The afternoon sun stood high in the sky, its heat pouring down on Mami as she waited in front of the school gates of Mitakihara Middle School. Those that didn't have club activities had started to leave the building, some in small groups others by themselves. Mami would have been part of the 'by themselves' groups usually, but today it was different. Today she was going to go back home with friends.

A small subconscious smile appeared on Mami's face. This had been the first time since she could remember that friends were coming over, and she had prepared the house for such an important event. Not only had she baked an amazing cheesecake, in which she didn't hold back to get good ingredients even if she shouldn't have, she had bought the tea she liked most to celebrate, she had cleaned the house to a most impeccable state (going so far as to do yet another pass this morning before going to school), and she had brought out the fanciest tea set she had.

She was waiting for her friends, they seemed to be taking their sweet time to get out of class. Our maybe it was just Mami's perception of time being a mess due to her nerves and how hyped up she made herself for today.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm down, and made sure to have her gentle face on.

"I really hope nothing goes wrong today…"

A glimpse of pink hair caught her attention as she saw Kaname and the rest getting out of the school. The group, well except Akemi as far as Mami could tell, seemingly laughing at something that Sakura had said.

After a few seconds the group noticed Mami waiting for them in the gates. Kaname was the first one to speak, still a bit far away, as she looked at Mami with a warm smile.

"Hello, Mami-san! Have you been waiting for long?"

"No, don't worry, Kaname-san" Mami replied as she shifted her body to properly face the group that was now looking at her.

"Man, the chemistry teach didn't let us go" complained Sakura as she passed by Mami, crossing the school gates. "Yeah, your test is tomorrow. We know."

"He was just warning us" Akemi was the one to speak, the girl still stuck close to Kaname just like how Sakura had noticed during lunch. It was true that the girl hadn't been this close to the pinkette the last time they had met, but had Sakura not spoken up she really wouldn't have noticed anything out of the ordinary.

"He could have done that during the class" Sakura had an annoyed look on her face for a brief moment before it changed into an energetic smile "Well, are we going to get moving or what?"

"Ah right" said Mami "My house is a bit far away; I hope you don't mind the walking"

"Nah, that just makes more space for the cheesecake" Sakura proudly stated with a grin on her face.

Akemi shifted, getting a bit away from Kaname before facing the girl and speaking up.

"Well then, I have to get going" calmly said the ebony haired girl as she did a little bow.

Kaname looked at her with a smile as warm as the sun. Her arms flinched for half a second, almost as if they had tried to go up before Kaname stopped them. The pinkette still looking at Akemi gently spoke.

"Yeah, Goodb… See you tomorrow, Homura-chan"

Akemi looked at the girl with a gentle look that only Kaname seemed to receive.

"See you tomorrow, Madoka" her voice had become warmer than it used to be, before going back to her usual tone as she looked at the rest of the girls with yet another small bow of the head "Goodbye"

"Yeah. Goodbye, Akemi-san" said Miki, Sakura adding onto the farewell with a small head gesture.

"Goodbye, Akemi-san" said Mami "I hope you can come to my house one of these days"

Akemi didn't answer immediately.

"Yes, I hope so too"

And with that the girl turned around, her ebony hair following shortly after behind her, and started walking on the opposite direction of where the rest of the group was headed.

"Homura-chan!" Kaname's shout caught the girl's attention, making her turn around. "I remembered I have club activities tomorrow morning, so you don't have to wait for me…"

"At what time will you wake up?" asked Akemi, her voice completely monotone.

"Eh? Around 40 minutes earlier"

"I'll be waiting then" she said with a small smile.

And with that the ebony haired girl left behind a still slightly confused Kaname as she went back to her house. Mami seeing that the pink girl had been so caught of guard that she wasn't reacting decided to speak up.

"Well, let's get going" The voice made Kaname come back to the real world, the girl turned around putting on a warm smile instead of her slight confusion and followed Mami and the rest towards the blonde's house.

[-]

The group followed Mami through a hallway before they stopped in front of Mami's apartment door. Mami took out her keys and opened her door, the lock making a small mechanical sound as she turned the keys inside it.

The moment the door finished opening a slight fragrance coming from the scented oil she had opened this morning greeted them; the smell of cherry tree flowers embracing the girls, an aroma that Mami found quite relaxing and hoped the others would too.

Mami's house was a well decorated one, or at least that was what Mami liked to think. Enough flower pots were around the house to place some specks of green around the house, making them contrast well with the oranges and browns that most of her furniture had. The only other colors around the house being the few colorful pillows she had laying around.

The group took off their shoes and moved towards the living the room, where her triangular glass table and a comfortable L shaped couch were.

"You got a nice place huh" said Sakura, the girl looking around the place.

"Yeah!" happily added Kaname as she placed her schoolbag next to the couch where Miki had already left hers. "I really like the pillows; they make it feel extra comfy!"

Mami let out a small chuckle of appreciation "I'm glad you like it. Please make yourselves comfortable, I will go prepare some tea"

Mami left the living room as the girls found a place to sit, Kaname and Miki sitting next to the glass table while Sakura had almost thrown herself into the couch which got a surprised look from the bluenette who look with incredulity to the girl; As Mami entered the kitchen she could hear the bluenette whispering.

"Really Kyouko?!" whether her tone was anger or disappointment would be a matter of opinion.

"What?" the redhead whispered back, though a bit unsure of as to why.

"Did you really need to throw yourself into the couch?" Miki's voice was forcefully trying to keep quiet, the girl clearly more used to reprimanding the redhead with a louder voice "we are not at home!"

Mami really didn't mind though, it wasn't like the girl had thrown herself hard enough to break the couch. And besides, the couch was there to be used.

"She said to get comfortable!" Sakura whisper was not really a whisper any longer, the voice sounded like a whisper but the volume she was speaking with was a normal one.

"Stop fighting you two!" whispered Kaname, her tone more embarrassed about the situation that actually angry at them "Really, can't you wait at least until we leave?"

"She was the one who started it" said Kyouko with a bit of an offended voice.

"You saw how she threw herself, Madoka!"

Even Mami was able to hear the big sigh Kaname had let out, at least it seemed to work as the other two girls stopped talking; or at least Mami couldn't hear them anymore.

The water finally reached a boiling point, Mami placed it away from the stovetop and took out the chamomile flowers. She placed them inside the pot and took notice of the time, the good thing of chamomile tea was that it wouldn't become bitter with time but she still liked it to steep only for 5 minutes.

Mami opened her fridge and took the bigger cheesecake she had prepared for today, leaving the small one she had made only for Nagisa in it, and placed it in a nice circular wooden tray with a carved flower pattern along the edge. She opened one of the countertops at took out a set of small plates along with some silverware for everyone. She cut the cheesecake in eight slices, making sure every single one of them were the exact same size.

A quick look at the clock made her realize almost 5 minutes had passed. She took the flowers out of the tea and the nice fragrance they had left behind placed a smile on her face. Mami placed the teapot on the wooden tray and some teacups that had drawings of flowers near the base. She took the honey out of one of the kitchen cabinets and placed it next to the sugar jar, as much as she thought chamomile tea had to be taken with honey maybe one of the others didn't like honey.

She took the wooden tray slowly but surely made her way out of the kitchen. The group stopped their small conversation before turning to look at Mami with a smile. Sakura being the one that beamed with joy the most when she saw the cheesecake.

"Oh. My. God." Sakura's gaze was fixed on the cheesecake as Mami placed it on top of the glass table. "That looks amazing"

Mami tried to keep her composure as not to blush from the compliment the redhead had given her. She placed a gentle smile on her face and sat down.

"My, thank you Sakura-san" Mami started to pour everyone's tea, carefully making sure as to not spill anything. "Please, dig in"

"You don't have to say it twice" exclaimed Sakura, quickly putting on of the cake pieces on a plate. "By they way, please just call me Kyouko. It feels weird to be called by my surname."

Mami looked at the girl trying to keep her smile in check before she spoke "Sure Kyouko-san, you can call me by my name too then"

"Wait, doesn't Hitomi call you by your surname?" asked Miki, the bluenette also taking a piece of cheesecake.

"Yeah, she says it would be impolite" Kyouko sighed as she ate some of the cake; her face suddenly lit up "Holy shit this is amazing"

Mami let out a pleased chuckle as she added a bit of honey to her teacup, just the right amount. It had taken her more time that she had expected to make the cake, making it as big as she had did give her more troubles than she usually had. But with how well Kyouko had reacted to it she believed it had all been worth it.

"It really tastes amazing Mami-san!" happily added Kaname the girl had put a hand up to her cheek with a big smile decorating her face.

"Honestly, you should open a bakery or something" added Miki.

Mami thought to herself for a brief moment as she calmly took a nice long sip from her teacup.

"I don't know about that…" Mami sighed "I don't think I'm that good to be honest"

"Nah, you would be more than fine" Kyouko nodded as she stuffed her mouth with more of the cheesecake. "Trust me, I'm an expert when it comes to food"

"She really is" Added Miki as she nodded in agreement, her eyes closed in thought. "At least an expert at eating the food"

That won her a weak punch to the shoulder from Kyouko as the redhead exclaimed "Oi!" Sayaka returned the gesture with a satisfied grin; Kaname and Mami let out a small chuckle at the exchange.

Kaname placed her cup on top of the saucer before looking at Mami with a curious look.

"If you don't want to be a baker, then is there something else you want to do Mami-san?" asked the pinkette with genuine curiosity.

Mami hummed as she went deep into thought. Was there something that she really wanted to do? She really hadn't thought about it with how busy she usually was, be it with school or taking care of Nagisa. She had thought about opening a bakery, or at least working in one, but after some consideration she really wanted to keep baking as just a hobby.

Though if she had to choose something right now…

"Maybe I would like to open a flower shop" said Mami as she returned the look to Kaname. "It… was a dream of mine when I was younger"

"That's wonderful! I can already imagine your little shop" Kaname closed her eyes "The scent of the flowers catching passerby's attention… The beautiful flower arrangements you would make… It would really suit you Mami-san!"

Mami's smile became bigger, the positive attitude of the girl really was contagious, wasn't it? She had said that to give the girl an answer more interesting than 'I would probably end up as an office worker' but now Kaname attitude made her actually imagine herself in such a shop.

"Is that even profitable?" asked Kyouko as she raised her brow, Kaname seemed to get annoyed at the girl for even saying such a thing.

"Of course it is!" Kaname said, an angry pout on her face "People buy a lot of flowers! Presents, weddings, valentines, even just to have some nice flowers around!"

"Yeah, but how much does a flower actually cost tho?" Kyouko had a doubtful smile on her face before she went to drink her tea, though Mami knew that flowers could be expensive she really didn't know how expensive they were.

"Actually…" Miki was the one to speak up "The flower bouquets Kyosuke gets during his recitals are around 17 thousand yen"

Kyouko started coughing her tea, her eyes going wide as she heard the price. "You've gotta be kiddin'…"

Kaname raised her chest with pride as she looked at Kyouko an uncommon smug grin on her face, she took a piece of cheesecake and put it in her mouth almost as if she was celebrating her victory.

"See! I told you it was profitable!"

And with that the group kept drinking their tea as they talked. Time went by, almost as if it didn't exist; the ticking of the clock on Mami's wall completely disappeared between the small conversations and the little laughs they would let out from time to time; mainly when Kyouko tried to be funny.

"Welp…" Kyouko got up from the couch, looking at her phone "I have to go now"

Kyouko did have to work today, even if Sayaka was already used to the redhead being busy every weekday it was moments like these, when they were all together talking and laughing, that she forgot Kyouko had a job.

Mami did a small nod as she got up to bid the redhead her farewell.

"Do come again, Kyouko-san" said Mami, now next to the exit door together with a Kyouko that was putting on her shoes.

"You don't have to say it twice" answered Kyouko, a happy smile on her face showed her small fang "With food this good being part of the deal, I would even live here"

Sayaka got angry at that. Not much, not enough to show it at least. But it did sting her. Even if she knew it was just a joke.

"Well then, see ya tomorrow" said Kyouko as she left the apartment, the group waving her goodbye.

Mami came back from the doorway and sat once more next to the table, no more tea though; they had been drinking tea for almost two hours, it felt like any sudden movement would make anyone of them pop.

"It's a shame that Akemi-san wasn't able to come" said Mami as she started to clean the table. "I wanted to talk a bit more with her"

"Yeah…" added Madoka, the girl getting up to help.

Sayaka couldn't doge her thoughts, even if she had tried. She really didn't want to think about Akemi at the moment. Not because she still had animosity towards the girl, but because it still felt wrong whenever she remembered her; and now that she was full of tea and cheesecake, she wasn't sure that the nauseating sensation she usually got would end up at just a sensation.

Akemi Homura was kind of weird. Now that she had talked with the girl it wasn't the same kind of weird she had thought of previously. It wasn't that the girl seemed incapable of emotion. It wasn't that she would backstab them at the first opportunity.

No, Akemi Homura was weird because the only person she actually showed emotions to was Madoka. Sayaka understood why something like that would happen, the pinkette did have some kind of aura around her that made her seem approachable; but even then, the way Akemi acted still left a nagging sensation on Sayaka's head.

She was more than up to try and be friends with her, she had promised she would after apologizing to the ebony haired girl after all. She had gone up to her after she came to school with Madoka by her side; Sayaka talked with her when they were a bit far away from the rest of the girls; and Sayaka had… she had apologized, right? The words she had said didn't come to her mind. It was kind of a daze, whenever she tried to focus harder static was the only thing she remembered.

Feeling like her head was about to burst Sayaka stopped thinking about it. She just had forgotten, with all the stress from the tests it was bound to happen. She had been pretty tired that day after all.

"Miki-san?" a worried voice called to her.

Sayaka looked to the blonde girl that was standing next to her and had bent over a bit to take a look at Sayaka's face, her amazing drills were completely static in the air seemingly defying the laws of the universe just so they could exist. Sayaka shook her head, trying to gain some composure.

"Yeah, I'm fine" a bit of a forced smile was on Sayaka's face "Just a bit tired from todays' tests!"

Mami let out a sigh, the girl sitting on the ground once more; Madoka came back from the kitchen after dropping off the teacups she had helped bring back there.

"Thank God" said Mami "I was starting to think that the cheesecake or the tea had made you feel ill"

"There is no way that would happen" said Sayaka, an actual smile showing now "your cakes have always been the best after all, Mami-senpai"

Wait, always?

A sharp pain hit Sayaka's head, the girl clutched her head with both of her hands trying to alleviate the pain; but it did nothing, the pain still raging. Madoka and Mami both got up from their seats in a hurried manner, holding Sayaka so she wouldn't fall were she to faint.

Sayaka could see they were talking, but the voices were nothing more than a distortion of the real thing. The static in her head got worse, and worse, and worse. Until all she could hear was the electrical buzzing.

A torrent of emotions went through her, images flashing by as the buzzing became more and more intense. The images started to make some kind of sense.

Sayaka, Kyouko and Mami were all in colorful clothes, fighting some kind of tall man like creatures.

*Static*

She was surrounded, trying to destroy what looked like the leader she had fallen into a trap. She let out everything she had in one more attack.

*Static*

A pink light came from the sky, and the next thing she could feel was a comforting warmth. No more worries. No more thoughts. Just a warmth that embraced her.

*Static*

A mission. To save a dear friend of the light that had saved her, she was awoken from her eternal slumber.

*Static*

"Is the heart that wished for this so sinful that it needs to be destroyed?"

"… Yes"

*Static*

"Homura-chan, stop!"

*Static*

"You'll rip me apart!"

*Static*

*Static*

*Static*

*Static*

*Static*

"Sayaka-chan! Sayaka-chan please say something!"

Sayaka was being held by Madoka, Mami was talking through her phone with a worried and full of fear expression. Tears from Madoka fell onto Sayaka, slowly making her come back to her senses.

Sayaka regained her strength and stood up, much to Madoka's concern. The bluenette looked at her left hand, there in her middle finger the metal ring she always wore had its runes back. Her name.

The demon had taken everything away from her. She had taken her out of the warmth and comfort that was the Law of Cycles. Forced them to play in this gilded cage she had made to keep Madoka. But now Sayaka had an opportunity to make everything go back to normal. She had her memories back; she could feel the Law of Cycles power in Madoka. All she had to do was help her remember.

"Mado-"

Sayaka's voice stopped, or rather, everything around her did. Madoka wasn't moving, Mami wasn't moving; the small droplets of rain that had started appearing outside were completely still.

"Miki Sayaka, it really had to be you" a voice she hated came from behind her, the bluenette turned around.

"Homura- no, the devil"

Homura was wearing a completely black dress; the back was completely exposed while the outfit gathered near her waist to form a long open skirt, inside it the universe the color of Homura's curse could be seen. Dark bone wings sprouted from her back, some raven feathers decorating them.

"I should have paid a bit more attention" The devil sighed "I have no excuses"

Sayaka transformed, summoning two sables; one in each hand.

"I will never forget what you did!" shouted Sayaka, her grip tightening around the handles of her swords until her knuckles were pure white "I will never forgive you for destroying the Law of Cycles…"

There was no way Sayaka could win against the devil. As much as she hated to admit it, the only one that could really confront her would be Madoka; and sadly, she had been frozen in time by the devil.

"But…" Sayaka's grip loosened "But I know she will"

The devil's gaze turned into a frown as Sayaka made her swords disappear in a blue light, small musical notes appearing around the now vanishing swords.

"Homura, if you stop now, I'm sure Madoka would forgive you" Sayaka looked at Homura right in the eyes, even now she could feel the pressure an entity like her and Madoka emitted.

"What's gotten into you so suddenly?" asked Homura, cautiousness filled her voice.

Sayaka stopped to think for a second. The moment she had realized what had happened right after Homura had rewritten the universe, Sayaka had still been full of rage. She had confronted the girl straight on without even thinking. But now it had been a month and a half since then, and even if she had been going without her memories, she had noticed something.

"This place, its just like your labyrinth was" Sayaka looked at Mami with a smile, and then she touched the blue jeweled amulet Kyouko had gifted her; caressing the blue gem shaped in the form of a dolphin. "You made a world where everyone could be happy, didn't you?"

Homura scoffed after a moment of hesitation.

"As I said when I first brought you here" The devil unfurled her wings "I am the devil. The pure concept of evil. You all are here just because you were dragged when I took a piece of the Law of Cycles for myself. I had no intention in giving any of you happiness"

"And yet you made us stay with those that we loved?" Sayaka said, a quiet and gentle voice coming from her.

"Just a good way of keeping everyone together and in check" Homura said.

"You could have deleted us from existence"

"That would have hurt Madoka" quickly countered Homura.

Sayaka stopped for a second, something inside her was telling her not to say the next phrase. Not to give the devil any ideas.

"It wouldn't if you had completely erased her memories of us"

Homura stood there in silence, her wings had closed once more and idly hung from her back. Homura stared at Sayaka for a few seconds, the tension in the air rising, before she finally spoke with a grin on her face.

"The only way for you to bring back the Law of Cycles will be to destroy me, Miki Sayaka"

There was a small pause, Sayaka wasn't an expert on reading Homura but she knew that face. The face she made whenever she had to stop and go through her plans once more.

"But I won't give you that pleasure, Miki Sayaka" she raised both her hands "Well then, I'm sorry this had to happen but I will be taking your memories again once more"

Ah, so she had failed.

Yet again she couldn't confront Homura by herself. If she wanted to make the girl finally give in, she would need to wake Madoka up from her divine slumber.

But that task would be impossible without her memories.

A clap echoed through her mind, memories quickly disappearing.

The static appeared once more, the blue magical girl only being able to hear the words Homura spoke to her because the devil willed it so.

"Try not to remember your past with cake next time, will you?"

*Static*

All the memories from her fights against the wraiths gone.

*Static*

The warmth of the Law of Cycles, gone.

*Static*

Sayaka tried to concentrate, her magic quickly rushing towards her head.

*Static*

What the devil had done, gone

*Static*

The synapses between her braincells started to heal, trying to counter the memory manipulation Homura had started. Trying to build back the bridges she had burnt down.

*Static*

Only one memory remained.

*Static*

Not a single image.

*Static*

There was no context.

*Static*

Only the words she had spoken while inside Homura's labyrinth stayed behind.

*Static*

"Please try not to look scared"

*Static*

"Despite her appearance she is the one suffering the most here"

*Static*

"Like I said…"

*Static*

"Stop trying to take on these huge burdens by yourself."

*Static*

*Static*

*Static*

*Static*

*Static*

Current date: 14th of May.

Sorry that this chapter took longer than expected, I wasn't home for three full days; so I really couldn't write this.

We should return to our normal, a chapter every 3-4 days schedule next time!

By the way, thanks to everyone who has written a review or left a comment; reading them fills me with joy!