Making it Better (Madoka Kaname)

Making it Better (Madoka Kaname)
Date of Cutscene:	02 September 2024
Location:	Paris, France
Synopsis:	Madoka and Kamiko have a big mess to clean up.
Cast of Characters:	Madoka Kaname
Tinyplot:	The Meaniedokas

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgrOZOlzofk

"I know this isn't how you wanted things to go, but... I hope that you can still make peace with it."

"I just... I just wanted to see her grow up. I wanted her to be happy and healthy. She deserved so much better than what fate had in store for her. I defied that destiny and paid the price for it, but at least my little sister turned out alright."

"You don't have to pay anymore. You filled your contract. I can't give you your life back... but I can show you that she's happy, and that she still thinks of you. Even now that she's all grown up."

"Right... So... what happens now? Do I move on? Go face some kind of judgment? Reincarnation?"

"I don't know that. I can't see that far ahead. Once you leave this place I won't be able to guide you."

"So... even you don't know?"

"I'm a little embarrassed to admit it, but I can't really visit the afterlife, if such a thing exists. Even leaving the planet is... a lot harder than it has any right to be."

"I guess I can't criticize. I couldn't even leave my hometown. Guess I'll go find out myself."

"So... are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, I'm ready."

The two girls joined hands, and light overtook them. Then Hope Concept was alone, back in Kamiko's dining hall, and the divine Chara pops out of her Bearer. The other girl was gone. Forever.

Kamiko said, "You don't have to do all of that for every single Witch we beat, you know. You can just release the soul and move on."

Madoka shook her head. "No, Kamiko-chan. They deserve peace and respect. I'm not going to be lazy about something so meaningful."

Kamiko shrugged her tiny shoulders. "Well, I wont stop you. Still... I can't help but think you're searching for something that you aren't finding."

Madoka clasped her hands together and looked out the large open windows at the starry field beyond. "I am... but... I'm not finding it. I was able to give Masako and Basu their lives back, and I released Sayaka from her contract, but ever since then I haven't been able to repeat that at all."

The goddess Chara circled around Madoka's head before settling down on her shoulder. "Keep in mind that Tia, Rens and I specifically chose Masako and Basu because they were the most viable candidates around. They recently Witched, they hadn't hurt anyone yet, and Basu's Wish caused the bond between them to endure even after they lost their minds. Tracing and exploiting that bond was a huge part in figuring out how to reach them. Saya-chan, also, was a special case. The one you just released, meanwhile, had been a Witch for over 10 years. Even if we could help her, she no longer had a life to go back to."

Madoka frowns. "Even so... I'd hate to think that we couldn't restore anyone else."

Kamiko shakes her head vehemently while pouting at her Chara Bearer. "This is so like you. Performing actual miracles and still apologizing because you couldn't do more than what was already impossible. Be happy with what we have and appreciate all the work that's been done to get to this point. Those Witches left this world peacefully, and they aren't hurting anyone anymore. This is fine."

The pinkette Chara Bearer sighed. Even hearing that, it felt a little bad knowing that they could do little more than bury the dead. Then again, that's all one could ever do. Nothing had really changed. "Well, Kamiko-chan... what's next on the docket?"

Kamiko produces a scroll and unrolls it. The rod rolls all the way down the ridiculously long dining table, falls off the far end, and then keeps going through the door into some other odd space of the Chara's paradise. The goddess fairy crosses a name off the list and says, "Okay so... the next thirty names or so are people I energy drained. There's some minor property damage and some missed appointments here but the big thing is that Dimitri here walked off with a pint of ice cream that didn't belong to him."

Madoka let out a deep breath, "Okay... so we'll have to delete the records and pay for the treats... just how many of these petty crimes are sweets-related?"

The divine fairy looked embarrassed for a moment as she scanned through the list. "Um... a lot?"

Madoka frowned. "We haven't stolen from anyone we know, have we?"

Suddenly a bit nervous, Kamiko admitted, "Um... does Chiyo count?"

Firmly, the Chara Bearer intoned, "Yes. She counts." Then Madoka facepalmed before saying, "You know... I was really hoping you hadn't ripped off anyone magical. We can try to work around a few missed appointments, but if the Veil isn't doing our cover up work for us then it's a bit harder to deal with."

The divine chara frowned. "You don't have to say 'we'. I'm the one who messed up.I should have realized that all that dark energy would make them as bad as those thieving vending machines."

Madoka shook her head. "No, this is my problem too. It's my job to take care of you, even when you make a mistake. Besides... you never would've had any dark energy if I had accepted you from the start."

Kamiko also refused to accept that. "I'm not interested in assigning blame. You did your best. I ignored the obvious signs and went off the deep end, just because I was scared and upset."

They were both in this together, for better or worse. Gretchen had drained a huge number of people all over the globe, causing a lot of chaos and disrupting a lot of people's lives, and now Madoka and Kamiko had to make things right. It was only fair. Not everyone who messed up in this way had the power to fix things, but these two did, and that made it their responsibility.