Betrayal
They say that when a person dies it seems like they are asleep.
Homura knew this was not true. While standing next to the body of Nagisa, she watched the pale, gray face of the fallen girl. There was no chest movement from breathing, as well as any eye movement under the eyelids.
At this time Homura remembered how Nagisa snored! She was a person who really announced when she was sleeping.
Despite the clean night sky, snowflakes began to fall over the plain, making company to a veiled cry.
Even if Nagisa was not sleeping, even with all that dry, dark blood, she had a semblance of peace.
"Wherever you're going, I hope you find your mother."
"oNlY If sHE iS In HELl!"
Homura squinted toward a column of blue liquid, which stood in the middle of a pile of metal debris. "YOu SHOuLd kNoW ThIs, bECaUSE yOu SaiD YoU wERe tHErE."
Homura approached, leaving the body of Nagisa behind.
The column was gaining volume and size, a pair of large dark blue eyes that seemed to be painted with gouache paint, emerged. "A tRAIToR GRIEviNg fOr AnOTher TrAiTOr..."
Homura looked away. "She was... a witch..."
"ANd sHe WAsN't ONlY tHAt For YOu. I SMeLl aNd TAsTE yOUrS tEaRs From HeRE, DeVil. tHEY'rE DeLiCIOus."
Homura pursed her lips.
"yOu NEvER sToPPEd To tHInk tHAt tHE PEoPLE cLOsE tO YoU aLwAYs dIE?"
The column reached the height of fifteen meters, the metal pieces began to move through the liquid to their proper places.
"FoR tHis IS tHe MiSERy tHAT YOur LiFE dESerVeS, HOmUra akEmI."
"Misery loves company."
Homura spoke again to that monstrosity that was rebuilding. "I don't know if you're Miki-san or if there is at least some remnant of her, but I'll tell you something." She smiled. "I know Kyouko Sakura recovered her memories."
Blue eyes crinkled as well as all the column of blue liquid.
"I believed she could convince you to improve your behavior, but I see it's not true." Homura began to crack the joints of her fingers. "She has no use anymore in staying with you, I think I'll send her to Kazamino. No... Maybe with Tomoe-san? They lived together... umm... ah! I know!"
The column was gaining arms and its ends began to emerge swords. The set of metal parts already represented an armor.
"What about her living with me?" Homura frowned. "Then would you kill her too?"
The pieces that make up the helmet had already capped those monstrous eyes, but they were not required to express the anger. "eVen iF I DIe, yOu'Re COnDeMNEd!"
"Fufu. But you will live, oh yes... you will..." So Homura was came with a very serious expression. "I already gave you many chances. Do you think your life was bad? I'll guarantee that."
Oktavia still had not fully recovered, missing the tail and iron gauntlets, but did not wait more, she lifted her two large blades.
".kaew llits si ehS"
Homura did not hesitate, her eyes sparkled. She extended her open left hand to Oktavia and screamed. "BEGONEEEE!"
Instantly, the witch was gone. Nothing remained, not even her equipment or that blue ink. Neither her voice nor her ire.
The plain was getting white tones with the falling snow.
Now Homura was alone, really alone.
...You no longer need to hold it, Homura-chan. I'm with you...
"You... are not anymore..."
Homura hid the face with her hands and the snow became a downpour, washing some of the impregnated blood on her dress.
".gnisselb a si htaeD"
Homura protested tearfully. "Not for who is responsible for it."
It was a calculated risk. It was true that Sayaka would be hostile, just as likely that she would attack Nagisa. It was uncertain whether Sayaka accept her offer or not, and there was a small chance of turning into a witch. However, the possibility of Nagisa losing her life was considered minimal, should be minimal...
".ti esol ew retfa gnihtemos fo eulav eht ezingocer ylno eW"
"I... don't want to hear you." Homura said while revealing the face, making her tears mixing with the rain. The snow laying on the ground had been replaced by mud.
However, it was something else that caught her eye.
Her dress was evaporating, no, it was not the dress. The water? No, the steam was black...
The blood.
Homura turned and looked at the body of Nagisa, both it and the bloodstained dress was black and crumbling. The generated black smoke began to focus on a point in the air above the body.
In this point formed an object. Homura went and caught before it hit the ground.
The object fit in her hand, it was a metal globe with a long pin leaving out of the base. On top protruded an ornament in the form of a candy. Inside the globe could see small black spheres and between them there was a larger one, which has a form that resembled of a sweet too.
The rain stopped.
A grief seed! Homura thought exultantly. If there was a possibility of bringing back Nagisa, it was exactly what she had. She would have to collect grief, but nothing that a hunt of demons could not...
The object began to vibrate and small cracks appeared on the metal, for the astonishment of Homura. She knew very well that this was not normal, if the seed breaks...
"My desire will prevail!"
She held tightly the seed with both hands. The moon, in response to that, became purple and violet lines crossed the sky from it, connecting the stars, which were also becoming purple. The sky now had an appearance of a large spider web.
Under that new sky, the gem in the form of a crown left its resting place. Floating elegantly, the gem stood above her hands and began to glow so intensely that it enveloped Homura completely.
The earth trembled, as if in fear of the power of the demiurge. Perhaps, telling the truth, it never witnessed something similar.
When that light dome is gone, when the sky and the earth settled down, Homura was still concentrated, clutching that seed, anxious to know the result of her will.
Relaxing her hands, the seed jumped up and stood in the air, well above Homura. Spun at high speed like a top and pulsing a white light. Suddenly the light became continuous and began to take shape.
Soon the glow faded and a rag doll fell slowly. Homura received it in her arms. It was really Charlotte, but the doll was with dark eyes and expressionless.
Homura called. "Charlotte? Do you hear me?"
The doll puffed and out her mouth came the great serpent, which ascended into the sky. She bent in mid-air and went toward the ground. When she was close, she opened her big mouth and from it came a girl. She landed firmly on the muddy ground.
The doll and the snake withered and fell apart. The girl had her back to Homura, but the raven haired one was sure, by the magical girl's clothes and the long white hair under that pointy-eared brown cap, she was Nagisa.
Nagisa was looking at herself and groping. Then she turned. Her orange eyes showed amazement.
Homura began to approach, come to reach out, but hesitant. She had no words and did not know whether expressed joy for the miracle or regret due to guilt.
The one who broke that moment was Nagisa. "H-Homura-chan?"
Homura touched upon Nagisa's face with her fingertips. Feeling that it was real, she held that head and brought it close to her body.
Nagisa continued, full of doubts. "I thought I was going to die, I felt very afraid. You healed me? Why are you all wet?"
Homura pushed Nagisa away and bent to stand face to face. "Was not healing. You... well... when a witch is defeated, she leaves behind a grief seed. There was a time that we used it to purify our gems, but as the name suggests, the witch could reborn back from it."
"Seed..." Nagisa looked down. "You mean it?" She raised her left hand. As if passing through the skin and the fabric of her glove, her grief seed appeared and was balanced on the palm of her left hand. "Madoka said that our soul gem become this after we're led by the Law of Cycles. This means that I'm immortal?"
"I don't think so." Homura answered, a bit surprised by witnessing the seed. "If you believe that your seed is like a soul gem, you should be careful with it. You must protect it."
Nagisa reabsorbed the seed and smiled. "I'll do it." But asked again. "But why are you all wet?"
Homura released Nagisa. "I'm sorry." She turned her face and closed her eyes tightly, wanting to hold the new tears. "I was stupid, should have intervened earlier, I should never have put your live at risk."
"It's all right, Homura-chan." Nagisa ran a hand over Homura's face, to collect a tear that had managed to escape. "I was an imbecile. You said it yourself. I wanted to help, but you don't need me. What can I do? I have no relevance at all."
"No!" Homura opened her eyes, the tears fell. She held Nagisa's shoulders tightly. "Never say that! You're important as is. No need to prove anything to me."
"Homura-chan..." Nagisa expressed surprise.
Homura did not say anything for a moment, then stood up. "We must separate."
"WHAT! NO!" Nagisa nodded negatively.
"The path I have chosen only has one destiny and I must walk alone." Homura ignored the protest. "I can get a family to adopt you, they'll love you very much. Provided that you behave, you can live in peace."
Nagisa said weeping. "No! I like you."
"You should not!" Homura exclamated. "Don't make it harder."
Nagisa was crestfallen.
"It doesn't mean that you'll be free of me. I'll check on you periodically, witch. If you're happy, I'll be happy. Understood?"
"Okay." Nagisa said, still head down, but forming a slight smile. However, the term 'witch' brought her something in mind. She lifted her head and looked around. "Where is Sayaka?"
That question made Homura to dismay. "She is... isolated."
Nagisa was more apprehensive. "You'll do something bad to her?"
"If she wants to go back to the Law of Cycles as much as you said, I would even banish her. But Madoka, even if she doesn't remember, will feel there is something missing, something wrong." Homura pondered. "I can bring the mind of Miki-san back, change her memories, but when she recovers..." She narrowed her eyes and ran fingers over the chin. "...no, maybe there is no other solution... maybe..."
"What will you do?" Nagisa was intrigued.
Homura looked like she would answer that question, but suddenly turned her face to the left, frightened.
"What?" Nagisa looked in the same direction, but there was nothing but the plain and the night sky.
Then a gust of wind hit Nagisa. She closed her eyes and, when she opened, saw the buildings of Mitakihara, between the guardrails of the school's rooftop. The city also was already under the moonlight. "Homura-chan?"
Homura staggered.
"Huh?! Are you all right?"
"Go back to home." Composing herself, with a hand on her head, Homura opened her black wings.
Nagisa was now completely confused. "We're not going together? What..."
"I'll say it just one more time." Homura interrupted, tense. "Go home and wait for me there." Then went flying.
Nagisa soon lost sight of Homura. "I will..."
／人 ◕‿‿◕ 人＼
Tomohisa Kaname was a literal family man. Although Junko loved them as much as him, it was on his shoulders that was the responsibility for looking after the children.
Today was being a difficult night.
Tomohisa holding a restless Tatsuya in his lap, looked at the clock on the kitchen wall, worried. It's already too late, this can't be a mere delay.
He picked up the phone and dialed the number of his daughter.
While waiting anxiously, Tomohisa dodged the attempts of Tatsuya to remove his glasses.
Finally, a voice come from the other end.
"Madoka? Where are you?" Tomohisa got down to business.
"Madoka! Madoka!" Tatsuya tried to reach the phone, but Tomohisa was fast enough to avoid.
"Huh? With a school friend?" Tomohisa was pleased. "I'm glad, but you should have told me before."
The next victim of Tatsuya was his father's lips, He kept holding and pulling.
Tomohisa struggled to maintain a cohesive voice. "Uh-huh. Uh-huh. I see. It wasn't planned..." Feeling a strangeness, perhaps motivated by instinct or merely by this unusual fact involving his daughter, he decided to ask. "Everything all right?"
Seeing that his son struggled, Tomohisa put him on the ground, but continued to hold him by the arm to not escape.
"If all is well, then do the following: come before your mother. Wait... wait..." Tomohisa had realized the mistake he had made. He looked back at the clock. "You better get back before ten o'clock."
Tatsuya was playing tug of war with his father's arm.
"And anything comes up, call me. Okay? Bye, I love you."
Turning off the phone, Tomohisa was relieved, but soon realized something. He closed his eyes and pressed the phone against his forehead. "Ah! She told me she was with a friend, but didn't tell me where."
"Madoka?" Tatsuya asked before that reaction.
Tomohisa looked at his son, smiling. "Yes... It seems that our Madoka is turning into a young woman. Will she be like your mother?"
Tatsuya was surprised. "Madoka will be my mom too?"
"Haha! Not exactly." Said Tomohisa, as he put the phone back.
／人 ◕‿‿◕ 人＼
By turning off the cellphone, her shaking hands let it fall.
"Oh no." Said Madoka when saw her phone falling in the midst of weeds and debris. That place was very dark, if the light of the display went out...
She began to lower herself.
"You won't need it anymore. It has been pretty convincing."
Madoka felt the cold metal tip of a spear on her chin. It made her feel a shiver all over her body and she was quick to get up. She once again turned her attention to her kidnapper.
Kyouko Sakura, clad in her magical girl attire, gave a small smile aside, revealing her canine tooth.
"Good girl."
Next chapter: Sacrifice