A/N: I'm listening to the soundtrack for Rebellion as I write this. If I had to pick one of the tracks for this chapter… then it would be "Something, Everything is Wrong". Give it a listen.

Thanks for all the feedback. As always, tell me if you notice something is wrong, and I'll fix it as soon as I can.

Special thanks to my BETA reader, Grimgrendel, who once again leant their talent to help polish this chapter up! It wasn't half as good as it was before they took a look at it (and wasn't half as long).

I can't hold back
My hands won't let me
It's the touch of your skin
Is it lust or envy?
Is it lust or envy?

I can't hold back
My pride won't let me
I'm seeing red
This is all too deadly
This is all too deadly

Fallout!
One more taste
One last time
I just can't help it
Fallout!
I need it all
Hanging from the edge of heaven

Excerpt from "Edge of Heaven" by Breathe Carolina

Puella Magi Fuhai Magica

Chapter One: Dreams and Nightmares

It was a cool Spring day, and school was out. Homura had told Madoka to meet her out behind the school's equipment shed. She had something that she wanted to tell her pink-haired friend, and it could only be done in private.

Too anxious to do anything except fiddle with her braids and glasses, Homura nervously awaited the arrival of her good friend.

"Homura-chan!" Madoka's angelic voice startled Homura out of her self-imposed mental angst. The raven-haired transfer student turned to face her friend.

"Geez, Homura-chan, why did you want to meet back here?" Madoka teased Homura playfully, "Someone might spread rumors about us."

Homura flushed beet-red. Not just from the embarrassing prospect of becoming the subject of school gossip, but from the fact that what she was about to do would spawn such gossip anyways.

In other words, Madoka had guessed her intentions without even trying.

"Ah… well, Kaname-san," Homura stuttered, "there's… uh, something I've needed… wanted to tell you for a long time…"

"Huh?" Madoka tilted her head slightly, "What do you mean, Homura-chan?"

"Well, uh," Homura flushed deeply, before steeling herself, "For… For the longest time… I've… You…. Uh, you've been a good friend to me… and I understand if… what I'm about to say… I hope it doesn't ruin our friendship…. But I'll understand if you don't want to talk to me anymore after..."

"Nothing you could possibly say could ruin our friendship!" Madoka replied cheerfully, "Unless you were planning to insult me, Homura-chan."
"No!" Homura shook her head in denial, "No, that wasn't what I was going to do!"

She couldn't meet Madoka's gaze, so she just shut her eyes.

"I really, really like you, Kaname-san!" Homura blurted out, "Would… Would you consider going out with me?"

Several pregnant seconds passed, and Homura was afraid that she had just eviscerated their relationship beyond repair.

Eventually, Homura worked up the courage to open her eyes and see Madoka's reaction.

She was expecting something like disgust or shock, although she had been hoping that Madoka would respond enthusiastically.

What she was not expecting was an expression of stark terror on Madoka's face.

"Don't… don't come near me…" the pink-haired girl took a few shaky steps back.

Homura was confused, why was her friend reacting like this? Then she felt her hands wet with something, and she looked down.

Her Magical Girl outfit was twisted, black like a starless night. In her right hand she held her clockwork sword, which was dripping with blood. She was drenched in crimson, and all around her laid the mangled remains of her victims. They were no longer behind the equipment shed, and instead they stood in the middle of decimated downtown Tokyo.

"…Madoka," Homura dropped her weapon, slowly stepping towards her friend, "This… This isn't what it looks like…. Let me explain…"

"Stay away!" Madoka screamed at the stricken Homura, "You're not Homura-chan! You're just a monster!"

With that, Madoka Kaname turned her back on Homura Akemi, and ran away.

The Demon felt dead inside. She collapsed onto her knees, blood pooling around her.

That was right. How could Madoka possibly have any feelings for her whatsoever? She was just a Demon, a monster unworthy of affection or pity.

That… That was fine. Madoka didn't have to love her. As long as she could have Madoka, it wouldn't matter. Homura would knock her former friend out, tie her up…. Yes, she could see it now as she rose to her feet, stumbling after her fleeing friend. Madoka would be her pet. It would be rather degrading, sure, but Madoka would be all hers and nobody could-

"Akemi-san!"

Mami's shout woke her raven-haired friend out of her nightmarish dream. The train was slowing, that tinny voice announcing, "Now arriving at Mitakihara station." Outside the windows, they could see the nighttime skyline of Mitakihara up close and personal.

"We're here," Mami pointed out as she carried Charlotte.

"Ah, yes…. Of course," Homura blinked away her grogginess.

Homura tried to gather her thoughts. That was just a dream? Good… Madoka hadn't really rejected her, that was just the irrational fears of her subconscious. Just irrational fears. Still, what had she been thinking? Kidnapping Madoka? Keeping her tied up like a prisoner? Absurd, Madoka wasn't a thing to be owned, she was a living person, she was Homura's friend!

Still, a part of Homura actually liked that idea, and that scared her.

Grabbing her small duffel bag, Homura waited with Mami for the train doors to open. Stowing her thoughts away for later, she made a mental note to find herself an Anchor, and soon.

Anchors were to Demons like Grief Seeds were to Magical Girls. They were generally objects or people (usually people) that helped to emotionally ground and stabilize the mental state of a Demon. Most of the world's surviving Demons had Anchors at this point. The ones who didn't went insane, and either self-destructed or had to be put down. Mami had found Charlotte, and by pure dumb luck Charlotte was able to serve as Mami's Anchor. While an emotional bond or relationship certainly opened the possibility for a person to serve as an Anchor that was no guarantee that they could.

Homura wondered if Madoka could be her Anchor.

Regardless of who, or what it was, the raven-haired Demon knew that she had to find an Anchor soon. She was already starting to slip, and the last thing she wanted to do was lose her mind in front of her friends or something. Or even worse, go insane and do something horrible to Madoka.

Stepping onto the nearly empty platform, Homura let out a contented sigh. Mitakihara city, home at last. The deserted station was a bit disconcerting, but understandable. Once people heard that there was going to be a Demon onboard, they had avoided the train like the plague.

Homura was stuck carrying both of their bags, since Mami was carrying a sleeping Charlotte. Both Demons had wistful looks on their faces. Two years ago they stood on this platform, waiting for the train to take them away from this place. Granted, they never caught the train due to the JSDF, but they still considered this their departure point. It was where they had ceased to be girls and became fugitives.

Now that they were back, what were they? Certainly not girls anymore, they weren't even Human. They were a major departure from the senior Magical Girl and her shy protégé that left this place. They left as the hunted. Now, they returned the triumphant victors, the conquerors of the world.

"I sense an unusual amount of Witches," Homura remarked, "I wonder why?"

"This city has lacked a Magical Girl protector for nearly two years," Mami pointed out with a shrug, "That's plenty of time for Witches to feed and multiply."

"Then it looks like we need to do a little cleaning," Homura sighed, "Do you want to, or should I?"

"You go ahead," Mami shrugged noncommittally, "I don't really feel like it."

"Very well," Homura's Barrier began to spread outwards from her ground around her feet, "I'll take out the trash."

Within minutes, the entirety of Mitakihara city was engulfed in a massive Barrier. The inhabitants of the metropolis started in terror as their city seemed to shimmer in the air, then return to normal. They had all heard what a Demon's Barrier looked like… but as minutes passed and nothing happened, they warily returned to their business.

All throughout Mitakihara, Homura's Familiars did battle with Witches.

/人 ◕ ‿‿ ◕ 人\

"You're not Homura-chan! You're just a monster!"

Madoka screamed at the twisted facsimile of her dear friend. The real Homura would never do something like this... could she?

The nightmarish caricature of Homura chuckled atop a mountain of dead bodies, "Of course I'm Homura, silly girl. Haven't you seen the news? I've killed, and killed, and I don't feel like stopping anytime soon! Why, when I come back, I'll kill Hitomi. I'll kill her slowly, let her bleed out. Then I'll dispose of Sayaka! After that, I'll kill your family, Madoka!"

The nightmare Homura giggled, "Everyone in Mitakihara is going to die! Even you! Do you think that just because we were friends two years ago, that I will spare you?"

"No… please, we're friends, Homura-chan!" Madoka backed up against a wall as Homura descended from her throne of corpses, "Please don't do this! This isn't you!"

"Don't you get it?" Homura cackled with a twisted grin, "This is exactly who I am!"

She drew a pistol and leveled it at the pinkette's face, "I'm Homura Akemi."

"The monster," She pulled the trigger.

Madoka awoke with a scream, shuddering in absolute horror.

She began to sob quietly. Surely Homura wasn't that evil, right? She was such a kind person when she left, it had to be impossible for her personality to change so drastically. It had to be the media. They were portraying her friend in an unfavorable light; everyone knew how much stories were twisted by reporters looking for a story.

But… she had seen the footage. The undeniable proof that Homura and her little army had turned Tokyo into a bloodbath of unfathomable proportions. That wasn't her friend. The Homura she knew would never do such a thing.

But she did.

Now she was coming back to Mitakihara. In fact, she should have already arrived. Would Madoka and her family end up as more names on the death toll? In her mind, she could still see Homura shoving the gun in her face. The muzzle flash that ends her life… it was horrible.

Madoka cried quietly into her pillow. She had wanted Homura to come back home… but not like this.

The world shimmered, briefly distorting into something she knew well from her experiences two years ago.

This was a Barrier.

Even though the world returned to normal, she wrapped herself up in her blankets, backed herself into the corner of her room, and trembled in fear.

Tomorrow, she might die.

/人 ◕ ‿‿ ◕ 人\

Homura shook with barely constrained fury as she stood in front of her apartment.

Or, at least, what was left of her apartment.

The door had been bashed in, and the entire place had been vandalized. Sprayed on the walls were graffiti, with phrases like "Witch", "Freak", "Murderer", and "Fucking monster".

"It's not that bad," Mami tried to cheer her friend up, "With a little work, this place will be as good as new!"

Homura barely managed to keep herself under control. It took everything she had to not snap. Part of her wanted to cry in the ruins of her life, the other half wanted to take an axe to anyone and everyone who could have done this.

"My apologies, Tomoe-san…" Homura said through gritted teeth, "I'm… afraid that I have to ask to impose upon your hospitality."

"That's no problem," Mami smiled, "and we've known each other for long enough, why don't you just use my first name?"

"…. Thank you, Mami-san," Homura sighed reluctantly, "Can you help me salvage whatever is left? I'd rather not leave it to the looters."

There wasn't much left of Homura's meagre belongings. Not even the few family photos she had were spared. After nearly an hour of fruitless searching, she was forced to declare the apartment a total loss.

Somewhat despondent, Homura followed Mami back to her apartment.

Only to find that someone had tried very, very hard to break into it.

The front door was pretty dented, but due to enchantments Mami had placed onto it before she left, it was mostly intact. Nobody had been able to get in.

Opening the door, some rather stale air rushed out. After all, the house had been sealed for two years.

Setting a sleeping Charlotte down on the couch, Mami apologetically asked, "Akemi-san, would you mind using your magic on the kitchen?"

Homura nodded in understanding. No doubt the food that was once there did not keep.

Striding into the kitchen, she flashed into her Demon outfit. It bore a passing resemblance to her old Magical Girl outfit, but her new one practically exuded menace. Nearly all the white had been replaced with night-black and the edges and hem were frayed and torn.

Her shield used to only have two functions. The first was to pause time. The second was to rewind time 24 hours. She only used the second function once. Ever since her transformation into a Demon, though, she had gained a plethora of new functions for it.

What she was about to use was an advanced version of her Time Rewind ability, and it was certainly more useful.

Which the sound of screeching metal, her shield segmented, the casing opening up and extending to form an even bigger, more menacing asymmetrical clockwork machine. The shield and the kitchen glowed with purple light, and the gears in her shield began to turn. The sound was akin to grinding wheels caked with rust. It wasn't very pleasant.

The layers of dust and cobwebs in the room were magically whisked away, becoming just as clean as the day they left.

When the light faded, her shield snapped and screeched back into its former configuration, and Homura dropped to one knee, panting hard in physical and mental exhaustion. Doing this really took it out of her, and the greater the difference between the two temporal states, the greater the energy expenditure. If she had tried this on her trashed apartment, it likely would have killed her. As it stood, the voices in her head… her own voices, were just slightly louder. They called for the usual stuff, the destruction of the Human race, the burning of the world, kill Hitomi the Traitor, forcibly take Madoka…

The usual stuff. She could tune them out, for now.

She hadn't thought about it before, but she should really use this ability on select areas of her apartment to retrieve her most precious belongings… although it wouldn't return any objects physically removed from the rooms already. Too bad the ability only worked on inanimate and non-sentient organic material. She had tried to revive a deceased comrade in that fashion in the last months of the war.

The result had given her nightmares for days. Given that she had nightmares every night now, that was saying something.

Forcing herself to an unsteady standing position, Homura stumbled over to the newly restored fridge and pulled it open.

Just seconds ago (two years from now?) it had undoubtedly been filled with rancid masses of former food, rotted long ago (in the future?). Now, the food was fresh as the day they had left it (temporally, they hadn't left it at all). Mami's cakes, vegetables, and fruits were crisp and market-fresh. There was even a box of leftovers… Homura remembered the café it came from. She, Mami, Sayaka, and Madoka had eaten there together the day before they left. It felt like just yesterday… of course, from the perspective of the leftovers, it was just yesterday.

Homura scowled. Temporal mechanics were confusing.

It seemed like centuries ago.

"Oh," Mami was pleasantly surprised as she walked into the small kitchen, "You did a wonderful job, Akemi-san."

"It was nothing, Mami-san," Homura tried to casually flip her hair, and failed. She was trembling so badly from exhaustion. She vowed never to expend so much magic on something so trivial ever again.

Mami caught her before the exhausted raven-haired girl collapsed on the floor, "Take it easy…. Homura-chan. You deserve a rest. Let me cook dinner."

"Only Madoka-chan calls me by my first name," Homura mumbled, "When did you start?"

"I started right now," Mami half-dragged carried Homura to the living room, before plopping her down on an empty portion of the couch, "Now, relax, and I'll cook something for us to eat."

"Will there be cheese?" Charlotte groggily asked from her side of the couch.

"Of course," Mami smiled, "Just yell if you need anything."

As Mami left the two lying lethargically on the couch, Homura looked at the far wall. If she remembered correctly, there was a media system built into it.

With a spoken command, she activated the Holoscreen on Mami's wall. The picture slowly faded into view, slightly fuzzy due to two years of disuse.

"-ongoing civil war in the People's Republic of China has nearly come to a close, military analysts report," the anchorwoman announced as the screen resolved itself, "Bàoyìng has continued to refuse international aid, and continues to operate separately from the Earth Demon Coalition."

The Earth Demon Coalition… frankly, Homura hadn't wanted the world to call them any given title, but for the sake of convenience she and Mami had thrown the media the first title off the top of their heads. Creativity and originality did not factor into the creation of the name. At least it was simple, though. Kyoko had managed to get the media to refer to her as the "Supreme Demon", Homura as the "High Demon", and Mami as the "Grand Demon".

Homura had almost strangled Kyoko that day, but the damage had been done. The three of them were stuck with cheesy, grandiose titles that followed them. Absolutely. Everywhere.

Bàoyìng was another issue. That revolutionary group of regular Humans and Magical Girls was the one faction that had refused Homura's offer to turn them into Demons. They had retorted via courier, "If we give up our Humanity to win, then what the fuck are we fighting for?!"

Homura kind of agreed a bit, but in the end, she was victorious, and Bàoyìng was still fighting. Ethics and morals can only take you so far before you have to choose between your goals and your integrity. As it turned out, Homura was more of a "the ends justify the means" kind of girl.

But hey, if they could win without turning themselves into borderline psychotic monsters with way too much power, good for them. She hoped they succeeded, but she also hoped that they didn't become her enemies. Homura had had enough fighting for one lifetime.

Still, if they got it into their heads to oppose her, she could just crush them, really. Cut off their limbs, shove her sword into their guts, twist it around while they crumbled to dust, screaming…

No! Homura shook her head vehemently. That line of thought ended right there! She needed to have her head on straight so that when she met Madoka tomorrow, she didn't scare away her friend.

Damn it. She really needed an Anchor. She needed one within the next few days, or else…

"…North Korea has formally surrendered to South Korea, ending the war which only began last week," the woman on the screen continued, adding, "No surprise there."

Homura chuckled. No surprise indeed. North Korea did something very stupid, and attacked the new Demon territory holders in South Korea. The motivations were mostly unknown, but people suspected it was just muscle flexing which got them more than they bargained for.

"Now, to the weather."

Tuning out the drone of the weatherman, Homura looked out the windows of Mami's apartment. Mitakihara's nighttime metropolis was sprawled out in front of her, airships puttering about high in the sky. The city seemed so… quiet. Almost eerily so. That was fine, though. The world hadn't been quite as lively ever since it came under new management.

"Akemi-san," Mami emerged from the kitchen with three plates, the third expertly balanced on her right forearm, "Here."

She gave Homura the plate in her left hand, and then used that free hand to give Charlotte the plate on her forearm.

Charlotte's plate had some rice, fried chicken, vegetables, and of course, cheese.

"Cheese!" the young girl brightened up, about to eat her favorite food.

"Charlotte," Mami scolded her lightly, "you need to eat your other food first."

Charlotte pouted, but obeyed. Mami smiled in contentment. The young girl was really quite cute. This was what was worth protecting in the world. That youthful innocence. Sure, Charlotte lost her mother, but the traumatic event seemed to have a minimal effect on her. Mami was glad that Charlotte was her Anchor. Without such a stabilizing element in her life, the blonde would have long ago judged the world as irredeemable and proceeded to cleanse it. That, or collapse into her own feelings of loneliness and isolation. Fortunately, such thoughts were far from her mind at that moment.

Homura regarded her own plate, which was nearly identical to Charlotte's, sans cheese. She gave Mami a questioning look.

"Sorry, I just used some leftovers," Mami seemed a bit embarrassed, "I am a bit tired, and it is a bit late."

True, Homura couldn't hold it against Mami. It was deep into the night, and she couldn't be expected to cook something extravagant at such a late hour.

With a sigh, the dark-haired Demon half-heartedly clapped her hands together, "Let's eat," before digging into the hastily-prepared meal.

As she chewed the heavily-processed meat, Homura contemplated abusing her power to secure her own personal chef. It wouldn't be too hard to do so. Most people were scared to death of her already. A little half-assed intimidation would have the world cowering at her feet. Demand that someone serve as her personal chef, and she'd have one within the month.

…Madoka's dad, Tomohisa, was quite the cook. Homura had been privileged enough to eat a few of his bentos back before… back before her world fell apart.

She wondered whether the kindly man would be willing to cook for her… She'd ask nicely. Best not to do anything to alienate Madoka.

"Akemi-san," Mami said, looking at the holoscreen, "do you mind if I change the channel?"

Homura gave her assent with a cursory nod, concentrating on her food. Yes, no more news. She didn't wish to think about the world's problems, or international politics. That was the entire reason she came back to Mitakihara. All she wanted to do was pick back up the pieces of her life she had been forced to drop and run away from. Yes… that was all that mattered, and with any luck, that would be all Homura would have to worry about for the rest of her life.

Fate would not be so kind.

/人 ◕ ‿‿ ◕ 人\

Dawn came to Mitakihara city with the slow reveal of the rising sun. The fresh sunlight danced over the sprawling metropolis of glass and steel. Slowly, the city awakened from its slumber, the streets slowly rumbling to life with the sound of traffic and the dull roar of thousands of conversations.

One of those conversations involved a certain pink-haired girl and her blue-haired friend.

"I would've thought you'd be excited to see transfer student and Mami-san again, Madoka!" Sayaka looked at her friend with no small amount of concern, "but you look like you're expecting to get mugged any minute now! What's wrong?"

"I… I'm just… I don't know, Sayaka-chan. I should be happy that Homura-chan and Mami-san are back, right? Although…" Madoka shuddered, recalling her dream, "I… I think I'm afraid of them."

"Come on, they're our friends, they wouldn't hurt us!" Sayaka argued, then added, a bit uncertainly, "Right?"

The two walked onward in fearful silence. They had both seen the news during the war. Mami and Homura had done some really terrible things… but surely they wouldn't hurt their friends.

Right?

Madoka found that she had no faith in her old friend, and that scared her.

/人 ◕ ‿‿ ◕ 人\

"-and that is why you should never date men who insist on only eating farm-grown organic eggs!"

Saotome-sensei was at it again, and Madoka found that the wind-down of her teacher's rant felt like the timer counting down towards her death.

Homura wasn't here, but there was an empty seat that Madoka was very sure was reserved for her old friend. Saotome-sensei was probably going to reintroduce Homura after her customary rant… and then Madoka's life was over. She was sure of it.

"Now, class…" Kazuko Saotome reverted from crazed-woman to calm and composed teacher, "Would you please welcome back someone you know very well…"

Well, as calm and composed as she could be, given the circumstances. Madoka saw that Saotome-sensei was positively shaking in her boots… shoes.

The click of heels drew Madoka's attention to a certain someone who strode into the room… those striking lavender eyes, that familiar raven-black flowing hair.

It was Homura Akemi.

She had let her hair down out of the twin braids, and no longer wore those familiar red-rimmed glasses… that was different.

Madoka reminded herself to breathe. If Homura really was going to kill her, she wouldn't do it front of the whole class, right? Of course, if the black-haired girl was going to kill the whole class, that wouldn't save Madoka.

"Hello, everyone," Homura gave everyone a thin smile, "It has been far too long."

Terror-filled silence greeted her.

Clearing her throat, Homura continued, "No doubt you are all wondering if what they say about me is true."

Madoka listened closely. This was where Homura would refute the horrible things the news was saying about her, right? But what her old friend said next made Madoka's blood run cold.

"It is, mostly," Homura smirked, "I did indeed take part in the Tokyo Massacre, and am personally responsible for the death of the old Prime Minister."

The class drew a collective breath. Sure, they really hadn't doubted the news, but to hear confirmation straight from the source… Sayaka gaped in disbelief. Madoka found that she couldn't move.

This… this wasn't Homura-chan. That wasn't the friend she used to know.

"However," Homura continued, "I bear no ill will towards any of you. I do not wish for you to treat me any differently than you used to, even though I know some of you will."

"My past is just that, the past," she flipped her hair nonchalantly, "Let us keep it out of the present, shall we?"

"Uh… So, welcome back, Akemi-san," Saotome-sensei spoke up suddenly as Homura made her way to her desk.

Madoka glanced at Homura, and froze. Her old friend was staring right back with an unreadable expression. Madoka gave her a tentative smile… which was returned.

Both girls quickly looked away. Maybe things would turn out better than they hoped? Even if they had changed, perhaps they could rediscover each other?

Homura sighed in relief at her desk. That went a little better than she expected. True, the class was now a bit scared, but at least she had lain down the guidelines for how she wanted… no, expected to be treated. She wouldn't have to deal with everyone around her acting like they were walking through a minefield.

Which they kind of were.

Madoka… Madoka looked slightly scared… Homura supposed that was to be expected. After all, the media hadn't been saying very positive things about her, and she had just confirmed most of it.

She'd have to straighten things out with Madoka and Sayaka later… let them know that she was still the old Homura they knew and loved.

Of course… she wasn't really the same person, was she? The old Homura they knew never had to live like a fugitive, never had to watch her friends and comrades die brutal, graphic deaths… never had to…

Homura noticed that she was holding the sides of her desk in a death grip. She slowly let go. No, that line of thought was no good. Madoka and Sayaka would understand. They had to.

She tried to focus on the lesson, but the more time passed, Homura found herself getting dragged deeper and deeper into her thoughts. The darkness that battered the edges of her mind began to creep in, and she furrowed her brow in mental discomfort. This wasn't good. She had gone for too long without an Anchor… Seeing Madoka again had helped a bit… but it really wasn't enough. She had to talk to her friend a bit more, catch up on the two years that she had missed… Two entire years that they could have spent together.

Homura rubbed her forehead in pain. She was really fighting herself, the side of her that she tried to hide from the world… the side that she had let run wild in Tokyo. The her that had killed and killed and killed and forever soaked her hands in the blood of others.

Homura had been trying to beat that ugly, cruel side of her back into the darkness, but she really couldn't. Not anymore. Just as Magical Girls couldn't ignore the despair that crept into their very souls, Demons couldn't just compartmentalize and shove away their fears, their anger, their desires…

Homura felt that other side of her trying to come to the surface, and she wasn't sure how long she could hold it back.

Still, she felt like she could… so come lunch time, she'd ask Madoka to take her to the nurse's office… have a nice little conversation with the pinkette. That should be enough. It would have to be enough.

Madoka had to be her Anchor. She was Homura's only salvation… but if she couldn't save the Demon…

Then the person who would end up suffering the most would be Madoka Kaname.

/人 ◕ ‿‿ ◕ 人\

Homura had smiled at her. Madoka took that as a sign that her old friend was still that, a friend. Sure, she had changed more than a little bit, but as long as that connection was still there, things could be rebuilt. She was sure of it. After all, nothing was over as long as there was hope, and she hoped that Homura could be her friend again.

Just as lunch began, Madoka had every intention of asking Homura to eat lunch with her, to get to know her friend again.

So she was surprised to find Homura already standing next to her desk. Her raven-haired old friend was massaging her forehead, looking a bit pained.

"Ah, Kaname-san…" Homura groaned, "I… I don't suppose I could bother you to escort me to the nurse's office? I don't… feel well."

"Oh… of course, Homura-chan!" Madoka bolted upright, "Are you okay?"

"Mild headache," Homura shook her head as Madoka led her down a route she was unfamiliar with. The school had done some renovations in the past two years… there was so much glass.

"I think we have some medication for that," Madoka mused aloud, "So… Homura-chan… you're back."

"Yeah… I am," Homura smiled wistfully, "I… I kept my promise to you, Madoka-chan."

Remembering that fateful day so long ago, Madoka smiled back, "Yes, Homura-chan, you did…"

Then she realized, "Homura-chan, you actually said my name!"

Homura blinked in surprise, "Oh... Oh? I did?"

"Yes, you did!" She really was happy that Homura finally decided to use her first name, "It only took you two years, Homura-chan, even though I used to ask you to every day!"

Madoka felt her fears and misgivings begin to melt away. Sure, Homura had changed somewhat… but in the end she was still the same Homura she knew… and loved.

Homura stared at her friend. Madoka really had grown… It had been two entire years since she had seen that caring smile, that gaze that told you that you were the most important thing in the world, that wonderful voice that she could listen to all day…

And as the light from the corridor's windows played across Madoka's lovely pink hair, Homura found that she wanted this moment to last forever… and she could make that a reality.

With the clicking of well-oiled gears, the world turned muted and lifeless, except for a single raven-haired girl.

Madoka Kaname stood silently, her smile frozen like a visage carved in marble.

Light on her feet, Homura circled the pinkette, giggling to herself. This was perfection, there was nothing greater.

"Hey, Madoka," Homura leaned in, her hands cupping Madoka's face, but not actually touching, "You look lovely."

Her black wings surrounded them both as she breathed in the intoxicating scent of her dear friend.

"You know, I thought about you a lot," Homura crooned, running her hands up and down her friend's body, not touching but close as possible without unfreezing the pinkette.

"All those lonely nights away from home… when I thought I couldn't go on, when I wanted to give up, it was the thought of you that kept me going!"

She stepped back, twirling on the stop with joy, "I'm finally back, Madoka! Being here with you makes me so happy!"

Homura stepped behind Madoka, her hands barely brushing the pinkette's hair, "I'm so, so happy, Madoka!"

Kisses that never touched, caresses that never contacted. Homura didn't bother to keep track of time, but simply whirled around her friend, basking in the feelings of contentment and joy the proximity to the pinkette gave her.

She whirled back around to face her friend, "Now, I know you might not share these feelings, but I need you to know something! It's something that I wasn't able to say before I left." She flushed in embarrassment. She had waited for so long to tell Madoka this. Homura didn't want to screw up. She could only imagine her friend's reaction!

Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, Homura blurted out, "I love you, Madoka! I… I think we have something… a connection! Well, what do you think?"

This was it. She'd finally done it. Two years of waiting in agony, and she'd finally said it. Madoka would hate her, wouldn't she? Or… maybe she reciprocated? Maybe her love would be returned? The very thought made Homura nearly ecstatic. They had grown quite close as friends the year before she left. Maybe that connection endured? She really didn't know, the only thing she could do was wait for Madoka's response! The anxiety Homura was experiencing really couldn't be adequately described. What would Madoka say?

When only silence greeted her, she opened her eyes, frowning in confusion.

"Mado… Madoka? Please, say something…"

Why wasn't Madoka saying anything? Why wasn't she moving? Why?... no, nothing was moving… Madoka?

Homura fell to her knees. Of course Madoka wouldn't reply. She was frozen in time, just like everything else. Why would Homura think otherwise? She could have sworn… she could have sworn that Madoka was listening, that time hadn't stopped…. Why had she?...

The voices, they came back, louder this time. She hadn't really touched Madoka yet. She hadn't gone through with it entirely. If… If she took Madoka now, with time frozen… nobody could intervene. Even if her dear friend screamed, nobody would come to her aid. Madoka would be entirely helpless.

Do it, the voices said.

Do it now.

And the voices… they were all her.

Homura clutched the sides of her head in agony. No, no she couldn't do that to Madoka! Madoka was a dear and treasured friend! A person, not a possession… a… a person… she couldn't give in! She couldn't hurt her friend! She refused to be like all the others, the other Demons who snapped, ruining everything they held dear in the world!

She couldn't hurt Madoka, Homura thought as she warred with herself. Black slowly crept into her vision as she came closer and closer to her breaking point.

She lost concentration and focus, and time ground back into motion with the sound of rusty clockwork machines.

As time resumed its natural flow, Homura collapsed on the ground, eyes wide and unseeing.

"Homu… Homura-chan?" Madoka started in surprise, "Homura-chan!"

She quickly dropped to her knees, checking on her friend. What happened? Homura was walking and talking a second ago! What made her pass out like that? Madoka needed to get her to the nurse's office!

Groaning in exertion, she managed to pull Homura upright, the black-haired girl's arm looped around the pinkette's shoulder.

"You're… heavy, Homura-chan," Madoka gasped as she staggered onwards. She didn't think the nurse knew how to fix this. Maybe Mami would, after all, they were the same type of… thing, now.

"Madoka!" Sayaka's voice rang out as the blunette rounded the corner, "What's going on?"

"Homura-chan collapsed!" Madoka answered in distress as Sayaka approached, "Help me carry her!"

Sayaka took Homura by the other arm, grunting, "You need… to lose weight, transfer student!"

Homura's eyes slowly closed, seeing nothing.

/人 ◕ ‿‿ ◕ 人\

The world slowly returned in pale light and murmured voices.

Lavender eyes slid open to see two girls talking over her, a blonde and blunette.

Homura knew them well.

"…Mami-san… Miki-san…." Homura groaned, "What… what happened?"

"Ah, you're awake, Homura-ch-…. Akemi-san," Mami began to respond enthusiastically, but then slipped back into her formal attitude, "You passed out on the way to the nurse's office."

"Yeah, transfer student," Sayaka scolded the raven-haired girl, "Madoka had to carry you the rest of the way!"

"Ah…" Homura looked away guiltily, "I am sorry… Where is Madoka?"

"She is outside," Mami informed her, "I believe that your…" she glanced at Sayaka, choosing her words carefully, "proximity to her that caused this."

Apparently, being vague was just as bad.

"What?" Sayaka looked taken aback, "Are you fainting at the sight of Madoka now, transfer student?"

Homura glared at her, "Just because we were friends two years ago, Miki Sayaka, do not presume to know me."

Fear passed through Sayaka's expression before she scoffed, "Yeah right. You may be all powerful and stuff now, but you're still 'transfer student' to me."

Homura scowled, but didn't force the issue.

"Anyways, I need to get to class," Sayaka sighed moving away, "whatever your problem is… get better soon."

With that, Sayaka Miki was gone.

"Homura-chan," Mami looked down at the girl lying on the bed, "What really happened?"

Homura looked away in shame, "I… I almost… I nearly did… something… to Madoka. I tried to fight it… and I passed out."

"… So Madoka is not your Anchor?" Mami asked in concern.

"No! I mean, yes! I mean…" Homura took a moment to compose herself, "Madoka… is my Anchor… but I think I might be…"

She let her sentence trail off, and the implicit understanding that Homura could possibly be too far gone passed between them.

"I see," Mami sighed, "You are not as far gone as you think, Homura-chan. At least, not yet. However, you must make Madoka your Anchor soon, find an alternate Anchor… or I will be forced to end you before you cause too much harm."

Homura closed her eyes in understanding resignation, "Of course, Mami-san."

"I will send Madoka in now," Mami turned to leaved, "Stay aware of your actions, and everything should be fine."
"Uh, Mami-san," Homura stopped Mami before she left, "I need to ask you something."

"Yes, Homura-chan?" Mami looked back.

"… Can you please call me by my last name?" Homura asked, "I'm… used to it, and anything else kind of sounds weird."

"Ah," Mami was disappointed, but not entirely surprised. Homura was never entirely comfortable with informality. That was reserved for Madoka, "May I call you Akemi-chan, then?"

Homura nodded, "Yes, that is fine."

Lying alone in her bed, Homura heard muffled voices from outside.

Stepping just inside the doorway, Madoka looked to her friend, "Hey, Homura-chan."

"Hey, Madoka," Homura turned to look at the pinkette, "Sorry… I just… things are complicated."

"It's no problem, Homura-chan!" Madoka exclaimed, "You're my friend! I don't have any problems helping you! No matter what it is, I'm sure that I'll understand!"

Homura smiled back, but inside she cringed. She didn't deserve Madoka… the pink-haired girl was too good for the black-haired Demon.

"Mami-san invited us all to her apartment after school," Madoka informed Homura with some excitement, "She said that she'll tell us everything there!"

"Ah… that's good," Homura replied uneasily. Really, that was good… but she was afraid of Madoka's reaction. How would she react to knowing what really happened to her friend?

"I have to get back to class, Homura-chan," Madoka said regretfully, "but I'll see you later."

"Oh, of course, Madoka," Homura nodded, "I wouldn't want you to miss your education for me."

That was slightly funny, since it was because of Hanran that Japan's public education system shut down for a year.

As Madoka turned to leave, she paused, and turned back to her friend.

"I'm glad that you're back, Homura-chan!" she gushed, "I thought you might have changed into a… a horrible person or something… but you're still the same old Homura-chan!"

Without a further word, Madoka was gone, and Homura stared stricken at the ceiling.

Oh, Madoka, she thought.

You don't want to know how much I've changed.