As the girls were being pushed along the corridor with the masses of rushing bodies, Kyoko's sharp eyes caught a glimpse of black and white wings through a window in the escape hatch. She slowed down automatically, curious about it, but got shouted at by an elderly woman.

"Hey, you, girl! Don't stop in the middle of the stairs, we're all in a hurry!" she spat at Kyoko. "Unless you're immune to gales, then you'd better move now!"

The old lady gave Kyoko a push, which was surprisingly strong for a woman who looked like she was eighty years old. The red-haired girl stumbled, grabbing the staircase railing for support. Ever the hot-headed one, she flared up, shouting at the retreating back of the old lady.

"As a matter of fact, old lady, I'm not immune to gales! But I appreciate it if you don't spit all over me!"

Yuma seized Kyoko's arm, hauling her along while shouting, "Kyoko, don't get mad. We have to escape now!"

"But-" Kyoko began indignantly, and was silenced by a pitiful glance from Yuma.

"Yuma is scared, Kyoko! Can't we escape first?" pleaded the green-haired girl, clearly frightened.

Reluctantly, the red-head allowed Yuma to pull her along, eyes darting around for Sayaka, Mami and Nagisa, who were lost within the crowd. Kyoko could only gape wordlessly at the black, raven-like figure outside as it was caught up by five long arms that belonged to a huge trash can.

She hoped she wasn't going crazy. She was seeing weird things all around her, which no one else seemed to notice.

***

Homura writhed about painfully in Serla's vice-like grip, beating her sharp feathers hard against the witch's fingers. However, it only succeeded in annoying her. Squawking like a demented parrot, Eliyah made Serla bring Homura towards her at an incredible speed.

Unable to react fast enough, Homura was tossed straight at the witch's vile face, whose mouth was wide open, churning out Olyams and Tirrys. The minions came at Homura with blurring speed, shredding at her dress and wings with brutal ferocity.

She yelped in pain, trying to block their attacks by shielding herself with her wings, but the maggots practically hit into them and dissolved, weighing her down terribly. Desperately, she flapped her burdened wings, trying to evade the torrent of minions that were pouring out of Eliyah's mouth.

From the broken apartment window, Madoka was watching the battle with increasing fear for her friend. Homura looked like she was about to lose, panting hard and dodging the flying insects without much success. Her ebony bow lay useless upon the ground, glinting in the pale moonlight.

"Homura-chan!" called out Madoka, cupping her hands around her mouth, "You can do it! Everyone's depending on you, so please, don't give up yet!"

However, Madoka only succeeded in distracting Homura. The Demon glanced upwards at the apartment window out of reflex, and immediately, Eliyah took the opportunity to bounce on her, clamping her up inside the trash can.

Madoka screamed. She hadn't expected the witch to swallow Homura like that. Darting around Mami's wrecked room, she tried to search for some spare keys; under the sink, between the sofa cushions, behind the cupboard.... Tears began to flow down her face. If she couldn't find a way out, then Homura would likely die inside the Witch, and it would be her fault.

As she scrabbled around wildly for the keys amid the rubble, a distant, angelic voice sounded inside her head.

"Madoka... If you want to save Homura, then you must remember me! Remember the Goddess within you!"

Madoka stopped her aimless search, dumbfounded. Suddenly, a splitting headache made her double over, and she screamed silently. In her mind's eye, she saw herself being transported beyond the earth's atmosphere, rushing upwards into the stars.

Endless space... A flash of vivid golden eyes and a beautiful smile... A long white dress, billowing out with galaxies.... White gloved hands extended towards Madoka in a friendly gesture.

The pink-haired girl gasped in utter confusion. "Are you...me?"

***

Homura had gotten herself distracted by Madoka. Now, she found herself face-to-face with Eliyah inside the cramped trash can. In full view, the witch looked more bizarre than ever. Her head was a disproportionate size from her tiny, shrivelled-up body, which was ridden by small Tirrys. She had long legs but no arms, and her Serlas were swarming around her like a massive black cocoon.

Having lost her power to stop time, Homura's mind was now clicking furiously to think of an escape plan. Who knows what may be happening to Madoka right now? She could've been assaulted by the Olyams for all Homura knew.

With only her heavy wings as her sole weapon and shield, Homura defended herself from Serla's punches and Eliyah's kicks, wincing as Serla's barbs drew blood. She glanced upwards momentarily, noticing that the lid was still open.

She had a plan.

***

Mami was trying to get at Sayaka, who had run against the crowd back towards the apartment room, calling out Madoka's name. Nagisa trailed behind her, whimpering as the taller bodies brushed past her roughly, knocking her around.

"Mami, we have to get to the evacuation point!" urged Nagisa. "Why are we going back?"

Mami replied without looking backwards. "I have left Kaname-san inside the room, and Miki-san is going back to save her." Her voice was filled with dread. "I can't let her do it alone, even though if I'm scared!"

Nagisa yelped as a man accidentally hit her face. But she ploughed doggedly onwards with Mami, grabbing a nearby fire extinguisher from its holder. She tossed it to Mami, who caught it deftly in surprise.

"A battering ram to open the door!" winked the small, white-haired girl. "We'll need it!"

***

Right now, Kyoko's priority was to get Yuma to safety, but the black figure outside had triggered some sort of distant memory, and she was struggling to keep up with the crowd. Besides, she had lost Mami, Sayaka and Nagisa in the confusion. She wouldn't forgive herself if something bad had happened to them.

As they went down the next flight of steps, she saw the trash can monster again through the cracked window. Flies and maggots were all over the place, but the winged person was no where to be seen.

She pulled Yuma close, afraid that the little girl may get swept away. Bending over, Kyoko said into her ear while pointing outside, "Yuma, do you see anything weird outside that window?"

Yuma squinted hard, looking at the direction of Kyoko's finger, and inhaled sharply.

"Yuma sees a big trash can, with the scribbly flies we saw just now." She creased her little brow in concentration. "Yuma thinks she has seen these monsters before, but can't remember..."

People were still shoving around the two girls, anxious to get to the evacuation point, and there was an endless stream of curses, screams and insults.

"Move over, runts!"

"What are you two girls doing? Run!"

"Hey there, this is a gale we're talking about, not some fancy party!"

Kyoko glared around her, hugging Yuma close and backing against the wall facing the window.

"If you have any more stupid comments, then say them now!" she challenged the crowd. But no one paid her any attention; they continued their frenzied rush for the exit. Kyoko was beginning to think that they were seeing things that the others couldn't. A monster that big could never have been mistaken for a gale.

Yuma was stifling back her tears; she was obviously scared as she watched the creature through the window. "Kyoko, something just came out of the trash can... I think it's Homura."

The older girl followed Yuma's gaze and gawked when she saw - true to Yuma's words - Homura bursting out of the trash can in a cascade of feathers and flies. Surrounding her was a huge flock of doll-like, stuffed birds, each armed with a cut-throat beak and lethal talons.

The unmistakeable voice of Homura Akemi echoed through the night air.

"Your time is at an end, witch!"

Witch...Kyoko's eyes widened in sudden understanding, glancing at the silver ring on her middle finger. Small, undecipherable runes began to appear on it as realisation dawned upon her.

A witch...Then that makes me...a Puella Magi...

***

Mami and Nagisa had finally reached Sayaka, who was frantically pounding at the door of the apartment with her bare fists. By now, the hallway was empty save for the three girls. Everyone else had already fled.

"Madoka! Madoka? Are you still in there?" she yelled, peeping through the keyhole. Then, she heard pounding footsteps and looked behind, relieved to see her senior and Nagisa. She was about to say something when she was interrupted by the young girl's shout.

"Gaangwaaay!" yelled Nagisa at the top of her voice, hefting the considerable weight of the fire extinguisher, as she and Mami charged at the door together.

Sayaka leaped out of the way just in time, and the door shuddered under the impact of the blow.

"Again!" said Nagisa enthusiastically, tottering about and feeling jarred from the impact. Mami merely put a hand to her mouth and muttered an "Oh, my."

Sayaka took the fire extinguisher from Nagisa and Mami, saying, "Let me do it. I'm taller and stronger than both of you!"

Ignoring the pouty face of Nagisa, Sayaka hoisted the red cylinder to chest height and ran at the door with a vengeance.

"I'm coming for you, Madokaaaaa!

Once, twice, thrice Sayaka collided powerfully with the door, and finally, on the fourth strike, the door flew off its hinges, surprising everyone. Mami gave an audible gasp as Sayaka grinned sheepishly, tossing aside the battered fire extinguisher. "Oops. Guess I don't know my own strength."

The three girls rushed inside, but was stopped short when they noticed Madoka kneeling at the broken window with a mysterious pink aura around her. Her hair and clothes were floating around, and when she turned to face them, her eyes were flickering between their normal hue of pink and a brilliant gold.

She smiled, saying to them in what could only be described as a godly voice, "Mami-san, Sayaka-chan, Nagisa-chan...How could I have forgotten about my dear Puella Magi?"

***

Eliyah Sampah was not prepared for what Homura threw at her next. With a vicious cry, Homura discharged an immense amount of purple, pulsating energy, hitting the witch bodily and knocking her backwards onto the wall of the trash can.

Seizing the chance, although a little shaky from the exertion, Homura leapt out of the trap and summoned her minions, the stuffed birds, Liese. They swooped down and caught her, lifting her clear above the appalling witch and her Serlas, then dropped her onto the ground safety, squawking.

Regaining her composure, Homura then called upon her other minions, the Clara dolls and Lottes, who promptly marched onto the scene, spears bristling. The Clara dolls laughed, doing cartwheels and weeping fake tears into handkerchiefs, careening around the Witch in a mad dance of war.

Hastily, Homura rapped out orders to her subordinates. "Coldheartedness, take half the Clara dolls and the Lieses and attack the Olyams. Stupid-looking, take the other half and get rid of the Tirrys. Love, lead the Lottes and take out the Serlas. Go!"

With a salute, Coldheartedness, Stupid-looking and Love raced off, giggling to themselves as they gathered their forces. They set upon the minions savagely, killing them left and right, whirling through the battle like juggernauts of doom. In no time at all, the place was cleared of flies and maggots.

With more than half the burden now off her shoulders, Homura sped towards Eliyah, shaking off the goopy mess of Tirrys from her wings and howling out her challenge with a smirk, "Your time is at an end, witch!"

Tackling into the witch, Homura managed to topple Eliyah over, upsetting the lid. Eliyah screamed, her torn lips oozing blood and maggots as she commanded her Serlas to knock Homura away. However, Lotte was at Homura's side at once, and she jabbed at the spindly arms in rapid succession, making them explode into a spray of black scribbles. Love appeared next to Homura, forever smiling, as she jabbed another Serla with a long pin, relishing in the witch's agony.

Picking up her ebony bow calmly, Homura walked over to the fallen witch, taunting it. "Thought you could destroy everything and grow stronger, now did you? Tsk." She placed an arrow onto the bowstring, pulling it back slowly, eyes narrowing wickedly. "You naughty Witch. It's time to go to sleep!"

Eliyah glared at Homura through her hollow orbs, uttering a final, ominous warning. "The Demon may win, clear the witch's sin. But the Goddess will awaken, retribution will come!"

Looking bored, Homura released the arrow, piercing Eliyah's skull cleanly as the witch gave a final, spine-chilling wail. She disappeared, and along with her, any remaining minions. Slowly, the barrier around the apartment dissolved, and the night sky returned to its normal look, twinkling with stars.

Exhausted, Homura flew up to the apartment, dismissing her minions and wiping away some blood from her face. The Clara dolls groaned; now that the action was over, they would have to go back to their own dimension. They sulked as they herded the Lieses and Lottes through a portal, then snapped their fingers and was gone.

Homura exhaled in relief. At least Madoka and the people were safe now. She landed on the windowsill, telling herself to fix up the apartment later and alter everyone's memory so that they wouldn't remember the event. But, when she looked at Madoka, she gasped in horror.

Madoka was glowing with a godly aura, and behind her was Mami, Nagisa and Sayaka, who were stuttering in surprise at the sight of the Demon.

"H-Homura Akemi!" exclaimed Sayaka.

Mami gasped. "Is this true, Akemi-san? Are you trying to stop us from remembering that we were once Puella Magi?"

Immediately, Homura rushed at Madoka and grabbed her roughly, extending her wings and bashing them into the trio, knocking them senseless.

"You know nothing!" she hissed, eyes alight with murder as she gazed at the unconscious forms of Mami, Sayaka and Nagisa.

"For the sake of Madoka, I will not allow anyone to remember...!"

Sorry, I haven't been writing for a few days... caught up with exams and all =.=' But anyways, here's the chapter. Hope you guys enjoyed it XD Homura's going all berserk to prevent Madokami from remembering O.O

~SaitheVivana