ROYAL REWARD: Homura Gets High (Balloonification, Madoka)

As the nurse’s door swung open with a squeak from the hinges, Homura wrung her skirt, unable to keep her hands from trembling.

“Alright,” said the nurse herself, poking her head out with a smile. “You can come in now.” 

“Oh, um, th-thank you,” said Homura, adjusting her glasses. “Um, my friend Madoka… Is she…? Is she still in there?” 

The nurse paused for several seconds before responding. “I’m sorry,” she said at last, “but your friend left through the other door. You can meet up with her once you’ve finished your checkup, of course. Now, if you’d like to come in, so we can finish this before my lunch break…?” 

“O-of course, sorry,” said Homura, bowing her head as she scuttled past. The door slammed behind her and locked with a click. 

Because her eyes were on the floor, Homura didn’t see the most notable part of the nurse’s office until she was properly seated. Only then did she finally look up and notice the swarm of balloons floating under the ceiling. There were so many of them, and in so many different colors, from red to blue to yellow and pink. 

“Wh-why are they so many balloons?” she asked, as the nurse scribbled something on her sheet. 

“Hmm? Oh, those are just for the children. Take no notice of them.” Tossing her clipboard, she grabbed an enormous canister of gas, ploncked it at Homura’s feet, and pressed the hose into Homura’s hands. “Place this in your mouth, please.” 

“Wh-what?” 

“Place the hose in your mouth, please.” 

“I–I don’t understand. Why do you–? Is this laughing gas, or…?” 

The nurse smiled. “It’s a necessary part of your check-up, that’s all,” she said, giving her a reassuring pat on the head. “Don’t you worry about it.”

Homura blushed in embarrassment. “O-okay,” she said, slipping the hose through her lips. 

With a faint grin, the nurse turned the canister’s valve. 

As the first of the gas filled her mouth, puffing out her cheeks and forcing her to swallow fast, Homura’s eyes widened in surprise. She’d never used laughing gas (or any other kind of medicinal gas) before, but she’d never expected it to taste quite so sweet. Was it like other medicine? Flavored so children would take it?

The nurse gave the valve another twist, making the stuff flow even faster and forcing Homura to swallow quicker in turn, lest it puff up her cheeks and spill out through her lips. She closed her eyes, shivering a little, as the gas settled in her stomach. It tasted good, but it was having a very strange effect on her belly. Already, she could feel her gut bloating, as if she’d eaten too much extra-fermented yogurt. It made her feel a little sick, actually. Light-headed. 

She pulled the hose out of her mouth. “H-how much of this do I need to–?” 

Before she could finish, the nurse grabbed it and forced it straight back through her lips. “I’m sorry, sweetie, but you need to keep taking this stuff until I say you can stop, okay? Now, just be a good girl and keep swallowing it, okay? Okay.” With a scowl, she gave the valve another twist, watching Homura carefully to make sure she kept the pipe in this time. 

Mollified, Homura sat there and swallowed mouthful after mouthful of the gas, grimacing as her belly grew larger and larger. And it wasn’t just her gut being affected: the more she swallowed, the more she felt lightheaded. With every second, it became a little harder to think, as if the gas filling her head were pushing her thoughts out of her ears. Moaning, she slumped forward, clutching her temple. “I don’t…” The hose muffled her voice a little. “I don’t know if I…” 

“Ssh… ssh…” said the nurse, placing a comforting hand on Homura’s shoulder. “You can do it, sweetie. I promise it will feel better soon.” 

With a nod, Homura swallowed, sucking down another mouthful of the stuff. And as she settled back and allowed herself to drink it up without fighting, she realized the nurse wasn’t lying. It did feel good. Soon, a warm haze seemed to fill her entire form, leaving her fingers and toes tingling. 

Through this haze, she barely noticed what was happening to her, and when she did, she couldn’t figure out what was wrong with it. It was like the gas had started to settle in her head as well, bloating her temple till it was as fat and round as her stomach. This should have been horrifying, she knew on a deep level, but for some reason, it made her grin like a loon. She just felt so good. So carefree and happy! 

The nurse stepped forward and pushed the hose back into her mouth. “Keep going, honey!” you’re doing great!” 

As Homura’s head swelled, slowly lifting her from her chair with its newfound buoyancy, it also started to suck in the rest of her body: her limbs, shriveling, folded into her torso, and her torso slipped up into her neck, like a sock pulled through a hole, leaving only a tiny, puckered balloon’s mouth in its place.

I’m becoming a balloon, thought Homura, abruptly. Of course there was no other door; Madoka hadn’t exited through it, she’d become just another of the balloons on the ceiling.  She didn’t know why she hadn’t realized it sooner. 

To mild surprise, she realized this didn’t bother her. She didn’t know if it was the gas filling her head or something else, but the thought of being just another big balloon bouncing around the ceiling made so much sense to her. It seemed like such a fun thing to do–in fact, she couldn’t wait to try it!

As the last of her torso disappeared, her ponytail migrated down her head and wove itself around her new mouth as a large string. Meanwhile, the nurse shut off the gas and pulled the nozzle out of her old mouth, which immediately snapped into a gigantic grin. Homura giggled. 

“There you go, sweetie, all done. Now, up you go. Go float with the others.” She gave her a push. 

Striking it, Homura bounced once and came to a stop facing a familiar pink balloon. “Hello, Madoka,” she said airily. “I’m a balloon now.” She giggled. 

“I’m a balloon too,” said Madoka. For some reason this was uproariously funny. 

Once they’d finished laughing, the two went silent. What else was there to say? They were balloons.