Tunnelling into the witch was hard. Seriously hard, like trying to break teeth made of pure, solid diamonds (and where did that image come from?). He kept going anyway, determined to split the witch apart, explosions and the rebound of his own fists shaking the massive structure. It wasn't really getting as far as he could have wanted.

"Ora Ora Ora Ora –"

And Homura appeared, tutting quietly at the human-sized indent in the very clearly not human-sized witch, and he couldn't move.

"Man, Jotaro-kun. You're really going at it, huh? I suppose it is pretty important." She sighed, and pulled a small device from behind her silver disc. "But this is really getting sad to watch. It looks like your Stand doesn't have as much power in this realm. And to be honest, it's a waste. You won't remember anything about the Stand user or how to defeat an entire city. That's just how things are."

She put the device in the centre of the indent. "Best to find another way out. Not that there is one." A shrug. "Oh well. You'll probably be able to react to this bomb pretty quickly, right? It's not that I don't want to help, but you actually managed to make a weak spot now, and if you move, the witch will definitely notice something. As much as a monster like that can notice things."

She smiled and patted him gently on the head (how did she reach?). "See ya."

Time resumed.

He jumped, and –

it wasn't enough.

He woke up, covered in cuts and bruises and probably with a few broken bones as well. Something was digging into his shoulder, his chest, his arm. Ow.

Goddammit. At least this time he remembered what he had been doing. So nice of this Stand user to allow him that.

"Jotaro-kun?"

He opened his eyes. Madoka was sitting beside him, looking out at the destruction ravaging the city with a sad smile on her face. She turned her head towards him and held up a ragged piece of cloth. "You dropped something."

"My hat." He stretched out and accepted it from her, gratefully pulling it down onto his head. He felt his modified jacket cushioning his neck, and relaxed. At least all his clothes were safely on him.

"Are you… feeling okay? You de-transformed on the way down. Can you feel your legs?"

For a moment, it seemed like a non-sequitur, but – "Oh. No. I can't. Why the fuck –"

He sat up, and almost rammed his nose into a piece of concrete. There was a small, jagged piece of building on his legs. (How had it got there? His head felt muggy again, and not from the amnesia this time.)

"I'm so sorry, Jotaro-kun. I never meant for this to happen to you. Not after Caesar. Not again. I –"

He heard water drip down onto the roof of the building. (How had he got back to the same building again? Or was it a different one, and Madoka had got here just in time? He didn't know.)

"I'm sorry, Jotaro-kun. I should have known you couldn't – couldn't handle this on your own, I just – I'm sorry!" He heard a small sob in her voice, and that was not a good sound, he didn't –

"'S not your fault. Madoka-chan." He stared at the wall of concrete just in front of him; there was definitely no way he could get out of there without hurting his legs more than they already were. "'S the Stand user making things fucked up."

Another sob. "I'm sorry…"

"Magic is dangerous. Had to happen eventually."

Drip, drip. "The portal into here is one way, isn't it? We're all going to die here, aren't we? You and me and all the codename personalities, and then Homura will loop again, and it'll just keep going and going... I'm so sorry."

"DIO got out."

"That bastard…" She sniffled. "He had an agreement with Homura-chan and the Stand user, they said it themselves."

"So… we die, I guess. Can't transform like this."

Not exactly, Kujo Jotaro. The cat thing. That damn alien cat thing. Where had he been all this time? Was he a captured soul or –

"Fuck. Kyubey's part of it. Fuck."

I repeat: not exactly. But I am here to offer the light of hope, the olive branch of peace, so to speak.

"Fuck you."

"Jotaro-kun…" Madoka stared at the little white thing. "Wait. I… I understand. Someone has to do something about all this, and… I want to. I owe it to Homura-chan. To Sayaka-chan, Kyuoko-chan. To Mami-san. I have to do this."

"Wait, what?"

"Please, Jotaro-kun." She stood up and faced Kyubey. "Please."

"Don't look to me for permission, we barely know each other. But –"

"Okay. I won't ask you." Madoka nodded at Kyubey. "Your wishes can make anything possible in the world of this Stand, correct?"

You are correct, Madoka. Kyubey swished his tail. Do you wish to make a contract?

"Are you the Stand user of this city?"

I am… a helper. We work together to make this world function. Another swish. It's too much to handle for just one person otherwise.

"Right. So you can act independently."

Indeed. Tell me your wish and I will do it, even if it goes against the Owner of this Stand.

Madoka gave a big, nervous smile to Jotaro, and took a breath.

"I wish… that every person who has ever been trapped in this Stand will go back to the real world with their original bodies, spirits, and minds intact."

Very well, Kaname Madoka. Prepare yourself.