*Homura Breaks Loose*

I grab Madoka's hand and she comes back to normal. The golden light dissipates. Homura takes this opportunity to leave the area. Soon after, Sayaka appears.

"Are you two alright?"

I reply, "We're fine." Madoka nods in agreement.

"How is the spy mission going?"

"Unpredictably, as you'd expect. She appears to be improving, but there's no telling what can happen next."

"What should Madoka and I do then?"

"Wait for it. If I detect anything untoward, I'll message. If something really crazy, like the apocalypse happens, then I'll give you both a call and we'll meet at the park, the one near Sayaka's place asap."

"Okay."

"I'll have to continue with this for now. Sayaka, if you feel anything off and I haven't called up, then do what you think is right. Follow your instinct, even if it tells you to be the opposite of rational."

"That I will surely do. Should Madoka and I be together? It'll be easier then for us to come when needed."

"That you can decide. Madoka, this is probably confusing for you, but everything that's happening now is real. Nobody will have told you before, but you possess immense power. We will need it to defeat Homura."

Madoka is still confused. Sayaka asks if we're going on an all out war

"Something like it. Your suspicions have been confirmed. I'm sorry Madoka, nobody can really tell if you and Homura can ever be friends or not. Only in time will we get to know."

I separate from them and get back to Homura, who is found on the terrace alone. She looks like she'll spill over in tears any second. I ask her.

"Hey, can I take you somewhere?"

"Home maybe. I don't want to be here now."

"We'll get a letter from the nurse's office then. Come with me."

We go to the nurse's office, get our letter and they give me permission to go as well, when I state that there's nobody to take her. We exit the school and go back to Homura's home. We sit round a table.

"How did you manage to do it?"

"Do what?"

"Stop Madoka from changing form."

"I'm not sure. I just willed it to happen and it did. My guess would be that if someone approaches her wholly with that intention, then it works."

"That would make sense."

She stands and walks to the kitchen, returning a while later with a jug and glasses of water and fills one for herself. Joining her, we both sip water, neither of us saying a word. She then leads me to another room I've never been in before. It is long, like a passageway the length of the entire apartment.

There's a partition that blocks a small section of the room. She moves it aside to disclose a weaponry. Guns and bows lay on shelves, a few bags of arrows at the side. She picks a black bow with two gems embedded near the centre on either side. I look at the bow in awe.

"Well are you going to gape at them or pick a weapon?"

"I'm not sure what to use."

"Try a bow, the recoil can be nasty with guns for an inexperienced shooter."

I choose a blue bow with tinges of purple, designed like the evening sky. She leads me outside and closes the partition, then adds two dart boards side by side on it.

"Let's see how good you can be with these. I normally won't open this place for just about anyone, but something feels not right, and I can only trust you... Let's just get started."

She looks about to go in despair again. I get her seated on the nearest stool and send a text to Sayaka to inform Madoka and get ready at the garden soon.

Homura recovers and begins shooting arrows, still seated.

They hit the bulls eye on both boards. She hands an arrow to me, showing me the proper posture and hand grip of both, the bow and the arrow. I am about to shoot I'd guess to be the dead centre on one board, noticing there is no breeze to move the arrow to either side.

It hits the board, not the centre but close enough for a first timer. She thinks it's not too bad, and we go on for a half hour, till I shoot one far away from either board.

"You're tired. We'll go back for now. Maybe you'll get better at this soon."

She leads me out and we just enter the hall when all of a sudden, she slumps. Uh oh. I give a missed call to Sayaka, she's by far the most responsive and will realise what has transpired. Homura begins to stand, but there's a distant look in her eyes. Alarms ring in my head. I hold her while we descend the staircase, partially in restraint but making sure to look protective at the same time, so as not to be stopped or questioned.

We are on the way to the garden, the one she tried dying in and only then I notice my grip on her has loosened. Oddly enough, she neither asks me where we're going, nor fights me. The sky quickly darkens, although afternoon isn't yet over.

This is getting bad. Most people are running back to their houses, which is a rather smart idea. Some of them look at us weirdly before they retreat as well. Turns out storm clouds are forming directly above us. I shrug mentally, this is just part of her messed up emotions after all. The garden is deserted, save for a couple stray animals around. We go further in, and stop once at the centre. I make sure not to let go of her hand, and attempt making small talk. The latter isn't a good idea, as I find out. She begins to struggle and the look in her eyes change, from distant to a maddening gleam. My hold remains firm however, until I spot a certain pink haired friend, and next to her, somewhat hidden, Sayaka. Madoka has arrived.

Go to 7 A.