A/N: My first Puella Magi Madoka Magica fanfic! I've always wanted to write a Mami/Homura fanfic. They are my OTP after all lol. Anyway this fic is dedicated to Mimon— -cough- I mean Kuroi Onee-san. Happy birthday my dear fangirling friend! I hope you like this little piece of mine lol. This story revolves around Homura and Mami from the first timeline onwards, you might think of it as snippets of every timelines put together.

Warnings: Hints of shoujo-ai. Characters might be OOC. And since this is un-beta-ed, sorry for the grammar mistakes. If you don't mind, please do tell me which are the grammar mistakes! I'll correct them later.

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

x x x

( —Tomoe Mami is— )

Tomoe Mami was a cool person. That's what Akemi Homura has always thought. Tomoe Mami was a professional Puella Magi, a neat girl, and someone who would be admired by everyone. She had this aura which would take you in her charm, an aura which would make you feel like she wasable to do everything. And this aura shined the most when she was fighting the Witches; how she danced with her muskets and put an end to the ghastly creatures' lives. Even Kaname Madoka looked at her with respect. All the time, Homura was only watching. Tomoe Mami was out of her—no, everyone's league. The braided girl felt this distance between her and Tomoe Mami which separated her feeble self and Tomoe Mami's magnificent figure—

—Because she was useless.

But when the Walpurgis Night came, when she saw Tomoe Mami's lifeless corpse, and even more after Madoka's death, Homura knew that it was the time for her to change. To save Madoka.

Thus, she became a Puella Magi and repeated time.

( —a sophisticated Puella Magi—)

"—I'm really sorry for making you go through this trouble, Tomoe-san…" Akemi Homura said weakly as she tried to focus her hazy vision before realizing that it was useless. The braided girl was lying on the very bed of Tomoe Mami. She was enjoying sweet tea and cakes with Kaname Madoka in the blond's residence moments ago before she started to cough and the two girls soon realized how red her face was. After placing her palm on the raven-head's forehead, Madoka claimed that the girl has gotten a terrible fever. The pinkette decided to go get some medicine; leaving Homura under Mami's care.

Tomoe Mami has positioned herself on a seat beside the bed. "It's fine, Akemi-san." She smiled generously in attempt to reassure the worried girl. "You shouldn't dwell on such tiny matters and concentrate on healing yourself for the moment. I'm sure Kaname-san wouldn't be happy to see you in a condition like this."

Homura inhaled and coughed painfully as she hastily pulled the blanket to cover herself more than it already did. "But I always make things worse for you and Kaname-san. Even in the battlefield against Witches. I battled poorly, in the end the two of you always have to help me out. I'm just a burden…" Yes, a burden. Homura has always thought of herself as a useless snag. She had hoped that someday she would be able to provide some use to anyone, but as days passed on, all of her hope left her gradually. Because she still couldn't do anything.

Even now, after being a Puella Magi…

"That isn't true, Akemi-san. Ever since you were introduced to us, you have been encouraging us and that was enough to make Kaname-san and I felt stronger. Besides, the more the merrier, right?" Upon hearing Mami's words, Homura blushed. "… And I don't think you should sleep with your glasses on, you know?"

This made the bespectacled girl blush even more. "S-Sorry."

A pleasant giggle escaped from Mami's lips. "I'll take it off for you, okay?"

"W-Wait!" Before Homura could even protest, Mami has already reached out and took a hold of her red glasses.

The blond eyed the girl before her with a somewhat astonished stare. "Hmm… You look quite different without your glasses on, Akemi-san."

"D… Do I look weird…?"

Another chuckle made its way through the blond. "No, you aren't at all! You look pretty." Third time Akemi Homura blushed, third time Tomoe Mami chuckled and found herself getting used to this cute behavior of the younger girl. "Oh, I almost forgot. Here, I have made you a soup. I'll be glad if you're willing to eat this." She proceeded to take a red bowl from a nearby table and handed it out to Homura.

"T-Thank you." Homura straightened her position and took the bowl hesitantly. She tasted the soup and jumped a little. "I-It's very good…!"

"Why thanks for the compliment."

Homura began to feel more and more comfortable with each bite. All the time, Mami was staring at her gently. She realized this and couldn't help but smile back. "Y-You know, Tomoe-san? You're… a very motherly person, you know…" She failed to notice the little surprise on Mami's face and kept continuing. "I… I haven't seen my mother for a while… and I almost forget how it's like to have someone taking care of you… but your presence… I-it's like a mother to me."

Silence engulfed the two of them, but it didn't last long when Homura let out a gasp upon noticing the tears which have formed on Mami's honey orbs. "T-T-Tomoe-san! W-What's wrong?"

"I-I'm sorry, it's just…" Mami tried to show a smile, wiping the small tears. "… Somehow, I remembered my own mother and… I just couldn't help myself. Haha, I make such a bad senpai… Anyway… I'm happy to hear that, Akemi-san. Thank you."

Seeing Mami like this, Homura felt kinda bad, still she didn't expect Mami to be this delicate. She thought Mami was suave, an unreachable person who would never let her guard down and stay strong in every situation—

—But as Homura's image of the veteran Puella Magi changed slightly, she felt a little closer to her.

( — a kind senior— )

Homura was very angered when she knew that Kyuubey had tricked them. That's why she decided that she wasn't going to fail (again) in this third 'timeline'. To make this goal of her come true, she had no choice but to comply to Sayaka Miki's who told her to change her weapon. Though she still used it a little, Homura grew out of her explosives and chose firearms like guns as her main weapon. She couldn't really say that she has become used to it though. Even in this practice, she couldn't even shoot the decoy target properly.

"Already getting used with your new weapon, Akemi-san?"

Mami appeared in the training field, surprising the heck out of Homura. "Ah, w-well…" Homura sighed; the situation would obviously say the words. Every decoy target was shoot on wrong positions.

The older girl approached Homura with a smile. "Don't worry, no one could overcome it that fast. Would you mind lending me one of your guns for a moment?" Homura nodded and gave Mami a gun. "Ah… I see that your gun is kind of heavy, Akemi-san. This should be the reason of your problems. But you should be able to handle this with more practices. I also think that you're being a little too nervous. You should relax more when you aim."

Even more practices? When is Homura going to be a dependable Puella Magi who could help Madoka and her friends? Albeit feeling terrible, Homura muttered a small thanks.

"But still, I'm surprised you chose guns, Akemi-san." A contented tone in Mami's sentence couldn't be hidden. "I'm glad that I get the chance to teach you."

Well, the reason was nothing to be proud of, really. "Uh, it's just… I don't want to get close to those Witches…"

"I see. That's understandable. This is just my preference, but having guns gives you many advantages. You could attack without your enemy knowing, you could assault from every place as long as you're skilled, even from their backs. But let's get to the practice, shall we?" Mami summoned her muskets and told Homura to mimic her. "As what I have told you before, relax. Pull the trigger, and aim on the head—"

Their practices went on and on as Homura's hope grew increasingly. With this growing power of her, she'd surely be able to succeed this time—

—But fate said otherwise. Why has it come to this? That string of thought extended inside Homura's tangled mind, entwining with all of the other thoughts inside her and ended up breaking herself in the process. Sayaka became a witch, Kyouko was killed, golden ribbons wrapped around her, Mami's gun aimed at her—Mami was now trying to kill her, and to make it worse, her struggles to escape the bind were futile.

"If the Soul Gem turns us into Witches, our only choice is to die!" That cry ruptured through Homura's ears—it was a loud, very loud scream. Never before Homura has thought that Tomoe Mami (a figure whom she admired, whom she looked up to) could sound this desperate—and it was upsetting her. She didn't want to end in a way like this; she didn't want to see her like this—

"You too… And me too!"

"STO—"

A sound piercing the air, a bang, and the next moment she opened her eyes, the lights inside the golden orbs were lost.

The last thing that Homura wanted to hear—Madoka was crying.

Once again, she has failed.

( — a mentor— )

No matter how many times she repeated, Homura would keep doing it. If the future has to obliterate Madoka, she won't accept it. She would change it. Madoka was her friend. Her world. She refused to let out any emotions anymore since they would be a hindrance for her.

She wouldn't rely on anyone.

Even Tomoe Mami.

In fact, wasn't all of this partially her fault? She influenced Madoka to be a Puella Magi. She befriended Kyuubey, the one responsible for all this misery. Yes. If only she never met Madoka.

With that thought in mind, Homura began to try killing Kyuubey. She never succeeded because Mami always interrupted her (and that was the first time Mami glared at her as an enemy). The hatred between the girls grew until one day they got caught in a battle. At first Mami had the advantage but Homura gradually overturned their situations and soon, she found herself pointing her black gun at the crushed golden Puella Magi.

Mami was glaring daggers at her, her breath hitched.

"This is the end, Tomoe Mami."

All she has to do is pull the trigger—

( "—and aim on the head—" )

—Homura halted.

( — an enemy— )

Everything began to make her weary. Madoka had fallen for the fourth time and she had repeated time once again. Now Akemi Homura is entangled by Tomoe Mami's ribbons inside the Witch Charlotte's maze. She had warned the girl before, but she just wouldn't listen. Homura didn't know exactly when had she and Mami become enemies, though it didn't really matters now. Mami is going to be killed again, and as much as she hated to admit it, she was never happy to see it.

Homura realized that Mami was nothing like she imagined. She wasn't cool or strong. She has a weak heart, her mind was very easy to crumble, and she was fragile.

Mami was suffering. She was alone in her world. Homura knew this from observing her all this time. How could Homura put an end to her suffering? It was unlikely. Even she couldn't end her own (and Madoka's) suffering, why should she even bother?

But still, she didn't want to see Mami like this.

(and she realized, Mami didn't want to see her become a Witch, too.)

If there was a way, that would be killing her. Yes, killing Tomoe Mami before she even gets the chance to taste the bitter sensation of sadness.

But why couldn't she kill Tomoe Mami?

As the realization hit her, the ribbon escaped from her grasp, turned black, and vanished into the thin air.

( —someone whom she had given up to protect— )

Her purple orbs opened leisurely. Homura's vision was still hazy but when she reached her hand to her head, she felt something. It was Madoka's red ribbon. Everything went back to her.

Everything was over. She didn't know whether it was the best end, but Homura tried to accept it. If there's one thing, she would never be able to accept the fact that she wasn't able to see Madoka and that everyone couldn't remember any single thing regarding her. Well, she has to live her life now. She now proudly wore Madoka's red ribbon. Her attitude changed slightly too, she was gentler and smiled more often. Perhaps because she knew Madoka wasn't suffering anymore, she was quietly watching her from afar, wearing that lively smile of hers.

Trying to regain her awareness, Homura observed her surroundings. It seemed like she had fallen asleep on the desk inside Tomoe Mami's apartment… what was she doing here?

"You're finally awake, Akemi-san."

That voice—once again, that voice has paid a visit to her eardrums. She turned to see Tomoe Mami sitting in front of her.

"Tomoe-san… what—what was I doing?" She asked, although feeling a little stupid.

Mami shrugged. "Don't you remember? We and Sakura-san were having a gathering to discuss our strategy to optimize our effort in fighting the Mystical Beasts. Sakura-san left earlier because she said that she was going to the Train Station. While I was washing the leftover plates and cups, you seem to have fallen asleep."

Now that Miki Sayaka was dead, Homura could understand why Kyouko liked to stay at that Train Station. "Ah… I see."

There was something different. Tomoe Mami didn't gaze at her warmly like before; the ever-graceful-smile of hers was not present anymore. Well, it couldn't be helped, right? The time was reset. They were back to the square one. Now they were just companions in the battlefield, nothing more. What were they, anyway? Mami was her senior, her mentor. She was the one who had taught her to fight. Homura had always walked behind her trails. But she didn't know exactly when she had started to walk in a faster pace, eventually catching up with her. She walked faster, faster, and when she looked back, Mami had become someone else. Or maybe she was the one who changed. They no longer talk with smiles, but smirks. They were foes.

So, what were they now?

"That reminds me, Akemi-san," Mami's soft voice interrupted her train of thoughts. "Though Sakura-san has left, why don't we continue our talk about battle strategy for a little while? It wasn't like our plan wasn't a satisfactory, but I do think it would be safer if we review it, as a final check."

Being wary wasn't a bad thing; in fact, it was good. "Very well." Homura took the city map and her glasses case from her schoolbag. She used to take off her glasses all the time, but now she didn't see the reason to go over the same action. She didn't wear it anymore to show that she was different; she wasn't the useless Akemi Homura. Now she didn't have anything to hide, she was Akemi Homura, the real her. She just used it while reading though. "So, we start from this point here…"

There was no way Homura didn't realize the older girl's deep gaze at her rather than the map, and she felt a little uncomfortable with it. "Umm… Tomoe-san? Why are you staring at me so… intently?"

"Ah, I am sorry. It's just…" Mami paused. "… You look quite different with your glasses on, Akemi-san. And I can't figure out why, but you look kind of… familiar."

That sentence silenced Homura. The image of Mami's cocky expression upon saying that she wouldn't kill her, her cold glare, her loud cries, her excited expression while giving out battle tips, and her gentle smile flashed back through Homura's mind—suddenly everything felt so silly. Both of them might have changed, but in the end, Homura could never fully hate the other girl. She had tried to, but she just couldn't. That might be the reason why she hesitated; why she couldn't kill the golden Puella Magi. Perhaps things would be much easier if she did hate her? The thought made her chuckle mentally.

She casted her gaze downwards and then whispered quietly, "Thank you for everything, Tomoe-san."

"Hmm? What was that?"

"Nothing."

Homura was given a chance to start over. It would take a little while for her to shove the image as enemy which the blond used to have and fully accept her, but she will. And she was sure that Madoka would've liked it, too.

So Homura looked up, stared at what was behind the honey orbs in front of her, and offered something which she thought she had forgotten—a warm smile.

"Tomoe-san, what do you think of us as friends?"

( —and hopefully, a friend.)

x x x

A/N: Boy that turned out longer than I planned lol. Ah well… thanks for reading! And I would be happy if you give me some feedbacks :)

OMAKE!

Mami: Kaname-san has gotten happier since you were introduced to us, Akemi-san. She walked in a more joyful pace, she did better in her exams, she sang better while taking a bath, her dreamy smile while sleeping was wider than usual, and all.

Homura: … H-How did you know all of that, Tomoe-san?

Mami: Oh, I was stalking her.

And that's where Homura got her stalking ability.

-shot-