[Chorus]

Sure enough, the accursed machinery responsible for harvesting the energy from the Wishes of Magical Girls – the same machinery that did the same for the Witch transformation in another lifetime – had been left exactly where Homura's clone – now granted the name Akemi Mizuki – said it should be. It was in the Kuiper Belt.

The problem, of course, was that the Kuiper Belt was a big place.

And to make matters worse, the three of them weren't alone out there. As it turned out, the Incubators had prepared countermeasures in the event of someone attempting a brute force end to their system. Squid-like bio-mechanical beings lurked in the outer realms of the solar system, cloaked in magic and undetectable by normal humans. Sure, each one of them was no match for the Goddess, the Devil, or the Devil's Assistant. But they had numbers and surprise on their side, as Mizuki had not been informed of their existence.

Between dealing with these machines and finding the magical engine, the trio would be gone from the Earth for several months, returning to find Mitakihara rebuilt and early in the snowy season.

Homura couldn't remember that last time she'd seen actual snow.

It was...

"...beautiful..."

...but, also chilly. She shivered under a cold cloud-covered sky, snow gently drifting down around her onto the streets of Mitakihara City. Changing her outfit to something warm, she walked with Madoka and Mizuki to the Kaname house in order to drop off their daughter. The three of them had vanished without saying a single word to the Kaname family, and Homura could only hope that someone had filled them in on what had happened on that day some time ago.

Madoka took one of Homura's hands in hers, and gave her a warm smile. "It'll be okay, Homura! I'm sure they'll understand."

Homura gulped. "I hope so..."

Mizuki, meanwhile, was ignoring them and looking around. Unlike her two companions, she had never seen snow before. She watched each individual snowflake drift by, only needing to spare a small fraction of her attention to following behind Homura and Madoka. Each one drifted along in the air, scattered by breezes and dragged down by their own weight. Their sum was a dance of crystalline majesty.

Would the Incubators have let her see this?

Would they let her walk around freely (sort of) like this?

"...Mizuki-chan?"

"Hm?"

She had stopped suddenly, caught up in the whirl of her emotions. Homura's voice called her back to the material world.

"Are you coming with us?" she asked.

Mizuki scoffed at that. "Do I have a choice?"

Madoka frowned at her. "We'll always give you a choice!" she insisted.

Homura flinched at that, but made no other movements.

Mizuki, meanwhile raised an eyebrow at that. "Oh? So, if I wanted to leave, right now, you would just let me? You wouldn't try to stop me?"

Madoka nodded, of course. But Homura didn't.

At least, not at first. Not until after Madoka squeezed her hand and the two of them shared whispered words. Of course, Mizuki could have simply listened in, but she felt an urge not to.

And she was rewarded with a nod from Homura.

Stunned, she remained immobile for just a moment.

When that moment passed, she started walking towards Madoka and Homura. "W-well... I-it's not like I have anywhere else to go, so... I could stay with you a bit longer. Until I decide to leave, of course."

"Of course!" exclaimed Madoka.

"...of course," added Homura.

The three of them walked on.

As it turned out, Mami had come by to explain Madoka's absence to the Kaname family. Despite Homura's worries, they let her and Mizuki enter their home and share dinner with them. They even treated her the exact same, continuing to insist that she was welcome in the Kaname household. Homura passed Mizuki off as one of her long-lost relatives, having made her way to Mitakihara to stay with her cousin. Like Homura, Mizuki's old family had abandoned her after her 'parents' died. It was close enough to the truth without having to fill the Kanames in on everything just yet. That might come another day.

For now, what Homura wanted was the return of a normal life.

There was only one problem with that – Homura never really had any idea of how to live a normal life. And things were even more complicated now with her needing to keep an eye on Mizuki and the Wraiths.

After leaving the Kaname house the next morning, Homura and Mizuki went back to Homura's plain apartment.

"So then, I'll be staying with you, Akemi Homura?" asked Mizuki once they were at the door.

Homura turned to her clone, looking her up and down.

"...what? Is something wrong?"

Homura smirked at her clone. "Call me Homura-chan."

Mizuki glared at her. "Absolutely not."

"The act will be more convincing if you do, Mizuki-chan~."

Mizuki growled at Homura. "No."

Homura shrugged softly. "Suit yourself," she said, letting them both in as Mizuki grumbled under her breath. The apartment hadn't been cleaned in months, so Homura set herself to fixing things up and bid Mizuki to help her.

"You know, you wouldn't have to do this if you lived with the Kanames," noted Mizuki.

"I know."

"So why don't you?"

"Why don't I what?"

"You know what! Move in with them!"

Homura looked at her clone, and then shook her head. "I don't want to."

"But it would be..."

"...more efficient, yes. But I want my own space."

Homura was aware that she didn't strictly have to live like his anymore. Nothing bad would happen if she took up Madoka on her offer and moved in with her. In fact, probably only good things would happen now. But this was her home, and Homura didn't want to leave it just yet.

Maybe one day, but not now.

With the apartment clean, all that was left was to get groceries. Actual groceries, or Madoka would be upset... since Mizuki had never been grocery shopping before, Homura had her join in on the journey. And it was on this journey that the two of them made a surprising discovery.

"...! Mikuni Oriko!?"

Sure enough, the girl who once saw the future and killed her precious Madoka over it was walking around Mitakihara... no, she must have been looking for them. Kirika was by her side, as expected, and they were holding hands. But... how could they be here? They were both dead!

Oriko curtseyed to Homura. Kirika pointedly did not.

"Good day to you, Akemi Homura," said Oriko. She then turned to Mizuki. "And how should I address you?"

"Akemi Mizuki."

Oriko nodded. "Very well then, Akemi Mizuki. It's a pleasure to meet you under better circumstances. Now then, Akemi Homura, I suppose you think that I knew that you'd be arriving today."

Homura gave Oriko a confused look. "Are you saying you didn't?"

It wasn't until Homura tried to look for Oriko's Soul Gem that she realized what was going on. Oriko no longer had one, and neither did Kirika. They were just ordinary girls now.

"...were you just... out and about?" asked Homura. "Like... like normal girls?"

"It is Winter Break, after all," said Oriko with a teasing, yet warm smile. "School starts again next week, by the way. Kirika and I will be joining you at Mitakihara Middle School. Will Mizuki-chan also be joining us?"

"Well, if this girl makes me, then I guess I will," said Mizuki. "But it's not like I'll need it."

"You..."

Homura shook her head. No, there was something more important she needed to know.

"How and why are the two of you here?" asked Homura.

Kirika rolled her eyes. "We're not gonna cause you trouble!" she complained. "We're gonna live out our lives, just like anyone else."

"As for how... I think there's someone else you should ask about that," said Oriko.

Ah, right. The Goddess. She must have set them free. But why...?

Homura blinked. Of course. She wanted them to be happy. Letting them come back and live their lives in a now peaceful world was a good way for that to happen. And Homura didn't want to interfere with that.

Homura sighed. "...sorry..."

Kirika's eyes widened, but Oriko took it in stride. "No worries. It's only natural that you'd suspect us after what happened back then. But I hope that things will work out better this time."

"I hope so too," said Homura as she and Mizuki let them go, and part of her even meant it.

As the week went on, Homura and Mizuki ran into more and more of those girls who had been saved by Madoka and were now granted an ability to live a new life in this world.

Unsurprisingly, Sayaka and Nagisa were among them. The Akemis ran into them not long after they ran into Oriko and Kirika. Mami and Nagisa were out grocery shopping as well, and the four of them happened to meet up at the same grocery store that same day. As for Sayaka, the two Akemis had run into her a few days later, while Homura was showing Mizuki around town. She had been doing the same thing for Kyoko, as well as some of the new girls.

And whenever Homura wasn't in the company of her false cousin, she was whiling the wintry days way with Madoka. Her Madoka.

By the time school started again, Homura had gotten used to her peaceful, happy life.

So, she wasn't at all surprised when something happened to break the pattern on the morning when classes would began.

As on one fateful day long ago, Homura recognized that she was inside a dream that was not a dream. But unlike that day, the source was not the Goddess protecting her. No, this time it was a Wraith attacking her. So, Homura easily swept the dream away and returned herself to the world of the living, clad in the garb of the Devil and ready to strike the Wraith down.

But...

"W-wait! Please stop!"

...it looked like things wouldn't be so straightforward.

The scenario reminded her of that time when she encountered a Wraith of Madoka, only this time the anomalous Wraith resembled herself, the self she presented with thick braids and red glasses. It was coiled around her, with its upper torso and head in front of her, slowly backing away as she rose. Another one was coiled around Mizuki, one that resembled her clone, and she had yet to respond to its presence. But it wasn't doing anything to her either...

Come to think of it, the Wraith wasn't actually draining any emotions or magic from her.

Not yet, anyway.

In the darkness of her room, Homura summoned her trident, pointed it at the Wraith, and asked why she should stop. Did they not come to attack her and her guest? Why then should they be spared?

"W-we didn't come here to fight!" it insisted. "H-honest!"

...ugh, it even stuttered like her.

Homura didn't let the pathetic nature of this Wraith affect her. "And why should I believe you? I remember what happened last time I listened to one of you. The world was nearly destroyed!" Sure, that was partially Homura's fault, but that fact wasn't important here.

"T-that was a s-special circumstance! I-it w-won't happen again! Promise!"

Sure, that might be true, but could Homura risk it?

"Hmph. Those are very nice words... but that's all they are."

Homura summoned more of her tridents.

"Leave or I will make you leave," she declared.

The wraith uncoiled around her, but did not depart. Instead, it sat on her bed and prostrated itself before her, on the verge of tears. ...hold on. Tears...? Since when could Wraiths feel sorrow, even mutated ones? Homura watched as it begged for just a little bit of her time to explain herself. In the meantime, its companion uncoiled itself from around Mizuki and dissipated into a fine mist.

Mizuki was unharmed, still sleeping peacefully.

"..."

Homura took a deep breath.

"Very well. Explain yourself, Wraith."

She dispelled all of her tridents but one, and kept that one cradled in her hands. The Wraith raised its head and began its explanation. As she was aware, the Wraiths required a very particular type of sustenance – particularly, the emotional energy of living humans. For this reason, Magical Girls had been called to combat and destroy them. But Homura's ascension and manipulation of the fabric of the universe raised a new possibility – that the Wraiths did not have to remain this way. Homura's vast excess of emotional energy was a well of untapped potential.

Homura narrowed her eyes. "In essence, you want to use me as your food source?"

"N-no!" blurted out the Wraith. "T-though that would be much simpler... no, we want you to change us and make us more like you. We want to be able to live among humans peacefully."

Homura softened her gaze. "Ah... that's..."

...that would be quite welcome, if it was a genuine offer. It sure seemed to be one. Homura knew very well that she could simply eliminate the Wraiths from this world (her world) just the same as she did the Incubators. However, unlike with them, she had no idea what that would do. And suppressing them last time just led to her own inner demons manifesting and taking their place...

There seemed to be no escape from this situation.

But... she found that she didn't care much to try and find a way to escape. As long as Madoka, the others, and herself were alright, she could deal with anything.

She looked the Wraith directly in the eyes for a moment. It returned a sincere gaze.

She nodded. "I will do this for you."

It gave her a big, warm smile. "T-thank you! Is there anything you want from us?" it asked.

"Other than not attacking people anymore, not really. There's not anything you can really give me..."

"Oh? Are you going to handle those hostile starships yourself then?"

Homura's eyes widened. "...huh!?"

"A-ah..." The Wraith fidgeted just like she would. "W-well, maybe they were only hostile to us because of what we are... but there are several headed this way. They reminded us of the Incubators. O-oh, and there were some others coming from a different direction, but they didn't seem like they were looking for a fight, we think..."

Homura sighed. "Alright. Handling threats to this world is your job now. You'll be taking the roles of Magical Girls from this point on. We'll show you how. Do you all accept this responsibility?"

The Wraith spoke as many. "We do," it said in an echoing voice.

"Very well. Then let us begin."

And then the shadows around Homura swallowed them both up.

When the morning came, Homura asked Mizuki if she had any weird dreams. But if she did, the clone didn't remember them at all, and she looked just as healthy as ever.

Maybe this little alliance could work out after all.

The two of them left bright and early for school on a sunny yet cold winter day. Unsurprisingly, they would encounter Madoka, Kyoko, Sayaka and Hitomi on the way there. What did surprise Homura was the way that Hitomi was interrogating the other three. Madoka and Sayaka were giving her apologetic looks, while Kyoko remained apathetic. She only stopped once Homura and Mizuki walked up. Hitomi gave Mizuki a look of utter bewilderment as the newcomer greeted her as if she knew her, and then demanded that the five of them explain everything about this to her over lunch.

"Hmph! I can't believe you all left me out of the loop like this. Am I so unreliable?" she asked, quite annoyed.

"Eh. It wasn't your problem to deal with," said Kyoko. "Kinda still isn't..."

Hitomi glared at Kyoko, who was unfazed. She then pouted at Madoka and Sayaka. "Still! There must have been something I could have done to help..."

Madoka and Sayaka didn't answer immediately, and so Homura ended up speaking first. "When we explain things properly to you, you will understand why we held this information back."

"Y-yeah!" said Madoka. "We didn't do it on purpose! Honest!"

"..."

Sayaka who had been silent so far, stopped and took Hitomi's hands in hers.

"S-Sayaka-chan!?"

"Hitomi-chan. No matter what, we're friends. Got it?"

...she said that in such a serious tone that even the uncaring Mizuki had to pause.

Hitomi looked Sayaka in the eyes for a few moments before nodding. "Got it."

Sayaka let her hands go, and Hitomi dropped the matter, letting them walk to school in peace.

A peace that was over the instant the five of them entered their classroom, as the other students promptly swarmed them! Homura, in a panic, nearly transformed and used her powers to shove them all aside. But thankfully, things wouldn't come to that, as Saotome-sensei cut them off and demanded they all shut up so that Mizuki could introduce herself.

"Yes, yes... I am Akemi Mizuki, cousin to Akemi Homura. Due to family circumstances, I had to transfer to your school. I look forward to getting to know you all!"

Despite the uncanny resemble between Mizuki and Homura, the class seemed to accept this explanation. Mizuki took her seat in the cluster with Homura, Madoka, Sayaka, Kyoko, and Hitomi and Saotome-sensei promptly started class with a rant about a new ex.

Looks like some things didn't change.

Homura had the feeling that she'd finally get to learn what a normal life was like after all.

But what of the Goddess?

With all of her Magical Girls released from their fates and living new lives, then she must be truly alone now, right?

No.

She is not alone.

She will never be alone.

Inside her bubble-like space, separate from the rest of the universe, she sleeps.

Beside her, rests the Devil. Their hands are entwined.

When they awake, it will mean that the end has come.

All that will remain is to defeat Despair itself.

When that is done, a new world, free of the old curses, will be born.

THE END