April 9.

I remember that day well.

That was the day I first experienced the ugly phenomenon known as hate.

Or, at least, the worst parts of it.

Me and my friends had been on a playground after a violin practice when they saw this other boy from my school. They started calling him a "freak." I did not know why.

When I asked why, they said the same thing: "He likes other boys. He's not a true man."

I told my mom, with questions running through my head. She said, "Your friends were wrong to do that. I'm glad you told me. I don't want you to ever say stuff like that to anyone."

Looking back now, it is disturbing to know that elementary schoolers are taught to hate others for factors they can't change.

The next day, I just played my violin and thought nothing of it, thinking such an encounter with another one of "the gays" was not going to happen.

I was wrong.

8th Grade.

I remember this grade well. In that year, I was finally released from the hospital and got back to playing the violin. That month was certainly something.

First, this girl showed up at my school as a transfer student. She was black-haired and had a cold stare to her, as if she had seen a lot of messed-up shit in her life, like a war. This was how Homura Akemi was described to me by my friend Sayaka.

Sayaka... Dear God... Why...

She was a good friend of mine. Unfortunately, I use "was" because she died. No one knows how though. She just turned up dead in a hotel room. No marks, no violations. Nothing.

Hitomi is another friend. We briefly went out, but we ended that stage of our relationship because of the stress we endured from Sayaka's death. She kept on blaming herself for it, and I did as well.

All that, however, was pushed aside by the hurricane.

On that day, Homura and Madoka went missing for several hours. When they came back, most of downtown was heavily damaged. I frantically asked them where they were. Neither of them talked.

(A/N: At this time, the POV changes from Kyousuke's POV to a third-person POV.)

The 2 girls did not answer. "You have something to hide," Kyousuke said. "Tell me."

Madoka could only stare at him in shock. Homura said, "You don't need to know."

"TELL ME!"

Homura then grabbed a pistol, pointed at Kyousuke, and said, "I will NOT hesitate to kill you. You DON'T need to know. END. OF. STORY." Kyousuke stood in fear

"Tell him!" Madoka said. "Just tell him already! Tell him the truth!"

"Madoka..." Homura replied. She then turned to Kyousuke. "Fine. But you better thank Madoka you're not dead yet." She then sighed. "Wanna know what we were doing? Wanna know why Tomoe Mami is missing from class? Wanna know why Miki Sayaka died? Wanna know about a girl named Sakura Kyoko? Well, you're in for a shock."

And then she told him. He just stood there the whole time, tears rushing down his face, sobbing to himself.

Afterwards, he said to Homura, "Why? What the hell is wrong with that monster you call 'Incubator?!' Why did that have to happen?!" He then turned around and punched a glass window in anger, shattering it into a thousand pieces. "I refuse to believe it. Show me proof. Now."

Homura then showed him her soul gem, which glowed intensely after it had received the 8 grief seeds dropped by Walpurgisnacht, who, as it turned out, was a conglomerate of 8 witches who banded together to survive. She said, "Now do you believe me?"

(Kyousuke POV)

After that, Homura finally confessed to Madoka what she had felt about her. For the first time, I remembered what had happened on that 4th Grade playground. I said to myself, "Don't be like those fairweather 'friends.' You're a better person than that."

I supported the 2 of them in their relationship all the way through. As it turns out, the energy released by Walpurgisnacht was enough to keep Homura's soul gem permanently clean. She no longer had to fight witches to stay alive.

28 Years Old.

August 12.

The 2 of them got married yesterday. It was a beautiful ceremony. Thankfully, the politicians got enough common sense to legalise Marriage Equality in Japan 5 months ago. We were the last industrialised nation to do so, with the US beating us by 4 years, when the last state over there legalised it.

Me and Hitomi have been married for 4 years now, and she is 3 months pregnant. I hope and I will make sure that our child is raised in a tolerant and accepting atmosphere, where no one is shamed for who they love or who they are.

To Sayaka, thank you. Thank you for being there, for visiting me, for helping me get through my darkest days.

To Kyoko, take care of Sayaka, wherever you are. She deserves no better person than you up there.

To Mami, I may have never met you, but you sound like a brave person. I can only hope you are no longer lonely wherever you are.

Oh, and "Akemi Madoka" sounds awesome, guys.

Edit: We'll take it!

-Akemi Homura and "Akemi" Madoka