella Magi outfit has changed. The blue bits are still the same, but everywhere that was white is now black!
Sayaka then launched herself like a black cat pouncing on her prey, beginning a mesmerizing dance with the “Red Ranger”. For “his” part, he was grunting some incomprehensible battle cries, ironically sounding like the villains that sentai rangers fight.
The Red Ranger did a low sweeping kick, causing Sayaka to leap into the air. Sayaka then attempted a midair roundhouse kick that the Red Ranger blocked with his forearm. Sayaka then did a barrel roll straight over his head while he tried to uppercut her from blow.
Sayaka was pretty much flyin’!
Parry and thrust, punch and kick, sword swipe and elbow block… the two went at it in one of the coolest fights I’ve seen! I was so mesmerized by it that I forgot to jump in myself.
Damn, that’s lame of me. It’s time to correct that!
“Nice going, Sayaka!” I finally managed, while smirking, “But I can’t let you have all the fun!”
“Sorry…” she said, with such atypically smooth confidence, “But I have this all wrapped up!”
Sayaka’s sword suddenly stretched out like a snake, wrapping itself all around the Red Ranger, with sharp edges of it digging into him. He released a painful cry.
Sayaka then released him, but this familiar was badly wounded and collapsed gingerly to his knees. Sayaka then screamed a totally badass battle cry while she sliced his head straight off his body!
Wow…
“I hope I didn’t ruin your fun too much, Kyouko…” Sayaka said with a smirk, but also a slight blush, as she temporarily sheathed her sword, “But I couldn’t bear to see the girl I have a crush on get hurt.”
My eyes went wide, and my face went red, over that statement.
Sayaka followed it up by leaning close into me, and placing a soft, tender kiss on the corner of my mouth.
“I’ll try not to keep you waiting, next time…” she whispered huskily to me, as she pulled herself back away from me.
“Now, you help Mami finish off that headless archer over there, while I take care of the witch!” Sayaka shouted with a slight smile.
“R-Right!” I stammered in reply.
Damn it, how can she be so smooth?! She actually has me stammering…
Spoiler for From Green Protégé to Blue Savior!:
I hear a shout, strong and clear, delivered alongside the picture perfect poise of a bluish-white blur kicking the headless familiar safely out of my way.
The headless horsewoman releases a painful shriek upon her and her horse crashing unto their side!
My dashing rescuer than quickly assumes a defensive position directly in front of me. She is leaning slightly over, with one hand tensely preparing to grab the hilt of her sword, carefully sizing up her opponent.
“Sorry for not getting here sooner, Mami…” she says to me, while she tilts her head sideways to make eye contact with me, “But I promise to make up for my lateness by being extra effective in battle today!”
Sayaka blushes as she says those words, and I can’t help but blush as well.
“Are you Ok?” Sayaka asks me, “I notice some bruises on you. You’re not hurt, are...”
“I’m fine.” I reply in the softest and most reassuring tone of voice that I can muster, “And don’t worry about the timing of your arrival. In fact, your timing couldn’t be better! Besides, your arrival itself is a most pleasant surprise…”
There’s a softness and sweetness to Sayaka’s concerned words that seems to betray deeper emotions than that of an understudy slightly disappointing her senior. So I felt compelled to match Sayaka’s stated sentiments by hinting at my own…
“Let’s see if I can make my surprising arrival even more pleasant for you…” Sayaka said with a blush and a smirk.
My, that made me blush a darker red than even that of Kyouko’s outfit…
Sayaka then proceeded to lure the recovered headless horsewoman away from me. Sayaka dashed back and forth in white hot flashes, barely perceptible to the naked eye, as she avoided every arrow shot her way. But as she did this, she carefully circled about the headless horsewoman, and waited for the opportune moment to
strike!
Once that moment arrived, Sayaka launched herself into the air with such stupendous swiftness that she honestly made me think of a certain famous fictional character of
super achievements! Sayaka’s own achievement would be rather super itself, as with one incredible descending slash, she bisected the headless horsewoman in two!
The resulting gore of that was quite gruesome to behold, but it was not enough to lessen how deeply impressed I was by Sayaka right now.
“Now, you help Kyouko finish off that red ranger over there, while I take care of the witch!” Sayaka shouted at me, while I basked in the glow of her shining smile.
“Agreed.” I stated in reply.
“Thanks for supporting my plan so easily, Mami-senpai…” Sayaka stated, as she drew closer into me to entwine her fingers with mine and kiss the Soul Gem adorned on my head.
Then in a flash, she was off to execute her plan.
Such impeccable smoothness… how you have grown and matured, Sayaka.
I can’t believe how well that went. My heart was racing the entire time!
But when I tracked down this witch, and saw the young woman that I’ve come to love be in such grave danger… I instinctively knew what to do. I’ll admit I wanted to impress her, wow her,
sweep her off her feet. The truth is that she’s always had the upper-hand on me, with me being less experienced than her, both in life and as a Puella Magi.
I must make myself seem equal to her. I must act without hesitation, be as bold and surefooted as she is!
And to this end, I must destroy this witch… even while the melancholic music arising from its massive piano touches my heart and soul. It reminds me of what I love about Kyousuke, and so it leaves small tears in my eyes…
But I am done crying. I am done lamenting my loss to Hitomi. Today I march forward a new person, a
stronger person.
One vision. One purpose.
Peace through power!
I
will my sword to grow three times larger, and much wider. It glows with magical might! And with that might, I sear through the explosive musical notes that the witch tries to stop me with. And then, her frantically moving fingers and crying eyes give way to the final note of her destruction. A note accentuated by her gigantic cat screeching in horror.
Once more, a descending sword slash finishes my enemy. Thankfully, this time the result is not gore, but a brilliantly multicolored explosion! I feel the warmth and color of fireworks at my back as my victory is gained!
I’m relieved to see that my victory over the witch occurs alongside Kyouko and Mami’s victory over the witch’s one remaining familiar.
My dear friends have been saved, and Mitakihara Town has been protected once more!
If you chose
A for
MSA Choice 2, read Section
Red Passion with Black Style.
If you chose
B for
MSA Choice 2, read Section
Blue Knight with Golden Love.
Spoiler for Red Passion with Black Style:
Geez, Sayaka, talk about stealing the show! Mami and I are barely done defeating this headless horsewoman, and you’ve already taken care of the witch. I hope you realize I’m not going to let you show me up like this again!
… But still, a big part of me felt so happy at seeing Sayaka like this. Her new look was too awesome for words!
When I asked her why she changed to the black-and-blue look, her first response was to joke that she wanted it to signify how she’d make her enemies black and blue! That was a lame joke that I just
had to needle her about, but the final answer she gave to my question made my face flush as red as my outfit.
“Well, Kyouko, the truth is…” Sayaka said a bit sheepishly, while she shyly squirmed a bit, and scraped the ground with a nervous heel, “I changed to the black and blue look since I thought
you’d really like it…”
Mami then teased me about Sayaka’s answer, causing me to flip out into a shyly denying rage. I hate how Mami knows what buttons to push to get me flustered!
But over time, the person who would get to know me best would definitely be Sayaka…
My life soon lit up with passion and excitement unlike anything I’ve ever felt before! Sayaka… Sayaka was like everything that I could ask or pray for. She definitely gave me a new lease on life, while invigorating almost every aspect of it!
Sayaka’s parents weren’t keen on her being with another girl romantically, so we had to keep it secret from them. I hated this sort of conforming subterfuge, but I can’t deny it made things so much more fun and exciting!
How often Sayaka and I would sneak into the park, or sneak into a deserted alleyway, for a few spine-tingling, goose bumps-creating, moments of incredible release. These thrilling encounters became the spice of life for me, and it made me a much more contended and happy person.
Over time, I have to admit I softened a bit. Sayaka, and Mami to a smaller extent, restored much of my faith in humanity, and also my faith in God.
Now I can see that for all the darkness in life, there is also light. With such delicious irony, just as Sayaka took on the garb of
black, I started to see the light of life once more.
Sayaka and I now live together in Tokyo, as young adults. We spend many nights patrolling the city for witches and familiars to fight, and even on occasion we’ll try to stop common crooks. That almost got us into trouble with the police once, though, so I doubt we’ll be trying
that too often!
The question for the two of us
now is how long we can keep Sayaka’s parents in the dark.
But whatever the answer to that question is, I already know what my answer will always be to Sayaka’s heart. I
never want to be separate from her. I want to feel her enlivening embrace every night, and her faithful friendship every day.
No matter what, Sayaka, I’m going to make you my wife!
I am so very thankful for having met Kyouko. She is such a wondrous person, who’s energetic nature always keeps me excited and on my toes! There is never a dull moment with her around.
Madoka remains my closest
platonic friend, though. After all, I have Madoka to thank for my choice in pursuing Kyouko! Madoka was right in the advice she gave me when I asked her which of the two girls I should choose.
Kyouko has indeed brought almost endless excitement into my life. And I think that in turn I’ve brought some welcomed stability into her’s. We certainly complement each other well, and I can’t imagine life without her. So I hope to always have Kyouko’s arms to come back to…
Spoiler for Blue Knight with Golden Love:
Sayaka’s exquisitely epic rescue of Kyouko and I would showcase the first sure sign of her reciprocating my feelings for her. These were the feelings that I had shared with her when both Kyouko and I tried to cheer her up in the wake of her devastating loss to Hitomi.
But Sayaka has come so far, and become so strong, since that lost.
Her and I, along with Homura, Kyouko, and Hitomi, would prove to be more than sufficient in defeating Walpurgis Night once it made its inevitable arrival. Homura had been injured badly on that night, but Sayaka went to great lengths to ensure her survival, and eventual recovery.
Madoka, for her part, never became a Puella Magi, in spite of Kyubey’s many attempts to persuade her into becoming one. Madoka correctly reasoned that Mitakihara Town now had ample protection with Sayaka, Homura, Kyouko, Hitomi, and I all being magical girls operating out of this city, or in a nearby territory.
However, Madoka did seem somewhat lonely and isolated in the months to come, and that caused me to feel some concern for her.
Still, in the light of the growing relationship between Sayaka and I, there were times when Sayaka seemed like my whole world to me.
Sayaka’s father Kotetsu, one of the
coolest men I’ve ever met, warmly embraced me as his daughter’s “new close friend”. Sayaka and I hid the romantic nature of our relationship from him and her mother for as long as we could. When the truth eventually came out, Sayaka’s mother was greatly angered by it and protested it, but Sayaka was now an adult living with me. It was thankfully too late for her mother to effectively challenge our love for one another.
The discreet relationship I enjoyed with Sayaka over much of our teenaged years was very soothing, but also intoxicatingly
thrilling to me, precisely because it was like a precious and tightly guarded secret that only the two of us shared with each other, and only our most trusted of confidantes.
So many comforting embraces, so many tantalizing kisses, so many nights of blessed release in the fires of love…
oh, how I had come to love her, rely on her, find my deepest longings realized through her.
To think that this was all made possible by my attempts to help her through romantic loss. My romantic generosity had been paid back to me in full, and then some. We have become equals, but both physically and in my heart, I look up lovingly at her.
But ironically, even now, I can tell that she holds a certain reverence and respect towards me. Even as her lover, she still sees me as her trusted “senpai”, at least in the Puella Magi world.
But that world is now only a small part of the bond that Sayaka and I share. I am confident that we will be together always…
I am so very thankful for having met Mami. She is such a wonderful person, and she has become so much to me: a trustworthy friend, a patient senpai, an irreplaceable lover…
Madoka remains my closest
platonic friend, though. After all, I have Madoka to thank for my choice in pursuing Mami! Madoka was right in the advice she gave me when I asked her which of the two girls I should choose.
If you chose
B for
MFS Choice 1, read Section
Twirling Twin-Tails Towers of Power! Otherwise, skip over it.
Mami has indeed brought pleasant peace and stability into my life. I hope to always have her at my side…
In the wake of the Walpurgis Night incident, I saw many new relationships grow and develop.
Hitomi and Kamijou grew ever-closer together. He seemed completely infatuated with her. Of course, there is a disturbing truth behind that… Nonetheless, they seemed happy together, and I do think that Hitomi sincerely loves him, so in time I was willing to be mildly supportive of their relationship. It certainly helped that Sayaka appeared to be in a happy romance of her own!
I’m glad that I gave Sayaka the advice that I did, because it seems to have paid off for her and her girlfriend.
Thankfully, Hitomi and Sayaka both still make some time for the friendship between the three of us. Although we don’t spend as much time together as we used to, it’s certainly a great weight off of my heart for the three of us to be friends again in spite of the harsh battle that Hitomi and Sayaka had become caught up in.
Still, I do feel a bit left out at times. Part of me does feel some regret. As I think things over in my mind, I could have easily been in a nice romance myself. I had temporarily been very close to Mami-san. And knowing what I know
now about Sayaka, I can’t help but look back on her “joking” declaration of wanting me to be her wife, and wonder what opportunity I might have missed there.
For now, while I have many friends, I am romantically alone. All of those erotic yet disturbing
dreams I had before this Puella Magi whirlwind took over my life… all of them seemed like strange and distant memories. Were those dreams ever really premonitions? Am I truly attracted to girls?
These questions rest uneasily in my mind, as I can’t help but dwell on all the romantic opportunities that I allowed to slip by…
Nonetheless, my friends are all healthy and well, in spite of many dangerous struggles, even amongst themselves! I should take comfort in that alone, and continue to be supportive of my friends and the romances that they may find themselves in.
Every now and then I see sad regret in Homura’s eyes as she looks at me. I wonder what this might signify. Homura has steadily grown more and more distant from the rest of us, including me, since the Walpurgis Night incident. I hope she’s not too lonely in her life…
But I definitely won’t allow myself to fall into the trap of loneliness. I must move forward without regret. It’s with such thoughts moving me on that I made a final rejection to Kyubey’s attempts to persuade me to become a Puella Magi. After all, there’s now more than enough magical girls to protect Mitakihara Town!
Much like what Homura said to me the first day that I met her, I should just live the life of a normal girl, and be content with that. I just hope that one day I might find somebody that I can love romantically too…
In any event, Sayaka, Mami, and Kyouko now make me think of a modern version of the Three Musketeers! They certainly work well together.
The End (
Mami Lives, MIA, Primary Colors End)
---------------------------------------------------
And thus concludes the
Madoka Is Alone chains of
Mami Lives. All that is left now of the
Mami Lives side is the
Mami Romance itself. That's what I'll be getting back to next... but given my greatly reduced update pace, it'll probably be awhile before I get to it.
Maybe it'll be wrote just in time to be a Christmas gift for Kirito.
Anyway, any and all feedback on the conclusion of MIA is welcomed!
