Chapter 7

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Kyoko, Sayaka and Madoka blinked. Homura had just been there, and suddenly, the second she had moved, she was gone.

"Dammit!" Kyoko muttered under her breath.

"Where'd she go?" Sayaka asked, looking around nervously.

"Homura can stop time, remember?" Kyoko reminded her. Sayaka's face fell as she realised what this meant.

"So anytime we catch her, she can just escape?" Kyoko nodded.

"We have to trap her somewhere, so she can't get out, time or no time."

"If you do catch her, what are you going to do to her?" Madoka asked fearfully. Kyoko and Sayaka were silent.

"We'll have to kill her," Sayaka said at last. Madoka gasped.

"But you're magical girls! Magical girls should bring hope, not despair! We can't kill Homura-chan!" Kyoko placed a hand on Madoka's shoulder.

"I know, but she won't feel anything, I promise. You don't have to be there, if you don't want to." Madoka shook her head stubbornly.

"We can't kill Homura-chan, it's not right!" Shaking off Kyoko's hand, she ran off into the dark, skirting rubble and dirt, calling out Homura's name.

"Madoka!" Sayaka called after her, beginning to give chase. Kyoko ran after her as well, calling out Madoka's name.

Several hours later, when it was pitch black, they stopped.

"We probably should stop looking," Kyoko admitted reluctantly, "I think I can find the way back to camp." Sayaka shook her head.

"We can keep going, there's-"

"There is no light," Kyoko broke in,"And we can't risk getting caught by Homura." Sayaka couldn't argue with that.

"Fine!" She agreed, "But we continue searching tomorrow."

"Okay."

As Kyoko and Sayaka made their way back to their camp, using their soul gems to light the way, their soul gems suddenly began to pulse much brighter, radiating more brightness. Kyoko and Sayaka looked down at their soul gems in surprise. As they stared, a picture of Mami came into sight on their soul gems.

"Mami," Kyoko whispered. Remembering how Mami had died trying to save Kyoko, she felt guilt wash over her.

"I could have done something," She whispered, "I shouldn't have lowered my guard, I could have -I could have not gone for the grief seed." For one of the first times in her life, she felt terrible about how greedy she had been.

"You couldn't have done anything," Sayaka said, looking over to Kyoko. "It was Mami's choice to help you, and it wasn't your fault Homura was cruel enough to kill Mami. Even then, Homura didn't kill her, it was-it was-" Sayaka looked down, back at the picture of Mami, which was slowly fading away. Kyoko realised then, how horrible Sayaka must have felt about being the one to shatter Mami's soul gem. Kyoko walked up to Sayaka and hugged her. Releasing her, Kyoko looked at Sayaka carefully.

"Mami wanted you to - end - her, she didn't want to suffer any pain. She will be in a safer place now, somewhere she can watch over us." Sayaka let out a small sniffle.

"I guess, but-"

"Besides, it's nobodies fault," Kyoko continued. "Not even Homura's. The only one who is to blame is Kyubey, who put us in this stupid place anyway, making us fight against each other." Sayaka nodded, cheering up slightly, but still upset. Kyoko figured it would be best to leave Sayaka alone for now. They had just reached camp anyway.

"We should start getting ready for the night," Kyoko began. "I'll take first watch." Sayaka nodded, and transformed back into her ordinary clothes, settling down against the uncomfortable rocks which made up a pillow. Kyoko sat down on a rock next to her, her ears and eyes alert for any danger. There was no movement at all around her, only a slight drizzle and a cold, eery wind blowing.

The next morning, Sayaka woke up, blinking at the sudden coldness. Looking over, she saw Kyoko curled up next to a rock, sound asleep. So much for keeping guard. Should she wake her up? No. She had suffered too much yesterday. So had she.

Sighing, she lay back down, looking at the grey, sorrowful sky, reliving how she had killed one of her closest friends.

Tears formed, as she remembered the sight of Mami's soul gem, and her look of pain. The shattering sound of her sword, hitting Mami's life. No. She musn't think like that. Mami would have wanted her to keep fighting, to keep fighting for hope.

Getting up, she looked over one more time at Kyoko's sleeping figure. One person fighting Homura would be enough, time magic or not. She could sneak up on her, when she least expected it.

Getting up, she walked off steadily, away from camp, her soul gem out to sense any magic, and her wits about her.

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