Author s Note:Blame the following for the creation of this fic: Saya no Uta (A visual novel by Urobuchi), End of Evangelion and anything Lovecraft-related. When you watch/read these things in a row, life can certainly get depressing! I recommend you not do these things like I did! Also, as with all my other fics, if you spot any errors ANYWHERE, feel free to drop me a line so I can improve. Finally, I would consider this to be a first draft. Anyways, enjoy!

Gretchen's Song

DAY 1

Madoka laid there, her body broken.

Homura hadn't been able to do anything, her power having finally run out and her will to continue going through this eternal maze for her love also ran its course.

Madoka screamed and screamed, power and hate pouring though her. She reached up to the sky, toward the moon and muttered "Homura..."

Homura held onto Madoka as all this was happening, and whispered words of "It'll be ok, Madoka... I'll see you again...," while tears that could no longer be contained fell from her face.

As the darkness that was her soul escaped from Madoka's body, it took flight to the clouds and became a shape not unlike a corseted princess. This corseted princess's dress wasn't filled entirely, as instead the "rings" of her dress were arms, dark as a day enclosed in an eclipse, fell out from the dress and crunched sickeningly on the ground. Where the torso would be, two large "arms" came out and enveloped the sun, immediately causing an eternal night to descend on Mitakihara. The head of this creature was filled with thousands of red, blood-shot eyes, all of which soon focused solely on Homura. The creature's horrid body, while like that of a human, was more like a constantly twitching rotted corpse, except none could identify any sort of "skin," as it was filled with a sort of translucent darkness.

The creature screamed an unearthly wail, a trumpet mixed with the agonies and cacophonies of a once human girl who only wanted to protect this world she held dear.

Homura ran away, carrying Madoka's body all the while.

DAY 2

Homura gently stroked Madoka's hair, savoring the feel of every fiber. She cried again, not only for herself, that she had lost the only one she had ever loved, but also for the whole of humanity, now doomed to an existence not unlike hell. She cupped Madoka's cheek, and gave it a gentle kiss. A tear fell upon it, and slid off.

Homura had recalled telling Kyouko to throw away a certain useless burden. Now she herself realized what a hypocrite she had been. /If you love someone, surely it's better to die with them than to stay on this rotting earth. / Homura thought bitterly.

Kyouko was probably with Sayaka, dancing in the heavens above, sadness no longer reaching them.

Homura lay next to Madoka's body, and tried to give it warmth.

She didn't sleep that night.

DAY 3

Knowing that Madoka's presence was ever-enlarging, her labyrinth to soon cover this world, Homura fled once again.

People wouldn't know that their end was near until it was too late. Madoka was surely too kind as a human, and as witch, her kindness was still ever-present. This kindness, however, was in her method of execution. Those who had perpetuated crimes were simply erased from existence when her barrier reached, and those who had perpetuated love were given access to a dream world. A dream they would never wake from, perhaps.

Homura had abandoned Madoka's body, knowing that only the memories of Madoka's smile would provide her with the light she needed.

DAY 4

Sensing the barrier coming closer, Homura once again ran. Where she was, she didn't know any longer, she only knew that Madoka... no, Gretchen, was always watching her.

She could no longer sleep, all her thoughts filled with her abandonment of Madoka, her humanity, humanity itself and people she once called 'friend'.

She looked at her face in the apartment's mirror, and only saw what she felt. She saw a living ghost, something which shouldn't belong in this world. Her hair had become ragged, her clothes all dirty, her face all blemished. Tears started falling from her face again, but she wiped them with all her might.

She lay down, wanting this all just to end.

DAY 5

The sun didn't rise that day, because the night perpetuated by Gretchen had become an eternal one now. Her figure fully obscuring the sun which she had so desired as a human, now she blocked it from the view of all humanity.

Thus, the world started to grow cold once again. No one knew what was happening, and perhaps it was better that way. Some were able to see Madoka, at least those with potential. However, all those that saw the true form of Gretchen were so terrified that they could not speak, as Gretchen to them was as a monster that never once stopped growing. Frightened that she might hear them, they all either committed suicide or threw themselves into her barrier. Judgment was all that awaited them, either way. Gretchen's judgment.

Homura sat alone in a train, thinking of how and why she was given this cursed existence. Love can kill. Perhaps if love can kill, then it was all the better that humanity be wiped from this plane. Homura ruminated on these thoughts as the sky grew darker and darker.

When she arrived at her destination, she looked at the sky, and her face grew as cold as the Earth's.

DAY 6

Mami looked down from the Heaven's above, or where-ever this place was. Valhalla? No, there wasn't any great warriors here, and she didn't recall seeing any signs of Ragnarok before she died. Perhaps Hades? No, there wasn't any weeping and gnashing of teeth. Whatever place this was, at least it offered a great view of her former home.

Mami sighed, thinking of her times spent with the friends she made. Madoka, her cheerful attitude gave so much strength, her friendship was something she could have never imagined as making. She had always had such a cold, but polite personality until she had met her.

/Madoka... if you're still there, somewhere in that void of a witch, I hope my feelings can reach you... even from up here.../

Mami stretched her arm toward the Earth, as if wanting to touch Madoka. She knew it was fruitless, but if there were a Goddess or a God or demi-God(dess) or something out there, maybe it would grant her heartfelt wish.

Mami smiled.

DAY 7

Sayaka groaned. Staying up here, where ever she was, was good. She felt good, because she had found someone who accepted her for who she was, and she loved her. She really loved her.

Still, her heart ached, knowing that the place she once called home was disappearing. She really thought she could leave it to Homura, but she thought that maybe that was asking for too much after all.

Kyouko grinned, and enveloped Sayaka in a hug from behind.

"What are you frowning about? So what if the world is going away? After all the stupid shit we humans always do, maybe we deserved it!" Kyouko said, but inside she too was in pain. She couldn't bear to see that face on her Sayaka.

"Kyouko..." Sayaka said, tears finally streaming down.

"Sayaka... don't worry... I'm here... and I know that Homura will do something... she has to!" Kyouko responded, not believing the words she had said.

Kyouko kissed Sayaka's tears away, and looking back at the Earth, she could only hug Sayaka harder.

DAY 8

The witch, known as Gretchen, felt lonely. It looked and looked for that girl. That one girl that she once knew or she thought she once knew. All the memories of those who entered her barrier coalesced daily into her. She was becoming a perfect being, a being of perfect memories. Only the good memories shall remain, and if there are no good memories, she'll create them. If there no good people, she'll create them.

Salvation is her destiny.

She screamed an unearthly cry, which became a song that echoed all over the world. A sad song which could only be heard by one girl.

Homura heard it, and was lulled into a slumber. She dreamed of her and Madoka. Her and Madoka and their first kiss. Their first date. Their first dance. Their wedding. Their life together. Their everything...

DAY 9

Homura awoke to the sounds of cicadas. She looked around saw that were no longer people around. She tried to turn on the lights, but they didn't work. All the electricity was gone.

She realized where she was. The barrier had finally encroached the whole of the Earth. There was no longer night, there was only Gretchen.

She looked out of her window, and saw what appeared to be Madoka. This being that had the appearance of Madoka smiled at her, and ran into an alley out of view.

Homura instantly gave chase. /No... This isn't real... it's not possible... have I died? Or is that trickster trying to fool me again? /

Almost becoming out of breath, she rounded the corner to the alley, only to see that there was nothing there.

"Homura..."

"M-Madoka..." Homura said, her voice almost cracking. She couldn't turn around. This wasn't real. This could never be real.

"You're dead... Madoka. I let you die! I let you die and everyone else!"

She was hugged from behind; a gentle, soothing hug.

"No... Homura...I'm still here. I would never leave you. I love you."

"M... Madoka." Homura sank down to her knees, while still being cradled by what appeared to be Madoka.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a white tail with red markings. Madoka vanished and Homura could no longer feel her presence.

"No...nonononononono!" Homura screamed.

Appearing before her, out of nowhere was him. Kyuubey. Incubator.

Homura drew her still loaded pistol and fired.

The bullet went through, and what appeared to be an image flickered. She realized what he was.

"What is it that you want! You're the perpetrator of all this! You condemned mankind, Madoka and everyone else to this hell! Why can't you die!" Homura snarled.

"I've come here, Akemi Homura, to deliver this message." Kyuubey intoned, remaining expressionless as always.

"This world, which Gretchen now rules... is no longer constrained by the laws of reality. You, like Gretchen, are an Oddity. You are both confounding variables, or unknown unknowns. Even us, as advanced as we are, cannot account for everything. Gretchen's powers grow greater every day. Her dreams are now reality, and the person that was behind you, while still a dream... in this place she was as real as you. Gretchen perhaps is the only one offering you kindness. What we have realized is that if Gretchen's power is not contained, soon she will devour all the worlds in the universe."

"You're asking me to save you, aren't you? After all the pain and heartbreak you put so many innocent people through, you're asking me to save you! Why should I spare you, when you never spared Madoka, when you never spared Mami, Kyouko, Sayaka or anyone else! You monsters deserve whatever it is Madoka decides to give you." Homura yelled, her face flushed with anger and her chest heaving with a rage never before felt.

Homura turned away from Kyuubey, and dropped her gun. Finally she calmed down. She turned to look at Kyuubey, who still hadn't moved.

"You want me to talk to her, to stop this, right?"

"That is correct."

"I thought you had said before that such a thing was impossible. With that lie you killed Kyouko and Sayaka. Why should I believe you this time?"

"It is true. That time I lied, but only because their sacrifice was necessary for the universe. Now, as to why this time it is not a lie, well, that is because Madoka's power is that of a Goddess. Also, she will only listen to you. Surely you understand what that means?" Kyuubei said, his head tilting to the side.

"Yes... I will go to her..."

Homura got up and walked away slowly, heading towards the center, where what appeared to be a great black tree which overtook the skyline. This tree had roots everywhere, and they were always pulsating, as if the tree itself was a living, breathing being.

"Akemi Homura... you will spare us, I hope..."

DAY 10

Homura had found it, where everything was emanating from now. She saw the true face of Gretchen. This is what her Madoka had become. A twisted being, filled with despair caused by the absolute crush of hope. This beautiful, bright being which was so radiant in texture, which had filled Homura with the brightest of joy and the greatest of sorrow, was now a horrific creature writhing in constant agony.

Homura reached out, and called Madoka's name.

A being, which was and was not Madoka, appeared before her; a golden shining Goddess and a Devil all the same.

She/It reached forward as well and held Homura's hand.

Time stopped, and then, only thought remained.

Dear friend, all theory is gray,
And green the golden tree of life.

-Mephistopheles