XVI.
How had her shield broken? How had she ended up in such a mistake of a timeline? She couldn't remember the last timeline all that well, all of them started to blur together at some point. And yet… and yet… she could almost-
Rage.
A rage as black and pitiless as Walpurghisnacht's laughter fills her brain, beautiful and brisk and loud and cold.
Her unmoving heart threatens to explode, bubbling as a word sings through her skull.
Traitor, traitor traitor traitor.
She hadn't betrayed anyone! It was them right? They'd hurt Madoka right? She'd only…
… what had she done?
Red flashes over her eyes and Homura sits up. Her heart races when it shouldn't be. Her body aches with it all. All she can hear is them talking from far away as Madoka says, I can wish for it to disappear maybe-
"But you'll die!" Miki protesting.
"But everyone could die!"
"There has to be another way-"
Even that consideration had been enough. Something had snapped in her guts and she had done-
Ugh, she had a headache.
Slowly, her vision clears and she looks at Madoka, who stares at her with worry. The pink-haired girl manages to smile, soft and true.
"Welcome back, Homura-chan!" she says. "How are you feeling?"
Homura blinks, moving her mouth soundlessly and then says, "You're much better in red."
Then she throws up.