Chapter Text
Her life was perfectly normal, all things considered.
She had a job that paid well,a nice apartment, and plenty of friends both from work and her own personal time. At a glance, it was hard to differentiate her from any other average young adult,just an ordinary person with an ordinary life.
It had never always been that simple
She was just fourteen when it all started. After meeting that strange creature she could only definitively describe as a cute furball her entire life changed. Magical Girls, Wraiths, nightmares,in just a single day she found herself living in a whole new world,one only she and people like her could see. By day she was the average middle schooler Sayaka Miki,but by night she was someone far more important. When dangerous Wraiths crawled along the streets and nightmares bloomed into the hearts of poor souls she was a hero. It didn’t come with any fame or glory save for the excited cheers from her fellow Magical Girls but it was something that made her life all the more thrilling. Were there risks? Yes,she knew that going in. Did she have a few close calls with death herself? Oh absolutely,some incidents her friends would tease her about, while others left them worrying for more than a few days. But in the end, she knew she made the right choice,so long as it meant saving the lives of many and being a force for good in this world. She never considered what would happen when her secret double life as a Magical Girl ended or if it would ever end truthfully. All she did know was that she was always ready to drop everything to fulfill her new destiny with the help of her dear Kyoko and Mami. Who knew that it could all end so abruptly?
"That one last night was really tough," Kyoko lamented,hands behind her head. "When I got home I crashed hard,I didn't even touch my homework"
"Now Kyoko,you know that's no good" Mami scolded her,voice soft yet stern. "Even if we're fighting we still have to keep up with our studies"
"That's easy for you to say" The other responded. "You've got enough brains to pass every school year"
"I'll help you before class but afterward you have to study" The eldest of the three decided for her.
"Fine,but only if it's at your place," He said with a smile. "I've been dying to have another one of those little cakes you make"
"What about you Sayaka?" Mami asked. "Would you like to join?"
"Three years..."
Kyoko cocked his head in confusion. "What?"
"We've been doing this for three years,"
"Has it really been that long?" They asked.
Sayaka nodded,the other letting out a whistle. "Geez,when you put it like that it sounds like we’re veterans"
"I never noticed until now," Mami admitted. "I guess it has been a while"
"Maybe we should have an anniversary party," Kyoko suggested,throwing an arm over her mentor’s shoulders. "We’ve been working pretty hard all this time,I think we deserve it"
“You shouldn’t get too comfortable," She warned them. “You could get sloppy and end up regretting it”
“We managed to make it three years without a hitch” The younger reminded her. “We should celebrate at least once,we all need a break every now and then,”
“I guess it wouldn’t hurt to take one night off,” She said before looking to the blue haired girl. "What do you think,Sayaka?"
They didn't answer,the student frozen in place. Her bag fell to the ground,eyes wide and mouth agape as she stared ahead into empty space.
"Uh,Saya?" The red haired student raised a brow,releasing the eldest of the three before walking to her side. She waved a hand over their face,waiting for any sort of answer. "You there?"
“Um…yeah,” They said,turning on their heel to face her with a weary smile.
“You’re a horrible liar,” Kyoko responded bluntly. “Now spill”
“It's…” The other hesitated,glancing over her shoulder. Nervous fingers ran over the silver ring on her finger,trying to hide the light glow of its gem.
“You can tell us anything Sayaka,” Mami said,taking a gentle grasp of her hand. “Whatever it is we’re here to listen”
“I…” She glanced at the two’s,reading their expressions. Mami’s held her typical worry while Kyoko stood bewildered. They ran a finger over the ring of their elder,her tender hold finally cracking at their wall of anxiety. She took a deep breath,lowering her voice. “There’s…someone here”
“Is it a Wraith?” Kyoko asked,reaching for her soul gem in a panic.
“No! They’re not here to hurt anyone,you know them actually” A free hand nervously scratched at the back of her neck. “Well,use to know them”
“I don’t understand,” Their usually wise mentor admitted.
“I think it's better if they explain everything”
“Who are they?” The redhead prodded,hands on his hips.
Sayaka reached past the collar of her shirt,pulling out her much beloved necklace. It was a perfect orb,silver vines covering the pink and purple that swirled inside the glass. She held it by the gold butterfly that rest on the pin piercing through the jewel. “This is a Grief Seed,it comes from Witches and in another world, we used these to cleanse our soul gems”
“Witches?” Kyoko repeated. “What are you talking about?”
They let out a tired sigh,holding it out to her. “Just touch it with your Soul Gems”
“I don’t know…” Mami reluctantly said. “Are you sure this is safe?”
“I’ll try it” Kyoko decided,taking out her own much to the concern of her elder. “One of us has to be the test dummy, if you don’t want to I’ll take it”
“Be careful…”
The other glanced to Sayaka,the girl giving her an affirming nod with a determined expression. With that she cautiously pressed her gem against the seed,eyes suddenly growing wide. Thousands of memories burst into her brain,timelines blurred with endless versions of herself discovered in a single second. Each world was different,some lonelier than others yet in each one there was a single constant. Either for a brief second or entire years, she was always there.
The girl let her knees give out,Sayaka quickly catching her before she could hit the ground.
“Kyoko!” Mami shouted,trying to catch a glimpse of her face. “What happened?”
Tears filled her ruby red eyes,slowly looking to the girl who held her. He looked over her shoulder,all breath stolen from his lungs. “Madoka…”
The other’s eyebrows furrowed. “Who is Madoka-?”
Her question was cut short by a sudden warmth that enveloped her hand,a sharp gasp escaping her. A shaky hand covered her mouth,looking up to find a figure giving her a kind smile. “Homura…”
In front of her was a seventeen year old,long black hair flowing behind her as its ends tied into a loose braid. A red ribbon rest on her head,standing out against the long dark purple of her feathered dress that seemed to trail on for miles. Her violet eyes held such warmth,voice low yet gentle. “It's good to see you again”
“MADOKA!” Kyoko cried,rushing into the arms of another girl. Her pink hair was tied into a ponytail,the remainder of it floating behind her like a rose colored comet. A white shawl adorned with pink jewels covered her shoulders,her dress and its layers identical to the wings of a dove.
“Don’t you ever do anything like that again!” Kyoko shouted,her hold on the girl tight as if she’d disappear the moment she let go.
The girl only smiled,deepening the embrace. “I won’t,it's finally all over”
“W-What is?” He asked,teary eyed.
“All of the fighting,all of the hiding and sacrifices,it's all over” Madoka answered,cupping the other’s face. “You’ve put all of the Wraiths to rest,me and Homura handled everything from there”
“You’re both are so brave,” Mami said with a sad smile. “I wish I could have done more,maybe then you wouldn’t have had to sacrifice yourself to begin with”
Homura silenced her with a warm embrace. “You inspired me and Madoka to fight in the first place,that is more than enough”
The girl was silent for a moment,the other’s words slowly sinking in. She slowly let her shoulders relax,returning the gracious hug “I promise in this timeline I won’t abandon you,so let’s be friends the entire time”
“Alright,and you won’t have to worry about staying strong for everyone. When you need to cry we’ll be right here the entire time” Homura looked to find the other’s eyes widening. It was a secret they both knew yet she dare never admit it,before she would outright deny it but after seeing all of those versions of the two’s lives intertwining before parting into an explosive mess she couldn’t help but feel comforted by the finally friendly words.
“You’ve matured so much Homura” A soft smile slowly crossed her face. “I’m glad I could help you become someone so wonderful”
Sayaka watched the four finally reconnect,holding the Grief Seed close to her chest. The entire time she had known,from the moment the two departed and she decided to stay behind to hold the last few bits of them left in her world up until now. Every timeline that ended in horror or peaceful blessings were all she had left of them for the longest time,the only exception being the headband that once belonged to the black haired girl she wished to truly befriend someday. For so long she thought it would all be in vain,but to actually see them all together once again,it was enough to warm her heart.
"You kept it"
Forced out her thoughts she looked to Homura with furrowed brows.
"My headband" She clarified.
"Oh,this?" She pointed to it with an awkward grin. "You promised if I kept it the entire time we'd be able to be friends once you get back" Her grin grew cheeky as she pointed to her. "Now it's your time to pay up!"
She expected an annoyed yet well meaning eye roll,something typical of the stone-cold Homura she knew before her major sacrifice. Instead, she held out her hand,pulling her into her shared embrace with a smile. "I will,gladly"
Her cheeks were bright red yet she couldn't help but let out a grateful laugh. Thankful tears fell with them,the warmth of the group embrace making her heart flutter. They were all here. They were alive and back together again,no more creatures left to fight and no more secrets to hide from one another. Before it all seemed like a dream far beyond her reach,yet here they were; safe,sound, and finally free
For the next few years they were able to live in peace,days of saving the world all now fond memories that only the five of them could share. The only thing left were the soul gems,each colorful crystal now harmless jewelry. It would've been easy to toss them away - it wasn't as if anyone would believe their true purpose anyway - but there was something almost nostalgic that lingered within the colored glass. The ring that came with it remained on her finger,now serving a new purpose that made her smile with bright red cheeks each time she remembered it. Everything was just about perfect,save for the typical inconveniences of life.
"Green tea or lemon balm..."
The woman stared at both packets,eyes carefully examining each word in the ingredients list. On one hand,green tea was the favorite of her honey haired girlfriend and the flavor all of her partners unanimously liked,but on the other hand, lemon did help with insomnia and anxiety. Her dear Mami was already having trouble sleeping thanks to constant nausea,it wouldn't be a miracle cure but it could help. She looked back to the shelf,finding bright red packets held together by a white ribbon. Raspberry leaf tea if the delicately lined drawing of the fruit was anything to go by. According to the many articles she read, those could also help and even ease the inevitable pain Mami would have to face. It wouldn't be any time soon but it wouldn't hurt to be prepared. Maybe it would be easier to buy all three,just to be safe.
She let out a deep sigh,fatigue written on her face. Why did something as simple as preparing dinner have to be so stressful? 'Maybe I should just call her...'
No,this was supposed to be a surprise,after so long it's what her girlfriend needed. With a deep breath, she set all three in the shopping cart,trying to ignore the nagging protests from her wallet. This was for Mami,she deserved it after trying to bury her own demons for so long.
“Now what else?” She asked herself,making her way to the next aisle. So far she had everything ready to help her partners prepare a good salmon teriyaki,all that was left was something sweet for dessert. The last time she and Homura were left to make something from scratch the kitchen was covered in a sea of sludge - a terrifying attempt at sponge cake - and whip cream smeared across the walls. The woman cringed at the memory,the smell of floor cleaner permanently etched into her brain thanks to the event. Best to pick something simple if she ever wanted to step foot in the room again unsupervised.
A tan box caught her eye,what looked like a cake slice on the packaging. ‘Banana Foster’ was written in a font that wouldn’t look out of place in a 50s newsletter,a friendly mascot flashing a persuasive smile. Mami did like old fashioned desserts,not to mention the splash of healthy fruit in it. Perfect,something new to the five yet simple.
With that she reached for the box,another hand grasping the opposite side. Crap.
“Excuse me,” They said,hoping a forced smile would do the convincing for them. “I kind of need this for something important,it's for my girlfriend”
The hand’s owner looked up from his shopping list,a man with brown hair that bordered on gray. His eyes were a similar color,brows raised before he quickly released the package. “Sorry,I didn’t notice you reaching for it”
“It's okay,” She assured him,taking it. “I wasn’t really paying attention either”
“Does your girlfriend like rum?”
Sayaka tilted their head in confusion. “Huh?”
“Banana Fosters usually have rum or liquor in the sauce” He explained. “I just wanted to warn you in case”
“Oh crap!” The woman shoved the box back before letting out a deep breath. “Thanks,that was a close call”
“It's no problem,” He said with a smile. “I don’t drink either so I’m used to keeping track of things like this”
“You really saved me back there” They responded with a chuckle. “Must be fate”
“Maybe” He reached for the box,setting it in his own cart.
The woman looked to the items neatly stacked in piles,all sure to cost a fortune judging by the fancy names she barely recognized. “So what’s the occasion?”
“Me and some colleagues are having a big celebration since it's our final performance,” He explained. “It's a pretty big event so we’re all pitching in”
“No kidding,” She mused. “What do you play? If you don’t mind me asking”
“Violin” The man answered. “I’ve been practicing since I was a kid”
“That’s funny,I had a friend who used to play violin back when we were kids” Sayaka grew a fond smile,remembering the kind boy. “He was really good at it too,he even got a scholarship for it”
They pulled herself out of their memory,glancing back to the man. He looked to her with narrowed eyes,studying her from a distance. A finger tapped on the handle of his cart,lips pulled into a thin line as he examined her face with an uncomfortable amount of intensity.
Blue eyes avoided his curious ones,the woman finally letting out an awkward chuckle. “Well,guess I better get going. Parties don’t set themselves up after all”
He gave them an unsure hum,the other about to turn before a soft voice pulled her back.
“Sayaka?”
She froze,eyebrows furrowing. “How do you…”
The man held up his hand,a scar dragging from his palm,passing through the tendons that controlled his fingers and stopping at his elbow. It had faded with time yet even free of the many bandages and dark stitches she could recognize such a brutal injury.
“Kyosuke?”
A smile crossed his face,the warmth that once made her heart flutter in his eyes. “It’s been a while hasn’t it?”
Their lips were parted in surprise,any complex thoughts melted away by the grin they were so sure they’d never see again. “Yeah…it sure has”