Disclaimer: I own nothing in regards to Mirai Nikki, Puella Magi Madoka Magic, or Umineko no Naku Koro ni.

Chapter 18: Checkmate

Homura felt an involuntary shudder course through her. "A witch?"

Bernkastel grinned. Something about it reminded Homura of a cat smiling at a mouse. "Indeed, though not like the worthless witches you are familiar with. Wallowing in their sorrow, content to stay in their own spheres, losing all sense of self." She flung her hair back with her hand. "Pathetic creatures who deserved their fate."

Homura clenched her teeth. "Why are you even here? You have no right to be here!"

Bernkastel looked at her for a second before holding the back of her hand up to her mouth and laughing scornfully. "No right? Weren't you listening? I was invited here."

"What?"

The witch assumed a sitting position and patted her lap. Kyubei glided over and lay down on it allowing Bernkastel to start stroking its head and back. "Why, all I did was make an offer. An offer to...help."

"Help? Help?! You caused all this misery!"

Bernkastel tutted and shook her head with her eyes closed. "I see exactly what you mean Kyubei."

Kyubei nodded. "It is an unfortunate trait of hers."

"You shut up! What did you do to Madoka?"

Bernkastel opened one eye to look at her. "Why, whatever do you mean?"

"This!" Homura swung her arm around to indicate their surroundings. "This...haze! This blackness! You've been poisoning her!"

Bernkastel put her finger to her chin and made an expression of mock puzzlement. "Do you always make unfounded accusations?"

Kyubei swished its tail. "She does."

Homura lunged at Kyubei only for Bernkastel to glide a short distance back with it. "Shut up you rat!" Homura screamed.

Bernkastel petted Kyubei. "My, my! Poor Kyubei, having to deal with this droll girl. It must be so hard for you, and she is so ugly."

Homura lunged again, but Bernkastel moved out of reach while giggling. "So easily provoked! How droll indeed."

"Answer my question you disgusting hag! What did you do to Madoka?"

A shadow descended on Bernkastel's face and all mirth vanished. "And why should I answer you? Making presumptuous claims to godhood, disrespecting guests, giving no respect to your betters. You are but a worthless piece. A broken doll like you deserves no answer. Just die in your ignorance and leave this board."

Homura sharply inhaled. Fear trickled down into her stomach. No! I...I need answers. I need to know! Madoka was nowhere to be found. She should have been here, but Homura couldn't sense her at all. All that matters is Madoka. She forced herself to bow. "I-I'm..."

Bernkastel raised an eyebrow. Homura struggled, forcing her pride down. "I...offer my apologies."

"Why do you see that Kyubei? She can learn. But I'm not sure it is enough."

Homura raised her head. "What?"

A smirk slowly formed on Bernkastel's face. She pointed downwards. "Kiss my foot and say you are sorry."

"What?!"

"Do that, and I may tell you about Madoka."

Homura's body jolted. Kiss her foot? A witch's foot?! Making me beg like a...a slave! Her stomach roiled. She already felt disgusted saying sorry to this person obviously toying with her, dangling what she wanted in front of her like a treat to a dog. She wished with all her might she had her power and could drain the answers and smugness from this witch's body, but thinking of her lost status pierced huge spikes of pain through her heart. She used the pain to force herself down into a subservient kneel at Bernkastel's feet. She stayed like that for a moment, staring at the foot. Madoka, Madoka, Madoka, Madoka. Slowly, she brought her lips down and placed them on Bernkastel's shoe for an instant. Rank loathing filled her like warm poison.

"Say it."

Homura trembled. Madoka. "I am sorry."

She could hear Bernkastel chuckle again. "Yes. Good. Very good. Seems like this broken doll can still obey commands."

Homura tried to keep her mind completely blank so that she wouldn't leap at the witch. She heard Kyubei say, "Will you tell her now of the arrangement?"

"Oh Kyubei, no hard feelings toward her? She did just risk destroying the galaxy after all." There was a pause. "Right, I suppose you don't have what we would call emotions, but still, should I tell her?"

Homura began shaking. She fought to keep it in control. Madoka. Madoka. Madoka.

"Well, she was quite rude to me, her better, but she did show subservience. I suppose I can humor her."

Homura's heart leapt within her. Please!

Bernkastel chuckled. "Well, to answer your question, impertinent though it was, this blackness wasn't made by me. It is a fundamental component of this dimension. Or to put it so that your small mind can understand, Madoka is the cause of it."

Homura bolted up. "LIES!"

Bernkastel glared at her. "Did I permit you to speak? I suppose I should stop talking."

"No!" Homura knelt down again and gritted her teeth. "Please forgive me."

"Hmmm. Another outburst and I'll leave you to wallow in despair for eternity." Homura clenched her fists but remained still. "Right, where was I? Yes, the blackness. Well, unlike your dim-witted self, Kyubei here saw the signs and knew calamity was coming."

Homura peeked up to see Bernkastel petting Kyubei. Kyubei seemed to be enjoying it, but Homura knew it was just pretending to be like a cat. Bernkastel continued, "Likewise, another reality had someone sense a calamity arriving who also took measures to prevent it but unfortunately made another one in the process. Two realities, two calamities. So I, being the merciful figure that I am, decided to help."

Homura doubted the witch had ever truly helped someone in her life, but she kept quiet as Bernkastel continued talking. "Seeing an opportunity, I contacted Kyubei. I told it I would make the arrangements and give it a chance to remedy the problem. My payment was simply to watch.

Homura couldn't keep quiet any longer. "Kyubei, is that true?"

Kyubei cocked its head at her. "More or less. Calculations showed entropic disaster occurring in the future with spatial destruction before that. We couldn't figure out what, only that it had something to do with what you said about a wish changing reality. We were considering creating an illusory reality as an experimental fix, but Lady Bernkastel visited beforehand to warn us that our plans would end in failure and proposed a more adequate solution."

Homura was trying to absorb this information. "But why the blackness?"

Bernkastel sighed. "Slow as ever. Did you really think Madoka's wish would solve the problem of despair that easily?"

Homura stiffened in surprise. How does she know about that? She saw Bernkastel smirk and wished she had hid her surprise better. "Her wish...I mean, I thought she would cleanse it away before witches could be formed."

Bernkastel stayed smirking. "And?"

Homura frowned. "And what?"

"You mean that's all? No further thoughts?" Bernkastel closed her eyes and shook her head. "Disappointing."

"What do you mean?"

Bernkastel opened an eye to look at Kyubei. "Kyubei. Can matter or energy be destroyed completely?"

"Of course not. That is a fundamental law of thermodynamics."

"Indeed. And despair is bound by that?"

Kyubei's ears twitched. "Yes, but there are certain entropic dissimilarities which-"

"That's fine. So Homura. Where does it go?"

"Where does what go?"

Bernkastel's smirk grew larger. "The despair. Where does it go?"

Homura thought for a moment. "Well it...it must be altered-"

"Immediately?"

"Well...yes. Perhaps it-"

"Or would it be possible to be stored somewhere?"

Homura frowned. An itch of unease was developing at the back of her neck. "It's possible." She calmed herself. Don't let her get to you. An idea. "Madoka! Madoka holds it within her and then changes it into something else. Entropy reduction."

Bernkastel's smirk turned into a grin. "Kyubei, does entropy reduction work that way?"

Kyubei flicked its tail. "Not quite. A cycle must be made. It is often called the Law of Cycles by humans. Something must generate despair if despair is being used."

"And the one using the despair must...?"

"Generate it."

Homura paused for a moment as what they said sunk in. "No that...can't be right...that..."

Bernkastel's smile widened. "Ah Homura, so content to not focus on things that should have been questioned, especially if they could ruin your fantasies. You alone knew the change from the...witch system." Her inflection made clear her disdain for the the creatures called witches. "Yet you never questioned the origin of wraiths, not even when demons appeared and it became a more pressing matter. How shortsighted of you. No wish can create utopia, no matter how hard you wish for it."

"No." Homura shook her head. "No that...no it...it doesn't matter. It's still a better system."

"Even with the destruction they cause? How many have died from wraiths and demons? Are those lives sacrificed worth saving magical girls who freely accepted wishes?"

"The wraiths...they could've been kept in control. Despair was manageable-"

"And not increasing? Kyubei dear?" Kyubei's ears wiggled. "Are despair and entropy manageable in this system?"

Kyubei shook its head. "Not in the long run, no. That is why the demons must have appeared. Despair and entropic feedback were increasing towards a critical mass. The demons were a stopgap intended to ease the flow. This was according to our calculations though we had expected it to appear much later."

"1,368 years later, but the board needed to be set up so I helped push it along just a bit." Bernkastel smiled cutely. "Made things much more interesting."

"So it was your fault! You admitted it!" Homura screamed at her as she rose up from kneeling.

Bernkastel sighed. "Do you even listen? It was going to happen eventually. This was part of the set up necessary for the competition."

Homura blinked in surprise. "Competition? Wha-?"

A pulse swept past them. It ran over Homura like electricity. Madoka! She was here. Relief and happiness so strong that she couldn't breathe swept through her. She had to clench her stomach with her arms. She made to move to where it had emanated when she stopped. Another pulse swept past, this one of icy stillness. Yuno.

"Hmph." Bernkastel swept her hair back. "Seems they've started." She turned to where the pulses had originated.

Homura felt enormous amounts of energy building up and pushing against each other. Every hair on her body was standing on end. She saw their surroundings gradually separating into two shades of pink. Both shades began consolidating, revealing infinite space past them with the Milky Way making an enormous backdrop.

Pressure pressed against Homura's feet and she realized she was now standing on some kind of ground. She recognized where she was. This is the same place as the last battle.

"Yes." She turned to see Bernkastel, still floating in the air, looking at her with a smile. "Yes, you've been here before. The making of the universe shall be decided again in battle here."

"You mean...Yuno?"

"Yes, the great competition to be decided in final battle! Who will rule the new universe and on what concept will it be founded? 'Hope'? Or 'Love'?"

"What competition? This is simply Yuno trying to steal what is rightfully Madoka's!

"What nonsense are you spewing? Madoka agreed to this."

Homura felt like she'd been struck in the face. "What? She would never-"

"She did. Isn't that right Kyubei?"

Kyubei nodded. "Indeed it is."

"Why? Why would she ever agree?"

Kyubei swished its tail. "In creating the new system, she also allowed all wishes to be granted if possible. Yuno's wish was granted as much as possible, but the remaining portion could only be granted should Yuno replace Madoka. Madoka would have had to foresee this possibility occurring at some point as she created this reality, so she thus offered her agreement to the arrangement."

Homura ground her teeth. "What a perverse twisting of her intentions!"

Bernkastel laughed. "You're one to talk!"

Homura shook her head. "It doesn't matter. Madoka would never lose to Yuno."

"Never?"

She glared at Bernkastel. "Never!"

Another pulse passed over them. Homura felt like every cell in her body was being energized. She saw the pink shades begin consolidating into massive figures and her heart rate intensified. Madoka!

Bernkastel was talking. Homura tried to ignore her but what she said pierced through. "I am not the Witch of Certainty so I can't say for sure who will win, but as the Witch of Miracles, I declare that there will be no miracles in this end battle."

She's just trying to provoke me. Madoka is invincible because hope is invincible.

All thoughts of Bernkastel vanished as the pink haze began clearing away.

Streams of luxurious, ethereal light pink hair swirled about the revealed goddess with two white ribbons shaping the hair into two tufts at the top of the head. The flowing dress that cradled the goddess's body seemed too perfectly white to be real with a delicate pink appearing at the end of the gown. A sparkling tapestry of stars could be seen underneath the floating gown as if showing a view of space itself. A small diamond-shaped hole in the front of the dress revealed flawless skin. Elegant white gloves covered perfectly formed, though delicate looking, hands. Pink, knee-high stockings matched by white, winged shoes enwrapped celestial legs and feet. A deep pink gem sat above the opening in the dress and served as a brilliant centerpiece. A white choker surrounded a slender neck. A pair of enormous, angelic white and pink wings sprung from shoulder blades.

Her face was one of childish beauty and loving kindness. Yet, a sternness was there as well, and something else. A powerful, almost overwhelming divinity that set itself in every line and pore. The eyes opened to reveal amber irises glowing with undreamed energy and vigor.

Homura's breath caught and huge swellings of emotion sprung from her stomach, so much so that she had to kneel. Seeing the being of her worship suffused a fervor, even a zealotry, throughout her mind and soul. She wished for nothing more than to be in her presence forever.

A foreign presence invaded her senses. She tried to ignore it, but the presence would not allow it and forced her mortal mind to acknowledge the new power. Almost as if controlled, Homura turned her head to gaze upon the power's master, Yuno.

Roiling, erratic power seemed to have been given form. Space itself was in flux about the invader. In stark contrast to Madoka's white, she stood in obsidian black. The tattoos lining her limbs and marking the space beneath her eyes glowed an intense fusion of pink and black. Her eyes were voids of pink energy, crackling with infinite abysses of power. She wore an expression of unyielding, insane rage. The killing intent rolling off her was palpable, clinging to Homura's skin, slithering down her throat.

Homura shuddered at the sight, but at the same time felt a strange emotion inside her. It took a moment for her to identify it. Kinship? Devotion?! No that...that's impossible! Why would I feel this way? I love Madoka and only Madoka!

Madoka raised her hands and turned her body into a firing stance and her bow appeared in her hands. It was as long as her body and appeared to be made of an immaculate wooden branch inset with shining pink gems. Feathery pink flames burst forth out of both ends. A reflective yet impossibly thin string held a massive, shining pink arrow in place aimed directly at Yuno.

"Exquisitely stated," Bernakstel said.

"What?" Homura looked at her. "What do you mean?"

Bernkastel held a finger up to her mouth in a shushing gesture and focused on Yuno.

Yuno held one arm straight out in front of her. A small, thin blade appeared in her hand. It was so sharp as to be two dimensional. It could not really be said to have a color since all color seemed to disappear as soon as it touched the blade. The point was directed at Madoka.

"Oh my!" Bernkastel put a hand over her mouth. "So beautiful, even perfect, in it's simplicity and keenness."

Fear flooded through Homura. "Wha-?"

A cacophony of noise ended her question. Madoka shot her arrow right as Yuno lunged toward her. The arrow transformed into a comet sized blast of energy that Yuno met head on with the point of her comparably insignificant blade.

The comet pulsed with unbearable power and made the cosmos shudder, yet as Homura watched it, she realized it wasn't moving forward. Yuno was holding the comet in place with her blade.

"Impossible! Madoka can't be defeated!"

Bernkastel leaned forward with her hand on her chin, watching intently. "We shall see. Madoka's will is more impressive than I thought, but Yuno..."

Madoka, do something crafty! Shoot her in the back while she's in place! Anything! "Yuno's defenseless Madoka! Kill her!"

"Defenseless?" Bernkastel asked as she watched Yuno struggle against the comet. "Both are giving their all right now."

"No, Madoka's too noble for her own good. She should attack now that Yuno is unmoving."

Bernkastel froze for a moment and then laughed so loudly that she doubled over causing Kyubei to jump off her lap. "You, you really don't get it do you?" She said as she regained her composure.

A blast of energy and a pulse of force swept past them, forcing them both to shield themselves. Homura looked to see black fissures spreading over the pink comet. "NO! Madoka! Keep fighting! You can't lose! I know you can't!"

Bernkastel whispered in her ear. "She can't hear you, you know? Don't bother yelling."

Homura ignored her and yelled as loud as she could. "MADOKA! STOP HER! I KNOW YOU CAN!" Tears flooded her eyes and she raised her hands in a longing gesture to Madoka. " MADOKA! I LOVE YOU!"

The comet exploded as Yuno smashed through it. Yuno closed the distance almost instantly right as a thin streak of pink shot at her.

Homura's heart swelled as she saw a pink arrow of energy, shining and terrible, protruding from Yuno's head. "YES!" Then she noticed a small discoloration, golden, on Madoka's pure white dress. It was a small blemish, so small, yet it slowly grew and crept along, altering not just clothing but skin as it spread. As Homura watched, she saw it begin creeping down to the front edge of the dress and inexorably arrive. A seeming eternity. It coalesced. A pure drop fell into the abyss.

Yuno pulled the blade out of Madoka and moved back, showing the blackened, fatal wound that had been inflicted and was now surrounded by dripping ichor. Turning her head, she revealed the arrow caught between her teeth before she tightened her bite and snapped it in two. A feverish gleam of insanity shone from Yuno's eyes as she reared her head back in maniacal laughter and threw Madoka

away like a broken doll.

Everything began to fade away to an empty white. Madoka slowed and shrunk as she fell and gently stopped on the ground while returning to her normal, childlike size. Homura rushed over as fast as she could and cradled Madoka's head. Her body was gradually fading away.

"No," Homura said as tears streamed down her face and landed on Madoka's hair. "No no no. Please no. No..."

Madoka looked up at her and managed a small smile. She began moving her lips, but Homura couldn't hear. She brought her ear to Madoka's mouth. "L-love...y-y-you t-too." Homura screamed in grief and held Madoka close to her chest as she cried. Madoka's beautiful amber eyes lost their energy and she faded into oblivion.

Homura held her face in her hands and sobbed uncontrollably.

She became vaguely aware of someone standing next to her and talking. "So tragic, isn't it? Cut off from her. Left alone to a cruel reality, and yet not realizing the most. Pertinent. Thing." Bernkastel was right at her ear as she whispered, "Madoka's defeat was your fault."

A flip switched in Homura turning all her grief into rage. She grabbed Bernkastel by the shoulders and shook her as hard as she could. "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT YOU MONSTER!"

Invisible cords bound Homura by her wrists and ankles in the air with her arms above her head. Homura struggled with all her strength but they did not budge. Bernkastel, instead of being angry, was delighted.

"Ah Homura, don't you see? The final battle between Yuno and Madoka was a contest of wills. The will of hope put to the test! And you. You, the goddess of hope's most trusted, loved companion. The one she gave the most attention to and put the most of her own hope in. And what did you do?" Bernkastel smirked with glee. "You betrayed everything Madoka stood for."

Homura stopped struggling as crushing horror swept over her. "No."

"Twisted her goals."

"No."

"Killed her children."

"No!"

"Attempted to enslave her."

"NO!"

"And shattered the embodiment of hope's own hope placed in you, her favorite. You betrayed her and lent your power to her rival. Madoka," Bernkastel was so close to Homura's face now that they were almost touching, "was doomed from the start."

Homura raised her head and screamed as loud as she could to the white void around them. All emotion, all hope, all possible thought of happiness drained from her to be replaced by devastating regret and horror choking her heart. The crushing pain she had felt from having her powers ripped from her would be welcome compared to this. This was true despair born from loss. Loss of everything.

/人◕‿‿◕人\

Bernkastel laughed as Homura ended her primal scream and hung limply from her bindings with a blank, dull-eyed expression. "Wonderful."

She felt an overwhelmingly powerful presence. She waved her hand to release Homura's bindings, causing her to collapse to the invisible floor, as she turned to look at the newcomer.

Yukiteru stood by Yuno, now normal sized, and Kyubei. He was regal despite only wearing a black cloak, and an invisible yet all encompassing power flowed from him. Yuno ran over, tears streaming from joy, and hugged him tight as she could.

"Yuki! Yuki! Oh Yuki! I did it! I did it! Oh Yuki, I did it! Now we can be together forever as gods!"

Yuki held her close for a moment then kissed her head and broke free a bit. "Yuno, did you do all this?"

"Yes! It was like Kyubei said. I needed to get rid of the old god and we could become new gods together here. Our life won't drain from each other like before. We can both survive! You don't have to die Yuki! You can rule over this reality and do whatever you want with me by your side. I did it for you Yuki! All for you!

Yuki smiled and kissed Yuno deeply. They held each other in a close embrace, a symbol of love.

Yuki broke off the kiss and smiled at Yuno as he stroked her hair. "Together forever."

Yuno smiled and leaned her head against his chest.

"Yuno, did I hear right? Do you have a soul gem?"

"Yes! Do you want to see Yuki?"

"I'd love to."

Yuno held out her hand. An incredibly bright pink source of light formed in her palm. Bernkastel found it impossible to look at directly.

Yukiteru smiled and caressed Yuno's chin. "Beautiful, like you. Can I hold it?"

Yuno smiled with eyes closed. "Of course Yuki."

She handed it to him. Yuki looked at it for a moment, smiling, and then kissed Yuno.

The light abruptly cut out and Yuno fell lifeless to the floor.

Bernkastel jumped. "Wha-?"

"Bernkastel."

She jumped again. Yukiteru was in front of her instantaneously with Yuno in suspension behind him, holding a cube in his hand. "You are responsible for this interference." It wasn't a question.

She attempted a smile and curtsied. "Y-yes. I made it possible for-"

Yukiteru held up a hand to silence her. "Is what you told Yuno accurate? This is a reality where it is possible for us to both be gods?"

Bernkastel nodded. "Yes. You have both ascended to concepts of lov-"

"Don't lie to me. I know what we are. Yuno has ascended not to the concept of love but of obsession."

Bernkastel faltered but curtsied again. "Correct. As such, you can both be gods without draining the life force from each other. Unlike your reality, more than one god is permitted."

Yukitery sighed. "Very well."

"If I may ask, what have you done to Yuno?"

Yukiteru looked at Yuno behind him. "She has been very reckless. Killing, destroying. Not a thought for what must come after except for being together. I need time to plan. Then we can truly be together forever." He held up the cube in his hand. "Her soul gem is here, but in another pocket dimension. It may as well be on the other side of the universe. When I want to revive her, I'll bring it back."

Kyubei appeared nodding its head. "Most ingenious."

"How did you know all that?" Bernkastel said while shaking her head.

Yukiteru looked at her then turned away. "A sleeping god knows more than an awake mortal."

Kyubei moved to be directly in front of Yukiteru. "Mr. Amano, I do not mean to press, but about the agreement we had with Miss Gasai?"

"The witch system will be restored as you requested. You will be under our supervision, but administration is yours."

Kyubei nodded. "Thank you."

Yukiteru swept over to Homura on the ground. He rose her up and held her in his arms to stare at her face. Homura made no sign of perceiving any of it. Her eyes stayed a blank stare. Yukiteru sighed. "I am...sorry...you were dragged into this. I promise I will honor your friend's memory as one of the new gods."

Homura turned her head to look at him and weakly grabbed his cloak. "Please," she said so soft as to be almost imperceptible. "Bring her back to me."

Yukiteru shook his head. "That is impossible, even for me. I am not without mercy though. I will give you some measure of peace and erase all memories you ever had of Madoka or magical girls."

Homura seized up with fear and tightened her grip on his cloak. "No. Please. Please just kill me instead. Don't-"

Yukiteru touched her forehead and Homura went limp with her eyes rolling back into her head, her mouth agape. She stayed like that for almost a minute before she began blinking. She slowly moved her limbs and focused her eyes.

"Wh...where-?"

She vanished.

Yukiteru stayed in the same position, only now with no one in his arms, staring at where Homura had just been. Bernkastel began clapping. "Well done. Well done."

"Lady Bernkastel, Witch of Miracles." Yukiteru stood and turned to her. "Your services are no longer required, and you are hereby banished from ever returning to our realm."

She curtsied. "Of course. You know, people remember how dangerous Yuno is, but even I forget just how dangerous you can be."

He didn't bother responding and turned away. Kyubei jumped on his shoulder and looked back at her. "It was a good arrangement Lady Bernkastel." Yukiteru grabbed the suspended Yuno's hand and they all vanished.

Bernkastel stretched her arms. "Well, the game's over. Time to leave then, but first." She began tracing in the air with her finger causing black lines to appear and hover in the air where she traced. "Almost, almost aaaaand done. Now for a small tea party and to plan where to have fun next."

And with that, she disappeared leaving behind the two words she had spelled in the air.

THE END