12:00, aka, 00:00.
It had been a quite productive day, with emotions going up and down, as usual. But the day was not over to Homura.
The streets were full of witches and minions going around, and there were also several weapons waiting for her. This time… This time she would win. Or at least that's what she always said to herself, in every single time line. But she'd better keep on, for if not…
The soul gem glimmered purple in the pale palm of her hand, as she followed the shiny trail of despair to hunt, feed her soul, protect the city, protect Madoka. As a feline, she walked swiftly and silently, hid her body in the shadows until it belonged to them. She talked to herself no longer, that habit was gone, along with her braids and spectacles. Silence had become her best ally.
"It's dangerous, Amy." She whispered when she noticed the black she-cat following her. "You know I don't want you to follow me when doing things like those. Stay home with Kyoko instead."
"Meooow!" The furry animal protested, padding closer to the raven-haired and headbutting her leg.
The magical girl sighed, and crouched down to stroke it. "No, Amy, no. You've been hurt in other time lines, and I don't want that to happen again."
"Meow." It licked her long, narrow fingers.
"Don't be stubborn." She said, giving it a last stroke and standing up. "My word is definitive. We'll meet tomorrow."
Amy flattened its ears but did as told, running away after a last pleading stare, which was answered by an inexpressive one.
Homura then turned around and ran, putting her gem back into its shell on the back of her left hand, and then, jumped to a roof. She kept running and jumping, heading towards the highest buildings, experienced enough not to make noise with her heels, and then, she ended up in the highest tower.
She could see everything from above, Mitakihara, the sleeping city. As she flicked it, her hair mingled with the darkness and the stars, and her lavender eyes went to look at the emptiness below. She could jump, it would be so easy… But she had more important things to do, she remembered as she stepped backwards a little to think, as she supported her body against the enormous antenna that emerged from the top of the skyscraper.
What was she? An angel or a demon? A warrior or a survivor? Was she dead or alive?
Both. Or neither.
But there was something she knew: She was someone with a single will, her only tiny bit of hope, the only reason for her not to give up.
And she was someone who would be through a restless night of thieving and killing, only for that 'hope'.
.
A skinny figure, prettily flicking her hair, it waving in the air. It was the center of the darkness where she stood, the crescent moon and stars being the only light in that space, as they crowned the lady, making her look more beautiful, and yet, mysterious.
For some reason, the pinkette was beckoned towards her, but the other seemed to notice her and turned around to stab her with her lavender eyes.
"U-uh, sorry, I…" Madoka muttered. "D-do I know you, miss?"
With a cold, solemn expression, the mysterious raven-haired answered. "Maroka!"
"H-huh?" The shorter girl made a step backwards.
"Maroka, wake up!"
Her eyes flung open, finding Tatsuya's face right in front of hers, his voice and the constant sound of the alarm clock about to give her a headache. She gasped.
"Maroka woke up!" The toddler stated, crawling backwards to lay over her legs for his sister to sit up, quickly turning off the alarm clock and groaning. "Maroka, U okay?" He asked.
The pinkette rubbed her eyes and smiled. "I… Hate waking up early, don't you too, Tatsuya?" She asked, winking at him.
"Aye!" He replied, his enormous grin never fading.
Madoka hugged him, and the two siblings walked downstairs to have breakfast, but the girl could never keep her feet in the ground as she wondered what on earth that last dream meant. It had been short, but she couldn't get rid of that kind of attraction towards that girl who kept her out of her comfort zone less often, an attraction she perhaps had started to incubate the last few days. She didn't understand. She had known her for only a week, but felt as if she had seen her before, even shared words, touch and dreams, and yet, she remembered none of those.
Was that a premonition? Or perhaps the time for her to begin questioning her sexual orientation?
She shook her head, suddenly embarrassed, and concentrated on keeping up with the familiar conversations of the day and eating her breakfast so she wouldn't be late for school.
.
A loud gasp, long enough to fill her lungs with all the oxygen she could grasp, before throwing it all in a single, but effective screech. "Hooomuuuuuuuuraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" So effective the ebony almost fell from the tall crane in surprise. Suddenly, she was right in front of her, with irritated eyes.
"Use telepathy next time, Kyoko." She scolded, her voice still impassible despite the tension in her body. "If we don't want to call attention, we are failing miserably."
"But it funnier like dat!" The red head protested.
Homura's brows furrowed a little bit as she started to hear complaining voices from the neighbors. "Then, you'll handle the people by yourself." She said, instantly disappearing.
"Sistah, wait! It was just a joke! Jeez…" She looked around, suddenly surrounded by the angry citizens. "What?!" She snapped, behaving just like when she lived on the street. "Any problem with me, yo?! I am fuckin' crazeh, stay away!" She growled.
One of the men seemed to recognize her. "Careful! She is the street rat Kyoko Sakura! I heard she once killed a homeless guy for food!"
Kyoko grinned. "Ah, good ol' days." She chuckled mischievously. "His food tasted good, his guts tasted bethah."
The people around her started to curse and scream, and as some ran away, others approached to trap her. "I'm sure the police will be glad to see you!" They threatened, grinning wickedly, but shaking in fear.
"Oh?" She licked her lips. "Ya wanna play with me?" She pulled up her sleeves, showing them her fists. "Den let's play, I haven't had fun in ' while."
.
The three friends talked, as they always did, giggling together as if nothing happened. But it was all pretended. The three of them kept secrets from the other two, and that created a new, uncomfortable tension among them. Madoka's mind was always busy with witches, minions, soul gems, contracts and… Homura. And she was also worried about Sayaka, but the bluenette always avoided the questions and the subject that bothered her, and if it finally came out, if the word 'Kamijou-Kun' was used, Hitomi suddenly grew silent.
Where had that harmony gone to?
The false joy had now faded, they were all silent, and the only thing Madoka saw was the cobblestone as she walked, until the sound of other students made her look up, and the first thing her eyes saw was Homura. She didn't know why, but her heart beat stronger, and she couldn't just look away.
The ebony in the distance turned to greet a red head, whose fists were soaked in blood. She said something to her, and the other shrugged. The raven-haired then sighed in apparent dismay and, looking away, handed the other a handkerchief for her to clean the crimson liquid in her hands.
A flash of lavender, and Madoka knew she was now looking at her. She nervously smiled and waved, and Homura replied her with a nod before starting to walk away with her sister. "A-ah, excuse me for a moment!" The pinkette said to her friends, and followed the magical girls.
Hitomi and Sayaka looked at each other. They just shrugged in confusion and kept walking, together in bitterness.
"Homura-chan!" Madoka called, and the other turned around.
"Can I help you?" Homura asked distantly, as Kyoko eyed them as a TV watcher.
"U-uh…" In fact, she didn't know why she had followed them, maybe to run away from the previous situation, but she wasn't sure at all. Fidgeting with her t-shirt, she suddenly spotted a deep gash in the ebony's hand. "Homura-chan!" She exclaimed as she took it with both of hers. "H-how have you got that? I-I should have come with you…"
The coal-haired frowned. Why that sudden approach from the other? Why was she worrying about her all the time? She now realized how dangerous it was the fact that the pinkette knew about the witches. She would always want to follow, put herself in danger, only to make sure the others were okay.
Suddenly, Homura pulled her hand away in an aggressive gesture of rejection. "No." She snapped, colder than ever. "No, Madoka, no." She sighed. "You would only be one more handicap. One more thing to think about. Witches are too dangerous, and one of us would have to look after you all the time."
Kyoko was now, literally, eating popcorn as she watched, luckily ignored by everyone as she became a mere observer.
The shorter girl felt tears forming in her eyes. The girl she now realized she somehow admired was pushing her away. She was right. She would be worthless, just one more good-for-nothing to disturb at the moment of the truth. "Y-you are right…" She murmured with a shaky voice. "I'm-I'm sorry…" She started to walk away, but a sudden hand was placed over her shoulder for her to stop. Startled, she turned around.
Without letting go, Homura was intensely staring at her, her empty eyes now filled with something impossible to describe. "Madoka." She said, her voice tense. She now felt hurt, guilty, terribly sorry for snapping so heartlessly at the one she loved. She just wanted to protect her, but that was not the way, and pushing her away would just make the pinkette approach to danger another way, the wrong way. She always ended up involved, no matter how.
"I didn't mean it." The raven-haired told the pinkette, now making the best of her efforts to keep her mask on. "I don't want you to put yourself in danger. You mustn't forget that wounds in a human can be very grave, but a magical girl is okay as long as her soul gem remains in one piece." Seeing that the other didn't react, she kept talking. "You are not useless at all, and my opinion about you hasn't changed. I just want to protect you, since you are my… friend." Her voice remained as frozen as usual, but now it was gentle, perhaps, a little closer. She made a long, deep sigh. "I'll let you come. But if I sense danger, if I tell you to do something, you do it with no questions nor objections. And if someday I tell you not to follow us, I will know what I will be talking about. Is it understood?"
Madoka finally looked at her, giving her a watery smile. "Th-thank you, Homura-chan…"
And then, as if the TV show she had been watching got to an end, Kyoko began to whistle and clap her hands. The two girls looked at her with widened eyes, the pinkette's face now completely red, but they just earned a grin from her. "And when da kiss?"
"No, sister, no." Homura snapped, keeping her composure with strength and patience, and somehow managing not to blush, neither to slap the red head. "We should head to class now."
"Oh…" The other two blinked, suddenly remembering where they had been all that time.
.
"Mami Tomoe, I am glad you came." Homura welcomed the blonde, putting her hands away from the piano keys as the big-breasted closed the door behind her and Kyoko gobbled up a cupcake. "You may sit, so we can have a small talk."
The eldest swallowed saliva and took a chair with her trembling hand, and the red head clicked her tongue.
"Well, the three of us have a lot to learn about what happened the last day, right?" She slightly tilted her head, and saw how the other two looked down. "Indeed, but that mustn't stop us. We have a common interest, and we must fight until we reach that goal." Her cold voice was now firm, as she took the roll of the Sempai Mami desired so much. But there was no other choice. Again, she would have to take the reins of the situation.
"Where is Kyubey?" The blonde asked, trying to sound as composed as the former. "I know you are related to his disappearing, and I am starting to get tired of your little secrets."
"Stop askeen' 'bout 'im!" Kyoko snapped.
"But we need him!" Mami snapped back, forgetting all politeness. "We magical girls can't live without him!"
"We can." Homura said, as calm as usual. "We don't need him."
"Correction." The red head cleared her throat. "We need him away."
The blonde was silent, as she blinked with widened eyes. "Wh-why do you say that…? He- he has done nothing wrong!"
"Pft- Poor ignorant…" Kyoko grinned.
"Then tell me!" Mami blurted out, angered now.
"Hush." Homura was the third one to snap, but her voice became calm as she spoke again. "If we keep arguing, we will never reach the goal we are looking for." She had them right behind her, unable to see them, and nevertheless, able to picture their faces.
"…But I am a magical girl too." Mami replied, this time softer. "I have the right to know where he is. How am I supposed to even 'trust' you if you won't tell me what you've done to our contractor?"
Kyoko sighed in exasperation.
"…" The ebony stood silent as she thought. She knew that, if she told Mami the truth, she would become insane and suicidal, so she would have to invent something different, or else, tell her half a lie.
"Like he's dead, or somethin'." The red head said carelessly.
"Wh-what?!" The blonde looked at her with widened eyes, and the raven-haired took it as an opportunity.
"Kyubey passed away due to an unknown attack by an unknown being." Homura said, turning around to look at Mami. "We found his slaughtered corpse in an alley. We didn't want to tell you yet, because we know how attached you are to him."
The big-breasted was wordless, as tears of grief and uneasiness started filling her golden eyes. "H-how…? Why…?" She heavily swallowed, as she started to feel her cheeks wet, and she dried them quickly. "What are we going to do now, without him?! W-we are lost… We are dead…"
"We're not." The other two snapped at the same time.
"Kyoko and I have been without him for a long time, and we are perfectly well." The red head nodded as Homura spoke. "If we can, so can you."
"…"Mami was staring blindly at the ground, as she shook a little.
"As comrades, we now have tho take careh of each othah, so? We must punch tha shit outta Walpurgis, and work hard to do so." The rascal now seemed firm and composed, as if there were no pasts to her, and just the will of the future, and the dedication of the present. She was full of energy.
"My sister is right." The ebony agreed. "But I understand that it will be difficult for you two to work together, plus you still have to process Kiyubey's death and grieve, so I'll give you that choice." She felt Mami's eyes slowly lifting to reach hers. "Do you prefer to continue today, or else wait until tomorrow?"
The blonde looked down again. "Maybe tomorrow…"
.
"Okay, classroom, listen up!" Kazuko-Sensei clapped her hands to get as much attention as possible. "There is something important I must announce you!" She grinned as she finally noticed some students listening to her. "As you might remember, you made a work in pairs not too long ago for the Natural Sciences subject." As she said that, her smile turned into a grimace. "Well, since your Natural Sciences teacher is a butthurt who steals boyfriends, I will do something better than her!"
"Oh, wow." Sayaka said wryly. "Let's hope their rivaly doesn't go too far."
"This Wednesday, we will go on an excursion to the mountain, and you will work in teams of five people to identify leaves!"
"B-but teacher…" Nakazawa lifted a trembling arm to speak. "This subject is tutorial meeting… We shouldn't be identifying leaves!"
"That's a good point, indeed!" Kazuko Saotome exclaimed, aiming her white stick at him. It was new, because in every single class, she crooked it or broke it. Some students wondered how she always got the new ones. "Then we'll do something else!"
"Teachers are scary…" Madoka awkwardly murmured, as she attempted to hide behind her book.
"We'll go to the forest anyways! All the teams must separate, and then they must make it towards the base with no help but their own company! And then at home you have to date and write a perfectly composed dossier with a cover and an index and what you all have learned from the experience of the day!"
Hitomi lifted her hand. "And if we have other matters to attend?" She asked, politely and bluntly.
"I don't give two shits!" The teacher broke her stick in two pieces. "This is a thousand times more important!" Her frown then turned into an innocent smile, her tone completely softening. "It's a work for school, after all."
"…." All the students looked at their teacher in terror and resignation, except for Homura, as stoic as usual, and Kyoko, chewing bubblegum with a bored expression.
"Now, make the teams by yourselves!"
All the students stood up, and saluted their teacher. "Yes, Saotome-sensei!"
Madoka and Sayaka stood up and quickly walked towards Hitomi. Despite their mutual tension, the three of them knew who they wanted to work with.
"We need two more, anyways…" The bluenette sighed, plopping into a chair she had pushed near Hitomi's.
"Why don't we ask Homura-chan and Kyoko-chan?" The shorter girl suggested, looking at the two siblings, who were sitting together and talking as if nothing happened.
"The transferred students, Madoka-san?" The girl with the verdant hair looked at them. "I don't know, they are refusing everyone, but, we could perhaps give it a try?" She then glared at Sayaka before the other started to protest.
"Fine…" She sighed again.
"I-I'll go myself!" The pinkette cheerfully said, and quickly headed towards the magical girls, who immediately stopped talking to stare at her.
"Yo, candy-haired." Kyoko greeted with a grin. "What brings ya here?"
"U-uhm…" She nervously looked at red eyes, then lavender, before her magenta gaze went downwards. "I-I was wondering if… If you two wanted to… Well… To work with us?"
Kyoko looked at Homura, expecting her to decide, as usual, what to do in those cases. After all, she knew what she wanted to do, but her street strategies didn't work in those, more meditated and technical cases. She placed the decision in her sister's hands.
Knowing so, the ebony mused about it. If it had been any other, she would have refused them, even if they belonged to Madoka's group, but it was the pinkette herself who was asking that, so she found it reasonable to accept, since they were now friends. "Alright." She said, with a small nod.
The shorter teenager brightened. "G-good! I… Will now tell the others! Uhm- … Bye!" She quickly approached her two human friends to inform them the news.
The red head gifted her sibling with a mischievous grin, but knowing exactly what she meant, Homura looked away. "Don't." She whispered.
Kyoko chuckled.
.
The last subject before going home was P.E. For unknown reasons, Homura always changed her clothes somewhere else. In that uniform, she looked skinny and pale, but fit and athletic. Kyoko had no shame at all, and she was all muscles.
The day's activity was playing volleyball. Madoka spent all the while unable to move her gaze from the ebony, who played in the opposite team. She was good, really good, and she and the red head were guaranteeing their team's victory.
She saw Homura's body, moving with agility like a warrior's, her long, coal-colored hair, swinging prettily and mysteriously at each one of her movements, and how she followed the ball with her lavender eyes, her mind provably shuffling strategies, her guard always high.
But the pinkette's was not, and a sudden ball, sent from a green-eyed brunette, accidentally hit her on the face and sent her to the ground.
All her classmates surrounded her, asking if she was okay, if she was hurt, when all she did was looking confused, covering her nose with one of her hands. She felt a reddish liquid staining them.
Sayaka and Hitomi knelt beside her. "You okay, Madoka?" Asked the tomboy.
"U-uh." The shorter girl nodded.
Homura made her way through the mass of people, and bent the knee too to find herself at the pinkette's height. "Madoka, you are bleeding." She stated bluntly and monotonously, staring at her with no expression at all. "Here." She handed her another handkerchief.
Madoka blushed in shame, feeling the beating pain on her reddened face, but had to accept. "Th-thanks…" She muttered as she took it and covered her nose with it, wiping the blood with it.
Sayaka looked at Homura with mistrust, and Hitomi looked at her with a polite smile, but the raven-haired returned none of the gazes.
The teacher sent Madoka to the bench. The P.E. class was over to her, at least, until she stopped nose bleeding.
.
Taking an afternoon walk after doing her homework, and trying not to get lost this time, Madoka couldn't stop thinking about the same. Why did she feel so attached to Homura, if they had only met a week ago? Why did she feel as if she had spent a month with her? A month… How many times that month? But no, the month was just getting started. It was April the eighth, and Homura Akemi was just a transfer student, who happened to be an expert magical girl, with a tragic destiny, but a careless, cold and secure behavior. What made her so special, if not that? Kyoko was different too, everyone was after all. Then, why was she so attracted by her newest friend?
She heard the chirping of a bird, and looked up at it. It made her smile. She sometimes wished not to be that short, not to see things from beneath. She wanted to fly high as they did, look at her problems from upon, help those she loved, those who deserved it.
The sound of a hit, and the high-pitched sound of the little animal hushed as it fell dead to the ground, bleeding.
The pinkette turned in horror to see the trouble-makers who threw that stone against the poor creature. They were chuckling.
She stood up. They all were taller, stronger, probably older, but that pain in her chest wouldn't allow her to just not interfere. "Wh-why did you do that?!" She asked, her voice shaky. "You are so cruel!"
"Huh? Who are ya?" They asked, spitting to the ground with scorn and superiority. "Get outta da way."
"N-no! Y-you hurt an innocent creature, it didn't deserve it!" Her hands closed into angry and sorrowful fists. "P-please, don't do it again…"
"Dun't tell us whatta do." One of them growled, as another grinned. "Da little mouse wants tho fight, hu?" "C'mon, will ya hurt us if we just dun't listen to yar boring mothery sermon?" Added the third one.
"She won't." A familiar voice warned from behind them, and they turned to see the young beauty standing there. "…but I will."
"Ha?" They chuckled loudly, drops of saliva flying all around, as Madoka whispered her name in surprise.
"Ya came here tho have fun? Come, cheesy gurl, we won't bite!" "Yeah, gal! We true gentlemen!" The kept mocking. "Yar pretty, why don't ya stay with us a night or two, hu?" "Yeah, ya'll never wanna leave us!" "Yeah, bring da pinko too!"
Homura sighed, obviously disgusted by their intentions. They had already threatened Madoka twice, and that was unforgivable. Apparently calm, she walked to stay in front of the pinkette, and then gave the assholes an assassin glare. "You don't know who I am, do you?" She snapped, her cold voice filled with darkness.
"Our worse nightmare?" One of them teased.
"I am Kyoko Sakura's sister."
They all fell silent, swallowing saliva. They had already been beaten up by Kyoko when she still lived on the streets, and she once told them about her sister. Even once, when she was called a red coyote, she grinned and looked down at them with a predator look. "Yeah, I like dat name." She told them. "And den mah sistah be like a black cat?" She grinned more widely, as she licked the blood from her lips, ans stroke the blade of her knife with a finger. "Beware with da feline, yo. She looks liek a kitty, but is liek a panther or worseh, just like I am not a coyote but deyr leadah!" Since then, rumors and legends about those two animal-named girls ran through the streets. All rascals feared and respected them, even though they had never seen Homura.
"Ah, now you recognize me?" The ebony asked, her voice now sinisterly gentler. "You have never heard, though, about what exactly I am capable of…" She put a hand inside the pocket, as if threatening to pull out any weapon she might keep hidden there inside. "…and you'd better leave before you discover it."
"W-we are sorreh, we didn't mean to, we-" They looked at each other, and ran away.
The black-haired turned around to look at Madoka, wondering why she always ended up into trouble, and walked towards her.
The pinkette was kneeling in front of the dead bird, crying into her hands. She pulled them away from her face a little when she noticed Homura kneeling beside her. "H-Homura-chan…" She muttered, sniffling.
"I'm sorry… There is nothing we can do." She said, as she started to dig a hole, not caring if she spoiled her beautiful fingernails like this. "We'll bury it."
Madoka helped her, as more tears escaped her eyes. Then, the ebony softly left the tiny corpse inside the hole, and they both covered it with earth and sand.
"Descansa en pau…" Homura whispered as she softly patted the small grave to make sure it was steady, before she looked at Madoka, who was sobbing again. Hesitatingly, she wiped the sand off her hands and put one over her shoulder. "It is in a better place now, Madoka."
Saying nothing, as she always did, the pinkette embraced the other to cry. The only difference was that Homura didn't hesitate to hug her back this time.
.
When Madoka had calmed, the two girls heard a voice behind then, and lifted their gazes to look at the red head.
"So dere ya were, Homu. Ya readeh tho hunt some witches? I've seen one."
Homura blushed a little and let go of the pinkette to check her glimmering soul gem. She stood up.
The shorter girl stood up as well. "W-wait-… May I come?"
The ebony nodded, and Madoka smiled a little, her eyes still a bit watery.
The three headed towards the place where the witch was localized, and Kyoko opened the barrier for them to enter.
Madoka closed her eyes, and when she opened them, she found herself in Homura's arms. She stared downwards, and instantly held onto her, knowing why.
The ebony and the red head were both standing, with a perfect balance, on some narrow strings, drying clothes hanging from them, nothing below but emptiness. They were surrounded by a blue sky and white clouds, as tables and chairs fell.
Pairs of legs in skirts, socks and ice skates ran towards them, all coming from the insides of the school uniform of a giant being with four arms, two more instead of legs, and no head.
"Patricia…" Homura read. "…and the Mathieus."
As if racing against time, the two magical girls started to run over the strings, killing the minions with spear and gun.
The ebony was able to remember the first time she had to eliminate that witch, in the second time line. Madoka and Mami got rid of the minions as she tightly held onto the strings, the fierce wind shaking her braids and almost throwing her red glasses. When all the minions were dead, Mami created a ribbon path for her, and she stopped time, clumsily running along it, until she was close enough from the witch to throw her one of her home-made bombs –her first true weapon after the golf club- and released time, causing the explosion to scare her. She fell to the emptiness, when Mami's ribbons rescued her, and then there they were, back in the 'real world', the blonde congratulating them both, and Madoka jumping against her and hugging her tightly and excitedly, yelling that it was done, and that the raven-haired had been so cool…
And now there they were, countless time lines later, the polls reversed. Many things had changed since then, and Homura was not the same. Look, Madoka, how strong she had become!
Again, the witch was killed with a bomb inside her skirt, and Homura covered the pinkette from the explosion, she taking the fetal position and pressing her eyes closed, just like the coal-haired had done so long ago.
Homura put her down, and the shorter girl could finally feel firm land below her feet. "Y-you two… Have been so great!" She complimented, still shaking a little.
The ebony turned around to fight back her tears, and flicked her hair. "Come on." She said, when she found her voice steady enough to speak. "We still have a lot of witches and minions to kill."
"B-but Homura-chan… How come that you know the names of the witches?" Madoka curiously asked, cocking her head a little.
"Ah." She turned around to look at her, her tears all gone. "They are written… Somewhere, around the barriers. Look." She took her soul gem, and showed its unseen part to her friend. "Those are the runes witches and magical girls use to 'communicate'."
"Wh-what do they say?" Madoka asked, pointing at the writing in the purple jewel, not daring to touch the other's very soul.
"They say 'Homura', just like my sister's says 'Kyoko'."
"Do dey?" The red head asked, narrowing her crimson eyes to try and read them.
"C-can't you read the runes, Kyoko-chan?" Madoka asked, startled.
"Nu." The former grinned.
"You learn to read those the same way you learn to read any other alphabet." Homura stated, covering her eyes with her hands, in dismay. "I tried to teach her, but…" She sighed.
"But imma too lazy, ya know?" Kyoko shrugged, grinning wider and eating a random cookie.
"Ah…" The pinkette blinked, and both magical girls kept their soul gems on their respective places.
"Well." Homura looked at her sibling, who instantly nodded.
"Let's go!"
.
"My name is Mami Tomoe…" The blonde teenager whispered, as she cradled herself in the sofa, hugging her knees. "I am too scared to die, too alone to live…" She looked up at the ceiling. "Father, mother, once more, I have to say how sorry I am… I guess this loneliness is my punishment… And I really miss you two." She looked at the grief seeds she had recently gotten, and suddenly frowned. "Everything is her fault… If not… If not I wouldn't be this lonely!" And with a sudden strike of her rage, she slapped them away from the table. They rolled, and ended up below some furniture. Mami hug her knees again, and allowed her body to fall side face against the pillows. "Why, why, why…?" She kept asking, and the only answer she got was the echo of the carcass her heart had become.
.
So that was how witch-hunts were… Running restlessly along the whole city and fighting those dangerous, surreal enemies. It was late already when the two magical girls had walked Madoka home -and left before Junko or Tomoisha saw them-, and despite her feeling worthless along the others, she still willed to go with them, for she had been implicated since, a week ago, that witch casually chose her as a prey.
She knew nothing about Sayaka. Again, the bluenette never answered to her calls or messages. She tried to think that the tomboy was too busy visiting Kyousuke Kamijou, so she had put her mobile in silence. At least, that's what she hoped.
Hitomi had been to busy to answer her, again with a completely filled schedule. Madoka was glad she didn't belong to a rich family like her green-haired friend.
"Still awake?" The calm, monotonous voice of the girl she had been waiting for, sounded behind the pinkette in a whisper.
"Homura-chan…!" She turned around and sat up, looking at the other with concerned, glittering fuchsia eyes.
"Is everything alright?" The ebony asked, tilting her head a little, but nothing else about her changing.
"Th-that's what I'd like to ask… Please, come here, Homura-chan." Madoka gestured with her hand to beckon the other.
She hesitatingly obeyed, walking slowly.
The shorter girl took the taller's right arm and pulled up her sleeve. She saw a ring of deformed, reddish skin around it, but nothing else. She sighed in relief.
"I told you I'd be fine." Homura said, softly pulling her limb away and putting her sleeve back down. "Even lost parts of our body can regenerate, with the right time and magic."
From that short length, Madoka hug her newest friend waist, and felt how the other stiffened, but ignored it. "Homura-chan… I was so afraid… I've never seen a m-mutilation before…Witches are really scary…"
"I already warned you about how dangerous they are." The black-haired stated bluntly. "But I also told you that I would protect you, and that I would remain alive. Remember?"
The pinkette looked up into the other's glimmering, lavender eyes. For a moment, she was not intimidated by her penetrating, cold stare.
Homura raised a doubtful hand to softly pat Madoka's head to reassure her, and she earned a small blush as an answer. Perhaps her cheeks were reddish too, but the darkness was masking them, moonlight making her look even paler and spectral.
"G-good night, Homura-chan." Madoka murmured, before she laid down, gazing away and not daring to look at the other's face again.
"Night, Madoka." The coal-haired replied, as she did every night. She didn't want and yet wished for tomorrow to come, so then she would be able to do something about the hunch she was starting to feel, and it grew as minutes passed.
Something heartrending was going to happen, too soon.