Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Homura’s world was covered in static. She was on the ground in a ditch half filled with water, the destroyed remnants of a city she couldn’t recognize stretching out into the distance. Rain poured from the sky, the droplets sticking to the lenses of her glasses. A bizarre gem was in her hand, coated with a darkness so thick you could see it through the haze. She turned her head.

There was a girl beside her, form obscured by the same static as the rest of the world. Homura could not remember a single thing about her. The color of her eyes, the color of her hair, the sound of her voice, absolutely nothing. All Homura knew about the girl behind the static was how important she was to her. 

She began babbling, the words making no sense to her. Something about… Becoming monsters and ending the world? Homura was torn from her nonsensical rant when the girl rolled over and touched something to the jewel in her hand, the darkness sliding off it like oil. A spike of sheer dread struck Homura as the girl began to speak. Grimly, Homura accepted her duty, reaching into her shield and…

Homura jolted awake, eyes filled with unshed tears. That dream again, she thought as she rubbed the tears out of her eyes. Homura’s nightmares had been getting worse recently. The early afternoon sun drifted through the windows, the soft sound of the train’s movement following along with it.

A voice rang out over the train’s intercom, “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for riding with us today. We will be arriving in Shibuya shortly. This is the last stop for this line…” Homura stopped listening after that. 

Stepping out into Shibuya Square was overwhelming for Homura. She had spent most of her life in cramped hospitals and schools. Being around this many people at once made her anxious. She did her best to not panic as she walked through the square, weaving in between people in an attempt to not bump into anyone. She focused on the directions her phone was giving her to distract herself from the crowd.

Suddenly, Homura noticed an app appear on top of her map. It was red and black, with a pattern resembling an eye. She tapped at it to try and make it go away, all that happened was that it got bigger, covering most of her map. There’s no way she got a virus on her first day in Tokyo… right?

Click.

The world stopped dead around Homura as the color drained from her surroundings. Her eyes darted back and forth, trying to make sense of just what was going on. She could feel her heart thump painfully in her chest, as her breathing grew more erratic. What in the world was going on here!? The sound of crackling fire drew her eyes to the center of the square.

A pillar of blue flame burned in the square, surrounded on all fronts by people frozen in time. The flames coalesced into a vague, draconic figure. Black scales with a light grey underbelly, its webbed wings were a light purple. Fine fabrics were draped over its form, a veiled, conical hat resting on its head. Twin molten gold pinprick eyes stared at Homura, gleaming alongside a flash of shiny obsidian teeth.

Until a moment later, when a gout of surreal, multicolored flame consumed the figure.

And Something stood in its place.

It was massive, standing easily half as tall as some of the buildings surrounding Shibuya Square. Its frame was cloaked in cloth blacker than the night. It stood on a single point, its body under the cloak almost resembling a top. The thing’s bone white hair was pulled into twin braids, which was further connected at the ends by a series of bright, blood red pins. Atop its head sat a witch’s hat, its brim made of a spinning vinyl record, revolving endlessly. 

Static slithered its way into the corners of her vision.

The monster just stared at her. All it was doing was staring at her and she felt like she was going insane. All its eyeless gaze contained was despair. Despair that squeezed its way under her skin and wrapped its tendrils around her throat. Homura couldn’t breathe, could barely even think under the sheer weight of the Thing’s presence. Not even her vision blurring with tears was enough to save her from thewitchthesymbolofherfailureawishunfulfilledherdespair-

Click.

Homura was back in the square, back in reality. It took everything the girl had to not crumple to the pavement and sob.

The rest of her journey from Shibuya Square was a haze. Her steps were shaky and she still hadn’t quite regained control of her breathing but she was managing. She was still trying and failing to process her… vision from the square, and it was eating at her from the back of her mind. Homura grasped a street sign and took a deep breath, she needed to focus and get where she needed to go. She knew she needed to find Sakura-san’s house, but she wasn’t given an exact address. 

The small city street she had found herself on was packed with buildings, all built close together. Homura could’ve asked the police officer she saw earlier but…

“Damn brat! I’ll sue!”

There was no chance she’d do that, not after her last encounter with the police.

Homura settled for just checking the nameplates on the houses as she went, she’d find the place eventually that way. It also helped that that method didn’t force her to interact with anyone. As she walked, her mind couldn’t help but drift back to her episode in Shibuya Square.

Homura had been having strange visions and nightmares like it since the accident 2 years ago. The doctors at the hospital had always called them “hallucinations” and “trauma induced nightmares” but she just knew they were more than that. They were far too vivid to be mere hallucinations, the emotions attached too real and painful to be just nightmares. Homura had proof that the dreams were memories, that she existed.

That was what it always came back to, what her nightmares revolved around. The Girl in the Static. Homura had absolutely no idea who she was, or what she did. Her appearance was coated in static, her voice garbled into nigh incomprehensibility. All Homura had left to attribute to her were the vague feelings that remained in her mind.

Homura was certain the Girl was real though, there was no doubt in her mind. Her hand reached out and lightly grabbed one of her twin braids, moving it so she could see its tip and the bright red ribbon tying its end. The ribbons were all she had left of the Girl. She woke up in the hospital after the storm with them, and the clearest memory she had of the Girl featured the ribbons. 

She was being comforted in that memory. Her tears blurred her vision even more than the static already did, but even that couldn’t stop her from carving this moment into her mind. The girl was right in front of her, tying Homura’s hair into braids from the other side of a hug and Homura could do nothing but drink in the sensation. It made her feel warm and safe and loved, in a way she couldn’t remember feeling anywhere else. The red ribbons laid beside them, on the bed they were sitting on, a shock of red in a sea of featureless static.

It was probably sad that something as simple as a memory of being held was so precious to her. 

Her search took a while, but she eventually managed to find the house. She probably spent two whole minutes standing there trying to work up the courage to ring the bell. Homura breathed deeply, reached out her hand, and rang the bell…

Bing-Bong…

Nobody answered the door. She had read the nameplate, this was the “Sakura” residence, she’d found the right house, right? Did she make a mistake somewhere? Had she read the address wrong and ended up in some random neighborhood in Tokyo? Had Sakura-san changed his mind and decided not to house her anymore?

“Hey kid!” A voice from behind her called out. Homura barely kept herself from shrieking as she turned on her feet, finding a delivery guy.

“Oh sorry, didn’t mean to spook you! Anyways, are you looking for Sakura-san?” He asked, looking genuinely apologetic.

“Y-Yes…” Homura mumbled.

“You won’t find him at his house at this time of day. He’s normally at his café, Leblanc,” He showed her the address, “You should be able to speak with him there.”

“Okay… Thank you.”

The delivery man cheerfully waved at her as she left, making her way to café Leblanc.

Homura made sure to take in her surroundings as she entered the establishment. The place was compact, with only 3 booths on her left and the bar table on her right. It had a homely feel, with white walls outlined by wooden beams. The floor was a combination of white patterned tiles near the booths with hardwood flooring around the bar table. Behind the bar table sat multiple shelves, each lined with jars full of ingredients. A bell attached to the door rang as she entered. A news station was playing on a TV stationed behind the bar table.

“A public transit bus was driven down an opposing lane with its customers still in it! The citizens can’t live in peace if this keeps up.” The show’s host said.

“How frightening,”  An elderly man sitting in one of the booths said.

“What could be going on? Didn’t something similar happen just the other day?” The elderly woman sitting in the booth with him replied. 

A man was sitting on a stool in front of the bar table, reading a newspaper. He mumbled something to himself about the crossword puzzle he was in the middle of, before he finally noticed Homura’s presence. 

“Oh right, they did say that was today,” he said, getting up from his stool and leaving his newspaper on the counter. At that moment the elderly couple got up and left, leaving their payment on the table. The man, who was seemingly the store manager, thanked them as they left.

“Four hours for a single cup of joe,” he mumbled to himself, before turning to speak to Homura directly. 

“So you’re Homura?” he asked.

“Y-yes, that’s me.”

“I’m Sakura Sojiro, you’ll be in my custody for the year,” he replies, “I was expecting a more unruly kid, but appearances can be deceiving.”

“U-um, I-”

“Follow me.” he finally said, his tone brokering no argument. 

Homura swallowed the lump in her throat, and followed him up the stairs. She found herself in a lofty attic, coated in dust. It would’ve been much more spacious if not for the assortment of old things filling out the space. There were trash bags, cardboard boxes, a desk covered in a plastic tarp, alongside other such things. A small, couch-like bed filled out the far corner, with a thin mattress on top. No sheets or pillows either.

“This is your room,” Sakura-san said.

All in all, the place was very messy. It was more than Homura expected she’d get (more than she deserved) but it would do. She wasn’t the type to complain, especially as she was a guest in Sakura-san’s café. 

“I’ll at least give you sheets for your bed and your luggage is in that box in the middle of the room, but otherwise it’s on you to clean the place up, alright?” 

“I understand Sakura-san, thank you for letting me stay here.” Homura replies. Sakura-san hummed to himself at her response.

“I’ll be leaving after I lock up each day. You’ll be alone at night but don’t do anything stupid, I won’t hesitate to throw you out if you start causing trouble.”

“I won’t.”

“Good, now then…” Sakura-san trailed off at the end, seemingly thinking of what to say next, “I got the gist of your situation.”

Oh no. Homura’s grip on her bag tightened as she tensed up, she couldn’t look him in the eyes, they were firmly directed towards her feet.

“You had an episode and attacked a man who was walking home. You got expelled from your school and now you're here on probation. I’m more understanding of conditions like yours than most people will be, but if you can’t control yourself I’ll toss you right out, understand?” Sakura-san’s eyes were steely as he explained this to her.

Homura wanted to argue, wanted to explain herself. She wanted to tell him that the man wasn’t just walking home, that she was trying to protect someone, trying to be a good person. That she wasn’t unstable, that she certainly was not crazy-

“Yes sir, I understand.” She said instead, eyes stinging with tears.

“Just don’t be a pain in the ass and everything will be fine,” Sakura-san sighed. “We’re going to your school tomorrow, so don’t stay up too late,” The man started walking down the stairs, “What a waste of a Sunday.” he sighed to himself as he left, leaving Homura alone in her room.

She sighed and grabbed a brush and dustpan from the top of a nearby box. She couldn’t even begin to process today, so she might as well make herself busy.

Homura laid on her new bed, staring up at the ceiling. She had exerted herself a lot cleaning the room earlier, her heart felt like it was sputtering in her chest. It was disappointing that even after her surgery she was still so weak…

Her heart eventually settled down, as the emotions of the day started to sink in. That dream, that… horrible vision in Shibuya Square, her new residence. Homura was so overwhelmed by everything that happened so far. Exhaustion quickly followed suit and she found herself slowly drifting off to sleep.

Homura’s eyes opened to find an unfamiliar ceiling, a deep velvet blue ceiling. Homura tried to push the covers off of herself, but found that she couldn’t move her arms. They were crossed over her chest, almost painfully so. Her head ached a little as she took in her surroundings. The walls were that same velvet blue, but were covered in a plush like material. The bed was that same tone, covers and all. Slowly but surely, Homura’s mind put together what this was.

A padded cell.

Homura’s breath was ejected from her lungs as she forced herself to her feet. Looking down, she saw what her arms were caught in.

A straitjacket.

No no no no no no no no no no no no-

Panic began to bleed into her mind as she tried everything in her power to escape the jacket. She thrashed and pulled, all to no avail. Hyperventilating, Homura desperately searched the room for any exit, or anyone. She had barely escaped being committed after the case, the thought sent a railroad spike of fear down her spine. Finally, she caught sight of the door, that same infuriating velvet blue with a small, barred window at around eye level. Homura tried to run to it, but she stumbled and planted face first into the ground. The plush floors softened her fall. It took her maybe a full minute to get back to her feet with her arms in the straitjacket, her heart pounding all the way. Homura was going to call for help once she peeked through the bars, but what she saw stopped her dead in her tracks.

Three people stood past the door. A pair of young girls, obviously twins, stood in front of a desk. They both wore velvet blue dresses over black undershirts, dress shoes and socks and velvet blue nurse’s caps with a gold cross emblazoned on them. The one on her right wore her platinum blonde hair in twin buns, had a medical eyepatch over her right eye and wore a sneer on her face. The one to her left had her hair in a low braided ponytail, that same kind of eyepatch over her left eye and a more taciturn expression. Their visible eyes burned gold, almost unnaturally so. Sitting at the desk behind them was an even stranger man. He was almost grotesque, with bulbous eyes, a nose longer than her forearm and a perpetual hunch. He wore a well tailored suit and white gloves.

“Greetings Trickster…” He said, meeting Homura’s eyes, an unkind smile on his lips.

“Welcome to my Velvet Room.”

Chapter Text

“Velvet… Room…?” Homura breathed, looking out from the window. 

“The you in reality is currently fast asleep, Patient.” One of the little nurses hissed, “You’re in the presence of our master, stand up straight!”

Homura complied almost instinctually, but her eyes never left the man behind the desk. 

“I am glad to make your acquaintance, Trickster. I am Igor, the master of this room.”

“What is this place?” Homura asked.

“This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. It is a place only those bound by a ‘contract’ can enter.”

Instantly Homura’s mind rang every single alarm bell possible, though she couldn’t understand why.

“What contract!? I didn’t-”

Igor laughed and raised a hand, “There is nothing for you to worry about. This contract is quite unlike the one you signed before. All that you have agreed to do is take responsibility for your own actions.”

Signed before?

“What are you talking about?” 

Somehow, impossibly, Igor’s eyes grew even wider. The twins looked utterly flabbergasted. With an understated laugh, Igor continued, “I see! So this is the path that fate decrees, how interesting… Anyways, I have summoned you here to speak of important matters.”

“Important matters?”

Igor completely ignored her, “The state of this room is a surprise to me as well. This place reflects what is inside the visitor’s heart. To think that an asylum would appear… It seems you are not only a prisoner of fate, but a prisoner within your own mind as well. Anyways, there is no doubt that ruin awaits you, awaits the world in the future.”

Ruin!?

Seemingly reading her face, Igor laughed once again, “Do not fret, there are means to avoid this fate. You must be “rehabilitated,” rehabilitated towards freedom. That is your only means of avoiding ruin. Do you have the resolve to challenge the distortion of this world?”

“...I don’t know.”

Igor’s grin grew meaner, “I suppose we will just have to see,” he blinked, “Ah, forgive me for failing to introduce my assistants. To your right is Caroline, to your left, Justine.”

Homura looked over at the twins. The one on her right, Caroline, carried a syringe full of some unspeakable liquid. Justine, the nurse on her left, carried a simple clipboard.

“Do not resist, Patient! You will accept your treatment whether you like it or not!” Caroline cried.

“I understand how you must feel, but we are not enemies, Patient,” Justine said serenely, “Our treatment is for your own good.”

Homura narrowed her eyes. 

“I will elaborate on their roles at a later occasion.” Igor said, “Now, it appears the night is waning. You will come to understand this place in time, for now… Attempt to reclaim that which you have lost. I doubt you will even be able to start the game without it.”

Suddenly, an alarm started ringing from somewhere Homura couldn’t see. 

“Time’s up, go back to sleep, Patient!” Caroline said. Homura’s vision grew hazy until she fell backwards, consciousness dissolving into mist.

Homura came into wakefulness slowly, almost painfully. She stared at the unfamiliar ceiling until she remembered where she was. Right, Sakura-san’s café. Then there was that strange dream she had. Ruin? Rehabilitation? Velvet Room? Homura needed to get a grip, today was important. She got dressed as quickly as she could, some unknowable pressure on her shoulders.

“So you’re awake.” Sakura-san said just as he came into her room. He was wearing a stylish fedora, white pants and a white jacket with a pink undershirt.

“Sakura-san…”

“We’ve gotta go get you introduced to the faculty at your school before the transfer. Shujin Academy is in the Aoyama district. You can get there by train but it’s expensive and the line transfers are a headache. I’ll drive you, but only today.”

The two of them got down to the lobby, before Homura stopped, “Can I get a glass of water?”

“Yeah… Why?”

“I need to take my medication.” Was all Homura said. Sakura-san got her a glass and Homura swallowed the pills, a couple of things for her heart, her antidepressant and her antipsychotic. She kinda hated taking the antipsychotic, it often made her drowsy and gave her a headache, but it was infinitely better than not taking it. The memories of what it was like waking up in the hospital after the hurricane brought a chill down her spine. Once she was done, Sakura-san sighed as they walked out the door.

“Honestly, you’re way too young to be in my passenger seat.”

Shujin Academy loomed over Homura, almost looking like a maximum security prison. Homura’s nerves were firing on all cylinders.

“Do me a favor and control yourself, alright?” Sakura-san said, “Don’t get me wrong, I don’t care about you. Just don’t cause me any trouble.”

With a sinking feeling in her chest, Sakura-san led Homura through the empty school building, stopping at the principal’s office. The man himself was rather rotund, with a bald head and a beige suit. Next to him was a tired looking woman with chin length and disheveled brown hair. She wore a yellow striped shirt and a jean skirt. The woman’s eyes widened when she caught sight of her.

“Just so we’re clear, if we catch any sign of wrong doing from you, you will be immediately expelled. I will admit, I was hesitant to accept someone with your… Condition, especially considering your track record,” The principal’s eyes narrowed, “Control yourself and there will be no problems. Remember, there is nowhere for you to go if you are kicked out of this school.”

Homura could tell, this man didn’t just think she was violently mentally ill, he also thought the reason why was because she was too weak to control herself. That she simply lacked the will to keep herself in check. Homura had dealt with that a lot, from the looks of disgust and somehow even more infuriating looks of pity that the people back in Mitakihara gave her once the case was over, once news of her supposed “insanity” was delivered. Everyone looked at her differently, even the girls in the Art Club, the closest people she had to friends, had dropped her like a hot potato in the end. All that bitterness and resentment threatened to spill over in that moment, to spew from her mouth like bile.

“I understand sir. Thank you for giving me this chance to get an education.” Homura said instead, bowing politely. Lashing out would just pour fuel on the fire. Homura had to do everything in her power to show these people that she could control herself.

Principal Kobayakawa nodded and gestured over at the woman beside him, “This is your homeroom teacher.”

“My name is Kawakami Sadayo. Here is your student ID.” She placed it on the desk in front of Homura, seemingly trying to avoid touching Homura. Homura took the ID without a word, “Be sure to read up on the school rules, any violations will send you to the guidance office. And if you get into any trouble, I won’t be able to protect you,” She looked over at her boss, “That is the deal, Principal Kobayakawa?”

“Akemi-san here is responsible for all of her actions.” The man said sternly.

Kawakami-sensei looked away, frustration clean on her face, “Still though, why me? There had to be someone better qualified for this…”

Why me?

It hit Homura like a bullet train, that sinking feeling in her chest falling into her gut, becoming something ghastly and hollow.

“It was a sudden transfer, and all the other classes were already full.” The principal said apologetically, as if Homura was just dead weight. There was nothing Homura hated more than feeling like a burden. It reminded her of… Things she’d rather put past her.

“I wish you were never born! You good for nothing drain on my life!”

Fighting tears, Homura keyed back into the conversation.

“If we’re done here, do you mind if we leave? I’ve got a store to get back to.” Sakura-san asked, looking more than a little tired.

“Make sure she keeps out of trouble, Sakura-san.” Principal Kobayakawa asked.

“Don’t worry, I’ll have a serious conversation with her about her situation.” the man in question said. The two of them left without another word, Homura could only see Sakura-san’s back as they walked. 

“They’re treating you like some kinda nuisance…” He muttered after a moment of silence, “That criminal record is going to follow you for the rest of your life. You can’t escape the past, I suppose. By the way, if you get expelled I won’t hesitate to kick you out.”

“I understand, Sakura-san.” Homura said grimly. That point had been reiterated so thoroughly that there was no way she wouldn’t understand. Sakura-san cringed a little, but moved on.

“Come on, we’re going home.” He said.

Honestly, Sadayo still didn’t understand why they decided to put the problem student in her class. Frankly, she had enough on her plate already, her second job had grown a bit more demanding recently, so she was losing sleep. Not that Kobayakawa knew any of that, if he did she’d probably be fired on the spot.

As she walked, she ran into another one of the teachers at Shujin. Watanabe-san approached, an uncharacteristic frown on her face. Her brown hair was tied up in a high ponytail and she wore her usual green tracksuit. She didn’t look the part of an amazing athlete, but Sadayo knew that tracksuit covered well developed muscles and a toned physique.

“What a troublesome situation we’re in.” She huffed, hands on her hips. Sadayo followed her gaze and saw Sakura-san and Akemi-san walking out of the school. 

“I still can’t believe they gave me someone with a record. A male teacher would be better suited to something like that.” Sadayo agreed, rubbing the back of her head.

“I can’t believe they admitted her in the first place! How are the students supposed to learn with a violent lunatic among them!”

Honestly, Sadayo had her doubts. Maybe it was wrong to judge just based on appearances, but Akemi-san seemed so thoroughly harmless that she could barely believe this was the troubled youth that Kobayakawa accepted. Looking at the girl’s face, watching her clearly holding back tears near the end…

Ugh, this is what she was talking about. A male teacher wouldn’t get bogged down by sympathy like this! For all she knew Akemi-san could be trying to manipulate her anyways…

“Who knows, it was the principal’s decision. I think I heard something about it increasing the school’s prestige?” Sadayo muttered, trying to put the memory of Akemi-san moments away from crying in the back of her mind.

“...I guess I can see it, reforming someone like that would be quite the achievement. Still, you'd think my archery team would be more than enough for that!” Watanabe-san’s trademark smile reappeared on her lips. It seemed even talking about that transfer student wasn’t enough to keep her down for long.

“Right, the tournament is coming up soon, right?”

Watanabe-san nodded, “Yep! Everyone’s working hard as always, especially Tomoe-chan. That girl’s aim is impeccable, she might even surpass me one day!”

“Really?” Sadayo’s eyes widened. Watanabe-san was a former Olympian, a gold medalist! She knew Tomoe-san was an incredible archer, but such a glowing endorsement was nearly hard to believe. Watanabe-san didn’t show it very often, but Sadayo knew she had a lot of pride in her skills. Admitting something like that must mean Tomoe was something special.

“Honestly, it might be causing some problems with the team. I think a couple of the other, less exceptional students are getting jealous of Tomoe-chan’s prowess.” Watanabe-san’s smile turned apologetic, “I’ll have to do something about it sooner rather than later.”

After a few moments of silence, Watanabe-san continued, “Anyways, keep yourself safe. If it were up to me, I’d have a ruffian like that thrown out of the school.” The woman turned and left.

Sadayo sighed, “Why did it have to be me?”

Homura was sitting in the passenger seat of Sakura-san’s car. The man himself was impatiently tapping the steering wheel, looking out at the traffic. The roads were absolutely rammed, though she didn’t know why. 

“Traffic’s not moving at all…” He glanced over at Homura, “Tomorrow, you’re taking the train.”

Homura nodded weakly, still worn out from the principal’s office.

“So, you think you can manage? The school, I mean.” Sakura-san asked.

“I… I think I’ll be fine.” Homura lied. Honestly she wasn’t hopeful about her chances. If she couldn’t make friends back in Mitakihara, why would she be able to make any here? The girls in the Art Club had tolerated her presence, but they never tried to hang out with her. More likely than not, Shujin would be no different. The Girl in the Static hadn’t been at Mitakihara Middle either, she likely moved away after the hurricane. The chances of meeting her again were little to none.

There was a moment of silence, before Sakura-san continued, “Don’t you dare go and do anything stupid, alright? You were already expelled from your previous school, I’m surprised they let you re-enroll at all. It’s not like anyone is going to be sympathetic… Hell, if that’s how they’re treating you at school, people might start saying things about me. What a troublesome kid I’ve taken in.”

Homura flinched, eyes locked firmly on her lap. She shakily asked, “Why did you take me in then?” Her eyes widened as she realized how rude it was. Before she could stutter out an apology, Sakura-san responded.

“One of my customers knew the matron of your orphanage and it just kinda happened. I’ve already been paid for it too.” He said, gesturing vaguely with one hand. Homura had nothing to say. In the silence that followed, the radio was easily noticeable.

“Once again, a subway train has derailed, causing massive delays across the entire subway system…”

“Another accident, I guess that’s why it’s so busy…” Sakura-san hummed, looking blatantly willing to change the topic.

Neither of them said another word for the rest of the drive.

The door jingled as the two of them entered café Leblanc. Homura felt the scent of coffee beans wash over her.

Sakura-san tsked, “I didn’t expect the traffic to be so bad, I didn’t even get to open the café…”

“I’m sorry.” Homura whispered, she wasn’t even sure if Sakura-san heard her. He glanced over his shoulder at her.

“Go upstairs, there’s something I need to talk to you about.” The man huffed. Homura complied without a word, walking up the stairs with as much strength as she could muster. Sakura-san raised an eyebrow when he saw her breathing heavily once she finally reached the top.

“You’re winded from a single flight of stairs?” He asked.

“I… Have a heart condition… I can’t be too active or else my chest starts to hurt… So I’m weaker than most people…” Homura said between breaths.

Sakura-san’s other eyebrow raised as well, “I thought they said you had surgery for that and all that you had to worry about was medication for your disorder?”

Homura pulled herself together and spoke, “My heart condition was going to kill me before the age of 25 before the surgery three years ago. Now all it does is keep me physically weak. I should be fine as long as I’m not constantly walking up and down the stairs. My disorder…” Thinking about her condition wasn’t something she liked doing. The doctors had called it ‘Treatment Resistant Schizophrenia’ after the first few medications had failed to improve it. She got hallucinations, mostly auditory, but occasionally she saw things that weren’t there. Apparently it was caused by a combination of genetic factors and the trauma from the hurricane. Homura continued, “As long as I continue to take my medication, my condition won’t be a problem. The severity of it was massively overstated in the court case.”

Sakura-san accepted it with a nod, “Two things then. First things first, in a couple of days I’ll introduce you to your doctor. She’s busy right now, but assuming nothing flares up in that time you should be fine. Secondly…” He pulled a small notebook out of his pocket, “This is a diary, make sure you write in it. You may be on probation, but there aren't any restrictions on what you can do, as long as you don’t break the law. I do have to report on your actions though, so using it would be very helpful.”

Homura took the book, idly thumbing through the blank pages. Afterward, Sakura-san’s phone went off. He turned away from her and pulled it out.

“Hey, what’s up?” He smiled kindly, “Don’t worry, I’ll be there in no time… Yep, see you soon.”

Homura hadn’t seen a face like that from Sakura-san yet. Who was he talking to?

He looked back over at her, “I’ll be heading out now, so do whatever you want with the rest of your night. Don’t mess up my store though, if anything goes missing I’ll hand you over to the cops.”

Homura nodded once again, and Sakura-san left. She stared at the diary for a few moments before deciding what to write down.

“I had a bad day.”

Placing the notebook on a side table, Homura practically fell into her bed. The tough day weighing on her mind, sleep took her without a fight.

Homura sat behind the desk in the courtroom, a sense of inescapable doom surrounding her. The man from that night was just a few meters from her, on the other side of the desk. He glared at her like her mere presence was offensive, like the fact that he was forced to be in this courtroom was a personal slight he would never forgive. The public defender that had been given to her looked utterly defeated. When they’d spoken before, all he’d said was ‘I’ll try to get you as light a sentence as possible.’

“There is another piece of evidence I have to submit,” The prosecutor said, waving a series of documents, “It involves the defendant's medical history…”

Suddenly, every vein in Homura’s body turned to ice. There was no way he was going to-

“This young woman has had a… Troubled history with her own mental health. She has been formally diagnosed with Treatment Resistant Schizophrenia and Clinical Depression. Disorders that call into question her capacity to give valid testimony. Schizophrenia in particular is characterized by visual and auditory hallucinations and delusions. How are we to trust-”

No no no no no no no no no no no-

“Objection! How exactly does the defendant’s previous medical history stop her from giving valid testimony-”

“Overruled.” The judge said, “The prosecution may continue.”

Homura’s heart pounded in her chest, her breath coming up short. It felt like the world was closing in on her, threatening to crush her into paste.

“Thank you. As I was saying, Akemi-san’s mental disorders are characterized by hallucinations and delusions, both things that call into question the validity of her testimony. How do we know what she ‘saw’ weren’t just delusions of heroism crafted in her mind?”

Silence, nothing but silence. Everyone, the judge, the jury, the people who had come to watch, they were all staring at her.

“...Is this true, defendant?” The judge asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I am n-not insane!” Homura had cried, an outburst she would come to regret.

“That is not what I asked.” The judge said sternly, raising an eyebrow.

…

“It is, b-but I take medication! I don’t hallucinate very often at all!” Homura stuttered, terror thrumming through her veins. Chatter filled the courtroom as people gossiped amongst themselves.

“Order! Order in the court!” The judge said, slamming the gavel against his desk, “If this is the case, it does call her testimony into question…”

Tears welled up in Homura’s eyes, a cold sweat sticking to her skin.

“There is one final thing the prosecution would like to present. A witness statement.”

“Very well.”

“The prosecution calls Hibana Yuki-san to the stand.”

A woman walked into the courtroom, long brown hair and anxious brown eyes. Homura nearly gasped. It was the woman she tried to help! Surely she’d tell them what actually happened!

She stood at the witness podium and gave her information. Name (Hibana Yuki), occupation (hostess at a club), do you swear to tell nothing but the truth, (of course). Homura met her eyes through the stinging tears. Something crossed the woman’s face, before her gaze turned. Homura followed it and found the plaintiff, the man who was trying to ruin her life, the man whose name she didn’t even know. An utterly miserable look overtook Hibana-san’s face.

“What did you witness on the night of the incident?”

“...That girl attacked that man over there!” Hibana-san cried.

Any hope in Homura’s heart shriveled up into dust.

The rest of the case passed by in a complete haze, Homura barely able to comprehend what was happening to her. It was all she could do to keep herself from breaking down and sobbing. Eventually, she heard the man, the plaintiff, clear his throat. Homura looked up at him and he met her gaze from behind his orange sunglasses.

He gave Homura a wicked grin.

…

He did something. That woman’s false testimony, he was responsible for it. Why? Why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why-

The judge slammed his gavel against the table, “Guilty!”

She was handcuffed again, and pulled out of the courtroom.

Why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why-

All at once, the floodgates opened, and the tears started in full.

She had just wanted to help…

What had she done to deserve this?

Homura awoke with unshed tears in her eyes, a common theme of her life recently. She pulled herself out of bed and got dressed as quickly as she could, trying to put the dream/memory behind her. Waddling down the stairs, Homura found Sakura-san standing behind the bar, a plate of steaming hot curry on the table.

“Oh, you actually are going to school? Go ahead, eat up,” He said, washing dishes, “Make sure to finish before the customers get here.”

“Curry for breakfast?” 

“Yeah, got a problem?”

“No… I just thought this was a coffee shop.” Homura mumbled, sliding into her seat. One bite of the curry was all it took for her to realize she was eating something incredible. The complex flavor melded with the spiciness extremely well!

Seemingly reading Homura’s face, Sakura-san asked, “You like it? You’d be surprised at how well curry goes with coffee.”

“It’s really good!” Homura said once she was done with the curry. She took her medication and left for school as soon as she could. It wouldn’t do to be late on the first day.

“Flip the sign to open for me on your way out, okay?”

“Okay!”

Homura walked out the door, flipped the sign, took a deep breath and set off. She made her way to the station, managed to make her line transfers, and made it to the Aoyama district with time to spare. Her first day at a new school was almost paralyzing for her mentally. Was she going to do well? Mitakihara Middle was pretty far ahead of the curb in terms of math, but other subjects might be a problem for her. It was the start of high school as well, for all she knew the difficulty could jump considerably. The teachers had said that her record would be a secret, which was nice. Homura knew that if she didn’t even have a chance to make friends without her past hanging over her she’d crumple into a ball and explode.

She was so trapped in her own head that she didn’t even notice the other girl in front of her before she bumped into her. Homura tumbled back on the ground, her glasses flying off of her face.

“My glasses!” Homura cried, feeling around for them in the middle of the sidewalk. Suddenly, she felt someone press her glasses into her hands.

“Sorry for knocking you over.” The girl apologized. Her figure was blurry until Homura put her glasses back on. She had fluffy pink hair tied up into twintails with yellow ribbons. Her facial features were soft, her pink eyes round and kind. She wore the Shujin school uniform just like her, a black blazer with the school emblem on the breast, a red, grey and black plaid skirt and a pair of white thigh high stockings, a personal touch. There was something deeply familiar about her…

The girl held out a hand, “I’ll help you up. What’s your name?”

“Akemi Homura.” she said, taking the hand and getting to her feet. Now that they were both on their feet, Homura realized she was slightly taller than her.

“Nice to meet you, Akemi-san. My name’s Kaname Madoka!” She said, a brilliant smile on her face. For reasons Homura couldn’t parse, she smiled alongside her.

Somehow, someway, it felt like things were going to be alright.

Chapter Text

“K-Kaname-san…”

“Is something wrong?”

“You know you don’t have to walk with me if you don’t want to…” Homura stuttered.

“No way! Hitomi-chan is getting driven to school and I was a little early to meet up with Sayaka-chan… Why not walk with a new friend!” Kaname-san’s smile was radiant as she walked ahead of her.

“F-Friend!?” Homura almost squeaked.

“Oh no, was I being presumptuous?” Kaname-san asked, looking a little bashful.

“Not at all!” Homura said a bit too quickly, “I just… We barely know each other and…”

“And…?”

Homura looked away, face heating up, “People don’t usually want to be my friend…” It was an embarrassing admission, but Kaname-san needed to know what she was getting into, right?

Kaname-san just stared at her for a few moments before she tilted her head, “Why?”

“I guess I’m not a very likeable person?” Homura couldn’t stop from fidgeting.

“Who told you that?” Kaname-san’s eyes narrowed.

Suddenly feeling a little scolded, Homura answered, “Um… Some of my former classmates and-”

“You shouldn’t listen to people like that, they aren’t worth your time.” Kaname-san interrupted her, a serious look on her face.

“Oh…” Homura supposed that Kaname-san was right, but it was hard. Most of the people who said things like that to her were bullies, but that didn’t mean what they were saying wasn’t true, right?

Kaname-san took in her expression and laughed apologetically, “Sorry, we just met and here I am lecturing you.”

“No, you’re probably right, I just…” Homura fell silent, unable to describe what she meant in any meaningful way.

The pink haired girl shook her head, “Anyways, I want to be your friend, Akemi… Do you mind if I call you Homura?”

Wh-

Homura’s face flushed a brilliant red. Wasn’t there supposed to be steps in between ‘we just met’ and ‘first name basis’!? If this kept going, it was going to be bad for her heart!

(Homura couldn’t escape the thrill that ran down her spine. She actually made a friend!)

“W-Why?” Homura barely managed to stutter out.

“I like your name a lot, it’s so unusual! It means flame y’know, so it’s like you’re supposed to flare up with passion! It’s super cool!” Kaname-san said enthusiastically.

“I guess… I don’t live up to my name then…” Homura muttered.

“But that’s such a shame! I bet you could be really cool if you tried, Homura-chan!”

That “Homura-chan” hit the girl in question like a punch to the gut alongside a burst of Deja Vu that slammed into the back of her head like a hammer. She couldn’t shake this… This almost sickening familiarity Homura felt when speaking with Kaname-san. It was like Homura had forgotten something important, so important that forgetting it would be so nigh impossible. And yet she’d managed anyway.

“Say, I’ve never seen you at Shujin before. Are you in a different class?” Kaname-san asked, pulling Homura out of her thoughts.

“I-I’m a new transfer.”

“This early in the year? Do you know what class you’re in?”

“Kawakami-sensei’s class. I spoke with her about my transfer yesterday.”

Kaname-san’s eyes lit up, “Oh, that’s my class! I can show you around and introduce you to my friends, it’ll be awesome!”

A slight smile crossed Homura’s face. They didn’t speak much for a while, nothing but small talk (Kaname-san’s favorite color was pink, her favorite food was cream stew and she was a cat person,) but it was the happiest Homura could remember being in years.

Eventually, they came to a red light with another Shujin girl standing underneath it. She wore the uniform skirt and tights, but her shirt was slightly different, a turtleneck instead of a golf shirt. Over that, she wore a yellow and white varsity jacket. Her hair was blonde and done up into a pair of ringlets. She glanced over at them with similarly colored eyes, smiled and waved lightly. 

“Hello.” The student said politely. There was a tension in her posture that didn’t make any sense.

“Hi!” Kaname-san called back. 

Homura, for her part, blurted out, “Is that allowed?”

When both of the girls turned to look at her, Homura flushed and finished explaining, “The jacket, I mean.”

“Oh!” The blonde giggled, “The uniform policy at Shujin is more relaxed for second and third years. You only need to wear one part of the uniform. Even for first years, as long as you wear most of the uniform, you should be fine. Anyways, I’m Tomoe Mami.”

“My name is Kaname Madoka and this is Akemi Homura.” Kaname-san replied.

Homura had never been introduced to someone else by a friend before.

“Are you new here, Akemi-san?” Tomoe-senpai asked.

“She just transferred in today.”

“And you’re already friends with her? You must be quite the charmer, Kaname-san.” A flicker of something Homura couldn’t parse flashed through Tomoe-senpai’s eyes before it was gone in an instant.

Kaname-san joined Homura in blushing, “No way! I’m usually not that good at making friends, I got lucky this time.”

Well, if Homura was being honest, Kaname-san was very charming. It felt like she’d seen Homura and instantly latched onto her for some reason. She didn’t know what drove a person to look at her and think ‘that’s friend material,’ but she was extremely grateful.

Just then, a car pulled up beside them. The window rolled down, revealing a woman with a brown ponytail and a green track suit.

“Yo, Tomoe-chan, mind if I give you a ride?” The woman asked, a nigh blinding smile on her face.

“Oh… Sure.” Tomoe-senpai said, climbing into the car without another word. The woman turned to Homura and Kaname-san, eyes narrowing at Homura specifically, but she still extended the offer to them as well.

“I’d rather walk.” Kaname-san said.

“Uh, me too.” Homura answered.

“Alrighty then.” The woman replied.

Tomoe-senpai looked at them, “Hopefully I’ll see you two again.” Her smile was a little brittle as the window rolled back up. Just as the car started to drive off, Homura heard footsteps approaching. A bottle blonde boy threw a fountain drink at the car as it left, missing entirely. He wore the Shujin uniform with the suspenders off to the sides and a yellow graphic tee on under the blazer.

“Damnnit! Son of a- stupid asshole thinks she’s some kind of shogun-” He scowled, looking around. His eyes landed on Kaname-san and Homura. He seemed to take Homura’s confusion as an insult, “What, either of you two got a problem?”

(Distortion logged.)

“No no, we were just leaving. Come on, Homura-chan.” Kaname-san grabbed Homura by the arm and pulled her across the street, the lights having turned green. The delinquent didn’t follow.

“Do you know who that was?” Homura asked.

“He’s one of the second year boys, I think. He’s a bit abrasive, but I don’t think he’s a bad person.” Kaname-san replied.

“What about the lady in the car?”

Kaname-san’s face turned dubious, “That was Watanabe-sensei. She’s the gym teacher at Shujin. Don’t take this as gospel, but I get a bad feeling about her, and I’ve heard some… Rumors.”

(Name found.)

“Rumors…?”

“I’ve heard she abuses the archery team.” Kaname-san said grimly.

(Beginning Navigation.)

Homura felt a spike of pain in her head. Kaname-san grimaced as well. Did something happen? A bizarre uneasiness overtook her, something she couldn’t explain.

After a moment of silence, Kaname-san shook her head, “Let’s just get to school, okay?”

“Mmhm.”

They walked the rest of the way to Shujin in silence, with Kaname-san leading Homura. They took a little shortcut and found themselves in front of a massive Japanese castle.

“Isn’t this… Where the school is supposed to be?” Homura asked weakly, disbelief coloring her words.

“I’m… I don’t think we took a wrong turn?” Kaname-san looked just as flabbergasted as Homura was. The black haired girl glanced at the sign, it said ‘Shujin Academy.’

“Do we go in?”

“I guess?”

The two girls hesitantly entered the strange fortress.

“This… Isn’t the inside of the school.” Kaname-san muttered as they looked around. The castle was truly grand, the central keep was massive, the roof so high that their words echoed. Nobody was around, the silence was freaking Homura out. Just then, a series of footsteps rang out through the keep. The both of them turned to see… Someone wearing medieval Japanese footsoldier armor approaching them, spear in hand, pallid mask on their face. They looked… Vaguely human, but their proportions were just a little bit off, just a little bit alien.

“Um… Are you a student?” Homura called out to the person. Kaname-san took one look at them and grabbed Homura by the wrist.

“That isn’t a person.” She breathed, sounding horrified. By the time Homura understood what Kaname-san was implying, the pink haired girl had already pulled her away, the both of them running down a hall.

“Stop!” The thing cried, an alarm shrieking throughout the fortress. More and more footsteps appeared, a wave of strange soldiers chasing after them. Kaname-san darted around corners and through halls until they found a courtyard. It was then, of course, that Homura’s heart finally started to fail on her. The black haired girl tumbled to the ground, clutching her chest painfully.

“Homura-chan! What’s wrong!?” Kaname-san cried, crouching down to look over her.

“My chest- I can’t-” Homura whimpered, “You need to leave me-”

Before she could finish her sentence, however, they were surrounded by the soldiers, spears pointed at them. Kaname-san kneeled around her as if to protect her.

“Would you look what we have here…” A feminine voice with an unnatural timbre washed over them. Homura, vision a little hazy from over-exerting herself, turned to see a woman in green samurai armor walking towards them. She had a bow and quiver slung over her shoulder and a katana at her waist. Her eyes were burning gold, almost like the nurses in the velvet room, but stranger, more malicious. The woman continued, “A pair of rats scurrying around in my fortress?”

“Watanabe-sensei!?” Kaname-san nearly shrieked, obviously terrified. Homura’s head was still woozy, she could barely feel anything right now.

The samurai woman raised an eyebrow, “Oh, someone who recognizes me? I’m surprised you would defy me by trespassing…”

“K-Kaname-san…” Homura slurred out, some amount of coherence returning to her.

“Trespassing? We don’t even know how we got here!” The pink haired girl yelled.

The samurai woman raised a hand and a path cleared through the soldiers. She walked slowly, seemingly savouring each step, before she came to a stop in front of Kaname-san. Homura was barely managing to pull herself to her knees when the samurai spoke.

“Beg for forgiveness and I may spare your lives.” 

“Wha-“

Before Kaname-san could finish, the back of Watanabe’s fist struck her chin with a dull thud. The pink haired girl let out a choked cry as she crumpled to the floor. Homura could see the shine of tears in her eyes, the beginnings of a bruise on her face.

“What part of ‘beg for forgiveness’ did you not understand, peasant?”

Something inhuman howled from the depths of Homura’s soul. With a scream, she lunged at Watanabe with all of her meager strength. The woman stumbled backwards as Homura tackled her, but in the end she grabbed her by the throat and lifted her off the ground. A regal sneer crossed the samurai’s face.

“Oh, I recognize you. You’re that lunatic. What did you think a weakling like you could do to someone like me? I’m practically untouchable!” The hand squeezed Homura’s throat even tighter, leaving her gasping for breath, “To think that someone like you dared to raise a hand against me…”

Watanabe threw Homura to the ground, leaving her winded.

“However, I am a magnanimous leader. Prostrate yourself before me and beg for your life and I will consider letting such a dire slight go.” There was something utterly sickening in the woman’s eyes, a sadistic glee that made Homura want to puke.

“H-Homura-chan…” she heard Kaname-san gasp out from behind her. The pain in her voice made her blood boil.

Still, she didn’t have a choice. The only reason they were caught was Homura’s weakness. If Kaname-san had done the smart thing and abandoned her, she would be safe right now. All of this was Homura’s fault, she had to take responsibility.

Homura got on her hands and knees, bowing her head, “p-please forgiv-“

Watanabe planted her boot on Homura’s head and slammed it into the ground, “Apologize properly, peasant.”

Guilt and shame and humiliation spilled from Homura’s eyes as tears, there was a dull throbbing in her skull. She choked out her apology between sobs, “P-Please forgive us! I beg of you! At the very least, spare Kaname-san’s life!”

“Oh? You’d give your life to save hers?” Watanabe asked.

“Homura-chan, you can’t- I’m not worth-”

“She is the first friend I’ve ever made, my life is a small price to pay.”

“Hmmmm…” Homura couldn’t see her, but she could hear Watanabe pacing, considering. After a few moments, the samurai made her decision, “Nah!”

She kicked Homura in the shoulder, sending her tumbling over to where Kaname-san was.

“Guards, execute them both! Kill the pink one first, make it slow.” With a sickening laugh, Watanabe ordered their death sentence. The ashigaru readied their spears, an empty malignance in their eyeless gazes.

Honestly, it wasn’t even her impending death that bothered her, it was the fact that her weakness was going to take Kaname-san with her. Her only friend was going to die, and it would be Homura’s fault. Kaname-san hugged Homura, trembling so badly that Homura could feel it. All Homura could do was choke on her own despair-

Something caught Homura’s eye, a small, glittering blue butterfly. It left shimmering dust in its wake. There was something unnatural about it, but not in the same way as the ashigaru or the samurai woman, it seemed more… Ethereal. A voice echoed across Homura’s mind, soft and gentle.

“You are held captive. A prisoner of fate to a future that has been sealed in advance.”

“This is truly an unjust game... Your chances of winning are almost none. But you have grown used to such games, haven’t you? if my voice is reaching you, there may yet be a possibility open to you…” 

“Allow me… To even the playing field.”

The butterfly drifted towards her and silently landed on her forehead. It disappeared in a burst of blue glitter. And then-

“That’s such an unusual name, do you mind if I call you Homura-chan?”

Friendship.

“We’re Magical Girls, don’t tell anyone in our class!”

Wonder.

“Why did you have to die instead of me!?”

Misery.

“Do you truly mean that, Akemi Homura?”

Joy.

“I wish to go back to my first meeting with Kaname-san, but instead of her protecting me, I’ll be the one protecting her!”

Purpose.

“I came back so I could be a Magical Girl by your side, Kaname-san!”

Hope.

“Why… Why did you become a-“

Despair.

“How do we know you aren’t trying to trick us, transfer student?”

Pain.

“If Magical Girls become Witches, then our only choice is to die!”

Violence.

“I can’t take it anymore!”

Horror.

“I lied, I had one left.”

Terror.

“Homura-chan, can you make me a promise?”

Duty.

“There’s one last thing… I don’t want to become a Witch.”

Resignation.

“I won’t rely on anyone ever again!”

Resolve.

“I’m sorry Homura-chan. All I can hope is that you’ll remember me.”

Failure.

“MADOKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”

Loss.

-Homura remembered. The memories filled her mind to the brim. It nearly overwhelmed her, the pain, the trauma, everything that she had experienced in that forever-month in Mitakihara. Some parts were still hazy, especially near the end. There was one thing keeping her together, Kaname-san- Madoka, hugging her, terrified for her life, all because this piece of human refuse held some amount of power over the both of them.

“Homura-chan.” Madoka murmured, barely audible.

Resolve crystalized in Homura’s mind, she had to protect Madoka, no matter the cost!

My oh my… it appears you’ve finally come to your senses. A familiar voice from the depths of Homura’s mind whispered, alongside a sound like breaking glass. There was something sinister about the voice, an almost tenebrous hiss that suffused it. But somehow, Homura knew what, knew who this was.

Yes! Come to me!

Such a fiery response! It appears you already know the question I am going to ask you…

Was helping that woman… No, was making that wish a mistake?

Absolutely not.

Very well then. Allow our contract to proceed at once!

Pain. Pain unlike anything Homura had felt ran through her head. It felt like someone had rammed a railway spike into her brain. A pulse of pure unfiltered power ran through the air, blasting the ashigaru backwards, shocking the samurai woman out of her glee. She didn’t allow a single noise to escape her mouth, however, all she did was clutch her head and rise to her feet.

Vow to me, that nothing will stand between us and protecting that which we cherish ever again. That your resolve will never waver in such a disgraceful manner ever again. That the only way anyone will harm our friends again is by climbing over our corpse.

I swear.

Naturally. Now then, I am thou, thou art I… Though we may be bound to perdition, our curse shall burn down all who oppose us! Reach out and grasp the power that is rightfully yours!

 There was a beat of silence, as Homura looked up. Something was stuck to her face, and it needed to be off right now. She grabbed and pulled, but it wouldn’t budge. She kept at it until the skin on her face began to peel off.

“Per-”

RIP!

“So-”

TEAR!

“Na!”

SPLAT!

The mask fell and tumbled to the floor, blood weeping from the torn skin. A burst of blue fire erupted from the ground surrounding her, flowing over her body and evaporating the blood on her face. An almost manic grin split her face, the flames floating off of her and coalescing into a new figure. The flames left her in a new, yet familiar outfit. It was her Magical Girl costume, with a few additions, a stark white trench coat and a pair of purple gloves. Her shield rested on her arm, though Homura could already tell it lacked its prior power. Behind her, something loomed. She couldn’t see it, but she knew exactly who and what she was.

She was massive, almost 3 times as tall as Homura when her neck was up. Pitch black scales and golden pinprick eyes, teeth and claws of pearlescent ivory and a pair of curved horns rested on her head. She was draped in jewels and loud, almost garish fabrics, as if she was wearing a dress made for a beast. Her underbelly was a dark grey, the webbings of her wings a similar color. Atop her head laid a conical hat with a veil, decorated with gilding and luxurious gems. Her tail lashed back and forth idly, an almost bored quality to it. She adjusted herself and rested imperiously, with all the countenance of a conquering queen.

A dragon. Her power, her Persona, was a dragon.

“Homura-chan!?” Madoka cried, eyes darting between her and the dragon.

From the sea of thy soul I come forth! I am the wicked fairy, Carabosse!

Homura walked forward, firmly placing herself between Watanabe and Madoka.

“Ma-Kaname-san.” The girl in question perked up at Homura’s words, “Don’t worry…”

With a gout of blue flames, a dagger appeared in Homura’s hand. She pointed it at Watanabe, determination hardening her eyes.

“I will protect you!”

And for the first time in 2 years, Akemi Homura felt like herself again.