Shirou Emiya trudged tiredly across the tiled floor of the train station he'd stumbled upon in the pristine city he'd been summoned to.

How long had it been, since the day he gave himself to the Fates as a Guardian Spirit of the Grail?

Rubbing his temples to remember, he simply couldn't.

Defeated, he sighed, Too long.

Tightly clenching the white cloak around his neck, he took a moment to sit on a nearby bench, giving his aching legs some much needed respite.

With a sigh, he ran his fingers through his hair, flinching as he accidentally yanked a single thread out. Gazing at the severed snow-white hair strand, he furrowed his brow and moaned, "I'm going gray already? I'm only twenty-one!" He paused and blinked, "At least I was until I offered myself as a Guardian…"

He took this moment and examined himself after his last summoning. His black, sleeveless chest protection was riveted and scratched, and the gashes and bruises in his skin showed his body to be faring no better. He chuckled slightly he as he stared at his idly moving fingers, "Wow, I haven't been this banged up since my own Holy Grail War."

He frowned. His hand was translucent and emanated a magical, azure aura. He had already begun to fade. He sighed deeply as he slumped against the wall behind him. It wouldn't be long now.

Not long until he was whisked away into the cold void of the ether. Not long until he was once again summoned to a time period long forgotten to aid in a warzone he had no interest in participating. Not long before he was drenched in the sanguine bloodbath of the very people he wished to save.

Staring at his transparent hand, he scowled and muttered bitterly, "...All because I chose to be a Hero of Justice."

Then, he felt a powerful magic energy enter his field of senses. Curious, he glanced to his right and up a flight of stairs. At the top, he noticed a cerulean-haired student girl trudge towards a vacant seat by the train tracks. His eyes widened and his stomach churned. The girl was emanating dark magic. Gripping his cloak, he arduously stood to his feet and sighed, "...Looks like I'm not done here quite yet."

Sayaka Miki emotionlessly trudged across Mitakihara train station, sitting in some vacant chairs by the train tracks without even so much as single thought. She gazed blankly at her blackened Soul Gem resting in her palms, the sorrows within swirling like a hurricane. A long crack had formed along the side of the once-glimmering sapphire.

"It's gonna break, and I'm gonna die, huh?" She muttered grimly, "Figures. That's all a zombie like me deserves anyway..."

Her lip trembled as the horrific thoughts of all she had done reared once again in her mind. She grimaced, realizing instead of being a Hero of Justice like she wanted, she only became more and more calloused to the world around her. With tears forming in her eyes, she covered her mouth and choked, "...I even yelled at Madoka!"

"This Madoka is a friend of yours, I presume?" A the voice of a young man asked inquisitively beside her.

The blunette gasped and shot a shocked glare to her left. How did she not notice the , tall, white-haired man with a long white cloak approach? Her shock quickly disappeared as her apathetic gaze fell back to her lap.

The man sat in the seat to her left and asked again, "Is she close to you?"

Sayaka merely replied with simple nod.

"Then apologize," the man shrugged nonchalantly, "If she's really as strong a friend as you believe her to be, then she wouldn't hesitate to forgive you."

The blunette paused and sighed, still staring at her cracking, murky Soul Gem, "It doesn't matter anymore. I'm not gonna get a chance anyway…"

"...You're a magus, aren't you?" The man stated grimly.

"You… know about magic?" Sayaka gasped as she stared at him in shock again.

"Yeah, I guess," he chuckled lightly, scratching his snow-white hair, "you could say I've seen my fair share of it."

She apathetically stated as she soullessly stared into her gem, "I was a Magical Girl… I just wanted to keep everyone safe… Like a real Hero of Justice…"

...Why am I telling this to a complete stranger? She stole a quick glance at his grey eyes. They were just as dim and apathetic as her own. She sighed, I don't even care anymore… And it looks like he doesn't either.

"A Hero of Justice, huh?" He chuckled as he gazed at the station's ceiling, "That's a title I'm all too well familiar with," he turned his attention to her Soul Gem and frowned, "That jewel contains your power as a Magical Girl, doesn't it?"

"Yeah…" Sayaka mumbled, not even questioning the stranger who somehow knew about Magic. She lifted her gem to show him, "My Soul Gem was supposed to be everything… My power, my strength, my vitality… But it needed balance… The good had to cancel out the bad, and vice versa… Or something kinda like that..."

He narrowed his eyes at the gem starting to shatter, "Then, it sounds to me like it shouldn't be cracking or drowning in that sick, purple color. Here, let me see what I can do with it."

He closed his eyes and held his open right hand a few inches from the jewel. Taking a deep breath to focus, neon teal lines ran jagged from his fingers all the way up to his shoulder.

With small sparks of azure lightning dancing across his fingertips to her gem, Sayaka's eyes widened as she gasped anxiously, "W-What… what are you doing?!"

"TRACE, ON…" He mumbled. The jagged, teal lines of magic began transferring from his arm to the cracks in her gem, "Tracing basic structure… Strengthening component materials…"

Sayaka gasped again. The cracks in her Soul Gem were being welded together by the mysterious Magus' lightning hands! She stared dumbfounded at the man using Magic to mend her life force.

The lightning and teal glow soon faded as he finished his spell, leaving a perfectly smooth, blackened gem encased in ornate gold. He smiled and sighed as he pulled his hand away, "There ya go; that oughtta buy it some time."

The blunette muttered absently without realizing it, "...How much time?"

The white-haired man frowned, "I'd say twenty-four more hours, at best. You see this?" He pointed to the black sludge within the jewel, "This dark magic shouldn't be there. This… whatever it is… is what's causing your power-holder to break. I was able to momentarily stop it from shattering, but if you don't get rid of the black magic before the twenty-four hours are up, it's over."

Sayaka's eyes dimmed again as she mumbled bitterly, "...Even if I get it cleaned up, what's the point? Whether it's one day or a thousand, what's the point of trying to help this horrible, twisted, rotten world? What difference does it make?" She stared into her gem and choked, "All I wanted to do was help people, y'know? Bring happiness to those who don't have any… But the more happiness I brought to people, the more I felt envious and spiteful… No one knew that we were fighting or even cared..."

The man sighed as he stared at the station's ceiling, "All I can say is, that this is our lot for fulfilling our destiny. This is what we chose for ourselves when we wanted to be Heroes of Justice. We fight and protect humanity and get nothing in return."

Sayaka sniffed, "It just got worse and worse…" she gave a contradicting smile as tears started streaming down, "It got so bad, that I even hurt my best friend."

"...Madoka?" The man asked.

"Yeah," she nodded. She choked, never taking her eyes off of the swirling storm within her Soul, "...I can't even remember what I thought was so worth protecting anymore… It's all a blank now. I'm… I'm just a stupid fraud…"

The man gave a light chuckle, "...A fraud, and a hypocrite."

Sayaka flinched and grimaced at the man's accusation.

Shaking his head, he stood up, sighed and placed his hands on his hips, "You're right; we Heroes of Justice are just a bunch of hypocrites, and the ideals we hold are created only by those who lie to themselves."

The blunette whimpered as her tears dripped and splashed onto her ever-darkening Soul Gem.

The man took deep breath and stated, "...Here, I want to show you something."

Clenching his hands into fists, lightning started dancing around his arms again.

Sayaka gasped, ...Another spell?

As magic emanated from his very presence, his hair and cloak started to flow as if they were caught in a small breeze. He reached his right arm in front of him and held the crook of his elbow with his left. The small 'breeze' erupted into a tornado of magical power, and his voice resonated throughout the train station as he began to chant:

"I am the bone of my sword; Steel is my body and fire my blood,"

With the jagged, teal lines of aura now appearing at his feet, he continued:

"I have created over a thousand blades,

Unaware of Life, nor aware of Death,"

The ground began to tremble underneath the man and girl. Now panicking, Sayaka jumped to her feet and and anxiously shouted, nervously shooting her gaze all over the immediate area, "W-What are you doing? What's going on?!"

He ignored her outcry and merely continued to chant, the magical power growing stronger:

"I have withstood insurmountable pain to carry out my ideals,

Yet I have lost everything. So, now I pray,

Allow me to show the err of one's entire existence that is"

He shot his hand upwards, snapped opened his eyes and screamed:

"UNLIMITED BLADE WORKS!"

Then, the ground began to crack and shatter around them, releasing crimson flames from below. As the flames and earthen cracks spread towards and behind her, Sayaka cried out, closed her eyes and threw her arms up in defense. But, she didn't feel herself consumed by the fires that engulfed the two of them. Confused, she hesitantly opened her eyes slowly. She gasped and gaped at the sight before her.

They no longer stood in Mitakihara station, but a barren hilltop adorned with tombstone-like blades stretching on and on infinitely as far as she could see, the plain bathed in a sunkist orange hue.

"W-What's going on?" Sayaka stuttered anxiously, "W-Where are we?"

"Where are we?" The man replied apathetically without even looking at her. Staring into the reddened sky, his white cloak flapped in the gentle breeze. Shadows covered his eyes as he stated plainly, "This place… This hilltop of false swords and barren hopes is everything that remains of my ideals. This hollow hill is my final resting place."

Then, the realization hit the blunette. This was a Labyrinth. And she was ensnared right in the heart of it.

"You're a…" She gasped again. Ferocious fury replaced the look of shock in her face as she summoned a single katana in her hands in a wash of cerulean rain, "YOU'RE A WITCH!"

She grimaced as her weapon-wielding arm trembled. She brought her other hand to assist in holding her blade, but it seemed almost pointless, as it didn't stop her arms from shaking. She didn't have the magic for this. It took every ounce of her strength just to hold this single katana upright.

"...Witch?" The man asked as he turned his confused expression to her quizzically, as if he had never heard the word used in this context, "I don't-"

"You thought you could get me when I'm weak, huh?! Well, you WERE WRONG!" Sayaka shouted and lunged towards the Magus like a bolt of lightning, moving so quickly as to even cause a sonic boom behind her.

To her surprise, the white-haired 'Witch' impeded her incoming strike by kicking up a curved, ivory blade that was imbedded in the ground within fractions of a second, causing dust and dirt to blast behind them from the sudden stop. With sparks and magical energy flying from the clashed swords, the Magus frowned darkly and grunted, "I assure you, I am not your enemy."

Frenzy-fueled rage swallowed Sayaka's expression as she screamed, "SHUT UP!"

Like a rapidly flowing river, the blunette parried his blade away. Their blades traded blows and clashed with each other many times, almost too quickly for the naked eye, causing the dirt to stir around them from the sonicspeed-like strikes. With a flick of her wrists, Sayaka brought her katana up high to strike at its head. However, the 'Witch' swiftly crouched and spun, slashing her thigh with a sweeping motion of its ivory blade.

Sayaka cried out in pain, shot a hand to her now-bleeding leg, and leaped out of its blade's reach, collapsing to one knee when she reached relative safety.

This is it… she thought as she locked eyes with the 'Witch' now simply standing up straight and glaring at her. She had to thank that thing for something though: Had it not used that 'Trace' spell on her earlier, her own curse would've shattered her Soul long ago. She didn't understand why it had done that, but it didn't matter now.

Panting and gasping for air, she arduously pulled her now-crimson hand to the hilt of her katana and forced herself to her feet, ignoring the burning pain in her thigh, ...I don't have any magic left. I've only got one more attack in me… I better make it count…!

She lunged towards it once again, even faster this time. Time seemed to slow as her vision washed in horror. The 'man' simply tilted its body to the right of her blade, causing her to just barely miss its abdomen. As she passed flew past, it shot his free arm up and snatched her weapon-wielding wrist. The flow of time returned as it stood upright, dangling Sayaka in the air off of her feet. She grimaced. It felt like her shoulder was about to pop out of socket.

"You're quite the stubborn one, little girl," the 'Witch' stated. It mused, "You remind me a lot of myself, actually. This isn't the first time I've been in situation similar to this."

Sayaka shrieked in pain as it squeezed her wrist tightly. Unable to keep a hold of her katana, her hand relinquished blade and it dissipated in cerulean raindrops much like it appeared before even striking the barren hilltop.

"I am not a Witch;" It glared at her, "I am not your enemy."

It dropped her and she fell to her back. Arduously forcing herself to a sitting position, she breathed heavily, no longer any energy to fight. With no other option, she asked it, "You said this place was your final resting place… If this isn't a Labyrinth and you aren't a Witch, then where are we and what are you?"

Relaxing its muscles, the 'man' sighed as he stood at-ease, "This is a Reality Marble. It's a manifestation of the world within inner workings of a Magus' soul that forces and encroaches itself upon the real world," it allowed its ivory blade to slip from it's grip and clang in the dirt, turning its gaze back to the sunkist sky, "And, in my case, this wasteland is where I ended up."

The cogs in Sayaka's brain turned as she thought about what it was saying. She furrowed her brow and accused, "...That's exactly what a Witch is and does!"

The 'man' replied without even looking at her, "All magic stems and branches from one another. The spell to summon a Reality Marble very well could've spawned from the study of your 'Witches'. Perhaps that is why it's considered forbidden amongst Mages," it then turned and glared at her, "And if I were this enemy of Magical Girls as you accuse me to be, would you even have the strength to stop me from killing you here and now?"

"N-No…" Sayaka admitted. She frowned, "Okay, so even if I were to buy into this whole Reality Marble stuff, what does that make you?"

"I am what's known as a Counter-Guardian Spirit," it stated plainly, "My only role in this universe to counteract all the violence humanity has wrought upon itself throughout any time period, past, present or future."

He turned his gaze back to the clouds and forlornly reached his hand to touch the crimson sky, "When I was alive, I strove to be a Hero of Justice. I forsook everything else about myself so I could create a world in which nobody had to cry. I fought and served those whom I thought could help me achieve my ideals."

"You're…" Sayaka's eyes grew wide as she gasped, "...dead?"

The man didn't answer. Or at least, she didn't hear him if he did. Instead, her eyes snagged her attention to some gallows that now stood in solace at the top of the hill. As she gaped at it, her vision blurred.

Then, she felt as if she were being dragged closer to the execution device. She gasped and tried to break away, but the forces unseen wouldn't allow it. She tried to kick and scream, but her body refused to listen. As she was pulled towards it, familiar feelings of anger, sorrow, and hopelessness came over her once again. As the unseen powers forced her up the gallow's steps and positioned her neck within the noose, a new, bitter emotion dropped into her stomach: betrayal.

Then, she closed her eyes and braced herself for the neck-snap as she heard the wood creak and felt her feet leave solid ground. But the execution never happened.

Slowly opening her eyes, she gasped as she still sat on the ground near the man, and the gallows were nowhere to be seen. Confused, furrowed her brow and mumbled, "What… just happened-"

Then, her eyes widened and she gasped as the realization hit her: That was his death that she just experienced. The sorrow and anger she felt as she was dragged to the noose were the emotions he felt. What made her sickest of all though, she knew that he had been betrayed and hanged for his ideals.

She gulped and stuttered as she looked back at the mysterious Magus, "T-They killed you-"

She gasped again as the white-haired man stood stoically, impaled through his back with at least eight broadswords, who's bloody tips now protruded from his chest and dripped into sanguine puddles in the dirt. He stated with shadows covering his eyes, "Try as we might, we Heroes of Justice can't save everyone. In the end, our roads are only paved with the blood and regrets of our failures."

Sayaka then heard the panicked screaming of men and women in the far off distance, followed by the echoes of crying children. She shot a hand to her mouth and gagged. Gazing at the wasteland adorned with broken blades, she tried to hold back pained sobs as she could recall bits and pieces of his memories. She saw them. The crying children, the bloody, broken corpses, the hatred and the sorrow. However, one image stained her mind more vividly than all the rest: Fire. Fire and flames burning and consuming everything around her.

The realization hit her, snapping her back to the Reality Marble, "T-These swords… They represent everyone you had to kill, right?"

He stood for a moment without replying. He reached behind him, grabbed the hilt of one of the broadswords. He yanked it out, causing a sick ripping sound as he pulled it out of his back, but he didn't even flinch, throwing the sword in the dirt like all that rested like tombstones in the Reality Marble.

After his long pause, he mumbled, "...As I said, we Heroes of Justice are merely just hypocrites and frauds. I wanted a world in which no one had to experience pain and sorrow, and yet, everyone who crossed my path suffered and cried," he paused again, "...And, beyond all that, these ideals that I failed to protect and uphold were never even my own. I wasted my life following the ideologies of another. I couldn't even taste the sweet release of death because of what I believed. You have done the same; I can see it in your face."

Sayaka gasped and grimaced. He was right; her desire to be a Hero of Justice stemmed directly from Mami Tomoe, the first Magical Girl she'd ever seen; the very girl who had sacrificed herself to save Madoka and herself. She choked as tears threatened to break from her eyes. The ideals she thought she held dear were not hers; they belonged to Mami Tomoe…

"Now, you understand that this is the hell that we've walked into," the man apathetically explained, his gaze staring off into the endless wasteland of Unlimited Blade Works, "Now, you understand that the ideals of a Hero of Justice are worthless, and lead only to a never-ending chain of despair."

Sayaka began sobbing. Again, he was right. She followed Mami Tomoe's ideals, and now the curse within her Soul Gem would destroy her because of it. She cried bitterly, "T-Then, w-why did you even bring me here? If I keep going on like this, my Soul's gonna shatter! If my life is so worthless, why couldn't you just let me die?!"

He turned to her, the swords impaling his back clanging together, and stated with slightly gentler expression, "Because we are not wrong."

The blunette blinked and sniffed, "...W-What?"

He explained, "In truth, I really did bring you here to slay you. I sensed the curse within that gem of yours. As a Counter-Guardian, I knew it was my job to stop it. I figured I'd bring you here and end you before it grew more powerful and became a nuisance to me."

"So, what changed?" Sayaka choked, "We Heroes of Justice are just a bunch of hypocrites, remember? That's what you said..."

He knelt down to meet her on eye level, "You are correct. What of it? I am indeed an inveterate hypocrite, which is why I will not kill you now."

The blunette furrowed her brow, "I-I… I don't understand…"

He replied, "There is still hope for you; there is still something for you to fight for. It's foolish to try to save everyone, but you can still fight for the ones closest to you. As Heroes, we were never wrong, and that's all that matters."

Then, images flashed in Sayaka's mind of those she cared about: Her mom and dad, Hitomi, Madoka, and even her new 'mentor' figure, Kyoko. And what about Mami? How could she ever face her in the Afterlife if she gave up now?

She mumbled to herself, "I don't want to die… I don't want to give up…" As if something cold rekindled inside of her, she wiped the tears from her cheeks and croaked, "...What do we do then? You said I've only got twenty-four hours left…"

"Actually," he frowned and stood to his feet, "After our little skirmish, I'd wager that you only have about eight hours or less."

"O-Oh…" the blunette dropped her gaze to her lap.

"However," a smirk appeared on the man's face, "I've had closer calls before."

With a snap of his fingers, a white light flashed, blinding Sayaka as the Reality Marble dissipated around them. When the blunette could see again, she gasped at the small craters that had formed in the tiled floor of Mitakihara Station from her battle with the man.

"Well," the man-no longer visibly impaled by the burdens of his past-sighed as he knelt down, helped her to feet, and supported her weight on his shoulder, "the first thing we need to do is find a way to cleanse the black magic from that power-holder of yours."

"But…" Sayaka mumbled tiredly, "I… I don't have any Grief Seeds, and I don't have any energy left to kill a Witch."

"SAYAKA!" A young girl's voice that Sayaka knew belonged to Kyoko Sakura called out worriedly from the stairwell that the men had come from.

"We may not have to," the man smirked again as the new girl step up the last stair.

The girl, wearing a long crimson ponytail and messy green jacket, stopped in her tracks as she saw the man supporting the blunette. A vicious scowl appeared on her face as she summoned a long spear and shouted, "HEY! Get away from her!"

"I take it you're a Magical Girl as well, her friend even," The man stated. He asked, "You're Madoka, I presume?"

Kyoko growled through clenched teeth, bared her weapon and stepped towards them, "I said BACK. OFF."

"Judging by your hostility, I'll take that as a yes on both fronts," the white-haired man chuckled and mused, "Although, when she initially mentioned your name, I assumed you'd be someone of a gentler demeanor."

He then furrowed his brow, "Madoka, if you have an object called a 'Grief Seed', I must ask that you give it to us," he motioned with his head to the blunette, now slumping lower, even with his support, "She won't last the night without it."

Sayaka, clearly exhausted, lifted her head, showed the red-head her swirling, blackened Soul Gem, and pleaded with tired, sunken eyes, "Please… I don't have much more time…"

"Son of a-Your Soul Gem!" Kyoko gasped, threw her spear aside and madly dashed to the blunette's side. She looked up at the man warily and stated, "Give her to me, I'll take it from here."

The man nodded and helped Kyoko wrap Sayaka's arm around the red-head's shoulder. Kyoko reached into one of her jacket's pockets and pulled out a small, ornate, ebony object, "Here, I still got the one from the Witch you killed the other night."

She held the seed close to the blackened jewel. As the black magic started flooding into the seed, Kyoko chuckled, "Jeez kid, this is gonna take up an entire Grief Seed!"

Sayaka lightly giggled as well, "Looks like it."

As the purification process finished and Sayaka's sapphire sparkled like new again, the red-head sighed and stated seriously, "You can't keep doing this. If I hadn't come along, you'd be dead now."

"Sorry," Sayaka apologized, "Actually," she turned towards the Magus standing behind them, "if it weren't for you, mister, I would died a lot sooner. Thank you."

However, her jaw dropped and was overcome with minor sorrow. She noticed that the Magus's entire lower half was translucent and fading into a cerulean aura, his ankles down having already disappeared completely.

He nodded, "It's my pleasure."

Shadows covered her eyes as she asked, "You're going to a new time period, right?"

The his entire lower half now invisible, he shrugged his shoulders and chuckled, "Yes; I am a Hero of Justice after all."

"Right…" Sayaka smiled gently. Then, she furrowed her brow and glanced up at him, "...Hey, I don't think I ever caught your name."

"My name…?" the man blinked, now only his face and shoulders remaining, "I guess, you could call me…" he smiled, "...Archer."

Sayaka mused, "...Archer, huh?"

As Archer's face disappeared into the ether, his voice resonated throughout the train station, "I'll be keeping a close eye on you, Sayaka Miki. We're walking down the same path after all."

"Yeah," the blunette nodded. Then, she gasped, shot her gaze all around the train station and called, "...Wait, how did you know my name?"

But there was no reply. The mysterious Magus who saved Sayaka's life was already gone, probably fighting in some far off past, keeping people happy as best he could.

"Such a hypocrite…" the blunette chuckled quietly at the thought.

"Friend of yours?" Kyoko asked with a raised eyebrow as she assisted Sayaka in walking towards the stairwell the red-head had entered from.

Sayaka hesitated before nodding, "...Yeah. I guess you could say that."

"...Boyfriend?" Kyoko asked again amusedly.

"No way, that guy's a jerk!" Sayaka quickly refuted.

"Oh, really? He didn't seem all that bad to me," A playful smirk appeared on the mentor's face, "Kinda hot, too."

Sayaka's face reddened slightly, "Kyoko…!"

"How'd you two meet, anyway?" The redhead asked inquisitively as they carefully hobbled down the stairs, "I haven't seen him around this town before, and he didn't exactly seem like someone who could easily hide in a crowd. Like, if we were in an anime, he could definitely be the main hero dude."

"Well," Sayaka explained, "he kinda walked up to me, used a little spell to repair my Soul Gem a bit, then he brought me to this place called a Reality Marble where we tried to kill each other."

"...Seriously?" Kyoko furrowed her brow. She sighed and shook her head, "I guess that's where that nasty gash in your leg came from. But, jeez kid! Ya gotta stop makin' friends like that! It's gonna get you killed one of these days."

The brunette deadpanned, "Look who's talking."

"...Touché," the red-head admitted. She smirked as they slowly shambled through the train station, "Tell ya what: how's about we get that leg of yours patched up, then grab a bite to eat on me."

"That's oddly generous," Sayaka teased, "Not really like you at all."

Kyoko scowled, "I'm tryin' to be nice here, idiot!"

"Well, I appreciate it," Sayaka sighed and stated, "... Thank you. For everything."

The red-head's features softened and she nodded, "...Yeah. Don't mention it."

There was a long pause as they walked. Then, Kyoko chuckled, "...So, that Archer guy thought I was your pink-haired friend?"

Sayaka replied with a giggle, "Dude, I don't even know. I'm still confused as to how he knew my own name!"

Madoka Kaname stared dejectedly at her brown shoes as she slowly walked through the halls of Mitakihara Middle School. She knew class was about to start, but she could help but to think about her friend.

Oh… I wonder where Sayaka is… she worried, I haven't seen her since she ran away in the rain the other day…

She gulped and choked as she thought of how her friend accused her of sitting by and doing nothing while the blunette suffered and fought against Witches.

I'll… I'll do it! She thought resolutely, a feeling of resolve filling her chest. Now wearing a face of serious determination, she decided, If it means seeing Sayaka happy again, then I'll fight! For her, I'll become a Magical-

Her train of thought was interrupted as she haphazardly bumped into fellow student. She quickly apologized with a bow, "Oh, pardon me! I wasn't watching where I was-"

As the classmate turned, the pinkette realized just who she had bumped into. She gasped, "...Sayaka?"

The blunette in question immediately smiled and hugged Madoka, "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I was just so stupid…"

"Sayaka…" The pinkette mumbled.

As the former girl pulled from the embrace, she assured, "I promise, everything's gonna be okay from here on out."

Madoka frowned and stated, "...You're right. Because I thought about what you said, and I decided that I'm going to be a Magical Girl so you don't have to suffer so much anymore."

It was Sayaka's turn to frown. She shook her head in denial, "No, forget about what I said. I was… Lost and confused. I don't want you getting hurt for my sake," she smiled and placed a hand on her friend's shoulder as she seemed to stare through the roof, "Ya don't gotta do that; I've got someone watching out for me now."

The pinkette tried to protest, "But what about-"

"Don't even think about it, Pinky," Kyoko Sakura threatened telepathically, "If you make a wish and become a Magical Girl, I'll come and beat the crap outta ya myself."

"Kyoko?" Madoka gasped and glanced around, looking for the red-head.

"Indeed," a young man's voice unrecognizable to her rang in her head, "there is no need to make a rash decision. Madoka and I should be plenty capable of watching over Sayaka Miki."

Sayaka chuckled and stated aloud, "Heh, thanks, Archer."

"Yeah… Um… Archer, about that…" Kyoko tried to explain.

Madoka furrowed her brow and tilted her head in confusion, "I… I don't understand… Who's 'Archer'?"

The blunette waved her hands dismissively and shook her head, "That's kinda a long story and-"

"U-Um, excuse me," another young man's voice interrupted the conversation. The girls turned to the man with unkempt, ginger hair, bronze eyes under black, square-rimmed glasses and an orange sweater holding a big binder. Straightening his glasses, he spoke again anxiously, "Do you girls happen to know where Class 2-B is? I'm substituting for Mrs. Kazuko today, but I'm afraid I'm a little lost, and class is supposed to start soon…"

Madoka smiled and answered, "Yes sir, that's actually our class! We were just heading there ourselves. You're welcome to follow us."

He smiled and nodded, "I appreciate it."

As the trio started walking through the halls, the man asked rather sheepishly, "So… What are your names? I'm a little bit anxious about teaching today, but I feel if I know some of the students, it'll help ease my nerves a bit."

"Sure," Madoka nodded and introduced herself, "I'm Madoka Kaname, the nurse's aid for 2-B."

Sayaka added with a smile, "I'm Sayaka Miki, her best friend."

"Sayaka and Madoka, huh?" The substitute teacher mused, "You two sound like you could be the main characters of an anime!"

"O-Oh, I don't know about that," Madoka giggled nervously, "I'm not really anything special…"

The teacher chuckled, "Oh, come on now. I've seen quite a few things in my life, and I've never once met someone who wasn't special somehow. I believe everyone could be a Hero of Justice if they wanted to."

Kyoko's thoughts snickered inside the girls' heads, "Just like your boyfriend Archer, right Sayaka?"

"...Boyfriend?" Archer's voice asked amusedly.

Sayaka's face flushed with embarrassment as she mentally hissed, "Oh, can it you two!"

Madoka smiled gently, "Well, at the very least, I'm glad to hear that you're feeling better, Sayaka," then, she frowned as she noticed her friend walking with a limp and thigh wrapped in bloody gauze, "Sayaka, what happened to your leg?"

The blunette scratched her head and inwardly chuckled nervously, "Yeah, like I said earlier, it's a long story…"

"Ah, we made it!" The substitute teacher exclaimed behind them as they came within view of their classroom door. As they all walked to step inside, he stepped in front of them into the chattering classroom and thanked, "Thank you two again for the help, I really appreciate it."

"Anytime," Madoka bowed.

"Mm-hm," Sayaka nodded as she started limping to her desk. Then, she stopped, turned and furrowed her brow, "Wait, you asked us for our names, but you never told us yours."

"Oh yeah, I forgot, didn't I?" The man chuckled. He nodded and stated, "My name is Shirou Emiya. Nice to meetcha!"

He turned and started walking towards the front of the class, he added, "And Sayaka, you should brush up on your swordplay; it could just save your life. And you wouldn't have any nasty wounds like the one on your leg."

As the school bell rang and she lowered herself into her desk, Sayaka's eyes grew wide in shock as she gaped at the ginger substitute.

Shirou turned his head and winked at her, "I told you I'd watch after you, Sayaka. It's a good thing I've got a good say in the time periods I'm sent to."

As the blunette simply stared at the man, Madoka tilted her head and whispered to her friend, "...That's Archer, I'm guessing?"

Sayaka slowly nodded her head, still in shock.

"Oh…" Madoka turned and sat at her desk. Covering her mouth with her fist, she gazed at Shirou and commented perplexedly, "I just thought he'd be a little more… Heroic, that's all…"

Archer's voice came through as Shirou carefully scrawled his name on the classroom's chalkboard, "Ms. Kaname, I'm sure we both know that looks can be deceiving."

Madoka fidgeted in her seat, not used to telepathically speaking so much, "I-I suppose so…"

Then, Shirou turned to the class and quieted them down. He introduced himself, "H-Hello. My name is Shirou Emiya, and I'm filling in for Mrs. Kazuko today. Let's not waste any time: Today, I'd like to go over the theoretical physics of something called a 'Reality Marble'..."

Author's Note: Hey, I actually finished a project! This calls for a Celebration! CHEESE! CHEESE FOR EVERYONE!

02/09/16 EDIT: It's come to my attention that some people may be confused; this was just a short little One-Shot I thought of. There will be no continuations or sequels to it. My apologies if I got some of your hopes up. *apologetic bow*