The cold night air assaulted Shika's senses, heightening them to epic levels. As she dashed along the empty streets astride her faithful Shiba Inu, her past came flashing before her eyes.

Always, whenever she was afraid or in panic, they would come back to haunt her mind. Like cruel bullets, they penetrated deep into her consciousness, forcing her to relive everything that she had gone through in that torturous one month.

That one month of hell. She was trapped within it. Trapped for what seemed like eternity.

Shaking her head violently, she tried to dislodge the memories that were clinging onto her, digging their evil claws deeper and deeper.

Dying and living and dying again. The looping cycle of life and death.

Yuki twisted her head around and whined, trying to lick Shika's fingers. She had sensed her mistress's distress. Shika's grasp on Yuki's reins tightened reassuringly, telling her companion that she was alright, and they must forge on.

That hideous face. Those curved fangs. The sadistic remarks. Those ruthless words.

Shika shut her eyes tight. No! Stop it! Stop it, you useless brain! she yelled internally. Cold sweat formed in beads on her forehead. Her hands were trembling and she felt faint.

The noose around her neck tightened. The blade at her wrist pressed deeper. The water in her lungs suffocating her.

Yuki turned sharply around a corner, almost throwing Shika off her back. Momentarily shocked, her memories seized the opportunity and came pouring into her brain, as if the floodgates holding them back had been breached by that one moment of carelessness.

The Witch grabbed her around the torso as if she were a toy. It raised her to its face, ignoring Shika's punches on it's hand. It laughed with her dead mother's voice; it spoke to her with her dead father's tone.

"Shika, I never loved you anyway. You were a burden to the family. Everyone hated you." It's grin widened with malicious joy, drinking in Shika's obvious distress. "You are better off dead. Here, let me give you a pistol to shoot yourself now."

"Shut up! Shut the hell up!" screamed the green-haired girl, as her dog lay motionless below her. A pistol materialised next to her, glowing atrociously.

"Take it now, and your suffering will end with a simple bullet. Go on. You won't be missed," preened the Witch, cooing to her with her brother's voice. "After all, you are about the most worthless person this world has ever seen. You know, I've always wanted to kill you myself, but I could never do that. You know why? Because I didn't want your filthy blood on my hands."

Shika screamed. She screamed and screamed, her voice breaking. "No! No! You're lying! You're not my brother! You're lying to me!" Her breath came in sobs. She couldn't breathe. Couldn't see. Couldn't feel anything but raw fear.

The pistol hovered closer and closer to her. The Witch's face was changing, from her mother, to her father, to her brother, and settled on Akira... her best friend.

Her one and only friend.

"Take it," said 'Akira' in her icy tone.

The pistol was right before her. Her green eyes misted over. "Not you too, Akira..." Everyone did hate her.

"Take it!"

Her lips quivered, wet with tears. "How could you, Akira...?" Maybe she was better off dead.

"TAKE IT!"

"I HATE YOU, AKIRA!" She grabbed the pistol, screaming like an animal as she pulled the trigger on herself.

Shika found herself lying on her side on the cobble-stone pavement of an alley, shaking violently like leaves in an autumn gale. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, her breath was ragged. Yuki was right by her side, nuzzling her face and licking her tears, whining. "Shika! Shika, what's going on? Answer me!"

The girl merely curled up tighter, trying to control her sobs. Never before had she cried like this, with this intensity, this remorse, this fear. Every single wail made her body convulse; it was as if the emotional walls that she had carefully built up around herself for the last six months were broken, smashed through by a huge bulldozer and trampled all over.

"Shika, please, tell me what's going on!" whimpered Yuki, trying to get her to sit up. "You're scaring me, Shika. Shika, are you listening to me?!"

After ten minutes of painful heaving, Shika forced herself to stop the tears and to steady herself. She slowly sat up, and Yuki was at her side immediately. The Puella Magi inhaled shakily, putting a hand on Yuki's soft fur for reassurance. "I'm sorry for scaring you, my friend," she said in a monotonous whisper. "I was thinking of bad things again..."

Yuki licked her tears away. "It's fine, Shika. As long as you're okay in the end, I don't care how much you scare me. I'll always be here for you, through thick or thin."

Shika managed a weak smile. "Thank you..." She tried to stand, but found that her knees had turned to jelly. Yuki nudged her down again, urging her to sit awhile.

"Let's go when you're feeling better. It's no use rushing around while you're in a mentally unstable state," rumbled Yuki. "I don't want you to be like that again..."

"No," objected Shika. "We have to go now. Every second we spend here means time lost. Who knows what may be happening to Tera right now. And who knows what Homura Akemi may be up to."

Yuki whined. She didn't want her mistress to overexert herself, especially more so when she just had a mental assault by her past memories. The dog knew about Shika's suffering during what became known to them as the 'One Month of Hell'. Although she wasn't fully sure of what had happened, she knew enough to know that Shika had been subjected to crazy amounts of pressure and insanity, and it was a miracle that the girl had pulled through it. Shika had told no one else about it, not even Akira.

But Yuki could sense that it wasn't going to be too long before Akira suspected something awry. The senior girl was very good at picking up the expertly hidden emotional cues given off by Shika, and Yuki was sure Akira would heal her mistress's heart. Already, she was showing signs that she knew something was up with her junior.

Getting up unsteadily, Shika mounted Yuki once more. She wrapped the reins tight around her hands so that she would not fall if she were to be seized by another flashback. A hard light glinted in her forest green eyes as she set her jaw firm.

"Let's go, Yuki."

***

Homura inspected the scratch wounds on her calves and thigh, wincing as she touched them softly. She was sitting atop a broad branch of a large tree, her wings hanging limply behind her. The surprise attack by the purple Incubator had shaken her badly.

Where did he come from? Who was he? Why was he so abnormally aggressive and powerful?

She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths, concentrating on her wounds. She willed them to heal, to seal the gaping rips. Flesh started to grow over them, squirming and sucking as they covered, tendril-like, the ragged grooves. Soon, there was no more trace of the ugly marks.

The Demon exhaled in relief. Now, she could carry on with her plan. The purple Incubator would just have to wait until she found a way to get rid of Tera Aido.

She would ensure that not even a single bone remained of the Tiger...

***

Yuki crashed through some undergrowth, panting heavily. She trusted Shika to hold on tight as she planned to take the shortest, fastest route, which was through a lot of brush and uneven fields.

There was no need for the dog to worry though, as Shika was an extremely experienced rider. Mental assault or not, she was still Shika Kiyomizu, the girl who could bend the mighty earths at her will, the girl who could ride her sprinting mount blindfolded and freehand. She wouldn't let some old memory rile her up, terrifying as it was. She would push it down, swallow it and never let it out again for as long as possible.

She was strong. She would fight her thoughts and she would triumph over them.

"We're nearly there," growled Yuki. "Brace yourself, I smell something fishy up ahead."

Shika unwound the reins from her hands, her fingers glowing green. The long battle hammer materialised in her grip - heavy, deadly, beautiful...

Hopefully, she wouldn't have to use it.

***

Homura stood in the shadow of the Fire-Singer's house. This was it. She had checked the address over and over again, reassuring herself that this was the right place, and Tera Aido was truly one of the Elemental Puella Magis in her dreams.

It was nearly midnight now, but the sound of strumming could be heard floating out of a backroom window. Homura inched closer, avoiding a large boxing stand, taking care not to step on twigs or brush against the walls.

How perfect! Tera was playing the guitar, and was completely vulnerable and unsuspecting. Homura grinned.

Finally, it will be lights out for the Tiger!

***

There she was. Pressing herself against the wall, peeking into the room. Bow and arrows at her side, stretched taut. Raven wings sprouted from her shoulder blades. She wore a long black dress of feathers, and a sinister vibe was coming off of her.

So this was the Demon, Homura Akemi.

Shika had dismounted Yuki and was standing by her side, watching. "What is the Demon up to? Why is she standing still and not making any moves?" she asked her dog, using telepathy. It was a useful skill to have whenever ambushes and stealth were required.

"She's listening to music," replied Yuki, her barky voice sounding in her mind. "It's a guitar, and I think I hear Tera singing."

"Let's get closer and see for ourselves," replied Shika. She moved towards the building like a sinuous snake, the warhammer poised to strike. Yuki leapt after her like a shadow of doom, huge and soundless, vicious and majestic.

True to Yuki's words, Tera was indeed singing. Her husky voice complemented the melancholic strings flawlessly, and Shika could feel a wave of tragedy wash over her. The melody was sad and lamenting, and the lyrics agonising.

Alone in the dark,
With no one near me,
I feel the lonely pressure,
Crush my soul.

I was your light,
I saved you from strife,
I was your secret guardian,
Looking after you.
Yet I could not tell you,
For if I did,
You would never look at me the same.

But I will continue to be your secret guardian,
I will be the angel shining from above,
I will never stop watching over you,
Even though the pain sears my heart,
Burnt from the fire that I wield.

All I ask,
Is that you'll be happy.
I am willing to burn everything,
If it makes you smile,
I am willing to defy the truth,
If it makes you laugh,
I will be your secret guardian,
Till the ends of the earth...

Alone in the dark,
With no one near me,
I feel the lonely pressure,
Crush my soul.
But I will stay your secret guardian,
Till the ends of the earth...

As the last chords faded away, the melody was soon replaced by the dead quiet of the night. Shika could feel her heart clench up with emotion once again, but she numbed it down, not wanting to have another fit. Whoever Tera really was, she sounded as if she had went through a lot in her life...

Behind the wall, Homura stood stock still, mesmerised by the song. Every inch of her shattered soul connected with the song. Never before had she heard such music that resonated with her so deeply. She immediately  thought of Madoka back in the fake city, and how she could never tell Madoka what she had done for her. Homura was her secret guardian, and she planned to remain so.

The Demon forced her mind to come back to reality. She had a task to complete, and she couldn't afford to be swayed by her love and despair for Madoka. She readied her bow and peeked into the room.

Tera was back-facing her, making some adjustments to the sheet music and totally unaware that there was danger poised outside her window.

Perfect.

This time, Homura had infused her arrows with an extra accessory - she had formed a heavy metal head on each shaft, hoping that they would be able to penetrate the magical wall that seemed to protect Tera. She nocked an arrow, took aim...

A huge beast leapt upon her, knocking her to the ground. The arrow shot off the bow, hit the roof tiles and exploded into harmless purple dust. All the breath left her lungs as the beast smashed her with a heavy, armoured paw, and she could hear her wings snap beneath her. Utterly terrified, she raised her hands before her and shouted a single command word, "Void!"

Masses of dense black matter swirled around her palms and exploded into the beast's face. It yelped and fell back, stunned, and Homura took the chance to retaliate. She stumbled up, a long dagger crystalising in her hand. She threw it at the beast, but it rebounded off its armour with a screech.

"Blades won't hurt my mount, Demon..."

Her whole body froze over. Her stomach plunged and she started to hyperventilate. That voice! It was the voice in her dreams!

"You look weaker than I imagined..." The voice was cold and calculating. Merciless.

Her nightmare was unfolding itself. It was the beast and her rider, the very same one with the blazing green eyes and vengeful tone.

She was going to die.

She glanced sideways and noticed Tera looking out of her window. Her bow was still in her hands.

It was now or never.

***

The noise was enough to tell Tera that some sort of fight was taking place outside. She tossed her guitar onto her bed and scrambled to the window, ready to spring away should something attack her. To her horror, she saw a huge white animal savaging a girl with bony raven wings. The girl seemed to be losing, and she was cornered. A person atop the beast was saying something.

She had to act now! A girl's life was in danger. Throwing caution to the wind, Tera was about to jump the window when a purple arrow shattered the window glass and zipped past her ear, embedding its lethal point on the ceiling. She had no time to react as another came flashing by, straight for her head.

"NO!" screamed the rider when she saw the arrow heading for Tera. There was a fleeting look of triumph on the winged girl's face, but it was wiped away as quickly as it came when the arrow rebounded upon an invisible force field around Tera, leaving her unharmed.

Thoroughly confused over who the real enemy was, Tera hesitated for a moment. Before she knew what was happening, the winged girl was upon her, dragging her out of her room. The tiger was shocked to see that it was Kaen Ito, the girl whom she had showed the way to Rose Hotel earlier that day.

"What the frick is goin' on here?!" exclaimed Tera, pupils dilated in fear. She grappled 'Kaen', tossing her off and assuming a fighting stance. All that judo and karate and MMA were paying off now.

"She's the Demon, Homura Akemi, and she's trying to kill you!" said the rider, whom she now realised was Shika Kiyomizu, the girl from the Water Festival. Her dog was three times its normal size, and it looked like a beast out of hell.

"S-Shika-senpai?" stuttered Tera. "What're ya doin' here-"

"Watch out!" yelled Shika as Yuki tried to block Homura's assault, but failed.

Homura rushed Tera once more, smashing her onto the hard ground with her limp wings. The two adversaries wrestled each other, but Homura soon found out that although she could touch and hold Tera, there was no way she could punch or kick her. Every time she attempted it, the force field would rebound on her. However, Tera was dishing out devastating uppercuts and knee-kicks, battering up Homura badly.

"Hah, you think you can kill me just like that, Demon?" taunted Tera. "I am Tera Aido, judo master and close-combat expert. It would take more that that to finish me!"

Her nightmare was true. She couldn't hurt these Puella Magi...

With a surge of monstrous strength, Homura threw Tera off of her and jack-knifed to her feet. She summoned her Dark Orb and pulled out a stolen Grief Seed. Shika's eyes widened in horror as she understood what Homura was about to do.

It was time to release the Witches.

The Grief Seed hatched, erupting in a burst of multi-coloured swirls. The barrier descended upon them swiftly, covering them in a hideous wonderland of zombie fish. The runes 'KALOC' appeared everywhere, and a titanic zombie Shark emerged from the depths, spewing fish bones.

Both Shika and Tera transformed into their Puella Magi appearance, and Shika was astounded by the younger girl's altered physique. Her arms had morphed into fiery, cestus-like claws, huge and heavy and dangerous. Tiger stripes ran down her entire body length, and she had a long, metallic tail that swished menacingly. Taloned, steel boots adorned her feet. Leather armour allowed for easy movement.

She was indeed the Tiger - deadly and magnificent.

Enraged by the ambush, Tera sped towards Kaloc, arms stretched out by her side and bursting into white hot flames.

"Don't you dare mess up my yard, you fudging fish!" With a powerful leap, she clawed into the Witch's head, grabbing on to her brain and twisting hard. The skull snapped clean off and exploded into fire, the body disintegrating into fine powder as the white fire consumed it. She landed lightly on her feet, flexing her claws. Her orange eyes seemed to be burning with fury.

Shika's jaw dropped. Did Tera just kill the Witch in three seconds? She barely even had time to move from the spot!

Meanwhile, Homura shook like a jelly. How on earth was she going to kill that abomination? A Puella Magi that killed a Witch as easily as snapping a toothpick... Homura felt like crying just then.

The barrier disappeared, and Shika and Tera turned their attention back to Homura. The Demon was not about to be defeated though. She emptied her Dark Orb, and nine more Grief Seeds tumbled out of it. A maniacal glint shone in her crazed eyes, all sense lost from her.

"Try killing all nine then! You will both die tonight! Ahahaha!" she screeched.

Shika's breath caught in her throat. The girl was demented! Releasing nine Witches together could mean the destruction of a whole district. She urged Yuki to grab Homura, but the Demon slipped away like an eel, grinning.

"Bye! May your deaths be slow and agonising!" She opened a portal in front of her, and the hands of her Clara Dolls reached out to take her in to safety. With a small 'pop', she was gone.

"Jesus Christ! She's freaking off of her bonkers!" shouted Tera as the nine Grief Seeds started to hatch. "How're we gonna survive this?"

One by one, the Grief Seeds discharged their hosts. Shock waves battered the two friends close together as the barriers merged into one, and Tera clung onto Yuki's reins along with Shika to prevent being blasted away. Various hoots and groans and squeaks and trumpets thundered around them, dark forms coalescing into  appalling shapes.

"Stay together! We take down the Witches individually, as a duo!" yelled Shika through the din.

"Aye aye, sir!" screamed back Tera, almost hysterically. "I'll do as you say, senpai!"

The nine Witches circled them - paper cut-out, willow tree, snapping bag, sludge monster, dinosaur-cat, headless doll, dancing table, knife-limbed humanoid, spider.

"Oh my god! Oh my god, spider!" wailed Tera, trembling. "I'm fudging arachnophobic!"

"Calm down, Tera-san," said Shika firmly. "Just imagine that it's a... a... a disgusting cockroach!"

A blue light shone above the Arachnid Witch. Like a spinning comet, two icy blades spun in a vertical circle, dropping over the spider's head and cutting it off. The other Witches recoiled at the sudden death of their kin, afraid of this new threat. The wielder of the blades landed gracefully, the twin swords by her side gleaming with Witch blood. She walked calmly to their sides, ignoring the monsters and saying with a smirk, "I hate disgusting cockroaches, you know?"

"Akira!" exclaimed Shika in joy. Yuki licked Akira's face once, growling happily. "How did you know we were here?"

"Easy. I tracked you with my Soul Gem," said Akira, slicing a Familiar that got too close for comfort. "When you hung up on me, I knew something was up, so I came to look for you. It turns out we've landed ourselves in a pretty big mess... But thank goodness you're alright, my darlings."

"A 'pretty big mess' is the understatement of the century, senpai-of-senpai," hissed Tera, smacking away a butcher knife floating at her head. "Its literal hell here! Oh, and thanks for getting rid of that spider for meh. I really appreciate it."

"Don't mention it," Akira shrugged. "Always glad to cut up spiders for you, Aido-san."

"Why are we chatting idly like as if we're taking a stroll in the park?" said Shika, cocking an eyebrow.

"Mainly because the Witches aren't attacking us just yet," replied Akira, taking stock of their enemies. "They must be quite confounded to see so many of them together, and have yet to regain their bearings. I say we have around thirty more seconds before they fully grasp what's happening and start attacking us."

"This is to our advantage! Let's pummel 'em all t'death now!" chirped Tera, wanting to jump at the Headless Doll straightaway.

Shika grabbed her shoulder to stop her, chiding, "Strategy first, Tera-chan. Never run into a large-scale battle without a plan." The Tiger grinned sheepishly. "Whoopsie, my bad."

"Indeed," huffed Akira. "With the correct strategy, we should be able to kill all eight Witches and prevent the destruction of the city. Shika and Yuki will go for the Dinosaur-cat, Headless Doll, and Cannibal Bag. Encircle them with your earth magic and crush them all in one go. Aido-san will take care of the Willow Tree, Sludgie and that Paper Thingy - just burn them up, and I will finish the Dancing Table and Mrs Knife-Addict. Anyone who finishes theirs first will go help the others. I've chosen the Witches for each one so that they will have an advantage over their enemies. The slowest Witches go to Shika, for she can outrun them with Yuki and assault them easily. The mid-speed, flammable ones go to Aido-san, for obvious reasons. I will take care of the swiftest Witches, matching them with my own speed and agility. The strategy? Just kill them before they kill you. Any questions?"

Tera shook her head in admiration. "Woah, you've got a sharp brain there, Akira-senpai. Nope, no questions. I'm ready to kick some Witch butt!" She clapped her mighty claws together, setting them on fire.

The Witches were beginning to move, sensing their targets before them. Dinosaur-cat gave a scream and whipped out her long tail, almost hitting Akira. The tall girl avoided it with a twist of her body, giving out the command, "Now! Charge the enemies! Go!"

The trio fanned out, locking in on their designated foes.

The blood of the Witches will run the earth and pollute the sky tonight.

***

Homura travelled through her portal, her Clara Dolls flanking her. They giggled and cartwheeled about, and Homura beckoned for Love to come forward.

"Love, I want you to spy on Tera Aido and the green-haired girl through the portal and report to me the outcome of the battle. Stay hidden, and do not interfere at all costs. Once either party is dead, use the portal to seek me out. I await your good news. Now go!" ordered Homura. The Clara Doll saluted and waltzed back to where the battle was raging.

Truth to be told, Homura wasn't very sure now if nine Witches were enough to kill the two Puella Magi. She had seen how Tera ripped the Fish Witch's head off effortlessly, ending the battle with just one move. What made her think nine Witches could stop them? She could only hope now that the two were in such shock that they couldn't react in time to the new threat.

The Clara Dolls crowded around her, patching up her broken wings and gibbering to her in soothing tones. She smiled at them, remembering that she was not really alone in her endeavor. Unfortunately, her Clara Dolls could only travel within the portal and stay in the real world for a maximum of fifteen minutes, else she would have told them to dispose of Tera for her.

Then, a cold smile crept over her face. Who better to kill Tera than the person whom Tera would trust the most? Her closest friend, who will not be rebounded by the invisible barrier, who can easily slip a knife between her ribs? She grinned, knowing just the person who would fit the job.

***

Rikka Sayuki grimaced in her sleep, dreaming of the Witch that had killed her parents. She woke up all of a sudden, shocked, and was relieved to find that it was only just a dream. Her younger sister, Eruna, was slumbering peacefully next to her, curled up in her blankets. Rikka smiled fondly and tucked the sheets in closer to keep Eruna warm. The nights these days could get a little chilly.

The front door gave a loud creak as she was about to go back to sleep. Rikka sat up immediately, her heartbeat accelerating. She knew she had locked the door before turning in for the night. How could it have opened on its own accord?

It could only mean one thing - someone was in the house.

Rikka crept out of the bedroom, a small, sleek black axe with dark blue markings forming in her right hand. She had to investigate. Tiptoeing to the living room, she held her breath, anticipating a thief or robber.

No one.

She slunk about the space, her footfalls making no sound at all. Ever since the death of her parents, the house was an empty shell, devoid of the joy that she had loved so much. Ghosts of the past haunted her mind - one moment, she would see everyone together, happy and blissful. The next thing she knew, they were gone in a puff of smoke. But it was still home despite the hollowness, and she still had her beloved sister to take care of. She was Rikka Sayiki, ruthless Witch assassinator, Punisher of all things unholy. She could take on a human easily if it meant their safety.

"Looking for someone?"

Rikka snapped behind her, instinctively throwing the the axe towards the direction of the unfamiliar voice. The blade sunk itself into the paneled wood wall, missing the intruder by a hairs-breadth, as an intended sign of warning from Rikka. "Your presence here is not welcome," she said in a dangerous tone. "Leave now before I take any action against you."

"If you knew who I was, you wouldn't be so quick to threaten me with words," smirked the stranger, who didn't flinch at all from the axe-throw. Through the veil of darkness, the sputtering street lamp outside shone upon a pistol aimed right at her head. A sheet of dark hair flowed around the assailant, lending her an ethereal appearance. Grim purple eyes stared at her, a hint of insanity dancing behind the pupils.

Rikka backed away nervously out of the line of shot, another axe forming in her grip. "W-who are you? What do you want with me?"

The intruder chuckled. "You know Tera Aido? I want you to kill her."

***

The Dancing Table fell in splinters to the checkered floor, yet another victim to the keenness of Akira's twin rapiers. Her strategy had worked. The Witches were no match for their coordinated attack. Shika had taken care of her Witches without breaking into sweat, smashing them into a pulp as Yuki herded them to a single point. Tera incinerated her targets totally, leaving behind nothing but claw marks and ashes. The battle was concluded in a quick and decisive manner - no excessive loss of magic, no grievous injuries, just as Akira had hoped for.

The mass barrier shimmered into non-existence, and the three companions and dog sank onto the grassy lawn in exhausted relief.

"Man, that was awesome but creeped the frick out of me," remarked Tera, extinguishing the flames on her arms. "Who was that freak anyway? You seemed to recognise her, Shika-senpai."

Shika rubbed Yuki's head vigorously, silently thanking her furry friend. She looked at Tera with a newfound sense of understanding, forming an answer in her mind before finally replying, "Yes, I know her, though this is the first time I'm meeting her in person. She goes by the name of Homura Akemi, and is really the Demon Puella Magi in disguise. She is apparently omnipotent and possesses amazing skill and power. The Incubators have told me about her a long time ago, and that she needs to be taken care of. What her motives are, I am not sure, but one thing I do know is that she is out to murder you, me and Akira. Had Kyubey not told me to look for you immediately, you would have been slain by now."

Tera laughed nervously. "You're pullin' my leg, aren't ya, senpai? Right?"

The looks on her seniors' faces told her that Shika was in fact dead serious. Tera gulped, realising that she had gotten herself into a really bad situation.

"Don't worry, Tera-san, we won't let Homura Akemi harm you, nor harm any one of us," said Shika. "Her attack on you, coupled with your ability to control fire can only mean that you are the third and final Elemental Puella Magi. I've been tasked to find to you by Kyubey, and at first, I took his words as rubbish... But now I see that it's true. Only we can kill the Demon, and, more of a selfish thing than a noble one, we must kill her first before she kills us. You must join us to form the Trio. I am sure you are the Pyromancer that the Incubators are always talking about. In other words, you have no choice but to fulfill this destiny that has been laid out for you, like it or not."

"Jesus, that doesn't sound nice at all, senpai," muttered Tera, looking slighlty shell-shocked. "So are you tellin' me I'm in some sort of Trinity that is meant to oppose the Demon, like it or not?"

"That would be basically it. I'll tell you more about it soon. I hope you'll believe me. I do not want to force the truth onto you, but if I must, I will."

Akira gave Shika a weird stare. Since when was timid little Shika this cold and straightforward with her words? Also, she was giving off an unnatural aura, one of dread and despair. "Shika darling, are you alright? You don't sound like yourself..." ventured Akira, placing a hand on her junior's.

All the coldness in Shika seemed to melt away in that instant. "I'm fine, no need to worry about me," shrugged the girl, averting her gaze from both Tera and Akira. Yuki whined slightly, her pleading brown eyes looking at Akira for help. The senior got the hint, and said gently, "You can tell me what happened if you want to. I'm always ready to listen."

Shika's shoulders drooped. She sighed, still not looking at anyone. "Really, I'm okay. I just... got agitated by the fight, that's all, and said some pretty stupid things..."

"I don't think so, senpai," cut in Tera, reverting her claws back to her hands. She took Shika by the shoulders and forced the older girl to look at her. "Look, I'm flustered as well, but if senpai-of-senpai says somethin' is wrong, then somethin' is wrong. Although I've literally just met you two for a day, I can tell that you're hidin' somethin', and I trust Akira-senpai's judgement about you. So spill dem beans, gurl."

Akira shot Tera a face that said 'your-mode-of-speech-is-utterly-unsophisticated-you-barbarian-girl'. But to their surprise, Shika gave a weak smile and replied, "I will spill them soon enough, but not tonight. We're exhausted, and we need to rest. Also, with Homura a possibly constant threat now, I think it would be much safer to be together instead of being by ourselves. She may just launch another attack on us as we are recovering."

Tera nodded in agreement. She was not about to be ambushed by the Demon once again. "So whaddaya suggest we do? Camp out together like best buds?"

Akira snorted. "And where do propose we camp? On the streets, under the dying stars, curled up on a mat and freezing at zero degrees?"

"Of course not, you silly girl!" chortled Tera, obviously missing the dripping sarcasm in Akira's voice. "Seriously, I thought you were smarter than that, senpai."

"Where is this conversation going again?" remarked Akira sharply.

"I dunno. You started it, senpai."

Shika grinned. She smacked them both lightly on their arms, and said, "Everyone can come to my house for the night. I've got extra mattresses and sheets and we can all squeeze into my room. Until then, we'll discuss a better plan later. Tera-san, you better leave a note for your parents to explain your whereabouts."

Tera gave a crisp salute. "Aye aye, sir. They've actually gone on holiday without me, (lol) so no need for notes. They won't be back in another two weeks time."

"That's settled then," said Akira, getting up briskly. She sent off a brief text message to her butler, telling him that she won't be back for the night. "Grab whatever you need for now, Aido-san. We can come back later for other things if you need them. I'll fix that broken window of yours with my nevermelt ice while you're getting ready."

The two went off to their tasks, leaving Shika alone with Yuki once more. The girl hugged her dog close, muttering, "Do you think I should tell them about it?"

"If you're talking about the One Month of Hell, then yes. Definitely yes. It's about time you let it all out."

Shika let her heavy eyelids close. "Yeah, you're right as always... I shouldn't keep Akira in the dark about this. She's been worrying so much about me lately... The thing is though, I can't bring myself to feel any remorse for not telling her sooner and making her worry constantly. I'm such a terrible person..."

Yuki licked her mistress' fingers affectionately. "You're not terrible, you've just been through a lot. I'm sure Akira understands though, so don't fret. She's a good friend to you."

Shika didn't reply. All she could think of at that time was how selfish and unemotional she had been towards Akira after the One Month. It was a wonder Akira hadn't left her to rot... She never really deserved a friend like Akira anyway...

She caught herself starting to think negatively again, and quickly snapped out of it.

Negative thoughts fed the brooding monster within her, and she wouldn't want to face it for the umpteenth time. It had utterly destroyed her from the inside, leaving her emotionally wrecked and unstable. Never again would she return to her old self. The timid deer who had let everyone bully it was no more. It had evolved into a vile dragon covered in deerskin - deceptive, ruthless, cold and unforgiving... Yet she had managed to convince others that she was still the shy deer that she was. That she still experienced the same feelings and emotions as others. That she still had a sympathetic, kind heart.

Were they ever more wrong about her.

***

Homura's spirits were critically low. Love had just returned and gave her the account of the battle. It sounded as if the Witches were no more than mere toys to be torn apart by the Puella Magi. Also, Love told her that a third Puella Magi had joined the fray, and it was through her strategy that they managed to wipe the floor in such little time. It should be noted that the third girl seemed to utilise ice during her onslaughts, so could she be the third Elemental? Love bowed low and capered away, her report over.

Homura sank into her bed and rubbed her throbbing temples. It was illogical to have three girls fight nine Witches and yet come out alive. One Witch alone was already dangerous enough, and difficult to kill at that. It had undeniably proven the might of the Elementals. But through this battle, she had gained new knowledge. The mysterious green-haired girl with the beast and the icy Puella Magi were bound to be the other two that made up the Trio in her dreams. By knowing them, she would have an advantage in her efforts to kill them. At least she had Tera settled now - Rikka Sayuki would be forced to carry out her bidding, like it or not. As for the other two, as well as the purple Incubator, she would have to wait until tomorrow before making any plans. She was too muddled right now to think.

She breathed deeply, trying to clear her mind. She was mentally and physically drained, and the only thing that kept her going was her love for Madoka. No matter the pain and sacrifice, she would endure it for the sake of her beloved friend.

She prepared herself for yet another fitful bout of nightmares as she finally drifted off to sleep.

Being the Demon was not fun at all.

***

[In the home of the twins, at around midnight... ]

"Hey Luna, what do you think about the advice she gave us? Do you think we should accept it?"

"I really don't know, Stella. Are we really that desperate for help?"

"It seems so. I can't think of any other alternative."

"I don't like this whole idea of seeking out that help. It's just so... Weak and wrong."

"Well, that fact that we haven't been reaching the weekly quota of Grief Seeds and Grief Cubes is proof enough that we need help. Since when had we a problem with killing Witches and Wraiths? The depression is getting to us."

"... True. I guess it can't be helped. Maybe it will finally solve our depression, as well as our other problems..."

"Let's hope it does..."

Hey guys, as usual, I apologise for the long wait.. A short announcement : The next chapter may come anytime during or after May, because that will be my exam month, and I probably won't be writing much (but hopefully a sentence a day lol XD)
I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and will be wondering what Shika is hiding beneath her usually placid exterior, as well as what the twins are talking about in the last paragraph. Have fun guessing ;)

~SaitheVivana