The Road Home
A broken heart, trying to make it's way home.
"Damn it! What an idiot! Why did Sayaka sacrifice herself and end up disappearing just for the sake of that guy!" Kyoko's eyes wavered as she started trembling. "Just...Just when we finally became friends..."
"That's the fate of a Puella Magi." Mami watched the ground sadly. "You should have learned that when you acquired the powers."
Homura's eyes started to turn a little foggy, she felt something in her hand. Caressing it softly, she holds it tightly against her chest.
"Our hopes will bring misfortune to this world and we must disappear before that happens." Mami continued, but she stopped abruptly when she heard soft whimpers coming out from Homura.
"Madoka."
The two girls turned and stared weirdly at Homura. They knew that she was acting kind of...unusual at that moment, but they didn't ask why, thinking she might be grieving over Sayaka's death. But that word that left her mouth was...
"Madoka?" Mami repeated, the word was new but strangely familiar to her lips.
Kyoko cocked her head to the side, watching Homura doubtfully. "Who's that?"
"Earth to Akemi Homura!"
Homura glanced up, and was met by a curious look from a particular redhead . "What's with you and this red ribbon? You always start to day dream and end up staring at it like some crazy obsessed person." Kyoko smirks widely.
"It's nothing." She muttered, softly patting at the other remaining ribbon that was tied on her head before keeping the other safely in her pocket.
"Do you mind telling us?" Mami fills three cups full with hot tea before busying herself with slicing a cake. "Is the ribbon related to that person whom you always call Madoka? You often mutter her name when we're fighting after all." She says gently, passing a plate of cake over to a now drooling Kyoko.
Homura tensed up when she heard that name. That name of the person only she remembered, the name of the person who sacrificed her future, her life for the people she knew, for the people she didn't know, for the sake of everyone. Ignoring the question, Homura excuses herself politely and walks away, leaving both Mami and Kyoko confused and staring at each other.
Who would have believed her? About Madoka and her existence? Even that Kyubey who was once the cause of all the witches and grief seeds issues was being skeptical over Homura's theories when she explained them to it. No doubt Kyoko and Mami would just brush it off and tell Homura that it was all just a dream, that Madoka was just an imaginary friend Homura created.
And that was the last thing Homura want to hear from anybody. Madoka is real to her, forever. The girl who was so kind-hearted and pure, so cheerful and bubbly, so encouraging and powerful, she was the one who changed Homura, she was the first and greatest friend the dark haired girl had ever had.
She didn't want all these things to be brushed off as just some stupid dream or some kind of weird hallucination she had. Homura didn't want to forget. So she'll always say her name, to remind herself, to tell herself, that Madoka would always be there, real, waiting for her...
Kyoko sighs and jabs at her cake with a fork.
"The same old thing again. Why doesn't she want to tell us anything? She always keep things to herself."
Mami took a sip of her tea and forces out a small smile, sadness could undeniably be seen in those golden eyes of hers as she opens her mouth to speak. "Maybe she'll open up one day. We'll just wait."
"Kyoko..." Mami bit her lips, hard enough for her to start drawing blood.
Homura clenched her teeth, watching as the last demon fade away in the abyss of a fire.
The redhead who was always there after every battle, grinning with that idiotic and boastful smirk, wasn't there anymore. She was gone. She will never come back.
Mami dropped down on her knees, sobbing loudly as Homura averted her gaze. She lost her partner, her loyal friend, her companion. In all the timelines she had been through, she watched everyone die every time that it had already long numbed her heart. You could say that Homura was now just an emotionless shell of her former self. But it had been so long... so many years since she had last rewinded time to change that fate of that one girl... and it had long since she witnessed someone she cared for to die.
The familiar, yet sour feeling creeped back to her again. She hated this feeling of loss. Digging her nails into her palm and squeezing her eyes shut tightly, She restrained the urge to mourn, to wail out loud for Kyoko, who wouldn't be there to say obnoxious things and crack those stupid jokes of hers anymore...
She lets a loose word slip out her lips.
"Madoka."
Mami heard that name again, but she was to weary to ask Homura again who she was referring to. She weeped and weeped. She cried till she could shed no more tears.
A few days later, Homura and Mami stood over Sayaka's grave, and the three of them made and craved another name.
It's been around 12 years since the last magical girl Homura knew used up her last strength to fight and disappeared. Mami, the only girl who kept her sane all the years when Kyoko left as well, 15 years before Mami's death.
Homura picked up a dried and wrinkled leaf, twisting it as it crumpled and the bits and pieces blew itself away with the dry wind. Earth was slowing turning into a ball of dust floating in the galaxy, but demons still continued to appear without fail. Kyubey already departed around the time Mami died, claiming it had no purpose to stay any longer since it had collected enough energy to be allowed to return home to report its mission.
She didn't really care though. Her only focus was to continue hunting down every demon across the globe, until she just falls and disappear like Kyoko and Mami did. She was prepared for that for a while already, but for some reason, there was always a strong force, or a sort of emotion that run through her, telling her to never give up, to keep on doing her best.
And with that voice she heard every time when she wanted to make herself fail, she stood up again and attacked, claiming victory in a minute or so. Sometimes, Homura even put herself in danger just to listen to that sweet voice she yearned to hear to give her enough courage to continue living.
Homura continued walking, walking and walking without stopping once to rest. Yet everything around her remained unchanged. Dried up trees, parched desert and cracked lines on the ground everywhere. It was depressing to even live here, to even stay here, to even breathe here. The air was turning extremely thin and Homura estimated in a year or so, there's probably no oxygen left. The only thing left on earth would just be the roaming, homeless demons.
She finally reached the empty field that she was heading to and approached a lone tree that wasn't blown away by tornados or any hurricane. Beneath the strong tree was a large grayish silver stone, which Kyoko said they should mark it as Sayaka's grave. Homura softly brushed off the sand and dust that had built up on the stone and stared at the names.
Sayaka
Kyoko
Mami
Above the three names, Homura had carved another, a week after Mami's death. She always wanted to sculpt it ever since Kyoko suggested to make a grave for Sayaka, but she didn't dare to. Homura always knew Madoka wasn't dead, she hadn't disappear like the three others did. Madoka had always, always always always been by her side, encouraging her, protecting her.
But she ended up engraving her name right there, the six letters word. Homura cried when she did. She thought that it was the only way... the only way for her to remember that person's name forever when she come over to visit. That pink-haired girl she loved and cared the most in the universe. The person who sacrifice so much yet no knew about her. She didn't want to forget her like everyone else did... never...
"Madoka." Homura whispered as her lips tugged into a sad smile.
A soft breeze blew by and Homura smiled, acknowledging it as an answer.
"Sorry."
Homura closed her eyes and sat down in front of the stone, legs crossed.
"It must be hard on you."
She picked up a sharp stone and started carving.
"You must be really tired, aren't you?"
Homura smiled, a little wider than before. She finished what she wanted to do for so long and she finally did it.
"Homura-chan. It's time to head home."
Two hands. Two bright hands. Homura could see it. She finally saw something so bright for the first time. She reached out for it and she saw it.
"Let's go!"
Homura widened her eyes and tears started spilling. She broke into a large grin, for the first time so real.
Gradually, the magical girl slowly disappeared. A soft breeze blew by again and the thin branches of the lone tree swayed a little. The stone was still left there, stationed on the ground, probably forever till Earth really disappears.
Madoka
Sayaka
Kyoko
Mami
Homura
A/N: THERE'S JUST FEELS IN MY HAND AND EYES AND NO ONE CAN STOP ME NOT EVEN MY WOULD BE SELF
WAS HOOKED UP WITH GRIEF SYNDROME AND 'VE BEEN PLAYING IT AT CASHBANKY HOUSE CAUSE MACBOOK CANNOT DL OMG DO YOU KNOW THE PAIIN I HAVE TO SUFFER OF A DESPAIR GIRL?
Omg madohomu you have outdone youself. Edited the grammar mistakes out coz this fic is really the best. And it deserves to be error free.