Charlotte

Most Puella Magi die in battle, or just after, either exhausting their soul gems and giving in to the despair and regret of leaving their lives behind, or when a lucky hit shatters their gem.

Some do not die in battle. Some simply give in to despair despite the attempts of others to keep them afloat. And others die yet stranger deaths, for magic is no friend of science or logic.

Charlotte, for instance, does not die in battle. She does not exhaust her soul gem through fighting demons. She does not die of despair, as such. In fact, her death is something of an anomaly to the Incubator assigned to her region.

Charlotte dies in the same room that the doctors had always said her mother would die in.

Charlotte is not a very good fighter, even though she is a moderately powerful magical girl. Her inner nature is too sweet and gentle to relish fighting, and the first few fights she was in were close things indeed. Kyubey would not have been surprised even if it was capable. It has happened before. Some Puella Magi exceed his expectations, but others do fall below them. Anomalies are in abundance in a system that relies on emotion to generate energy; after all, emotion is an anomaly in and of itself.

This doesn't mean that Charlotte is a failure, either - she still fights, because that was the price she paid for her wish, and her mother brought Charlotte up to honour her responsibilities.

And to Charlotte, her mother's words are everything. Because she has always been there for Charlotte. And Charlotte was only sickly and of ill health, unlike her mother with terminal cancer and a set amount of time left.

In another universe, the Incubator would have attempted to exacerbate her downfall into a Witch through very specific pre planned acts of cruelty that would ensure the maximum potential of grief, starting with her wish. In this universe, however, Kyubey has a vested interest in maintaining the status of the Puella Magi contracted with it. This is not out of caring for their well being, but a matter of efficiency. A dead magical girl cannot fight demons and therefore cannot gather grief cubes. A magical girl who gives into despair quickly cannot fight. It's simply wasted energy.

The wish was a simple affair - she first stated she wished to share a cheesecake with her mother, one last time. Kyubey pointed out that with such a wish, the despair she would get to balance hope would likely be her mother's death, in accordance with the wording. Charlotte had started crying the moment it had pointed this out, and it waited while she composed herself. Kyubey could spare patience - Charlotte was very young for a potential Puella Magi.

"But then..." The pink-haired ten year old had stuttered quietly, "T-then what d-do I wish for?"

[Simple] Kyubey had responded. [You originally wanted to be able to eat a cheesecake one last time with your mother, yes? But one cheesecake would not satisfy, and the tragedy afterwards would harm you far more. Why not wish for her healed so you may continue to eat cheesecakes with her as long as you are alive?] Interfering with a wish was uncommon, but this was an uncommon scenario. Kyubey reported the incident in a side note and carried on.

A few minutes and a wish later and Charlotte was a magical girl of some modicum of power and an adorable costume reminiscent of candy and desserts. A few mornings after, her mother walked into her room at home with the brightest smile the little girl had ever seen on her face. Charlotte couldn't help but smile back. Her smile widened when her mother brought out a cheesecake with a flourish.

"Just this once, dear." She'd said. "You know you can't eat too much sweet stuff, or the doctors complain."

And at first, Charlotte is a decent enough magical girl. She fights, she cleans her gem, she carries on living and eating sweet things with her now healed mother. When it becomes clear that the young girl is not a very good fighter, Kyubey brings in Mami Tomoe to help train her. Despite her relative newness to being a Puella Magi, Mami has proven an excellent fighter.

Charlotte idolises Mami from the moment she meets her, and for a time all is well again. Mami and Charlotte make a good team. Mami's guidance helps Charlotte meet some of her potential, and Charlotte's company helps keep Mami from feeling as lonely, stopping despair from blackening her soul gem. Kyubey is nothing if not efficient. Charlotte's mother is satisfied that her daughter has found such a mature and reliable friend.

All sides are happy for a while.

It starts with a cough that slowly worsens. Her mother freezes in talking as she watches Charlotte coughing on the floor.

"Are you okay, honey?" She asks, fearing the worst. This is how it started for her. Please don't let my baby girl have it too...

As the cough subsides, Charlotte nods, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I'm okay, Mama, it just hurt." She sits back down on her chair.

Despite the fact that as a puella magi, she should have been able to heal the sickness instantly, it persists, clinging to her body like a parasite.

Still, she tries to fight witches with Mami, until one day she collapses in the middle of a fight leaving Mami to have to rescue her and take her home.

After this, she is bed bound. The doctors cannot analyse it - it's simply like her body is giving up.

Mami and Kyubey both walk into the hospital room. Mami has a sad frown on her face as she sits next to the peacefully breathing Charlotte. The younger girl opens her eyes and smiles weakly at Mami.

"Hello Mami-san." She says and gives a small cough. Mami tries to smile, but it just won't come. She takes Charlotte's hand and gives it a squeeze.

"Charlotte... I'm sorry." The blonde Puella Magi says, looking down. "Even my healing isn't enough."

Charlotte lets out another cough and struggles to sit up. Mami's eyes widen and she tries to help the younger girl up. "Charlotte, you shouldn't..."

"It's okay." Charlotte says, giving Mami a smile. "I'm okay. Look..." She holds up her candy-floss-pink soul gem to her friend and mentor. The gem is very slowly darkening. "It's keeping me alive..."

Mami holds her own up and closes her eyes, trying to use the energy of her own to heal Charlotte again. A small hand on hers stops her and she looks at Charlotte again. The girl's still smiling that sad smile, and Mami's heart breaks as she knows what's happening.

"Mami-san, please tell me that story again..."

Her head shoots up. "The Law of Cycles?" Charlotte nods, settling back and smiling serenely, waiting.

So Mami tells her again of the cycle of Magical Girls, of Puella Magi. How they wish, contract, fight and then disappear. How the legends are told that when they disappear, it is always with a smile.

The legends of the Valkyrie who guides them from the world.

When she's finished, Charlotte is asleep and breathing peacefully. Mami finally lets the tears fall. She's only known Charlotte such a little amount of time, but the cheerful and sweet little girl has wormed her way into Mami's heart.

Yes, she could be selfish, and yes she had a fixation on cheesecake that bordered on obsessive. But she's sweet-natured and affectionate and will give her love to just about anyone.

It's not fair that such a sweet child should have to be a Puella Magi. It's not fair she has to die.

"Don't cry, Mami-san." Charlotte says, opening her eyes.

The blonde stands up and leans over the bed, giving Charlotte a hug. The girl responds by putting her own arms around Mami and squeezing gently back. "It's okay. I'm ready."

Mami pulls back, looking shocked, and Charlotte shakes her head, a sad smile on her face. "The Valkyrie, right?"

"But it's just..."

"A story?" Charlotte interrupts. She shakes her head. "I don't feel like it is. Stories have to come from somewhere. Besides, I got my wish."

"What?"

"I wanted my Mama healed so I could eat cheesecakes with Mama for as long as I'm alive." Charlotte gives a wide smile, but tears are gathering in her eyes. "I got my wish. I'm not afraid."

A ragged sob escapes Mami and she clutches Charlotte to her. Charlotte hugs her back. "It's okay, Mami-san. I'm sorry I'll be leaving you, but you'll find some new friends. You're really nice..."

"Charlotte." Mami says, and she sobs again. "Don't..."

They stay like that for a while, but eventually Charlotte falls to sleep properly and Mami is forced to leave the hospital.

In her darkened room, Charlotte opens her eyes and brings her gently glowing, now almost fully darkened soul gem out. She stares at it for a moment and then closes her eyes, tears escaping them. "Goodbye, Mami-san. Goodbye, Mama and Papa." She wipes her face of tears as the blackness fills the gem. "I wish I could have some cheesecake one more time..." Are her final words as she lies back, cracks running down the crystalline gem in her hands.

A pink glow fills the room, and Charlotte opens her eyes. A pair of hands cups her own, touching the soul gem. A pair of pink eyes full of warmth stares into her own as she blinks and smiles.

"Charlotte."

The voice is sweet; like her mother, or what she imagines an older sister would sound like.

"It's time."

Charlotte nods, and feels the hands pull her up. She smiles as she stands next to the stranger and takes her hand. She looks down at her body.

"Can you leave my body for my Mama? She would be sad if there wasn't one." She asks, tugging on the hand. The pink-haired Valkyrie nods.

"I can and will." She says, and Charlotte smiles sadly.

"Thank you."

The world goes white for her. And then she hears the sound of laughter and she is brought into a tea party. The pink haired Valkyrie is sitting at a table laden with tea and cakes, talking with the other guests. She motions at Charlotte to join them, and the girl runs over happily.

The hospital room is silent, the body of the young girl still.

A nurse walks in to check on the patient and finds she's dead.

But a smile is on her face.