Walking on the Stars

Summary: The only thing he could do to escape the despair that clung to him was fly, and so he did, farther than he ever had before. And even that did not allow him to escape. As he began to give up, willing to fall to the Earth and give up for the last time, she appeared. Puella Magi Madoka Magica/Mermaid Melody crossover.

Rating: T

Genre: Hurt/Comfort

Disclaimer: What can I say; I like the idea of Ultimate Madoka as a hope bringer.

[A/N:] No spoiler warning this time, everyone should know how PMMM and MMPPP went. I am still using the name Penitent Gretchen for Madoka's final form, and this may or may not be loosely associated with Starry Heavens, another crossover I've written on the same basic premise.

Other: Mentions of suicide attempts and hopelessness. May be trigger-y for some. You have been warned.

The despair clung to him now, and no matter what, he could not escape it.

The hollow empty halls of his palace, that had once rang with the calls and cries of his servants, now taunted him that he was alone again. And Michel flew through them without, looking, without noticing, without slowing down; desperate for an escape from the weights that threatened to drag him down.

He had the body of his alter ego within him, the Mermaid princess, and all the power he could take from his servants, and it wasn't enough. It wasn't enough to drive the pain or the loneliness away.

"Michel, can't you see that this will never end? You don't have to do terrible things! You can stop! We can help you!"

It was the orange Princess, still trying to act as his conscience, he thought with a sneer as he came to a pause, floating in another empty hallway.

"Again with the pretty words." He snarled. "You don't know what it's like to be abandoned! You have no idea what my life is like!"

"But I do! She cried. Michel, I've seen it! I've seen your heart!"

"A monster doesn't have a heart." He retorted bitterly.

"Then you must not be a monster, because you have one!" She said. There was a pause, then she continued. "Don't give into despair, Michel."

Even though he hadn't believed a word she said, talking with her had been a comfort, and he might have listened had the pain not started again a moment later.

"Even now! Even with all this power! Still I live in pain!" He screeched. He clutched his head as tears began to blind him.

"Michel, don't give in to this!"

"Enough! Enough! I'm nothing! Nothing but a monster, a tool, a chimera created for one goal!" He cried. And they both heard his memories of the Great One's words.

"Michel, the only for you to be complete is to resurrect the Ancients here on Earth. That is what you were created for."

"I can't." He whispered, and one tear make its escape to slowly trickle down his face. "I'll never be free, until I can accomplish that."

And how could he accomplish that with a body that was so weak?

There was a pause from the orange Princess, then she said quietly, "I'll pray for you, Michel." And then he felt her presence dissipate within him.

He turned and flew away as fast as he could, out of the castle and into the night sky, which was sprinkled liberally with stars.

The only thing he could do to escape the despair that clung to him was fly, and so he did, farther than he ever had before. And even that did not allow him to escape. He was approaching the stars now, climbing through the planet's polluted atmosphere. And he still could not escape.

Seira, true to her word, was praying. Aqua Regina-sama, someone, anyone, please help him. Show him there's more out there than just despair.

She prayed it over and over as he flew, secure in the knowledge that he could not hear her and if he could, he would not stop her.

Just as she was about to give up, the solar wind brought an answer to whisper to her: "I'll be happy to help, Princess Seira."

Who are you? She asked, but the wind just brought a gentle laughter in response. "We-hi-hi-hi-hi!"

As Michel began to give up, far enough from the Earth to see it below him but not far enough away that he could escape it's grasp, and willing to fall to the Earth and give up for the last time, she appeared.

She appeared first as the glowing pink sigil that appeared under him, a connection of circles and lines that caught him as he began to let the planet's gravity tug him back down.

The realization that someone had intervened in his suicide attempt did not bring Michel any comfort. When he opened pale blue eyes and saw what had happened, the only thing it did was increase his feelings of worthlessness.

All he had tried to do was die, and he couldn't even do that right.

Tears filled his eyes again and he lay still, unwilling to move.

Then a hand began to stroke his hair, and a kind voice spoke. "Don't despair, Michel. Your shortcomings are not your own fault. And death never solves anything, anyway."

Sufficiently curious, he lifted his head, feeling the hand pull back as he did. He looked up and saw a young woman on her knees in front of him. Her eyes were gold, her extraordinarily long hair was pink, partially tied back in white bow while the rest of it was free. She wore white gloves and a white and pink dress accented with red stones, and when she stood up a moment later, it showed an expanse of stars hidden underneath the skirt of the dress's long train. She had wings on her back and on her heels, and she extended a hand to help him up.

"Who are you?" Michel asked, though what he really wanted to ask was, "Are you an Ancient, like me?"

"I'm Penitent Gretchen." She said. "But call me Madoka."

He took the hand she offered and let her help him up, then asked the question that was at the forefront of his mind. "Are you an Ancient, too?"

She shook her head. "No. You might…you might say I …give hope to people who need it. And it was mentioned to me that you need it tonight."

"You shouldn't have come." He said. "What use does a creature of light have for a broken fake copy?"

"I don't think you're broken or a fake." Madoka replied, and he could tell she meant it. She floated up into the air, and took both his hands in hers. "I know what you've been told. I watched what you did. But you're not a monster." She wanted to tell him the truth, was going too, be a quiet presence at her shoulder made her stop and showed her another glimpse of the future and she stopped before she could say anymore.

"You're wrong." Michel said, but there was no conviction in his voice anymore.

She smiled and began to speak, but he didn't hear a word before he was doubled over in pain again.

"My…body…" He managed to gasp out.

Madoka reached down, took both her hands in his again, and gently pulled him up a little. A white aura surrounded her, and a moment later surrounded him as well. It was calm, soothing and powerful, and he sucked up to it greedily, letting it fill a deep hollow within him where his strength used to be.

"You don't have to give in to despair." She said, echoing Seira. "There are those who will help you. Reach out to them. Let them help."

"No one will help me now. Not after what I've done."

"You won't know until you ask. You should ask who called me here to help you tonight." She told him as her aura faded away from the both of them. She did not, however, withdraw her hands.

"The Mermaid Princess."

She nodded. "Perhaps if you look more closely at the situation, you'll realize you are not so alone."

"Why would she save me? If I died, her soul would be free."

Madoka smiled. "Think it through sometime."

She remained suspended off the ground slightly. Michel was taller than her, requiring her to do so if she wished to speak to him eye to eye.

"Where did you come from?" he asked.

"Here," She said, and let go of one of his hand to sweep an arm around and indicate the expanse of stars and nebulae all around. Below them was the sigil and beyond that was the planet Earth. "I wait here until someone needs me and then I come to help."

Michel looked at the joy on her face and then around at everything she had indicated. It was beautiful, though it had to be lonely; there was no one else around.

"Do you ever get lonely?" He asked.

She shook her head. "My job keeps me busy, and when I'm not doing that there are always other things to be done. And I have the other Puella Magi who have passed on to keep me company and if I get lonely I visit them."

"Puella Magi?"

"They're the magical girls I watch over." Madoka explained.

"Oh."

Madoka looked at him again, then let go of his hand and determined why he had asked. "Michel, would you like to stay here?"

"I have to find my people."

"You can wait for them here. Let the Mermaid and the others you've taken go and stay here with me, until we find them."

"But there's a faster way to find them." Michel said, "And you've helped me realize it."

There was a tinge of something negative in what he was saying, and Madoka began to feel concern, though she tried not to show it. "What do you mean?"

"The fastest way to resurrect the Ancients is to change the world back to the place it used to be before the humans took it over." Michel said. "Thanks to the power you've given me, I can finally complete my goal."

Madoka wondered if she should tell him the energy transfer was temporary and wouldn't stay, then decided against it. This was not how she had hoped the conversation would end.

But the presence at her shoulder was back again and she held her peace on that matter.

"Michel, I don't think that's going to achieve anything." She said.

"But it is the only way to achieve my goal."

The goal that someone else has given you, Madoka realized, but she didn't say anything as she landed back on the sigil.

Michel bowed to her. "Thank you. You have made everything much more clear to me. I know now how to finish what I set out to do."

So he would not listen to her then. "Goodbye, Michel. I think you'll find someday that you're wrong." Madoka said. He did not answer but instead flew over the edge of the sigil and back towards Earth, leaving a shower of white feathers behind.

"That did not go as well as I had hoped." Madoka said as the presence that had been there finally manifested; a hollow copy of what should have been. "Why did you not let me tell him the truth, Aqua Regina?"

"He would not have believed you anyway, Gretchen." Aqua Regina replied. "The Mermaid princesses will still have to face him yet, I fear."

"Do you know how to reach the Ancients of which he speaks?" Madoka asked, turning to face the translucent wraith behind her.

"I am working on it even now." Aqua Regina replied. "But until they can be found, I fear Michel's heart cannot be reached, and my own power is limited without Seira's presence in the seas. I cannot even come to full power until all seven princesses are gathered."

Madoka turned and looked in the direction Michel had gone. What she had seen of the future had shown her that hope was not lost, not even now. "You'll have to tell me how it all ends."

"When the time comes, I will." Aqua Regina replied. "Thank you for answering Seira's prayer for me."

"It was the least I could do." She smiled. "Hope is my specialty, you know."

"I must go." Aqua Regina continued. "I will continue to try and reach the Ancients."

"And I must go as well." Madoka said. "Another Puella Magi needs me."

The ghost of Aqua Regina vanished and Madoka followed suit a moment later.

The sigil was the last thing to fade away, and the silent stars keep their vigil overhead.

[A/N:] Finally banished this story from my head. (Maybe now I can go back to finishing People Like Us.) This is designed to fit in before the final battle with Michel in MMPPP. I feel that this one is quite different from Starry Heavens and I'm not sure it ended as well, but I don't know.

So was it good? bad? just okay? If you've made it this far, please review and tell me what you think of it!