Kana held up her arms, trying to shield herself from the incoming glass shards. Ayame's body fell then, and Kana tried to catch her. Ayame was surprisingly heavy and though Kana tried her best, she still ended up dropping her.

"Oww," Ayame moaned as she fell to the ground. Kana knelt next to her in a panic.

"You're awake," she gasped in relief. "Are you okay? I'm sorry I dropped you." Ayame nodded, breathing slightly heavily.

"It's fine," she said slowly. "I just - feel so exhausted." She raised a hand to her head, sitting up slowly, Kana helping her up.

"I feel so tired," Ayame admitted, her voice sluggish. "Where's my soul gem?" Kana looked around the room hopefully. There they were!

The green and beige soul gems sat on a small pillar, their colours reflecting on each other.

Kana got up, leaving Ayame sitting on the floor, and wandered over to the two soul gems. She didn't understand why they looked so dark and gloomy. Only a faint ray of colour shone through the cloudiness covering the soul gems.

Picking the two soul gems up carefully, she carried them back to Ayame.

"Why are they so cloudy?" She asked, as she reached Ayame. Ayame looked up and saw the soul gems. Her shoulders slumped and she looked like she was about to collapse.

"Do you have any grief seeds?" Ayame asked tunelessly. Kana shook her head. Ayame sighed.

"Our soul gems are corrupting. We have to cleanse them soon." Kana was confused.

"What happens when they are completely black?" She wanted to know. Ayame gave what looked like a shrug.

"It won't be good, I know."

Oriko could see so many things happening. Flashes of Walpurgisnacht appeared in her mind, magical girls fighting her. All of them being defeated. She could see Madoka standing there, Kyubey next to her. She could see them talking. Walpurgisnacht was going to win, Madoka was going to turn into Kriemhild Gretchen. Everything was-

"AHHHHHHH!" She finally burst out of the endless visions. Gasping, she looked around her. She was in a clear tube, hovering inside by some unknown power. What was happening? Why was she here?

"Oriko?" Kirika's voice sounded muffled, as though there was something blocking her. Oriko spun in the air, to see the dark-haired girl behind her.

'Kirika!" Oriko gasped, pressing against the tube. "What happened to us?"

Kirika shrugged.

"I don't know," she replied. "I only just broke out of my glass case." She gestured to a smashed tube behind her, similar to Oriko's. Oriko began to pummel at her case.

"Help me get out of here," she told the other girl, as she began to kick and beat her firsts against the glass case. Kirika began to attack the glass barrier, but before she touched it, Oriko felt the pressure in her prison increase. It began to overpower her, and as it did, the glass broke, Oriko tumbling out, into Kirika.

"Ah!" Kirika gasped, as Oriko crashed into her, sending them both sprawling.

"Sorry," Oriko muttered, getting up slowly. She swayed, her eyes drooping.

"I don't know why I'm so tired," she confessed, raising her had to her forehead. "I feel so strained."

"Me too," Kirika admitted, getting up to help Oriko. "I won't let that get in the way of our escape though." Oriko nodded. Then she realised her ring wasn't on her finger.

"Where's my soul gem?" Kirika pointed at a pedestal across the room. Two soul gems, a blue and red one gleamed dully.

"I would have gotten them, but I saw you," Kirika remarked, making her way over to the soul gems slowly.

As she picked her red one up, Oriko heard her gasp slightly.

"What is it?" Kirika turned to face Oriko.

"My soul gem's corrupting," she stated dully. "Do you have any grief seeds?" The red soul gem in her hands could barely be called red. Darkness swarming around it, slowly blotting out every colour, except black. Kirika didn't have much time.

"Kirika!" Oriko gasped. "We have to find you a grief seed." She stumbled over to Kirika, feeling her head spin. Picking up her soul gem, she realised, with a stab of horror, that her soul gem was also clotted with grief, the bright blue colour slowly fading away.

"We have to find a way out of this place quickly." Oriko told Kirika urgently. The two of them began to set off, to explore the unknown territory.