Chapter Text
The moment Kirika's life changed was one that, to anyone else, would be little more than a mundane occurrence. Worthy of note maybe, but not of any real significance.
It had to do with a minor bullying problem Kirika was experiencing. Now, generally Kirika had been rather good at avoiding being bullied or really noticed at all. She may not have had any real friends, or even close acquaintances, but mostly she was just kinda quiet and ignored. Not a target of positive or negative emotion.
Then, some stupid magical girl mascot said some unbelievable stuff in the middle of a school day. Got Kirika to very visibly and audibly react to it in the middle of an occupied hall, and since it was invisible to everyone but Kirika, Kirika looked like a maniac shouting at thin air. Which, as people may guess, is not a good thing for a loner who got by on being unnoticed.
Which is how Kirika gets to her current moment. Backed up against a wall and not quite sure how to get away from the three girls, who are currently entertaining themselves by tormenting her.
"You're such a creep, Kure. Why did you have to show up today? Who knows, maybe your mental illness is infectious, so you should really act like normal and not bother showing up"
Now, normally, Kirika would employ the wonderful strategy of just speed walking away, but currently, the end of the hall is blocked by said people. If Kirika does anything even the least bit violent, she'll be the person punished for it. So instead, she finds herself looking at the floor and hoping they'll get bored.
"Can you just go, Aoki?" Kirika mumbles; she really doesn't want to deal with this today. She barely ever actually manages to drag herself to school, and she is very rapidly being reminded why.
"Not if I have to share classes with a freak like you. Seriously, Kure, it's not like you ever pay attention to the lessons, so why do you turn up at all?"
That is something Kirika has yet to work out. The rare spark that managed to motivate her to actually go to school today is rapidly fizzling out. As much as she hates to do anything dicks like the people in front of her want. Maybe she really should just stay home? Not like she's getting anywhere being here, and her mum sure as hell doesn't care.
"Excuse me", A voice says from behind the three girls talking down to Kirika. Its tone is cold as ice.
"Ah, sorry we'll be out of your way, won't we, Kure?" For a moment, Kirika considers speaking up, but she knows nobody gives a crap about someone like her, so she just goes with it and steps aside.
"I wasn't talking about you being in my way. What exactly do you three think you're doing?" Looking up, Kirika sees the person talking to the people bullying her so confidently. She has vividly purple eyes, long, flowing black hair and seems to hold herself with a kind of unshakeable confidence.
"Uh, we were just talking to a friend of ours. You see, Kure here mentioned she had forgotten her homework, so we were just talking her through it"
"I'm not deaf. Stop tormenting your friend there, surely you must have something better to do" The sheer sharpness of her tone cuts through the excuse.
Despite the girl, whoever she is, having no real power, the sheer presence she has ends up with the girls meekly nodding and walking away. As if they weren't just trying to torment Kirika and excuse themselves a moment ago.
"Are you ok?" While still somewhat cold, the girl's voice softens as she speaks to Kirika.
"Um, yeah, thanks for that", Kirika just about manages to mumble out.
"People like that really are pests. Dispersing them is a public service"
"Yeah, still, thanks"
"It was no issue. Would you like me to report them to the school?"
"I doubt it would do anything"
"I suppose. I know Miss Saotome tends to take bullying rather seriously, however. So it may be worth trying her, rather than who you may have prior," the girl notes.
"Oh, um, really?"
"Yes," It's the confidence in her voice that convinces Kirika.
"Ok then", Kirika gives the girl the names, and after a goodbye, she walks off.
The next day, it's noted that those three have been excluded for the rest of the week. Which kinda shocks Kirika, since she really assumed nothing was going to happen, even if that girl seemed to think it would.
Despite how intimidating she was, Kirika ends up thinking about that girl a lot. She sometimes sees her around, always with that same effortless confidence. Yet Kirika never gains the confidence to approach her. She's so confident and cool and beautiful, while Kirika's, Kirika.
Yet she also notices that the girl, as amazing as she is, doesn't seem to have any close friends. Even if she occasionally gets hangers-on that she mostly ignores, besides plesentries.
Kirika finds herself way too embarrassed of herself to ever approach. Especially when she notices the fact that, since what happened was called out, it more or less stopped anything but the more subtle whispers behind her back.
Especially since the girl doesn't seem to regard Kirika with any sort of special attention. What happened was simply a kindness from that girl. One given without any expectation of reward, entirely for Kirika's sake, despite the fact so many people would have just walked past and done nothing. So many people did.
Someone that cool and amazing will never be the type of person that Kirika could befriend.
That fact only drags Kirika deeper into self loathing. She finally met someone truly kind and wonderful, yet she couldn't even get their name. Can't even talk to them. Can't do anything.
Then, when Kirika feels truly awful, Kubey appears again. Ready to bug her with his wish shenanigans. Like she's the kinda person who could fight wraiths in a frilly costume. Like she could have a wish worth a damn.
But her thoughts turn to that girl. The one who helped her selflessly. Kirika doesn't want to be herself, can't bear to be herself. Yet what if she could change, not aimlessly but for a reason? To be someone who could help that girl, the way she went out of her way to help Kirika. To be worthy of that.
When she thinks of it that way, the idea of a wish doesn't sound too bad.
"I wish to change, so I can be the type of person who could help that girl and who is worthy of mattering to her"
Kyubey eagerly rips Kirika's soul out of her body, and then she's unconscious.
When she wakes up the next morning, her memory is foggy. She knows she made a wish, but she can't think of what it could be. Still, not like that's going to hold her back. Kirika's not really good at anything, but if she can be a good magical girl and save people, that would be reward enough. At least then she would be doing something that matters.
As Kirika checks the mirror, making sure she's got everything on right, she looks into her pink eyes, straightens her uniform and makes sure her pink hair looks ok. It's a bit messy, but she doesn't really have time to fix it. Then she picks up her school bag and sets off.
She gets a few looks when she gets to class, for some reason, but everyone seems to shrug and move on. Maybe it's just because she's feeling a bit more upbeat today. Her seatmate certainly seems surprised to be given an upbeat hi when Kirika gets in, and her teacher frowns when she raises her hand to answer a question. Not one of the hard ones, Kirika's not that good at stuff, but she does pay some attention, and she feels bad leaving everyone else to contribute.
Her most intresting encounter comes when she encounters someone in the hall who full on stumbles after looking at her.
Kirika rushes over, "Hey, are you ok?"
"Oh, sorry. I..." The black haired girl looks at Kirika closely "I just thought you looked like someone else. My apologies"
"Oh, no problem at all. I'm just happy you're ok. It looked like you almost tripped over there"
"It's fine. No need to worry," The girl says, almost haltingly.
"Oh, good. Huh, I've been kinda rude not introducing myself. I'm Kure Kirika. Though please just call me Kirika. Nice to meet you. Sorry for making you stumble"
"Akemi Homura," Homura introduces, looking unsure if she wants to keep talking or run away from the conversation.
"Do you mind if I call you Homura? Sorry if that's overfamiliar"
"It's... If you want to" Homura conceads.
"Why wouldn't I. Homura's a really cool name, you know, it means fire or blaze, right? That's a great name. So of course I'd want to use it, if you're ok with that"
At that, Homura full on flinches.
"Um, did I say something wrong? Sorry, um, I'll just stick to calling you Akemi if you really don't want me to use Homura" Wow, Kirika has to be making such a bad first impression. She's so bad at this.
"No, you can call me Homura" Homura replies, this time in a more steady manner.
"Ok then, nice to meet you Homura,"
"Nice to meet you too, Kirika" Homura pauses a moment before saying Kirika's name, her voice having some emotion Kirika can't quite work out in it.
Kirika considers what to say next, before she remembers that she was on the way to classes.
"I just realised I need to go or I'll be late for classes. Nice meeting you, though" Kirika says, before rushing off. It would be kinda embarrassing to be late because she got caught up chatting.
___________________________________________________________________________
Homura stares at the back of Kirika as she rushes off.
That, it must be a coincidence, right? But the way she walks, how she looks, her tone of voice, even the words themselves. All of it echoes Madoka in a way that makes Homura's heart ache.
It's not her; Madoka sacrificed herself for all magical girls. She doesn't exist beyond the ribbon she left to Homura. Hell, Kirika is a different name to Madoka entirely, even if a lot about her reminded Homura of Madoka, her hairstyle is a bit different, she doesn't have the ribbon in it, it's all just happenstance.
Yet after bumping into her, Homura can't help but keep an eye on her. Stalking someone is a skill Homura perfected during her timeloop, and even if this is only a simple curiosity, it returns to her like an old friend.
The conclusion Homura comes to, after keeping an eye on Kirika, is that when she interacts with people, the expressions she makes and the way she acts just continue to remind Homura of Madoka. Even if there is no Sayaka or Hitomi around to complete the picture.
Not that said picture can ever be complete. Sayaka has been taken by the law of cycles after all. Her demise in this world as swift as it was in the old one, even if her ultimate fate is far kinder.
Was Kirika around all this time, and Homura simply didn't notice until she bumped into her? Homura would like to say it's impossible she wouldn't notice someone like that, but considering that she goes through lessons by rote and barely pays attention to classmates, aside from sparing the occasional look to Mami, and Sayaka, back when she was around. So it really isn't beyond comprehension that someone like Kirika would have just escaped Homura's knowledge.
Purely out of curiosity, Homura follows her from a distance when school ends, then grits her teeth when she spots Kyubey go up to her.
They presumably have some kind of telepathic conversation for a few moments, before Kirika nods and transforms.
Homura almost flinches a second time as she takes in Kirika's magical girl outfit.
It's a pink and white dress, the skirt having a frilled petticoat and a petaled pattern on it, alongside it having three pink bows, two on the sides and one on her back. She has a pink ribbon around her neck and her soul gem, pink but in a diamond shape, lies just below it, at the top of her dress.
It, Homura has to remind herself, isn't the same. The sleeves are longer, ending in large pink sleeve cuffs, rather than being short, and Madoka's hands being in gloves. Her legs are covered in white leggings, rather than knee high socks. The dress has three ribbons, not two. The shoes are in a much darker red, and her hair lacks the ribbons Madoka's had.
It's still too familiar. It still hurts to look at. To see that costume that makes Homura feel like she's failed her loop. Even knowing her days of looping are over, and that person down there. No matter how similar she may seem, is not Madoka. She is a stranger Homura owes nothing to. Just one with slightly too familiar looks and mannerisms.
Her weapons, when she summons them, reinforce this as much as they conflict it. They are claws, three on each side, coming out from the cuffs. A weapon entirely unlike Madoka's bow. Yet the claws are wooden, their ends stylised like leaves, while the central one on one side has a rose on it, while the other one has two live leaves visible from under the cuffs. Each one also has a small pink circular gem, just before they bend down into the leaf design.
It's not Madoka's weapon. Yet the style, the small features. They feel familiar to Homura; they are familiar. Even if not in the same form.
When she goes into the miasma, as she fights wraiths, her claws blaze with pink energy, lengthening them and letting her rip through scores of wraiths, though Homura can clearly see her inexperience. It's a familiar sight, even if the movements aren't quite the same. Claws, even ones that can lengthen like that, are a melee weapon after all. They aren't a familiar weapon to Homura. Even so, Homura can see similarities in Kirika's movements and actions. Even if it's a different person against a different foe.
When she's hit by an ascetic wraith and knocked back, Homura can see the pain in her eyes as she stands back up, yet also that shine of determination that says she won't back down. Not yet.
Homura finds herself with her bow out despite herself. She came here to observe, yet she is meant to be the shield of Madoka's wish, is she not? Meant to smite the wraiths that hurt people and anyone who would endanger her. So when she fires her bolt, that splits into a thousand strikes that destroy the wraiths around Kirika. It is only because Homura is following the code she has sworn herself to, not for any other reason.
Kirika turns around to where Homura is, her eyes wide in shock and amazement.
Considering her position is revealed, rather than trying to hide, Homura jumps down from the building she was taking shelter on and walks towards Kirika.
As Kirika looks at Homura, there is recognition in her eyes. The encounter earlier in no way forgotten.
"Homura? You're a magical girl too?"
"I am, yes. It looked like you could use some assistance with the wraiths"
"I appreciate the support. I thought I was doing ok, but that one with the fire surprised me; all the others used beams, so I didn't avoid it well. That probably wasn't the best showing, huh?"
"Did Kyubey not fill you in on the types of wraith?"
"Not really. He just kinda told me how the transformation worked and then threw me in. I guess I should have asked more questions"
Homura sighs, "Kyubey doesn't think like we do. Unless you explicitly ask, he won't share information freely. I recommend you either quiz him thoroughly or find another magical girl to teach you the basics" Even in this new world, Kyubey is far from the ally he should be.
"Then, could you teach me? You must be an experienced magical girl right? That magic was amazing. You wiped out all those wraiths in a second"
That, Homura considers, is a terrible idea; she's kept her distance from Mami and Kyoko in this timeline for a reason. No matter how much Kirika reminds Homura of someone else. She shouldn't forget herself.
"Why did you become a magical girl, Kirika?"
"Well, I'm not that smart, or pretty, and I'm not that good at making friends, but doing this can help people. I can really make a difference. I just want to be able to do some good, I suppose. In a way that matters"
That answer once again has Homura looking towards Ma, towards Kirika, in something between shock and wonder. This, can this be a coincidence?
"Kirika, can I ask what you wished for?" If this is really not a coincidence, then a wish is the only thing Homura can think of that isn't outlandish.
"I. What I wished for? Um, I" Kirika suddenly closes her eyes in focus, looking like she's trying to think of something extremely hard, before sighing. "I don't remember? I... I definitely made a wish and it was granted, I just can't think of it?"
That's weird. Beyond weird, actually. Homura can't think of a single incident where something like that has happened. Still, the thought comes to mind that Homura has something that could maybe help with that. Her magic can manipulate memory, can it not? Would she not be able to bring that wish to the forefront?
"My magic may be able to help with that. It has to do with memory," Homura comments.
"Wait, really? I, if you think you can help, then ok," Kirika gives a resolute nod.
"Are you sure you should be agreeing that easily. For all you know, I could be talking you into doing something malicious"
"Memory magic is scary, when I think about it, so I think I might have said no to a lot of people if they asked that. But even though I don't know you well yet, there is something about you that makes me feel like I can trust you. So I'm choosing to believe I met you today for a reason. Please take care of me, Homura"
Homura feels her breath catch in her throat, that, Homura shouldn't be given trust that easily. Magical girls, Mami, Sayaka, and even Kyouko, none of them are so willing to trust Homura. Not so quickly.
"I won't squander the trust you have put in me" Homura gathers her magic. "Are you ready?"
Mado Kirika smiles at her, "Ok, Homura, I'm ready"
When Homura's magic reaches Kirika and looks to the day before, it meets some kind of fog. The memories are there in a form, but they are clouded. Homura gets the sense that she could put memories over the fog. Likely even more easily than over normal memories, but whatever put a haze over the memories blocks Homura's sight as much as it does Kirika's memory. Homura might be able to clear the fog, but it would mean blowing it aside with her own magic, which, notably, manipulates memories. So she isn't quite sure if that would do what she wants it to.
Homura lets go of the magic "The memories are clouded, I might be able to uncloud them, but I've never tried something like that with my magic before. So I don't know if it would work to recover them"
"Oh, do you think it might work. I mean, if you can't do it, that's fine. The fact you were even willing to try is still really nice of you"
"It could work. Like I've said, it's untested. I've never seen what happened to the memory of your wish before" Partially because Homura hasn't used that side of her magic that much. Manipulating people's memories is not the most wholesome of magics, nor is it much use against wraiths. So Homura doesn't like using it against people in most circumstances.
"If you think it could work, then go for it. I'd rather know than be left wondering"
"If you're sure"
Kirika gives a determined nod.
Homura forms her magic once more and pours it into the memories of the day of Kirika's wish, changing Madoka's Kirika's memory of that day to what it should be, rather than the fog that leaves it unknowable.
Kirika looks forward blankly for a second before shaking her head.
"Oh, I remember now, thanks Homura"
"Is it something you're willing to share?"
"I saw a cat run over. When Kyubey offered the chance, I couldn't just leave the poor thing to die. Besides, I wanted to be a magical girl anyway, so that just gave me a good reason. Though I do wonder why I couldn't remember that, it seems really obvious now. Thank you so much, Homura," Kirika says with a smile.
That wish, the wish Homura's magic restored to Kirika. It's familiar once more. Something that makes Homura sure this isn't a coincidence.
Madoka ascended to godhood. Yet Homura doesn't know how that works in practice. The person Kaname Madoka can't exist in this timeline. But does that create an absence that needs to be filled? Is Kirika a person who only exists in this new world? A sort of fill in, now that the original Madoka cannot exist? The same in essence, if not in circumstance?
If that is how that works, then is Kirika this world's Madoka? Just with a different name and born to different parents? If that's so, does Homura owe this Madoka, even if she isn't quite the same? Is this an opportunity for redemption in this new world? To be able to help the equivalent of the girl she failed. Now that being a magical girl is no longer a poisoned chalice.
"Ok"
"Um... Ok?" Kirika asks, not quite getting what is being okayed.
"I will teach you. That's what you asked for, right?"
"Wait, really? Thank you!" Kirika jumps forward and hugs Homura.
Homura looks down at the person holding her, who's both so familiar and yet not quite the same as the person she made her wish for. After a second of considering, Homura puts an arm around her in return.
Maybe this is a chance to ensure past mistakes don't occur again and for Homura to have an ending that doesn't lead to despair.