Epilogue

Cold and cloudy.

For Sayaka, it was far from ideal to be on a beach in Hokkaido, but it had its benefits. Sitting on the sand, dressed, she felt the wind as a melody deep in her thoughts, cadenced by the sea waves. The song grew inside her like a container that was about to overflow. She held the lid with some embarrassment and guilt, but she had the peace she needed in that deserted place to deal with it...

"Sayakaaa! Look!"

Not so deserted. She saw Kyouko running with a shell in her hands.

"That's pretty big, huh?" The redhead put the shell opening close to her own ear. "They say you can hear the sea inside them."

Sayaka was already accustomed to the excitement of Kyouko, the girl never had the opportunity to go to a beach before. "Let me see." She received the shell, with a beautiful spiral shape, pinky. She put it in her ear and there was a constant sound, like a wave that was coming to the shore, but never ending. For a layman this would be the sea, but she could not fool herself.

"What's the problem?"

"Huh?" Sayaka was confused by the questioning of the other.

However, Kyouko was quite serious now. "You're making a strange face..."

She returned the shell. "It must be because I'm cold."

"C'mon, tell me."

"Tell what?!" Sayaka opened her arms and frowned. "That would be nice to have a heater here? Haha! Hahaha..."

Kyouko's gaze became more penetrating.

And the blue haired girl recognized defeat. "Damn... You'll find this ridiculous."

"That I decide."

Then she continued, "I was thinking, now that we have explored Japan and could return to the Law of Cycles..."

Kyouko folded her arms. "Yeah..."

"There the girls see me as a hero, since I'm always helping Madoka."

"Uh-huh." Kyouko was already looking tired. "And..."

"Don't get wrong, I have no regrets. However, I'm worried." Sayaka started drawing a musical note on the sand. "I'm already dead in this world, as in so many others. That version of me might not have achieved much, but she had plans, dreams... while I'm a hero, but what now?"

"Huh?" Kyouko raised her eyebrows. "Existential crisis?"

Sayaka spread the sand, undoing the drawing. "I knew it, I was stupid to share this with you."

Kyouko sat down next to her.

And Sayaka was surprised.

Looking at the ocean, as far as the horizon allowed, Kyouko said, "I've told you many stories, but I don't remember telling you about what happened in the first days after my family died." She took her long ponytail and left it on her lap, removing the sand at the tips. "I parted away from Mami, kept my soul gem clean, and, with a bit of magic, stealing and getting a roof was kinda more easy than I thought... but now what? The rest of my life would be that?"

Sayaka shivered, she did not know if it was the cold or the eagerness to ask that question, "You... Did you find an answer?"

Kyouko shook her head. "At that time, if I kept looking for one, I would have agreed with death. When you think ahead hurt you rather than help, you get by with what you have now. Just wake up and do what you think needs to be done. That's how I ended up here with you, being part of something bigger, an improvement, I guess..."

The song of the sea continued and Sayaka was afraid of its waters, seeming endless, but sailing in them, could the horizon paint her destiny?

"Let's go back to Mitakihara."

Hearing Kyouko, Sayaka had to put her thoughts aside to deal with less noble matters. "Are you going to ask Mami-san for more money? Counting what we have, it should be enough for another month. We can revisit some cities along the way, maybe there's still some witch to rescue."

"It's her birthday."

"Already?!" Sayaka widened her eyes and scratched her head. "I had forgotten..."

"Sure you had, last year she didn't even make a party because her apartment was still under repairs," Kyouko complained, "I promised her I'd come and it didn't even have a cake!"

Sayaka scowled, "but we went to a candy shop together and you looked happy."

"You can't be sad if there's food." Kyouko seemed to be nodding to herself, then she stood crestfallen. "But it's not something special... When it was the birthday of someone in the family, we always did something, even with the little we had, to remember that we had each other. Wasn't like that in your family?"

"But it's not something special... When it was the birthday of someone in the family, we always did something, even with the little we had, to remember that we had each other. Wasn't like that in your family?"

"My family?" Sayaka was baffled, not so much by the question, but by the almost explicit family relationship between her friend and Mami. "Only when I was a little girl, after my parents separated my mom have no time for a party, but I invited my friends and we went to cafés. I even received gifts, Hitomi always gave me an expensive piece of clothing, and Madoka was something... cute."

"Ah... You shoulda told me before." Kyouko smirked. "Heh. On your next birthday, let's have a great party with all of Holy Quintet! It'll look like a dream!"

Sayaka shared the smile, but not for long. "There's no need of all this, I'm already used to it. In fact, in the Law of Cycles you don't feel the time passing, so I think... that's meaningless..."

"Tch. That..." Kyouko pointed at her. "That's stupid!"

"Okay! Okay!" Sayaka held up her hands. "It's just an idea, we can use something to mark the time."

"What is that idiot doing?"

Sayaka angered up. "HEEEEyyy... What is this now?! I didn't apologize? Are you going to start talking to me in the third person?"

Kyouko was not looking at her.

Then Sayaka noticed the mare in the distance, entering the sea, defying the waves.

In a jump Kyouko was already standing and ran. "HOMURAAA! Come back heeeere!" As she stepped into the water, a wave hit the shins and she nearly lost her footing. With increasing difficulty, she was getting closer. "Homura!"

The quadruped finally answered the clamor and stopped, looking at her.

The waters began to return to the sea and Kyouko felt herself being carried along. She threw herself on the animal's body so she could continue to stand, completely drenched, while it did not seem to be making any effort. "Damn it! Why I still try to save you... You'll always return... right?"

The mare lifted its tail and a yellow strong gush came out.

Kyouko gaped. "What the..."

Sayaka had arrived near the water and put her hands on her hips, smiling. "Aww... She was being polite not to do that on the sand."

The redhead felt the water becoming warm. "Shit! Shit! SHIT!"

Thanks for reading "Memento". This work was in my mind since I wrote "Disconnection" and many elements of the series connected to it, now remains the satisfaction of having it finished.

While the series continues. "Pages" is a oneshot, a small interlude involving our goddess Madoka and a girl she has not forgotten. Cya!