Madoka wasn't sure how long she cried after Archer had told her everything. How long she wept in the arms of Ren and Ereshkigal. Her body shuddered, her eyes became puffy, and mucus began to fall out of her nose. It wasn't a pretty sight, but that was what it was like when someone cried. And trying to hold it back… that would just make it worse.

Mami. Sayaka. Homura. The truth of what Kyu- the Incubator did to her friends. What he might have done to her if she had accepted. And she would've accepted, if she never had this power to help people in the first place. Even now she was wondering if it was going to be enough. Was there anything that she could do to save them all?

Her friends, all the Magical Girls out there. They couldn't become Witches. They didn't deserve that. No one did.

Madoka heard a sniffle and looked up to find that Ren also had tears in her eyes. "Are… are you?"

"No… My friend… Rika," Ren began to cry.

"I'm sorry," Madoka said as she and Ren held onto each other. Ereshkigal was also there, doing her best to comfort the two of them. Even though they had just met, Madoka could tell they were nice people. That was why it made things a little easier to be with them.

It took some time, a long time before Madoka's tears were mostly shed. When she forced herself to catch her breath and turn to Archer.

"T-t-there has to be something we can do," Madoka pleaded to him. She couldn't just sit around and do nothing. There had to be something they could do. That she could do.

Wasn't that why she was given this power in the first place?

"… Not on our own, not with what is currently available to us," Archer told her.

"But is there a way?"

"There is an organization in Kamihama… the Magius," Archer informed her. "They say that they're seeking the salvation of all Magical Girls."

A faint light, a glimmer of hope had brought in front of Madoka and she immediately latched onto it. "Do they- can they really help?"

"They say they can… but their methods involve the sacrifice of regular people and disposing of anyone that gets in their ways. We've dealt with them, they're dangerous and don't care who ends up getting caught in their schemes."

And just like that, that hope had been snuffed out.

"B-but they can't just hurt people! Even if-"

"If the sacrifice of hundreds or even thousands could bring salvation to Magical Girls, prevent their Witches from being born in the first place… I could see why their actions would be considered reasonable," Archer replied. "We can't save everyone. When confronted with that reality… it's best to just choose the method that saves the highest number possible."

"We can't think like that!" Madoka suddenly began shouting at him angrily. He and Kyoko both looked at her, shocked by the fact that she could be mad. Honestly, she didn't even know she could get that mad until now. "If we do that… then we're no better than the Incubator!"

Archer closed his eyes and chuckled to himself. "You're right."

"How can you laugh in a situation like this!" Ereshkigal shouted at him.

"It's… fine," Ren said as she looked up to her Servant.

"That's just Archer. He can act like an ass… but he means well," Kyoko replied as she kneeled down to stroke Yuma's head.

With one arm still holding onto Ren, Madoka wiped away the tears from her eyes and looked at Yuma. Even if she was still trying to find a way to save her friends, there was still someone that needed help right now. "Is she going to be okay? I know Archer said so, bu-"

"It's going to take time," Kyoko replied. "Even after Archer finishes healing her, she'll probably need a week or two to recover."

"Are you… going to be here that entire time?" Madoka asked. "By yourselves?"

"Have to." Kyoko gripped her fist again. "With our home destroyed this is the only place we can use. And even then, that Oriko bitch might come for us again."

Oriko… why did that name sound so familiar to her?

"What about you?" Madoka asked Ren and Ereshkigal. "Do you have a place to stay?"

Ereshkigal shook her head. "We were planning to stay at Archer's house for the night when we visited."

"Which was unannounced by the way," Archer interjected. "But… thanks for coming anyway."

Ereshkigal smiled at him. "But yes… My Master and I currently don't have a place to rest. We'll probably just stay here for the night too."

"Then why don't you stay at my house tonight?" Madoka suggested. "You all can. There's enough room if you share and we can help watch over Yuma."

"Won't that inconvenience your family?" Archer asked.

Madoka began to fiddle with her fingers. "It's just that… I don't think you should be alone here. Any of you. And I know that Papa and Mama will want to help after we explain things to them."

Or she thought they would. Ever since she had come home with that scar on her arm and very little to explain it, her parents had been more eyeful of her. Asking her more questions, making sure that she was being safe. It had made it a lot harder to help Mami and Homura out with their hunts. And then Sayaka had contracted to heal Kyousuke's hand, which just made Madoka worry even more. She loved her childhood friend… but yea Sayaka had a tendency to put herself in danger. Especially when it came to helping others.

At this point Madoka couldn't just sit aside while other people suffered. If she could do something to help, even if it was just offering her home to them, then she would do it.

Archer looked at Yuma, then Kyoko, then Ereshkigal, then Ren, then the entirety of the apartment, and finally Madoka. He locked eyes with her. His were full of steel, but there was also something underneath it all. Something that wanted to see the light of day again.

Eventually he nodded in concession. "I think… that would be a good idea."

There was something wrong with the man's daughter. He knew that. It was not difficult to see considering the long amount of time she spent with her friends. Especially that one time when she came back with a scar that dragged from her right forearm up to a spot close to her shoulder.

An injury that had come quickly and been healed just as fast. Only magic could explain something like that… but he could feel it no longer. Not since he came to this world.

He sighed to himself as he continued washing his dirty cookware in the sink.

He could've gotten answers if he confronted his daughter, forced it out of her. But in the end, she was so much like he was.

That kindness, that readiness to help people, it was beautiful and pure. Something that he and his wife so admired in their daughter. She really was a good girl.

It was a shame that the world was often not kind to such people.

The doorbell rung and the familiar steps of his daughter could be heard… along with a group behind.

Heaver, aggressive, meek, confident, a whole array of different steps from people that Madoka had yet to bring to this home so far.

He continued scrubbing the pan and put on the brightest smile he could. It was time to see what his daughter had done this time.

"I'm home," Madoka announced her arrival as she stepped into her house and then glanced back at the assorted group behind her. "And I uh… brought some friends."

It wasn't the first time Madoka had brought a group of friends over, but this one was a bit different. She knew Papa would do his best to be nice, but she wasn't entirely sure how he'd react to them.

"Oh," Papa's voice came out of the kitchen. "How many? It's a bit of a surprise, but I'll try my best to make sure there's enough food for all of them."

That was Papa for you. Always making sure everyone was fed, even back in that food bank he used to work at before he married Mama. It was also the same place where they had first met. Apparently, he had always been enraptured by her eyes.

Madoka wanted to be like that one day. Find that one person with deep purple eyes who she could spend the rest of her life with.

"It's fine," Archer called out from the living room. "Two of us… have already eaten and I can order some food to be brought here."

"Madoka… could you step into the kitchen for a second?" Papa asked.

"Okay Papa," Madoka replied as she led the group to sit on the couch before stepping into the kitchen. Papa was cleaning some dishes, but he looked a bit tense for some reason.

"Madoka… where did you meet that man?"

"He was a friend of Mami's. His home got… destroyed and his family needed a place to rest. I know I should've asked for permission first, but they-"

"It's fine Madoka," Papa replied as he put the last dish in the wash basin. "Could you just go upstairs and check on your Mama and Tatsuya really quickly? Tell her that we have a certain visitor."

"Mama came back early!" Madoka said excitedly.

Papa nodded. "She did."

"Hey, sorry to bother you, but is there a bed we can put Yuma in?" Kyoko stepped into the kitchen. She turned back to the living room. "Your couch is great and all, but Archer says we should put her somewhere more comfortable."

"I can show you to the guest bedroom," Madoka replied.

"Actually, Madoka. Could I speak with your friend?" Papa asked.

"Sure," Kyoko replied. "Just show Archer where he'll carry Yuma." She told Madoka.

"Actually, I'd prefer it if Emiya stayed downstairs."

"I guess I could have Eresh carry her," Kyoko conceded. "But why wo- wait a minute how do you know my-"

It took a few seconds for Madoka to process what happened next. To realize that her father had suddenly grabbed Kyoko by her bandaged arm, twisted it painfully behind her back, and put a knife to her neck.

"Madoka. Sweetie. Please go upstairs right now."

"Papa!" Madoka shouted as everyone gathered near the kitchen to see what the commotion was. "What are you doing!?"

"Get away from that man! Madoka! I won't have you near him until we know what he's here to do!" Papa shouted to Madoka as he pulled Kyoko back even further and glared at the arriving Archer. "What are you doing here? Emiya?"

"How do you-" Archer began to take out his blades only to pause as he looked at Papa closely. His eyes widened a few seconds later. "Huh… didn't expect to see you here."

"I could say the same of you," Papa said.

"Uh Archer? Shouldn't you be doing something about this?" Kyoko asked, clearly sweating from having a knife put to her neck.

"Would you mind letting Kyoko go? We mean you no harm," Archer replied. "As long as we can prove that we mean him no harm then he won't do anything. That and not go after the innocent," he informed Kyoko.

"My priority is my family," Papa replied with more steel than Madoka had ever heard him use before. He never got this angry. Even when she or Tatsuya misbehaved, he always chastised them calmly. Seeing him like this scared her.

"I was summoned," Archer replied. "As was Ereshkigal to this world. As for the reason why." He shrugged. "I honestly had no idea at first. It might have something to do with whatever's going on in Kamihama."

"So, then you have no reason to go after me or my family?"

"None at all. In fact, I'm surprised you have such a pleasant daughter."

"Madoka. Do not associate with this man. At all," Madoka's father replied before finally releasing his grip on Kyoko.

Kyoko quickly made her way back to Archer. "So can someone explain to me what exactly is going on?"

"I admit, I would like some answers too," Ereshkigal said.

"Yea…" Ren commented.

"I could also use some answers too," Archer said. "When and how did you end up in this world?"

Before Papa could answer, Mama walked down the stairs, Tatsuya in her hands.

"Tomohisa sweetie. Tatsuya's getting hungry ag-" the purple haired woman stopped at the end of the stairs and stared at the small gathering in her living room. "I'm assuming we have company?"

"Yes, Junko," Tomohisa sighed.

"Servants… and their Masters?"

"Yes."

"Mama you know about this!?" Madoka shouted.

"Meow." Amy then casually walked into the living room, made its way past everyone there, and began rubbing Ereshkigal's leg.

"Seems like Amy likes her," Mama commented.

"Mama!" Madoka shouted.

"Sorry sweetie," Mama said. "I think we all should sit down and do this over a cup of tea. They are our guests after all."

Papa smiled. "Yes, you're right." He went to the kitchen and put away the knife as if he wasn't brandishing it against Kyoko's throat just seconds ago. "Why don't you all take a seat in the living room? Emiya can help prepare dinner for all of you." He looked at Archer. "Assuming your skills are still up to par."

Archer scoffed. "I've fed an entire Grand Order. I can handle a little dinner party."

Dinner was a bit awkward. The food was good, turns out Archer was just a little better than Papa was at cooking, not that she'd ever tell Papa that, but most people were a bit preoccupied with all the unanswered questions in the air.

Especially Madoka. She had a lot of questions to ask her parents.

"The food is delicious," Ereshkigal said, one of the few people along with Kyoko who was actually eating with fervor. "Suitable for a Goddess."

"You've improved in the kitchen greatly," Archer said as he looked up at Papa.

"I've had to take care of the family while Junko was at work. Madoka was a picky child when she was younger."

"Sorry," Madoka apologized as she continued to pick at her own food. Eventually she couldn't even do that and put down her fork so she could look at her parents directly. "Papa, Mama. What am I?"

Mama and Papa shared a look.

"You're our daughter," Mama replied.

"Not who," Madoka replied as she put her hand between her chest. "What am I? Am I… human." Or something else. Something that shouldn't even exist here.

"Technically you're a Semi-Servant," Archer replied. "I never expected to see one here, normally the World wouldn't allow the existence of such beings."

"The World's influence here is weak," Papa replied. "I was worried at first, when Junko first became pregnant, but Madoka has never had any issues with existence."

"Issues with my existence?" Madoka asked while she pointed. "Is there something wrong with me?"

"A Semi-Servant is a miracle child of a human and Servant," Archer informed her. "Despite being stronger and more magically inclined, on top of whatever abilities or even Noble Phantasms you could develop or receive from your bloodlines, you and your brother are still fully human. You don't have to consider yourself as anything but human and as long as the World's influence remains weak here you should be fine."

"And if it doesn't?" Madoka asked. "What if it becomes active?"

"Both you and your brother would die within days. There are ways to circumvent that beforehand, mainly by tying your existence to a ritual object or even to this city."

"Like Erice?" Papa asked. "Madoka and Tatsuya wouldn't be able to leave the city in that case… but anyway it likely won't be necessary. I've been here for decades, and Gaia still hasn't done much to interfere."

"How did you end up here?" Archer asked him. "And in that state?"

"Unlike you two I wasn't summoned," Papa's eyes became distant. "I was brought here and as a human no less. A human with all the memories of the Robin Hood's before me."

Kyoko choked on her drink. "You're Robin Hood!?" she shouted after she had finished after she finished coughing. "Ain't he supposed to be English?"

"Yes," Papa nodded. "Everyone of us were English, faceless heroes born from the prayers of the British people. It was a title passed on to those who assumed it, to those who wished to answer the pleas of the common folk. So, it was rather strange for me to wake up one day as a Japanese man and a human at that. My knowledge and skills still remain, but I was given none of the power or even the arsenal allotted to me from my legends."

Papa was Robin Hood. The righteous thief?

"Is that why I'm so good with a bow?" Madoka asked him.

"And when did you have a chance to use a bow?" Papa asked. "Does it have something to do with that scar on your arm?"

Madoka looked away shamelessly.

"Sweetie… I don't blame you for doing what you did. You always wanted to help people… I'm just ashamed that it took until now for me to finally notice what was happening."

"Even your senses are off?" Archer asked.

"I am completely human. I have no power and I can't even sense magic anymore. It's no excuse for me to not realize what was happening with my own daughter, even when I knew that something was going on."

"Papa…"

"Madoka," Papa turned to her. "Could you please show me your bow. I want to see it."

Madoka nodded as Mama put a comforting hand on her shoulder. She held her hand out and summoned her bow. She let Papa take and hold it, having long since learned how to keep it manifested even outside of her hands.

"It's beautiful," Papa said as he admired the wood and eventually cupped the pink flower at the top. It was still a bud, having yet to bloom as she hadn't used its power, but even then he seemed almost enraptured by it. "It really suits you. You're a wonderful girl."

"Thank you," Madoka said as she blushed.

Papa then handed the bow for Mama to look at.

"Your father's right," Mama said as she admired the bow. "It really does match you. Beautiful, pure." She began to tug on the wood. "But strong and flexible where it needs to be."

"Bow!" Tatsuya cheered happily from Mama's arm as his fingers touched the bow. "M-doka bow!"

Having her family see it, accept that part of her, it made Madoka happy. It didn't matter that they knew something about this all along. In the end she could still rely on them.

"You have a good family," Kyoko took a brief break to comment before going back to her food.

Ren nodded in silence before looking back at Ereshkigal. Apparently, they could talk to each other telepathically, so Madoka was sure that whatever conversation they were having was nice.

"Bow!" Tatsuya cheered again.

Madoka dismissed her bow once she realized her brother was getting a bit too handsy with it. Not that she particularly minded him holding it, but it just wasn't a good idea to give a toddler a potentially dangerous weapon. Even one as cute as her brother was.

"Bow," Tatsuya looked disappointed. It also made Madoka want to summon her bow again, just for him.

"So how long are you planning on staying?" Papa asked Archer. Madoka turned to watch the two of them as they spoke.

"It'll take a week or so for Yuma to fully recover. Until then Kyoko and I can find another-"

"Then you can stay here for a week," Papa replied curtly. "We have enough room and I know you can behave yourself in my house." He turned to Ren and Ereshkigal. "Will you be needing a place to stay too?"

Ren shook her head. "No…"

"Only a night or two. We only have this weekend before we have to go back to Kamihama," Ereshkigal explained. "We'll make sure to come back next week though, to check on all of you."

"I wan, bow," Tatsuya whined.

"Sorry sweetie," Mama apologized to him. "We'll get you your own bow later."

"Myy bow?" Tatsuya tilted his head.

"Yes, your bow," Mama said.

"Bow."

"What do you plan to do after Yuma recovers?" Papa asked. "Your home was destroyed wasn't it?"

"So long as Oriko remains she'll always be a threat to us, especially with her foresight," Archer replied. "We have no choice but to head to Kamihama and get rid of her if we are to ever return to some semblance of peace."

"There's a war going on there, Emiya," Papa pushed up his glasses. "I don't need to be there to tell you that. If you go there again, I'm not too certain you'll ever get out."

"We don't have a choice," Kyoko bit out, frustration clear on her face. "She's already been responsible for killing someone in my family, I'm not letting her do that again… I won't."

"Well… I can certainly understand fighting impossible odds to protect those around you," Papa sighed. "Just be careful, if something happened my daughter would be sad."

"I would," Madoka confirmed. "Please be careful out there… Actually could I-"

"Tatsuya!" Mama suddenly shouted in panic. "Put down the crossbow!"

Wait, what?

Madoka turned around and saw that Tatsuya was holding a crossbow, one that just appeared in his hands. A real one. With a very sharp pointed bolt primed and ready to shoot.

"Tatsuya!" Madoka shouted and moved only for Papa to reach him first.

"Bow!" Tatsuya said happily as he raised the crossbow precariously into the air.

"Tatsuya," Papa said carefully as he brought his hands closer. "Why don't you give me the crossbow?"

"No!" Tatsuya huffed and carried his crossbow away from Papa's arms. The bolt was now dangerously pointed at his own head. "My! Bow!"

"Tatsuy-"

"I got this," Archer said as he gently pushed Papa aside and held out his hand. In it, a toy crossbow appeared. This one colorful, soft, and loaded with a foam bolt. "Do you want this instead?"

"Okay!" Tatsuya said cheerfully as he haphazardly tossed his crossbow aside to grab the toy. Mama barely caught the weapon before it disappeared in her arms. "Bow!"

"Sometimes you need to give children what they want," Archer said smugly as he looked at Papa. "They have no concept of right and wrong, just their own needs you need t-"

Archer was interrupted by a foam arrow that flew right into his mouth.

"Bow!"

"You sure taught me a lesson," Papa said smugly as everyone else laughed.

Kyoko laid restless on the futon that had been laid out for her. Her eyes staring at the unfamiliar ceiling, her ears primed to listen to the gentle breathing of Yuma on the bed next to her.

Even if they couldn't share the same bed, there was no way that Kyoko wasn't going to be in the same room as her.

Kyoko thought a lot about what had happened earlier today. How Yuma used her first spell to smash that Servant in the face.

Only… it probably wasn't Yuma's first spell in the first place. Yuma had been practicing when Kyoko didn't notice, likely in her sleep. Archer would've known, he always knew, but Kyoko couldn't exactly get mad at him for supporting her.

In the end she could only blame herself. Blame herself for not supporting Yuma enough. Blame herself for how Yuma ended up.

If she had been smarter. If she hadn't just dived in and let herself be captured by that Servant. She should've stayed away like Archer had told her to. Even if he couldn't beat Oriko and her Servant, he could've probably gotten away. He had lots of tricks like that.

She needed to be better. After years of training as a Magus, training with Archer, it was only now that she felt so incredibly incompetent. She realized that she was the one holding him and Yuma back.

Kyoko let out a deep breath and closed her eyes.

She wanted to go back. Go back to their old home. Go back to that time when they had just brought back Yuma to their home. Just go back to those relatively peaceful days again.

In the end though, she knew. She knew that those days would never come back now.

A land of ash. Hills of it that cascaded around her and perpetually surrounded by a fog with a thickness almost like smoke. A fog that threatened to choke her as it entered her lungs.

That was where Kyoko had found herself now. She tried to put an arm to her mouth and use the sleeve of her shirt to filter out some of the fog.

It didn't help much. It also didn't explain how she ended up here.

"You hate it here. I do too."

Kyoko turned to the source of her voice and found herself looking at… herself. Or just a fake copy of herself. Some black figure, obscured by fog, that clearly took her form.

"Who the hell are you?" Kyoko growled.

"Do you need to ask?" the fake replied. "Or are you just being purposefully ignorant? Hiding yourself from the truth, like you always do."

"That doesn't answer my question," Kyoko shouted and immediately regretted it as she took in a mouthful of fog. She began to cough heavily, trying to clear out her lungs.

"Your family. You need them. You need them so much, yet you don't realize how much harm you've done them. You're a parasite feeding off their love. You're going to doom them, just like you did your father. Just like you did your mother and Momo."

"Shut... up!" Kyoko said between wheezes. It was too hard to breathe. She needed to get out of here.

"Fine then. Ignore the truth. Just remember this. You might be returned to your human body, but the Soul, the Soul remembers what has been done to it," the fake her said. "Twisted, perverted, altered by an alien creature, just because of a foolish dream."

"This is a dream," Kyoko gasped. "This isn't real."

The fake stepped forward and Kyoko stepped back in turn. She wasn't letting that… thing anywhere near her.

"Fine then. Pretend this is all a dream," the fake mocked her as it tilted its head and somehow smirked at her past all the fog. "Just know that when you've lost everything and fallen into the deepest despair once more, I'll still be here."

"So that's what this is all about," Kyoko replied. "You just wanna take over my body. Well, you're not having it!" The fake disappeared but Kyoko still continued shouting, even as her lungs burned. "I'm not going to end up like you! I'm going to survive, like I've always done. There's no way I'm going to become a-"

Kyoko opened her eyes and immediately sat up as she put a hand to her sweating head. A dream. That was all that it was. She was no longer surrounded by fog, no longer standing on a land of perpetual ash.

She got up and looked at the bed. Looked at the little bundle of green that slept close to her.

Kyoko grabbed Yuma's hand and held on tight.

She was back in the bedroom, the room that the Kaname's had given them. She was a human. There was no way. It was impossible. She was a human. That was all a dream. She wasn't even a Magical Girl anymore. She wouldn't become one of them. A Witch.

Right?