Chapter 1:
"You knew this would happen, didn't you?"
Standing above the corpse of her best- her only -friend, a dark-haired girl stared at a white creature by her feet. Her violet eyes met unblinking red with not a shred of emotion shown between them. The girl had long ago walled off her emotions from the outside world. And the creature claimed to be free of any emotion, despite the wide smile across its face. Neither girl nor creature made any look towards the towering black pillar beside them, entirely focused on staring at the other.
"Naturally," the creature's high-pitched voice finally responded. A little flick of its tail accompanying the outwardly cheerful tone. "It was only a matter of time, honestly. I knew the moment that Madoka Kaname contracted that she would become the wickedest Witch of them all."
"And yet you still allowed me to train her. Why?" The girl's own voice had lowered in tone, the barest hint of the anger beneath her calm mask leaking out.
"Why, because it would allow her to become even more powerful! And thanks to your training, we have more than filled this world's quota." For an emotionless creature, the little white being sounded quite pleased about that fact. "Though, I imagine humanity has little more than a month left to survive. How unfortunate, but it is humanity's problem now."
The tall girl spared only one glance at the corpse of her one and only friend, her eyes trailing from blood-stained pink hair towards the distant sight of the monster she had become. Her hand clenched so tightly it drew blood, the temptation to gun down the creature by her side almost overwhelming. Yet she did not draw a weapon, nor attack either the creature or the monster. To do the first would be pointless, to do the latter would be suicide.
No.
She merely turned away from the remains of her best friend and reached a hand towards the shield on her wrist.
The creature behind her, more of a monster than the being destroying humanity, twitched in the first outward sign of shock it had made.
"Homura Akemi are you a-"
With a twist of her wrist, Homura activated her magical power and vanished from another failed life.
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Eyes snapping open, Homura looked up at the familiar white ceiling of her hospital room. She had seen this room far too many times. More times than she cared to count. And she did not know how many more times it would be, before this was all over.
Again, I failed. Again, I had to watch Madoka die in front of me. How many more times must I do this?
Reliving the same month, over and over and over again. Trapped in an endless maze that seemed to have no exit. And yet, she struggled on. The young girl, far older than she appeared, sat up in her bed and looked down at her hands. The ring of her Soul Gem glimmered up at her, taunting the Magical Girl with her failure. And for the first time in dozens of timelines, in years of her life, Homura felt the warmth of tears trailing down her cheeks.
"Was Madoka always doomed to this fate? If she contracts, no matter if we defeat Walpurgisnacht or not, will she always die?"
Those words were spoken barely above a whisper as Homura brought a hand up to wipe at her eyes. Grim determination replaced the tears. Violet eyes narrowed while a fist clenched in the thin fabric of her hospital gown. If Madoka was always doomed to die, no matter how and why she contracted, then Homura would just have to keep her from ever contracting. It had been a moment of weakness that she had tried to keep her friend alive in the previous timeline. Despite the fact she could have reset and honored the wish of her dear friend to never be tricked again.
The closeness she had enjoyed with Madoka had blinded her. As she had worked with her friend, Homura had allowed herself to think that maybe, just maybe, they could both survive Walpurgisnacht. None of the others had, of course. Mami had fallen in battle early in the timeline. Sayaka Miki and Kyoko Sakura had killed one another. But if just Madoka had survived, it would have been all worth it in the end.
"I won't let her contract again. I don't care what I must do, I will never allow her to become one of us again." Homura moved out of her bed, her Soul Gem already healing her eyes and heart. Her hair fell out of the old braids, and back into the much more familiar wave down her back. "There is no time to waste, then. I must find Kyubey before Madoka meets him."
No matter what it took or what she had to do, indeed.
Yet, in the end, nothing but hunting Witches and gathering weaponry could be done before she returned to school.
It is strange. Kybuey has never avoided Madoka like this before. In fact, I doubt he has ever avoided any prospective Magical Girl. So why now, and why Madoka?
Homura would have kept Kyubey from Madoka. Were it not for the fact that, for whatever reason, the Incubator was outright avoiding her only friend. In fact, if Homura did not know better, she would have said that the Incubator had outright run away from her best friend. As she stood before the familiar classroom where she had first met Madoka, so long ago, Homura would like to believe that was because of her own actions. She had killed the Incubator's bodies multiple times before realizing he was avoiding Madoka.
Yet that had never worked before, and she strongly doubted it would work this time.
He would not avoid Madoka unless something happened involving her. I know that, however much I do not like it.
"Come on in Akemi-san!"
Schooling her features into the perfected mask she always wore, Homura strode into the room calmly and easily. Her footsteps were quick and assured, each and every one measured equally. Her back was ramrod straight, eyes focused forward and on the teacher. Saotome looked much the same as ever, and the same could be said for everyone she saw out of the corner of her eyes.
Nakazawa, the poor boy the punching bag of the teacher as ever.
Hitomi Shizuki sitting at the back of the room and staring at her with curious green eyes.
Sayaka Miki, her eternal headache in every single timeline, busy whispering to Madoka.
And of course, Madoka herse-
What? That is not…
"Akemi-san? Are you going to introduce yourself to the class?"
Saotome's voice should have shaken Homura from her thoughts. However, if there was any one thing that could force her attention on to something and prevent it from being moved, it was Madoka Kaname. And right now, all of her attention was forced onto her best friend.
Black ribbons.
Madoka had never, not once, worn anything but yellow or pink ribbons. In the years upon years that Homura had known the other girl, she struggled to think of Madoka ever wearing anything black at all. It just wasn't like the soft-hearted girl to wear such a dark color. So, why now and did it have anything to do with the Incubator avoiding her?
She would have to find out, the moment she could. For now, however, she would have to play the part of a new student once more.
"Hello, my name is Homura Akemi…"
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"...and I'm pleased to meet you."
Sitting at the back of the classroom, Madoka Kaname grinned widely up at the sight of her friend introducing herself to the classroom. When she had woken up in the past, a large part of her had wondered if her friend was still alive. Or if she would ever see Homura again. So she was quite happy to be seeing her friend up in front of the classroom!
Though, Homura seemed more wary of her than anything. Probably because of her new ribbons.
"You know that girl, Madoka?" Sayaka's not-very-well-hidden whisper turned Madoka's pink eyes back on her older friend. The bluenette looked distinctly confused by the wide grin on her classmate's face. "I mean, I've never seen her before. Though she is super-gorgeous."
"Are you jealous, Sayaka-chan?" Madoka asked with a giggle at the expression on her partner's face. A distinctly sour scowl, to be specific.
"Eww, no!" And the bluenette's voice was equally as disgruntled as her face when she replied.
Madoka just continued to giggle, holding a hand to her mouth when she managed to get words in through the laughter. "I haven't met her before, no. But I do want to talk to her, Sayaka-chan. I want to be friendly since she's new!"
While Sayaka kept on grumbling at her friend, the other member of their trio leaned over, "Come on you two, we need to pay attention to class."
Considering that the teacher was finally looking in their direction, that probably wasn't bad advice. Though the fact it came from Hitomi wasn't really surprising when she was always the most serious of the trio. Either way, Madoka turned back to the front of the class and listened to the lesson with only half-an-ear.
To be honest, she already knew this stuff and didn't really care about it. All her attention was on Homura, staring firmly to the front of the class and not looking back at her.
Oh Homura-chan. I know you recognize me, but do you actually know who it is looking at you?
Grin firmly fixed on her face, Madoka patiently waited until their teacher was done talking. Until the other girls in the class swarmed the transfer student, trying to be 'friendly' to Homura. Of course, Madoka knew better than that. Homura didn't care at all about those girls, and neither did she, to be honest. The pinkette just got to her feet and walked up to her dear friend, completely ignoring the girls surrounding the dark-haired teenager.
The Magical Girl didn't react outwardly to that fact, violet eyes fixed firmly forward as always. That suited Madoka just fine though, as she lightly coughed to get the attention of the girls barraging her friend with questions.
"Sorry everyone," she spoke with a false-cheer in her voice. Though the grin on her face, if directed at Homura, was completely genuine. "But Akemi-san needs to go to the nurse for her medicine."
Sharing a look, the girls apologized and backed away from the Magical Girl and her dear friend. As for Homura herself?
She merely climbed to her feet, elegant in every movement even now.
"Lead the way, Kaname-san."
Not even so much as a 'hello' then? Well, it wasn't like Madoka had expected more from Homura. She still remembered the first time they had met, and this was not that different from then. Though Homura may be a tad more cold this time.
Perfectly understandable, considering her ribbons, though!
"So, Akemi-san," Madoka continued talking to her friend as they walked out into the sprawling hallways of Mitakihara Middle School. "How are you feeling about the school so far?"
If the other girl was at all confused about that question, she didn't show it. Her violet gaze was evenly focused on Madoka- more appropriately at the sides of her head -and anything she felt carefully hidden behind her mask. Oh well, Homura was Homura and that was just how things were. Madoka was still fond of her anyway, and would tell anyone who asked that Homura was her best friend despite that.
Though it may make Sayaka a bit angry.
"It is...adequate," Homura finally replied. Curious glances from their classmates were ignored, the two girls rapidly approaching an empty portion of the school anyway. "Madoka. You are more familiar with me than I had expected. How?"
Well, never let it be said that Homura was an idiot. Madoka sighed softly as they entered a familiar walkway, completely devoid of any other students. This was where Homura had tried to convince her to not become a Magical Girl, completely unaware that she already was. Perhaps it wasn't surprising that her secret would come out here then.
"Homura-chan, you really are smart!" Madoka turned on her heel, bright pink eyes staring up at her friend. And for the first time, there was a little emotion on the taller girl's face. Not much, but some- mostly confusion. "I thought it would take longer for you to notice, to be honest."
"I admit, I was confused at first. The ribbons especially, as you never wear black," Homura wasn't even bothering to be secretive. Clearly she knew there was no point, smart as she was.
Madoka's wide grin widened impossibly further, a hand reaching up to play with one of the aforementioned ribbons. "Do you like them, Homura-chan? I picked these out myself!"
An ever so slight flinch came from the other girl. Something that anyone else would have missed. And something that had Madoka inwardly giggling madly. Homura had no idea what those ribbons really meant.
"I-do not like them," the Magical Girl almost whispered. Shaking her head, Homura narrowed her gaze upon the shorter teen. "In fact, I am curious why you would pick those. I have never known you to wear any ribbon but yellow or pink."
"Well, you don't really know me, Homura-chan. You know Madoka, but not me."
If Madoka had been expecting any reaction to those words, she would be disappointed. Homura merely narrowed her eyes further, the barest hint of confusion on her face growing. And more than a little suspicion.
"That claim is odd, Madoka. I could understand if you were referring to me knowing a different you, since you clearly remember more than I had expected. And I am certain that no one could, or would, have told you about me." Homura's hand reflexively clenched near her skirt, the glimmer of her Soul Gem ring flashing in the light from the massive window the girls stood beside. "Yet, you say that I both do not know you, and that you are not Madoka?"
"Well of course I do. On both counts." Madoka rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest as she raised an eyebrow at her friend.
Raised an eyebrow and resisted the urge to grab at the necklace hidden by her necktie. Wouldn't do to ruin the game that soon would it? It was so fun to know more than Homura for once!
That being said, she would still tease her friend with a grin on her face, "Though, I am surprised you haven't figured it out yet, Homura-chan."
If the very clear frustration the Magical Girl was feeling was any indication, then Madoka was doing her job quite well. Really, it almost surprised her that Homura was as calm as she was. Who knew how long that would last, though, as the taller girl moved closer to her in the little hallway they shared. Her gaze was harsh and very obviously annoyed, even though Homura continued to try and hide it.
"You claim to not be Madoka, yet you are clearly her. You know me, even though by all logic you should not. What, exactly, is going on here?"
Honestly, Homura-chan. You're smart enough to get this far but can't make the last little jump? I suppose it is hard to believe. I still wonder about it myself!
Sighing dramatically, Madoka uncrossed her arms and shrugged her shoulders. Honestly, what else was there to do but just give away the truth?
"Really, Homura-chan? I mean, we only met once and you were nowhere near me, but still. You should know me by sight."
As she spoke those words, Madoka reached towards her chest. Part of her did feel a bit of nervousness doing this. She knew Homura all too well, but there always remained the chance her friend may surprise her. And yet...she still felt that twinge of excitement. This was her one, and only, friend. The only one she could trust with the true nature of who she was.
"Because I know you cursed that I ever existed."
The moment she finished saying that statement, Madoka found an assault rifle pointed at her face. Homura had transformed and drawn that weapon in record time, wide-eyed and completely shocked. In any other situation, Madoka may have been amused at the fact the other girl was not even bothering with her mask. In this situation, though, she was rather more focused on the weapon pointed between her eyes.
"Impossible." Homura breathed out, her composure and poise evaporated in the face of what she saw. "This is impossible. I left you behind, monster. You should not be here."
For what 'Madoka' held in her hand? What had shocked Homura so very much?
A black orb, that was hollow, completely unlike the vast majority of its comrades. Inside a ribcage of dull metal sat the shape of a shooting star. A star going up through a ring of metal at the top of the orb. A spike at the top of the round object, extending further up from its peak. There was the shape of a teardrop at the top of that spike, with an otherwise cute pink ribbon tied to the top of it.
The form of Kriemhild Gretchen's Grief Seed.
The form of Madoka Kaname's Witch, given life in a way it should never have had.
"It took you that long to figure it out, Homura-chan?" Ma-Kriemhild rolled her eyes again. "Really, I thought you were smarter than that."
"And I believed that I had left you behind." Homura shot back, the Magical Girl making a supreme effort to return behind her mask of emotionlessness.
For someone having a gun pointed at her face, Kriemhild was remarkably calm as she replied to that. "I should have been, probably. To be completely honest, I have no idea how I'm here. But isn't it wonderful, Homura-chan? I can protect you now!"
"Protect me?"
Homura made no move to lower her rifle, instead settling for staring at the Witch. The Witch that should not exist. And most certainly should not have been standing in front of her, having an otherwise pleasant conversation.
"Of course!" Kriemhild had no qualms with having a weapon pointed at her, to be quite honest. It was just Homura being Homura again. "After all, my very nature as a Witch is to save the world. I just can't do it in this body, so I want to…"
"What do you mean, in that body?"
That question cut Kriemhild off, Homura's grip on her rifle tightening. If she cared at all about the potential of someone seeing her holding a gun to 'Madoka's' head, she didn't show it. And if Kriemhild cared at all about being at risk of getting shot, she certainly didn't show it. Both Witch and Magical Girl were at an impasse. Neither one making any real moves against the other.
At least until Kriemhild sighed heavily.
"Homura-chan, Homura-chan," the Witch shook her head, pink hair swaying with the motion. "You really don't understand. A Witch should never be in a human body. Haven't you noticed I don't have my Labyrinth?"
In point of fact, Homura probably hadn't noticed that. Considering what she was seeing, could one blame her?
Even so, the fact remained that Kriemhild Gretchen did not have her Witch's Labyrinth. She stood in a human body, in the middle of a school. And had made absolutely no effort to kill or harm anyone, or to try and destroy the world. Something she had, once, been capable of.
No longer.
"You do not have a Labyrinth," Homura made no move to lower her rifle. Yet, the grip she held on it loosened, if only slightly. So slightly that it was almost imperceptible. "You have not killed anyone, and you sound strangely sane."
Kriemhild held a finger to her mouth, "Do I? I suppose compared to other Witches I do. I blame that on whatever put me in this body."
Spinning around as much as she could with a rifle pointed at her face, Kriemhild looked down at Madoka's body. Tiny and petite, the kind of body that looked completely unable to hurt anyone. Even if someone didn't know who the body had original belonged to, a girl who wouldn't hurt a fly.
"I know that if I were still the way I'm supposed to be, nothing would matter but saving everyone. Wiping out all evil, and making a perfect world in my Labyrinth. Wouldn't that be wonderful Homura-chan?"
Homura let out a heavy sigh, "You are insane after all. That would not be 'wonderful'. By all rights, I should shoot you now before you have a chance to do so."
"You just can't see it from my perspective, Homura-chan." Kriemhild continued to speak, completely and utterly ignoring the threat from the other girl. Despite the cold feeling of a gun barrel pressed into her forehead. "All I would need to do is…"
"Stop."
That single word had the Witch backing up slightly, staring at Homura as the other girl stared right back. Fairly vibrating with repressed anger and frustration. Doing everything she could to avoid pulling the trigger.
"You are a Witch. You only exist to destroy, maim, and murder." Homura, for perhaps the first time in her career as a Magical Girl, failed to notice the effect her words were having on Madoka's body. "Witches only cause grief and suffering. That is what the Incubator created you to do, and you are no different."
"No different, am I?"
Kriemhild's voice had dropped in tone, the low and dark sound of it enough to cut Homura off. Even if it were not for the eyes that stared into the Magical Girl's violet. Brilliant, blood-red eyes that made Kyoko Sakura's look blue.
Eyes that were filled with a fanatical hatred.
"I hate everything about what you said." Kriemhild continued, her words matched with footsteps towards Homura, completely heedless of the gun still pointed at her face. "I hate grief, I hate suffering, I hate darkness. Homura Akemi, you do not know what you are talking about."
Credit where credit is due, the Magical Girl refused to back down even in the face of what she was seeing. Homura merely raised an eyebrow, resisting the urge to move or shoot. "You are a Witch, are you not?"
The Witch in question didn't even bother nodding. "Of course I am. But I am the Witch of Salvation. My nature is Mercy, Homura. If given the chance, I would destroy all the sadness and suffering in the world and create a new, perfect world from what was left."
Silence followed those words. Kriemhild stared at Homura with stubbornly red eyes, completely breaking from the face she wore. And Homura stared down the sight of her rifle, torn between the need to kill this Witch and the fact that, red eyes aside, she was still aiming at Madoka's body. Homura had only fired on Madoka once-that hated timeline where she had been asked to kill her best friend. She had sworn to never do it again.
And now here she was, pointing a rifle at her friend's body once again. For the exact same reason.
"Are you going to shoot me, Homura?" Kriemhild finally broke the silence, asking the question that needed to be asked.
As light shone through the massive window beside the two girls and glinted off Homura's rifle and Kriemhild's Grief Seed?
"No."
Homura slowly lowered her rifle. It remained in her hand, ready to be brought up and fired if she needed it. Sweat rolled down her cheeks, despite every effort she made to hide what she was feeling. And her body shook in spite of her attempts to control it. But the fact of the matter was simple.
Homura Akemi could not gun down Madoka Kaname, even if the body in front of her was controlled by the Witch she hated more than any other.
Kriemhild's grin returned at that realization, "Thank you for that, Homura-chan!"
"I do not know why you are thanking me." Homura turned her head, a deep sigh rumbling up her throat. Her hands shaking in their grip on her rifle. "I cannot shoot Madoka's body. It has nothing to do with sparing you."
"Believe it or not, Homura-chan," Kriemhild smiled up at her friend, her own hand reaching out towards the Magical Girl. "I have no intentions of hurting anyone in this building."
Homura flinched away from the outstretched limb, turning narrowed eyes on the Witch, "Oh?"
"Do you really think I would attack Sayaka-chan? Hitomi-chan? You?" The monster wearing Madoka's face shook her head. "No, if I were a wild Witch in my true form, I would attack. I would still try to save as many as I could, despite that. But in the form I'm in now, I have no desire to do that. I only want to protect you."
Those words had the rifle in Homura's hands lowered to where the barrel pointed at the floor, not the Witch. The taller girl had tilted her head to the side, clear confusion not even remotely hidden. Not that Kriemhild could much blame her. What Witch had any desire to 'protect' anything but her territory? Homura just didn't realize the truth.
She was Kriemhild's only thing worth protecting, now.
"Protect me?" Homura repeated the words, her mouth slowly turning them over. Each syllable filled with her utter confusion.
"Yes, protect you." Kriemhild nodded back, her wide grin firmly in place. Her unhinged grin. "You don't really get it, Homura-chan. You are all that matters to me, now. The only friend I have in this world, and all I want to protect. I will do anything to keep you safe!"
As Homura Akemi slowly realized what Kriemhild meant, the Witch continued to grin at her. Oh, she was going to have so much to tell her friend. So much to explain and do. It was going to be so fun!
Homura-chan, if you will listen to me, I will keep you safe from everything. From other Witches. From the Magical Girls. And from Kyubey.
I will not let anything hurt you, ever again...
Whoo hoo, reboot time again.
All joking aside...I had been intending to return to Salvation eventually. The problem I encountered, though, in looking at continuing it? While the idea remains sound, most of my ideas remain good, and I hope the characterizations of the main cast were workable...
The plot was progressing way too fast. I jumped around too quickly, and didn't give enough time for the side-cast (especially the main antagonists) to develop. There would have been little real impact in the big climactic battles because I didn't give enough development of the bad guys. And if I were to continue it from there, I would have always been thinking in the back of my head 'I could do better'.
Thus, we have the Redux version of the story. A lot of things I'm holding to, but I'm also pretty drastically reworking it at the same time. This chapter is a good indication of what I mean.