A farewell

The afternoon sun. This is a good reason for not attending the rooftop of the school at lunchtime. Most students prefer the shade of the trees in the courtyard when they want to eat outside.

Those that have the courage to face the heat, however, receive a privileged view of the city. Furthermore, the architects and engineers who designed the building gave a special touch to that place: access to the rooftop is adorned with beautiful gothic design towers, like the old churches built in the middle ages.

Lunch time was coming to an end and the courtyard began to empty. Soon all the students would be in the classroom. However, there was a single girl who stood alone at the rooftop, unmoving. She was not wearing the school uniform either.

Mami was contemplating her garments with nostalgia. A white shirt with a yellow bow tied at the neck along a brown corset on the shirt, enhancing her bust. A pastel yellow skirt and a brown cap with a white plume. Boots and pantyhose matching with the rest. Her magical girl outfit in all its glory.

And of course, the soul gem. It was in the palm of its owner with its yellow glow a little off because the recent use of magic.

Even with gloves covering her palms, which were non-slip, Mami almost dropped the gem on the ground. She was trembling, thinking of being face to face again with Homura. Memories from infirmary squeezed her heart.

Mami held her gem tightly. She could not go back. It made no sense to go back. Sooner or later Homura would find out. It was inevitable.

She felt a tug on her right arm. There was a ribbon tied to her wrist, stretching, going over the guardrail and descending. It warned that its work was done.

Mami gestured and the ribbon began to be pulled, as if she were using an automatic reel. Meanwhile, she took her gem to the side of her head and placed it in the center of a golden jewel, flower-shaped and which served as a hair pin. She took a deep breath. She could not show fear, she needed to believe in every word that would be said.

Soon the other end of that ribbon emerged, revealing a person bandaged to it. The long dark hair was already alerting that it was Homura. She went over the railing and fell to the hot ground like a sack of potatoes.

Homura, tumbling, got her hair scattered, like a fan. Her violet eyes immediately met those of Mami.

Mami joined palms and smiled. "My! My! What a great fish I caught..." When she separated both hands, between them emerged a gun. It was a long musket of dark metal with ornaments and stock of silver.

Wielding it, Mami went and pressed the muzzle in Homura's forehead. With her finger on the trigger, she expressed a confident look.

Homura just closed her eyes. Moving her head, she rubbed her forehead against the weapon. She gave a broad smile, as if it were a form of affection.

Mami picked up the gun. "Now we're even."

Homura opened her eyes and spoke in discontent tone. "We'll be quits if you let me go."

"You had your chance, Akemi-san." Mami said with serenity.

Homura rolled her eyes. "Then you will only loosen me if we have your conversation."

There was a pause, where Mami was looking and feeling along the raised patterns of her gun with her fingers. "Maybe."

"Fufufu." Homura's body contracts as she held a laugh.

"You know." Mami looked back at Homura with a tender smile. "I've never seen you laugh so much. I'm really happy to see it."

Homura frowned. "Well... Let's talk then. I start." She looked at the sun and kept her eyes open, it did not seem like it could blind her. "Beautiful Day, no? The weather is great."

"Just like yesterday and the day before." Mami acquired a more serious expression. "And all the previous days. In your world it doesn't rain?"

Homura became more tense, a vein showing on her temple. "Rain only brings melancholy and bad memories."

"And by erasing them, you think we'll be happy?" Mami answered promptly.

Homura looked at Mami again. "Tomoe-san. If I could... I would bring your parents back."

Now it was Mami's turn to become tense.

Homura continued. "So I looked for an alternative. Something, anything, less traumatic. A flight that disappeared in the middle of the ocean, without a trace. It sounded like a good idea."

Mami gritted her teeth.

Homura smiled. "Sixteenth of March. The day of their disappearance. Can you remember?"

Mami put her hand on her head, her breathing starting to shorten.

"You went to the beach with two spider lilies. You whispered something to those flowers, a message to your parents." The malice in the voice of Homura was growing. "You still believe that one day would see your parents once again…"

"STOOOP! It didn't happen! That. Is. A. LIIIE!" Mami shook her head and tightened her eyes closed with force. She screamed once more. "Stop playing with what is not YOURS!"

Homura, disappointed, spoke. "Wow. Such inelegance Tomoe-san. This is not still a conversation?"

Mami stopped completely, including breathing. The butterflies in her stomach began to spread. Somehow Homura, even on the floor and tied, still managed to 'hit' her.

"I'm doing this with the best of intentions. I assure you. Fufu." Homura continued. "But if you don't want it, you could kill me now."

Mami sought to calm down, sought self-control. "I said I'm not your enemy. What would Kaname-san think if I did that?"

"Madoka..."

Homura closed her eyes. A gust of wind further spread her hair.

"You created all this for her." Mami said what she already knew.

"Hmmm..." Homura opened her eyes. "You know why I didn't want to be taken away?"

Mami did not outline any response.

"It had the voice of Madoka, looked like Madoka, but it wasn't Madoka. Oh no..." Homura shook her head. "'It' was just a concept, a law."

"The Law of Cycles." Mami said.

"The Madoka I told you about, from my memories, was quite different. She was not a deity and yet, she was more important than anything." The expression of Homura glowed in happiness. "You saw how she really was when she was in my barrier, Tomoe-san."

"People change Akemi-san. If I remember correctly, you were also different there." Mami said calmly. The conversation was paying off, Homura was ope...

"AND YOU THINK I HAVE PRIDE OF WHAT I AM NOW?" Homura snapped before recovering her composure. "But when I saw I had the opportunity, I didn't hesitate, and I wouldn't hesitate to do it again if that gives the life that Madoka deserves."

"You're so devoted to her..." Mami realized that it was time to get an answer she had not figured out. "...Why is she so alone?"

"How so?"

"I know now she's just a transfer student and don't know anyone." Mami began to put the cards on the table. "I understand you don't want her to mix with us, that you don't want her to remember about the magical girls. But… why are you not with her?"

"S-she's not alone!" Homura raised her voice. "She has a father, a mother and a little brother. They all love her very much."

"Why are you not with her?" Mami now spoke like a mother wanting to find out what her daughter was hiding.

Homura was silent. She turned her head to escape the gaze of Mami.

"Akemi-san?"

"This is not an interrogation. I speak what I want and when I want." Homura once again turned to Mami, now impatient. "Are you satisfied? Soon the bell will ring and I don't want to be late for class."

Mami bit her lip. She had not gotten a specific answer. She only knew that subject bothered Homura to a point where she closed herself again. "Not yet. I want to know when."

"What do you mean?" Homura was confused.

"Months? Years?" Mami began counting on her fingers. "Decades perhaps? How long will stay that way?"

Homura was silent.

Mami smiled. "Today you and Kaname-san are in the same classroom. And then? One day she goes to college."

Mami looked at blue sky and began to wonder. "She spent a few years in the West, no? Maybe she'll back to traveling. Will you follow her? Or… One day she will meet someone. Start to form a family..."

"Fufu..."

"Can she get old? After all, I knew from other magical girls that the Law existed even before history."

"...fufufwahahAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH !"

Mami ideas were interrupted by Homura's laughter.

"HAHAHAhahaaahhh ..." Tears started streaming down Homura's face to wet the ground. "I won the day with this joke."

Mami got angry. "Akemi-san, this is not..." She did not finish, seeing the gaping and malicious smile of Homura.

"I will reward you for it. I will reveal to you something very simple to understand. You've always 'coped very well' with the truth." Homura said in sarcastic tone that even the greatest of ignorant could notice. A violet aura began to surround her.

Mami can feel the absurd magic that was being released at that time.

"I betrayed you ALL!"

Then an explosion of energy.

"Aaahhhh!" Mami shielded her eyes from the fragments of the bandage that flew all over the place.

When she could see again, Mami was amazed: The shadow of Homura was flying before her. No! There wasn't a shadow! It was Homura, who was wearing a dress and black wings. "A-akemi-san ?! What happened to you?"

Homura opened her arms and lifted her chin, looking disdainfully at Mami. "You can deny that you're my enemy all you want, but I AM YOURS!"

Mami did not expect that Homura had changed so drastically, including physically. It was surreal! And it was getting even more surreal when Mami noticed that the sky was getting violet. She looked at the sun. The moon was eclipsing it... well... only half of it.

"Oh yeah..." Homura smiled. "It's time for punishment."

"P-punishment?!" The heart of Mami seemed at throat. The musket she held trembled like bamboo in the middle of an earthquake.

"Oh?" Homura spoke in a sarcastic tone. "You didn't think, after all you did today, I'd it let go unnoticed. Huh?"

At that moment a flock of strange birds with black wings appeared in the sky. There were hundreds of thousands, if not millions of them, passing over the school. It brought a great shadow and started a shower of feathers.

Homura placed her chin on the fingers of one hand. "Hmm... You won't thank me for the conversation we had? This is your last chance. Fufu."

I will fight for us to be happy.

Mami held on tightly to her weapon. The promise she made to Nagisa echoed in her mind. It strengthened her.

I will fight.

Two lassos circled her musket. They shone in a bright yellow. When the light faded, the gun was in another form: a mini-cannon. Wielding with both hands, Mami pointed it towards Homura.

However, Homura did not seem too worried.

With a bang, the gun fired a ball made of ties. While flying towards Homura, it blossomed and revealed to be a great sheet of interlocking ties.

"You still trying to arrest me? Nonsense." Violet sparks were jumping between the fingers of Homura's hand. She hit the sheet as if she had claws and cut them apart.

Homura wanted to reveal her triumphant smile, but Mami was gone. At that time, she realized: the sheet was not to arrest her, but to block her field of vision like a magic trick.

Where?

A yellow light radiated from a higher point where Homura was. She looked up and saw that Mami had done a super jump and raised a huge cannon. Was six meters long and a gauge of 300 millimeters!

"Tiro..."

But it was not pointed to Homura.

"FINALE!"

And nothing happened.

Mami was perplexed for a moment, believing that the time had stopped, but the black feathers that kept falling said the opposite. Then she heard a strange sound from inside the cannon. Something was about to leave.

Tomatoes.

In various shapes and sizes, but all red, began to leave the mouth of the cannon. In the beginning there were a few dozen, but it soon became a torrent. They crashed to the ground, staining the rooftop with red. Mami had no words for what she was witnessing.

"You were bold." Homura started talking. "Shooting against the empty courtyard. The explosion would probably shatter half of the school's windows."

Mami looked at Homura. Tomatoes continued to fall and were already forming a mountain.

"You would like to have a large audience, right? It would give me a lot of work. However, I decide when the show ends." Homura made a snap with her fingers.

The gun disappeared. Mami returned to her school uniform and began to fall.

Fighting was useless. This was the realization of Mami. Homura was not merely very powerful, she literally had the keys of reality. Against that, nothing could be done.

Mami dived into the pile of tomatoes.

"Fufu." Homura laughed at the sound that this event generated.

Smeared, Mami came out with difficulty, slipping from the middle of the mountain. The black feathers began to stick to her body. And how heavy they weighed! It seemed that each feather has about twenty kilograms if not more.

That was another reason for Mami get out as soon as possible. The other was the fact that she still had a trump card: someone could have heard the sound of the mini-cannon shooting.

"Where are you going, Tomoe-san?"

Mami ignored Homura and tried to run toward the access, but she ended up slipping in a tomato and fell. The feathers on the ground glued on her. Even with plenty of effort, she could not get up with all that weight. She tried to take them off with her hands, but in vain. So she kept trying to reach the access by crawling.

More feathers to fall on her, the weight was crushing. She could not breath.

She can do worse. She can...

Mami remembered the tearful face of Nagisa and what she had said. Then came the faces of Kyouko, Sayaka and, in the end, Madoka.

"Sorry. I was stupid." A single tear fell down Mami's face before she succumbed.

／人 ◕‿‿◕ 人＼

"Run man!"

Two boys were coming up the staircase that led to the school's rooftop.

"It was really a gunshot?" One of the boys asked.

"Yeah! My grandfather has a collection of weapons. I can recognize that sound. It was a large caliber. I'm sure." The other, who was leading, replied.

"Iiiihhh! But if the school learns that we're walking with someone armed, we will get a suspension order."

"Only if you open your big mouth." The leading boy replied. "Come on!"

／人 ◕‿‿◕ 人＼

Breathe!

Mami open her eyes as she forcefully pulled air into her lungs. She was still in a deplorable state, covered in tomato and feathers all over her body. At least the latter weighed now as they should be.

"What did you think of my punishment?"

Mami was face down and tried to turn around. Homura was flying above her, carrying a black feather. There were no more birds and the eclipse was coming to an end, but the sky was still purple.

"No air, right?" Homura was turning the feather in her hand. "Now you know how I felt at all times that you tied me up, gagged me, arrested me."

Mami had no breath to answer. In addition, an answer could only make matters worse. At least she was still alive.

Homura looked at Mami and revealed a sly smile. "This punishment was nothing compared with what I'll do with that witch."

If she wanted a response from Mami, she had achieved it.

"Wait!... Ah... ah... she has not.. nothing to do with it."

Homura winced in an act of pure anger. "She has EVERYTHING to do with it. You're proof of that."

Mami was confused by what Homura was saying.

Homura calmed down and smiled again. "Don't worry Tomoe-san. You will not suffer, for I vow to erase all the memories you have of her. It will be as if she never existed."

Mami's eyes widened and started shaking. Taking in a gulp of air, she yelled. "DON'T! DON'T DO ANYTHING WITH BEBE!"

Homura closed her eyes, looked like she pondered about the appeals of Mami, then dropped the feather she was holding and said. "I'll tell her you sent a farewell. Fufufwahaha..."

In a final act of desperation, Mami reached out toward Homura, trying to grab her. Before that, the feather fell on her eyes, the last thing she saw and heard was the laughter of Homura.

Now, in the midst of darkness, the only thing that Mami could still do was grab her memories with all her strength she had left. The texture of those long white hair, the warmth of the embrace. When those curious orange eyes appeared in the kitchen wondering what she was preparing. Or when she showed catalogs of numerous types of plants used for tea, trying to teach her foster child the art. Even the more disturbing memories, like when she woke up in the night because of the sound of grunts coming from the other room and then met Nagisa with a transformed face, crying because of a nightmare where she said she had hurt someone she loved very much.

But, ever slowly, the sounds, images and smells faded and she could no longer distinguish them over the darkness of the void.

"NNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!..."

／人 ◕‿‿◕ 人＼

After winning over the last flight of stairs, the boys opened the door leading to the rooftop.

There was only the sun and the blue sky.

"I swore that the shot came from here."

The bell rang.

"Idiot! Now we have to run to the classroom!"

／人 ◕‿‿◕ 人＼

"Bye Nagisa-chan."

"Bye Ayako-chan. See you tomorrow!"

In front of the school gate, Ayako went to her mother, leaving Nagisa.

Nagisa had to swallow the excess saliva in her mouth.

"Hmmm. Cupcake..."

That temptation reminded her of the recent incident in the bathroom. She needed to police her behavior always, she could not betray the trust that Madoka had put on her when they were rescuing Homura.

But there she was most of the time with Mami. In this world the torture was now too much. The school was like a huge glass jar fulled of delicious things.

Nagisa was lost in these thoughts when she was hit by a strong wind that made her hair flutter in her face, forcing her to protect her eyes.

When the wind was calmed down, Nagisa opened her eyes and saw the lights of the modern Mitakihara buildings. It was a familiar sight, but the angle was not: it was a point above the buildings. She was flying? The moon, cut in half, was high in the night sky. Why was it night? A moment ago it was still afternoon.

When Nagisa looked to the ground, trying to locate herself, she found she was in front of a cliff. A mere step forward and she would fall into the void.

"Welcome, Charlotte."

If that situation was frightening to Nagisa, that voice was even more. She turned and saw Homura, with a revealing black dress and dark feathers wings. That really was Homura?

The blood seemed to have fled Nagisa's body. She began to sweat cold, witnessing a smile forming on Homura face.

"H-hi? W-who are y-you? Who is C-charlotte? Hehe. Eh... My name is Nagi..."

Homura slapped Nagisa's face so hard that knocked her down. She almost fell into the gorge.

"This is no place for lies, witch." Homura said in a cold tone.

Nagisa was lying face down and not moving.

"You'll pretend to faint?" Homura rolled her eyes. "If you're wanting to buy time for Tomoe-san. It's no use. I took care of her."

Nagisa clenched her fists. "Did you..."

"She sent a farewell to you. Fufu." Homura said.

Nagisa stood. Her face had turned in the Charlotte witch. Her colorful look, fixed in Homura, was pure hatred and made a point of showing her sharp teeth.

Homura laughed. "Hohohoho! Now we're talking."

Nagisa's body for a moment radiated a strong orange light and then her clothes had changed. She wore a cap of dark chocolate color, decorated with a fake pair of cat ears and pom-poms hanging on the end of long wires. She wore an orange shawl over a dark bra, her belly was exposed. Another piece that was also of chocolate color was her inflatable skirt with suspenders, a color lavender gem in the form of a sweet faced the belt buckle. Finally, could not be different, half brown pants with polka dots to complete her vestments of magical girl... when she was one.

Nagisa stood, ready to start a fight, even if that could be her last.

But Homura showed herself to not be there for that. "She's fine."

Nagisa did not relax her position.

Homura continued. "Well... She'll need a bath. You know. Tomatoes."

Nagisa tilted her head to the side and gave a grunt. "Huwr?"

"She's not the problem I have to solve." Homura pointed a finger at Nagisa. "You are."

Nagisa relaxed her stance and began to point to herself.

"Yes. You may not be aware, but your colleague, Sayaka Miki, has caused me problems." Homura said, growing more serious. "She's always recovering her memories. Today she is... tamed, but is still a threat."

"Why are you telling me this?" Nagisa spoke with her voice distorted.

Homura looked at her left hand. "Don't you understand? What are you two have in common? Huh?"

Nagisa did not actually answer the question, but her expression already indicated that she understood.

"I formulated a theory. It's called 'desire hierarchy'." Homura extended her left hand. "First comes the naive magical girls." She began to lift it. "When they see that their desire will only bring frustration for themselves, they mature and become witches." And lifted it again and stopped when a violet glow soon emerged on that hand.

In light appeared a soul gem, but different: it was a lilac ball inside an ebony trim that was shaped like a crown. Nagisa had never seen anything like before.

"Finally I come. Who transcended all that." The gem disappeared and Homura lowered her arm. "But you witches are closer to me in this hierarchy and seem to be able to resist to my powers."

Homura looked back at Nagisa. "Unfortunately I can't eliminate Sayaka Miki. She was a childhood friend of Madoka."

The heart of Nagisa began to pound, she already foresaw where Homura was getting at.

"But you?" Homura grinned. "Especially now that I know that you're able to recover Tomoe-san's memories."

Nagisa lowered her head, accidentally letting her big tongue out, having to pull it back. Was she who had brought Mami back, even if it was not the intention. The bond that the two had formed, still within the Homura barrier during the rescue, was very strong.

"Will you... kill me?"

"Kill you?" Homura said incredulously. "No. I've done it many times. I thought of something more useful. I'll banish you."

Nagisa looked up. "Banish?"

Homura continued. "You'll leave my world and return to the Law of Cycles. Is that what you call there? Well... you'll tell whatever or whoever is there that Madoka is very well here. Fufu."

Nagisa got on all fours and put her face on the ground. "DON'T! I don't want to go there!"

Homura raised her eyebrows. "I gave you a choice?"

Nagisa began to sob. She emitted a sound like the yelp of a dog. She showed her face: Purple tears contrasted with the white facial skin.

"Tears of a witch? How touching." Homura gave a sarcastic smile.

"I-I went back to being a girl. I behaved well. Sniff. I made up friends at school. I am happy here." The tears continued to fall.

"I can't leave you with Tomoe-san." Homura answered, bored.

"I'll do anything!" Nagisa lie down again. "I'd rather DIE to go back there!"

Homura was surprised by that statement. Memories of the recent past populated her mind. Memories of a field full of flowers.

I would never want to go somewhere I could never see anyone again.

"Charlotte." Homura paused, her lips trembled. "Do you treasure this world? Do you consider stability and order more important than desire?"

／人 ◕‿‿◕ 人＼

Another morning in Mitakihara.

Mami Tomoe was on her way to school, running. Usually she was one of the first to arrive in class, but today started bad. She woke up smelling like a tomato! Ended up taking a long bath, almost thirty minutes just to wash her hair.

On the way she passed next to a table with a dark umbrella without noticing its residents, not that she could with less haste.

Homura, sitting in one of the chairs available at that table and wearing the school uniform, watched Mami.

"Like I said. She's fine." Homura addressed these words to the other person sitting at table.

Nagisa kept looking at Mami until she went through the school gates.

"And she will remain that way as long as you don't approach her. Do we have a deal?" Homura supported her head with her hands.

The orange eyes Nagisa avoided Homura. Her mouth was open with the intention to mention something.

"Charlotte?" Homura said.

"Th-thank you A-akemi-san ..."

"Don't thank me." Homura said in a cold tone. "I didn't do it for you, but for what I believe."

Madoka, also without noticing, passes next to the table too.

"Well... classes are about to start." Homura smiled. "Shall we go?"

Next chapter: Land of the good-for-nothings