Next day, at the end of school, Homura received yet another sudden invitation; only this time, it was the Student Council that requested her presence.
Another one? If this is anything like yesterday, then the organization I'm about to meet with is also filled with devils.
She distinctly recalled hearing a group of students mentioning that the head of the Student Council, Souna Shitori, was good friends with Rias Gremory. If that's the case, then it is almost a certainty that she is a devil as well.
Walking into the clubroom behind a student named Tsubaki Shinra, who had led her here, she noted that the area seemed to be highly organized and tidy. The other students in the room were all working diligently while a young, bespectacled woman with black hair directed them.
"Kaichou? I've brought her."
"Thank you very much, Tsubaki-san. I'll take it from here."
Tsubaki nodded before heading to one of the unoccupied desks to begin working.
The president of the club regarded Homura with a critical gaze, before bowing slightly and introducing herself. "Akemi-san, was it? I heard about what happened yesterday, so I'll drop the pretenses." She straightened up and adjusted her glasses. "My real name is Sona Sitri, and I too am a devil, as is everyone else on the Student Council." She clasped her hands behind her as she adopted an apologetic tone. "I would like to apologize on Ria's behalf for how she confronted you the other day. She was rather distraught over the effect you had on one of her Peerage members. Her family is renowned for the care and affection they show their servants, and she is no exception. This led to her confronting you in a rather brash manner, which no doubt did not leave a very good impression of the devils here. Your rather drastic exit was understandable, given the circumstances."
Homura nodded at the other girl's assessment of the situation. "I understand. She was defending something she held dear from what she perceived as a threat, and I can respect that."
Sona visibly relaxed at Homura's words. "I am glad to see that you are being considerate. Rias told me that you claimed that Heaven has no intention of further conflict, and I would like to say that the majority of the Devil faction feels the same way."
Homura raised an eyebrow at the particular choice of words. "A majority, you say?"
Sona grimaced and coughed a little. "There are a few dissenters who foolishly follow the original Satans' ideals of world domination, known as the Old Satan Faction. I assure you that the current government of devils has nothing to do with such a barbaric group."
Homura replied, "I see . . . well, I am glad to hear that your race is governed by reasonable people."
Sona nodded in response. Suddenly her eyes narrowed, and her voice grew sterner. "However, while the manner in which Rias confronted you was improper, her reason for doing so was not." Her eyes seemed to bore into Homura as she spoke. "As a member of a faction operating in another one's territory, you should have first sought permission from those managing the land first."
"Ah, my apologies. While I knew beforehand that this was devil territory, I did not know the proper protocols for introducing myself. I did not mean to cause any trouble."
Sona's face relaxed once she was certain her point had been made. "If you are here merely to manage the church nearby, then I see no reason to prevent you from doing so, as long as you do not create any more incidents." Suddenly, she gained a glint in her eyes as she glanced at a chessboard sitting on a nearby table. "Say, do you play chess, by any chance?"
Homura was briefly startled by the sudden change in topic. "I know the rules, but I can't say that I have played very often."
"That's fine. How about a match?"
She frowned but couldn't find a good reason to refuse. "Very well then."
Several of the other students immediately got up and began rearranging tables to better accommodate the match. The pieces and board were quickly set up, and within moments Homura found herself facing Sona across a chessboard. "That was certainly a fast transition."
Sona smirked as she replied, "Chess is a favored pastime of mine, so I suppose you can say that they have a lot of practice setting up."
The game began, but it quickly became apparent that Sona was a veteran of the game who could outmaneuver Homura at every step. Soon, Homura's king was exposed to attack, and once that happened, she was quickly checkmated.
Sona leaned back in her chair as she delivered her analysis of the game. "For a beginner-level player, that was not bad. You tend to focus too much on a select few of your pieces while neglecting the rest, which allowed me to amass easy captures."
Homura nodded silently as she digested the results. Eventually, she asked the question that had been lurking in the corner of her mind. "Do you ask everyone that comes here to play a chess match with you?"
Sona raised an eyebrow, then gave a small laugh. "I've been found out, I see. I admit that our friendly match just now was more than just me wanting another opponent to play against." She steepled her hands as she continued. "My sister is in charge of Foreign Affairs for the devil government, and although she can be insufferable at times, she works very hard to achieve the peace that we all wish for. I would like to ease her burden where I can, and if that involves building friendly relations by socializing and cooperating with an agent from another faction, then I am perfectly willing to do my small part for the sake of the grand scheme of things."
"I see . . . your commitment to your goals is admirable."
"Thank you. Ah, I shouldn't keep you any longer, should I?"
They bade each other farewell, and as Homura walked away, she reflected that the peace that Madoka wished for might not be so impossible after all.
xxx
Several days passed, but one day, upon returning to the church, Homura found yet another person standing in front of the doors. This time, it was an ordinary looking middle-aged woman with chestnut-colored hair and her arms wrapped around herself, as if to protect herself from an unseen foe. She was trembling, clearly shaken by some recent event.
"Miss? Are you alright?" Homura asked with a concerned expression.
The woman turned around, revealing her haggard expression and red-rimmed eyes. "Oh, pardon me, but do you know if this church is open? I used to go here quite often as a child before it was abandoned, and right now I would really like . . . to pray again."
"Yes, this church reopened recently. In fact, I am one of the ones helping to maintain it," Homura replied.
"Ah, that's good . . . very good . . ." Despite the positive nature of her words, the woman's face was downcast, and her tone only held sorrow.
Homura frowned as she looked at the stricken expression on the other woman's face. She was familiar enough with despair to know all the signs of a spiral into depression. "Why don't you come in? I can prepare some refreshments for you."
The woman docilely followed Homura into the church. As they entered, a cheery voice spoke from the kitchen. "Welcome back, Akemi-san! I baked some biscuits for your return!"
Asia came out of the kitchen carrying a tray of baked goods that were (for once) not burnt. Upon seeing the new arrival, she slowed and asked curiously, "Oh? Who's that?"
Homura replied, "She came here to pray." She glanced over and noticed that the woman in question had shuffled past both of them and was now hunched over in prayer. Quiet, inaudible words emanated from her position.
Asia looked worried by the haunted expression she had seen on the woman's face, but Homura signaled her to be patient and give the woman some space. They sat down at a nearby table while they waited, silence filling the air between them. While Asia poured tea (without spilling this time) Homura bit into one of the biscuits, and found to her pleasant surprise that it was at an acceptable level of quality. It's still nothing compared to Mami's cooking, but it's good enough for serving guests and other people that might come here.
Suddenly, the woman stood up and began slowly walking to the exit, clearly done with her prayer. She looked no better after her brief session; her eyes were hollow, and her steps were slow and heavy as if she were walking to the gallows.
Normally, Homura would not have concerned herself with the business of strangers. Lifetimes spent focused solely on saving Madoka had desensitized her to the issues of others. But at that moment, she felt a little voice in her head telling her that it was a bad idea to let the woman go, that doing so would be the same as letting her walk to her death.
She couldn't say "no" to that voice. Not anymore.
"Would you like to talk about it, miss?"
The woman was briefly startled by the sudden offer. "No . . . no, I . . . wouldn't want to trouble you any longer than I have."
"I assure you that you would not be imposing. Won't you at least sit with us for tea and snacks? I do not believe that we can finish this by ourselves, and it would be a shame to let the food go to waste."
The woman seemed hesitant, but eventually, her posture relaxed, and she agreed to the offer. She sat down and bit into a biscuit while Asia poured her a cup of tea.
As the woman chewed, Asia fidgeted nervously. Eventually, she mustered up the courage to ask, "S – so, is it any good?"
The woman replied emotionlessly, "It's fine."
Asia seemed pleased by the response, even though it wasn't overly positive.
They ate in silence for a few minutes. Eventually, the number of pastries began to dwindle until there were none left. Once the woman seemed like she had loosened up a bit more, Homura decided to bring up her question again. "Now, do you feel more comfortable talking about it?"
The woman peered at her curiously, then said, "Aren't you a little young to be acting as a counselor?"
Homura replied, "Anyone is capable of lending an ear to someone that needs to be heard. I'm simply in the right place at the right time."
The woman nodded thoughtfully; eventually, her shoulders sagged as she began her story. "Today . . . was the happiest . . . and the saddest . . . day of my life. It was my newborn son's first birthday, and he had even begun walking by himself too. We were all so happy . . . until I suddenly collapsed. I was rushed to the hospital, and when I woke up, the doctor told me . . . that I had lung cancer, and . . . that I only had . . . a few years left to live . . ." She began sobbing, her emotions running wild. "Everything was going well! A steady job, a loving family, but now . . . now I won't get to see my child grow up! How unfair is that? Just when everything is right in the world, fate decides to play a cruel trick! Even now, I can feel it eating away at me . . ." Her voice petered out as began bawling, cries of anguish echoing in the vast space within the church.
Homura inwardly sighed. Although tragic, the woman's tale felt all too similar to that of many magical girls. The greatest despair comes after the brightest hope. After all . . .
Hope and despair always balance out to zero.
Isn't that right, Incubator?
Homura could only look on sadly as the woman fell to pieces. There was nothing she could do; her healing abilities were limited to the innate regeneration that all magical girls were capable of. Maybe this was a waste after all. I probably only made things worse by making her relive those memories.
"U – um, miss, . . ." Asia stammered, her voice thick with emotion. "I . . . I feel really . . . really sorry . . . for your family . . . and I want . . . to help you . . ."
The woman stopped crying and glanced at Asia with her tear-stricken face. She looked weary, clearly burnt out after voicing her grievances against the world. "What could you possibly do . . . that professional doctors can't. . .?"
Asia approached her. What she was about to do was something that had never worked before, but for some reason, she felt confident that it would work this time. She placed her hand on the woman's shoulder and concentrated.
Green light filled the room as a miracle was realized.
The woman was slack-jawed at the sight; slowly, her expression became more and more peaceful as the soothing light did its work.
Homura was also stunned; she had never expected the nun she had helped to have such a potent ability. If this is what she is capable of, then now I understand why the fallen wanted her.
Through the green light, she could see something unusual; a gloved hand was overlaid on Asia's. Her eyes trailed up, revealing a thin, slender arm, then the sleeve of a white dress. She finally reached the face, where she saw –
Golden eyes, white ribbons, and pink hair –
The apparition flashed her a brief smile and waved before vanishing, leaving Homura briefly frozen in shock.
Once the light died down, Asia pulled back her arm with a mildly bewildered expression, but she seemed content with the deed she had just accomplished.
The woman blinked rapidly as she reopened her eyes. Her expression grew shocked as she patted herself down, disbelieving. "I – I – I feel . . . normal? It . . . it doesn't hurt anymore. . .?" She looked over at Asia with awe. "That . . . that was . . . a miracle . . ."
"The Goddess heard your plea and saw fit to grant your wish," Homura said.
The woman looked at her, confused. "G – Goddess? But I thought . . ."
"God was a doting father that guided his followers justly; the Goddess is a caring mother that loves her children unconditionally."
The woman looked around and finally noticed the strange murals that would not be found in an ordinary church. She was briefly lost in thought, before finally deciding on a course of action. There was only one thing she could do, really. After all . . .
It's not every day that one's wish comes true.
She kneeled before the altar and offered up her thanks. "Thank you, Goddess, for your blessing on this unfortunate soul . . ."
After the woman finally left, Homura addressed the elephant in the room. "That was an impressive ability you displayed back there, Asia."
Asia looked abashed at the compliment. "I – It's my Sacred Gear, Twilight Healing. It lets me heal anyone, but usually, it only works on physical injuries . . . so I'm not too sure why it cured that woman . . ." She looked back up with a fire in her eyes. "But I'm glad it did! Al – although, I'm sorry that I kept it from you, Akemi-san."
Homura smiled as she replied, "It's fine. I have a Sacred Gear too, so I understand."
Asia looked baffled at the statement. "Wh – what, really?! What is it?" she asked.
However, Homura had already turned around and began heading back to her room. This afternoon has really been taxing.
She thinks back to that glimpse she had seen of the goddess. It really is ironic, that the one known as the Law of Cycles . . .
Was the one who broke the vicious cycle of hope and despair.
xxx
One day, Homura saw in the newspaper that several people had gone missing. The journalist noted that several disembodied body parts had been found as well and that detectives were working to find out if they belonged to any of those missing. Body parts? That doesn't sound like anything an ordinary human would do, and I doubt the devils at Kuoh would do anything like that.
She recalled Michael's lecture on devils and the category known as "Stray Devils." They were devils that had gone rogue, forsaking their masters and causing chaos while their powers ran rampant. Could the cause be something like that?
Either way, the matter seemed serious enough for her to investigate. At night, she quietly slipped out of the church so that she did not disturb Asia. She quickly transformed and teleported to the rooftops to gain a better vantage point. She glanced down at her Soul Gem; the vibrant violet glow had grown murky. She focused on the Sacred Gear in her soul, and the furnace churned to life. Purple fire coursed through her gem, burning the darkness away, leaving her with a soothing sensation. That should last me for a while.
She held out her Soul Gem in front of her and took note of the closest source of magical energy. This might lead me to the wrong target since magic is much more abundant in this world, but this is my best lead at the moment, so I'll just have to stick with it.
She made a long chain of jumps while minimizing the size of her wings to avoid attracting any unwanted attention. The source should be somewhere around . . . here!
Luck was with Homura, as she spied a grotesque figure munching on the corpse of a human. The monster had a warped body with arms that ended in sharp needles, bulging muscles with sickly-colored veins, and a deformed face that was heavily scarred. What a disgusting creature. I suppose I'll do both of us a favor and end it quickly.
Her black bow quickly responded to her call, and as she drew an arrow back, she infused the tip of it with holy fire. This should be enough.
The arrow flew without a sound. It pierced the creature's head, killing it instantly. The Stray Devil staggered, mouth open in a silent scream before it collapsed next to the body of its victim. The flames quickly spread throughout its body, consuming it in a raging inferno that quickly died out.
Homura flipped her hair as she dismissed her bow. I suppose I'll have to ask one of the devils in charge to clean this up for me.
As she turned around and prepared to leave, she noticed that her Soul Gem was picking up a large source of magical energy nearby. Another one? It must be strong if it is giving off this kind of a signature. I should go deal with it as well.
She spread her wings and quickly made her way to the area indicated by the gem. However, upon arriving, she found an unexpected scene.
Rias Gremory and her peerage surrounded a monstrous creature with the upper body of a woman and a lower body that seemed similar to that of a centaur. The most unusual feature was a cavity on her stomach that seemed to hold gnashing teeth.
She watched as Yuuto dashed in and out while he attacked, aiming for the creature's arms to hinder its ability to fight back. Koneko circled around, capitalizing on Yuuto's distractions to land a good hit whenever she could. Akeno stayed further back, charging up lighting in her hands and releasing it when she had a good shot lined up. Rias stood on the sidelines, seemingly instructing the brown-haired boy that stood next to her.
Eventually, the group managed to wear down and incapacitate the Stray Devil, allowing Rias to walk up to it and disintegrate the creature with her power.
Now that the skirmish was over, Homura decided to make her presence known. She leaped down and landed gracefully, among the surprised gazes of those in the Occult Research Club.
Rias looked startled as well, but quickly composed herself. "Akemi-san? I did not expect you to be out so late."
"I sensed some trouble nearby, so I took care of it," Homura replied. "Unfortunately, it left quite the mess behind."
"I see . . . I'll take care of it then." Rias looked troubled as she gazed at Homura thoughtfully, but eventually seemed to come to decision. "Do you have a spare moment? I would like to have a private conversation."
Homura, seeing no reason to refuse, nodded. They left the rest of the Occult Research Club behind and ducked into a nearby alley.
"So, what is it you wished to discuss?" Homura asked.
Rias seemed hesitant, but eventually, she voiced her thoughts. "First of all, I would like to apologize for my brash confrontation with you the other day. I overreacted and provoked you over a mere misunderstanding."
"It's fine. Sona already explained everything to me."
Rias looked relieved. "Did she now? I guess I owe her one then." She shuffled her feet nervously, clearly uneasy about the next topic. "It might be presumptuous of me to ask this after apologizing, but I need your help with something."
Homura raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What could one affiliated with the church do to help in a devil's affairs?"
Rias's eyes narrowed and her voice gained a bitter edge. "My family wishes for me to partake in an arranged marriage. My fiancé, to put it lightly, is insufferable. He only wants me for my family name; he doesn't see me as an individual. I'll just be another stepping stone on his path to fame. I have no desire to marry someone like that, so our families proposed that our disagreement be settled by a Rating Game." She glanced at Homura. "Do you know what that is?"
"I know the basics."
"That's good. In any case, while it is a chance for me to break away from this ill-conceived match, the odds are not in my favor." She grimaced as she continued. "Riser, my fiancé, has a full peerage, whereas I still have several Evil Pieces left over. Additionally, he is a member of the Phenex clan, who are renowned for their powerful regenerative abilities. To top it off, my newest recruit was not as promising as I had hoped."
Homura recalled the new face she had not seen before. "You mean that brown-haired boy?"
Rias nodded. "Yes; while he has a powerful Sacred Gear, one of the Longinus in fact, it's not particularly impressive when combined with his weak attributes." She smiled fondly. "He's eager to please, and I hope to make something great out of him one day . . ." Her face fell. "But someday is not soon enough. We have a week to train and prepare, but I fear that it will not be enough to compensate for our significant numerical disadvantage."
"And how exactly am I supposed to help with this? Only devils can participate in Rating Games, as I recall."
Rias looked at Homura hopefully. "Well, if you joined my peerage –"
Homura cut her off. "Sorry, not happening."
Rias smiled ruefully. "It was worth a shot." She seemed despondent as she turned and began walking away, her footsteps slow and heavy. "I'm sorry for the trouble."
As Homura looked at the girl walking away from her with such a forlorn expression, she felt a twinge of guilt in her consciences. It evoked something that Madoka had said in a previous timeline.
Magical girls are those who spread hope! Wouldn't you agree, Homura-chan?
She let out a sigh before calling out. "Wait."
Rias turned back around with a perplexed expression. "Hmm? Was there something else?"
Homura can see a glimmer of hope in the other girl's eyes. "While I cannot directly aid you, I may be able to assist in a more much subtle manner. Tell me, are items allowed for Rating Games?"
Rias furrowed her brows as she attempted to recall the rules. "I do not recall any regulations restricting what items may be used."
"In that case, I will prepare an item that will give you the firepower necessary to bypass Riser's regeneration."
Rias's eyes widened in happiness. "Re – really? Thank you so much! How can I repay you for this?"
"You need not concern yourself with payment for this matter."
Homura left before Rias could make any more offers of repayment. After all, she had a long night ahead of her. It's been a long time since I've made a bomb; hopefully, I'm not too rusty.
When she got back to the church, she quickly headed downstairs to set up a makeshift workshop. She found an old stash of holy water as well as some other parts that she would need for her project. Her body seemed to move automatically; years of making munitions to fight witches had ingrained the skill into her body to the point that the process went smoothly, even after a long period of disuse and the rather unorthodox application.
By the time she was finished, the sun was already beginning to rise. The fruit of her labors was settled on the table in front of her, a strange-looking contraption that looked like a bomb, but was smaller than most. When it detonates, it will douse the area with holy water. I also infused it with some holy fire to give it a bit of a boost. Hopefully, this will be enough.
Homura blearily looked at the rising dawn and decided that school could wait. I'll go to sleep and wake up around the time school ends to give the bomb to Rias.
She climbed the stairs to her room, exhausted after the long night, collapsed on her bed, and immediately fell asleep. However, her dreams did not see fit to give her a peaceful rest; instead, they dredged up old memories.
xxx
In the new world created by the one she loved, she lost her ability to manipulate time.
No longer could she travel back in time; no longer could she dwell on the past and all the possibilities she could have taken. Instead, she gained the ability to manifest a beautiful pair of wings.
The first time she saw them, she thought they were stunningly beautiful. Pure white feathers, untainted by the darkness of sorrow and regret. Looking at them, she felt the burden and worries of countless prior timelines melt and fade away. With them behind her, she felt like she would be propelled to a bright, new future.
Sadly, that was not to be the case.
After all, the one she truly wanted to be with . . .
Was no longer within her reach.
Despite the promise of a hopeful future, she could never soothe the emptiness in her heart.
xxx
She soon discovered that her wings were not merely for decoration.
They gave her an ability just as potent as her previous one: the power to manipulate space. It had its limitations of course; she could only affect objects and people that were touching her, and she could only use it while her wings were manifested.
But combined with the black bow and arrows she was now able to materialize, it was enough for her to be able to dispose of the wraiths in the new world with ease.
Years turned into decades, then into centuries. The people she had known in her past lives all died or were taken by the Law of Cycles. She wandered the world, searching for purpose in her empty life. Numerous times she considered just giving up and allowing herself to despair.
But deep in her heart, she knew that Madoka would be disappointed if that was how they were reunited.
Besides, she had too much experience clinging to hope to give in now. And so, she continued to move from place to place, killing wraiths and occasionally helping those in need.
But one day, something unexpected occurred . . .
Time and space are often likened to fabric.
And every fabric eventually wears and tears.
Homura's continuous use of her powers eventually ripped open a hole in reality.
She found out the hard way after falling in.
xxx
The first thing she noticed about the realm was the sheer emptiness of it. Aside from a few stone statues floating here and there, the void stretched out as far as the eye could see.
Well, except for the giant, red dragon doing cartwheels in the middle of the dimension. "Oh? A new arrival? Haven't had one of those in a while."
The dragon flew up in front of her, and she could only blankly stare at the impossible creature. She should be afraid of such a monstrosity, but her centuries of life had desensitized her to something as mundane as fear of death.
"Oi. Stop staring at me. It's irritating."
She blinked at the dragon's rude tone, and eventually found her voice. "My apologies. I didn't mean to intrude on your territory. I would leave, but I'm not entirely sure how I got here in the first place."
The serpentine creature circled her and inspected her curiously. "Hmm, you haven't died from the sheer nothingness in here yet. And you don't show even an ounce of fear. You're no ordinary human, that's for sure." He stopped in front of her and closed in until his snout almost touched her face. "You don't look your age, do you? You remind me of another being who doesn't look her age. You two even look alike; emotionless faces, long black hair, and smooth silky skin."
The dragon grimaced and glanced off to the side. "Now if only she would stop pestering me and trying to chase me out of here."
Homura blinked, more confused than anything by the brief tangent. "What are you talking about? Who are you anyway, and what is this place?" she asked.
The dragon's head snapped back towards her. "Huh? Oh, don't worry about that. As for me . . ." He backed up and struck a majestic poise as he said, "I am the Apocalypse Dragon, the True Red Dragon God Emperor, the Dragon of Dragons!" His head lowered until it was on level with hers. "But you can just call me Great Red. As for where you are, you're in the Dimensional Gap, the boundary between worlds!"
Homura nodded slowly. "Well then, Great Red-sama, how do I get out of here?"
"I can show you the way out, but first . . ." The dragon peered inquisitively at her as he said, "You intrigue me, so I'm going to make you an offer. What if I told you I could make your dream come true?"
Homura was astonished by such an outrageous claim. "What? You don't even know what my dream is; how can you possibly claim that with such confidence?"
Great Red grinned at her, showing a toothy mouth full of sharp canines that could tear through flesh with ease. "When I was introducing myself, I omitted one of my titles because it didn't sound as cool as the others." He backed away and struck a poise again. "I am also known as the Dragon of Dreams!" He floated back down towards her. "Dreams are my domain, so I can tell you that I already know what you desire and that I can make it happen. So, what do you say?"
Homura could only stare dumbfoundedly at him as she asked, "You're saying . . . that you can make my wish come true?"
The sentiment brought back unpleasant feelings associated with the Incubator and the devil's pact it offered to naïve young girls.
She couldn't accept the offer until she knew more. "What are you getting in return? I doubt that you would just do this for free."
The dragon chuckled, a sound that was more akin to the rumbling of the earth. "A careful one, aren't you? Truth be told, I'm quite bored. There isn't exactly much here to do, and rarely anyone except that nagging Dragon God ever comes to visit, so I'm just doing this purely for entertainment's sake." He tilted his head at her. "But since you insist, you can just owe me a favor down the line. I won't be too unreasonable about it either. So, now that it doesn't feel so much like charity, what do you say?"
Despite his assurances, Homura was still indecisive. She had many bad experiences with making deals, and her natural aversion was hard to shake.
But still, if this offer was genuine, if her greatest desire could truly come to fruition—
"I accept."
Her voice did not waver or hesitate.
After all, she had already made one deal with the devil for the sake of her goals.
What was one more?
The dragon smiled at her. "Good, good. Now that's what I wanted to hear!" He began to twist and turn in his excitement. "Now, you're probably wondering how I'm going to make this happen. You want to be with that girl-turned-goddess, right? But you can't since in your world, she's on another plane of existence, and you aren't willing to kill yourself to get there. That about sum it up?"
Despite knowing about his claim before, Homura can't help but feel shocked at the sheer accuracy of his diagnosis. "Yes, that's correct."
"Now, what if I told you there was a world where Gods and humans could walk side-by-side? A world where deities and magical creatures are much more commonplace, where the lines between the mundane and the supernatural are blurred." Great Red leaned in closer. "In that world, even a human could touch a god. And you're much more than a human, aren't you?"
Homura's interest was piqued, but she was still skeptical. "And how would you plan to get her there? She won't just abandon her duties in the other world."
"She's a little goody-two-shoes, right? There's a position that just opened that would be perfect for her; I'll make sure she knows about it. As a goddess, she can probably split herself into fragments; she can just leave some of her consciousness behind to manage everything in the original world. After that, everything should handle itself."
Homura nodded slowly. "Yes, that could work. Appealing to her nature as a kindhearted person would most definitely do the trick."
"I'm such a genius, aren't I? Anyway, this other world has a lot of frightfully powerful beings. You're strong, but even you would just be a fly to be swatted by one of those behemoths. It would be unfortunate if you tangled with one of them and got yourself killed before anything interesting happened, so I'm going to give you a little help."
A purple flame appeared, dancing in front of her. It wavered around as it circled her, as if it were judging her. Suddenly, it stopped and dashed straight into Homura's body. She felt a burning sensation spread throughout her, centered on the hand where her Soul Gem resided.
"Huh, it took to you much better than I expected. It's a Sacred Gear known as Incinerate Anthem. With it, you can manipulate holy fire. Pretty neat huh? It'll fit into your new position quite nicely. It's also one of the thirteen Longinus, so if you get really good with it, you could even kill gods with it. Great for defending your goddess if she ever draws the ire of some other deities."
She gazed at her Soul Gem and noticed that the violent hue seemed much more vibrant, the color almost brimming with life. Red splotches danced around the edges of the gem, like the flickering of a flame. She recalled something that Madoka had told her in many timelines.
Your name is so cool! It means flame, right?
How fitting, Homura thought.
She turned her eyes back to the dragon she owed this opportunity to and bowed her head. "Thank you for this gift, Great Red-sama. I will use it well."
The dragon grinned back at her. "I'll be disappointed if you don't! But be warned -" He leaned towards Homura. "That Sacred Gear has a mind of its own; if it doesn't think you're worthy of it, then it'll leave you high and dry." He smiled at her, a fanged grin that instilled a feeling of caution. "Did you know that it represents the Holy Cross on which Christ was crucified? The gear is infused with the concept of self-sacrifice; are you prepared to bear its burden?"
Homura thought back to the hundreds of timelines she had spent trying to save Madoka. The blood, sweat, and tears she had shed, the emotions and relationships she had thrown away, and the pain and grief that she had persevered through after each failure were all for the sake of her single wish. "I am no stranger to giving something up if it will draw me closer to my goal."
Great Red seemed pleased by her response. He slowed to a stop as he stared off into the distance, concentrating on something only he could see. "Alright, I've arranged everything. Now it's only a matter of time before it begins. I can send you directly to her once everything is in place unless you wish to head back to your world first?"
Homura slowly shook her head. "There is nothing left for me back there now."
The words were sorrowful, but the tone that conveyed them was filled with hope.
Hope for a better tomorrow, for a reality where she could be reunited with the one she loved.
The hope that she had always been searching for.
"I'm ready at any time."
They waited there together, impassively. She couldn't tell the passage of time in the void — it felt like years, but it could've been seconds that passed by in the other worlds.
Eventually, Great Red grew bored and went back to performing somersaults and other acrobatic tricks in the nothingness that pervaded the space. When Homura began watching him, he grew irritated and told her to stop staring again.
So, she turns her attention back inward, lost in her thoughts. Her mind wandered, back to old memories of a more pleasant time. How long has it been since I sparred with Kyouko, or ate Mami's cooking?
The three of them had grown close together over the course of their lives protecting Mitakihara. Homura even considered them to be close friends, after a certain point.
But all good things must come to an end, as they usually do.
Kyouko, brash yet brave, was cut down from behind one day by a hostile magical girl. The severity of her wounds rapidly sapped her magic, and there was nothing they could do before it ran out and she disappeared. The two of them avenged their fallen comrade, but Mami too succumbed to despair over the grief of losing a friend and the guilt from killing another magical girl.
And thus, Homura was all alone, as she always knew she would be one day.
Her mind began to drift down avenues of memories of a lonelier time when a voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts.
"Hey. It's time." Great Red's voice shook Homura out of her stupor.
She quickly composed herself and nodded her assent. "I'm ready."
He returned the gesture. "Good luck," he said simply.
With that parting comment, Homura's world disappeared in a mass of swirling colors and flickering lights. When she opened her eyes again, she beheld a wondrous sight.
A young woman with beautiful pink hair and a long white dress was standing before a massive throne. There was no one else in the room, but the echoes of receding footsteps informed her that someone had recently left.
The woman turned around as if she sensed Homura's presence. "Homura-chan?" Large golden orbs widened in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
The magical girl walked forward and embraced her goddess tightly. "You know that I would follow you anywhere, Madoka." She leaned back and looked her loved one square in the eye.
"Why would another world be an exception?"
"I see . . ."
The goddess smiled gently and returned the hug. "I'm glad to see you again, Homura-chan."
She did not press the issue, nor did She ask Homura to explain.
Maybe She already knew this would happen, all along.
After all . . .
The omniscience of a god could be a fickle thing.
Great Red was right . . . Homura thought as she inhaled Madoka's scent. It was rich and fragrant, as befitting a goddess of hope.
Here, even someone as lowly as me . . .
She gazed longingly at her face.
Can touch someone as great as her . . .
She buried her face in the shoulder of the one she sacrificed everything for and cried out her hidden worries and frustrations. Slowly, she drifted to sleep, nestled in the arms of the one she held most dear.
Madoka smiled sadly as she ran her hand through Homura's hair.
Even if she knows her friend won't hear it.
"Thank you for everything, Homura-chan."
She still wanted to say it anyway.
Because no matter how often she does—
It would never be enough to repay her for everything she had done for her.