The Witch Octavia von Seckendorff exploded into a vibrant fireball. Her psychedelic maze slowly collapsed upon itself, leaving only the empty train station where she had been born in its place. Four figures stood in this darkened location, each with their heads hung low in despair.

The eerie silence was suddenly interrupted by a single gunshot, followed by the sound of glass breaking. Madoka and Homura frantically turned to see Kyoko lifelessly collapse to the ground before her body changed back to its street clothes in a small flash of red light; her Soul Gem having been destroyed in the sudden attack. The two shocked Puella Magi then turned toward a hysterical Mami, who quickly outstretched her empty hand toward Homura to bind the girl in a flurry of yellow ribbons. Homura found the prospect of struggling out of her prison to be a futile one as Mami shouted.

"This is the only way! If we're all just going to turn out like Sayaka, we're better off dying now! It's better this way!"

Amidst her frantic trembling, Mami barely noticed the sound of a bow and arrow twanging from her side. Had she been a less experienced Puella Magi, she likely would have fallen victim to Madoka's attack, but her veteran ability allowed her to dodge the glowing pink projectile with a quick turn of the head. She then repositioned herself so she faced Madoka, who soon found herself in the same style of bindings as Homura. Mami tried to aim her sights toward her next mercy killing, but found her suddenly shaking arms were unable to focus on their mark. Ironically, Mami had been able to put Kyoko, someone she had hardly known, out of her misery seconds earlier, but now she couldn't bring herself to send the girl who she had grown to care for as if she were a younger sister to a peaceful end.

Mami only sputtered as she tried to subdue her rattling arms.

"This... This is all my fault! If I had listened to Homura, this never would have happened to Sayaka, and you wouldn't even be a Puella Magi! I have to be the one who ends this!"

Madoka had initially thought Mami was acting out of pure madness, but she could now understand the hidden sincerity of the older girl's brutal actions. The frightful expression that had remained on her face since Mami's outburst began gradually changed to a forced but friendly smile.

"Calm down, Mami. You couldn't have known she was telling the truth. You made the same mistake the rest of us did."

The blonde-haired gunner let out a shivering sigh as she contemplated Madoka's gentle words. Her silver rifle slowly lowered to her side before she turned her attention back to Homura.

"You can prevent this, right? That's your power, isn't it?"

Mami lowered her head in regret.

"You've been going back and trying to stop this from ever happening. That's what you've been trying to tell us."

Mami's pigtailed captive nodded shyly. The older Puella Magi then continued with a stable confidence growing in her voice.

"How far back can you go?"

Homura paused before replying, realizing the significance her response would have to Mami.

"March 16th."

Mami's eyes grew wide before she blurted her response.

"What?"

Homura looked downward in regret.

"March 16th of this year. The day you convinced Madoka to form a contract with Kyubey in my time. I can't go back any further."

Mami's confidence faded. There was no way she could be saved, having formed her own contract years before Madoka. However, when her eyes briefly glanced toward Kyoko's corpse, she began doubting she deserved to saved anyway. She slowly shook her head before she continued to question Homura.

"Why haven't you already left? If we can't get out of our contracts once we've made them, it's pretty obvious there's no hope for us this time."

Homura replied in a weak voice.

"I don't have any control over it. I'm automatically sent back each time I fail."

Mami blinked.

"Fail at what?"

Homura turned her head toward her pink-haired comrade.

"Protecting Madoka. That was my wish."

Mami's eyes closed in thought.

"I see..."

She then lifted her rifle so it pointed at Madoka again, now with a more determined aim.

"So, what you're saying is, if I pull the trigger right now, you'll get your next chance right away, right?"

Homura's demeanor abruptly turned to one of concern and desperation.

"Don't do it! There's still hope in this timeline!"

Mami answered coldly, never taking her sights off Madoka.

"What hope? You just said there's no way to prevent Madoka from becoming a Witch now."

Homura's dedication never faltered when she responded.

"We can still win! In the other timelines, the three of us were always the only Puella Magi during Walpurgis Night. Now that I'm more used to my powers, I'm sure all three of us can survive if we help each other!"

Mami wanted to roll her eyes at this display of misguided optimism, but struggled to keep her noble appearance.

"And then what? We'd be alive, but our Soul Gems will probably be polluted beyond repair. You're still not telling me how that prevents any of us from becoming Witches ourselves."

Homura peered to the side in thought before responding in a less forceful tone.

"Does... does it really matter? I'll be happy just knowing Madoka's alive at this point, no matter what form we're in. You won't even have to worry about being alone if we all become Witches at the same time, Mami."

Mami's eyes flared with another violent impulse. In a single swift action, she changed her aim from Madoka to Homura.

"Defeating Walpurgis Night just to create a bigger problem and let Kyubey have his way? What kind of happy ending is THAT?"

Homura responded only with an expression of fear. Mami's question was answered by Madoka's sad, tiny voice intervening.

"Mami, please..."

As Madoka's plea brought Mami back to relative coolness, the pink-clad Puella Magi turned toward Homura.

"I must have been really important to you in your time, huh?"

Homura's fright quickly turned to despair. Had she not been bound by Mami's trap, she would have removed her glasses to wipe away her sobs.

"I was just some clumsy classmate you barely knew, and you gave your life to protect me."

Madoka suddenly giggled softly as she tried to encourage her grieving friend.

"Don't say that, Homura. You'll never be strong enough if you think about yourself that way."

Homura swallowed her sorrow and gave a stern nod. Madoka continued to speak as cheerfully as she could.

"I understand you just want me to be happy, but I don't want to be a Witch. I'd feel terrible if I ended up destroying everything I tried to protect."

She now turned to her silent mentor.

"I think Mami has a good idea. If you go back now, you won't have to see the rest of the suffering this timeline is doomed to."

Homura's voice raised to a pleading tone toward Madoka's commitment.

"Madoka, I... I can't just give up!"

Madoka simply returned Homura's cries with a soft smile.

"Then don't, Homura. You can try again as many times as you need to, right? I'm sure you'll find a better way to end this sooner or later."

Mami finally spoke again, have regained most of her usual calmness.

"She's right, Homura. The only way to protect Madoka is if..."

Madoka looked downward as she finished Mami's sentence, having reached the same conclusion as her mentor at that moment.

"...I never become a Puella Magi."

Homura's resolution buckled as she shared the same epiphany as her two teammates. She now spoke in a low, sad voice, knowing what fate she was reserving Madoka's current form to.

"Okay, Madoka. That's what I'll do. I promise."

Mami lifted her ornate rifle for the third time, her aim as steady as ever. As she prepared herself for what she was about to do, she was left with only one question for Homura.

"Hey, Homura..."

Homura glanced compassionately toward her troubled comrade as Mami continued.

"As long as you're able to protect Madoka, and you can forgive me, just... just don't let me find out about this, okay?"

Homura eyes widened slightly as she stared at Mami through her spectacles.

"Mami?"

The skilled Puella Magi continued speaking in a desperate voice.

"I don't care if you avoid telling me, or you let one of the Witches get me. Do whatever it takes to save Madoka first, but, if you can, just make sure I stay a fool and never find out what I really am."

Homura acknowledged her request with a slow nod.

"I'll do my best."

Mami's lips briefly curled into a small, relieved smile at the dark-haired girl's reassurance. Her short happiness quickly faded, however, when she turned back toward Madoka and was reminded of the task at hand. Her younger teammate was now silently standing in place in her fabric bindings, doing her best to bravely await her death. Madoka struggled to form a caring smile of her own to hide her fear.

"Go ahead, Mami. I know you won't miss."

Mami lifted her rifle back into firing position. She carefully aimed at the poor girl's vital point before speaking in the most soothing tone her current mindset would allow her.

"I'm sorry, Madoka. I'll make sure this doesn't hurt."

Closing her eyes, Mami gently squeezed the trigger of her rifle. The last thing Homura heard was the twinkling echo of Madoka's Soul Gem shattering before she abruptly awoke in her hospital bed.