glitchdoka episode 5

"So, you can really make wishes come true?"

"That's right. I heard your prayers!"

"... okay."

"Are you suuure?"

"Just do it!"

Mila thrust a hand into Sora's chest, grasping at something inside of him. She pulled, wrenching a Soul Gem from his chest, and held it out to him.

"Here's your destiny, meow."

Sora reached out, took the gem, and fell backwards to the floor.


Dani and Sora laid together on the grass, the sound of windmills in the distance.

"Maan," Sora stretched his arms out. "This is great!"

"Is it really...?"

"Yeah! I get to be a hero, you know? It's kinda exciting."

"But aren't you scared?"

"Well... yeah, I guess so. But you know what's scarier?"

"What?"

"Losing my friends. I was really scared I'd lose you last night, so I fought my best, and that thing went down easily!"

Dani smiled faintly.

"Anyway, I'm proud I was able to do all that. And I've decided." Sora sat up, summoning his Soul Gem from a ring on his finger and gazing at it. "I'm gonna protect the city, and you. You're important to me, Dani."

"Sora..."

"So don't worry!" Sora clasped his hand, restoring the Soul Gem to a ring form.

"... you're not gonna regret this, are you?"

"Well... I do regret one thing. I regret not doing this earlier. 'Cause I knew I wanted to keep everyone safe... and if I'd gotten over my fears and fought with Cody... maybe he'd still be here."

"I..."

Dani curled up, hugging her knees. Sora reached over and shoved her, lightly.

"Hey! No sad thoughts! Not any more. This is gonna be a happy story from now on."

"But all this..."

"I'd risk my life for my friends. That's what I'm betting everything on. But that's my wish, you know? You don't have to become a Puella Magi, Dani, and you're no lesser than me if you don't."

He smiled to her, and hesitated for a moment, as if he'd like to say something else. Instead, he picked himself up, stretching.

"Anyway, I know someone who'd like a visit! I'll see you later, Dani."

He headed out, to the hospital.


"I don't get it," Dane said. "My hand was ruined, and then it just suddenly healed. The doctors don't get it either, so they're gonna do some more examinations."

"Nothing's off, right?"

"No, everything's fine. It's kinda scary, honestly... is this what a miracle is?"

"Yeah..."

Dane stared out the window, silent for a moment.

"... hey, Sora."

"What's up?"

"I said some pretty shitty things to you, huh?"

"Hey now, don't be like that! You should be happy right now, so don't pull this grief on me!"

"I don't really know how to feel."

"Feel how you want to feel. That's the important thing. Hey, y'know what would make you feel better? Some fresh air. C'mon!"

He got himself into a wheelchair, and they went out to the roof.

"Why're we going all the way out here?"

"You'll see, bro."

On the roof, a low table was set up with cards and hoops and other props. Several members of the old troupe were gathered around.

Dane's eyes lit up. "You guys...!"

"Go on, give us a show!"

And he did. His deft fingers seemed to make things disappear and reappear out of thin air. Sora smiled, knowing he'd made the right choice.



From far away, the new Puella Magi watched the scene through binoculars. "So that's him, huh? He looks like a total weirdo."

"Are you going to start something with him, meow?"

"Well duh. A guy like him? He'll be down for the count before you can say maple. You got anything else to say, old friend?"

"Things won't go according to your plaaans!"

"And why not?"

"There's another magical girl here too."

"She a giant tool too?"

"I'm curious about her too! I don't know much at all..."

"What? She had to make a contract with you. Everyone makes a contract with you."

"Wellll, she did and she didn't! She's a weird girl. I don't know what she's gonna do!"

"Well, at least this won't get boring."



Dani and Kris sat in a cafe together.

"So? You wanted to talk to me, right? Go on and talk."

"It's about Sora! I mean, I know he's stubborn sometimes, but he really does mean well. He's a nice guy, and brave, and he's doing his best to protect everyone."

"That'll get him killed, the idiot."

"He's not an idiot!"

"Let me explain. Being nice leads to being naive. Being brave means being careless. And if you act for others, your safety's never guaranteed, even if you go carefully. If he can't get that through his thick skull? He'll fail as a Puella Magi. It's why Cody died, too."

"You don't have to say it like that! I mean... Sora said he was fine, but what if he becomes troubled like Cody? I want to do something for him."

"You're worried about Sora Royale, huh."

"I feel like I can't help him at all. But I can do this. I can ask you to work with him! Don't act like you did with Cody. If you two hunted Witches together, you'd be able to defend the town easily!"

"I'm not promising shit. Not even for you. ... because I can't do that."

"But..."

"Give up on Sora."

"No!"

"He shouldn't have made the contract. Guess it's my fault - I should've kept an eye on him, too. But look, you've gotta understand. This is a mistake. And you can't make up for it."

"Kris..."

"You can't bring back the dead. Once you've become a Puella Magi, you're beyond help. You give up everything for one lousy wish. You get it?"

"... no. And I don't get why you've given up on everything, either!"

"I have to keep fighting no matter how much blood stains my hands. I can't atone for anything. Don't you fucking get that?"

Dani was silent. Kris slipped out of the cafe booth.

"... looks like I wasted your time. Sorry."

She walked away without another word.


Sora stood in front of his mirrors, staring at himself. He clapped his face in his hands.

"Nerrrvous?" Mila asked, in her innocent voice.

"Yeah, kinda. But I know I can do it!"

He strode out, Mila trailing behind him, only to find Dani waiting outside.

"... Dani? What're you doing out here?"

"You're gonna go fight Witches, right, Sora?"

"That's right! I'm gonna get rid of them all!"

"Are you gonna be okay on your own?"

"I'll be fine! Cody was, after all! And I'm following in his footsteps!"

"I'll come with you. I know I can't fight, but..."

"Hey, I get it. And thanks, Dani. You're always welcome along. I mean, it's easier with friends."

"Sora..."

"I'm really happy you decided to come, honestly. I thought I'd have to do all this alone..."

"No way! You're my friend, I'm not gonna let you face this alone!"

"I'll protect you, so just follow me! We'll get rid of those Witches!"

Mila looked out from behind Sora. "You've thought of the dangers, right, meow?"

"Yeah," Sora replied. "I'll probably be more careful if I have to protect Dani too, so I think it'll be okay."

Mila turned back to Dani, looking into her eyes, and thought to her, "I know what you're thinking! You want to protect Sora too, right? So long as you're here, you have a choice."

"I..." Dani's thoughts wavered.

"You don't have to choose now. Sora probably wouldn't want you to do it, either! But I'm always ready to hear your wish, Dani."

They walked the rest of the way in thoughtless silence, Sora leading the way. Eventually, they reached a thin staircase.

"Here we go," he said, looking down the stairs.

"This was created by a Familiar, meow!"

"That doesn't mean it'll be easy. I've gotta keep my guard up."

They walked into the barrier, and heard a wailing sound. Sora threw some metal fans towards it, but...

Klank, klank.

Knives impacted with the fans, knocking them away. The barrier faded as the familiar escaped, and a strange Puella Magi landed on the scene.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?"

"It's getting away!"

Sora ran towards it, but the magical boy in front of him aimed a knife at his throat.

"That's a Familiar, not a Witch, you enormous douche. There's no Grief Seed to be had in that battle."

"It can still kill people!"

"Yeah, that's the point. You've gotta let it mature a little so it becomes a Witch. It'll have a Grief Seed then."

"These things hurt people! Don't you give a damn about that?!"

"Geez... you're pretty moronic. Let me explain it this way: food chain. We're on the top, normal people are on the bottom. Witches and Familiars are somewhere around the middle."

The magical boy walked forward, forcing Sora backwards. A magical barrier appeared around Dani, blocking her from the two of them.

"I hope you didn't make a contract just so you could be a big hero!"

"And if I did?!" Sora brought his fans to bear in a battle stance. He surged forward, but the mysterious boy blocked him with a knife.

"You should just quit while you're ahead."

Sora tried and failed to push forward against his knives. He sighed.

"It's really annoying watching gullible guys like you join up." With that, he shoved forward, throwing Sora back with his strength. He threw a few knives at him, piercing his flesh.

"You're a real meddler. Why don't you just sit down for a while?"

With that, the mysterious boy turned and started walking away.

Until Sora stood up.

"Weird. I should've hit some pretty painful areas with that..."

Dani clasped a hand to her chest. "He's okay..?"

"That's right, meow! Sora's wish was a healing wish. He recovers faster than other Puella Magi."

Sora straightened up, and turned, glaring at the other magical boy.

"It's people like you who make me sick!"

A light green glow surrounded him, sigils appearing under his feet as the knife-wounds healed.

"Hey," the boy said, "you need to shut your mouth and respect your betters."

He advanced, and they fought, Sora desperately deflecting knifeblows. He kept losing ground, moving back in the alleyway. Eventually, one of the mysterous man's knives slipped past his defenses and embedded itself in his shoulder. Sora staggered back against the wall, reaching over to grasp the blade and pull it out with a sickening /schlick/.

"Geez, you're a real idiot. Since I can't seem to get anything through your head..."

He formed another knife with grey magic. "... maybe I'll just get rid of you!"

He ran forward, striking at Sora. But Sora raised his fan, catching the knife in its folds.

"No way I'm gonna lose to someone like you!"

They launched into another battle, and Dani watched, helpless.

"Why are they fighting?! There's no Witch here! They're both Puella Magi, they both want the same thing!"

"There's nothing we can do about it, meow," Mila shrugged. "They won't accept each other, after all."

"You've got to stop them, Mila!"

"But there's nothing I can do. But if you have a wish, Dani, I'm certain you could stop them!"

Dani looked from Mila to the fighting boys.

"Only a Puella Magi can join this sort of fight," Mila said. "If you make a contract, you can be part of this."

"If I make a contract..."

At that moment, one of the boy's knives struck Sora in the gut. He staggered to the ground, coughing blood.

"I win. What a surprise."

He flicked another knife at Sora's throat.

"I..."

"No!" Kris leapt forward. "Don't you fucking dare, Dani!"

And just like that, Sora was in another part of the alleyway. The knife landed against the ground, crumpling concrete with its force. Kris landed between them.