Aghh, the feels! This was an amazing story and I really wish that this happened in the anime. Yet even so, even if Sayaka was saved and Mami was still alive I feel that Madoka would still have become a Goddess and the only difference being that the other four would still remember her. Whether Rebellion would still have happened would be anybody's guess.

An amazing and very moving story, once or twice I did feel things were a little more tell than show, but it was pretty minor. Very nice use of flashbacks and a very cool execution, hitting all the emotional low and high notes to make a great story!

Great story! I love the sayaka/madoka friendship and your a really great writer! I'm a big fan of madohomu, please can you write a madohomu fic *puppy dog eyes*
You should know that you are an awesome writer!
(Love your k-on stories)

Waaahhh! This story is so emotional and perfect... It makes me wanna rewatch the series repeatedly! Wait, haven't I already done that several times? XD But this... Wow, I can't find the accurate words to describe it. This fanfic transcends normal ones. I LOVE IT!

ah, while the ending of madoka magica was excellent all on its own level, I would have liked something like this to happen. sayaka being my fave character and all.

I am also of the argument, that madokaXsayaka really works wonders. if sayaka didnt fall off too deep and had madoka did awaken her out of her witch state, I could totally see the story headed more for madoka and sayaka instead of their respective pairs homura and kyouko.

wish more stories like this exist. while kyouko indeed shows interest to sayaka, its not both ways so im not really feeling interested with reading all those kyoukoXsayaka fanfics.

Finally madoka's fic with happy ending, need more this kind of fic. There's too many angst in this series, so this is very refreshing. Good job.

There's too much stuff to be included in a oneshot, but I can see why because you included all five of them instead of just Madoka and Sayaka. But excluding them would also take away something from the story, so overall it's not a big deal. All the characters are still portrayed impeccably down to the smallest gestures and the way they speak, as expected of a writer of your caliber. I can easily see everything happen as if I'm watching an episode. Sayaka's portrayal is by far the best I've read because most just write her too idiotic or unlikeable. I also like how you seamlessly connect each scene even though they happen at different times. The depiction of Sayaka as Oktavia is also refreshing, because I don't think I've ever read a perspective from a witch's point of view, at least not as emotionally powerful as this.

I would suggest you to include more interactions between the other puellas, such as Homura and Madoka, in your sequel to make up for the lack of screentime in this oneshot (unless, of course, that's the reason why you made the sequel in the first place)

Anyways, glad you've written more for this fandom, Adrena.

relativelyrelevant

I see you had the chance to see Madoka on the big screen.
You have no idea how much I want to see that movie. But I live in a place where no one gives a damn about Madoka, and so bam, no movie. It's not fair I tell ya. Anyway, I figured you might be inspired to write something Madoka related.

As to the story, it's pretty good. Well, it started out very strong. I got drawn in immediately with the scenes from the past contrasting with the present. But I think you are right in that too much stuff was going on. It seems like the story lost its focus somewhere along the way. Also, some really important moments felt like they were rushed along (like Sayaka witching out). But at the same time, there was still a lot to like about the story.

I'm a little surprised you kept the friendship aspects purely friendly, not even a hint of romance. Makes Homura's relationship with Madoka feel a little off. I take it as a given that Homura's love for Madoka transcends the limits of what should be possible. And that's pretty intense, even when watered down and made ancillary to other relationships.

It was beautiful. I was nearly in tears with the way you describe their friendship. Thank you so much for writing this.

My yearly MSMM fanfiction from you… and it is about 50% longer than the first one.

Well, what can I say aside from the fact that I’m honored and I enjoyed this story very much because it brought forth a rollercoaster of emotions? I’m glad that I went ahead and rewatched the first few episodes before reading this story, or else, some things might have flown over my head. Admittedly, it’s been a while since I watched the anime, and with all the extra stuff that’s being released, it’s easy to forget what had happened in there.

For a nearly 10,000 word oneshot, I feel like this story is too short. However, it managed to express its point and I suppose that’s all that matters.

We are all aware of Sayaka and Madoka’s friendship in the series, though sadly it was overshadowed by the more explosive rivalry between Sayaka and Kyouko, as well as Homura’s unfathomable devotion to Madoka throughout numerous timelines. I believe that many fans take SayaMado’s friendship as shallow, or rather, too simple in comparison to the other relationships that seems to transcend mere simple friendships and even time itself. We forget that these two have been friends for far longer than anyone in this group, and thus their friendship should be just as meaningful if not more so than the others.

This story brings that to life. I know little about the novels which supposedly explores Sayaka and Madoka’s childhood friendship, but I think you have covered this enough in the story that I can appreciate how they were as kids. This is where the title comes in, I guess. Bandaids, something that is usually taken for granted, something that is considered “kiddie”, can become invaluable. It’s supposed to represent not only as the quick and temporary remedy for scratched bonds and physical wounds alike, but it also reflects how friends are important.

We take our friends for granted most of the time, and due to this, they might not be there when we really need them. I mean, more often than not we don’t have a bandaid anywhere nearby in case emergencies. We might even forget where we have hidden them or if we even have them. This is somewhat what Sayaka had experienced here… although in a more serious way.

As the protector (and as the provider of the bandaid), Sayaka never expected Madoka to fill in that role for her. She probably thought that Madoka is incapable of being the protector and pillar of support, so she shouldered all her burdens and tried to remain unaffected even though the events are eating her inside. And as her heart got tainted, she felt more disconnected from her best friend, who she felt was slipping away and unable to understand the psychological and emotional torment of being a mahout shoujo. She was hurt, but she didn’t realize that Madoka’s friendship was the very bandaid she needed until it was too late.

Frankly, I was surprised at how you decided to end this story considering… you’re you and you have a knack for less-than-happy endings. However, I must admit that the surprising ending did melt my heart. That scenario is something that I’m sure we all had hoped for when we first watched the series but we never got. For once, the power of friendship managed to shine through and, though clichéd in most other stories, for MSMM… it is really like a breath of fresh air.

I think the scene that really grabbed me is that of Sayaka’s when she was trying to reach for Madoka. It was painfully tragic and it eerily makes sense with what happened in Oktavia’s labyrinth in canon. While reading, I had feared that the others would end up slaying her in spite of the fact that all she wanted was to reach her best friend and somehow hold onto her only hope, the only person who still viewed her as human. It reminds me of Kyouko’s speech in the PSP game, right before she snapped and turned into Ophelia. I think she roughly said, “She (Sayaka) was the person who I have placed my remaining hope to, the only one who can understand me.”

I think that in a certain way that sentiment was similar to what Sayaka felt in this story.

On a random note, I smiled when I saw the reference to the baseball bat Sayaka used because I just watched the first three episodes again just before reading and, well… it was memorable indeed.

Also, while reading, I wondered how Homura was thinking during the whole thing. One can’t help but wonder, you know?

I will end this here, because I will be displeased if I don’t get first review for my birthday present. Thank you so much for this gift, Adrena, I’ve been looking forward to it all month. It was wonderful.

ghikiJ