cat's cradle

by rumiberri

They say a cat has nine lives, but for Homura, it feels like she has lived nine too many. Maybe this time, she'll finally get everything right and save Madoka. The only problem though, like always, is getting there. [Slow build up] [eventual MadokaxHomura] [Don'tworrytheothercharactersareinheretoo] [AU][Meow][No Rebellion]

20. oasis

"Do you love him?"

Hitomi glances away. She takes in the sight of the empty race track around them, before her green eyes once more meet those light blues that are swirling with emotions.

And she finds that anger, is definitely in the forefront.

"Love... is a very strong word, Sayaka-san," Hitomi replies, voice quiet.

Sayaka makes a sound in her throat—halfway between a choked cry and a rough growl.

"Do you like him then?" she spits out.

Hitomi does not respond, and merely closes her eyes. Lunch is almost half over, and they still needed to change out of their gym clothes.

She also knows that Madoka and Homura are waiting somewhere nearby.

She opens her eyes. "Did you confess? To Kamijou-kun?"

The question is unexpected, and Hitomi watches as Sayaka sputters about.

"W-What?" she finally manages to ask after a few botched attempts.

"Did you confess your feelings to Kamijou-kun?" Hitomi repeats once more. "You were behind there for a while. Did you confess?"

Sayaka scowls at her persistence, and crosses her arms across her chest. Her body language tells Hitomi that she's on the defense, meaning that she most likely did not.

"That has nothing to do with you."

Hitomi gives her a polite smile. "Doesn't it though, Sayaka-san? Kamijou-kun... will become my potential suitor. Fiance." She tucks her hair behind her ear, face calm even though she can't say the same about her mind. "Did you confess to him?"

Sayaka looks down to the floor. Her hands unconsciously tighten into fists, and she can't deny how much she wants to reach out and— She can feel it—how the emotions are twisting in her heart. She quickly clamps down on them, teeth mashing together.

"No," she tells her, voice cracking. "I—couldn't."

"I see."

Sayaka shakes her head. "What, does it even matter, anyways? E-Even if I were to tell him, it's not like it would do anything. You're the one he's going to marry. You're—"

"It's not set in stone, Sayaka-san."

"Hitomi...?"

"We are still young. Barely in our second year of middle school. The aspect of marriage at our age, is something that I can't begin to even wrap my own mind around. Do you love him, Sayaka-san?"

The question thrown back into her face has Sayaka flinching. "I..."

Hitomi sighs. "More often than not, my conversations with Kamijou-kun... eventually, they end with you."

"What?"

Hitomi smiles. "It's not surprising, really, is it? We can only carry on conversation about music for so long. Other than our similar lifestyles, and perhaps interest in music, we have nothing else in common. Nothing, really, except for you. Kamijou-kun, often talks about the admiration he has for you. How he wishes to have the courage you have. How your optimism gives him strength..."

Sayaka can only stare.

The smile falls from Hitomi's face. "I wonder how he would think of the you right now, at this moment. The 'brave' Sayaka-san, that is continuously running away. Where is your usual courage, Sayaka-san?"

"Wha—"

Hitomi shakes her head. "Forget about the arranged marriage for a moment, Sayaka-san. Why haven't you confessed your love for him?"

Sayaka scowls. "I told you—it's not your pro—"

"Yes it is!" Hitomi stomps her foot, voice echoing across the empty field. "Maybe I do like him, Sayaka-san. But, you are also my friend. And as you have had your eye on him first, you... you deserve the opportunity to confess first. I have no intention of stealing him from you."

Sayaka glares, eyes turning away.

"I want this to be fair, Sayaka-san," Hitomi tells her. "Who's to say that Kamijou-kun doesn't like you back? Maybe—"

"What does it even matter!?" Sayaka shouts. "I'm not—" she chokes back her words. "I can't..." she whispers. "I'm not even..."

"You're not what?" Hitomi demands. "I don't understand! You were so close, just a few days ago! What changed?"

There's a flare of anger and Hitomi steps back at Sayaka's expression. "Everything changed! What would you know?! We all can't be as amazing or as lucky as you, Hitomi! What would you know about what I'm going through?"

"Then tell me! How am I supposed to understand if you don't say anything? You and Madoka-san, both of you have been hiding something from me. Don't think I haven't noticed! After meeting Tomoe-san... No, after Akemi-san arrived. There's... something going on in your little group."

A bitter laugh from Sayaka. "You think I want to be this way...?" she steps forward, slowly raising her hands. "I was doing fine, really... I'm not supposed to regret anything. But," her eyes stare straight at Hitomi, "every time I look at you..."

"Sayaka-san...?"

"Why... you?" Sayaka asks, still moving forward. "Why is it always you...?"

Hitomi takes another step back. "Sayaka-san? What's wrong?" It reminds her of what she had seen on the roof—and it scares her. "A-Are you feeling ill again? Do you need to see the nurse?"

"Why...?"

Hitomi's eyes widen when Sayaka's hand suddenly shoots out, fingers wrapping around her wrist.

"Sayaka-san? W-What are you doing?"

"What happens..." Sayaka says softly, "to a normal person...?"

"Saya—"

"Miki Sayaka."

Hitomi finds her wrist free, with Madoka next to her. Homura is there, in front, staring at Sayaka with narrowed eyes.

"...Yo, transfer student." Sayaka looks at her. "This is none of your business. Why don't you and Madoka head to lunch, hm? This is between me and Hitomi..."

"...You truly are an idiot," Homura replies. "Do you not understand what you were about to do?"

Sayaka smirks. "No, I know exactly what I was about to do."

"You—"

"Homura-chan." A hand on her shirt, tugging her back.

Homura glances over. "Madoka?"

Madoka is not looking at her, however, and is instead watching Sayaka. "...There's not much time left until lunch ends."

Homura nods. "You and Shizuki Hitomi should—"

Madoka turns to her with a smile. "After you change, can you get me a strawberry milk, Homura-chan? I'll meet you outside, right in front of the main building. Can you also message Mami-chan, and apologize to her, and explain why we weren't there for lunch?"

Homura blinks. "Madoka?"

The smaller girl ignores her, and turns to Hitomi. "Hitomi-chan?"

"Y-Yes, Madoka-san?"

"I... know... things have been... changing between us lately. But... it's not because we're deliberately shutting you out. If... maybe... one day, maybe we'll be able to explain it to you, but, please, please know that you're still our friend. And I'm sorry, if we've been making you feel lonely."

Hitomi looks at her, clearly surprised. "Ah..."

"Can you please take Homura-chan with you, to get changed? I need to speak to Sayaka-chan for a bit."

Homura reaches out to grab her arm. "Mado—"

Madoka intercepts her hand, and links their fingers together. "Homura-chan. Please? Don't worry." Pink eyes flicker over to blue. "Sayaka-chan won't hurt me."

Those words has Sayaka flinching.

Homura frowns. "She is—"

"My best friend," Madoka emphasizes.

"But—"

Madoka pats her hand, before she lets go. "Strawberry milk, okay, Homura-chan?"

"Mado—"

"Hitomi-chan?"

Hitomi grabs Homura's arm. "Let's leave them alone, Akemi-san."

"Wait, Mado—"

"Homura-chan."

They stare at one another, and even though Homura doesn't want to, she eventually backs down. "...Alright."

Madoka nods. "Thank you, Homura-chan."

Hitomi drags Homura away, and finally, it's just Madoka and Sayaka.

"Sayaka-chan."

Sayaka sighs. "Just... leave me alone, alright, Madoka? I need to—"

"No."

"What?" Sayaka looks over, to see Madoka glaring at her.

"No," she repeats. "I won't leave you alone. Not when you're like this. Not yet, until I tell you what I need to say."

A shadow passes over Sayaka's eyes. "And what right do you have—"

Madoka lifts her chin. "Mami-chan. Kyouko-chan. Homura-chan. They've been trying to help you. Trying to get you through this, yet you keep falling, no matter how many times they pick you up!"

"What would you—"

"...I never thought you could be so selfish, Sayaka-chan."

Sayaka blinks when she realizes that Madoka is crying.

"Everyone's been trying their best," Madoka says, wiping her eyes with her open palm. "Everyone, but you. For you, everything is about you. And only you!"

"Wha—"

"I want to help you, Sayaka-chan." She sniffles, and wipes more tears away. "You're my best friend. And I have always looked up to you, because you're brave, and nice, and I have always wanted to be more like you."

Madoka shakes her head.

"But—the you, that I have been seeing lately, is not the Sayaka-chan that I know."

"Well sorry," Sayaka sneers, "that I can't pretend to be happy all the time! You're just like Hitomi, trying to act like you understand what I'm going through!"

"Then tell me, so that I can understand! How can I make it so that you'll be happy again, Sayaka-chan!"

Sayaka reaches for her. "Mado—"

Madoka takes a step back, dodging her hand. It's the fear in her eyes that has Sayaka staring at her in shock.

"Sayaka-chan... Just being here, next to you, scares me," Madoka whispers. "The Sayaka-chan I know, would never hurt me. But—you. I'm not sure if I can trust you anymore. Not after what you did to Kyouko-chan. Not after what you did to Homura-chan." She takes another step back. "Not after what you tried to do to Hitomi-chan."

Sayaka bows her head, the anger inside her slowly unraveling. "...What do you want me to do...? I can't..." she gestures helplessly.

"...Homura-chan... she said, that you need to confess to Kamijou-kun."

Sayaka gathers her face in her hands. "...I can't," she chokes out. "Even if he likes me back... Him and Hitomi—"

"...Then give up on him."

Sayaka lifts her head.

"It's one thing, or another, Sayaka-chan. You can't continue wavering with your feelings. Can't you see how much it's affecting you? How much it's affecting everyone around you?"

"It's not that easy!"

"Don't you understand what's going to happen to you, Sayaka-chan?" Madoka asks, lips trembling. "Ever since we were little, you have always been protecting me. When I was sad, you were always there to make me smile again. I want to help you, like you always help me," she swipes at her eyes in frustration, "but all you do is push everyone away. Tell me, how I can help you, Sayaka-chan. ...I-I'll make a wish for you, if that's what you want."

Her earnest words makes Sayaka's stomach drop.

"Madoka..." Sayaka raises her hands, but when she realizes what she's doing, she quickly forces them back to her side. "I..." she closes her eyes. "I'm an idiot, aren't I...? I'm... What am I doing...?"

"Sayaka-chan..."

"Madoka... Thank you." Her eyes open, and Madoka can see they're finally clear. "I... " Sayaka takes a deep breath. "Madoka, can you leave me alone for a while...?"

"S-Sayaka-chan..."

Sayaka shakes her head. Suddenly, her soul gem is in her hand, and she holds it out for Madoka to see. "I'm... I'm okay. I'll be okay, so please... I... I need to think about things. Alone. Please."

Madoka sniffles again. The only reason she agrees, is because Sayaka's gem is still blue. "...Okay."

"Thank you, Madoka."

Madoka moves to turn around, but stops. "Sayaka-chan..." There's a nervous expression on her face. "I'll, see you later...?"

Sayaka nods. "Yeah, of course."

Madoka gives her one last look, before she walks away.

/

Hitomi glances behind her, to where she can see the usual blank faced Homura.

Except—she sees how she keeps looking over her shoulder.

Hitomi stops walking, and the distracted Homura almost runs into her. She abruptly stops right before impact, and automatically takes a few steps back.

They stare at one another, Homura with her head tilted, Hitomi eying her with poorly disguised jealousy.

"...Is something the matter, Shizuki Hitomi?"

That strange naming, has Hitomi pausing. She thinks, and the only one that Homura calls by her first name, is Madoka.

Hitomi looks away. "I'm... jealous of you, Akemi-san."

Homura blinks, while Hitomi frowns at her slip of the tongue.

"...Why?"

Hitomi turns back. "Why...?" It's a good question. "Why?" she repeats.

Homura stands still facing her, but Hitomi can see her attention is drifting away—towards the direction they had come from.

Hitomi shakes her head. "You..." She sighs. "You have only been here for... weeks, Akemi-san. And yet... it already seems like you're replacing me."

Homura doesn't reply. Very rarely does she interact with Hitomi, no matter what timeline.

The silence lasts long enough that Hitomi eventually sighs once more. "I'm... going to get changed," she tells her, already turning around. "I will see you in class, Akemi-san."

Homura grabs her arm, and pulls her back.

"Akemi-san...?"

"...Are you happy, Shizuki Hitomi?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"With your life?" Homura clarifies.

Hitomi's brow furrows. "...There is nothing unsatisfactory about it, if that's what you're asking me."

Homura stares at her, searching for something in her eyes. Finally, she nods, and lets go. "Good. Don't... don't go throwing all of that away, for something... that sounds too good to be true."

Her cryptic words merely draw a puzzled expression onto Hitomi's face. "What do you mean by that, Akemi-san?"

Homura shakes her head. "I need to get changed as well," she murmurs. "Good day, Shizuki Hitomi."

Before Hitomi can stop her, Homura is walking away briskly, her long hair trailing after her like a dark cape.

Hitomi doesn't know what to think, but she merely turns around, and heads to the changing rooms.

\\

Five minutes until the bell chimes, and Homura is finished with her two boxes of milk. There's one more in her hand as she waits outside, head tilted up, eyes watching.

Her bentou, along with Madoka's, is sitting neatly in Madoka's bag in their classroom, and the milk is barely enough to keep her hunger down. Her tongue pokes out a little as her eyes continue to follow the birds in the nearby trees.

Amy had told her that those are harder to catch—but just as delicious.

She slowly walks over, watching as they flutter about. When she's standing right below them, her hand is placed on the tree trunk, and she knows it would be really easy for her to scale up. A quick activation of her time magic, and, her eyes flicker around, she could eat all three before Madoka arrives.

Instead, she sighs, eyes closing as she leans her forehead against the rough, yet cool surface of the bark.

"...Homura-chan?"

She straightens, and turns to face the owner of that voice. "Mado—" her greeting dies on her lips when she sees how miserable Madoka looks. "A-Are you alright, Madoka?"

"I-I'm okay, Homura-chan." She gives her a watery smile.

Homura can only offer her the box of milk as comfort.

Madoka gives her a better smile this time. "Thanks, Homura-chan."

A moment later, Madoka is drinking her lunch, eyes looking first to Homura, then into the branches above.

She's done with half, before she pulls the straw away. "...What were you doing, Homura-chan?"

Homura blinks, but when one of the birds chirps, lavender is suddenly concentrated up.

Madoka grabs her hand. "Birds are off limits too, Homura-chan."

The look Homura gives her has Madoka reaching out, but she stops herself when she remembers where they're at. Petting Homura at school is definitely a no-no.

She loops her arm with Homura's instead, and tugs her towards the classrooms. "You can eat your bentou during break after our next class, Homura-chan."

"Mm..." Homura replies, almost reluctantly. She throws one last look back, before she places her attention in front of her.

Madoka discards her empty carton, and they make their way through the empty hallways.

Homura glances over. "Miki Sayaka... she is... how is she?"

Madoka keeps her eyes straight ahead. "Sayaka-chan... I'm not sure. I..." she shakes her head. "S-She told me to leave her alone..."

Homura concentrates on her magic, expending it outwards, searching for those familiar signatures that should be within her range.

Mami is there, still on the roof as the bell has yet to ring.

And Sayaka... is moving.

"She is leaving the school," Homura tells her. "Madoka, you go on ahead. I will bring her back."

Madoka grabs her arm before she can leave. "You... you can't, Homura-chan..."

"It shouldn't be hard to catch up to her. I will use my magic and—"

"No!"

"Madoka...?"

Madoka grips her arm tighter. "Y-You can't. What if... What if Sayaka-chan hurts you again...?"

Homura blinks. "...I will be fine. I—"

Madoka shakes her head; she can still remember the sight of Homura coughing up blood. "You're... you're still healing."

"I need to move, before Miki Sayaka is out of my range, Madoka."

"...You said so yourself, that... that Kyouko-chan and Sayaka-chan always seem to find each other."

"There is no guarantee that will happen. Sakura Kyouko is unpredictable. Madoka, please let go."

"No!"

Homura tries to shake her hand off. "She may need a grief seed, Madoka. Miki Sayaka—"

"S-Sayaka-chan will be fine. She... showed me her soul gem, before I left. She's... she's strong. Sayaka-chan will be okay."

Homura frowns at her words. "She is... more fragile than you think she is. Don't worry, her magic will not work on me again. I—"

Madoka throws her arms around her, tears in her eyes. "W-Why does everyone keep trying to push me away...? I-Is it because I'm not a magical girl? W-Will you listen to me if I make a wish, Homura-chan?"

"Mado—"

Homura stiffens just as the bell rings. Lunch is now over.

She takes one look at the tearful Madoka, and acts quickly.

When time clicks back into place, the hallway is empty, and the chime continues uninterrupted.

/

A part of her, knows she shouldn't have left school.

If she's caught, she'll get into even more trouble with her parents, and that's definitely not something she wants to happen.

But, she needs something else surrounding her—something other than the faces of Kyousuke, and Hitomi bearing down at her. What she needs is peace, so that she can finally make a decision.

She's wary as she walks around, careful of any truancy officers that may spot her. What she finds though, is that for the most part, she's unnoticed by other people.

Because—and she realizes this now, whether she's just a regular girl, or a magical girl, the rest of the world doesn't really care who she is. She could have saved that woman from a Witch, or that man from a familiar, but they wouldn't know.

And they wouldn't care.

She wanders, but not aimlessly.

A cafe. A burger joint.

Ramen shop. Taiyaki stand.

Crepe cart. Super market.

Convenience store.

Finally, she stops lying to herself. She knows who she's looking for.

She remembers something, and heads downtown.

The sole worker on shift gives her a suspicious look, but when she sees he makes no move to report her, she steps further inside.

The lights are dimmed, making the glowing screens brighter and the noises louder. She hears it, indistinguishable music and the pounding from the deep bass.

Here, she's finally close enough that she can easily pick out that red signature.

The music becomes louder, and when she spots that familiar figure twisting around, red hair swaying with her movements, she merely stands there, watching her for a moment.

Her eyes are drawn to her arm—that same arm she had destroyed yesterday. She glances down to her hands, to the image of crimson superimposed on her skin.

She suddenly feels the need to step closer, to make sure that what she's seeing is no hallucination. That the Kyouko there, in front of her, is not a figment of her imagination.

That she's really alive.

She stands behind her, watching her dancing that perfectly matches the beat.

There's a flourished pose when the song ends, before the music fades away.

She hears a crunch, as a pocky stick is snapped between teeth, and finally, Kyouko is turning around.

"Yo." Her hand holds out a familiar red box.

It's reflex now that has Sayaka reaching. Halfway, her hand stops.

The box shakes, and she looks up to see Kyouko with one eyebrow quirked.

With trembling fingers, she manages to pull out one stick. She doesn't know why, and she doesn't understand it, but when that familiar taste hits her tongue, the tension she feels slowly starts melting away.

Kyouko is grinning at her, and Sayaka finds it's easier to breathe. Easier to forget about Kyousuke and Hitomi.

"Yo," she finally replies.

/

They're still on school grounds, Madoka following Homura as she leads her to somewhere. They walk past the field, towards the walls that borders the edge of campus.

They squeeze between a sizable crack that's hidden by overgrown vines, and suddenly, they're beyond what Madoka recognizes.

She glances around; she remembers from first year, during their orientation, someone had mentioned how there was an empty lot behind the school.

It turns out, that the empty lot is not quite so empty. There's a building here, hidden and tucked away.

It's a dilapidated structure, made of wood with peeling paint, broken roof tiles, and warped boards. There are more vines here, covering the walls and haphazardly clinging to the surface; the sheer amount growing speaks of years of neglect and abandonment.

"Homura-chan?" Madoka moves closer as a chill runs down her back. "W-What is this place? Where are we going...?"

Homura remains quiet, and continues inside.

They climb over a scattered shelf on the floor, stepping into a dark hallway that's semi-lit with small rays of sunlight streaming through broken windows. Homura easily navigates them through more obstacles littered around, their footsteps echoing as she leads Madoka further back.

"This was built when the city was first established," Homura explains finally, voice quiet yet loud as it bounces off the wooden walls. She gestures to the ruined rooms they're passing by. "Temporary classrooms, as they finished construction for the rest of the school. It was supposed to be demolished, afterwards, but it didn't happen. Watch your step—some of the floorboards are rotten due to water damage."

Madoka nervously looks down, concentrating on her feet as she follows.

"H-How did you find this place?" Madoka asks softly.

"...There's a false barrier nearby. It's why this place is still here."

Madoka stiffens, hand gripping Homura's tighter.

"It's alright," Homura murmurs. "We're not going that far."

A sigh of relief, and Madoka continues to walk with Homura as they make their way through the hallway.

Finally, Homura stops.

Madoka notices it, that this is the only room so far with a door still intact; there's a small placard on top, labeled 1-F.

It's slid open, and Madoka blinks with what she finds inside.

There's grass growing through the cracks of the floorboards, and a stack of desks pushed to the far left. To the right, there's a green board, speckled with dust.

Unlike the rest of the building, it's bright due to the broken walls and the ceiling that's half gone. The flowers in the middle, reminds Madoka of a small garden.

Homura continues in, Madoka following her.

"They've finally bloomed..."

The familiarity in Homura's voice has Madoka looking at her. "What is this place, Homura-chan?"

Homura glances over to the green board, and Madoka turns in curiosity. There's nothing really distinguishable on it.

Homura doesn't reply, and merely walks over to the flowers. Madoka is still holding her arm, still trailing behind her.

"I found this place accidentally," Homura tells her. "This room in particularly, sits right at the borderline of the false barrier. It's not enough to affect us, but being inside here will make it nearly impossible for anyone to find us through magical tracking."

Madoka knows there's a lot left unsaid in Homura's words.

She watches as Homura takes a seat, and mimics her actions.

"Homura-chan...?"

Homura faces her. "Madoka. Have you calmed down?"

Madoka bows her head. The emotions she has been holding in, suddenly flow out. "...I'm sorry. I-It's just—" tears appear, and she blinks them away. "E-Everyone keeps telling me they're fine. A-And, I just—I just feel so useless. I c-can't help Sayaka-chan. I can't help you. I c-can't help anyone. I'm not a magical girl," she hiccups, "I-I don't know what any of you are really going through. I—"

Homura grabs her and hugs her tightly. "You're not useless," she whispers. "You're—you're strong, stronger than you think you are. You don't need to become a magical girl just because you want to understand."

"But—"

Homura moves, and Madoka suddenly finds herself lying on the floor, Homura curled around her.

"Madoka, look up," Homura says softly.

Madoka turns her head, and the bright sunlight filtering in makes her eyes close momentarily.

She opens them, blinking, and the blue sky up above greets her. "Homura-chan...?"

"...Madoka, you asked me, what colour I see when I look up at the sky." Homura's voice is a gentle whisper against her ear. "I... For the longest time, I stopped noticing it. The sky... those flowers. Everything, all around us."

Madoka looks over to Homura, and the sight of her black hair spilled around her makes her appear even more ethereal. "Homura-chan...?"

"Tomoe Mami. Sakura Kyouko. Miki Sayaka. Myself. We... we can only see things now, through the eyes of a magical girl. What good would it do, if you are there, drowning with us...?" Homura presses her face into Madoka's neck. "I understand, how hard it is for you to stand on the sidelines."

"Homura-chan...?"

"But you can't," there's wetness against her neck from Homura's tears, "you can't follow after us, Madoka. Think of your family. Think of your Mama, your Papa. Takkun. The sky is still blue for you, Madoka."

Madoka can feel her own eyes burning as she struggles to hold back her own tears. Her arms wrap around Homura's thin shoulders, and she pulls her closer.

She closes her eyes, and despite her best efforts, her tears join Homura's as they trickle down.

\

There's a perfectly good bentou sitting in her bag, but that, is still at school.

Instead, there's a burger in her hands, and the feel of steel against her back.

She hears paper crumbling, and when she glances over, she's not surprised to see that Kyouko is already finished with her food.

Despite how she feels like she should have no appetite, she takes another bite before Kyouko can ask her if she can have hers.

There's the hollow sound as Kyouko finishes her drink. Seconds later, she watches as the cup disappears into the trashcan nearby.

"So," Kyouko finally says, turning to her. "What are you gonna do?"

She lowers her eyes. "Dunno..."

Kyouko yawns. "You wanna know what I think?"

Sayaka sighs. "No, but you're going to tell me anyways, right?"

"Yup." Kyouko nods. "Anyways, okay, so, say you confess to Pretty Boy, and... best case scenario: he likes you."

Sayaka can't deny how her heart speeds up. "Yeah..."

"...What happens then?" Kyouko asks. "You two gonna start dating?"

Sayaka looks away.

"So... you two date, and whatever, right? But, it still means that when he turns 18 he'll suddenly run off and marry Seaweed girl?"

Sayaka suddenly laughs. "...Madoka was right."

"What?"

Sayaka sighs. "...I should give up on Kyousuke."

Kyouko eyes her. "You think you can handle that?"

"...How long do magical girls live for, Kyouko?"

Kyouko blinks. "Uh, I'm not sure..."

"A few years?" Sayaka closes her eyes. "It doesn't matter even if Kyousuke likes me. Will we even live to become 18...?"

"H-Hey—"

Sayaka places her arm across her eyes. "I get it. I really, really, get it now. It doesn't matter if I like Kyousuke, or if he likes me back." Another laugh. "The moment I made my wish, I pretty much erased whatever chances I had with having a future with him. It was either me, or him. But never the both of us, together..."

"Hey!" Kyouko grabs her roughly by the shoulders. "Listen, alright? We live for however long we want to live for! The moment you start thinking about giving up, that's when things start going bad! Show me your soul gem!"

Sayaka shrugs her off. "I'm fine."

Kyouko's glare has her holding out her hand.

And to her surprise, the gem summoned is still a nice shade of blue.

"I understand everything now," Sayaka says softly, ring returning to her finger. "It doesn't matter what we do, because we will eventually die. Whether it's tomorrow, or next year... We'll get careless one day, or there will be a strong Witch we can't defeat. And we'll disappear, just like all those other girls. We'll—"

Sayaka suddenly finds her cheek stinging.

"With you, it's like, you take one step forward, and then ten steps back." Kyouko shakes her roughly. "How many times do I gotta hit you to get things through your thick skull? Why won't you get it?"

Sayaka slowly turns to face her.

"It sucks, you know, being alone. I get that. I know it, more than anyone! So why," Kyouko bows her head, "why can't you just see that you're not alone anymore? Forget about Pretty Boy, and Seaweed Girl, alright? You h-have... other people in your life too..."

Sayaka stares, unable to form proper words.

"Sayaka." Kyouko finally lifts her head. "Why, why won't you look at me...? I'm—I'm right here, you idiot. I'm right here."

/

She finds herself standing amongst rubble and stone slabs. A broken foundation to a destroyed building, steel rebar jutting out and broken glass scattered around her feet.

The sky above is gray, clouds churning overhead as droplets of rain fall. Water is hitting her face as the wind whips her messy hair around.

Homura is there, fighting.

All alone.

She's but a small speck in the sky as she faces a large, clock-like object towering over her.

The gears are turning, and suddenly everything is awash in red as fire spins and lights the sky.

It fills her vision, and she searches for that familiar figure when the smoke clears.

But—Homura—

Homura is nowhere to be found.

"Homura-chan!"

She wakes with a gasp, eyes full of fear, hands clinging onto warmth almost desperately.

"Homura-chan...?" she whispers as something painfully claws at heart.

There's a blanket of black tresses tangled in her fingers, and suddenly, she finds lavender peering at her.

"Madoka? Are you alright?" Homura's voice is soft. So familiar.

Madoka buries her face in Homura's neck. "Homura-chan..."

Hands on her back, Homura nuzzles her cheek against Madoka's head. "It's okay, Madoka. I'm here. Are you alright? D-Did you have another nightmare?"

Madoka holds her tighter. "I-I dreamt... I dreamt you were fighting," she whispers. "All alone, against this... this huge, W-Witch. S-She did something, with fire... a-and, suddenly you were gone..."

Homura ignores how her pulse quickens. "...I'm right here, Madoka. I-I'm not fighting anything..."

Madoka lets Homura hold her for a moment longer, before she finally pulls away. "Homura-chan...?"

"Yes, Madoka?"

"... Have... Have... I met you before...?"

She feels Homura stiffen.

"Madoka...?"

Hands are suddenly against Homura's cheeks, light and gentle. "Homura-chan... are... are you hiding something from me...?"

Homura draws in a sharp intake of breath, and it's only because Madoka is still holding her that she remains in place.

"M-Madoka...?"

Madoka stares, and Homura finds she can't break her gaze. "Homura-chan... w-who are you...? Why... why does it feel like... I know you... from... so long ago..."

Homura suddenly tries to pull away, but Madoka latches onto her.

"Please," Madoka pleads, "please don't run away, Homura-chan."

"I-I—" Homura swallows hard, and closes her eyes. "I—"

They both jump when a small beep echoes in the room.

Madoka recognizes it as her message tone, but ignores it as she continues to stare at Homura.

She notices those ears are out now, flat against her head.

Another beep interrupts her thoughts, and Homura flinches at the sharp sound.

It's enough though, that Madoka frees one of her arms and reaches for her phone.

A message, from Hitomi.

A quick reply sent, before she's turning back to Homura, who now has her eyes cast everywhere but to her.

"Homura-chan...?"

Black ears twitch, and lavender flickers over. She can see the fear in them.

"Is it... something you can't tell me?" Madoka asks softly.

Homura hesitates. She slowly shakes her head.

Madoka blinks. "It's... something you can tell me?"

Another shake of her head.

Her brow furrows. "So you can tell me, but... you can't tell me?"

A nod this time.

Madoka can't help but give her an exasperated sigh. "Homura-chan..." She thinks briefly. "Is... is it something, you can tell me, but, just not yet...?"

Another hesitant nod.

"Alright... I'll... I'll wait."

Homura finally lifts her head to look at her.

"I'll wait," Madoka tells her. "Until you're ready."

Homura doesn't like that expression on Madoka's face, and it hurts her even more to know that she's the reason it's there. Just as she's about to open her mouth, another beep interrupts, and she jumps at the sound.

"Sorry," Madoka murmurs. She quickly digs out her phone from her skirt pocket once more. "It's from Hitomi-chan."

This time she sets her phone to silent, before she tucks it away again.

"...The next class is going to start soon," Madoka says. "Maybe... we should head back?"

Right on cue, Homura's stomach growls. She ducks her head, ears twitching in embarrassment.

It's enough to break the tension.

"Ehehe," Madoka laughs softly. "Guess the milk wasn't enough..." Madoka turns, and looks around.

They're secluded here, a small oasis nestled in between broken wood, overgrown grass, and blooming flowers.

"...Homura-chan?" She moves her head, smiling when she sees Homura looking at her. "...Mm, never mind. I'll tell you later, too."

Homura blinks. "Madoka...?"

Madoka slowly sits up, and starts dusting off her clothes. "We should head to class..." Her hands pause. "But... what do we tell the teacher?"

Homura joins her, ignoring the dust sticking to her uniform and instead fixes her hair. "I wasn't feeling too well after lunch, and you were accompanying me until I felt better."

Madoka glances over. "Shouldn't we have gone to the nurse though?"

"I am taller than you, Madoka. They can't expect you to be able to carry my weight. It will be fine."

Madoka watches as those familiar ears and tail disappears.

"Homura-chan?"

"Yes, Madoka?"

Madoka places one hand on the side of Homura's face.

"Madoka...?"

Her eyes widen as Madoka leans in close. There's a light touch, as her lips are pressed to her cheek.

Madoka blushes, pulling back as she withdraws her hand. She averts her eyes. "W-We should get to class..."

Homura remains frozen in place, and it isn't only until Madoka's grabs her hand, that she finally moves.

---

AN: Had some troubles with some scenes. Took a while. Can you believe it's almost summer...? Started this in jan, and now it's june. Crazy. Soon, I'll have enough stories under my belt, and then I'll leave foreeveeer.

As always, thanks for reading / reviewing! As for the things people pointed out, mostly about Junko, that will be addressed soon. And, there's a reason why Homura and Madoka are still sharing a bed, despite how welcoming Junko is. Logic? Ha! Who needs logic... Oh, and glad no one thought that Hitomi's sudden back story was too out there. Whew. Also, yes, Madoka knows that Sayaka made a wish to heal Kyousuke; she was just pointing out why the other people were so surprised at Kyousuke's sudden amazing recovery.

Will Homura eat a rat (or a bird)? Probably not...? Madoka told her not to, and she's trying her best to resist those delicious, fluffy animals. But—

Uhm... Yeah, I think that's a majority of the things I need to answer. Until next time...