Mami was giggling at something obvious that Homura had pointed out during their little date when it happened.

Tomoe Mami

Mami blinked, confused. She looked around her, trying to figure out where the voice had come from.

"Mami, what's wrong?" For some reason, Homura's voice sounded muffled. Like it was at the end of a tunnel.

"I…" Mami tried saying. Her mouth felt so far away.

Tomoe Mami. We heard you. As you hear us .

"Mami!" Homura stood and reached over. "Are you-"

Inconsequential .

Mami was struggling to do something. Whatever it was was overtaking her mind. It was like a pillow suffocating her.

Don't you want your wish, Tomoe Mami? We can grant it to you .

Her eyes widened. She managed to squeak, "Kyubey?"

Homura's mouth moved but she didn't say anything. At least, anything Mami could hear.

We heard your wish, deep in your soul. Your desire to be normal, with friends. Parents. A normal life.

With each word images appeared. A picture of Mami surrounded by regular classmates, laughing about something. Mami's long-dead parents, hugging her and telling her about how proud of her they are. Mami paying no attention to any monster attacks, or superhero/villain encounters. An insulated normal life.

We can grant that to you the voice repeated. All you need to do is make the wish .

Mami was lost in the darkness again. The thing was in front of her, chewing on the ribbon Mami had left behind. It was condensed now; several of the cat bodies floated around them, looking on.

The need pressing on Mami's soul was intense. She knew it wasn't lying. It could give her all the dreams she'd ever dared to have. Impossible dreams.

Except, now, they weren't.

Make the wish, Tomoe Mami .

"I...wish…" The words felt forced from her. She was fighting against saying anything else.

Make. The. Wish.

"I…" Mami shuddered, then shouted, "NO!" She glared forward. "I refuse!"

We are patient. We can sit here forever, waiting. Eventually you will give in to your desires and dreams.

"And you'll eat my soul," Mami finished for them.

A mere exchange requirement. We give you what you want, we get what we want. In this way the universe is saved .

"The path to hell is paved with good intentions," Mami countered.

At least then hell would exist instead of a blank nothingness . Somehow, Mami felt like she had annoyed it even with the same steady voice.

The cat bodies moved forward then. One got right in her face. Mami tilted her head away even as it reached out with an ear. Even with her struggles she failed as it lightly touched against her forehead.

Her soul rocked backwards as she was engulfed in a sea of altered reality. Strange shapes, textures, colors overwhelmed her as they shot through her.

You aren't the first to resist. You won't be the last. You are but one of many, like Miki Sayaka. Give in as the rest of them did. Join the dream that connects reality like one of your many ribbons.

"No!" Mami curled in on herself. "Nonononono-"

Another ear touched her. Images blinded her; it was as if her soul was being torn apart by the flood.

You can stop this. All you need to do is make your wish. Don't you want your dreams to come true? We can't guarantee there will be anything left of you if things continue as they are.

"C-can't…" Mami could barely form words.

BAM! BAM BAM BAM!

Even with how loud it must have been, Mami barely heard the blasts. It sounded like...guns?

The fog of impossible images receded. Finally Mami was able to see and hear again, bound back to reality.

In front of her, touching her shoulder and floating in the nothing in front of the Kyubey, Homura floated defensively. An array of guns were floating around her, many of which Mami couldn't even identify. For some reason, Homura had an impressive collection of six-shooters.

"Don't touch her," Homura growled. "I won't let you hurt her."

Just as you wouldn't have us touch Miki Sayaka? The taunt was obvious.

"Thank you," Mami murmured as she adjusted herself to be more prepared to fight. She pulled herself forward so she was next to Homura. Muskets burst to life as did a layer of ribbons as Mami looked to her right.

Homura looked determined. Entirely unphased by the monster in front of them. It stirred even more courage in Mami's gut.

They could do this.

What do you hope to accomplish, Akemi Homura? Why do you struggle against inevitability?

More of the cat puppets appeared, pulled from all over the universe to confront them. Mami strengthened the red ribbon as they both split up. Homura pulled out a tommy gun and began to stop and start time. Thanks to the ribbon, Mami was able to watch as Homura skillfully burst between the layers of Kyubey and shred them to pieces.

Mami wasn't too far behind. With every time stop, Mami summoned another set of muskets that blasted groups of Kyubey to messy blobs. Like a dance, Homura and Mami traded off between them. Group after group of Kyubey were mowed down like grass to a blade.

Yet even with their efforts, the space around them just continued to fill up with Kyubey. The empty smiles accented their horror.

Soon, too soon, Mami was back-to-back with Homura. Around them in a sphere were never-ending Kyubey.

Why don't either of you want your dreams to come true? You both want the same thing. Why not make the wish together and spend the rest of your days in mundane comfort?

Homura snarled, "Your wishes are poison, Kyubey. It's practically an insult for you to keep offering your lies."

Soon you won't have a choice. You'll tire eventually.

Mami snorted but couldn't help but feel Kyubey's words. She was already beaten down from Kyubey's initial assault. Homura's constant time stops were probably wearing on her as well.

How could they turn the tide? Mami tried hard to focus, thinking. The ribbons connecting the Kyubey to their core pulsed.

But...under it, Mami felt herself. She felt Sayaka. She felt so many others in the Kyubey.

She wondered…

"Homura. I have an idea." Mami tried hard to make herself heard over the guns firing in constant sprays at the Kyubey.

"Oh?" Homura stopped time then turned around. "I'm listening."

"That thing ate part of my soul. I can feel it in there. I can feel Sayaka in there, too. I think...I think I can free us."

Homura blinked. "How?"

"Cover me. Cover me and I'll do what I need to do," Mami assured her.

Homura frowned. "Mami. What are you going to do?"

"Wish me luck!" Mami dared and ducked forward to kiss Homura on the lips.

As she thought, Homura dropped the time stop at the shock of the kiss. Mami zipped forward, clearing out a path as she went towards the core of the Kyubey. Behind her, she could hear Homura getting back into action. Time started and stopped in the nick of time each time Mami was starting to get surrounded.

Mami stared forward at the mass, focused entirely on getting there.

Suddenly, the Kyubey weren't surrounding her. The space between her and Kyubey was open. They were, instead, focusing on Homura. Mami came face-to-face with the mass itself.

Are you going to make your wish, Tomoe Mami?

"Why yes, I think I will," she replied.

" Mami !" she heard Homura cry behind her. Mami wished she could've reassured Homura. But there hadn't been time.

Let your wish be known to us, and we will grant it.

Mami took a breath. She could do this. This wasn't just for her. It was for all superpowered girls, like Sayaka.

And Homura.

"I wish I knew which ribbon in you was the one that would destroy you," Mami wished.

Granted. Though we do not know what good that would do since you'll be powerless to do anything.

At the same time Mami magically knew which thread to pull to undo Kyubey, the ribbon that was the core of her powers began being sucked from her into the gaping maw of the Kyubey.

As the end of the ribbon emerged from her, Mami grabbed hard to keep herself connected to her powers. Quickly, she summoned Tiro Finale and aimed even as she was pulled into Kyubey.

"Goodbye," Mami said to the air as she blew away the section of Kyubey between her and the thread. Then, before she was completely gone, one solitary ribbon she had attached to the bullet grabbed the thin ribbon and pulled it towards her and into Kyubey.

She burned . The only thing that registered to her now was the burning as she was torn asunder inside of the Kyubey. She held on as long as she could, trying to make sure…

...make sure…

...make…