Authors Note: Decided I might as well post this on this site too since its on Tumblr and AO3 already.
Anyways, this takes place within the world of my other story A Different Path, and whether you want to consider it 'canon' to the storyline or not is up to you. Takes place after Chapter 17.
Blue roses lined the path Sayaka walked along and the faint lullaby of a violin played in the distance. The scene was calm by appearance, but there was an undertone of unease in the air. Glancing at the roses now and then, the magical girl would frown and in the back of her mind, Sayaka could have swore she had been here once before. Only, it felt like last time around there had been more color. Pink, yellow and violet along with the blue.
But now, blue had taken over the rose field, and the rest had become a washed out tone of gray.
The ground was wet, almost as though it had rained only recently, and drops of water glistened on the blue petals, slowly sliding down and dropping to the ground in a silent 'splat'.
Where were the purple roses? Sayaka swore that there were supposed to be purple roses alongside the blue ones.
Her body slowly began to tense as she continued making her way down the path regardless of the lack of violet roses. It was only a few moments more that she realized that she was drawing closer to the source of the music.
There was a series of giggles that hit her ears as soon as she made that revelation. It was far from innocent, there was malice in every bit.
Her hand instinctively went to her sword, eyes searching for the source.
When Sayaka's eyes landed on the ground, she felt her stomach churn. The ground wasn't soaked in water anymore, rather it was blood that she was walking through. The vile smell was quick to reach her nose and she forced herself to keep walking and try to ignore it. Try not to think of where it came from.
It felt like a sense of deja vu she noted as she continued moving. Something was drawing her forward, whispering for her to keep walking and the closer she got, the louder and more wild the violin music became.
Feeling herself the need to be prepared, she scanned the area once more, drawing her cutlass and holding it tight in her hand- only the very next second the solid familiarity of her cutlass vanished into something soft and fragile.
Her gaze came down to stare at the single rose she held, her sword back in its sheathe at her hip. The rose was a bright purple in color, and it seemed to emit a warmth and vibrating with life... Only soon after Sayaka realized that cut from its roots the rose was dead. The petals quickly shrunk and dried, purple fading to black as the rose shriveled up in Sayaka's hand, an invisible wind ripping it from her.
The giggling grew in intensity.
A red haze began filling up Sayaka's field of vision making it harder to see where she was going. It burned at her eyes, tears began pricking at the corners. Instinctively, Sayaka drew her sword again and this time it remained in her grip.
Something light hit her in the middle of her back and out of instinct Sayaka whirled around, lashing out with her blade. But nothing was there and it only cut through the red mist.
Whatever had touched her had bounded back a few feet. She could see multiple dark figures in the mist dancing around her, laughing around her. Laughing at her.
Her mind instantly went to the idea of familiars. This was a labyrinth, but when had she stumbled into a witch's home? She did not remember hunting down any, she couldn't even remember what she was doing before waking up in this place.
No, just focus on getting out of there not on how she got in.
It seemed to be lashing out at her for going closer to the source of the music, that must be the exit then.
With that, Sayaka broke into a run, though difficult it may have been as the blood at her feet became more like glue, trying to keep her from moving. She pushed forward.
The disgusting smell grew stronger as she sloshed her way through the labyrinth. Things were hitting her from every direction now- tomatoes? These things following her were chanting in and out of unison, though Sayaka didn't understand what they were saying she could tell they were mocking her.
But then they began just chanting one word, and it was one that Sayaka knew well.
"Sayaka! Sayaka!"
The way they sung it, calling out to her in mockery, promising pain if she headed their calls.
Her temper was at its limits. Blood was pounding in her ears and in her veins. Half blinded by the acidic mist burning at her eyes, Sayaka continued to push herself forward.
"Sayaka! Sayaka! Sayaka!"
She had to get out of here, she had to get out of here! There was someone waiting for her on the outside!
….who was waiting for her?
"Sayaka! Sayaka! Sayaka-chan~! Miki-san~!"
Shaking her head to try and block out the sound of her name, she continued moving. Who was waiting for her… she couldn't remember the name no matter how hard she tried.
But she knew she cared for this person oh so much. She could remember long and lovely black hair, innocent violet eyes, red glasses no longer worn, and a beautiful smile.
Why couldn't she remember a name?!
"Sayaka! Sayaka!"
She couldn't stand these things anymore. Why wouldn't they just shut up?! Stop mocking her?! Stop pelting her with tomatoes, stop saying her name?!
"Sayaka! Sayaka!"
With a cry of rage, Sayaka began lashing out at the creatures that had drawn in close to her, circling her. Wide unnatural smiles stretched across their faces-was that blood on their faces?
Sayaka didn't care if they looked like children, they weren't human.
"Sayaka! Sayaka!"
"Shut up! Shut up!" Sayaka responded, slashing again. No matter what she did her blade seemed to do nothing. They passed through them harmlessly.
A hand landed on her shoulder, and Sayaka screamed in anger, turning around and driving her cutlass into the monster.
"S-Sayaka…?"
That…. that wasn't the same voice that had been mocking her. It was just one person…. she knew that voice.
Eyes wide in horror, Sayaka looked up to see Homura before her. Her own eyes shone with shock and disbelief, blood began to dribble from the corner of her mouth.
Sayaka's cutlass was driven right through her chest.
"Homura… oh God… H-Homura I'm s-sorry- I didn't mean to- I!"
Blood was running down the blade, Homura's own body starting to slide down the cold metal, drawing closer to Sayaka as the strength in her legs gave way.
She gave Sayaka a weak and bloodied smile.
"Don't lie." she said, and Sayaka felt her own heart stop, "You meant to stab me, you were so angry so you brought your sword down on me with all your strength. You hurt me, you're killing me, Sayaka."
There was no way Sayaka could save her, she knew this was true and wished so desperately that it wasn't. The sword had gone right through Homura's heart. The Magical Girl could only stare in horror as Homura reached the hilt of her blade, which was now lathered in her blood. Her thin arms shakily coming up and wrapping around Sayaka holding her close and tight.
Sayaka wanted to let go of her cutlass, wanted to pull it out, but her arm was frozen in place, hand gripping the hilt so tightly her knuckles were white under the gloves.
"You're selfish, oh so selfish, aren't you," Homura said, nuzzling Sayaka as she buried her face into her neck. Leaving blood all over the white and blue of her friends outfit. "You hurt anyone and everyone you care about."
She said it in such an affectionate tone.
Sayaka could only stand there limply, in shock over what had happened, over what she had done as Homura spoke to and held her. Her own thoughts, crying against this whole scene, swallowed by grief, were drowned out by the roaring waves within her.
"You're only anchor left and you cut it down, let it sink to the bottom of your own sea of emotions. Are you proud?" Homura asked, fingers running through blue locks. Sayaka could feel her smile against the skin of her neck, "I'm dead. All because of you."
"Are you proud?"
"Sayaka! Sayaka!"
The chanting continued, the monsters from earlier surrounded them both, each holding a handful of wilted purple roses in their hands. Homura began cackling, the laughter inhuman and cruel. Nails dug into Sayaka's flesh drawing out her own blood, threatening to tear away her skin and show what hid beneath to the whole world.
At their feet the bloodied water that they had stood in had begun rapidly rising, no longer just a thin layer over the ground but knee deep. Each second it got higher and higher, threatening to drown everyone within it's dark fluid. Homura's blood had mixed in with it, and bits of Sayaka's was joining in as well, each drop indistinguishable from the rest, melding perfectly in with the water.
Her body began to shake and tremble, and her tongue cringed as the blood hit it. Even as they were drowning in this ocean of blood, Homura did not let go. Neither her laughter or the children chanting ceased. It only increased in tempo.
Finally Sayaka let out a long cry, of grief and anger and pain, it echoed through this dark world overpowering the thundering notes that played ceaselessly.
A thud echoed through the room as Sayaka hit the floor. Eyes shot open, wide with terror and confusion as she was thrust out of her dreamworld, out of the nightmare land.
The dream still felt fresh, still felt real.
But it was just a dream, it had to be. None of that had happened at all, it couldn't have been real. Here she was on Homura's bedroom floor, there was no blood, no flowers, no- Homura!
Scrambling quickly to her feet, Sayaka looked around wildly before eyes fell on the bed.
There just where she had been all night. Sleeping soundly in bed, alive and well.
Taking in her sleeping form, she could see no sign that Homura had been cut or impaled, enforcing that what happened had just been a dream. A terrible, awful dream. Without thinking, Sayaka's hand reached up and brushed a few strands of black hair from her face before trailing down to Homuras chest. She held it there for a few seconds, or maybe minutes.
She could feel each beat of her heart, strong, rhythmic. A sign that Homura was alive.
But the dream flashed through her mind once again. The smell of blood lingered even now, and her ears could still hear the faint mocking calls of 'Sayaka'.
She had killed Homura… her heart attack was Sayaka's fault... Homura will die and it'll all be her fault.
"Homura… I'm so sorry," Sayaka said, sliding to her knees and resting her face against her friends chest, ear pressed down just so she could hear each beat of the heart. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry…"
Her own body trembled as she fought back her tears. She had to be strong.
"I swear I'll keep you safe, I'll protect you… even from myself…. I'll die to keep you safe… I… I can't lose you. I'm sorry I'm selfish but I just can't lose you."
Even if she had to cross lines and carve sins into her skin, Sayaka was going to protect Homura from everything that dared hurt her. Even if that meant she had to remove herself from Homura's life to do so. Doing so would be more painful than Sayaka could bare, but so long as Homura was safe, that was all that mattered. She can handle watching Homura from afar so long as she could still see Homura and see that she was alive and safe. Nothing else mattered, no one else mattered.
Was that selfish?