Madoka let out a despondent sigh. Sayaka had left with Homura after school again. They left in such a hurry she didn't even bother saying goodbye.

Hitomi had suggested they go to a café. "Sweets always cheer a girl up," she said. Madoka agreed, not caring what they did. She didn't feel hungry or want anything sweet, but she ordered something anyway. She absently stirred her blueberry parfait, another sigh escaping her lips.

"Madoka-chan…" Hitomi looked at Madoka, a frown present on her face. "It really isn't the same without Sayaka-chan," Hitomi said with a slight tilt of her head. Madoka had to agree. She really appreciated Hitomi hanging out with her, but Sayaka brought an energy that neither of them could replicate. Sayaka loved the shop they were in, always torn between what to get, and then trying to sneak bites from her or Hitomi's desserts. "I hope at the very least those two are enjoying themselves," Hitomi said. Clearly she was thinking the same thing, the way she stared at the negative space where Sayaka would sit.

"I don't get it, Hitomi-chan…" Madoka said. "Akemi-san seemed like she wanted to be friends with all of us… so why is she only going around with Sayaka-chan…? And Sayaka-chan hasn't explained what's going on with them… I figured… Akemi-san was just shy and Sayaka-chan was helping her, but now… it's like Sayaka-chan forgot us."

Hitomi reached across the table and placed her hand over Madoka's. "I guarantee Sayaka-chan hasn't forgotten us." Hitomi gave a sad smile. "She's caught up in the throes of romance. When you begin a relationship, everything is exciting and new and wonderful and you can scarcely think of anything other than your beloved. She's caught up in the whirlwind of a heart-pounding adventure, and in the beginnings of such an amazing experience, it's no wonder she only has eyes for her new beau!"

A silence passed as Madoka cast a bewildered stare at Hitomi. "You… you don't honestly believe that, do you?"

"Oh, but I do," Hitomi said with a firm nod. "It's what always happens."

"Hitomi-chan, you've never been in a relationship before."

"Ah, well, no… but I have read a lot of romance novels, all of which are very good examples."

"If you say so…"

"This is the only explanation for what those two have been up to," she said, taking a sip of tea. "And I must say, it's all for the better."

"Huh?"

"I'm glad Sayaka-chan has found happiness with Akemi-san. I had thought her love life to be in dire straits since I couldn't imagine a boy trying to be with her. Though I suppose in the end, it doesn't even matter."

"Hitomi-chan, you lost me."

"Honestly, this whole time I thought she had feelings for Kamijo-kun much to my chagrin, but if she's longing for someone else…" At this, Hitomi began to blush. "Surely she wouldn't mind if I pursued him?"

Madoka let out a light gasp. "Hitomi-chan, Are you… are you saying you're in love with Kamijo-kun?"

Hitomi gave a fierce giggle. "Hmm… well, maybe not such a strong word, tee-hee! But I will ask him to court me- ah, with Sayaka-chan's blessing, of course! Since they're such good friends, perhaps she'll put in a good word for me?"

Madoka remained silent as Hitomi prattled about getting Sayaka to vouch for her to Kyosuke. She talked so casually about everything; how could she possibly see a silver lining in this? Madoka never knew Hitomi had feelings for Kyosuke, but they must be strong for her to fully convince herself that Sayaka leaving them for Homura was a good thing. That doesn't mean she should just neglect them!

Madoka clenched the hem of her skirt. Truthfully, she didn't have much experience in relationships, but the way they've been actively avoiding her made her think this was something else entirely. Granted, Hitomi might be onto something given her greater experience in the subject, but her instincts were telling her that wasn't what was going on. And according to her mother, she should always listen to her instincts.

It was so frustrating. And it was like Hitomi didn't even care. Apparently since Kyosuke was 'available,' that made everything okay. Madoka never knew Hitomi could be so selfish. Or maybe Madoka was being selfish by trying to keep Sayaka from someone she wants to see.

Madoka felt sick.

Eventually Hitomi stopped talking, saying she had another lesson of hers to get to and said her goodbyes, leaving Madoka alone in the shop. Even though she was sure Hitomi was trying to console her, Madoka felt like she was abandoned.

Did Sayaka get bored of her? Was that it? Madoka never was as adventurous as her. Did she like Homura more because she went along with what she wanted? Maybe Sayaka was mad at her? Madoka couldn't for the life of her think of how she could have made her mad. Then again, its possible she offended Homura somehow and Sayaka chose her side over Madoka's. Perhaps Sayaka was sweet talking Homura to get her to do homework for her? Okay, that one was a bit ridiculous. Homura was an excellent student, but Sayaka wouldn't take advantage of anyone like that.

Madoka sat in the shop for the better part of an hour, ruminating on what could have happened between them before she had the sense to return home. A somber walk repeating the same thoughts, with each step her heart sank into a deeper despair. Myriad scenarios and rationalizations ran through her mind, each one worse than the last. And after everything she came up with, she came to one single conclusion: regardless of what happened, Sayaka did not want to be her friend anymore. And that thought made her entire world crumble.

She didn't say anything to her father when she got home.

She changed her clothes and sat in her bed, curling up under the covers. And now that she was finally alone, the tears she had been holding in flowed.

"Why…?" She choked out between sobs. "Sayaka-chan, why did you leave me?" She tightly clutched one of her many stuffed animals, hoping that it could bring her some form of comfort. But that wouldn't bring back her oldest friend. "What did I do wrong…? I'm sorry… I'm so sorry, Sayaka-chan…"

She laid in her bed and cried.

She cried for hours. Or perhaps minutes. It still felt like an eternity.

So wrapped up in her grief she did not notice the red eyed creature that climbed up to stare at her.

"Madoka Kaname! I've finally found you!" A voice sounded from somewhere. It was unfamiliar to her, but the sudden surprise shocked her enough to peak her head out from under the covers.

"...Found me…?" Sitting on her windowsill, an unfamiliar white creature sat, tapping the window. In her mental haze she had thought it one of her stuffed animals. Rubbing her eyes, she quickly realized it very clearly wasn't one since it did not look like any animal she'd ever seen before. She considered its appearance, finding it to be more of a fairy than typical Earth fauna. The creature sat patiently outside her window, its tail swishing from side to side.

"Yes! Madoka, you're the one I've been looking for!"

Madoka blinked. "Did… did you just speak to me?"

"In a sense," it started rapping its paws on the glass. Hesitantly, she moved to open her window and allowed it inside, where it hastily jumped onto her bed.

"Thank you!"

Madoka frowned. "You were looking for me? Why would anyone be looking for me…?"

"Simple: I want you to make a contract with me and become a magical girl!"

"Um… okay… but why me….?"

"Because you have the potential! The greatest potential for a magical girl I've ever seen! All you need to do is make a wish!"

Madoka blinked twice at the creature. Then, she collapsed back on her bed. "Maybe things will be better in the morning," she said, snuggling under her blankets with a stuffed bear.

Kyubey scampered up to her. "You can be a magical girl, Madoka," he said, kneading his paws on her stomach. "All you need to do is make a wish!"

Madoka clutched her stuffed bear tight as she turned away. "I can't be a magical girl," Madoka mumbled, barely audible. "They fight for love and friendship, and right now all I'm trying to do is take that away. Maybe Sayaka-chan was right to not be friends with me anymore. I'm a terrible person…" she cried with heavy sobs, tears of anguish streaming down her face. "I had to… had to have hurt her... " she said between choked gasps. "I'm a terrible friend… a terrible person since I'm just so…" she sniffed. "I'm all messed up on the inside…"

"When you say 'Sayaka', you mean Sayaka Miki, right?"

Madoka shot up. "Huh? Y-yeah, how did you-"

"Sayaka Miki contracted with me to become a magical girl."

"Oh… Oh! H-huh!?"

"She's working with three other magical girls right now!"

"Sayaka-chan is a magical girl?" Madoka covered her mouth, a bit too incensed by what the creature was saying.

It nodded. "Yes! My name is Kyubey, and I want you to be a magical girl like her!"

"And she has a team?" No way. It couldn't be. Could it? "Um… is one of them named Homura Akemi by chance?"

"Yes, in fact."

For the first time in a long time, Madoka felt the corners of her mouth turn up. "So that's why…" at that, she began to giggle. "Sayaka-chan…" She mumbled. Soon those giggles gave way to laughter. "Sayaka-chan… she's a magical girl!" Madoka laughed so hard tears began to fall.

So that's why! Sayaka never abandoned her! She became a magical girl, a champion for love and justice! There's no way Sayaka would just up and leave her longest friend like that- she became a magical girl and now she and Homura are fighting evil and whatnot!

What a joke.

Madoka's laughter turned to sobs and her tears flowed once again.

Madoka, in her rational mind, believed she had fallen asleep and was dreaming this all up. Magical girls? Wishes? Talking fairy creatures? Clearly a product of a stressed mind looking for some solace in a cruel and uncaring universe. And since she was denied this in reality, she had conjured it in her imagination.

Madoka's sobs gave way to quiet hiccups.

Why did this have to happen? What did she do wrong? Sayaka was her best friend and she abandoned her! Was it because Homura was prettier and smarter? Did Sayaka start caring about those things? Was Homura better than her in some way she didn't know? Was she deficient in some way? What did she need to do to be with Sayaka again? She could change! She could become better! She just wanted things to go back to how they were! She knew she shouldn't be jealous of Homura- she knew that. But maybe, Madoka thought, Homura Akemi should mind her own business and leave them alone.

Tears streamed down her face, but she no longer had the energy to cry.

"Kyubey," Madoka said, falling back into her bed. "If you can really grant my wish… all I want right now is to be with Sayaka-chan again."

And in that moment, Madoka began to glow.

An intense glow that blinded her, reducing her vision to nothing but a white burn.

A cold feeling permeated through her body, like something was being pulled out of her. She registered it as painful, and yet she felt nothing. She registered that she was now holding something, a gilded stone that felt warm to the touch.

In the next moment, she no longer felt the warmth of her bed, but the cold night air. Once her vision returned, she noticed she was in a park somewhere.

"Huh?" But the only thing she registered was Sayaka, being held up by some red creature as she struggled to escape. Her eyes widened in alarm.

Instinct took over Madoka at that moment. She didn't realize what she said or did, but only one thought permeated her mind: "I must protect Sayaka-chan."

Power beyond anything she's ever felt coursed through her, surging around her in a pink light. Wrapped in its glow, her pajamas shifted form into a frilled pink outfit, and a large, metallic bow gleaming a mix of pink and blue formed in her hands. Her eyes opened, and Madoka truly saw for what felt like the first time. The currents of air flowing in the breeze, the light from the moon illuminating them all, every twitch in Sayaka's panic-filled eyes.

Madoka could see so clearly; despite never before being cognizant of such a vast amount of visual stimulus, everything felt right. But she didn't have time to be amazed- Sayaka was in trouble! She pulled the bowstring and an arrow of light formed and knocked. Her arrow was ready- she knew she had the perfect shot- clear as a crisp spring morning.

The arrow struck true the instant she released the bow. The force pierced its skull clean through. But it still remained standing. She saw the gray matter, fibers and flesh knit themselves back together.

It dropped Sayaka and turned to face her. A disgusting creature in a simulacrum of flesh, she could see every pore on its disgusting, leathery skin, the sharpness of its teeth as it grinned. Its eyes narrowed so slightly as it looked at her.

Three other girls were present: Homura, of course, a blonde girl who she recognized as an upperclassman, and some other girl she didn't rightly recall.

She loosed another arrow. It blinked out of existence some ways backwards. She got the monster away from Sayaka, which was her immediate goal at least. She took a breath. Now that her mind was catching up to her, she was going into overdrive wondering what exactly she was going to do now. Magical girls were real and now she is one and also fighting a monster. More power than she ever imagined was flowing through her, but the only thing she was concerned with was how to get Sayaka out of here alive.

"Now you're different," it said, a masculine tenor in its voice. Madoka jumped down toward them, readying another arrow. Magical glyphs formed around the arrow tip, glowing in a pink, mystical light. The creature laughed, a deep, eerie sound with an unnatural echo.

Madoka didn't let him continue: she released her arrow. Enhanced by the glyphs, her arrow multiplied, unleashing hundreds of arrows bursting forth.

He tilted his neck. Twisted left. Jumped forward with a flip. Fell backwards. Followed into a handstand. Sprang back to his feet. Flashy movements, but all calculated enough that the arrows missed by a hair's breadth.

But this was only a diversion: by the time the barrage ceased, Madoka had charged another arrow filled to the brim with her power. With the release of the bowstring, a large, pink beam surged forward, a high pitched whine piercing the air as the beam tore through the night. The creature only raised an eyebrow. A huge sword manifested in a pillar of flame, and he took the brunt of the attack, the light enveloping around him.

"Woah," Sayaka said as the glow began to fade.

Then, the monster charged through the beam, emerging with energy crackling, bringing his blade down on Madoka. She brought up her bow, the steel clashing against his blade, sparks flying between them as the force pushed Madoka back. She grunted, struggling against the sheer force.

"You're not like the rest of these chumps, huh?" He said. "A lot of power behind that magic of yours!" He lifted his blade and swung several times more, Madoka pushing herself to parry, the blade sliding off her bow before she disengaged.

Explosions went off, covering in smoke. Homura, Mami, and Madoka fired their respective salvos, causing him to grunt at the onslaught. He drew his sword and lunged forward at Madoka at great speed.

She jumped, landed on the outstretched sword and flipped upward into the air, firing an aerial hail. He switched to another weapon- a three pronged set of nunchucks- and an orb of frost deflected the arrows.

He teleported immediately in front of Madoka, the nunchucks separated and burst forward, purple electricity crackling through the sections, pushing Madoka further into the air. He conjured a glyph and jumped off it to catch up to her. "Come on!" He yelled, swinging the sword. Madoka's arms buckled under the force. "Show me more power!" He finished a swing, changed to a gauntlet, and threw an armored fist at her. Deftly, Madoka grabbed the fist, pivoted, and flipped off of it further into the air. He flapped his wings, bringing itself to her level. She fired more arrows, letting the knockback push her out of its range. He responded by pulling out two handguns and returning the shots, explosions of pink and red spread between them.

A gust of wind blew past Madoka as Sayaka was launched into the air.

"I'm not gonna let you fight alone!" Sayaka yelled, swinging recklessly at the creature. He brought out his sword and parried her strikes.

Another gust of wind as Kyoko was in the air with them. The two of them engaged simultaneously aided by the other three firing expertly at every opportunity, and the monster was put further on defense, a red energy shielding him from their strikes.

He pivoted his weight, a very sharp motorcycle with bladed wheels materialized. He swung it at Kyoko and Sayaka, who magically stepped away. He followed through, throwing the vehicle at Kyoko who dodged it. Madoka was behind her and flipped around it before it vanished. The monster switched to metal greaves and landed two kicks on Sayaka, then launched her hurtling into the ground with a loud boom.

"Sayaka-chan!" Madoka yelled as she landed, quickly going to her side.

"Watch it!" Kyoko yelled. She moved to engage, giving Madoka time to move without retaliation.

He met Kyoko with the sword, still dexterous enough to whip out a shotgun and counter a golden blast from Mami, who was holding Homura on her feet. It wasn't long before Kyoko's feet were swept under her and she was sent into the wall again.

Madoka knelt over Sayaka's body, rattled with dust and injuries. She noted the gem on her navel was rapidly dimming, darkness churning within.

"Sayaka-chan," Madoka said, taking her hand. Sayaka winced in pain at the contact.

"Hey… I'll be fine," she forced out. "Just… give me a sec…"

"No… I won't! I won't let this happen to you!"

Again, Madoka began moving without fully understanding what she was doing. She drew her bow, its metallic features gleaming as it reflected the energies of the other combatants. She adjusted her grip on the weapon, and multiple bowstrings of varying length formed within the curve. Delicately, she strummed the strings, an harmonious chord ringing out.

And then Sayaka began to glow.

"What is…?" Sayaka quickly sat up, holding her arms out in front of her. "Wow." She was covered in a visible, azure aura. "I… I feel…" Her soul gem burned. The darkness had not receded, but instead remained completely still. Sayaka got to her feet, a deep grin forming on her face. "I feel awesome."

Sayaka dashed at Dante, moving so quickly she left an afterimage.

A fraction of a second later, her lunge hit the broadside of Dante's sword.

He let out a low whistle.

The grin didn't leave Sayaka's face. "Now I can take you on."

Dante gave a derisive smirk in return.

Sayaka unleashed a dervish of attacks, the speed blurring them to the eye. Dante met each strike, but unlike before, neither were being pushed back. Slash for slash, each of them met the other's blade. Sparks flew and metal sang into the night.

Dante found himself giving a more earnest grin. "Keep that up and you might be worth something." Dante backed off for a moment, putting Sayaka off balance, then unleashed High Time, sending her upward.

Sayaka flipped, magical glyphs forming under her feet, and she launched immediately back down. Her off hand reached under her cape, and she drew a second sword, a dual slash coming down onto Dante. She quickly gained momentum, a flurry of slices from her blades. Two slashes, a dodging slide, jumping and coming down with a spinning slash, Sayaka never let up her assault, her power up allowing her to land a few blows herself.

"What's the matter?" Sayaka asked, mid onslaught. "Need me to go easier on you?"

Dante matched a majority of her attacks, few slices passing his guard. "Aren't you kids supposed to respect your elders?"

"My goodness," Mami said, looking on at the melee. Sayaka had never displayed such ability. Whatever the new magical girl did, it was quite effective. A look of determination came over her. She knew she wasn't the best at times, but seeing her juniors display such bravery in the face of insurmountable odds made her want to redouble her efforts. What would they do if they saw a veteran in despair? Homura was clearly shaken; even if Sayaka, Kyoko, and the new magical girl were fine now, she just didn't have it in her to leave any of them alone. She would work harder, encourage them and lift their spirits. She could not afford to fall, for their sake.

Homura, however, felt her stomach drop. Her focus was solely on Madoka. This was a power she'd never seen Madoka have amongst all the instances she's experienced. Her wishes typically run along the same lines, and thus offer the same magical abilities, but this time it had to be sufficiently different. Her outfit had the same pink ribbons and frills, but her weapon was some kind of metal bow/harp hybrid. She didn't like this. She didn't like this at all. But she sat transfixed, her mind trying to make sense of everything. And seeing Madoka fight filled her with a rage she didn't know she could muster. She had to do something to get Madoka out of this situation. But her body refused to move.

"What did you do?" Kyoko asked Madoka.

"I- I don't-"

"Do it for me!" Kyoko yelled.

Madoka yelped, but strummed the strings regardless. Nothing happened aside from a discordant few notes. "I don't know how," Madoka said.

"Damn," Kyoko grimaced. She turned to enter the fray, but as she did so, Sayaka landed a clean hit from her swords; Dante was unfettered and landed a fierce palm strike on her, sending her flying backwards.

"Now this is what I'm talkin' about!" Dante yelled, gesturing to them all. "I gotta give it to ya, Hero, that was the most fun I've had with you." He gave a deep, bellowing laugh.

Sayaka struggled to get to her feet. "I'm… not… done…" The glow around her was flickering.

"Don't push your luck. You're only alive 'cause I want a little more entertainment." He shrugged, showing a malicious, toothy grin. "Who knows? With Cheerleader there, you might have a chance!" He directed a glare at Madoka, a burning intensity behind his eyes. "Learn how to use that magic of yours," He unfurled his wings and smirked at her. She couldn't quite tell what emotion he was conveying. "Or else you're gonna regret it."

"Where the hell do you get off with that?" Kyoko yelled.

Dante cocked an eyebrow at her. "Forgot you were there."

"I'm so sick of this game you're playing," Kyoko growled. "You show up outta nowhere and start toying with us… if you're so goddamn strong, why don't you just kill us already!?"

"Always more fun to play with your food first, don't you think?" He said.

"No, that couldn't be it," Mami chimed in. "Your entire strategy so far has been a short confrontation, and then you retreat. You must be on a time limit of some sort. Your power is stolen: you must not be able to control it."

Dante looked at her quizzically.

"Which means," Sayaka said. "Given enough time, you'll go down."

"...Huh?"

Kyoko, Mami, and Sayaka rushed at Dante, blasting and slashing with their various weapons.

Dante, for his part, raised an eyebrow, but otherwise stood as they assaulted. But the battle had raged on too long, their energy had waned and their attacks were deflected by a red barrier. He looked at the pink one, who was plucking her weapons strings, probably trying to figure out how it worked. Homura was staring off into space or something.

Dante shook his head. "Pathetic," he said. They just didn't know when to quit. But that's what made it fun. He never really got to do the 'evil demon' thing, so he was gonna go out and sell it.

His foot shot forward, kicking Sayaka into Mami. Pivoted, hit Kyoko with Updraft, then blasted her away with Coyote-A.

As they collected themselves, he laughed. "You all really thought you had something! Come on, use your heads a little! Do you really think I'd stand here spewing this bullshit if I was running out of juice?" He casually walked forward, his power surging around him, the ground cracking with every step he took. "No, you kids need to be taught a lesson."

He stepped forward, laughing internally as he saw their faces contort into fear. Maybe he was enjoying this a bit too much.

Suddenly, he stopped, an idea forming in his head. Oh, ending this was gonna be perfect.

He gathered the energy he stored, punched the ground, an explosive sound ringing through the whole city.

The park had turned into a crater with a single punch.

"Hmm," he said, looking at his handiwork.

"You're kidding," Sayaka said, struggling to stand again.

"You monster-" Mami started.

"Save it Goldilocks." But she might have a point. He looked around him. Yeah, he was getting way too into this. Property destruction was usually not something he had to concern himself with, so in hindsight, probably not the best idea. Ah well, won't matter in a week anyway. He turned to Madoka. "Figure out what you gotta do, Cheerleader. They really need your help. The rest of you? Make sure you're strong enough to put up a fight. The next showdown will be the final one." He looked at Homura. "Get your head in the game. Or does all of this mean nothing to you?" Homura blinked at him. He smirked. "You know where I'll be. Let's make it one hell of a party!" He flapped his wings and took off into the night sky.

The moment he was gone, Sayaka collapsed to the ground.

"Are you alright, Sayaka-chan?" Madoka asked, helping her up.

"...Y-yeah, I'm good," Sayaka said. "No, great even," the ghost of a smile gracing her features as she rose to her feet. "You've always helped me out of tight spots before. Guess this is no different, huh?"

"We're seriously just gonna let him leave!?" Kyoko asked.

"Please, Sakura-san. Neither Akemi-san nor Miki-san are in any state to pursue. It's only due to our recent arrival that we've come out as well as we did. Indeed, you've gotten us out of quite the predicament," Mami said as she approached Madoka and Kyoko, Homura leaning on her. "You have my thanks, miss…?"

"Madoka Kaname."

"Thank you, Kaname-san. If you could, I-"

"When." Homura's voice cut off what Mami was saying.

Madoka's eyes narrowed slightly. "When what?" She asked.

"When did you contract?"

"Yeah, when?" Sayaka asked.

"Um… about ten minutes ago?" She said, more to Sayaka than Homura. "Kyubey was in my bedroom talking to me and the next thing I knew, I was here."

"How?" Mami asked, eyes wide. "We bore witness to Kyubey's…"

"We saw Dante kill him," Kyoko finished. "That was that guy's name, by the way."

"Doesn't matter," Homura spat. "Kyubey has multiple copies of himself."

"So he's okay?" Mami asked.

"That's pretty cool," Sayaka said.

"Dante said you'd know where he'd be," Kyoko said to Homura.

"It is as I was saying before," she said.

"I suppose that confirms what Akemi-san was saying about Walpurgisnacht," Mami said.

Homura gave a mute nod. She didn't care what happened anymore. It seemed Dante played his role too well; Madoka contracted due to her incompetence and negligence. What happened next held no meaning or significance to her. The Incubator wrapped Madoka into his machinations while she was distracted, and unfortunately, due to the nature of her magic, she had to wait until Walpurgisnacht arrived for her to turn back the hands of time. And since she's part of their little group now, she would have to have the constant reminder of her failure to protect Madoka. She took a deep breath to compose herself. Another lost timeline. At the very least, she can use the remainder of this loop to reflect on what she could have done better for the next time. She needed to be better. Madoka deserved no less.

Although, it seemed, Madoka was staring at her rather intensely through the whole conversation.

"Guess we know what we're in for," Sayaka said.

"Um… I'm afraid I'm still a little lost," Madoka said. " Who was that… Dante? What is Walpurgisnacht?

"I suppose we'll have to fill Kaname-san in on everything we know," Mami said.

"Great," Kyoko said with a roll of her eyes.

Dante landed on a tall tower and undid his Devil Trigger. "Alright," he said aloud. "I know you've been holding it in."

Badass.

"Huh. Better than I thought." He stared out into the cityscape. "From far away, that crater doesn't look too bad." A moment of silence passed before he said, "Those kids are something else." He cracked his neck. "Hope that body of yours I took out wasn't important."

Behind him, Kyubey blinked.

"I don't get why you need them. If you can give them that much power, why not just take what you want? Seriously! I've got enough power myself; I wouldn't need your handouts," he chuckled. "I'll just keep taking the grief seeds."

Kyubey swished his tail.

"Which clearly is a bad deal for you. You make witches and magical girls and have them fight each other, so you gotta get something out of it. For what though? Shits and giggles? That's the only piece I'm missing."

Kyubey tilted his head.

"I'm impressed. Really. Takes something special to rip people's souls out." He gave a wry shake of his head. "Never figured out that trick. Is that why you use four-year-olds? Heh, I'd be good if you tell me how you manage that!"

Kyubey blinked slowly.

"So you get the souls, then what? Twist them? Bring out their 'inner darkness'?" He said with derision. "Makes sense for witches, but what's the point for the others? I get you use their soul, great idea by the way, but why not just possess them or whatever? Seems like it'd be way less of a hassle."

Kyubey tilted his head.

"Damn, I wish you could talk. Then you could monologue your whole plan and we'd be on the same page. You sure you don't wanna work with me? Five minutes to destroy all of humanity, fifteen-twenty tops to subjugate."

Kyubey shook his head.

"No skin off my back," Dante shrugged. "Your loss. When I'm done with your child soldiers, then you'll sing a different tune." Dante jumped off the tower into the night, leaving Kyubey alone.

Discomfort was a common emotion for Homura. Being placed into painful situations has basically comprised her entire life to the point that she has become relatively desensitized to it. Her body and spirit have been broken to the point of near madness. And yet, despite all she has endured, nothing had hurt her as much as the way Madoka was glaring- glaring!- at her right now. Since the five of them had returned to Mami's home, Madoka sat herself at Sayaka's side and then cast furtive glances in her direction, which had intensified into the gaze Homura currently drew.

Normally she would love to command this much of Madoka's attention, staring into those eyes that shone with a brilliance she couldn't help but admire. However, Madoka seemed on edge, bordering on hostile for some reason. Why? Could she sense Homura's incompetence? She couldn't bear to feel like Madoka thought that she wasn't worthy of her. Homura wanted her to know everything she's done was for her sake… but she failed her in this timeline. This is not a topic she wanted to broach, so she sat across from her, schooling her features as best she could and pretending that she wasn't bothered.

She bit back a sigh. She needed this timeline to finish already.

The two of them hardly touched the slices of cake Mami provided.

"...I believe that covers everything about the current situation," Mami said. "Normally, I'd like to give you a thorough explanation on what being a magical girl means. Unfortunately, we don't have the leniency to ease you into the position, as it were."

Madoka nodded.

"Which means we're gonna need to train super hard!" Sayaka said. "I only became a magical girl recently, and Homura's been helping me learn the ropes."

"So that's where you two have been disappearing to," Madoka said.

"Ha ha, guilty as charged," Sayaka said.

"I see," Madoka said. Homura couldn't help but feel she was being accused of something.

"You better take this seriously," Kyoko said, finishing her cake. "It's bad enough Miki acts like an idiot. If you play around out there, you're gonna die."

"I understand," Madoka said. "I want to do everything I can."

"And perhaps with your assistance, we can finally put an end to Dante's schemes," Mami said. "He commented on your strength specifically, Kaname-san. With everything coming down to the wire, your aid will prove invaluable."

"I'll say!" Sayaka chimed in. "A group lives and dies by the support, you know. Madoka's buffs will be essential to our victory!"

"...My what?"

"That thing you did that made her glow," Kyoko said. "Speaking of, why couldn't you do it again?"

"Um… I don't know. I just… did what felt natural. After that..."

"Then having a comprehensive understanding of your magic is what you should focus on," Mami said. "You only contracted a couple of hours ago; it makes sense you have yet to fully unlock your potential. But reacting on instinct can only get you so far," she hummed. "Sakura-san, are there any other witches or familiars you're aware of?"

She shrugged.

"Many familiars appear ahead of Walpurgisnacht's arrival," Homura offered.

"Then I suppose we'll have to make do with what we can," Mami said. "Our time is short. We have to make sure we're prepared."

"That means training and strategizing," Sayaka said with a grin. "This encounter has 'final boss' written all over it."

"How much time do we have?" Kyoko asked.

"If my… calculations are correct," Homura said. "One week."

"Then you do what you gotta do," Kyoko said, rising to leave. "I'm gonna stock up on grief seeds. I'll be back in time to take Dante and the witch down. Then after that we're done."

"Of course, Sakura-san."

With a turn of her heel, Kyoko left.

"She seems… friendly," Madoka said.

"Nah, Kyoko's just shy," Sayaka said.

"I envy your optimism," Mami said with a sad smile.

"I also have preparations I must make," Homura said.

"What? You're leaving too?" Sayaka complained.

Homura nodded. Truthfully, there wasn't much she needed to do. She just couldn't be around Madoka right now. A reminder of her incompetence, her failure.

Madoka tightly gripped Sayaka's hand. "That's okay," she said. "Akemi-san is a veteran, right?" Homura's heart sank at the unfamiliar way Madoka addressed her. "It's better if we train together so we're not slowing her down."

"Well sure, but she's also the one who fought Dante the most. I have some strategies in mind I want to go over with her!"

"Really?" Homura asked, more perplexed than anything. Madoka frowned.

"Kaname-san has a point," Mami said. "If she has preparations to make, that takes precedence over forming a strategy," she shook her head. "The best laid plans of mice and men..."

"I can return in time to discuss things," Homura said.

"Are you sure?" Mami asked.

Homura nodded. Perhaps she could glean something if she sought Dante out.

"Alright. I wish you luck, Akemi-san."

"We should probably head home as well," Madoka said. "I'd like to hear your thoughts on my magic, Sayaka-chan."

"Yeah, sure!"

Giving farewells, they went to prepare in their separate ways.

I just got back from an extended vacation in Japan. I wrote most of this on the plane ride there and back, so if it sucks, don't blame me, blame the airlines. If you want to know what that felt like, read this while listening to Misery Business for several hours straight on the absolute worst quality headphones you've ever had in your life while an angry man slams his chair into your knees. But yeah, great trip. Bought some Madoka Magica figures, one for all the principle characters. Except my favorite one. I'll let you figure out who that is. I can't wait to set them up in my office and for my boss to walk in and fire me immediately.