"I'm such a fool."

A tear fell. It dropped for what seemed like hours, descending towards her soul gem.

Sayaka Miki felt in those last few moments, helpless. Alone. It was what she was.

Staring down at the black soul gem in her hand, she could see her own face reflected back at her. The eyes of a killer, the face of an idiot, and the mouth of a nothing.

What would it matter, her death? Would it mean a thing? She'd been terrible at saving people even when she'd tried. She'd been terrible at making people like her. All she'd leave behind was hate and misery. That's what it was to be a magical girl, after all. A human made demon in exchange for a single miracle. And she'd given it away, for what? A boy? She really was an idiot.

Sayaka closed her eyes as her tear fell feeling herself simply fading away...

There was a girl crying in the art room. She was about Sayaka's age and had pink hair the dusky colour of strawberries and cake.

Sayaka stood awkwardly behind her for a few minutes, unsure of what to say.

"Um... Can I... Help you, please?" She said at last.

The girl turned around. Her eyes were the same colour as her hair, maybe even pinker. She wiped away her tears and tried to stop blubbering.

"I'm sorry..." She said in-between sobs, "I just..."

Finally she gave up and wept, making Sayaka put her arms around the girl.

"Was someone mean to you?" Sayaka asked.

The girl nodded, "It was... Wakaba..."

Sayaka had no idea who Wakaba was, but she kept patting the girl and muttering sympathies anyway.

"What did Wakaba say to you?"

"She said... She said..." The girl bit her lip and then burst out, "She said that my hair looked delicious and that she wanted to eat me!"

"Why'd she say that?"

The girl shrugged and started crying all over again.

"I don't think you're hair is delicious," Sayaka said, "I think it's lovely. Besides..." She took a bite of the girl's hair and spat it out, grinning, "It doesn't taste all that good to me."

The girl met Sayaka's eyes and blinked at her, "You... You really mean that?"

Sayaka nodded, "Course I do! Would I lie about something like this?"

The girl shook her head. She whispered a couple of words under her breath. It took a while for Sayaka to work out that she was actually saying her name: Kaname Madoka.

"Miki Sayaka," Sayaka said. She shook Madoka's hand and they were suddenly best friends.

The music wafted through the air, drifting and flying like a specially light kind of pastry. It was without a doubt, the best thing Sayaka had ever heard.

When it was over, she stood and applauded, while Madoka and Hitomi sat without comment.

"Amazing!" She said and they began applauding too.

Kyouske took an awkward bow and blushed a little. Sayaka realised that she'd been standing for a little too long. She sat down again.

"You... You like it then?" He said, stuttering a little.

"Of course we do!" Madoka said.

"You're so talented, Kamijo-kun," Hitomi said, "It's really quite amazing what you can do."

Sayaka didn't say anything. She was afraid now of making an ass of herself, like she seemed to do so often around Kyouske.

How hard could it be? Sayaka asked herself, it was just three little words. Three little words that could change everything. What if he said no? What if he came to hate her?

She took a deep breath and calmed herself. She rang the doorbell.

It opened.

I love you, she prepared to say, I...

But it wasn't Kyouske. It was his mother. She'd been crying.

"What is it?" Sayaka said, "Has something happened?"

His mother nodded.

Back in the train station, Sayaka's tear finally shattered. But her soul gem didn't.

"It's alright," a voice said, "I won't let you die like this."

Sayaka opened her eyes.

It was...

Madoka.

"I'm here for you," Madoka said, "I'll always be here for you, Sayaka-chan."

"How...?"

"I came to save you, Sayaka. You and all magical girls. You won't have to die alone anymore. Your wish will mean something."

As Sayaka's soul gem was drained of the darkness inside it, she felt herself steady as the world stopped falling around her.

"Madoka... I..."

"Come on," Madoka said with a smile, "There isn't much time."

Sayaka smiled, feeling tears welling in her eyes. She could say it now. She could say it and she didn't need to worry.

"I love you."