Les Fleurs du Mal

by Masterdramon

"There are women who inspire you with the desire to conquer them and to take your pleasure of them; but this one fills you only with the desire to die slowly beneath her gaze." - Charles Baudelaire. The direct sequel and conclusion to "Spider Lilies."

5. Part V: Used to the World of Lies

Les Fleurs du Mal – Used to the World of Lies

Disclaimer: In case you haven't figured it out yet, I don't own Puella Magi Madoka Magica. All Madoka-related characters, settings, etc. are the intellectual property of Studio SHAFT and Gen Urobuchi.

[-]

The answer to the question "How long does it take to get from Mitakihara to Kamihama when you have literal superpowers?" turned out to be: "Longer than you might think."

On the one hand, this form allowed Sayaka to run faster and leap higher than even the fittest Olympic athlete. She also didn't seem to get sore or tired from the exertion, so long as she didn't think too hard about it.

On the other hand, the only actual "magic" she seemed capable of was creating swords, and that wasn't exactly super-helpful in terms of mobility. Plus, she was constrained by having to carry Kyoko – and even more constrained by having to listen to Kyoko.

As a result, while they managed to make it to the Kamihama City limits after a couple hours of leaping across rooftops, Sayaka couldn't help but feel they probably would've saved time just hailing a taxi.

Kyoko seemed to be entertaining similar thoughts. "Y'know, gettin' carried through the air like that…" she said, looking queasy. "Is way less romantic than anime makes ya think."

"Sorry. Not exactly used to playing Kamen Rider," replied Sayaka as they lowered themselves into an empty alleyway. With a flash of energy, she dispelled the transformation, leaving her in her school uniform once more. "With any luck, we'll be able to fix that soon."

"Yeah, can't wait ta have my own frilly dress an' badass weapon," declared the redhead. "So where's this 'Mitama' chick usually holed up?"

"Uh, pretty close by, I think. That street sign says we're in Shinsei Ward, so her base should only be a few blocks away," Sayaka told her, before clutching at her head and wincing. "Sorry, it's…hard to remember stuff about this town. It's different from the rest of the memories I got back."

"How so? I mean, ya been here before or haven't ya?" asked Kyoko, one eyebrow raised. "Last night don't count, obviously."

"Honestly…kinda both? And neither? It's weird," said Sayaka. "The memories I got back after I ate the cheese, they're…I dunno how to describe it. There's so many of them. More than it feels like there should be. And I only got half!"

Kyoko's expression turned unusually pensive as they joined a throng of people crossing the street.

"It's gotta have somethin' ta do with that whole…'Messenger' thing," she suggested. "The way Loli-Pops was talkin', it's clear she's got some head honcho she reports ta. An' I think they were yer boss too. Ya musta had some kinda big mission, before Akemi brain-blasted ya."

"So you think Kamihama might've been another place I went on one of these 'missions'?" muttered Sayaka, tapping at her chin. "Guess without knowing what I used to do, no real way to say for sure."

"Figures that even with superpowers, ya'd find a way ta make it a frickin' job," Kyoko snickered. "Anyway, change o' subject. What's Mitama gonna do fer us, again?"

Sayaka held up her hand, letting the blue-jeweled ring on her middle finger catch in the sunlight.

"These things…you've got one too, right? I think in one of the memories, someone called them 'Soul Gems,'" she answered. "They're what let us transform, but there's definitely more to them than that. They're connected right to us. One of the visions I had was of…something, messing with my Soul Gem. And it hurt. It hurt bad."

The blue-haired girl suppressed a shudder. The pain she felt in that memory was unlike anything she could possibly describe.

"Anyway, Yakumo-san has the power to…adjust Soul Gems. Make someone stronger or faster or better at using magic. That's why they call her the Coordinator," she continued on, before Kyoko could say anything. "I'm hoping she can use that power to connect your Soul Gem to mine. Then we can share the memories we got from the cheese – and hopefully, figure out what the hell's going on."

Kyoko stared curiously at the crimson ring on her own finger. "Hope yer right," she said in a low voice. "I'm done jus' havin' parta the answer. S'worse than not havin' anythin' at all."

"On that, we can agree," remarked Sayaka. "Anyway, I think we're here."

They'd arrived at an apparently ordinary office building. It was clearly a very busy one, and no one even batted them an eye as they walked through the glass door and strode toward the elevators.

"I don't think I went here all that much. But the one time I did…" Sayaka hesitated for a moment, and then pressed several of the buttons in sequence.

4-1-3

"It's her birthday," she explained quickly. "Seem to recall her being more than a little vain. Not to mention, kind of a troll."

Suddenly, even though the buttons in the elevator only went up to twelve, the electronic display above the doors switched to read "13."

"Hidden floor ya get ta by punchin' in a secret code," said Kyoko dryly. "Seems like literally every horror flick ever would tell ya this is a bad idea."

Nonetheless, she followed after her roommate, the two of them standing side by side as the doors closed and the elevator began to climb up.

One by one, the floors ticked by. Semi-consciously, Kyoko's fingers reached out to grasp hers, and Sayaka found herself taking them almost automatically.

Finally, when they reached the secret thirteenth floor and the doors slid open, Sayaka took in a deep breath to steady herself.

Only to let it out a moment later in a shocked, horrified gasp.

[-]

Madoka had spent the past two hours wandering aimlessly around Uki Doki Memorial Park, no idea where she was going and not especially caring.

With the events of the previous night fresh in her memory, she had just enough presence of mind to avoid ever leaving the park itself. But otherwise, she really and truly couldn't summon up the wherewithal to give a crap.

At any other time, that in and of itself would've raised a huge red flag. Madoka never used profanity, even of the mildest kind, and one of the easiest ways to embarrass her into red-faced submission was simply to drop a few choice swears in her presence.

Now, though, there was a substantial section of her mind that was nothing but a long, running litany of: Dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit…

The small part of her that was still thinking rationally knew that she had no right to be this despondent. Homura had done the responsible thing; listened to her feelings, and then let her down gently. She doubted very many people would've had the strength of character to treat her with such gentleness and care when rejecting her feelings.

And yet, there was no denying that that was precisely what it was. A rejection.

She wasn't owed anything but the answer she'd been given, but the answer she'd been given hurt. Hurt worse than anything else she could remember feeling in her fourteen short years of life.

In a sense, she knew that was privilege talking. She had no idea what it was like to truly suffer. To her, this perfectly ordinary teenage heartbreak was the end of the world, but in the grand scheme of things her problems meant nothing at all.

Still, she wished…God did she wish things were different. Could she even go back to being "ordinary" friends with Homura, now that this was all in the open? Homura, in her infinite patience and grace, seemed willing to try.

But Madoka? She just wasn't sure her heart could take that. Sitting next to her friend every day, knowing she could never have what she truly wanted…

Homura had claimed that these feelings, this stupid crush, would fade over time. Maybe that was true. But it was just so hard to imagine, when those feelings were this intense.

What she needed now was a distraction. Something to think about other than how badly she'd just crashed and burned in confessing her love to the girl she cherished.

Unfortunately, just about every single thing she'd seen in the park across this afternoon had done pretty much the exact opposite of that.

There'd been a pop-up concert for one of those small-time idol groups, which might've been fun, had she not happened to be standing next to a blonde woman in a bright-pink tracksuit who kept screaming "I love you Maaaaaaaaaaaaina!" at the top of her lungs. Based on the looks the idol in question kept flashing her every five seconds, the feeling wasn't entirely one-sided.

Trying to get away to someplace quieter, Madoka had come across another pair of women, one with magenta-hued hair and the other a blonde, discussing the latter's return from overseas to a place called "Eagle Jump." The blonde was probably the only person on the planet too oblivious to realize her coworker was interested in a lot more than the games she'd been designing in Paris.

Even her trip to the bathroom wasn't immune, because there she found a girl in what could only be described as "maid cosplay" insisting that she diligently wipe down everything top-to-bottom "before such a goddess such as thee deigns to grace it with her hallowed butt." Her partner, a bespectacled woman with strawberry hair, rolled her eyes but also smiled indulgently, flattered in spite of herself.

Any other day, she would've been ecstatic for each of these couples, displaying their love for one another in their own particular way. Today, it just felt like the universe was getting in a few extra digs at her expense.

She hated feeling this way. Hated herself for feeling this way. Her mother hadn't raised someone so selfish and cynical.

That reminded her…well, at least she'd have one distraction soon enough. Her parents would be landing in just a couple hours.

And since Madoka had never needed a patented Junko Kaname pep-talk more than she did right now, that was very welcome news.

The pink-haired girl almost had to laugh. When her parents departed, they'd been seen off by their smiling son and daughter, and the latter's eminently wonderful friend. When they returned, it would be to a daughter who was alone, whimpering, and about two seconds from breaking into tears at any given moment.

But wasn't that what parents were for? To listen to and comfort you without judgment, no matter how pathetic you sounded?

As that rather pitiful thought crossed her mind, Madoka glanced toward the nearby parking lot and saw a very familiar blue minivan pull into a stall. It was a bit of a luxury for a couple of two, but came in handy on days like today.

"Madoka-chan! Get your ass in gear, I want to beat the traffic!" called out her Auntie Shion, leaning out the car door and waving impatiently.

A plump hand reached out and bonked her lightly across the head. "Let's all pretend she put that less rudely," said her Auntie Akane. "But we really should get moving soon. I've got Tatsuya-kun and your luggage in here already."

Despite herself, Madoka managed to chuckle a little bit.

"Coming, aunties," she responded, dusting off her skirt and heading to the parking lot, determined to leave all these dark thoughts behind her.

It was probably just as well she clear out of this park. Storm clouds were starting to gather in the sky.

[-]

Matsuri Hinata was having a very, very strange day.

As a blind girl whose family didn't have a whole lot of money, her leisure activities were necessarily somewhat limited. But she liked to go out for afternoon walks, just her and her cane. It was nice to spend at least a few hours on her own, without everyone assuming she was completely helpless.

Daddy and Tsubaki didn't think that of her, of course, at least consciously – but they did tend to baby her more than she really liked. It came from a place of love, but could occasionally be stifling.

Kagari was a different story entirely. Even though her twin was only a few minutes older than she was, her father was a very traditional Japanese salaryman, and had drilled into her the mores that Kagari had certain duties as firstborn.

And so Kagari, who was cloyingly clingy to pretty much everyone she was fond of, tended to take it to another level entirely when it came to her "baby sister."

She tucked Matsuri into bed every night. Blew on any food above room temperature before Matsuri could take a bite. Took Matsuri's phone from her every time it buzzed and read off the email or text aloud, even though she had a perfectly good text-to-speech app.

Matsuri loved her sister, dearly. In the way people who didn't have twins would never quite be able to appreciate.

But she still could use some distance, on occasion. Which was why she'd just returned from a walk around the neighborhood.

And which was how she'd, quite literally, run into Suzune Amano.

The girl was…interesting. Matsuri had the vague sense that they'd met somewhere before, though she wouldn't have been able to place precisely where. After she led her out of the lobby and over to a secluded sidewalk bench, she'd sent a text to her other friends – Haruka, Chisato, and Arisa – but none of them had ever heard of the girl either.

Oh, and there was also the fact that she was currently spinning an elaborate tale about being a Magical Girl assassin, on a mission to "liberate" all her fellows of the terrible fate of becoming monsters, and to that end kidnapping girls like Kagari in a bid to mind-control the entire world.

So, you know. Just a normal Wednesday.

Why Suzune was telling her all of these awful things was a much bigger mystery, and one Matsuri would've liked an answer for herself – if she could just get a word in edgewise between all this horrible nonsense.

"After that, you ordered me to brainwash Umika Misaki as well. She was the other girl in the lobby where you found me," she said, in that same detached monotone with which she'd told the rest of her story. "If we can do the same to Kagari Hinata and Felicia Mitsuki, then if Alina-san is to be believed we should be able to…"

"Stop it! Stop it, okay!" shouted a distraught Matsuri, unable to take this anymore. "I didn't do any of these awful things! Why are you saying I did?"

Strangely, the moment the word "stop" left her lips, Suzune fell completely silent. But as soon as she finished her question, the monotone was back – as if answering it was literally the only thing on her mind.

"I was ordered to commit these acts by Matsuri Hinata. I must obey Matsuri Hinata," she whispered, her voice taking on a strange, detached quality. "I must obey Matsuri Hinata. I must obey Matsuri Hinata. I must obey Matsuri Hinata. I must…"

"Stop it, please!" Matsuri begged her again, almost in tears. And once more, the effect was instantaneous. It was eerie just how quickly the other girl could cut herself off mid-sentence.

"I just don't understand," she continued to moan. "What's going on with you? We just met! Why…Why would you possibly say…"

"Man she's slow, mistress! An' that's sayin' somethin', comin' from me!" another female voice suddenly called out. "Can I…encourage her till she figures it out? Jus' a little bit!"

"Dearest, she hasn't been Awakened yet. Nor does she share your fondness for speculative fiction. She has no reason to believe such a fantastical story," said a third voice. "But yes, we can speed this up a tad. Hinata-san, please ask her how many Matsuri Hinatas she's been obeying today."

Matsuri went utterly slack-jawed. Who were these girls, and what in God's name were they talking about? Her day was just getting weirder and weirder…

"Umm…how do you know who I am?" she asked, turning toward the source of the other two voices. "I'm sorry, this is all too much…"

There were several beats of silence, during which she presumed the pair were exchanging some form of nonverbal communication.

Then, unexpectedly, one of them placed a palm on her forehead.

"What are you doing to Matsuri?" Suzune demanded angrily, before being cut short. It sounded like she was involved in some kind of struggle or tussle.

"We need a new cat's paw against Sasa Yuki, now that negotiations with the Devil have fallen through. I thought Nagisa Momoe would be able to serve that role, but she seems to have run off on her own," the third voice said coolly. "I can't compel obedience, but I think I can make a much better case once you've Awakened. At the very least, you'll remember you aren't actually blind anymore."

The oddest sensation began to fill Matsuri's head. It was like it was being pumped with air, until her skull felt fit to burst. It didn't hurt, precisely, but it was so disorienting that she barely caught the other girl's next words.

"Try to see into the future. Just a quick peek," she added in a low voice. "A future in which you remember."

[-]

It was absolutely horrifying. A monstrosity beyond description. It took all of Kyoko's strength of will not to collapse into a shivering, vomiting heap right then and there.

"Are ya seriously…" she murmured, her eyes wide as saucers. "Puttin' mayonnaise…on chocolate puddin'…?"

"Oh, this isn't just mayonnaise!" exclaimed a silver-haired girl who could only be Mitama Yakumo, clapping her hands together and grinning brightly. "It's my own special blend of spicy mayo, minced garlic, kale, strawberry syrup, and some crushed-up meatloaf I found at the back of the fridge! It really gives the pudding a nice kick, if I do say so myself."

"Sayaka…please hold me back…" said a practically apoplectic Kyoko. "Before I murderize her…in the holy name o' the Food Gods…"

The blue-haired girl looked pretty nauseated herself, but managed to restrain her urge to heave long enough to ask, "So…you're Yakumo-san, right? The girl they call the Coordinator?"

They'd discussed strategy on the way here, and both agreed to proceed cautiously. They didn't know how much Mitama was aware of the situation; if she even remembered anything at all. The memories Sayaka had inherited made it seem like Akemi's mind-whammies weren't limited to just their friend group, but to every other girl like them.

A population that numbered in the thousands, all across the globe, if those memories were to be believed.

It was to their great surprise, then, that Mitama answered without hesitation, "That's right! Magical Girls come to me all the time, paying me Grief Cubes to adjust their Soul Gems. Well…they used to, at any rate. My business model sort of collapses in a world without Wraiths."

Several moments passed in abject, stunned silence.

"Wait, hold up," responded Kyoko, going bug-eyed. "Ya still remember all that crap?"

Mitama placed a finger to her chin and frowned. "Should I not?" she said. "Or…oh, I see. You mean because of what Homura Akemi did. Fortunately, Coordinators are immune to that sort of thing."

"What," spoke Sayaka, blinking twice as much as normal. She'd meant it to come out as a question, but was simply too dumbfounded. "Seriously, what."

"It's no surprise she overlooked it. After all, there's less than a dozen of us across the entire planet. Only three of whom live in Japan," Mitama explained, still sounding far more cheerful than Kyoko felt the situation warranted. "And I doubt Sudachi-san or Yozuru-san would pose much of a threat to her. Livia-sensei might, but she should be back in Brazil by now."

"But…if ya still had yer memories this whole time…" stated Kyoko slowly. "Then why the hell ain't ya done anythin'?"

Mitama shrugged her narrow shoulders, before taking out a spoon as if from nowhere and swallowing a big scoop of her revolting pudding. The other two girls forced themselves not to retch.

"The same quirk of our magic that protects us from mental manipulation…" she began to tell them. "Also Binds us to a code of non-interference. Coordinators must be neutral in all conflicts between Magical Girls. That includes even aberrations like Homura Akemi and Madoka Kaname."

Alarm bells instantly went off in Sayaka's head.

"What's Madoka got to do with this?" she said. "I know there's something I've still forgotten about her – something big. Do you know what it is?"

Mitama winced, like she realized she'd said too much.

"Enough about me and my silly memory! You've obviously come here for something," declared the silver-haired girl, her giggle a little too forced to be real. "And you're in luck! For the next fifteen minutes, all requests from your friendly neighborhood Coordinator are absolutely free! Yes…even the naughty ones."

Kyoko was staring at exactly one place as she replied, "Ya do have ridiculously nice boobs. Like, Tomoe levels."

It was a mark of how shocked Sayaka was that she didn't bother thwacking her over the head.

"Why, thank you! The trick is a well-balanced diet," remarked Mitama, emptying an entire bottle of what looked like black pepper over the pudding and downing the rest in one gulp. "Anyway, what can I for you? A little…adjustment? I think you'd both look great in Summer Outfits, personally. Guarantee I'd roll for you until I hit pity."

"Until you…wait, what?" asked a confused Sayaka, but Mitama just waved a dismissive hand.

"Nothing. Just one of your Coordinator's little jokes," she said with an exaggerated wink. "But seriously, let's hear it."

Kyoko exchanged a glance with her roommate. She wasn't entirely sure she wanted this girl to learn such intimate details any longer.

Still, displaying an uncharacteristic amount of tact and caution, she answered, "We, uh…wanna connect. Ta each other's…y'know. Gem things. Would that allow us ta share thoughts an' junk?"

Unfortunately, it didn't appear that Mitama was listening, because the moment Kyoko mentioned the word "connect" she'd begun singing under her breath.

"Kawashita yakusoku wasurenai yo. Me wo toji tashikameru…" she hummed merrily.

That was as far as she got before Kyoko flicked her right across the forehead. It felt good to be on the giving end of the slapstick for a change.

"Owie…" Mitama whimpered dramatically, though the crocodile tears in her eyes were belied by the upturned corners of her mouth.

"Well, can ya or can't ya?" demanded the redhead, who wasn't in the mood for such things. The only thing that annoyed a troll was a bigger troll.

Mitama let out a deep breath, before folding her fingers together.

"Well, it'll be a bit tricky. But I've done it before. Basically you want a dual unit – like Christmas Rika and Ren, or Summer Rena and Kaede. Oof, that was a popular banner," she said, a bit wistfully. "Okay…I'll do it. But you need to trust me."

"Not sure we can go that far. But then, not really sure if we've got a choice," admitted Sayaka. "Fine, what's the first step?"

"First, I'll need you to both go to the center of the room. Stand facing each other…yes, just like that," the Coordinator instructed them. "Next, I'll need you to take off all your clothes."

Neither of the other girls had the wherewithal to say anything. Instead their eyes snapped toward her, crimson and cerulean glaring in unison.

"Sooooo harsh! Just a little Coordinator humor," Mitama added swiftly. "Come now, I have to find my fun somewhere. After all, the world's going to end in just a few hours."

[-]

If her connection to her Familiars was like a cell phone, then Homura had spent the last couple hours with that phone on silent.

And now, as a result, said phone was metaphorically blowing the fuck up.

It was incredibly stupid and irresponsible, given all the potential threats roving around now. Oriko Mikuni. Sasa Yuki. Nagisa Momoe. Even Sayaka Miki and Kyoko Sakura, who had a meager few pieces of the puzzle, still knew enough to cause real damage if she didn't nip that problem in the bud.

But then, that was the "nice" thing about being the Devil. No one ever expected you to do things right. Mismanagement and incompetence were part of the job description.

The cause, as always, was Madoka. While she'd managed to (just barely) maintain her stoic façade while in the pink-haired girl's presence, the moment she was alone, Homura instantly shriveled into a useless little ball of misery and regret. She couldn't deal with her Familiars right now, she just couldn't.

It had been one thing to recognize, intellectually, that this was the right path. That the only way to combat the damage she'd inadvertently inflicted on Madoka's psyche was to rip that bandage off, and make her believe there was no chance of anything beyond friendship between them.

It'd been another thing entirely to stand in front of the girl who meant more to her than all the stars and galaxies in the universe, and tell her that she didn't love her.

Even just thinking about the awful things she'd said caused her skin to crawl. She'd thought she would be used to the world of lies by now. How many masks had she worn? How many secrets had she kept?

But this felt…different. This was a lie she'd never told before, except by omission. While the idea of confessing her feelings to Madoka was utterly unthinkable, confessing that she didn't hold those feelings seemed equally anathema.

Ambiguities and non-answers made up the waters within which Homura chose to moor her ship. Her emotions weren't relevant to protecting Madoka, so it was best they be kept locked-up. Where they couldn't hurt anyone.

Except they weren't staying locked-up. Nothing was. If the fact that half the city was crawling with her favorite manga characters wasn't enough of a clue.

She was fortunate, ultimately, that Madoka wasn't nearly as much of a nerd as she was. She didn't recognize people like Utena Tenjou or Ryuko Matoi on sight, so she hadn't yet started freaking out that the barriers of reality were crashing down around her.

But could even that situation last? Like many girls her age, Homura's first exposure to the wonders of yuri had been through things like Tomoyo's love for Sakura, and the relationship between Haruka and Michiru.

Those were series mainstream enough that even Madoka, who rarely read anything with a conflict more serious than "my friend ate the strawberry I'd been saving," was a fan. There was no way she'd miss if Sakura Kinomoto or the Sailor Guardians started walking around.

It was just one of the many ways the universe was choosing to prove one, inescapable conclusion: this center could not hold. Madoka would notice, at some point or another. She was a bit naïve, but not stupid.

Someone would say the wrong thing. Do something that, unintentionally, was reminiscent of the life Madoka had led before this one.

And suddenly, it would all come flooding back. The world she'd left behind. The duty she'd left behind. All the terrible and wonderful things Homura had stolen her from, in her selfishness and her hubris.

All it would take was an instant, and it'd all be over. This Eden that Homura had sacrificed everything to build – up to and including what few tattered shreds remained of her soul – would fall apart like a house of cards. And with it…

Madoka would be right back to where she was before. Timeless, and infinite, and all-knowing…

And miserable.

That thought forced Homura to slap herself. Why was she allowing herself to wallow in self-pity, when far more important things were at stake?

Now that she knew how soul-crushingly lonely Madoka's stint as the Law of Cycles had been, there was no way in hell she was going to let her be dragged back without a fight. A few tears today were a small price to pay when you considered the alternative.

Because even if the end of this new world was inevitable…

If it meant Madoka could spend just one second more as a happy, ordinary girl…as Junko's and Tomohisa's daughter, and Tatsuya's sister, and dear friend to Sayaka Miki and Hitomi Shizuki and so many others…

Then there was nothing Homura wasn't willing to do. Nothing.

"Fine. Enough moping," she said to herself, her silent voice reaching out across time and space to reach her various Clara Dolls. "Give me your reports."

Having been backed up with a few hours' worth of information, the Familiars all immediately began answering at once, their chittering voices clashing and bowling over one another.

But one voice sounded over all the others. It was Slander – the Doll she'd set up as liaison to the rest of her Familiars, the ones not intelligent enough to converse back. Her Lotte soldiers, Luiselotte hunters, Liese spies, and Lilia assassins.

Homura listened to what Slander had to say, in great detail. She waited impatiently for the creature to finish, tapping a finger against her leg all the while.

Finally, once she felt she'd heard enough, the Devil opened up her mouth, took a deep breath, and gave her honest reaction.

"…Well, shit."

[-]

Matsuri tried. Truly, she did.

But – perhaps she didn't altogether understand what she was trying to do in the first place – nothing seemed to happen. Finally, after a full five minutes of that weird heady sensation failed to achieve results, Matsuri shook the other girl's hand off her face.

"Look, I don't know what you expect me to see…" she said. "But it's all still just black. Like everything always is."

The third voice sounded like she was frowning (Matsuri could always "hear" a frown) when she muttered to herself, "That makes no sense. Everyone remembers eventually. Some sooner than others, but my magic should short-circuit the process regardless."

"Hey mistress…ya probably already thought this, but…" the second voice offered hesitantly. "Maybe it's cuz…she has no future?"

"My dearest, that is…actually a rather astute suggestion," replied the other girl. "And I don't mean to sound so surprised at that fact, truly. Because I think you've hit upon it. If she's destined to expire before Awakening, then of course darkness is all she would see."

"If you're done with her, then let Matsuri go!" bellowed Suzune, her voice strained. "I won't let you lay another hand on her!"

"I have no intention of harming either of you, foolish girl. Not so long as you continue to cooperate," said the third girl, her voice hardening while somehow still keeping its soft lilt. "Of course, if she's not long for this world, Hinata-san isn't especially useful to us. Unless…no, it couldn't be. But I need to check, just to be certain."

"Mistress…?" repeated the second girl, sounding concerned. But her companion cut her off.

"Dearest, watch over my body. Calling upon my prophecies on command is difficult enough; I won't be able to cast defensive magic while I do," she ordered. "Now, let's see what the future holds…"

Matsuri wasn't sure what to say or do as the third girl fell completely silent. She didn't even know these girls' names, much less what in the world they were talking about.

Prophecies? Awakening? Defensive magic? It sounded like they were sharing the same strange delusions as Suzune, which seemed more like the plot of some overcomplicated light novel than reality.

But…on the off chance…

What if they were telling the truth?

Before she could follow that alarming train of thought any further, however, the third girl was speaking again. And the difference in her tone, from the cool confidence she'd exuded just moments before, was nothing short of terrifying.

"I can't see anything past sundown tonight," she whispered, sounding like her lip was trembling. "Dearest, there is no future past that point. For any of us."

"Exactly. Which is why you bitches are gonna stop getting in the way of the only girl doing anything to fix that," yet another voice suddenly said.

This voice, while also female, couldn't have been more different from the others if she tried. It was high, and shrill, and unbearably cruel.

"Face it, Mikuni. No matter how badass you may think you are, you'll be crushed into paste the second Walpurgisnacht arrives on the scene," the nasty voice continued. "Only option you've got left is to throw in your lot with my plan. So what do you say, girls?"

Just like frowns, Matsuri could always hear smiles. And the one she knew the final girl was wearing was absolutely horrifying in her mind's eye.

"Want to help the Sasa Empire save the world?"

[-]

"Nee-chan being so quiet…" pouted Tatsuya, who was clearly taking the lack of enthusiastic attention from his big sister as a personal attack. "How coooooome?"

They'd been driving around for some time now, picking up flowers (for Tomohisa) and some nice sake (for Junko) as welcome-home gifts. Madoka had dutifully helped to carry things as needed, exchanged quick pleasantries with the clerks and cashiers, but otherwise kept to herself.

It had been noticed.

"I thought you were acting unusually sullen this morning, but the afternoon's been an entirely different story," said Akane. "I don't mean to pry, but…"

"Well, I certainly do," Shion interrupted her partner. "Come on, spill it. You strike out with Lil' Miss Hot Stuff?"

"Jesus Christ, Shion! I'd tell you to read the room if we weren't in a car right now," Akane lambasted her with a sigh. "Madoka, you can share as much or as little as you like. No judgment here."

"I…" the teenager mumbled, biting her lip and swallowing. "I really…just wanna wait to talk to my folks about it. If that's okay."

"Of course," Akane responded immediately, before her partner could get a word in edgewise. "Change of subject, then. We just heard from the chief – the Internal Affairs investigation has finally wrapped up. Shion and I can go back to work next week."

"Oh, that's wonderful news!" Madoka exclaimed, eminently grateful for the chance to talk about something other than her stupid, treacherous feelings. "I guess it works out well, with mama and papa coming home early. Though it's kind of a shame they had to cut their vacation short…"

"Hey, if it's on the company dime, can't really blame 'em for pulling the plug," said Shion with a shrug. "But yeah, the timing's kinda eerie, isn't it? If I was more conspiracy-minded, I wouldn't think this was a coincidence."

Akane snorted. "What, you think someone caused a blackout in Paris and put pressure on our IA team?" she asked rhetorically. "To what end?"

"Conspiracies don't have to make sense. That's what's so fun about them!" Shion declared, sticking out her tongue.

The other woman rolled her eyes so hard they seemed like they might pop out of their sockets.

"Honey, I tell you this with all the love and devotion that comes from being your partner, both personally and professionally," she stated dryly. "But you really should not be a cop."

Madoka, meanwhile, was staring out the car window, while Tatsuya played with the folds of her sleeve.

"The weather looks like it's really starting to get bad," she murmured with a frown. "I hope their plane gets in okay."

"No doubt there'll be turbulence, but I don't think you have anything to worry about," Akane assured her, as she too examined the gathering storm clouds. "Speaking of which…Shion, could you check the flight status?"

"Way ahead of you, sweetie," said her partner, pulling out her phone. "Looks like they're still scheduled to arrive at 6:42 tonight. Just after sundown. Hey…do you kids know what that'll make it?"

"Shion, don't spook them with your occult nonsense," Akane told her warningly. "Madoka-chan's one thing, but Tatsuya-kun is only three."

"And three-year-olds love spooky stories," Shion argued back. "You don't mind, do you Tatsuya-kun? I promise I won't make it too scary."

Truthfully, Madoka wasn't a big fan of spooky stories herself – especially with her emotions already in such a precarious state. But it was hard to get that across when Tatsuya enthusiastically cheered, "Yaaaay story! Gimme story!"

Seeing she was outvoted, Akane sighed and dipped her hand toward her partner, signaling for her to continue.

"Well, to start with, you need to know a little something about Saint Walpurga. So quick history lesson. Didn't know Medieval European history was my thesis topic in college, did you?" Shion began with a wink. "Walpurga was a nun in eighth century England, who became a missionary to the peoples of East Francia – what we now call Germany. She served with her uncle, Saint Boniface, acting essentially as his secretary. This made her one of the chronologically earliest known female authors of the era."

"This is literally the first time you've gotten to flex that degree since graduating, isn't it?" asked a bemused Akane.

"Shut up," said Shion, though she was grinning. "Where was I? Ah, right. Well, after several years of traveling evangelization, her brother Willibald set up a monastery in the town of Heidenheim. When he died, he appointed Walpurga to succeed him, which was unusual for the period – since it gave her authority over both the nuns and male monks. She continued to run it faithfully until her own death."

Madoka, for her part, was just somewhat shocked to hear her hard-drinking, heavy metal-jamming aunt speaking in such a scholarly tone.

"Now, to be recommended for canonization as a saint by the Catholic Church, they need to recognize that you performed at least two miracles," she went on. "Walpurga had a lot more than that…y'know, if you believe in that sort of thing. But I believe her 'official' two were dispelling a storm while at sea by praying, and her bones leaking some weird healing oil after her death. Anyway, she was canonized on May 1, which became her feast day. And that makes this evening, April 30…"

The corners of Shion's mouth twitched upward as she finished, "Walpurgis Night."

Madoka's breath caught in her throat. She wasn't entirely sure why.

"Wh…What's that mean, exactly…?" she stuttered.

"Well, Saint Walpurga was venerated for casting away evil spirits and converting the 'heathen pagans' of the Germanic people away from witchcraft," said Shion, making scare quotes with her fingers around the words. "So legend goes, on the night before her big day, the evil spirits and witches all get together to have one last hurrah. Basically a big cursed bachelor party."

"Have you ever seen Fantasia, Madoka-chan? That Disney movie from the forties?" Akane piped up. "There's a segment in it, arranged to the piece Night on Bald Mountain. I know Tomo always loved it as a kid."

Madoka had indeed seen the film, thanks to her father…and she'd always been terrified of the segment in question. The enormous demon, dancing ghosts, and other creatures of the night had haunted her dreams for weeks afterward.

If that was what Walpurgis Night was, then Madoka didn't think she liked it very much at all.

"Of course, if the stories are true, then we're not too far off. Once the sun sets over that horizon, we'll be right at the witching night," Shion added, grinning mischievously. "All those creepy-crawlies will come out of the woodwork, set their bonfires and cast spells, ready to…"

"Shion, I think that's enough," Akane cut her off sharply. "You've given your history lesson, time to stop frightening the children."

Her partner threw up both hands. "In my defense, I think Tatsuya is fast asleep," she said, causing Madoka to do a double-take and realize she was correct. "Went into too much detail about the intricacies of Catholic sainthood procedure, didn't I?"

Madoka, for her part, was suddenly struck by a rather overwhelming headache. She clutched at her temples, unsure where the pain had come from but desperate for it to recede.

And in that moment, her lips opened, and suddenly she found she was speaking words she neither knew nor understood.

"She will turn all of fate's misfortune to nothing.

She will flood the earth with magic,

And take all of humankind into her play.

A moving stage construction.

If everything is a play, no unhappy things will exist.

It may be a tragedy, but it'll all be part of the script.

The play stops on Walpurgisnacht,

And the earth does not turn even once more.

The story will not change.

Tomorrow, and the day after, is the Night of Walpurgis."

[-]

"Okay, hold the phone. Then give the phone ta me," Kyoko told the Coordinator. "Whadaya mean, the world's gonna end? That ain't the kinda thing ya can jus' drop on a chick!"

Mitama simply shrugged her shoulders. "Well I guess I don't know that for certain. But it's the only explanation that makes any sense," she said, her tones calm and casual. "Why else would they shut down the servers, and suspend any more microtransactions? I mean, come on. This is Aniplex we're talking about here."

"You lost me. Again," replied Sayaka dryly. "More of your jokes?"

"I suppose you could say that," remarked Mitama, smiling brightly again. "Just…trust me on this point. We don't have unlimited time to play around. If you want me to Connect you, we'd best do it quickly."

"Well, I can get behind that at least," stated Kyoko, as she gave her own shrug. "Ya said we had ta face each other, right?"

"Yes, I think that would be best. Your Soul Gems will also have to be in contact," the Coordinator explained. "Since they're both already in ring form, the easiest way would be to hold hands."

Both Sayaka and Kyoko flushed a bit, but did as they were bid. Their left hands laced together, rings clinking as they brushed up against one another.

The moment the jewels touched, Sayaka felt a surge of something like electricity run up her body. Judging by her roommate's expression, she was certain she'd felt the same thing.

"Wow, now that is a Connection! I might not have to do all that much work after all," said Mitama, who was leaning forward to examine the rings like they were museum pieces. "Either you two have been together since birth, or you have a mutual and overwhelming desire to jump each other's bones."

The blush in Sayaka's cheeks quickly spread to encompass her entire face. Even Kyoko looked embarrassed, breaking eye contact and slapping at her cheeks with her free hand until the redness went away.

"So that I set things up correctly, could you tell me what you're trying to get out of this Connection?" the Coordinator asked, either not noticing or not caring about the effect her teasing was having on the pair.

As she said this, she gave both jewels an experimental poke. Sayaka very nearly stumbled to the ground, a wave of nausea and disorientation passing over her, but it vanished the moment Mitama lifted her finger.

"Hey…warn a girl next time yer gonna do crap like that!" exclaimed Kyoko, who seemed to have experienced something similar.

"Sorry, sorry! Just trying to get a 'feel' for your magic. Every person's mana flow is unique," Mitama said. "But back to my last question. Is there something specific you two are trying to get out of this? It'll affect my process."

"It's…kinda hard ta explain," Kyoko answered hesitantly. "Basically, we somehow wound up with summa her memories in my head. We need ta get 'em back where they're supposed ta be."

"Oh, is that all? Don't worry, I deal with that sort of thing all the time," declared Mitama, stretching her arm out in front of her. The ring on her own finger manifested into a dark blue gem, the size and shape of a chicken egg.

"Wait…you do?" said Sayaka.

Another shrug from the mercurial Coordinator. "I have a very unusual clientele," she pointed out, as the jewel in her palm began to glow.

When the glow faded, Mitama was wearing an entirely new outfit, even more elaborate than Sayaka's own. It sort of resembled the uniform worn by some of the conductors she'd seen at Kyosuke's concerts, neatly pressed and with just enough frills poking out of the sides to make it feminine. The mixture of navy blue and white was, admittedly, quite a good look on her.

"Like what you see? Your Coordinator is always interested in taking compliments!" she preened, doing a little twirl to underline the point. "Alright, let me just center myself a bit, and…"

She took a deep breath, her mouth becoming a perfect circle as she did. It was strange how the girl somehow seemed so much older and so much younger than them, right at the same time.

"And now…" she said, placing her now-gloved palms directly over their intertwined fingers. "Time for a very special Fate Weave."

[-]

Madoka Kaname wasn't the only girl watching the skies that day.

"It seems like it's growing worse, the closer we get to Mitakihara," Iroha observed with a frown, sticking her head out of the passenger side window. "Do you think that's a coincidence, Yachiyo-san?"

"I don't believe in coincidences," the blue-haired girl said stoically, slowing the car as they began to approach the city limits. Which was to say that she went down from one hundred and sixty kilometers per hour to a leisurely one hundred forty. "Remember that this isn't a typical Walpurgis Night. It's a purely localized event, both in terms of time and space."

"Quit it with all the big words! This ain't a classroom, y'know," Felicia whined. "Get ta the point already!"

It didn't help the youngest girl's mood that she was forced to readjust her already-messy hair, after a gust of stormwind blew through the open window.

"Ordinarily, Walpurgisnacht is a Witch that visits at a specific point on the globe, appearing at sunset and disappearing by sunrise," Yachiyo explained. "But she still needs to reach that point through 'conventional' means. Even if ordinary humans can't see her, the storm surrounding her is a different story. In this day and age, it's trackable, even if most people don't realize the root cause."

"But that's not the case now?" asked Sana, causing the older girl to shake her head.

"To Japanese meteorologists, it must seem as if this storm appeared from nowhere," she answered. "That's because it isn't an ordinary storm. It's an echo of one. It literally can't exist anywhere else but Mitakihara City."

Tsuruno's forehead scrunched up. "I still don't get it," she muttered. "Okay, so, this Walpur-thingy basically got here by teleporting instead of flying? But why's it different now from those other times?"

"Because this world is different. On a fundamental level," said Yachiyo. "It can't actually sustain…"

It looked like she had more to say, but she cut herself short as they passed a sign reading Welcome to Mitakihara City.

The blue-haired girl's grip tightened on the steering wheel. "We're about to cross into the Devil's territory. Brace yourselves," she told the others. "If what happened to Iroha-chan last night is any indication, simply being near her seat of power can be enough to scramble your memory. Whatever happens, just keep thinking one thing: We need to stop Walpurgisnacht."

"We need to stop Walpurgisnacht," Iroha repeated under her breath, turning it into a mantra. The other girls quickly joined in, though Felicia kept mispronouncing it as "Walmart is Snack."

Then, as their car finally crossed the city limits, they felt it.

The sensation was…strange. Not altogether unpleasant, if Iroha was being honest with herself. It was like a cool wave of water was washing over her, submerging her entire body in a bubble that blurred every sight and muffled every sound.

Even for Iroha, who in an actual pool couldn't so much as doggy-paddle, the peace and tranquility of this feeling was undeniable. For just a moment, she thought she'd be okay staying like this forever.

But the sensation passed as quickly as it came. Since she must've felt something similar yesterday without realizing, it appeared simply being guarded against the memory loss was enough to circumvent it.

Still, she had to check with the others. "Is everyone okay?" she asked. "Do we all still remember everything?"

"My head's still all fuzzy…" said Sana, holding onto it and wincing. "But I think so. We need to stop Walpurgisnacht."

"Unfortunately, that was the easy part," Yachiyo let out a sigh. "We're about to go up against the most powerful force in existence, and I'm still the only one who's able to transform. If only we'd had a chance to visit Mitama-san. I haven't tested it, but a Coordinator's power can probably be used to Awaken. But there wasn't time for three full adjustments."

"Well, what are we gonna do, then?" Felicia demanded heatedly. "Cuz ever since ya told me I got a big honkin' magic hammer, I've wanted my big honkin' magic hammer! Without it…what, ya jus' want me ta punch it? I mean, I will. Jus' dunno how much it'll help."

"If everything goes as planned, we shouldn't have to fight at all. We wouldn't stand a chance in a conventional battle even if we were at full strength," stated the older girl. "I'll just need all of you to follow my lead. When we get to the bay…"

But the other four never got to hear the rest of their housemate's plan. Because in that moment, her eyes went wide, and she slammed down on the brakes as hard as she could.

Her quick timing almost certainly saved all their lives. Because if they'd continued at full speed and slammed into the person who'd just appeared in the middle of the road, Iroha was fairly certain their vehicle wouldn't have survived.

As it was, they slowed down just enough that when Homura Akemi caught their bumper with the heel of her boot, she was able to bring them to a full stop.

"All of you, out of the car," she ordered coldly. She was holding up a palm, which burned with the violet aura of her magic. "I hear you've been talking about Walpurgisnacht."

[-]

Oriko crossed her arms in front of her chest, scowling at the diminutive girl standing before her.

She'd arrived with two other Magical Girls in tow, plus another pair who were floating unconscious in some kind of glowing green cube. The oracle recognized all of them apart from one – a tall girl with yellow-green hair and a rather disconcerting grin.

"You already know, Sasa Yuki, that I consider a world with you in charge to be about the only thing worse than the status quo," she said sharply.

"Yeah, but that was before you found out about Walpurgisnacht. Kinda changes the gameplan, doesn't it?" sneered Sasa, playing casually with the baubles at the ends of her "hat," as if she couldn't be bothered to give Oriko her full attention. "You may not like the idea of my rule…but it's a lot better than oblivion, right?"

The seer clenched her teeth, wanting to retort but unable to summon up a good counterargument. What she'd seen in the future – or rather, what she hadn't seen – still had her quite shook.

Regardless, it was the green-haired girl who spoke up first. "Alina doesn't like the sound of this 'Sasa Empire,' va bene?" she snapped. "Remember that we are supposed to be a team! Do you need another promemoria of what Alina can do when she's upset?"

Sasa's demeanor instantly shifted, placing both hands in front of herself defensively.

"Oh! Umm…no, that won't be necessary!" she told the other girl, who Oriko supposed was called Alina. How irritating; even Kirika wasn't childish enough to still refer to herself in the third person. "It's just that 'Sasa-Alina Empire' just doesn't have the same ring to it. I certainly wasn't intending to leave you out!"

The other girl's eyes narrowed. "Do not lie to Alina. She knows what you are, Signorina Yuki," she hissed. "Let's not insult each other by pretending we're amiche. We work together because we have to, non because we choose to."

"Fair enough. I can live with that," said Sasa with a shrug. "Anyway, what say you, Mikuni? You've only got a little time left to make your decision. So either get on board, or get out of my way."

Oriko couldn't believe she was even considering such a thing, but found herself asking, "What precisely is your plan? I know you've been gathering thralls. And based on your choice of targets…"

Her eyes blinked between them. Suzune Amano, copying the magic of Kagari Hinata. Kagari herself. And Umika Misaki. Tsubaki Mikoto was the only outlier, most likely captured only out of proximity and circumstance, because otherwise…

"Memory magic. You're assembling as many Magical Girls as possible with the power to rewrite minds," Oriko realized aloud. "But how are you intending to extend their reach?"

"That'd be thanks to my sweet, darling partner in crime here!" Sasa exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear as she leaned over and poked both of Alina's breasts. "Oh, the things she can do with her barriers…"

Alina, however, just looked irritated, swatting her hand away. "Per carità! Alina is appreciative of the female form, but you are not her type!" she said. "Keep those mani sporche to yourself."

Sasa bared her teeth, looking ready to throw back another vicious insult, but Oriko interjected before she could.

"I've made my decision," she declared coolly. "But first, I must say that I underestimated you, Sasa Yuki. This is a genuinely brilliant scheme you've come up with. There's just one minor element I would remove from it."

The vindictive girl raised one eyebrow, her staff held at the ready. "Oh? And what might that be?" she asked.

With a surge of mana, Oriko summoned a trio of metal spheres, which floated up from behind her. They began to glow a bright gold.

"You," she whispered. "Oracle Ray!"

It was only because neither of them were well-suited for combat that Oriko's attack and Sasa's defense just barely managed to cancel each other out. Still, the latter's staff was smoking once she was done using it to weather the assault.

"Protect me, Suzune!" she shouted in a panic. "That's an order!"

"Yes, Matsuri," said the assassin, her eyes glazing over and her body snapping to attention.

Kirika had been managing to hold her down all this time, but with a sudden burst of strength she threw Oriko's beloved off of herself, sending the black-haired girl flying into a nearby tree. She hit her head hard against the trunk, and then went still.

"Dearest!" the prophetess called out, as she just barely dodged a strike from Suzune's claymore. "Hinata-san, tell her to stop!"

Matsuri, who was sitting on the sidelines and helplessly listening to all of this, jumped at the sudden mention of her name.

"Umm…uh…s…stop?" she mumbled, clearly having no idea what was going on. Without sight, and without any context for what she was hearing, it was really all she could do.

And yet, it was enough. Suzune's body froze in mid-swing, as her lips automatically repeated, "Yes, Matsuri."

Sasa let out a sound halfway between a snarl and a scream. "Clearly, she's useless so long as that little green bitch is sitting there in the bleachers. Can't think of an order she wouldn't be able to cancel out, and I don't have time to reprogram her right now," she said through gritted teeth, before rounding on Alina. "Well, 'partner,' you gonna help or not? The whole plan falls apart without me!"

"Except it doesn't," Oriko spoke up, having just finished examining her girlfriend. Thankfully, Kirika's magic was already mending the wound, but she was still out cold. "Alina-san, I don't know you very well. But there's clearly no love lost between you and that harlequin. You must realize she's no longer essential to your scheme."

To Sasa's evident shock, Alina's response to this was to tilt her head to the side and utter, "Alina is listening."

"If you can wipe minds clean, controlling them is essentially redundant. They both achieve the same end, just with different steps. So her only role now is to keep Amano-san on a leash," Oriko pointed out. "And thanks to her ill-considered orders, you now have someone else able to do that. Someone far saner, kinder, and less likely to stab you in the back."

Sasa's bloodshot eyes darted between Oriko, then Suzune, then Alina, before coming to rest upon the trembling Matsuri.

"You…absolute…bitch!" she roared, her expression going absolutely deranged. She held her staff straight up in the air, shooting beams of energy in every direction, without any regard for friend or foe.

"You're not going to let them do this to me, right?!" she continued to scream, as if she was addressing someone who wasn't there. "I'm too important! You chose me, didn't you? Me! It's my destiny to be this world's queen!"

With every word, Sasa's voice grew more and more unstable. She clutched at her head with her spare hand, eyes practically bulging out of her skull.

"Why the hell aren't you answering?" she demanded, still seemingly of no one in particular. "I did everything you wanted! Y…You can't treat me like this! I am Sasa Yu…!"

Then, suddenly, her voice fell away, and her body crumpled to the ground – like a marionette whose strings had been cut.

"Che irritante. Alina won't be sorry to never hear that infernale voice again," said her erstwhile partner. "But even if our benefattore has shut you out, Alina hears them loud and clear. And we both agree. It's time to cut you loose."

She was waving her right hand, having created another one of those green cubes. As it floated into the air, leaving Sasa's body behind, Oriko saw what it contained: the wretched girl's Soul Gem.

Just before Alina closed her fingers into a fist, and the cube collapsed in on itself, crushing the Gem to fine powder.

"Now, Signorina Mikuni…" she added swiftly, as if she hadn't just murdered someone. "Where were we?"

[-]

Sayaka was really starting to get tired of having no clue where she was.

Even compared to the state of mind she'd been in after eating the magic cheese, however, her present surroundings were…weird. She was floating through something a little less substantial than liquid, but more so than gas, with no apparent way to control her momentum.

And all of it was lit in a cool, azure hue. Brighter and deeper than any ocean in the world.

At first, it seemed like this great blue was all there was to the world. But after blinking a few times, she realized that there was a point where it gave way to a similar substance, tinged red instead.

Not a harsh or foreboding red. This shade was warm, inviting. The color of Valentine's hearts and ruby-painted lips.

Sayaka blinked again, and realized that she wasn't alone.

Another girl was floating amidst the red part of the world. Her body limp and unmoving. Sayaka thought that she knew this girl, vaguely. Somewhere deep down, in her core. And her name was…

"Kyoko!" she called out, suddenly desperate for her voice to reach that other girl. "Kyoko, wake up!"

Was it her imagination that when the girl slowly, groggily began to open her eyes, Sayaka's heart soared through her chest? No…somehow she knew it wasn't.

"Sayaka…?" the other girl said weakly, clutching at her crimson locks – the same deep hue as her surroundings. Was that why the color evoked such strong feelings within Sayaka's psyche? "What's goin' on here…?"

"I think…it worked," Sayaka muttered, as the details of the past few hours sluggishly trickled back to her. "That's your soul. This is mine. They're…connected."

And indeed, the border between the blue and the red wasn't a clear-cut line, but something wavy and nebulous. Here and there the colors were melding outright, swirling around one another in a continuous dance.

"This feels…so weird…" replied Kyoko, arm outstretched toward her roommate. But because they had no way to control their movement, this was as close as they could get. "Not bad, y'know. But weird."

"Yeah. No argument," Sayaka whispered back. "Still gotta figure out how to do this whole 'sharing' thing. Yakumo-san didn't really explain that part."

"The colors are already mixin'. Maybe we jus' need ta let 'em…mix more?" Kyoko said tentatively, her eyes on the constantly shifting border. "All the memories yer missin' are stuck here in my head, so if I jus' let ya in…"

"You're probably on the right track, more or less. But given that neither of us has the first clue what we're doing, I want to proceed cautiously," pointed out the blue-haired girl. "What if I screw something up, and it, like…fries your brain, or something?"

Kyoko winced. "Honestly, I'm scared o' the same thing," she told her roommate. "But…I trus' ya. If anyone can do this right, it's my knight in shinin' armor."

Sayaka cheeks burned almost as red as the aura surrounding the other girl.

"Not sure I've earned that kind of confidence in me. But I'll do my best to live up to it," she responded sheepishly. "Okay…get ready. I'm gonna try to…push, into your side. Don't know if that'll work, but we're not getting anywhere just floating around like this."

The redhead took a deep breath, then nodded. "Gotcha, hot stuff," she said. "Bring on all that sweet, sweet Blue Hawaii."

Sayaka couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Are food and sex the only things you think about?" she asked.

"Well now…" remarked Kyoko with a wink. "How 'bout ya come over here ta my beautiful brain an' find out?"

And with that, the floodgates suddenly opened.

It was like the tranquil ocean they'd been floating within had spontaneously transformed into a raging whirlpool. Sayaka and Kyoko were tossed about every which way, unable to do anything but flail around helplessly, as the colors representing their souls mixed and blended together. Soon it was hard to tell precisely where one shade ended and the other began.

Then, just as abruptly as it started…it all stopped.

Slowly, tentatively, Sayaka Miki opened her eyes.

As she remembered everything.

[-]

Akane Inoue had elected to stop off at a fast-food restaurant before heading to the airport. A bit of quiet and some brutally unhealthy food seemed to be precisely what her niece needed.

Sure enough, one cheeseburger and small order of black-pepper fries ("MgRonald's specialty item of the month!") later, the girl seemed to be in much better spirits.

Still, Akane couldn't help but be worried.

Madoka claimed she had no idea where that strange, Walpurgis-themed poem had come from. That it was like a little voice was whispering it in her ear, completely out of nowhere, and she'd been helpless to do anything but repeat it.

If she was telling the truth – and Madoka was, if nothing else, almost reflexively honest – then that meant her psychological issues had progressed as far as auditory hallucinations. Not an encouraging sign.

Obviously Shion's history lesson had been the trigger, and to her credit, her partner looked suitably chastised. She sat with her niece the whole time, patting her comfortingly on the shoulder and chattering about random nonsense to keep her distracted.

"…And that was when Tomohisa turned to me, and do you know what he said?" she finished off yet another off-color story. "Ahem…I genuinely hope that soon, the laws will change, and you'll be allowed to marry my baby sister. And I equally hope that at that point, she'll realize she can do so much better. Seriously, can you believe that?"

"You had just rear-ended his car at the time," said Akane pointedly.

"Exactly! And yet he took it so personally!" Shion let out a groan. "I mean, I did pay for the whole thing out of pocket. I just didn't want it going through insurance, y'know? I was angling for that promotion, I couldn't have a misdemeanor on my record."

"Once again…" replied Akane with a dry chuckle. "I'll never stop being surprised they let you become a cop."

"I'd never have guessed you and papa used to not get along," Madoka piped up, holding a still-napping Tatsuya close to her side as she sipped the last of her soda. "Honestly, it's weird to imagine papa not getting along with anyone."

Akane smiled wistfully. "Yeah, Tomo's never exactly been quick to anger. But when something does get his goat, he's a sight to behold," she told her niece. "I remember one time, when I was with my first crush. This shy girl named Momoko. We were behind the school, trying out kissing for the first time. Well, some boys from another school saw us, and started shouting these…just, awful things. Browbeating us into 'putting on a show.' One of them had a camera and kept snapping pictures, no matter how much we yelled to stop. Momoko was curled into a ball, crying her eyes out, and I was just…frozen. That's when Tomo showed up, and decided to take care of things."

"Wait, do you mean Mr. Nice Guy actually punched those punks out?" asked Shion. "Because if so, I will take back literally every mean thing I ever said about him."

"Better," said Akane with a wink. "He grabbed all three of those bullies, one-by-one, and kissed them full on the mouth."

Madoka's eyes went wide at this story. She knew her father was strongly protective of his loved ones, but this was a side of him she couldn't remember ever seeing.

"See, now everyone gets a show!" Akane quoted her brother, chuckling again at the remembrance. "Well, naturally, they all scurried home right away, tails between their legs. Never saw them around our school again."

Shion laughed uproariously, enough that a bit of the milkshake she was drinking leaked out of her nostrils. Her partner passed her a stack of napkins, which she used to blow her nose.

"Clearly, I haven't been giving your bro enough credit all these years," she declared, her shoulders still bouncing up and down with laughter. "But I guess you…"

She lowered the napkins from her face.

"…Never really know with some people," finished a woman who was not Shion Kunizuka.

Madoka blinked a couple of times. The woman now sitting next to her was wearing her Auntie Shion's clothes, and she spoke with Auntie Shion's voice, but she was not Auntie Shion.

She was very tall, with moderately tanned skin and well-toned arms. Gone was that striking, unnatural tiger-striped hair, replaced with a pixie-cut of perfectly ordinary green.

"Wh…Who are you…?" the words tumbled from Madoka's lips before she could stop herself.

The woman raised an eyebrow at the teenaged girl next to her.

"Well now. I know some people complain about your generation having poor memories, but this is another story entirely," she said, rapping lightly on the girl's head with her knuckles. "Hello, it's me, your Auntie Nadeshiko? I mean, I was only there on the day you were born."

The pink-haired girl continued to blink, as memories started rushing back to her.

Nadeshiko Hoshino. Her aunt's life partner, and partner on the force. An even-tempered woman with a fondness for Russian literature and ballet music, even if she could be a little overly sarcastic at times. Three-quarters Japanese, with ancestry from Indonesia on her mother's side.

The images flashed through her mind, one after another. Her aunts together at her fifth birthday party, Auntie Nadeshiko presenting her with the enormous stuffed bear ("Kuma-chan") she still slept with to this day. Auntie Nadeshiko picking her up from school at age ten, because her father had broken his leg doing yardwork and they needed to all visit him in the hospital. Auntie Nadeshiko telling her the history of Walpurgis Night on the car ride over, just a handful of minutes ago.

How could Madoka have possibly forgotten her? How had her mind managed to, up until this moment, replace her with another person entirely?

This was way beyond the general sense of unease she'd been feeling lately. This represented a wholesale psychotic break.

"Aunties…I know this might sound like a weird question," she managed to force out, fighting to keep her breathing steady and calm. "But do the names 'Shion' or 'Kunizuka' mean anything to you?"

Both of her aunts looked upon her with a mixture of confusion and concern, but they weren't the only ones to react to this out-of-the-blue query. Two other women turned around as they exited the restaurant, as if they thought they'd just heard someone calling for them. But after a few moments of staring around the MgRonald's, the pair looked to each other, shrugged, and headed off on their way.

The women were probably a couple, judging by their linked hands. One was shorter, with silky black hair tied in a ponytail, and dressed in a slimming suit. The other was blonde, with painted red lips and a lab coat unbuttoned low enough to show off a good deal of cleavage, and held an unlit cigarette between two fingers.

The next thought to cross Madoka's head was so ludicrous, so self-evidently absurd, that she couldn't believe she was even thinking such a thing.

And yet, it was impossible to deny. If you could, somehow, mash the features of those two women into one person…

Then it seemed like you'd get someone who looked very much like Shion Kunizuka.

[-]

As the main road into downtown Mitakihara, these streets should have been teeming with a tremendous amount of traffic.

The fact that there were no other cars to be seen in any direction seemed a rather foreboding sign. They were about to deal with a genuine Devil, and this was the center of her Hell.

"We don't want any trouble, Akemi-san," said Yachiyo, turning off the engine and moving her hands over her head. "We're simply here in Mitakihara to complete a mission. Then we'll leave."

"Forgive me if I can't simply trust your word," Homura intoned coldly. "The rest of you, follow her lead. Out of the car and down on the ground. Keep your hands where I can see them."

"This is the chick yer all bent outta shape about?" asked Felicia, who didn't look especially impressed or intimidated. "God, she couldn't sound more like a Decagon Ball villain if she tried. I got half a mind ta…"

But she was cut short as a beam of purple light shot straight through the baseball cap she was wearing, leaving a two-centimeter hole down the middle.

"I'm not…" Homura breathed out, flexing her glowing fingers as if readying another round. "In a very…patient mood…right now…"

"Do as she says," Yachiyo called back to her group, the barest hint of fear leaking into her normally stoic tones.

The model sank to her knees in front of the other Magical Girl, genuinely unnerved by the sheer murder in her indigo eyes. She'd known that this encounter would need to happen sooner or later, but she still felt woefully unprepared, given who – or rather, what – she was dealing with.

As for the rest of the Mikazuki Villa girls, they knew even less about their foe than she did, with the exception of Iroha. And Iroha was a…special case. Right now, she was as powerless as any ordinary human.

They had no choice but to play this by Homura Akemi's rules.

Once all five of them were on the ground, hands on top of their heads, the raven-haired girl began to pace in front of them.

"I don't have time to deal with another anomaly right now. I just don't," she said sharply. "So here is what's going to happen. You're going to answer my questions – freely, and in full detail. Then, I'm going to erase your memories. Since I have no personal affection for you five, there's nothing to stay my hand from doing what needs to be done."

"Wh…When you say, erase our memories…" Sana mumbled timidly.

"You seem to know a whole lot more about me than you should. How far back I need to go will be determined by what you tell me next," Homura interjected, glaring at the green-haired girl. "Come here, Liese. Repeat what you heard."

Sana jumped as a Familiar manifested directly above her left shoulder. It was a large, crow-like creature, with eyes like quilted squares and sewing pins sticking out of its head.

Even though Yachiyo had been expecting it, it was still frightening to contemplate that something like that had been following after them, invisibly, all this time.

The Familiar flew over to its mistress and perched on her shoulder instead. Its beak leaned toward her ear, whispering in a language inscrutable to any but its mother Witch.

"You seem to be laboring under the belief that Walpurgisnacht is on its way. But Walpurgisnacht is a Witch – the Witch – and Witches no long exist in this world," said Homura. "Explain this to me."

Yachiyo hesitated. How much information could she give, without compromising the entire plan? Something told her the Devil would know if she lied to her outright.

Ultimately, she decided to answer with the truth. Or part of it, at least.

"You're correct…that the form of the Stage-Constructing Witch that you once fought is no more," she told the other girl. "But this is still a night where magical forces are at work. Like All Hallows' Eve, even if the original meaning has been lost, it will never fully be purged of its identity as the Hexen Night."

"And what kind of 'magical forces' do you speak of?" Homura demanded. "None of them should have power here. Witches, Wraiths, Nightmares, Uwasa…"

Yachiyo noticed Iroha flinch, just slightly, at the word "Uwasa." Thankfully, Homura seemed to have missed it.

"It's more generalized than that," Yachiyo answered, before the Devil could dwell any further. "This planet has always had magic, since before the first living thing gestated in the oceans. On nights like tonight, it aches and yearns for release. Removing 'Walpurgisnacht,' the Witch, doesn't remove 'Walpurgis Night,' the event. It simply changes its form."

"I mean, just look up at the sky!" added Tsuruno, trying to gesture toward the storm clouds above while still keeping her hands frozen atop her head.

Homura's lips pursed. "It's…just a storm. An ordinary storm. The weather reports predicted rain tonight," she said, though she didn't sound fully convinced. "Look, just…tell me how you know these things. And what you're intending to do about it."

"I can't answer the first question. I'm sorry. If you understood the full picture, I know you'd agree with my reasons," Yachiyo breathed out, her chest rising and falling steadily. "As for the second, we're here to fight. With you, not against you, if at all possible."

The glow around Homura's hand pulsed brighter. Bits of the purple energy broke off, turning into a swarm of bullet-like projectiles.

"You seem to think you have a lot more leverage than you actually do," she hissed, spreading her arms so that the bullets were trained on all five of the Mikazuki girls. "The only thing you have that would benefit me is information…and I'm taking that for myself right now. Once I have what I need, you five will be useless to me."

Now was the time. She only had one good arrow in her quiver, and while it was a cheap shot, they weren't going to get anywhere without her using it.

"That's just the sort of thinking that's going to get Madoka-san hurt," she said firmly.

Homura's eyes instantly narrowed to slits.

"Who do you think you are…" she whispered through gritted teeth. "To speak her name so casually? You've never even met Madoka."

If they had any hope of getting out of this encounter with their bodies and minds intact, Homura Akemi couldn't learn just how wrong she was about that.

So instead, she stated neutrally, "I know that Madoka Kaname is precious to you. And I know that she will be in danger, if we don't act quickly against what's to come."

Homura stood there for a moment, silently seething. Then, suddenly, she grabbed Iroha by the wrist, and hoisted her effortlessly into the air.

"Hey! Let her go!" Felicia piped up, moving to jump to her feet. But another warning shot, embedding itself in the ground just centimeters from her shoe, forestalled her.

"Enough of this. I'm clearly getting nowhere, questioning you verbally," said Homura, who hadn't even needed to move a muscle to fire off that last shot. "Your mental defenses, Yachiyo Nanami, will likely be too formidable. I could brute-force my way through them, of course, but that would take time better spent elsewhere."

"If you're about to do what I think you're doing, please reconsider," pleaded a gape-mouthed Yachiyo. "There's more going on than you know. Iroha is…"

"An ordinary girl," Homura cut her off. "She may have some potential, but I know every Magical Girl on the planet, and she isn't one of them. Meaning that any secrets you've told her in confidence, out of earshot of my sweet Liese…will soon belong to me."

"Yachiyo-san…" Iroha whimpered, after a few moments of struggling failed to achieve results. The Devil's grip was like iron. "I'm sorry…for being weak…"

"You have nothing to apologize for, Iroha-chan," said Yachiyo firmly. "But I can't say the same for you, Akemi-san. If you force your way into that particular mind, there will be no going back. And this close to the end, it's not a gamble you can afford to make. Trust me – on this, if nothing else."

Homura exchanged fierce glares with the similarly stoic girl. For one, hopeful moment, Yachiyo thought she might've taken her warnings to heart, and would stand down.

But instead, the black-haired girl merely replied, "I'm done with trusting."

Her fingers clenched around Iroha's head, gripping her rosy locks like a vise. Her eyes shifted, going from their normal indigo shade to a chaotic kaleidoscope of shimmering color.

Then, the Devil started to scream.

[-]

Sayaka Miki sat at a conference table, surrounded on all sides by her fellow Messengers.

Of course, this was no more a "table" than she was still a "girl." In this place, beyond time and beyond space, there was no substance save for that which its inhabitants imprinted upon the world.

Sayaka, whose mind instinctively sought order and structure in all things, had imagined this was like a business meeting, and thus it was so. She doubted her "colleagues" were seeing anything close to the same thing.

They were an odd bunch, all things considered. Most Magical Girls, when presented the choice, did not become Messengers. Why would they, when they'd already earned paradise? She couldn't blame them for deciding to rest, now that their battles were finally done.

Hell, sometimes Sayaka wondered whether she had made the right choice. The idea of detaching from the material world entirely, and releasing all her worldly concerns into the ether, was an incredibly tempting one.

But that thought was always only a fleeting one. She'd faded too soon, left too much unfinished business behind, to ever truly consider "retirement." Not for a while, at least.

And so their ranks tended to be filled by girls who were much the same – who in life had hungered for adventure, or battle, or knowledge, and who wouldn't be able to rest until they had a chance to share those yearnings with others.

She recognized some from history books, though it was always a surprise to learn some famous woman was secretly a Magical Girl all along. Joan of Arc. Cleopatra. Queen Himiko. Anne Frank. Amelia Earhart. Grand Duchess Anastasia. Sacagawea.

Others were less famous, but no less brave. Because there was no such thing as time here, some of her fellows were from the ancient past, and others a distant future. They came in every shape and size and color imaginable, and hailed from every nation the planet Earth had ever seen.

Between assignments, two of Sayaka's best friends had become Abby, a black trans girl from 2140s Chicago, and Sacniete, who hailed from the thirteenth century Maya. Where else would that have been possible?

In all, there were about five hundred Messengers at present, and every single of them was gathered around the conference table, so that it seemed to stretch out for kilometers in every direction.

After all, their "boss" was about to speak.

That was the bittersweet thing about this position. Even though, in theory, she would be near her best friend for all eternity, the fact that Madoka existed at all points of time and space simultaneously meant that she was, effectively, never off the clock.

The Law of Cycles was always, always, always saving someone. There wasn't room for breaks when you were a fundamental concept of the universe.

As a result, this was the only time – since her own salvation – that Sayaka really got to see Madoka "in-person." When there was a mission to be assigned.

"Thank you all for coming," said Madoka, strolling across the table in a facsimile of her school uniform. It was only a projection, of course; to appear here in her true form would've collapsed this plane of existence completely. "I've gathered you because a very…unusual situation has cropped up."

She waved a hand, and the skies parted to show a vision of the world below: a Magical Girl with dark hair and a bow, lying in repose.

If Sayaka still breathed air, it would've caught in her throat. It was Homura.

"This is Homura Akemi. Due to the unique nature of her magic, she's spent longer as a Magical Girl than almost anyone," Madoka told the assemblage. Sayaka, who knew the full story of her once-foe at this point, thought that was putting it mildly…but it was hard to succinctly describe the trauma of a hundred-plus failed time loops. "But finally, she's exhausted the last bits of her magic, single-handedly eliminating over fifty Wraiths in the Gobi Desert. She's ready to pass on."

"Then what is the problem?" asked Anastasia.

Madoka's ethereal, golden eyes – the one reminder that she was no longer the schoolgirl she presented herself to be, but something far greater – narrowed slightly.

"We've detected interference…" she declared, in tones that got as close as her sweet voice possibly could to expressing distaste. "From the Incubators."

It was like someone had gone to the World Cup and shouted "Soccer sucks!" at the top of their lungs. The cold wave that passed over every single girl at the table was so noticeable, even Sayaka could feel it – and she didn't even have skin.

"What are those wretched creatures up to this time?" demanded Kyalamboka, a girl from Tanzania who wielded dual staves.

As if in answer, the vision of Earth "scrolled" upward, revealing what was floating above Homura's body. It was her Soul Gem, naturally. Except that, surrounding it…

"What is that?" said Anne, frowning at the vision. "I've never seen anything like it, anywhere in time or space…"

"The Incubators call it an 'Isolation Field.' Technology so advanced it's beyond even my understanding," murmured Madoka. "But one thing is clear. It completely prevents me from interfering with the space inside of it."

Several gasps rang around the table.

"I don't see how that could even be possible," responded Abby, using two fingers to push her glasses higher up her face. "Your very nature precludes it."

"Perhaps it originates from another universe. One not bound to the Law of Cycles," suggested Sigrun, a bookish girl from Viking-era Norway. "We know, from the Uminari and Naoetsu singularities, that the possibility at least exists. Regardless, this is certainly a troubling development."

Madoka nodded once. "Homura-chan's Soul Gem…should have shattered over a week ago. At least as she counts time," she said. "The Field not only prevents me from reaching her, but also contains all of her Despair inside of it. Forcing it to just keep building and building."

"So in other words, the little rat's turned her Soul Gem into a big pressure cooker for Despair," Amelia summed up, crossing her arms. "It'd be fascinating if it weren't so horrible."

"I don't like this…" squeaked their newest member, a short Arab girl named Kausar, who clutched anxiously to her hijab. "What if he starts doing this to more girls? All the friends we left behind?"

"That's why we have to cut Monsieur Diable off at the hilt!" cried out Joan – or "Tart" as she preferred to be called in this place – as she drew her sword and pointed it dramatically to the sky. "We will make him rue the day he decided to cross Les Messagers de la Déesse!"

"Not that I don't appreciate the enthusiasm, Tart-san…but I was thinking more of a surgical strike," said Madoka, holding up both hands in caution. "You see, there's something else I've observed about the Isolation Field. It only forms a complete barrier in one direction…out."

"Now when you say 'complete' barrier…" started Sacniete.

"She means there are conditions under which external matter or energy can enter the Field," Himiko finished for her. "And if I know our adversary's thought process as well as I think I do, then I have a guess as to what those conditions are. You have to be invited."

She looked toward Madoka, who nodded again, looking grim.

"It makes sense," said Jaya, a South Asian girl from far enough in the future that half her face was replaced with cybernetics. "If she's been past her breaking point for over a week, then what is she? A Witch who hasn't yet been born. Meaning she may have transformed the space within the Field into her own Labyrinth."

"And Labyrinths do have a tendency to pull in innocent bystanders from the surrounding area," added Sacagawea. "The Incubators recognized this property, and weaponized it. To create…"

"A trap."

That was Sayaka, speaking up for the first time since the meeting began. She locked eyes with the girl who'd once been nothing more or less than her best friend in the world.

"This is a trap. You do know that, right Madoka?" she asked, in quiet but firm tones. "I'm not entirely sure what the Incubators are up to, but it can't be anything good. They've turned Miss Transfer Student into bait."

Madoka's chest rose and fell, as she searched for the right words. Since there was no air here, and the Law of Cycles wouldn't have needed to breathe it even if there were, it was clear she was doing it to make a point.

Finally, she told the blue-haired Messenger, "Yes, I know that. But I'm still going to save her. She'd do the same for me."

Despite herself, Sayaka found herself smiling. No matter how wise or powerful she became, deep down, she was still the same old Madoka.

"Well, I'm in," she said. "Assuming you're asking what I think you're asking."

Another nod from their goddess. "I am. My theory is that Kyubey wants to force a situation in which I save a girl while under conditions he can strictly observe," she explained. "If I destroy Homura-chan's Witch while inside the Isolation Field, and bring her back here…I fear he'll be able to catalogue the whole process. Maybe even learn how to control it."

Cleopatra gritted her teeth. "I can think of few things more odious than that snake-spawn gaining control of the Law of Cycles," growled the former queen. "But I presume from your tone that you have an alternative solution."

Madoka folded her fingers together, as if in prayer. This was clearly a difficult request for her to make.

"I…I've thought this over quite a bit. And I think this is the only plan that could work," she said. "I give up my powers, and my memories. Enter the Labyrinth as an ordinary girl."

Sayaka's eyes weren't the only ones that went wide at this announcement. All around the table were shocked gasps and murmurs.

"Y…Y…You can't!" stammered Socorro, of the mid-twentieth-century Philippines. "He could do anything to you, then!"

But Madoka just shook her head. "Not if he doesn't realize who I am. Kyubey knows nothing about a schoolgirl named Madoka Kaname. In fact, he knows nothing at all about the Law of Cycles, save for its function – that's the whole point of his experiment," she told the young Filipina. "That's where you girls come in."

"We hold onta yer memories till the right time. Till the Field's been neutralized from the inside," Anne Bonny, the once-infamous female pirate, realized aloud. "But it's gotta be someone that scallywag ain't gonna recognize. So that probably counts out those o' us with longer, ahem…reputations…"

"I want two of you, if you're okay with that. Too many and we'll risk tipping him off, but we should at least have a backup," said Madoka. "Sayaka-chan already volunteered…anyone else?"

A great deal more murmuring followed, but no one stepped forward. Sayaka knew it wasn't because any of them were unwilling. This was a tricky assignment, since fooling the Incubators for a long enough period was key to its success.

If the Messengers stood out too much – not just the famous historical figures, but anyone from a drastically different time or place – then the whole thing was shot. That took almost all of their members off the table.

Ideally, it should be someone else from contemporary Japan. Which at present, numbered only Sayaka herself, as well as…

"I'll do it," piped up Nagisa Momoe, raising her tiny arm as far above her head as she could manage.

Sayaka scrutinized the younger girl. She hadn't known what to make of her when she first arrived in this place; what did you say to someone you'd never met in life, but whose cursed monster form had savagely devoured your dear mentor and friend?

But gradually, if only because it was clear the white-haired girl really needed it, Sayaka had wound up mentoring her in turn. Showing her the ropes of how to be a Messenger; of the best ways to assist the Law of Cycles in breaking the news to recently departed Magical Girls, and shepherding them peacefully to the other side.

It still felt weird as all hell to be called "Miki-sempai," but she was trying to get used to it.

Regardless, she'd never worked an assignment of this importance with Nagisa before, and she honestly wasn't certain the girl was ready. Madoka seemed to be equally reticent.

"Is there any particular reason you want to join us, Nagisa-chan?" she asked. Not for the first time, it struck Sayaka how weird it must sound to all these girls who only knew Madoka as an omnipotent goddess, to hear her using all these cutesy honorifics.

Nagisa, meanwhile, nodded vigorously. "Of course!" she said. "I want to go back to Earth so I can eat cheese again!"

Madoka and Sayaka exchanged glances. That was another thing that must've been strange – how much Madoka valued her opinion, despite the difference in their respective stations.

Ultimately, Sayaka couldn't offer anything more than a shrug. But that seemed to be enough for her once-best friend.

"Very well. Come with me, Sayaka-chan…Nagisa-chan. We've got quite a few preparations to make before we descend," she pronounced, gesturing for the other two girls to follow. "Oh wait, Cleopatra-san, before you go. I have something I'd like you and Sigrun-san to take care of while I'm away, if it's not too much trouble…"

Sayaka didn't hear the rest of whatever Madoka was telling the Ptolemaic queen, as Nagisa chose that moment to bound closer to her and say, "You volunteered for that really quickly, Miki-sempai. I didn't know you and Akemi-san were so close."

"We weren't. Not really. In fact, in most timelines we were at each other's throats," she muttered to the younger girl. "But…well, let's just say I understand her a lot better now. And no matter how much of a jerk she can be, nobody deserves the crap the Incubators are putting her through now."

Her eyes drifted back to the visions from Earth, still playing overhead. They were showing Homura's Familiars, unconsciously dragging more and more victims into her Labyrinth of pain and torment.

She saw Madoka's family get captured. Kazuko-sensei. Hitomi. Kyosuke. Mami-sempai. And finally…

"Besides," Sayaka sighed, almost wistfully, as that shock of red hair was stolen away into the bounds of the Isolation Field. "I have other reasons."

[-]

Sayaka woke with a start – mostly because Kyoko was shaking her vigorously. Mitama watched from the side, tossing back popcorn that appeared to be coated in whipped cream and guacamole.

"Well?" demanded her roommate. "Did it work? Did ya see what ya needed? C'mon, talk ta me, bitch!"

The blue-haired girl held her head and let out a groggy groan. But despite her exhaustion, those weird headaches were finally gone. In fact…

This was the clearest her brain had felt in weeks.

"We need to get going," she finally said, with a level of certainty that seemed almost alien, after so many days spent drowning in confusion and doubt. "We have to get back to Mitakihara, right now. We've had this all wrong."

"Whadaya mean?" asked Kyoko, clearly a bit alarmed by her sudden shift in demeanor. "Do ya know how we're gonna stop Akemi?"

"That's just it. We don't. I mean, we do, but it's more complicated than that," Sayaka told her, already leaping to her feet and transforming into her Magical Girl form. With her memories fully restored, it was as second-nature to her as breathing.

"We don't just have to stop her," she added firmly, offering out her hand to the girl who, with the benefit of perspective, she was pretty sure she loved.

Hesitantly, but trusting in the other girl's judgment, Kyoko took it.

"We have to save her. From herself."

[-]

COUNTDOWN TO WALPURGIS NIGHT

One Hour Remains