Puella Magi Madoka Magica is the property of Gen Urobuchi
"Intention"
Time was an endless river. It had no beginning and no end for Homura Akemi, divorced as she was from the rest of the world.
One moment she could be hunting down the cat, Amy, to keep Madoka from wasting her soul on the raggedy old thing and the next she was standing on top of a tanker truck full of fuel as she rammed it into a Witch at ninety miles per hour.
The exact moments that events started to flow before her in a mishmash of chaos had been lost to her awareness several time loops ago when Madoka had contracted with Kyubey to attempt to bring Sayaka and Kyoko back to life. Kyoko's foolishness had not only cost Homura an ally in attempting to bring Walpurgisnacht down, but it had doomed Madoka to a slow and insidious death from despair and madness when the... creatures that came back within Kyoko and Sayaka's skin had slowly and gradually made it clear that they were nothing like the people that had been within those bodies prior to the wish.
Homura should know, because she had one cajoled, manipulated, and whored herself out to one of her classmates into wishing for Madoka back once. That creature and her classmate were both quietly executed when she realized that death truly was the end for magical girls.
Yet again, here she rushed through the midst of the merry and bloody festival heralding the Queen of Witches. Beneath her feet were the corpses of several of her classmates, but with each of their lives, Homura brought a new weapon or ability to bear against Walpurgisnacht.
Armored cruisers, whisked from the Japanese Self Defense Force thanks to the selfless wish of a naïve girl two rows behind Homura. The girl always was easy to convince in the belief that authority was supreme and that they could rely on others to aid them.
Homura always felt a bit of grim mirth when the soldiers of the Defense Forces tore her down when she turned into a Witch. Oh well, it brought Homura more weapons, better weapons, than what she had access to early on with the yakuza. That was all that mattered.
A fleet of cruisers moved into range, operated remotely by Homura's techno empathy, which she had begun to get enhanced on each loop by another of her classmates.
A little bit of bicuriousity towards the ice queen image that Homura had polished to a sheen and the magical girl always had a flock of girls willing to do anything for their idol. It grew into fanaticism when a few hints were dropped and a few nights were sacrificed here and there.
The guns on the cruisers roared as one, tearing down a fleet of shadowy Familiars in front of her.
However, no one could ever find her on the nights when Madoka would draw close to a Witch. Those nights they only had her voice in their ears as she spoke nonsensical words of love to them through a cellphone; whilst keeping an eye on Madoka with reinforced eyesight granted to her by those foolish girls.
To keep variables down, those girls were forced to 'retire' before Walpurgisnacht arrived. The easiest method she found was arranging so her unwanted paramours ran afoul of Kyoko Sakura after Mami Tomoe died. For a while, she tried dropping them with Mami to keep her company.
She stopped doing that after the sixth time Mami slaughtered everyone after learning the destiny lying in wait for all magical girls once their Soul Gems blackened. It was an unnecessary action, one born from nearly forgotten memories of the blonde saving her alongside Madoka.
Besides, Witch-Mami was frighteningly powerful until she created her own Familiars. The damn thing also tended to gravitate towards Madoka more often than not too. Much better to simply take Mami herself out with a sniper rifle from afar and not bother.
Homura kept pressing onwards, semi automatic rifles in her hands as mortars and rockets devastated the city around her. The flames of the town reflected in her dark eyes, but she had the entirety of her vision focused on Walpurgisnacht herself.
The Witch was stunning as always, dressed in a ballgown spun of despair and absolute power. She continued her endless dance high above Homura, paying no attention to the tiny speck that was annihilating her trope as her figure hung upside down from her clockwork stage.
Homura had grown respectful of Walpurgisnacht over the course of the years. She frankly found it quite absurd that she had once hated the creature with so much passion at one point. The poor girl was as much of a victim as Madoka was whenever she sacrificed herself and became Gretchen.
It was terrible that all that power went to waste like that.
"Now then...let's end this." Homura finally spoke. The empty rifles were dropped to the ground as she pulled forth a rocket launcher from the folded space generated by her shield. Readying the launcher, she aimed the weapon at the figure floating high above her.
She began to mutter the sacrificial spell that Kyoko had been taught by Mami as she fired the first of the missiles, tipped with the crimson eye shaped gemstone belonging to some timeline's Kyoko, straight at the figure in the skies above.
- Scene Break -
Madoka Kaname let out a groan of pain, coming out of the slumber Sayaka Miki had enforced on her before that terrible storm had descended onto their city. The back of her neck ached with old pain as she dazedly looked up.
She realized she was being silently carried on the back of someone she least expected.
"Homura?" She blurted the cold girl's name out loud. The named girl paused and glanced back over her shoulder at Madoka. The depths of her dark eyes reflected Madoka's haggard appearance well, but her expression was as unflappable as always.
"Are you alright?" She simply asked, as if the fact that Mitakihara being in ruins around them was nothing but a curiousity. "Did Sayaka hurt you excessively?" Homura questioned, hoping that the blue haired girl hadn't done anything excessive in exchange for the safety of Kyosuke Kamijou.
"No, wait, what are you talking about?" Madoka demanded, eyes frightened as she took in the blasted corpses of several buildings. The ground itself had been scorched raw beneath their feet.
"Sayaka had to knock you unconscious." It was the only way to keep her out of it. "She wished for you and I to live." Only because she had whisked Kyosuke away from her and demanded such from her. "We're leaving town before the radiation can hurt you."
"But..." Madoka whimpered, panic building within her.
"It'll be fine."
That was right. It was all going to be fine now.
- Scene Break -
Homura had finally saved Madoka. The timid girl had tearfully clung onto Homura in the aftermath of what the media were calling the most devastating nuclear fallout since Chernobyl. Homura estimated that they'd find a new story in about a month.
The dark haired girl no longer had any pre-existing knowledge, so she moved to secure Madoka in a safe, controllable environment right away. With money that was stolen from several tens of thousands accounts across the country, Homura got Madoka and herself a home.
Madoka had asked how she had gotten that. Homura had only spoken to Madoka in this world just enough to forge a connection. It was easy to say that her family was affluent. The girl had immediately bought the lie, believing that she was sufficiently 'cool' enough, Madoka stated.
A twinge of warmth filled Homura at the praise.
- Scene Break -
A few nefarious people that Homura had known throughout her years helped her weave an illusion of legitimacy for Madoka afterward.
"Oh, no reason to leave, Madoka. My guardian here can take you in as well."
"Really, Homura-chan?"
"Of course. You can stay here with me. I have plenty of room."
"Th-thank you..."
From there, a few calls and some well placed bribes made sure that Homura Akemi and Madoka Kaname's situation was ignored. Those that didn't play along? Well, the yakuza that Homura used to steal from were very eager to have such a skilled goal getter amongst their number. It wasn't as good as going out herself and handling things, but she had to keep an eye on Madoka.
The Incubators were still trying to sniff around for Madoka.
- Scene Break -
The ruined remains of an Incubator dropped to the ground, body reduced to nothing more than fluff and a little mush. Even with her enhanced technological power, Homura still couldn't tell how those creatures were made. Perhaps it was simply better not to know.
'Why are you doing this?' The childlike voice of another Incubator, crept out of the darkness, followed the creature itself. 'We have done nothing to you to merit this sort of treatment. We are simply trying to extend our influence into this area to help you.'
Homura silently agreed with the analysis. It was getting more and more difficult as time wore on as more Witches were drawn into the area by a combination of Homura and Madoka, taxing even her enhanced abilities.
"This is my area. I don't want competition." Is what Homura said.
'I don't want to risk you meeting Madoka.' Is what her heart said, but Homura had long ago learned to shield the words from her heart from the Incubators. Even if it meant lying to herself.
'Then why don't we...' Was as far as the Incubator got before Homura perforated its body with her shotgun.
"Perhaps another night." Homura replied, speaking her final words as she turned and left the area in search of more Witches and Incubators.
More would always be waiting for her tomorrow night.
- Scene Break -
"Homura-chan, do you want to go out for a walk?" Madoka questioned out of the blue.
Homura instantly agreed.
For the next two hours, they wandered along the stores of town. A look of longing came across Madoka's face when she saw a few high schoolers in town, but it went away when she looked back at Homura.
"Do you want to go try on some clothes?" Madoka wondered. Homura's eyes caught the fluffy tip of an Incubator's tail amongst the crowd.
"No." Homura replied, pitching her tone of voice just right as she turned and walking away.
"...what's wrong?" Madoka questioned, following closely after her. Just as expected. "Are you feeling okay?"
Homura, using the glossy glass of the store fronts, suddenly realized that Madoka had gotten taller. "I don't like it when you look at other people." She suddenly blurted, surprising herself with the statement.
Madoka suddenly laughed, a sound like bells ringing.
Well, it was at least a somewhat true explanation.
- Scene Break -
It was a slow night. Homura only had to kill ten Incubators.
The magical girl walked away from the collapsing barrier with an ill gained Grief Seed in hand. It promptly joined the stock she had inside her pocket of distorted space with the rest of her weaponry. She looked up at the skies. Seeing them beginning to light up with the morning sun, Homura turned and began to head home so she could begin her day with Homura.
'Homura Akemi,' The name being spoken by an Incubator made a chill run down her back. 'There you are.'
A pistol was drawn from her space as she turned to face the Incubator.
'Will you talk with us now?' The Incubator quirked its head. 'Or do you only listen to Madoka Kaname?'
She promptly blew its head off.
- Scene Break -
Madoka had been surprised when Homura had come barreling into their home at four in the morning. Homura desperately clung onto her friend, babbling nonsense as her panicked reaction, something she had been so such to hammer out of herself fifty years ago, surged to life.
The girl merely brushed her hand through Homura's dark hair and whispered soothing words.
At one point their eyes met.
Homura became uncomfortably aware of the shift that Madoka was wearing. The taller girl's body heat radiated off her in waves, making Homura's head dizzy as she grew intoxicated with the other girl's presence.
Madoka pulled Homura down on top of her.
- Scene Break -
They were on a flight out of Japan a few hours later.
- Scene Break -
"Homura-chan, are we leaving again?" Madoka, sweet, tall Madoka, questioned as she held onto Homura's hand and allowed herself to be led away and to their car.
"Yes." She had seen another Incubator, it was time to go. "I think Rome is a good place this time of the year."
"Of course, Homura-chan." The older girl replied.
A few passing people turned and smiled at the pair and talked amongst themselves. Homura dismissed the statements from them about what an adorable pair of sisters they were as beneath her notice. Homura's ring and Soul Gem, which were firmly set on Madoka's hand, was all that mattered.
A pair of high school girls suddenly stepped in front of the two of them. Silver rings shone on their fingers.
'Madoka, Homura. How are you two today?' The voice of an Incubator spoke directly into their minds. 'Would you care to join us?'
The girls crossed their arms in front of their chests.
Madoka trembled a little besides Homura. The dark haired girl let go of the other girl's hand as she swiftly allowed two single shot guns slid out from her sleeves as she accessed her magic remotely from her Soul Gem. Homura thought that Mami would be proud as she fired.
The crowd around them panicked as the two girls went down in a heap. Homura took advantage of the chaos to grab onto Madoka and ran into the crowd, the natural and bottle dark haired girls blending into the crowd.
Only one more year to go.
- Scene Break -
More people came.
Homura killed them all.
- Scene Break -
Homura awoke late one night to find that Madoka wasn't in the bed next to hers. Spotting her missing robe, Homura swiftly began to panic, leaping from her bed and heading out of their hotel room as she tried to follow the trail of her Soul Gem.
She quickly found Madoka. Her face glowed in the light of the full moon, the colored contacts in her eyes shining as they reflected the beauty of the stars above. The wind lightly toyed with Madoka's long dark hair, making it sway around Madoka like a living thing.
Homura suddenly felt remorse at forcing the older girl hide herself like this. It felt like smearing a fine work of art with mud and dirt.
"Homura-chan, I don't think I can save you."
No.
Homura suddenly felt sick as she saw a fluffy tail turn a corner behind Madoka. She began to stagger towards Madoka.
Nononono!
"I thought if I stayed by your side, I could keep you from doing anything wrong..." Madoka turned to face Homura, tears in her eyes, and a pink Soul Gem in her hands. "But I just made things worse for you, didn't I?"
"No!" Homura shrieked, rushing towards the taller girl and embracing her. Madoka staggered backwards as the dark haired girl wrapped her arms around Madoka, weeping into the other girl's chest and shaking her head to deny it.
"Incubator-san said that there will be no more people coming. Forgive me, Homura-chan." Madoka's arms trembled as they wrapped around the middle school girl. "Please, please forgive me for what I did to you."
Homura froze as Madoka pulled back and placed Homura's ring back into the younger girl's hand.
"And for what I'm going to do." Madoka's Soul Gem flashed as the terms of her wish were met. "I am too dirty to save you now, but I will send you to someone who can save you."
Homura's old shield, long since emptied of sand, reappeared in her hand. The hourglass within it was filled once again.
Click.
Homura screamed as she was thrown away back Madoka. The last sight she saw was of a tearful Madoka gazing after her, Soul Gem clasped between her hands shining with all the magical potential her trips through time had granted her.
Griiiiiind.
- Scene Break -
Homura woke up to the sounds of screaming next to her hospital bed. She desperately threw on her glasses.
Light purple eyes met dark purple eyes.
The younger of the two versions of Homura Akemi added her own scream to the one coming from the throat of the shield bearer.
- Scene Break -
"Only a heavenly and chaste soul, a soul that resounds with genuine praise for humanity, can save the story."
- Gen Urobuchi