Alternative working titles: 'Let's do the time warp again', or 'Even with time magic, being Sayaka is still suffering.'

So this is a thing. Blame Rebellion for putting the thought in my head, I regret nothing. There were a lot of ideas floating around for scenes I felt like writing down. As always, fave, review, and maybe we'll see something from this cycle of universes in the future.

Time.

It's a concept that Sayaka Miki understands very well. It is straightforward, yet paradoxical. It moves slow as molasses, until it passes in the blink of an eye, and you wish you had more of it. Days, hours, minutes, seconds, strictly defined, yet all a matter of perspective in the end.

It's a lesson Sayaka learned a long time ago, in this hell she's cast herself into. For her, time is a loop, a circle that starts in April, and ends, invariably, at the beginning of May. Unceasing, unfailing.

But what choice does she have? She has to save them; Mami, Madoka, Homura, Hitomi, even Kyoko, from the Witches, Walpurgisnacht, and each other.

Not easy, to say the least. It seems like the world itself is conspiring against her, actively trying to thwart her at every set, yet she persists. It was her wish after all, and she will not abandon them to the dogs.

So she struggles on, fights, bleeds, grows, learns. She has no choice after all.

The sky poured rain as Mitakihara was systematically reduced to rubble at the whims of Walpurgisnacht, the Dreadnought Witch. All attempts to stop it had failed, all hope was lost. And Sayaka could only watch it happen.

Mami had fallen, Madoka too, both battling the Witch that now wrought such havoc. Hitomi had vanished, and Homura was...somewhere around here. She didn't know, but it was most likely the other girl was dead too. Like she would be.

A weak cough shook free as she shifted, pain flaring like a constant now, skin dusted grey with ash and smoke. Her eyes were irritated by the air itself, and she turned from the flashes on the horizon to the iron bar that currently punctured her torso, dark red seeping out from the wound. She didn't know how many bones or organs were crushed, the lacerations, but she could feel herself fading. It wouldn't be long now.

A slightly delirious chuckle escaped with a grimace. "Man, we were stupid, weren't we Madoka," she commented to herself, regretful yet resigned. So much she'd wanted to do, so much time wasted. Oh well.

It doesn't have to end like this you know. The unexpected voice shook her from her reverie, and with a grunt she looked down to see the familiar white figure of Kyubey sitting on a now ledge, looking at her with his unblinking expression.

"Oh, hey Kyubey," Sayaka replied weakly, a trickle of blood coming from the corner of her mouth to run down to her chin. "Didn't expect to see you here."

If you want to change what's happened here, just make a contract with me, Kyubey suggested as he leapt down and stepped forward. It's not too late.

Sayaka frowned, thinking through the cloud that was falling over her mind. Could she...could she do that? Go back in time, save them, change all this so it didn't happen? It was almost too good to be true, but that was always how it started out, right?

She could wish to live, it wouldn't be that out of league. She could go on in this life as it was, or she could try and alter events, keep Mami, Madoka alive, keep Hitomi from vanishing, maintain this happy life.

At last, she nodded. "Alright. I'll do it."

Excellent, Kyubey remarked as he stood in front of her. Now then Sayaka Miki, what is the wish that will make your Soul Gem shine?

Ready, Sayaka told him. "I wish...I wish I could go back and do it all again, and have the power to save them from this."

She fell silent, and Kyubey was as well for a moment before he looked up to her. Congratulations, Sayaka Miki, your wish has overcome the bonds of entropy.

His ears rose, and as she cried, the area lit up in a flash of cerulean blue.

With a gasp, Sayaka awoke, her expression wild in disorientation. Sitting up, she looked about and calmed down to find herself in her room. It was dark, near midnight if the clock was any indication, and her rapid fire heart slowed down at the sight.

She could almost dismiss the memories she had as dreams, visions that would never come to pass. She was here, nothing was wrong, it had all been the delusions of a sick mind that was now emerging from the haze. But the sight of a brightly glowing gem on her bed-stand banished all possibility of that.

With a huff, she rose from her bed and went over to check the calendar, seeking further confirmation of this fact. It was mid March, some time determined by her wish to be best when she could accomplish it, and her elation grew.

"It worked. It really, really worked," she said in awe, patting herself over to make sure that she was real before breaking into a grin. But there was no time to delay, she needed one last thing to confirm this fact.

So she went for her cell phone and hit speed dial, calling up Madoka in spite of the time. "Come on come on come on," she muttered under her breath as she heard the repeated dial tone, subconsciously urging the pinkette to answer.

At last, some minutes later, the phone was answered, with a weak muttered "Haaaaa~ Sayaka, what is it?"

Sayaka's heart rose all the more to hear Madoka's voice. She was alive, she was still alive. She'd actually done it, gone into the past. "Hey Madoka, just calling to see how you were doing," she bluffed. "This homework is killing me, so you mind giving me a hand later?" This was true, but also a bluff. She wasn't about to tell someone 'Hey, I'm a time traveler' over the telephone.

The confusion on the other end of the line was plain to hear. "I'm fine...Sure. It's midnight though."

"Yeah, I know, I'm sorry about that," Sayaka replied with a dismissive chuckle. "But it couldn't wait. Anyway, I'll let you get back to sleep."

"Alright..." With that and a yawn, Madoka hung up, leaving the line empty, and Sayaka hung up as well.

Happiness surged, and she resisted the urge to dance about in her room. Instead, she fist pumped, mind racing with all the things she could do to change what had happened, how she would make sure they survived the coming storm.

Before she could go on with her impromptu celebration though, she laid her eyes upon the source of blue light in her room, and she walked over to get a better look at it. She picked up the gem in her hands and looked it over with a careful eye for detail. It was...bright, and warm, and it felt like it was a part of her, something intangible that she needed to have. Now she just had to figure out how Mami and Madoka had done that thing...

With a flash, she felt something shift, and found herself not as she had been. She had a white cape now, and she spun about as she admired it, as well as the blue and white skirt and uniform she had on. It definitely fit what she imagined a knight and magical girl would wear. Still, there was one critical thing missing, that she most definitely needed if she was to do this.

Done showing off to herself, she focused on conjuring up some kind of weapon that she could use to fight. Mami had her muskets, Madoka her bow, so she had to have a weapon too. So she turned her energy to summoning a weapon, and soon one appeared, much to her surprise. In one hand, she bore a cutlass, shining steel with a solid weight to it. On her other arm, strapped to her wrist was a white shield, with blue dots in the middle, in the form of a buckler.

"Now that's cool," she complimented herself as she swung the sword about, it flashing in the moonlight with her motions. She sent it away, before bringing it back, and admired it as it was.

And as if the obvious needed to be confirmed, she ran the pad of her finger against the edge of the sword, wincing a bit at the bite of it. "Ow," she muttered, pulling it away to see a dot of blood rising on the surface. Well, that was a sharp sword then.

She stuck the bloodied finger in her mouth to clean it before turning to her shield. It was a nice shield, if a bit small, and she wondered how useful it would be in stopping enemy attacks. It did seem a bit weird though, like it could be moved, and she spun it just to see what would happen.

She was taken aback then as the world shifted into monochrome greys and a lighter color palette. "Okay, what is this," she muttered to herself, looking around to see nothing different. That was kinda useless then.

That was her thought, anyway, until she looked out the window to see cars paused in mid motion, blinking lights frozen, and it dawned on her. "Whoa, I can stop time?" That certainly made things a lot easier. And cooler

Well, that was all she could do for now, she'd have to talk to Mami or Kyubey later, and she returned to normal before clambering back into bed and pulling up the covers. But even in that warm embrace, she couldn't sleep. There was too much to do.

The day had come at last, once again. Storm clouds filled the sky as the wind whipped. The city was quiet, the people having been taken to shelters or evacuated long ago. The magical aura of the city thrummed, a vibration that cut to the bone of those who could see it, a sign of what was to come.

Against that stood three defenders on the banks of the river that ran through the city. Mami, Sayaka, and Madoka, yellow, blue, and pink in a line. Each had their weapon ready, had studied and trained, and had a stash of grief seeds laid in. They were as ready as they could be.

Sayaka, for her part, was confident in their chances. She'd worked heard to develop her fighting style with Mami, and the two were like a well oiled machine now. As for Madoka, well, Sayaka had brought her into this life, and she made the perfect finale to their trio. Each of them specialized in a different thing, and their teamwork was excellent. At least in her humble opinion.

Meanwhile, Hitomi and Homura were safe and out of the way, so the trio could focus on the fight ahead. "It's coming," Sayaka announced, confirming what they could have guessed at.

"Yes," Mami agreed as she took a step forward. "It won't be long now."

Glancing over, Sayaka saw the mix of concern and nervousness that Madoka wore, and she grinned confidently. "Don't worry," she told her. "Homura, Hitomi, and your family will be safe. We'll kick this things butt and be back in Mami's apartment, sipping tea and eating cake before you know it."

"Really?" Madoka asked as she looked at her friend, optimistic yet seeking some reassurance from the blunette.

"Yeah," Sayaka confirmed with an emphatic nod.

Mami nodded as well as she added her piece. "I don't think it will be as easy as Sayaka makes it seem, but we can defeat it with the three of us."

The pinkette smiled then, concern fading away as she turned back towards the waterfront. "Okay. Let's do it."

The other two were in complete agreement with that, and then there was no more time to discuss it. A fog rolled in, heavy and opaque, and through it proceeded a circus beyond imagination, bugling out music and composed of an eclectic assortment of displays. And looming over all of it was Walpurgisnacht, the Dreadnought Witch in all her twisted glory.

The three moved forward then, charging through the carnival entourage towards the waiting Witch before vaulting towards it on strung wires. "Stick to the plan," Mami called as they neared, before firing at the Witch to draw it's attention.

"Right," Madoka called as she came to a stop to fire off a pink arrow before hopping away again.

For her part, Sayaka charged in with dual swords and let Walpurgisnacht have it, spinning about the cackling Witch as she struck again and again. They didn't do that much damage individually, but it would add up. That she knew.

The trio fought hard, pink arrows interspersed with gunshots, all aimed at their monolithic foe. It was hit repeatedly, yet it continued forward as rain poured down, gale force winds making it harder to maneuver.

With a low grunt Sayaka sprang back, dodging a bolt of fire as Walpurgisnacht began to fight back. She landed beside Mami, who fired off a last shot before the time traveler spoke. "Looks like we'll have to do this the hard way," she said, before grabbing Mami's hand.

"Right," the blond agreed, and didn't visibly react as the world shifted into frozen greys, rain hanging at a standstill in midair along with one of Madoka's recently released arrows.

The world stopped, Mami swung into action, summoning musket after musket as she fired, the bullets traveling a short distance before they came to a halt in midair. Used to it, Sayaka went along with the barrage, throwing her own swords as Mami fired repeatedly, a veritable storm coming to hang in wait.

"Time's up," Sayaka called at last, indicating that she couldn't hold time in stasis any longer. They would just have to hope it was enough.

"Alright." At the blonds approval Sayaka let time slip back into place, motion resuming as colors returned. The accumulated projectiles hit like a hammer blow, throwing their recipient wildly off its path to slam into a building. Said building then shuddered and crumbled under the impact, throwing up dust and debris into the air as the Witch cried in pain and cackled madly.

Yet it didn't fade away, nor die. It rose from the dust and ash, seemingly unharmed, to continue it's destructive rampage. And things got harder for the three of them as Familiars came swarming in, to strike down those who sought to stop the Witches grand performance.

"Man, I think that thing's tougher than it was last time." Sayaka said to herself as she stabbed a poorly drawn Familiar. But it couldn't be, right? She was all for the hero triumphing against incredible odds, but that would definitely make things...hard, if it got stronger every time she reset things, not that she planned to have to do that anymore. So she dismissed that possibility and refused to consider it further. Whether it did or didn't did not matter. She just had to beat it.

Thus they fought, Madoka shifting to cover the others from Familiars while Mami and Sayaka pounded away at Walpurgisnacht with swords and guns. Sayaka teleported about the battlefield with her time magic while Mami swung about on her ribbons, and Madoka hung back on the high ground to fire a steady stream of arrows.

In spite of her growing exhaustion, the pain from blows and near misses, and the darkness in her soul gem which was held back by all their grief seeds, Sayaka wore a grin as her blade flashed in the air. Though it might not seem like it, she could tell they were wearing it down, whether by it's laughter or movements. They just had to hold on until they could deliver the finishing blow, and her short journey would be over.

So they twirled around it, never giving it a shot at more than one of them. It certainly appealed to her more heroic imagination, the battle of David versus Goliath, but she was a bit preoccupied to give that full consideration. Instead she focused on doing as much damage as she could, as quickly as she could, with as little injury to herself as possible.

She'd just finished a flurry of strikes, and returned to a distant perch, when she noticed an intruder to their battlefield. "That idiot," she spat angrily as she saw Homura's battered, soaking wet form walking down empty streets below. "What the hell is she doing here?"

Madoka, she called telepathically so she could be heard above the noise, her exasperation obvious. Your shadow's here. Got any idea why, when she's not a magical girl like the rest of us?

She could almost hear an apologetic sigh as she got her answer. She's probably looking for me, Madoka replied. I told her I'd be in the shelter. I'm sorry.

It's fine, Sayaka said dismissively, yet firmly. Now go and get her out of here. She can't help out, and it's not safe.

Alright, Madoka agreed, and Sayaka watched her go from the corner of her eye to confront the raven haired girl. Then she turned her attention back to the matter at hand, launching another series of attacks at Walpurgisnacht with dual swords in hand. She gave Homura no more thought, since she was confident her friend could handle it.

Dodging a blast of fire with a mid air spin, Sayaka watched as the bolt smashed into a building, gouging a large chunk from it. Time seemed to slow to a stop as she saw the situation in full though, how the building began to topple, right down to the spot on the street where Madoka and Homura currently where, as if luck just decided it was done being nice today.

To her credit, Madoka did notice the oncoming danger and grabbed Homura as she ran to get clear, but even with a magical girl's enhanced speed and stamina Sayaka could tell she wouldn't get out of the way in time.

Then time actually froze as Sayaka twisted her shield in mid air, and sprinted towards the two, weaving through frozen objects in a desperate attempt to make it, all the while counting down seconds in her head. "Come on come on come on," she muttered as she ran. Her limbs burned from exertion, yet that didn't matter. All that did was saving them.

And yet in spite of her efforts and will, the shield clicked, spun, and time resumed, and the building continued it's inexorable fall as they ran. At the last second, Madoka twisted to cover Homura right before the building impacted, but even Sayaka knew that that wouldn't be enough, not with the mass involved.

She came to a halt as the impact resounded, dust whipping past in a cloud as her hands clenched in impotent rage, tears dripping down her cheeks as her tattered cape fluttered in the wash of air.. "Damn it," she muttered in self hatred. "You idiot..."

She then spun around to face the cause of this tragedy, materializing two broadswords as she ran at full speed once again. Ignoring the hits she took, she closed the distance and laid into the Witch with a fury, laying down strike after strikes, practically screaming as she hit it with everything she had.

Sayaka, get clear, Mami warned, and through her haze of red Sayaka heard it, just before Mami leapt into the air, ribbons twisting to form a giant cannon. With a cry of "Tiro Finale," the beam of energy slammed into Walpurgisnacht, and a massive explosion engulfed the area.

The Witch cried in pain and began to crumble, segments of clock gear falling away to hit the ground before vanishing, the entire thing coming apart and leaving only a grief seed in the end to float at the epicenter of the collapse.

Sayaka dropped to her knees, ignoring everything as her tears mixed with the rain. Her heart burned in agony from how close she had come to them winning, only to have it snatched away in mere moments. Could she handle more failure such as that? She didn't know, and she didn't want to think about it.

She didn't notice Mami approach her until she felt the hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry," Mami said to her. "To lose them that close to the end...It's terrible." She held strong, but Sayaka could tell there were tears of her own beneath the surface. "We have to live on and be happy. It's what Madoka would have wanted."

"I-I'm sorry," Sayaka muttered as she rose and looked at Mami, legs shaking. "I can't do that." She broke away in a sprint, taking a few steps away before she turned to face the blond with raised shield.

A rush of breath then as Mami misinterpreted the situation. "Sayaka, wait-"

"Goodbye," the time traveler said before spinning the wheel and throwing herself into the past once more. She'd come so close, she had to do it again.

The Witches barrier vanished in a flash, leaving only a quintet of girls and a grief seed in the abandoned building that they had tracked the Witch to. Sighs of relief were heard all around as Mami picked up the grief seed and then faced the rest of the group. "Good work girls. I think we've hunted enough for today, so maybe we can relax at my apartment for a bit, if none of you are busy that is."

A chorus of agreement rose from Hitomi, Madoka, and Homura, with Sayaka being more reluctant. She knew she should be focused on preparing for Walpurgisnacht's arrival, but a little time with her friends couldn't hurt, could it? "Sure," she agreed at last.

"Good, then it's settled." With a decision made the five moved out, Mami leading the way as they shifted back to their normal clothes. They were tired, but happy, since they'd beaten some Witches and no one had gotten hurt. By that measurement, it was a good day.

And of course, they conversed as they walked along. "Hey, Madoka, good job with that snap shot," Sayaka complimented. "I'd have been in a pretty tight spot if you hadn't taken it out. I happen to like not having a hole in my gut and all."

"Oh, it was nothing," Madoka replied bashfully as she looked over at her friend. "Besides, you were so amazing with those dual broadswords. I wish I could do something like that."

"Well, there is something to be said for ranged combat," the blunette pointed out. "You don't have to worry about getting hit as often."

"Sayaka has a point," Mami commented as she shifted her gaze back to them. ""We can't all be melee fighters, and we would all feel bad if something were to happen to you."

Seeing the attention directed at her, Madoka quickly backed down. 'I know, I was just thinking aloud. You do have to admit that Sayaka makes it look cool."

Sayaka chuckled nervously, not exactly thrilled to hear that, but still accepting the compliment. "Thanks, I try."

They fell silent for mere moments before Hitomi spoke up then. "Sayaka, would you mind sparring with me later? I noticed some aspects of my style that could use improving in that last fight."

"And what, I'm the only person allowed to be your punching bag," Sayaka asked with a sigh. This happened a lot, since Hitomi used axes and herself swords, and Hitomi was a bit of a perfectionist, so inevitably Sayaka ended up helping her train. "Fine fine, I'll spar with you. But later."

Hitomi bowed, still polite. "Thank you."

"No problem," Sayaka replied. "Don't worry, we'll make a veteran out of you in no time." They'd have to, with Walpurgisnacht's inevitable arrival. One way or another, they would become experienced or die, and she desperately wanted it to be the former rather than the latter.

Listening to the exchange, Madoka then shifted to glance over at the other girl beside her. "Actually, would you mind sparring with me later as well, Homura?"

Shaken from her complacent reverie, Homura gave the others a look of concern before her eyes returned to the ground. "Huh? Uh, um, I don't know," she replied nervously, which was understandable from the time travelers point of view, since she knew how beholden Homura was to Madoka, and how she didn't think well of hurting her in any way.

Fortunately, it seemed that Madoka had some inkling as well. "Don't worry, we'll take it easy," she said, aiming to placate. "I just want to work on my accuracy and speed. Besides, Mami-san told me that you're working on shooting more than one arrow at once?"

Homura nodded, bashfulness in full effect. "Y-Yes, but I'm not very good at it yet. It takes more energy than I'm used to using at a time."

"I see." Madoka hummed in thought, before she lit up with a smile once more. "Could you teach me how? Even if it's hard, I'm sure it will be helpful in the future."

Faced with that, Homura's reaction was predictable. "Okay. I'm sure you'll have no trouble with it."

The bright smile the pinkette wore didn't diminish as she heard her friends response. "Thank you Homura," she exclaimed. "It means a lot."

Over the stammer and answer, Sayaka laughed in amusement. "Man, we need to get you two a room or something." Even with time travel, she couldn't be the only person to notice that those two had some issues that needed resolving, right?

"S-Sayaka," Madoka sputtered, she and Homura wearing similar shades of red while Mami chuckled in amusement.

Hitomi, however, did not seem amused by this, at least not visibly. "Sayaka, I cannot believe that you would promote such an illicit relationship. Especially after all those proclamations of being Madoka's wife."

Sayaka sweat dropped as she held back a sigh. Maybe she was after all. "Geez Hitomi, I was joking. Obviously Madoka would not be unfaithful like that," she replied with mostly sincere mirth, wrapping an arm around the pinkette.

"Sayaka!" Madoka's cries renewed as she struggled, escaping to take shelter behind a wide eyed Homura, who in turn shied away from a gleaming eyed Sayaka.

"Girls, behave," Mami scolded with a still warm attitude. "I'd hate to have to withhold food from anyone once we're there."

Faced with the possibility of that the quartet settled down, returning to talking about fighting as well as more mundane things. And it wouldn't be long after that until they were in Mami's apartment and laughing and enjoying each other's company.

Sayaka knew it wouldn't last, not with Walpurgisnacht on the way. But until then, and until she had to fight, she would appreciate the moments like these. What else did she have to draw strength from?

"Homura, please open up," Madoka asked as she rapped on the door, her and Sayaka currently situated outside the girl's apartment.

"Oy, Akemi, open the door," Sayaka added with a louder yell, in spite of Madoka's insistence that that would only frighten her.

A few minutes passed, a few minutes added to the missed day of school that had prompted the visit by the worried pinkette in the first place, until at last Sayaka pushed Madoka aside and transformed. "Sayaka, what are you-"

Madoka's question was cut off as a blade stabbed forward, ripping through metal to pry the lock open by brute force. Sayaka was tired of waiting, and she'd compensate Homura for it later somehow. It was just a lock anyway.

Throwing the door open, she entered boldly with a flash of her cape, and was immediately struck by how dark and quiet it was inside. She got the distinct impression that Homura wasn't home, but this was the last place she'd been seen, and Kyubey said she hadn't contracted, so Sayaka charged on.

Leading the way, the blunette and the pinkette proceeded through the house, Madoka noting the lack of personal effects while Sayaka was just put off in general. It was just so...barren, but it was hard to tell whether it was a conscious choice, or if it was because Homura didn't see the need for decorations and physical items.

It was as she was proceeding through one of the back hallways, the two of them having split up to cover more ground, that she saw a crack of light peeking out from one off the closed doors.

Ready to deliver an angry rant or otherwise let Homura have a piece of her mind, Sayaka sent her sword away and opened the door, only to stop in mid motion, words dying on her lips as she froze.

She was there, and Sayaka wished she hadn't been. She had found her alright, hair scattered about, with red rimmed glasses on her face. Her expression, once so timid, was calm, peaceful in sleep, her body limp. To the side was a half filled bottle of heart prescription medication, and a spilled glass of water, to indicate the method of passing. And as if to dispel any doubt as to what had happened, a note sat nearby, carefully written out in small script. It was almost artistic, in a twisted kind of way.

"I didn't see her over there, have you found anything yet?" Madoka asked as she came up behind the magical girl, an act that prompted her to action as Sayaka slammed the door shut and spun around.

Fighting back trembles in her limbs, Sayaka bowed her head as she grabbed her friends shoulders. "Madoka, you don't want to see. Trust me."

Faced with that solemn expression, and that evasive answer, Madoka's face fell, and she shook free and charged past Sayaka, through the door with panicked motions.

"Homura," she cried, only stopping for a moment in shock before she ran over, ignoring the note as she crouched by her friend. "Homura..."

Sayaka could only stand back and watch her grieving friend mourn the long since dead girl, and wonder what she had missed, what she could have done differently. For now though, Homura was dead. She had failed.

That was the first time. It wouldn't be the last.

Sayaka was on patrol by herself, since she couldn't really afford to take breaks or waste time. If they were going to beat Walpurgisnacht and come out alive then they would need all the grief seeds they could get, which meant extra hunting after her patrols with the others.

She was currently scouting around near the industrial sector, by factories, warehouses, and the grimy parts of the city that drove the industrial portion of the economy. Of course, it was quiet at the moment, and dark due to it being nighttime, but that wasn't an issue for the magical girl.

Dashing amongst sloped rooftops, Sayaka would admit that this was one of the more fun parts of being a magical girl, the strength, agility, and stamina. She could only have imagined doing this sort of thing in her dreams when she was human, and now she enjoyed it as much as she could. It was like being a real life superhero.

Sadly, her enjoyment came to an end as she felt a pulse of magic ripple against her soul gem. She stopped and looked about before shifting in the direction of the detected Witch and moving on. At the same time, she materialized a sword to her hand and prepared for a possible fight.

Angling downwards, she came in for a landing at the back entrance to one of the several warehouses there. She glanced up to the buzzing light before she opened the door and stepped inside, letting it swing shut behind her.

The back rooms were dark, cluttered, and Sayaka maneuvered about as she watched her glowing soul gem, following it towards the Witches barrier that was somewhere in the building.

She didn't get far before she noticed something odd though. The fact that lights were still on wasn't too weird, but she did hear conversations, and that was weird, to say the least. Advancing towards it, she froze time as she moved to see what it was as the speakers came into view.

Her eyes widened as she came to a stop in surprise, time still frozen. She was looking out into the warehouse area where a small crowd of people stood clustered near the center of the room. A drum sat in the middle of the cluster, filled with clear liquid, and another, smaller one, was held by one of the men present. And if she remembered her chemistry lessons, those were two liquids that should definitely not be combined.

But the main shock was that of seeing a person she knew there. "Hitomi," Sayaka said to herself in confusion as she made her way through the open office door and over to her friend. It was...odd, that she would be here, to say the least.

She frowned upon seeing the smile that Hitomi was currently wearing, deciding that it didn't make sense, even if it didn't give off a very creepy vibe with how out of it she looked. Hitomi wasn't suicidal, at least as far as she knew, so why was she here? It was a mystery that was quickly resolved as she saw the magical mark on her neck, and her gaze narrowed with the understanding. A Witches Kiss, so that was it.

That mystery solved, she turned to the big problem that was present. She positioned herself a bit away, without her sword, before charging forward at a sprint. In mid motion her shield clicked and time resumed, the world returning to natural colors. Her appearance was understandably a surprise, but the group had no time to react before Sayaka slammed buckler first into the man with the smaller drum.

It slipped free from his grasp and in a flash Sayaka froze time again and then separated from the man she had hit. With the drum hanging in midair, she reached up and grabbed it, letting it drop with a secure hold. She then slipped it into her not often used shield storage space, and went to go find that Witch.

Fortunately it wasn't that hard to locate the barrier, and she was soon inside and fighting the Witch itself. It's nature was something involving television, and were she in a more charitable mood she might have put more effort into thinking about that. But as it was, she focused more in beating it, before the people outside could do something else suicidal.

And with the ability to spawn infinite swords, as well as the ability to stop time, neither the Witch or it's familiars were much trouble. It was just a matter of hitting it, and soon enough it was defeated.

It had to have at least fifteen minutes or so, most of that spent finding the actual Witch, but soon the Witches death heralded the dispersal of it's barrier, leaving a small grief seed floating in the middle of the floor. Sayaka picked it up and stashed it away with the others she had before checking her soul gem. It was still relatively clear, and she nodded to herself in approval.

Shifting back to her normal schoolgirl garb, she went back to the main area, to see most of the people there wearing dazed or confused expressions, unsure as to what had happened and what they were doing there. Understandable, given that they weren't aware of the Witches Kiss.

Well, Sayaka wasn't about to leave her friend in the lurch like that. "Hitomi," she called as she ran over, acting like nothing but a normal girl glad to see someone she cared about was okay.

"Sayaka," Hitomi asked in confusion, looking towards the approaching blunette. "What are you doing here?"

Coming to a halt, Sayaka wore her best concerned expression as she looked Hitomi over. Fortunately, she had an excuse prepared to justify her presence. "Well, I was out walking when I saw you headed somewhere, but you looked like something was really bothering you. I kinda followed you to see what was up, then next thing I knew you were in here, doing some sort of freaky cult suicide thing. So I stopped it before anyone got hurt."

Hitomi's frown deepened, head bowed in concern as she clutched her hands to her chest. "I see," she replied cautiously. "I...I'm not sure what happened. But I suppose that I must thank you for saving me, Sayaka."

"Nah, it's nothing." Sayaka waved off the apology as unnecessary with a nervous chuckle. "I only did what anyone would have done. I'm just glad that I decided to follow you. I don't know what I'd have done with myself if I hadn't and you'd...you know, died."

The two fell silent, unsure how to go on and wanting to dismiss that chilling thought from their minds. At last Sayaka spoke up, ignoring the others as they began to depart. "So, uh, what do you remember?"

Head still bowed, a hum of thought escaped as Hitomi considered the question. "I remember...I was going home after dance lessons, which had been difficult, and I was thinking about all the stuff I still had to do today, and how I wished I had more free time like you and Madoka. But my parents have expectations, and I can't let them down. Then it just occurred to me that I wasn't really living, and I wanted to be free of it all. After that it's a blur, though I remember feeling...happy, until I found myself here with you." She shook her head, nothing more to add to that.

It made sense from Sayaka's point of view, sadly. Witches took control of a person, influenced them with negative emotions, and fed on them to strengthen themselves as people did things they normally wouldn't otherwise. She'd seen it before, and it was doubtful that she would ever see an end to that particular aspect of magical girl life.

"I see," Sayaka replied before she took a step forward and laid a hand on Hitomi's shoulder. "Well, you're okay and that's what matters. Now come on, let's get you home. I'm sure your parent's are worried sick." She could worry about what Hitomi had said about the basis for her falling under the Witches Kiss later.

"Yes, lets," Hitomi agreed weakly, still shaken by what had happened as Sayaka led her out of the warehouse and back to her home.

Within a week, Hitomi was a magical girl.

Things...were not going well, to put a mild face to it as Sayaka watched the carnival of destruction. She, Mami, Madoka, Homura, and Hitomi were there to fight Walpurgisnacht, a magical quintet that could hardly be matched. Ranged and close in attacks worked away at the Dreadnought Witch as well as the familiars it summoned, blasts of energy radiating out as buildings were tossed about.

Musket shots range out in the air, interspersed with arrows as Madoka, Mami, and Homura danced in the sky, attacking Walpurgisnacht while keeping familiars away. Meanwhile, Sayaka and Hitomi went close in, the latter attacking with her axe, and the former striking with her swords and time magic.

They were doing well, damage accumulating as Walpurgisnacht giggled like a maniac and launched attacks that did as much damage to the city as to them. And the swarm of familiars didn't let up, but still, Sayaka had high hopes for this time. Maybe she could have a happy ending at last.

She leapt in, summoning large broadswords as she moved about the giant Witch, landing blow after blow with all her skill, spinning and striking in rapid succession as Hitomi moved opposite her, dodging return strikes in the process.

Then a cry tore through the air, drawing Sayaka's attention away right after the sound of shattering glass that sent a chill through her. Pausing time, she spun about to see Homura in mid leap, and Madoa, bright, happy Madoka, collapsing with a dull look in her eye, a spear sticking through her chest right where her soul gem should be.

Then things ratcheted back to motion and she appeared by the duo, Homura grabbing Madoka before she could hit the ground, while Mami leapt in to pummel Walpurgisnacht with every gun and Tiro Finale she could muster, and Hitomi did the same.

"Madoka," Homura cried, shaking the pinkette's limp body. "Madoka! Please, wake up!" Tears stained her glasses as she cradled the other girls head. "What am I supposed to do without you?"

Sayaka frowned, sadness surging through her as well, but an explosion reminded her what they were doing at the moment. 'Homura, I'm sorry, but we can mourn her later. Mami and Hitomi need our help."

"R-Right," Homura stuttered, fighting back her tears as she looked up at Sayaka. "I'll...be right there."

Sayaka gave her a critical eye, stepping forward to place a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, Madoka was my friend too. And I'll miss her more than anything. But right now we should be concerned about those people who still need our help. Okay?"

"O-Okay," Homura replied, and only partially assuaged, Sayaka went back to the fight.

Behind her, Homura watched her go and aid Mami in fighting the horde of familiars before her gaze turned back to her only friend. "Madoka...what am I without you? You were my only friend..."

Unnoticed by the rest of the surviving trio, she didn't move from her fallen friend as the verdant purple of her soul gem was eclipsed by surging black. She made no effort to retrieve or use any of her grief seeds, though she felt herself being pulled down in it. She only accepted it as darkness blotted out all the light, filled her soul gem, and then shattered it.

The gem shattered and sent out a burst of energy and wind that sent the four tumbling as a new Witch rose, Homulily, a Witch that seemed much like the stereotypical Witch one would picture, who roared her defiance as she lashed out, fists smashing and adding to the destruction as she stomped along.

Seeing that all with wide eyes, Sayaka felt her blood chill as her mind reeled. What? Where had that Witch come from? Where was Homura? It couldn't have just come from nowhere, and that had never happened before.

"Kyubey, where are you," she yelled as the storm raged around her. Off in the distance lightning crashed, adding illumination as Homulily slammed into Walpurgisnacht, the stunned and distraught Mami and Hitomi doing what they could.

Yes Sayaka Miki, what is it, Kyubey asked as he emerged from shadows to stand before her.

She growled, and grabbed him, lifting his small form and slamming it against the wall before she gestured to Walpurgisnacht. "Alright, explain," she spat. "Where the hell did that Witch come from? Where's Homura?"

I believe Homura Akemi is now that Witch over there fighting Walpurgisnacht, Kyubey replied, chilling words in such pleasant tones. Her soul gem filled with despair, did it not?

Sayaka stared at her, mind racing as she tried to comprehend what Kyubey was saying. Homura...was that thing now? But it was a witch, and Homura was a human, they couldn't join together like that. That was impossible. Unless...

Eyes widened as the dots connected in her head, and she slammed Kyubey against the wall once more. "What are you saying? That's not possible. It can't be."

Kyubey gave her a confused look, not struggling to escape as she held it pinned, and a building crashed to the ground nearby. I don't see what's so remarkable about it. Magical girls become Witches when their soul gems fill with darkness. It isn't that difficult a concept.

Sayaka's breath caught as her head bowed, though her grip didn't lessen. Her eyes stung as tears came forth, dripping down her face to fall to the ground as she broke down. "Why the hell didn't you tell us that?!" she cried at last, letting Kyubey see her tears moments before she hurled him off the building.

Unharmed, much to her anger, Kyubey emerged nearby, answering her question in the process. You never asked, it pointed out, like that was some sort of excuse she would tolerate. If you had, I would have told you. It's not my fault that you humans never seek such information before you make your contracts.

A low growl issued forth from her throat as she threw a sword at Kyubey, nailing him in the head, before she collapsed to her knees. She was no longer aware of the fight outside, no longer cared as she stared at her hands. She hardly noticed as Walpurgisnacht struck back, lashing out with dark tendrils that wrapped themselves around Homulily and brought the struggling Witch in. A dark aura arose and engulfed both like a storm, and when it faded away the Dreadnought Witch stood rejuvenated, damage repaired, and it swatted away Mami and Hitomi with incredible ease.

No, she didn't care, could only try to comprehend the thoughts now flowing. She was even too distracted to combat the darkness that swelled within her own soul. That didn't matter, not compared to thus.

A...monster. That was all any of them were. More so than the revelation that their souls were actually in their soul gems, it hurt her. How was she supposed to go on if they were all doomed to become the very thing they were fighting? Even if they beat Walpurgisnacht, it would inevitably happen, eventually, and she couldn't change that in the slightest. When Kyubey said they would have to dedicate their lives, he really meant it.

Just before she reached the brink though, she pulled herself back from it. No, she could do this. She just...she just had to make sure that Homura, Hitomi, and Madoka didn't contract, and then she and Mami could beat Walpurgisnacht together. The two of them might be lost, but her friends weren't. And she wouldn't abandon them, not when she had sworn to save them. They still had a chance.

Heart still fluttering, she grabbed her buckler and twisted it sending the sands spilling back and resetting the timeline. She would overcome this, she had to.

Sometimes Sayaka can't help but compare herself to the Greeks and Romans, to those tragic heroes and legendary figures, as parallels to herself. It certainly seems fitting, as she spins and twists through the cycles of times.

She is like Hercules, with his Twelve Labours, given to him by the gods so he could gain access to heaven. So too does she struggle against incredible odds, to try and get her happy ending, her version of heaven in which all her friends are alive and happy.

She is also Sisyphus, cursed to roll a boulder to the top of a mountain only to watch it roll down the other side, forced to do it all over again with the same result. So too does she work, victory slipping from her grasp by unexpected events and forcing her to begin again, planning out each time to avoid those previous occurrences.

She struggles on, as she has to, but it's becoming harder to do so. Cuts, bruises, wounds, all accumulating as she throws herself against the future and Witches. All the things she's seen, and done, the fights, the arguments, the sleepless nights of hunting and patrolling. They're all adding up.

Sometimes she wonders if it's even worth it, but she quickly dismisses those thoughts. She can't allow herself to think that, because she knows that if she does then she is doomed. Even Hercules succeeded in the end, and she will too.

The barrier was chaotic, crazy, a quartet of magical girls fighting it out against one witch, one of clocks and schedules. It was a Witch of order, strictly maintained timetables, pressure, and that showed in it's attacks, as it attempted to slam the girls to the ground, and struck at them.

But they, perhaps, weren't fighting as hard as they could have been. No, instead they were attempting to protect, flashes of yellow, purple, and blue sweeping back and forth defensively, protecting the blur of pink that called out to the witch in desperation.

"Hitomi, it's me! This isn't like you! Please, Hitomi!" Madoka cried as she leapt back and forth, dodging thrown bars of iron and rolling clocks.

Gunshots rang out as Mami battled the marching familiars that came in like iron soldiers in pressed suits. Homura did likewise, though her attention was more towards protecting Madoka from harm, this one of the loops where she contracted as a result of Madoka doing so. Meanwhile, Sayaka fought.

Even as Madoka tried to stir whatever remnants of Hitomi were left in that misshapen Witch, Sayaka knew it wouldn't work. So she froze time and ran in, dodging past still attacks to get in position, before she materialized a giant claymore, a sword almost bigger than she was with her magic.

"I'm sorry Madoka, Hitomi," she said to herself before she swung down and let time resume it's normal flow. The Witch, surprised to see a magical girl suddenly so close, had no time to react as the sword cleaved down, blow fueled by magical energy. It cut a massive gash, and then another, and another, as Sayaka moved through the follow up, lopping off large sections until the Witch came crashing to the ground.

It cried it's death throes and then dissolved, the barrier fading with it to nothingness and leaving them back in the mall from whence they had started. A Grief Seed clattered to the ground, empty, evil, the symbol of an iron rod floating in it's center.

That didn't matter though. Hitomi was gone, for Sayaka another time, and Madoka burst into tears as Homura comforted her, biting back her own as well. Sayaka could only look on it all and sigh, her tears having dried out a long time ago.

Before she could do what she needed to buoy Madoka before she fell to despair though, she was taken by surprise as yellow ribbons snapped out, wrapping around her torso and pinning her arms to her side, rendering her unable to reach her shield or cut herself free. Immediately on the heels of that was a gunshot, and the sound of shattering glass.

"Madoka," Homura cried as the pinkette toppled, eyes hollow as her soul gem fell, though the girl caught her before she could hit the ground.

"Mami, what are you doing," Sayaka growled, recovering as she struggled to get free from her bindings. To say she had been blindsided would be an epic understatement.

Mami swung about then, a refreshed musket in hand as she aimed it at Sayaka's soul gem. Her face was twisted, in near tears as she confronted the blunette with an unsteady hand. "We...we become Witches," she stammered, repeating what Sayaka had told them before, and what had just been confirmed. "Why should we fight...when we're just going to become Witches in the end? Better...better to die now than have to suffer like that!"

"No Mami, don't do this! It doesn't have to end like that," Sayaka cried, trying to prevent the inevitable as she lunged forward with bound arms. She still couldn't get free, nor stop time, and she braced herself for the end. No, it couldn't end like this, not now.

"I'm sorry," Mami said as she prepared to fire, to kill her friend in the name of mercy.

Then, the abrupt sound of shattering glass, and the musket, and ribbons vanished as Mami collapsed, her soul gem broken by a purple arrow, and as Sayaka dropped down she looked over to see Homura, glasses covered in water, and black bow dropping from her grasp. And just as she had done that, she broke into tears once more, cradling Madoka like it was the end of the world.

"I...I can't do this anymore," she said, voice cracking as Sayaka approached. "It's too terrible. She didn't have to die. And if we don't die, we become like them. I can't...I won't...Not without her. What am I if I couldn't even help my best friend?"

Sayaka was silent as she looked down at the two girls, her heart panging in spite of the fact that this sight was not new to her, in the least. "I'm sorry," she said at last. "I...didn't know this would happen."

Homura looked back up to Sayaka, clinging to Madoka like a life preserver. "Sayaka, you're a time traveler. Can you...Please, go back. Keep her...keep her from contracting." She turned her gaze down then, afraid to meet Sayaka's gaze anymore. "I don't care what happens to me, but please, save her."

Sayaka took a step forward and placed a hand on Homura's shoulder, nodding at the same time. "I will," she promised, with all the conviction she possessed. "I'll save all of you. No matter what."

"Thank you," Homura replied with a nod, before she turned back to her friend.

Nothing left to say, Sayaka turned, and departed. This timeline was a loss. No offense to Homura, but the two of them couldn't beat Walpurgisnacht together, and she'd seen what Madoka's death could do to Homura. There was no point in pursuing this timeline. She'd just have to plan for the next one.

She had to succeed. Eventually.

It wasn't exactly a quick trip to Kazamino, and it was time that Sayaka really could have used keeping an eye on Hitomi, or Homura, or hunting Witches and collecting Grief Seeds, or spending time on schoolwork that needed to be done. And yet here she was, wasting it traveling to a nearby town.

But it wasn't that much of a waste, in the end. She needed help to beat Walpurgisnacht and have everyone come out alive, and so she'd decided to come out here and enlist the help of one Kyoko Sakura, resident magical girl of Kazamino.

She'd heard of her from Mami, slip of the tongue that she'd leveraged to learn as much as she could. Apparently Kyoko was strong, and talented, but she and Mami had had some sort of break up, which was why they weren't working together anymore. Still, to defeat Walpurgisnacht sacrifices would have to be made.

The bus arrived, and she slipped out into the city. Pulling out her Soul Gem, she checked for any magical energy nearby, and then began walking. Finding Kyoko would be hard, but if she could find a Witch then she wouldn't have to try.

At last she got a hit, and quickly angled to the barrier where she set up a small watch for the magical girl, to see her and get some observation before they met each other in person.

She waited then as the sun moved through the sky, tapping her foot and muttering under her breath about all the stuff she could be doing. For someone able to control time, she sure didn't have enough of it. Who knew what trouble her friends could get into while she was gone?

At last she decided to call it a day. She'd come back in a few days and try again, when it was more likely that Kyoko would need to hunt. Cracking her neck, she rose and gave a last look to the Witches Barrier before moving away. While she would have killed it, she couldn't waste the energy. It was a deviation from her principles that she was willing to accommodate.

A split second later she heard the sound of the whipping chain and dodged to the side just before a sharp metal spear head slammed into the ground where she had been standing, fragmenting the pavement. She came up in a roll and materialized a sword, looking about for the attacker.

That wasn't hard to determine as a figure in red jumped down, landing with a thud and an anticipatory smirk. "So planning to hide out there and ambush me once I was weak? Sorry, but it ain't gonna work," commented the girl, whom Sayaka had to assume was the person she was looking for.

"No, I didn't," Sayaka replied with a shake of her head as she straightened up. "I'm looking for Kyoko Sakura. I wanna talk to her."

"That'd be me," Kyoko said nonchalantly, twirling the Pocky Stick currently between her lips. "You found me, so say what you gotta say. And if you don't got anything worth saying in the next five seconds, then I'm gonna punt you out of my city. Got it?"

Sayaka held in a growl, already being rubbed the wrong way by the other magical girl. But she put up with it since she had little choice. "Walpurgisnacht is coming to Mitakihara at the end of the month. I need your help to fight it."

The lack of an immediate response seemed to indicate that she had succeeded in catching Kyoko's attention. That was the easy part, as evidenced by the redhead's eventual response. "Walpurgisnacht, you mean the doom witch that can demolish entire cities? You got any proof to back that up?"

Sayaka shook her head. "No, not anything that I can bring with me. You'll just have to trust me." Not something easy to ask of another magical girl, but she had to try.

Kyoko frowned, as she finished the Pocky Stick she had been chewing on. "So, lemme see if I've got this right. You want me, to leave my turf and come to Mitakihara, to help Mami Tomoe and whoever the hell you are, and risk my life fighting what is probably the strongest witch of the century?"

Sayaka nodded in confirmation. "Yeah."

All hope she had of getting Kyoko's support was suddenly dashed as the redhead burst out laughing, nearly doubling over with the force of her laughter. "Hahaha, oh wow, this is too good. You really are an idiot, aren't you?" She eased up a bit as she recovered, still grinning. "Why the hell would I risk my life if I ain't gonna get anything for it? "

Sayaka growled, that self centered response earning her ire more than anything. "Don't you care about all the people who will die when Walpurgisnacht sweeps through?"

Kyoko paused, before she shook her head. "Nah, not really. Far as I'm concerned, the 'great' Mami Tomoe can handle this herself, and I'll stay outta harms way until everything blows over. I happen to like living, you know."

Now Sayaka did growl, wondering whether this was even worth it. They could manage without Kyoko, right? She was growing stronger all the time, so it would just be a little bit until she and Mami could beat Walpurgisnacht themselves, right? It would be preferable to dealing with Kyoko.

"If she could handle this herself then I wouldn't be here," Sayaka pointed out in one last attempt. Much as she might dislike the girl, she still had to try.

For some reason though, that didn't have the impact she hoped for. "Well, I don't see her here, so until Mami comes here, gets on her knees, and begs for my help, as well as apologizes, then you're on your own. Now get out of my territory."

Gritting her teeth, Sayaka resisted the urge to test her skills and instead spun on her heels before she departed. It was apparent now that she couldn't rely on Kyoko Sakura for any help. She'd manage on her own.

"...Sorry I can't make it Sayaka, but I promised Kyosuke that I would go to his recital today. I hope it's alright."

"Yeah, it's fine," Sayaka replied dismissively. "Just be careful, alright? Wouldn't want you to overwork yourself."

"Don't worry, I will," Hitomi replied before she hung up.

Looking down at her phone and the picture of Hitomi, Sayaka sighed before she snapped it closed and put it away in her pocket. Her gaze wandered to the horizon as she smiled lightly, sitting casually in the park while waiting for time to pass. That was one relationship she'd pushed in this attempt, and hopefully it would keep Hitomi from contracting.

It had been a conclusion hard to reach. The first few times it had been nigh unbearable, to go through these repeats and watch the interaction between Hitomi and Kyosuke, something she couldn't have with what she had seen.

At some point though, she'd realized it didn't matter, in the end. With all the fighting, and the pain, and the death, she'd come to the realization that this was merely a childhood crush, nothing more. And with what she'd faced, she'd had to grow up fast.

Now she actively promoted Kyosuke being with Hitomi, the former to provide Hitomi with some measure of stability, an oasis of calm in the rigor of her life. In the end, him being with her didn't matter, but him being with Hitomi would help to eventually reach the end of this task.

It would be a surprise to anyone who knew her, she was aware, but she could pass it off. And as time passed, she'd even like to think she believed it as well.

"Just cause I agreed to help train yah, don't think I'm gonna go easy on you either," Kyoko warned with her spear resting on her shoulder.

Standing across from her with drawn sword, Sayaka nodded in approval. "Right." She wouldn't have accepted anything less.

It hadn't been easy, coming to Kyoko for help. She'd been doing well thus far, and hadn't thought she'd needed the assistance, thought that she could manage everything herself. But things had been getting harder, and after nearly being killed by Walpurgisnacht in the last timeline, she had ceded to the inevitable. The other hard part had been getting Kyoko to agree to do this in the first place, which had involved a little food bribery and cession of what pride she had left.

But Kyoko had agreed at last, and now there they were, standing off against each other in the middle of a junk yard ready to fight. It was the first of what would hopefully be not many sessions here.

Standing there nonchalantly, Kyoko seemed oblivious to her suffering there. "So, you wanna try and kick my butt first, or let me beat the crap outta yah first? I could care less either way."

The blunette gave it a bit of consideration before making up her mind. "I'll attack," she said at last. After all, Walpurgisnacht wasn't going to attack her with swords or something.

"Alright." Kyoko settled into a defensive stance then, spear held ready to ward off any blows. "C'mon, gimme your best shot. If you hold back on me, I'll kick your butt anyway."

"Got it." For the time travelers part, there wasn't much chance of that. This was a long delayed chance to earn some self gratification and just desserts by unleashing some pent up frustration that she had towards Kyoko on the redhead, and she wasn't going to waste that.

She sprang forward then, rapidly closing the distance as she struck. Sparks flew as sword and spear met, Sayaka unleashing a flurry of swipes as Kyoko twirled her spear and blocked. It wasn't particularly artistic, by any stretch of the imagination, but but it had Kyoko on the defensive, and that was what counted.

And then suddenly she wasn't, as a counterattacked batted her sword out of the way before the flat head of the spear slammed into her side, throwing her with the impact.

"You know, you can do stuff besides frontal attacks," Kyoko pointed out with a bored expression. "I mean, I get that you like ramming your head against a wall or something, but there are better ways to fight."

"So what would you suggest," Sayaka asked as she got back to her feet, her reserves of patience already being drawn upon as she drew another sword.

Kyoko shrugged. "I dunno, look for a weak spot in my guard, move around, try some techniques, something." She settled back into a fighting stance then, ready for another round.

Sayaka waited for a moment, eying her opponent over before she moved in again. She swung, and Kyoko moved to block, and the two clashed once more. Sayaka continued as she had, waiting until Kyoko's counterstrike came in. Before it could hit though she froze time and ducked around the blow, positioning her sword before she let time resume. Kyoko looked about in confusion for all to ten seconds, before Sayaka slammed the flat of her sword into Kyoko, sending the redhead tumbling.

Landing in a roll, Kyoko growled as she sprang back to her feet. "Hey, you used time magic!"

"Yeah," Sayaka replied with a grin. "You said to do do something different. So I did."

Kyoko growled as she aimed her spear at the other girl. "Come on, you know what I meant. There's no point in doing this if you're gonna cheat like that. How'm I supposed to block you if you're gonna time jump around it?"

Sayaka sighed, that patience she had being more ground down over time. "Fine, I'll avoid the time magic," she ceded at last.

Giving up on that, she charged in one more time, swinging and striking as she had before. She spun about, forcing Kyoko back as they moved through the junk yard, the clash of metal ringing like bells. She sliced, let a sword be batted aside before she materialized another to continue. Leaping, ducking, and striking as hard as she could.

She had kicked it up a level and it was apparent as the two moved and fought. Faced with it, Kyoko kicked it up a notch as well, spear disengaging to chain form as it whipped about to go at her from multiple angles.

They went at it for some time, Kyoko disarming Sayaka before the blunette recovered and went at it again, anger increasing. Bruises and scratches accumulated in the struggle, but for the moment no one had been seriously injured. Yet. With how they were going at it, it probably wouldn't be very long.

Sayaka was going at it with two swords at this point. She wasn't sure if she was learning how to fight, but her blood was pumping, and she was determined not to lose. She wouldn't give Kyoko another reason to mock her.

At last she got her break and took it, Kyoko's spear coming back together for a stab, only to be caught between Sayaka's swords. She twisted then as she surged forward, and the spear went flying from Kyoko's grip, to clatter against a pile of metal.

Sayaka then moved in a way she wasn't expecting, flipping her sword to hold it by the sharp end and slam the butt of the pommel upwards into her stomach, which doubled Kyoko over as the air was knocked from her lungs, before the butt of the other sword slammed into her head, sending her to the ground.

Sayaka sent away her second sword then, glancing down at the cut on her hand from the blade before she offered it to the collapsed girl, who was struggling to get her breath back. "I think I win," she commented with a grin.

Kyoko grunted as she frowned and glared upwards, before taking the hand offered to get back up. "You got lucky," she announced, butt of her spear resting on the ground. "Still, maybe there's hope for you yet," she admitted at last.

Sayaka couldn't help but grin as she stepped back and settled into a fighting stance once more. It'd take a lot of work, but it was a start. And for the moment, that was all she needed.

With a huff of air, Sayaka vaulted across a gap between buildings as she made her way across town at a sprint. She was hoping that she made it in time, to prevent what she could imagine was playing out in her head. She'd been lucky as it was that Kyubey had been useful for once, but she wouldn't leave the outcome to chance, not this.

Time frozen, she at last neared her destination, the pier out by the sea that Kyubey had directed her to. And there she could see the people she was looking for, Mami and Homura, though more alarmingly was the fact that the latter had an arrow strung and aimed directly at Mami, anger in her eyes while Mami looked more uncertain as to what she should do.

While Mami could get annoying, violent, and a general pain in her side, and had proved a liability as many times as she had an asset in these timelines, Sayaka wasn't about to just let her get killed. As it was, she was way too important to defeating Walpurgisnacht, since she knew Homura and herself couldn't do it together.

That was why she interposed herself between Mami and Homura before letting time resume. Homura started in surprise, but it didn't matter as the arrow flew free, only to splash against Sayaka's raised buckler. "Alright, what's going on," the blunette asked with more than a bit of anger.

"Oh, hello Sayaka," Mami said pleasantly, as if she hadn't just been shot at. "I had things in hand, but thank you regardless. I should let Homura explain thought."

Homura glared behind red rimmed glasses at the blond. "Please move out of the way Sayaka," she asked with a trembling voice. "I won't let Mami trick Madoka into contracting like I did."

Sayaka looked between the two girls as she heard Homura's response, already unsettled. "Uh, what's she talking about?"

Mami frowned as she stood where she was. "I'm not sure," she admitted at last. "Homura seems to believe that I'm trying to trick Madoka into becoming a magical girl."

"You are," Homura protested. "Being all nice, making it seem like it's not that big a deal. You should know better than anyone what it's like. The loneliness and constant fighting. Why would you want her to join that? Do you know what it could do to her?"

Mami frowned lightly, disturbed by the words being thrown at her. "I would never force Madoka to make a decision like that. She wanted to know what being a magical girl was like, and I showed her. Ultimately it's her choice."

Sayaka looked between the two with a disapproving air. While she agreed with Homura by way of experience, she had to disagree that trying to kill her was extreme. There were better ways to get Mami to do what you wanted.

"Okay, I see," the blunette commented as she turned to face Homura. "Why don't you drop the bow so we can talk this over like rational people. We don't need to be fighting each other as well as the Witches."

Mami nodded in approval. "I agree. I'm not the enemy, there's no reason to fight over this."

Homura's gaze shifted between the blond and blunette, distrust written across her face as she hesitated, weighing her options. Sayaka wasn't too concerned, since there was no way the relatively newly contracted girl could beat the both of them, but she didn't want things to go on as they were.

"Listen, how do you think Madoka'll feel if she hears you tried to fight or kill Mami," Sayaka pointed out. Given the relationship between the two girls, she knew it'd work.

Homura faltered, expression dropping as the arm holding her bow sagged. Madoka would not approve if Homura hurt Mami, much less killed her, and Madoka's disapproval was a hard thing for her to bear. But Sayaka was taken by surprise as her face hardened, and the bow rose once more.

"I...I don't care if Madoka hates me for it, I won't let her be be tricked into throwing away all the things that make her happy," she said with a shaking voice as she strung another arrow to her bow, purple light casting a shadow across her face.

Still positioned between them, Sayaka raised her shield protectively. "I can't let you do that," she answered. "I don't want to hurt you, but I will." Her determination hardened into iron as she faced down the other girl. "I've come too far just to stand by and let someone like you ruin everything. Not again."

Homura might have marshaled her courage to face Mami, but an angry Sayaka was a whole other level of intimidating, and the suspicion that the blunette would actually kill her if given a reason. She held, wavered, and broke, bow dropping with her head.

"I'm sorry," she muttered weakly, her will fading.

Sayaka stepped forward then, a hand slapping Homura's shoulder, to a wince from the girl, before she took a hold and began leading the girl forward. "It's fine. Now come on, we're gonna talk this out like adults and work something out."

"Alright," Mami agreed as the trio walked off. As she led the two along, Sayaka had to hold in a sigh. Honestly, if this was what she had to deal with, it was no surprise that she hadn't succeeded yet.

"Hello Sayaka," Mami said with a smile and nod to her subordinate and student. She stood on one of the cities numerous rooftops, the time late, with her soon to begin her patrol.

"Hey Mami," Sayaka returned as she came to a stop by the drill haired blond, her usual attitude more subdued at this particular moment. She was taking a risk, altering things after several timelines of effort, but she was still nervous as to how it would turn out. She really didn't want to have to reset things again.

Having greeted the blunette, Mami then turned to the other person present on the flat roof of the department store. "Hello Kyoko," she said, politely but also noticeably colder, her smile vanishing in the process as well.

"Yo." Kyoko waved with a single hand, the picture of nonchalance as she faced down her former teacher, other hand resting on her hip. "Long time no see."

"Indeed," Mami agreed, glancing over to Sayaka, and the time traveler got the distinct impression that there would be a talk about this later. Joy. "And what brings you out to Mitakihara? Are you here to apologize?"

Kyoko snorted. "As if. I was told Walpurgisnacht was coming here in a few days, and Blue here said that I could have it's grief seed if I came here and helped you kill it. I'm not apologizing for anything, especially when I didn't do anything wrong."

"I see." Mami hardly seemed satisfied, and she glanced over at Sayaka, who gave her a rueful grin. "She did?"

Kyoko followed the look before smirking, baring the fang of her incisor. She knew Mami enough to read the invisible sign present there, and didn't envy Sayaka in the slightest. So, trouble in paradise eh? Well, she didn't feel too bad about it. "Yeah. If you got a problem with that, then I'm perfectly willing to head back to Kazamino right now and stop wasting my time here."

Mami didn't reply immediately, thinking over her possibly options, before at last she responded. "No, it's alright, I suppose. Mitakihara can maintain three magical girls, at least for a little while, at least until after Walpurgisnacht is defeated."

"Good. After that's done and the seed is mine, I'm gone." Kyoko spoke with definite certainty as if it had already been decided. While Sayaka might not approve, she supposed she should have been glad that she got the redhead to agree to that much.

"Well, should we get going," Sayaka asked, hoping to defuse the argument rising from whatever remaining enmity there was between the two.

"Yes," Mami agreed, and she turned on her heels to leave the immediate area. Before moving though, she looked back over her shoulder to the redhead. "Come along if you want."

Fishing out a granola bar from her pocket, Kyoko peeled away the wrapper and took a large bite before she answered. "Nah, I'm good. You have fun though."

Mami didn't seem too broken up by the decision when she heard it. "Very well," she ceded. "Please stay out of my way then. I have no desire to fight you another time." She might not want to, but it was obvious that she would if need be.

Kyoko shrugged indifferently. "Works for me. I'm just here to fight Walpurgisnacht, that's all." She looked over to Sayaka then. "See yah late Blue." And with that, she leapt away.

Sayaka watched her go, before joining Mami as they departed as well, jumping from building to building as they hunted for Witches barriers. Silence stretched between them, both either unwilling to speak or unsure what to say as they patrolled and protected the unsuspecting populace. In spite of all she had seen, Sayaka had not given up on that yet.

At last Mami spoke up as they went along. "Sayaka, why did you bring Kyoko here," she asked, not outright judgmental but obviously not amused by the action.

Sayaka continued at her constant pace as she answered. "I thought we could use the help. Walpurgisnacht is pretty dangerous, as you've said yourself, and if we want to beat it and come out fine on the other side, then we'll need the help."

"I see." Mami seemed to accept that reasoning, though she was as evidently still not happy about it. "Did you promise her anything else besides Walpurgisnacht's grief seed?"

"No," Sayaka lied with a shake of her head.

"Alright" Mami concluded. "Well, best to be cautious then. Kyoko can be quite dangerous when confronted or crossed, and we don't need needless fights before the big battle. That shouldn't be too hard."

Sayaka nodded in approval. She could tell this would be harder than she thought, especially to have those two get along so they could beat Walpurgisnacht in the end. Still, it couldn't be that hard. It wasn't like they were actively fighting each other.

A ping showed up on their soul gems with a rise of light, and they oriented towards it and the Witch. Time to get to work.

In these timelines that Sayaka has gone through, she has had to learn, to grow. She's learned to be less grandstanding, learned when to cut her losses, learned how to fight. She's learned to lie as well, to act. How else can she hide what she knows, and keep people from being suspicious? And she's learned more about her companions, perhaps more than she's wanted to know about them.

First is Mami, the elder magical girl, the sempai who lost her parents and has been alone ever since. She is tough, calculating, a big sister to all who meet her. She is kind, and helpful, accommodating, and enjoys being with people. She is a very valuable asset in a fight.

She is weak, fragile, lonely. She has a tendency to show off and be overconfident when fighting with others at her side. She is emotionally unstable, and always reacts badly when finding out the truth of the magical girl system, once proof is presented that it is true. She is a great asset, but also a significant weakness.

Then there is Kyoko. She is brash, strong, cocky. She knows how to fight, and she is most used to the life of a magical girl. If she is around for the fight against Walpurgisnacht then she is a valuable ally, and can be easily persuaded through her stomach. She is a thief with a heart of gold.

She is violent, greedy, selfish. Kyoko will only act in her own self interest most of the time, and will not come to Mitakihara without some incentive to do so. She has a tendency to cut and run before Walpurgisnacht arrives, and to fight with Mami and Sayaka herself. She is aggravating, and a liability as much as she is an asset.

Hitomi is cultured, courteous, gentle. She listens to her friends and is considerate to how they feel. When a magical girl she makes a third melee fighter that can be useful, and when not she provides an emotionally stable figure that can act in support, and can even go entire timelines unaware of the magical girl life.

She is controlled, oppressed, subservient. She is beholden to the will of her rich parents, and that makes her susceptible to the Kiss of a Witch, and when she contracts it is usually to counter the burden of expectation placed upon her by her parents or society. And that is usually the reason why she succumbs to becoming a Witch.

Madoka is kind, caring, selfless. She is the picture of idealistic innocence, always willing to lend a hand, always an optimist. She is a good ranged fighter as a magical girl, and will almost never Witch out. She is a refreshing breeze in the darkness that is this loop, and she almost always get along with the rest of the group.

Her same virtues are her faults. Madoka is perhaps the quickest to contract, and does so for reasons that can, at times, seem silly. Her undaunted optimism can make her blind to the realities of the situations she might find herself in, and as such she can easily get over her head, whether that be against Witches, or in other dangerous moments.

Homura is smart, determined, loyal. While shy, she is devoted to Madoka, and will do anything she asks. She is good support in a fight, and once convinced around to a cause, will fervently support it. And she is intelligent, able to see aspects of a situation others might miss.

And yet that is a weakness too, in addition to her low self esteem. If anything happens to Madoka, it will have an adverse effect on Homura. And with her shyness, and physical frailty, it is hard for her to become friends with anyone besides Madoka. Homura is the one most likely to perish during the cycles, whether it be by a Witch, corruption of her soul gem, or suicide in some form.

Yes, she knows them well, their strengths, their weaknesses. She knows the thrill of success and the crushing burden of failure. And still she tries to work them into some form that can defeat Walpurgisnacht. She has no choice.

It was a few days after another reset for Sayaka. In spite of her most recent tragic ending, she had no choice but to go forward, and she fixed a smile once more to her face. With a bit of creative lying, she passed off any instability as being tired, and managed to slip past the criticism she got from Madoka. It wasn't like she hadn't done that before.

After school, she dismissed herself from the presence of her friends and shifted to her magical girl form once free. Aside from preventing the events that generally caused Madoka to contract early, she was also in the beginning of building her stockpile of grief seeds for this timeline.

That meant hunting, but fortunately she had long ago memorized where all the Witches that were safe to hunt were at. That is to say, the ones Mami wouldn't have gotten around to hunting immediately.

She'd become wary of Mami over successive months, and by now she didn't rush to meet with Mami anymore. She couldn't risk the blond showing off for her 'student' and getting herself killed. She'd survived this long alone, she could make it one more month by herself.

Still, every once in a while, the timelines threw her a curveball, different variables she couldn't account for. She'd seen Kyosuke playing different instruments, seen Mami as a jaded and paranoid magical girl, even seen Homura as a more obsessive and violent stalker (she shuddered at that memory) Very odd, to say the least.

Whether this was one of those, or simply a result of some accidentally introduced variable, the blunette didn't know. But she couldn't deny that something had happened as she arrived at one of the barriers on her list to see Mami already there, bent over as she retrieved the grief seed from the fallen Witch.

Sayaka pulled up, out of sight, but it was too late, as Mami straightened up and looked towards where she stood in the shadows, wearing a decidedly pleasant smile. "I know you're there. I'm not going to hurt you, I would just like to talk so please come out."

Sayaka sighed, and considered the possibility of leaving with her time stop ability, so she could delay this confrontation for a later date, when she was more prepared. At last though, she gave in, and stepped forward so Mami could see her. "Hey," she said with a wave.

"Hello," Mami replied with a bow. "I'm Mami Tomoe, who are you?"

"Sayaka Miki," the blunette replied. "I'm in the class below you at Mitakihara Middle School." She'd find out eventually, so it might as well be said.

"I see." Mami still wore her smile as she continued on. "Are you recently contracted then? There haven't been any other magical girls here for a while."

A hand resting on her hip, Sayaka provided a cautious response. She was well aware of what she could and could not tell Mami. "You could say that," she answered in couched language.

Whether Mami found that odd or not, she didn't say. It was a pattern Sayaka was used to, and she had some anticipation of what the blond would say next. "In that case, perhaps you would like to cooperate with me? As a newly contracted girl I'm sure you wouldn't mind some help learning the ropes, and there is enough territory for the two of us."

"No thanks," Sayaka replied with a shake of her head. "I can handle myself."

She could tell Mami was disappointed, knew it brought back memories of Kyoko, and the blond didn't do a very good job of hiding it even if she hadn't known already. "Are you sure? Fighting Witches can be dangerous, and it makes more sense for us to work together than separately. I wouldn't want you to get in over your head in a fight."

The time traveler had heard that more than once though, and was not swayed. It hurt, sure, but there was little choice. "Thanks, but it's still no. I'd prefer to do my own thing. Not that I want to fight you, but I think it'd be best if we kept out of each other's way for now."

"Alright," Mami agreed reluctantly before taking the grief seed she had just gotten and tossing it to Sayaka. "I have no desire to fight you either, and I hope we can get along in the future. Perhaps we can cooperate sometime?"

Catching it with a swift grab, Sayaka looked down at the seed as she considered what to do. She thought about rejecting it and tossing it back, which would do a good job at severing ties between the two of them at cold formality. But even this far along, she couldn't do that so casually.

"Maybe," she conceded with a shrug, sliding it away into her shield. "Well, see you around." Without a wave or backwards glance, she spun about on her heels and left. She had a lot to do, and no time to waste. Mami would just have to survive on her own.

"Hey guys. What is it," Sayaka asked as she found herself in one of Mitakihara Middle Schools classrooms. School was currently out, having been dismissed several minutes ago, providing a secluded environment for what was about to occur.

She was seated at one of the desks, and found her gaze wandering between Madoka and Hitomi, both of whom looked at her in concern as they stood above her. Meanwhile, Homura stood off to the side, hanging by Madoka but unwilling to be involved in this confrontation.

"We're...worried about you, Sayaka," Madoka began. "You've been acting weird lately."

Hitomi nodded in agreement. "I've noticed it too. Did something happen?"

Turning her attention between the two of them, Sayaka shook her head as she put on a smile. "What? No, nothing happened." She let out a chuckle, the nervousness of which didn't escape notice from the two confronting her. "Why would you think that?"

The two glanced between each other, obviously not believing her charade. "You've been a lot more...quiet than usual," Hitomi explained. "Kyosuke says you've barely seen him recently, and half the time you look like you're dead on your feet, when you aren't distracted by something." It was obvious to her that something was up, especially considering her former attachment to Kyosuke, but she didn't know what.

"If something is wrong, we want to help," Madoka said. "You're our friend Sayaka, and we don't want you to suffer alone."

For a moment, Sayaka considered what her friends had to say, the solemn expressions they wore. She wanted to tell them, she really did, all about the world of magical girls, witches, an Incubator, and everything she'd been through, how her principles had fallen one by one and the weight she bore. If they knew, it would make things so much easier for her.

But she couldn't do that. Telling them screwed things up too much, and that was even if they believed her in the first place. And she couldn't trust that the information wouldn't get back to Mami somehow and ruin things even more. It had been hard learned experience, but she knew now that she had to keep things as constant as possible, except for the changes she made.

"Nothing's wrong," she said with renewed insistence. "I've just been busy, and doing some all nighters. I mean, I gotta keep up with you two in school somehow."

Madoka's worry lessened, if only slightly. "Oh. I wouldn't mind helping you study if you want," she offered. "It isn't easy for me either."

As much as she might like that, Sayaka brushed her off. "Thanks Madoka, but I've gotta learn how to do this stuff myself. After all, I've got to make sure I succeed in the future, and I've got quite an example to live up to."

Reassured, Hitomi eased up a bit, and broke into a slight smile. "I'm glad your finally taking the initiative to get better as a person. Though, what prompted this, if I may ask?"

Sayaka shrugged, a deceptive answer rising surprisingly, and a bit worryingly, easy to her lips. "I dunno, I was walking home one day and it just hit me that as things were, I was gonna end up working at a fast food place or something, and I didn't want that. So I decided to try harder and get it right."

Well, that was one way, and her two friends wouldn't begrudge her that. "Alright. We're sorry for worrying," Madoka told her, glad that Sayaka was fine, and already determined to help her in any way she could. Hitomi was more skeptical, but was willing to give it a pass, for the moment. Any more suspicious activity though, and that would be a different story.

"Nah, no problem," Sayaka replied with a chuckle as she rose from her seat. "I'm used to it by this point. Anyway, I have some stuff to do, if this is all."

There was no disagreement, so she left, with a nod to Homura as she moved out of the classroom. She had to get to work now, before Walpurgisnacht arrived. With that in mind, she put what had just happened out of her head. She had to be more careful in the future, but that was easy. For now, she had more important things to worry about

"Sayaka, wait!"

Sayaka paused, looking back in confusion as she was called. She'd been about to go on a hunt for Witches, to increase her stockpile of grief seeds, separate from the daily patrols she held with Mami. After all, having a few spares never hurt if she happened to need them. Still, she hadn't expected Madoka to come up to her just then, seeing as she was trying to keep her from becoming a magical girl and all.

"Oh, hey Madoka," Sayaka replied. "Sorry, but this is kind of a bad time, can it wait? I have things to do."

That didn't stop Madoka though as she ran up to stand beside her friend. "I know, but I just had to see you."

Sayaka chuckled a bit at the eagerness of her friend, and she rubbed the back of her head. "Alright, what is it?"

What she wasn't expecting was for Madoka to proudly flourish a pink soul gem on the palm on her hand, beaming a smile like seven suns. "I made a contract with Kyubey, now I can help you and Mami protect people."

Her bones chilled, her blood ran cold, and Sayaka's head fell as she fought back angry tears. Not again, not again. What had she done wrong? How had she missed it, Madoka contracting? She was trying her hardest, but it seemed that once again it wasn't enough, and she didn't even know the mistakes she had made this time.

"Why," she muttered, accumulated anger and impotent rage spilling forth. "Why? Why do you keep doing this? Why can't you be selfish for once in your life?"

Madoka frowned, not having expected that reaction from her friend. "Sayaka?"

The blunette's gaze returned then, sadness in her eyes as she met her friends frown. "So who was it? Who did you wish to save, or protect, or help? Who was worth selling your soul for this time?"

The girl was about to respond, when she noted something odd, and cocked her head as confusion manifested itself. "This...time?"

Fists clenched, Sayaka nodded as tears slipped free in spite of herself. She knew she should stop, shouldn't say this, but she couldn't, and the words just slipped free. "Yes, this time. I have played out this month, again and again and again, trying to save you, and Homura, and Mami, and everyone else. And you just keep contracting, even when you know you shouldn't, when you know what it means to do that."

She advanced on the pinkette, uncaring that she was scaring her now. "You contract, and you are dooming yourself to fight forever until either your soul gem is shattered and you die, or you become a Witch. You can never go back to a normal life, ever again. And yet that doesn't seem to matter to you, since you keep contracting even though you know that."

She threw her arms up in exasperation. "Just what does it take to get through to you?"

Madoka's eyes watered as her head fell under the haranguing she got from Sayaka, that not what she had been expecting at all. "I...I'm sorry," she replied weakly. "I just-"

Sayaka cut her off, already having heard this a hundred times, it felt like. "'You wanted to be helpful', yeah, I know. But you always seem to think that the only way you can help people is by contracting and becoming a magical girl. What about people like me, who are fighting for you, who want you to be human, and happy, and have a normal life? I don't need another magical girl, I need normal, plain Madoka, that friend who helped me with schoolwork, who joked on the way to class, who helped me pick out music. Why is it that you give up on her so easily for a life of suffering?"

Browbeaten, Madoka seemed unwilling, or unable to respond as Sayaka began to calm down. And as she did so, she was willing to admit that she might have gone a bit overboard there. But after so many failed attempts, it just needed to be said. It was the truth after all.

'Sayaka," Madoka muttered sadly, shaken by the near rant. It was far from the reaction she was expecting, and her words failed her.

Sayaka took a deep breath as she straightened up, frown swapped for a fixed smile on her face once more. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that," she continued as way of apology. "It just...gets to you, after a while."

Sadness rapidly gave way to concern, and Madoka couldn't dismiss that. "How many times have you gone back?"

Sayaka sighed, rubbing the back of her head. "Um, fifty seven, I think? Somewhere around there. It all kinda blends together at a certain point. "She shot a rueful, self mocking smile at her friend from where she stood. "I'm...starting to forget things. In the past, from before I became a magical girl."

Now it was the pinkette's turn to protest in alarm. "Why do you keep doing it then? If it hurts you so much, why don't you stop? You know I don't want that."

"Because I have to save you," Sayaka replied, almost automatically. "I can't stop until Walpuegisnacht has been killed and everyone lives to see afterwards. That was my wish, and I'm not going to give up until I do that.

"Oh." Madoka would admit that it made sense, even if it didn't make her feel that good. Sayaka had gone through this much and still hadn't succeeded. Hardly a welcoming thought, to say the least. "I'm sorry for messing things up for you, again. I didn't know..."

Another sigh threatened as Sayaka felt her anger melt away in the face of Madoka's regret. Against that, she could hardly stay angry, in spite of herself. "I know." She was used to it by now, not that she would relate particular experiences to her friend. She didn't need to know how deep the rabbit hole really went.

Taking a step closer, Sayaka placed a hand on Madoka's shoulder and swung around to begin walking forward, side by side with her friend. "Come on. You've contracted, it'd be irresponsible of me to not show my friend the ropes."

"Alright," Madoka agreed, good mood returning somewhat as she walked along eagerly. Sayaka wasn't sure if this timeline was going to be a success or not, but she still had to try. She owed her friends that much.

"So, that's all I've got," Sayaka said, a spread of photographs before her. She was currently seated in Mami's apartment, night visible in the windows beyond the living room.

It was the night before Walpurgisnacht's arrival, the time for last second planning and preparation. She'd done well, kept Madoka, Homura, Hitomi alive and uncontracted, kept Mami sane, and gotten Kyoko here to fight. Now it was just a matter of defeating Walpurgisnacht, and this would be over. At last she would be able to rest.

"I see. Thank you, this will definitely help tomorrow," Mami replied with a grateful nod. She held a cup of tea in her hands, and sat kneeling at the glass table.

With a yawn, Kyoko rose from where she was laying on the couch, stretching a bit. "Well, I'm gonna go out for a bit of fresh air. See yah later unless you need me."

"Alright," Sayaka agreed. "Well, don't go too far. I've got some strategies that will be useful, especially with all the familiars."

"Got it," Kyoko answered with a mock salute before she stepped out the front door. It closed with a slam, leaving the blunette and blond to themselves for the moment.

Mami turned her attention back to Sayaka, taking a sip of her tea with her warm aura still filling the room. The girl opposite her was more closed, determined, all business, in spite of how Mami attempted to get her to loosen up and act otherwise. "I do have a few questions on some of the things you mentioned."

"Oh, what is it," Sayaka asked, looking down over the images she had spent a long time trying to collect.

"Well, you mentioned that the Witch has two sections to it. Which should we focus our attacks on?"

Sayaka frowned, before pointing to one part of the diagram she had prepared for this day. "The top. I think the bottom is a decoy."

"Alright," Mami agreed with a nod. The two of them went on, Sayaka providing the answers to the questions that her ally presented that she knew the answer to. It wasn't everything, but there were some things that even she didn't know, or tactfully refrained from telling her. Best to keep that information to herself.

About fifteen minutes passed before Mami looked about with some concern. "Kyoko has been gone for some time, hasn't she," she noted.

Glancing over at the clock, Sayaka nodded in agreement. "Yeah. I'll go get her." She rose from where she was seated and made her way over to the front door, swinging it open before she stepped out into the nighttime air.

Looking around, there was no sight of the familiar red, and she surged forward to the edge of the concrete pathway, from which she scanned the surrounding buildings. "Dammit," she growled as she clutched at the metal banister. Not now, not when they were so close.

With a flash she shifted into her magical girl form and spun her shield, the world shifting into grey. She ascended to the roof of the complex and then headed towards Kazamino,taking the guess that that was the way Kyoko would head, like she would head anywhere else while Mami was still alive.

She quickly caught up with the frozen girl, and came to a stop in front of her, at a safe distance, before time resumed itself with a single motion.

"What do you think you're doing," she barked, arms folded across her chest as Kyoko came to a stop.

"I think that'd be obvious," Kyoko replied, ready and willing to beat through the blunette if she had to, time magic or no. "I'm getting out of here while the gettings good. Come tomorrow this place is gonna be rubble, and and I don't plan to go down with it. Discretion is the better part of valor, and I'm all for being valorous."

Sayaka wasn't about to let her hard work go down the drain, not when she'd come so far. "Hey, you agreed to do this," the blunette pointed out. "You can't go backing out now, not when we need you for this."

"Really? Watch me." Kyoko moved to pass the girl, only to find her abruptly in front of her again, and she clicked her tongue at the display of time magic.

"What about Mami," Sayaka continued, trying to sway the girl. "She can't handle this by herself. Without you, the chance that she dies is a lot higher."

Now Kyoko was getting annoyed, and it showed as she shrugged nonchalantly. "Cry me a river. You might not have noticed, but Mami only tolerates me cause she's gotta be all fancy and host like. She doesn't actually like me. And the feelings mutual. So good luck, but I'm not gonna waste any spare energy on her or this city."

"So that's just it," Sayaka growled. "You're going to be a coward and run off, just like that? Even after giving your word? I can see why Mami doesn't like you."

"Hey, principles are nice and all, but when it comes down to it, my life's more important than your opinion of me." Kyoko still seemed incredibly nonchalant, though that should not have been taken to assume she wasn't ready to fight. "You wanna throw your life away, go ahead. Leave me out of it."

"Fine," Sayaka spat with clenched fists. "Run away. We don't need you. And when we beat Walpurgisnacht, you'll regret this."

That earned a snort of disbelief from the redhead. "Tough words from someone who practically got down on her knees and begged me to come here and help out. So yeah, if you survive, then you can come find me and tell me I was wrong. Till then, I'm outta here." Without waiting for a response, she took a few steps and jumped away, daring Sayaka to try and stop her again.

She didn't though, and with a hushed growl watched Kyoko go before she froze time once more and returned back to Mami's apartment, all the while planning out what needed to be done now. She'd need to adjust the strategies they used tomorrow to deal with Kyoko's absence, as well as making sure Mami didn't take it too hard.

Mami looked up from the pictures on the table as she reentered, and transformed back in a flash, and the blond was quick to connect the dots that were presented for her. "Kyoko left, didn't she?"

Sayaka nodded as she talked back over to the table, resisting the urge to hit something, which she seemed to always have after dealing with Kyoko. "Yeah, looks like it's just the two of us. Don't worry though, I've got some alternative ideas that will work with just the two of us. Can't say I didn't expect this might happen."

"Good to hear it," Mami replied, showing little sign of if she was troubled by Kyoko's departure. "Well, let's not waste any time then. We don't have very long."

Sayaka nodded in agreement. Difficulties or not, it was time to get to work.

With a growl and the vision of Witches in her mind, as the rain fell once again on a shattered city and broken bodies, she reaches for the shield on her wrist and spins the metal wheel once more, to throw herself against the bonds of fate once again. She has to save them, has to fix everything. Even if she suffers, and bleeds, and goes slightly more mad with each repetition, she has to try.

After all, good always wins in the end.

Right?