As we emerged from our position on the railing, the sight before us shocked us. Above Sayaka's body was some sort of Mermaid Witch with music scores circling around it. The labyrinth wavered a bit, as if it was in the process of shaping itself into its final form. "Sayaka!" Kyoko-san screamed as she leapt off from her perch and I did as well.

We ran to her body, transforming while doing so. As we were running, the Witch pointed its cutlass that was shaped like a violin bow and wheels began to fall, rolling towards us. I shot projectiles a them and they exploded into wooden splinters. We grabbed Sayaka's body and retreated, hiding in a crevice of floating objects but the Witch found us, as we turned and were face-to-face with its face. "What is this?!" Kyoko-san cried. "What the heck are you?! What have you done to Sayaka?"

As we jumped to another location, a shadow passed. Homura stood on the floating music score. "Get back," she growled at the both of us as she pulled out a grenade, yanked the safety off and chucked it at the Witch. It exploded on contact and enveloped the Witch in flames as it shrieked. As the smoke began to clear, Homura leapt in front of us. "Take my hand," she ordered. Hesitantly, Kyoko-san grabbed her open hand with her free hand and I clung onto her arm cradling Sayaka.

Suddenly, everything froze. The levitating objects within the labyrinth, the embers from the explosion, and even the pebbles that were flying froze. The Witch froze as well, smoke still surrounding it like a dress. "If either of you let go of my hand or each other, time will stop for you as well," she warned and yanked us so we could get out of there as quickly as possible before the spell Homura casted wore off. "Be careful."

"What the heck is going on here?!" Kyoko-san demanded as we were yanked around by Homura like dogs on a leash. "Where did that Witch come from?"

"That is what used to be of Sayaka Miki," Homura explained, not looking back at us. Basically it's every man to himself to her right now. If either of us let go, she isn't going to come back for us. "You both saw it for yourselves, correct?"

"Are we just going to run away?" I said.

"If you both want to fight it, drop the needless baggage right now...and we'll turn back and kill it," Homura stated. When Kyoko-san refused to drop Sayaka's body, Homura sighed. "You are only going to slow all of us down with that. We need to withdraw for now."

We had reached the ext of the labyrinth and escaped, since time was frozen so no Witch can prevent or escape. The environment surrounded us wavered and then morphed back into its original state, which was the train station.

*~*~*~*~*~

We walked on the tracks, using them as a path back to the city. Kyoko-san carried Sayaka's body as Homura and I followed close behind. Madoka, who was heading our direction while following the tracks, spotted us. "Sayaka?" She cried, running up to us and then bombing us, or, rather Sayaka, with questions. "Sayaka! What happened? Where's her Soul Gem? What happened to Sayaka?"

"Her Soul Gem turned into a Grief Seed..." Homura explained bluntly, getting right straight to the point without sugar coating any words as usual. "...And was obliterated after it hatched a new Witch."

Madoka fell to her knees right in front of us, too shocked to cry or even react to the situation. She looked up at us, desperation in her eyes. "You're...joking, right? Right?" She begged, not believing us and praying it was all some sick joke. That Sayaka would jump out of Kyoko-san's arms to get a laugh out of Madoka.

"It's the truth," Homura continued even further, pulling out her Soul Gem as it radiated a healthy purple. "That is the final secret of the Soul Gems. When these gems grow tainted and tun completely black, they change into Grief Seeds...and we are reborn as Witches. That is the inescapable fate of all who become Magical Girls."

"No...it can't be true. But...how can it be? Sayaka said she wanted to fight to protect people from the Witches. She wanted to fight for justice. That's why she became a Magical Girl. So why...?"

"It could only last until she had suffered...an amount equal to the good she had wished for. From here on, for every person she saved, she will curse another."

Kyoko-san knelt down and placed Sayaka's body by Madoka. Madoka grabbed the corpse and held her tightly, sobbing now as she sniffled and wailed for her friend, not caring if she drew any attention right now. When Kyoko-san stood back up, she grabbed Homura by the collar. "You...what's your problem?" She shouted. "Are we supposed to be impressed that you know so much?"

"How could you stand there and talk like you're so smart right now?!" I cried, pushing Kyoko-san to the side as I grabbed Homura by the shoulders, shaking her. "She was Sayaka's...Sayaka's best friend...!" Just the thought of something like that happening to Kyoko-san made me cry. I felt the tears coming up but I blinked them back. I refuse to cry right in front of her. Not now.

Ignoring me and Kyoko-san, she glanced back at Madoka. "You understand now, don't you?" She stated. "What this thing you so wanted to become...is truly like." She pulled back from me, looking at Kyoko-san and I in the eye. "This corpse you both brought along-try not to be seen with it," she instructed. "Take care of how you both dispose of it or else you'll both run into trouble later."

I could not believe how normal Homura was acting. Just seeing Sayaka and Madoka like this brought me back to the time when I failed to protect Anzu, causing Chiho and Tsuru left me because of it. I gritted my teeth in rage. "HOW COULD YOU CALL YOURSELF HUMAN?!" I screamed at her.

"I don't, of course," she responded coolly. "And neither should the both of you."

*~*~*~*~*~

"We would never make it up this complex if it weren't for the commonality of troublemaking teenagers here," I grumbled as I sighed as I unlocked the door, Sayaka on my back while Kyoko-san had both arms full of groceries, insisting earlier that this was all necessary. I stepped into the cold apartment, feeling for the light switch with my hand. Once I found it, I laid Sayaka's body onto the couch. Kyoko-san held her Soul Gem by the body, radiating red with heat so she can persevere the body to prevent decay.

I turned around and saw Kyubey in the coffee table. I screamed but Kyoko-san covered my mouth, giving me a silent reminder. It was already suspicious enough we had a dead Sayaka on our backs as we went up the complex, and having me scream as the going to help matters. "What do you hope to achieve, expending so much energy...to keep that body fresh?" It questioned our motives, as usual.

We ignored the question as Kyoko-san and I sat down on the floor beside the couch Sayaka was resting on. Kyoko-san dug through the groceries she placed on the coffee table and pulled out some food, devouring it. She might be stress eating at this point. Seeing her eat gave me the temptation to, but I resisted. Eventually, I gave in and pulled out some Honey Buddha Chips and PH D. Pepper and started snacking. "Is there a way to get her Soul Gem back?" Kyoko-san asked wth her mouth full.

"None, as far as I know anyways," it replied.

"So there's stuff even you don't know, huh?"

"The existence of Magical Girls defies logic as it is. So I wouldn't be surprised no matter what kinds of impossible feats...you both manage to accomplish."

I paused, chip halfway in my mouth before pulling it out. "So it's possible?" I asked, a bit hopeful. Maybe there was a strategy Kyubey didn't know that could reverse the effects.

"There's no precedent for it," it repeated, neither confirming or denying my theory. "That's why I don't know how it might be done. Unfortunately, I can't offer any guidance at this time."

Of course, at the most convenient moment Kyubey makes itself useless for all of us. Kyoko scoffed. "Like I'd want it. After everything you've done, who would want your advice now?"

Kyoko-san was right; we didn't need Kyubey's help. I was already elaborating a plain in my mind that could possibly work to turn Sayaka from a Witch back into a ordinary human-or at least back into her Magical Girl form.

*~*~*~*~*~

"So let me get this straight," Kyoko-san repeated my words. "Since Witches feed off the negativity and grief of humans, you think if we bring Madoka and remind her of happier and hopeful times, that maybe it'll reverse the process of becoming a Witch and once we slay it, Sayaka's Soul Gem will come out and we bring it back to her and she'll come back to life?"

I nodded. "If the process works opposite to that when a Magical Girl becomes a Witch, shouldn't it work if we want a Witch to turn back into a Magical Girl?" I tried explain my logic as simply as I could.

"I dunno," she shrugged. "There's only one way we can find out, and it's if we test it."

Kyoko-san closed her eyes, trying to locate Madoka's current location and communicate to her through telepathy. Tracking her at school, she called for the pinkette to come to where we where. We need to talk, Kyoko-san communicated. Will you come to us?

Kyoko-san opened her eyes and grabbed my hands, going down the building using the stairs inside instead of jumping off the building. By the time we reached the sidewalk, Madoka was running down the street we were at. Once she reached us, she bent over her knees and panted. "Um...you wanted to talk?" She asked between breaths.

"Don't you want to save Sayaka Miki?" Kyoko-san asked her.

"Is there a way to save her?"

"If there weren't, were you just going to leave her like that?" Madoka gulped nervously and took a step back, the atmosphere starting to feel suffocating. "Sorry, that came out wrong," Kyoko-san apologized, reminded of the fact that she was never good with words. "But, Rei came up with an idea to save Sayaka. Rei, would you like to explain."

I nodded. "Even if she's a Witch now, she's may at least remember the words of her friends. So if you call out to her, maybe she'll get back her memories of being human. And probably, the only one who could do that...is you."

"Do you really think it'll work?" Madoka gasped, feeling hopeful that we have some sort of plan to saving her best friend.

"How am I supposed to know?" I shrugged. "I mean, maybe if we slice that Witch in half, instead of a Grief Seed, Sayaka's Soul Gem will pop out. Wouldn't that be something? It'd be like those stories where love and courage triumph over all."

"Actually..." Kyoko-san butted in, stepping up to where I was an placing a hand on my shoulder. "We probably became Magical Girls to begin with because we loved those stories. I'd totally forgotten that. It was Sayaka who reminded me again."

I nodded in agreement before looking back at Madoka. "If you don't wanna come, I won't force you," I assured her. "It's going to be pretty dangerous, after all. And we can't guarantee that we are able to protect you."

"I'll help," Madoka nodded boldly. "I want to help. I'm Madoka Kaname." She introduced herself in case we didn't catch the introduction.

"Aw, man..." Kyoko-san grinned. "You're so gonna cramp my style. Kyoko Sakura. The green haired girl with bleached bangs is my best friend. She's Rei Maizano. Pleased to meet ya."

She held out her hand to shake and Madoka shook it. When she pulled back, she was holding a Umai Bar in her hand, which Kyoko-san must of snuck in when they shook hands.