A/N: Alrighty, guys. So this story was originally published on July 5, 2017, but I deleted it a few weeks later because I didn't like it very much. I decided to reupload it because I felt like it's good to look back on how you've progressed in the future. Enjoy! :)

A/N: Hi, everyone! Welcome to my first ever fanfic! :D It took me a couple days, but I was finally able to come up with the plot, title, and everything else. This is basically just a fic that came to me the same day I made my account. Anyway, you just want to read the story, so without further ado, World Away! (This takes place after the end of the series, so don't read this unless you've watched the entire thing.)

Disclaimer: I don't own Puella Magi Madoka Magica.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica © Gen Urobuchi, Shaft, and Aniplex.

World Away

Homura gazed over the city. It felt so lonesome… so cold. Rain had been falling all throughout the night, seeming like it would never stop.

For the past year, it felt like a massive chunk of her heart had been missing. That part was Madoka. She missed her… she was the only person she felt she could trust, and truly call a friend.

She'd never met anyone so understanding, so sweet, and so optimistic. Most of her life had been nothing but darkness, but once she met Madoka, it was like all the dark clouds cleared away, revealing a beautiful blue sky and a sun brighter than any other star in the galaxy. As she closed her eyes, she recalled the events of the last day.

Madoka had made the ultimate sacrifice. She was ready to make her wish, but in the process, she had to pay the price.

She wished to take away all the grief and despair suffered by all of the magical girls throughout history, and bear all the pain herself. Kyubey warned her if this is what she really wanted, telling her that if she made such a wish, she would become a goddess, and be nothing more than a concept in the world she once called home.

Understanding the change that would come with a wish this powerful, she accepted anyway. She took Homura with her to the other side one last time and told her that she would always be her best friend, and she would always be with all of them. Not physically, but in their hearts and minds.

Then, she took off her ribbons and gave them to Homura as a way to remember her by. And with that said and done, she faded into a higher plane of existence, joining Sayaka, who ultimately had to succumb to the fate of a magical girl, as Madoka respected the wish she had made to heal Kyosuke.

Homura desperately didn't want to leave Madoka by herself in that world, but she knew she had to let go. It would be the last time she would ever truly see her, and she wasn't sure when she would see her again, if ever.

She then found herself in an audition, where Kyosuke was onstage, playing Charles Gounod's Ave Maria on his violin. In two of the seats sat the spirits of Madoka and Sayaka, the former of whom apologized to the latter for causing her trouble, and believing that her sacrifices weren't in vain.

Sayaka then responded by saying she just wanted to hear Kyosuke play one last time, and she believed that he and Hitomi, who was hiding behind the curtain watching the performance, would make a happy couple, and while it still hurt her a bit to see them together, she couldn't hold it against them anymore.

The two got up and left, and as the audience applauded for Kyosuke, now a famous violinist, he remembered his time in the hospital, and said Sayaka's name.

Upon returning in a different world, everything felt different. Mami and Kyoko were both somehow alive. She thought Mami had been decapitated by that witch that transformed into a giant caterpillar, and Kyoko had given her life destroying Sayaka after Madoka attempted using her voice to see if she would recognize her, which ultimately failed.

She started talking to them, and Mami reflected on how a magical girl's fate is to peacefully disappear before they can cause grief. That was when Homura remembered Madoka and broke down crying, and neither Kyoko nor Mami knew who she was talking about.

It turned out that she didn't entirely comprehend what Kyubey meant by saying that Madoka would be nothing more than a concept in this world. It also came at the price of no one except for herself retaining memories of her.

The same day she returned to this new world, she traveled to the park as the sun began to set.

She saw Madoka's family there, and she decided to start talking to them.

Tatsuya, Madoka's little brother, was drawing on the sand. Homura peered over his shoulder to see what he was drawing, and it was a sloppy, childlike doodle of a girl that looked almost exactly like Madoka. Same hair, same outfit, same everything. The name "Madoka" was scrawled above her head, and there were doodles of flowers around her.

Madoka's mother, Junko, walked up to Homura and told her that Madoka was an imaginary friend of his, and she was always with him everywhere they went.

They sat on the sidewalk together, and she asked Homura if Madoka was a character from an anime or something, because she wasn't sure how a boy as young as Tatsuya could come up with such a complex and detailed character, in both personality and physical appearance, for an imaginary friend.

Homura just smiled at this statement, somewhat relieved to know that there was another person who remembered Madoka to some degree, even if it was as an imaginary friend and not as an older sister. Maybe she was like a sister to him; an invisible one.

Then, Junko complimented Homura's ribbons, saying that they were cute and asking her where she got them. She also mentioned that if she were to have had a daughter, she would've probably made her wear those ribbons. One thing that really stood out, though, was when she said the name "Madoka" sounded nostalgic.

This, without a doubt, reminded Homura of Madoka. They were her ribbons, and she was Junko's daughter, just unfortunately, not in this world.

Junko then noticed the time, and realized that it was time for she and her family to go home, since night was falling and Tatsuya was getting tired. As she watched them leave, Homura left as well, and went to discuss her story with Kyubey. Afterward, she reflected on the new universe, thinking that this corrupted, grief-filled world was what Madoka sought to protect - but either way, she would never forget Madoka's wish.

That was one year ago. Homura opened her eyes. Ever since then, she has continued fighting against demons with the others, since there are no longer any witches left in the world, and has promised herself, and Madoka, that she will never lose hope or give up on herself.

She now knows that Madoka will always be by her side, even if she can't see her, and her best friend will always be in her heart. She continues to wear Madoka's ribbons with pride, and as long as she has them on, Madoka will be with her every step of the way.

No matter what, and above all, Homura is devoted to protecting the city that Madoka loved, until the very end.

A/N: I really wanted to capture how Homura felt, and I also wanted to perfectly capture her thoughts. I personally don't think I did that great on this one, but hey, we all start somewhere. :) More than anything though, I really hope you guys enjoyed this! Reviews are welcome, but please, no flaming X( Anyway, thank you for reading, stranger!