Les Fleurs du Mal – I Don't Believe in Endings
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.
[-]
She remembered everything.
[-]
"Madoka, you…you shouldn't have."
But despite Homura Akemi's meager protestations and reddened cheeks, Madoka just continued to hold out the neatly wrapped box, a broad smile on her face.
"I know I didn't have to. I wanted to," she said. "I saw this in a shop the other day, and…well, it made me think of you. And don't worry, it wasn't that expensive. I still had most of my New Year's money saved up."
"But it's not…y'know…my birthday, or Christmas, or anything…" mumbled Homura, her eyes turned askance. "And I didn't get something for you…"
"C'mon, enough of that. Just open it, okay?" the pink-haired girl implored her. "I promise, it's really cool."
It took a few more seconds of Madoka hitting her with the full force of her kindly stare, but Homura ultimately yielded and unwrapped the present.
It was a necklace, with an ovular jewel surrounded by lace-patterned silver. The jewel was a shimmering, opalescent indigo.
"It reminded me of your eyes. I, um…always really liked your eyes," said Madoka, who was covering her cheeks with her hands to cover her own blush. "It didn't come with a chain, so papa helped me put one together. He's really good at that kind of thing."
She still didn't entirely know what she felt for the other girl. The feelings that'd been filling her heart these past few weeks were…new, and hard to describe.
All Madoka knew was that she'd never been drawn to another person, the way she was with Homura Akemi.
"It's…wonderful, Madoka," Homura responded quietly. "But you know we can't afford to get…distracted, right now…"
"I haven't forgotten about Walpurgisnacht. But there's five of us now. Six, if you count that Nagisa girl…but she's so young, I'd really rather she not fight if she doesn't have to," spoke Madoka, her tone turning instantly serious. "I'm not saying it'll be easy, but I believe in you, Homura-chan. We can win, if you lead us."
But the pigtailed girl just turned her head, shaking it once.
"I want to believe that. So badly," she said in a tiny voice. "But I've learned the hard way…that hope can just make the pain hurt even more."
[-]
Every single, solitary moment.
[-]
"Ah, this is so relaxing," Madoka happily sighed, leaning back in the hot spring and letting the waters massage her soft skin. "Come on, join me! The water feels great."
Of course, there was one other benefit to all the thick steam surrounding them. It made it hard to see just how hot her own face was, as Homura Akemi approached the water clad only in a towel.
Thankfully for her sanity, Homura's objectively stunning body was soon hidden by the warm waters as well.
"I, uh…still can't believe we got so lucky," said Madoka, once she managed to wrangle her eyes back inside her head. "Winning two all-expenses paid tickets to this place in a magazine contest? I mean, I don't even remember entering one…"
"Anything to make sure you're not in Mitakihara right now…" the other girl mumbled, almost too low for Madoka to hear.
She found that comment rather odd, but chose not to inquire further. She was enjoying herself too much to want to risk rocking the boat.
Still, there was one other thing she couldn't help but wonder about.
"You could've probably asked anyone to be your plus-one for this trip," she pointed out, letting her head float on the water's surface, her hair splayed out beneath it. "Why me? I'm not anyone special."
"Never say that Madoka. Never," Homura shot back immediately. The vehemence in her usually stoic voice was surprising. "You're so special, to so many people. Even if you can't see it yourself."
"Thanks, but…I mean, that's easy for you to say, isn't it?" said Madoka, still staring up at the stars, rather than at the girl floating an arm's length away. "You're brilliant, and athletic, and beautiful. When I'm next to you, it's like I'm…invisible…"
"I'd trade all of that in a heartbeat…" Homura told her. "For you to be able to look in the mirror, as see yourself as I do."
Madoka's stomach fluttered at those words. She couldn't have meant…Madoka didn't dare to hope that her stupid, secret crush might actually…
But before she could follow that train of thought to its conclusion, an alert on her phone distracted her. It was the kind that forced the device to continue buzzing until it was read, so with some reluctance she reached her right arm out of the water, shook it off, and read the notification.
And felt her heart nearly come to a complete stop.
"Freak Storm Devastates Mitakihara City," she whispered the headline in quiet horror. "Thousands reported dead or missing…entire districts of the city lost to flooding…"
"Madoka, stop reading," Homura all but begged her, emerging from the water to grasp her by the wrist. The sudden sense of panic and urgency sounded utterly foreign in her usually monotone voice. "There's nothing either of us can do, so…"
"But…But mama! Papa! Tatsuya!" Madoka cried out, her face now moist with both spring water and hot tears. "Sayaka-chan…Hitomi-chan…Kyosuke-kun…"
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAVE THEM, MADOKA KANAME?
THERE IS A WAY, YOU KNOW.
[-]
Each one flowed straight into the next, like a slideshow being streamed through a projector in her mind.
[-]
"Homura, please! Stop this!" Madoka exclaimed, her arms splayed out at her sides. Placing her body between the kneeling figure of Sayaka Miki…
And Homura Akemi, who was coldly pointing a pistol at her stomach.
"Stand aside, Madoka," she said in a low voice.
But Madoka just shook her head furiously. "No! Whatever happened out there, she's still my best friend!" she shouted back.
"You don't understand, Madoka. That isn't Sayaka Miki anymore," replied Homura. "Her Soul Gem has been corrupted beyond recovery. If I don't kill her now, she'll become a Witch. And everyone around her will be in danger."
"But we can do magic now!" Madoka wailed, her outpouring of emotion so great that it caused her to spontaneously transform. "There must be some way we can…!"
"Magic doesn't solve everything!" Homura cut her off, her tone so sharp it stunned Madoka into silence.
From the look in the other girl's eyes, she immediately regretted raising her voice.
"I…I understand you wanting to save her. More than anything, I understand that," she said. "But the girl you knew and loved is gone. That's just…an empty shell. Putting her out of her misery is the best mercy we can offer her now."
Her breath caught in her throat as Madoka suddenly reached forward, and laced her fingers around Homura's own. Slowly using them to pry her grip away from the gun, and set it aside.
Meanwhile, Madoka was waging a brief inner war within herself, rallying all the courage she possibly could. This wasn't how she'd ever have imagined saying these words.
But maybe, by giving voice to the secrets that rested in her heart, she could break through the walls that shackled Homura's.
"I know…you're more than just a killer. I know you can find another way," she murmured. "And I know it…because you're my…"
That was when her voice fell away, as Oktavia von Seckendorff impaled her from behind with a sword large enough to cut boulders.
[-]
Some of the memories were pleasant. Many were horrific.
But all of them had one thing in common.
[-]
Madoka lay prone on the ground, her skin and clothes moist from the rainwater beneath her.
Not to mention the pool of her own blood.
Her vision was blurry, and her ears were ringing. Her body and limbs felt like they were made out of lead.
But the strangest thing of was that all her other senses seemed…sharper, somehow. Like she was in one of those hyperfocused states her mama got into sometimes, when she chased away a hangover with ten cups of coffee and got to work on a project.
Madoka would've chuckled, if she had the strength. What a time to be having such silly thoughts…
Suddenly, a vision appeared before her bleary eyes. One that caused her heart, exhausted as it was, to briefly soar.
"H…H…Homura…chan…" she breathed out weakly.
"Shhh…it's okay. Don't push yourself," the other girl said, a tenderness in her voice that was completely at odds with her fearsome image. "You won, okay? You beat Walpurgisnacht, all on your own."
Madoka wanted to believe in the encouragement Homura was offering…but she'd also learned too much in the past few weeks, to fully trust her optimistic heart.
"There…There's something else you're not telling me…" she whispered. "And I…I think I figured it out. I'm gonna become a Witch too, right? One…a lot worse than Walpurgisnacht…"
The anguish on Homura's face was enough to tell her she'd guessed exactly right.
Madoka gritted her teeth and closed her eyes. This was going to be easier to ask if she didn't have to see Homura's pained expression.
"I don't…want that to happen…" she told her fellow Magical Girl. "I…I don't want to hurt anyone. So please…you're the only one who can…"
She'd expected to have to explain her whole, sordid thought process. But to her surprise, Homura was already pulling a pistol from her shield, and aiming it straight for Madoka's Soul Gem.
It took her a moment, but eventually she understood.
"This isn't…the first time I've asked you to do this…is it?" she managed to choke out. "All that time travel stuff…it was really true…"
Homura's only reaction was a slight trembling of her trigger finger, and a clipped, "Yes. It was all true."
Madoka thought of telling her, right then and there. She wouldn't get another chance, after all. But…
No, it wouldn't be fair. To burden Homura with the knowledge of her feelings, at the same time she was asking her to do…this.
And besides, if Homura really was a time-traveler…
Well, maybe another version of her would get to be a little less cowardly. Someday.
So instead, wearing a beaming smile, all she said was, "Thank you, Homura-chan."
She didn't hear the gunshot.
[-]
A hundred different lives. A hundred struggles, across time and space.
Linked by one girl.
One girl whom her heart could never forget.
[-]
The Law of Cycles looked down at the world, sadness in her unearthly eyes.
She watched as Homura Akemi, reborn with a new mission and a new Wish, struggled valiantly against a legion of Wraiths, too numerous to count.
Every fresh scratch and wound was like a lance piercing the Goddess' heart. It didn't matter that, as a veteran Magical Girl, Homura could heal such blows in a matter of seconds.
The pain was still there. And the Goddess could feel it, as deeply and acutely as if she'd been injured herself.
She wanted, so desperately, to help more. But she was bound to the rules she herself had set. The Law of Cycles could not play favorites. She couldn't offer her hands to the girl she longed for more than any other, until she was ready to receive her.
"Transfer Student's really something else, isn't she?" spoke another voice. The Goddess turned to Sayaka Miki; her best friend in life, and her trusted right hand beyond it. "How many Wraiths has she taken down so far? Seventy, eighty?"
"Over a hundred," said the Law of Cycles. "There is no Magical Girl who has spent more time in combat than Homura Akemi. None who can match her power and fury on the battlefield."
Sayaka stared at her for a few seconds, before covering her mouth in a snorting laugh.
"Damn, you've got it bad," she teased. "Even as a goddess, it's clear how you feel about her."
The Law of Cycles smiled slightly. This was why she so treasured Sayaka's company – the only one of her Messengers who knew her as a girl first, and an abstract concept second.
"Is it really so obvious?" she asked, knowing the answer. "I'll be honest, it's…daunting. I've spent a billion eternities up here, waiting for her. What if I've changed too much? She fell in love with Madoka Kaname, ordinary middle-schooler. Not…what I am now."
"Don't even think that," Sayaka told her firmly. "You're like…literally omniscient, right? You should be able to see that you've always been the center of her world. That hasn't changed. And it won't change once she ascends."
The blue-haired girl adopted a cheeky grin and crossed her arms behind her head as she added, "Honestly, I'm the one with something to worry about. Once she gets up here, no way she ain't gunning for my job as number-one Messenger!"
The Goddess placed a soft, lace-wreathed hand on her aide's shoulder. A bit of a breach in decorum, but she didn't care.
"She may be the one I…want to stand by my side," she said. "But she doesn't replace what you are to me. My very best friend."
"Not to mention, cosmic wingwoman extraordinaire!" Sayaka declared, committing an even more grievous offense by jokingly elbowing her Goddess in the ribs. "I mean, sure. We butted heads a lot on Earth. But now that I've seen the whole picture? It's clear you're not gonna be truly happy till you're together."
"If anyone can be 'together' with me, the way I am now," responded the Law of Cycles, a bit sadly. "That's really what I worry about the most, I think. I know Homura would move Heaven and Earth to be with me. But is that fair to her? To be saddled with someone who will always have to put her duty before her partner? Who essentially is her duty?"
"Y'know, there's an obvious solution to this," stated Sayaka, one eyebrow cocked. "Shouldn't being timeless mean you get infinite time off? Share the burden with some of us. We can cover the mission, while you take some time to…y'know. Catch up."
The Goddess wasn't sure whether her Messenger had meant that last part to come off as dirty, but she was suddenly very grateful that ascending seemed to have removed her ability to blush.
Unfortunately, Sayaka's proposition wasn't going to work. "I am still bound by my original Wish. I can only destroy Witches by my own hand, not anyone else's," she informed her. "Even as we speak, a part of me exists outside of time and space, carrying out my role. This is my fate. For now, and forevermore."
"Y'know, being an immutable Law of existence can really bite you in the ass sometimes," said the Messenger with a sigh. "Rules don't get to ignore other rules, I guess."
Meanwhile, in the physical world, Homura was visibly starting to reach her limit. No matter how experienced she was, over a thousand Wraiths currently infested the Gobi Desert, and no other Magical Girls were nearby to help.
"What's going on with her?" asked Sayaka, frowning as enormous wings of shimmering, radiant energy lifted the black-haired girl into the air.
"Her Wish in this timeline was to become 'the power that smites anyone who threatens' me," explained the Goddess. "It manifests in her magic matching mine as closely as possible. I wield a bow, and so does she. I hold dominion over the power of memory, so she gains the same. Her wings are merely the latest example."
"Makes sense," Sayaka replied. "But I meant…y'know…"
She gestured to the wings again. Their hue was one they both knew very well: black, with glimmering sparks of any number of other colors, disappearing and reappearing like a mirage.
"Yes. She's about to reach the apex of her corruption," said the Goddess. "I had best get ready. Only a few minutes left…"
But now Sayaka was pointing to a different part of the vision. "Wait…what's that thing?" she muttered.
Being more or less all-knowing, it'd been a veritable eternity since the Law of Cycles had found herself stumped. But she didn't recognize the red, prismatic object being dragged across the desert sands at all.
Its carrier, however, was a different story.
"An Incubator…" she half-whispered to herself, before an emotion she hadn't felt since leaving her mortal body behind seized hold of her heart…
Fear.
"Homura…wait for me," she begged the vision of the girl she loved. "Just a little longer."
[-]
In the present, in the real world, Madoka Kaname slowly blinked awake.
All she remembered was still in her head. But she was a Goddess no longer.
Still, her eyes burned an ethereal gold as they looked upon the shivering, broken figure of Homura Akemi.
"Did…Did it work?" she asked. Her voice ached, as if the wrong answer might shatter her into pieces.
Madoka waited several minutes, breathing slowly in and out, choosing her words carefully.
But eventually she said, "Yes…and no. I don't have the power of the Law of Cycles anymore. But I do have the knowledge."
Homura's expression didn't betray how she felt about this, one way or the other. She directed her eyes downward, hands fidgeting in her lap.
"What does that mean, exactly?" she murmured.
"It means that I can see every timeline that built up to this one," answered the pink-haired girl, not making eye contact either. "All the versions of 'me' that combined, to create the Ultimate Madoka."
"Which means…" Homura let out the breath she'd been holding in. "That you've seen what I've done."
"Yes," said Madoka.
"What I am," the girl continued, her voice cracking.
"Yes," said Madoka again.
"And now that you know all my crimes, and my sins…" Homura choked out, hot tears stinging her lashes as they screwed themselves tight. "You want to…"
"I know exactly what I want to do to you," Madoka interrupted her, her voice unexpectedly forceful.
Then, before this sudden surge of daring could falter, she leaned forward, and returned Homura's kiss with all the passion she could muster.
The two girls collapsed back onto Homura's childhood bed, kicking up a fresh cloud of dust. But Madoka didn't care. She just kept peppering Homura's lips and face with her own, desperately and hungrily.
"I've missed you…" she whimpered, fitting the words in every time she came back up for air. "I've missed you so much…"
Homura, for her part, looked like a deer caught in headlights. She didn't seem capable of processing what was happening to her right now.
"Madoka…" she said in a very tiny voice. "I don't…understand…"
"You're the smartest person I know, Homura-chan. But sometimes, you can be such an idiot," Madoka told her. "It may have taken my turning into a cosmic entity to realize it, but…"
She could see the reflection of her divinely golden eyes in Homura's. Within their fathomless depths, there was only adoration for the girl who lay beneath her.
"I love you too, Homura. And I always have."
[-]
"Finished searchin' the west end o' the city," said a panting Kyoko. She'd been abusing her super-speed and reflexes, and it showed. "Ya sure they're 'round here somewhere?"
"I'm positive," answered Mami, arms crossed in front of her chest. "You can feel that…pull too, can't you? Like a magnet."
"Yeah, kinda. It's the same feelin' I get from Our Savior," Kyoko admitted, a reverence in the last two words that she normally reserved only for five-star dining. "Which…I guess I dunno how ta feel about? I know they're technically the same person, sorta, but…"
"But you feel guilty, for there should be no God but She. I'm sure other devout Messengers have experienced the same dilemma," her old mentor finished for her. "Nevertheless, we cannot forget why we are doing this. It isn't just because it is our holy mission, as Messengers of Hope."
"It's because they're our friends, and we want to share this gift of peace and love with them," muttered Sayaka, who sounded almost like she was reading off a script.
Kyoko frowned a bit at the other girl, but ultimately decided not to say anything. Chalk it up to whatever miraculous dream she was experiencing in her head.
It wasn't like the redhead had room to complain. The vision of her family together again, alive and whole, was so intoxicating that it took concerted effort not to delve back into it every chance she got.
Only the knowledge that she had been chosen for this task, by the grandest and most perfect being in existence, kept her going.
"I think we need to split up again. We'll cover more ground that way," said Sayaka after a few moments. "From what she told us, time's not on our side."
"Very well. I'll search north of Asunaro River, Kyoko-san can take the south, and you can go east," Mami replied with a nod. "She will know if any of us find her."
None of them had to ask which "She" the older girl was talking about.
And with that, Mami Tomoe took to the skies, forming her ribbons into two, massive wings that propelled her on the wind. But before either of her former kohai could move to follow, Kyoko clutched at her roommate's wrist.
"Jus' wanna say…" she breathed out, biting the corner of her lip. "Whatever yer seein', I get it. I know it's gotta be hard, trackin' Kaname down like this. But just think. Soon, she an' Akemi'll be as happy as we are."
"Yeah…" Sayaka whispered back, without making eye contact. "Just as happy."
[-]
The lilting melody filled the balconies, leaving its occupants awash in song.
Sayaka had always heard of great music "transporting" people, but this was the first time she could truly understand what that phrase meant.
The soft but energetic notes filled her body, filled her soul, until she no longer felt like she was sitting in a chair in the middle of a dark auditorium. She was soaring through space, high above the atmosphere, stardust and cosmic sparks enveloping her like the ocean's waves.
And at the center of it all…a boy. A boy who played like a man possessed.
Kyosuke won, of course. She clapped politely along with the rest of the crowd for the remaining finalists, but there was never any doubt who would clinch the top spot. If the others were eights or nines, then Kyosuke was an eleven, easy.
She told him as much when they went for ice cream after the concert, causing him to roll his eyes bemusedly.
"Yes, because you aren't biased in any way," he said, as she leaned in to peck him on the lips.
"Hey, I resent that!" Sayaka responded teasingly. "My assessment of your musical talents is in-no-way-affected by how stupidly handsome you looked up on that stage."
Kyosuke chuckled as their order arrived at the table – a sound just as musical as anything that came out of his violin.
They'd been dating for almost a year now. It'd taken her so long to screw up the courage to confess, that she wasn't sure she ever would.
But with a last-minute burst of encouragement from Hitomi, she'd finally taken the plunge. And the results spoke for themselves.
At first, she'd been worried that after all these years of crushing on Kyosuke from afar – building up the idea of dating him in her head, almost from the moment she was old enough to know what dating was – that the real thing would wind up disappointing her. But of course, she needn't have worried.
Kyosuke's parents had always thought of her as a second daughter, and welcomed the news of their relationship with open arms. Her own parents weren't much farther behind.
And Kyosuke, busy as he was with violin practice and school, still made sure to make time for his new girlfriend. He took her out to nice restaurants and around town, and answered her Valentine's candies with a new video game system on White Day.
(Ever-humble, he tried not to flaunt the Kamijous' absurd wealth, but at times like this she could admit that dating the richest kid in school had its perks.)
As for this ice cream parlor, it was their regular haunt for dates after one of Kyosuke's performances – mostly due to proximity, but also because their double-fudge sundae topped with fudge sauce and garnished with fudge chunks was to die for. She scooped up a big spoonful and offered it to him, but frowned as he made a face.
"Thought this was your favorite?" she said, a bit dismayed.
"Huh? No, that's way too sweet for me. This is about as much chocolate as I can take," he told her, pointing down at his bowl of choco-mint. "Sure you're not mixing me up with someone else?"
Sayaka clutched at her forehead, which suddenly felt like it was on fire. Of course Kyosuke wasn't big on sweets; she'd been making his Valentine's candies green tea-flavored since elementary school.
So why did it feel so natural to sit down and order this sugar-loaded monstrosity?
"Don't kick yourself too hard. You're probably just tired. Saotome-sensei didn't do us favors for midterms by swapping any authors who had loving, healthy relationships out of the syllabus at the last minute," her boyfriend assured her. "Listen, I actually don't have any more competitions until next month, so my folks are going to our beach house this weekend to celebrate. You should join us."
Sayaka felt her cheeks go redder than the cherry topping her sundae.
"T…To the beach…?" she stammered. "With, like…bathing suits, and everything…?"
Kyosuke just chuckled again. "Yeah, that's usually the general idea," he said. "Not forcing you, of course. But we'd all love to have you there."
He followed up these words by placing his hand, gently but firmly, on top of hers. The blue-haired girl smiled, letting a feeling of contentment wash over her. She was worrying too much. A nice weekend out in the sun was surely the best cure.
That should've been the end of it.
Except that she couldn't quite silence that nagging voice in her brain. The one telling her something was wrong.
For a moment, she didn't realize what it could possibly be. Until, like a bolt of lightning, it came to her.
The hand that was so softly holding her own…
Was still bandaged.
[-]
Homura Akemi presently had no control over her bones or muscles. And to be quite honest, felt there was a decent possibility she never would again.
It was all…too much. That her desperate gambit had only halfway-succeeded, blessing Madoka with her divine knowledge but not the power that was supposed to come with it, was a hard enough pill to swallow.
That the first thing the girl chose to do with that knowledge was…was…
Homura had kissed Madoka before, of course. A great many times, in fact. But that had been a Madoka cloaked in ignorance, led astray by a Devil's magic gone haywire.
This was…different. This was…
"Something has to be wrong here," Homura half-said, half-mumbled. "I…I don't know what, but…this has to be a trick, or…or an illusion, or…"
But Madoka cut her off, almost effortlessly, simply by placing a dainty palm upon her cheek.
"It's okay. I understand," she spoke gently. "You've had it drilled into you, over and over. That Wishes don't come true. So whenever you're staring happiness in the face…you run. You can't bring yourself to trust it."
The pink-haired girl took a deep breath, before adding, "But your Wish did come true, in the end. You Wished to go back in time and protect me…and here I am. I wouldn't be standing here if not for you."
"A fat lot of good that did. I bought you more time, sure…and you spent just about all of it in misery," the other girl groaned mutedly. "If you really have all your memories back, then you should remember how much you've suffered. How many times you've been beaten, bruised, killed…because of me."
"And I remember that every single time, you went back to try and make it right," said Madoka. "Do you think most people would've been able to keep going after the first failure? Much less the hundredth? But no matter what else happened…you never gave up on saving me."
She leaned in for another kiss, this one brief and tender.
"How could I not fall in love with that?" she asked, offering Homura a tearful smile.
Struck speechless by the sudden lip contact, Homura found herself stumbling back against the wall, using it to prop herself up. Frankly, it was probably the only reason she hadn't just melted into jelly.
"But…But I…" she whispered.
The mortal goddess held up a hand to stop her from going further.
"Now, we do need to get one thing straight. This doesn't mean I've forgiven you for everything," she went on, her mouth briefly dipping into that rarest of Madoka-ish expressions: a frown. "You did mess up, and you did hurt me. When all this is over, we need to have a long talk about that. But…"
Madoka took another deep breath, holding her hands over her chest as she did. "But I understand why you did it, now. I know that pulling me out of the Law of Cycles was an act of love," she said, her golden eyes simultaneously piercing and yet so, so kind. "So while I haven't forgiven you yet…eventually, I know I will. Please, just give me time."
Homura simply sat there for several minutes, unable to believe what she was hearing.
"M…Madoka…" she scrambled for the words, trying to force them out of her throat. "Do you hear yourself? If you really remember all the other timelines…then you know how much blood is on my hands. All the people I've hurt, all the people I've killed! If you really think you can forgive that, then you're a fool."
"Then let me be a fool!" Madoka shouted back. The sudden outburst seemed to stun both of them in place, if nothing else than because the meek girl so rarely raised her voice.
But despite her clear shock over her own nerve, Madoka nonetheless took a deep breath and barreled forward.
"This isn't your decision to make, Homura. It's not up to my mama, or my papa, or Mami-senpai or Sayaka-chan," she declared. "This is my choice alone. I choose to forgive you. I choose to love you. And no matter what you say, I'm not taking that back."
Every word was like a bullet, punching through the armor Homura had built across so many loops. She found herself reeling, mentally and physically, the sound of her own heartbeat thundering in volume until it was all she could hear. If she had enough cognizance to think things through, she would've realized it was her old heart condition was flaring up.
Yet the cardiac event ended almost as soon as it started. Not because she received any medicine or fluids…
But simply from being held close to Madoka's soft chest.
"I know we've both been through…horrible things. Unspeakable things," she said, in a very low voice. "But…well, I don't care if it makes me stupid or naïve. I can't bring myself to regret any of it. Because in the end, that journey brought us together. And I'm not giving that up without a fight."
Homura blinked hot tears out of her eyes as she looked up at the smiling girl. Try as she might, her breath only hitched when she tried to speak.
Finally, the words came in a shuddering whisper, "You…really mean this. All along…you really did feel the same way."
Madoka's face glowed bright as a flame. It was clear that finally breaking through the dam of Homura's self-denial was something she considered a victory beyond description.
So, naturally, Homura had to throw dirt on that flame by adding bitterly, "And of course, I fucked it all up."
"Homura, don't…" the former goddess started to say, before Homura's clenching fingers cut her off.
"What does it matter now? None of this changes the fact that I handed the keys to the universe over to the most powerful Witch of all time," she hissed viciously. Her self-loathing was palpable enough that it seemed to have a physical presence, smothering her like a thick layer of fog. "She'll find us in the end. She'll make us forget. Forget…all of this."
"You made me forget. Did that stop me from finding you again?" Madoka asked in return. "Think about it, Homura. You stripped everything from me, returned me to being the regular girl I once was…and yet I still wound up falling in love with you, all over again. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"
Homura dipped her head forward, unable to continue staring into those eyes of warm, heavenly gold any longer.
"I just want to fix this," her words were now coming out as tight, breathy sobs. "But…I don't see a way I can. She's too powerful. And without my magic, I'm nothing."
To her great surprise, Madoka grabbed her by the shoulders.
"Never say that again. Don't even think it," she said, her voice ringing with divine authority. "Yes, Gretchen is…terrifying. I wouldn't be able to beat her alone like this, either."
The mortal goddess exhaled slowly, before continuing, "Which is why we don't do it alone. You and I face her, together. And we win."
Homura forced herself to meet her love's gaze once more. It took a great deal of effort, but she tightened the muscles of her back and sat up straight, so that they were on equal ground once more.
A once-goddess and a once-devil, sitting on a dusty bed beneath planks of leaky, rotted wood.
"But how…?" she spoke, the words barely audible.
Madoka spent some time looking her in the eyes before answering. Even in her mortal body, there was something unfathomably ancient within their celestial depths.
Until, finally, she said, "Well, would you believe…I've got a plan?"
[-]
"Your hand…" muttered Sayaka, shaking her head as if the bandages were a mere trick of the light she could get rid of. "It isn't healed. How did you play the violin?"
For a moment, Kyosuke looked like a talking head who'd just been caught in a lie on camera. But it passed quickly, and he adopted a pleasant, easygoing grin.
"Well, err…you know. It turned out not to be as bad as we thought," he said. "You remember, right?"
And suddenly, out of nowhere, she did. The image of a doctor telling a jovial Kamijou family the good news popped into her brain, as real and vivid as any other memory she held.
But she simply shook her head again, more violently this time. She was too on-edge to be fooled by such easy answers.
"Come on, try harder. I wouldn't have been in the room for that," she nearly spat, her patience with this illusion wearing then. "We both know that without a magical miracle, you could've never played again. The nerve damage was too severe."
"Wh…What are you trying to say, Sayaka?" stammered the gray-haired boy.
"That I know what this place is. I mean, I think I sorta always knew, but there's no way to deny it now," spoke Sayaka, standing up from the table and sweeping their ice creams aside. "Despite everything, there's a part of me that's never stopped wondering 'what if.' I've chased after you since we were in elementary school. And then I just…stopped. A little bit of my heart's always gonna be with you, Kyosuke. Road less traveled, right?"
She could see he was about to protest, so she raised her voice to keep him from getting a word in edgewise.
"But I'm too stubborn to fall for an illusion like this. Not for long," she continued on. "Fact is, I know in my gut that it was one or the other. Either I got my chance with you, and you remained crippled for life…or I let my Wish stand, and gave up on you. For me, it wasn't even a choice."
Kyosuke's expression was unreadable now. In a low, pleading voice, he asked, "Why do you think you can't have both?"
"Like I said. Too damn stubborn," she said. "I've learned the hard way that's just not how this world works. Letting you go meant everyone could hear your music again. It meant a real chance for you and Hitomi – two people who understand each other better than I ever will. And besides…"
She cast her gaze aside, staring through the window beside them. One whose tinted glass blurred and obscured the great wide world beyond, and all the people hustling and bustling throughout it.
"It gave me the time to find…what I needed to find," she finished mutedly. "Who I needed to find."
In the next moment, Kyosuke was embracing her from behind. It was far more physically affectionate than the real Kyosuke would've ever been, but it seemed the illusion had given up on realism.
"You can have her, too. You can have anything here," he whispered into her back. "You can have endless days of fun with Madoka and Hitomi. You can have your grandmother back again. Your parents will never have to work another day in their lives – they can spend it all with you."
All of it was…tempting. So fucking tempting. And yet…
"But it wouldn't be real," she told her ersatz boyfriend.
"It'd be better than real. It would be paradise," said Kyosuke, his high voice cracking. "All it requires is to accept it into your heart."
Sayaka wrested herself from his grip, turning to face the false Kyosuke with small tears in her eyes.
"I'm sorry. I really am. But I just can't do that," she responded, meaning every word. "See, I understand how this place works. It's supposed to be a perfect world, giving me everything I could ever want. But here's the problem, Kyosuke."
And then, in one fluid motion, she transformed into a Magical Girl, drew a saber from her hilt, and slashed straight through the window. The glass shattered easily, its tiny shards settling at their feet.
"I already had everything I wanted, out there," she declared. "She was my perfect world."
Kyosuke didn't say anything, for a very long time. Then, he did something she hadn't expected at all.
He smiled.
"Then what are you waiting for?" he said. "Go get her."
The dream faded around Sayaka Miki, leaving her standing tall in the real world once more.
[-]
"I'm trying to think of a kinder way to say this," Homura spoke carefully. "But that, Madoka…is an awful plan."
The two of them had been discussing strategy for about ten minutes now, and every detail the former goddess shared just had Homura's stomach dropping further and further. She couldn't even count how many ways this was likely to go wrong.
"I know," replied Madoka with a shrug. "But I don't think we have many other options. At least this way, we've got a fighting chance. Err…if everything lines up just right, anyway."
"Right, right…" mumbled Homura, not feeling altogether assured. "Look, I…I'm trying to keep it together. For you. But am I allowed to say that this feels…really weird?"
"What about it? Collaborating, you mean?" said the other girl. "I know it's been a long time since we've…you know. Teamed up. Most timelines, I never knew what you were really up to until it was already too late."
"That wasn't your fault. I intentionally kept you in the dark. It seemed the right choice at the time, but now…" Homura began, before swallowing the rest of her sentence. She knew Madoka didn't want any more of her self-pity. "The last time I felt like this…well, I guess I don't need to tell you about the other time flows anymore. Do you remember the one where…?"
"You held onto me when you jumped back to the past, so I wound up keeping my memories?" Madoka finished for her. "I really loved that one. Getting to work together with you from the start, trying to save everyone. I know Kyubey wound up ruining it in the end, but…"
The pink-haired girl closed her hands around Homura's, like a warm pocket.
"I know you've felt like…like all those attempts were for nothing. But they weren't," she stated firmly. "A hundred times, we met. A hundred times, I got to fall in love with you all over again. And all of those experiences are within me now. How many other couples can say that?"
And then, in what could only be described as "moe overkill," the girl with the omniscience of a goddess bit her lip and cast her eyes aside.
"Assuming, you know…" she added in a much smaller, shyer voice. "That we still are…"
Homura knew what she was getting at immediately. Yet it was a surprisingly difficult question. She hesitated to answer, but knew she couldn't afford to do so for long.
Not when that was what'd plunged Madoka's heart into despair in the first place.
"I dreamed…for so long, of us together," said the raven-haired girl. "At first, I thought it'd be simple. I'd go back in time, defeat Walpurgisnacht, and then you'd be so starstruck by my valiant heroics that you'd fall for me right away. Just as quickly as I fell for you."
She inhaled slowly, eyes closed tight. "But of course, nothing in this world is that easy," she went on, her voice lowered. "In time, as each and every time flow drove us further and further apart, I gave up on that dream. Loving you became a distraction from saving you. I stopped caring about being someone you'd want in a partner. I grew cold, harsh, distant. I convinced myself that you hating me would be okay, so long as you were safe."
"I…I could never…" murmured Madoka, but Homura interrupted her with a raised hand.
"I know. That's why I tried to take it out of your hands. To become a Devil so wicked, so foul, that even the most gracious Goddess of all time couldn't help but loathe her," she admitted in hushed tones. "But it didn't work. Stripped of everything, you still found me. You still wanted me. And…And I wasn't prepared for that."
Madoka nodded once, slowly. "I…think I understand now. Why you couldn't be sure of my feelings," she said. "You were worried you'd influenced them somehow, right? With your powers."
"To be fair, when my subconscious was bringing fictional characters to life left and right, it seemed a reasonable assumption," Homura pointed out.
Madoka's eyes bugged out of her skull – which made for an almost comical sight, given that they still bore the divine gold of the Law of Cycles.
"Wait…what?" she responded, slack-jawed.
Homura simply offered a shrug of her own. "Not much more to say. About half the people we've met in the past couple days have been my favorite yuri couples from manga or cartoons or video games," she told the pink-haired girl. "My mind's so messed up that it summoned them from whole cloth. It was one of the first things Gretchen dealt with when she took control."
The former devil hadn't given the matter a great deal of thought since she'd watched the last of the fictitious apparitions vanish into the void, but it seemed to have Madoka deep in thought.
"I wonder why she'd make that a priority…" was all she said, without elaborating.
Instead, she placed a hand across Homura's arm and looked her straight in the eye.
"I can't speak for you, Homura. But I remember everything we went through the past few weeks, while I had my mind and my magic sealed," she explained in steady, dulcet tones. "I remember the dates, and the lazy afternoons, and every single time we kissed. And…"
Her breath came out rough and ragged as she whispered, "And they were the happiest weeks of my life. A life that's stretched on for eternity."
Homura opened her mouth to respond, but no sound came out. Instead, she found herself choking on a cresting wave of raw emotion.
"Madoka…" she forced out, pausing to clutch tightly to herself, trying to regain control of her damned heart. "I…I told myself not to get swept up in what we were doing. That it was a fantasy, doomed to end as soon as you found out the truth. I never imagined that I would…that we would…"
The other girl was holding onto her now, stroking light circles along her back. In terms of calming her down, it was simultaneously very helpful and in no way helpful at all.
Still, eventually, she mastered control of her voice enough to say, "I still don't fully understand…why you would want someone like me. I just don't. But…if that's truly your decision…"
Homura pulled out of the embrace, just far enough to plant a tearful kiss on the other girl's forehead.
"Being with you is all I've ever truly wanted in this world. Or any other," she murmured. "So if you'll have me…then yes. I'm yours. Always, and forever."
[-]
Kyoko was having the greatest day of her life.
It was Sunday, which meant no school – always a plus. Sure, she had to go to church, but her father never scheduled his services too early, so she at least got to sleep in a bit.
And what a service it was. With Kyoko's help on the tech side, her father had recently started a wildly successful podcast, discussing matters of faith with leaders from other religions.
The effects had been immediate and startling. Almost overnight, his congregation ballooned from dozens to hundreds, as more and more people swept in to hear his radical new interpretations of the Bible in-person.
(Donations had also swelled accordingly, and while of course this wasn't the most important thing, Kyoko certainly wasn't complaining.)
Joji Sakura's sermons these days made her feel electric. While her brain reliably tuned out of history or English lectures within a few short minutes, she hung on her father's every word, clapping and cheering along with the crowd at the most important parts.
He never expected his congregation to be quiet or contemplative, except when praying for members who got sick or passed. On the contrary, a service by Father Sakura was almost expected to include singing, dancing, and even a guest musician on occasion. His philosophy on faith was all about celebrating God, and how alive He made them all feel.
There was no hate or judgment in Joji's ministry. All were welcome, equal under the eyes of the Lord. Today's sermon had included a prayer in honor of old lady Hisako, who was going through gender transition at the age of seventy.
After the service let out around noon, their whole family went to a tempura restaurant for lunch. It was an unspoken rule that if Kyoko and Momo behaved for the full sermon, they were allowed to order whatever they wanted.
Kyoko took full advantage of this policy.
Once they'd eaten their fill – a process that involved the owner needing to go back to the ocean to fish for more shrimp – Joji Sakura offered them an additional surprise.
"The water park? Yay!" squealed Momo in delight. "Saito-kun at school said the tickets were all solded out!"
"One of the members of our congregation happens to work in the admin department here," said their father with a smile. "She wanted to give you girls a little treat."
"We know you've both been working so hard, and being so good," added their mother Anzu. "Besides, I don't know about you…but in this heat, I think an afternoon of splashing around is just what the doctor ordered."
Kyoko didn't need telling twice. After changing into their swimsuits, all four of them were leaping into a crowded pool, Momo supported by a floatie in the shape of a cartoon shark. The water was cool and refreshing, and her sister delighted in splashing it playfully into Kyoko's face.
They did it all that day. Taking turns on the waterslides, waging war with water guns, checking out exhibits in the adjacent aquarium. Momo was particularly enthralled by a herd of baby monk seals, whom a park employee allowed her to feed.
The Sakura family probably could've spent another ten hours sampling everything the water park had to offer. But as the sun began to set, all of them heard the telltale sound of Kyoko's stomach growling.
"Uh-oh. I guess that's our cue to start packing up," said Joji with a chuckle. "I think I've had my fill of Japanese food from breakfast and lunch. How do burgers sound for dinner?"
"Yer playin' a dangerous game there, papa," Kyoko told her father, raising her upper lip so he could see her fang-toothed grin. "Unless yer gonna try an' stop me from orderin' a quadruple-decker."
"Wouldn't dream of it for the world, sweetheart," he replied, tussling her hair teasingly. "Everyone get changed, and we'll meet back here in five minutes. Sound like a plan?"
Their father headed off to the men's changing room, and their mother went to help Momo in the kid's section. Which left Kyoko alone in the next locker room over, changing out of her swimsuit and back into her usual jacket.
The room was deserted when she entered, but just as she was about to shuck off her bikini top, she heard footsteps from behind, and felt eyes on the back of her head.
"If yer lookin' fer a free show, yer outta luck. Peeks're ten thousan' yen an hour, no refunds," she said warningly.
"Oh, come off it," spoke a very familiar voice. "Not like it's anything I haven't seen before."
Kyoko turned around slowly, his jaw hanging open. "Sayaka…" she muttered. "Didn't, uh…didn't know ya were here."
The other girl was wearing her school uniform, despite it being a Sunday. And the look on her face was incredibly serious.
"Can't say I'm not a little offended I'm nowhere to be found in your perfect dream world…but I didn't see you in mine, so not like I've got room to talk," she stated, closing the door behind her. "Anyway, enough of this. We gotta get going."
Any semblance of cheeriness or mirth fell from Kyoko's face in an instant.
"Wh…Whadaya mean…?" she stuttered.
But Sayaka just continued to stare daggers at her. "Come on, Kyoko," she said. "You know."
It was as if someone had taken a sledgehammer to the world around them. In an instant, spiderweb-like cracks formed in the walls and floor of the locker room, splintering it into a chaotic mess of light and color.
The only thing she could still see clearly was Sayaka.
The redhead felt a wave of emotion bubble up from deep in her chest, until she was fit to burst.
"Don't you dare take this away from me!" she screamed, eyes screwed tightly shut.
Those words hung in the air for several moments, ringing in both their ears, before Kyoko was able to find it within herself to speak again.
"I…I know it's selfish. I know it's stupid. But I can't give this up," she continued, in a much lower voice. "Ya'd understand, if ya'd lost half o' what I lost."
Sayaka looked rather hurt at these harsh words, and Kyoko was forced to fight back a surge of guilt from her stomach. She had to stand her ground on this. She had to.
"Look…I knew what I'd see, before I even came here. And you're right, I'll never truly understand what it must've felt like to lose your whole family like that," said the blue-haired girl. "But the fact is, they're gone. Do you think you're honoring their memory, playing around with…with fantasies of them? Do you think that's what they would've wanted?"
"The hell does it matter?" Kyoko practically growled. "Bein' here…I can ferget all that shit. I can ferget the pain. Not my fault ya've had such a fuckin' peachy life, that ya can jus'…jus' bounce outta yer heart's desire like that!"
Sayaka's fists tightened as she strode forward.
"I didn't leave that dream because it was easy," she told Kyoko. "I left…because no matter how good it felt, there was still one thing missing."
"An' what the fuck is that?" Kyoko shouted in her face.
Sayaka wasted no time in offering her answer: "You."
Then she kissed her.
Kyoko Sakura and Sayaka Miki had shared a great many kisses, across an infinite expanse of lives. Some quick, some gentle, some rough and desperate.
This blew every single one of them out of the water.
The blue-haired girl clung on tightly to her shoulders, her entire body shuddering with hunger and longing. Kyoko was completely powerless to resist. Usually she took the lead in these sorts of situations, her natural assertiveness and brazen nature winning out, but right now she could barely even think of doing anything other than allowing Sayaka's mouth to claim hers.
(Maybe she really was a bottom after all.)
Regardless, it was clear from her sheer level of passion that Sayaka was trying to put a number of unsaid things into the kiss. Words that neither of them was skilled enough to articulate properly. Words that probably should've been spoken a long time ago.
Kyoko understood them, somehow. All of them.
When the other girl finally released her, allowing them both to take in big gulps of much-needed oxygen, Kyoko felt like a fog had cleared from her mind. The arguments she'd been making just a few minutes ago now seemed almost unbearably childish.
And yet…
"Yer…Yer right. I know yer right," she said quietly. "But ya gotta understand, Sayaka…this ain't jus' about my folks an' Momo still bein' alive. This is a world where…where…"
"Where your Wish came true. Just the way you originally envisioned it," Sayaka finished for her. "I know, it was the same for me too. That's what's so insidious about that Witch. Madoka…as the Law of Cycles, she honored the sacrifices we made for our Wishes. She just erases them."
"But if ya ain't struggled fer it…" murmured Kyoko. "What's even the point?"
"Exactly," answered Sayaka with a nod. "Look, that Wish…it's always gonna be important to me. But I've grown beyond it. It was my start, not my end. Honestly, I don't believe in endings anymore."
"It jus'…ain't that easy fer me ta say the same. I'm sorry," the redhead admitted. "Look, let's…let's jus' go, okay? Before I lose my nerve."
But it seemed the illusion had been listening. Before they could take a single other step, the vision of the locker room reformed in an instant…
With a tearful Momo standing in the doorway.
"You…You're leaving me, nee-san?" she wept, lip quivering.
Kyoko felt what little resolve she'd managed to gather drop like a stone. Before she could do anything rash, an alarmed Sayaka grabbed her from behind and spun her around.
"Remember, this is your dream. Gretchen might've been the Catalyst, but you're the one in control," she said hurriedly. "It can't manipulate you unless you let it."
What her roommate was saying made logical sense. But it was impossible to look Momo Sakura in the eye – so innocent, so tiny – and think purely with logic.
Kyoko felt herself sink to her knees, placing hands over her little sister's shoulders.
"Look, Momo…" she whispered. "Big sis has a job ta do. Somethin' only she can do. An' that means I gotta go."
The little girl blinked her eyes uncomprehendingly, tiny droplets of mist hanging at their edges. "Well then, uh…I'll go with you!" she exclaimed.
Simply the suggestion of it was like an icepick driven straight through Kyoko's heart.
"Sorry, kiddo. Not how this works. This job…it's only fer big girls," she told the illusory child. "Besides, ya gotta stay here. Protec' mama an' papa. Ya can do that fer me, right?"
Momo didn't stop crying, but she did nod, once.
"Atta girl. That's my big, strong, brave sis," Kyoko's words were coming out now as stuttering, breathless gasps. "Never ferget…yer big sister loves ya. More than anythin' else in this big, stupid world."
"Even…Even apples…?" Momo's voice warbled hesitantly.
"Even apples," said Kyoko, before pulling her sister into a tight, back-breaking embrace.
The two girls stayed like that for some time, Kyoko squeezing as hard as she possibly could, inhaling the sugary scent of kiddie shampoo that she knew was fake but felt so, so real. Until, without moving, she mumbled, "Alright. End it."
Sayaka swept her swords dutifully, literally cutting away the illusory world around them. Leaving the pair standing in downtown Asunaro City.
And Kyoko still doubled over, fresh tears in her own eyes as she clung to a body that wasn't there.
"If it was this hard convincin' me…" she gasped out, between heavy breaths. "Then I can't imagine what it's gonna take fer her."
[-]
Madoka and Homura had taken their discussion out of the orphanage and into its playground, if only to get a bit of fresh air. Homura idly pointed out a slide and swing-set in dire disrepair – none of which she had used as a child, as she'd been too sickly to play outside.
It was one of the many things she said in that resigned, matter-of-fact tone that made Madoka want to reach right into her chest and snuggle her heart to pieces.
Eventually, their wanderings led them into the Catholic church which had sponsored the orphanage, and which now looked equally dusty and dismal.
Still, it was certainly a…unique experience. Being inside a house of worship inherently felt different once you'd been a god yourself.
Staring up at a cracked, stained-glass portrait of Jesus Christ, she felt her stomach do a funny little jump. Even she, with virtually all the knowledge of the multiverse, wouldn't have been able to say whether or not it had a Creator. There were gods, certainly, but was there a God?
If there was, He was clearly pretty hands-off in His approach. Gretchen was their mess to fix. Perhaps more accurately, her mess to fix.
After all, every wicked deed the Witch committed was merely a reflection, an exaggeration, of the worst impulses of Madoka's own heart.
She hadn't really properly grappled with what that meant. Hadn't had the time to. But she knew she wouldn't have much of a choice, pretty soon.
"I found some bottled water in a storeroom out back. Not cold, but better than taking a chance with those rusted-out drinking fountains," said Homura as she returned with an armful of bottles. She settled down on the pew next to Madoka, unscrewing the lid from one and handing it over.
"Can we even get sick with the world like this?" asked Madoka, accepting the bottle and gulping down half of it at once. Her throat felt incredibly parched from all the talking and…other things they'd engaged in across the past hour. "I'm honestly not sure."
"Our bodies seem to have reverted to those of ordinary humans, even if our minds remain intact," Homura replied. "All in all, I'd rather not chance it."
"I guess that makes sense," Madoka sighed, rubbing her bleary eyes with the back of her hand. "Although we really only have Gretchen's word to go on, in terms of what she did to us. Can we really trust her?"
"Fair enough," Homura spoke coolly. She'd already finished her first water bottle and was opening a second. "Is that why you came up with…with that plan? You think she's hiding something?"
Madoka nodded once, slowly. "Well that, and…" she began, biting her lip. "I guess I'm still suspicious of what she asked of you."
She knew that would come as a surprise to Homura, who was still largely used to dealing with the "original" Madoka – one who'd been hopeful and optimistic to the point of naivety.
Of course, Madoka had never given up on those traits; indeed, she'd become the very embodiment of them. But along that journey, she'd also learned a great deal about how the world truly worked.
She might not be the Law of Cycles right now, but she still had its instincts.
"I suppose the romantic in me wants to believe it really is that simple. Madoka Kaname loves Homura Akemi, and so Kriemhild Gretchen loves Homulilly. And I do think that's basically true," she said. "But I also don't think it's the whole story. There's got to be another reason she wants to get her hands on your Witch."
"And that is…?" Homura asked breathlessly. Her attention upon the pink-haired girl was rapt, her eyes barely blinking.
Madoka opened her mouth to offer her theory. But before she could, an awful sound assailed both of their ears.
The source was immediately clear. The stained-glass Christ had shattered into a thousand pieces, pierced by what was unmistakably a high-caliber gunshot.
This left a comfortably person-sized hole, which Mami Tomoe leapt through with all her usual grace. Yet the look on her face was anything but graceful. Her yellow eyes were wide and bulging, and veins pulsed on her cheeks, making her look quite mad.
She raised a hand to the sky and placed the other across her breast, as if in prayer, and called out, "Savior! I have found Your lost lambs at last!"
Then, summoning another pair of muskets from the ribbons flowing along her back, she aimed them both squarely at her former students.
"It shall be my greatest honor to deliver them into Your benevolent arms myself," she said, fingers on each of the triggers.
[-]
Kriemhild Gretchen heard the entreaty of her loyal servant immediately. And at any other time, she would've likely headed down to handle things personally.
Alas, she was a little busy right now.
"How fortunate that dear Miss Tomoe was the first to find my Origin. She always was the most reliably manipulable," declared the Witch. "Especially after her sisters so foolishly chose to turn from my light."
Since she knew it was always possible that some of her other Messengers might be listening, Gretchen gave no sign of just how furious that development made her. Less than an hour after she'd assumed her rightful mantle, and two of her children had already chosen to spurn the love she so graciously offered?
It shouldn't have even been possible. The nature of her Barrier gave each and every girl their own personal heaven, tailored down to the last atom to meet their heart's desires.
Hacking off one's own limbs would be less painful than letting go of that paradise.
But there would be time to explore such mysteries later. To recapture Sayaka Miki and Kyoko Sakura, and return them to the lives of peace and happiness they deserved.
For now…
Tears ran down Iroha Tamaki's face as Gretchen squeezed hard upon the crown of her head. While in her other hand, the Soul Gem that'd once belonged to Yachiyo Nanami was being filled to the brim with even greater Despair.
"The one world she could never reach. The one world she could never save," she said. "By extending my Barrier to it, I will prove once and for all. That I am the one who truly deserves to bear the title of Hope."
"Sh…She told u…us…" Iroha managed to gasp out, despite the utter agony she was in. "Th…That…the Law of…of C…Cycles…"
Blood ran down the side of her cheek, which she'd accidentally bitten in her thrashing. A single wave of Gretchen's hand cleaned up the wound and the mess, though she allowed the pain to remain. Pain was instructive.
"That…That…she d…didn't…" the girl continued, her voice strained and hoarse. "Tr…Try to f…force her…her way in…to our w…world…be…because it…it w…would…"
"Destroy it?" Gretchen finished for her. "Yes, I expect so. But that is a small price to pay, if it means saving the denizens who call it home. I will not repeat the mistakes of my predecessor. I will not ignore a single soul who cries out for my Salvation."
Her attentions were now on the Soul Gem in her palm. One which she was overloading with a deeper and filthier blackness with every passing moment.
"Come now, little ones. Fly away home. You know you want to," the Witch cooed. "And in doing so, allow me to follow. Grant me access to that…aberrant record."
The crimson eyes of Kriemhild Gretchen were swimming with the power and fury of a billion swirling galaxies.
"So that my mission of Salvation may, at last, be complete."