Chapter 13: A Tale of Two Witches (Omake)

Japan, The Warring States Era…

General P.O.V.

Homura Akemi, age 19, 5"7' with long dark hair and grey eyes. Known to few, she is the most powerful, and as of five years ago, the only, magical girl alive. With the power to halt and turn back time, as well as a seemingly endless arsenal of the latest modern weaponry, she has managed to survive the end of her world, and the infamous multidimensional warm from three years ago. The quiet girl had chosen to participate in the tournament proposed by Marluxia with one goal in mind: to join her long lost love in the lifeblood of the multiverse. Homura has traveled far and battled many foes since this tournament began, having slain a total of 5 guardians by herself. After cleansing the kingdom of Hyrule of its guardians, she had entered the portal to the next world and arrived in Japan's distant past. However, after walking through one of the capital cities and taking a look at the occupants, she discovered something was very different about the past than she remembered. Everywhere she looked, all of the townspeople, all of the nobles, just about everyone she saw was female. There was not a single man in sight. Somehow, she had ended up in a rather strange version of the Warring States Era. A deep yawn reminded her that she was exhausted from the constant travel and combat, so she began asking around for a place to rest. Eventually she came across a rather busty red haired woman with facial tattoos wearing skimpy black armor and a cape. The woman had another girl beside her with glasses wearing purple. Since they were close, Homura walked toward the pair.

"Excuse me, miss." she said politely.

The girl in purple glared at her. "How dare you address Lord Nobunaga in such a disrespectful manner!" she growled.

Homura's indifferent expression didn't change. "Nobunaga? As in Oda Nobunaga?"

"Ah, so you've heard of me then!" the red haired woman said haughtily. "Hm, judging by your garb I would guess that you are from another world. Am I right?"

Homura nodded. "That's correct."

"I figured. So, what brings you to my kingdom, traveler?"

"My lord, you're just going to trust her like that? We don't even know if she's with the invader or not!" said the purple woman.

Nobunaga rolled her eyes at her companion. "Mitsuhide, relax. She probably wound up here the same way Rao did."

"Rao? Who's that?" Homura inquired.

"A tall woman with silver-lavender hair who showed up here about two months ago. From what I could tell, she was a visitor from another world, just like you."

"Silver-lavender hair…that sounds like someone I used to know. Where is this person now?"

"At the inn just down the way. Poor woman, she looked so tired and broken when she got here. Last I heard she was getting on good terms with the local sake vendor."

"That's…interesting. Well, thank you for the advice Lord Nobunaga." Homura turned to leave.

"Just a moment." Nobunaga put a hand on her shoulder.

"Yes?"

"Mitsuhide rose a valid question earlier. Are you with the invader? The one called Marluxia?"

"No, actually I came here to fight his guardians and liberate your world."

Nobunaga smiled proudly. "Alright! Then I wish you luck, miss…what was your name?"

"Homura."

"I wish you luck, Homura!"

Nobunaga gave the smaller girl a friendly yet hard slap on the back and started laughing boisterously before sending Homura on her way. Soon enough, the witch hunter arrived at the inn the visitor called 'Rao' was staying at. Upon asking the innkeeper for Rao's room, she was given a skeptical look.

"Please tell me you're not another whore she ordered…I've already had to pay my assistants double just to clean up from the threesome she had last time."

"Um, no. I'm here to speak with her, not sleep with her."

"Oh thank god…fifth room on the right."

As she walked down the hall, Homura was starting to seriously wonder if 'Rao' was really the person she suspected her to be. Arriving at Rao's room, she took a deep breath before slowly opening the door. Inside, a tall woman was sprawled out on the floor, with her hair spread in every possible direction and a half empty bottle of sake in one hand. Were it not for the sheets thrown lazily over her back, she looked to be completely naked. Loud, drunken snores could be heard coming from her drooling mouth, and the entire room stank of sex and alcohol.

"This can't be right…there's no way she'd end up like this." Homura thought out loud.

The passed out woman's eyes were open in an instant. She jumped surprisingly expertly to her feet, and drew a slightly longer than average katana she had hidden under her sheets and pointed it at Homura. The woman's long hair hung over her eyes, obscuring her vision.

"Who's there? If you're that damn innkeeper, I already told you to leave me to my business!(hic!) I'm paying what I owe, so just let me be!" she growled drunkenly.

"Noto…kishi?" Homura said slowly.

That made the drunken woman pause. "Notokishi? No one calls me that anymore…who are you?" she partially brushed her hair out of her face, revealing a pale blue eye. "Ho…Homura? Homura Akemi? That you?"

Nervously, Homura nodded. "It's me, your highness."

"Huh…so you came here too…how about that…(hic!)" she said before collapsing to the floor.

When she awoke again, Homura was sitting patiently beside her. Slowly regaining the ability to process what her eyes were seeing, Rao found that she was now fully clothed in a red kimono. Huh...I forgot that I bought this the other day. Homura must've dressed me while I was out. she thought. Her hangover hit then, and she gripped her forehead in pain. Forcing it aside for the moment, she looked over at Homura, who seemed to be waiting for her to say something.

"Ugh...my aching head..." Rao mumbled as she prepared to speak. "Sorry about earlier, Homura. I must've had a little too much sake last night."

"Apparently not for the first time, from what I've heard." the quiet girl responded.

Rao stared at her quizzically, then realized what she meant. "Oh...so you heard about that, huh? Yeah...I've been a bit of a wreck lately...hehe..."

Homura did not seem amused by her attempt at humor.

"(sigh) Stiff as always. So, what brings you to this fine place? You hunting guardians?"

"That's correct."

"Figured as much. You're always too serious to do anything fun, Homura. You need to lighten up a little now and then, treat yourself a little."

"Like you've been treating yourself the past few weeks?"

Rao went silent. "Homura..."

To her surprise, the normally reserved girl was now clenching her fists in anger. "It makes me sick...seeing someone like you doing something like this...reduced to a philandering drunkard..."

Rao glared at the girl. "If you knew my circumstances, you probably wouldn't be saying that."

"Then explain! Explain to me how the first born princess of Windbloom wound up spending her nights drinking and sleeping with whores! What the hell happened to you, Notokishi?"

Rao was silent for a time. She just sat there, glaring hatefully at the younger girl. Then, she released a deep sigh and reached for her bottle of sake. She held it out to Homura.

"Take a drink, you're gonna be sitting there a while."

"I'm underage."

"Not in this time period you're not. Now drink, or I aint talking."

Reluctantly, Homura took a small sip of the beverage, right before spitting it out in disgust.

"Well, at least you tried. Now, where should I begin?"

"Start with how you're even alive in the first place. The last time I saw you was three years ago, and according to everyone else, you died in battle."

"Well, it's true that I was dead for a time, but a little over two months ago, someone brought me back. I didn't know who, and I didn't know why. All I knew was that I wanted blood, Siegfried's blood. And god was I determined to get it." she took a swig of sake before continuing.

"I found out later that it was Marluxia that had resurrected me, and I had been used as one of his guardians. He turned me on my people, made me so angry that I couldn't think straight. Fortunately, I got the sense beat back into me, right after I got this."

Rao brushed aside the hair over her right eye to reveal a long scar that been cut over her eye. Homura gasped at the scar, for she had only focused on Rao's body when dressing her and hadn't yet seen her face. Mostly because her breath reeked of sake. Seeing the girl's startled response, Rao let out a small laugh.

"Sexy, isn't it? I got this when I messed with a girl who turned out to be the daughter of Fury. Big mistake. Anyway, it was after that that my troubles really began. I found out about the origins of my return, and apologized profusely to Siegfried and Kaia for losing control of myself. (sip) Then, I found out that Verona was dead."

Homura froze. She knew that the former princess had been deeply attached to her bodyguard. No, to her wife. The young girl had been so busy hunting guardians that she hadn't had time to check in on her allies in Windbloom. She thought of her own attachment to a certain kind and outgoing pinkette, and how she had devoted herself to making sure that person stayed safe.

"She had been killed by another guardian, they told me..." Rao continued, smiling sadly as she drank more sake. "She was still young. 27 years old, two years younger than me." another drink. "I probably don't have to tell you how hard it hit me. You know what it's like, losing someone you love more than anything in the whole fucking multiverse. But unlike you, I don't have a magic reset button. I can't go back and change what's already happened." another drink, this time longer.

"Maybe you should slow down a little..." Homura tried.

"I'll stop when I feel like stopping!" Rao snapped. "I didn't know what to do when they told me that. Honestly, I considered killing myself. But, Verona wouldn't want that for me. So I decided to try and cope by teaching Yomi and Ebony's kid how to fight. Yeah, apparently they finally got together. About damn time, right?" she paused to laugh, but her grim expression didn't change.

"But it didn't work. No matter how hard I tried to take my mind off it, I just couldn't stop thinking about her. Thankfully, years of being around politics had helped me to make the perfect poker face, so nobody ever caught on to how bad I really was. I gathered my things, changed my name to Rao Lin Cho, told everyone I was leaving to hunt guardians, and left." another short laugh followed by sake.

"By some strange chance, I wound up here in this amazing world without men. I found and took out the first guardian, then settled down here. Luckily for me, I made a fortune by killing that guardian, and had enough money to rent this room for at least two years. But the more time I spent here, the more I began to lose myself. Soon enough, I found myself spending more and more of my cash on loose women and booze. You know the rest."

Homura sat in stunned silence, still comprehending that the drunk woman sitting in front of her cursing over her now empty bottle, had once been the great and powerful Notokishi Blan de Windbloom. What Rao had said was true, she knew very well what the former monarch was going through. When she had lost Madoka, Homura had devoted herself to endlessly searching for a timeline in which the sweet pinkette did not meet her untimely demise. As for Rao, she had chosen to cope with her loss by drowning her sorrows in prostitutes and alcohol. How someone so proud and noble had sunk so low was still hard for her to believe, and she stared at the woman with nothing but pity.

"Princess..." she whispered.

"Don't," Rao said softly. "Don't call me that anymore. I'm not Notokishi, and I'm not a princess. I'm just Rao Lin Cho, a very drunk, and very tired traveling mercenary. So, what are you gonna do now that you'e heard my little sob story?"

"I will do what I came here to do, defeat the guardians overseeing this world. And since you look like you need something to take your anger out on," Homura stood up and held out her hand. "I'd very much appreciate it if you would join me."

Rao hesitated at the offer.

"Come on Rao, this is your chance to prove you're still worth something. Put aside the sake and the prostitutes, pick up your sword and fight with me. Remind me that you are more than just a mere human. Remind me that you still carry the pride of the proud nation of Windbloom."

Rao stared at Homura's open hand. Trembling, she began to reach toward it. But then she retracted just before they touched. The former monarch slumped back and stared down at her empty bottle.

"Forget it, Homura. I'm not that person anymore." she sighed. "I've got no one left, so there's no point to even bother trying."

Homura could only stare at the older woman in shock, shortly before her expression returned to its usual emotionless state.

"I see. So that's it, then."

Rao nodded. Homura sighed and withdrew her hand. The dark haired girl turned toward the door to leave.

"And to think...I used to look up to you." she whispered.

Rao's head shot up in surprise, and she watched Homura head towards the door.

"I wonder...if Verona saw you now, what would she think?"

If Rao had said anything in reply, Homura hadn't heard it as she sped out the door and down the hallway.

The next day, Homura was wandering around the woods at the far end of the Minamoto country's borders. According to information given to her by Mitsuhide, the second guardian, who was apparently an unbeatable swordswoman, had chosen to reside there. Following up on the tip, Homura quickly neared the location of the last sighting of the swordswoman. Soon enough, as she was walking through a path of bamboo trees, she picked up an exceptionally strong presence teeming with negative emotional energy. Drawing a sidearm from within her shield, Homura whipped around and took aim at the guardian, only to flinch in surprise.

"Well, now isn't this a surprise?" came the distorted voice of the guardian.

"S-Saber?!" Homura stuttered.

The guardian standing before Homura was none other than the king of knights herself. However, Saber looked much different than she remembered. The swordswoman's armor was completely black and jagged, her eyes were a demonic golden yellow, her skin had turned pale, her ahoge (the one little hair that sticks up on her head) was now gone, and even the holy sword Excalibur was now black with glowing red runes. Black Saber smiled deviously at the young girl standing before her. Even in her altered state, she still retained all of her memories from her past life.

"Homura Akemi, what a pleasure it is to see you again. How goes your hopeless quest to save your sad little girlfriend? Oh yes, that's right. If I rmember correctly, you failed."

Homura held back a yell of anger and glared at the swordswoman. "You're not Saber. The Saber I know would never say such things."

"The Saber you know? Please...you never really knew me, you never took the time to get to know anyone, you little outcast."

Black Saber raised her sword, which began to glow with red energy.

"Now, be a good girl and die for me, would you?"

Homura leapt to the side as her former ally slashed at her. Landing swiftly on her feet, the young girl proceeded to unload her sidearm on the Servant. Just before the projectiles made impact, they turned to dust. Homura stared in surprise for a moment before evading another attack. Pulling out an LMG, Homura sent a much more powerful stream of lead at her opponent. But like before, the bullets incinerated upon coming in contact with the Servant. Black Saber let out a sinister laugh.

"Surprised? I've gained a few new tricks since coming back, Homura." she said.

Gritting her teeth, the younger girl took out an RPG and leapt high inot the air. Black Saber just smiled and watched as the expplosive flew toward her. Instead of exploding on contact, the Servant cut the explosive clean in half, causing it to sail past her and detonate. Landing back on the ground, Homura drew a shotgun from her shield and took aim.

"Surely you've realized by now that that won't work?" Black Saber laughed.

Homura simply pulled fired in response. To Black Saber's surprise, abnormally hot flaming projectiles burst from the youngeer girl's firearm. Despite her time in the modern world, the Servant had never been made aware of incendiary rounds until now. However, like the bullets from before, the projectiles failed to do any damage. Black Saber laughed arrogantly as Homura glared in frustration.

"Is that all you've got? If you really want to hurt me, then why don't you drop your useless toys and fight me blade to blade?"

Homura was well aware that if she were to do as the Servant asked, then she would have absolutely no chance at winning. Saber was unbeatable when it came to swordplay, after all. The young girl now only had one weapon left to use on the guardian, and with a grunt of frustration held her shield in front of her. Black Saber stared in confusion as the gears in the shield clicked, and the flow of time came to a halt for all but Homura. Knowing she did not have long, the young girl quickly pulled out a grenade and ran towards the frozen Servant. Just as she was about to pull the pin, Black Saber suddenly smiled fiendishly and slashed at her. Too surprised to dodge, Homura cringed in pain as a deep gash was made on her midriff and was knocked to the ground. Her shield clicked, and the flow of time resumed.

"I don't understand, why didn't it work?" she thought out loud.

"Isn't it obvious? I am simply too powerful for your magic to affect me."

Black Saber then held her sword out, and the blade began to glow a brighter red than before.

"I think it's time to put an end to this little game, don't you agree?"

The Servant laughed insanely as she raised her now flaming blade. Homura knew what was coming, and that she wouldn't survive if she were hit, but when she tried to run her injury sent a powerful jolt of pain that refused to let her move. The young girl watched helplessly as Black Saber swung her sword.

"Ex-"

"That's enough!" a new voiced yelled suddenly.

Black Saber and Homura turned in surprise to see a familiar woman in a red cloak standing at the edge of the path. Rao glared at the fighters as she approached them, drawing her slightly longer than average katana as she went. Homura stared in mixed surprise and joy at the woman as she placed herself between Homura and Black Saber.

"Rao..." she began.

"Not another word, or I'll change my mind." the former monarch said without looking at her. "Saber, from now on your opponent will be me."

The Servant scoffed in response. "You? You're just an ordinary human! (sniff) Ugh! And you reek of alcohol!"

"Yeah well I figured my friend's life was a little more important than a shower. Now are we gonna fight or what?"

"Hmph. Very well, let's get this over with."

The two swordswomen nodded, and sprang into battle without another word. About a minute into the fight, it was clear that Rao was completely outmatched. The two months worth of constant alcoholic indulgence were taking their toll on the woman in red, and her attacks were scattered and uncoordinated. At one point Rao blocked a powerful downward slice, and the fighters weapons became locked in a struggle to force each other back. It looked as though Black Saber was going to overpower her completely, when all of a sudden she reached into her cloak and produced an ornate bottle of liquid. Uncapping the bottle with her teeth, Rao dumped a portion of its contents into Black Saber's face, causing the Servant to swallow some of the liquid before pulling back.

"(cough) (cough) Disgusting! What vile poison have you so cheaply splashed me with?" Black Saber demanded.

"Oh this? It's this new brew I got the other day. They call it 'Dragon Maiden's Delight'. I gotta say, this is by far the best booze I've ever had." as if to prove her point, Rao downed the rest of the bottle's contents in a few loud gulps. "Ahhhh, that's the stuff. Gotta be careful though..."

The former monarch picked up Homura's discarded shotgun and took aim at the Servant.

"...because it's highly flammable."

Before her opponent could try to react, Rao fired, and Black Saber's body was engulfed in flames. The Servant screamed as she collapsed to the ground, screaming and writhing in pain. As she burned, Black Saber glared up at Rao.

"You treacherous bitch! Have you no honor?!"

Rao returned the glare and positioned the firearm at the Servant's head. "No..."

BANG!

"...and neither do you."

Tossing the shotgun aside, Rao turned toward Homura, who was still staring in shock at Black Saber's burning, headless corpse. The young girl looked up to the tall woman. Rao bent down and picked her up in her arms so that she held her bridal style.

"Come on, Homura. Let's get out of here." she said with a smile.

It was quiet on the way back to the inn. As Rao laid Homura down to treat her wounds, the young girl's curiosity reached the breaking point.

"Why did you come back?" she asked.

Rao was silent for a moment as she went about her work. After applying some bandages, she let out a deep sigh. "I thought about what you said. You were right, Verona would be ashamed of me if she saw the kind of life I've been living. And besides..."

The former monarch paused for a moment as she locked eyes with the younger girl.

"You're the only one I have left, Homura."

Homura heard the honesty in her tone, and although her cold exterior didn't show it, she was happy to have heard such words from the tall woman.

"So you'll help me fight, then?"

"To the best of my ability."

"And you'll quit the sulking?"

Rao paused, then sighed. "And I'll quit the sulking..."

"And the prostitutes?"

"And the prostitutes..."

"And the alcohol?"

"And the-well, maybe not the alcohol..." Homura sent her a disapproving glance. "Okay, fine. I'll cut back a bit on my drinking."

"I suppose I can live with that." the younger girl sighed.

"However..." Rao continued.

"Huh?"

"In exchange, you need to have fun more often. If I'm gonna shape up, then so are you."

Homura was about to argue, but the glare she got from the older woman silenced her in an instant. She sighed again and closed her eyes.

"It seems I have no choice. Just don't expect too much from me."

Rao laughed lightly. "That's the spirit! Alright, I think that's more than enough drama for one day. Let's get some sleep, tomorrow's going to be a busy day for both of us."

"Umm..." Homura whispered nervously.

"What? Is something else wrong?"

"It's just...there's only one bed mat in here." a light blush spread across her cheeks.

"Oh? Are you afraid I might try and do something dirty to you in your sleep?" Rao smirked.

"Rao!"

"Haha, just kidding. If it's that big a deal, I'll just use my coat as a blanket and give you space."

"No, you don't have to do that. It's just...I've never spent the night with someone before..."

Rao looked at Homura seriously for once. Because of the girl's mature and strong willed attitude, she often forgot how innocent and young she really was. Smiling softly, Rao laid down next to Homura and drew the covers over them. The former monarch rolled over so that her back was facing Homura.

"Goodnight, Homura." she said.

The younger girl nervously pressed her back against the woman's, and was surprised to find the position to be comfortable. Soon enough, the sound of light snoring made her drowsy, and she softly whispered as she drifted to sleep.

"Goodnight, Rao."

Over the next few weeks, Homura helped Rao get back on her feet. According to Nobunaga, the third guardian had yet to make an appearance, so it made sense for them to use their free time to try and help each other out as they had promised. Rao's rehabilitation went by faster than Homura had expected. It seemed to her that the older woman had gained some kind of new found confidence that drove the depression out of her at an incredible speed. She had cleaned herself up so much in fact, that the innkeeper no longer complained about her practically permanent tenant. Now if only Homura could get her to quit drinking. Rao on the other hand had been making various attempts to try and break Homura of her uptight and stoic personality. She took her to plays, taught her the art of swordsmanship (which she turned out to have an affinity for, oddly enough), took her out for falconry with Nobunaga and the other lords of the land, and even got her to change her hairstyle back to her original braided pigtails. There were times, however, when her efforts were taken a little too far. For example, when she had Homura walk with her blindfolded into an unknown building one evening..

"Rao? Can I please take this off now?" the younger girl demanded.

"Go ahead, Homura. We're here~" Rao called out in a sing song voice.

I've got a bad feeling about this... Homura thought as she removed her blindfold. Upon opening her eyes, she found herself standing in front of a crowd of scantily dressed women of varying size and age. The crowd smiled at her in unison.

"Welcome back, Rao-oneesama~!" they all said at once.

"Hello, girls. It's good to see you all again." Rao responded.

Homura's eyebrow twitched in frustration. The appearance of the women, coupled with the overwhelming scent of liquor and the dim lighting of the building told her exactly where she was right now. The local brothel. Needless to say, she was not pleased.

"Rao...why are we here? Didn't you promise not to have anymore..." she chose her next words carefully to sound as least offensive as possible. "...'intimate visitors'."

Rao shook her head sarcastically. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Homura, how could you be so rude to these fine young ladies here?"

Some of the younger members of the brothel giggled while others just seductively batted their lashes.

"Besides, they already know I've promised not to bring any of them home with me anymore."

"It's too bad, Rao-oneesama. Nobody can beat a master in bed like you~" one girl cooed.

"Well if you've given them up, then why are we here?" Homura demanded.

"Isn't it obvious? So you can get laid, duh!"

A furious blush spread across Homura's face as a combination of anger and embarrassment flowed through her. While she was still trying to formulate a response, Rao turned her attention back to the crowd.

"Alright girls, I want you to figure out which one of you is most likely to give Homura the time of her life."

"Yes, Rao-oneesama!" they all answered at once.

One by one, the brothel employees introduced themselves to Homura, barely giving her anytime to respond. She figured if she just ignored them, then Rao would give up and they could go back to their room. Just as she was nearing the end of the line though, a particularly young girl with pink hair tied into two intricate pigtails approached Homura. The 19 year old just about had a heart attack upon laying eyes on her. Aside from her eyes, which were a beautiful sky blue, the girl was very reminiscent of Madoka.

"Uh-um, hello, Ms. Homura." the girl said shyly.

Homura was still too stunned to respond, so the girl continued.

"M-my name is Momoki. I'd be h-happy if you would choose me to spend your time with me."

Homura stared at the girl for a few moments longer. Then, her gaze dropped to the floor.

"I...I'm sorry, Momoki. You seem like a very sweet girl, but...I can't...I can't sleep with you...I can't give myself to anyone here." Homura bowed her head in apology. "I appreciate your offers, all of you. I'm sorry, but I can't say yes."

With that, the dark haired girl turned and headed out the door. Rao stared after her friend in regret before apologizing again to the brothel attendants and leaving.

A few days later, once Homura had calmed down a bit, Rao decided to try taking her out again. She did not specify where they were going, only that Homura had been made to wear an extravagant black and violet kimono Rao had purchased with her earnings from part time mercenary work. Once again Homura was blindfolded, but this time when the sight impediment was removed, it was not a brothel that awaited her. Instead Homura found herself looking at a festival thrown for the city, complete with music, stands, fireworks, and everything else that made a great festival. Amazed, Homura turned to face Rao, who wore a red kimono with silver flower patterns etched into it, along with a red ribbon in her hair that held her long ponytail in place. The older woman smiled at her friend.

"I figured nothing says 'I'm sorry' better than a carefree night at the festival." Rao explained.

"Rao...I don't know what to say..." Homura said honestly.

"You don't have to say anything. Tonight is your night to do whatever you want."

The younger girl could only smile warmly in response. Excitement overwhelming her, Homura happily took Rao's hand in her own before rushing off into the festival. For the first time in what seemed like ages, Homura actually got a chance to feel...well, girly. Rao watched fondly as her young friend went from place to place, smiling all the while with childish joy. Homura's actions and cheerful expression reminded her greatly of how Verona had been when they were together. Now that she thought about it, Homura didn't look all that different from her wife either. The only real differences were her slightly smaller bosom and her grey eyes. Realizing where these thoughts were heading, Rao immediately shook her head to clear her mind. Idiot...just what are you thinking? She's ten years younger than you, it could never happen... the older woman left Homura's side for a moment to get some sake, but to her surprise found that the young girl had followed her to the stand.

"You sure about this? You didn't take too well to it last time." Rao warned as she handed Homura a glass of a particularly strong brew called 'Midnight Passion'.

"That's because I wasn't prepared for it back then. Now, I'm ready."

That was what she said a few hours ago, before the two had drunk themselves silly. With the festival coming to an end, they groggily made their way back to the inn. After stumbling drunkenly inside, Rao had the younger girl sit down while she went to retrieve something from her traveling pack. Rao returned holding a small wooden box, with the letters "N+V" carved into the front of it. Realizing who the initials stood for, Homura looked up at Rao in surprise. The older woman smiled as she opened the box.

"Are those..." Homura began.

Rao nodded. "Our wedding rings." she reached inside and pulled out one of the rings. "Go ahead, try it on."

Hesitantly, Homura took the ring and carefully slid it on her finger. It fit like a glove. The younger girl stared down at the shining silver band in awe.

"It's beautiful..."

"That one was hers." Rao said softly.

Homura stiffened in alarm, and looked back at the older woman. Rao was looking down at her own ring, smiling sadly.

"I-I'm sorry! I'll take it off right away-" Homura began.

Rao shook her head. "It's okay. I don't mind you wearing it, as long as you put it to use."

"What are you...saying..."

The older woman finally looked her in the eye. "I want you to have these, Homura. It's time I let go of my pain."

The younger girl was overwhelmed. "But...I can't possibly accept these..."

"Please, I want you to take them. After all, you'll need them for when you see Madoka again, won't you?"

Homura froze. "You...knew?"

Rao nodded. "Since day 1. Why else would you hunt down guardians? Why else would you try to keep your virginity?" Homura gasped. "Okay, that one was a guess. I just thought you wanted your first time to be with Madoka, that's all. Still, I figured I'd try to help you have fun for once before you leave here."

"Wait, you're not coming with me?"

"I told you before, there's nothing left for me to fight for out there. You're the only friend I have left, but I don't want to get in the way of your happiness. If you think you can have Madoka in your arms, then go for it. But I'm not leaving this place. It's kinda grown on me, and given me a reason to keep living. And I don't mean the girls at the club."

Despite the fact that Rao was smiling, Homura could tell just how sad she was. When she left, Rao would be left all alone, and would more likely than not slip back into her depression for the rest of her days. The older woman had known all along that she'd leave once the last guardian was dead, and even still she had gone out of her way to make Homura happy. Madoka had been kind as well, but never to the extent that the former monarch had. What was more, her relationship with Madoka had never reached the level she desired, and the pinkette didn't seem to want anymore than her friendship. But with Rao, it felt almost like she were in a relationship beyond that of friends. It almost felt as though they were an actual couple. The younger girl watched Rao with sadness and guilt, which did not go unnoticed by the older woman.

"Hey, don't worry about an old hag like me. I've gotten this far, haven't I? And besides, you're still young, you still have a chance to choose what will make you happy. Don't let me keep you from being with the one you love."

Homura paused and thought. The one I love...it is Madoka...isn't it? While she was still thinking, Rao put her hand over hers, and placed the second ring in her hand.

"Please Homura, do this for me. If I don't let her go, then I'll never be able to move on."

The storm of raging emotions took time to settle within the younger girl. When it finally did, she leaned close to the older woman. "You said...that tonight I can have anything I want...right?"

"Y-yeah..." the suddenly close proximity was slightly unnerving.

"Anything at all?"

"Yes."

"Then...if you intend to keep that promise..."

Homura stood up, and her kimono fell from her shoulders to the floor, leaving her completely naked before the older woman.

"...make love to me."

Rao sat in shock at Homura's uncharacteristically bold action. While she tried to come to terms with what the girl had said, her eyes traveled over her exposed body, taking in every inch of her elegant form. Realizing where her thoughts were heading, Rao silently chastised herself and averted her gaze.

"What the hell is this...asking for something so absurd..." she muttered.

"It's not absurd. I'm asking you to have sex with me." Homura bent back down, pressing her mildly ample bosom to Rao's and putting her face close to the older woman's. "Is my body...not to your liking?"

"It's not that...you're beautiful, actually...you look just like Verona..."

"Then why do you hesitate? I know you want to touch me. I've seen the way you look at me when you think I can't see you. I want it too, so what's wrong?"

Rao forced herself to meet Homura's gaze. "It's your first time, isn't it? Wouldn't you rather give that to Madoka?"

Homura shook her head. "It took me a long time to realize it, but Madoka doesn't see me as anything more than a friend. No matter how many times I told her I love her, she never once said it back. But you were more than that. You tried your hardest to make me smile, and succeeded, even though you were afraid I'd leave you alone in the end. If you can let go, then I can too. So please, Rao. Teach me how to smile more. Teach me how to enjoy life. Teach me how I can use my body to show you my love is true."

Rao was too stunned to respond, so Homura wrapped her arms around the older woman and held her close. "I wouldn't offer myself like this to anyone who didn't have the place in my heart that you have. Please Rao, please make love to me."

The older woman was silent for a time, still thinking over Homura's words. Then finally, she reached down and gripped the younger girl's arms.

"Are you sure this is what you want?"

"I'm sure."

"Even though I'm not Madoka?"

"Yes."

"I'm ten years older than you..."

"I don't care."

"I might lose myself and get rough with you."

"I'd expect nothing less."

"I...might want you to do it again..."

Homura looked up and stared directly into Rao's eyes. "I also...may want you to touch me more than once."

Rao smiled softly lifted a hand and ran it across Homura's cheek in a soft caress. "Then, I have nothing more to fear."

Slowly, both women inched toward each other and closed the distance. As they began to go about their bonding, Homura found that what the prostitute had spoken of was true. Rao was indeed a master in bed. The rest of the night was filled with the rustling of clothes, the friction of two bodies joined in union, Homura's cries of ecstasy, and finally the fulfilled screams of both women as they reached their release. That night, Rao slept peacefully for the first time in what seemed like ages, with her arms wrapped protectively around the smiling girl on top of her.

From that night onward, all the tension surrounding the two women disappeared. They had both managed to let go of their doubts and fears, and began a new life together. Homura kept to her promise, and after a week long period of asking and asking and asking, they were happily married. Rao saved up her earnings from all the mercenary work she could find, and bought a house for the two of them. Many more hot nights like their first time followed, and after a few weeks together as a married couple, they decided to stay in this world. Their lives were starting to fade back into normalcy, when one day, a message arrived from the neighboring kingdoms. It told of a creature of incredible size and darkness, that brought ruin to all it touched. Apparently, it was headed straight for Nobunaga's lands. Determined to defend their new home, Rao and Homura set out to vanquish the new foe.

Soon enough, a gigantic gear shaped structure appeared in the darkened skies above, with what appeared to be a faceless (save for a jester like smiling mouth) marionette standing upside down underneath it, laughing insanely. Homura fell to her knees in fear upon setting eyes on the creature. She knew it all to well.

"Walpurgis Night..." the young woman said fearfully.

Rao knelt down beside her wife in alarm. "Homura-chan, are you alright?"

"It's over...there's no way we can beat it...the witch is too powerful..."

The older woman hugged her wife close as she helped her to her feet. As tears began to fall from the young woman's eyes, Rao wiped them away with a gentle hand.

"Shhhhh, don't cry, Homura-chan. We'll be alright."

Homura saw a flash of light envelope her husband (Rao's more masculine. 'Husband' makes it easier :p), and in the next instant Rao was wearing her Robe. The crimson otome smiled down at her wife's surprised face.

"What, you didn't think this was just for show, did you?" she said, pulling back her hair to reveal her blood red G.E.M., the Eternal Blood Ruby, sitting in her ear.

Rao then took Homura's hand in her own. "It doesn't matter how strong the enemy is. As long as we're together, there's no way we can lose."

The young woman smiled through her tears and nodded before dawning her own battle attire. Hands still intertwined, the pair turned toward Walpurgis Night and readied their weapons. With a yell, they leapt as one toward the witch.

"No matter what happens, I will always be by your side."

12 Guardians Remaining...

A/N: Hope you enjoyed this omake! I promise the main story will resume in the next chapter. As always, keep reading and don't forget to review! Till next time! DarkNovelist out.