"Why does it have to be this way?" Madoka cried. She clawed at her own throat and gasped for breath. "We did it! We defeated Walpurgisnacht, so why…?"
Homura hovered over her dear friend. She had scratches running up and down her arms and legs that bit at her senses but it did little to stop her from holding Madoka. She choked back tears of her own, knowing all too well what would soon follow.
"I'm so sorry, Madoka, I wasn't able to—"
Madoka squirmed suddenly and shrieked in pain. Her soul gem was tainted and gleamed dangerously, spiderweb cracks sinking into the glass at an alarming rate.
"H-Homura, promise me you won't forget!" Madoka pleaded desperately between gritted teeth and squinted eyes. "Please don't forget the vow we made!"
With one arm supporting Madoka's back, Homura clutched Madoka's hand in her other. Fierce determined eyes met ghostly pale ones.
"I won't!"
Madoka smiled weakly. Evidently, this was the end of her rope. Her soul gem's cracks deepened and her wails filled Homura's ears.
Then, everything was dark.
Homura awoke with a start. She immediately sat up and reached into her pocket to retrieve her phone. The dark screen reflected her appearance back to her—unkempt hair, a cold sweat dripping down her face, and eyes as wide as saucers. It was as if she had seen a ghost.
Realistically, she realized, she pretty much had.
Homura clicked the power button on her phone and her eyes darted for the date. Her heart finally settled itself when she confirmed it wasn't the day Walpurgisnacht would arrive.
She sighed and dropped the phone down beside her. Subconsciously her hand began combing through her hair in a futile attempt to establish some semblance of order. Even so, her hands shook in the process.
So my past lives have returned to haunt me yet again, Homura thought. It would be difficult to shake the ominous feeling the dream had left her with.
"Good morning!"
Homura jumped at the sudden exclamation and assumed the battle-ready position. This meant taking on her magical girl form and reaching for a weapon. It took about half of a second later for her to connect the voice and appearance of her assailant as none other than Madoka.
"O-Oh, it's just you," Homura said. The tension in her shoulders faded away and she reverted back to her normal form. Having to relive such a painful moment in a previous timeline had put her on edge more so than usual. On a regular day, Homura would have recognized Madoka's cheerful voice immediately and would not have mistaken it as a hostile entity.
Homura's reaction had seemingly startled Madoka as well. She had taken a step back and raised her hands in submission. A sheepish smile graced her lips. "I'm sorry, Homura, I didn't mean to scare you! Are you alright?"
"Yes, just a bad dream is all," Homura responded as she attempted to reign in all of her rampant thoughts and emotions. She closed her eyes and willed the image of Madoka's distraught expression as she lay dead to leave her mind. It took even more effort before the distinct sound of her screams stopped piercing her eardrums.
A pair of hands drew Homura's away from her sides and clasped them together. She opened her eyes to find Madoka's understanding and dangerously sweet smile prepared to ambush her. She gently said, "I'm so sorry to hear that, it must have been because I stole your bed from you and made you sleep on the couch! I take full responsibility."
Homura's mind was now occupied with the unnerving thought of Madoka worrying that she had caused her trouble. Before she could resist, Madoka's smile grew infectiously. "So! Let me cook breakfast for you while you get ready for school, Homura. Papa taught me a really great recipe for super fluffy eggs! I'm certain it will chase off any nightmare you may have had."
The prospect of eating a home-cooked meal made by Madoka sent shudders through Homura's body. This timeline had already been too good to be true—her first night spent under the same roof as Madoka, an actual kiss, and now a meal presumably made with love as a main ingredient? Homura was quite certain she would sooner melt into a puddle than be able to partake in such a delectable feast.
"Ah, you're being far too kind, Madoka," came Homura's response. She cursed herself internally for rejecting a sentiment that had sent her heart fluttering so. That being said, she definitely didn't want to trouble Madoka or make her feel indebted in any way.
Thankfully, the other girl insisted.
"No worries! I've already decided," Madoka said. It was then that Homura finally got a good look at her friend's appearance. Madoka had already gotten dressed in her school uniform and neatly combed and pinned up her hair. Suddenly, Homura felt incredibly drab in comparison.
"Well, in that case," Homura smiled back lightly, "I'll accept. Thank you for this."
Madoka was already rummaging through her fridge in the kitchen in search of the correct ingredients. Homura was glad she had grabbed some groceries when she picked out the movies for their sleepover.
"No need to thank me. It'll be ready by the time you're dressed," Madoka claimed as she dragged the egg carton out of the refrigerator and placed it onto the counter. Homura drank in the sight in all its glory. If she was able to defeat Walpurgisnacht, could this be something she could look forward to every morning?
As she made her way back into her bedroom, Homura had a noticeable skip in her steps.
Madoka had already had the foresight to make the bed. Her clothes from yesterday were folded neatly next to her schoolbag. Homura idly wondered how long Madoka had been awake before she'd greeted her.
She wondered further if Madoka had put any thought to last night's occurrences.
Homura blushed as she removed her own uniform off the hanger in her closet. She hadn't thought much about it herself, but for good reason. If she were to relive that memory she was certain the desire to recreate it would be incredibly strong.
Against her better judgment, though, her lips tingled and the taste of sour candy rested on her tongue. Would Madoka's lips taste different than last night?
Homura slipped into her uniform, making sure not to get her long hair caught underneath. She knew this was dangerous territory to be treading. She smoothed out her clothing before heading to the bathroom where she could brush her hair. She didn't have enough time this morning to take a shower since Madoka wanted to eat breakfast together, so she resolved to take one later this evening.
Madoka's hairbrush rested on the bathroom sink next to Homura's. Even a mundane object like a comb filled Homura with thoughts of the future. Unheeded, the events of the romance movie from last night returned to her. One of the jokes the bachelor friend had made was that a relationship was getting too serious if the girl left her toothbrush over in his house.
"Maybe… one day," Homura mumbled to herself. Once she finished brushing her hair and teeth, she checked herself over to make sure everything was in order. Her hair was finally presentable without loose strands getting in the way and her breath now no longer seemed to belong to a dying animal. Indeed, everything was well.
Homura picked up Madoka's hairbrush gently and upon returning to her bedroom slipped it into the other girl's bag where her other belongings now rested. She was acutely aware of the added weight this would add to Madoka's bag and wondered if it would be strange if she were to offer carrying it for her when they left.
"Breakfast is ready!"
The timing was uncanny, but Homura wasn't one to complain. She grabbed both of their schoolbags and returned to the living room.
"I'm here," Homura said as she set down their bags on the couch. A cursive glance toward the kitchen revealed that Madoka had really gone all out for her sake. Two plates garnished with eggs, sausage and toast paired with two half glasses of orange juice were waiting to be enjoyed.
Madoka was poised with a dull knife. "How much butter do you like on your bread?"
Homura smiled. Madoka's attention to detail in even the smallest avenues always astounded her. "Just a light layer, please."
Homura took a seat at her small dining table and found herself feeling an emotion that not too long ago would have been difficult to place. It took a lot of effort not to have a wide grin permanently plastered to her face. Her mind was uncharacteristically void of any comprehensible thoughts, and she found it was something she could get used to.
"Here you go!" A warm plate and cold glass were placed before Homura. Madoka had already retrieved utensils and napkins as well.
"Thank you!" Homura said as she began with the eggs. It was evident that Madoka had learned from a master chef judging by the way the flavors wove together and melted in her mouth. Who knew eggs and toast could be so delicious?
Madoka seemed equally pleased with herself, resolving to eat her meal as quickly as possible.
Can she even taste how good it is like that? Homura wondered as she watched Madoka practically inhale the entire piece of toast in one bite. Similarly, the orange juice went down in only three gulps. By the time Madoka was finished with her entire breakfast, Homura had scarcely even finished half of her share.
Madoka collected her dishes and smiled at a clearly spellbound Homura. "Is it really that good?"
"Oh yes," she responded at once. "If Ms. Saotome cooked eggs the way you do, I'm certain none of her boyfriends would have complained."
The two shared a laugh at their homeroom teacher's expense. As Homura finished up a meal she was certain would be fit for the Divine, Madoka got to work cleaning up. There was a contented silence that followed. Madoka fixed her eyes ahead of her and scrubbed her drinking glass thoroughly. She shifted her weight to one side and swallowed.
"You know," she began, "I wouldn't mind doing this for you more often."
Homura nearly choked on the sausage she had been eating. She searched for some indication of Madoka's intentions or perhaps some inkling of emotion in her expression but could only get a good look at the back of her head. Unfortunately, Homura could garner no insight from it.
Sensing the distraught nature of the girl behind her, Madoka amended, "I mean, cooking for you. I'd really hate for you to not have homecooked meals. Plus… The thought of you eating all alone makes me sad, Homura."
Madoka turned off the faucet and turned back toward her friend. Her expression radiated an infectious warmth. Homura's surroundings suddenly felt about ten degrees hotter and she wished desperately that her uniform didn't sport long sleeves. The hopeful intensity with which Madoka now stared at her was threatening to swallow her. It really didn't help either that Madoka was also blushing.
"So!" Madoka awkwardly transitioned as she fiddled with her fingers. "Starting tomorrow, I'll bring an extra lunch for you and we can eat together during break. How's that sound?"
Homura's tongue was in knots. She had fantasized about exactly this type of scenario—getting to eat Madoka's cooking every day, but she certainly had not considered the possibility of it becoming a reality. Now, her imagination ran wild: Could they sneak up onto the rooftop of the school and eat their meals in private? Would Sayaka get jealous? Would any rumors circulate?
Homura stood, grabbing her own dishes and headed toward the sink. She let her arm lightly brush against the other girl's. As she began scrubbing her plate, she briefly closed her eyes and smiled. The images of what could be floated beneath her eyelids.
"If it means that I get to have more of this," she said, intentionally vague, "Then I would love it."
Madoka squeaked in happiness and began rattling off all the different recipes that she wanted Homura to give a try. Truthfully, Homura's mind slipped away from the details of their conversation and instead made itself quite comfortable questioning Madoka's inspiration. Homura was well-aware of Madoka's constant need to help others in spite of the detriment to her own well-being as it was one of the things she both loved and despised most about her.
It hadn't been since the first timeline that Madoka had done so on Homura's behalf, though. Her heart leapt at the reminder of the very first time that Madoka had saved her. In these eyes that vowed to make sure she wouldn't go hungry, she saw the very same Madoka that had become her hero so long ago.
Homura glanced at the clock that rested above the sink. Classes would begin in a little over thirty minutes. "We should head out," she said, hurriedly ensuring that all the electronics were turned off and her kitchen was tidied up. At the same time, Madoka shrugged on her bag and smoothed out her skirt. She then grabbed Homura's bag as well.
"Let us be off!" Madoka joked with a wry grin. Homura could only manage a half-hearted smile in return. As the two made their way to the door and on their way to school, a thought nagged in the back of Homura's mind.
Despite all the bliss she had experienced in the past 24 hours, Homura could never escape the fate she had signed up for. When she had checked the time, inevitably the date was also ingrained into her mind. May 7th. Unlike this morning with her nightmare scare, the memories of past life experiences on this day returned to her.
There were only ten days left before Walpurgisnacht would be here. Significantly, these were also the critical days in every timeline for Sayaka which could throw a wrench in her meticulous plans. Already Homura had failed to prevent her from making a contract with Kyubey. Although she had not yet begun to let a curse grow within her heart, it would almost certainly create issues at some point this week. Hopefully Mami's endurance this time would have some positive effect on her fate.
Unfortunately, this would divert Homura's attention away from Madoka. There was one saving grace, however—Madoka seemed genuinely interested in not forming an alliance with Kyubey in this timeline. Perhaps this would give her just the opportunity she needed to save everyone?
Homura wracked her mind about the coming days and how best to change her approach when she finally realized how silent their walk had been. A pit formed in her stomach and a sick feeling settled there.
But when she glanced over to her companion, Madoka had only a gentle smile on her face. She seemed not to be bothered in the slightest by Homura's lack of manners.
I will succeed this time, she vowed. I will keep her safe.
"Hey, Madoka!"
Homura's eyes darted forward. The sick feeling grew stronger and developed a slightly sour taste in her mouth.
"Oh! Hi Sayaka, Mami!" Madoka beamed as she raised one hand up in a greeting. Both Mami and Sayaka seemed to be walking to class together today as well. Sayaka's eyes bored into Homura's and furrowed a brow in what could only be interpreted as distrust.
Internally, this ruffled Homura's metaphorical feathers. The feeling was mutual.
"What're you doing with the transfer student?" Sayaka said, crossing her arms with a light frown. Mami's smile was stitched to her lips in such a way that Homura knew it was forced and only represented Mami's desire for peace among all the magical girls that resided in this city.
Madoka's smile fell slightly. "She's my friend, Sayaka. And her name is Homura."
A strange triumphant feeling washed over Homura. Despite her best efforts, she often felt in competition with Sayaka for Madoka's attention. She'd always feel a twinge of jealousy whenever Madoka would consistently worry about Sayaka's wellbeing rather than her own. The only thing more frustrating about it was the fact that Sayaka took it for granted.
Nonetheless, Homura's heart felt a confused elation at Madoka's defense on her behalf. On the one hand, it showed that Madoka cared for her enough to stand up to her present best friend. On the other, Homura was so used to doing such things for Madoka, it made her slightly uneasy to be indebted in this way.
Homura simply watched with a cool expression.
"Well, anyways," Sayaka diverted, "It'd be nice if someone else around here would help out with the familiars. Mami and I had to get up at 5am to take care of one this morning."
Mami finally found an ideal moment to join in. She sighed and lamented, "Indeed, there has been quite the increase in witch and familiar activity recently. But even so, a magical girl shouldn't complain!"
Sayaka huffed. The tension that was in the air moments ago seemed to dissipate. Homura knew all too well why there were more witches and familiars in Mitakihara City. Instead of engaging in conversation, Homura focused on Madoka's reactions and nonverbal cues.
It didn't take too much longer before the four girls made it to their respective classrooms and seats. It was as if a tiny creature was gnawing away at Homura's insides as she was forced to listen to Madoka and Sayaka chat from somewhere behind her.
It was too bad she didn't sit closer to Madoka herself.
The five minutes before homeroom started were torturous. Homura set up her laptop and tried in vain to ignore the flare of annoyance that flickered just underneath her skin. It crawled from her chest to her extremities, which twitched slightly from the stimulus.
"I was so worried about you both!" cried Hitomi, butting into Madoka and Sayaka's conversation. "Neither of you were on time this morning."
"I'm sorry, Hitomi," Madoka said, her voice lingering somewhere on the spectrum between sincerity and regret. "I stayed at a friend's house last night, so that's why I wasn't able to meet up with you guys."
Homura double-clicked her note-taking application with more force than was necessary. The pop-up filled her screen at once. In the backdrop, she could practically hear Sayaka's eyes roll. Before the other girl could get a comment in edgewise, Ms. Saotome bounded into the classroom.
It was at this point that Homura went into autopilot mode. She remembered vividly the next set in the drama that was Ms. Saotome's love life as well as every bit of the lecture scheduled for today. The English lesson would go into more detail about passive voice while the Mathematics lesson would delve into more complicated forms of polynomial factorization and their applications.
But all that was besides the point. Homura picked at her brain to recall all of the different outcomes she cared about that had occurred in past timelines on this date. Typically, Sayaka would have taken to despair and thrown herself into her work by this time. Kyoko had already taken an interest in Sayaka as well which meant things were playing out somewhat like the previous timeline in that regard.
Mami was still a curiosity, though. Homura considered the possibilities—if Sayaka became a witch, the outcomes were always determined: Mami and Kyoko would both definitely die. Despite Homura's own reservations toward the inexperienced magical girl, it was clear that her fate would directly influence those around her.
Homura tapped a finger against her desk.
Could she prevent even Sayaka from an ill-advised fate she herself had construed? More importantly, could she stop Sayaka from taking the other magical girls with her?
These thoughts swirled around in Homura's mind. The more layers she unwrapped, the more uneasy she felt. It was as if this timeline was spiraling out of her control now; the control that she so desperately craved in order to carve out the outcome she desired more than life itself.
The day passed in a blur. Although Madoka had promised to share lunches with Homura in the future, it seemed today wouldn't be the start of the trend. Sayaka and Hitomi both dragged her to their own preferred locale for the break. This left Homura to stew in her thoughts further.
Should I try to meet with Madoka after school?
Homura paused, surprised at her own change of pace within her thoughts. There were two conflicting perspectives: In doing so, she would either reinforce the sincerity behind her feelings for Madoka or come off as overbearing and ruin… whatever it was they had going now.
A flashback to the previous night attached itself in her mind's eye. The romance movie the two had watched together gave her an even better—albeit obviously romanticized—idea of how to proceed. As was customary, Homura planned out each detail diligently. This must have been what it would be like to be a normal schoolgirl with a crush on someone in her class.
Somehow, the thought made Homura's heart sing.
After classes had finally halted, Homura had a mission in mind. She collected her bag and made her way out of the classroom. She reveled slightly at the way Madoka's eyes followed her.
Thankfully, Homura was certain no witches or familiars would cause any trouble today. Usually, Sayaka would defeat any sign of one at this point, which would instead make it a bit of a pain to generate a Grief Seed as needed. But in this case, it was good news; Homura had just purified her soul gem yesterday so she was otherwise free to execute her plan.
She quickened her pace. Despite the seemingly good state of affairs, she knew better than to have blind faith in Sayaka Miki. She resolved to keep an eye out for anything suspicious and to finish her task as soon as possible.
Soon, the store came into vision. Across the street read a sign titled, "Stuffed 'N Stuff." Although the name may have caused some confusion to passersby, it was indeed the destination Homura had in mind.
Stuffed 'N Stuff was a family-owned business that occupied a small lot in the eastern part of Mitakihara City. It was by all intents and purposes a toy store that coasted by on meager sales due to larger big-box retailers downtown that attracted most parents instead.
Homura pushed the door open, causing a small chime to sound. An older man jogged from the back of the store with a large grin plastered to his face.
"Why hello there!" he greeted, wringing his hands together. He was wearing a button-down white shirt with a red bow-tie and formal, black pants. Homura glanced around. She was the only customer at this time. "How can I help you?"
Homura walked immediately to the left-hand side display case. This side of the store was dedicated to its namesake: stuffed animals. The right portion was filled with models and figures. The shop owner followed her and watched her gaze.
"Looking for a stuffed animal, eh? Do you have a favorite kind?" he suggested, a glimmer in his eyes. He pointed out an antiquated brown teddy bear that had buttons for eyes. Its arms and legs seemed to pivot on an axis. "This one would do well for most any occasion."
Homura looked upward to spy the slightly larger variances. She said, "I'm looking for a gift."
One in particular caught her eye. There was a pink pig sitting on the second highest shelf, sporting a large snout and big button eyes. By all counts it was very cute.
The man noticed Homura's fixed gaze. He chuckled and reached up for the stuffed toy.
"This one?"
Homura nodded and was soon handed the pig stuffed animal. She grazed her hand over its fabric and was taken aback by just how soft it was. She flipped it over and noted that the spiral tail wasn't simply a tough spring but was actually covered in similar fleece. The cute little pig seemed to be calling to her.
"I'll take this one, please," Homura requested. The thought of Madoka cuddling with a stuffed toy she had given her sent shivers down her spine. Given that she had snuck onto Madoka's roof in past timelines to stop Kyubey from tricking her friend, Homura had definitely seen the massive collection of stuffed animals Madoka had acquired.
Indeed, she found the image of Madoka hugging a stuffed toy incredibly cute and irresistible. It wasn't farfetched to say that the levels of adorableness that Madoka could achieve in Homura's eyes were equivalent to stuffed toys for others. She also figured the overwhelming desire to hug Madoka when she did such cute things was likely a response normal girls attributed toward stuffed toys.
"So, who's the lucky lady?" said the old man, smiling kindly. The two walked over toward the counter to finish the transaction.
"A dear friend," Homura said simply. She pulled out her wallet from her schoolbag and procured the adequate payment. He thanked her in response and gave her the receipt.
"How very kind of you," he replied. "I do hope she likes it."
The shopkeeper grabbed a gift bag from underneath the counter. It was a white bag with pink starburst symbols and a red ribbon tied around the handle. He placed the pig inside with the utmost care and covered it with hot pink tissue paper on top.
Homura thanked the man for his help and proceeded to exit the store. The bag itself was more than she bargained for and the quality of the gift itself exceeded her expectations. It was heavy enough to know it was of decent materials. It was too bad that his store didn't receive more customers as he clearly deserved it.
Homura sighed. Just another tragedy in a different timeline she was helpless to change.
"Whatcha got there, transfer student?"
Homura stopped in her tracks. The voice echoed from somewhere behind her, a suspicious tone that never seemed to cease. Homura turned on her heel to face her adversary. She tilted the bag slightly behind her.
"That is none of your concern," she said plainly. Sayaka pouted and crossed her arms. Her own schoolbag hung off her elbow casually.
"I'm going to be straight with you, Homura Akemi," Sayaka began. "I don't trust you as far as I could throw you. And I definitely don't trust you around Madoka."
Homura's eyebrow twitched and her frown deepened. Sayaka continued, "So if you ever do anything that compromises her safety or hurts her, you'll be sorry."
The warning fell flat on Homura's ears. It would sooner give rise to a laugh than any sort of fear within Homura's heart, as from her own perspective it would seem that Sayaka was often the cause of such things herself. Homura scoffed.
"I would never think to do such a thing," she said finally. "But you would do well to remember the same."
Homura sized Sayaka up. The less experienced magical girl would pose little threat in her current state. Although driven by emotions, Homura's time stop ability would easy quell any rebellious movement in an instant. This was all the more obvious since the other magical girls in Mitakihara City still had no idea of Homura's innate power, and therefore could not yet hope to counter it.
That being said, Sayaka put up a strong front. Her shoulders were squared and her chest puffed out, resembling that of a rogue cat defending its turf tooth and nail. Her fists were clenched and her eyes pored into Homura's.
Yes, she was quite convincing.
Then, the sound of buzzing interrupted their disagreement. Homura's eyes were immediately drawn toward Sayaka's bag, which vibrated in a side pocket.
"That must be my phone," Sayaka murmured. Although Homura had half a mind to take her leave at this opportunity, she felt a strange unease rising within her. It was as if her stomach was tilted on its side and attempting to create a balance not naturally intended or possible.
Sayaka began digging for her cellular device. By the time she had found it, the call had been dropped and the vibrating had stopped. Sayaka flipped it open and her face paled.
"That was Madoka."