Chapter 10: Red vs Blue

Sayaka opened her eyes as her entire being felt stiff, like her body hadn't moved in a while. Why did it feel like this was happening to her a lot? She briefly wondered if she was going to wake up in a dark alley one day like this.

Luckily that day wasn't today as she saw Homura stare in surprise at her.

"Sayaka... you're okay?"

"I... I think so... gonna need some time to rest though..."

Homura felt relief wash over her. During her time loops she hadn't gotten used to the feeling of being completely helpless. Even against Walpurgisnacht, when the battle turned sour she would reset the clock and try again. Always retaining some hope that next time she would get it right.

Sayaka Miki's situation however was something she had little to no control over. Thankfully it seemed like Sayaka was going to be okay, which put Homura's mind at ease for the moment.

"I'll take you back to my place, you can rest there."

"Huh? Hey wait-"

Homura picked up Sayaka's body and carried her bridal style, causing no end of embarrassment to the one being held. Sayaka had to hope that no one she knew saw them like this or else she might never hear the end of it.

Mami Tomoe shot down another Witch with relative ease and reverted her Mahou Shoujo transformation. She picked up the Grief Seed and smiled while pocketing it, planning to use the thing later.

Ever since meeting Madoka, Sayaka and Homura she was feeling a lot happier lately. She had made new allies and at least with Madoka and Sayaka, new friends too.

Admittedly, Homura Akemi wasn't exactly the most social person in the world but on the few times they met during a Witch Hunt things were rather amicable between them.

Although for whatever reason, she felt something off about Homura's attitude. It was in no way hostile, but Mami couldn't help but feel at least a little bit suspicious. Perhaps it was the cold and stoic personality which seemed to clash with Sayaka's insistence that she was indeed a good friend.

Mami tried to push away those thoughts, as she wanted to give Homura the benefit of the doubt after all.

She began to make the trip back home, and wondered if Madoka would make the decision to be a Mahou Shoujo. Another ally in battle wouldn't hurt, but Sayaka was very much against the idea. Clearly a case of an overprotective friend.

In truth, she hoped Madoka would join them as a Mahou Shoujo but if the girl decided not be one then Mami resolved to respect her choice.

Either way, she was glad to have made new friends. However she felt like their little group was incomplete, like it was missing someone.

The image of a certain redhead Mahou Shoujo flashed through Mami's mind. Her mood suddenly dropped while thinking about the girl and how she had left her.

Sakura-san...

Akemi Residence

Sayaka currently rested on Homura's couch in her living room. The owner herself suggested that the girl lie in Homura's bed but Sayaka insisted that the couch would be fine as she wasn't that badly hurt.

"So, do you know what happened to you?"

"Kind of, it still makes my head hurt to think about though."

"Take your time."

Sayaka breathed in and out as she properly collected her thoughts together.

"Alright, but first I need to know something. Did I... create a Witch Labyrinth by any chance?"

Homura's facial expression after being asked that pretty had answered the question already.

"How did you know?"

"I see, so she was telling the truth..."

That caused Homura to quirk an eyebrow out of curiosity. "She?"

Sayaka lightly nodded. "My Witch, I fought her again. She told me a lot of things actually."

She then went on to explain what happened and Homura listened with great interest. Of course what she took the most interest in was the idea that Sayaka and her Witch could become stronger than Walpurgisnacht.

Could Sayaka and Oktavia really by the key to bringing down the accursed Witch? It was difficult to believe, and the whole thought of Oktavia being helpful in any way was currently beyond her comprehension.

She had also never heard of a Witch having their own human-like sentience before. Sayaka claimed that the Witch had access to her own Mahou Shoujo powers so perhaps that is what caused Oktavia to have a human personality? Although that very concept seemed rather ludicrous but she trusted that Sayaka was telling her the truth.

And now Sayaka herself could use Witch abilities? Such an idea went beyond ludicrous although in a way, Homura found that to be a relief surprisingly enough. Her friend wasn't becoming a Witch, but instead she was tapping into another power source entirely. Which also could possibly have its own share of repercussions, but right now she did not feel like being negative.

"This is, quite a lot to take in all at once..."

Sayaka couldn't help but laugh a little. "Hey now, how do you think I feel about all this?"

"...Fair."

Several moments of silence passed between them until Sayaka felt and heard her stomach growl rather loudly. Her face started becoming red as her friend stood up with a slight smile.

"I'll go make us some food."

Homura went into her kitchen and started boiling water over the stove. She sensed Sayaka's presence in the living room, along with the Witch energy as well. However this time it felt more... tame. Like the power had subsided at least a little, which helped Homura's mind feel more comfortable with the current situation.

That was until she realised something. If she could still sense the Witch magic from Sayaka, that meant Mami could potentially do the same and discover the truth of Mahou Shoujo.

That sent her mind into a mini panic until she managed to calm herself moments later.

She mentally berated herself for not seeing this possibility until now. At least it seemed that for the moment, Mami didn't outwardly suspect anything.

However, she knew that one day the truth would have to be revealed. The dilemma was of course how to break the news without breaking Mami's mind?

Unfortunately there seemed to be no easy answer to that question.

Her thoughts flashed back to early part of her journey. When Mami, Kyoko, Madoka and herself were forced to slay Sayaka's Witch. The blonde completely lost it after the battle and killed Kyoko immediately.

Kyoko Sakura...

Right, there was still the issue of Kyoko being in Kazamino with no real reason to take over Mitakihara now. Homura could simply hope for an irregularity like the many that have come before but she knew better than to leave things to chance.

I swear if I have to drag her over here myself... wait...

Was that such a bad idea?

She pondered and debated herself over the thought as she made and ate dinner with Sayaka. Homura weighed the possibilities and risks within her own mind and after eating, she came to a decision.

"Sayaka, tomorrow I will be leaving Mitakihara for a short time."

The blue haired girl was lucky she had finished her food already because that abrupt statement probably would've caused her to choke on the dinner.

"Wait, what? Why?"

"Kyoko Sakura. I should bring her over here as soon as possible as it would be best to establish the group early on. So the for the time being, I'm trusting you to keep Madoka safe."

Sayaka needed a moment to take in what she said. The girl wondered how she and Kyoko would get along this time around. She had come to realise during the brief time they weren't at each other's throats, that Kyoko Sakura wasn't really all that bad after all. Sayaka thought about how their new meeting would go in this timeline, hopefully with less hostility this time.

"Alright, don't worry about Madoka then. She's in good hands."

Homura smiled. Having someone at her side she could reliably depend on felt nice. Sayaka was becoming quite the valuable ally to her.

"Thank you."

The Next Day, Mitakihara Park

Before making her way to Kazamino, there was still something Homura needed to take care of. She had called to meet Mami here for a talk, and sure enough the blonde Mahou Shoujo showed up in casual clothing. Luckily today wasn't a school day so Mami didn't have to worry about being late or anything.

"So what is it that you need to talk about Akemi-san?"

Homura planned to bring Kyoko over to Mitakihara, however before doing so she needed to inform Mami about it since they had a history together. Hopefully the two of them could get back on at least agreeable terms.

"Today I'm going to Kazamino City, to bring Kyoko Sakura here."

Mami felt her eyes widen as she heard the name. "What? You... you know her?"

"In a sense, yes. I also know that you two once worked together, and left each other on bitter terms."

"Did... she tell you that?"

Homura decided not to answer the question, and allowed Mami to come to her own conclusion in her mind.

"I see..."

In truth, Mami really did want Kyoko back. She wanted to see her again and patch things up between them. Many times she did consider going straight to Kasamino to drag the girl back, but she knew that wasn't a good idea. And now here was Homura Akemi, one of her new allies saying that she was going to bring Kyoko to Mitakihara.

Homura began to speak again. "You see, there was another reason for why I came to Mitakihara. You know about Walpurgisnacht, don't you?"

The topic of the legendary Witch brought Mami's mind to clarity and focus. "Of course, almost all veteran Mahou Shoujo know about it."

"Well, it's coming here. In just over a month, Walpurgisnacht will arrive in the city. If we don't stop it, the Witch will destroy everything."

"You know it's coming? How?"

Homura turned her head away. "That's... for another time."

Mami couldn't help but eye her suspiciously. Homura certainly did seem to be the type to keep secrets, but this seemed pretty important so she didn't understand why the other girl didn't tell her.

Still, from the way she worded that response, it implied that Homura would explain herself eventually. That was enough for Mami to drop the topic for now.

"Alright, I won't push for details. I take it Walpurgisnacht is the reason why you wish for bring Sakura-san here?"

"Yes, we need her assistance if we wish to stand any chance at destroying Walpurgisnacht."

Kazamino City

Homura wasted no more time and arrived in the neighbouring city as soon as she could. She figured that the easiest way to get Kyoko's attention was to go around killing Witches. Luckily she had been to the city before in a few other timelines so she some idea of the good Witch Hunting spots.

After finding and striking down a few Witches, she seemingly hadn't been discovered yet by Kyoko Sakura which was a little disappointing, but not unrealistic. She supposed that it would've been too much to ask for herself to be discovered so quickly. Kazamino was a big place after all, Kyoko could've been on the other side of the city for all she knew.

Homura checked her phone and found that it was almost midday. Perhaps it was time for a small break. A yawn escaping her mouth reinforced that idea.

She found her way to a cafe bought a cup of coffee to help with the lack of sleep. Homura knew it wasn't exactly healthy, but she couldn't afford to waste the week she had before school started for her. She didn't want to just rely on her allies in battle and as the last timeline showed, she still didn't have nearly have enough firepower at her disposal to bring down Walpurgisnacht.

Homura took a seat on an outside table and started to drink her coffee. As she did so the girl felt a large gust of wind blow through the area and something hit her leg in the process. Looking down, she saw that it was a newspaper.

Whether it was boredom or perhaps curiosity, she decided to pick it up and take a read.

It seemed like a missing persons case for a young girl was the headline. Homura frowned as she thought how it possible that the girl was a Mahou Shoujo who died in a Witch Labyrinth.

There was another story about the serial killings of young girls in another city entirely. Perhaps that was due to either a powerful Witch or Mahou Shoujo fighting over territory?

Homura sighed as she placed a palm on her face while putting the newspaper down. Not everything had to be related to Mahou Shoujo, but she had been doing this for so long she couldn't help it.

Something related however, was a familiar she sensed close by.

Homura smiled as she thought about how if Sayaka was here, the girl would insist they track it down to kill the familiar before it hurts anyone.

Wait, that's it.

She laughed a little and silently thanked Sayaka for the sudden idea as she got up to track down the familiar.

The creature went into an alleyway, which was perfect for Homura. She transformed in a bright light while chasing after it. As she did so, the girl watched her surroundings change into one of various colours and shapes around all her. The familiar itself looked like a bat with the head of a lizard.

Homura reached into her shield and pulled out a shuriken. Unlikely that this was strong enough to kill the familiar but she just wanted to make her intentions clear.

She threw it towards the intended target and just as she thought, a spear suddenly came into her field of view and blocked the shuriken.

"Hey now, you know that's a familiar and not a Witch right?"

Kyoko Sakura came into view, clearly not happy with what Homura seemingly attempted to do.

"You gotta let it eat a few people before it becomes a Witch. Goddamn and here I thought you were a veteran at this."

"Oh I'm well aware of that, Kyoko Sakura."

Homura found that calling Kyoko by her name was a sure fire way to make the girl take interest in her. It always worked in every timeline and this was no different as the redhead grew very suspicious of the Mahou Shoujo standing before her.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Homura Akemi, and I have come because I require your help."

"Oh? You seem plenty strong, what do you need me for?"

"Have you heard of a Witch called "Walpurgisnacht" by any chance?"

Kyoko stared at Homura suspiciously again as she seemingly had an idea about where this conversation was headed.

"That thing is just a legend, right?"

"Wrong. It's real and in over a month Walpurgisnacht will come to Mitakihara City. If we manage to defeat it, then it's Grief Seed is all yours."

The redhead took a few moments to decipher whether or not Homura was lying to her. However the girl was wearing such a perfect poker face Kyoko would've had better luck winning the lottery.

For whatever reason though, her instincts told her that Homura was indeed telling the truth. In fact there was something innately familiar about the girl, that both calmed Kyoko and irritated her at the same time.

"Tell me, have we met before?"

"That depends on your perspective."

Kyoko had to grin a little, showing her fang. "Cryptic, aren't you?

Homura gave out no response to that as the redhead just sighed. Logically she didn't have enough of a reason to believe anything that the girl standing before her even said, and yet she felt like Homura could be trusted. It was certainly odd, and that sparked Kyoko's interest so she wanted to know more.

"Another question for you, are you working with anyone else?"

"Another Mahou Shoujo you don't know yet, and Mami Tomoe."

Kyoko narrowed her eyes. The fact that Homura specifically named Mami meant that she knew that the redhead knew about her. Did Mami tell her about what happened between them? This was getting a lot more interesting.

Hmm, working with her means fighting together Mami-senpai again...

She really didn't know how to feel about that, but if the threat of Walpurgisnacht was true then Kyoko would have to put aside their differences for the sake of her own survival.

"One last thing then."

Her spear began to segment itself with a chain running through it as the weapon started to float in the air.

"Lets see how tough you are!"

Homura had more or less expected this and reached into her shield for a weapon as Kyoko charged at her.

Mami and Sayaka destroyed a Witch together as Madoka watched on. As the two Mahou Shoujo shared the Grief Seed, Sayaka couldn't help but feel a little worried about Homura.

She knew it was ridiculous to worry though, her friend was strong enough to handle herself after all.

The Witch Labyrinth dissolved around them and the girls found themselves back on a construction site. Luckily there were no workers around today so it was unlikely that they would be caught trespassing.

As they exited the site, Mami noticed that Sayaka was a little quiet today. Of course the blonde herself also had a few things on her mind, but as the senpai of the group she needed to be the one who cared for the newer Mahou Shoujo.

"You okay there Sayaka?"

"Huh? Oh right, I'm fine. Just thinking about some things is all."

"Worried about Akemi-san perhaps?"

Sayaka laughed nervously. "Ah, you can tell? Yeah I know it's dumb but..."

The blonde smiled at her as she understood how Sayaka felt. "Sometimes you can't help but worry, no matter how strong they are right?"

"Yeah... I know she can take care of herself and that she'll be okay though. I'm sure she'll be back in no time."

"You must care about her a lot, don't you?"

"W-Well, I am yeah of course. We're friends after all. Haha."

As Sayaka couldn't help but feel a blush on her face, she heard Madoka call out a familiar name.

"Homura-chan! You're back!"

Mami and Sayaka turned around to see Madoka waving at Homura Akemi, who was accompanied by a certain redhead Mahou Shoujo. Sayaka was surprised to see Homura back so soon, but was happy about it regardless.

Kyoko took a look at the pink haired girl, noting that she wasn't a Mahou Shoujo but still felt a tremendous amount of potential from her.

Eventually, she locked eyes with a very surprised blonde. The two said nothing as they both stared at one another. Sayaka looked at the both of them confused as to why the atmosphere had become so heavy.

Mami eventually broke the silence. "Sakura-san..."

Kyoko stuck a pocky in her mouth. "Whatever you're going to say, just forget it. I'm only here because I want Walpurgisnacht's Grief Seed. Nothing has changed so don't even bother."

Sayaka could see that Mami was visibly hurt by Kyoko's words. She didn't understand the context, but she wanted to say something. Before Sayaka could though, Homura's voice entered her mind.

Don't say anything. You'll find out their situation another time.

She certainly didn't like it, but Sayaka decided to heed Homura's words and held her tongue.

Mami took a deep breath and tried her hardest to force a smile regardless. "That's okay, I'm just happy to see you again."

Kyoko didn't respond and chose to finally take a look at the blue haired girl. She assumed that this was the other Mahou Shoujo that Homura was working with. Kyoko sensed something off about her, a Mahou Shoujo gave off a unique magical signature but something about the blue haired girl was different than the norm.

She didn't know why, but an itching urge to fight her began to form within.

"You, what's your name?"

Sayaka was surprised to have been addressed directly, but it did make sense that some introductions were in order.

"I'm Sayaka Miki, and you are?"

Now that name felt familiar to Kyoko. Just like how Homura Akemi did, which peaked her interest even more.

"Kyoko Sakura, and be sure you don't forget it."

The redhead ate the rest of her pocky before continuing to speak. "Tell me, how strong do you think you are?"

"What?"

"You heard me, if we're going fight together against Walpurgisnacht then it would be a good idea to know if you're weak or not."

Okay Sayaka did want their first meeting in this timeline to be one without hostility but Kyoko certainly seemed to be itching for a fight. If Sayaka was going to be completely honest, she wouldn't mind at least a little pay back for the one sided stomp she had received in the previous timeline.

"If you want know, then I'll gladly show you."

Homura audibly sighed, catching everyone's attention. She had hoped this wouldn't happen, and yet wasn't surprised that it did. "If you're both going to fight, then let's find a more private location."

Homura found the girls an alleyway, one that Sayaka immediately recognised. It was the same one where she had fought Kyoko last time, and she quickly wondered whether or not Homura had chosen the place on purpose.

Kyoko and Sayaka stood on opposite sides as the redhead threw up a red barrier of magic, locking off Homura, Mami and Madoka away from interfering.

The time traveler of course planned to step in should the fight go too far, but surprisingly enough she wasn't all that worried. Sayaka had grown much stronger since the last time the two of them fought, and in all honesty Homura was just tad curious to see how this would go down. Especially after all the training she had given her.

That thought made Homura realise that she hadn't clashed blades with Sayaka in a while.

She glanced at both Mami and Madoka and they of course did look pretty concerned about what was going to happen.

"They'll be fine. This isn't some fight to the death, just a test of strength."

Mami wasn't entirely convinced. "Still, something like this shouldn't be necessary..."

"It's just the way Sakura-san is, I'm sure you understand."

Homura then placed a hand on Madoka's shoulder to help placate her understandable concern. "Don't worry, Sayaka is strong. She'll be okay."

The redhead and bluenette stared each other down with their weapons already formed. Sayaka told herself that even if she didn't win, this fight would absolutely not go down like last time.

Kyoko readied her spear and at the exact same moment, the two girls charged at each other. Spear and sword clashed in multiple swings against one another as both Mahou Shoujo attempted to gain an advantage over the other.

Sayaka remembered how fighting against Kyoko's spear had almost completely disoriented her last time, but she wasn't so weak now. Sayaka was able to deflect the quick strikes with ease and attempted to make a counter attack.

Her sword made contact with the shaft of the spear before her body was knocked back a little thanks to Kyoko swiftly kicking her in the stomach. Sayaka quickly regained her footing and summoned a glyph on one of the walls. She then jumped towards it and managed to magnetise her feet to the wall thanks to the glyph.

She started throwing out a few swords towards Kyoko but the spear wielder managed to deflect each and every one of them.

The glyph under Sayaka's feet started to spin until it launched her towards Kyoko.

The veteran Mahou Shoujo jumped back as Sayaka struck the ground with a sword strike, creating an impressive crater in the ground.

Sayaka didn't stop as she pulled the sword out and swung an overhead attack against the redhead.

Kyoko smirked as her spear began to segment itself which allowed Sayaka's sword swing to hit the chain. The shaft of the weapon began to try and wrap itself around Sayaka's legs in order to trip her over. However the girl had remembered this from last time and jumped away as soon as possible.

Sayaka landed some distance from her opponent and created several swords floating in the air. Kyoko did the same thing with her spears and the two girls fired their weapons toward each other at high speeds.

Swords and spears clashed mid air. Each weapon was about as strong as the other so they each destroyed one another in the air as Sayaka spent that time enhancing the strength of the sword in her hands.

Her sword emanated a blue light as she ran forward. Kyoko summoned another spear and got ready block the attack. As the glowing blade made contact with her spear, she noticed her own bladed weapon crack ever so slightly.

Kyoko jumped back again in surprise, before letting out a grin.

Time to get serious.

She stomped a foot on the ground, and suddenly several spears shot through each side of the wall toward Sayaka. The swordswoman managed to dodge the attacks but it was way too close for comfort.

More spears appeared above her head, and she summoned a protective glyph to stop the attacks just in time as they struck the barrier but couldn't break through it.

Sayaka had a sudden idea, and created another glyph right in front of her. She launched the glyph itself straight at Kyoko much to her opponent's surprise.

She lifted her spear and shoved it forward with as much force as she could as the glyph struck the tip of the weapon.

Sparks flew as Kyoko had trouble just holding her spear against the glyph pushing against it. However the glyph and spear eventually cracked and shattered at the same time.

Kyoko summoned another weapon immediately just as Sayaka saw her opening leaped forward for an aggressive assault.

The bladed weapons collided once more as the two girls continued their attacks. However Kyoko was starting to lose her footing, and so she went for an extremely risky move.

She left herself wide open as she swung her spear right towards Sayaka's neck in a horizontal motion. The blue haired girl watched the weapon swing towards her. She thought the fight was over until it suddenly began to move in slow motion, as did everything else around her. She started to feel something rise inside her mind. Unbeknownst to her, Sayaka's eyes glowed yellow for a brief moment. She felt her arm move the sword on its own as it headed straight toward Kyoko's neck.

The two girls stopped their attacks right before blood could be drawn. Kyoko stared Sayaka down right in the eyes for a moment. She was sure that just for a second those blue eyes were a golden yellow. Was it just a trick of the light? Or was there really something that made Sayaka different from your average Mahou Shoujo? She decided to put those thoughts away for the moment before dissolving her weapon away with a cocky smirk.

"You know, you've got more guts than I thought."

The red barrier disappeared as Madoka ran over to Sayaka in order to see if she was badly injured. Homura reached into her shield and pulled out two Grief Seeds. She threw them both towards each Mahou Shoujo.

"So Sakura-san, what do you think of her?"

Kyoko shrugged as she reverted out of her transformation. "She's fine, stronger than I thought. Actually you know what?"

She tilted her head back to face Sayaka. "I wouldn't mind another match some time."

After the fight, the group split up as some of the girl's had their own plans. Madoka went back home for some family related business, Kyoko had to find a hotel to stay at, and Mami needed some time alone to think.

Mami's mind in particular was still focused on the fact that Kyoko was here in Mitakihara but was still pushing her away. The blonde wanted to find a way to break through to her somehow.

That left Homura and Sayaka alone to walk together on a path, not taking particular care in where they were actually going.

"Sayaka, you've grown a lot stronger than before. Not just psychical and magical strength, but with your skill as well. I'm actually impressed."

"Yeah, but I still didn't win."

"Don't take it too personally. Kyoko Sakura still has much more experience than you do, so to be able to fight her to standstill like that is really quite the accomplishment. You should be proud."

Sayaka had to admit, the praise coming from Homura did make her feel better. However that didn't stop the dent in her pride at not winning. Still, it was better than losing if nothing else.

She heard Homura let out a yawn beside her which turned Sayaka's attention to another topic.

"Okay Homura, you seriously need some proper sleep."

"I'm fine, it's just a-"

She yawned again, and Sayaka was having just about enough of it.

"Alright listen to me. You need to take a break. Seriously what will happen to if you just collapse in a Witch Labyrinth?"

"Unlikely, the adrenaline would probably keep me going until the Witch is defeated."

The blue haired girl groaned. "Look you know what I mean. Come on just one day away from working hard will be healthy for you."

Homura turned her head away as she walked. "I... I don't know. An hour or two of break is understandable, but a whole day just feels like a waste. Besides, I wouldn't even know what to do."

"Then... I'll join you, how about that? I can take you out and show you how to have fun and relax."

"You don't have any plans?"

A nervous chuckle was what she got in response. "Not really no, besides things have been pretty hectic for me too. So I think I'm good for a well deserved day off."

"Some "Ally of Justice" you are..." The sarcasm was practically dripping from Homura's statement.

However, Homura did eventually start to see that maybe Sayaka did have a point. Overworking herself like this could well spell her death if she kept it up. It seemed like a good idea at the time to use her week before school as effectively as possible, but perhaps it could have some ramifications if she went overboard. Besides, it was just a one day break. What could possibly go wrong?

"Alright fine, you win. I suppose a day off won't be so bad."

"Wait really? Awesome!" Sayaka didn't honestly expect Homura to give in, but she'll take it as a win.

"So I guess I'll pick you up at say... 10am tomorrow?"

"That's fine."

The two of them continued to walk exchanging small talk until they reached a fork in the path and Sayaka took another direction from Homura. She needed some time to herself in order to think about the plan for tomorrow.

Although, a slightly horrifying realisation entered her mind as she walked alone.

Wait... did I just ask her out on a date?

Next Time: Budding Love