Once Upon The End

by Larkabel

(DISCONTINUED) Only weeks after Madoka's sacrifice gave birth to a new universe, a simple, misguided wish caused it to spiral out of control, leaving humanity – and other magical girls – to pick up the pieces. / Post-anime timeline, OCs

3. The Beginning of the End

I sincerely apologize for this 20k-word chapter (no, I'm not kidding) that somehow grew out of a 20-paragraph summary. This is what happens when I try to write everything out, and this still didn't do it justice! x.x You may want to take one (or two) coffee breaks during this. I won't blame you.

---

Chapter 3: The Beginning of the End

Approximately three months ago...

Homura straightened up with her handful of Grief Cubes and banished her outfit with a flash of purple light. Another successful hunt heralded an inevitable visit from the Incubator and a lecture from Mami later.

Homura decided to wait for Kyubey in the nearby park, and she took her time walking there. She remembered taking the exact same route so many times before, always to save Madoka. Each time had been a frantic race to get there before the Incubator posed another temptation. Several times she had been too late and been forced to turn back time again. There was nothing more frustrating to her than coming so far and then losing to a few precisely timed propositions the Incubator had offered Madoka. Of course the pink-haired girl could never turn down the chance to save her friend, so it was just a matter of Homura arriving before Madoka said, "I wish".

Now, however, she was going to the park for different reasons, in a completely different world, and her goal wasn't to kill Kyubey, but to talk with it. She called it 'parley' to avoid forming any sort of attachment to the creature. That would be hard to do anyways, but it had a way of being able to sense one's weaknesses and exploit them. Its harmless appearance was just one of its many tricks. It was slightly less of a villain in this world, since its job wasn't to raise girls to become witches anymore but simply to grant wishes, but otherwise, it was still the same Kyubey.

Homura walked past the lit-up fountain and took a seat on a bench – the very bench Madoka had sat on in many lifetimes. If she closed her eyes, she could almost picture the pinkette sitting where she was, talking to the Incubator about power and wishes…

But not in this world, of course. Madoka would never sit here again. She caught her right hand fumbling with her left arm, out of habit more than anything else, and dropped it.

Homura waited in silence. As well as the Grief Cubes she'd obtained from the battle, she had several used ones from the last few days that she had stored for later.

The night wore on slowly, and the fountain automatically shut itself off, leaving the park in total blackness. Homura summoned her Soul Gem to project enough light to see with, but she was beginning to feel uneasy. The longer she waited, the more she began to feel there was something amiss. Kyubey was always exactly where it was needed. It was never inconvenienced by having to be in multiple places at once. That's what its many bodies were for. And it was certainly never late.

So where was it?

When fatigue began to grip her and she felt her eyelids growing heavy, she decided to leave. After all, Kyubey could always come to her home if it wanted to speak with her. She generally disliked such visits, which was why she opted for a more public space. But if it wasn't going to show up there, a home visit was better than leaving the Grief Cubes to spawn more demons.

So she went home and tried not to think of what might have happened that would make Kyubey late for an appointment it knew it had.

---

It didn't show up the next day. Or the next. That was highly unusual, especially for it. As well, Homura was unable to communicate telepathically with Mami or Kyoko, although they'd tried at various spots in the city, meaning Kyubey wasn't in range. She couldn't even sense it, no matter how hard she tried, and Kyubey had made it so that magical girls could sense it easily.

The Incubator did not possess emotions, so its sudden disappearance wasn't a reflection of how it felt towards the girls. It was a creature of sensibility and worked towards the universe's survival. Harvesting the world's grief was the most expedient way to prevent the universe from dying. So if it was shirking that duty, there was something wrong.

Homura wasn't sure what she could say about it, though. And Mami and Kyoko had no idea what might have happened either. So they waited for the Incubator to return, like it always did. Homura found that for the first time since her eternal maze, she was willing the Incubator to appear.

---

"I think this is serious," Mami said one day over a cup of tea. She was with Homura and Kyoko in her flat, having invited them there to talk things over. "Kyubey has been missing for five days now. I can't think of a reasonable explanation as to why."

"Well, he must be busy, right?" said Kyoko casually, still chewing her slice of cake. "I mean, he's gotta have a bunch of commitments all over the place. Or maybe he's on vacation."

Homura avoided Kyoko's gaze as she spoke, still having not told her everything about the Incubator's nature.

Mami's expression remained grim as she turned to look at the black-haired girl. "What do you think, Homura-chan?"

"The Incubator would have no reason to avoid us," said Homura. She still couldn't snap out of the habit of calling Kyubey an 'it' or 'the Incubator', even if Mami and Kyoko couldn't understand why or where it had come from. "Therefore, its disappearance has been caused by a force even it cannot control."

Kyoko raised an eyebrow. "That sounds pretty sinister."

Homura picked at her cake halfheartedly. "I've never had experience with something like this before, so I believe it's worth investigating."

Mami frowned. "What do you mean by 'investigating'? How would we be able to procure information about a being even we don't fully understand?"

"We talk to people who understand us," said Homura simply.

"That would sound great, except most magical girls are pretty territorial, so they wouldn't take kindly to us poking around on their turf," said Kyoko. She stared hungrily at Homura's slice of cake until the latter slid the plate in her direction nonchalantly. Kyoko took it instantly.

"I think it's worth a try," said Homura, folding her hands on the now empty space in front of her. "If only to figure out who's affected by this, and whether or not the Incubator has influence elsewhere."

"Well, no one knows 'the Incubator' better than you do," said Kyoko, imitating Homura when she said 'the Incubator', then smirked at the look on Homura's face. "I mean, you keep talking like you've known him for a long time or whatever. I doubt many other girls have that sort of relationship with him, if you know what I mean."

"I have more experience with it than you do," said Homura in way of reply, her face stony. "Not all of it good."

"Well, whatever," said Kyoko, rolling her eyes. "I suppose this also ties in to whether or not I'm buying this new attitude. But back to the investigation, I personally wouldn't recommend it if you wanna keep outta trouble. But it's your call, I guess."

Mami sighed. "I agree that it will be dangerous to try to approach magical girls from other cities. I think we should wait this out a bit longer first before we take drastic action. If Kyubey hasn't returned by this time next week, I'll think it over again. But for now, let's keep track of our Grief Cubes carefully and keep an eye out for him."

Homura pressed her lips together, but said nothing. Neither Mami nor Kyoko would understand if she tried to explain to them about Kyubey's multiple bodies. The first question would be "How do you know that?" which would lead to awkward explanations that they wouldn't believe.

Once again, it was up to her and her alone.

---

Kasamino was about twice the size of Mitakihara, and had attracted thrice the number of magical girls, meaning competition was very fierce. Homura remained in casual clothing as she walked through the city to let her magical presence go unnoticed.

She really had to marvel at how much things had changed. How she was now running errands for the sake of the Incubator. If she thought of it in terms of saving Mitakihara from being overrun by demons, it made her feel a little better. She didn't like to think she was doing it any favours – not after all it had done.

The number of demons was rising at an alarming speed. Spent Grief Cubes paired with the human sin that clogged the city brought forth multitudes of demons each night. Fighting had become more about dodging, killing the right amount to keep alive, and then running. Already, they had lost several civilians that way. Mami was growing desolate, rendered helpless in the situation. No amount of playing the hero would work anymore; they could do nothing beyond fighting for their own survival. The demons were so many that sometimes they even appeared during the day, in shadows cast by buildings, or in cellars. Night was a furious battle to stay alive while day was about careful avoidance.

All because the Incubator was gone.

Homura hadn't come to the city expecting much help. She understood the harsh nature of the system she was a part of. Magical girls were extremely competitive and often worked towards their own goals. They didn't particularly like it when others intruded on their space. This expedition was mainly for observing, rather than reasoning. Although there was one magical girl with whom Homura believed she could settle some matters. A girl she already had experience with and knew how to handle. Dangerous, yes, but nothing she'd never faced before. The bigger worry was running into someone who was more powerful than her with an ability that she had never witnessed.

She was relying on luck and, of course, herself to make sure it all turned out successfully.

She ran into a pair of girls defending a small side street in the city's suburbs from demons and hid nearby, watching the battle. There was a tall girl with dark green hair who was wearing fearsome knight-like armour crafted from magic and was swinging a huge sword around wildly, while her shorter, blonde companion wore a long dress and supported the warrior girl with a rifle. The girls appeared to have been fighting for a while from the sweat dripping down their faces, and each attack seemed weaker than the last. The battle did end in the girls' victory, however, so the demons were not that many.

They didn't waste any time, instantly gathering Grief Cubes dropped by the demons and replenishing their magic.

The short girl said something to her companion, who turned.

"I know you're there," she said loudly. She finished using her Grief Cubes and flung them away into the bushes with a visible scowl on her face. "No one else would sit during a battle unless they could see through the miasma. And Ai-chan here can sense other magical girls miles away, even if they're not using magic."

Homura frowned as she stood. That was a convenient power.

"So she was right." The green-haired girl stared at Homura, narrowing her eyes. "What the hell are you doing here? I've never seen you around before."

"Calm down," said Homura, eyeing both girls cautiously. "I'm not here to steal your territory or take your Grief Cubes."

The short blonde snorted. "Like you could anyway."

"Well, that wasn't the answer I was expecting," her companion said. "If you're not here for territory gain or to get Grief Cubes, why are you here?"

Homura decided to be as blunt as she could, not sure about whether or not the other girls were thinking about how fast they could take her down. "I'm looking for the In– Kyubey."

The greenette pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Haven't see him in about a week now, come to think of it. Damn thing probably took off on us the first chance he got." She shrugged passively. "Not like I was that fond of him anyways."

"Do you have any idea where it might have gone?" Homura pressed, although she was careful. This was their territory, after all. One wrong word might end in a fight and the odds of winning didn't look good for her.

The blonde girl was glaring at Homura suspiciously, but her companion didn't seem to mind all the questions. "Nope, no idea, really," she said. "Like I said, he's been gone for about a week now. That's sort of a record, if you know the Kyubey I'm talking about. Anyways, I'm guessing he'll turn up again, like he always does. I'm gonna give him a piece of my mind whenever that is for giving us all these demons to fight. You should be back at wherever you come from and hope he does come back. Fighting your own wars, you know? This is sorta not the place to show up if you're looking for a friend."

Homura flinched at that, but the green-haired girl didn't notice. She tossed away the last of her Grief Cubes, then nudged the blonde, only glancing back at Homura very briefly. "If you want to find him that badly, good luck, I guess." Then she addressed her companion. "Let's go."

As the two retreated, leaping onto the nearest rooftop, Homura breathed out. She was glad it hadn't ended in a beating, but the conversation hadn't been helpful. Those girls must not know everything about the Incubator, otherwise they would have acted a little more anxious. The Incubator didn't simply disappear for a week.

She would have to be more careful if she wanted to continue investigating. There could be other girls who could sense her presence in the city, and they might not be as appreciative about it.

Still, she wasn't ready to go home. She had to find someone who might be more knowledgeable about the Incubator, or at least of the events surrounding his disappearance.

Perhaps it was time to pay a visit to one person she hoped she'd never see again.

---

Central Kasamino was a large and bustling place full of shops, malls, and apartments. Homura stopped at one of the cafés to eat quickly. She had only run into one other magical girl since her first encounter earlier that day, and hadn't learned anything from it except that the girl had also adopted the tactic of throwing her Grief Cubes away after a fight, meaning she too was not counting on the Incubator turning up any time soon. The only things she knew about this city were from Kyoko, so maybe it really didn't have that many magical girls. She couldn't even count on meeting that person here either. She may not have contracted in this world. Right now, everything was based on chance.

She closed her eyes. She was sitting on a bench in the middle of crisscrossing walkways that wound around the shops and off into side streets. Kasamino was a nice city with its fancy decorations and artistic structures, but it was not home. She couldn't afford to get too comfortable here.

If there was one thing that made her uneasy about this world, it was that she never knew what was going to happen. That was one thing that had reopened insecurities she had shut away deep inside. Perhaps that was one of the reasons why she slowly changed over the course of her loops. She always knew what was going to happen one way or another. Even in irregular timelines, there were still some continuities. But now, everything was one big unknown. There was no script she could follow or events to make sense of. Once something happened, it was over. There was only one chance for her to handle anything. There wasn't even a way for her to tell if she was doing the right thing.

Then again, there was probably no such thing as 'doing the right thing' for her now. She'd already made such a big mess of everything.

She opened her eyes, her hand reaching up instinctively for her red hair ribbon. It comforted her, almost in a cruel way. Reminding her of Madoka, but also reminding her that Madoka was far out of reach. Still, she could wear it without it triggering anything but sad memories. That was probably for the best. She didn't want to think about what would happen if she lost it, or if she couldn't look at it. She still had the other one stored safely in her house.

"Excuse me?"

A light, pleasant voice reached her ears and Homura tensed, looking up instantly. Her fingers were still trailing over Madoka's ribbon.

A girl was standing in front of her. A very familiar girl. She wore a simple red dress uniform and wore her medium-length silvery-brown hair in a side ponytail. A ring was fitted onto the middle finger of her left hand – the only sign of her true nature. She had green eyes and a polite smile, although there was something in that smile that reminded Homura of Mami. Something that betrayed inner workings.

The girl may not have looked it, but she was a sly murderer and even more crazy than Homura.

"Mikuni Oriko," Homura said. Her voice was steely. "As I expected, you're here and contracted."

Oriko may have been the person she wanted to see, but being polite would be difficult.

Oriko's smile didn't fade. "So you are the girl I saw in my vision. You're lucky I found you when I did. There are other girls who would have given you a good thrashing if they'd found you first, you know." She tilted her head. "I won't ask as to how you know my name, but may I ask why you are here? You're from Mitakihara, right?"

"That's right," said Homura stiffly. She wasn't quite ready to exchange pleasantries with the girl who had killed Madoka more than once. She was used to seeing her as an opponent after all.

But this was a different world, and now they weren't trying to kill each other. She had to remember that.

"Hey, Oriko!" A nearby shout interrupted them as another girl ran over. She wore a familiar Mitakihara Middle School uniform and had short black hair and amber eyes.

Homura narrowed her eyes. This would complicate things.

"Hello, Kirika," said Oriko affectionately, her attention momentarily divided as the girl skidded to a halt at her side. "Did you find anything you liked from the clothes shop?"

"No," said Kirika. She nuzzled into Oriko's arm as she spoke, grinning up at the taller girl. "Nothing that would please you anyways. I can't choose unless you approve first."

Oriko laughed. "Eventually, you should learn to make decisions for yourself about what you want to wear. I can't make those kinds of choices for you."

Kirika's eyes widened. "But I only want to wear what you would find pleasing! I'm not interested in anything else."

"If you say so." Oriko took the girl by the shoulders and turned her to face her. "I'll come next time then, okay? I really wish you'd wear something a little more casual."

"Do you like casual clothes?" Kirika asked cautiously.

Oriko nodded. "Of course I do! I think you'd be a lot more comfortable in them, and we could go to some other places without drawing so much attention."

Homura stood. "Mikuni Oriko, Kure Kirika," she said. Instantly, both of them snapped their attention to her, as if they'd only just remembered she was there.

"Ah, my apologies," said Oriko quickly. She took Kirika gently by the arm, turning her to face Homura. "Kirika, this is the girl I was talking about from my visions."

They both looked towards her inquiringly.

"Akemi Homura," Homura introduced herself curtly.

"Hey, you have the same uniform as me," said Kirika. "You go to Mitakihara Middle School?"

Homura only nodded.

Kirika peered at her curiously. "Weird. I've never seen you before. How do you know so much about Oriko and me?"

"We've met, although you may not remember it," said Homura, her face impassive.

"I'm pretty sure I'd remember something like that," said Kirika boldly. "I have a good memory, you know! Unless it doesn't involve Oriko. Then I couldn't care less about it. What year are you?"

Oriko bit her lip, glaring at Homura. "Kirika…"

Instantly Kirika recoiled as if she'd been hit and clung to Oriko's arm. "Oriko, I'm not interested in her at all, I swear! I was just curious since we go to the same school."

Oriko patted Kirika's head, becoming calm again. "No, that's okay, Kirika. I'm not mad. I just get jealous really easily. Although I'm curious too," she added, addressing Homura. "Just how do you know us?"

"What does it matter?" said Kirika, tugging Oriko's arm. "She's not important! I don't want data of her, really. And if she turns out to be a threat, I promise I'll protect you."

Oriko smiled. "Thank you, Kirika. But I don't think Akemi-san is here to harm us. This is our city after all, so she'd be biting off a bit more than she can chew."

Homura watched the pair through narrowed eyes. Their strange devotion for each other and complete dismissiveness of social standards was a little uncomfortable to watch, to say the least. Oddly enough, however, it wasn't much different from the way they behaved in battle. She'd fought them enough to know that.

"If you can spare the time, I'd like to ask a few questions," Homura said, raising her voice slightly so they would definitely hear. Her patience was slipping, and she was beginning to wonder if this had really been a worthwhile trip. These two brought back too many bad memories and it was all she could do to maintain her composure.

Oriko's eyes flickered back towards her and she studied Homura carefully.

"Go ahead," she said at last.

"Kyubey–" said Homura, her gaze switching carefully between the two, "–has it been around lately?" She lowered her voice as well, although none of the passing people seemed to be picking up on their conversation.

Oriko shot a quick side glance at Kirika before shaking her head. "I haven't seen him in quite a while, come to think of it."

"What about in your visions?" Homura burst out.

Oriko gave Homura a curious look, but didn't comment. She closed her eyes and breathed out slowly. "He has not appeared in any of my visions either. Since you seem to know about that, you should know that it means he's going to be gone for quite a while. Perhaps he may not even return. All I can see in the furthest future I can reach is an unending blackness, though, so I can't be sure. I don't even know what's caused it or if it means my death." She opened her eyes and put on her most polite smile, despite her grim words. "I hope it's just my future sight acting up."

"How did you do that?" asked Homura despite herself. "You shouldn't be able to see the future while like that."

Oriko shrugged. "I've seen this vision so many times that I don't need to transform to picture it in my mind. I won't bore you with unimportant details, but in answer to your question, I have not seen Kyubey in around a week now, I'd say."

A chill ran through Homura. So it was the same for them. And he wasn't appearing in Oriko's visions of the future either.

"Who needs that talking cat anyways?" said Kirika. "He always barged in at all the wrong times! I'm happier now that he's gone and I can have Oriko all to myself."

"Now, now, Kirika, you should take this more seriously," said Oriko. "With Kyubey gone, the demons will be on the rise and that means more fighting." She turned her attention briefly back to Homura, who had been looking away from the pair. "I'd suggest you return to your city immediately if you want to avoid trouble here, Akemi-san. Other girls mind more than we do when strangers approach them with questions. You'll be needed there anyways. Demons aren't getting any easier to fight."

"I know that," said Homura. She took a moment to breathe out. Calm. "Aren't you worried about their numbers becoming overwhelming?"

"I'm worried about a lot of things now that Kyubey's gone," said Oriko, shrugging. "But I'm trying to think positively about this, since there's nothing else I can do. That's frustrating, but my visions don't lie. Kyubey won't be around for a while."

"You sound more certain about that now than you did a moment ago," Homura pointed out somewhat disdainfully. "Are you sure you're not just trying to reassure yourself?"

"Why would I try to do that?" said Oriko. "I'm not interested in my visions unless they threaten Kirika's or my existence. It's not like demons are something I don't know how to handle. I'll give it some more thought when it's worth it." She grinned slyly at Homura. "Are you worried about me?"

Kirika bared her teeth at the black-haired girl, her eyes glinting dangerously – almost jealously. "I'd be careful how I answer that, if I were you."

Homura scowled, ignoring Kirika's threat. "Not at all. You just don't seem very concerned, that's all."

"Oriko is being sensible!" Kirika snapped. "I can take down any number of demons, and more with Oriko by my side! There's nothing we have to worry about because we're strong. Only weaklings are scared of demons."

"Kirika, that's enough," said Oriko, reaching out to hold the shorter girl's arm. "Let's try to keep things civil between ourselves and Akemi-san."

Homura snorted quietly. Why had she even bothered with these two? Of course they wouldn't care about the Incubator's disappearance. They were only concerned about each other, and would only act if their world was directly threatened. Meaning they were more likely to be her enemies than her allies, no matter what situation they were in.

"Forgive me for intruding," she said, the words feeling strange to her. She never thought she'd apologize to Mikuni Oriko of all people for anything, much less for being in her territory. After all, she'd not only come to Mitakihara several times, but had acted hostilely and killed several innocents so she could prevent what she saw as she end of her world. She only fought for one thing, never stopping until she could achieve her goal and protect what was most precious to her.

Homura didn't want to think about the implications of irony there.

Oriko waved a hand. "Since I'm the one who found you, I'll say it's fine. But you really should go now, if your questions have been answered."

"Sounds good to me," said Kirika. "She's getting pretty boring, isn't she? No wonder I don't remember her from my school."

"Kirika," Oriko warned.

"I've heard all I needed to hear, so I'll be leaving now," Homura said abruptly, if only so she wouldn't have to hear the two murmuring back and forth anymore. Her comment was pointed in more ways than one.

"Good," said Oriko. "If you leave right now, you shouldn't have any problems getting back to your city. It was nice meeting you, Akemi-san." She flashed one more of her charming smiles before taking Kirika's hand and leading the shorter black-haired girl off into the crowd.

Homura stood still, watching the two disappear back into the crowd. They were an odd pair indeed. Under any other circumstances, she would have found Mikuni Oriko to be an amiable person, but seeing her now just disturbed her deeply. In many ways that girl hadn't changed. The only thing that was different was that she was no longer fighting to protect her world from Kriemhild Gretchen.

But there was her prophecy to think about. Seeing blackness in the future was never a good thing. If it didn't mean death, what did it mean?

It was, without a doubt, connected to Kyubey's disappearance.

---

Homura returned much later that evening, having taken several detours to avoid other magical girls from Kasamino. After speaking with Oriko, she didn't feel like any more interaction was necessary. The only thing she learned from exiting the city was that none of the other girls she came across looked like they were expecting Kyubey to appear as usual, but she didn't ask them any questions. She had already confirmed what she needed to know, and thought of several theories that might serve as explanation. Although when it came to the Incubator, she should probably expect the exact opposite of her expectations. There was one theory, however, that was nagging at the back of her mind, rising above the others. But just thinking of the effects of such a scenario sent chills through her.

She'd found several demons lurking around the hospital and had spent some time driving them away. She wasn't really sure whether the reason was sentimentality or compassion. Probably the former, however much she would have liked to deny it.

Mami was waiting by her apartment as was expected, and as she stepped from the shadows, she pulled a disgruntled Kyoko with her.

Homura sighed and ran a hand across her brow. She was still transformed, since she could use the cover of night to avoid civilians, and she knew what they must be thinking.

"Homura-chan–" Mami began.

"I got some confirmation about Kyubey," Homura said before she could continue. She knew she wouldn't be able to escape this confrontation, but she was so, so tired. At least offering that cryptic piece of information might derail Mami from her intended direction.

"You went to talk to other magical girls, didn't you? Even though we all agreed otherwise," said Mami, holding her gaze evenly. "Why?"

"I don't believe the Incubator's absence is temporary," said Homura. "I'm acting now before we're forced to understand that a different way."

Kyoko threw her hands up, glowering murderously. "Dear God, you're even more stupid than I thought."

"I'm being practical," Homura replied. She could feel herself slipping slowly back into that hard shell that protected her from the outside world – that didn't allow her to feel sadness or regret or compassion. It was how she coped with situations that would have broken a normal person.

Of course, it was probably exactly what had ended up breaking her, but she didn't allow herself to dwell too deeply on that.

"Don't screw with me," said Kyoko angrily. "Mami-san's dragged me to hell and back today, looking for you. When did you decide it's okay to just finalize decisions on your own? I don't know about you, Mami-san, but I'm sick of it. I've about had it with this attitude makeover and talking down to us like that. I thought you were crazy before, but you just love to prove me wrong, don't you?"

"Whoever the person you knew before was, it wasn't me," Homura retorted. Sometimes she just couldn't stop herself from rising up to meet Kyoko head-on, for all her cold attitude. That hotheadedness was something the redhead had inadvertently brought out in her whenever they spoke. "I'm not going to lay down and let you make decisions you'll regret," she added, a layer of frost seeping into her voice again. "I'll act before that happens."

Kyoko snorted. "Oh, now don't go pretending you did this for us."

Mami put a hand on Kyoko's shoulder to calm her down before turning to Homura. "Whatever you were thinking, I was under the impression that we made the choice not to act together. If you had talked to me, I would have heard you out."

"No," said Homura. She stared hard at Mami. "You believe the Incubator will come back."

Mami sighed. "I won't deny that. Kyubey's always been around. That's always been something I've known, even if his actions are a little bit mystifying for me. Wherever he is, there'll be a reason. And if recruiting magical girls is his purpose, then he wouldn't just leave. I have to believe that."

"And what if I were to tell you that it had no choice?" said Homura, finally bringing up the subject. It was a wild theory – one that shouldn't make sense or shouldn't even be possible – and yet, she could think of nothing else. Oriko's prophecy only seemed to make the possibility greater, although she didn't want to specifically mention the fortune teller just then.

"Do you mean… Kyubey was forced to leave?" asked Mami, her tone sounding a little incredulous.

"What the hell?" said Kyoko, her irritated expression becoming even darker. "Do you seriously expect us to believe something like that? No one controls that thing."

"I don't expect you to believe it," Homura replied coolly. "Even I don't fully believe it myself. It's just a guess."

"Really?" said Kyoko skeptically. "Normally you sound so self-assured. It's weird to think you'd be guessing about anything. Don't you know everything?"

Homura met Kyoko's gaze. Her eyes were hard. "No," she said simply.

Kyoko snorted, but was interrupted by Mami.

"Please explain," the blonde said, casting Kyoko a quick, warning glance.

Homura closed her eyes and began talking slowly. "I knew someone who made a wish that changed the world. Her karmic destiny was so great that she was able to bend the rules of the universe itself." She was reciting what she knew again, like she had learned to do long ago, but something was different about this one, like all the times she referred to Madoka. Her voice softened and her heart beat a little faster. She was in no danger of losing herself at the moment, but it still brought back memories of the pinkette and the same sort of reaction she'd had whenever she'd seen her and talked with her. Something she could never control. "She created a miracle and even though her wish was simple, it changed her forever."

Mami listened to Homura intently. She never really understood where this side of her came from, but it confused her. It was something like the person she'd known before, but almost wistful. Aged even.

"This is my theory," Homura continued, opening her eyes. She decided to say it simply, despite her long build-up. She had been getting off-topic, distracted by memories of the other world. "Someone who bears a significant amount of karmic destiny has made a wish, and as a result, the Incubator has disappeared."

Silence.

Homura knew right away that neither Mami nor Kyoko believed her. It was such a simple theory – such a harmless assumption. But the implications were dark and the sheer enormity of it was a bit unbelievable. Where would someone even gain that much karmic significance, for one, and also who would have made such a thoughtless wish?

At last, Kyoko broke the silence with a laugh that sounded like a forced cough. "That's… That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. Who would do something like that? That's just unheard of."

"I must admit, wishing for Kyubey to disappear is a sensible wish, at first thought," said Mami, biting her lip. "I don't doubt many girls would think about it if they knew only half of the truth. But it's far-fetched, all the same. No one would have enough potential to make a sort of wish that has that much effect."

"I would think so too," said Homura. She was so tired that she changed back into her regular clothes without thinking as she spoke. "But a girl's potential is measured in strange ways. I've begun to think that it may be more than karmic destiny."

"Well, whatever," said Kyoko, although she was pursing her lips. "That's still a pretty wild theory. It's been a week. If you ask me, it's still a bit early to go jumping to conclusions. It's not like I've had interaction with Kyubey everyday of my life – until I met you two, that is. He'll be back."

Homura sighed resignedly. At this point, all she wanted to do was to get out of this and sleep. "You're probably right."

"Yeah, I'm hoping I am," said Kyoko.

"Me too," said Mami. "In any case, I'll think about what you said, Homura-chan. Even though Kyoko-chan might be right, we have to think of all the possibilities. Kyubey's absence is making our lives harder, after all. But next time, please talk to all of us first before something like this. It's dangerous going into other territories."

"No kidding," said Kyoko. "I'm surprised you made it back in one piece."

"I spoke to girls who were willing to talk," said Homura passively. It wasn't completely truthful, but it wasn't a lie either.

"Even so," said Mami. She sighed heavily. "Well, we'll meet again tomorrow, after school. For now, we should get to bed and try to sleep. Kyoko-chan," she added, taking the redhead's arm. "You're coming with me."

"Why?" Kyoko complained. "I can find some place to sleep, no problem. Your place is way too fancy for my liking. I'm always afraid I'm gonna break something just by looking at it."

"It's not a problem," the blonde said. "I like having you where I can keep my eye on you."

"Oh, don't you go acting all patronizing too," said Kyoko, but she reluctantly let herself be led off by Mami.

"Good night, Homura-chan," Mami said over her shoulder.

Homura watched the two disappear into the night before turning to unlock her door.

Should she believe her own theory, or just shrug it off like Kyoko and Mami? That would be easy to do, and it would banish all her thoughts that were slowly bending towards bad things – things she didn't really want to think about. But what if it was true? If what she'd said really had happened, that meant Kyubey was not only gone, but it was incapable of returning. If someone had really wished for it to disappear… It seemed like such a simple wish, but it was probably one of the largest things anyone could ask for, and the amount of people it would affect was huge.

She could only hope that it was wrong and that, just like Mami had said, no one would have enough potential to even attempt something like that. Kyubey would suddenly show up again one day, somehow.

---

Morning classes the next day were long and uneventful, but the material was more or less new. Homura was used to being the top student in class – scoring perfect on all her tests, writing out formulas easily even though no one else had memorized them, being able to answer questions quickly and informatively – but now of course, like everything else in this world, it was different and she couldn't predict what would come. She was still a good student, even if she wasn't maintaining perfect grades anymore. And she still exceeded her peers in athletics, although she had refused all offers made to join any of the school's sports teams, much to the disappointment of her P.E. instructor.

Homura met Mami on the roof during lunchtime. It was easier to associate herself primarily with the blonde, and she'd never made efforts to befriend her classmates anyways. None of them seemed worth the effort, and they would never understand the kind of life she led. That was always how it would be, and even a few changed circumstances in this world wouldn't alter that. Luckily, she'd never been close with any of them anyways, which allowed her to avoid awkwardness between anyone. There was only one girl who occasionally greeted her in the hallways and asked how she was doing, but even then, she seemed to be slowly backing off herself.

"Hello, Homura-chan," said Mami, as Homura took a seat beside her. She was still eating her lunch. "How was your morning?"

"It was okay," said Homura absently. "How was yours?"

"Alright, I suppose," answered Mami. "School doesn't concern me as much as it used to, although that is to be expected." A frown was tugging at her lips as she spoke.

Homura looked around briefly. "Sakura-san's not coming today?"

"She said she wasn't feeling well this morning," Mami said. "Although I suspect she just doesn't want to come here. She doesn't like school at all, even though she's not enrolled." A brief pause and then, "It must have to do with her past."

The vague explanation was enough to satisfy the black-haired girl, who just nodded slightly. Sometimes Mami just tried to explain things that way – in a sort of hasty add-on fashion. She was still coming to terms with Homura's sudden change after Sayaka's death, and the fact that she had somehow become disconnected from the person she had been before and the life she had led. It was all rather unsettling for her. But Homura was still keeping silent about the reasons. Mostly because there was no way she could explain things in simple terms.

"Homura-chan," Mami said suddenly.

Homura had been focusing on the tiles making up the roof, but her head swivelled around to meet Mami's as she spoke. "What?"

"Are you happy?" Mami asked. "With how things are, with your life, with your grades, even?"

"I'm a magical girl," said Homura, disguising her surprise by hardening her expression. "I don't have time to think about that."

"That's not an answer," said Mami. Her voice was light and gentle, but Homura could tell she was serious. "We always have time to think about our own happiness. It's something that we'll think about, even if we don't want to. That's just the way we are. Even being a magical girl doesn't change that."

Homura fumbled for an answer. Mami's question had caught her off-guard, and it seemed completely unrelated to recent events. Was the blonde trying to force her to reveal something?

Her mind was still racing with possible responses when the ground suddenly shook violently beneath them, throwing them both to the side.

Homura gripped the bench for support and righted herself as the vibrations slowly ceased. She could hear faint shouting, coming from her right.

Mami had also recovered and was staring at her with wide eyes, her chopsticks still clutched in her hand somehow. "What was that?"

"I-I don't know," said Homura, her heart still racing from the sudden burst of adrenaline she'd gotten. "An earthquake?"

"That seems likely," said Mami. She got to her feet, placed her lunch kit on the bench, and walked to the fence on the side of the roof, looking down onto the school's campus.

Homura joined her in the next minute. Below them, she could hear a faint babbling, although she couldn't tell what it was about from where she stood. The tremor hadn't lasted long enough to send people into a frenzy.

"That was odd," said Mami at last, her normally pleasant voice sounding unsure. "But earthquakes here aren't uncommon, I suppose."

Homura didn't say anything. Earthquakes weren't uncommon, that was true, and it may have spared her having to answer Mami's difficult question. Still, there had been something off about it, and she was sure Mami had sensed it too, from the way the blonde was fidgeting and how the crease between her eyebrows was continuing to deepen, even if she wasn't saying anything.

Miasma.

---

Kyoko was waiting for them as they took their regular route away from the school down a scenic wooded path. Her hands were stuffed into the pockets of her short shorts and there was a thin line of sweat on her forehead as if she had just been working out… or playing at the arcade.

"You guys felt it, right?" she said as they walked up to her, wasting no time.

"The earthquake?" said Mami. "Yes, we did."

"Like hell that was a regular earthquake," said Kyoko. "I wasn't talking about that anyways. The levels of miasma went through the roof when it happened, and this is coming from someone who's sorta gotten used to feeling miasma constantly."

Mami hesitated, fiddling with one of her pigtails. "I felt the miasma," she said at last. "But I'm hoping it was just a coincidence."

Kyoko stared at the blonde, her eyes narrowing. "Come on, Mami-san, doesn't being a magical girl teach you anything? There are no coincidences. Even with the numbers of demons reaching critical mass, I've never felt miasma like that."

"She's right," Homura spoke quietly. "About the miasma, at least."

"I think we should do a patrol then," said Mami. "I'm not sure how widespread that earthquake was, but we should check our area for increased demon activity."

"I'm with you on that one," said Kyoko. "It ain't a good sign when the miasma spikes like this during the day. Not to mention the earthquake. Bastards won't let us catch a break."

---

The trio stopped at Mami's house briefly so that Mami and Homura weren't carrying their bags around the city, then took to the rooftops. For some reason, humans could never see them while they were transformed, unless they had potential or magic was used to allow them to see. The human world was always forced to be separate from the magical world, to some extent. That was probably a good thing. There was no such thing as demon kisses and direct demon attacks would never hit innocents. The only danger demons posed to humans was through their drainage of emotions.

The more Homura was exposed to this world, the more she began to spot those little differences. Some things that were slightly altered from one world to another, usually for the better.

Homura trailed a little ways behind Mami and Kyoko, listening to them discuss how to best find traces of the demons' presence. It wasn't hard to track down demons, even during the day, but that sudden increase of miasma must have had a source.

"Hey, Homura," said Kyoko over her shoulder. "Do you think you could use your wings and get a bird's-eye view of the city?"

Mami also looked back at Homura. "That sounds like a good idea. Would that be okay, Homura-chan?"

Homura looked up at Mami. There was raw concern in her gaze – enough to make her flinch. Still, she nodded. "Yes."

She summoned her wings without further exchange and leapt from the building, taking to the air. The city dropped beneath her, but she counted on her magic to keep her airborne. From the sky, the city was truly beautiful. Nothing had changed from the version she had known in other worlds. Everything was still there exactly as it should be, from the long bridges teeming with traffic to the modern, glass buildings that towered above bustling sidewalks and scattered parks.

Homura narrowed her eyes against the breeze as she scoured the city. Demons were very noticeable, even from her height – tall figures who moved very slowly and did not seem to affect the humans until it was too late. She looked for anything unusual, like large clumps of demons out in the open that might offer an explanation for the earlier incident. But there was nothing.

Suddenly, a large grating noise rumbled out from beneath her, and her blood ran cold as her senses were suddenly overloaded by dread. There was no doubt about where that feeling came from.

Miasma, of course. But where was it coming from? She looked, but couldn't see anything out of the ordinary that signalled a large gathering of demons.

Still feeling chilled, even though the shaking below had once again died down, Homura swooped downwards to search for Mami and Kyoko. They hadn't gone far from where she'd left them and as she landed in front of them, she could see they looked disconcerted.

"What the hell?" Kyoko was saying. "I nearly fell off! And there was no way that was a coincidence."

"I'm afraid I have to agree with you," Mami said, shuddering. She looked up and noticed Homura walking towards them. "Did you hear that?"

"Yes," said Homura. "Are you alright?"

"We're both fine," said Mami. "That was a bit more forceful than last time, though. And that miasma… I couldn't even pinpoint where it came from."

"Neither could I," Homura admitted. "But I felt it."

"Did you see anything out of the ordinary?" Mami asked.

Homura only shook her head, making the blonde look even more unsettled.

"This is pretty bad, don'tcha think?" said Kyoko. "I mean, if it's coming from our city, then yeah, that's bad in itself, but since Wings-san here couldn't even see anything weird from up there, then it might be beyond our territory. I can't think of anything other than demons that would make miasma – I mean, that would be one hell of a twist at this point. So if it's some spawn from another city making miasma and these earthquakes, we should be pretty worried right now."

Mami closed her eyes, breathing out slowly. "I don't want to think about that."

"But it's a possibility, right?" said Kyoko. "It's not like you have a better explanation."

Mami grimaced, then opened her eyes and glanced at the redhead. "Kyoko-chan…"

"I'm just saying," said Kyoko, shrugging. "That earthquake basically proved that the miasma is linked to it somehow, so now we gotta start thinking a bit more critically. I really hate to say this, but Homura, could you give us a rundown of your theory again?"

Homura frowned. "About Kyubey?"

Kyoko nodded a bit impatiently. "Yeah, that one."

"There wasn't much to it, really," said Homura. "The Incubator made a contract with someone who wished for him to go away."

"Seems kinda counterproductive to me, letting a girl make a wish like that," said Kyoko. "But whatever. It's the only thing we have to go off of right now."

"Didn't you say yourself that we shouldn't jump to conclusions?" said Homura somewhat pointedly.

Kyoko shrugged. "It can't be helped, can it? I said that before all this earthquake and miasma stuff started happening, so don't talk."

"As much as I'd love to say that we should shrug this off," said Mami, speaking up, "I have to agree with you both now. We should start learning what we can about why Kyubey's gone missing and how it's connected to this."

"Hey, I hate this myself," said Kyoko. "Anyways, Homura, is there any way we can prove your theory's actually true?"

Homura's eyes narrowed in thought, but only for a few seconds. "I've already done everything I can to test it. Kyubey has disappeared from Kasamino as well."

"So based on just that, you think the same's true everywhere else?" Kyoko said.

"Once you get to know it, the Incubator is quite consistent," was Homura's vague reply. "And having demons run rampant would be against its policies."

"Huh. Didn't know it had those," said Kyoko.

"Well, I'm not sure what we should do here," said Mami. "It seems like it would be a waste of time going to other cities, but we have no other way to get information. What do you two think?"

Kyoko put her hand on her hip. "Well, if the Kyubey-was-wished-away theory is true, then there's nothing we can do, right? Might as well lie down and wait for the demons to come – not like there's anything we can do in the long-run." She smirked at Mami's expression. "Okay, I didn't mean that. We're magical girls; we're gonna keep fighting even if it's stupid."

"We still don't know for sure that it's true…" said Mami, biting her lip. "We should keep hoping and gathering clues, and not think about the worst that can happen."

"But this is the worst that can happen, isn't it?" said Kyoko flatly. "If Kyubey doesn't show up pretty soon, this place is gonna get overrun by demons and they're gonna cause a total wreck of things. And since humans can't get their shit together, they're eventually gonna kill themselves off without even realizing." Even despite the stricken look on Mami's face, Kyoko rattled on, her words becoming progressively darker. "Well, at least when humans are gone, the demons won't be as many, right? It'll just be us. Might not be that bad. Bunch of teenage girls ruling the world? It's gotta be someone's dream, somewhere out there. Once the carnage is out of the way, it'll almost be like a free country."

She was interrupted by Homura before she could continue.

"Sakura Kyoko," Homura said sharply. "That's enough."

Mami took a deep breath, her fists clenched.

"What?" said Kyoko, her head swinging in the black-haired girl's direction. There was something strange about her eyes. The pupils were too dilated. "Someone's gotta be the face of realism here, right? You're the one who came up with the stupid theory."

"You're taking it too far," said Homura, glancing at Mami. "Now is not the time to lose ourselves."

Kyoko snorted. "You know I can't take that seriously coming from you, right?"

"Well, I never expected you to be the realist," Homura retorted. She felt herself clenching her fists, but it wasn't in anger or frustration. In fact, she felt more numb than anything.

"What the hell?" said Kyoko. She was baring her teeth, her two odd fangs prominent as she tilted her head to the side. "What's that supposed to mean? You know, you've been pissing me off the most lately – even more than this whole crazy Kyubey thing. Just what the hell is your problem? Are you trying to be difficult or what?"

"There is no need for you to understand me, Sakura Kyoko," Homura said, her jaw clenching slightly.

"Okay. You know what? Whatever," said Kyoko. "God knows we've got bigger things to worry about right now."

Homura's eyes narrowed as she once again slipped into her cold exterior, fitting it over top herself like a glove. It was a sort of safety net – allowing her a place to escape when nothing was easy to handle. Kyoko was just playing tough, but so was she, in a way.

Mami finally got ahold of herself and put a hand on Kyoko's arm. "Stop it, both of you," she said. "The miasma levels are still high. I think they're affecting us." She turned, beckoning for her two companions to follow her, and leapt from the rooftop into a side alley.

"God, it really bugs me when you make excuses for us like that," Kyoko called after her, but she relented. After a last sideways glare at Homura, she followed Mami from the roof.

When Homura joined them on the ground, they had both banished their outfits, so she did the same. She said nothing and didn't look at Kyoko.

"Come on," said Mami eventually, turning and walking towards the main street. "Let's move out of here."

---

They ended up going to Mami's flat, since Homura had to get her schoolbag anyways. Then Mami invited them to stay for tea and cake (even though Homura never finished hers and Kyoko just ended up eating most of what was in Mami's cupboard).

Mami allowed the silence to continue until Kyoko had finished devouring three slices of cake before speaking up. "Alright, I know this last week has been difficult, but we can't afford to argue amongst ourselves. Especially not now."

"I'd put in effort if she did, y'know," said Kyoko, crossing her arms and glaring at Homura.

"That isn't going to help, Kyoko-chan," said Mami. She raised her cup of tea to her lips. "I'm going to agree with Homura-chan here. We have to keep ourselves together."

Kyoko scowled. "Yeah, okay, whatever you say. So do you have any idea of what we should do?"

"I don't think we should give up," said Mami, taking a quick, delicate sip. "It's much too early for that. Let's talk about the earthquakes. When they happened, others could feel it, of course. But I'm curious about something else too."

"Whether or not anyone could feel the miasma?" Homura asked, tilting her head.

Mami nodded. "Yes." Her brow creased as she frowned. "I've… had experience with humans becoming able to feel miasma. But even then, it was at low levels, compared to today. I would be interested to know if anyone did feel it."

"I'm not sure what that would prove," Kyoko snorted.

"It may give us some insight, that's all," said Mami. "Like you said, if the miasma levels are getting this high with no apparent cause, we should be getting worried, shouldn't we?"

"I suppose," Kyoko said. Disregarding the reactions of the other two at the table, she lay down and stretched out on her back, placing her arms behind her head. "Honestly, this sucks. I guess I just can't say that enough." She paused, and Mami and Homura waited, as if they expected her to continue. "Look, Mami-san, you were sorta right about earlier. I shouldn't have said half of the things I did. I just kind of lost it for a few minutes."

"That's alright, Kyoko-chan," said Mami. "We just have to remember that we aren't immune to the effects of the miasma, even as magical girls."

Mami glanced quickly at Homura, inviting her to say something, but she looked away and said nothing. Her eyes settled briefly on the empty spot next to her – just large enough to fit another person – and her frown deepened.

"Well, anyways," said Kyoko, coughing awkwardly. "I guess it can't hurt to ask around. Maybe you two could at school or something."

"Yes," said Mami. "That seems like the best place to start. If we can unravel the mystery about the miasma and the earthquakes, we might get some answers about Kyubey too." She shrugged at Kyoko's skeptical look. "It's worth a try."

"I'll admit, that would be pretty convenient," said Kyoko. "I'm not expecting much, but I guess I'm sorta the pessimist in this situation." She sighed loudly, her eyes flickering in Homura's direction for a brief moment. Then she sat up again abruptly. "I'm gonna go. Is that alright with you?"

"Right now? Where are you going?" Mami asked surprisedly.

Kyoko shrugged. "I'll be around, I guess. Hitting up my favourite places and stuff. I'll get in touch if the earthquakes start up again."

"Alright," said Mami, although she looked faintly concerned. "Just be back before it gets dark."

Kyoko pulled a face, but didn't object. She got to her feet and stuck her hands into her pockets, only pulling one out briefly to wave before she disappeared out the door.

Once her footsteps outside receded, Homura also got up. "I should go as well. I don't want to be any trouble."

"Don't worry about it. Please wait a second," said Mami and stood to talk to Homura face-to-face. "Let's forget about what happened today with the earthquakes for a minute. Are you okay?"

"Yes," said Homura, a little too quickly. "Why wouldn't I be?" She crossed to the entrance hallway, retrieving her bag.

Mami didn't reply to the almost rhetorical question, but instead changed the subject. "I get the impression that Kyoko-chan feels uncomfortable around you."

"That's not hard to believe," said Homura, keeping her tone neutral. "Aren't you the same, Tomoe-san?"

"I'm worried about you," said Mami in way of reply. "But the only way Kyoko knows how to handle this is by lashing out." She chewed her lip, looking uncomfortable. "I think you could afford to pay her more mind, that's all. She's never gotten on well with people, and now you're actually becoming a little like her."

"I'm sorry," said Homura, meeting the blonde's gaze directly, "but I'm not who you think I am."

"Is that so?" said Mami. Her voice remained pleasant, but there was almost an uncharacteristic edge to it. "Whoever you are now, you still have traces of who you were before. That's what I'm appealing to."

Homura shook her head, wanting to get away from that gentle voice, away from those golden eyes, away from it all. Mami was not her mentor anymore. That time had come and gone, and now she was just an empty person, looking for a way to fill herself up. The last person she should be latching onto was Homura – who was equally as empty.

"Good night, Tomoe Mami," Homura said softly. Without another word, she turned on her heel and walked out of the flat, feeling deeply disturbed by it all.

---

The bell signalling the end of classes rang out and the students of the second-year class practically jumped out of their chairs to stretch and meet their friends.

Homura stood slowly and reached for her bag, glancing towards the back of the classroom. Of all the people she could approach to ask about the miasma, there was one in particular who may have been able to sense it more keenly than the others, as a result of recent circumstances. After all, demons preyed on negative emotions.

"Excuse me." A voice from nearby spoke up, and Homura's only sign of surprise was a slight jerk of her hand as she picked up her schoolbag. "May I have a word, Akemi-san?"

She turned to see the very person she'd been meaning to speak with, smiling at her lightly.

Shizuki Hitomi was alone that day, although she was usually surrounded by at least two other girls when they crossed paths in the hallways. There was a polite smile on her face as she looked expectantly at Homura.

Hitomi was, in a way, the last link to the old world. She was the only person left in the class who was still suffering from the effects of Sayaka's 'disappearance' two weeks earlier, and she had been one of Madoka's close friends. Of course, of the three – her, Sayaka, and Madoka – Homura had always had the least interaction with Hitomi. Her potential was never great enough for her to be at risk of being tempted by Kyubey, and if she ever did try to get involved, Homura had developed… strategies on how to deal with her. Hitomi was a rich girl and polite by nature. Compared to someone like Sayaka, she was easy to head off, as long as Homura caught the signs early on.

Still, Homura studied the green-haired girl carefully. Perhaps if the Incubator had waited long enough in this world, it might have been able to make something out of her…

That was the least of her concerns now, though.

"Yes?" Homura said lightly. Hitomi often greeted her in the hallway, so it wasn't unusual for them to be seen talking. "What is it, Shizuki-san?"

Hitomi shifted awkwardly, adjusting her grip on her school bag. "Hm… Akemi-san… would you mind if I went ahead and asked you something a little personal?"

Homura had a suspicion of what she might say, but she shook her head anyways, bracing herself.

"You were… friends with Sayaka-chan, weren't you?" said Hitomi.

Yes. Homura knew it.

Hitomi didn't wait for a reply, but continued hurriedly. "I'm not trying to make any assumptions – I mean, I saw you two together a few times after school, and it looks like you were enjoying yourselves."

Homura blinked. Her and… Sayaka? Enjoying themselves? She decided to make a mental note of it and ask Mami about it later.

"Sayaka-chan was a very precious friend of mine," said Hitomi, closing her eyes briefly. "I know I've had a really hard time trying to move past this, especially since no one knows what happened to her. But… if you ever wanted to talk to someone who understands– If it's too hard to go through alone…" The green-haired girl faltered, looking nervously at Homura.

Homura looked down, biting her lip. She could– She probably should…

But it was too hard. Hitomi was always ignorant – so blissfully ignorant. She always managed to unintentionally ruin things with Sayaka one way or another without ever suffering herself. She was suffering now – that much was clear – but Homura couldn't bring herself to feel pity. Not because Hitomi had brought pain into Sayaka's life, but because she reminded her too much of Madoka.

(There had been one irregular timeline that Homura had only labeled as anomalous because Hitomi had suddenly and unexpectedly confessed to Madoka, of all people. Homura had just managed to sort out her own jumbled feelings when Hitomi was killed following Madoka and Sayaka into a witch's labyrinth and Madoka made a contract to revive her. Ruined. Everything was ruined.)

Hitomi reminded her of the life Madoka used to lead before being dragged into a world of magic. So of course by default, all ties Homura might have had with her had been disconnected long ago. And she didn't have time to rely on Hitomi, especially now when everything in her life that Hitomi didn't understand was so uncertain.

But Homura didn't know how to decline without sounding rude, so she only nodded very slightly. "Perhaps. I'm sorry for your loss, Shizuki-san." She decided to switch topics quickly to the earthquake, knowing that Mami and Kyoko were probably waiting for her somewhere.

Homura waited for Hitomi to nod awkwardly before continuing. "Did you feel those earthquakes yesterday?" she said, meaning to make it sound conversational, although it came out a little flatter than she would have liked.

Hitomi looked slightly taken aback by the sudden change of topic, peering at Homura curiously. "Yes," she said, clearing her throat. "They were rather sudden. Everyone was so frantic about it."

"Was there anything unusual about it, do you think?" Homura asked, her voice giving nothing away about ulterior motives that time, thankfully.

"Well…" Hitomi hesitated. "Did you feel anything strange, Akemi-san?"

Homura decided to take a chance.

"I felt cold," she said slowly, choosing her words carefully. "And I had this strange sense of dread, although I can't properly describe it. None of it seemed to have anything to do with the earthquake, which was the unusual part."

There. She had said it. Now she could only hope that Hitomi had felt the miasma as well, or she would have to come up with an explanation. And it would also do nothing to help solve the mystery she was facing. She hoped Mami had gotten some good information from her third-year class or they would be at a standstill for the time being. She certainly didn't want to hear what Kyoko would say about that.

Fortunately, Hitomi's reaction was the desired one.

"Really? You too?" she said, something in her voice sounding relieved. "I was sure I felt something a little off about yesterday's earthquakes, although nobody else seemed to feel it as strongly. And it was exactly as you said. Cold." She shivered. "And that dread."

"You're the only one who sensed it?" Homura asked, just to double-check. That was worrisome. Perhaps Hitomi had more potential than she had previously thought.

"Yes, I–" Hitomi was abruptly cut off by a rumbling beneath their feet, and she jumped away from the spot where she'd been standing instinctively.

Homura tensed, but there was no shaking and no sense of miasma.

"What on earth was that?" said Hitomi, looking at Homura with wide eyes. "More earthquakes?"

Homura didn't reply. Outside the classroom, she could hear the mutters of the other students as they asked similar questions to each other.

Then she felt it.

This time, when the sense of dread struck her, it was much more potent than any of the previous day's spikes. Everything else seemed to diminish in size and importance; all she could feel was that choking, bad feeling that gripped her entire body, squeezing the air out of her lungs. It was something one might feel if there were perhaps hundreds of demons in close range. It was dizzying, nauseating.

Her past dropped away from her, and she forgot everything around her, even the conversation she'd just had with Hitomi. A nothingness came in to fill the gap, numbing her mind, and making way for the darkness that hovered at the fringes of her perception.

Forget the world, a voice whispered in her head. Forget this place.

For a moment, Homura felt inclined to listen to it.

But she was a magical girl. Her body was geared towards being able to fight and handle a flood of miasma at the same time. If she let it overcome her, who knew what would happen. If there were actually demons nearby…

Homura gritted her teeth and tried to focus in on reality again, shutting out all of the dark thoughts swarming her mind. The blurry room became semi-clear again, and she looked around her incredulously. She couldn't see any haze or fogginess in the room at all, which she would have definitely expected with miasma levels this high. Everything seemed completely normal, but for the chilled feeling that was racking her body. And the screams.

Hitomi was cowering in front of her, having dropped all of her things. Her arms were wrapped around herself and she was shivering terribly, moaning now and then. It was clear that she had lost sight of everything and surrendered to the deep despair demons instilled in their victims. In any other situation, Homura would think of moving her and any of the other civilians around, but it wouldn't work then. Not with an entire school full of potential victims. She had to get out herself first and try to find out what was causing this. If she didn't move quickly, the miasma would take ahold of her again.

Perhaps this time, it would be short-term, like the previous day's incidents.

Somehow, she doubted it.

The dread was slowly descending on her again as she tried to resist, clouding her mind with dark, but tempting thoughts of just laying down and letting it take her away… It would be so easy. Easier than fighting for a world where nothing was worth protecting…

"Homura-chan!"

The familiar voice dragged her briefly back from the clutches of her miasma-controlled mind, and she looked up to see Mami standing in the doorway, transformed in her magical girl outfit. In the next moment, the golden-clad girl was beside her, holding her arm to steady her.

Mami took one glance at Hitomi, then looked Homura directly in the eye. "Somehow I knew you'd be here," she said. "I came as fast as I could." Her voice was slow and soothing, but somehow commanding at the same time. "I know it's hard, but try to transform. I promise it'll help."

She was talking to her very carefully, trying to keep her from tipping – for more than one reason. But the dark was somehow more lulling than Mami's soft voice. That feeling of resignation. It would be so easy…

Mami was still talking to her, telling her to transform. Her voice became a little more firm, and the darkness receded slightly.

Homura shakily reached up, habitually flicking her long hair from her face before holding up her left hand with the silver ring. She had to stop and think for a moment, forgetting how the transformation worked. Forgetting how to even enlarge her Soul Gem.

"That's it," said Mami comfortingly in her ear. "You know how. It'll come back to you."

The blonde continued reassuring her in such a manner until Homura finally lined up her thoughts in a cohesive order.

Closing her eyes, she released her magic and transformed in a flash of purple light. Suddenly her head felt clearer and she could think straight again.

"Thank you," she said to Mami, although she felt a little awkward about not being able to handle the situation herself.

Mami shrugged it off. "We're still not completely safe," she said seriously. "We should move out of here. As long as there are no demons, I don't think there's a serious threat to the students or teachers."

Homura wanted to ask how she was sure there were no demons, or if she was sure, but Mami was already walking out of the classroom. Homura had no choice but to follow, only taking one quick glance backwards at Hitomi's slumped form.

The hallway was lined with students who had not yet left the school. They all looked like they caught in the same trance, eyes unfocused, and moans and mumbles escaping from their lips. It was eerie, and more than a little unsettling. Homura had seen her fair share of horrors when it had come to witches, but somehow, watching people slowly have their emotions drained from them was even more discomforting. Especially when there was nothing she could do – no source she could target.

They were only halfway down the hallway when two things happened at once. The shaking began, much more rigorous than the previous day. There was nothing to grab hold of, but just as Homura began to lose her balance, several strands of golden ribbon wrapped around her, holding her steady. At first, Homura tensed – something about the feeling of being tied up in Mami's ribbons brought back bad memories – but relaxed once she realized what Mami was doing. As the ground started shuddering, the students around them seemed to snap out of their stupor, registering what was happening instantly by the looks of fear and slight confusion on their faces.

The rumbling had grown to a dull roaring as the ground swayed beneath their feet. Homura's mind buzzed with possibilities, but none of them seemed valid and none of them seemed important. She was slipping into survivor mode, thinking of the quickest ways to leave the building.

They heard shouting from behind them and students began to run past, some of them tripping as they tried to keep their balance. None of them noticed or cared about Homura and Mami – they couldn't even see them anyways, although they parted around the spot where they were standing. Homura saw a flash of green as Hitomi sprinted past them, screaming along with the other students. The regular earthquake procedures had all but been forgotten.

"Homura-chan!" Mami was shouting over the grating sound of the earthquake. "I need you to do something!"

The ribbons holding her upright, Homura glanced back at Mami. What could Mami possibly want now?

"We have to get out!" Mami said. "Please, Homura-chan!" She was struggling to keep fear out of her voice, but Homura could still hear it, and it didn't help the churning feeling in her own gut.

Homura's only reply was a brief nod as she swallowed back her apprehension, and she closed her eyes.

---

They met with Kyoko just outside the school. She was already transformed and was somehow managing to keep herself from falling over. She looked vexed.

"The hell is this?" she shouted as Mami and Homura stumbled towards her. "The world hates us, I just know it!"

"Think of somewhere we can go!" Mami gasped.

"There aren't many places to go!" Kyoko snapped. "The whole city's coming down, so a wide open area like this is basically where we should be! And did you feel that miasma? Where are the demons coming from – under the ground?"

Her voice was almost drowned out by the sound of rumbling and crashing as a flag pole from behind them was displaced, and fell to the ground. The earth was heaving wildly and mercilessly, not even weakening for a moment's reprieve. Every step put Homura in danger of being flung over.

"I bet Kyubey is punishing the world for making him leave," Kyoko said.

"Now isn't the time for this," said Homura, speaking up finally. "Both of you, hold onto me."

"What–" Kyoko began, as she tentatively reached for Homura's arm.

In an instant, the raven-haired girl summoned her white wings and took off. Kyoko bit back a scream of surprise as the ground dropped away from her.

Mami reacted quickly, forming ribbons to help secure herself and Kyoko to the black-haired girl's arms. "Good thinking, Homura-chan," she called out.

"I can't keep this up for long," Homura called back. "Start thinking of something we can do."

"Right," said Mami, narrowing her eyes in thought.

"I'm trying to look for demons!" Kyoko hollered, scanning the city below them. "There ain't any, as far as I can see. At least not something that would cause miasma levels like this." Then she squinted, peering off into the distance. "What the hell is that?"

"What?" Homura grunted. Keeping herself, Mami, and Kyoko airborne was not easy.

"Look!" Kyoko said, pointing as best as she could. "There, in the distance."

Homura looked at where she indicated, and her eyes widened as Mami asked, "What is that?"

"My question exactly!" the redhead growled.

In the far distance, there was what looked to be a huge cloud of blackness, almost resembling the colour of a tornado, but far from being one. It was swirling and widening, blotting out the blueness of the sky. Now and then, as she squinted, it looked like there were new bursts of debris being thrown into the air, and below, the rumbling grew even louder.

Homura dropped her gaze to focus on sustaining her magic, as Mami and Kyoko both continued to stare.

"How far away is it?" Mami shouted.

"I can't tell!" Kyoko replied. "I'm guessing it's pretty far, though. Or hoping, rather."

"It almost looks like something is bursting out of the ground," said Mami, her eyes flashing gold as she tried to use her magic to see further.

"Oh God," said Kyoko. "Now I'm sure I want to be as far away as possible. Whatever can cause all these earthquakes as well as the miasma is not something I want to be in range of."

"I agree," said Mami. "But I'm not sure if Homura-chan can manage much more flying."

Homura had been trying to focus all her magic on keeping them aloft. She could still last for some time, but maneuvering anywhere would be difficult with Mami and Kyoko holding onto her.

However, she also couldn't afford to give up.

"I'll be fine," she said to the two. "Tell me the moment the shaking stops."

Several minutes passed, during which Mami and Kyoko discussed what they were seeing, although they never mentioned what it could be or where it had come from.

As Homura hovered, she became aware of a dark presence, slowly looming in front of her. A shadow fell over her, and the day seemed colder. Thick, swirling dust pricked her eyes, and the rumbling turned into a loud roaring sound. Even in her current state, she could feel the miasma, twisting out to greet her, and she shivered. There was no way she could tell what was going on, since she was giving most of her focus to her magic, but whatever it was, it was very bad.

Just as Homura felt exhaustion setting in, Mami shouted, "I think the shaking has stopped. In the city, I mean."

Homura listened intently. Besides the howling of the wind and the roaring of whatever monstrosity lay before them, she couldn't hear the rumbling of the earthquake. Was it really over?

She felt herself dropping instinctively, out of pure relief. Even though her large, white wings were appendages made from magic, they felt sore.

They landed a few blocks away from Mami's apartment, and Mami and Kyoko both stood shakily, giving Homura space to recover.

A couple Grief Cubes clattered to the ground in front of Homura as she was bent over, breathing heavily. She looked up at Mami in surprise.

"I had some saved, just in case," the blonde said simply. "Use them quickly and let's move somewhere… safe." She said the word hesitantly as if she wasn't sure if it was even appropriate to use.

Kyoko snorted.

---

Mami gingerly picked up a lamp from the rest of her belongings strewn about the floor, setting it upright again. She looked around at her books, broken dishes, vases, and other pieces of furniture and sighed resignedly before taking a seat at the glass table with Kyoko and Homura. It had surprisingly survived most of the earthquake, with only a few cracks visible on the otherwise smooth and untarnished surface.

"So then," she said at last. She hadn't even bothered searching her refrigerator for refreshments, perhaps afraid of what she might find there. "Does anyone have anything to say?" Her voice sounded thin, like she was just managing to keep it under control.

"Well, shit," said Kyoko, her back resting on a fallen cupboard behind her. "This is one hell of a mess." At the look she received from Mami, she continued quickly. "In more ways than one, mind you."

The silence stretched out. Homura didn't know what to say, didn't know what to think. Her mind was blank, as if taking shelter behind the emptiness she usually felt.

"Okay," Kyoko spoke up, her voice irritated. "What do you want us to say, Mami-san? You saw it for yourself, didn't you? Some…thing just came out of the ground and caused all of this, and who knows what the hell is going to happen next? Do you want me to try and explain it or something?"

"Well, yes," said Mami, her voice only just managing to keep level. "I do want some answers, actually." She closed her eyes. "I know that none of us have the power to give them, but that doesn't stop me from wanting to hear an explanation. From Kyubey – the Incubator, whatever his name is – even though he's not even here. From anyone. For once in my life, I'd like to know."

Homura stared at Mami cautiously. How far was the blonde going to go with that?

"We don't know for sure–" Homura began, and broke off briefly as Mami turned to look at her. Something about the blonde's gaze was disconcerting.

"–what really happened," she finished a moment later, looking down at her hands folded in her lap.

"I guess." It was Kyoko who replied. "But we do know that they've somehow caused all of this to happen. And there's no one we can ask about it, can we, now that Kyubey's disappeared. I have a pretty good feeling all of this links back to him in the end too. I mean, if he got wished away or whatever, then maybe he really is trying to punish us."

"Kyubey is incapable of thinking something like that," said Homura coolly. "Besides, if someone really did wish for it to disappear, then it can no longer affect us. That's the power of such a wish."

"It seems so impossible," said Kyoko. "But now, it feels like it's the only option we have left. But what we can do about it… Well, that's way beyond me."

At that, Mami buried her face in her arms.

"We shouldn't give up," said Homura, in that strange way of hers. Almost like she was reciting from a textbook. "As long as this world exists and we have the power to protect it, we shouldn't give up."

"You can say that because you believe in a god or whatever," said Kyoko, rolling her eyes angrily.

Homura blinked, but didn't reply. She hadn't told Mami or Kyoko much about who Madoka was. In the first couple days, when all she could do was murmur the pinkette's name over and over as if she remind herself that she wasn't dreaming or dead, they had thought she'd been converted to some sort of cult. She'd let them believe it – they would have an even harder time accepting the truth, after all.

Kyoko continued. "Me? I have no idea what to believe at this point. If Kyubey's really gone then, for all we know, that earthquake might have been a hundred thousand demons appearing in one spot. That'd suck for us, but it would explain all this. And if there's nobody to collect all the cubes we keep harvesting, then they're just gonna keep spawning more demons, right? And the humans will keep making new demons for us to fight so we can get more Grief Cubes. It'll be hilarious as hell for the demons, I'd think, but it's one hell of a mess for us. If we don't get wiped out by demons first, we're gonna fall into despair just as quickly."

That made Homura flinch, but she set her jaw in a hard line anyways. "Then we'll fight until then." Because the only alternative was giving up, and she couldn't accept that. Not yet.

(She remembered the last time she'd allow despair to take hold of her, only this time, there would be no one to save her.)

Oh, Madoka. Had she known? Could she have known?

Kyoko heaved a loud sigh, throwing her hands up. "I'm all for fighting. Believe it or not, I'm actually not someone who just rolls over and dies." She shrugged at the look she got from Homura. "But fighting while accepting that we're just gonna lose in the end no matter what – well, that's the tricky part. Not to mention, what's gonna happen to the world when it's overrun by demons."

Mami, who had been silent by then, let out an almost inaudible moan.

"We're backed into a corner," Kyoko continued. "But that makes us dangerous. Right, Mami-san?"

The blonde looked up at her briefly. Her eyes looked almost dead, lacking the warm light they usually held. "If there's nothing we can do, what's the point of it?" she said. Her voice was flat. "Why should we even fight?"

"Because we're magical girls," said Kyoko. The wry smile that accompanied her words, however, sent a chill through Homura. "C'mon, Mami-san, where's your whole 'love and justice' routine gone?"

"Sakura Kyoko," said Homura warningly. The whole conversation had taken a faintly derisive turn to her – almost satirical. They were talking about hope and protecting the world, but really, what was the point? She felt something churning inside of her, and shoved it back down. She found herself wanting to snatch back the words she'd just said. They sounded empty even to her own ears.

At this point, however, she had no choice but continue.

To Mami, she said, "Demons have always existed in this world, and always will, no matter what. Even with the Incubator gone, that doesn't change. We have always been doomed to fight until we fall in battle or to despair, so why should this be any different at all?" She wasn't even sure what she felt anymore – all she knew was that there were words coming out of her mouth and she couldn't stop them. "It's a cycle – it always has been."

She could feel her thoughts turning towards the shadows with those words, away from the lit corners of her conscience that still clung to hope – to Madoka. It would be so easy to let her mind slip in that moment, and allow the darkness to carry her away, but she continued to resist. At least for the time being. It wouldn't be good for Kyoko to watch both her and Mami deteriorate into nothing at the same time.

"No, it's okay. I'm okay," Mami said at last, lifting her head. Her voice sounded forced, almost cheerful. It was a complete switch from how she had been a moment ago, although a sort of deadness lingered in her eyes. "You're right, Homura-chan – of course you're right. Let's fight together. Let's laugh at this world together. At least if it's the three of us, it won't take us so easily."

Her words sent pinpricks of unease through Homura. "Tomoe-san…" she began. "Don't say things you don't mean."

"Why wouldn't I mean that?" said Mami, turning to face her directly. "I can handle any number of demons if it's us three. If the world's crumbling down around us, at least we can say we're strong enough to take it. If it's the last thing we have, I won't feel any regrets. As long as we all feel the same way, there isn't a problem."

Homura bit her lip. Even Kyoko looked unsettled.

They didn't have time to say anything else.

A loud boom rocked the house, and all sound dropped out of existence to be replaced by a shrill ringing in Homura's ears.

"Oh, for God's sake!" Kyoko's shrieking voice could faintly be heard from beside her. "What now?"

The boom was still resounding throughout the house, causing the ground to tremble dangerously, although it was clear that the source was not an earthquake, but more like… a distant explosion. In fact, that was exactly what it felt like.

At last, the shaking stopped, and the three girls instantly got to their feet.

"That sounded far away," said Mami. Her voice had gone back to sounding more or less calm and mostly in control like usual. She walked over to the window, twirling the ring on her finger as she peered out. Evening was creeping up fast, illuminating the blonde in a deep orange light, although a broken shade that hung in front of the window cast her head in shadow.

"There's no way you can see anything like that," said Kyoko, going to join her. "Your window doesn't exactly give the most scenic view. We need to go out."

Mami glanced quickly at the redhead before nodding. "Yes. Let's go."

Homura waited a few moments before following the two out of the apartment. The boom had only temporarily distracted them from crumbling. She was going to have to keep a closer eye on Mami. If she completely lost herself, she would be dangerous.

Deep inside, Homura wondered if either Mami or Kyoko were thinking the same thing about her.

As for Kyoko… She could handle the redhead's brave face. It was probably better than hiding.

Moments later, Homura joined the magically-clad Mami and Kyoko on the roof of Mami's apartment, transforming herself as she did so. Kyoko was holding her spear, although Homura couldn't detect any demons nearby. The redhead's grip was very tight – so much so her knuckles were turning white – so perhaps she just needed something to squeeze.

"Look." Mami was pointing into the far distance.

Homura followed her finger, her eyes widening slightly. A huge cloud of dust or smoke – she couldn't tell exactly what – was blotting out the sky. Even as her mind registered the sight as being similar to a mushroom cloud, another earthquake struck, accompanied by the deafening boom… and chaos.

For some reason, Oriko's prophecy sprang into Homura's mind at that moment, and the raven-haired girl wondered if it really was the end.

Car alarms were blaring from the streets as vehicles knocked into each other, and faint cries could be heard from surrounding buildings, as well as a distant din as people crowded into the streets to escape their homes.

"Mami-san," came Kyoko's voice very suddenly, sounding tense – even fearful.

"What is it, Kyoko-chan?" said Mami, her gaze still fixated on the cloud of smoke.

Kyoko was turned in the other direction, her mouth opening slightly as she stared. "I think we should move."

No sooner had the words come out of her mouth than a loud siren wailed out from an unseen speaker system. Homura knew what it was, having heard it many times before. It was an alarm that alerted citizens to some danger – be it from a flood or storm – and was usually meant as a message for evacuation.

"Seriously, this and an earthquake?" Kyoko was saying as Homura spun to see what she was talking about.

Mami's apartment didn't offer the best view of the city, but she could still see plumes of smoke rising from seemingly nowhere and was that…?

Yes.

It was water.

The earlier earthquake must have caused it. Even as she squinted, Homura could see that the water level was rising rapidly and progressing inland, already nearing the neat row of apartments of which Mami's was a part of. The warning had come too late. Cars and debris from the earlier earthquake were being swept towards them, and faint screams could be heard as people tried to escape the waves. It was happening so fast, that all the action seemed to have started instantaneously, and Homura just registered how chaotic the city was.

"We need to get out of here. Now," said Mami, grabbing Homura's and Kyoko's wrists. "Homura-chan, can you fly us to high ground somewhere?"

She'd only just said it as the world began shaking once again, accompanied by the loud blasting noise from somewhere in the distance. And that feeling of dread. Of course, always that feeling of dread. It seeped into all her senses, gripping her limbs, paralyzing her. Even despite being transformed, she couldn't shake it off. This time, her mind was filled not of dark, evil desires, but with nothingness. Mami sounded impossibly far away, and her words were indecipherable. Homura felt numb.

She didn't realize she'd fallen until she hit the water.

It rushed into her mouth and nose, replacing the miasma instantly with adrenaline. Her feet hit something solid, and she pushed off of it, hoping it was guide her towards the surface. Her eyes opened and her magic instinctively activated, allowing her to see a few feet ahead of her in the murky water. Still, no matter which way she looked, she couldn't tell where the surface was.

Just as her lungs began to give out, the water exploded with a flare of golden light and she felt herself being dragged backwards and up.

"–got you. I've got you," Mami's voice said as Homura's head broke the surface.

Homura was momentarily disoriented as she focused on coughing out water, so she let Mami pull her along with her ribbons until she bumped into a hard surface. Mami's fingers wrapped gently around her wrist and hauled her out of the water onto the roof of a floating car.

"Thanks," Homura gasped hoarsely, pushing her sopping hair away from her face. Her fingers trailed over Madoka's ribbon, and she felt a dizzying wave of relief at it still being there. (The other one was probably lost now, although she wouldn't let herself think about that for the time being.) She turned to look at Mami and saw the blonde kneeling behind her, also looking relieved (for a different reason). She also realized it was the second time Mami had saved her that day. She was piling up a debt that would be difficult to repay.

"Next time you go diving into the water, give us a head's up first, will you?" said Kyoko from nearby. Her voice sounded somewhat strained.

"Shh, Kyoko-chan," said Mami, and Homura saw her turn towards the red magical girl. "Let's fix you up before you pester anyone."

Homura looked towards Kyoko to see the redhead was huddled on the partially submerged hood of the car, holding her leg. Blood was seeping through her fingers, although her clenched jaw was the only thing that gave away how serious the wound was.

"Kyoko-chan won't admit it, but she was the first one who jumped in after you," said Mami. Her Soul Gem shone in her hair as she summoned her healing magic.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," said Kyoko irritably. "Lot of good that did me."

"Hold still," said Mami firmly.

Homura waited, drawing her legs up to her chest and shivering, at more than the chill breeze. The city was in ruins, and the water was clouded with dirt and debris. Pieces of buildings and furniture drifted past her as the water continued its steady journey inland. Somehow, though, her mind was still in a stalemate, refusing to register anything fully. She wouldn't let herself feel or think. All she did was watch.

After a few minutes, the car rocked as Mami helped Kyoko onto the roof and out of the water. Kyoko sat some distance away while Mami crawled over to Homura, careful not to overturn the car. Together, the three looked onto their city as the car drifted up the street along with the rest of the wreckage. Sirens wailed, people screamed, buildings shuddered and creaked as water poured through them.

When Homura spoke, her voice was distant. "This is really happening."

"Yes," said Mami right away. Her voice contained barely controlled grief, although Homura merely blinked. "It is."

For once, Kyoko made no comment.

---

The next few hours passed by in a blur of following the flow of desperate people escaping up to the evacuation centre on a high hill overlooking Mitakihara. Several residents of the neighbouring city, Kasamino, had also come to take refuge there and the place was crowded with frightened people of all ages and status. Some people were yelling, some people were crying. But most were locked in a stupefied silence. The tension in the atmosphere was unmistakeable.

Homura, Mami, and Kyoko accepted three bedrolls and sat huddled in a corner, saying nothing to each other or anyone around them. Nothing was really making sense anymore, one way or another.

They waited.

At some point, Mami got up and went to the bathroom. A couple stood outside the doors and as she came out, she heard them talking about how several cities in China and Korea had been reportedly obliterated. Even though, at first, the information was difficult to comprehend, Mami paused to listen, her eyes tracking around the room in search of the televisions she'd seen earlier, but hadn't bothered to pay attention to. After all, how could anyone be broadcasting at a time like this?

But surely enough, her eyes fell on one of the screens in the far corner of the room and as she squinted, she could see a man sitting at a table as calm as can be. When she walked closer to peer up at the screen, she saw the sideways scrolling words at the bottom which talked about supposed nuclear explosions in various countries around the world.

At least that would explain the loud booming sounds earlier. But it didn't comfort her in the slightest to have a report like that. If anything, it made things worse.

She returned to Kyoko and Homura and sat down to wait.

---

News came on the second day that Mitakihara was completely flooded and uninhabitable, with water levels continuing to rise. At that point, official-looking people had started going around asking for names and residences so they could compile a list of the refugees (and also figure out who was missing). Mami and her companions discerned from the information on the news that large-scale earthquakes had devastated most of North America and Europe. Brief aerial footage was shown, although it was shaky and unfocused.

The shelter was mostly quiet, with only a few people whispering quietly. A majority of people waited in silence for something to happen – some news that said everything was going to be okay.

---

On the third day, the television screens went black and did not turn back on. The lights began flickering sometime around noon and then shut off as well, leaving everyone in a partial darkness. Outside, dust and smoke filled the air, and now and then, distant eruptions rocked the shelter. The room was so crowded with Mitakihara refugees as well as people from other cities that it was hard to move around. Several volunteers brought around meagre portions of food and extra blankets for the elderly and the children.

Everyone waited.

---

On the fifth day, Homura, Kyoko, and Mami encountered a magical girl from Kasamino, wearing a dark green kimono. Although she also sensed their presence, she kept her distance and said nothing to them. They also had nothing to say. After all, they barely had a territory to guard anymore.

Later that day, the announcement for further evacuation inland came. The water levels in Mitakihara had shown no sign of going down, and with no electricity and food shortages, it would be difficult to maintain a healthy living standard there.

People put on their brave faces at these words, but whimpering from frightened children and even from some adults began to fill up the silence. They were leaving behind everything they had ever known, after all, and who knew when they would return?

---

"I think we should go with them," said Mami the next day, when everyone was supposed to be leaving.

Kyoko sat as lazily as she could in the corner, one leg propped up to support her arm as she leaned forward. "And then what, Mami-san?" she said wearily. "We keep running with these people? What about ourselves? We haven't cleaned our Soul Gems in about a week now, and I'm starting to feel it."

"Then what should we do?" Mami demanded.

"I think we should go with her," said Kyoko, nodding towards the green-clad girl in the middle of the room who was currently packing her few belongings without looking up. "She's like us, right? And she's gotta hunt somewhere."

"There is no need to rely on her," said Homura, almost automatically. Her eyes were fixed blankly on some point in the distance. She had barely moved in the past few days, even to eat or sleep. "It'll be easy to find demons, wherever we go."

"Yeah, well obviously," said Kyoko, scowling. "The problem is finding the right amount of demons, so we don't get completely overpowered by some huge pack. There aren't many places for us to hunt now, you know. We gotta be careful."

Mami tilted her head. "And how would teaming up with someone help us?"

"Well, she's another magical girl," said Kyoko. She duly avoided Mami's gaze. "She might have some experience, and we could find manageable amounts of demons way easier if we had some help."

"I never expected you to be the one who suggests teamwork," said Mami, raising an eyebrow.

"Hey, I'm on my last legs here," said Kyoko. "It's about survival now, not what I personally want. Hell, teaming up with you two was more about survival than anything. But that just ain't gonna work anymore, now that everything's been screwed up."

"I see," said Mami. She glanced over at the other magical girl who was standing up with her pack. "Well, I agree; our options are limited. I'm all for cooperating with her, but I think we should stay around other people for now, if only for protection."

"Protection?" Kyoko said, rolling her eyes. "If anything, we'll be the ones protecting them. They have no idea about what's causing any of this, and if they get ambushed by some horde of demons, we'll be the ones rushing in to save the day."

"We don't owe these people anything," Homura added, still staring into space. "We need to start thinking about the effects on ourselves now."

"How do you mean?" asked Mami.

"Whether or not this is the Incubator's fault doesn't matter anymore," said Homura flatly. "But a world without it is going to create serious problems for us. We need to start examining the possibility that whatever caused all this destruction is connected to our side somehow." Her right hand twitched, although what it meant neither Kyoko nor Mami knew. "If that's so, then whatever we try to do, demons will continue to multiply and we'll be forced to fight a continuous war to protect ourselves and the humans. And they will always be in danger from the demons. Instead of fighting that inevitability, we should move forward and try to survive in our own way."

"I like that resolve." Kyoko pursed her lips. "Just for survival, eh?"

Homura shook her head and, for once a sort of light came into her eyes and her voice sounded like there was some power behind it. "No. We fight to keep hope alive for the humans. Because she wanted it to be that way."

Kyoko glanced at Mami quickly, but the blonde didn't react. She sighed. "I suppose that's all well and good then. So what's the verdict? Do we go with her or not?"

"We can't stay here," said Homura simply. "The demons will be drawn to our magic, and our freedom will be restricted wherever we're going." She didn't mention the fact that humans created demons in the first place, although she supposed Mami and Kyoko already knew that. Demons always spawned some distance away from their creators anyways. "In keeping with Mami's ideal, it will be safer for the humans if we leave. They don't understand us, and we can't explain anything to them. Who we go with doesn't matter." She shrugged. "I'll leave that up to you."

"Well then," said Kyoko. "What do you think now, Mami-san?"

Mami sighed heavily. "I suppose Homura-chan's made it clear that there's only one option. I would hate to think that we'd cause this place to become a feeding ground for demons." She looked around, a faint glimmer of sadness in her golden eyes. "That means there's no other choice but to move on." She stood, drawing a hand over her brow. Then she turned and began making her way towards the other magical girl. "Let's salvage what can be salvaged," she said briefly over her shoulder.

"…Which is not much," Kyoko added in an almost inaudible murmur before she stood, brushed the dust off her clothes and followed Mami.

Homura stayed where she was, frowning.

---

Within the hour, introductions had been made and a brief alliance had been formed. It had happened much faster and more easily than predicted, and the girl (who had introduced herself as Yuuko) seemed willing to help them hunt as her own Soul Gem was starting to darken. She told them of regions in Kasamino that weren't flooded, but were teeming with magical girls escaping from surrounding, ruined towns. Still, they decided to head to these areas anyways. Even if there were lots of magical girls there, chances of real competition were low with the rising number of demons.

As everyone was filing out of the gym and crowding the hallways, the four magical girls snuck away to the now vacated kitchen area and transformed. There was a sense of finality as they walked out of the building, unnoticed by everyone around them. Some of their classmates were mixed into the crowd – some of them standing with their families and others alone. Homura's heart gave an involuntary lurch when she spotted Kaname Junko attempting to soothe a fussing Tatsuya. But none of that concerned her anymore. They were leaving all of this behind, possibly forever. She fixed her eyes forward and concentrated on following Yuuko.

But when they finally emerged from the shelter area and onto the wide cliffs overlooking Mitakihara, Homura was the only one who looked back.

---

The outlying district of Kasamino was surprisingly intact, with only a few collapsed buildings and plumes of rising smoke here and there. However, evacuation had been ordered as a precaution, so it was mostly empty, save for the stubbornest citizens who refused to budge. Homura found herself hoping they wouldn't run into any other magical girls – particularly a black and white pair – as they trekked through the city streets, trying to pick up signals of demons with their Soul Gems. Kyoko was now leading the way along with Yuuko, arguing now and then with the green magical girl about where they should look next.

As they walked, Homura spotted several people, taking shelter in the shadows of large buildings, dressed in rags. She assumed they were homeless citizens, although she had no idea why they'd remained. They looked pitiful, and added to the forlorn feeling that hung over the city.

It wasn't long before they sensed the presence of demons, and Yuuko and Kyoko led the way into battle. There were about thirty demons in total, which was almost a blessing. The battle was brief, and there were more than enough Grief Cubes for them all to share and cleanse their Soul Gems. Afterwards, Yuuko gave them all one short bow and then walked off without saying a word. Homura assumed the alliance had ended.

Finding a place to stay wasn't difficult, since most houses had been abandoned. Still, it felt odd to walk right into someone else's apartment. Kyoko was the least bothered by it, and sauntered up to the first couch she saw, slumping into it and letting out her breath loudly while Mami left to search the kitchen. She returned after a few minutes with a plate of cookies and set it on the coffee table, although no one touched it. Silence had descended on the trio, although they were all thinking of the same thing and they knew it. About what would happen next. They couldn't stay here forever. Nothing was truly certain. If Homura thought about her unknown future hard enough, she feared she might start hyperventilating, so she contented herself with just staring at the plate Mami had brought back.

Someone else's plate in someone else's city.

---

Days passed, and explosions began ravaging areas in the east again, their tremors faintly reaching Japan. The thin coating of dust that had settled on everything after the initial earthquakes and explosions had thickened and was now a constant presence permeating the air. The sky was growing dark as the dust rose into the atmosphere, becoming a sort of greyish cloud. As an explosion nearer to Japan occurred, the impact of the shock waves broke the windows of several buildings in the Kasamino area and, according to some reports gained by magical girls fleeing from the west, had flattened cities on Japan's western coast. This forced the few remaining people in the city to relocate, or it injured them. The number of wounded people, either wandering the streets or laying in buildings increased sharply, and the city was overrun with rats and other scavengers who had descended to pick at the carnage.

Fortunately, water levels had begun to subside, allowing coastal Kasamino to become a hunting ground. Within days of the first announcement of receding water levels by word of mouth, the area was flocking with magical girls, seeking to take advantage of the low levels of demons. News also came about Mitakihara, which was still mostly submerged, as it was on a lower altitude than Kasamino and had had a large river running through its centre.

Homura learned many other things besides as she went scouting or hunting alone, and brought the information back to Mami and Kyoko, who did the same in turn. At first, they had arranged to scout in shifts, mostly to survey damage done to the city and gain new information from other magical girls. In the first few days after they had moved into the main part of Kasamino, there had been at least twenty other magical girls thinking the same thing they were. Now, about a week later, the number was still fluctuating, but most were moving on to other larger and less destroyed cities down south. Humans were an even rarer sight, although most appeared only in a pile of rags.

As time went on, Homura began coming across girls trying to solo a battle against an obviously overwhelming number of demons. The first time she'd come to help, she'd arrived just in time to save the girl from expending herself, having spent a few minutes beforehand in consideration. But the more she joined in others' battles, the longer she stayed away from the awkward company of Mami and Kyoko, who were both struggling to cope with the new state of the world in their own way. Seeing them was still a painful reminder of past things – past failures and spent aspirations.

The first time they had caught her doing a little more than surveying was when another magical girl she'd helped had turned on her after the battle. They had ended up picking up the magical energy from nearby and had intervened. Still, Homura had gone out by herself to fight – sometimes sneaking out when they slept. Mami didn't approve and Kyoko was angered, but Homura found it easier to stay away from them, and found the need for solitude to be even greater in this desecrated world. She hid herself away by distancing herself, although she always returned to them at the same time in the evening everyday.

When she wasn't hunting by herself or living in tension with her companions, she was scouring the city with them for supplies such as blankets, clothes, and food. Their lives had become a slow rhythm of doing everything they could to survive, without even thinking about it. It was a cruel world – for every item of clothing or food they took, someone else would go hungry, and fights between magical girls over Grief Cubes were common – but they did what they could for themselves.

And the whole time, Homura wondered how the world had gone so wrong such a short time, and how suddenly, she, of all people, was considered an angel. She heard the rumours and the whispers when she flew into battle against the demons alongside others, but they only made her derisive. How would they react if she told them this was all her fault – that she had inadvertently killed countless other universes, thus forcing the birth of this slowly dying one as well? Would they laugh at her, or perhaps shrug it off as the rantings of a mad person? There were already plenty of those, after all; at least a small part of every person had gone a little insane over the past few weeks. Apart from that, she began to wonder what would happen if she suddenly burst out that there was some pink-haired goddess watching over them. That would probably attract much more attention.

But Madoka was not a goddess. She was a magical girl, and her wish had been for the sake of other magical girls everywhere. Perhaps this was the weight of such a wish. Peaceful rest for magical girls in exchange for the wellbeing of the world? But Madoka wouldn't know that; of course she wouldn't know that. She had made a perfect, selfless wish, and none of this was her fault. After all, it was Homura who had moulded the circumstances to force her to make that wish in the first place. And now she was paying for it by helping where she could and keeping Mami and Kyoko alive.

This new world was her retribution, and there were only two ways it would end: if Kyubey magically reappeared or when the whole planet was covered permanently in dust.

---

A/N: …And that's how things went down. xD Whew, I felt like I had written multiple chapters at the end of that! This chapter turned into a character development chapter as well as the backstory chapter. Dunno if that's a good thing or bad thing, but that's how it is!

Okay, when I said 'predominant OCs', I thought I meant it, but I've sorta let the canon characters take over unintentionally. Next chapter, we're back to Melanie, though, and from there on, it's probably gonna be a lot more focused on her rather than H, M, and K. I am planning on alternating between perspectives, so you'll still be seeing quite a bit of them, don't worry!

ALSO, this is my first time using honourifics seriously, so if I'm doing it wrong, please tell me. xD The main reason I'm using them is to differentiate between nationalities.

To everyone who's stuck around until now, thanks for reading and please stay a while! :3

To both my guest reviewers (since I can't respond to you via PM): I hope this chapter answered your questions without fully satisfying your curiosity. ;]