I

Sayaka had invited the blonde girl in, along with the weird animal who's been sticking by her feet. Was it her pet? She offered her a seat at the dining room table. The cat-thing jumped up and sat directly on the tabletop, right next to Mami.

"Sorry to show up so late and unexpected like this," Mami started, "I hope we didn't startle you."

"Eh, no it's fine." Now that they were out of the dark, Sayaka realized something. "Wait, I've seen you before. You go to my school don't you?"

"That's right," Mami smiled, "I'm a senior in class A."

"Right, I knew I saw you before. I think this is the first time we've actually met, though." Then Sayaka asked the question that had been bothering her the most since this strange duo showed up on her lawn. She pointed at Kyubey and asked, "So what the heck is that thing anyway?"

"Hey! I'm not a thing! My name is Kyubey!"

"Woh!" Sayaka flinched backwards. "It can talk? But, I didn't even see its mouth move."

"Kyubey can speak directly into our minds, telepathically," Mami explained.

Sayaka nodded skeptically and looked at Kyubey as if she were trying to find the secret behind some kind of magic trick. "Riiigght... Well, what are you doing here anyway?"

"It's about your friend, Madoka," answered Mami. As soon as she said Madoka's name Sayaka stood up and slammed her hands down on the table.

"Madoka!? Do you know where she is?"

Mami and Kyubey both looked at each other for a moment, then Mami looked back to Sayaka and shook her head apologetically. "Sorry, but no, not exactly. We do know what happened to her, though."

"Well? What is it?" Sayaka demanded.

"This might sound odd," said Mami. "But we believe she was kidnapped by someone. It was a black haired girl who looked to be in the same grade as you."

"Black haired girl?" Sayaka made a fist and punched down on the table. "Homura..."

"You know her?" Mami asked.

"Not really, she is a transfer student and today was her first day. She was saying some really strange things to Madoka earlier and... Madoka…" Sayaka shook her head with frustration. "Is Madoka alright? Did she hurt her?"

"I'm sorry, but we don't know much. All we know for sure is that this Homura girl is connected to her disappearance."

"I don't want to scare you," Kyubey said, "But Homura is a dangerous person. Earlier today she attacked me for completely no reason! I barely got away alive. However, I can't say if she has actually brought any harm to Madoka or not. As Mami said, all we know for sure is that it is because of Homura that she has gone missing. You see, I had actually been following the two of you for a while because I wanted to contract you to become Magical Girls!"

"Magical Girls?"

"Don't worry, I'll explain everything in a moment. Anyway, while I was following Madoka home from school, Homura suddenly appeared out of nowhere and approached her. They talked for a little while, and then Madoka tried to run away, but the next thing I knew they had both completely vanished without a trace!"

"Vanished? What are you talking about? AH! And why the hell am I talking to a stuffed animal!"

"I mean they vanished! One second they were there and then the next they were completely gone. And, I am not a stuffed animal, I'm actually a highly developed life form."

"How am I supposed to believe this?" Sayaka asked, "People don't just vanish!"

"Normal people, no," said Mami, "However, it's reasonable to think a Magical Girl would have the power to make that happen."

"Now with the Magical Girl thing again. What the heck is that anyway?"

"It would probably be easiest if I just showed you." Mami stood up and held out her hand. A bright light formed around her, and then a long barreled musket appeared seemingly out of nowhere. It just floated in the air, surrounded by that light until Mami grabbed it. The light then disappeared and she rested the barrel of the gun over her shoulder.

Sayaka jumped back so far she nearly fell out of her chair. Lost for words, she just stood there gaping.

"And there's more to it than just that," Mami explained, seeming to not pay much mind to Sayaka's shocked expression. "Kyubey here picks out girls he feels are worthy of being given this power. Then he will grant them any wish they desire, and in exchange they must become Magical Girls and dedicate their lives to fighting witches."

Sayaka, still lost in total shock, just stared with her lip quivering.

"That's why I contacted you, Sayaka Miki," said Kyubey, "I would like you to sign my contract and become a Magical Girl! As Mami said, in exchange for this I can grant you any wish you desire! Do you want to know where Madoka is? Or would you like her to appear right in this room this very instant? Just wish it and I can make it happen!"

"You... can do that?" asked Sayaka, every bit of skepticism was gone from her by now.

"But wait," Mami interrupted. "It is important you understand that being a Magical Girl is a dangerous lifestyle. Many of us die very young in our battles with witches. Furthermore, you only get one wish so make sure it is for the one thing you want most in the world. Once the contract is made, there is no going back, and there is no changing your wish."

Kyubey looked at Mami and his tail waved. His face didn't seem capable of showing any expression, but somehow Sayaka got the feeling that he was annoyed by Mami's explanation.

"Witches?" Sayaka whispered, "What is that?"

"They are evil creatures whose sole purpose is to bring despair to humans. Regular people can't actually see them, but us Magical Girls can and it is our job to kill them. Sayaka, this is sudden, but I would like you to come along on a witch hunt with me. I want you to see first hand what this Magical Girl thing is all about before you make a decision. Also, since Homura is also a Magical Girl there is a good possibility we will cross paths with her while on our hunt. If we want to find out what happened to your friend, I think this is the best way to start."

II

"So the reason you needed to... to kidnap me, is so that this Kyubey wouldn't be able to contact me and trick me into making a contract with him?"

Homura nodded. She had told Madoka all about Kyubey, his contract, and what it was to be a Magical Girl. She told her about witches and how Magical Girls were doomed to one day become the very thing they were sworn to fight against. She even explained her ability to go back in time and how it is she knew the future, but still kept the details vague.

She did not tell her about Walpurgisnacht, or the likelihood of Sayaka becoming a witch in the near future. If she told her these things Madoka would only want to try and fight against it, and it would be impossible for Homura to explain how futile it was. If she was to keep Madoka safe, she knew that she needed to keep her in the dark.

"How many times have you relived this timeline?"

"More than I can count," Homura answered.

"But Homura, even if everything you told me is true. It still doesn't make sense... Kyubey needs my permission before making me a Magical Girl, right?"

"That is correct."

"Well now that you have warned me about it, all I have to do is turn him down. Right? So, there isn't any need for all of this! You can just let me go, and if Kyubey contacts me I promise I won't wish for anything, or sign his contract."

"You think I haven't warned you about this before?" Homura spoke sternly, her face becoming hard and dominating. "Kyubey is a master of manipulation. If I allow him to be in contact with you, sooner or later you will find yourself in a situation where you think becoming a Magical Girl is the best possible choice you can make. If simply warning you of the danger was enough to keep you safe, then I wouldn't have to take this extreme measure."

"But if being a Magical Girl is so horrible, then what situation could that possibly be? What terrible thing could happen that it would make me choose being a Magical Girl?"

Madoka might play the silly school girl, but the truth is she was quite clever. Already she could tell that Homura was keeping something from her, and she was trying to get to the bottom of what it was. Homura couldn't tell her, though. She had to just keep her in the dark, and shelter her from all the evil things to come.

"What can I say? Sooner or later Kyubey always gets to you, and you always ask to become a Magical Girl. This time won't be any different! Not unless I keep you safe right here with me!" Homura stood up and started yelling at her without even realizing she was doing it.

Madoka finally managed to will herself into a confrontational mood, so she stood up and yelled right back at her. "And how long are you planning to keep this up!? Weeks?! Months?!" Homura started to look away, but Madoka grabbed her hand and forced her to look her in the eyes. When she knew Homura was paying attention she whispered, "Years?" Homura turned her head away again, unable to answer. "H-Homura. That's horrible..." Madoka said in a low voice, "Th-that's just as bad as anything this Kyubey person could do to me!"

At this, Homura's eyes lit up so furiously Madoka swore she could even see fire in them. Madoka had seen many different sides of Homura on this day, but this is the first time she saw actual rage, and she got scared and shrank away from it.

"It's NOT!" Homura screamed at her and grabbed her by the wrist. She stepped around the bar then pushed her against the wall and kept her pinned there. "It's not the same! You understand? Don't ever say that because it's WRONG!" Tears started welling up in her eyes and her voice trembled. "I'm protecting you, I'm keeping you safe!"

"Homura..." Madoka spoke very slowly. Homura dropped her wrist and started walking towards the front door. Madoka looked after her, not sure what to do or say, thinking maybe it was best to just stay quiet for now. She could see that Homura was looking at something in the palm of her hand, but since her back was turned Madoka couldn't see what it was.

It was her SoulGem, and if it was in bad shape before, now it was officially in the danger zone. Homura had thought she could wait until tomorrow to find a GriefSeed, but it was clear that it would be too late by then. She needed to find a witch and kill it tonight; otherwise, she was doomed. She would turn into a witch herself, and the girl she dedicated her life to protecting would become her first victim.

Homura turned her head and looked at Madoka. Her eyes were bloodshot, with wet streaks of tears running down her cheeks. Her face held an expression of complete despair, the likes of which Madoka had never seen before. It scared Madoka, but also made her feel incredibly sorry for the girl. Part of her wanted to reach out and comfort her, and if it were not for the fact she was so afraid of her that's exactly what she would have done.

"Madoka, I have to go out now." Her voice was dark and heavy, "That means I have to tie you up... Okay?" Upon saying that, her shield appeared on her arm and the gears started turning. Madoka, realizing what was about to happen, jumped forward.

"HOMURA! No! Wai-...

It was too late. Time stopped for Madoka while she was still in mid leap. Her feet were off the ground, and her hand was stretched out with elongated fingers reaching for Homura.

Homura stepped around to where she had stashed the rope, then got to work.

"It's okay, it's okau, it's going to be okay," she whispered to herself. "Just go out there and get a GriefSeed, and it'll all be okay."

III

She knew she had to move quickly. Aside from emotional trauma blackening her SoulGem, using her time stop magic was also doing the trick. She couldn't stand the idea of another struggle with Madoka, though, so she kept Madoka frozen for as long as she could while tying her up. All she had to do was be careful not to make too much contact with her and she would stay that way. There were times throughout the process when she accidentally touched Madoka who then became unfrozen, but Homura was quick to cease the contact and refreeze her before she could get a word out.

The simplest way she could think of was to create four nooses and tie each around one of Madoka's limbs. The hardest part would be getting her into the bedroom at the back of the apartment. To accomplish this, she had no choice but to grab Madoka and drag her into the room. Before she did that, however, she found a pillowcase and stuffed it into Madoka's mouth, then tied a small length of rope around her mouth and the back of her head to keep the gag in place. This way, Homura wouldn't have to suffer her screams and her pleas while she dragged her into the room and pushed her onto the bed.

When Homura was all done, she had Madoka tied spread eagle to the bed. Each limb was pulled tight enough to the nearest bedpost that she had barely an inch of wiggle room. Homura took a moment to regain her composure, then let the gears spin and time returned to normal once more.

Madoka looked from one arm to the other, then down at her legs. She pulled at each binding, testing them. A slight look of panic crept over her face, then she looked up at Homura and mumbled something incomprehensible through her gag. All she could really move at all was her butt, her chest, and her head. With that little bit of movement, she thrust herself towards Homura, a mix of emotions coming into her eyes, and muffled speech coming through her gag as she yelled at her.

"I wonder what you are trying to say..." Homura spoke distantly. Somehow, seeing Madoka like this caused all those negative emotions Homura had been feeling to melt away. She couldn't help but notice how cute she was. Her long pink hair was still slightly damp from the shower, a few loose strands of pink hung over her face. Her soft lips puckered out and held tight against the cloth gag. Her small chest moved up and down with her breathing. Homura thought even the pajamas looked cute on her.

Madoka's expressive eyes watched her, noticing the subtle change in Homura's attitude.

Homura had been standing at the foot of the bed, but now she walked around and stood by Madoka's side. Her hand reached out and lightly brushed away those strands of hair, but her hand, instead of pulling away, turned over and the backs of her knuckles rested on Madoka's cheek.

Madoka's eyes watched the hand as it started to slowly move up and down her cheek as if it were trying to sooth her.

"Sorry about the gag," Homura's voice was as soft as the expression in her eyes. "This part of the building is mostly vacant, but it's not completely abandoned. It would be bad if someone found you here, right?"

Madoka's eyes moved from the hand that was stroking her face and looked up at Homura. Homura watched those beautiful eyes and took in every ounce of their expression. She glanced down to Madoka's chest and wondered how she would react if her hand were to move just a bit lower. It was just a passing curiosity, and besides, Homura knew she still had something important that needed to be done. In a past life she could have done it, but that was a different life, and with a different Madoka who actually loved her.

She pulled her hand away. "Please don't hate me, Madoka," she said. "I don't think I could bare it if you did." With that, she walked to the door. "Don't worry, I won't be long. I just have a couple things to take care of and then I'll be right back. Try to get some sleep until then, okay?"

Before turning out the light and shutting the door, she took one last look at her cute little hostage. For the first time, not just since the start of this day, but since the start of her life as a Magic Girl: Homura felt at ease. Now that Madoka was under her control she felt she didn't have to worry so much. She didn't have to worry about Madoka getting hurt, or making any foolish mistakes.

She's all mine now...

...and I'm going to protect her with everything I have.


-Atomyst

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