Restoration

by Azecreth

The time has come, the battle lines are drawn, Madoka Kaname has remembered her Godly nature, setting the stage for the final battle, which will determine the fate of reality. Will the universe be set right and the Rebellion ended, or will the world Homura has made endure on? One way or another, this will end. [Oneshot] [Post Rebellion, obviously]

The entity once known as Homura Akemi walked through the world, her world, a world centered on Mitakihara, and on one person. Her mind was filled with visions, of what was occurring across the universe, what had come before in history, including the cycles that had brought her here, and even some glimpses of what was to come. Her black hair flowed behind her, moving with the slight wind that caressed her emotionless face as she strode ahead into the countryside, moving and yet not moving at the same time.

She was so much more now than the simple girl lying in a hospital bed, so much more than the magical girl who had struggled so long against the immovable forces of fate. She was a goddess now, a devil, with power the average human could not comprehend. She had risen up against the heavens, had seized control, and reshaped the universe in her vision. The incubators were a non entity, entropy and the heat death of the universe was a concept so foreign to the human mind that it was of no concern in her world. Not to the people who inhabited her world. Everyone was alive, and Madoka was human. And happy.

Homuras's head tipped back as she walked, eyes staring listlessly into the sky. Ah, Madoka. Her sacrifice had ended the cycles, changed the very system that defined being a magical girl, but at the expense of her presence in reality itself. It was a burden she had gladly taken but it had nearly broken Homura, watching the one she had given so much of her life for vanish into the cosmic ether while she awoke on Earth.

Now though, the tables were turned, the roles reversed. Madoka was simply human, while Homura something more. But it was a state of affairs she had known from the beginning could not last. She could feel the end coming, practically see it in her minds eye. It was practically here.

This second, a minute, an hour, a day. Whatever the time, Homura could feel it. She paused in mid stride, head tilting as her gaze returned to the ground and the skyline ahead. She was buffeted in that instant by a gut wrenching feeling, the 'wrongness' of the universe she had created from Madoka's power. It was something she could only feel on certain occasions, and she knew what it meant. This time was different though, stronger, more solid. And she knew she couldn't stop it.

She took a deep breath, collecting what will and power she had, eyes narrowing in determination as she moved forward once again. The landscape twisted and melted around her, colors blurring into an indistinguishable mass before shifting into focus once again, this time at the glass colored school. And standing there in front of her were those she sought. Sayaka Miki and Nagisa Momoe, both of whom looked very unhappy to see her, and Madoka, eyes golden and clothes shifting as space rippled around her.

Homura ignored Sayaka and Nagisa, both of them irrelevant in what was to come, instead walking up to Madoka, though there was still a sizable distance between the two, and those she ignored moved to interpose themselves between the Goddess and Devil. "Madoka Kaname, do you remember," she asked, expression neutral

"Yes. All of it," Madoka replied with a nod.

"We do too," added Sayaka.

"Yeah, we too, we too," chimed in Nagisa.

Homura didn't spare either of them a glance. For the moment at least, her full attention was on the restored Goddess. "I see. Will you try to put everything back the way it was, or continue to live in the world I have made," she asked, though she knew the answer she would receive before she asked the question.

"You know I have to Homura. The law is meant to be obeyed. This...this can't last. It isn't right, and you know it." It looked like those large, golden eyes were on the verge of crying, and Homura felt a spike of pain in her heart, though she had hardened herself to such sights long ago. Only Madoka could break through her shell like this.

"It may be wrong, but it is the way things have to be. There is no other option," Homura replied, having predicted much how this conversation would happen long ago.

"Oh come on transfer student, you don't actually believe that do you," called Sayaka, the nickname bringing a surge of memories back to her mind that Homura would prefer stay buried. "The whole point of your time loop was so you could 'find another option'. What happened to defying fate and all that stuff you used to believe in?"

This time, Homura did acknowledge the bluenettes presence. "That was never about finding another way. I wanted to change reality to suit how I thought it should be. And that's what I did. Just as I have done here. If there were another way, I would pursue it, but this is the only way. There are no alternatives."

Madoka still looked like this situation had her on the verge of tears, and her voice took on a particularly pleading tone, strange with her divine aura. "Please Homura tell me why you did it. We could have been together and happy, with all the other magical girls. Why did you betray me...them? Please, I want to understand."

Homura replied smoothly, following the script she had plotted out so long ago when imagining this discussion. "I did it for you, all of it. I wanted you to have the human life you deserved, free from witches and curses, with people who care about you and know who you are. And to protect you as well. The Incubators wouldn't have stopped kidnapping magical girls at the brink of despair. They wouldn't have stopped until they understood who you were, what you were, and how to stop you, how to keep you from preventing the creation of witches. I dealt with the problem as best I could. I had your best interests at heart. Always."

"Homura." Madoka spoke softly, yet confidently. "That was not your choice to make. It was mine. I chose to give up everything, to become the embodiment of hope for all magical girls. All my life I sought a purpose and a way to help people without being a burden. And now, I can help everyone in ways I never would have imagined. Would you take that from me?"

Homura nodded sharply. "Yes. The cost is too high. The world is a far worse place without you in it." Her eyes narrowed slightly. "I fought on for years trying to be your avatar, represent everything you believe in. But it hurt, to remember you, your laugh, your voice, and know that I was the only one who remembered you. That despite everything, I failed in my promise to you. And now I've fulfilled that promise. I have the power to protect you now, like I wanted so long ago. Would you deny me my wish, Goddess?"

"Of course," Sayaka shouted back, outrage in her tone. "You wiped her memory and you wiped mine. You tore the universe apart and ripped her power away from her for your selfishness. If this is what your wish means to you then why would we let you keep living this dream?"

Homura fixed Sakaya with a withering glare, which took the magical girl back a bit. "I have no regrets for what I did. Maybe I am selfish as you claim, but all my selfish acts were done for the benefit of another, and not myself. The only person who matters in my life is Madoka. I would, I did, sacrifice everything for her sake. Which is more than I can say for you, Sayaka Miki."

That struck a nerve, but already Homura's attention had returned to Madoka, who spoke. "Homura, I was never gone. I just wasn't there as a person. I was in the wind, in the earth. I was everything at the same time. I was all around you. You were never really alone. Wasn't that enough?"

Homura had to hold back a flinch, unsurprised that Madoka knew of the sheer emptiness she had felt without the pink haired girl's presence, the void left by her sacrifice. "No. I promised you I would make sure you stayed human, I tried to protect you and save you, but it wasn't enough. You gave up everything to save the rest of us, but it wasn't fair. I have set things right. And this is how they will stay."

Determination growing, she fixed Madoka in her eye. "I do not wish to fight you, Madoka Kaname. But if it means preserving this world I have created for you, I will."

Despite the emotion that leaked through her otherworldly visage, Madoka seemed to grow more confident, more determined in turn. "I can't stay here Homura. It's unfair to everyone else who depends on me, and it's not right. I'm not any more deserving of this than anyone else. We have to set things back to the way they were. Please, won't you do that for me?"

It was so hard to say no, to refuse the request from the person she had devoted so much of her existence to, but she did. "No, I can't do that Madoka. I will protect you and your happiness, even if I have to do it in spite of yourself."

Madoka's face fell. "I don't want to fight you either Homura. But if you don't let me change things back then we'll have to fight. I have to preserve the universe." She made one final effort. "Please Homura, stop doing this. We can be together at last, for all eternity. Isn't that what you want?"

The offer was tempting, so very, very, tempting, but Homura maintained her decision. This was the only way, she was sure of it. She shook her head. "It seems conflict is unavoidable then." There was a bright flash of light that filled the area as Homura spun about, fading away to reveal her in her black uniform, familiar red ribbon in her hair, her old schoolgirl outfit discarded when she had rebelled and made this world. Now she wore this instead to symbolize what she had become, low cut top with black gloves, black skirt and the same color leggings. She had her buckler strapped to her arm and a pistol in her hand, though it was pointed in the air and not at anyone.

This was mirrored by Madoka, another flash fading away to reveal her in her magical girl uniform, bow in hand though it wasn't strung. Sayaka changed then as well, sword held in two hands as she focused on Homura, with Nagisa doing the same though she didn't draw her weapon, instead settling down somewhat near her partner

Homura looked at the interlopers then. "Sayaka Miki, Nagisa Momoe, if you do not wish to suffer horrible fates, you should get out of the way. This does not concern you."

Sayaka shook her head fervently. "Madoka's my friend. I'm not just going to abandon her like that."

"Yeah, Melon is our friend," chimed Nagisa once again, still not given any real attention by Homura.

The statement of loyalty almost made Homura sigh in exasperation, and it did bring a smile to Madoka's face to see her friends willing to stand by her even in this conflict between Gods.

"Very well then. If that is what you wish your fate to be."

There was lightning in the air, a charged atmosphere of crackling electricity that flowed about the four present, the smell of ozone and an incredible buildup of magical energy around them as the Goddess of Hope stared down the self proclaimed 'Devil'. Both waited, silently seeing who would act first and begin the battle. Neither wanted to fight, but their divergent goals had brought them into conflict at last. The world seemed to be paused, waiting with bated breath for the snap.

As it was, both moved at near the same time as if on some imperceptible signal. Madoka strung an arrow of energy and fired a pink arrow over Sayaka's shoulder. Homura weaved slightly to the right, arrow blowing past and sending her hair whipping about. At the same time she lowered her gun and fired, gunshots ringing out as bullets whizzed past pink clothing, though none of them hit either.

The battle began then as Sayaka charged forward, closing the distance rapidly and launching into a leap, bringing her sword down in a ferocious slash. It was a powerful blow, an indicator that this Sayaka was more skilled than those in the previous timelines Homura had been in before the loop ended, a sum collection of all her experience rather than each individual novice.

Sparks flew and air billowed as swords clashed. In the short time it had taken for the blunette to reach her, Homura had successfully pulled a sword from her shield and blocked the swing with ease. Undaunted, Sayaka launched a flurry of strikes, wind whistled as metal sliced through it. But each time she was met by Homura's blade, before she could land a hit.

It was actually infuriating for Sayaka, her inability to actually hit Homura in spite of the fact that she was only using one hand with her weapon, the other still holding the pistol. Worse still, she didn't even seem to be exerting any effort in stopping her, and she wasn't even using time magic in the process. Sayaka struck faster, and harder, adding her anger to her blows to at least get some reaction from her opponent.

It was unnatural, the air dancing with steel as the barely moving Homura fought off Sayaka, her movements precise, minimalist, and yet still effective. There was only pure determination, and beyond that she even seemed to be getting bored. After all, she knew Sayaka's style form so many loops, and she had been trained in swordplay by the one she currently fought, so with her godly abilities it wasn't particularly a strain.

Then in an instant the fight changed and ended. Homura's stance shifted and when the next blow came she caught it and struck, sword pulling back before launching a sweeping blow that would have caught Sayaka across her torso had she not dodged in time. She didn't, however, dodge the follow up, a wave of energy slamming into her. The force was incredible, and with a cry she was tossed away, hurled across the parking lot, with Nagisa in tow.

Their journey came to an abrupt end as they slammed into a concrete wall, material shattering and crumbling under the force of the collision. Sayaka dropped to the grass on all fours, music notes flitting about her form as they healed her wounds.

Homura acted again with a wave of her hand in Sayaka and Nagisa's direction, while she put her sword away, and all the time her gaze never left Madoka.

"Wow, that's a lot of bad guys," Sayaka commented as she rose back to her feet, settling into a fighting stance as she beheld a veritable field of familiars facing her, an army summoned at Homura's call. She smirked as she summoned dual swords to her grip. "Think we can take them Bebe?"

"Yeah," Nagisa replied with a confident nod, "Let's get 'em."

Sayaka nodded back confidently and charged into the horde, blades glittering death to whomever got in her way. At the same time, Nagisa changed, but rather than her magical girl form she became Charlotte. She surged forward, knocking aside familiars like bowling pins and jaws snapping hungrily as she roared.

"Sayaka," Madoka cried, attention diverted and drawn away to the plight of her friends. It was quickly returned though by the sound of gunshots, her jerking back with a squeak as bullets passed by yet again, this not aimed at her though. Message received, she looked over at Homura, who stood there with a smoking pistol, face emotionless.

"You would be wise to worry about your own fight, and not Sayaka Miki," she said. The tension was back with a vengeance, cold lightning that made the air hum and highlighted their resolve. Those first blows had had all the effect of a warning shot, showing their intent and willingness to at least try and harm the other. This time, there would be no turning back.

Another invisible signal, some snapping of tension as it reached the unbreaking point, and they moved in swift near unison. Madoka strung a trio of arrows on her bow and fired, each branching out on a separate path towards Homura. In turn, the black haired girl leapt away to let them impact against the ground or fly through unoccupied space while she returned fire with the pistol she held. Madoka dodged the countershot in turn, and the fight truly began.

In magic fueled motion, they ran parallel to each other in leaps and bounds, twisting gracefully in midair as bullets and arrows crisscrossed the gap between them for the short time that they ran.

Homura pulled up, sliding into cover as she retrieved another pistol from her shield, now dual wielding the weapons. Fortunately, ammunition was irrelevant, much to her satisfaction, since they weren't actual guns but rather metaphysical manifestations of her power in a form she was familiar with.

Pulled up, she took the time to brace herself for the fight ahead, marshaling her energy and calming her breath. Her safety only lasted a few seconds though as Madoka vaulted over the concrete wall in a flip, bow strung and bearing on the girl below. She fired upon seeing her target, and Homura shot away before they could ht, tearing away chunks of dirt in the process.

Madoka landed gracefully on her feet and then darted ahead as a hail of bullets greeted her landing. Both were light on their feet as they moved towards the city itself, taking to the rooftops of houses and buildings in their duel on opposite sides of the street. The buildings suffered, pockmarked with bullet holes and small craters from missed shots as gun and bow spoke in turn. Still both of them managed to stay relatively unscathed, clothes a bit worse for wear and dust clinging to their skin. But they were nowhere near the limits of their endurance, nor using the totality of their power.

Nearing a T shaped intersection, Homura powered ahead with a burst of speed and the assistance of a slanted rooftop, shooting off of it to cross the gap made by the street and land in a crouch on the building ahead. Guns rose and barked in her hands as she tracked Madoka's own passage from her same position, pink haired goddess twisting in midair to avoid the shots aimed her way.

The bow snapped in response, and Homura rolled out of the way, missing the arrows but being pelted by debris. Rising to her feet, she tossed aside the pistols and drew her katana, while Madoka's bow folded up into the form of a shinai sword. They eyed each other up for a few, brief seconds before springing forward with magic powered jumps, steel impacting against wood in equal power and strength.

It was a meeting of divine power, blades struggling against one another before breaking apart in quick repose, consolidation before striking again, both drawing on the knowledge they had of swordplay. Unlike with Sayaka there was no rapid movement, nor anger. It was the unstoppable force versus the immovable object, sheer iron will versus determination. They met, then parted, then met again, a conflict equally matched yet which one of them had to win.

'You cannot beat me Madoka," Homura said as her sword shook from the exertion placed upon it, attempting to break her opponent's guard and gain the upper hand.

Madoka shook her head as she returned the favor, metal and wood grinding against each other in deadly equipoise. "I have to win," she replied. "The world, everyone, they're all counting on me to set things right."

Homura danced back, breaking the clash. "This is the way things should be, the way they have to be. One way or another, I will make you see that."

Madoka panted, resettling in her fighting stance. "Oh Homura, how did you become so misguided, so stubborn that you can't see that you're hurting the very one you want to protect?"

"It is who I am. Had I not been this way, we would not be here now. I will protect you, even from yourself." She charged, and their blades met again in a ringing clash. Auras of pink and multicolored black flared and rippled in the sky, emanating from the two as they fought, signifying some battle of a higher plane. They flowed and met, yet for now neither had the advantage.

Back at the school, Sayaka panted as she dispatched another familiar with a cross slash, exhaustion starting to get to her though she resolutely faced whomever came next. "Come on, I can take you all," she said angrily, yet confidently.

Behind her, Charlotte continued her rampage, nothing able to stand in her way, though sometimes that ended up being buildings or landscaping more than actual familiars. The school had suffered some damage as a result, though fortunately no one had been hurt, if anyone was normal in this world. Glass and metal, scattered rebar and concrete, the detritus of the fight littered the area.

A flourish of her cape gave Sayaka a spread of six swords to use, and use them she did, piercing familiar after familiar with thrown weapons. New ones came to her hands, and she ran in again to seed death upon the winds with her blades.

"There's just no end to them," she complained as she slashed another apart with brutal cuts. While she could cut down a hundred familiars with ease since she didn't have to worry about her soul gem, there were always four or five to replace the one she had just destroyed. Even Charlotte was beginning to get overwhelmed, familiars leaping and latching onto her worm-like form like ticks, causing her to cry in pain and writhe about as she tried to smash them.

Sayaka was circled now, and had been for quite a bit, swords flashing in the sunlight as she fought. They came at her from every angle, running to their deaths with casual abandon, like lemmings off a cliff. But with the sheer amount of foes she faced, it was only a matter of time until she was overwhelmed.

Behind, Charlotte collapsed, dog piled by familiars as she rolled about on the ground, still snapping and fighting, but increasingly overwhelmed. Sayaka could tell her predicament, but was a bit hard pressed to do anything about it. "Hold on Bebe, I'm coming," she called, leaping into the air and using music note platforms to propel her towards her downed comrade.

Landing, she spun about, swatting a familiar in mid leap as she fought towards Charlotte, gaze tracking left to right as she moved. Swords flew through the air with unerring accuracy as she spawned more to clear a path. But it was this temporary disarmament that gave them an opening, and a multitude of familiars jumped at her at the same time. Eyes widened at the wave, grabbing at her swords, but this would still hurt either way.

In mid leap they were intercepted, some destroyed while others were sent flying, and Sayaka finished off those who made it despite her surprise. "Geez, I can't let you out of my sight for a minute, can I," came a recognizable taunt.

The air abruptly filled with thunder and smoke as a wall of muskets fired. The mass of familiars covering Charlotte was blown away with extreme prejudice under the barrage, leaving her free to get back up and wreck vengeance upon those who had hurt her.

Sayaka looked to the source of the unexpected assistance, gaze widening to see Kyoko and Mami standing on the rooftop above, both wearing their magical girl uniforms and looking none the worse for wear, especially as Kyoko's chain spear snapped back into place.

"Apologies for the delay," Mami said with a bow from her perch. "We were held up by unfortunate circumstances."

Kyoko glanced over at Mami, frowning. "Hey, you can't expect me to fight for the universe on an empty stomach," she protested.

Sayaka grinned at the sight, and the banter. Now these odds she liked "I owe you one when this is all over."

"I think you owe me for a lot more than this," Kyoko replied. She hopped down form the rooftop, spear lowered and ready to fight as she took up position with Sayaka.

Mami vaulted down to complete the triangle formation, two muskets held in her steady grip. "Now girls, let's focus on the job at hand, shall we?"

The blunette and redhead nodded in shared determination, and leapt into the attack, covering each other's back with spear and sword slashed and stabbed in a coordinated dance while muskets spun about, cutting down familiars in twos and threes. The massacre became a slaughter and the trio and Charlotte cut down the army they faced.

Still, their struggle was a side show to the main event that held the attention of the universe. The clash of swords had ended inconclusively and their battle raged on in familiar forms. Blades had been switched back for ranged weapons in their resumed duel, neither seemingly the worse for wear besides superficial damage.

From the rooftops of Mitakihara they leapt and fought, environs drifting about them in their quick paced battle. They spun in motion, twisting to face each other and dodge incoming shots, then to right themselves for the landing to come. Homura took the lead yet again, shooting off the roof to land atop an overpass, then shifting to do a hard right degree turn, jumping off the bridge to land atop the trailer of a semi truck as it passed beneath. She was graceful, and looked back at Madoka as the pink Goddess approached.

Her actions were mimicked by Madoka, who took a few seconds to pause and fire her bow at Homura before jumping down as well, now a few vehicles behind but on a semi truck of her own in the busy commute of mid day Mitakihara.

Homura looked back at Madoka, hair whipping about in the wind as they stood some distance apart atop separate metal containers, with the drivers seemingly oblivious to the conflict that they had now become involved in. She now equipped herself with a submachine gun instead of the pistols she had been using thus far, an upgrade in firepower that she was willing to take.

They were long past the point of hesitation about what they were going to do and Homura opened fire in short, controlled bursts, her skill in gunplay showing itself given that it wasn't exactly easy to hit something from atop an unsteady vehicle in a heavy wind, with her target in the same conditions. She stepped back as she fired, hopping onto the black roof of the cab and then away, landing without looking at the minivan that had been driving ahead of the truck as pink arrows speared through metal, ripping open the trailer and sending the roof flipping away onto the highway.

Madoka moved then from her missed shot, leaping across the gap to the sedan that was driving beside the truck. She stopped to fire another trio of arrows, which missed, then took off after her opponent again. The two wove their way through and above traffic, pink arrows flashing in the air while bullets ripped. They fired back and forth, smashing cars and their only concern being each other as they neared the area that made up the skyline of Mitakihara. Buildings whizzed by them, rising in size and grandeur while their path twisted and turned, both the road and each other.

They were at an impasse, too strong, too evenly matched in their skill and knowledge of each other. And both knew it. If she was to win then Homura would need to find a way to break this, and that was what she turned her mind to, even if it meant destroying more of her creation or hurting Madoka. Forgiveness could come later after all. Even with the slight distraction of the destruction of her army of familiars that made itself known to her, her mind was still as acute as ever, and she developed a plan in an instant.

A trio of grenades flew through the air and exploded, three flashbangs going off simultaneously and sending traffic swerving. "Aah," Madoka cried, eyes blinking rapidly as she tried to dispel the afterimages left over from the light, her ears ringing and arm raised protectively to cover her eyes. Homura took advantage of this distraction and the turn she had done to throw those grenades to launch at Madoka, distance closed in a flash as she pulled out a baton.

Shield raised defensively in front of her, Homura landed and transitioned into the attack. Blows rained down on Madoka, whacking her side, her stomach, and head, a quick flurry of blows reminiscent of those Sayaka had launched earlier. Madoka stumbled back under the barrage, flipping away to get some space before charging back in with reformed shinai sword.

There was brief conflict as the baton collided with the sword, but Madoka was able to knock it aside with her greater reach. She landed some hits of her own then, doubling Homura over with a jab to her stomach and following up with a ringing blow to the head. Baton and shield blocking what they could, Homura made a tactical retreat while clearing away her sword induced headache. This had not gone as planned, and she would have to re evaluate her options.

She sprang away and forward, Madoka following after once she had shot off a few arrows. This gave the black haired warrior time to create a gap between them, and she used it to good effect. Instead of continuing with the roof hopping strategy that had dominated this fight, she moved to the street itself. Magic providing the strength she needed, she landed in front of a convertible and grabbed onto the bumper. It was a simple matter for her to spin the vehicle around and send it back the way it had came with it's speed relatively intact. It hit, bounced off the street, flipped over in a quick rotation, and slammed into the van Madoka was perched upon.

Madoka reacted quickly at the oncoming vehicle. She leapt up and over, dodging the incoming car and the impact as it hit the van. She landed in a crouch, but was sent flying as an RPG slammed into the car she was perched on. Smoking, embers clinging to and singing her clothes, Madoka bounced painfully on the road, head hitting the asphalt with a sickening crack.

Homura discarded the RPG launcher and turned away, flicking her hair over her shoulder in the process. She looked away from the pile up and damage she had caused, instead looking to the sky and the buildings nearby. Black wings unfurled from her back, spreading out to their full extension. There were a few preparatory flaps that whipped up the wind around her before she rose into the sky, making her way for the nearest in the cluster of buildings.

Madoka coughed as she recovered, waving away the smoke from around her. She glanced over a the burning wreckage near her before her gaze returned to Homura, flying away. She grabbed and shot her bow, arrows missing as Homura's powerful wings helped her dodge in midair. Then pink wings unfurled from her back in turn, much like the wings of an angel except made of pure magical energy, and she took off, flying as fast as she could after her opponent.

A look back was all it took to tell Homura of the return and approach of the pink Goddess, not too unexpected. She flipped about in midair to face Madoka, wings still pulling her backwards on her original course as she brought new pistols to bear. Pistols fired and bow twanged in response, both twisting and flying in large circles and flips, aerial acrobatics that would have made quite the show if they weren't trying to dodge blows that would have incapacitated a normal human.

Sense of time spotless as ever, Homura's attention returned to her front as she neared the building, and she quickly fired, bullets slamming into the large glass window in front of her. It was weakened, then shattered as she rammed into it shield first, shards of glass deflected as she discarded more of the seemingly limitless amount of pistols she had. Still, despite the closer confines, she didn't slow her pace, powering through the hallway with spread wings, those just barely large enough to fit them when they were spread for flight. Madoka followed immediately afterwards as the two moved from the outside of the building further in.

Fortunately there was no one in the hallways to be caught in this battle, or perhaps even in the building itself. It seemed Godly influence had it's perks, or Homura was just unwilling to populate certain sections when she needed all the power she could muster. Still, this let them fight without worry, making snap turns around corners with flared wings, spinning, and so much more.

Arrows of pink light punctured whatever made up the wall like a hot knife through butter, blowing out chunks of building material wherever they impacted and even moving through to hit the wall behind that one. A frag grenade was tossed over Homura's shoulder, causing Madoka to pull back lest she be caught in the blast. A wing wrapped around herself protectively as it exploded, leaving a slight ringing in her ears yet doing no other damage, before she resumed motion, blowing through the smoke and ruined section of corridor.

Her appearance was met with automatic weapons fire, Homura now facing her as she dual wielded Uzi's and fired down the hallway at her before flipping about to make the next turn. This became something of a pattern, Madoka rounding corners to find Homura already facing her and firing before flipping about again. Arrows and bullets met and exchanged, leaving quite the scar to the building itself and bringing quite a few close calls to the two girls, without even including when another grenade was added. Through the building they moved in twirling, acrobatic combat, blowing through hallways, zooming up stairwells, smashing through conference rooms, and all the time their fight did not cease. Soon they neared the core of the building, a tall open area with a glass ceiling, a pavilion lined with stores and elevators that gave access to the various floors. Not exactly conventional, but it was an example of developing architecture and modernism in Mitakihara. And now it was scene to the latest stage in this battle.

It was into here Homura raced, shooting through a glass elevator with the assistance of her Uzi's, that were just as quickly exchanged for a more unconventional weapon. As Madoka entered the area through the haze of a tear gas grenade that had been tossed in flight, she acted, spinning about in a flash and firing. Madoka was taken by surprise as the launched net expanded and wrapped around her , not a perfect fit due to the presence of her wings and being in the air, but it did tangle her up. And that gave Homura the opening she needed to shoot her at near point blank range with a shotgun that had leapt to her hands.

"Oof," Madoka grunted as the wind was knocked out of her by the bean bag ammunition, doubling over in pain, which also led her wings to fold in protectively and causing her to plummet to the ground, landing with a loud crash as she smashed a bench and hit the cold marble floor, cracking it. She was motionless, trying to get her breathe back before turning to the necessary task of untangling herself from the troublesome net.

Homura, on the other hand, was surprised by what had just happened, puzzlement and a look of confusion sneaking across her face before she clamped down on that and returned to rigid determination. She could have sworn she grabbed for the gun with lethal ammunition, not the nonlethal one she kept for sparring purposes.

Her gaze turned to Madoka as realization dawned, a very uncomfortable truth. "You make me care too much," she muttered to herself, giving it the venom of a curse. It was easy to figure out what had happened given the benefit of hindsight. It seemed she was mentally incapable of shooting Madoka Kaname if she had the ability to make a choice in the matter. During the cycles, Madoka practically had to beg her to do it if it needed to be done. Now, there was no way she could do it. Not when it came to a person she had devote her life to. So, if this was how it was to be, she would circumvent her resolve, and go with a method that was so very much less personal. It was not what she would have chosen, but she had to do it. How very ironic it was that the very emotions that had kept her going and even provoked this fight now kept her from winning and enforcing her dominion when she had the upper hand.

"I'm sorry," she said as she pulled a detonator from her shield. With a growing sense of finality, she thumbed open the red cap and pressed the button.

The signal was received, red lights flickered in a timed sequence to green, and the C4 that Homura had planted across the building in the process of their fight, unnoticed by Madoka, exploded. The building shuddered and shrieked under the multiple detonations, concussive force, explosive blasts tearing at the superstructure, twisting and warping metal. Fire spread and engulfed everything it touched in spite of the fire suppression system, glass shattered in immense cascades of glittering chunks. This place was being transformed into a burned out wreck in a matter of minutes.

Homura looked around the chaos and imminent destruction with a twinge of satisfaction and some regret. This, this was her legacy here. Destroy, burn, break, demolish, take down the old order, and then be lost when they rebuilt over you. Nothing until she exploded into activity, yet doomed to fade away by her own success.

She sighed, bowing her head as fists clenched before taking off. 'No, I will not fail. I will change everything, because I will it. I will not be lost to history," she said emotionlessly as she rose. Wings powered up and away as as a crash ran through the building, strained metal giving way, and the whole thing began to tilt dangerously, though somewhat imperceptible at first. Madoka had been somewhat stunned by the explosions yet was otherwise unharmed, and finished untangling herself from the weighted net before taking off after Homura, to escape this place as well.

A flash illuminated the area as the world shifted into dull pastels, blues, greens, greys. The building stopped in it's collapse, frozen in time by magic though both Homura and Madoka continued to move, Homura as the wielder, and Madoka as an entity to whom time had no meaning. They exited the tumbling building through a shattered window and like winged rockets, shooting out with pulled in wings before flaring out again. They turned in midair and the duel resumed, aware of the danger yet it at the back of their minds.

Homura brought an M16 to bear on the pink figure above her before she fired, a hammering drum that didn't end. This time she found some success, bullets stitching across and perforating those pink wings, causing Madoka to tumble as she fought the wind with the damage to her wings. But her success was short lived as Madoka righted herself enough to fire back with a trio of arrows. They curved in flight of their own accord to lance through black, feathered wings wings, to send Homura tumbling in turn as she tried to compensate.

They were both falling now, trying to regain control and get away while shooting at the other when they could. The shattered crystalline structure loomed overhead as their wings flapped uselessly, damaged from what they had done to each other, and the sand in the timer drained as every second passed. Closer to the ground they fell, and the seeming inevitable.

This inevitability of outcome was suddenly contested as a blue blur slammed into Madoka, propelled by a series of music note platforms that carried her on a whole different path out of the impact zone.

"Sayaka," Madoka cried, clinging to her friend who carried her bridal style.

"Hey, heard you needed a lift," Sayaka replied, flashing a cocky grin. "You didn't think a bunch of familiars could take me out that easy, did you?"

Madoka smiled, aware of how much the blunette must be enjoying herself in being the 'Savior of the Goddess', or some other heroic title. "Of course not. I was just worried about you. But I'm glad you're here."

They landed lightly some distance away, Sayaka lowering Madoka gently to her feet before patting her on the back. "Well, no worry was needed. As for Homura, we're here to stop her with you. It's the least we could do."

That made Madoka beam all the more. "Thank you."

At that moment, the rest of 'we' was in the process of paying back Homura for what she had done. Surprised at the blue blur that had swept away Madoka above her, Homura's attention had shifted as a spear forcibly separated the tips of some of her feathers and injured the bone, sending her into a spin, form which she was able to see who was attacking. This was compounded as she was slammed into by the chain part of the spear, sending her downwards that much faster as she focused energy into healing her wing, a harder process given that they were that much more physical than Madoka's.

Eyes narrowed in determination as she fell. Kyoko Sakura, of course. And that meant that Mami Tomoe was not far behind. Another unexpected variable in this fight that she did not have the luxury of entertaining.

She focused all the harder, hand over her soul gem as she poured magical energy into healing her wings. But it wasn't enough, and it was made all the harder as a fusillade of musket shots perforated her wings in turn, courtesy of Mami. Bubbles filled the air around her and exploded, distractions she was somewhat used to herself, but unwelcome nonetheless. There wasn't time to try again as she slammed into the ground at terminal velocity. All she could do was brace herself before she hit.

The ground cratered beneath and around her, an impact that would have pulped a normal being and left her otherwise very, very, injured. Beyond the crater there was a large dent in the ground, from which she struggled to recover and climb out of, groaning from the pain that now filled her.

Kyoko had already moved on to rejoin Sayaka and Madoka, letting Mami take center stage, with Nagisa hanging onto her coattails. Now it was time to seal the deal, and Mami knew the best way to do that with Homura in her current position. As wrong as it was to take advantage of an enemy like this, she had no choice, for Homura would do her utmost to kill her if she recovered.

Ribbons snapped out, twisted and folded, magic infusing them to form a giant cannon, which now aimed itself at Homura. "TIRO...FINALE!" The gun fired with a concussive boom, and Homura only had time to whip her wings up in front of her as some protective barrier to the ball of magical energy flying at her before it impacted.

The area cracked under the explosive force of Mami's finisher as she landed, sipping from her tea cup and handing Nagisa a piece of cheese, who chomped down happily. A ball of fire consumed the impact zone, concrete and dirt dissolving under the strain, trees and plants incinerated as the epitome of Mami's magical power ripped apart what it touched. As it faded away, a heavy cloud of dust was thrown up and Homura was lost in the middle of it, no way to tell if she was alive, dead, or unconscious. And then the next hammer dropped, one the quintet was sure would finish this fight, and one of Homura's own making.

There was a release in the air, a whirring as colors took on their natural tones and time resumed. Mami leapt away to safety as the building came down, chunks breaking off to slam down ahead of it, huge plumes of dust and ash rising into the sky, encompassing and coating everything. Police sirens were smothered by the sound of crashing metal and massive impact. The main body toppled down, much of it falling on the site of the building itself, but some of it shifted to come down right where Homura had been, burying her under thousands of tons of rock, steel, glass, and cement.

Kyoko whistled as she watched the whole spectacle. "Wow, Good thing this universe ain't sticking around," she commented as she fished out a Pocky Stick to munch on.

"Homura," Madoka muttered sadly, face downcast.

Sayaka coughed as billowing dust covered them before adding her own thoughts. "You think we got her? I mean, there's no way she could have survived that. She's not exactly Walpurgisnacht."

"I wouldn't assume anything," Mami cautioned.

There was a rumbling, deep vibrations sent through the ground before a blast of magical energy knocked them off their feet, casting a sickly black pillar of magical energy into the sky, one that was dotted with splotches of random color, obliterating everything in it's path and creating a sound that sounded like a roar of anger, of pain, and sadness. It seemed Mami was right in this regard. She wasn't finished after all.

"Wow, that's ugly," Nagisa commented, her eyes fully on the pillar of black, and it was hard to fault her for that.

The pillar shattered then, black flooding outwards in a polka dotted flood , sweeping up cars, washing around buildings, and casting a black look over the city as storm clouds loomed. From the black, swirling liquid emerged Homulily, the nutcracker witch. She was unrestrained, as opposed to the battle in Homura's soul gem, and she was still in her first form. The witch towered into the sky, casting a shadow with her large hat and mouth snapping at nonexistent nuts. She practically radiated power, the sheer amount of which took everyone aback.

And from the blackness her minions emerged as well. Marching soldiers with spears, Clara Dolls, chomping teeth that fired nuts at her enemies, black birds, and cavalry, all marching in ordered rows and waiting for their orders. Those were given as Homulily pointed at the rooftop where the quintet stood, and the army surged forward to remove them.

"This seems familiar somehow," Sayaka remarked as she flipped one of the swords she held, prepared to act as a summons for the other witches they could call upon, perhaps even Walpurgisnacht itself. But she was stopped by Madoka's hand on hers before she could do it.

The goddess shook her head. "That won't work. Homura's still too strong. I don't have the power to bring anyone else to help us."

Kyoko smirked with some satisfaction as she twirled her spear, discarding her finished Pocky stick. "Guess we do this the good old fashioned way then."

Nagisa stepped forward to the edge of the roof. "Me and Sayaka can handle this," she proclaimed, looking back over her shoulder at the blunette who moved to join her.

"That's right," she agreed. "We're the angels here, so we can still bring our witches to play. We'll stop the transfer student, and you two can deal with the familiars. After all, you're still human."

Kyoko seemed to take some offense at that, but Mami nodded in understanding. "Very well. Be careful."

"Good luck Nagisa, Sayaka," Madoka added.

"Careful's my middle name, isn't it Madoka?" Sayaka grinned before jumping off the roof, cape whipping in the wind on the way down. Nagisa took a second to wave a hand in front of her face, shifting to white and a multicolored smile before she jumped after with a twirl. They impacted, black liquid grabbing them with a splash before they changed and emerged from it, now Charlotte and Oktavia Von Seckendorff.

The three witches faced off as Oktavia and Charlotte moved to block Homulily's passage and Sayaka prepared to get revenge for earlier. They attacked, Charlotte surging forward in her haste, scattering what minions were in her path before she jumped into the air. This didn't pay off though as a fist met her headlong charge, tossing her back. She jumped out of the way as Oktavia took the fore then.

She held back somewhat, aware of the threat Homulily posed yet was by no means inactive in the time. Her baton waved and instruments appeared, classical music filling the area like the orchestration to this fight, and large spinning wheels flew from the sky, blowing over minions with ease and slamming into Homulily.

Madoka watched the three fight with concern imprinted on her features, hands folded as if she was praying for her friends. Yes, Sayaka and Nagisa were good fighters and divine entities, but Homura had the power of a Goddess, and knew how to use that power. With herself not back at her full strength yet, she was worried that the two might not be able to handle a determined Homulily. Especially as nuts fired through the air, the black liquid sloshed about their feet, and Homulily's minions went on the march once more.

Mami beheld the same scene, confident in her friends yet wanting to help, lest they fall. But what to do? Then an idea sparked in her mind, and she looked over at the Goddess. "Madoka," she said, "In this...other life, we became witches when our soul gems were fully corrupted, yes? If that's the case, doesn't that mean you could release my witch to help Bebe and Sayaka, as well as Kyoko's?"

Madoka tilted her head in thought, somewhat taken back by the question. "I suppose so. But it wouldn't be pleasant. Are you sure?"

Kyoko nodded emphatically, plating the butt of her spear on the roof. "Yep. It's not fair that the baka gets all the fun." This sentiment was echoed by Mami and Madoka gave in, smiling while at the same time settling into strong determination. The loyalty of her friends still warmed her heart, even when it seemed she had known them forever.

"Alright," she replied, eyes flaring gold as space rippled and twisted around them. Mami and Kyoko jumped, and dark blackness rose up to greet them, pulling them in and carrying them away to unseen depths. What happened there was out of sight, but the result was evident enough as Ophelia, riding a horse clothed in chain mail, and Candeleros, ribbons fluttering by her blue dress, emerged to join Oktavia and Charlotte while Madoka hung back for the moment.

Spinning wheels were slapped aside, to go bowling down city streets and across Mitakihara as Oktavia kept up her musical barrage. Candeleros moved in then, ribbons whipping to tangle Homulily up, wrapping themselves around her torso to an angry protest. Charlotte dived back in then with the distraction, sharp teeth biting down on her leg and eliciting a pained cry from the witch.

The projectiles kept flying as Homulily retaliated through them, grabbing the ribbons that held her and yanking Candeleros forward with incredible strength, to deliver a clockwork punch to the face that sent her crashing into a building, it shuddering dangerously underneath the impact. Charlotte was dealt with then by a double handed blow to her back and then a kick, forcing her to let go and retreat yet again.

Oktavia and Ophelia then moved in in tandem, sword swinging while Ophelia made quick attacks with her spear, charging forward on her horse while copies of herself manifested to do the same, working to confuse Homulily while doing what damage they could. Hit after hit landed against the nutcracker witch, but she just wouldn't go down. Instead she grabbed Oktavia's sword hand in mid swing, arresting her motion and delivering a few blows of her own before tossing the her back, sending the witch crashing to the ground.

That didn't stop Ophelia though, who ran in for another spear attack. Candeleros helped out as well, ribbons flying at Homulily's legs to try and hold her in place. It allowed another punishing hit to land and Homulily fell to the ground. It helped that at the same time Candeleros pulled her feet out from under her in the wake of the spear hit.

Oktavia rose up and attacked, wheels spinning in to hit Homulily's prone form, besides the few that were knocked aside in feeble attempts to dodge. The witch continued to move under the assault though, bending over and reaching down to grab the restraints, snapping the ribbons that held her in place with her nutcracker mouth. She got back up then and hit back, stomping forward and lashing out with her fists at her numerous enemies.

It was a four on one melee, with the city of Mitakihara as the battlefield. Buildings were smashed and collapsed in their fight, especially when Oktavia was tossed head over tail, or Homulily was knocked over by Charlotte. Explosions sent huge clouds of ash and dust into the air, obscuring the battle with the debris kicked up, yet it was still visible to Madoka. She watched on sadly, pained by the internecine conflict that was occurring between those she considered friends, but she still contributed with fired arrows when she could, pinpricks of light stabbing at Homulily or her minions. But she focused on the more important task of regaining her strength and access to the entirety of her godly powers. Much as she might wish it, this fight would not end here, and she would have to be ready.

Indeed. Homura was more than a magical girl, and Homulily was more than a witch. She was stronger, smarter, and though the tag team pounding on her did a good job in evening out the odds, she only really had one true match. And she soon began to gain the upper hand as their rampage of destruction continued, transforming Mitakihara into a deformed, burning wasteland.

This was highlighted as Homuliy caught Candeleros's ribbons and swung with all her strength, yanking the other witch off her feet and sending her flying along with the direction she pulled before she let go and Candeleros slammed into Ophelia, sending them both tumbling to the ground in a huge crash. Then Oktavia was beat back in turn, stunned by the blows that landed and knocked back into one of the few standing skyscrapers, which smashed down atop her, though some of the impact was warded off by a hand raised protectively above her. And Charlotte quickly afterwards joined her comrades.

They weren't given a chance to recover as Homulily pointed, and they were each swarmed by a horde of minions, who clambered atop them to stab and chew and bite, fairly covering them like a second layer of skin as Homuliy watched on seemingly emotionless. They were only minions, sure, but the damage added up when in large numbers such as these were.

"Mami, Sayaka, Kyoko, Nagisa," Madoka cried as she saw the witches fall, and was taken by fear for her friends. She knew she had to act now before she lost them, her powers be damned.

Countenance settling into strong determination, she raised her bow and aimed it at the sky. A pink arrow appeared strung, accumulating energy as pink lines painted glyphs across the stormy sky.

"SAGITTA TEMPESTA!" The arrow released and flew into the heavens. Caught by the concentrated magical energy that had succeeded in drawing Homulily's attention at the last second, it was too little too late for the witch. The sky was rent asunder by thousands upon thousands of pink arrows cascading down in all directions. They struck with unerring accuracy, each one smiting a familiar. The four witches were cleaned in seconds as their attackers were struck dead, and the massive army Homulily had summoned was decimated in a single blow of Madoka's finisher.

Freed, Oktavia, Ophelia, Candeleros, and Charlotte rose back up to resume their assault, but Homulily's attention was no longer on that fight. Instead, she had been drawn back to the true foe she faced. She loomed ever closer with lumbering steps, fists clawing and gouging at buildings and rubble as Madoka leapt away, firing over her shoulder while the four witches followed in their heels.

It was Ophelia who took her down, charging ahead on her horse to slam into Homulily's back. The witch kicked back in turn, taking down Ophelia with a cry as she leaned forward, hand outstretched. Madoka's attention had been drawn to what happened and now she suffered for it, her foot catching on some loose rubble and sending her tumbling with a cry and Homulily's outstretched hand swatting her form the sky as she surged forward in a last effort. Both sank into the black liquid that surged through the streets, and it grasped at them, rose to engulf them, attracted by the massive amounts of magical energy, and the other witches were swept up as well. Just as suddenly as they had been drawn under, the water was still and trickled away, the battling foes sent...somewhere, and leaving a devastated Mitakihara in their wake.

---

Up, up and beyond they went. Not in the purely physical sense, but to a whole different level of reality, a higher plane of existence that Homura had visited twice before, a place where only the gods could dwell. And that was where they had gone.

They stood across a void, kept in place by a cloud of stars beneath them, like an intangible floor, as the two Goddesses looked at each other. Galaxies hovered all about them, drifting slowly in the air, beautifully frozen spirals and shapes for two beings who had no need to heed the linear flow of time. Colors flared, reds, greens, blues, pinks, mixing and merging, illuminating the vast blackness of the celestial void.

"Just the two of us at last," Homura said, letting her hair drape over her shoulders while reaching up to finger the red ribbon she wore. "Now Madoka, I beg you to reconsider your actions. I will never allow you to take on the fate of existing as a concept rather than a person. Not when the world was so much brighter for your presence." The transition had healed what wounds she had sustained, and she held her Dark Gem in the palm of her hand, malevolent purple reflecting off all consuming black.

Madoka had healed from the earlier fights as well, and she shook her head. "Homura, why can't you understand that this is what I want? This way I can watch over everyone, help them, and make the entire world a better place. I can do so much more than I could as a human. So please, stop fighting and rejoin me."

Homura smirked, with a light huff of breath. "No. I will not permit you to continue with what is obviously another attempt to make yourself feel like you matter by martyring yourself. And even if I should allow you to revert this world I have created and go with you, I will never stop trying to save you from yourself, and from fate."

Her devotion wold have been touching, if it hadn't been so misguided. "Still fighting then," Madoka said with a sigh, fixing Homura in her gaze. "Still trying to fulfill that promise you made to me a lifetime ago. This was how it was supposed to end Homura. This was the path you set fate on all those cycles ago. You should be able to see that. Please, let me reward you for your perseverance, hard work, and ease the pain from all you have suffered."

Storm clouds filtered across Homura's face as her hands clenched, yet it looked like she was trying to hold back a heaving in her chest that could have been...laughter? "Reward me? I don't deserve that, not when I failed you up until the very end. I failed to protect you, to keep you human and keep you you. I couldn't defeat Walpurgisnacht. I sacrificed years trying to save you, and now that I've succeeded at that you would stop me? No, there's only one reward I deserve, but it's one you can't give me."

Madoka was thrown off by the emotional turmoil being displayed, the sheer mental decline that her friend was showing. She bowed her head, tears threatening. "Why, why do you insist on being so stubborn? Can't you see that you're only hurting me and yourself? This isn't what I want, for either of us. You don't have to keep fighting."

Homura settled down, resuming that almost smug look she was wearing as she faced Madoka across the starry void. "I will fight until I've succeeded at last and given you the life you deserve, with friends, a family, happiness without fear, love. And I will always watch over you. I can endure as much suffering as I need to until that day comes, and then I will stop fighting."

That was the last break between the two, and Madoka's shoulders slumped as she unfurled her bow. "I have to set things right. I'm sorry."

Homura in turn unfurled her own bow, a nearly identical match for Madoka's. "And I am sorry that I will have to wipe your memory again. But I have no regrets for it." She glanced about the area around them before returning her lavender eyes to Madoka. "How fitting that our fates are so intertwined. You and I, battling each other for the sake of our own universes, A Goddess and a Devil, each alone. It's almost poetic."

"Alone? She's not alone." Homura's gaze sharpened in surprise as another voice rang out in the air, and from the shadows behind Madoka, Sayaka and Nagisa emerged. They moved to stand beside Madoka, swords and trumpet ready. "As long as Madoka's herself, she'll never have to fight alone. Isn't that right guys?"

"Yeah. Pinkie may be a bit sappy, but when the chips come down she can count on us any day of the week," Kyoko agreed as she and Mami emerged to join Madoka as well.

But that was hardly the end, the sound of innumerable footsteps filling the space around them as a crowd appeared, composed of a dizzying variety of colors and styles, and wielding a vast array of weapons, from swords and bows to ring scythes and rocket hammers. Sayaka, Nagisa, Kyoko, Mami, Sasa, Yuma, Kazumi, Kaoru, Umika, Mirai, Satomi, Saki, Jeanne d'Arc, Eliza, Melissa, Liz, Cleopatra, Anne, even Oriko and Kirika. Every single magical girl that had ever existed or would ever exist emerged from the beyond to stand beside or behind their Goddess, ready to fight for her cause.

Madoka spun about to see everyone there, very obviously in shock, and bowed, tears falling freely at the sign of loyalty. "Thank you, everyone!"

"How about that 'Homerun'," Sayaka said triumphantly. "There's no way you can beat all of us."

Homura had watched the arrival of Madoka's army silently, grimacing somewhat, but now she smirked, raising her Dark Gem while ignoring Sayaka's barb. "Perhaps, Sayaka Miki. But if you get an army then it only seems fair that I get one too."

She placed the Dark Gem against the buckler strapped to her arm and pushed. The gem shimmered before it sank into the metal and weapon, merging with the sand timer within. The buckler changed then, shifted, the two separate halves of the sand timer itself combined, letting the sand therein mix and flow, supercharged with her own magical energy. The buckler itself shifted too, metal closing atop the sand capsule as it narrowed in form from a circular buckler to a diamond, lines running straight towards the center rather than in curves.

Her arm rose, bringing up the reformed buckler and displaying it to her enemies as she prepared herself. "Tempo Nodo."

The chamber began to spin, whirring faster and faster as clock gears clicked and rotated, Homura's hair whipping in some strange temporal air as her magic worked. Madoka shuddered, feeling the twisting of the fabric of reality itself around them, the alteration of time, and it left her wondering what Homura had just done. But what exactly had happened was unapparent until the sound of clicking footsteps was heard, and a familiar figure emerged behind Homura. Herself. One, then another, and still more. It was an army comprised of the one person she knew she could trust, drawn together by her powers from across the expanse of the multiverse itself. They lined behind and beside her in a mirror image to the army they faced, a million variants from a million different realities. Some were similar enough to be almost exactly identical, while others were radically different. Bows, guns, lances, and more were drawn as the two sides faced each other down.

"Tch, ego trip much," asked Sayaka, but she didn't seem undaunted by the foe they now faced.

Homura flipped her hair over her shoulder as she lowered her diamond shield. "Now then, let's end this shall we?" With a wave, the two forces surged forward, magical girls meeting Homuras in the air and on the ground.

The battle was immense, chaotic, galaxies used as launching platforms and shattered in instants by the opposing forces. The air was filled with the clashing of thousands of weapons against thousands of shields, smote by gunfire and filled with various other projectiles as well as clashing warriors. The different Homuras fought like well trained machines while the magical girls fought their hardest and worked together to combat them, whether that was word and spear users working together, or ranged fighters coordinating their attacks. Both armies had merged into an undulating mass, indistinguishable, surging and swaying with no evident victors.

Through the middle of this maelstrom Homura strode, her purpose and mission clear in her minds eye. Any magical girl foolish enough to attack her or get in her way was quickly and ruthlessly dispatched, minimal effort given to these actions. There was only one person who could fight her, only one who mattered in this, and she moved inexorably towards Madoka while the Goddess waited.

Before she could reach her though, she was confronted by Kyoko, spear at the ready and looking mighty confident. "Party stops right here Homura," Kyoko said, finishing off a Pocky stick.

"Get out of my way Kyoko Sakura," Homura replied in her coldest tone, attempting to intimate the red head. "If not, I will be forced to remove you."

Kyoko grinned. "You're welcome to try." The talk ended, and Kyoko attacked in a flurry. The chain spear waved and snapped in the air, sharp head intercepted by the diamond shield Homura wore but soon sweeping back in for another strike. It became rapidly apparent that Homura was done holding back as she spun left, right, flipped, dodging every strike to Kyoko's frustration. This was at a whole different level than she had fought before.

Homura reached out and grabbed the spear in mid lunge as it swept by, wrenching it from Kyoko's grasp with a sharp twist and pull before she used the appropriated weapon to lay out Kyoko with a rapid sequence of blows from the shaft of the weapon, a loud 'crack' heralding the arrival of unconsciousness. The chain spear was left by her side as Homura moved on relentlessly.

That was, before she was engulfed in a cloud of bubbles that exploded all around her. Nagisa charged into the fray to replace the fallen Kyoko, playing a multitude of tunes on her trumpet that sent bubbles to surround the Devil, blast after blast following on their heels. Homura's arm rose protectively to ward off the seemingly inexhaustible explosions as her clothes whipped about from the shockwaves, yet she stood tall.

Nagisa twirled about in acrobatic flight, continuing her barrage until she had to take a breath to go on. This she did, and was about to continue, when suddenly Homura appeared right in front of her, the black clothed warrior looking none too pleased. Eyes widened in surprise and fear before there was a massive spike of pain and Nagisa felt herself lifted off her feet and sent flying away, far off to a different portion of the battle, shouting all the way.

At this point Homura seemed to have a sense of how this was going to develop, and thus was not surprised as Mami confronted her next, muskets at the ready and leveled at her.

"I think this would qualify as a rematch," Homura observed, eliciting a nod from Mami. "A pity that you are so outmatched."

Mami could feel the difference in power, but she wasn't intimidated, at least not visibly. "The odds may be slanted against me, but I won't back down. Not when I have friends fighting with me and counting on me."

That earned her a mean smirk from Homura, head tipping forward as mirth bubbled forth once again. "How touching, coming from the one most likely to snap and murder her friends, thinking it a kindness." Mami flinched as Homura strung her bow at last. "Shall we begin then?"

Dual muskets fired in response, discarded for new ones just as rapidly while Homura leapt away almost lazily in motion and arrows making the return path. Up into the galaxy infested void they flew, a wheel of muskets sending shot after shot up towards Homura, who did an aerial backflip to fire trios of curving arrows in return. Ribbons snapped out and flew as well, aiding Mami in her parkour as they danced to a somewhat familiar tune.

Up, across, over. Volleys of magical bullets crisscrossed the air, seeking the black clothed Homura who fired in return. Ribbons twisted up, but she vanished just before they could wrap around her, appearing a few feet away and launching more arrows in retribution for the attempted ensnarements. The battle raged endlessly around them as they exchanged blows, some magical girls winning while other Homuras had the advantage over their foes.

But what Homura had said about Mami being outmatched was proving to be true, and when she had an opening Homura took it. Bullets skimmed mere inches from her skin as she brought her torso about and fired, arrows shifting in midair to slam into their target. Mami was sent tumbling towards the ground with her legs useless, shattered by the impact of the magical energy, bouncing off a few galaxies and her ribbons shot when she tried to arrest her fall before she slammed into the mist that made the ground.

Homura landed gracefully beside the groaning blond and walked onwards, attention removed from her recently downed opponent. So close to Madoka, yet of course the troublesome Sayaka would have to get in her way before she could reach her goal, swords in both hands.

"That's enough Homucifer. If you want to get to Madoka you're going to have to go through me," she challenged.

"Hmm, Homucifer..." Homura tested the word, rolling it on her tongue as she evaluated it, a thoughtful expression painted across her features before she settled. "I suppose it fits, given my current status as the Devil. Regardless, I had every intention of doing so, Sayaka Miki."

With a loud battle cry, Sayaka charged forward, blades swinging in her grasp. Homura blocked with her shield or just plain dodged each blow entirely, even taking the time to speak while nonchalantly evading blow after blow. "I had hoped your fighting style would develop to a point where this might be a challenge, but it seems I have no choice but to be disappointed in you."

Sayaka growled as she stepped forward, continually pressing the attack. "Sorry to disappoint. At least I'm not insane like you."

Homura looked unperturbed by the accusation as her hair flowed around slicing steel. "I have seen you sacrifice your soul, your humanity, your very life, just to see Kyousuke Kamijou able to play with his ruined hand once again. How is what I am doing any different?"

The mention of the violinist brought Sayaka up short and left her grasping for a reply. "It...it just is," she shouted at last, outraged by the implication. "I only gave him his hand back. But you, you betrayed Madoka, separated her from her powers and responsibility as the Law of the Cycle, and locked her in a bubble to be your unknowing plaything! They're completely different!"

"Of course." Sayaka charged in again, strikes that much more powerful for her anger, leaving Homura to talk as she dodged effortlessly. "You die, and I survive. You hurt Madoka, while I try my best to protect her. I sacrifice everything for her, while you casually discard the most important things in your life simply so you can play hero. You are a foolish idealist, while I am a necessary realist. Of course they are different, and we are nothing alike. But then again, how could I ever..." As Sayaka's blade came sweeping down, Homura reached up and just as rapidly caught it between her bare hands, leaving the cutting edge of the blade hovering mere inches from her forehead, "...expect you to understand..." She fixed Sayaka in her gaze, the stunned blunette taken aback by the cold fire in Homura's eyes, "...my feelings."

The sword was ripped away in an instant as Homura moved, and just as quickly she strung her bow and fired, the arrow slamming into Sayaka's torso. Her eyes widened in pain form the impact as she dropped to her knees, grabbing at the magical wound. She coughed weakly as music notes danced on her skin, only to be laid out cold as the hilt of her sword slammed into the back of her head. Beside her Homura dropped the blade and moved on, interest in the swordsman exhausted.

At last she stood before Madoka, the very sight of the Goddess bringing a smile to Homura's face. She stood ready, waiting, eyes flared golden and power rolling off of her, but Homura was unconcerned. "Sending your friends to wear me down before our battle? I'm impressed. I didn't think you would have it in you, Madoka Kaname," Homura said, hand on her hip while her bow hung at her side.

Madoka shook her head, a radiant glow flowing off of her. "They chose to fight of their own accord. I did not force them."

Homura shrugged, the action more of a languid roll of her shoulders than anything. "If you say so, my dear Madoka. Now it is time for you to return to your real life, as a human with those who care about you, and none of the worry of magical girls and curses floating around in your head. That is the one gift I have left for you from the depths of what must be my heart, after my endless devotion to you. The life you deserve."

Madoka strung her bow then, though she didn't aim it at Homura. "Homura, you know what I will say. I have to set things right, fix reality, all of it. I don't want this for myself, and as much as you may not accept the reality I have made for all magical girls, I won't accept the reality you've made for me here either."

"Then I will make you accept it, or forget, as many times as I have to until it sticks," Homura replied before she strung her bow and fired in an instant. Madoka fired back as she jumped away, and the clash of gods began in earnest.

Now they truly cut loose, magical energy surging about them as godly power flowed from both girls. Pink and purple shots of light exchanged in quick succession, galaxies shattered in their wake and by their strength. They fought across the length and width of the celestial plane, their followers caught in the crossfire of their titanic battle as they leapt from one spot to another, so fast as to almost seem like teleportation to those lesser entities.

They danced around in each other in large, sweeping circles, lines of energy tracing their path. Single, double, triple, even quadruple branching arrow shots flared out from single points to pierce the cosmic ether, a kaleidescope of twisting, dueling colors while the larger fight slowed in comparison around them, all attention shifting to the meeting of gods.

Homura fired again and hopped away just ahead of a fusillade of arrows. Her smile and languid expression had sharpened, hardened to grim determination and grit teeth. Madoka was getting faster as time passed, more powerful than Homura herself. The power the Devil had stolen to make this reality was only a portion of the power Madoka possessed, and now what she had wasn't enough to keep up. But she continued the fight anyway, regardless of her handicaps. She'd faced impossible odds before, and she would do it again if it meant saving all she had worked for.

Faster and faster they moved, scant attention given to other combatants as they flickered in and out of existence, slowing long enough in their flight to fire a few shots at the other before vanishing yet again. But Madoka's advantage soon began to show, speeding up relative to Homura and her attacks getting that much stronger. Homura struggled on, but now she was the one being outmatched.

Madoka moved that much more swiftly, even compared to Homura who struggled to keep up with her pace, to dodge her shots when they came. The goddess was literally running circles around her now, arrows coming in from every direction as Homura shot back. Yet more and more of her attention was devoted to just dodging the projectiles fired at her, and leaping from galaxy to galaxy ahead of Madoka, mind working on a way to turn this in her favor.

That window she was looking for abruptly slammed shut with solid finality as the first arrow hit her, grazing her side. Then another, and another. Her flight was brought to a halt as she was tossed about by the rain of blows from Madoka's bow before one last arrow hit her chest. She went crashing down, smashing through several galaxies on the way to the 'floor'. To worsen her situation, one of the spate of arrows had penetrated her diamond shield, and sand hissed out as she laid there trying to recover, heralding the vanishing of her army of multiversal selves as they faded away, to return to whatever reality they came from.

Madoka came down for a light landing next to the crumpled and battered form of Homura, and she raised her bow towards the fallen black Devil. This arrow was strong, enough magical energy in it to kill even her with her Godly powers, and Homura sighed in resignation, closing her eyes and relaxing to await the end.

She was left to wait, and wait, the end having not come for her, no spike of pain or any other indication that she was dead. Confusion was pre eminent on her features as her eyes flickered open to see Madoka turned away, head fallen and bow lowered.

"What are you waiting for," asked Homura, elucidating her feelings. "I fought you and stripped you of your powers, I hurt you and the others. I failed in what I set out to do. I deserve to be punished, so why are you hesitating?" It was the logical conclusion to this sequence of events, indeed, a conclusion that Homura was ready to accept, and why Madoka wasn't pursuing it she didn't know.

Madoka's bow vanished from her grip as she turned about to face the mystified magical girl. "I can't do it," she replied, voice trembling. "You may have done some bad things, to all of us, but I know you're a good person inside, and you're still my friend." Her head tilted as she broke out into a small smile. "I forgive you Homura."

"Well, I don't," Sayaka said as she, Kyoko, Mami, and Nagisa rejoined the two. Her wounds were healed, and she glared at Homura with distrusting eyes, her arms folded. She ignored the look she got from Madoka as she continued. "What? You can't expect me to just ignore everything she did at the drop of a hat."

Mami stepped up, muskets gone as she looked over at Sayaka. "That's understandable, but we can still try. Homura is confused, and we need to help her."

Kyoko nodded sharply in agreement. "I'd be pretty messed up in the head if I was stuck watching everyone horribly die in a time loop."

Sayaka growled, stepping towards her companions. "That's no excuse. She knew what she was doing. She doesn't even feel bad about it! She freaking brainwashed us all. We can't just let her off with a hug and a pat on the back."

Kyoko scowled. "Oy, baka, can't you hear her? She expects us to punish her. Hell, I think she even wants us to. You gonna do what she wants?"

"Ehh?" Sayaka paused, considering that for a second, before the rage of justice returned. "Well yeah. What else are we supposed to do? I don't see you coming up with any bright ideas. Punish the guilty, that's what justice is about."

"...This isn't over." The muttered words cut through the ongoing argument, drawing everyone's attention down to the defeated Homura, who was sitting now on the cloud layer of stars. "I will keep fighting until Madoka is free, or until I am dead. And even then I will struggle on if there is a way. I made a promise, and I will keep it."

Madoka sighed, crouching down beside her. "Oh Homura, what do I have to convince you that you don't have to keep holding on to that promise. I said that as a scared, dying magical girl, but now I'm much more than that. You and me are both much more. She would have agreed that this is an ending worth having."

Homura averted her gaze with a jerk of her head, rather than meet the golden eyes that looked at her lovingly. "You can't. I am already forsaken. I've done too much, seen too much. I've brought down too much pain and suffering for all my struggles. I don't deserve any happy ending you can give me. But for you, no torment is too great. So if I have to suffer on, clinging to a phantom hope, then so be it. It's nothing less than a fitting end to my tale."

Madoka's comforting smile fell as she saw the pain written on Homura's heart, and she took the pale hand in hers. "That's not true," she replied forcefully. "If any of us deserves a peaceful rest, it's you. Homura, I need you as much as you need me. Like you said, our fates are intertwined, inseparable. And just as I've reached the ultimate end of my journey, it's time for you to join me as well, to find solace for all you've suffered."

Homura tensed, heartbeat speeding up at the physical contact. "It is the wrong end. A mistake. A cosmic joke. If this is what fate has decreed then I will fight it once more, for your sake. You don't deserve the cruelty of being wiped from the memory of the world."

A pout spread across Madoka's visage at the sheer obstinance of her friend before settling back into some form of calm as she reached a decision. She held out her hand then, Soul Gem shining radiantly as it materialized on her palm, and she reached over to clink it against Homura's Dark Gem. Ties of energy linked the two together, and Homura could feel herself diminishing, power receding at Madoka reclaimed what she had stolen, without a struggle. She would be a goddess whole once again.

Then she did something that Homura didn't expect. Power retaken, Maodka didn't rise to her feet or pull away. Instead, her Soul Gem rose again, the Goddess placing it against Homura's forehead, much to the girls confusion. "Madoka, what are you...Please...no! Stop!"

Homura's head twisted and moved under the pressure applied to it as Maodka watched on, ignoring Homura's pleas. "I'm sorry Homura. I need to show you what I remember, that you didn't fail me."

Lavender eyes opened wide, her back arched and a silent scream issued forth from her mouth as she saw everything. All of Madoka's memories, the good and the bad, her thoughts, form the early years of her life to the cycles and the immediate present. The pain, the hope, the fear, the happiness, uncountable emotions. She saw herself as Madoka, living the life of her closest friend through her eyes and hearing her thoughts. She saw herself, as Madoka, meeting herself, as Homura, countless times. She saw the beginning, herself, as Madoka, saving herself, as Homura, from that first witch so long ago, helping her and being a friend in school and for the month before her wish.

It was mind numbing, overwhelming for Homura's senses as she was subjected to the relentless slide show of memories, seeing and feeling everything that Madoka had experienced. The cycles began, Madoka dying again and again, watching Homura grow as a magical girl, developing her abilities and making her first, fumbling steps into the sequence that now defined her. She saw herself kill Mami in that cycle after she snapped, collapsing at the sheer unfairness of it all, and crying that she didn't want this anymore. But Homura brought her up and they went on.

Then the fateful day came, the fateful promise. She, Madoka, laid there in the rubble and water as Homura held on to her, filled with regret, and sadness, and fear for what was to come. What she had learned, what she had seen and done had scarred her, even shattered her. If this life was only going to end in pain and creating more misery, then it wasn't one that she wanted.

The memories rolled on. Again and again, watching herself through Madoka's eyes. She changed as the cycles wore on and wore her down, becoming cold and aloof, devoted only to the end and saving Madoka, everything else irrelevant in the scheme of things. She could feel the fear, the mistrust, the the sadness in her bones at this casual disregard for those she held precious, seeing those she cared for die and Homura struggle on alone, dying herself, or making a wish and becoming a witch before everything reset again.

Onwards, up to the last cycle, the events still familiar in her mind. But now she saw it from Madoka's perspective. Seeing Mami's brutal death, Sayaka's fall, Kyoko's sacrifice, Homura's aloof dismissal of these, talks with Kyubey, and watching the fight with Walpurgisnacht, Homrua began to understand what she had become, how much like an Incubator she had made herself for the sake of her mission. She saw herself lying there, pinned by rubble, battered, and about to succumb to the despair of knowing that her continued efforts only made things worse for Madoka. She, as Madoka, rose then, and Homura could feel the certainty of her belief that this, all of this, wasn't right, that being a magical girl shouldn't be this way. She could feel the confidence of knowing that now she could make a difference, feel the need to end Homura's struggles, and save everyone from despair. She felt this more powerfully than she had anything in her life.

She became a goddess, a concept in form but still herself in an altered form. She watched over her new world, watched Homura and her friends struggle on, and waited for the day that they could all be reunited at last. And when Homura was taken by the Incubators to play a part in their heartless experiments, she didn't hesitate to go save her.

The rest Homura knew. The Rebellion, the pain and confusion of the betrayal she had been subjected to by her closest and most loyal friend, the terror of being stripped of her divinity and being torn from her Godhood and responsibility. Living in Homura's world with the nagging feeling that this wasn't right, that it wasn't real, and up to the present, the love, the forgiveness she had for Homura despite everything that had happened, how deeply she cared.

Homura was stunned, in shock and unmoving as Madoka removed her soul gem form where it had touched Homura, the string of memories ending. "Are you okay," she asked, worried that the rush may have been too much for her.

A slow and unfocused gaze drifted over to meet Madoka, emotions swirling in turbulent chaos as she focused on the one rock, the one lifeline she had ever really known. "I...I'm such a fool. I thought I understood you better than you understood yourself, that I knew what you wanted, what you needed, but I was so blind." Tears beaded up and flowed as she buried herself in Madoka's chest, hands clenched as the Goddess smiled warmly and embraced her in return.

"It's okay Homura. I forgive you. I will always forgive you," she replied, patting her back softly as Homursa let it all out. She waited patiently as her champion released what she had been holding in.

"But..but why," came the weak question as Homura spoke through her tears. "I've done horrible things to everyone, I made myself in a devil in the name of keeping you safe and secluded. How can you forgive me so easily, when I don't deserve it?"

Madoka hummed, rubbing her back. "Because I know you were doing it for me, and because you're my best friend Homura. After all, wasn't my kindness one of the things that drew you to me?"

Homura nodded weakly, falling silent as the memories swelled up unbidden, floodgates shattered by what she had just so recently seen. "You...you were one of the few people who was genuinely kind to me even though I did nothing to deserve it. It wasn't fair that you died and I lived, not when you were so strong, and bold, and I was just a weak girl with a heart condition." She looked up at Madoka. "How is that fair?"

"It isn't," Madoka agreed, surprisingly. "But it was that unfairness that made us end up where we are. We both know that you're a good person inside because of it, even if it was selfish. But then again, I suppose mine was as well. wishing to help all magical girls, to take their despair on myself, I made myself the focal point for a new reality. If that isn't selfish somehow, I don't know what is."

She kept speaking though as Homura lapsed into silence. "You've grown so much Homura. You may have been physically weak, but you're one of the bravest, most loyal, determined people I know. That's why I forgive you, and that's why I want you to be with me. You won't have to be alone again."

"Yeah,' said Nagisa from where she was, fist raised in the air. "That's what friends are for. We'll help you out however we can."

"I guess," Sayaka reluctantly agreed, though her answer was quickly added to after getting kicked in the shin by Kyoko. "Oww. I mean, yeah, I can't just let the transfer student sit in a corner and mope all day. You'd ruin my good mood. Besides, I have to make up for all the times I went off and died during the time loops."

That prompted a fresh burst of tears as Madoka held on to Homura. "Would you like to come home now, to be with me and everyone else for eternity?"

Homura pulled away with watering eyes to nod an affirmative, and Madoka rose to her feet, still holding onto and supporting the magical girl. "It's time for me to right everything," she said as she turned to face the quartet that stood apart from them. "Kyoko, Mami, I'll see you soon."

"We'll be waiting," Mami replied with a bow, touched by the scene.

Kyoko nodded, gaze turning to the blunette beside her and giving her a playful hit. "Hey Sayaka, take care of Madoka for me till I get there, alright?"

Sayaka winced, rubbing her shoulder from that playful hit before smiling in return. "I don't think you'll have to worry about that."

Nagisa stepped up to Mami as the goodbyes were said. "Sorry we'll have to wait to have more cheese and cakes."

Mami smiled as she bent over to look at Nagisa. "It's alright. I'll make sure to have a lot of new recipes for you to try." That was a statement that brought a beaming smile to Nagisa's face, and even Kyoko's, for she knew she would be the one to inevitably test some of these new recipes.

Sayaka and Nagisa moved away to join Madoka and Homura as the bright pink soul gem rose into the air, light spreading out to engulf them all, and the entire universe, in its reach. The fabric of space and time, the cosmos themselves rippled, shifted, and the wold went back to the way it should be, the way it had been before the Rebellion. Kyoko and Mami would awaken back on Earth as if they had never left, but when they looked for their companion, she was nowhere to be found, and they knew that what had happened was no dream, that Homura was in the loving embrace of the Law of the Cycles. They moved on, fought, struggled against the despair of humanity, while Sayaka, Nagisa, Homura, and Madoka watched on from above, waiting for the two to join them.

The Rebellion was over, and everything restored. Now there was the harder task of fixing Homura. It was not something that could be done easily, or quickly, but as Madoka held her crying, broken champion in her tight embrace, she knew everything would be alright. Of this, she was certain.