The crevices of her body spoke to her on volumes the black haired girl couldn't - the slopes on her back, the bags under her eyes, those slender yet firm hands - but there was one, one feature that demanded her attention in the present.
Her scars.
So many of them, both profound and light, some harsh and others controlled, which told a story by its own right, that of an endless warrior, and yet - something didn't add up.
Why did she just notice this now?
She wishes she'd know the story, so she could hold her dearly at her worst, so she'd be able to comfort her at the end of their sessions, when all is done and she sees only a husk, all traces of happiness long gone in that bursting moment, leaving only chunks of guilt behind.
Because those rough spots on her fingers, she, she should've felt them when she grabs her hands, and her back is a universe, seen with curious nails and fingers, a map that is somehow more sincere than everything she's told her so far, and that one looks rather deep, like it pierced her skin, and are those cuts she's seeing under her wrist? And -
And then there is nothing.
There is nothing since they disappear, vanish under a collapsed memory; gone one fraction a second too late, too late but not yet late.
And, and what were 'they' to begin with?
Madoka tries but does not remember.
-
A/N: Inspired by pixiv artist Azmodan's "[再録]Final Exit＆告知" work, which is where the cover comes from. I feel bad for not having asked permission to use the cover image; all the templates I found were for Tumblr reposting... so if you ever see this, pardon me. I'll remove it if you say so.
I've always been fascinated by the idea of Devil Homura having all the scars she acquired during the time loops. How would she look like, I wonder? Why would she choose to keep them?
Thanks for reading.