1 Beyond the Forgotten Record

POV: Iroha

"No one knows about our wishes. No one knows how much we suffered and cried. No one understands how we were tricked."

We both moved our hands to close the book. Magia Record.

"I begged them to stay with me, and they promised they would. But then... then they ran off and died!" I broke down before the goddess in tears. "Is it selfish to think they broke that promise?..."

She smiled at me. "Now, now. There's still a chance for things to be alright again. To be honest, if I had to pick one regret, it's that even after all I've done for all Magical Girls, no one knows the truth."

POV: Homura

The Magical Girls of Kamihama brought their Doppel System to Mitakihara.

But something went wrong, and they had to destroy it.

The resulting blast even defeated Walpurgisnacht, as well, but that doesn't matter.

Everyone's dead.

I kneel down before Madoka's body, removing the red ribbons from her hair.

I probably shouldn't be doing this, I don't even know why I am, but I feel like she'd want me to have something to remember her by.

My braids have fallen out and my glasses are broken.

I wrap the ribbons around my wrist and pull back the buckler.

"Where do you think you're going, or rather, when?"

Huh?

"Sorry, I couldn't help it. I promise, I meant nothing ill of it."

I turn my head frantically. "Who's there! Who said that!"

A strange man, whose extravagant hair I could only blame on my fuzzy eyes, appeared in a beam of golden light. "I did. Madoka sent me to relay a message for her."

"Madoka?! But she's-"

"Not the one you're familiar with. She says she's amassed quite the karmic destiny from you constantly rewinding time to save her. In a timeline broken off from this one, and a few after that, she was able to wish away Witches entirely. Past, present, and future," he snapped his fingers. "Gone. All because of what you've done for her."

"No way... B-but what about... my Madoka?"

"You can turn back time if you want, but that's why I'm here. This is the one universe that the other Madoka isn't able to erase the Witches from. Iroha and the Magius are a part of that. So she wanted me to tell you to take Iroha Tamaki back in time with you."

Take someone else back in time with me? I've never done that before...

"She's off in the stars with the other Madoka right now, but it shouldn't be long."

The man approached me, taking my hand and holding my Soul Gem up to my eyes. Everything started to glow, and suddenly, I could see!

"She wants you to tell your story."