"Madoka is your only chance at stopping Walpurgisnacht now," Kyubey said. The creature stood beside Homura outside the stairs that led down to the station, a calm wind drifting through the night.
Homura flipped her hair passive aggressively. "I'm not going to let that happen."
"Are you sure? Due to all the time traveling you've been doing, she would be super powerful. She could probably kill Walpurgisnacht in like, one hit."
"No," answered Homura simply.
"It would be fun."
"Shut up, Kyubey."
Meanwhile, Madoka returned home. Expecting everyone to be asleep, she was surprised to find her mother at the counter in her nightgown, glass in hand. She looked up as Madoka came in. Madoka looked down embarrassedly, closing the door behind her.
"Where have you been, Madoka?" she asked in a soft and concerned tone. "In fact, where have you been for the past week or so?" She looked curiously into her glass. "And why haven't I asked you before?"
"I…I think my friend might need my help," Madoka said, taking a seat beside her mother.
"That doesn't answer my question," Junko said, taking a quick sip, "But here's my advice: start drinking."
"Wh-What…?"
Her mother hiccupped, then continued. "That's how I do it, kid."
"Um, I think I'm going to go see my friend."
"Sure," Junko said with a shrug, "Just go out there and be a kid."
Madoka left her own, sleepy house and headed for Homura's. She reached it soon enough. It was a stately and old looking house, with long, dark hallways that made her uneasy as she walked towards Homura's room.
She knocked, and there was a distant clattering sound. Soon, Homura opened the door with orange, cheese-stained fingers. "What, Madoka?"
Madoka drifted past her, wide-eyed, into the expansive white room. "What is that?" she asked, pointing up at the strange chandelier-like object. "And where are the walls?"
"It's not important," answered Homura dryly, closing the door and following her inside.
"Homura, I think… you might need my help," Madoka said reluctantly as she sat down on one of Homura's long, crescent shaped seats.
"I've done this enough times to know that that's the last thing I need."
"Enough times…?"
Homura directed her eyes up at the strange fixture on her ceiling. "You've died before, Madoka. My wish was to go back and save you, and I've tried countless times. If it helps you to picture it, it's actually less of a Steins;Gate type of thing, and more like Groundhog Day."
"Why didn't you just wish me back to life?" Madoka asked.
"I was under a lot of pressure at the time, okay? Let's see how well your problem solving abilities hold up after being traumatized."
The following day, Homura stood alone, outside the city. A storm tossed leaves and rubbish about as she stared down the enormous, floating gear that was drifting toward her like an evil cloud. She closed her eyes briefly, and when she opened them the world was frozen around her. She immediately began running to her side, where a row of rocket launchers extended for some ways. Discarding each one after firing it at the huge gear and sprinting onwards to the next, she raced against the clock.
"Homura is really getting owned out there," Kyubey informed Madoka, "She'll be a witch if you don't get out there soon."
Madoka stopped unrolling her mat, and watched for a moment as the other families in the shelter made similar preparations. She turned to her mother, who was occupied with drinking from a metal flask.
"Mom, I have to go help someone. I really believe that it's the right thing to do."
"I don't know what you are talking about, but-"she hiccupped, "If you have to go save your friend from Godzilla, then go ahead."
Madoka stood to her feet. "Thank you, Mom."
Junko took another swig from her flask and looked around her with a suspicious smile. "I wonder where your brother is…"
Homura was thrown back against the ground, hard, by a huge blast and the resulting wave of energy. She struggled to even raise her hand to wipe the blood from the corner of her mouth. Above her, the sky had gone dark, and dark clouds swarmed and spun over the city. Suddenly, there was also the serene face of Madoka.
"I know what to wish for now," Madoka said with a faint smile.
"Are you going back in time to save me? Then, I'd go back too, but you wouldn't be there, and… and it'd get really complicated…" gasped Homura, coughing.
"No, Homura."
Homura coughed in an awful, ragged way. "Is it… more wishes?"
