The humid atmosphere was buzzing with insects of all manners. Swatting a few away with her hand, a green-haired girl trudged through the great sloppy mess on the floor of the alley, taking up the single Grief Seed standing amongst the ruined, churned-up earth. She pressed it against her tainted Soul Gem which was located on her upper left arm, exhaling in relief as the swirls of darkness dissipated and transferred themselves into the Witch's Grief Seed. Watching it return to its normal deep-green lustre, she then reverted to her usual clothes; her weapon, a war-hammer, dissolving rapidly into the air. The Soul Gem returned to her finger, fashioning itself into a silver ring adorned with bestial patterns.

It was early afternoon - not a typical time for Witches to appear. Thankfully, school was cancelled due to the insufferable weather. Waving her hand over the uneven earth, she concentrated on rooting her thoughts with the ground below her, willing it to shift and move to her will. It had used to be a much harder task, but now, with lots of practice and determination, it had become like second nature to her. The floor rumbled like a primordial beast, opening up like a cavernous maw and allowing the Witch's remains to fall inwards. Jerking her palm to the left and downwards swiftly, the ground shook once more, closing up and fusing together, leaving no trace of the cracks or fissures that were once there.

"Using your earth manipulating abilities again, Shika Kiyomizu?"

The girl, Shika, whipped her head around to the direction of the voice, her arm falling to her side immediately as she adopted a defensive pose. "Who is it?" she said, her voice quavering. When she noticed who the speaker was, however, she relaxed, saying softly, "Kyubey, don't scare me like that."

A small, white, furry creature akin to a cat appeared from behind a pile of boxes. He padded towards Shika, his face forever carved into a smiling expression. Two round, red eyes looked longingly at the Grief Seed that she was holding onto. "Is it used up already?" he enquired, pointing one of his long ear-extensions towards the Grief Seed.

"Oh, this? Yeah." Holding out the Grief Seed to him, she squatted and observed the cat-like creature as he took the object in his mouth, throwing it into his back and 'devouring' the pitch black Seed with much relish. Shika couldn't help remarking on his eating habits, rubbing his back absent-mindedly as he licked at his paws. "You know, the way you eat is weird. It goes into your backbone. How do you even digest it?"

Kyubey purred, obviously enjoying the attention he was getting. "Oh, I just digest it like how you humans normally do. It's more like a snack, really." He shook his whole body vigorously, dislodging Shika's fingers from his fur and promptly scrambled up to her shoulder, curling around her neck. The girl's forest-green eyes glittered with amusement as the alien cat purred like a machine, begging for some more petting. She giggled, giving him a good, hard rub behind his ears - a place where most cats would find very pleasing.

"Where's Yuki?" asked Kyubey, stretching luxuriously on Shika's shoulder. "Though, I have to say I'm glad she's not here today. She doesn't seem to like me."

She scratched the top of his head, sweeping her gaze across the smooth alley floor. "I didn't want to let her follow me on this Witch hunt. She was hurt from the last one, but since she heals quickly, the injuries she had sustained are quite gone. I just don't want her to risk re-opening those wounds," she said. Standing up, she surveyed the area once again to make sure that no signs of the previous battle were visible. Satisfied with her earth-shifting masterpiece, she walked out of the alley, with Kyubey swiping away at random insects playfully. "And," added Shika, shielding her eyes from the glaring spring sun, "If she doesn't like you, it's your own fault for being such a creepy character."

"I'm not creepy!" he protested.

"You are."

"Fine."

The duo made their way along an almost-empty street. Even though it was spring, there were barely any birdsong - it was just too hot. A cicada, not the least bothered by the heat, chirped noisily on a nearby tree trunk, bathing in the searing rays. The few passers-by that were present flapped at their faces, looking flustered as they sipped at iced drinks to cool down.

Shika never did liked excessively hot weather, especially near the end of spring. All the animals were too lazy and were not bothered to move about, making the already-quiet neighbourhood seem like a ghost town. On the plus side though, it meant that the summer break was coming soon. She continued walking, picking up a large, withered leaf to act as a makeshift umbrella.

"Mind shading me as well?" crooned Kyubey.

"You've got a huge fluffy tail to put over yourself. You don't need a leaf," answered Shika, wondering why the Incubator was so friendly with her today.

"Good idea." He raised his tail over his head to block out the sunlight.

Usually, he was distant and cold, not playful. But since he was being nice, she had to constantly, mentally remind herself to be nice to him as well. Little did she know she didn't have to keep up the act for any much longer.

As they reached a quiet junction, Kyubey leapt off Shika's shoulder and walked next to her. He cocked his head to one side, saying, "Hey, Shika, remember what I told you about Homura Akemi?"

The girl froze in her footsteps.

Homura Akemi.

Just hearing that name made her blood curdle. Trying to act as calm as possible, she said off-handedly, "Oh. Her... Of course I remember..."

"Good." Kyubey strutted alongside her as they began walking again, with Kyubey striking up a conversation which Shika did not want to hear at all.

"Do you remember my plans for you and your friend as well? To be able to carry out this scheme, both your cooperation with me and the other Incubators is vital."

Shika looked straight ahead, replying stiffly, "We have never agreed to help you, Incubator. You can go find another Puella Magi to pester and use... Just leave me and Akira alone, we don't want to be part of your preposterous plots."

Kyubey stopped in front of her feet, preventing her from moving forward. He shot her a glance that was not befitting of the innocent face that he wore. "You, Shika Kiyomizu, will listen to my orders. Know that you are the chosen one; it is your inescapable destiny. The number of karmic lines attached to you are abnormally vast, resulting in your prodigious powers."

She had heard this all too many times already. Throwing the leaf on top of Kyubey, she said nervously, "I don't want to listen to any more of this. Please, just leave me alone."

However, the white creature continued in his soft, childish voice, shaking off the leaf and ignoring her. "You are one of the three rare Puella Magi in this world that can harness the elements, as in literally using the elements to your own benefit. Be happy that you are the most powerful one out of the three. Luckily for you, the other two are residing in Kazamino City as well. I don't know why everyone is clustered here, but I guess that's just fate. You very well know who the second one is; the third one is up to you to seek out. And when you've gathered all three, you will lead them into war and end the Demon's reign."

This was too much for Shika. She didn't become a Puella Magi just for some alien cat to lord it over her. "I never agreed to help you, so just go away!" she shouted, fists clenched. Then, realising that she had raised her tone, she looked down at the floor apologetically, blushing.

Kyubey gave a chortle, shaking his head. "Shika, Shika. So demure and kind; never screams or shouts at others; talks to animals like her best friends... In all, a person so excruciatingly normal and reserved, it's a wonder why your karmic destiny is so great. I have yet to find out why..." He began to walk away, tail bobbing high in the air. "Well, lucky me. I've gotten myself the most powerful Puella Magi in existence, after the Demon. And speaking of Demon, I'd better go back before Homura finds out I'm gone and kills me."

Shika remained silent, though inside, she felt the adrenaline coursing through her whole body, making her heart beat faster and faster. She jumped violently when Kyubey suddenly turned his head around and looked at her, saying to her in a completely innocent voice, "Oh, don't forget that in the event of you disobeying me..." An evil light shone in his red eyes. "Well, you know what I'm capable of doing to you." With those last ominous words, he leapt away, melting into the shadows of an alley.

Being a very composed person, Shika forced herself to breathe deeply through her nostrils, counting slowly to ten to soothe her agitation. She didn't feel any better. Huffing angrily as tears threatened to spill from her eyes, she ran towards her small house at the corner of the housing lot, trying to stop herself from crying.

Crying won't help in anything. Crying is shameful. Crying is weak.

She swung open the wooden gates and wanted to slam them, but thought the better of it. Closing it normally, she ran to the tiny garden behind her house and there, sitting in an outdoor basket was Yuki, her white Shiba Inu.

"Yuki!" cried out Shika, who was not far from bursting into tears. The large white dog perked up her ears and looked surprised. "What's going o-" Yuki began, but barked out in alarm as Shika threw her arms around her and buried her face in her soft fur.

"Shika, you alright?" whined Yuki, nuzzling her arm with her nose. "What happened?"

Shika hugged Yuki tight, forcing the tears back into her eyes. In a trembly voice, with her face still in her dog's fur, she said quietly, "The Incubator came to me after I killed the Witch. He told me the same thing again - that I'm to lead a war against this Homura Akemi Demon thing that I don't even know about. And if I don't listen to him, he'll..." She fell silent, shivering despite the warmth of Yuki's body.

Yuki's ears flattened as she growled, "When I see that dirty cat, I'm gonna chew it to smithereens! It has no right to bully you into obeying it, so just ignore it."

"But, what if he really does it? As in, carry out his threat?" asked Shika, letting go of Yuki and staring fearfully into the Shiba Inu's warm brown eyes.

"Then I'll just eat the mangy cat before it manages to do it."

Shika sighed heavily, leaning against the large white dog. Her fingers unconsciously twirled at her long hair which was always slung over her right shoulder. Yuki cuddled up against her friend, trying to cheer her up. "I'm always by your side, Shika. I'll protect you, even to the death, and you know it."

"That's what worries me," whispered Shika, staring into the mocking blue sky. "I can't lose you, Yuki. If I do, I don't know what will happen to me... I can't lose anyone any more - I've lost too much... And to think I almost lost you too, that day..."

Yuki growled unhappily. "Don't think about such sad things, especially on a hot day. Look at the bright side, I'm healed and still alive, that Witch won't be able to kill any more people, and you've got Akira and all the birds and squirrels and cats and dogs to talk to."

Standing up, Shika kissed Yuki's head lightly, saying with a small smile, "Thanks for trying to cheer me up, Yuki. If you don't mind, I'll go take a bath. It's infernally hot and I've got earth all over me from the Witch battle."

The faithful dog wagged her tail in joy. Nothing beats seeing her mistress being happy again. "Okay, no thinking about tragic things while you're bathing! Promise!"

Shika smiled, a hint of sadness hiding beneath the curved lips."Promise."

***

The water was blissfully cool. Standing under the shower head and letting the water run over her head and down her body, she tried to keep her mind empty. She knew she shouldn't be bringing back all the horrifying memories, but they insisted on showing themselves.

Her parents and elder brother had died from a horrible disease during the summer when she was ten, leaving behind for her an empty house, some money and a white Shiba Inu puppy. Life was very hard then. Not knowing what to do with the money or the house, she often fell prey to unscrupulous salesmen and had to endure the harassment of her landlord. Nobody wanted to adopt her, and the landlord kept her there just to suck off all her money. All throughout this period, her only companion was the white puppy, Yuki, because being painfully quiet and withdrawn, she had no friends in school. She cried bitterly every day, every night, holding onto the puppy, her one and only family, as she sobbed her heart out.

Life was unfair. Life was cruel. She was just ten, yet she had to go through so much suffering. Her money was running out, and she still had to feed herself and Yuki. The landlord was getting more and more aggressive, demanding for the rental pay even though he knew she was orphaned. She was quickly falling into depression. By now, her tears had run dry, along with her emotions. She was a walking corpse for all people knew.

One day, she just couldn't take it any more. What if she died and turned into a ghost to be reunited with her deceased family members? It sounded like a good plan. She had seen people hanging their necks from pieces of rope to end their lives. She would do that as well. At night after school on a cold winter day, she gave Yuki one last cuddle and braced herself, standing on a stool and getting ready to hang herself when all of a sudden, the puppy barked and jumped into her, knocking her off the stool and preventing her from committing suicide. She then realised how stupid she was and hugged Yuki like as if she would never let go, crying brokenly.

'Stop!' yelled Shika in her mind, hands pressing hard against the bathroom walls. 'Stop it! Stop thinking about it!' Tears sprang to her eyes again, mingling with the shower water, but she suppressed them. She would never cry again.

Crying won't help in anything. Crying is shameful. Crying is weak.

She won't cry.

The Incubator thought she was weak.

She will show him that she can do whatever she wants to.

'Just you wait, Incubator... I'm not as easy as you think I am...'

And the next chapter's here! I hope you guys liked Shika XD What do you think about her? I'm curious to know :D Out of the OCs in this story, I kinda like her the best (animal-lovers unite!) Three more new Puella Magi are coming soon, with the next one being Akira Oda, Shika's only friend (SAD T^T). More of Shika's background will be revealed as the story progresses XD And as usual, I have a Puella Magi profile on Shika after this chapter. Any questions, I'm always here to answer them XD

P.S. I've reached 100 votes!!! I can't believe it! Thank you, guys, for supporting my story, you are all the best! XD

~SaitheVivana