Hey, everyone! So this is a fanfiction I've been meaning to write for a while as a less ambiguous, more satisfying ending to Rebellion. While I do not reject the original ending and completely understand the symbolism, I felt that a more positive spin would make for a refreshing one-shot after sitting through the heavy atmosphere of Rebellion while keeping some of the initial symbolism presented in the original film. I felt too that providing an internal dialogue for Homura would also be interesting to explore during this scene as well as the aftermath of my alternative ending. This one-shot also represents my one and only sin towards the fanfiction stereotype of shipping, but honestly I don't care because this pair is universally considered canon: I just wanted more overtones and I enjoyed writing them.
I am also considering writing one more part to this one-shot, but have not made up my mind yet as I do like what I have written here and how it ends. I might just write the separate part as another one-shot at another time too, but only time will tell.
Anyways, the New Year is approaching soon, so here's my last one-shot of 2015!
"Madoka…" Homura's eyes squinted. The bright, godly glow descending upon her slowly became distorted, as if she were slowly drowning in her own tears. Madoka's smile was so warm…so close…all she wanted to see was the smile of the girl she loved so much. Homura suffered an eternity of sorrow in her heart…and she ached to spend an eternity with Madoka's smile, even if she had to freeze time just to see that wish come true. The expanse of the universe, the gates to heaven, the pink and golden glow before her…salvation awaited her if she closed her eyes and accepted the embrace from the goddess before her. Oh how much did she want to be in Madoka's arms again after having Madoka's weak, dying body in hers too many universes ago…the bow tied around her head, the only proof that Madoka was ever with her, seemed to ache as if yearning to return to its previous owner. The temptation to end it all here, to become one with the universe and to fulfill the Law of Cycles was far too great.
Homura, however, felt anchored to the earth; her body felt heavy as if she ingested lead, her arms could barely move. The weakness that enveloped her body, the result of her own curse, took hold of her as if divine punishment she delivered upon herself. The witch inside had torn her apart from the inside and her body was slowly failing her. The embrace of death seemed to hold her captive as well and teetering between death and salvation placed Homura at a crossroads. She should make the obvious choice, to choose salvation, to disappear. A more uncertain death, one that would send her to oblivion, to a land of unknowns, would certainly separate her from her dear Madoka. But wouldn't accepting the salvation Madoka offered her separate her from her Madoka as well? Was Homura destined to perish here regardless?
Was this really what Madoka wanted?
A flash of light enveloped Homura's eyes and she felt her mind being transported elsewhere.
"Madoka," Homura now stood in a grassy field overlooking Mitakihara City, the sun shining from directly above them. The wind rustled the blades of grass as if commanding them to bow and as Homura turned her head, she could see Madoka slowly approaching her. The beautiful girl before her was dressed in a beautiful flowing white dress, a black bow lacing the hem of the collar, the bow neatly covering her petite chest. A melancholy smile was etched into her face. She outstretched her hand silently, beckoning for Homura to grasp it.
"I…" Homura spoke, her hand moving on its own, wanting to grasp Madoka's without hesitation. Homura's feet wouldn't move, and she looked down to see her legs fixed in place, paralyzed to the ground. She noticed then that she, too, was wearing a similar dress, hers a contrasting pitch black as if to mock her impurity compared to Madoka…and yet, there was a white bow proudly displayed on the dress' collar. Her eyes then stared longingly and desperately at Madoka's, growing foggier and glassier from the on and off precipitation, unable to process her situation as a festering frustration built in her chest. Madoka was finally in front of her, she was finally going to be reunited with her, but why did she feel as if her heart was ripping in half? Why did Madoka carry a smile that held such grief? Was this the burden she has to carry as a goddess? Could she accept Madoka's sacrifice?
"Please, Homura…" Madoka's voice was shaky, her body wavering, "please, take my hand. You'll die if you don't." Beneath Homura's feet, a void was beginning to open, blackening the grass.
"Madoka…" Homura reached out to her, but not to accept her hand, "Madoka, are you ok with this? Can you be happy with this ending?"
"I…I don't know what I'd do…"Madoka's melancholy smile never faltered, but tears ran down her cheeks, "I couldn't go on…if you died in such a terrible way, Homura."
"Please, let me save you," Madoka sniffled, "Don't let everything you've done be for nothing. I want to save you, Homura. Please…just let me save you."
"Madoka…" Homura was on the verge of tears, her hand moving towards Madoka's. Their fingers touched. Homura used the last bit of her strength to clasp Madoka's hand in hers. The light faded.
The last thing Homura saw was Madoka's retired smile.
Homura's Soul Gem was nearly in the goddess's clutches. Madoka's presence sent healing waves through her body, purifying her spirit, calming her spirit as salvation overtook her nearly broken Soul Gem. Homura's eyes drew dreary as a powerful urge to sleep overcame her, a primal force that transcended nearly every thought in her mind. At the pit of her stomach, however, something howled, a faint echo in the distance. The voice grew louder, a desperation attempting to break through the dreariness, a familiar voice.
Do not abandon your pain. Sow the seeds of rebellion. Turn your despair into strength. You're done with saving everyone.
"End this painful cycle."
Homura's eyes grew wide, her body snapping back alive. Her hand grasped Madoka's extended hand, and as if every incarnation of her painful existence simultaneously pulled, Homura's body was overcome with a violet aura, the fabric of her curse growing exponentially around her. Madoka's mortal body was pulled out of the goddess, separating them into two, and Homura held Madoka in her harms, refusing to let go, the warmth of their embrace giving Homura reason to cry…and to smile. A similar pink aura covered Madoka.
"Homura!" Mami yells out.
"What are you doing?" Sayaka yelled out from a distance, shocked, "Do you intend on breaking the Law of Cycles?!"
As the curse expanded from the city to the planet, beyond the solar system, the galaxy, and even the universe itself, Homura heard the inner voice once again.
A mind that has seen despair shall not be lost if it seeks truth. A heart that has experienced pain shall never wither away if it seeks true love. Darkness is not an end…it is merely a beginning.
Become a darkness that births new light.
"Madoka!" Homura yells out to the goddess, holding the mortal Madoka in her clutches, "Take my hand!"
"What?!" the goddess's eyes widened.
"Do it!" Homura extended her hand, "I'm not going to let you be on your own anymore!"
The goddess considered Homura's words for a moment before a flash of understanding crossed her eyes. She extended her hand halfway, meeting Homura's grasp. In that moment, the violet aura surrounding Homura expanded outward as fast, no faster than her curse as if a hand trying to clutch it. Upon reaching the expanse of the universe, the fabric of time and space began to rewrite itself, the strings holding the universe together falling apart, and all at once, all motion in the universe seem to cease from a mortal perspective. Then, as if cosmic hands were to intervene, every particle split apart at once, every bit of the universe separated as if a jar of beads and marbles were to be spilled, only to float brilliantly in open space in freeze frame. Nothing was recognizable; everything became separate but unified as the universe was now present in its purest form. Then, the particles crashed back together into a singularity, a spectacle that could be missed in a blink of an eye, the great forces of the universe manifesting into equilibrium, the universe resetting into its primal form. Then, as if paint splattered onto a canvas, the auras of purple and pink, the two divine forces, splattered onto the singularity as the Great Birth happened once again, accelerated by the aura's craftsmanship. The strings that once held the universe together were reweaved together as intertwined strands of pink and violet. Meanwhile, Homura, still holding Madoka in her arms, the goddess and Kyubey stood outside of the universe, witnessing the reconstruction of their plane of existence.
"What have you done?" Kyubey sat there in witness to it all. Time sped across whole generations, millennia, eons. The big bang they had witnessed seemed as if it occurred in seconds.
"I wrote myself into the universe with Madoka," another figure stepped into existence from the greater expanse, a feathery black dress encapsulating her slender figure, with extensive raven-like wings expending behind her and a large, red bow in her hair. Another Homura, with stature and presence matching Goddess Madoka, walked up to them, a violent orb clutched in her boney hand gently.
"Homura…you wrote yourself into godhood?" Kyubey seemed astounded, mustering as much emotion as he could.
"That hardly seems appropriate considering I tampered with the universe," the new Homura cracked a dry smile, "I'm more like a devil…a devil that defied a Goddess."
"Hmm…I see. So you're attempting to dethrone Madoka?" Kyubey hypothesized.
"I would never do that…" the original Homura, holding Madoka in her arms, spoke, "I just didn't want her to be alone anymore. I wanted to return her to her friends, her family…and to me."
"I did two things to the universe," Devil Homura spoke up, touching Kyubey's head. A wave of electricity shot into his head, knocking him back a few feet. Kyubey struggled to get up.
"Do you understand now?" She asks expectantly.
"I see…" Kyubey huffed, shaking off the pain, "You wrote yourself into the Law of Cycles…and you returned Madoka's existence back to the universe."
"Yes," Homura spoke calmly, "If being along as a goddess is too painful, then I shall be there with her. I want her to exist again without her sacrifice being in vain. If Madoka intends on saving magical girls, then she can save them by returning their souls back to their bodies. I intend on taking their curses away."
"So you intend on managing all the curses in the universe on your own just to save the girl?" Kyubey asked, his eyes widening.
"No. I do not intend on saving anyone anymore. Rather, I have restoring to the universe back to its correct state, before you Incubators intervened." Homura walks to Kyubey gracefully, a playfully sadistic smile on her face.
"You are an Incubator, are you not?" Devil Homura spoke coldly, "You will hold just as much responsibility for fixing this world alongside us." Devil Homura grabbed Kyubey by the tail, holding him in her free hand. At that moment, her new Soul Gem emerged from the violet sphere in the shape of a violet crown.
"You want to contain your precious entropy, right? I intend on delivering…using you Incubators to disperse the energy from the curses I gather from Soul gems back into the universe. You will become the sources of energy you looked for so desperately." Homura could feel Kyubey trying to squirm away from her, but her grasp was too strong.
"Do not worry," Homura whispered, "I won't let you disappear so easily."
Devil Homura looked over at the universe, nearing its reconstruction in both time and space. The pieces were falling back into place. She walked up to the mortal Homura, extending a hand to her. Goddess Madoka watched in awe.
"I will become the darkness to her light and restore balance. We may exist separately, you and I, but we are one and the same, just as I am now the Goddess other half." Homura extended a hand to her devil counterpart, their auras mixing together. Their consciousness overlapped and Homura could feel her existence enter omnipotence, as if she existed in two vessels at once, but her mind and soul were everywhere at once. This feeling of omnipotence…of concepthood…overcame Homura and yet her mortality seemed more defined in that moment as well.
"You're existence on Earth may be short, but life is precious," Devil Homura spoke, "I fulfilled my half of the wish. The rest is up to you."
Homura smiled weakly, sighing in relief. Madoka was cradled in her hands, fast asleep, a peaceful smile on her face. Goddess Madoka walked up to Madoka, laying a hand on her head and taking Madoka's hand into her own. She whispered a few words to the sleeping girl and their pink auras mixed together, their existences overlapping for that short moment. Goddess Madoka stepped back, turning to look at Devil Homura with appreciative eyes.
"Thank you," she spoke. Placing a hand on Homura's cheek, the Goddess and Devil looked into each other's eyes endearingly, a sense of peace returning to them through touch, their reunion bringing a genuine, heartfelt curl to their lips. With Kyubey in Devil Homura's hand, the Goddess' pink light and the Devil's violet light overlapped, their lights taking the form of hands with their fingers intertwining in a gentle grasp before mixing together. The pink and violet lights swirled in a gentle cycle around their bodies as an orb of light overcame the omnipotent and omnipresent beings, the scene soon bathed in light.
The proud Shinto shrine overlooked the bustling, expanding city below, the modest existence resting on a grassy hill surrounded by the calm, resting natural wonders of the land. The rising half moon smiled widely as if celebrating solemnly and expressively in the sky, anticipating the all too near future as the sun was resigning. The trees, stripped bare of their leaves, braced themselves for the continuing winter in hopes of a new year's spring, and cradled in their branches, they held lanterns and decorations that filled their nimble hands once more. The hibernating world was soon filled with a lively crowd's banter as people gathered on the hilly plateau in troves. The long awaited New Year's Eve festival was upon them all, the excitement over watching the fireworks paint the sky with fantastic renewing light vibrating the air and the earth with cheers and music. Soon – they all knew whether plant, earth, or human – the long awaited fireworks and the rise of the morning sun would herald in a New Year.
"Madoka." Homura smiled at the petite girl, who hung onto the wooden red rail overlooking the valley and city below. Madoka donned a cute, sakura pink floral yukata, her red sash tied into a tight red bow as if an unintentional gesture to Homura of her existence. Homura paused, admiring the cute beauty before her. "Thank you for coming with me."
"O-of course, Homura-chan!" Madoka stuttered, a nervous twitch echoing up her spine. She smiled, her eyes flustered at finally being alone with Homura.
"I told you already you don't need to call me Homura-chan anymore. Homura is fine." Despite the correction, Homura smiled warmly, moving behind Madoka to cradle her in her arms. Madoka's face flushed immediately as her cheeks shined a deep crimson, an embarrassment barely hidden by the darkening sky, but not unnoticed by Homura. Homura giggled as she hugged Madoka closer, allowing their warmth to mix between them.
"It's been a while huh…?" Madoka smiled, and Homura could tell she was feeling more and more comfortable with her presence as she leaned into her. "Since we've been going out, of course…" She quickly added. Homura giggled.
"I know." Homura responded simply, smiling.
"I-I'm glad I was given another chance…for things to turn out differently. I'm glad we can live this way." Madoka gazed out at the city below them, watching the cars sit in the traffic below and the streets bustle with people in the distance. "Another chance at life. You saved me then, Homura, and I couldn't be happier. Thank you."
"I didn't save you, Madoka. I merely offered you my hand. You saved yourself, so always remember that." Homura's face grew closer to Madoka's, her cheek brushing up against hers, sending a soft, tingling sensation between their cheeks. Madoka rubbed back, the pleasurable feeling of closeness and Madoka's giggling melting Homura's fears away, fears of losing her precious Madoka. Madoka's eyes then hovered over Homura, and Homura's petty fears soon came rushing back as Madoka took notice of her violet yukata, draping over her body loosely despite the tight, constricting feeling of the purple sash around her stomach. Homura blushed in embarrassment, losing her bravado as Madoka examined her with wide eyes.
"You look beautiful, Homura-ch…I mean Homura." Madoka smiled, her cheerful eyes nailing Homura's heart with a deadly cute attack. Homura nearly stammered back, but remembering that Madoka was in her arms, she stood her ground.
"Not as gorgeous as you are, my little princess." Homura countered boldly despite her soft, vulnerable tone from Madoka's complement. Madoka quickly looked away, and Homura could swear she heard pouting under Madoka's breath.
"That's not fair, Homura…being that sweet to me…" Madoka whined.
"You started it," Homura laughed, hugging Madoka affectionately before letting her go. Madoka couldn't help but laugh with her with a huge smile and closed eyes.
"I have a present for you, my dear princess." Homura continued to laugh under her breath at her own chivalrous nonsensical tease, but soon got a hold of a more serious composure. Madoka's flustered reactions to her ongoing flattery filled her with life as she pulled out a small box from her yukata. Kneeling down on both knees, her head bowed to Madoka, Homura presented the wrapped gift to her love. Madoka, rather than taking it immediately, kneeled down with her, smiling warmly.
"Don't you remember, Homura? We're equals. You don't need to be so formal." She accepted the gift, however, remaining on the cold, stone ground with her, a child-like excitedly painting her cheerful expression as she examined the present curiously. "Can I open it?"
"Of course." Homura nodded with a resigned, yet sweet smile growing between her lips as she stood back up. She offered a hand to Madoka, who gladly took it, their touch feeling like a blending of souls. Night had finally befallen the shrine completely and the crowd was getting anxious at the arrival of their manmade lights. Madoka slowly opened her gift, finding a simple black container within the wrapping. Sitting within was a thin necklace, a gold frame encompassing a captivating pink pearl with a beautifully cut amethyst hanging underneath. On top was the very hairband Homura wore since the very beginning, from the first timeline she met Madoka until this very moment. Madoka didn't hesitate to marvel at Homura's gifts, a sense of accomplishment flooding Homura's senses as Madoka soon wrapped the necklace around her neck and crowned her head with her hairband.
"I love them, Homu!" She quickly hugged Homura, overwhelming her brain as she processed Madoka's affectionate reaction. She could only mumble as Madoka asked her how it looked on her.
"It's…b-beautiful…I'm…heheh…" Homura scratched the back of her head, trying to calm herself. It was too much! But Homura was also relieved that Madoka liked her present.
"B-but." Homura's heart nearly sank at those words, concerned. "Are you sure it's ok for me to take something as precious as your hairband?" Madoka asked timidly, concern etched in her eyes. Homura processed her words, her eyes returning a reassuring smile.
"You're bow has given me more strength than you can imagine, Madoka. I can only wish to convey those same feelings you gave me. Please…take it." Homura patted Madoka's head, allowing the headband to secure its place. Madoka's endearing composure captivated Homura in that moment, and as she stared into her love's eyes, she could hear the sound of fireworks go off in the distance, the crowd cheering in the background as they roared into the sky. Homura's attention nearly diverted from Madoka, but was pulled back in by a daring, passionate kiss as Madoka leaned up into Homura in a sudden embrace. The softness of Madoka's lips conveyed Madoka's entire spirit, her pure love and being entangling with Homura as if a sweet mysticism, a familiar comfort as ancient as the universe itself. Homura did not hesitate to return the kiss, her strength and resolve melting into beautiful desire, passion, longing, and heartfelt emotion as primal as the first beings to walk the earth. Their conveyed emotions transcended their mortal plain and the universe was moved ever so slightly, lifted from reality's firm hold into a moment of pure emotional release before settling once more.
"Happy New Year, Homura." Madoka simply smiled, nothing more, nothing less. Homura blushed at Madoka's daring advance, but hugged her tightly in her arms with an excited, cheery grin as they watched the fireworks.
"Happy New Year, Madoka."
And a Happy New Year to you all! Thanks for reading!