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The world wasn't ending, Madoka knew, but in this moment of destruction as the witch Homura had called Walpurgisnacht ravaged Mitakihara, she couldn't help but feel like she was watching the apocalypse unfold before her very eyes.
And somewhere out there was Homura, fighting alone.
Having snuck out of the evacuation shelter while avoiding the watchful eyes of her mother and Sayaka, Madoka carefully maneuvered around fallen rubble, and in the far distance she saw a terrible being that could only be Walpurgisnacht, and the witch seemed to engulf the entire horizon. Since that day Homura had rescued her from a rose witch, she knew of witches and magical girls, and Homura warned Madoka to never consider becoming a magical girl, no matter how much Kyubey insisted.
"Homura-chan…" Madoka said softly as she climbed a fallen beam to get a better view. Homura was fighting to protect her, that much was obvious. But why? What was so special about her that a girl she had never met before would go to such risks just to protect her? But whenver Homura looked at her, she felt a wave of nostalgia, and as she was now, there was nothing she could for Homura…
Unless she accepted Kyubey's contract to become a magical girl.
She shook her head as she dashed forward, dodging fallen pieces of debris. No, that was a last resort, she told herself. Only if Homura had no chance of defeating Walpurgisnacht would Madoka make her wish.
(But, echoed a dark thought in the far reaches of her mind, if she truly believed in Homura's strength, why did she leave the safety of the shelter and risk her life just to find Homura?)
Something exploded near Madoka, and she quickly covered her ears and shut her eyes as smoke burst all around her. A high-pitched noise like distorted laughter filled the air, and Madoka felt like her head was about to split open. She waved her arm wildly, trying to cut a path through the thick smoke, and as her vision cleared, she saw a number of explosions near that terrible monster in the distance, but that distorted laughter only grew stronger.
Madoka's body grew cold, and she fell to her knees. What was she thinking? What could a normal girl like her do against such a monster like Walpurgisnacht? But Kyubey said she held unimaginable magical potential, that she could become the most powerful magical girl ever, and all she wished for right now was to do something, anything, to save Homura…
"Madoka!"
That sharp cry jolted Madoka, and as she looked up, large, sharp objects fell toward her, and as her vision went dark, she could only scream as endless pain filled her body.
* * *
"It's not enough… I can't…"
A soft voice filled Madoka's ears, stronger than the searing pain that coursed through her body like countless burning needles. With a great effort she forced her eyes open, and she found herself hidden under concrete rubble with only faint light seeping inside, and beside her was Homura holding a glowing violet gem. "Homura… chan…?" she forced out, and she tasted blood, and outside a dull roaring echoed, something like that distorted laughter from earlier.
Homura shut her eyes, and her cheeks were wet from tears. "Madoka, why…?" she asked, her fingers tightening around that strange gem she held, and Madoka saw specks of darkness in the violet glow.
"Because…" she tried to say, but pain shot through her entire body, and she tried to clutch her stomach, but she found she couldn't move her left arm.
"Don't look," Homura said, gently laying her hand over Madoka's eyes. "Your injuries are too much. I can't heal them with my magic."
"So I really am dying."
Homura's breath hitched. "Yes."
Madoka let out a humorless chuckle, but then started coughing violently, and blood flew from her mouth. She was covered in blood, and that vile scent made her want to vomit, but she was in too much pain, and even breathing felt nearly impossible. Tears stung at the corners of her eyes; how could such pain even exist?
Homura sighed and gently eased Madoka's head onto her lap, and while Madoka could breathe a little easier, but she also saw more clearly see a trail of blood leading from her body. "Madoka, why couldn't you stay with your family?" Homura asked, exhaustion clear in her voice. "You could've been safe."
Madoka stared up at Homura; she'd never seen such pure, raw emotions on Homura's face, and again she felt a pang of nostalgia. "Guess I really am an idiot…" she mumbled.
"You are, but…" Homura bit her lip and shook her head. "No, it's my fault. I promised I would save you, but I keep failing…"
"Homura-chan?" Madoka tried to reach for Homura with her good hand, and that feeling of nostalgia grew stronger. "Have we met before?"
"It's only when I'm about to lose you again I can be honest," Homura muttered as she took Madoka's trembling hand into hers. "You saved my life, a long time ago, but then you died. So I made a wish to meet you again and save you, and I've repeated this so many times…"
"Then you really are from the future… Why didn't you tell me…?"
"I've tried, over and over, but nobody ever believes me."
With each breath Madoka took she tasted more blood at the back of her throat, but still she asked, "How… how many times have you seen me die…?"
Tears fell from Homura's eyes as a broken, empty smile came upon her lips. "I lost count a long time ago."
Madoka felt her own eyes widen, seeing Homura so vulnerable and crying so freely, and that sight awakened something unfamiliar yet familiar within her. Carefully she sat up, and Homura reached out with worried hands as she nearly collapsed, her breathing rough and painful. As Homura held her steady, Madoka put her good arm around Homura and pressed her face against Homura's shoulder. Belatedly she realized she was getting blood all over Homura, but Homura didn't try to push her away, and instead Homura's hands were gentle yet firm as she held Madoka.
"I'm sorry," Madoka said weakly, and a trail of blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. She was the health rep of their class, and she had studied a bit of medicine, so she had some idea of her injuries. Her left arm and both legs were likely broken, along with some of her ribs, and she was probably bleeding internally as well. She felt dizzy, but that was likely due to blood loss rather than a head injury, and warm, fresh blood still stuck to her clothes and skin. With the city outside in ruins, there was no chance she could get medical help. She was dying, and her eyes grew moist; again she would leave Homura all alone…
"Why… why do you apologize so much?" Homura sobbed against Madoka's hair. "I'm the one who keeps failing to save you… Madoka, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…"
Despite all the pain, a smile tugged at Madoka's lips; she found she liked it when Homura called her by name. "It's all right," she said softly, threading her fingers through Homura's long hair to soothe her. "This isn't the end for you, not as long as you have your magic…"
"But…" Homura's trembling arms tensed around Madoka. "I can't save you or this city… I'm not strong enough to defeat Walpurgisnacht…"
"I believe in you," Madoka whispered in Homura's ear. "I know that one day, you'll save me and all of Mitakihara." She thought of her family, of Sayaka and Hitomi, and of her classmates and teachers in the pain of all this destruction, and they would never know what became of her. "Just don't give up, please…"
"I won't." Homura lifted Madoka's chin, and their eyes met. "I can't. I'll keep trying to save you, no matter how long it takes, no matter how often you forget me…"
Madoka smiled, and tears rolled down her cheeks. "I wish… I wish I could remember all the times we spent together…"
Homura froze, and a different kind of expression crossed her tear-soaked face. She opened her mouth, but no words came, and she hesitated a moment longer, and then simply pressed her lips against Madoka's, and Madoka could almost remember.
After the kiss, Homura finally collapsed, sobbing against Madoka, and Madoka caressed Homura's back with her good arm. She couldn't imagine the depths of Homura's grief, and she felt a longing to comfort Homura as much as she could. She was dying, bleeding to death of countless wounds, but that was nothing compared to the pain of Homura's grief. How could Homura shoulder such grief, watching the one she loved die over and over? Madoka couldn't imagine enduring such pain, and all she could do now was offer gentle words of comfort and love to a grieving Homura.
"Madoka… Madoka…" Homura cried, and her tears mixed with the warm blood on Madoka's clothes. "Please…"
Weakly brushing her lips against Homura's hair, Madoka tried to speak, but all she could taste was blood. Her vision began to darken, but her body didn't hurt as much now. Her arm fell from Homura's hair, and all that she remembered before black overtook her vision completely was the feel of Homura's heartbeat against hers.