Chapter Forty-Four: Slender Hopes
When Homura reached the bottom of the mountain, she found Yurino sitting in the ruins of the shrine, surrounded by Chiaki's blades and the corpses of the fallen. Yurino waved a hand in greeting. "Good afternoon, Homura. Are you heading off?"
Homura stared at her in blank disgust. Then she turned and walked away. She gritted her teeth as she heard Yurino stand and walk after her. "What the hell do you want from me?"
"I'm protecting you," Yurino said. "It'd be a problem for me if you died." She pulled her mobile out of her pocket, frowning. "Do you know if anyone worthwhile survived in Kyoto? Never mind the rank and file, but it'd be useful if Tsuya or Riko were still around."
"I don't need protection," Homura said. "Don't follow me."
"My sister said I should keep an eye on you in a case like this, so I will," Yurino said. "It's for your own good, you know."
Homura snorted. "For your own good, don't get close to me right now." Her body was washed in light, her wings flourishing. She took flight in an instant, shooting up into the sky. She looked down at the city below her as she flew up and up, her eyes blank. Then she blinked and turned her head back as she noticed a presence flying towards her.
"You're in a rush, aren't you?" Yurino asked. She clung to the blue empress as the beautiful doll flew straight after Homura, one arm supporting Yurino and the other holding its lance casually by its side. "Kyoto is a beautiful city. You should stop to admire the scenery."
Homura gritted her teeth and accelerated, the wind pressing against her face as she shot through the sky towards the station.
Yurino smiled. "Playing hard to get." The doll lifted her up, letting her climb onto its broad back and lie there, gripping onto its silver hair. "Let's go." The doll accelerated as well, a blue bolt shooting after Homura.
Homura's eyes widened. She turned as Yurino closed on her again, summoning her bow in a flash of white light. "Get the hell away from me!"
"Oh, settle down," Yurino said. The empress stopped in mid-air, azure light glowing about it as it drew its sword. Yurino wrapped her arms around its neck, her red eyes peaking over the doll's shoulder. "I can't kill you, silly. Or hasn't the goddess told you anything yet?"
Homura breathed out, trying to control herself. "Just get out of my sight if you don't want to join your sister."
Yurino smiled, pressing her cheek against the doll's face. "I guess you really are in a bad mood right now. But no matter what you say, I need to watch over you."
Something snapped in Homura. Silver hair, red eyes, the accent and the mocking words, all of it reminded her of Kahoru. All of it filled her with hatred. Before she knew what she was doing, her body reacted, drawing back her bow and letting fly with a brilliant white arrow. She'd pierce through the doll and the girl behind it in one strike.
The arrow struck the empress directly in the centre of the chest and vanished in an instant. The doll's blue dress wasn't even stained by the impact. Yurino shook her head tiredly. "Oh, settle down."
Homura pulled back her bow again, her mind blank with anger and frustration. "Just disappear!" Her wings collapsed inwards as she pulled all of her magic into her arrow, turning the purple light pink. Right now, she didn't care. She'd just dash the other girl out of existence with raw power alone. Her arrow was a pillar of light that pierced through the sky and stole the empress from sight.
The doll's blue lance erupted from the storm of pink light and came to rest an inch from Homura's neck. Yurino poked her head out from behind the doll's face as Homura's magic faded away. She frowned in disappointment. "I think you need a rest."
Homura panted for breath, sweat dripping down her face. She could just barely keep herself flying, but her pride barely supported her. "What the hell are you?"
"I'm the strongest magical girl," Yurino said. Her doll sheathed its sword and lowered its lance, reaching out and grabbing Homura as she crumpled forwards. "Don't over-do it, okay? You're being silly." The doll shot down towards the station, easily carrying them both.
Homura tried to clear her head. Damn it, what the hell was she doing? She knew Yurino's talent and she'd seen her first arrow do nothing at all. If she'd given the situation any thought, she would have been more careful. But instead she'd given into her emotions and wasted all her strength.
Yurino landed in a deserted back alley and jumped off her doll's back. She offered Homura her hand as the doll gently lowered the black-haired girl to the ground. "You're going to the station, right? I'll escort you."
Homura ignored her hand, standing and brushing herself off. She maintained her grey jacket with her magic. She didn't have the strength to do anything else. "No, it's fine."
"Right now, I'm as fresh as a daisy, you know." Yurino dismissed her doll and costume in a flash of azure light, smiling patronisingly at Homura. "Let's go."
Homura breathed out and released her magic. "Fine." She withdrew inside herself, limply following Yurino out onto the streets of Kyoto.
"You can stay in Kyoto if you prefer," Yurino said. "There's no meaning in you going back to Mitakihara, after all. Either way you'll be using your time magic to go back."
"Don't take that as read," Homura said. "I will protect Madoka."
Yurino smiled. "If you want to beat my sister, kill yourself. But I don't think you can live without those girls. I don't think you can live with the consequences of your own actions, either."
"Say what you like," Homura said. She was too tired to argue.
"It's not like we win when you use that magic. The game will go on." Yurino looked up at the sky, her expression cheerful. "I'm a little excited, you know. Up until now, I've always been watching without being able to do anything. But from here on out, I can play as well. I can be Kahoru's weapon."
"This isn't a game," Homura said. "You should understand better than anyone that magical girls suffer and die young."
"This is better than real life. The real world is just boring. Boring people, boring work. Spinning out time pretending to care." Yurino put her hands behind her head. "Kahoru might have been able to do something because she's brilliant, but I'm not like that. I'm gonna stay stuck in the rut we were born in. I'll take a short and brilliant life over being there forever."
"There's nothing brilliant about magical girls," Homura said.
"Oh, but there is. The battle against demons. The clumsy and passionate confrontations between magical girls. Meetings and partings." Yurino met Homura's gaze. "It's painful, but life is painful. At least you know you're doing something worthwhile."
"I'm just desperately trying to defend myself from your sister," Homura said. "How the hell is that worthwhile?"
"Well, it'll all have a great meaning in the end," Yurino said. She smiled. "And you've sacrificed others for your cause in your time, right? This is the same thing. Just today you sacrificed Osaka and even your own friends for the sake of Madoka."
"That's all Kahoru's fault," Homura said. "It's all her plan."
"You're the one who rose to my sister's provocations," Yurino said. "Kyubey turning against us was unexpected, but your decision to come here made things simple. This was a battle you chose to fight."
"I know that," Homura said through gritted teeth. "All the more reason for me not to play into Kahoru's hands any more."
Yurino laughed. "You think too much. You'll never beat my sister by thinking, so why not just go with your feelings?"
Homura snorted as they stepped out onto one of the main streets leading to Kyoto Station. "Do you think I'm stupid or something?"
Yurino shrugged. "Well, it was worth a try." She glanced sidelong at Homura. "But right now, you're useless. You feel like you've lost the war, even though you've only lost one battle. That's a problem for us, as well, since we need you to be our enemy."
Homura met her gaze. "You're pretty sharp, aren't you? I never noticed because you let your sister say everything, but the resemblance is striking."
"I'm not as smart as her. But I know what she's thinking," Yurino said. "And I can think for myself." She toyed with her long silver hair as they approached the station. "Just think of your victory. Visualise what you'll gain on the other side of all the fighting and the pain. That's what I do whenever I waver. I close my eyes and see my sister's perfect world."
"I don't need your advice," Homura said.
"I'm just talking. You can do what you like." Yurino stopped. "You go on ahead, okay?"
"Just what on earth were you pretending to be protecting me from?" Homura asked.
"You'll see, probably," Yurino said. "But I'm also acting as my sister's insurance." She grinned a cat-like grin. "I'll see you later."
Homura walked away, folding her arms protectively over her chest. She didn't understand how someone could smile after seeing so much death. And she hated herself for losing to that smiling girl.
After a long and exhausting journey, Homura finally reached her home. She kicked off her shoes and walked up the stairs. Everything was still and silent. But when she reached the lounge, Kyubey was perched on the table. He blinked at her. "Welcome back."
"Why are you here?" Homura said dully.
"To discuss your future," Kyubey said. "It goes without saying that the situation across Japan has changed drastically."
Homura collapsed onto one of the seats and threw her head back. "I don't really care right now."
"Now don't be like that. You're still an important asset," Kyubey said. "And you killed Kahoru, just as you had hoped."
"I lost far too much," Homura said.
"It was unfortunate. Kahoru Hoshino really was formidable. We lost so many in Osaka and Kyoto, and most of my top enforcers as well. Above all, the loss of Ritsuko cuts deep. I've left her in charge of enforcement in this country for so long I'd barely considered the matter of a replacement for her," Kyubey said.
"You said Osaka and the enforcers would be enough," Homura said. "How the hell did you let things end up like this?"
"Well, I always anticipated a difficult battle. It was outside my expectations that Kahoru would exploit Setsuko's past, or that Ritsuko would forcibly involve herself in the battle," Kyubey said. "But Ritsuko aside, it was all within my margin of error."
"Just to take care of the hypothetical danger Kahoru represents?" Homura said.
"Not exactly. Thanks to the extremity of the circumstances, Yurino made a powerful wish," Kyubey said. "The consequences of that was unfortunate for my enforcers, but when I assess the situation now, it's a net positive. If events had continued naturally, Yurino would have wished to make Kahoru a human again, or wished to raise Kahoru from the dead. Instead she made a wish that gives her enormous combat power."
"Just what is her magic?" Homura said.
"I can't tell you. But what I can say is she's something like Ritsuko's natural successor," Kyubey said. "If possible, I'd like to make her head enforcer. Her abilities make her the most suitable person for that role."
Homura snorted. "Do you really think she'll just go along with that, given you conspired to destroy her sister?"
"She'll come round with time," Kyubey said. "Her ties to Kyoto are almost entirely broken. And above all, she has an irrational attachment to fighting. I'll make her useful to me."
Homura stared at Kyubey for a few seconds, then snorted. It was funny. Funny enough to make her laugh or cry.
"What is it?" Kyubey said.
"Sorry. I was just thinking you don't understand anything at all," Homura said.
"If you have something to say, say it directly," Kyubey said.
Homura smirked. "No, it's fine."
"In any case, it's high time you graduated from Mitakihara," Kyubey said. "Osaka needs a new leader. It'd be simple for you take control of the survivors."
"Just why should I do that?" Homura asked.
"It's the place where you can do the most good," Kyubey said. "And now that Kyouko and Mami are gone, you don't have anything binding you to this city."
Homura stared at him in angry disbelief. "Did you plan this? Did you really think I'd do what you want after they died?"
"It wasn't a plan. It was just one of a spectrum of possibilities I considered," Kyubey said. "But I'm right, aren't I? Unlike many girls, you have no family to speak of. You don't have any friends left either. What do you have to lose?"
"Get out of my sight," Homura said.
"This is just the situation that resulted from the battle," Kyubey said. "I'm trying to make the best of it, just as you should. You were a willing collaborator, so you can hardly blame me for everything that has happened."
Homura stood. "Get out of my sight."
"As you wish." Kyubey hopped down from the table and walked towards the door. "I'll approach you again later. You're still necessary, now more than ever. Don't do anything illogical."
"Too late," Homura said, mostly to herself. Once he was out of sight, she walked through her empty flat, trying to ignore her memories. The door to Kyouko's room was a silent accusation.
After hours of effort, Homura managed to sleep. And in her sleep, she met Madoka again. They were alone in a vast hall. In the middle of the room there was a round table surrounded with chairs. Madoka gestured from Homura to sit. "Welcome back."
Homura sank into a chair next to Madoka. "Hi."
Madoka smiled wanly. "Have you decided what to do?"
"Not yet," Homura said. She met Madoka's gaze. "Just what should I do? I don't know, and there's no one left to offer me advice except you."
"Well, if you're asking me, just do what your heart says is right," Madoka said. "Without thinking about your responsibilities to me or anyone else, just think of what's most likely to make you happy from now on."
"I can't be that careless," Homura said. "I need to protect you. But I'm also responsible for what happened to Kyouko and Mami-"
Madoka pressed a finger against Homura's forehead. She smiled, resting her chin on her other hand. "That's what I mean. You're thinking too much. If you keep thinking and thinking, you won't last. Ironically, Kahoru is the same as you in that sense. Too much thinking, not enough feeling."
"Kahoru beat me because I didn't think enough," Homura said testily.
"Maybe. Or maybe you lost because you never empathised with her." Madoka laughed at Homura's disgusted face. "I mean that in a technical sense. Did you ever try and imagine the sorts of thoughts and feelings Kahoru experienced when she chose to make an enemy of you? Or how she regarded you when you came to kill her?"
"I'm not sure why that would matter," Homura said.
"People often try to work out what other people are thinking, but thoughts are fast and complex," Madoka said. "What we really mean by that- what really matters- is how people feel about things. You don't need to understand everything about them. You just need to understand the important things."
"Just how am I supposed to understand Kahoru?" Homura said.
"Well, you can start by thinking of her as more than delusional," Madoka said. "It's a bit silly. Kahoru is just as bad with feelings as you are, but she did at least manage to understand your loyalty to me, and your anger when she challenged that."
Homura sighed. "If it matters from now on, I'll do my best. But that doesn't answer my question."
"This isn't just how to understand Kahoru, you know," Madoka said. "It goes for Hitomi, as well. And Mami. And Kyouko. Sometimes you can't connect to people using reason alone."
"I understand them," Homura said. "I just made my own choices. I had to make my own choices."
"You can make choices with your feelings, not just your logic. I began by telling you that." Madoka smiled at Homura. "Don't worry about unnecessary things. Don't worry about me, either. I'll be waiting here, whatever happens. So live life for the sake of being happy while you're alive."
"Even if you say that, I can't stop thinking of you," Homura said.
"But you don't just think of me." Madoka touched Homura's cheek. "And your feelings don't just involve me, either. If they did, you could hardly be called human. But you're full of feelings for others, aren't you? Warm things and cold things, tidy things and messy things, soft things and hard things, love and hate and everything in-between. If you accept all that, then I won't be angry, no matter what you choose to do. I'll watch over you."
Homura closed her eyes. "I don't want to hurt you."
"I'm strong. I won't be hurt." Madoka closed her eyes. "Just so long as you live happily, I'll be able to meet you at the end with a smile. I don't want you to live a half-life because of me, since I chose to live up here instead of down with you."
Homura breathed out. Madoka's hand was warm. It was enough to make her want to cry.
"You should probably wake up, though," Madoka said. "Or you'll die."
Homura opened her eyes. A two-sided sword crashed through the window of her room, tearing the curtains away and piercing the wall just above her head. White light erupted around her as she released her magic in a mad panic. A dozen more swords erupted through the window, scattering glass everywhere and tearing her bed to ribbons. Her magic pushed the blades aside as it formed her grey jacket, then she vanished in a heart-beat, materialising above her house and spreading her white wings. Half a dozen more swords ripped sideways through the windows of her upper floor before the barrage stopped. Homura gritted her teeth as she followed their trajectory with her eyes.
Chiaki stood on top of a house across the street, surrounded by flying blades. A forest of two-handed swords pierced the roof around her, forming an ever-widening circle. Oriko and Kirika flanked her, looking up at Homura. Oriko smiled. "So you can survive that much. You're lucky, Miss Akemi."
"Why are you doing this?" Homura asked. She formed her bow and narrowed her eyes. Whatever the answer was, it wasn't going to be good.
"The future hasn't changed. You will vanish and this world is swallowed in darkness," Oriko said. She raised both hands, summoning her vine spheres. "I won't let that happen, so please die for the sake of the world. Chiaki!"
Chiaki wiped the sweat from her bow. "Okay." She raised her left hand, pink light bleeding from her fingers. Her swords crashed forwards, piercing the air as they raced towards Homura.
Homura glanced at her darkened soul gem before spreading her wings and redirecting the flying swords. Her wings shivered as the blades resisted her magic, scraping past her a few inches from her legs and arms. Homura's eyes widened. They were absurdly fast, Chiaki's magic driving them onwards and resisting her grip. She didn't have any confidence in her ability to redirect them. But if that was the case, she'd just disappear. She fired a token arrow at Chiaki, breathing out as Oriko's spheres took flight and spun in front of Chiaki. The spheres anticipated her arrow's twists and turns, one of them exploding into fragments as it intercepted the shot. Then the next wave of swords shot upwards. Homura vanished a second before they struck home. She materialised behind Chiaki, spreading her wings to crush all three girls together.
Oriko smirked. "This is the end."
Chiaki raised both hands, pink light racing like lightning through the forest of blades and converging on the centre of the roof. The threads of light bound Homura's wings a moment before they struck home, wrapping tightly around the white wings and slowly tightening to constrict them.
Kirika grinned as a black sigil burned into the roof released another wave of light. "Let's go, little angel." She leapt at Homura, claws raised to rip the older girl apart.
Homura tore her wings three of the pink bonds and vanished, but she slammed against the pink barrier at the edge of the circle, eyes wide in shock and pain.
"It's not that easy to escape Chiaki's barrier," Oriko said. She raised both hands, sending a barrage of blunt vine spheres flying towards Homura's head.
Homura dodged sideways, raising her bow and taking aim at Oriko, but before she knew it Kirika was in front of her, claws exploding upwards. Homura vanished in a flash of purple light, materialising behind Oriko. Her eyes widened as she stared down the three vine spheres hovering behind Oriko's back.
"Naive of you." Oriko clicked her fingers, smirking as the three spheres slammed into Homura's chest and sent the black-haired girl crashing down. She turned and raised her right hand, summoning more spheres with a flourish. "Do die for this world."
Homura scrambled up and rolled away, raising her wings to protect herself as Kirika charged in again. She grimaced in pain, clutching her ribs. It felt like one or two had cracked from the impact of the spheres. She tried to swat Kirika away but the dark-haired girl moved like lightning, darting back and then sliding sideways to attack from a different angle. Homura redirected Oriko's spheres as they rushed towards her then took a quick shot at with her bow. Kirika evaded easily, her claws slicing into the roof as she moved fluidly through the forest of blades.
Chiaki pressed her hands together as she poured all her magic into the barrier. She wasn't moving and her eyes were closed. But even when Homura saw that, she couldn't do anything. Oriko and Kirika were too much in this confined space.
"Let's wrap up," Oriko said, bringing the redirected spheres round and sending them flying towards Homura again.
Kirika ran towards Homura, her claws held low and ready to explode upwards.
A lance shot down from heaven, piercing Chiaki's barrier without so much as slowing down and piercing Chiaki through the back. The pink-haired girl screamed in pain as she collapsed forwards, her barrier collapsing in an instant.
Homura teleported away an instant before Kirika struck home, taking to the sky again. She looked up apprehensively.
The blue-clad doll descended like a comet. a slender thread snapped back and pulled the lance back into place. Red blood dripped from the long weapon as the doll landed at the edge of the roof. Yurino jumped from the doll's back and held her hands casually by her sides, loosely clutching the threads that ran from her fingers to her doll's back. "Good morning."
Her doll drew its sword and charged forwards. In a single motion it drove the blade into the roof at the centre of the circle. The black sigil shattered in an instant, fading away in the wind.
Oriko stepped backwards, staring at Yurino. "Why the hell are you here? Why didn't I predict this?" She sent her spheres crashing towards the silver-haired girl in a great wave.
The empress blurred into motion, stopping in front of Yurino and cleaving the air with sword and lance alike. Silver fragments scattered across the roof as it sundered the vine spheres without letting so much as a speck of dust touch Yurino.
Yurino stepped sideways, meeting Oriko's gaze again. "Your magic can't reach me." Yurino's eyes darted sideways, measuring the distance between her and Kirika. "This wasn't necessary, you know. My sister had let you go out of the kindness of your heart, but then you had to go and do this. Well, it's not like she didn't expect that, but she'd still be disappointed, you know."
"Why are you protecting Homura?" Oriko demanded. "Just what meaning does my vision have for your sister?"
"There's no need for you to know," Yurino said.
Homura drew back her bow and took aim at Yurino. "Wait."
Yurino glanced up at Homura, her eyes cold. "What? Just shut up and let me protect you. You can't do anything right now."
"Don't kill them. There's no meaning in killing them." Homura narrowed her eyes. "I won't permit it."
Yurino blinked. "So what?"
Homura smirked. "This is why kids who get all puffed up from having a little power are irritating. Mitakihara is my territory. My word is law here. So do as I say if you don't want to die."
Yurino giggled. "You're acting strange." She held Homura's unflinching gaze for a moment longer before turning away. "Well, I'll play along, I guess." She stepped backwards, tugging on the strings and leading the empress back with her. "Don't try anything clever unless you want to be cut apart, Oriko."
Oriko panted for breath, looking warily between the two girls. "Just what are you both plotting?"
"Nothing." Homura lowered her bow and brushed her jacket off, breathing out. Somehow, she could think clearly for the first time since the battle. Right now, everything made sense. "Don't worry, Oriko. When I go back, you'll come with me. The whole world will come with me, and I'll protect the whole world. There's no need for you to do anything at all."
"So you've finally made the right decision," Yurino said.
"Just what are you talking about?" Oriko said.
Kirika watched Yurino hawkishly, her claws held casually by her side. "Whatever. We should go."
Homura shrugged at Oriko, her eyes cold. "Get out of my sight."
Oriko opened her mouth to argue but Kirika picked her up bodily with both arms and jumped off the roof, running to cover.
Homura looked warily down at Yurino. "Did you have to kill Chiaki?"
Yurino laughed. "If you're going back, what's the point in sparing them? It'll all become nothing anyway."
"It just leaves a bad taste in my mouth," Homura said. "There doesn't need to be any other reason."
Yurino cocked her head. "You're playing nice now, but you killed enough people at Kyoto. My sister, for a start."
"That's not a reason for you to do it," Homura said. "But I'll thank you for saving me, at least."
"I don't need your thanks," Yurino said. "This is all my sister's will."
"You still saved me," Homura said. "So thank you."
"Strange. You're different from before," Yurino said. "Why?"
"Just a change of mood.," Homura said flatly. "Now get out of my sight."
Yurino giggled. "Okay, I'm going already. If you're good, I won't have to come back."
Homura flew back towards her house, banishing her wings and sitting down in the ruins of her bedroom. The magic would fade eventually. Then people would notice the fact her home had been torn apart. But for now, she was content to do nothing beneath the cold blades. She'd spoken impulsively to Oriko, but now she had time to breath and settle her thoughts, she found her resolve strengthening. Right now, she had nothing. She still wanted to protect Madoka. That feeling would never change. But she couldn't throw away the part of her that wanted to take everything back. She wanted to go to school and laugh and argue and try to enjoy life alongside people who understood her. Hitomi's stubbornness, Mami's grace, Kyouko's passion, she missed them all. She'd reclaim them all.
And she'd apologise to Kyouko, as well. Nothing was over between them. If she had a choice, she wouldn't let it end.
When Kyouko opened her eyes again, she was sitting at the round table along with all the others. She rubbed her forehead, irritated by the vivid sense of displacement.
"So, shall we pick up where we left off?" Madoka said. "With the negotiations, I mean."
Kahoru blinked. She'd been staring sidelong at a sheepish Aiko, and it was only after a moment's effort that she managed to refocus her attention on Madoka. "Negotiations? Oh, yes, that. Sure. I guess. No time like the present."
Madoka coughed. "Well, shall I summarise the situation? You don't seem to be in the mood."
"No spoilers," Kahoru said. "It'd be a problem for me if they worked out the exact principles I'm using here too soon."
Madoka smiled. "I know. I'm aware I need to maintain at least a semblance of neutrality, you know." She brought her hands together and looked around the table. "Essentially, Kahoru is trying to create a war fought between Homura and her. She will try to kill Homura's companions over and over again, while Homura will try to protect them and put an end to the war by one means or another. It's a war fought in successive time-loops spanning many separate battles."
Hitomi frowned. "Isn't that extremely disadvantageous for Kahoru? I don't know exactly how she's planning to become god, but it sounds like Homura only needs to win once."
"That's right. But Kahoru is betting on her own advantages," Madoka said. "Like the akashic records and her sister's-"
Kahoru raised a hand. "Let's leave that one there."
Madoka sighed. "Yes, okay. And the time-frame is close to confirmed, as well. Homura can't easily go back to before the battle with the demon prince, so she'll probably continue to return to a point after that time."
"Why?" Kyouko asked.
"Because you needed us to win," Ritsuko said shortly. "I mean, Aiko's Aiko. And I only fought the demon prince because Kahoru's participation made me believe we had a fighting chance." She snorted. "Don't tell me you helped them just to set this up, Kahoru."
"Nothing so neat," Kahoru said. "If Homura died in vain, my plans would fall apart. That's all."
"In any case, I need you all to remember," Madoka said. "I won't let Homura fight on alone this time around."
"That's a charming ideal, but it's a problem for me," Kahoru said. "It'd probably kill me before I meet my objective, you know."
"I can exclude you, I suppose," Madoka said.
"Screw that," Kahoru said. "I can't go around knowing less than other people, you know. That's hardly my style."
"Even if you say that, it's hard to think of any other way forwards," Madoka said.
"I planned for everyone but Homura to be ignorant of the looping," Kahoru said. "Given you're putting a gun to my head or leaving me at an information disadvantage, one way or the other, I can't easily agree to that kind of change. I don't need to tell you what would happen if you go too far here, do I?"
"This is stupid," Kyouko said to Madoka. "Just smite her already."
"I'm not going to do something like that," Madoka said. She sighed. "But this is difficult."
Aiko raised her hand. "What's the problem with Kahoru and memories? That somehow kills the oldest magical girls, right?"
"Mm. Well, it's a structural limitation," Madoka said. "As girls become women, they lose the naïve optimism that lets them use magic. Memories have emotional consequences and change people, and magical girls usually have plenty of unhappy memories. But this extends beyond that, and works faster and more totally than it otherwise would, since it's something designed."
"Designed by Kyubey," Kahoru said. "To be precise."
Ritsuko snorted. "That bastard. I suspected as much."
"Then can't you make me take that on?" Aiko said. "I don't know, you're god. So just give me Kahoru's pain. Then she can remember whatever she needs to remember." She rubbed the back of her head. "I don't know, would that work?"
Kahoru glanced at Aiko, her cheeks flushing slightly. "You're being absurd."
"No, I might just be able to manage that," Madoka said. "The general principle at work here is I can't make things just disappear with my magic, but if it's an intangible thing like an emotion, I can just about move it around."
"That just means putting Aiko in danger," Kahoru said. "I have no reason to agree to that, either."
"She's fifteen," Madoka said. "There shouldn't be any real danger. If the war goes on long enough to threaten Aiko, Homura will have problems as well."
"Even so," Kahoru began.
She broke off when Aiko touched her arm. "It's fine. I can deal with it."
"I should warn you, though," Madoka said. "It'll work best if you say in reasonable proximity to each other. Living in different cities would make things tricky."
"That's okay," Aiko said. "I can deal with that, as well."
Kahoru closed her eyes, defeated by that unflinching voice. "Fine. I'll make that concession. But I want one thing in return."
"What is it?" Madoka asked.
Kahoru opened her eyes and met Madoka's gaze. "You should promise to stay out of the war from now on. Of course, that means you can't sabotage Lotus Garden. But beyond that, let's put an end to your little chats with Homura, shall we? She should stand or fall on her own merits."
"I like my chats with Homura," Madoka said. "And I'm happy to chat with you as well, you know. That would even things up, right?"
"I don't need that," Kahoru said. "I have nothing more to say to you until I've won."
"You're so stubborn." Madoka shrugged. "Well, it's true that if I'm not careful, Homura will end up depending on me again. So I'll accept that condition."
Kahoru smiled. "I'll leave it at that. It's not like I can trick you."
Madoka nodded. "Likewise."
"I prefer smiting," Kyouko said. "Anyone for smiting? No?"
"So is this really happening?" Mami asked. "Are we really coming back to life?"
"Maybe," Madoka said. "It's up to Homura. But either way, I wanted you all to be able to remember."
"It seems life in the future is full of incident," Ryoko said dryly. "Do have fun with it all, I suppose."
"I'll do my best," Ritsuko said. "As much as I'd rather rest."
Kyouko sighed. She still didn't believe it. Madoka would always come first for Homura. But if she was wrong- what? Just what should she say to Homura when they saw each other again? And what would Homura say to her when they saw each other again? She didn't know. She didn't know, but she wanted to find out.
