When they die, for good this time, it's together. Homura has long been distant and fighting on her own, and Sayaka is dead too, fallen in battle when they were only children.
They're grown-ups now, and the frilly dresses they wear while fighting monsters fit that much tighter. Mami wished aloud that morning that her thigh-highs would become tights these days, to hide the purple veins that are visible on her thighs. It was a silly, vain thing to say, but Kyouko won't have it, she kisses every patch of skin she can see and says that Mami is still beautiful and always will be.
And so, they were late getting to the battle.
By the time they arrive the witch's victim is already halfway off the roof, and Mami experiences a flash of deja vu as she whisks her to safety with golden ribbons and a smile.
The witch is closer by than they thought, however, and before they know it they're restrained, long strips of what look like stamps braiding around their legs and restraining their weapons. Mami drops hers immediately, flicking her fingers to summon another one, but it's too late, because the stamp-paper winds between her fingers and she can't quite grasp the rifle as it appears out of thin air next to her. She gasps in shock, and feels Kyouko's fingers fit between hers instead. It hasn't been hard for them to fight in years— more years than she can count— and when was the last time they cleaned their soul gems again—
When she wakes up again, she is laying on a glittering cloud of stardust. Her knees beneath her seem clad in the skirt she wears to work, but when she squints it seems a little more like her old school uniform, and then again like the white dress she wore when she and Kyouko exchanged rings and went out to lunch like it was nothing at all.
Her partner is lying next to her, similarly wearing clothes that remind her of every day at once, though she still seems to be sleeping. Mami senses someone watching them and she spins around, only to see a girl, probably much younger than them, with long pink hair and thousands of what look like glowing marbles hovering over her palms.
"I can't stay," she says, tenderly, like they are old friends, but Mami can't place her face. "I've just come to return these, though I'll be back." With that, she ushers the marbles towards the two women, then spreads her arms wide and vanishes like the sun behind a cloud.
Mami stares apprehensively at the globes as they float closer, and beside her Kyouko stirs. They exchange glances, and then the marbles are right there, winking into their skin like bubbles bursting.
Memories of timelines meant to never-be rush into her. Mami feels her eyes fill with tears as she remembers.
"Kaname-san…" she whispers.
Beside her, Kyouko is crying. "We forgot her," Mami says, horrorstruck, and Kyouko looks up with her, bright eyes swimming with tears.
"Are you stupid? I'm not crying for that." She violently scrapes her knuckles across her eyes, trying to banish the girlish weakness that somehow shows through. "All those timelines where we didn't meet— All those timelines where you died—"
It sounds silly, to be so heartbroken over pathways that never cross, but Mami understands. Thank god this was the one that stuck, thank god they had each other. She holds Kyouko close, and they cry.