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“Hey, I'm so glad you could make it!” Sayaka invites her girlfriends into her house.
“You honestly think I'd miss movie night with you?” Kyouko's eyes glint as she marches up to her host and captures the taller girl's lips with her own.
How long the redhead kisses her always tends to surprise the azurette. It's like every kiss is an anchor, dragging Sayaka deeper into her partner.
She loves it.
Eyes closed, Sayaka's arms snake around her girlfriend's waist and reciprocate that pull, letting her know that she is wanted, that her feelings are reciprocated, that she is protected and adored.
Mami walks past them, unbothered, even leaving an appreciative squeeze on Kyouko's butt. The girl whimpers into Sayaka's mouth cutely.
Madoka walks past them too, smiling sweetly while carrying snacks. “Don't take too long~”
Homura follows directly after Madoka, however unlike the pinkette her face is as red as a tomato while keeping as much distance as possible between herself and them, careful not to disturb them.
‘Afraid of getting pulled in, probably~’ the scene plays out in Sayaka's mind fluidly. Her or the redhead reaching out, keeping their second shortest girlfriend in place before making room for her between each other, and…
A delicious possibility.
But this is their time, hers and Kyouko's.
So she lets the opportunity pass and enjoys the redhead's full attention all on her, strong hands moving dexterously under her shirt and caressing her midriff.
Now, the two are alone while the rest of their group is livening up and preparing Sayaka's living room and kitchen for their night together.
Earlier than usual, Kyouko pulls her lips away from Sayaka's. Looking up at her, red eyes shimmer in the dim electronic light, worth more than all the gold in the world while all the more beautiful.
Kyouko leans her head down to snuggle into the azurette's exposed neck, breath tickling her skin, a soft “hey” whispered imperceptibly.
“Hey, you…” Sayaka returns, a single hand rubbing the exposed skin where the cold air streaming through the open door was bound to make Kyouko shiver soon, “It's getting colder this time of year, can't you wear something else?”
“Mhmm maybe…” the words are playful more than contemplative as she returns the favour of running her hand up and down Sayaka's back beneath her clothes.
The wind continues to stream past them and into the house.
They stand there and nothing more needs to be said, nothing else needs to be done except savouring being close.
“Come oooon we're ready to start, girls!” Madoka whines from the other room, before being silenced by something, or someone .
As red hair brushes against Sayaka's chin, as the breath begins to leave and the skin begins to pull away from her's, their hands find each other.
A squeeze, a smile.
Kyouko closes the door, the wind stops.
Together, they step into the light of the living room, three of the best, most important people in their lives shine as they do so.
In their eyes, in their smiles.
The cold of the outside is forgotten, and still,
Sayaka doesn't understand why Kyouko's kisses last the longest with her.
But she doesn't need to.
Because she knows she will always welcome her either way.
~
Eyes snap open, body shooting out escaping silken covers explosively.
Heart beating in her chest.
Cold sweat and even colder hands, running up and down her arms.
She tries to comfort herself but the images won't let go even as the warm, familiar and full bedroom comes back into view.
Madoka, sleeping tightly.
‘In more ways than one…’ Sayaka's subconscious supplies, images- no, memories unrestrained washing into her.
She wants to cry.
Homura, by herself in the corner, having chosen the place for her own comfort.
Sayaka- the one she was before -almost didn't let her because of the distance she put between them all sometimes that got on her nerves.
Now, the girl that became part of the Law of Cycles the last time she died can't help but feel glad for the distance.
Mami and Kyouko. Sleeping beside each other, holding hands.
The two with no connection to either god or devil. The two who are still alive. Still there.
Both, so close to touch.
So real.
And yet…
And yet
Sayaka opens the door, quietly as she can, and runs out of the house.
She feels sick running away but she can't stay either. It's impossible.
The door opens and with an effort jump her legs carry her over the nearest building, the next sending her even further.
Her soul gem isn't on her finger, and it isn't on her waist either. For a moment she panics, scared that Homura had taken it somewhere, or worse, she forgot it in bed and would soon lose consciousness in a few steps. Again.
She tries to transform and-
It works.
‘It works?’
Her regalia appears in shimmering moonlight no brighter than the full moon ahead on the empty horizon.
A blue moon appears on her, and she lets out a sigh of relief.
In her hand she manifests a cutlass.
Birds fly up ahead, she must have woken them up.
The sky is cold and empty.
The feeling of unreality is inescapable. She feels death on the edges of her mind, where it was, where it should have been, where it sunk it's bony teeth into her again and again-
Over and over-
With it just around the corner, at least most of the time.
Her blade falls to the floor.
She can't stop the tears that follow, the pristine fabric of her gloves only getting wet.
She realises that absence hasn't relieved her heart of grief, instead, it's only grown fonder of it.
Footsteps echo behind her, undisguised but all too sudden.
Sayaka whirls a new blade around to point at the approaching figure.
She sees Kyouko, red dress and white frills dancing in the wind, a black bird on her shoulder.
A black bird with purple eyes.
Familiar purple eyes.
Her eyes.
“Who are you?!” Sayaka yells to the being across from her, getting into a combat stance.
“Ah, you're a hypocrite, aren't you?” A smile she can't trust, eyes red but knowing in ways she shouldn't, unless- “Telling me to dress warm while you go back to wearing that the next morning?”
The realization makes Sayaka's heart sink in her chest.
The bird- the familiar- the spy flies off the other's shoulder, leaving them alone.
“Why? Why, Kyouko?! For how long have you known!?” Cold winds lash across both of their bodies, as does her voice.
“Do you want a date?” Kyouko's expression freezes over.
Flashes of the transfer student in her mind, looking down at Sayaka with cold eyes just like how the redhead is doing now.
Gripping her sword, her voice barely more than a growl, “So, she's sending you instead of facing me herself?”
This time Kyouko doesn't answer immediately, instead she summons her spear.
“She's asleep, Sayaka." Breathing out, she continues, “Nobody sent me to do anything.”
“Bull-”
“I'm telling the truth!” Shutting the azurette down, she just gestures towards the familiars sitting on the surrounding roofs, “These? They are called Lise, and are under my control while their master is asleep.”
One of them flies back on Kyouko's shoulder as if on silent command. The spear-wielder doesn't spare it a second glance.
“What- how-?”
“It's a perk from becoming a demon, Sayaka.” A smile she doesn't want to trust but has to, words that are Kyouko's but can't be the truth, “I'm hers.”
Bringing out her own, red soul gem, Kyouko shows the changes Homura has done to it. Done to the contract. Done to her soul.
Some of the gold is replaced by a dark insignia, turning the once familiar sight of the soul container into something else.
Familiar dark wings complete the look.
Sayaka stares at it, her cutlass lowering against her will, transfixed,
horrified.
“I asked her to, mind you: in exchange for keeping my memories, I swore my soul to her.”
The knight doesn't know what to think. Doesn't know what to do.
The few times she's had to crush the soul gem of her friends and loved ones before despair took them are all she can handle.
How could she fight Kyouko like this?
But then she remembers how.
By remembering the reason that she has to.
By remembering that she has to fight Homura too for what she did.
“I'm sure she can do the same for you, Sayaka. Since you're an angel, afterall, it might be a little more complicated but…”
“Shut up.” She looks into Kyouko's eyes, still red, not purple, and drinks in the sadness flickering across it in all its torturous detail.
Raising her sword, she gives the red head a chance.
Which, the other girl takes.
“...I should warn you,” Voice carefully blank, the final words before the fight. “What magic I had before my wish died has nothing on even a fraction of Homura's power.”
Sayaka aims and fires the blade of ger cutlass to pierce the heart of the Lise on the other girl's shoulder.
Kyouko herself doesn't even flinch.
And the fight begins.
~
Steel against steel.
“What are you hoping for here, Sayaka? You can't even beat me, what makes you think you won't just give Homura a headache at worst?”
“...”
~
Lisa die, they fall from the sky with the illusions they're wrapped in scattering like fog in the morning light.
Is the demon just looking to tire her out?
~
The first hit landed, Sayaka jumps back, evading a familiar counterattack before it can reach her.
What is her plan, holding back like that?
“What was all that bragging about earlier? Show me what Homura gave you already! Take this seriously!”
“You wanna talk…!”
Chains rustle, taking flight, whipping around them both.
Just as Sayaka tries to move to the side and escape, a cut opens up across her arm, making her fingers slack and lose grip on her weapon.
Gritting her teeth, she heals that cut quickly, launching a sword in such a way to knock the retreating chain off its path and giving her room to breathe.
1:1
~
As the duel goes on Sayaka's mind continues filling.
Fill with the memories of this world. Fill with the things she's experienced, what she has here.
She brushes them to the side and continues fighting.
“Why?” Sayaka asks again, not waiting for a response as her sword sails through the air, getting blocked by an illusion-wrapped Lise.
And still she gets one, “You're such an idiot.”
And the fight goes on.
~
The fight ends how Sayaka doesn't expect.
She wins.
Her cutlass is at Kyouko's soul gem. Over her chest.
All she needs to do is drive it downwards.
And while Sayaka hasn't even fully come to terms with the current reality, the d̶e̶m̶o̶n̶ magical girl is looking up at her blankly.
“Why?” She whispers again, even as her blade hovers over the devil's property.
“... why, Sayaka?”
She holds her breath, awaiting some kind of response as the blood in her ears finally recedes.
“Because you left me alone, you asshole!” Kyouko yells at her from below, even while pinned, managing to make the azurette flinch with her anger. “You left me, Mami and Homu alone to join the law and you don't think I can return the favour? You left us behind!”
Gripping the blade pointed at her soul gem in hand, she doesn't try to wrench it away. Her fingers simply wrap around it tightly, keeping it pointed right where Sayaka just has to lean forward, spilling blood all over it's edge, painting it familiar dark red.
“And now, the moment you get your memories back, here you are! Right back to ruining everything again!”
Kyouko's cheeks stain with tears even while the sword drinks deep blood freely given, drops of red landing on the darkened soul gem, painting it.
“Why can't you stay? Why can't you let us have this? Why am… why am I not enough for you?!”
And then the cutlass is gone.
Alongside her magical girl outfit.
Sayaka just stands that as her girlfriend's bleeding hand falls down onto her stomach.
“You just… can't ever… leave well enough alone.” The exhausted redhead murmurs without getting up.
“And you two love far too deeply.” Sayaka whispers in turn, holding her hand close to herself, “You and your mistress .”
Kyouko smiles up at her, tears still running.
“That's us, me and our devil girlfriend.” She winks.
The angel bends down and picks her fallen comrade up the way she deserves, bridal style.
“I'm sorry.” the azurette apologises.
“Don't be.” the redhead breathes out yet another sigh, this time warmth tingles the other girl's neck again, “I was almost begging you to put me in my place.”
“I… I'm sorry about the rest of it too. For making you feel all of that. I know I-”
“You didn't know anything, it's alright… not like I knew either.”
“I'm an idiot. And I'm stubborn. And I know you'll say you are too, it's just... you manage to not make it other people's problem, unlike me."
“...” Kyouko looks at her tiredly. “I did too. Seeing you in that pretty white cape again, knowing you have all your memories back, like me, I... didn't even try to comfort you. I’m sorry. For getting so rough with you.”
“Not like it would have done me any good. I would have probably thought you were tricking me. And besides... did you forget how to handle that spear in this perfect world? Need someone to practice on again?” Sayaka's bats her eyelashes at the girl in her arms before her eyes widen, grin nearly splitting her face, “Homura not satisfying you?”
“HAH.” The wounded magical girl who's still fully capable of walking rolls her eyes, “Good one, blueberry.”
She walks in silence for a while, the passanger in her arms content to enjoy the view.
Sayaka skips off the roof, wind whipping both of their hair around, neither of them bothered in the slightest.
“I won't become a demon. I won't- can't choose her side, like you.”
“Not expecting you to.”
“Because I'm an idiot?”
“Heh, nah.” Kyouko leans up and kisses Sayaka's neck. “Because you're married to Madoka. Marriage is a one on one thing, isn't it?”
“Isn't marriage also supposed to be between a husband and wife…?”
“Now who has their head on backwards?”
They laugh at the joke, passing under a streetlight.
Overhead, a Lise, still wounded from the fight, flutters to perch on top of it.
“... I know because you never compromise on anything.”
“... I might.”
“No. The only way you'll ever stop fighting is if you get your way. That's your nature, idiot.”
“People can change… just look at Homura.”
“Touché, got me there.” Kyouko laughs in a familiar, comforting way, “Never thought I'd hear you compare yourself to Homura either… in any way, even though you two could probably read each other's minds now that you remember everything too.”
Sayaka doesn't respond.
She doesn't know how to.
Kyouko is right.
After all, didn't she fail without Madoka being there, too? Just like Homura became a witch and… betrayed Madoka, Sayaka gave up too.
Just earlier.
Just faster.
If she hadn't given up, Homura could have had a normal life, for a magical girl at least. Maybe even one without ever knowing about Madoka's sacrifice.
Or maybe if she'd just… died the normal way, Homura would never have gotten her memories back. Would never have grown distant to Mami and Kyouko.
Could have been happy with them.
Right?
She doesn't know, so she decides to ask Kyouko instead.
“If… if I didn't leave you three, or if my soul gem shattered, do you think Homura could have lived a normal life? Without ever remembering Madoka, just… existing for herself?”
Red sparkling eyes meet her own.
And the girl laughs like it's the funniest joke she's ever heard.
Laughs loud enough Sayaka is scared it'll wake up the girls, one magical girl, one devil and one god, sleeping in the house in front of them.
Laughs loud enough the temptation of just letting the girl fall through her grasp to the floor increases with each passing second.
‘You know what?’
She does.
thump
The red demon lands with her squishy ass on the floor and the angel walks over her to the door, ignoring the curses and the protest coming from the direction of the ground as she does so.
“Ouch! Come on, Sayaka! Can't you take a joke?”
“Maybe! If you told me what the joke is.” The azurette rolls her eyes as she twists the key in the lock.
The door falls open, letting cold wind penetrate the dark, still interior, no sign left of the joyous moments that were had only a few hours prior.
Kyouko lets her magical girl outfit dissappear, coming in after Sayaka and closing the door.
“With ideas like that” In a whisper quiet enough for the angel to have missed it if she wasn't aware of her heightened sense as a magical being, the red one says, “you'd make for a great fallen angel, my love.”
They find the lightswitch the the glow of their soul gems, one blue, one red, bathing the walls in candid violet.
Before anyone presses it, Kyouko holds Sayaka back,
And captures her lips with her own once again.