Welp, I think this is definitely coming together now. I'm writing the final chapter as we speak (and yes, I'm that paranoid about the plot.)

Just to be on the safe side, I will let you guys know in the next update if you need to reread chapter 4. I really, really doubt I'll have to modify anything, but...well, just in case. Despite the length I plan to do, I'm still a rookie writer. There's a high chance I'll make a mistake.

And I do apologize, but the chapters probably will be slower this week. I have a ten page paper to finish for my English class.

Thank you for those that have read this fic so far. I'm honored.

Anyways! On with the show.

Chapter 4

Lover's Kiss

"So, what do you plan to do with all these Grief Seeds, Kyouko?"

Kyouko wolfed down a massive bite of her cheeseburger, chewing quickly. "Not your business yet, rat. I still need the Grief Seeds to know that its going to work in the first place. Anything before then is theory, and I don't need you screwing it up." Finishing the burger, Kyouko tossed the wrapper into the nearly full wastebasket.

"Seeing as you're stockpiling a significant amount, perhaps I can be of use?" Kyubey hopped off the table to stand beside Kyouko. "If you have all these Grief Seeds, you're going to need to get rid of them somehow."

"Ah, right. You bastards get rid of the things, eh?" Kyouko looked at the construct, deep in thought..

"Of course. How else do you think we Incubators collect the energy stored within here?" Kyubey's tail twitched, seemingly in annoyance. "If a Grief Seed acquires too much Grief, it can resurrect the witch. I'm here to convert that grief into raw energy before that process can happen."

"I know you rats do that, idiot." Kyouko snarled. "But...now that I think about it..." Kyouko paused for several seconds, seemingly deep in thought.

Finally, as if a light bulb had gone off above her head, she turned towards Kyubey. "Okay, rat. I'll let you in on the plan. But in exchange, I need your full cooperation. Deal?"

Kyubey shook his head. "And now I'm the one under a contract, huh?" He swished his tail once more before locking eyes with Kyouko. "Very well. I'll help you out. As long as I'm collecting energy, I haven't strayed from my mission."

"Fan-fucking-tastic!" Kyouko whooped, her voice dripping with slight sarcasm. "Now, before I start explaining, get me some of that telepathy business to Madoka and Homura. I can't reach that far, but you can. I need to talk to them about the plan."

Kyubey sighed. "Very well."

Closing his eyes, Kyubey focused his magical will around the room, creating a two way channel between everyone's thoughts.

Opening his eyes again, Kyubey nodded. "Done."

"Good." Kyouko opened her mind, about to say something...

And stopped. Voices were coming from the other side, one calm, yet insistent voice, and another, seemingly broken one. Both of the girls' thoughts projected into the room, caught in the telepathic channel.

Kyouko remained silent, confused by the sudden outbursts from both girls. Their voices and thoughts could only mean one thing...

'Are they...arguing?'

Madoka and Homura walked down the streets of Mitakihara, the two ignoring the noontime bustle of patrons and businesses. The high buildings offered some protection from the merciless sun, but Madoka found herself sweating profusely. Keeping up with Homura was tough.

Jogging forward, Madoka prodded Homura's shoulder. "Homura? Do you know where we're going?"

Without looking back, Homura nodded. "I know of one Grief Seed in this vicinity. I stored it away in a secure location in case of an emergency. Given our current situation, I think we have good reason to use it."

"You keep spare seeds on hand too?" Madoka asked. "I know Kyouko does, but I didn't think you would too."

"I do. I always have a contingency plan ready." Homura brushed her hair out of her eyes, her pace quickening ever so slightly.

"I see..." Madoka caught up to Homura, walking briskly by her side. "So where is this seed?"

"It's hidden by the hospital. Since it was the seed of a defeated witch, there's no harm in the witch reviving. I could safely keep it there, secreted away."

Something in Madoka's brain clicked. "Hospital? Is that..."

"Mami's seed, yes." Homura replied stoically. "Or rather, the seed of the witch that killed her."

"Oh..." Madoka's eyes were downcast. "I wish we could have saved Mami...she didn't deserve that death at all."

"She was a Magical Girl. She knew the risks and the consequences. It happened. That's all we need to know."

Madoka stared at Homura incredulously. "How can you say that? Mami gave her life protecting us...she knew the risks, but that doesn't make her death any less tragic..."

"Once a girl contracts, her fate is sealed. There is nothing more to it. I've been telling you this for a month now, and you still don't understand it?" Madoka could sense the withering tone in Homura's voice.

Kyouko's words from earlier that morning rang in Madoka's head again. "She's not doing this to save Sayaka, that's for sure..."

"Homura?" Madoka stopped, forcing the girl ahead of her to stop as well. "Why are you so...uncaring towards the other Magical Girls?"

"I have no time for emotion." Homura didn't turn to look at Madoka. "It simply gets in the way of my job."

Something clicked in Madoka's mind. "If that's the case..." Madoka whispered. "Why are you helping us save Sayaka?"

"I told you, its-"

"No, you haven't." Madoka shook her head. "You've told me its to ensure my happiness, but there's something in it for you. Otherwise you wouldn't be here at all."

Homura sighed, displeased by the sudden stop. "You've been talking to Kyouko again, haven't you?"

"She told me some things." Madoka looked more confused than ever. "She thinks you have a different reason for helping us, something that isn't related to saving Sayaka. You never cared about Mami, you told me to forget about Sayaka so many times...so why help now? What's in it for you?"

Madoka paused, her face scrunched up, deep in thought. "Unless...unless my happiness is what you really want?"

Homura's heart began to beat a little faster. "I never said anything about-"

Madoka interrupted her again, her eyes wide with realization. "That wouldn't make sense though...you just said your emotions were unnecessary." Madoka paused, thinking...

Her head shot up. "What if that's it? What if it's my happiness that you want, Homura?" Madoka stopped in her tracks and looked straight at the girl. "You say you have no time for emotion, but...Now that I think about it...it's always been me, hasn't it? Why do you always act so cold, yet always show up to save me? You told me to abandon Sayaka, you brush off Mami's life as nothing...and yet for some reason, you save us from Charlotte, you stop me from contracting several times...that can't be a coincidence. I mean something to you, right?"

"..."

Madoka continued on her tirade, her newfound boldness unnoticed by even herself. "Even before we met, I had a dream. Someone- who looked exactly like you, was fighting something, something large. The city was destroyed, everything was in ruin...and yet I saw Kyubey there as well. Telling me to contract, to become a Magical Girl.

"At first, I brushed this off as some childish dream, yet you, and Kyubey, have shown up, as real as you can get." Madoka paused, taking in a breath of air. "And then Kyouko tells me about Walpurgisnacht, a witch with no barrier, and a description that matches that thing you were fighting as well!"

Homura froze, her blood running cold. "You...had a dream about this?"

Madoka nodded. "For some reason, I have a part to play in all of this! That dream...that dream was too real, too accurate to be coincidence. What are you not telling me?"

Homura winced, but remained silent.

"Why me, Homura? What do I have to do with all of this? There's a reason you don't want me to become a Magical Girl...what is it?"

Homura remained completely neutral. "If I told you...you would not believe me."

"Try me, Homura. If Walpurgisnacht is as bad as you say she is, you won't be able to handle it alone. Even with Kyouko's help, I can't believe that you two will be alright!"

Madoka lowered her voice to a whisper, as if finally realizing just how many people were still around the two. "If I have to, I will contract. I will help you defeat-"

"No you will not!" Homura shouted. Several patrons paused to turn their heads at the two bickering girls.

Madoka remained silent, watching as the older girl's mask finally begin to crack. Homura acted quickly, grabbing Madoka's arm and pulling her into the nearby alley, away from the main attention of passerby.

"Don't you see already?" Homura whispered bitterly, grabbing Madoka by the shoulders. "If you contract...that thing, Walpurgisnacht...it'll kill you!"

"How do you know that?"

"Because..." Homura paused, holding back her tears. "Because I've seen it happen. Too many times to count."

"Wh...what? How is that even possible? It hasn't even happened yet!"

Homura chuckled bitterly. "My magic revolves around time manipulation, Madoka. Do the math."

It took her a moment. "So...Kyubey was right. You can travel through time?" Madoka said more than asked, her face lighting up in realization.

Homura hated where this was going, but at the moment she felt backed into a corner.

"I'm..." Homura winced, trying to fight back her tears. 'No turning back now...'

"Yes. I'm a time traveler. I'm not from...I'm not from this world, not really."

Madoka looked at Homura incredulously. "What do you-"

"Hush!" Homura's outburst caused Madoka to wince, but she continued.

"I'm...I'm from a parallel universe." Homura's voice was wavering and shaky. "When I first met you...you died. You died trying to stop Walpurgisnacht. So I contracted with Kyubey to go back in time, to do it all over again..." Her voice cracked, her words coming out in shallow gasps.

"But still, every time I try to save you, you die. Everyone dies. And I can't do anything to stop it...

"I've spent so many months, so many timelines, trying to prevent your fate from coming to pass! And every time I try, you contract and die...or some other godforsaken event comes to pass and everyone dies!"

Homura's knees gave out, and she collapsed to the sidewalk. "How can I save you...how can I make your realize my plight?" She hid her face in her hands. "I know you won't believe me, but..."

Madoka paused, watching Homura sob at her feet. There was a definite level of insanity that went along with her story...that much Madoka could discern.

'But it explains why she's so cold.' She thought. 'If she's seen the same person die, over and over...and since her powers are associated with time, traveling back like that isn't completely impossible. Her knowledge about the area suddenly makes sense as well...no transfer student knows that much..."

Madoka shook her head, looking down at Homura. "What you say...makes sense. You're right, I'm not sure if I can believe you right away..."

Homura winced, feeling tears slip down her eyes...

"But that doesn't mean I won't try to believe you." Madoka knelt down next to her, smiling. "Suddenly...my dream, what you've done for me, your time-stopping magic...it all makes sense. The story itself is insane to believe alone, but...combined with everything else, it doesn't sound all that impossible."

"Madoka..."

"But there's something that does worry me." Madoka stood up, bringing Homura up with her. "And now that I know all of this, perhaps this question will be easier." She took a breath. "You still haven't truly answered my original question."

Homura looked up, waiting for Madoka to continue.

"Why are you helping us save Sayaka?"

Homura squeezed her eyes shut. She knew she couldn't get out of this one.

"My original answer holds true, Madoka...I want you to be happy."

"So Sayaka..." She paused. "Never mattered?"

Homura looked down, wincing at her blunt answer. "No."

"Just me."

"Yes."

Something in Madoka's brain clicked. The answer suddenly made sense, and it sent a tremor of guilt and pity down the girls' back.

"You...you love me. Don't you."

It wasn't a question.

Homura's blood ran cold, and she could have sworn her heart broke in two.

Choking back a silent sob, she mouthed a single word.

"Yes."

Kyouko sat in the middle of the hotel room, shocked at the recent unfolding of events. 'Well, that explains why Homura knew about Walpurgisnacht...dammit!"

She silently closed her end of the channel, making sure she didn't accidentally interrupt the two girls.

What the hell was Homura thinking? Trying to take on a Witch Queen on her own was bad enough, doing it over and over again through several timelines was the purest of insanity.

Kyouko snatched a second cheeseburger from her bag, ripping into it voraciously. She'd have to give Homura a lesson on teamwork, something only Kyouko herself had just learned.

But for now, the girls had an argument to settle.

They had to figure this part out on their own.

Madoka watched in slight shock as Homura sobbed at her feet once more. The single word: 'Yes...' still rang in her head, echoing around as the only thought in her brain. 'She...loves me?'

Glancing down, Homura had broken down full force, and showed no signs of stopping anytime soon. Her emotional walls had completely crumbled, and Madoka, though she understood her rationality, couldn't help but feel guilty for the poor girl.

Gently kneeling down next to Homura, Madoka cradled her head in her arms, pulling Homura closer to her. Slowly, she rubbed her back in small circles, trying to calm her down as much as possible. Homura responded in tandem, leaning against Madoka's chest and whispering frantic words: 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry...'

The two stayed like this for quite sometime. They had moved behind the alley's dumpster, which had mercifully be emptied the previous night. Safely away from the public eye, the two had slumped against the alley wall, cuddled together in a comforting embrace.

It took several minutes for Homura's sobs to subside. Madoka could sense quite a bit of emotional grief locked within her. After a while, her sobs turned to sniffles, which then turned to shaky breaths. Madoka held her the entire time, comforting her in any way possible.

Finally, Homura's breathing evened out, taking long, full breaths, fully relaxing against Madoka. Tentatively, she tilted Homura's chin up, forcing her to look right into her eyes.

"Hey there."

"Hey..."

"You feel better?" Madoka allowed Homura's head to gently roll back to its original place.

"Yes...and no." Homura flushed red, instantly getting up. "Th-thank you, but...I shouldn't have done that-"

"No, you should have." Madoka cut her off. "Given ...given what you've told me, I can understand your feelings. I really can." She locked her gaze with Homura's, her eyes sympathetic and shining with worry. "But...the Madoka you fell in love with...died in the first timeline, right?"

Homura winced, but nodded tentatively.

"I was..." Madoka paused, considering her next words carefully. "I was a different Madoka back then, wasn't I?"

Homura nodded. "You were...a lot more outgoing. It seemed like...you were more open towards me back then."

"But you were a different Homura back then as well, weren't you."

Homura's eyes glazed over, recalling the distant timeline she called her own. Remembering her shy demeanor, her dorky glasses, the twin braids of long-black hair... "Yes...yes I was."

Wiping at her eyes, Homura steadily got to her feet. "But what happened? Where did I...where did I go wrong?"

Madoka sighed, looking at Homura sympathetically. "I...I can't answer that, Homura. You know yourself best. I think that's an answer you'll have to find on your own."

"I...I understand." Madoka could see Homura picking up the pieces of her fallen mask, trying to reestablish control over her emotions. "I know you're right, Madoka, but...I can't bring myself to accept it. I just can't."

Moving out of the alleyway, Homura felt Madoka fall into step behind her...

"Don't!"

Madoka stepped back, shock and confusion apparent on her face. "What-"

Homura realized how harsh her words must have sounded to Madoka. "I'm sorry, I..." She paused, sucking in a deep breath.

"I need to be alone for a while, if that's alright. I have...a lot to think about."

"Homura..."

"I'll be at the hospital if you need me. I still need to retrieve that Grief Seed."

"Okay..." Madoka watched her turn around, brushing her hair out of her eyes.

"Homura...I'm sorry. I really am."

Homura nodded, fighting back more tears. "I just need to sort out my thoughts. There is no fault on your shoulders, Madoka Kaname."

Without another word, she exited the alley and began heading towards the hospital.

After several minutes, Madoka exited the alley, having had time to recompose herself. With no destination to head towards and two hours to go until the scheduled meeting time, Madoka simply ambled down the streets, ignoring the looks and occasional questions of the passerby. She knew she should be in school, she knew she should be looking for Sayaka...

But Homura's words still echoed in her head.

"Hey."

Madoka spun around, trying to locate the source of the sound. "Who's there?"

"Relax, kiddo. The rat bastard is extending my telepathy range." The voice of Kyouko rang in Madoka's head. "Everything okay over there? When I made the connection, I heard you and Homura..."

"You heard that?" Madoka stiffened. "She...well, it's a long story, but-"

"I got the gist of it. She loves you, doesn't she?"

Madoka shifted uneasily. "Yeah...I believe her, but at the same time its all so..."

"Unbelievable? Y'got that right, kid. But it makes sense, and it explains why she's such a cold hearted bitch to everyone. Her only exception is you, and that's on special occasion."

"I feel bad, Kyouko..." Madoka continued walking aimlessly. "I just feel so confused. She does mean something to me, but..."

"It's Sayaka, isn't it?"

Madoka's jaw dropped open as she flushed red, stammering.

"Bullseye." Madoka could swear Kyouko chuckled on her end. "Listen, we'll worry about the nitpicky lovey-dovey stuff later. Since you and Homura are separated right now, we may as well try to get two things at once done. Would you be okay heading to Sayaka's apartment?"

"Her apartment? Why?"

"Remember that praying witch I helped Sayaka defeat? Well, I slipped the Grief Seed she gave to me into her room. Figured she'd find it and use it just in case." Kyouko's thoughts took on a softer tone. "If she hasn't used it, then it'd be great to have it. The more seeds, the better."

"I guess I don't have much of a choice." Madoka halted and spun around, heading towards the residential district. "I'll let you know once I get there."

"Sounds good. The seed is locked in a box with a rune on it. Keeps troublemakers out, if you know what I'm sayin'. Don't get lost, now!"

Madoka smiled. "Kyouko...could you talk to Homura, please? Make sure she's okay?"

"Don't worry, I was planning on contacting her after I talked to you. I'll keep her head screwed on right, don't' worry."

Smiling even wider, Madoka nodded. "Thank you, Kyouko."

"Hey, its nice having friends, y'know? Gotta repay the favor sometime." Kyouko mentally chuckled. "Now get going!"

With that, the connection terminated, and Madoka's head felt slightly emptier than before.

With new resolve, she set out towards Sayaka's apartment, determination filling her eyes.

'I should have expected this kind of difference in the world...I've only gone back in time so many times...

'So why can I not stop crying?'

Homura slowly walked through the back alleys of Mitakihara, doing her best to avoid the pedestrians on the city streets. Despite the crowds being not ten feet from her, the thick, tall office buildings that sandwiched the alleyways proved to be an ample sound barrier.

Which was why Homura transformed and drew her pistol when she heard a voice far too loud to be anywhere but next to her...

"Homura?"

"Who's there? Show yourself!" Homura turned in a circle, her pistol aimed outwards.

"Are you an idiot? Recognize the voice, Homura? Kyouko here!"

"Kyouko? Are you...in my head?"

"No, I'm chillin' in the sewer drain." Kyouko replied sarcastically. "Of course I am! Kyubey's amplifying my telepathy so that I can talk with you!"

"I see." Homura returned to her normal outfit, putting her pistol away. "What do you need?"

"I heard what happened between you and Madoka."

Homura froze. "So you know I'm not from this world?"

"I had a feeling from the start. Your knowledge of Walpurgisnacht was a little too detailed, to say the least. But it wasn't much to make a theory off of." The channel was silent for a moment before Kyouko continued again. "It does explain why you're so attached to Madoka though."

"That's none of your business." Homura replied stiffly.

"Yeah yeah, I know. Don't worry, that's not what I wanted to talk to you about anyways." Another pause on Kyouko's end. "I'm here to beat some sense into your selfish mind."

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it, Homura. You're trying to save the person you love from turning into a witch, no matter what, using any means necessary. No matter how many times you fail, no matter how impossible it seems, you just keep going, right?"

"I...suppose so."

"But there's one thing that you're forgetting, Homura."

"Oh?" Homura asked, with a tinge of sarcasm.

"You said it yourself. While you were trying to save Madoka, everyone else died. If what you said about the previous timelines is true, you've only focused on Madoka, leaving everyone else to their own devices. Is that true?"

Homura blanched at the callous recollection of her previous endeavors, but wound up nodding. "Yes."

"Have you ever considered that you may actually need their help?"

"I've never needed help-"

"Cut the crap, Homura. If you didn't need help, you'd still be in your original timeline shagging Madoka right now."

Homura flushed red, from anger or embarrassment, she didn't know.

"Point is, you should be doing what Madoka is trying to do. Save everyone. I don't know about you, but three Magical Girls seem to stand more of a chance against Walpurgisnacht than one. Wouldn't you say?"

Homura blanched. "Three?"

"Yeah, that number between two and four?"

Homura resisted the urge to mentally slap Kyouko.

"You, me, and Sayaka. Mami bit it already, so she's out. And Sayaka...well, we're in the process of saving." Kyouko said.

Though Homura didn't want to admit it, Kyouko was right. "I...fine."

"Score one for Kyouko!" Homura could have sworn the girl had whooped on her end. "Now get going! You're supposed to be getting me Grief Seeds!"

"What about Madoka? Where is she?" Homura asked, with a tinge of worry.

"I sent her to Sayaka's apartment. There's probably a grief seed somewhere around there. It should be safe enough."

"Very well."

"Sort out your thoughts, then get your ass back here. Roger?"

"Fine." Homura closed the channel and set off towards the hospital.

Kyouko's words had merit. She forgot to take one thing into account, though.

"Madoka...how do I let you go?"

She could feel her...somewhere.

She remembered. Her living quarters, her place of residence. One of the few connections in her life...!

She's there?

Sayaka writhed as the shadows savagely attacked her, seemingly in response to the memory of her human existence.

"You're something else now. Accept it."

"No!" Sayaka struggled against the dark energy forcing itself against her, fighting it as long as she could...

Images, clear as day, flashed in front of her. She could see Madoka, standing in front of her apartment, opening the oak door, hearing the slightest squeak from the lack of recent use...

"She does not like you. She does not love you. That boy didn't. Nobody else does."

She tried to ignore the voice. The image was so close, so clear, she could feel Madoka next to her, searching her apartment...

Leaning forward, she tried to make some contact, any contact at all...

She felt the slightest, feather-like touch of her face before the image was ripped away from her.

"Nobody wants you..."

Sayaka screamed.

'What was that?'

Madoka shifted uneasily in the dusty confines of Sayaka's apartment, glancing around for any sort of housefly. She had a feeling it wasn't one of the diminutive insects though; the feeling on her face was too light, too...caring.

She glanced around the room, vague feelings of nostalgia flowing through her mind. For a minute, she could have sworn she heard Sayaka's voice in her mind...

"Madoka, you're late!"

Hitomi and Sayaka stood at the entrance to the city park, the cobblestone pathway bee-lining towards the school. Just behind them, a fountain flowed vicariously, occasional spouts of cool mist hitting their faces, refreshing them from the late summer air.

"Sorry!" Madoka called as she raced towards her two friends. "I spent too much time on breakfast!" Madoka quickly caught up to her classmates, her school bag swinging back and forth at her side.

Stopping in front of the two, Madoka caught her breath, her lungs burning slightly from the all-out run. Hitomi greeted her with a shy smile and a small "Hello", which Madoka returned.

Sayaka had a different approach, however. "Madoka! You really need to stop spending so much time eating! We're going to wind up late at some point because of you!"

Before Madoka could even apologize, however, Sayaka was immediately drawn to the top of her head. "What the...that's a beautiful ribbon, Madoka!"

She immediately flushed red. "Really? I honestly think it's too showy..."

"Nah." Sayaka retorted, confidence adorning her features. "It looks perfect on you! Right, Hitomi?"

"Ah...yes it does. It suits you very well." Hitomi said, shifting around to begin walking towards school.

Madoka and Sayaka quickly followed, running along the pathway. The three broke into a jog, alternating between half-hearted racing and games of tag, laughing all the while.

Eventually, the adrenaline wore off, however, and the girls resorted to walking side by side in comfortable silence. Though Hitomi and Madoka were comfortable with it, Sayaka decided that enough was enough.

"So, Madoka! I heard your mother got another love letter yesterday!" Sayaka looked at the girl in question, daring her to challenge the statement.

"I heard as well. She must be a wonderful person." Hitomi added in.

"Yeah, she is." Madoka sighed. "I'd love to get a letter like that someday!" Madoka swooned, imagining the idea.

"Ah, our dearest Madoka wants to be just like the beautiful and popular Hitomi, eh? Attention and popularity left and right?" Sayaka asked, a playful glint in her eyes.

"Ah, no...It's just, Mama always says-"

"Aha!" Sayaka turned on the poor girl, her eyes glinting maniacally. "So you're now taking advice on love from your mother? Madoka, you dog, you!"

With that, Sayaka playfully began chasing Madoka around, chanting playful jabs at Madoka's mother. Finally catching the girl, she wrapped her arms around Madoka's small frame. "I can't have some random guy taking you away...One day, Madoka...One day, I shall make you my wife!"

With that, she leaned forward and kissed Madoka on the neck, eliciting a yelp of surprise from the girl...

Madoka jerked out of the memory, her eyes wide. She remembered that day perfectly...nothing like that ever happened...did it?

She flushed red and shook her head, trying to clear the thoughts from her mind.. 'Hallucinations and reminiscing later' she thought. 'I need to find that Grief Seed.'

Her search so far had been fruitless. Fifteen minutes of searching, two cabinets, and one dresser drawer later, Madoka was no closer to finding the blasted seed. She was about to contact Kyouko and ask for some help when she noticed a slight glow underneath Sayaka's bed.

Shifting down, Madoka reached under and pulled out a small box, covered in a faint red glow. A single rune of complex origin was inscribed on the top.

Tracing the rune with her fingers, Madoka was debating whether to contact Kyouko about this when the rune glowed with a sudden intensity. As if responding to Madoka's contact, it slowly faded, releasing the seal and unlocking the box.

'This must have been Kyouko's doing...'

Gently prying open the box, Madoka's eyes widened in surprise. Inside lay a small black gem, swimming with negative emotion...'The Grief Seed!'

Picking up the seed, Madoka stored it away in the pocket of her skirt. Her mission accomplished, she turned to the door and, after taking one last look around, began to leave.

She never noticed the small, musical-note-shaped mark embedded onto her neck.

"Did she see me? Did she see me at all?"

"Does she know I'm here?"

A pause. "Does...she even care?"

A sigh. "Nobody did before. Kyouske never did...Homura never did..."

Another pause. "But Madoka did...didn't she? Until I..."

The shadows backed away, satisfied with the damage done to the trapped soul.

"Why would she now...?"

Craning her neck side to side, Madoka gently knocked on the door of the hotel room before entering. She found Kyouko, slumped against the wall with her Soul Gem shining bright in her hand, fast asleep.

Madoka chuckled inwardly, it was the first time she had seen Kyouko sleep since this whole fiasco started. Kneeling next to her, she once again popped her neck and gently shook the spear wielder awake.

Kyouko shot up with a startled snort, before seeing Madoka with a confused smile on her face. Regaining her composure, Kyouko slapped the younger girl on the shoulder. "Hey! How'd the trip to Sayaka's place go?"

"Good! I found this..." Madoka pulled the Grief Seed out of her pocked and handed it over to Kyouko. "It was under her bed."

Kyouko snatched the seed out of Madoka's hand, grinning like a maniac as she did so. "Good work, kid! Anything interesting happen on the way?"

"Not really." Madoka shifted, trying to get more comfortable. "Seeing Sayaka's place brought back some old memories though. It was..." She trailed off.

"Madoka?" Kyouko asked, waiting for the girl to continue.

When she received no response, Kyouko snapped her fingers in front of Madoka's eyes, trying to get the girls attention.

It worked. Madoka reeled back as if struck, landing flat on her back, panting heavily. "Sayaka-"

"Hey, you okay?"

Madoka looked up at Kyouko, her hand outstretched. Grasping it, she allowed her to pull her to her feet. "Thanks...sorry, I guess I just spaced out for a sec." She chuckled, moving back to Sayaka's side and grasping her hand.

Kyouko frowned. "Okay..." 'That was definitely odd.'

Madoka shifted uneasily, withering under Kyouko's stare. Trying to change the subject, she pointed towards the Grief Seed. "So...whats your plan with these things?"

"Ah!" Kyouko tore her eyes away from Madoka and focused on the seed. "Well, the general idea is this..."

Moving towards Sayaka's body, Madoka saw two Grief Seeds. One was colored pitch black, the other one a lighter shade of gray.

"Watch this." Kyouko said, grasping the lighter seed and touching the two Grief Seeds together. Madoka gasped as energy from the lighter seed transferred into the one she retrieved from Sayaka's. As the seeds were transferring energy, she could visibly see the first seed getting lighter and lighter in color with each passing second. When the transfer was complete, it shone an extremely light gray.

"That's..."

"Strange, huh?" Kyouko affirmed. "Yeah, I saw this on accident. But it does make sense. Soul Gems and Greif Seeds are made from each other, right? I figure if we can drain a seed like this, we could drain Sayaka's grief seed as well!"

"So why do this now?"

"Well, I don't know about you," Kyouko shifted towards Sayaka's body, focusing her magic into warming her up once again... "But I don't want to carry a million grief seeds when we face her. We make one seed that can absorb all the grief, and go from there."

"I see..." Madoka nodded, but winced as she did so.

"Hey, you okay?" Kyouko moved towards the girl. "You seem a little...off."

Madoka nodded, albeit hesitantly. "Yeah, I should be okay...I just need a bit of-"

'Madoka...'

"Who's there?" Madoka's eyes darted around the room, scanning for anyone, anything...

Kyouko, at this point, was utterly confused. "What are you-"

'Madoka...!'

"Where are you?" Madoka's eyes went wide, frantic even, as she darted around the room.

'Help me...'

"Wait! Wait! I'm coming!" Madoka, eyes glazed, wheeled about and sprinted out of the hotel room, not even bothering to shut the door.

Kyouko, now thoroughly alarmed, raced to the door, watching Madoka disappear around the corner. After a moment's hesitation, she darted to the window, trying to catch sight of her.

She saw her, racing east, ignoring all of the people she bumped, jostled, or outright ran headlong into. She moved like a woman possessed, towards a goal Kyouko couldn't even fathom.

"Shit..." Kyouko snarled slightly. "What the hell was all that about?"

Homura eased her way into the manhole, the cover floating several feet away. Had time not been stopped, watching an eighth-grade girl remove a manhole cover and dive in with relative ease would have been a bit more than confusing to the surrounding patrons. However, they simply stood there, frozen by Homura's time-control.

Hanging from the edge of the cover by her feet, Homura reached her hand into a small alcove. Feeling resistance, she muttered a small incantation, releasing the rune that guarded her prize.

'Gotcha...'

The grief seed in hand, Homura flipped herself upright and sprung out of the manhole, replacing the lid and shaking off the excess grime from her uniform. Returning to her place at the entrance of the hospital, she resumed time again.

Satisfied that nobody noticed anything out of place, she turned to leave. Her task was done, for the moment-

"Homura!"

Barely suppressing a sigh, Homura opened her mind to the channel. "This better be important, Kyouko..."

"You're damn right it is! Madoka's run off!"

That got her attention. "She's what?"

'I dunno either.' The voice on the other end sounded panicked and confused. 'She zoned out on me a few times, woke up, and ran out like a woman posessed! I have no idea what got into her!'

"Dammit. Where was she going?"

'You got me. I saw her pass by the hotel window though. Headed east. Maybe she's going back to Sayaka's apartment?'

"I'll find her. You relay anything you know to me!"

Cutting off the connection, Homura raced towards the eastern side of the city. Praying that Madoka was okay.

"Madoka...what's gotten into you?"

She writhed in the shadows, the assault, unrelenting. Desperately, she tried to remember that image, the pink haired girl...that kiss. The taste of her flesh, the feel of human skin on her spiritual lips...

"Madoka?"

She called, but nobody responded.

"Madoka...!"

She sighed, resignation in her voice.

"Help me..."

Chapter End.