Madoka walks into the classroom on cue, writing her name on the digital board before turning to the class to introduce herself and bow. All eyes are on her, and she feels slightly embarrassed, but then she meets two pairs of eyes, blue and violet. They're beautiful and so very nostalgic, yet she doesn't know why. It's almost as if she can feel there is some connection between them that is no longer there. This doesn't feel right to her like a memory that has been erased. She had felt it when she was at home too, putting the yellow ribbon in her hair.

It's odd because she swears those violets keep staring at her with mixed emotions. She finds it intimidating for a second before they shy away. Madoka has seen them before, she knows she has but can't quite put her finger on it. In a dream perhaps? She isn't too sure, and while in the middle of browsing whatever memories she can dig through, sky blues peer deep into her baby pinks for a long moment. There's definitely something there, and she knows the other girl can feel it too.

"Hey transfer student, have we met before?"

Madoka just stares blankly, unable to answer. Another classmate with wavy green hair nudges the girl with sky blues, calling out her rudeness. Miki Sayaka is the name introduced to Madoka and for some reason, she feels her heart become heavy with grief. It's a sharp pain like unrequited heartache, and it hurts enough for her to clutch her chest as if in physical pain. Worry crosses the other students until the health aid clears past them, reaching a hand to Madoka.

"If you're not feeling well, please come with me to the nurse's office."

Madoka connects with those deep violets again and takes that kind hand in her own. A storm stirs in Madoka's chest as this girl leads her away. The red ribbon in her raven hair brings more unnamable feelings to light, and she instinctively cuts loose from this mysterious girl. There's a smile on her lips, but Madoka can't return the gesture.

She watches this girl, Akemi Homura, step closer and say something though her voice is inaudible. That smile scares Madoka. It reaches too far and curves ever so much in a twisted sort of way. Homura comes closer again, and Madoka is frozen when a hand goes to her hair where the yellow ribbon is tied.

There's a spark of emotion in that single touch, and Madoka wonders why the look in Homura's eyes is so very sad yet hopeful. She reaches for the hand on her ribbon and wants so much to ask her if she's all right but can't seem to get the words to leave her mouth. All she can do is gaze into those dark violets and try to decipher that deeply seated emotion.

"Do you two know each other?"

Madoka is able to rip her eyes away for a second towards a lone girl down the hallway. Her fiery crimson red hair tied in a ponytail shimmers in the light, and Madoka feels Homura pull away to face her now. She's asking this girl, named Sakura Kyouko as Madoka learns, for a reason why she is playing hooky and not attending class. Kyouko steps closer, right up to Madoka in fact who recoils a touch, and inspects her closely with a curious eye.

A hand soon tousles Madoka's pink locks before she watches Kyouko saunter over to Homura. They're speaking informally to each other and Kyouko jokes about something Madoka doesn't quite catch because it's said barely above a whisper, but it makes Homura send her a glare. The carefree Kyouko laughs before taking a step back and wrapping an arm around Madoka's shoulders. This girl pulls her away from the situation while blabbing about something irrelevant.

Madoka tries to steal a peek back at Homura, but Kyouko takes her around a corner and down another hall before stopping in front of the nurse's office. Kyouko flashes her a cheeky grin, shoving a half eaten box of pocky into her hands then turning with a wave of her hand. It's strange. At least to Madoka, it's strange how friendly they are acting, and she keeps thinking about it even when she's lying in bed staring up at her dimly lit popcorn ceiling.

The flicker of a shadow in her window makes her jump, but she finds nothing there. A chill runs down her spine and she flips the covers over her head to hide. Sleep is hard to come by and she barely gets any that night. The next morning is a slog and her mind is in the clouds when she bumps into someone while turning the corner of one of the large halls. The first thing she notices are the tightly wound curls of golden yellow hair.

Madoka scrambles to her feet and apologizes multiple times while helping the girl up. Tomoe Mami, the name Madoka is given, rises to her feet and smiles gently, chiding her lightly about being more careful in the hallway. Mami is exuding such a mature aura that Madoka thinks that she must be a year older and instinctively calls her Mami-Senpai while apologizing again. A chuckle erupts from Mami's lips and she says it's no trouble, especially from a friend of Homura.

"Akemi-san and I are frie-"

Mami halts and contemplates for a short moment before finishing, replacing the word with acquaintances. Madoka doesn't think and just reaches for Mami's hand without a word. It's something she feels she needs to do and the way Mami politely smiles back makes her feel anxious. She's forgotten something, Madoka thinks, she's definitely forgotten something important, but there's little time to think about it because Homura appears from seemingly nowhere.

Homura wastes very little breath in greeting Mami before pulling Madoka away almost posessively. They are walking in one direction when Madoka feels a headache split her senses in half. Homura holds her steady by the shoulder and a spark runs through Madoka. She focuses on Homura and searches those deep violets again for that thing she seems to have forgotten. The pressure of the air around them tightens to a point where Madoka almost chokes, and she backs away from Homura once again. She swears she spots a sliver of red in those violet hues but doesn't think much about it as she dismisses herself eagerly.

"Homura has always been secretive."

Madoka listens as Sayaka continues to list Homura's shortcomings during their lunch period. Kyouko chimes in occasionally with a witty comment which Sayaka either confirms or denies. The more she hears, the more she wonders if that sad look in Homura's eyes is only her imagination. Sayaka passes it off as her normal brooding expression though Kyouko notes that a slight change has indeed occurred in their raven haired friend.

Madoka closes her eyes to think about it some more. She thinks and thinks and wonders until nausea suddenly invades her being. The sky blurs and another splitting headache visits again. Images of white and black and red flash through her mind before she comes back to her senses. She excuses herself and leaves quickly, sprinting through the halls. By the time she stops, she's on the other side of the school gasping for air. There's a slight glow on her hands, and she gazes up at the cracked sky in a daze. There's somewhere she has to be. There's something she has to do. There's someone she has to…

"What do you want to do? Where do you want to be? Even if you cannot voice it, you must always question it, Kaname-san."

Madoka's hands circle the porcelain teacup in contemplation. Mami is seated across from her sipping the warm tea with the poise akin to a noblewoman. Madoka asks Mami to look outside at the sky and tell her what she sees. Mami complies and reports that the sun is setting in the orange-kissed hue of dusk as per normal.

A small half smile places itself on Madoka's lips now. She finds that she really hates the way Mami speaks so formally. It's charming in a way yet places so much distance between them even though they are mere inches apart from each other. She tells her senpai to drop the formalities and call her by her first name, but the only reply she receives is a polite smile.

It's no surprise to Madoka. She concludes that isolation must be the reason Mami is so clear headed. That deduction is interesting to Madoka and makes her smile sadly as a mild headache crosses her again. Her hand goes up to ease Mami's worry as she tells her the pain will pass. The glow brightens on her hands and the sound of cracked glass crescendos in her ears. The long hand on the wall clock stops ticking and the headache passes, leaving Madoka to sigh in relief.

Mami sips her tea again, and Madoka does the same before rising from the table. She thanks her senpai who nods in acknowledgement and tells her to have a safe trip home. Madoka slips her shoes on and stands at the door for a minute where Mami asks her what is wrong. Madoka shakes her head and reaches for the handle, opening the door and hesitantly taking a step outside. She waits another minute and then closes the door behind her, feeling the air tense and fold.

Madoka makes her way out of the apartment complex and across the parking lot. She passes the park and takes a right instead of a left at the corner. The streetlamps blink to life one by one as she crosses the bridge and witnesses the sun disappear. Madoka starts the long trek up the stairs at the convention arena and pauses a second to gaze at the cityscape for a moment. Jet black veins mar the sky as it breaks further in her baby pink eyes, and she continues up towards the balcony.

Reaching the top, Madoka closes her eyes and takes a deep breath before focusing on the lone figure. Trepidation grips her heart that urges her forward. Each step taken reminds her of the true purpose in her being here and the grave mistake she has made and cannot be undone.

"No matter how many times I wish it, will you never take the left, Madoka?"

Madoka stops a few feet away from Homura and stares at that small back that has been burdened with such a heavy weight to carry. The wind rustles past them and yet another mild headache hits Madoka as she presses fingers to her temples, flinching at the thunderous crack that rips through the night sky.

"I can't, Homura-chan."

Madoka watches Homura turn to face her now and sees the faint outline of distorted black feathered wings. The winds whips and swirls as a faint yellow glow envelops Madoka. The dark violets of Homura's eyes flicker bright red as she flips her hair cooly, moving to close the gap between them.

"How many times must you do this to me, Madoka?"

"And how many times will you endure this, Homura-chan?"

Homura stops in front of Madoka. The yellow ribbon has already been blown away from Madoka's hair as a result of the magical aura surrounding her, and she watches and waits as Homura reaches up to undo her own red ribbon in one fluid motion. Great care is taken when Homura fastens it through the silky pink locks, and Madoka's heart burns at the glimmering sight of the midnight black ear climber earring Homura wears.

"How many times, Homura-chan?"

"Since the beginning?"

Madoka nods as Homura threads the ribbon through.

"I've forgotten."

Homura finishes the ribbon and Madoka sees her own reflection in those ruby reds that her dear friend now possesses, or perhaps, the ruby reds that now possess her dear friend.

"Have you heard the story of Icarus and Daedalus, Homura-chan?"

Homura shakes her head.

"Trapped in a tower on an island surrounded by water, Daedalus conceives a plan to escape by air. He fashions two pairs of wings made of feathers and wax. Before setting off, he warns Icarus of neither flying too high or too low less the wings become damaged. However, Icarus soon forgets this warning, filled with the exhilaration of soaring through the sky, and rises higher and higher."

Madoka takes one of Homura's hands in her own and sees that desperately forlorn expression return.

"In the end, Icarus' wings melt, and he falls into the abyss that claims his life."

Madoka lets go and takes one step back. The magical aura whips again and her baby pink hues transition to gold.

"Just like Daedalus, I am the one responsible for giving you those wings, Homura-chan, and sending you into the abyss."

Homura's expression darkens and one single motion of her hand springs forth her twisted witch attire. The midnight feathers spread wide as does the amused smirk on her lips as she swallows the extremely tainted soul gem that could be dubbed a witch gem instead.

"Will you melt my wings, Madoka?"

The golden aura around Madoka flares brightly, and her pure white goddess array materializes. She takes hold of her bow and notches the arrow that is aimed at Homura. There is no trace of hesitation in her being, and she knows that Homura knows because the amusement leaves her face, replaced with calculating menace.

The cracked sky shatters with the release of Madoka's arrow, signaling the beginnings of war. Bizarre dimensional warps and shapes are revealed behind the millions of shards falling from above, and Madoka is careful to avoid any projectiles from Homura's unveiled magical cannons. Minions conjured to do a witch's bidding surround her from all sides, drawing their swords and charging headstrong towards her. Madoka notches three arrows and infuses them with pink magic before releasing them. The arrows multiply and split off to eradicate the knight minions with ease.

A live orchestra catches Madoka's ears, and she spins around, spotting Sayaka conducting with red glazed eyes. Homura is proudly seated on her throne with the amusement back in her smirk as she continues to control Sayaka.

"Sayaka was always the reckless one. She never thought things through and that was her weakness, but at the same time, it was her strength. She had the power to dive head first into anything and start them when no one else could. However, she lacked the strength to see it through."

Madoka watches as Homura takes Sayaka's sword and imbues it with dark magic, tossing it into the air where it multiplies before flying for it's target. Madoka manages to counter the first few but then it becomes too fast for her to keep up as she's forced to erect a barrier. She doesn't have much time to think of a plan and the barrier shatters within minutes before she's completely ready, but she creates a magic spear akin to Kyouko's own, swinging and spinning in all directions to deflect the swords.

When the conditions allow, Madoka sends some of the swords straight back at Homura who stops them with ease using her own magic barrier. After a time, the dark magic reaches its end and the swords stop, allowing Madoka to catch her breath. This time she notices Kyouko seated next to Homura in a daze with a half eaten apple clutched in her hands.

"Kyouko was the strong one. She was able to get whatever needed to be done, done. Her spirit was as resilient as steel, but that wasn't always a good thing. Even if she had the strength to see things through, she lacked the judgement and self-control in making her choices."

Kyouko rises and calls her spear to form. Homura concentrates a small aura of magic in her clenched fist, sending it forth after a short minute so that Kyouko can utilize it to create phantom clones. They are then shrouded in a dark mist as Homura plays with an apple, tossing it in the air and catching it again. The Kyouko phantom clones reemerge in a ten foot radius circle around Madoka. Her senses push her to whip around with a side step, narrowly avoiding one of the golden spears shooting forth.

An ear splitting death cry shakes Madoka and she spins around again, witnessing one of the Kyoukos gripe in bloody pain and disappear before being replaced with a fresh new phantom clone. Madoka is still processing what has just happened but then can't anymore when two more spears are released. She instinctively dodges one but then sees the other fly from one Kyouko to another flawlessly, erupting another soul shattering death cry. Madoka doesn't think and just flings the spear in her hand to quickly stop the one she had only just dodged, preventing it from striking another Kyouko.

A sinister smirk cracks across Homura's face, and it sickens Madoka as she now understands the unspoken rules of this game. She recalls the image of Mami's long barrel muskets and claps her hands together before spreading her arms wide to summon the arsenal. The game starts again at full throttle this time and somehow Madoka is able to keep up in halting the spears with her muskets. Occasionally, a death-cry shatters her concentration as two Kyouko's standing side by side stab the life out of each other. Each one that reaches her ears agitates her soul with incredible fear as she desperately searches for where the real Kyouko lies.

Her breath becomes haggard, and Madoka knows she cannot keep this up which results in her mustering the willpower to force herself to pinpoint and witness the instances of the two Kyoukos stab each other to death. Even if they are phantoms, Madoka finds the image hard to swallow in her eyes. She keeps up nevertheless and calculates the possible points where Kyouko may be. It isn't exact and Madoka knows Homura has purposely done so in order for her to make a choice.

Madoka summons a batch of muskets with a wave of her arm and shoots all the spears down in one second before summoning another batch with the wave of her other arm. She aims them at every single Kyouko except for one, the one she has chosen, and fires. She doesn't want to watch, but she has to as each Kyouko is shot directly in the forehead. Madoka doesn't take her eyes off of the Kyouko she has chosen even when the screams of pain invade her ears. She is the real one, Madoka believes, she has to be the real one.

It is only when the others fall and fade that the tension leaves Madoka's shoulders. Homura grins as Kyouko is returned besides her, and Mami appears with the wave of her hand. Madoka catches her bearings and steadies herself as she allows the muskets to dematerialize into thin air.

"Mami was the smart one. Her tactical abilities were second to none, and even I will admit that I could never best her in a fight. Though she had the direction to question the world and her purpose, her one fatal flaw was the will to carry on. She lacked the resolve to make her dreams reality."

Homura runs the back of her hand along Mami's cheek before taking the flower hairpin and producing a yellow soul gem that burns bright. Slowly, Homura begins to taint the gem with her black aura, and Mami clutches her chest in severe pain. Madoka's eyes widen in horror, and she screams for Homura to stop. Her bow is formed and an arrow is notched in a second before it is released.

Homura redirects the arrow this time and sends it flying through Mami's chest. Blood spills as Mami gasps for air and muskets are formed all around her. She screams and coughs in bloody pain while Homura fills the soul gem with more taint. She is screaming about wanting to be saved, about wanting to die, and about life being nothing more than a lie.

Madoka then finally sees the glint of red in Mami's right eye, and her senpai takes control of the muskets to take aim. Madoka quickly recreates Sayaka's twin knight sabers and cuts down every shot taken. She is completely immobilized as Mami's speed picks up, and a sweat forms on her brow as she is only able to defend herself and watch as Homura continues to taint Mami's soul gem.

"Hope is a lie! Life is pointless! Witches cannot be saved! You cannot save us!"

The words leave a bitter taste in Madoka's mouth as the pressure heightens, and she begins to feel the true onslaught of Mami's battle prowess. Things go from bad to worse when she notices the large magical formation of a six round revolver appear behind Mami. Before Tiro Finale can fire, Madoka charges the sword in her right hand with healing barrier magic while she imbues the left one with enhanced speed magic.

Just as Mami fires her ultimate attack, Madoka forces her right sword into the ground to activate her barrier. She is able to hold off Tiro Finale for the most part though a few musket shots slip by to pierce her shoulder, abdomen, and foreleg. The pain rips her apart, but she deems it a necessary sacrifice, pushing past it and launching her left sword out.

Homura raises her hand to stop the attack but does not account for the concentrated speed magic, and the sword breaks through, cleanly severing Homura's hand holding Mami's soul gem captive. Madoka's barrier is near it's limit as she swiftly recalls her other sword to ram into Tiro Finale and help her redirect it miles away into the ocean where it explodes.

The soul gem drops, tumbles, and rolls conveniently next to Madoka, and she takes it in her hands. Her magic aura sets out to heal her charred right hand that held Tiro Finale at bay as well as her other wounds while she gently rubs her left thumb along the tainted soul gem, cleansing it of the darkness.

Homura regenerates her hand that is severed and places a now-docile Mami next to Kyouko before finally descending from her throne. Madoka is halfway done with healing as the musket bullets in her body are ushered out from the holes they had entered. The twin sabers disintegrate when Homura stops five feet in front of her.

"You have the resolve, the strength, and the intellect. But tell me, Madoka, do you have the heart to kill me?"

Madoka's bow materializes again, and she notches an arrow as her answer.

"This will be the last time, Homura-chan."

Homura's eyes harden and she reverts back into her original magical girl outfit, pulling the 9mm handgun from the time dimension clock disk. Madoka acknowledges her and does the same, reverting back into her original pink magical girl outfit. She can see the reminiscence in Homura's face, and she wonders if there is any possible way for this fight to be avoided. But when Homura fires the first round, Madoka shoves that thought to the back of her head just as she remembers doing in the numerous timelines before.

Madoka sprints to avoid Homura's attacks and hides behind a wall of debris. She aims her arrow up and imbues it with multiplying magic as well as homing target sensor magic before shooting into the sky. The rhythm of Homura's footsteps beating into the ground are like drums in Madoka's ears and when she hears the tempo shift, her eyes quickly scan her surroundings. A pipe bomb has been placed next to her, and in the fastest way possible, she traps it in a space gravity ball and sends it flying into the air.

Madoka crouches and braces herself as the explosion is still powerful even when she had doubled the radial area. Homura's time stop magic is far too dangerous, and Madoka rakes her brain on how to even the playing field. Unless she is somehow connected to her, there is no way she can counter it, and if she can't figure that out, it's checkmate.

Homura appears in front of her now, submachine gun kissing her forehead, and Madoka executes a sweep kick in less than a second. Her hand juts out to subdue Homura's own that controls the machine gun and makes a quick motion to eject the cartridge. Homura reaches her other hand into the clock disk, but Madoka beats her to it and thrusts her hand in first to take whatever weapon is inside.

Madoka rips out a shotgun pistol and aims down at Homura's legs to immobilize her, but it proves futile when Homura regains her footing and kicks a knee up to redirect the shot, missing her shoulder by a hair. Homura wrestles out of Madoka's hold with a simple straight punch to her stomach, and that is all it takes for her adversary to disappear as she clutches her abdomen while reaching for her bow.

Bullets punch into the debris wall Madoka hides behind as she formulates a plan. She shoots more multiplying magic arrows out before dashing out from behind the tattered wall. Homura aims for her, but she matches each bullet with an arrow to counter it. She imbues her next four arrows with explosion magic and fires them in a path in order to force Homura down from the ledge.

The next arrow is tagged with space gravity magic, much like the one she used for the pipe bomb, and she aims for the area she predicts Homura will fall. Again, it proves useless as Homura disappears to avoid the entrapment. Madoka senses a chill and activates her barrier to deflect gun fire from behind. Madoka fires enhanced speed arrows in reply and watches as Homura disappears again.

The fight is going nowhere, and Madoka has to force herself to stay calm less she leaves herself open for Homura to advance. Just when she ducks behind a broken pillar and readies an arrow, a blue tint paints the surrounding area. Somehow, Madoka has bypassed Homura's time stop magic, and she examines her surroundings before noticing the small lock of glowing raven colored hair that is underfoot, likely a product of an arrow narrowly missing Homura.

She wonders how it is possible but concludes that the hair must still be organically connected to Homura, allowing her to move within the stopped time. Carefully, Madoka gathers it up and ties it together, dropping it into the pocket of her skirt. Slow and steady footsteps approach her, and she stares up at Homura who is just as surprised as she is.

"You've managed to bypass my time stop magic."

Madoka pauses but then nods and pats her pocket before standing up. Homura pulls out her automatic TMP, and the battle resumes again. Madoka keeps up with her and knows that she is aiming for her pocket as that is the key keeping her in the fight. Her arrows fire in the predicted path Homura dashes in, but they are unable to hit their target.

Homura fires her TMP cartridge empty before tossing it aside and pulling out an automatic shotgun. Madoka sets a barrier with a larger radius around her to stop the explosive shotgun rounds and readies three arrows: one with explosion magic and the other two with gravity entrapment magic. Homura is able to dodge the first explosion one by leaping into the air, but the second gravity one nicks her thigh and successfully slows her which allows the final gravity one to strike her forearm dead on.

The clock disk is enclosed in the gravity magic bubble where Homura is unable to access it, and she aims the shotgun at the joint of her elbow in an attempt to free herself. However, Madoka stops her by firing another gravity magic arrow, trapping both of Homura's arms now. She shoots two more at Homura's legs as a precaution before slowly advancing towards her struggling form.

"Do you really have the heart to kill me, Madoka?"

Madoka stops in front of Homura and raises her notched arrow with heavy breaths. Determination is solid in her golden hues as magic infuses the arrow.

"Don't make me do this, Homura-chan."

There's a mocking tone in Homura's eyes as she smirks. Madoka's hands tremble as she forces the bow further and further until it near howls of breaking in two. The rage and angst in Madoka's eyes twist to insane levels as she screams and begs for Homura to stand down, but the latter refuses to budge and dares her to shoot if she can.

"DON'T MAKE ME DO THIS!"

The magic arrow blazes and flares to gargantuan size, as if to match Madoka's emotional state, before ultimately releasing. It shoots true through Homura's chest, shattering the witch gem hidden inside. Astonishment fills Homura's face as she coughs black blood. The gravity magic has faded, and her fingers slowly reach for the hole, clutching at its edges.

Madoka's bow lowers as more of the black blood spills past Homura's lips. The battle is over and Madoka abandons her weapon, tentatively reaching a hand to Homura who has fallen to her knees. Then suddenly, Madoka is forced back and pinned to the ground. Fingers are squeezing her throat, and she gasps for air desperately. Her own hands are clutching Homura's wrist in a hard attempt to ease the pressure as warm droplets hit her forehead and cheek.

The black blood is seeping out of Homura's left eye as her fingers tighten, and Madoka miserably writhes in pain. She feels Homura's other hand reach for the pocket of her skirt and pull out the lock of hair that had allowed her to bypass the time stop magic. A victory grin graces Homura's bloody lips as she calls checkmate in this fight.

Madoka feels her head becoming light and her words come out garbled under Homura's death grip. The fingers around her throat ease slightly as Homura curiously yearns to hear her final words before time reverts back to that first day in school where they will start over once again.

"...Don't… make me do this… Homura-chan…"

A crazed cackle erupts from Homura, and she crushes the lock of hair in her fist before charring it to a crisp in a black flame.

"I've won! You can't beat me Madoka! You never will! Just give up! Give up and accept this world I've created for you!"

Madoka chokes for air as Homura's fingers tense again in hysterical madness. Her vision begins to blur, and the small purple glint of Homura's ear climber earring catches her eyes before she closes them exhaustedly. The space between them quiets to a single breath when a faint high pitched whistling sounds in the distance as if something is moving at the speed of light.

A confused Homura checks left then right but notices nothing unusual as she gazes at a pained Madoka again. Madoka takes a haggard breath and her hands slacken around Homura's wrist. Her lips part as she takes another breath.

"...Come, Athena…"

Homura's brow creases in confusion, and the whistling grows in volume. Her ruby red eyes then go wide as she whips her head around but it is already too late as a ball of pink flashes past her cheek and into the ground.

Madoka cracks open her eyes and studies the disbelief in Homura's own bloody ruby reds. The hold around her neck releases, and she turns to see Athena, her sentient magic arrow that had obliterated Homura's witch gem, plunged into the ground. It fizzles and fades in a second where Homura's earring is revealed, broken and shattered to pieces.

Homura seizes and chokes, clutching her chest in agony, and Madoka witnesses for the first time, in a long long time, the true Homura reappear. Her beautiful shy violets glisten in shame as her hand softens to a desolate touch upon the base of Madoka's neck. The hole in Homura's chest stops regenerating and instead slowly oozes blood that stains Madoka's dress. Her cheek is cupped in Homura's cold hand, and the tears betray her emotional self control as her dear friend strains to speak.

"...Are you happy… Madoka?"

Madoka breaks and drags Homura down close, embracing her fragile body. The black feathers fall apart as the wings fade to dust, ceasing to exist, and Madoka apologizes again and again for giving her those cursed wings. Body-racking sobs take over Madoka as Homura slips away, and it isn't long before she knows that her dear friend has departed, never to be seen again.

The sky warps and shifts as the witch labyrinth wanes to nothing, and the milky way lights the night sky. Rain soon begins to pour, and Madoka clutches onto the cold body in her arms with defeated purpose. It shouldn't have ended this way. She was supposed to have saved Homura. She was supposed to have stopped the birthing of witches. She was supposed to have given everyone their happy ending. Instead, she lies in a puddle of rain having accomplished nothing except forced freedom.

The battle is over, and the world is returned to normalcy, but Madoka keeps asking herself if the cost was worth it. How much more will she need to sacrifice and endure in order to keep this world alive? She asks herself that and keeps asking as she returns to her interdimensional space in the sky. Sayaka and BéBé are happily delving in cheesecake, unaware of what has transpired, as Madoka watches the world spin in routine. She sits and studies this white creature form contract after contract in exchange for wishes that grant only temporary bliss for a terrible price. And she is reminded that once upon a time, she too was like them: a fool.

Madoka deems herself a naïve idealist for thinking that such an asinine wish for a world with no witches can be happiness. Witches were never the problem, she thinks, and knows the true root of it all is this twisted system that profits the few on such misery of the many. If only she had known that fact earlier, things would be different. Her wish would be different. And she knows it's useless to hope because second wishes don't exist in this cruel world, but if they did exist, she deliberates on the plausibility of reversing this path she has set. And as she gazes at the tiny globe and ponders the fate of humanity, she closes her eyes, and then she thinks to herself: I wish for a free world.

- Author's Note -

Quifeng here. I have to say that out of all the character chapters, Madoka's was the one that made me do the most research to finish. To be honest, the reason is most likely that I have not watched the anime series or movies in quite some time. Not to mention that about 95% of this chapter is un-cannon material. Anyway, I hope you readers enjoy this chapter as much as the other ones. I know it reads a little differently as there is less inner soliloquy and more action, but I feel it fits since Madoka's personality is rather more passive and forcing her to fight shows the struggle she feels when facing her best friend, Homura. There's also the fact that I believe Homura would not go down without a fight no matter what, even if it is against Madoka. But more on Madoka, I have always thought that for a main character, she is quite forgettable. Though that seems to be the purpose as by the end of the show, she is erased from the world. As such, I find her psych a little more hard to read than the others. What are her motivations? What are her ideals? I was asking myself these questions constantly while writing this chapter. With this in mind, I wrote what I believe Madoka would have done if she broke from Homura's illusionary world.

After much contemplation, I concluded that Homura's mistake of revealing the nature of witches to Kyuubey might not have been a mistake at all. It's possible that Homura purposely did this in order to see Madoka again via Kyuubey turning her into a witch. Sure, it seems like a stretch but knowing Homura, she cannot live in a world without Madoka. And so after the third movie, I think that Madoka would have come to the same conclusion with the only option of freeing her friend by killing her. It may seem like an act to save the world, but it could as well be an amends to relieve the guilt she feels for pushing Homura to become a witch. Was it for the world? Was it for Homura? Or was it for her own self? I suppose that is an answer that can only be reached by each individual reader.

Well, I guess that sums it up. This marks the final chapter of this series though I may write and post an epilogue if I can. Otherwise, this is the end. Thank you for reading and I hope this fanfic was as equally enjoyable as well as thought provoking. It was fun to analyze and share where I think the psychological states of the characters were set. Like, follow, review, and stick around if you enjoyed this series, I may have more to offer in the future.