Everything hurt.

Homura's mind was fuzzy. Her memories were blurred. She could recalled an unpleasant searing feeling that stabbed her whole body. She shifted under the covers, her back and chest ached the most.

She opened her eyes.

Her hazy gaze met with familiar white walls.

Hospital walls.

At this point, Homura didn't know what to think.

"Ah! Are you awake?" She closed her eyes again. It was restarting. The endless loops that she wished herself into...She was going to have to be alone again. She was going crazy, hearing Madoka's voice.

Her mind was cruel. Playing so many tricks. Madoka almost sounded real.

She couldn't go through another cycle, another timeline, again.

Seeing everyone fall in despair….

No, please, not again. Anything but this.

"Homura?" Opening her eyes once more, Madoka's blurry face came into view. "Here, take your glasses."

The red frames that she had long ago discarded sat on her chest. She stared at them, then slowly reached for them. The plastic, cold and hard, was heavy. They were real.

"Are you feeling better?" She slipped them on, not knowing what will come next. She felt weary, almost felt like coming out of the hospital from that long since gone heart transplant.

Homura closed her eyes. "Homura-"

"You're not real…" She whispered opening her eyes. She craned her neck to the side to see Madoka.

She was wearing a long, white dress. Ruffles bordered the hemming and all along the straps. A small bow was set in the center. She was the embodiment of light. Breathtaking.

The emotion on her face though was a different story.

Disappointment.

Sadness.

It hurt Homura.

So she looked away.

She wasn't real anyways.

"I am real, Homura." Violet eyes closed, wanting to go back to sleep, to forget.

"… even if you don't believe me... I reset the world." Violet eyes widened, and snapped back to the pink haired girl. She forced herself up. Her whole body lit aflame, but she ignored it.

Before she could grit out a reply, the pink haired girl put her hands on her shoulder. Madoka was strong that she looked, and eased her backwards. The ach subsided. A familiar sent wafted towards Homura's nose.

Strawberries.

"Homura, I never wanted this to happen." Madoka's hand lingered. It chilled Homura to the bones, made her heart ache even more than the physical pain did. "But things were getting out of hand, I had to make peace with everyone-"

"Even if it made me the enemy." The once time traveler whispered. Her throat was raw. Almost like she had been screaming. The goddess of hope wrapped her arms around the others neck.

"You saved me from myself, now it's my turn to save you." By now Homura felt tears roll down her cheeks. They dropped, and stained the white linen that covered her bed.

"Y-You fool! You already saved me. Thousands and thousands of times YOU WERE THE ONE TO SAVE ME!" Her voice gave out and she broke down. More tears, big and salty, dripped down her cheeks. "I-I ju-just want to s-save you for o-once."

Madoka's breath and skin was hot against hers. Soothing circles were drawn on her back. Homura had to say something. Her perseverance that she had all those cycles ago was gone with her demon powers.

"I c-can't. I c-can't d-do it again." Her choked sobs were met with a finger on her lips.

Madoka laid her head down on her shoulder. Homura shifted uncomfortably. She continued to refuse in her mind that SHE wasn't real. Her pink hair tickled Homura. The other girl started to play with the long, black hair. Weaving it in and out in and out… It almost reminded her of..."You don't have to go back Homura. You don't have to go back to the start."

A hiccup. The girl with the glasses tried to take some deep breaths. Trying to take control of her emotions.

"W-what d-do you mean?"

"What I mean is..." at this Madoka trailed off, she could hear the deep breaths Homura took. She seemed too busy to listen. Trying regaining a steady mind and buckle down on her emotions. Madoka tilted her head. Her face still on Homura's shoulder she nudged her cheek,"... Hey…Homura look at me,"

Homura shook her head. She couldn't look at her. She couldn't face her idol. She couldn't because she was afraid to be looked as broken, as a person who couldn't pick herself up and put herself back together. The tears that had slowed, now renewed. Curling up, the sobs came.

She was worried, because it was Madoka.

The corner of Madoka's lips turned down into a frown. Her head lifted as she was rejected from her leaning spot. Homura's shoulders shook. She touched Homura's back lightly. "Homura-"

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I'm sorry…" She repeated those words, each one choking at the end. She didn't deserve this. She didn't deserve the love and warmth.

She didn't deserve Madoka.

The dark headed girl shut her eyes tight. Her dream of being with Madoka, and her nightmare of no control were both coming true. This had to be an illusion.

That evil, that villainous girl.

The girl who opposed her every move.

The girl she tried to save.

Her best friend.

It was all fake.

She…this had to be fake.

It was the only answer.

Then she spoke again.

At first Homura refused to listen. Clasping her hands against her ears tightly, she tried closing her mind to the persuasion. She didn't want to be sucked into her lying mind.

Slowly, and ever so slightly, she began to wonder what she had wanted to say before. About not going back in time anymore.

She gave into her temptations, and unclamped her hands.

Madoka's voice was like a soft song. Like a child's lullaby echoed through her head. It drifted all around her. The sweetness, an innocence that was still there that Homura discarded long ago. Something that felt so real, but so distant at the same time.

Nothing less than what goddesses should sound like.

Homura gave in completely.

She dropped her hands, and latched onto the words.

The speaker's tone was laced with comfort, and a soothing edge that only Madoka could have, there was also a bit of rambling each sentence that Madoka also was prone to.

"This is real, Homura…We can stay here. You don't have to go back in time anymore. You don't have to rule the world… Homura, you're safe. Please…I made it so that…that neither of us hold the power anymore. This room was what I made, so that we could be alone together, before I gave everything up." The time traveler couldn't decide wither she should laugh, or cry more. She chose the first. Well, she chose the first, but the latter option prevailed.

"Y-y-you can't be serious." She stuttered. Taking off her glasses she wiped them furiously on the shirt she was wearing. Her tears continued to leak. Madoka moved into her view. The pink haired girl moved her hand to wipe away them away.

"I am, Homura." Certainty was in her voice. A face that shown in determination. "Everything you did, every step, every decision… it all led to this moment Homura. We can stay here, in this world. No more pain, no more suffering... All of our friends are here too.. Most of all though, you and I will-"

"Be together?" Homura asked, the thoughts of despair and agony slowly consumed by the warmth of Madoka's hand on her cheek. She wanted to pull away, but she grounded herself.

Madoka smiled. Once again that pure smile. It could light up the universe.

Homura felt tears falling again. This time in joy.

They were equal.

Then she smiled, the first time in a very long time.

"Yes, we'll be together-"

Homura interrupted once more. "Forever?"

Madoka rolled her eyes, giving her a light slap on the arm. Homura just tilted her head, and gave her a questioning look.

Madoka continued to smile. Even though she wasn't a goddess anymore, to Homura, her eyes still looked like stars...

"Forever."

Fin.

Authors Note:

Ah, There were so many ways that this could have ended, I hope this suits the this as some sort of 'epilogue'.

Thank you for reading.