Disclaimer: I do not own Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica, Mahou Shoujo Suzune Magica and their characters.

This fanfic is the third volume of Year Zero series, you can find it in my profile.

This is an "engrish" translation. I am doing my best, but feel free to tell me if it is unreadable.

"The moon... is beautiful."

The night lights bathed the face of Hinata Matsuri through a window of the abandoned building where she was. This would normally be a good place to look for witches, but today was not the case.

She leaned against the wall with one of her robotic gauntlets, which were bigger than her head. With the weight of fatigue, she sat up, dragging her back against the rough surface of the plaster.

After straightening her green and white magical girl uniform, she picked up the pendant that held her dark green hair. The object consisted of a bell and a small bag. With an unusual dexterity to the size of her metal fingers, she opened it and pulled out a small sheet of paper, where a name was written.

SUZUNE

"Hi, Suzune-chan." She smiled. "The world is strange lately. After I gave my last grief seed, Kyuubey never visited me again."

Her eyes, also green, returned to focus to the sky outside.

"You know, keeping this promise has always been difficult, knowing that I was alone with this creature, who was the cause of the monsters that I faced. Monsters that once were like us. I even feel relieved he's not here."

A feeling grew inside her chest, which betrayed her last statement.

"I think that's why I found no more witches in the city. I'm certain there's none, I used my magic. There must be in other cities, but... are territories of other girls. I... I'm not strong like you... uuu..."

She contracted the face with all her strength to hold the tears coming. Still, a pair of tears fell and thus her body suffered a spasm.

The convulsion was intense, her head pounded against the wall. The lights that come from the joints of her gauntlets threatened to went off. When ended, she gasped and sought to ensure that was still holding the pendant and the sheet of paper.

She again opened the bag and pulled out another sheet of paper, with another name on it.

MATSURI

"Suzune-chan..." Matsuri put the two sheets of paper together in the bag. "I think when you asked me to live on, was to be for much longer than that."

She brought a gauntlet to her head and took an oval gem that was attached to the hair. In that dimly lit room, it should be possible to see a faint greenish light coming out of it, but at the moment was dark.

"I left a letter to my father. He will lose another daughter and I can't do anything." She held the gem at her fingertips. It looked so fragile now. "But if I'm the last magical girl in this city, so I must put an end to this cycle of suffering."

Then she began to press the gem. "Sorry..."

However, the accessories that covered her hair buns warned her of a presence. Startled, she stopped what she was doing. "Someone... is going up the stairs."

It was not only her keen senses, but she also felt the magic.

The sounds of hurried footsteps were getting louder, until the shadow of a person appeared in the doorway.

"W-Who..." Matsuri's voice did not even come to be a whisper. She hid the gem and the pendant inside one of the gauntlets.

The shadow entered the room and its silhouette became clearer. It seemed to be a long-haired girl and carried a sword.

This image made Matsuri to stay openmouthed and then smiled. Her gaze in wonder. "Suzune-chan, you came for me..."

The shadow then announced, "I found her!"

No, the voice did not match with her precious friend. Thus, Matsuri noticed the silhouette's long hair was actually a cape and the sword was not so large compared with which she knew. Taken by an ironic fear, she lifted one of her gauntlets, which send light against the shadow.

It was a blue magical girl, who protected her eyes.

"Hey!" Another girl appeared, a redhead with a spear, to protect the other.

But was soon stopped by the bluenette. "Kyouko! No! It's all right."

Matsuri kept the light. "Who are you? How did you find me?"

"My name is Sayaka Miki." The girl lowered the spear of the other girl. "And my friend here is Kyouko Sakura."

"Are you surprised that we found you?" Kyouko raised her eyebrows. "Don't you know that, if you want to find a magical girl, just look on the roofs? I don't know how someone else didn't see you jumping around with that trail of green light of yours."

"I don't do it always..." Matsuri turned out the light of the gauntlet and let her arm fall to the ground.

"You are tired," said Sayaka.

"Yes..." Matsuri opened her other gauntlet.

Kyouko's eyes widened. "Your gem."

"You can have this territory, but I warn you there is no witches here." With her thumb, Matsuri manipulated her corrupted object. "Don't take the trouble, I'll do it myself. I... don't know how long you made the contract, I can only say you shouldn't trust Kyuubey."

"We know everything," Sayaka affirmed.

Matsuri looked at her with an air of surprise.

"Please, do not break your gem."

"Huh?! But if you know, then why..." Matsuri stopped and blinked her eyes for a while. With a slight smile, she lowered her head and sighed. "Ah... You two must also be in trouble. If I turn into a witch, you'll at least have a grief seed to bear a little more."

"Tch." Kyouko shook her head. "What a drama..."

"It's not anything like that," uttered Sayaka. "This is not the end."

"This is not the end?" Matsuri repeated, stupefied. "What do you mean by that?"

"It'll be a little complicated to explain." Kyouko grinned. "Why not say your name?"

"Ah..." The girl went silent for a moment before speaking, "My name is M-Matsuri Hinata."

"All right, Hinata-san." Sayaka nodded. "You have any idea of how powerful a wish is?"

"Yes, they perform miracles." Matsuri closed her eyes. "In return, we condemn our life and soul."

"Yep. Becoming a magical girl is a point of no return, unfair or not, is the price we pay." Sayaka put her hand over her gem and smiled. "But we're not condemned, not because... a wish interceded for us."

Matsuri reopened her eyes. Had she heard right? Was that really possible?

"And it's a good friend of mine who did," Sayaka continued, "I would like you to know her."

"I-Incredible!" Matsuri's gaze was wide-eyed and lost. "Just a wish, it was so simple..."

Kyouko ran a hand over her own hair. "Hmmm... The story is a little longer than you're thinking."

"What matters is that all worked out," replied Sayaka to her mate. "The curse with which we carry will not be poured upon the world."

Kyouko winked at Sayaka. "That was poetic."

"So does that mean we don't become witches anymore?" Matsuri asked.

"Well..." Sayaka scratched her head.

"That is the tricky part," said Kyouko.

"Huh?" Matsuri tilted her head.

Sayaka returned to speak, "What I can say is that we will ensure that you reach the Law of Cycles. There, the friend I told you may settle better these doubts. Hehe."

"Law of... cycles?" Matsuri frowned.

"I dunno who had the brilliant idea of that name." Kyouko shrugged. "It's a place, which has a mix of salvation, hope and so... There you'll find other girls."

"They all help each other," Sayaka added. "If anything ails you, know that you won't be alone."

"A place..." It was clear to Matsuri, she could not return home and dispose the letter. But wherever she went, she would be alive.

She looked at the pendant.

Yes, she would be.

"You're crying," stated Kyouko. "What's it?"

"I don't know." Matsuri forced a smile. "I think... I think it's because I'll not hurt Suzune-chan."

"Who?" Sayaka asked.

Matsuri opened her mouth to talk a little about her friend, like the other girl had done, but an agonizing feeling grew in her chest and she could only emit the sound of choking.

"Hinata-san?"

The colors of the world started to shift for Matsuri. Sayaka, before predominantly blue, was now pink, gray, purple... while Kyouko's skin was green. She heard the girl say as she lifted her spear.

"Will start!"

"Yes, let's fall ba..."

Then nothing. The pain disappeared along with the sensations of her body. To Matsuri, the last sense she still had was what she got with her wish. She saw the shapes of the room disappearing as well as the features of the girls, now it was all colored circles. They began to move, faster and faster, like a kaleidoscope.

It was beautiful.

There was no more fear.

／人◕‿‿◕人＼

Sayaka examined the object in her hands: a black globe, with several metal circles on its surface. On top of it was a metal adornment with an oval tip, which was attached a purse and its bell.

"Will you keep looking at it for the rest of night?" Kyouko was in front of a candy vending machine at a gas station on a highway. The secluded place was like a island of light, which occasionally received visits of smaller lights and their engines.

"No." Sayaka put the grief seed in a purse of her navy blue jacket.

"Shit, no Pocky." Kyouko put some coins and made the machine to deliver a chocolate bar. "Okay, let's go back to our searching."

The two left the station, towards darkness of the roadside. During the walk, Kyouko whistled.

"Are you sure you broke your illusion?" asked Sayaka.

"Yeah!" Kyouko looked at the bushes. "That animal is messing with me."

"Did something happened? I never thought that was a good idea to leave her near the road."

"Nah. She's smart, too much I would say."

While Kyouko whistled, Sayaka observed the clothes her friend wore. A red coat with hood very reminiscent of the style she wore before, but this time wearing a more appropriate pants. "How are the others faring?"

"Who knows." Kyouko stopped and put her hands on her hips, looking from one side to the other.

Sayaka smiled. "Mami-san was surprised when we turned up in her apartment."

"Yeah." Kyouko turned to Sayaka and said, with a more angry voice, "Thanks for letting me know early that we needed clothes, your dumbass."

"Don't look at me like that! I didn't know that we would return to this world right away." Sayaka looked at her ring. "In the Law of Cycles it's normal to always wear your uniform of magical girl."

"Heh."

Sayaka pointed with her head. "Behind you."

"Huh?" Kyouko turned and faced the horse she was looking for approaching. "Huh? But I should have seen..." Then she turned her head, her eyes half closed. "Did you distracted me on purpose?"

"I thought she might be a little shy." Sayaka put her hands behind her head. "Maybe I'm good with animals. Haha."

Kyouko nodded in agreement, then placed herselft next to the animal. "Well... since you spoke of Mami, let's visit her."

Sayaka also moved closer, with a smile plastered on her face. "Oh. Already missing her?"

Kyouko mounted in a single movement. "We'll deliver these seeds and ask for more money."

The smile faded. "I know that Mami-san, even if she protest, will give you what you ask for. However, don't you think this is an abuse?"

"If we want to move further away from Mitakihara, we need it." Kyouko offered her hand, smiling. "Another option is to get back to the gas station. Those machines seemed to be full of cash."

Sayaka accepted the help to get on the horse, but scowling.

That was all that Kyouko needed as an answer. "We have to buy travel bags. We'll still find many witches and girls ahead."

Sayaka straightened herself and said, with a more insinuating voice, "And toothbrushes as well?"

"Ah! C'mon!"

Not exactly the middle of the year, but I think no one would complain if I publish it a bit earlier.

For those who want more Kyouko and Sayaka, I have good news. The two will be starring in the next fanfic called 'Guardian'. The plot also involves original magical girls and Kyuubey, in a new location.

If all goes well, I will publish it in the middle of the year! (Hmmm...)