A/N: Happy birthday present for ghikiJ-san! This is turning into an annual thing :P

This is my second Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica story, and a sequel fic to my previous oneshot Ribbons. Similarly, this one is also more about the characters and their bonds, this time starring Madoka and Sayaka. This is how I interpret their bond based on canon material, including the novel and PSP game, and how it would have developed after the events in Ribbons.

The timeline is set in the universe where witches still existed (aka, the 'old world')

Disclaimer: I don't own MSMM

Special thanks to Athyra-senpai for her beta

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Bandaid

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"W-wait, Birdie, come back- hyah!"

The pink-haired girl tripped over an uneven section of the pavement and scraped her palm against the cement. Thoughts about the pretty little bird were forgotten as she scrunched up her face and blinked fearfully at the torn and reddened skin. The sharp stings made her lips quiver with helplessness.

This foreign pain was too much for the four-year-old.

Just as her eyesight became blurry from her tears, a hand appeared in her line of vision. Sniffling, she looked up at a smiling kid dressed in a loose shirt and shorts. The friendly stranger appeared to be the same age as her, though she wasn't sure if the blunette was a boy or a girl due to his or her short tresses.

The energetic-looking person had pretty sea-colored eyes though.

"T-thank you," she shakily took the offered hand with her uninjured one, whimpering when her scrape was jostled as she was pulled to her feet.

"Aw, that must've hurt!" A girlish voice exclaimed from the blunette's lips, "Gimme a moment," she frowned comically while she dug into her pockets in search for something. "Aha, found it!"

The tearful pinkette sniffed quizzically as the stranger gently placed a small bandaid over her palm. "There, that should take away the hurt, hehe!"

Sniffling, she squinted at the bandage in confusion because her scrape still throbbed. But the blunette looked very proud, so she didn't know how to respond to this kind gesture even though it didn't work. Conflicted and overcome by the stinging pain, she felt tears trickling down her cheeks again.

"It didn't work?" The blue-eyed girl looked crestfallen but she quickly smiled when an idea seemed to have popped into her mind. "I know! Hold still…"

A different kind of warmth replaced the hotness sweltering at her scraped palm when the blunette held up her hand and kissed the bandaid. Puzzled, she tilted her head at the grinning girl.

"A kiss from a prince should work!"

The pinkette blinked, her tears receding somewhat not because the wound stopped hurting but because she was so confused by the gesture. "But… you're a girl, you can't be a prince…"

"Hmm, that's true," those sea-like eyes then glimmered prettily like how the ocean's surface was lit up by the sun, "A knight… I'll be a knight of justice, how's that? I mean, I took away the pain so you don't hurt anymore."

"…you're right!" The smaller girl stared at the bandaid on her palm, amazed that the scrape really didn't hurt as much as before. Was it because she was so distracted by the stranger's liveliness or was it because the shorthaired girl really was a knight?

Either way, she was happy to have found a new friend, a really cool one at that too.

"I'm Miki Sayaka!" The heroine laughed sunnily and patted the pinkette's head, earning a shy giggle. "What's your name?"

"M-Madoka," she smiled joyfully, "my name's Kaname Madoka!"

"So~ Madoka, what do you think?"

"T-that was really cool, Sayaka-chan!"

There was no other way to describe what she had witnessed. The sword-wielding girl had just rescued her from a petrifying encounter with a witch and defeated the creature all by herself.

Sayaka was the coolest mahou shoujo she had ever seen.

The pigtailed pinkette glanced over her best friend's dashing, knight-like outfit and laughed lightly when the blunette twirled around and let her pristine white cape flutter.

"Heheh, I can't wait to let Mami-san see how much I've improved! And that Kyouko… I'll show her who's the baka now!"

Madoka shook her head in exasperated fondness over her friend's competiveness, especially when it was about a certain redhead. Her mirth faded a little though, since the thought of Sakura Kyouko and Tomoe Mami caused her melancholy to resurface.

Mahou shoujos were simply girls who were granted magical abilities through a contract with a mysterious creature named Kyuubey, all in exchange for a single wish. Their souls were pulled out of their bodies, which then became empty shells, and they had to keep fighting creatures of despair called witches to obtain grief seeds in order to replenish their mana.

At least, that was the gist Akemi Homura had told her after Kyouko saved Mami from a witch that looked like a monstrous worm. Madoka didn't understand the complete details but she admired them for their strength to make a difference, especially the blonde's conviction in protecting the innocent. Apparently, the black-haired transfer student had found out something about Kyuubey, claiming that it was not as innocent as it appeared. The white creature did not refute her words either, so she was able to gain the two veterans' support. However, before they even planned on leaving Mitahikara to hunt down Kyuubey, Sayaka had unknowingly contracted with it in order to heal Kamijou Kyousuke's arm, much to Mami's dismay and Kyouko's disdain.

However, after hearing the brief explanation, the blunette only felt more certain of her choice in becoming a mahou shoujo, saying that the other three could go on the hunting expedition now that she had the power to fight the witches in their places. It took a lot of convincing, but Homura had relented after thinking over some statistics.

"I wonder how they're doing…"

"Mami-san's there, I'm sure they'll be fine!" Sayaka grinned and stretched her arms before changing back to her school uniform, "Until they return, I'll protect everyone here as the ally of justice!"

Madoka smiled as the blunette energetically pumped up her fist, but she was still feeling a little depressed because her friends were all doing their roles in protecting the world, while she was still as useless as ever like the damsel in distress she had always been.

As glamorous as the sword-wielder made everything appear, those battles against the witches were so frighteningly real and potentially fatal. Through Mami's fight against the monstrous worm, they were able to see just how close to death a mahou shoujo would be if she were not careful enough, even for a mere moment.

The pinkette frowned sadly. The blonde veteran had Kyouko to fight the witches together, so Sayaka should have a comrade too.

As her best friend, she should be the one watching her back!

"So what were you doing, Madoka?" The blunette furrowed her eyebrows as she appraisingly stared at the downcast girl. "Is there something troubling you? Is that how you got lured into the witch's barrier?"

The concerned scrutiny greatly touched Madoka. It was just like Sayaka to fuss over her even though it should be the other way around. After all, the blue-eyed mahou shoujo was the one who did all the fighting.

"I-I'm okay, Sayaka-chan," the shorter girl reasoned that her friend had enough to worry about without her trivial problem too, so she told her the half-truth. "I just saw Hitomi-chan acting strange, so I followed her and happened to see many people under the witch's spell. Before I knew it… I was f-floating in this weird space with Merry-Go-Arounds and televisions-"

"Hold it," Sayaka rubbed her temple exasperatedly, "you saw those people gathering, guessed they were under a witch's spell…and still followed?"

Blushing, Madoka laughed sheepishly. "Wehihihi…I-I wasn't really thinking…"

"Geez, what am I going to do with you?" The blunette sighed and tapped the pinkette's forehead with her knuckles. "Oh well, I guess you can be as impulsive as you want because your Sayaka-chan will always be here! Just make sure to call me next time, alright?"

As always, her best friend's sunny smile was infectious and Madoka found her despondent mood washed away under those sea-colored eyes.

"Okay, I won't forget, Sayaka-chan!"

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"S-Sayaka-chan…"

"I'm here now!" Frantic footsteps followed by the familiar voice drowned out whispered taunts and splatters of rain. "Don't worry, Madoka!"

The fallen girl opened her eyes hopefully and saw her best friend scowling ferociously at a group of older students surrounding her. Not at all intimidated by Sayaka's angry glare, the snickering teens continued to sneer at the frightened pinkette. One even reached for the ribbon she loved and always wore, making the blunette yell in rage.

"You! Get-" she took out a bat from her backpack, which finally gained the bullies' attentions.

"-away-" she charged towards the group with a battle cry.

"-from her!" Swinging her weapon wildly, she appeared menacing enough that the older students hurried away from the scene. Although, it was probably because they were still near the school grounds so a teacher might arrive before they could get away.

Madoka breathed shakily and tried to get up, taking care not to stumble on the slippery ground due to the rain. It was quite scary to be ganged up by total strangers, for she was just minding her own business and taking a walk during recess when they cornered her to say some means things. Alone and confused, her knees gradually gave away under all that animosity.

However, now that her best friend was here, she found the strength to stand on her feet again.

"Are you okay?" Though frowning still, Sayaka checked the pinkette for cuts and bruises with those gentle sea-colored eyes. "I can't believe those middle-schoolers would pick on an elementary school girl like you…"

"Ne, Sayaka-chan… do you think I'm too childish?"

"Eh? What makes you think that?"

Madoka's lips quivered but she managed to stop herself from crying. The rain had successfully hidden her tears from her friend, so she didn't want to seem more pitiful than she already was. "T-they were teasing me about m-my hair… that I'm still a kid, tying my hair into pigtails like this…"

Before she could pull off her favorite ribbons though, Sayaka grasped her wrist firmly. "You are childish but that's what makes you cute, and that's what makes you Madoka. Who cares about what those people think?"

"B-but I want to be cool-" like you, "-like my mom, for example…"

"Yeah, your mom's cool, I won't deny that," the blunette smiled encouragingly and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, "but you are you… and one day you'll be my bride!"

"W-what?" Madoka didn't really understand why but the bold statement made her heart pound a little faster. "Mou, Sayaka-chan, that's not… um, besides, d-don't you have someone you like already?"

"T-that's… um, K-Kyousuke is Kyousuke," the taller girl pouted at the indirect mention of her childhood friend and crush, but she waved her hand dismissively, "You are my bride... I just said that, didn't I?"

"That's being greedy, Sayaka-chan…"

"Aaah I give up," the blunette backed away theatrically and turned around with her hands on her hips, "there's no use trying to cheer up this stubborn kid, tsk tsk~"

"Wehihihi, gomen gomen," Madoka couldn't help but giggle at her friend's antics. She may not understand exactly what the shorthaired girl was trying to convey, but she could feel the sentiment alright. "Thanks, Sayaka-chan."

"No need to thank me~! I'm just being the ally of justi-whoa!" The blunette spun around a little too fast and almost slipped on a puddle, splashing the water onto their already damp uniforms. "Ugh, I should've taken the umbrella instead of the bat when I came out to find you…"

She rubbed the back of her head, smiling sheepishly. "I'm no good, am I?"

"No, Sayaka-chan. You protected me."

"Heh, barely. I have no talent after all."

"That's not true-!"

Madoka shook her head vehemently but unlike her strong feelings, her voice trembled feebly as she struggled to articulate her reasons. Her eyes darted around akin to a frightened critter, from the miserable shades of grey clouding the sky to the heavy rainfall splattering against the transparent roof, and finally to the cold stare of the girl sitting on the bench beside her.

Those icy-blue eyes seemed to pierce through her soul. Where was that warm gentleness in her friend's gaze?

"I-It hurts watching you fight, Sayaka-chan," Madoka was scared by the apathetic scrutiny, but she forced herself to continue, "J-Just because you can ignore the pain, just because you can spontaneously heal, that doesn't mean you should fight so recklessly! It's…that's … it's definitely wrong!"

She clenched her fist in front of her chest and tried to stop shivering, but vivid images of the gruesome battles flashed and made her whimper. Several days ago, Sayaka had become shaken by the fact that Hitomi and Kyousuke became a couple, but she tried her best to not let it bother her because they were important to her. Therefore, when she found them caught within a witch's barrier, she saved them just as she did for many other innocent people.

However, after the deadly battle in which she was covered from head to toe with blood, they called her a monster instead of thanking her, as if she were the same as the very creature she had protected them from. Later on, it turned out that the couple was still disorientated from the barrier's effects and didn't recognize who their savior was.

Yet no matter how much Madoka tried to reason with the sword-wielder, the damage was done. Sayaka became more devoted to witch-hunting after this but the more she fought against those spectral creatures, the more she became terribly aware of the fact that she was just a shell, that she was no longer a human.

Embittered, she didn't bother to defend or dodge attacks anymore. Earlier, Madoka stood petrified as she watched the sword wielder slashing through the witch's minions, disregarding the vicious bites and gashes from those beast-headed vines. Blood spurted everywhere until the pinkette could no longer distinguish which side it came from. All the while, Sayaka only laughed psychotically as she hacked away at the unmoving form of the defeated witch. After the barrier dissipated, she had slumped in Madoka's arms and whispered in such a frail tone that she was tired. Protectiveness coursed through the shorter girl as she tightened her embrace around the mahou shoujo, wanting to shield her from everything that could harm the vulnerable soul.

Yet at the same time, Madoka knew she was useless when it came to helping Sayaka.

When the blunette had lightly but firmly pushed her away, all she could do was lend the taller girl her shoulder until they reached the bus stop.

It hurt.

It pained her so much to see Sayaka shattering before her eyes, and she could do nothing to help her best friend.

What should she do? What could she do?

"It's wrong… you say? Heheh, wrong, don't you mean what's actually right with this world?" Sayaka then began to chuckle hysterically and slowly stood up with a dangerous edge in her mirthless expression.

The pink-haired girl gulped nervously and recalled how the sword-wielder's soul gem remained tainted even after using the grief seed.

"Is this world even worth protecting?" The blunette's broken laughter died down, leaving behind a hollow murmur. "Do you know what I've overheard on the train and seen around the neighborhood? There's no reward for anyone who tries to do the right thing… nothing… heh, anyone who tries would just fail too!"

"B-but Sayaka-chan," Madoka licked her parched lips as she shakily stood up as well, "Remember how you always say that you believe in courage and miracles? Remember the time when you protected me from t-those bullies? Don't you want to be the ally of justice-?"

She flinched when her friend whirled around with a spiteful glare, her head tilted in a way that the shadows casted an eerie shroud over her face.

"You really don't understand anything, do you?" Sayaka sneered coldly and held up her darkened soul gem, "I have to keep saving you because you're so naïve and pathetic… ally of justice, ha! What do you know of justice, Madoka? What have you done, at all?"

The pinkette felt like she was stabbed. "I-I…"

"You have no idea what it's like to be a mahou shoujo, a zombie…"

"Y-You're right, I don't," she whispered mournfully but she determinedly looked at her friend in the eyes, "But you can always talk to me… anything you want, Sayaka-chan. P-Please believe in me and rely on me a little more. I-I'm your friend, aren't I?"

The blunette's derisive smirk morphed to an indifferent expression as she stared silently at the shorter girl. Madoka never averted her gaze, willing her feelings to reach her best friend and bandage the scars bleeding inside her battered heart. After all, before things spiraled out of control, Sayaka had always healed her wounds in any way she could.

She wanted to protect her knight too.

"… what good would that do?" The blue-eyed girl finally spoke and turned away, "How is talking to you going to help me?"

"S-Sayaka-chan…" Though deeply hurt, Madoka took a hesitant step towards her friend, who only growled warningly.

"Don't follow me."

With her head kept low, the blunette bolted out of the sheltered bus stop and her form began to disappear under the onslaught of rain. The pinkette hastily ran after her but froze in helplessness as those spiteful words echoed in her mind. Numb with misery, she listened to Sayaka's footsteps fading into nothingness while cold rain dripped down her soaked hair and seeped through her clothes, jolting her senses like sharp needles.

The bitter tears trickling down her cheeks mercilessly reminded her of how real everything was.

She had failed her friend.

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Was she finally able to help Sayaka, for once? Madoka wondered as she walked down the pavement in dispirited steps, half-tired from the PE lesson and half-exhausted by the little sprint she did to leave the school grounds. Hitomi had private lessons so she had to leave early, while Sayaka was asked by the teacher to put back the equipment with Kyousuke. The pinkette saw the opportunity for her best friend to talk to her childhood crush and so she hurriedly slipped away, unnoticed.

However, she did not anticipate the strange loneliness now that she was walking home alone, something she shouldn't have any problem doing. She tried to focus her thoughts on her little feat and feel happy for Sayaka, hoping the latter would make some progress at last. The usually frank blunette was so shy when it came to Kyousuke, so their alone time right now must made it a bit easier for them to chat. Madoka has always been proud of the fact that the tough girl only exposed her vulnerable, uncertain side to her. Therefore, she will do her best to support her friend.

"…huh?" She blinked slowly as her vision blurred, accompanied by the familiar sting and hotness beneath her eyelids. Confused but resigned, she wiped away her tears with a quiet sigh, exasperated that she always cried so easily. She should be happy for Sayaka! She's seen her friend agonize over her unspoken feelings for her crush countless times so the blunette must be elated right now. And whenever she smiled, Madoka felt cheerful too.

So what was this ache, the pinkette wondered, this stifling pain in her chest?

"Madoka~"

"Sa-Sayaka-chan?"

Squealing in surprise, she tried to maintain her balance as her best friend hugged her from behind.

"Heheh, what do you think you're doing, oh Kaname Madoka-san, leaving without your-" Sayaka's exultant smile faded as her sea-colored eyes took in the wet tracks on the shorter girl's cheeks. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"It's nothing," Madoka hastily wiped her face again but she was comforted by the fact that the blunette's arms were still snugly wrapped around her in concern. "Something flew into my eyes…"

"That… is probably the worst lie you've ever come up with," Sayaka frowned comically and lightly rubbed her knuckles against the pinkette's temple, "Know your audience! Don't you think I'd know if my Madoka's upset? Tell me."

"B-before that, what happened to Kamijou-kun?"

"W-what about Kyousuke?" As expected, the blunette flustered at the mention of her crush's name.

"You didn't chat with him?"

"Well of course I did! It'd be so awkward to stay silent the whole trip to the storage room, no?"

"But why didn't you stay with him a bit longer? You were finally alone with him after all so you guys could talk as much as you want …"

Sayaka's eyes widened as she theatrically recoiled and slammed her palm against her forehead. "Gah! Why didn't I think of that?"

"Geez, Sayaka-chan…"

"Hey now," the defeated look in the taller girl's visage was gone just as fast as it came. "I didn't want my bride to walk home alone unprotected so I ran all the way to catch up to you."

Madoka smiled brightly at her best friend's honest words. It could be the sincere gesture or the fact she was still comfortably hugged to the point that inexplicable bliss filled her chest.

Either way, she felt very warm.

Cold permeated her body, however, as she ran down the street. Panting, Madoka frantically looked around her and desperately called out her best friend's name but to no avail.

"Sayaka-chan, please answer me!"

She peered at the flickering shadows in the dark alleys as well as the faded graffiti on the weathered walls, hoping to decipher a clue that would lead her to the blunette's whereabouts.

Not long ago, she had called the Miki residence only to find out that Sayaka never went home yesterday after they parted at the bus stop, and she didn't show up in school today either.

Where could she have gone?

A mournful cry pulled Madoka out of her thoughts as she stopped in front of a small backstreet, trying to remember where the path led. She wasn't given more time to ponder though, when another forlorn whimper echoed through the empty alley.

The loneliness in those sobs resonated deeply with her heart, urging her to placate the caller somehow. Anxious but determined, she hurried towards the sound and found a huddling form within the depth of shades near some abandoned crates.

"You poor thing," the pinkette spoke gently to the whining poodle, disappointed that she didn't find Sayaka but felt empathy for the lonesome animal too. However, as she kneeled down in front of it, she noticed how unusually colored its puffy fur was.

The canine stood up and let out another doleful cry. Blinking, she found herself hovering in a monochromic space with spectral shapes revolving around her.

A witch's barrier! She fearfully glanced back at the poodle only to find glimmering rows of fangs ready to devour her. Gasping, she clenched her eyes shut and waited for the pain to erupt, scared but resigned. Maybe this was what she deserved for being so useless. Maybe it was better that she perished here.

S-Sayaka-chan…

Suddenly, she felt weightlessness and someone's arms securely holding her close, steadying her as she was set onto her feet.

"Madoka."

The apathetic voice followed by thunderous bangs and metallic screeches in the background almost made tears well up in her eyes. "Homura-chan…?"

The black-haired mahou shoujo nodded curtly and looked to the side. The pinkette followed her gaze and saw a ponytailed lancer carving through the minions while a blonde gunner used ribbons to pull the creatures to the path of her comrade's weapon.

"Mami-san! Kyouko-chan!"

"Yo!" The redhead was chewing on a pocky stick as she destroyed the colorful mannequins with ease, preventing them from forming a body shield around the howling poodle, which must be the witch. "Don't just space out next time unless you want to get killed."

"R-right," Madoka sheepishly glanced at Homura, who seemed to be displeased at the pinkette's carelessness. "I-I'm sorry… um, you guys came back to Mitakihara…"

"We tracked Kyuubey here, but that's not important anymore," the black-haired girl sighed quietly, "I knew I shouldn't have left you with Miki Sayaka… if we hadn't found you in time…"

"What did that baka do now?" Kyouko rested her spear against her shoulder and munched on her snack casually. "I can probably guess though," she glanced at the curly-haired gunner who summoned her signature cannon and elegantly destroyed the growling poodle, dispelling the warped space and returned them to the dark alley.

After landing gracefully, Mami joined them with an urgent expression. "This isn't the presence we sensed, Akemi-san. There's another witch nearby."

"So, it still happened," Homura murmured, her expression becoming even colder than before.

"Oi, you don't mean-" The redhead gripped her weapon while the blonde frowned.

"Yes, there's no hope for Miki Sayaka now."

"W-what do you mean, Homura-chan?" Madoka didn't know the black-haired girl well, but instinct told her that the transfer student must be a nice person. Surely, she would help her find the blunette, a fellow mahou shoujo.

Homura's lavender eyes flickered as she calmly revealed the final secret of the soul gem. Horrified, the pigtailed pinkette tried to swallow the fact that her best friend have become the very creature she had sworn to defeat in order to protect humanity. The noble knight was engulfed by the equivalent amount of despair as the ray of hope she bestowed upon the innocent.

Now, the martyr must be annihilated to eradicate the curses she had consumed.

Tears trickled down Madoka's cheeks in involuntary defense against this gruesome truth. "T-that's too cruel-!"

"Kaname-san," Mami gently touched her shoulder, "I didn't want to believe it at first either," she paused and gave the weeping girl a handkerchief before continuing solemnly, "So I questioned the last Kyuubey we found, but he confirmed it… there's no way to reverse the process. Miki-san's soul gem is now a grief seed-"

"No, there must be a way!" The pigtailed girl shook her head vehemently, gripping the handkerchief, "Sayaka-chan just wants to help everyone! This shouldn't be happening to her! This can't be it… no…"

"You're her best friend, aren't you?" Kyouko's crimson eyes were blazing as she grinned faintly, "Then maybe you should try to talk to her, see if you can get to that baka's head. No one's tried this, probably, so who knows? It might work."

"Sakura-san…"

"Don't look at me like that, Mami. Those stories of love and courage always work out in the end," the redhead shrugged, "I just thought it could work with that Sayaka, since she's all about the heroics, heh."

"I want to try," Madoka looked at the three mahou shoujos imploringly, encouraged by Kyouko's reasoning even though her mind was still reeling from the ugly truth, "I want to help her. I don't want to give up until I've tried everything."

Homura looked as if she were about to reject the idea, but sighed quietly when Mami placed a hand on her shoulder. "Akemi-san, it shouldn't hurt to try and see what happens."

"Onegai, Homura-chan…"

"…alright. Stay behind Kyouko's barrier, Madoka, and we will protect you from the witch's attacks while you try to talk to it."

Madoka flinched at the way the blunette was referred, but she still felt relieved at their support. The blonde gunner nodded reassuringly at her before the four of them continued down the backstreet. Now no longer alone, the pinkette felt her confidence return and became even more determined to rescue Sayaka.

There was empty void in this group after all.

When they arrived at the main road, Madoka was startled when Mami pointed out the approximate location of the witch.

The vacant bus stop seemed to be jesting at her.

Did Sayaka-chan come back after I left? I should have chased her then! She forced herself to stop wallowing in guilt and followed the mahou shoujos into the lair. Upon their entrance, they were immediately warped and pulled through corridors filled with frayed posters. Disorientated, she gripped Homura and Mami's hands as the gates snapped open to reveal the center of the witch's lair. The shrill cry of the violin began the somber concert as they stepped inside with trepidation. A grand auditorium was surrounded with rows of minion musicians and green-haired dancers who appeared to be immersed in their tasks of entertaining the ruler of this unearthly realm.

"S-so this is…"

"Yes, this is the witch form of the soul that was once Miki Sayaka," Homura spoke monotonously. She was the only one who did not seemed stunned by the sight of the gigantic silhouette swaying and waving its broadsword to the rhythm of the orchestral music.

The deafening, heartrending melody reverberated in Madoka's thudding chest as she tried to equate the colossus mermaid to the sunny visage of her best friend. The immaculately white cape that once fluttered so valiantly around the knight was now stained with sorrow and resentment, draped in tatters around the shell-like pauldrons. The ironically heart-shaped extension of the cloak was dyed blood red and imprinted with countless diamonds beneath the squares, as if to empathize the forever incompatibility of the two shapes. Formerly steady legs were stolen and replaced with an awkward fishtail, covered with tragically beautiful scales and confined to its lonesome throne. The grotesque helmet was a horrific rendition of a howling beast with its teeth-like welding around the jaw and three spiraling oval eye sockets that encircled depthless chasms, devoid of the blunette's sea-colored eyes.

The ally of justice was twisted into this pitiful wraith.

"Do what you came here to do," Kyouko murmured tensely and erected her chain-barrier around the frozen pinkette. The small burst of magical energy was enough to catch the witch's attention, for it raised its broadsword high into the air.

"Get ready," Homura extended her shield-wielding arm, lavender eyes narrowed in grimness. "We'll be close by, Madoka."

Innumerable enormous wheels materialized around the mermaid, making the pigtailed girl cringe with a helpless squeak.

"Kaname-san!" Mami summoned her myriad of muskets, ready to open fire.

Madoka breathed deeply and held her hands in front of her pounding chest, her eyes wide but focused on the colossus witch and superimposed her best friend's cheerful smile. I didn't forget what you told me before, Sayaka-chan. I'm calling out to you, so please answer me!

She mustered all her courage and strength, heedless of the tremor in her voice as cried out beseechingly, "Sayaka-chan, it's me, Madoka!"

The fallen knight let out a thunderous, woeful roar and swung its broadsword downward.

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The sharp blade cleaved through the skull of the gigantic figurine, earning a piercing shriek that made the mahou shoujo cover her ears in instinct. The witch's flailing arm hammered down on her unprotected back and buried her deeply into the rubble. As she tried to pick herself out of the debris, she smiled proudly in spite of the pain wrecking her body. An explosion of smoke told her that the huge witch was destroyed, reinforcing her belief that as long as she gave her best, she will succeed!

"Sayaka-chan, I'm here!"

The blue-haired girl peered through her bloody bangs to see Madoka running towards her now that the barrier had dissolved. It was a good thing that she forbade the pinkette from following her into the lair, or else she might not be able to protect her best friend from harm. Cringing, she pursed her lips at her scarlet-stained cape and sleeves as the healing spells began to restore her body to its previous state.

She shuddered and looked away from the unnatural speed at which her wounds were closing.

"I'm okay, Madoka!" She mustered a cheerful smile and stood up shakily, using the broken sword as support. "Don't come too close yet! I want to check around first, just in case!"

Before Mami left Mitakihara with the others, she had given the new mahou shoujo a few tips such as making sure that the unwitting victims were free of the witch's taint. The thought of her comrades made her grin in anticipation. She couldn't wait to see the pocky falling out of that Kyouko's dumbstruck face when she heard about this victory! That afro-haired doll of a witch was really powerful after all. Maybe even that expressionless transfer student would look impressed.

Nodding, Sayaka sheathed her sword with pride. She could do this. She could really protect this neighborhood with her own power!

A bittersweet smile formed on her face as she thought of Shizuki Hitomi and Kamijou Kyousuke, who were now a couple. At first, she refused to accept them because the green-haired girl was her friend and the violinist had been her crush since her childhood. However, after many comforting words from Madoka and countless hours pondering over this shocking development, Sayaka was able to talk to the couple with genuine approval. In fact, she even decided the refined ojou-sama was too good for him.

And most importantly, her original wish was realized, wasn't it? Kyousuke was able to play his violin again, and that was what mattered.

"Now, where could they be?" Sayaka mumbled in exasperation, looking around the silent park for her two unconscious friends. Before she began fighting the witch, she had carried them to an inconspicuous spot behind a blackboard, but how would the place translate to the real world now that the barrier had dissipated?

"M-monster…"

Blinking, she slowly turned around to find the couple staring at her with dazed expressions. Certain that they must have seen the witch, she gingerly walked towards them and prepared herself to calm them. She remembered how difficult it was for her to accept the existence of these creatures too. Really, it was only through Mami's patient explanations that she was able to understand the situation, so she hoped she could do the same for her friends too.

"Hey, are you guys hurt-"

"D-don't come any closer!"

Sayaka froze at Kyousuke's shaky warning. Hitomi was quivering in terror while he tried to shield her from the blunette's view. Icy tendrils crawled up the mahou shoujo's spine as she realized just whom it was they feared.

But she had saved them, hadn't she? Didn't she fight with all her might to protect them from the witch?

She slowly raised her hand to examine the rings of healing spells, noting how the couple flinched from this small gesture. Even though magic was still restoring her battered body, she could no longer feel the stinging wounds.

Right, she was truly a monster, wasn't she? Unlike humans, beasts like her couldn't feel pain, could they?

Still, these two people were ungrateful. How dare they call her a monster? She should have just let them rot or let the witch devour them. She distinctively felt the weight of her sheathed sword by her hip and her hand twitched as if itching to draw the weapon.

Blue eyes widened in horror at the sickening plan that almost formed in her mind.

Her senses grew numb rapidly, washing her body anew in a shroud of apathy. It was as if the world was trying to suffocate her, like she plunged into the depth of the ocean where no light or air ever reached.

Yet at the same time, instead of the cuts and scars on her body, she felt a terrible ache that was gouging a vast void in her chest.

"Sayaka-chan, listen to me!"

At least there was Madoka, right? Sayaka's lips curved in inexplicable humor. It was this simple! She was a zombie designed to combat the witches anyways, so she should just focus on fighting and ignore everything else. This way, she won't be feeling anymore pain and she might be able to stop the chasm in her heart from expanding.

She giggled dismissively at the frightened couple before turning around to face Madoka, whose brows were furrowed in determination. "Don't listen to them, Sayaka-chan, they must be-"

"Oh you heard them huh? Maa, they were right," the blunette smiled widely, amused by the quiet gasp from the pinkette, "Why look so surprised? Only monsters can fight the witches. Isn't that what the transfer student said? 'We're just shells', no?"

"Sayaka-chan…!"

"Look at it," she dispelled her outfit and held up the tainted soul gem, wondering why she never noticed how mesmerizing the coagulating darkness looked. That murky shade called out to her and defined the zombie she turned into. "This thing is me, not the flesh that's holding it. Hehehe, isn't that funny? I'm just this tiny little dim sphere!"

She laughed hysterically, finding the situation mundanely hilarious especially after the intense battle. However, she saw a flicker of fear in Madoka's eyes and that killed the laughter in her throat.

What if her best friend started to look at her the way Hitomi and Kyousuke did?

Could she take it if that happened?

Sayaka took a step back, her crazed smile dropping to a stoic frown. Maybe it would be best to cut off her ties with Madoka while the latter still considered her a friend, not a monster.

She should leave the pinkette before she would even dare think of hurting the smaller girl.

"Sayaka-chan! Can't you hear me?"

You're always so timid! Geez, You have to speak louder. She wondered in mild exasperation but fondness as well. That girl was always so bashful when it came to expressing herself because she never thought she was good at anything.

However, it was exactly because of Madoka's vulnerable demeanor that she was able to overcome her shyness and become the person who could protect this mild-tempered, kind girl. With the pinkette by her side, she grew to be energetic and brave, otherwise she would have remained the coy little damsel who always hid behind her mother whenever Kyousuke was around.

The boy's name made her oddly detached as she experienced the sensation of falling. Yet there was no fear, only nothingness. She was dimly aware that she was suspended in some distorted space, but she couldn't see anything and she couldn't move. All she had left were streams of consciousness that revolved around the pinkette, whose voice she thought was echoing with these spinning fragments of her memories. There was also a melody resonating in the background, playing as if it was solely for her sake that the music was performed. That thought appeased her and lulled her into a deeper abyss.

"Sayaka-chan, please answer me!"

The trembling but resolute tone somehow stopped her fall, but she only resumed drifting along the waves of her cognizance. There was something familiar about that voice though, something that made her senses tingle but it slipped away before she could grasp it.

Right, Madoka's always supported me so I was able to keep talking to Kyousuke…

It was also due to her friend's helpless calls that she was able to confront the bullies back when they were in elementary school. She was outnumbered and scared, but the pinkette's presence was able to give her the strength to focus on one simple motive.

She wanted to shield Madoka from any pain, that was all. It wasn't as if she had bandaids with her all the time so why not prevent the hurt before it happened?

It shouldn't be any different after she became a mahou shoujo. Instead of just Madoka, she was shouldering the wellbeing of more people and fighting against creatures that could harm them. Yet, no matter how much her desire was to become the ally of justice, she didn't anticipate how the battles would drain her conviction so much.

Bitterness festered rapidly and she lost sight of what she was fighting for in the first place. Why should she sacrifice her own happiness for others'? She voluntarily made the contract but where was the intangible reward?

Why did she feel nothing but negative emotions?

The currents muffled her thoughts and sunk her even deeper into the obscure ocean. She didn't want to fight anymore or feel anything. It was peaceful and soothing in a way, to float endlessly without the possibility of getting hurt.

"Sayaka-chan, please don't give up!"

Let me rest, I'm tired.

However, her consciousness did not let go. Instead, she saw a flash of a fish's iridescent tail flicking through the sea surrounding her consciousness. Her awareness extended slightly until she could make out the sunken sockets of a grisly helmet reflecting upon the rippling surface.

Frightened, she felt her senses fluctuating, then a muffled roar echoed in this empty space. Through the three oval holes, she was able to see a fiery red dot trying to cleave through a gigantic broadsword and heading straight for her. A gauntlet-covered arm rose and many wheels materialized to block the blazing sphere's path. However, explosives destroyed them all, followed by bullets that suddenly appeared in front of the helmet's sockets.

Fear engulfed her as gunshots rained upon the armored body, but anger quickly electrified her dull senses at these trespassers for daring to disrupt her state of blankness. This searing rage, however, lashed her with inconceivable agony that was threatening to devour her cognizance.

The nothingness terrified her now as she desperately tried to cling onto any tangible thoughts. Bubblegum-colored pigtails and a soft smile flickered in her vision. Wasn't there a friend who never gave up on her?

"Sayaka-chan, can't you remember me? Can't you recognize my voice?"

That name the voice kept calling was hers, wasn't it? That glowing pink sphere behind those red chains knew her. She must have it because that warmth could fill this gaping chasm swallowing her whole.

H-Help me!

The armored arm reached for the pink bubble only to be showered with grenades and pulled away by the yellow ribbons that wrapped around the gauntlet.

Save me…!

The metal plates groaned and screeched as the hand retracted just in time to avoid a snake-like spear. Panic spiked from all these obstacles blocking her from her hope.

Love me…

She screamed with the last vestiges of her emotions as humanity slithered out of her reach. A guttural roar resounded in the auditorium as she feverishly struck down with her broadsword, tired of the fly-like adversaries getting in her way. The massive blade stabbed deeply into the ground, blowing away the golden and crimson dots into the walls with its the destructive gust. The quaking floors also upturned and shattered the crimson chains, separating the lavender sphere blocking the pink light.

Triumphant and relieved, she gripped the glowing orb tightly, unwilling to relinquish her prize as she greedily wished for her darkness to envelope it too. However, as she pulled it close to her chest, she was filled with the need to cradle the fragile bubble because she didn't want to consume or extinguish this ray. Instead, she wanted the darkness to shield it from the world so it won't experience the same agony permeating in her hollow mind.

An almost inaudible cry of pain startled her, causing her grip to tighten because she though she didn't shield the pink sphere enough.

"S-Sa…yaka…-chan…"

Suddenly, the lavender dot appeared near her hand and a violent explosion destroyed her armored arm in half. Screaming and reeling, she tumbled off the throne but she still tried to reach for the pink light. The crimson dot zipped towards her fallen form and blocked her once again with the chained barrier, while the golden sphere constrained her with those iron-like ribbons.

Why was there new pain assaulting her? Why was she still being tortured? Didn't she already cast away everything?

The symphony in the theater was now filled with cacophonous notes stabbing deeply into her senses, making her roar hoarsely and thrash in her confines. She mustered all her might and moved her remaining arm little by little. Her vague vision cleared slightly until she could make out a black-haired mahou shoujo cradling the limp form of a small girl with pink pigtails.

Madoka…

Crying wretchedly, she apprehended that she was the monster with the macabre helmet and grotesque fishtail. All this time, instead of shielding her best friend from harm, she's been hurting the girl.

That same girl who just wanted to help her, because that was the gentle, compassionate person Kaname Madoka was.

But it was never her intention to hurt her pink-haired friend! She renewed her struggles against those velvety manacles, making the ponytailed mahou shoujo and the curly-haired blonde point their weapons at her in caution. However, she was undeterred because her desperation to convey her feeling finally overcame her fear.

She wanted to break above the surface.

Her metal-clad fingers curled with bitter lament and nudged at the red chains.

She longed to hear and feel again.

Her wounded roars must have woken Madoka, for the pinkette stirred and opened those warm-colored eyes. Tears trickled down pale cheeks as the small girl's lips strained with effort to speak.

"S-Sa..ya…ka-chan," Madoka's frail plea was more than she could bear. "I…I just want…"

"I just want to protect you!" Sayaka howled frenziedly, willing all her strength to articulate her innermost, truest feeling.

The three mahou shoujos looked stunned, staring at her in apprehension while Madoka's tearful eyes widened. Sayaka's vision blurred momentarily as myriad of sensations began to burn in her consciousness. As her hitched sobs continued, she was able to feel warmth and wetness around where her eyes should be. From the indistinct reflection on the red chains' surface, she saw the masked creature shedding tears from its hollow sockets.

"Sayaka-chan…!" Madoka sniffled and stood up unsteadily with the black-haired girl's help. "Y-you can understand me?"

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry…" The broken monster sobbed piteously, her agonized voice echoing in the now silent auditorium. Her struggles gradually ceased with each moan until she wearily laid her head against the floor. Now that her emotions have returned, they flooded her with stifling weariness that made her want to curl up and simply cry.

It hurt so much.

She just needed someone to take away the pain. Her wounds were left exposed for far too long and they ached so terribly.

"It's okay, I'm here…"

"I-I've become a monster…"

"No, Sayaka-chan,"the pinkette smiled faintly but sincerely as she limped towards the fallen giant, not at all intimidated by the ghoulish helmet twice her height. "Monsters can't cry."

"Madoka…?"

The mahou shoujos were tense, ready to spring into action at any sign of aggression, but even they seemed engrossed by what they were witnessing.

"Let me try to heal you," Madoka murmured soothingly as she weakly placed her arms around the dented rims of the weeping mermaid's helmet. The flowing tears bled through her sleeves but she was undeterred, for she tightened her hold and laid her forehead against the witch's steel jaw.

Overwhelmed, Sayaka whimpered as she felt familiar warmth seeping into her cold skin, enveloping her in a protective shroud. Slowly but surely, her senses extended until the mist dispersed in both her mind and sight. Her body was assaulted by even more throbbing pain, but she was able to suppress it and instead concentrate on the snug presence wrapped in her arms.

The blunette blinked in disbelief as she curled her gloved fingers and gently brushed through her best friend's pink tresses.

She, Miki Sayaka, has reverted to a mahou shoujo.

Madoka pulled away a little, just enough for them to gaze uncertainly at the shimmering sapphire soul gem covering the blunette's belly button. There wasn't a single fog of taint in that brilliant jewel.

"What's… going on?" The blunette was still disorientated, trying to feel more comfortable with her regained body after residing within the monstrous mermaid for an indeterminable amount of time. She had small cuts and bruises that weren't serious enough to activate the self-healing spells, and her outfit was in complete tatters but she was overall whole and human.

Madoka slightly shook her head before hugging her friend with her face pressed against the latter's shoulder.

Sayaka chuckled quietly at the gesture and stroked the pinkette's hair as the latter sniffled. "Well either way… looks like I'm back?" Smiling awkwardly, she glanced at the three mahou shoujos and inwardly winced at the various injuries they bore.

I was one who hurt them, she clenched her teeth in guilt, not daring to look at the wounds she had inflicted on Madoka.

"I'm glad you've returned to us, Miki-san," Mami was holding her seemingly broken arm, but she had a relieved smile on her affable features.

"Ehehe," the blunette rubbed her head sheepishly, "I'm sorry for all the troubles I've caused, um-"

"Damn right you better be," Kyouko's voice was harsh, but she was grinning toothily in spite of the pain she must be feeling from the bleeding gash above her eyebrow. "You hopeless baka!"

"Who're you calling baka!" Remorse was immediately replaced by annoyance at the redhead's smug expression.

"Who else?" Smirking, the ponytailed girl rested her spear across her shoulder, "You started this whole mess."

"Now now, you two, this isn't time to be arguing," Mami spoke firmly, making the two pout. "Why don't you tell her what you really think, Sakura-san?"

"Eh… fine. Um, well, I'm already enough of a troublesome kouhai for Mami," Kyouko shrugged and scratched her cheek, "so don't become one too. At least, after what happened, I can really believe in miracles now… they do exist, heh."

Touched by her rival's unexpected but sincere words, Sayaka nodded her head in gratitude before looking over at the figure who remained silent the whole time.

This was the first time she's ever seen Homura so expressive. Despite her perpetual non-smiling visage, the black-haired girl's lavender eyes were filled with surprise and perhaps even hope. They had never seen each other eye to eye because she had an aloof demeanor that the blunette found hard to overlook, that the mystery factor only made her more suspicious.

However, Homura still came to help her.

"Thanks for saving me too, transf- I mean, er… Homura," Sayaka said quietly, "I've always doubted you, didn't I? I'm really sorry about that. You're a good person, helping all of us from the dark, like a secret superhero or something~"

The black-haired girl's lips quirked a little. "You've always been about the heroics, saying magic and miracles do exist…"

"Huh?" The blunette tried to recall when she'd ever said that but couldn't.

"Nothing," Homura nonchalantly brushed her long hair, "instead of thanking us, there is someone you should be the most grateful to, Miki Sayaka."

The blue-eyed mahou shoujo unconsciously gripped Madoka's shoulder, recalling how close she had been to squeeze the life out of her best friend. Her chest ached as she gently pulled the pinkette away to see that tear-stained face.

The shorter girl wasn't smiling, but that was only because her quivering lips were trying to muffle the sobs that would accompany her still flowing tears.

Sayaka's throat burned as she struggled to control her own tears. So many things swirled in her mind, coaxing her to say something, anything, to express how much the loyal friend's support meant to her. After a moment's silence, all she could manage was a soft smile as she raised her hand to brush away the wet trails on the girl's skin. "Thank you for calling out to me, Madoka."

Her best friend grasped the ungloved hand and lightly kissed a small scrape on the palm before pressing it snugly against her cheek.

"W-what was that for?"

"I'm just returning the favor, knight of justice," the pinkette was still crying, but it was obvious that she was weeping in joy from the radiant way she smiled.

Sayaka recalled the distant memory of their first meeting as young kids and laughed cheerfully. "We're going to need a lot of bandaids this time though~"

"Wehihihi, yes we do, but at the same time…"

With her hand still loosely holding the blunette's, Madoka moved towards the surprised Homura and tugged her close. Understanding her best friend's intention, Sayaka also pulled Kyouko and Mami towards them as well.

"We don't really need them, not anymore," the pigtailed girl smiled softly.

The sword wielder nodded jubilantly as she glanced around her friends, her comrades who all seemed to be enjoying their impromptu group hug. Surrounded by such comforting warmth, she laughed again and decided she was really quite the idiot for taking so long to realize something so simple.

The real reason she became a mahou shoujo was right beside her all along, wasn't it?

And after this lesson, after her wounds had healed under those metaphorical bandaids, she would be able to continue to fight as the ally of justice, together with her newfound reasons in the form of her fellow mahou shoujos.

"Sayaka-chan…"

"Yes~?"

"Here you go!"

Nonplussed chuckle.

"My magic's already healed the scrape, y'know."

"I know, but this makes me feel better."

"Gah! My Madoka can't be so cute! Come here!"

Exuberant squeals.

"S-stop – wehihi- stop tickling – hihi – me!"

"Oh, I'm sure you enjoy it, missy."

Quiet giggles.

"Madoka, why do you think I was able to change back?"

"Homura-chan said it's possible that hope actually overcame the despair in the grief seed, turning it back to a soul gem."

"Oho~ so my bride is like some sort of goddess?"

"Mou, Sayaka-chan, of course not…"

Contemplative pause.

"You know you're my best friend, right?"

"I know, and we'll always be best friends."

A/N: Thanks for reading! Throughout writing this oneshot, I feel that there's too much stuff going on though… what do you think?

The subplot of Homura teaming up with Mami and Kyouko is inspired by the events in the manga Oriko, where Mami found out the truth about QB but didn't break. Admittedly, it's hard to write about all five of them at once…

Any feedback appreciated!

Notes:

After the first flashback, the witch Sayaka defeated is H.N. Elly (Kirsten).

After the second flashback, the witch Sayaka annihilated is Elsa Maria.

The witch Sayaka destroyed to protect Hitomi and Kyousuke is Albertine, whose minion Anja was saved by Kyouko in the anime, which later ignited the fight between her and Sayaka.

The witch and minion Mami and Kyouko defeated after Homura saved Madoka are Uhrmann and Bartels, who were defeated by Sayaka in the Main Timeline of the anime but since this oneshot's event times were moved around a bit, Sayaka didn't get to defeat them here.

Sayaka's acceptance of Hitomi and Kyousuke is based off ep12. It shows that she's able to accept them given the right circumstances, and I believe having Madoka by her side and Mami being a role model of a mahou shoujo help a great deal (as well as having a rival in Kyouko)