Spoiler Warning: If you haven't seen the anime Puella Magi Madoka Magica, then prepared to be spoiled.

I own neither Puella Magi Madoka Magica nor Black Clover. They belong to their respective owners. For entertainment purposes.

To anyone else, it was a peaceful day. Normal in fact, with a bright blue sky. The pathway to the school was lined with blooming trees and filled with students chatting about their lives without a care in the world. Yet none could see Yuno nor his familiars as he observed them in the space between dimensions. He didn't want to enter the new world until he finished checking on the others. He sat underneath an umbrella table he had summoned as he drank some tea.

Charmy walked by in her school uniform. She smiled, not giving a sign of noticing him. She held a cinnamon bun in her hand as she took a bite. She paused as a petal landed on her treat. Yuno dropped his cup's plate as a test. It shattered, and he watched as she flinched slightly. She turned around as her eyes looked for anything unusual. But she found nothing as she plucked the petal from her treat. But in the split second she had detected his plane, the petal in her hand had transformed into a black feather. He left her gazing at the object, making note that her connection to him still existed albeit weak.

Kahono sat on one of the benches facing the canals that lined the walkway. She had her earbuds in her ears, mouthing the words to her favorite tune. Reaching in her bag, she threw out handfuls of bread crumbs at the gathering of crows. His familiars swarmed the offering while she watched with a laugh. Grabbing a piece of toast for herself, she munched on it in peace. However, as Yuno was beginning to warp away from her, she pulled out her earbuds and snapped her head towards him. Her eyes narrowed as she stood up, scaring the crows away in the process. But he could tell that Kahono was like Charmy. Not a threat now, but a future obstacle to be aware of for later. Speaking of threats.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?" Noelle snapped at him from behind. It was surprising she was able to enter his space by her own volition. He'd have to fix that. Yuno looked over his shoulder. The girl was shaking in rage with the grip on her bag nearly white from pressure.

"I do but feel free to enlighten me."

She pointed a finger at him, her digits trembling with her barely contained emotions. "You broke off a piece of the Law of Cycles," She nearly snarled as her posture turned more hostile, "It was the only salvation us Magical Knights had!"

Yuno almost scoffed. Salvation that came at too high a price and too cruel a burden. Still it would probably be best to try to reason with her, lest she lunge at him in a vain attempt to strangle him. He'd like to start off this new world as peacefully as he could after all.

He turned back to face the pathway and brought his hands together in front of him as he rested his chin on them. "I only took a tiny sliver," He amended, "The piece that used to be Asta before he ceased to exist." Noelle couldn't argue against that, though he could see her bite her lip. "For some reason," He admitted while he hummed and played with the edge of his glass teacup using his fingers, "You all got pulled in with him and can't return to where you came from either."

"You had no right to screw everything up like this!"

"I'm an existence called 'evil' now," Yuno stated as he stood up and began walking towards Noelle in slow, calculated steps. She straightened up in response, no doubt getting into her fight mode. "And if evil is supposed to disrupt the divine and be a force of chaos," He added as he leaned down just a few inches away from her face, "It's only natural I'd upset the laws of a god." Her gaze never wavered as she continued to stare up at him. Her stubbornness almost admirable.

"Oh, yeah," She challenged as she began to summon her Demon self, "What will you do next?" The water from the canal sprang up like a blue curtain. It fell and revealed the Water Dragon behind its veil. "Will you destroy everything?" She asked as a growl got trapped in her throat. She always had been such a 'hero of justice,' hadn't she?

"After all the Beasts are destroyed," Yuno mused, "Maybe I will." He turned from Noelle and walked back towards the walkway. The canal water overflowed and swirled into a sickly purple as it flooded the land beneath their feet. "When that day comes," He called over his shoulder, "I suppose I can be your enemy then." Yuno summoned a portion of his power to him as a blackish-purple gleam glowed beneath his glove.

"The question is," He said as he snapped his fingers, "Will you be able to stand against me?" In an instant, Noelle's Demon form vanished as their link was severed. He sensed Noelle's sudden confusion and the terror that surrounded her being. "You're having trouble remembering, aren't you?" He questioned almost soothingly.

He could hear feet tapping rapidly towards them. In the corner of his eye, he saw Bell in a bright-green, polka-dot dress, with a red schoolbag attached to her shoulders, come racing. But she wasn't interested in the two of them nor in confronting him. She seemed happy twirling among the now falling black feathers whilst giggling to herself. He could hear the true joy in her laughter too. Whether she remembered anything, he couldn't tell. Though judging by the fact she had entered his domain, he had a strong suspicion she could. The elementary schooler passed by the two of them without incident.

Turning his attention towards Noelle again, satisfied he wouldn't have two challengers, he waited patiently as the girl gathered her wits. "I think I remember being a part of something," She whispered. Closing her eyes, she clarified, "Some being or power bigger than this world." She raised a hand to cover her face. "But I don't remember anymore," She admitted, "All I know is I'm not supposed to be here."

"You're getting another chance at being human again," Yuno reasoned calmly, "If anything, you should be happy about that." The water at their feet turned into a black fog as Yuno began to dismiss his own void. "Eventually," He stated evenly, "Life here will seem natural to you, and you'll forget all about the past." Noelle lowered her hand and opened her eyes.

Meeting his gaze angrily, she gave him one last retort before Yuno closed his domain for the time being. "Even if I do," She vowed as the mist swarmed up her body, "There's one thing I won't forget." Her gaze melted and boiled. "You, Yuno Akemi," She hissed, "Are a Devil!"

He almost wanted to laugh at her for pointing out the obvious. Still it wouldn't be good to have her constantly be at his throat. "Careful," He warned softly, "We should pretend to be on good terms with one another." Smiling as the void began to flicker out of existence. "After all," He concluded, "If you're always attacking me…"

"Asta might end up hating you."

Professor Yami lounged against his desk chair with his feet propped on top of his table. Professor Finral looked exasperated beside him as he gave up trying to reel in the class before him. Miss Vanessa just laughed at the scene before her. Yuno could hear the three of them talking about this and that, like how Vanessa had just gotten a new kitten for starters, while the trio waited for the classroom's energy to die down a little before the big announcement.

Not that Yuno could care. While it was true that he missed being in Professor Vangeance's class, he could put up with being in the "Black Bulls" for the moment. His eyes drifted to a desk just a few rows ahead to the left. Silver pigtails and pink eyes met his gaze briefly before pointedly turning to face the front. He couldn't tell what she was planning nor how she transferred out of her brother's classroom and into this one so fast. All he knew was that she was up to something, especially after their confrontation earlier. Yuno would be damned if he let her destroy all his hard work. Two could play at this game.

Reddish-brown hair swished back and forth, catching Noelle's attention. She turned her head towards the other girl, who responded with a smile. While it was true that normally Kahono wouldn't be in this school, after the labyrinth, Yuno had decided that she had earned a place in Clover City. Besides, she served as an excellent distraction to Noelle. Though he had no doubt that stubborn girl would continue whatever plan she had. At least, Kahono would slow her down long enough for Yuno to put down some countermeasures.

The classroom had quieted down just enough to hear Yami pound his fist against the whiteboard. "Listen up, you brats," the stoic man said with his voice tinted in annoyance, "Or I'll kill ya." That brought the noise level to zero as no one dared to call his bluff. Satisfied, Yami nodded towards Vanessa, who cleared her throat.

"You'll be having a new student in class, starting today," She chirped cheerfully. "He just recently moved to Clover City," She added as she clapped her hands together, "So I expect everyone to do their best to make him feel welcome." As excited murmurs began to overcome the class, Vanessa pointed her finger out towards them. "And being 'welcome,'" She amended, "Does not mean fighting them on first day of school." Though she said this in general, her eyes were locked on to Luck Voltia. Content at the grumbles of agreement, she left to go fetch the new student.

Even if Yuno knew what was about to occur, it still didn't stop him from being slightly surprised when Asta strutted through the door. Even in a room full of people who were now strangers, the other never lost his confidence. Asta stopped in the middle of the classroom, waiting for Vanessa to catch up. She motioned to him to introduce himself.

"My name's Asta Kaname!" Asta greeted as he bowed enthusiastically to the class, "Nice to meet you!" Everyone in the classroom, minus Yuno, winced or flinched at the sheer volume of his tone. Even Noelle couldn't help but furrow her brows in annoyance. It almost made him laugh. At this point, the other's usual loudness was comforting. "I moved from Hage to Clover City this month," Asta continued as he straightened up. Rubbing the back of his neck, he grinned and said, "So I'm still learning my way about."

Vanessa patted him on the shoulder, either to interrupt him or give the class's ears a chance to adjust. As she wrote his name on the board, she called out, "Let's give him a friendly reception as well." The class clapped slightly as they all tried to recover from the assault on their ear drums. But they were, at least, making an effort to be welcoming. Vanessa pointed to seat in the front for Asta to use before heading out the door with a wave goodbye. Finral picked up a textbook in one hand and a marker in the other, trying to capitalize on the relative quiet and continue teaching to the best he could. Yami settled back into his desk, eyes closed, to nap.

As soon as the bell rang for the scheduled break, Yuno stood up and made his way towards Asta's desk. A small group of students had already begun to pest him with questions ranging from "Are you a good fighter?!" to "What do you think of Clover City?" One of the students, Magna, had slammed his hands against Asta's desk with a loud bang in a failed attempt to startle the boy. Even though he had his hair sleeked back into a silver and black mohawk as well as the complete aura of being a "punk," Asta just laughed at the other's antics. Good. Asta would adjust back into the class all right after all.

Still, after Noelle's encounter, he wanted to be sure there were no remaining memories. Doing a quick check behind his back, he saw said girl talking with Kahono. Kahono's arm was swung around her shoulders with an earbud appearing in one of their ears. From her behavior, Yuno could tell she was showing Noelle all her favorite songs. That should keep the silvery girl distracted long enough for Yuno to do his check.

"You'll tire Mister Kaname out," Yuno called as he approached Asta, "Asking him questions like that." Magna snorted and muttered something like "Pretty boy's here" before begrudgingly dispersing to go roughhouse with Luck. Yuno had to resist the urge to roll his eyes at the response. Instead, he focused on making sure his face gave none of his emotions away.

When he was the last one at Asta's desk, he turned to the other and said, "I'm Yuno Akemi. It's a pleasure to meet you." Yuno tried to tell himself that it was the cool sensation of relief he was feeling rather than the icy touch of grief he received when he saw no true recognition in the other's eyes. Just the normal excitement of meeting someone new. Despite not wanting to, he longed for something just a little familiar between the two of them. "May I call you 'Asta?'" He asked calmly, though it felt like he had blurted the words out without thinking.

"Sure," Asta replied with a bright grin, "Only if I get to call you, 'Yuno.'" That was acceptable, and Yuno had never been more thankful for Asta's lack of manners in the proper sense. Perhaps in time, this world would feel like the first one to him again, where there was no bad blood between the two of them from countless times. Maybe he could even repair his broken bonds. Still, he had a mission at the moment.

Nodding, Yuno gave a small smile of his own. "This may be abrupt," Yuno offered, "But can I give you a tour of the school?" Just a quick walk around the buildings to ease his doubts. That would be enough. Asta gave him a thumbs up as he stood and gestured in a 'lead the way' motion.

"Thanks for showing me around!" Asta exclaimed after a while of touring. Their time together had been going well. As far as Yuno could tell, there was no remaining memories in Asta. He looked at the hallways and classrooms they passed with no hint of being able to identify the paths they were walking. Even the small talk they had been engaging in didn't indicate that there was any of the old universe left in Asta.

"It's not a problem," Yuno replied as they rounded a corner. Still, he couldn't relax. They were almost at that accursed walkway where he had confronted Asta so many times. He had to shove the nervous twitch of his fingers away by putting his hands in his pockets. One last stop and then he'd have nothing to worry about. At school anyway. He should probably ask about the city itself and make a list of places to visit with Asta to confirm he had no residing memories. "How's it feel to be in Clover City?" Yuno questioned after a beat as he tried to get a sense of what to look for in the other.

From the corner of his eye, he could see Asta scratch the back of his neck. "It's weird," Asta admitted as they reached the pathway between the student and faculty buildings. Yuno's heart skipped a beat. The other couldn't be… "But," Asta added as he broke Yuno from his thoughts, "It feels familiar in a way."

"This place most likely just reminds you of Hage," Yuno replied quickly, trying to shut down whatever thoughts were running through the other's head. They were halfway through the walkway. Maybe once they passed it, whatever was reminding Asta of the past would stop too. Yet fate was never so kind.

"That's not it," Asta mumbled as Yuno sensed the other stop moving. Yuno turned his head back to see the other gazing out the glass windows in a daze. Before Yuno could turn around, Asta continued, "If anything, it's like I was supposed to be here." No, no, no. Yuno's heart was beginning to pound painfully in his chest. Asta continued though, unable to sense his distress.

"No," He corrected, "Not just here." A spark of mana swirled around his feet. "I was somewhere," He whispered, "Everywhere." Yuno couldn't speak, couldn't breathe. He had to do something. His worst fear was coming to life in front of his eyes, and his body was refusing to listen to him.

"That's right…" Asta gasped lightly as magic poured from his being, "I should have a different form, a different role." The swirls of energy that whirled around him summoned something straight out of Yuno's nightmares at this point and filled the area around them. To others, the scene would likely be found as beautiful with its swimming galaxies and possibilities. Yet Yuno watched with bated breath as the Universal Void pooled around them, just a moment away from snatching Asta back. The terror filling his chest finally kicked in and allowed him to move as Yuno darted back towards Asta. He hugged the other to him, cementing both their forms to this reality – no to the present.

"W-what…?! Yuno?!"

Yuno ignored Asta's shock. His heart was pounding so fast that it was like it wasn't beating at all. "It's all right," Yuno murmured as he tried to tell himself that he had made it in time. Asta was still here. He tightened his grip, trying to catch his breath. "You're exactly what you truly are," He pressed urgently. Asta shoved him off, but Yuno noticed in relief that the Universal Void had disappeared and returned the familiar hallway in its wake. Yet for how long would it stay away?

Placing a hand over his face and hiding his eyes that held what some might consider madness at this point, Yuno tried to keep his breathing even as his chest tightened more. "Asta Kaname," Yuno murmured, not realizing at first that the words were slipping from his mouth, " Do you treasure this world?" The other made a startled noise at his sudden words, but Yuno paid no attention as his mind doubled back to all his labors used in creating this world where the other was, not a concept, but flesh and blood. Were his efforts still in vain after all? Could he not change Asta's fate, even now?

"What kind of questions are those?" Asta countered, more in confusion than annoyed anger. Through the cracks of his fingers, Yuno could see the boy cross his arms across his chest as he attempted to think about Yuno's questions. It would have made him smile once upon a time, seeing the other try to answer him so seriously. No matter the question, he had always enjoyed wondering what response the other would have. Now, his heart thudded in agony over what his reply might be.

"I do treasure it!" Asta declared as Yuno felt something inside him crack upon hearing it. No… Whatever it was inside of him, it had broken long ago. The crack had been the flimsy attempt to repair it. Had it been 'hope' at one point? He couldn't remember.

"I see," Yuno responded quietly as he lowered his hand. For a brief moment, his hand patted his blazer pocket. Oh, he still had Asta's headband, or a copy he made of it anyway. Asta did always look happier with it on, didn't he? Ignoring the slightest tremble in his fingers as he drew it out, he gazed at the black band in his palm for single moment before holding it out to Asta. The other paused slightly at the sudden gift before grabbing it and putting it on with something like confused relief swimming in his eyes. With or without the feeling of fading memories, somethings never do change, it seems, if Asta had accepted it from him without question like that.

If that's the case, then this truly was a pointless endeavor of Yuno's. He was just delaying the end again. Still, he wouldn't give up as he allowed a tired, fragile smile to form on his face. Turning around, Yuno said over his shoulder, "Then I suppose someday, you will become my enemy as well." If Asta was startled or not at his words, he couldn't tell. "But I don't care," He continued, "Because even then…" There was a slight stinging in his eyes that whispered how he was still weak, how he would still end up failing. He took a slight breath before finishing, "I will continue to wish for a world in which you'll be happy." He ignored the lone tear that slipped past his cheek as he left.

Yuno almost missed the sounds of the little ones from the Church, but it was better this way. For him to live here, in this apartment alone. It didn't matter that it was in one of the underdeveloped parts of town. Any security measures he needed, he could create with magic along with any furniture he could be missing. Not to mention, there was no risk of getting interrupted by a surprise knocking or Sister Lily's voice calling him down for dinner. He could finally do things at his own, preferred pace. It was…great. Perfect, no matter what small part of him said otherwise. He could even spend all his time outside of school and the like developing plans to counter any Beasts or silver Magical Knights. Speaking of which…

Activating the screen on the wall, Yuno peered into it to see Kahono dragged Noelle to a karaoke bar. Before the silver haired girl could process what was happening, Kahono had shoved her into a booth. Noelle still hesitated, looking worried, until the other girl shoved a microphone into her hand. Kahono had begun to sing into her own as she twirled around and got into the beat of the song. A couple cheery lyrics had Noelle laughing at the other girl's antics. The worried expression vanished and was replaced with blushing embarrassment that Noelle tried to hide by singing loudly into her mic.

Deciding that there was nothing to worry about just yet, he switched his focus. With a wave of his hand, the scene changed to see Bell in a light-green dress resembling that of an upside-down flower and matching flats standing before a fallen Charmy. Charmy was wearing a pale yellow, long-sleeve shirt accompanied by a black skirt patterned in sweet designs. Finishing off her outfit, she also wore black tights and pale-yellow flats. The fact that the older girl's bag was on the ground beside her in the cake massacre of crumbled boxes and frosting, Yuno assumed Charmy had been carrying at least ten boxes before running into Bell. As she kneeled among the sweet destruction, her attention turned towards the small child. In the elementary-schooler's hands, Bell was holding the last surviving cake box. The girl presented the surviving box happily to the other as Charmy looked up with watery gratitude.

With another wave of his hand, the scene changed to the Church. He saw Asta greet the little ones as they all ran around him in amazement. He could imagine each one clamoring on with questions about who he was, where he was from. Nash stood to the side of the chaos, helping Sister Lily make dinner. Father Ofai was rubbing the back of his head as he apologized to Asta over the ruckus, only to wince at the volume Asta responded with. Still, Asta was grinning and laughing happily as he chatted with the Church family like he had always been there.

Staring too long at the smiling face, Yuno blinked in surprise as the bells of the Church rang out. In the windows of his apartment, the sunset's blood-red light had almost faded away. The wall changed as it transformed into a map of Clover City that was split up into districts. Several red dots had shown up in a couple of those districts as information about the oncoming monsters appeared. Snapping his fingers, the map focused on the closest one. A Beast in the form of a fiery boar could be seen trampling about.

From the corner of the room, he heard fluttering. Smiling almost twistedly to himself, Yuno felt his form change as his new magic took shape. It surrounded him for a moment in a swirling black mist while he transformed. Tightening his gloves on his hands, he peered into the golden cage. Black feathers ruffled with bits of crimson appeared before him, accompanied by red eyes that trembled and held the weight of the despair that had been given to them. Still Nero didn't make a peep as Yuno grabbed him with one hand, though it was no doubt still conscious. Poking the creature on its beak, Yuno smirked as the mark on his cheek glowed.

"Come on, Incubator. There's work to be done."

Author's Note from imjustawriter:
And that concludes the Madoka Magica AU. Unless they make a fourth movie to which I will revisit this universe then. To be honest, I was hoping to post this story sooner, but life and the fact that it turned out bigger than was originally planned kept me busy. The editing alone took about a week, haha.

Thanks for reading and your patience! Feel free to let me what you thought of it. If not, then I still hope you enjoyed it anyway :)

Side Note:
I've started working on my next work called Clover Graves, and I should have the first arc posted in November. If you like my writing style, then please feel free to check it out and give it a read :)

As I re-read the all the lovely comments from everyone, I feel more inspired to work more with this universe. I have a couple ideas for some side-stories as a companion to this fic that I might write during winter break after I hopefully post at least 2 arcs of Clover Graves. If I do end up creating them, they'll probably be their own separate work as I feel this one is complete unless the series comes out with either a fourth movie or while writing the side-stories I think of a third act to conclude it myself. So for now, this fic will remain completed.

Story Fun-facts:
(Just in case you were wondering why I put this person in this role, added something, etc. If you have any questions about my process with this fic, feel free to ask!)

Bell's and Charmy's relationship is pretty rocky in the manga, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it stemmed from the fact Bell was attached to Yuno. In this universe, Bell had attached herself to Charmy, so I imagine she'd be kinder to her though I can see them still having arguments here and there as if they were sisters. Bell's lack of jealousy here mostly comes from the fact she understands she has an important job to undertake. Not to mention, no one is interested in Charmy romantically speaking as of yet.

Asta's a bit smarter and more aware than his manga counterpart due to the fact he quite literally became a part of the universe. That would, I hope, make any character a little more smart if they achieved what is basically godhood. In addition, Asta's smaller role in this part is due to the fact he was searching for a way out of the labyrinth without trying to alert Nero or have the Incubator observe Yuno too closely.

Whether Noelle and Kahono are together as romantic partners or best friends who enjoy riling each other up. I leave up to you. Personally, I can see them as either.

Both Yuno and Homura I feel have a form of post traumatic distress disorder as a result of all the suffering they endured repeating time after time. Perhaps this helped tip them over the edge and cause their actions towards the end of the story. As for Yuno's "Devil" form, I was inspired by mixing Sebastian's butler unifo

Symbolism:

While I didn't end up using the entire list, I thought it would be interesting to post regardless for those who like to read it.

Found using the language of flowers's website:

Bittersweet - Truth

Camellia (Pink) - Longing For You

Camellia (Red) - You're a Flame in My Heart

Carnation (Pink) - I'll Never Forget You

Carnation (Red) - My Heart Aches For You, Admiration

Carnation (Striped) - No, Refusal, Sorry I Can't Be with You, Wish I Could Be with You

Chrysanthemum (White) - Truth

Chrysanthemum (Yellow) - Slighted Love

Daffodil - Regard, Unequalled Love, You're the Only One, The Sun is Always Shining When I'm with You

Fern - Magic, Fascination, Confidence and Shelter

Marigold - Cruelty, Grief, Jealousy

Orange, Mock - Deceit

Petunia - Resentment, Anger, Your Presence Soothes Me

Rose (Tea) - I'll Remember Always

Snapdragon - Deception, Gracious Lady

Zinnia (Yellow) - Daily Remembrance

Nightshade, Enchanter - Witchcraft, Sorcery, Skepticism

Oleander (Rosebay) - Beware

Osmunda - Dreams

Pansy, Purple - You occupy my thoughts

Pear - Affection

Pheasant's Eye (Adonis) - Sorrowful Remembrance

Poplar, White - Time

Poppy, White - Sleep, My Antidote

Primrose - Young Love, Early youth, I can't live without you

Raspberry - Remorse

Rhododendron, Rosebay - Danger, Beware

Rose, Deep Pink - Appreciation, Grattitude, ''Thank You for being in my life''

Syringa - Memory

Willow - Forsaken

Witch Hazel - A spell

Zinnia - Thoughts of absent friends

Found using lzmarieauthor's website:

Apple: A symbol of love, fertility, and youth. Purported to be the forbidden fruit from the Garden of Eden's Tree of Knowledge, it is the quintessence of temptation. In China, this fruit symbolizes peace.

Date: The Arab Tree of Life, it is associated with endurance. In ancient Egypt it symbolizes date is linked to male fertility.

Grape: The fruit of the vine is the favorite of Bacchus ( Roman god) known for fornication, bacchus parties, drunkenness, and all around fun times! It has quite the opposite meaning for Christians, where wine symbolizes the blood of Christ and Jesus's first miracle. Grapes are usually associated with agriculture and the fall harvest.

Lemon: Symbolic of bitterness and disappointment. Christians linked the fruit to fidelity. Because it was imported to some countries–and expensive–it became a symbol of wealth.

Melon: Linked to gluttony, luxury, wealth, and creativity. Their sweet flavor and moisture are associated with sensuality.

Pear: The swollen shape of the fruit is suggestive of sensuality. (Remember that when someone calls you pear-shaped). Ancient Greeks believed Athena was the mother of pear trees. In China, it is symbolic of a long life.

Pomegranate: Slice it open and you have lots of shiny, wet seeds, and –yup that can only mean one thing–the fruit is suggestive of the womb. Ancient Greeks believed the fruit had restorative properties.

Tomato: Dubbed the "love apple" in early European times, this fruit was deemed an aphrodisiac because of its numerous seeds. It was also the perfect Aztec side dish for a cannibalistic meat course.