I've been working on this for a while teehee

The split hilltop was chilly, flowers blooming here and there, a fountain taken over by wildlife barely spitting out water into its pool. At the top of that split hill sat a white chair staring down at the glimmering city below and the moon that always seemed to be in the first quarter phase.

Dancing along the area was a young girl, frail, thin, her hair was long and black as the night, following behind her as she twirled and leaped. The tall grass brushing upon her as if it was cheering her on as she watched a creature she hated die. She stops, grabbing onto the white chair and looking at the city below.

She was selfish, she was evil. Before she went by the name of "Homura Akemi", but she wasn't deserving of such a name much longer, the only thing she could be called now is the devil.

She'd done it, she turned the goddess into a human. The human Madoka Kaname, no longer The Law of Cycles.

The devil sighed, sitting in the chair. This was routine for her, she was the class outcast for most, beautiful and shrouded with mystery, always having a sinister and threatening aura around her. Outside of school, she strayed away from people. Usually kept in her apartment, this hilltop, the park, or the void. The wind blew gently, carrying her hair across it with stray leaves.

Known to the devil, one person remembered her, one person despised her existence and had made it her goal to erase what was once Homura Akemi from the face of the universe. Sayaka Miki.

Sayaka crept up on the hill, seeing the stray flowers and spotting the devil immediately. The white chair is surrounded by red spider lilies with this demon sitting there silently looking at the city. She knew Sayaka was there, but paid no mind to her, wanting to keep this peace.

The bluenette's face twisted into nothing but anger and disgust seeing the other sitting there as if nothing was wrong. Walking up closer, not caring about the sound of brushing the grass. Coming closer and closer, all the way until she was directly behind Homura Akemi.

Sayaka opened her mouth to speak, only to be interrupted by the ravenette's soothing voice, "If you've come to lecture me, there's no point in that. You can go home, I'm not going to cave under the excuse of love and justice," she spoke, a monotone yet relaxed voice. Too relaxed.

"I haven't come to lecture you," spit Sayaka, "I've come to kill you."

The other laughed, a teasing little giggle that strained through her voice, almost as if it was forced out of her to tease her supposed executioner, "Be my guest then, if all you're planning on doing is killing Satan herself, go ahead."

The once disgusted Sayaka becomes confused, no fight, no arguments, no running, just acceptance, "Excuse me?"

"You heard what I said, you're only killing a person."

"You are no 'person', you're the devil." She spat

The other nodded, not turning to her executioner, not even once, "Perhaps, if all you've come to do is kill me then leave, you're wasting your time."

Sayaka grew angry, pushing the devil out of her chair and onto the grass, grabbing her from off the ground and holding her by her throat in the air over the cliff, looking Satan in the eyes without fear. "Your taunts do not affect me, you demon!" She shouts, "you don't think I'll toss you over this cliff and to your death, do you?! Because I will! I won't allow myself to know of you and not take action!"

Homura shrugs, not seeming to be bothered by the fact she was being choked. "Drop me and see what happens, you know that I'll survive."

And Sayaka did just that, watching as the devil fell into the trees below, huffing and panting.

Not really feeling different, she took a breath, turning to the cliff she just dropped Homura off of and watching as the devil rose from the ground, flying and making direct eye contact with the other. Her body was scratched up and bruised, bleeding in some areas. "You knew that was going to happen. Stop trying, Miki, it's not worth it."

Full of rage, Sayaka let out a battle cry and ran to tackle Homura, jumping off the cliff and grabbing onto Satan, hoping to send her to the ground but she continued to fly. She had fucked up. Looking to the ground below, the bluenette panicked, you're latching onto your worst enemy and they can drop and kill you, this is bad.

And to Sayaka's surprise, Homura grabbed her and held her like a baby. Sayaka instantly wrapped her arms around Homura's neck, not wanting to die. It was like an embrace, an unexpected embrace, Sayaka couldn't see anything, grasping tightly onto Homura, but felt Homura flying and lowering to the ground.

They hit the ground and Sayaka instantly let go of Homura, stumbling to the ground to find herself in front of her house, she was confused.

"Can't have Madoka's best friend seemingly commit suicide by jumping off a cliff, if I want her to be happy then you need to be alive," Homura explains, Sayaka only looking at her with shock. "If you ever decide to kill me again, you know where I'll be, but remember what happened tonight."

Before Sayaka could speak, Homura flew off into who knows where. She silently went back into her room, laying down on her bed and staring at the ceiling. That wasn't the devil who saved her, that was Akemi Homura herself. So who's the devil? The devil would've just let Sayaka die, the one who saved her was not the devil.

Tomorrow, she thought, she'd get answers out of Homura.

...

School went as normal, Sayaka came in and goofed off with Madoka. When they got to class, there she was, the black beauty herself, Homura Akemi staring off into space through the glass wall she sat by. Her head rested in a hand that was propped up on the desk, her other arm occupied tapping a soft beat into the desk. This was a normal sight, however, Sayaka had something to say to her this time.

"Hey Madoka, I'm gonna talk with that girl back there," Sayaka pointed at Homura, who hadn't been paying attention to them. Madoka looked confused, "I thought you hated Akemi-chan, why are you going to speak with her?" she asked. Sayaka shrugged, "I've got something to say to her. You stay here until I get back, alright?"

Madoka nodded in agreement as she watched Sayaka walk over to Homura's desk.

Homura ignored Sayaka, who was standing right next to her. She probably thought it was a girl that was going to ask Homura to hang out, but we can never be sure. "Hey," Sayaka strictly grabs Homura's attention. Homura only looked in Sayaka's general direction, her position not changing. "I need to talk to you after school. I want answers."

Homura sighed, "Alright, I'll be seeing you then," Sayaka's face lit up with victory, not saying a word in fear of ruining the moment she triumphantly walks back to Madoka. "What happened?" she asked, Sayaka shrugged, trying not to smirk too widely. The bell chimed a peaceful tune, alerting the students that class was starting.

Sayaka could barely pay attention, her victory was great, but at the same time, this was the first time she's asked Homura if she could talk privately. Would the devil be there, or would it be Homura? The anticipation was nerve-wracking.

As time passed, the more anxious Sayaka became, and then school was over. Sayaka left the building, spotting Homura next to a tree, waiting for her. "Hey, Madoka? I've gotta go talk with Akemi Homura, you can go on without me," Sayaka walked away before getting a response from her friend. Madoka watched as Sayaka went off and shrugged it off, going home.

There stood Homura, looking directly at Sayaka. "What is it?" she asked, seeming to have waited all day to know what Sayaka wanted.

"What the hell was that?" Sayaka questioned, getting a confused look from Homura. "What happened last night I mean," She looked to her side and continued talking, "You could've killed me, you could've let me die, why did you save my life?"

"I already told you it was because-"

"Because of Madoka, yeah yeah I know, but there's more to it, if you were the devil you'd let me die and erase me from Madoka's memories. Wouldn't that be easier?" Sayaka interrupted, teasing the idea of death. Homura went quiet, thinking of a logical way to respond.

A tomato was seen and gone, it had splattered all over Homura's face and she didn't even flinch. Another and another, the red liquid from the tomatoes ran down her face imitating blood. Sayaka was a little freaked out at the sight, the world around them shifted into a more purple hue as doll-like children ran from the scene of their crime. After what felt like hours, Homura finally responded, "Because I wanted to."

It went quiet, the world seemed to return to normal and there were no tomatoes on Homura's face anymore. "That's it?" Sayaka asked, getting impatient, "That's all, you saved me because you 'wanted to'?"

Homura nodded, it was hardly noticeable even if you were paying attention, "Yes. This ending wouldn't be a happy one without you, now would it?"

"But-"

"No buts, forget my existence and live life. Make sure Madoka's happy. Goodbye."

And in an instance, Homura was gone, everything was normal.

She hated Homura Akemi. The devil too. The two seemed inseparable yet completely different. Homura Akemi was the devil, but the devil wasn't Homura Akemi. It was confusing and to her, made complete sense.

This was unusual, and yet she knew exactly where she had gone. Sayaka went home anyway.

Hours pass, Sayaka plans to go see that devil as soon as she can. She wanted answers, she was fascinated. The two were the only ones who remembered the past worlds, there's so much she needs to talk about.

Midnight.

The old grandfather clock in Sayaka's house chimed a familiar tune, alerting Sayaka that it was 12 AM. She grabbed her bag and snuck out. The roads were empty, the occasional car passed but other than that it was desolate.

Sayaka headed her way to the hill, there used to be a flower field there but after it, all got removed people stopped going up here. The bluenette spots the fountain and turns her head to look up the hill.

As usual, the beauty sat there herself. Her hair blew gently in the wind as she hummed 'Mada dame yo' peacefully. Nobody would've guessed that she was the devil. Sayaka reached in her bag, pulling out a knife and a small blanket. She walked up the hill, her footsteps were heard by Homura, yet there were no movements on her part.

Before Sayaka got any closer, she froze at the sound of the devil's voice, "Won't you ever give up? There's nothing for you here."

Sayaka stayed quiet, thinking over a response, "I'm not going to give up. I have unfinished business here," she unfolded the blanket and laid it out next to the ravenette, and sat down on it. "We need to talk."

"We have nothing to talk about."

"Yes, we do! This world isn't right, it's artificial, it's all wrong!"

"It's one of happiness. Won't you ever just let go of your gripes and be happy?"

Sayaka clenched her fist in anger, enraged. She was so calm, never sugar coating anything, and had any remorse in her voice. If anything, this demon was annoyed at Sayaka's attempts.

She barely even glanced at Sayaka, just stared at the city, her eyes locked on the lights of the city. Even when Sayaka looked up to meet the devil's eyes, she's only greeted with the side of the devil's face.

Examining her face, it was neutral. Her eyes seemed empty and lost in thought, the other couldn't help but wonder what she was thinking about. Her mouth, not even a twitch of a smile, only remaining as a frown, not a big one, but one that was clearly feeling anything except happy.

Sayaka stares for who knows how long, and then finally opens her mouth, "What about you?"

Catching her by surprise, the devil turns to her with a confused look, "What?"

"You told me to let go of my gripes and be happy, but what about you?"

"I don't understand what you're talking about, Sayaka Miki."

"Are you happy?"

Silence.

She looked away, facing back to the city lights. Her face looked roughly the same, but this time her eyebrows were slightly more furrowed than before, looking with more intensity. There's a sudden tension.

Minutes pass, Homura's face never changes. Sayaka had been staring at her, examining her. Perhaps she also admired her beauty, but she'd never admitted that.

"Homura?" She asked, concerned.

"Leave."

Her voice was cold and harsh, scaring Sayaka a little. The bluenette nodded, grabbing the blanket and going back to her bag. She looked at Homura one last time before leaving. She looked the same, formal, and a little too calm.

Was she the devil or Homura?

...

Sayaka had a thought, it only crossed her mind but it made her pause, midway back to her house, she looked at the ground as if it had just spoken to her.

What if the devil never existed?

What if the devil was only an act put on by Homura to establish power? Was she... truly evil?

She had the urge to run back, to make sure she was alright, to talk longer, to force conversation. She shook it off, took a deep breath. It was only speculation, justifying the lingering hatred because she still ruined everything.

Homura was not at school that day.

At first, Sayaka didn't notice, she barely acknowledged Homura in school, but walking out at the end of the day, she glanced over to the tree Homura routinely stood around, staring at the falling cherry blossoms. She wasn't there. Sayaka didn't really pay any mind to it, she probably just went to that stupid hill early.

The bluenette didn't even go to the hill that day, sure of Homura being there. Perhaps it was panic that held her back, she didn't want to risk disproving herself.

The next day, Homura wasn't there. This time Sayaka noticed it. She leaned over to Madoka, asking, "Hey, where's Homura?"

Madoka blinked at Sayaka, confused. "Who..?"

She thought for a moment, thinking hard before gasping, "Oh, you mean Akemi-chan! I'm not sure, everybody thinks she moved to a new town, to pursue higher education I guess." Sayaka knew that was a lie, knew that was something, a rumor that Homura herself started and spread, using other people's thoughts and curiosity of her disappearance to her advantage.

As soon as school ended, Sayaka grabbed her bag and ran out of the room, running out of the school and running to the hill Homura seemed to live at. She heard her heart pounding to the rhythm of her shoes hitting the ground, Sayaka was sure that Hitomi and Madoka were far beyond confused at her sudden dash out of the school.

Arriving at the hill, it looked different. It didn't have the same energy, there were more flowers, more life. It didn't feel right. Arriving at the cliff, Homura wasn't there, not even the chair she always sat on. In its place were bunches of red spider lilies.

Sayaka was horrified at the sight. Night came and for once, the moon was different. A new moon. Her horror only grew. Where was she?

She simply went home, looking at the sky and the new moon that seemed to be extra lonely.

The days became less interesting and went by, it was fast, slipping through her fingers like sand or water. Madoka and she were still friends, even a year later. Sayaka had moved past it, or perhaps she convinced herself that she did.

Wandering through town, Sayaka was getting some food for herself. It was near the back of town, she hadn't gone to this place in a while but the food she craved for specifically was in this area. After she got the food she ordered, she began to stroll back to her house, when a chill ran down her spine.

Sayaka looked down one of the streets, some lights still on and barely anyone walking through. She knew this place. If she went down it, the path to the hilltop awaited. It seemed to call her name, "Sayaka! Sayaka! Sayaka!" it seemed to whisper.

Normally Sayaka would've just run home, but she hadn't been to the hilltop in a while. She passed down the street, eating her food on the way, she turned the corner, and there stood the entrance, but there were some vast differences.

It wasn't public property anymore, now it was gated off. A sign next to the gate reading, "Renovations being made, keep out"

This didn't stop Sayaka, she was a knight, a knight who despised the devil, the one who had torn her best friend in half, creating a world of lies, if she had to do anything, she had to go see what's beyond. If anything, she wanted to know what happened to her and force her to return the world to normal. So she hopped the fence in short.

Walking through the familiar trail, she noticed another red spider lily and another, and eventually, she walked into an entire flower field of spider lilies. The ground no longer glimmered green, rather it was red like blood. Going further, the spider lilies increased. Eventually, at the fountain, Sayaka looked up at the cliff Homura usually sat at, yet there was nothing. Not even a chair. Sayaka's face filled with disappointment, she turned away and walked home, not paying any more mind to the voices calling for her name atop that bloody red cliff.

Now and then she'd stop by to check, occasionally even at night after a nightmare, but nobody was there. Speaking of nightmares, she's been getting more of them recently. They all were different, and yet had one thing in common: Akemi Homura was dead. Despite her hatred, it always made Sayaka shed a tear or two when waking up. She never wanted to think about it, or why the thought of her being dead made her so upset.

A year or so passed, Madoka started hanging out with Mami Tomoe and Kyoko Sakura more often, Sayaka didn't mind, she was bad at hiding her concern for a soul she didn't even know existed anymore. She'd catch glimpses of what she thought was the devil, sometimes at the park feeding birds, sometimes atop the cliff watching the city lights, and sometimes laying in the field outside of the school, watching the clouds. She hated that devil, she hated her with every cell of her body and yet didn't know why this desperation to see her again was so strong.

...

Sayaka just awoke from a nightmare again, she had stopped going to the cliff in search of Homura after these nightmares but today, she had to. This time instead of the cliff covered in blood-soaked spider lilies she decided to go to the park where the birds always made her feel miserable.

There, in the park, laid the demon. Her jet black dress made out of feathers, her strangely fascinating wings, a face full of exhaustion and evil, the bow that regularly sent chills down Sayaka's spine, and the beautiful raven hair of hers that was gracefully long and soft. Sayaka sprinted over, a yelp of "Homura!" escaped her lips. She fell to her knees and picked up the devil's head, lifting her a little so that Sayaka could make sure she wasn't dreaming. She was surrounded by walnuts and birds that pecked and tore at Homura's beautiful pale skin, yet not leaving a single scratch.

Sayaka felt the stinging sensation in her eyes as her face wet, little droplets dripping down on Homura's beautifully cold yet nearly dead-looking face. Was she... crying? Mourning the devil, the devil she despised and hated, the one she wished were dead and gone forever, was she mourning the devil who had ripped god in half and rewrote the universe without the need for incubators- no, with incubators who were suffering to prevent entropy?

Why? Sayaka wanted her dead but seeing her nearly lifeless made her feel despair. Could she even question it? Sayaka didn't even care anymore, she simply picked her up and carried her to her home, hopping through the window and laying the devil on her bed. Sayaka put a blanket over the demon and sat on the floor, looking up to her bed.

She couldn't sleep. She was too worried about the devil in her bed, fear of being killed, or fear of her being dead. She didn't know. Or maybe she did and just couldn't bring herself to admit the truth, she'd never tell.

Soon the morning came, and Sayaka got up and watched Homura, and eventually, Homura's eyes twitched open, looking around the unfamiliar room.

As soon as Sayaka noticed, her face lit up and she jumped for Homura, hugging her tightly. "Homura! You're alive!" She exclaimed, Homura was surprised, not responding. "Where were you??"

Homura sat up and looked around, "I was supposed to die, why am I in your room, Miki?" Her voice was cold and stern, reminding Sayaka of who she had saved.

Sayaka didn't respond, the two just looked at each other, not knowing what to say. They would feel a sentence at the tip of their tongue, but before they opened their mouth they preferred to swallow the words and let them hit their gut, nothing to let out but allowing the questions and statements to build up inside, it was only a matter of time before they couldn't hold them in anymore and burst.

Homura licked her lips, taking a breath, preparing herself to speak, "Why did you save me, Miki?"

"I know it's been two years since we've seen each other, but it's a bit cold to refer to me as 'Miki' still, don't you think?" Sayaka chuckled, a nervous and awkward smile on her face, the question left Homura speechless, she cleared her throat, "Answer my question," She pauses, a noticeable cringe washed over her face for a moment, "...Sayaka."

Sayaka sat down in a chair, crossing her legs and arms nonchalantly, "You've been missing for 2 years, do you know how many times I went on top of that damn cliff in hopes you'd be there? You have more questions you need to answer." She commanded, she was frustrated, angry. Once again she was reminded of how much she hated the devil.

Homura sighed, "Fine. I'll answer everything, but then you'll have to answer my questions."

Sayaka nodded, "Sounds good to me," she responds, "so, let's start with the big one, where the hell was you?"

"Somewhere. It was a place outside of the universe, there is no point in me saying on this Earth. I was barely noticed by anyone besides you, who wished I was dead, and I had no purpose of remaining on it. I wasn't enjoying myself here, so I left."

"So why were you here, trying to die?"

"The universe doesn't need me anymore, I wanted to die in a familiar place and be eaten by my own creations. Perhaps a full moon will shine again. Madoka's human, my life was complete and I only wasted energy and time existing beyond that." Her voice was still cold, formal. It was almost terrifying hearing her talk so calmly about dying, it enraged Sayaka, and she couldn't figure out why.

It goes quiet again, Sayaka's anger boiled, eventually slapping Homura in the face, Homura stumbles back, a glint of surprise in her expression. "How could you talk about yourself like that?!" She screamed, "We're still kids for fucks sake! Stop acting as if your only purpose is Madoka! You're so much more than that, and I hate that you refuse to see that!"

The two stared at each other. Sayaka felt the familiar salty wetness run down her face, she had never seen Homura's expression as it is now, silent in shock. Sayaka sighed and grabbed Homura's hand, looking down at it quietly before looking back up to the ravenette.

"Look at your hand." She commanded, Homura looked. Sayaka let go of the hand she was holding, cupping it with her own. "Wiggle your fingers, make a fist, a palm, move your hand."

Homura did the following, twisting her wrist and making a fist before opening her hand again. She was confused. Sayaka took a deep breath, "Now grab my hand."

Their fingers intertwined, Sayaka's expression was completely serious, something Homura had rarely ever seen. They held hands for a good minute in silence. "You're alive," Sayaka began, "you can move your hands, you can breathe, blink, grab. You can hold my hand."

Homura opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She didn't know what to say, she was speechless. She had no idea what the other girl was talking about, didn't know why it mattered.

"Do you want to lose the ability to do these things?"

Homura slipped her hand away, turning to look at it. She gulped, shaking her head, turning to look down in shame. "Why do you purposefully try to make yourself miserable?" Sayaka asked bluntly, Homura shrugged her shoulders, not even she knew why.

Sayaka thought for a moment, "Is it because you're so used to feeling miserable you don't want to experience anything else? You're afraid of feeling happy because it's unfamiliar?"

Homura didn't respond, she just started making an odd noise, weird hiccups, and deep breaths. The other looked, not knowing what was going on until she saw droplets falling to her thighs.

The bluenette reacted automatically, not having an answer as to why. She wrapped her arms around the girl she hated, tightly, holding her close as she slowly ran her fingers through the girl's long black hair, soothingly. This demon she hated nuzzled the knight who was supposed to kill her and wept, clinging for dear life around her while sobbing. Everything was spilling out as the knight held her greatest enemy close, was she starting to cry too?

Her hair was soft, she had a strong grip around her. Feeling Homura's hair run through her fingers gently was an automatic response. If she were asked why, why she hugged the devil she was supposed to slaughter, she'd have no answer. She didn't know why her body cradled her close, why holding her enemy when she had finally let the tears go loose was something she wanted to do, something she HAD to do.

The girls sat in silence, not saying anything to each other. They didn't have to. Homura's uneven breathing and sobs already made up most of the noise in the room.

They sat there for what felt like hours, just holding each other. Eventually, the ravenette's cries died down as they sat quietly resting on each other.

"I hate you," Sayaka says bluntly, not saying anything else. Homura didn't say much either, only responding with a hum as Sayaka continued to comb her hair.

"Your hair is soft." She compliments, she smelled her shampoo. For being a demon, she didn't expect her to choose flower-scented soap. After a few minutes of cuddling, Homura pushes Sayaka away, backing up.

She wipes her eyes, sniffling. She takes a deep breath again, "Why did you save me?" she questioned, "If you hate me, why are you so determined to keep me alive?"

Sayaka sits and thinks for a moment, thinking.

"Well," she tries to begin after a minute, "I don't know. I just... wanted to."

Another staredown between the two commences. The two had no answer, nothing to say.

Homura was disappointed in this answer, she had just said she hated her and then compliments her not even a minute later. Sayaka was so confusing, so utterly confusing. "Give me a real reason," Homura demanded, "There has to be some sort of reason you prevented me from dying."

Sayaka shrugged, "Again, I don't know. I just wanted to..." she mumbled, causing Homura to sigh and lean into the taller girl's chest, wrapping her arms around her waist.

Sayaka began to stroke Homura's hair once more, not that she minded, it was relaxing. "I really didn't expect you to continue taking care of your hair," Sayaka admits, looking down at the... demon? Can she even call her a demon anymore?

Homura let out a weak chuckle, "I've been gone for 2 years, I had nothing else to do besides maintaining self-care," she explained. Sayaka started to admire the shorter girl, her raven black hair tangling softly beneath her fingers, how she tightly held onto her, held onto the person who wanted to execute her. Did Sayaka even want to kill her anymore? Has that spite and hatred died over the years? What caused her to start thinking of the devil so fondly?

Even so, she couldn't help it. She was still wearing the ribbon Madoka gave her. It used to fill Sayaka with disgust, and even now she had negative feelings towards it. But, it wasn't quite the same. She couldn't say that she was creeped out or despised it, but rather... no, it couldn't be. That's impossible. Sayaka quickly erased that assumption before it even got to admit itself into her mind.

Even with that though shaken off, she couldn't help but ask herself the question Homura was asking, why? Why did she save the devil from death? She wanted to blame it on wanting to kill Homura herself, but it wasn't something she was confident about. It felt like a poor excuse. So, why?

... no. Sayaka refused to come to that conclusion, what conclusion? She'd never let it fully cross her head. It was impossible, wrong even. She had to say it was something else, something that wasn't a complete lie.

And truth be told? Sayaka felt... lonely without the devil. It made sense, even if she had Madoka, Mami, Kyoko, and Hitomi, the one person who understood and remembered the previous world was the one who caused the memories to be erased in the first place. Talking about it with her felt relaxing, so building it all up for years on end made her feel alone in this world.

So, that might have been one of the reasons. "To be honest," Sayaka started, feeling Homura shift to look up at her, "I sorta... missed you." She admits, looking to her side. Her chest felt tight, her heart began to beat faster, her cheeks felt tense and hot, feeling her brows furrowed in cringe at what she just said. She's felt this before, but she couldn't accept it. She repeatedly denied what she was feeling over and over again, but it only made her more frustrated. In short, she was embarrassed.

Homura felt the other's heart start racing faster. She smiled slightly, it made her feel nice that someone cared, even in the smallest bit. But, at the same time, it was hard to believe that out of everyone, it was the knight who missed her.

"Oh..?" Homura mumbled, "but... why?" she could only question. She heard Sayaka's heartbeat even faster, feeling Sayaka fiddle with her hair even more. "Well, uh..." Sayaka stuttered, pursing her lips as she tensed up even more, "we're... um... the only ones who know about the other- previous world, and not being able to talk about it made me feel... isolated..? Kinda...?"

Sayaka's embarrassment made Homura laugh a little, Sayaka hated how that little laugh made it even more embarrassing. "That's odd coming from the person who wanted to kill me last time we spoke," Homura teased, Sayaka didn't have much to say for herself, "I mean... yeah, you're right..."

"But!" Sayaka jolted, "That was two years ago!"

"Do you still want me dead?"

"I- what?" caught off guard by the question.

"Do you still want to kill me?" Homura repeated.

"I..." Sayaka didn't really know herself, she was still asking herself the same thing, "... I don't know...'

Homura hummed, acknowledging the response.

They sat in more comfortable silence. Sayaka kept petting Homura's hair and Homura kept listening to the sound of Sayaka's heartbeat. That is, until Homura requested something, "Hey, Sayaka, can I see Madoka..?"

That feeling hit Sayaka again. The same one she felt when she looked at that bow in Homura's hair. "Why?" Sayaka interrogated, but she already knew.

"I haven't seen her in years. If I'm gonna die, I wanna see her one last time," The demon explained, the feeling hit Sayaka harder, but it was also mixed with anger. She huffed, "Who said you were going to die?" She asked, trying to hide the disappointment.

"I did."

"Well, too bad. I'm not gonna let that happen."

Sayaka stood up, brushing the annoying feelings aside. "C'mon, if you're gonna see Madoka, you can't be wearing that," She offered a hand out for Homura to take. She looked at it and hesitantly took it. Sayaka pulled her to her feet, Homura stumbled a bit, falling into Sayaka's arms. Sayaka laughed, holding her close, "You're a lot more touchy now," she joked, causing Homura to laugh and pull away. "My clothes might be a little big on you, but you'll have to manage," Sayaka says, opening her closet and picking out her own clothes. She went into the bathroom and gave Homura time to choose and change in privacy.

While in the bathroom, Sayaka pulled out her phone and texted Madoka.

"Hey, Madoka?"

"Yeah?"

"Wanna go out to the cafe together? It feels like it's been forever since we've done that."

"Sure! What time?"

"In an hour."

"Are you bringing Mami and Kyoko?"

"Nope, but I will be bringing another friend of mine."

"Oh, ok! Who's the friend?"

"You'll see."

"Mkay, well, I'll cya later, Sayaka!"

"Cya."

Sayaka put down her phone and got dressed.

...

Sayaka and Homura walked through the city, Homura was looking around as if she was a tourist. "This place hasn't changed much," She comments, earning a hum of agreement from Sayaka.

"We're almost there," Sayaka says, "remember, Madoka doesn't know you, she doesn't remember the previous world." She reminds. Homura nods in response.

"Unless Madoka says otherwise, refer to her as 'Kaname-San', got it?"

"Got it."

The two walk into the cafe, and there sits Madoka. She sees Sayaka walk in and she runs over and hugs her, Sayaka returning the hug graciously. "Sayaka, hey!"

"Hey there, Madoka!" Sayaka greets, smiling. Homura stands to the side awkwardly. When the two girls break apart, Madoka turns to look at Homura. She had a slightly confused look before her expression shifted to surprise.

"Oh, Akemi-chan! It's been a while since we've talked!" She exclaimed, Sayaka looked over to Homura to see her holding back a smile. That feeling came back again. "Sayaka, I didn't know you and Akemi-chan kept in contact! I thought you two hated each other, this is such a surprise!"

Sayaka snaps herself out of her thoughts and gives an awkward smile, "Yeah, we did, but I ran into her a few months ago and we've been talking ever since," she finishes off with a nervous giggle. "Yep. I came back to the city to visit, we've mostly been communicating through text. Sayaka thought it'd be a good idea to introduce me to you so that we can all hang out."

Sayaka smiled over at Homura, telling her "good story!" without actually saying anything, Homura caught the glance and smiled, back, giving a gentle nod. Madoka stood there during this interaction, "I've always found it odd that you've always referred to Akemi-chan by her first name, Sayaka." Madoka comments, earning a shrug from Sayaka. "At first I meant it disrespectfully, but then I couldn't stop calling her that, so it stuck," she explained, which wasn't entirely a lie.

"By the way, M-" She paused to correct herself, "Kaname-san, if you'd like, it's okay to refer to me as Homura." She offered, earning a look of surprise from Madoka. "R-really..? But we just met!"

"It's fine," she reassured in a calming voice. Sayaka watched the interaction, feeling the awkward tension rise. She cleared her throat, gaining the two girl's attention, "Let's get coffee, c'mon!" She exclaimed, speed walking over to the counter to order something.

The day was doing alright, Sayaka was having fun with the god she protected and the devil she allied with, and yet it didn't feel like that. For once, instead of feeling like a story about a knight who protected the goddess from the devil only to find herself pitying that same demon, it felt like her and two other friends just hanging out.

Madoka seemed to be enjoying herself as well, all though she always enjoys meeting new people.

The one person Sayaka worried about was Homura. She seemed to resort back to her cold self, the one before becoming the devil, with bursts of energy here and there.

The end of the day quickly came, Homura and Sayaka dropped Madoka off at her house and wished her goodbye before heading back to Sayaka's house.

The walk was quiet, but a comfortable kind of quiet. Crickets chirped as the two girls walked, the occasional car passing by them. Sayaka's house was a little far, but they didn't mind. After a long day of fun, a long peaceful walk is just what they needed.

"She's changed a lot..." Homura mumbles, breaking the silence, earning a shrug from the taller one. "She's always been the same old Madoka to me, but then again I've been with her through the past two years."

Homura hummed in response, they continued to walk quietly. Homura's emotional distance was a direct contrast to that morning, and it worried Sayaka. She couldn't help but try and check up on her, "Hey, are you doing alright?" she wondered, giving a worried look to the raven-haired girl.

"I don't know," She replied bluntly, "I think I just do that automatically around her."

"I get that," The bluenette states, "You did that to not get attached to a specific Madoka in a specific timeline, just in case she died. But that's why I'm confused now, she won't die any time soon, I'm sure of it, so why did you keep your distance?"

Homura went quiet, staring at the ground while trying to come up with an answer. "I want to move past her," She finally responds.

Sayaka waits a minute, letting it process in her head, or maybe even waiting for Homura to add on, but she didn't. As her mind processes the words that came out of the girl's mouth, all she could say was, "What?"

"Madoka's a human now, and she always will be. There's no purpose in me protecting her, and through these two years, I've attempted to detach myself from her. That didn't really work, which was part of the reason I attempted to die. I wanted to see her face once more before I ended up trying again." The ravenette explained, leaving Sayaka awestruck, and yet angry at the same time.

Just then, they arrived at Sayaka's house. She unlocked the door and allowed Homura inside, the two stood there for a moment before Homura smiled up at Sayaka before saying, "So, all I want to say now is... thank you, Sayaka. Thank you for giving me the peace I need to-"

"No!" Sayaka shouts, catching the other off guard, "You are not going to die, you idiot!"

"But..."

"NO BUTS!" She shouts, pinning Homura to the wall. "I care about you, you dumb ass! You're the only person in this world that understands me, yeah, you can't have Madoka anymore, but you are so much more than her! Can you think about anyone else other than her!?" She shouted.

Sayaka pulled Homura into a tight hug. This felt... familiar. "If you died I'd miss you! I'd miss you a lot, and then I would have no reason to go on! I hated being alone when you went missing, and I'm so angry at myself for driving you away!"

Homura reluctantly hugged back, bringing Sayaka closer as she cried. The devil could feel it, she was crying too.

She had to stop denying herself, she had to put aside her pride. She hated this world, but she didn't want to be alone in it either. She was a knight, a knight fated to protect the goddess from the devil who wanted to tame her. And yet, in a shocking twist, the knight began to pity the devil.

Well, pity wouldn't be the right word.

"You're so fricking stubborn..." Sayaka mumbled, "that's why I hate you so much. It reminds me of myself..."

They sat there a moment, together, enjoying each other's embrace.

They split off and went on with their day as if nothing had happened. Sayaka and Homura made dinner together, the atmosphere was different. It was... happier. More lighthearted.

Sayaka put the final spices on the soup they made and put the pot on her table, "Voila!" She cheers in a joking tone. "You're so stupid," Homura joked, lightly punching Sayaka in the arm. The two laughed and joked while they ate their soup. "Y'know," Sayaka began, her words muffled due to the carrots in her mouth, "Right now, you're sorta like my wife,"

Homura's face turned pink in surprise, causing Sayaka to laugh, "I'm just kidding, I'm just kidding, I doubt we'll ever get married!" She smirked slyly, "unless..."

"No!" Homura denied, causing the two to laugh even harder. She had to admit though, she wasn't against the idea of Homura being her wife.

The two cleaned the kitchen and got ready for bed. Sayaka had set up an air mattress on the floor for Homura to sleep in. They talked while staring at the ceiling, getting out the last bits of their conversation before going to sleep. Homura yawned, "I'm gonna go to sleep, g'night, Sayaka..."

Sayaka mumbled a quiet, "good night" in return while watching Homura go to sleep. Admiring the devil from above, what an odd thing to have happened.

But, there was one thing Sayaka stopped denying that night, her pride fading to find it wasn't pride that kept her from accepting it, but rather fear.

Sayaka still wasn't entirely sure what was going to happen next, but she knew one thing for sure.

She, the knight, had fallen in love with the devil.

... could she even be called such a thing anymore?

...

AAAAAA longest one-shot I've ever written. I know I'm never on this account anymore, I decided to give this month-long project to y'all :)

Finally, SayaHomu supremacy, cya in like another month B)