Madoka sat in her seat, trying to fall asleep. Homura sat beside her, staring out the window as the clouds flew by. Kyoko was just across the aisle, making good use of the in-flight meals. Sayaka was in the seat behind Madoka, using a small mirror to fix her hair up. Everyone was calm and happy. The four of them were on a flight to take them to their new home, where Hitomi and Mami, who had left a year earlier, waited for them. A year and a half had made a lot of change between the six of them. Madoka couldn't wait to see Hitomi and Mami again, and see the look on their faces.

She'd grown. Madoka had gotten taller since they'd last met, leaving Homura behind as the short one. Kyoko and Sayaka hadn't grown as much, but they were taller to begin with. She wondered if Mami had gotten taller as well. Their blonde senpai had quite the developed body, but most of her growing had so far gone to other areas. Namely, her chest. Madoka's own figure had developed as well along with her height, and she was quite happy with how it was coming along. In the same area, Kyoko had begun to catch up to Sayaka. The two of them liked to compete with each other in many fields, and this had become one of them somewhere along the line.

Madoka began to wonder if Mami still did her hair up into those twin curls that had gotten so familiar to her. She'd let down her own hair, against Homura's wishes, as she wanted to give a more mature vibe that she felt her previous hairstyle had lacked. Homura's hair was the same as always, as was Kyoko's, but Sayaka's was quite different. Madoka's best friend had finally been letting her hair grow out, and it now fell around her shoulders. She'd learned to keep it in a ponytail in the past few months, a style that looked better on her with each passing day.

Homura's voice snapped Madoka out of her semi-slumber state. "Madoka, look! There it is!"

Madoka leaned over in front of Homura to look out the window. They had to press their cheeks together in order to both look through the small window at the ground now visible far below the plane. In the seat behind them, Sayaka took a moment to look as well. Kyoko didn't seem to mind missing out, though many other passengers were enjoying the view the same as Madoka. It was a new place, and a new start. The new world.

Homura lightly pushed her cheek against Madoka's. "Heh. Looks like Oregon. We've still got a little ways to go."

Kyoko cut in from across the aisle, talking around a mouthful. "We'd better. I'm not done yet."

The four of them were on their way to America, where they would all be going to high school together. A friend of Madoka's parents lived in Texas and had offered to give them all a place to stay. They all had plans to go to a university in Texas after high school as well, which meant that the six of them would be living together for the next six to eight years. Madoka could hardly wait for the plane to land and her life in America to begin...

Five Years Past

"Madoka, wake up already."

Responding to her name, Madoka shook herself awake. She quickly shielded her eyes from the bright sun, prompting her to remember where she had fallen asleep. She was outside, laying on her back on top of a picnic table. The table had been purchased and placed in front of the house she and her friends were staying in, somewhere for them to gather during meals.

"Get up, will ya. No one's gonna eat off of a table with Madoka all over it."

Madoka turned her head to see Homura sitting at the table. The dark-haired girl put her hands together like she was saying a prayer. "Thank you for this meal."

Rolling off to the side, Madoka pushed herself off the table and stood up, taking a moment to feel the grass under her bare feet. She gave Homura a sidelong glance. "Don't eat me."

Kyoko appeared in her field of view. "Thank you. Dinner is ready. Mami and Hitomi are bringing it out."

"What about Sayaka?" Madoka sat down properly, waiting patiently for the food. "Did Sayaka go to sleep early again?"

Kyoko set out five plates that she had carried in a stack from the house, while answering the question. "Yeah, her job is being brutal."

Madoka giggled, watching as Mami and Hitomi came out of the house and set up dinner. Homura had suddenly wrapped herself up in her phone, a habit of hers that Madoka found humorous. "You can't be texting anyone, Homura. We're all right here."

Homura briefly looked up. "No... there is a Sandshrew nearby."

Hitomi put her hands on her hips. "Really? At the dinner table?"

Sitting beside Madoka, Mami nervously brushed her hand against her jeans pocket. "Which direction?"

Hitomi sat down beside Homura, across from Mami. "Don't make me throw your phones away." She watched carefully as Homura put her phone away, then smiled. "Good. Now, Kyoko, if you'd do the honors... Kyoko?"

The four of them spent nearly a minute just looking around for their redheaded friend before Madoka spotted her. "Oh, there she- Hitomi, Kyoko's across the street."

"What? What is she-"

"Oh, shit, she's going for it." Homura stood up. "Permission to go get her?"

Kyoko called over from across the street. "Just a minute! I'll be right back!"

Madoka cupped her hands to her mouth and shouted at Kyoko. "Pokemon is of the devil!"

They all sat and watched as Kyoko turned off her phone, pocketed it, and walked back to the table. "Pokemon is of the devil. As if. That ship has sailed."

"I'm pretty sure the Bible says Pokemon is of the devil." Madoka nodded. "Yeah, pretty sure."

Kyoko sat down at the head of the table, fixing Madoka with a glare. "No, it does not."

Madoka shrugged. "You should check again. Look in the back. It's right there. In blue pen."

From the general direction of the house, the five of them heard Sayaka's familiar voice. "Would you assholes shut the hell up! I've got to work in less than seven damn hours and I can't get a minute of shuteye with all of your fucking shit! Kyoko, fuck your Sandshrew! Madoka, fuck your blue pen! Homura, fuck your face! And Hitomi, fuck your cooking!" She appeared at the door, barely dressed and looking a total mess. "And you left the fucking door open!" She slammed it shut. "Again!"

There was silence at the table, finally broken by Kyoko. "Do I still have to say grace? I think Sayaka covered everything."

Mami raised her hand. "I was left out this time. I feel like that might leave any reigning deity with the misconception that I am not grateful for the meal."

Kyoko folded her hands. "Father God, may you bless Mami to become with child. Amen."

"That's really not what I was thinking." Mami was starting to turn slightly reddish.

The redhead shrugged it off. "It's as far as I'm going. I'm not swearing in a prayer, even for you. Have you ever seen what happens to people who swear while they're praying?"

Homura shook her head. "No, I've never seen anyone swear while they were praying."

"Exactly." Kyoko reached for a bowl of mashed potatoes. "People stopped swearing during prayer shortly after people began to pray. There's a very good reason for that." She dropped one scoop of mashed potatoes on her plate and passed the bowl to Homura. "It has something to do with lightning."

Madoka selected a cut of pork and put it on her plate, then turned to Kyoko. "No, see, I've tested that. Nothing has ever happened to me when I swear while I'm praying."

Kyoko nodded and explained. "Well of course. You don't believe in God, so why should he care what you say to him? It's like getting mail from someone who doesn't like you. You just ignore it, you don't open it. You throw it in the trash. That and I've heard you praying. You mumble. No one, not even God, has time for that. Who can tell what you're asking for?"

"I've asked God for a pony four times now. If he was listening to me, I'd have that damn pony."

Hitomi sighed. "Madoka, I love you like a sister, but I have to ask if you actually want that pony. In my experience, even if you don't believe in God, you shouldn't ask him for something you're not ready to receive."

Madoka passed the mashed potatoes right by her, placing them at the corner of the table beside Kyoko. "I'm not getting that pony. It's not happening. Like you just said, God isn't even listening to me cause he knows I don't think he exists. So either I'm right and he doesn't, or you're right and he's ignoring me, either way, no frigging pony."

The next day

Madoka stood at the counter of her job. It wasn't the cleanest job in the world, and strictly speaking not everything that went on was entirely within the normal bounds of legality, so she had seen some things and met some people even in the two months since getting the position. She now stood dumbfounded at the loan payment she was faced with. The old man in front of her was wearing a red plaid shirt and blue overalls, a straw hat and cowboy boots. The definition of country.

"Well, I don't really have the money I promised, see. I was thinking I could leave something with an equivalent value with you and then have it back when I do have the money."

Madoka blinked her eyes a few times, making sure she was seeing correctly. "A-and this... this is what you came up with?"

"Yes mam. I figure these four ponies cover the payment?"

They did, and the company policy allowed such an exchange, though as the company had no place to keep the ponies she would likely have to take care of them herself.

Madoka hung her head. She was never going to hear the end of this. "Fuck me."