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For once, Sayaka has the upper hand.
There are no magical girls, and no witches, save Sayaka herself. Mami, Kyoko, and Madoka are all alive, they’ll all get to pursue real goals beyond survive until tomorrow and don’t die to this witch.
Even Homura had been rescued from her eternal damnation.
Oh, Homura. She’ll live to seek shade under Oaks in summer and throw snowballs in winter, and get the standing ovation she deserves in fall, because Homura would finally live long enough to start Ballet lessons, and she won’t be a magical girl or a witch or burdened by anything ever again.
Of course, Walpurgisnacht was an impossibility. It had been crushed under her heel. There was no storm clouds, no rain, no wind, no nothing.
It feels like years since the sky was so clear. It glitters like the river running through the trees, weaving around a small patch of spider lilies and under stony bridges. Rainbow fish struggle their way upstream. They struggle to breathe, be it above or underwater.
Thats it! A fish! That’s what Madoka looks like, as she opens her mouth wordlessly, blinded by the stage lights.
“Sayaka…” Madoka mumbles, before blinking in shock, “what did you do?”
“Do what?” Sayaka leans back in her chair, tilting her head back in unabashed amusement, “I just kept up the status quo of my labyrinth. It’s like you said: this world’s not so bad, right?”
“No, I just, I didn’t think you would actually… ” she grimaces, “You can’t keep this up. The law of Cycles was the only salvation for us magical girls-!”
“Don’t be so dramatic! It’s not like I completely destroyed the Law of Cycles. I mean, you’re not a witch yet are you?” Sayaka examines the defunct ring on her middle finger, and caresses the second one on her ring finger, its gem glittering purple.
“But it was Homura’s wish, you can’t just take it away from her,” A looming shadow rises from behind Madoka, engulfing both girls in endless shadow and twirling the clouds above into her stormy black. Madoka notches her bow, eyes glittering with determination Sayaka was all too familiar with. It was sickening.
“It was a silly wish.” Sayaka shrugs. “And honestly, yours was too. I mean, a cat? Really-”
“-It’s just not right Sayaka!” Madoka digs crescents into her palms, much to Sayaka’s amusement. And, is she pouting right now? Really?
Sayaka scoffs and rises from her chair, fingers dancing across the engraved wood, “Are you seriously trying to challenge me right now? Either you’ve got a ‘lotta guts, or you’re super dumb.”
The water rises slowly from under the bridge, it grows murkier as it begins to drench Sayaka’s shoes, until it's an impenetrable black. Kriemhild Gretchen melts into her boundless sea, and with it, Madoka’s resolve.
“Don’t get it twisted, Kaname. I’m not doing this for you.” Sayaka turns back to her table and traces the rim of the useless vase in the center. It has water, but with how its insides bled out asbestos from the chipping paint, it could never dream of sustaining flowers.
“If I were you, I’d just be glad I even let you stick around! Just let go of all that boring angel stuff and enjoy this second chance, m’kay?”
Sayaka doesn’t stick around to see how Madoka replies.
Sayaka looks on at the crowd admiring Homura’s everything.
It was no surprise she was being swarmed. Homura was a novelty, a cute girl who showed up in the very middle of the year, so of course everyone wanted to know What school did you go to, Homura! How did you get your hair so soft and shiny, Homura?
At first, Sayaka had just wanted Homura to get the admiration she deserved. But now Homura’s face was glowing brighter than Kyoko’s hair from behind her hands; it was a perfect opportunity, right? No Walpurgisnacht means no worrying about her relationships falling apart. She could finally get to spend time with Homura…
“I think our transfer student needs her space.” Sayaka parts the crowd with little more than a wave of her hand, “Akemi Homura, right? I’m Miki Sayaka, class president. why don’t I show you around?”
Homura eagerly takes her offer, and as they walk down the halls, Sayaka can’t help but grin.
This was her second chance. She was going to enjoy every second of it—
The air is salty with the ocean breeze.
Sayaka grits her teeth and grips her coattails so tight they come right off. Whatever, she can fix it later.
“Sayaka!”
The most pressing thing now was to figure out what went wrong. Homura had almost (keyword, almost) returned to the Law of Cycles, returned to thankless labor for all of eternity.
How? Everything was perfect— not one magical girl in Mikitahara thought magical girls were anything more than fleeting fantasy, Sayaka even made sure to keep Homura’s soul gem on her finger, to keep her from regaining her power.
So then how, how had Homura almost slipped through her fingers so easily? And how did she not see it coming?
“Please listen-” Madoka cries out as she runs up the hill.
Sayaka briefly considers stuffing her gloves in her ears to block out the incessant chittering coming from behind her. If she didn’t hear Madoka whining her ears off, then she pretty much wasn’t there.
Sayaka lets her thoughts drift to the city below, subconsciously dashing Madoka against the dirt to deter her. On this cliff, it was only her, an empty seat, and her steadily sinking heart. She’ll never get the happy ending she wants- whatever, she doesn't need it, so long as Homura’s human.
“hah…hah… you…”
Sayaka’s long since accepted that Homura will never, ever love her. It was stupid of her to even hope a new universe could change that.
But, but but but, Homura’s outburst was contained. Homura looked so much prettier this way, fast asleep, her blood dripping from the spindle. That’s all she can bring herself to care about nowadays-
“You can’t… keep this up… forever-”
“I don’t wanna hear it!” Sayaka shrieks— just how long did Madoka plan to plea with her, as if Sayaka hadn’t destroyed her soul in cold blood endlessly in timelines past, as if they were friends?
Ah. Of course. Madoka’s always been a self-righteous little rat. Of course she has to show up with her ridiculous false bravado of eternal mercy and try and talk her into giving up.
Sayaka was unsavable. Unsalvagable. She’d been doomed from the day she made her wish to corrupt into something utterly abhorrent.
But who cares if she’s a witch? So long as she stays on her toes, everything will be perfect. She’ll make it so-
“What happens when this all falls apart?” Madoka walks closer, why the hell is she walking closer, isn’t it obvious Sayaka's not listening?
“What if Homura can’t save-”
“The law of cycles has no power here.”
Suddenly, the first bell rings out across the field, resonating in Madoka’s skull like a broom sweeping away unnecessary thoughts. Today was due for a do-over.
“You should get to class. I’d hate for your parents to find out you’re skipping.” And with that, Sayaka disappears into the jagged rocks below, leaving a bewildered Madoka to try and figure out why she wasn’t at school yet.
She’s worked too hard to get here. She will not let Madoka Kaname ruin what she’s built.
That afternoon, Madoka and Homura walk home in silence. It isn’t usually this quiet, but with Sayaka standing over them, Madoka can’t find it in her to say a word.
“Um…” Homura mumbles, slowing down in an attempt to break the silence. Sayaka’s eyes fall upon her and Madoka seems even more agitated; she clamps up instantly and goes back to walking, teasing a strand of her raven hair.
(Sayaka makes a mental note to put it back in her purple ribbons. Not even one solitary hair was to be out of its braid.)
By the time Homura finally unlocks the door to her apartment, Madoka looks like she's about to burst a blood vessel. Every tile on the floor seems to interest her, and whenever she thought Sayaka wasn’t looking she’d stare into the bleeding red sky, searching for an answer Sayaka would never let her find.
It’s almost funny.
No, it’s hilarious.
After all the pain Madoka’s caused her, it’s exactly what she deserves.
“I’m sorry Sayaka. I guess I’ll never understand you.” Madoka huffs as she sits down next to Sayaka on her unsecret-secret cliff. Sayaka had long since lost the energy to shoo her away. “Homura was going to save you. You wouldn’t have to jump through all these hoops just to talk to her. So why would you-”
“-Oh, I’m sorry, I should’ve just left you for dead, right?” Sayaka waves her off. Madoka recoils at Sayaka’s passivity, but continues to speak. Sayaka’s thoughts drift away at that.
Leave her for dead. Huh…
It wasn’t unthinkable. She’s killed Madoka before. It wouldn’t be permanent… would Homura even care? Her family would still have Tatsuya…
“Sayaka..?”
“Maybe I should have…”
Homura isn’t sure what's bugging her about the classroom today. For all intents and purposes, it should be the same one it was last week, and even if it had changed, what was it to her?
But nothing can shake off her uncertainty, especially as the clock ticks down, ringing in her ears like a hurricane siren. She scans every seat and—
Miss Kaname wasn’t here today.
Was that normal? They’d only known each other for about a week, so it probably wasn’t Homura’s business, but not once the whole week had Miss Kaname come late. Maybe she was sick. Maybe she was busy. Maybe Madoka just wanted to be away from her—
Before she knows it, Homura’s awkwardly shuffling toward Sayaka. Sayaka would know, they’re childhood best friends, according to Miss Kaname. It’s not like shes being weird, right? After all, Sayaka had even asked to be on a first name basis. She wouldn’t reject her, right?
Homura clasps her shaking hands together and takes a deep breath. She can do this. She just has to start a conversation, just spit it out—
“Mi-, um, Sayaka,” Homura’s words lose momentum as soon as Sayaka meets her eyes, her gaze awfully intense, “I-I, Umm… about M-Miss Kaname…”
Sayaka cocks her head to the side, “Oh, you don’t know?” An odd smile stretches across her lips, “Madoka moved to America with her family just yesterday. She probably won’t be back for a few years. Can’t believe she didn’t even think to tell you!”
“Oh… I see…” Homura scurries away to her seat. Sayaka stifles a laugh.
Nothing, absolutely nothing, will ever destroy the perfect world she’s made.
Not even her “best friend.”