I looked down at the city of Mitakihara from high above atop the cliff, lounging in my chair. It was something I did most every night, waiting for the morning to begin, waiting to spend another day with Madoka. I would also spend time with Sayaka, Kyouko and Mami, of course. But it was for Madoka, sleeping peacefully in the city below, that I truly waited.

That wasn't something I needed to do anymore, sleeping. I didn't need much of anything, now. My body ran itself perfectly without rest or sustenance, and I did not want to indulge in unnecessary things. It was a waste of time.

And, though I did not like to admit it, a small part of me feared that if I did indulge in the luxury of sleep I would lapse in my duties. That Madoka would awaken to her greater self, and I would lose her again. And that was something I could not allow. Because then Madoka would no longer be happy, she would no longer be safe.

So I sat high above, admiring Mitakihara. Although, in truth, I only half paid attention to it. There was only so much someone could stay distracted by city lights. But it was a way to pass the time, so I did. And in its own way, it was peaceful and relaxing.

It was a shame that other things decided to intrude on my meditations.

"You can still end this, Homura Akemi," came the voice of the small, broken thing at my feet. I looked down at it and sneered. "You can cease your influence on reality and-"

It stopped talking when I slammed my foot down on its back, eliciting a squeal of pain from the creature.

"I did not give you permission to speak, Incubator," I said coldly. I had no sympathy for the monster's ragged appearance. This was everything it deserved. Less, even. "You will be silent unless given permission otherwise."

I didn't need to be more explicit in my threat. The hateful little thing knew what I would do to it. I had made the specifics of our relationship perfectly clear after assuming this latest aspect of my duty. I was the master now, and it was nothing but the lowest of servants.

I briefly wondered how long ago it had been since I had taken hold of the universe and finally made it fair. Had it been yesterday, or perhaps the day before? Had it been a year or a decade, or maybe centuries since I had taken Madoka's power and directed it toward her own protection? I could no longer tell.

But that didn't really matter.

I stood up, hit by a sudden whimsy, and began to dance. I twirled around both my chair and the Incubator, who shivered whenever I came close. I grinned at that, though it was a hollow thing. I didn't derive much pleasure from the creature's torment, not anymore. Rarely were my nights filled with joy as I waited. Only the day brought me comfort, for it was then I could be with Madoka again.

Madoka, her gentle heart shone so brightly. She was so beautiful and so strong, even despite all her insecurities and her shyness. No, it was because she was shy and insecure that her kindness was all the more meaningful.

It was no surprise that she had done what she had, becoming the Law of Cycles. And though I had worked against it, prevented her even now from returning to that position as a universal constant, I could not help but admire the strength it must have taken to step forth into that decision. She had made the choice out of a sense of duty, but it had still been sincere.

But I knew she'd done it only because she'd felt she had to, not because she desired it. And that made all the difference. That justified everything.

"Sayaka Miki called me a demon, once," I said out loud as I danced. "I suppose it fits. After all, who but the Devil would oppose the majesty of God?

I stopped my twirling and set my arms on the back of my chair, resting my head as I turned back toward the city.

"But I'm fine with being Satan, if it means she will be happy."

Laughter boomed from behind me, a deep guffaw that resonated with the steady sound of clapping. I turned around, eyes narrowed and my hand raised to fight. Nothing should have been up here aside from myself and the rodent. I certainly hadn't let any of the people who inhabited my world approach my resting place this night.

The man was tall, and obviously a foreigner. He looked British, or perhaps American, with swept back reddish blonde hair. He was wearing black pants and a coat of the same color. His shirt, however, was white. All of it looked like it was made from fine material, though it was frayed near the edges.

His most prominent feature was the scar across his face, however. It went from his left cheek all the way across his nose and up toward his forehead. It was the only thing that marred otherwise handsome features, though if the man cared about the disfigurement he didn't show it. He exuded confidence and control, of both himself and his surroundings. No, more than confidence. Arrogance. His posture was rife with it as his mirth died down.

"You know," he said in a deep voice that just oozed self-assurance as he ended his applause. "Satan was just a name that got added on later. It means 'adversary.' Fitting, I suppose. Not that I ever really appreciated it. I don't require the whims of others to give meaning to my actions."

"Who are you?" I demanded, drawing my power close and readying it. "How have you come here?"

"This is certainly an interesting universe," the man said, not answering my question. I ground my teeth, but he just went on as if nothing was wrong. He walked toward the cliff, staring down at the city before peering up at the sky. "I wonder. Did Yahweh create it, or did something like him have a hand in this? Or did it come about naturally? I can feel the touch of the Endless here, although that doesn't mean much of anything in and of itself. After all, the Endless are everywhere."

"Are you just going to ignore me?"

"Though something seems to have played merry havoc with Destruction's jurisdiction," he continued, doing just that. "Despair's too. Not that Destruction cares much for his function any more, and from what little I can tell I doubt Despair disapproves of how her purview has been utilized."

"Enough," I said, letting my power leak out into the world around me. It warped and shifted, taking on the manic twinge of a Witch's barrier. The man turned around and cocked an eyebrow at me, not concerned in the least. "You will tell me who you are and how you managed to reach me here. None of my world should have been able to come close to me this night."

"Who I am," the man said. "Is just a wanderer from the void who heard a little girl call herself the Devil, and thus caught my interest. So I thought I might see what this place was all about, and perhaps gain some small measure of entertainment."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"No," he responded. "I suppose it doesn't."

He have a mocking little bow, kneeling down to look me in the eye. There was amusement in his gaze, though for the most part his eyes were simply keen and hard. Like frozen stars burning with cold light.

"I have had many names," he said. "It would take hours to list them all, and honestly they're not all that important. But you may call me Lucifer."