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The rain outside fell heavily, obscuring even the moonlight. Homura said a terrible witch known as Walpurgisnacht was coming and would destroy all of Mitakihara if not stopped. A witch so powerful it didn't need to hide itself within a labyrinth - Madoka could scarcely imagine it.
Madoka shivered beneath her bed sheets, and the raindrops striking the window grew louder. Beside her Homura lay quietly, her dark eyes closed. Maybe it'd been silly, inviting Homura over for a sleepover before such a terrible witch struck, but Homura hadn't refused, and Madoka hadn't wanted to be alone.
Carefully Madoka touched a strand of Homura's black hair, freed from twin braids. They were the only two magical girls left in Mitakihara. Only they could defeat Walpurgisnacht and protect everybody. Kyubey had once said Madoka would be a powerful magical girl, but she hadn't been strong enough to protect Mami. She bit her lip; and lately she had suffered nightmares of Mitakihara in ruins, a large witch looming over the destruction and engulfing everything. A sorrow lingered that witch, like a feeling of broken hope or misguided salvation. Sometimes she saw Homura crying and screaming, reaching out desperately.
She hadn't yet told Homura about those nightmares. The grief that filled her was still too painful to put into words.
Homura stirred, and her eyes slowly opened. "Kaname-san?" she said, her quiet voice almost drowned out by the rain.
Madoka quickly drew her hand back and was glad of the darkness to hide her blush. "It's hard to sleep," she said clumsily, "knowing that we have to fight again so soon."
For a moment Homura's expression hardened. "This witch is like nothing you've ever fought before."
"Have you fought it before, Homura-chan?"
To that Homura had no response, and a deep, painful sadness filled her gaze, such that Madoka could not help but look away. But maybe it wasn't so surprising; Madoka knew nothing of Homura's life before she transferred to Mitakihara, before she became a magical girl, and a magical girl's life was painful and lonely, Madoka had realized too late. Madoka didn't even know that Homura had wished for.
(She'd asked Kyubey once, but he had simply said he couldn't answer.)
"I'm… I'm scared," Madoka said at last, her shoulders quivering, and the sound of rainfall filled her ears. "We lost Mami-san, and fighting witches without her is so hard, and now we'll have to face that powerful witch alone…"
"There is another magical girl in Kazamino," Homura said carefully. "But if she hasn't come by now, I doubt she ever will…"
"You… you've met other magical girls, haven't you?"
A pause. "You could say that."
"And… and have you seen them die, like Mami-san…?"
"Yes."
Madoka wasn't sure what other answer she had expected, and hearing the answer spoken out loud did nothing to ease the ache in her chest. She only knew Homura and Mami, and losing Mami had almost broken her. But she couldn't let Homura fight alone either. Even if Grief Seeds were limited, magical girls weren't supposed to fight alone. "Hey, Homura-chan, how long have you been a magical girl?" she asked, the question falling from her lips before she could stop it.
Without her red glasses, Homura's eyes seemed older, and without luster, and she was silent so long Madoka feared she wouldn't answer. But at last she answered, "A year, I think. I… stopped keeping track a long time ago."
A year. Madoka turned that answer over in her mid. A year of fighting witches. Mami had said she'd been a magical girl for almost two years, and both she and Homura had said they didn't often fight alongside other magical girls. To fight alone for so long - Madoka had only been a magical girl for a month, and she'd only the courage to make a wish because of Homura and Mami. "You're strong, Homura-chan," she said softly.
Homura's eyes went wide. "Kaname-san?"
"I want to be strong too!" Madoka cried, and she could no longer stop her tears. "I want to protect Mama and Papa and Tatsuya and Sayaka-chan and Hitomi-chan, but I'm scared… I'm so scared…!"
The rain outside fell like tears, and hesitantly Homura cupped Madoka's face, and teardrops slipped between her trembling fingers. "You are strong, Kaname-san, and so brave too," she said, her voice a whisper. "You've saved me so many times, so please…"
"Homura-chan…?" Madoka said slowly. In her dreams, she had seen Homura cry so often, and her heart ached each time. Even when her body was torn asunder, twisted and transformed beyond recognition, that expression of anguish and grief on Homura's face was always most painful. Carefully Madoka pressed her own hand to Homura's cheek, and before she could stop herself, touched her lips to Homura's for a kiss.
The warmth was familiar, vaguely, like a faded memory that dangled just out of reach of her hands.
When Madoka took her lips from Homura's, Homura could only stammer, "K-Kaname-san? D-Do you…?"
Immediately Madoka remembered that they were in her bed together of all places - but it wasn't the first time, was it? - and her heart raced faster than ever. "I—!" she tried to say.
But Homura's lips were on hers again, and again it felt familiar. Madoka threw her arms around Homura's back to draw her closer, and their heartbeats felt as one, louder than the rain outside. Maybe it wasn't right, with Mami's death still an open wound and Walpurgisnacht coming soon, too soon, but in this moment, she needed Homura more than anything.
"Kaname-san, you would really have me?" Homura whispered. "I'm weak and gloomy, and…"
"You shouldn't talk about yourself like that." Madoka tried to smile. "You're strong and brave, and I can fight because I know you're there for me." She touched a strand of Homura's soft hair. "After we defeat Walpurgisnacht, we'll… talk, all right? About us, I mean."
Homura's eyes grew clouded. "So you still intend to fight Walpurgisnacht."
Madoka nodded. "I'll protect this town and everyone I love, no matter what."
"And I will save you, no matter how long it takes."
"I told you, you've already saved me so many times." Madoka chuckled weakly as she embraced Homura again. "I'm glad I became a magical girl and met you."
Outside, the rain continued to fall.