Once upon a time line,
Tears of grief were shed.
Many things had happened,
And her despair they fed.
No more yellow's living,
Her life was taken off.
It seemed like all her blind hope
Was never good enough.
The blue one was already
walking in the way
Of drowning in her sorrows
Since her contract was made.
Sharp, crimson eyes stared down
At whom was on the ground,
Shaking her so roughly
'till her Soul Gem was shown.
Magenta eyes that burnt hard
As she tried to contain
All the pain and concern
That made her feel the blame.
And that girl on the ground lied
As she saw fade away
All the hope she had placed
On that fresh and new stage.
But nothing else matters,
For she doesn't mind,
Because it all happened
Once upon a time
(line).
.
She couldn't believe what she had done, yet there was that ring with written runes in her finger to remind her that everything was real.
When she was a child, she had played with Madoka very often. She always had been the knight, and the pinkette had been the princess.
Then, she had begun to read manga, and her roles had changed as she had become the ultra-powerful magical girl that defeated monsters, always protecting her comrade and city too, but that time, the two of them had fought.
Now, she was currently living the stories she had dreamed of when she was young: She had saved whom she loved, she would save the city by hunting witches and she would be a hero! For the first time since Kyousuke had had the accident she was happy. And not only happy, but also shining in true eagerness and high expectations: she couldn't wait to go save the day.
But she'd have to. It was late night, and she should already be sleeping. If her parents knew she was still awake they would scold her.
And she would keep that wide grin on her face, because nothing could upset her now.
Yet sadly, but maybe not so sadly, she could only picture, again and again, that magical moment when everything had happened. She didn't mind, though, and she'd watch it like a movie as much as she wanted until she fell asleep.
'What seems to be the matter, Miki Sayaka?' An adorable white little animal had asked her, as she was sulking on the roof.
'What the hell?' That had been her first reaction, as startled as confused. Was it some kind of a joke? Or worse, was she seeing things? She had wondered.
'My name is Kyubey.' It had grinned at her, gesturing the most adorable way it could, always smiling. 'I've detected you're having trouble right now, but don't worry! I'm here to help you.'
At first, she had been surprised, but if she was seeing things, she thought, what she did wouldn't matter anymore. Then, she had grown confident with that being: For some reason, it felt trustable, and finally, she had let it all out, just like she had done with Kyoko.
'…only a miracle would heal him…' She had then stated, after her venting.
'Miki Sayaka.' It had then said, approaching her. 'Do you really believe in magic and miracles?'
And the next thing she remembered was her wish, the pain she had felt when those pseudo-ears had approached her chest, and how then, full of determination, she had reached for her newly-formed soul gem.
There was no way she would ever regret this incredible opportunity.
Maybe, though, just like in the anime, she'd keep it as a secret from her friends, for now.
.
Voices, all of them full of regret and self-hate. They intertwined and mingled, turning scarcely understandable, as they filled her, in the insides, in the outsides. She'd never be able to distinguish them, to count them, but they were already causing a strong ache to her head, and, even worse, a deep pain to her heart.
She was broken, she knew it. She had found out a long, long time ago. And being broken caused that to happen.
There was neither a beginning nor an end: she was in her own labyrinth. And yet, all her senses were numbed, as she walked aimlessly through that horrible place, that dragged her further below each time, deeper and deeper into her own insanity.
"…Hello?" She tentatively called, her voice drowned by all those sounds that didn't even let her breathe.
Maybe, just lying down, would be the best option.
There was no salvation- not for her, at least. And, giving it a second thought, not for anyone.
This was not only a nightmare, but all of them in one: she could witness them all at the same time.
They were all surrounding her, and there was no way out.
.
Her voice had long since cracked, and an endless flow of tears came from her magenta eyes. She couldn't believe her eyes, she didn't want to: that couldn't be real.
Her childhood friend couldn't have become one to follow the path of a slow destruction.
And her strong Homura-chan couldn't be there, lying on the ground a way that made her heart clench painfully.
She was desperate, yet no words came. All she could do was nothing but to stare at the red head who was roughly grabbing the other girl's left arm, and checking at the black, diamond-shaped jewel in the back of her pale, porcelain-like hand, with thin fingers that hung lifelessly.
"Shit." Was the first she said. She then completed her sentence with a vehement and enraged "holly shit".
And just then, Madoka's voice finally worked. "Is- Homura-chan- how- why?" She stammered out, hiccupping as she wouldn't be able to stop crying.
"She's an idiot, that what she's." Kyoko spat out, maybe more to handle her own emotions than to insult her adoptive sister. "Yo idiot! Gimme yar Grief Seeds! Wanna die? No?! Then gimme da fuckeen Grief Seeds!"
She wasn't surprised, though, when she saw that no reactions came. With a sigh of exasperation, and four more curses, she began to dig in the other's pockets, only to find two dark jewels, already black and beating: they were full, and she could feel the despair they emanated.
'I already have some half-used ones, so you should keep those.'
That's what the ebony had told her at lunch time, but in that time-lapse, it seemed that she had already used them to the fullest.
"Damn-eet." Kyoko gritted her teeth, as she put those back where she had found them, and instead, searched for hers. Where the hell were they now?
'I didn't- waste food! Just da ketchup fell on me, and I ate it anyways! But dere's dis spot, so I'm ganna wash eet an' put anothah one.'
'Whatever. Just make sure to be quick, since we still have to-' A pause, a small gulp of saliva and a sigh. '…to tell Madoka about Miki Sayaka's contract.'
'Won't take time.'
Now, it was Kyoko's turn to facepalm herself: that had happened just before leaving for the Kaname house, a small while ago. If she had known, then…
Maybe she was the stupid one, too, and maybe she relied too much on Homura to control everything.
And she always did- except for when she was not in the mood.
In the mood for what? For continuing to hang on, perhaps?
However, the girl on the ground was running out of time, and she needed to be quick at thinking.
If all those time lines hadn't happened, maybe…
But what, or who was the center of the loop, after all?
Madoka.
The name rang inside her head like a gong, and she quickly turned to the sobbing girl. "Suddup and help me!" She yelled.
Madoka's stupor was enough to keep her silent for a few seconds, except for, of course, a couple of sniffles and hiccups.
"I'm ganna search fo' da Seeds! Ya do someheen useful and keep her feet on dah ground!"
Why was the red head now asking her to help? Could she really help? Could she really contribute to save Homura?
"Hurreh up!"
The pinkette shook her head and ran to the other's side, instantly kneeling beside her. She barely saw the red flash as Kyoko hurried away.
"H-homura-chan…" She gently whispered, although tears were streaming again. She kindly held the magical girl's head, and carefully placed in her lap.
"Homura-chan…" She murmured again, taking her hand ever so softly, and placing it on her tear-stained cheek. "Please, stay here… S-stay with me… I-" She swallowed saliva, with a small hesitation, her aching heart skipping a beat. "I love you, Homura-chan…"
.
'Homura-chan?'
"K-kaname-san? Wh-where are you, Kaname-san?"
'Right here, Homura-chan.'
It was a dream, it could be nothing but a dream. Everything inside her hurt so badly, yet her body felt so numb… Real or not, she desperately searched for that shade of pink, but it was nowhere to be found.
"K-kaname-san…" She couldn't help being so weak, and she began to cry, for what? Didn't she know? All lies. She perfectly knew it.
"I… I've failed you, Kaname-san…" She wept, unable to control the alarming amount of tears she was letting go.
'Homura-chan, don't say that.' That gentle voice had her looking up again. 'I'm still alive, remember?'
But for how long, until that time line ended? Everything was repeating, she could foresee the disastrous end that was coming. Yes, it was granted. Everything was worthless. She should have died as a human, that at least would have kept Madoka alive… Right?
'Homura-chan?!'
Worthless. Everything was worthless, and she was losing all hope.
'Homura-chan, you'll do it! J-just don't let me disappear!'
Hope, was being ripped away, slowly murdered. She wanted to save that hope, for she wanted to save that girl, but she couldn't move a single bit.
"K-kaname-san?!"
'Homura-chan!'
…And the voice of hope was just full of horror, so wounded as it desperately called for its owner, that owner that relied on it so much, to not let it die like that-.
-Yet, suddenly…
"Homura-chan…"
The same voice, but it sounded so tangible, so… Real.
It was Madoka.
Madoka was crying.
She was crying, and Homura would do nothing to help it, would she?
No, she wasn't dead, Madoka wasn't dead, but suffering instead.
And she couldn't let that happen.
.
No reactions, no emotions, no movements, the lying girl really seemed like a porcelain doll, so fragile, so broken. All Madoka could do was keep on whispering sweet nothings at her, hoping that it would be enough, for if not, she didn't know what else to do.
Homura, that girl who had saved her, who was her friend, who she liked so much…Would she finally be able to pay her back?
The fear of her being useless, the fear of the ebony dying or falling on her made her cry harder, but she choked down every single one of her sobs, and kept the other girl's hand against her soaked cheek, and kept stroking that long, silky, black hair, ever so softly, yet trembling uncontrollably.
All of a sudden, though, there was the smallest reaction from the magical girl. She cupped the pinkette's face with her hand, weekly, clumsily, but it was something.
"H-Homura-chan?" The smaller girl's crying eyes widened.
"Ma…do…ka…" Her voice was so low, so distant, as if coming from someone who was far away, in another world.
The world of despair, as far as she knew.
"Don't… Cry…" That haunted voice whispered, as if it took her all her strengths. "You… Are okay…"
"B-but, Homura-chan! What about you?" Madoka cried, holding that hand tighter.
"You… Are… O…kay…" The other repeated, a bit more gone, a bit more absent each second.
It all was too much for the pinkette, and she was about to break right there when she remembered she was not supposed to be the one who was reassured. She remembered that, this time, it was the other way, or at least, until Kyoko would finally come back.
"Homura-chan, you… You're okay, wh-whatever happens, it'll be okay." She murmured gently, her sweet voice cracking. "I love you, please, stay here…" She was now begging.
"S-stay… Here…?" The other girl asked.
"Y-yes, you have to stay here! I-I won't let you go- … O-okay…?"
"Stay… Here…" She whispered faintly.
"Y-yes…" Madoka nodded, then sniffled. "Stay here…" She repeated gently.
"Stay…" Homura's eyes were closing.
"N-no, Homura-chan…!" The pinkette was now gripping that pale hand with both of hers. "Y-you have to stay! Y-you said you would stay…! Please…" She couldn't resist it anymore, and bended downwards to hug the other girl, and then broke into sobs. "P-please…" She repeated, closing her watery eyes shut.
"Ya definitely cry a lot." Kyoko's sharp voice made her jump. She stared at her with widened eyes.
She saw that the red head had a black-and-beating grief seed in her hand, a similar one at her knees, Homura's soul gem was shining purple again, and the girl, unconscious in her small lap.
"K-kyoko-chan…?" Madoka asked, way too shocked to even react.
"Eet's done, gurl." The rascal answered, nodding. "Homu oky now. Just 'sleep."
The pinkette looked down at the sleeping girl. "I…" She murmured.
"Ah, Princess Bubblegum." Kyoko's voice brought back her attention. "Gj. Eet's thanks to ya she's still, uh… Un-witched, if ya know wha' I mean."
The shorter girl finally wiped her tears dry with her sleeve, still sniffling a little, still hiccupping a little. She had made it, she had helped Homura. But how? She just couldn't understand how someone as weak as she was could save that strong girl from despair, and also, how such strong girl could even fall into despair. Maybe, she was just a stupid ignorant, but at least, she had done something useful.
Homura was okay.
She didn't know, though, if the girl had truly heard what she had said. If she found out that she had, she would melt with embarrassment.
But now, she was way too relieved to keep thinking about that.
"I ganna carry 'er down, and 'en carry ya back home." Kyoko suddenly declared, snapping her out of her thoughts.
"A-ah…" She felt a loss of warmth as the red head took Homura. "A-actually, Kyoko-chan…" She took a small step forwards, but the other girl's sharp, crimson eyes made her draw back a little. "N-never mind …" She then murmured.
The red head stared at her for a while, but then, turned her head back around. "Humeen are so weird…" She whispered, before turning again at the shrinking pinkette. "If ya wanna stay with 'er just com' een."
"Wh-what…?" Madoka blushed a little, but her after-crying face would not give it away, or, at least, she hoped so. "R-really?" She murmured.
"Yeah, com' een." The other repeated, before using the roof gate to enter the house, the shorter girl obediently trailing behind.
Once inside, Kyoko left Homura in her own bed, that bed that was only used in the weekends, if lucky, or sometimes even less.
Against the mattress, the ebony's body unconsciously turned to lay sideface and curl up in fetal position, as if she were hugging something –an imaginary Amy, perhaps?-, and the sight was so adorable it even drew a small smile on Madoka's lips.
The same black she-cat climbed onto the bed to lick her owner's pale cheek and curl up right beside her.
"Ya should 've come with us, food robah." Kyoko scolded the cat, before turning to the shorter girl. "Imma ganna get some moar Grief Seeds. Ya stay here wizh Homu, oky?"
Madoka nodded.
"Good, bbye." The red head waved at her as she walked away. Then, the pinkette heard the door closing, and stared at Homura, her eyes readjusting to the darkness. In truth, she felt really tired, but the thought of that girl turning into a witch was stronger.
Sitting at the edge of the bed, and trying to distract herself, she began to look around. Her eyes then spotted something in the further wall –maybe a mirror?-, that was covered by a blanket.
But then, her wondering of why it was like that was interrupted by a groan, and the shifting of the blankets and mattress underneath her.
She looked at Homura, and saw she was tossing and turning in her sleep, brows furrowed by a nightmare. Did it happen very often?
"Ssshhh…" She attempted to reassure the sleeping girl, fingers reaching to stroke again that long, dark and silky hair. "It's okay, Homura-chan… I'm here." She whispered.
Madoka's voice and contact slowly calmed the other girl. That was right, she was at the edge no longer, it was not a nightmare, the pinkette reminded herself.
But then a lone tear trailed down that pale face: the first tear she had ever seen from that stoic girl. She wiped it, and whispered her reassuring words once more.
"Ma…do…ka…" The magical girl murmured, in a shaky voice.
In the end, Madoka left her sneakers and jacket in a corner, then entered the bed and laid down, hugging the other from behind. "I'm here, Homura-chan… Whatever it is, it's okay, I'm here." She whispered. Strong people like Homura would only cry if things went really bad, she thought, and she wouldn't like her to have nightmares that bad.
Homura had been there for her so many times, so many nights… It was her turn now, to reassure her.
And that was the last thought that lingered in her head, as her eyes closed and her body gave up to tiredness, slowly falling asleep.
.
There was such a peaceful silence, almost lulling, instead of the strident sound of her alarm clock, and yet, there was something waking her up, softer, gentler.
One magenta eye sleepily perked open, to be greeted with the sight of a stoic Homura, dressed in her school uniform, completely recuperated, as if yesterday night had never happened. That girl's hand was softly shaking her awake by her tiny shoulder.
"Homu…ra…chan?" Was the first thing she said, voice muffled by the blankets. Suddenly, she processed where she was, what had last happened, who she had been sleeping with, and her face and ears fully reddened. She immediately sat up.
"Good morning, Madoka." Homura said. If she had known better, Madoka would have maybe noticed she had swallowed hard, before speaking. Fortunately, the pinkette was too flustered to even notice how she was slightly blushing, too.
"H-h-ho-homura-chan! I- uhm, this-…" The former's blush increased as words didn't come out properly.
"It's- fine." The ravenette replied, looking away, and just then, Madoka noticed the pink on her cheeks and the tips of her ears. "I have to carry you home, before your parents notice you haven't been there."
"Huh?" That luckily made the shorter girl forget about her embarrassment, at least, partly. "Ah! Wh-what time is it?"
"Don't worry." Homura reassured her. "It's still soon, and I calculate we can make it there before your alarm clock rings." Then, seeing the other's surprised face, she blinked and spoke again. "I noticed it when I first entered your room, and, knowing the time you take to do things, it's not hard to guess the hour you've programmed for it to sound."
Magenta eyes were cast down, as their owner processed what she had been told. "…Oh."
"Come on." The taller girl said.
"A-ah, give me a moment."
"Alright."
Then, after putting her sneakers back on, and a small trip to the restroom, Madoka followed Homura towards the stairs that led to the roof. Once up there, the coal-haired girl gathered her in her arms, and she encircled hers around the other's neck.
The carrier then walked towards the edge, adopting her magical girl appearance. "Are you ready, Madoka?"
Said girl forced herself not to look down. "I'm ready, Homura-chan."
Both of them enjoyed the comfortable silence, as Homura leaped from building to building, stopping time whenever they were in danger to be noticed, letting it flow again when reaching emptier streets, and it all in a perfect timing: a proof of how methodical that teenager was.
By the time they reached the window of the pink room, the alarm clock sounded, and, after being lowered to the ground, Madoka quickly turned it off.
"Madoka." Lavender eyes were looking away, until she knew she had caught the pinkette's attention. Then, she looked straight into the girl's eyes, for she still had a reputation to maintain. "I do believe you were the one who kept me grounded, yesterday." She said. "Sorry for the inconvenience, though, and the fact that you had to see that. It shouldn't have happened. But I still wanted to thank you."
She didn't know why, but something buried deeply into Homura's expression made her smile softly. "I'm glad I could help you, Homura-chan." She whispered, giving the taller girl a hug, and smiled a bit wider when, after a little while, the other returned it. Now she had seen a bit more of whatever that girl kept behind her mask, and didn't like to see her suffering, but, now that she had finally managed to help a little, she felt a bit less useless than before. "…Plus, you know you can trust me. I'll be there for you, too."
What the hell was she doing? She shouldn't be letting that happen, she shouldn't have let that happen, Madoka should have never seen her as helpless as she had been that night. She was the one supposed to protect her, from witches, from Walpurgis… And she had just been about to turn into one, right in front of her eyes.
But, on the other hand, she couldn't let all that regret consume her, she just couldn't end up falling again, not so quickly. Instead, she chose to let Madoka's closeness reassure her, feeling the warmth of her body, that sweet scent of her strawberry shampoo.
It only lasted for a while, though, until she reluctantly let go. "You should start your daily routine, Madoka. I'll see you at school."
"Al-alright." The pinkette nodded. "See you at school, Homura-chan."
A last glance, and the purple magical girl disappeared. The shorter girl sighed, smiling to herself, and heading towards the door of her room.
.
"Yo." Kyoko greeted her, right in front of the school gates.
"Kyoko." She greeted back. "I didn't expect you to come so soon."
The red-head shrugged. "Whatevah. I got ya dis. Ya keep eet dis time."
Homura caught the two grief seeds the other had thrown in the air, and kept them. "Thank you." She said.
"NP. How's it gone wizh Princess Bubblegum?"
Slightly blushing, the ravenette walked past her and entered the building.
Kyoko smirked, trailing after her. "…I knew eet." She commented, loud enough for the other to hear.
.
Class, and Sayaka was nowhere to be seen.
If Madoka had managed to get calm due to last night's catharsis, now she was a bag of nerves and deep, deep concerns. Deeper, after what she had seen yesterday from Homura, after what she had seen four days ago from Mami.
Her strong imagination could perfectly picture Sayaka in both situations: either growing insane and screaming until she exploded into her own barrier, or else falling to the ground, disabled as a broken porcelain doll, and witnessing her slow yet inevitable destruction.
The fact that, when she had asked Masahiro-Sensei, he had told her she was just sick, didn't make any difference in her mood.
Even though Homura had used that excuse before, she had only done so when she had true reasons, reasons from a veteran like herself, that, and all the secrets she seemed to keep inside her… No, Sayaka didn't get sick often, and, after making a contract, one wasn't supposed to, yet, neither to fall so fast… But then? What was so urgent that had forced the bluenette to skip school?
After not being able to concentrate in class, she hurried to Hitomi, who was packing her things and grabbing her bentou. Said greenette was quick to detect Madoka's distress, and even though she kept telling her that everything was fine, the pinkette never seemed convinced, but she could neither tell her about her true worries.
Hitomi was better off as a human, distanced from all those problems.
However, there was one thing Madoka could ask from her bimbo friend: "C-can we go with Homura-chan and Kyoko-chan?"
"Why so, if I may ask?" The greenette politely replied, with a soft blink.
"Y-you know, Kyoko-chan and Sayaka-chan seem to be getting along… And, just maybe, Kyoko-chan knows something about her!" As she spoke, the pinkette fidgeted with the end of her sleeves, as nervous as eager to go there.
"…Very well…" the former sighed, yet decided to oblige to her stubborn, stressed fellow. "…Though, I must say that, in my opinion, Sayaka wouldn't tell them more than what she tells us. She's fine, do believe me."
"Well, you never know 'till you try!" Madoka urged, already hurrying away.
A last sigh, and Hitomi followed her, resigned.
.
What would happen was predictable, and so, there they were, the two magical girls, waiting for the two humans to come, one of them full of questions and worry for the bluenette.
As Kyoko was digging through her enormous pile of food, Homura calmly pressed the keys of the piano, one after another, coordinating her fingers perfectly…
…until the flow of the music was broken by an unexpected question. "How long since we ain't use Catalan, blackberreh?"
The sound of the piano was shut, as its musician turned around to stare at her pseudo-sibling. "As long as we haven't needed to." Was the only reply.
"Rlly?" Kyoko swallowed a whole mouthful, it barely chewed, and took one more bite on her kebab. "'Twas fun, y'know? Tho 'a languageh only we knew. Liek telepathee out loud, even bethah, since humeen won't understand shit."
"…I know." Homura stood up to turn around and sit anew, this time, facing the red-head. "You already said that in three more time lines… Maybe more." She sighed. "Yes, more than funny, it was useful. When we had to use telepathy and other magical girls would still be able to hear our conversations, we'd just have to switch the languages instead. No one in here would take the time to learn a language from such tiny little spot of Europe… Except for the Catalan 'otakus' who come here to work as mangakas. But those, of course, had to learn Japanese, instead."
When she heard the rascal's fake snores, she raised an eyebrow. Kyoko's manners would always be ruined, but if she thought about it twice, they were just as ruined as Homura's sense of humor.
"'Kay, I listen'd." Kyoko snarled, yawning. "Good thingy ya manag'd how tho remind me 'bout yar crazeh loops, otherwise, I wouldn't have trust'd ya at first. And, if I had, I wouldn't have learn'd Cat'lan, for God's sake." Then, she grinned. "Maybe we should practice moar? Sisplau? Era divertiiit…!"
They both heard approaching, hurried steps, at the other side of the door, and also, more relaxed ones. "Not now." The ebony managed to say, before a gentle fist knocked the door.
"Comeeeeeeeeeeenn!~" The red-head grinned.
The two human girls entered:
The first one to step in was an apprehensive-looking Madoka, who managed to draw a nervous grin. "S-sorry for intruding!" She stuttered.
And, the second one was a resigned-looking Hitomi, who, after all, managed to be as polite as ever. "Sorry for intruding." She said, with a tiny smile and a small bow.
"Madoka, Shizuki Hitomi." Homura greeted with a nod.
"Yo." Kyoko waved at them.
"So, this is where you've been all these days at break time?" The greenette asked, attempting to start a conversation.
"Yes." The palest of the four replied, dryly enough to make the former shut her mouth and take a seat, sighing a bit.
"Whaddayawant?" Kyoko then asked.
"It's-" Madoka dedicated Homura a quick glance, only to make sure she was as healthy as she had seemed earlier in the morning, and then, proceeded to ask. "Uhm, has… Has Sayaka-chan told you something about… Why she hasn't come to school, Kyoko-chan?"
"Nuh-uh." The addressed girl shook her head. "Imma ganna check mah phone, though." Her voice said, yet, through telepathy, she said something very different, that only Madoka and Homura could hear: "Imma ganna try and detect her."
They all watched as the former stared at the screen of her mobile phone.
"Nope." She then said, after slipping it back inside her bag. "No word." And yet, with her mental voice, she said: "Nope, she ain't wetheen mah range."
Hitomi sighed. "I told you, Madoka, that she'd be fine."
"But-"
"Ah, ran outta food." The red head interrupted the pinkette. "Ima ganna get moar."
And as she stood up, they heard the true message. "Ganna search fo'her, befoar that dumbass do's somethin' she regrets."
Lavender eyes stared at her. "Be careful, you don't want to have an indigestion." Her mental voice sounded as well. "I'll tell the teachers you had an indigestion."
"Me? An indigestion? Yeah, yeah." Kyoko guffawed, placing her hands in the back of her head. "'Kay, bye, Homu. Bye, Candy gurl. Bye, chard." And with that, she left.
Madoka just stared, amazed at how they could speak through two different channels at once, and Hitomi sighed, feeling like a third wheel in the middle of what seemed like the beginning of a lesbian, forbidden relationship.
And yet… The awkwardness she felt brought her to attempt at starting a conversation again. "So… You do play the piano too, I believe."
"I do." The ravenette nodded. "In fact, there was a song I wanted to show Madoka."
The pinkette jumped at hearing her name, and looked at the former with surprised eyes.
"…If she's interested, that is." Homura added, turning around once more to face the grand instrument.
"O-of course I do!" The shorter girl replied, brightening immediately.
It had to be a love song, Hitomi thought. What else would it be? After all, their forbidden relationship had already been insinuated many times. She totally was a third wheel, and it would be really uncomfortable for the three of them to be together, if those two needed privacy for whatever they did, those things she could already picture, want to know, yet never want to see.
Scandalized by those thoughts about homosexuality that she considered so dirty, she immediately stood up to leave.
"Ah- Hitomi-chan! Wait!"
"Shizuki Hitomi, you can stay if you want to."
It took the greenette all her willpower not to run away, and instead, she turned to smile at the two other girls. "I'm sorry, but I have things to do. That girl I sat at the bus with, is very nice and interesting. I'd like to talk with her for a bit, if you don't mind."
"Ah, a-alright, then." Madoka nodded in understanding.
"See you later, then, Madoka-san, Akemi-san." She bowed, and left. Once she closed the door behind her, she leaned heavily against it, dropping all composure. "Peasants and their forbidden love!" She let out.
And though the pinkette had not, Homura's sensible ears and sharp senses had let her hear it. She just sighed, and eyed Madoka from where she was. "Two days ago, you asked me about a song. I'll gladly play it for you."
The ebony's voice was cold, yet gentle, and Madoka's smile grew wider. "Go ahead, Homura-chan." She said, eager to hear that melody, and wishing it was the one she had heard that night.
"…very well." Pale, thin fingers were placed on the keys, and then, the song began.
.
First time line, also known as the original one.
April the third, 2011.
A slender, pale, sick girl, with black, long, twin braids and red spectacles on lavender eyes, was hiding in that room she'd never seen before.
The third day of school, and she had managed to make two friends who had happened to be magical girls and save her from a witch, the friends of the one whom she admired most, however, didn't seem to quite accept her; especially that blue-haired one
And she knew she'd never be as cool as that pinkette, so kind and gentle, smart and brave, selfless and caring, always eager to give everything she had to make things better for everyone.
She, Homura Akemi, carrier of a name her new friend had really liked, was nothing but a piece of frail trash, so worthless… No. She was a handicap; for everyone. Clumsy, slow, depressive, ill…
She cried in silence, because she didn't want the pinkette to waste her time worrying about her, nor to be seen by those classmates that would always judge her.
She wanted to be alone, she deserved to be alone.
After a good cry, she took off her glasses to wipe her eyes with the back of her hand, and once she had put them back and turned the lights on, she discovered where she had been: the music room.
And memories assaulted her, of how, the best days she spent at her pitiful life in the hospital were when they invited musicians to play for those who were sick or wounded.
She really, really loved music, and thought she'd never be able to play.
And yet-
That beautiful, black grand piano forte was right there, apparently calling for her to sit and try it, and so she did.
Carefully, she stroked the keys with trembling hands, and, tentatively, she pressed one.
Such beautiful sound, she thought, it was just like that girl she had met: high-pitched, sweet, warm.
But she didn't know how to play, tough.
Then, a song came to her mind, one that had really managed to comfort her when her heart had ached the most.
'Scarborough Fair', an ancient song sung by Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel.
And the feeling hit her fast and mercilessly: she wanted to play it.
She spent the rest of that lunch time attempting to play it by ear, and she managed to have the basics of the melody right before the bell rang.
That night, after having done her homework, she searched on the internet, and managed to find a simple arrangement, basic enough for her to learn.
Self-teaching was a slow and hard process, but, if she practiced every day, maybe she'd be able to have it ready by the end of the month.
And she really, really wanted to play it… For Madoka.
April the twenty-seventh, and she finally dared to tell her.
"K-kaname-san…"
"Hm? What is it, Homura-chan?"
"U-uhm, well… I-I've been p-practicing, uh… It's… I-I have a surprise for you. A-after Walpurgisnacht- there- uh… I… W-w-want to p-p… play… s-something f-for you?"
"Really? Homura-chan, that makes me very happy! I'll gladly listen to it, after we defeat Walpurgisnacht!"
But-
April the thirtieth, and Madoka laid dead at her feet.
Second time line, and, two weeks after she had met the pinkette, she finally dared to say it again.
"K-kaname-san, I- … I want to sh-show you something."
"What's it, Homura-chan?"
"It's- I've been l-learning m-my first song on the p-piano… By m-m-myself."
Indeed, her first song, very, very simple, but Madoka had loved it. She even gave her a bone-crushing hug, like a few days ago, when she had killed her first witch.
But ever since that day on such distant time line, she had kept practicing. She ended up adding more notes to the song, completing the sheet music 'till it seemed professional.
And after that, through countless attempts at saving Madoka, she kept learning more and more songs, until playing the piano became as easy and natural as to breathe.
But it had been more than thirty time lines ago that she had forgotten about it. There were more important things to do in order to keep her promise, the piano was secondary, and it had become something for herself, only.
Because of that, now that she was playing again for the pinkette, she felt a sudden wave of nostalgia.
She kept the tears inside, trying to let her bottled emotions flow through the music instead.
.
She was a hero, a true hero. Weightlessly leaping through the air, she stabbed and slashed with her sword, killing every meaning of despair. She regretted nothing, not even having skipped a day of school to train herself, before starting to make daily patrols every afternoon.
She couldn't even remember the pain she had been dealing with the past few days, the grin was permanent and natural on her face.
If only she could find more heroes like her… Kyubey had mentioned two more magical girls on Mitakihara, but had told her they were different, that they hunted only to get Grief Seeds and increment their power, letting the familiars go to hurt civilians, before they hatched into witches as well.
So hateful, she thought. Why would someone be so unkind?
But, she shook her head. She couldn't distract herself now that she was about to finish another enemy, and, nothing would stop her from being all optimistic.
"Alright, ya witch!" Sayaka exclaimed, running closer to attack. "Time to teach you a good lesson!"
But, suddenly, a stray minion she hadn't seen hit the sword away from her hand.
"Woah!" The girl stumbled: that attack had been unpredictable, and before she could summon a new sword, there was something dark flying against her.
.
"Homura-chan, it's so beautiful!" Madoka complimented, clapping her hands lightly when the song had finished.
The player didn't turn around, in order to hide that deep blush in her originally pale cheeks. "…I'm glad you liked it." She managed to say, keeping her voice from cracking.
"But… Y-you did tell me you were going to sing it?" The former then asked, tilting her head a little.
"…Maybe another day."
A bit worried that Homura wasn't turning around, and not noticing how red the tips of her ears were, Madoka stood up and tentatively walked towards the other girl, who stood frozen in place.
After taking a good look at her face, she couldn't help but to smile at this new side of the ravenette she had seen scarce hints of when they had been together in the bus. To her, it was so adorable that she couldn't help but to hug her.
"I really love how you play the piano." She gently whispered.
"Th-thanks." Homura replied, trying her best to keep her mask from cracking even further.
And, somehow, the weight inside Madoka's chest now seemed a little lighter…
Until, suddenly, she remembered her pitiful confession at night. Immediately, she let go and stepped backwards. "U-uhm, Homura-chan?"
"…Yes?" She had nothing to lose now, her reputation was already ruined, so, even though her cheeks were still lightly flushed, she turned her head around a little to stare at the other girl.
"A-about last night…" The pinkette murmured. "D-do you remember anything?"
Sucking in a deep breath before sighing, Homura then turned her full body around to face Madoka. "Honestly, the last thing I remember is telling you about Miki Sayaka's contract." She admitted, mask back on. "Everything that happened next is blurry, or, simply gone." For all she had been able to pay attention to was her own paranoia, until it had turned black as well.
Madoka tried her best not to sigh in relief, but jumped when the other began to talk again.
"However…" She said, pretending she hadn't noticed the sorter girl's reaction –she was used to it now-, "Kyoko informed me that you had been with me, stopping me from completely falling. That's why I thanked you this morning. And I actually do remember hearing your voice. But that's all I can recall."
A soft smile bloomed again in her mouth. "It's okay, Homura-chan." Madoka replied. "N-nothing really happened. I-I just told you to stay with me, th-that's all."
Looking away, the ebony slowly nodded. "I see…" She whispered, trying to remember.
Madoka repressed a new sigh of relief. She had a new opportunity to confess her feelings, and now that she had said them out loud last night, she was completely sure: for unknown reasons, she loved Homura, and felt oddly familiar around her.
Though… Would the other girl feel the same? Would she acknowledge her own feelings?
Somehow, though, Madoka had the strange sensation that she was forgetting about something.
.
Azure eyes opened to the sharp sound of metal, only to see a spear between the two pieces of what once had been a black, tiny lion-shaped minion.
"Brat!" A familiar voice scolded. "Ya ganna get yarself kill'd if ya act so carelessly!"
Sayaka looked up, and widened her eyes at the sight of the other magical girl. "Im…possible…" She mumbled.
"Shuddup and see how true magical gurls fight." Right after she had spoken, Kyoko ran, swift movements slashing every single minion that dared to approach her, as she dodged the attacks the witch, Suleika, was beginning to throw at her. In fact, she was running around said witch, slowly approaching her.
As the last minion lunged against her, she used it as a platform to jump, and shoved her spear against the enormous enemy. The witch died, and she landed on top of her weapon, as the barrier faded.
Standing up, Sayaka kept staring at her, in awe and surprise. She had never expected her to be one of those 'other magical girls', but she was too good, and had ended that witch very easily.
"Hope ya learn'd somethin' from dis." Kyoko said, jumping down before making her spear and her magical uniform disappear. She took her box of pocky from her pocket, and stuffed one into her mouth before offering another to the bluenette. "From now on, ya'll call me 'Senpai'."
.
"…So, you and the goth, are veterans at this?"
"Yup. And dun't call 'er that. She's yar senior now. She has much moar experience than ya at this, hell, even moar than me."
Sayaka leaned backwards against the bench where the two of them sat. "Well, you call her whatever you want, whenever you want."
"Wight." Kyoko replied, chewing a whole mouthful of cookies, before swallowing. "'Cause we trust each othah. But ya're just a novice, and yar experience is zero. So ya do what we say if ya wanna live."
"…Like if I was gonna get killed, or something." The former grumbled, staring at the park right in front of them, currently empty since the children would most likely be at school.
"Well." The red head cut herself off to munch into another cookie, before replying. "Ya saw today that it ain't hard tho. Ya can't fight by yarself, yet. Ya have tho learn first."
"And how did you learn?" The tomboy asked, now turning to look at her.
"Well, I haz a senior too." Kyoko explained, as she ate non-stop. "She toht me a lot, but den… Bad times came, and they toht me moar than anyone. O'course, we had it rough, but, ya can either let dat consume ya, or become strong liek me and survive, no mattah tha price." Her grin then turned bitter, as if in a mix of irony and a bit of sadness. "Mah senior had it rough too. She didn't learn, howevah, and died three days ago."
"What?! How?" Sayaka's sea blue eyes were widened once more.
"Hm…" She licked her lips, the usual fanged grin back on her face. "Say, what has QB told ya?"
"About what?" A blue eyebrow raised.
"'Bout witches, contracts, Sool Gims."
"I've only taught her the basics, of course, as I did with all of you when you began." That high-pitched, telepathic voice was the only warning, before they saw the annoying, white creature coming from wherever.
"Yo, Kyubey." Sayaka greeted, with a smile.
"Tsk." To the blue magical girl's surprise, Kyoko wasn't grinning anymore. Instead, she was glaring at the Incubator, as if she were to slaughter him in any moment.
"Miki Sayaka, Sakura Kyoko." He greeted, motionless, unblinking, always grinning. "I expected a better welcome."
"What's wrong with ya?" Sayaka asked, looking at the red magical girl with surprise. "Kyoko-Senpai?"
The fact that the other had obliged to call her that made Kyoko grin again. "Imma ganna show ya somethin', novice." She said. Then, as she suddenly summoned her Soul gem, the spear poked out from it and decapitated Kyubey.
"WTF?!" Sayaka jumped off her seat as soon as that happened. "How could you?!"
"Just wait an' see, novice."
And in a few seconds, Kyubey was back there, with a new body. "Seriously, girls…" He said, causing the bluenette to gasp. "I have countless replacements, but destroying one for no reason is such a waste…" And then, he bowed his head to eat the white mass that had once been his body.
"What…? How…?" Sayaka was out of words.
"Men, ya're gross, yo. I luv eatin', but that's just… Bruh."
Kyubey swallowed disgustingly, and made a tiny little burp. "I don't see the problem. It means more energy to this new body, so…"
"Shuddup. I ain't ast ya 'bout dat." The red head stuck her tongue out, before stuffing another handful of cookies into her mouth to forget the imaginary flavor the Incubator's actions had caused her to picture. However, as soon as the sensation of chocolate washed on her tongue, she seemed to calm a little. "Anyways." She said, after swallowing. "Ya havn't told yar new contractee 'bout somethin' she deserves tho know."
"Huh?" Sayaka looked at her new senior, confused.
"Hm?" The Incubator tilted his head, flapping his ears a little. "I've only answered her questions, told her what she wanted to know."
That movement had made Kyoko sick to the stomach, and she grabbed him by one of his ears, gritting her teeth with rage as they cringed. "Ya told 'er wha' she want'd tho know, o' course. Wha' ya have yet to tell 'er is somethin' no one wanna know, but she needs tho."
He sighed. "Very well. Say, Sakura Kyoko, what do you want me to tell her?"
As the red head opened her mouth to speak, a memory hit her. 'We are like zombies.' 'I'm such an idiot.' Right, Sayaka wasn't ready to know yet, and she assumed she'll have to be the one to prepare her, but for now…
"That ya're an asshole!" She exclaimed, shoving the white alien to the floor. "Leave, NOW."
"I don't get it, Sakura Kyoko. What-?"
"I told ya, go 'way befoar I waste moar of yar fraggin' bodies." This time, the veteran sounded cold as steel and ice, just like her sister. Sayaka didn't know why, but that sent chills through her spine.
Kyubey sighed, and bowed his head. "…Very well." And finally, he disappeared under some bushes.
"Kyoko-Senpai, what's wrong now?"
To the bluenette's surprise, the red head had a resigned grin. "Forget 'bout eet." She replied. "C'mon, we have betthah things tho do."
"But- hey!" Sayaka was now frowning. "I deserve an explanation, don't you think so? Kyubey grants us wishes in exchange of a responsibility we are supposed to accept, right? So, if you accepted it, why do you hate him so much?"
The veteran sighed. "When ya wish sometheen fo' someone else, it can go berseark. He nevah told us dat, did he?" Then, she almost heard how the other swallowed saliva, and held out a hand. "Easy, gurl. Yar prince's ganna be fine. Ya want'd to help heem? Ya did eet. Now be careful 'bout whattya do next. If ya follow mah advice, things'll go cool."
"…Alright." The bluenette decided to oblige, yet made a mental note to ask more later.
Maybe, it would be easier to instruct Sayaka than in other time lines, since she had never been under Mami's influence, and the only reference she had now was Kyoko, and maybe Homura too, if things cooled down between them, which was most likely the hardest part of it all.
.
A few more witch hunts, and Kyoko began to lead her through more familiar streets.
"Where are we going now?" She asked, absently eating the last stick of pocky she had been handed.
"We ganna meet up witzh da rest."
The bluenette brought her hands to cover her face. "...Now that I think about it, I finally understand why the two of you are always so weird…"
The veteran grinned, and threw one of her arms around her junior's shoulders to rub her head with her knuckles. "Welcome to da pack!"
"Agaaaah, stop it!" Sayaka whirled free from Kyoko's grasp, hurrying to fix her hair as she swallowed the now-completely broken treat inside her mouth. Luckily, she had managed to save it with her teeth before it fell. After all, she knew much, much better than to drop food in front of the other, even more now that she was her Kouhai. "Idiot…" She managed to mutter under her breath as her Senpai cackled louder and louder.
.
As the class started to leave the school, the three of them were the first ones to emerge from the gates: Madoka, who was going to go out with Hitomi, as usual, when Homura had told her using telepathy that the other two were waiting for them outside, and then, the pinkette had dragged the other two along.
"Yo, Mado- hmpf!" Sayaka hadn't even finished her greeting, but the other girl was already throwing herself to hug her.
"Sayaka-chan, I'm so glad you are okay!"
"O-of course I'm okay, Madoka!" The other grinned, returning the hug.
"I already told you." Hitomi sighed, in half-dissimulated exasperation. Then, she politely bowed. "I hope the two of you are already feeling better, Sayaka-san, Kyoko-san."
"We cool." The red head said, giving a thumbsup as three pockies emerged from her chocolate-stained lips.
"Ah, I'm so glad." The greenette closed her emerald eyes to give a gentle smile. "I'd like to stay longer, but sadly, I have to go home quickly to prepare for my piano lessons."
"Aaah, the busy life of a high-classed lady, huh? Never expected less from you, Hitomi!" Sayaka replied, as she let go of Madoka. "Alright, we'll Whatsapp, or somethin'."
"Bbye, chardie." Kyoko waved.
"Shizuki Hitomi." Homura gave a small nod.
"Bye, Hitomi-chan!"
Once the bimbo was out of sight, the bluenette attempted to start an idle conversation, expecting the pinkette to leave soon. "Well, have I missed something important in class, or was the teacher talking about eggs and boys again?"
"Sayaka-chan…" The horrified expression in Madoka's face made her stomach drop. "Why… Would you do something like that? Wh-why would you risk your life like that?"
"Madoka? Wait- did you know about-?"
"Yes…" Magenta eyes cast to the floor. "Th-the same day they transferred to our school, I was captured by a witch..." Then, they lifted again to give a sad smile to the ebony. "B-but Homura-chan saved me. Th-the very next day, she explained everything to me."
"But- Why-" The bluenette's eyes were as open as her mouth. "Why didn't you tell me?!"
The pinkette stared at her, her eyes starting to fill with tears. "W-would you have believed me, Sayaka-chan?" The answer never came, and the same magenta eyes were cast back to the ground. "B-besides… I-I was scared, you know? And… You d-didn't tell me about your contract, either."
Sayaka scratched the back of her head, but then, lifted her chin a little. "Would you have believed me, Madoka?"
"O-of course I would!" The pinkette frowned back, but then tried to blink back the tears. "I-I don't want you to turn into-"
A loud clap of hands, and a flash of red as Kyoko seemed to trap something with them, killing it. "Aaaah, stupid mosquitos." She cursed, and Homura took a profit of that to stop time and put a hand in Madoka's shoulder.
"Madoka. Miki Sayaka mustn't know about where the witches truly come from… yet."
"Wh-why not?"
"She's still unprepared to receive such information."
Time clicked, Homura was back in her school uniform and the red head was rubbing her hand against the wall. The pinkette stood there, frozen in place.
"Hey, Madoka?"
The shorter girl hugged her childhood friend again. "Sayaka-chan…" She sniffled.
"Yo, pinko, listen up." Kyoko snarled. "She ain't ganna die."
"Yeah… I won't die. I'm a hero, remember?" Immediately, the bluenette returned the hug.
Homura looked away: Madoka was crying… Again.
.
"Hey…"Both Sayaka and Madoka had left home, and now, there were only the two veterans left. "Ya know, sissy? I'm glad ya found out how tho make me remembah… Ya know, 'bout yar TLs, and da loop, and da yadda yadda yadda."
"…Yeah." The ravenette nodded ever so slightly, her eyes still focused somewhere in the distance. "Accidents tend to end up awfully… But the way I discovered I could do that, was just a lucky miscalculation."
"Well, not everytheen has to suck, dos eet?" Kyoko stuffed a doughnut inside her mouth just as she finished speaking.
Before the former could answer, though, she felt the vibration of her phone in her pocket, and slipped it open just to see the new Whatsapp message she had just received.
When Kyoko was about to look away, there was suddenly a bright flash close to her face that caught her by surprise, as her sister showed her the screen of her phone. "I think this concerns you too."
"What the-?"
'Sorry I forgot to tell you earlier!' Kyoko didn't even need to see who had sent it, that adorable profile picture already said everything: It was Madoka's message. 'My mom asked me if you two wanted to have a sleepover at my house this weekend, since she wants to get to know you two better!'
"Whatta actual fuck?!" She pushed the phone away as she tried to process what she had just read.
"Kaname Junko is a very unpredictable woman." Homura explained. "Not even after so many timelines have I managed to understand how she thinks… Although, it's the first time she invites you over as well."
"What?! Why?! How?!" The red head shook her head. "What even?!"
"…Yeah." The ebony sighed. "I understand… But, what are we going to do, then? What are you going to do?"
"Dunno." The former shrugged. "I'll pass. Dat's not fo' me."
"Not even with Kaname Tomoisha's food? He'll give you as much as you want to."
Just remembering what a good cook Madoka's father was, made the rascal begin to drool. Then, she shook her head. "Wait- Are ya tryeen' tho convince me?!"
Again, Homura sighed. "More like… I'm trying to find excuses not to go there. Figured your stubbornness would help…"
Kyoko's face was a poem.
"In the first time lines, whenever that happened…" Another sigh. "…I just couldn't say 'no', to that businesswoman I'll never properly handle, 'no', to that girl I just desperately wanted to protect and spend more time with." Then, she looked up. "…After that Time Line when I had to kill Madoka with my own hands, after promising her I wouldn't let her become a magical girl, I began to try and avoid those situations. But sooner or later, one way or another, I just couldn't help it, and it would always end up happening."
The red head closed her eyes, searching for those memories. Night patrols, either alone, with Sayaka or Mami, or else with the two of them, when Homura couldn't join because of a certain scary woman that would keep her kidnapped for a night. She grinned to herself: that submissive side her sister had would never fully disappear. Why the businesswoman Junko was could still awaken it was a mystery, maybe even to the ebony herself.
"Also…" The former added. "If we refuse now, that won't free us at all…" She rested her forehead into one of her hands. "Kaname Junko is too stubborn. She'll keep trying until she gets what she wants to. That woman is an expert at manipulating situations."
"…Heh. Guess ya've seen plenty of that." Kyoko gave a fanged grin.
"Believe me, I've tried everything…" Homura's tone of voice showed everything: she was not lying. The more she tried to stay away from spending time with Madoka's family, the closer she was dragged to them. Once, they had even told her to come live with them, but she had managed to politely convince Junko that it wasn't necessary, that she was fine by herself, and used to it. And yet, they had her coming to visit more often, and, if Walpurgisnacht hadn't arrived, Madoka's mother would have probably ended up getting what she wanted.
In other luckier time lines, however, chance was by her side, and she had managed to dodge those situations.
"Ya know?" The red head lifted her chin. "Da closah ya're to Pinko, da bettah ya'll protect 'er. She trusts ya now, so ya need to have 'er Pa and Ma tho like ya." Then, her grin turned into the widest smirk. "I'll accept, but onleh fo' dinnah. Aftah all, I have a couple o' stuff to show dis stupeed novice, before she gets into trouble. Den, I'll leave ya 'nd Princess Bubblegum 'lone to do Yuri, but first, free chow is free chow."
Homura immediately looked away, hiding her enormous blush. "Let's just- head home already."
The former cackled, slapping her knee in the process.
"We'll eat something before we patrol, and then, once it's dark, I'll give Madoka the answer."
Kyoko then closed her mouth shut, feeling how her stomach grumbled at the thought of food, and immediately grabbed her pseudo-sibling by her wrist and almost dragged her along. "Whatta' we waiteen' fo', then?"
.
"Damn, I still dunno how dis works." The red head growled, frenetically fiddling with her red mobile phone, running her fingers across the screen hard enough to almost draw fissures on it.
"You'll learn." She heard Homura's voice, slightly muffled due to the distance. "Just keep practicing, but try not to break it by simply typing a message."
"…Huh." Kyoko now realized how the screen was blinking in strange colors due to the pressure of her fingers, and relaxed her grip. She sucked in a deep breath, and looked up at the swinging pendulum, always moving, calmly, never losing its regular rhythm. "Ya nevah get tired, huh?" She asked, with slight envy for such a stable object, before staring back at the small screen.
Just then, the ravenette emerged from her room, already dressed as a magical girl. "Do you need any help?"
"Nah, I can handle eet." The former began to type again, softer this time. "Eet's just dat I aim for a button, but da retarded machine chooses anothah one."
"…Yeah. That's the problem of digital keyboards." Homura sighed.
"Well, eet's done." The red head proudly declared, as she sent the message. "I told CC tho join us at 00:00. She says dat if her parents see her leaving, she's ganna be sentenced, so it ain't be soonah."
"Alright, then." A nod, and the ebony was already moving for the door. "I'm leaving." She said. "You should go hunt, and I'll join you as soon as I can."
"'Kay."
A click as it opened, another one as it softly closed, and the whole house fell to silence, only filled by the continuous sound of the pendulum.
Kyoko slipped her phone back into her pocket, and then headed for the kitchen: She wouldn't mind having a small snack before patrolling for witches.
.
"Are you feeling better?"
The sudden voice made Madoka jump in the mattress. "H-homura chan?"
Said girl knelt beside the bed. "Are you feeling better?" She repeated.
"Ah." The pinkette realized she hadn't answered before, and nodded as she sat up. "Y-yes, thank you, Homura-chan. S-sorry if I worried you."
"It's okay." Surprisingly, the reply came along with another comment. "Now, about what you asked us via Whatsapp, I couldn't answer before, so I will now." A small silence, before she continued. "We've been weighing our priorities as magical girls and students, but, we've decided that we can scratch a bit of time for coming here."
The shorter girl felt herself brightening. "R-really?" She asked, with glittering eyes.
Lavender flicked to her, before Homura nodded. "Yes. I don't mind spending one night with you." And at this, both girls were glad the dim moonlight wouldn't allow the other to see how they were blushing, oblivious to the fact that the other's cheeks were just as pink.
"…However." Homura continued. "Kyoko will just stay for dinner. She couldn't say 'no' to Kaname Tomoisha's cooking, but she has to instruct Miki Sayaka."
The fact that her childhood friend was now a magical girl struck her away like a wave, and that lump on her throat reappeared. "Y-yeah…" The pinkette murmured.
"Do not worry, Madoka." Homura reassured, putting a hand on the other's smaller shoulder. "Miki Sayaka is going to be fine. Kyoko and I have lasted more than many other magical girls, and we can do the same with her."
When the other's stare finally met hers, she lowered her voice to a mere whisper. "You do trust me, right, Madoka?"
The latter nodded, and she put her hand away. "I was also going to tell you that we'd be patrolling in the afternoon, as well. You can join us, if you'd like to. Then, we can come here."
The pinkette nodded again, this time brightening a little: Homura was acknowledging her, trusting her to join them, even when she was just a powerless human. "Y-yes, of course I will join you girls, Homura-chan." She said, smiling a little.
The ebony nodded. "Alright." She said. "…In that case, good night, Madoka."
"Goodnight, Homura-chan."
The pinkette laid down again, and this time, she fell asleep, almost immediately.
Just as she did, the taller girl stood up, and then left her alone in that pink room of hers.