All across the sky, leaden clouds lay low, disgorging their weight onto the earth below. Rain fell in light sheets across the city of Mitakihara, shrouding the area in gloom. The droplets hissed and jumped on the tar road, collecting into small puddles. Mist rose in swirls of white and grey, and the sun was not to be seen. It was indeed a depressing Saturday morning.

Estella and Luna stood under the shade of a gazebo overlooking the Central Park. They were early; no one else had arrived just yet. The park was covered in a veil of haziness, lending it a mystical air. Birds chirruped in the trees, singing their heralding song to the morning despite the lack of tell-tale sunshine. All around, flowers dipped their heads in humble repose, heavy with rain and dew. However, the beauty was lost upon the twins as they frowned and sighed, fidgeting about.

"Luna, do you think Kirika-senpai is hurt badly enough to not be able to fight Witches?" asked Estella in an unsteady voice.

"It seems so..." said her twin sister, Luna. She was braiding her hair deftly; her head seemed to be in the clouds. "The doctor warned her against any physical activity, and that would include Witch or Wraith hunting. I'd say she wouldn't be able to defend anyone any more, much less herself."

"I can't believe I actually broke her arm..." Estella slapped her forehead in frustration. "Why on earth did I do that?!"

"Calm down, sis. Being angry at something that's already done is useless..." Luna gazed blearily across the neat lawn, which was dotted by similar gazebos here and there. "...It's too late to turn back now anyway."

Estella leaned on the pillar, letting her eyelids close as she heaved a weary sigh. "Yeah... It's already too late."

***

It was all Akira could do to not turn around and scream at the passengers in the back seat of her car. Her right eye twitched in a spasm of irritation, while Shika, who was sitting next to her, tried to keep her face straight. Tera and Kureha were hollering out a song from the top of their heads, making up the lyrics as they sang.

"And then the chef said to the baker, O' kind sir, your bread is heavenly-"

"-but lacks the flavour-"

"-so if you don't mind, I'll just chuck in some-"

"-Smelly old socks! Ahaha!"

"-And ooh la la, doesn't it taste top hole now?"

"-And the air stewardess said to the mechanic, O' kind sir, that machine you are making-"

"-Looks just like a kamquat!"

"-And he said 'Ermahgerd' I wanted it to look like a blasted pomelo!"

"-And the sa-"

Akira whipped around, her one eye glaring at the two raucous girls, finishing the song for them, "And the samurai said to the musicians, shut the hell up or I'll throw you two out the car!"

It only succeeded in making the girls laugh even harder. Rikka, although looking a bit down, gave a giggle, while Eruna just looked plain bored. Shika chided Akira, saying jokingly, "Keep your eye on the road, O' great samurai."

Akira gave them her famous snort and looked front again, mumbling something murderous.

"H-hey, Akira-senpai, don't get mad, we were only having fun," said Tera hurriedly. "Sorry if we annoyed you or anything..."

"Oh. My. God." Akira whipped her head around once more, putting on a mock, shocked face. "Did I just hear Aido apologise to me? Mercy, the world's gonna end today."

"Stop turning around and look at the road, Akira!" gasped Shika, panicky. "What if a crazy lorry hurtles out of nowhere?"

"The great samurai will simply avoid it, won't she?" purred Tera, a mocking smile etched on her lips.

"Of course I will," snorted Akira, hiding a grin. "Like, duh. Why won't I avoid it?"

"Akira!"

"Okay, okay, Shika darling! Stop turning into a panicked deer every time I look away from the road, can you?"

Akira weaved through the busy streets, checking the time. It was a quarter to eight, fifteen minutes more to the designated meeting time. Rain began to fall as they entered Mitakihara, and Kureha groaned. "But I don't like rain. It's so gloomy!"

They got off at the parking lot of the Central Park, getting out their umbrellas. The air was choked with mist, and their vision was limited.

"What the hell is up with this mist? I can barely see two metres in front of me," Tera complained, swatting at the condensed water droplets with her hand.

"Heh, it is this type of weather that I excel best when fighting," said Akira with a smirk. "Ice forms ever so easily with mist about." She extended her fingers in front of Tera's face and made the droplets freeze into the shape of a tiger, pouncing and prancing about. It bared it's tiny fangs at the girl and swiped out with a claw, then exploded into mist once more. Tera's tigerish features lit up with awe. With a simple snap, Akira then froze an entire circle of ice around them, forming a barrier, and with another snap, it was gone, leaving behind flakes of snow. Kureha's eyes shone as she caught the flakes on her tongue like a child who just witnessed snow for the first time.

"You great big show-off," chuckled Shika.

"Well, can't help wanting to do some summoning practice," shrugged Akira, smiling smugly.

"Oda-senpai, how do you do that? Oh, oh, can you teach me?" Kureha squealed, jumping up and down in excitement.

"Unfortunately, no." She winked at the little girl. "It's a move that only samurais can learn."

"I wanna be a samurai too when I grow up!" Kureha said enthusiastically, but stopped when she realised something. "But I'm a musician, not a samurai... Awww, it sucks."

"Musicians are awesome too, so no worries, little one," laughed Akira, patting her on the head. Kureha gave her a big, puppy-like smile, adoration clear on her face.

"You just got yourself a new fan, senpai," grinned Tera. "Not sure if you'll be able to handle her though. She's fiery like me, and she's gonna make you lose your cool, geddit?" Her eyebrows waggled in the most aggravating fashion as she twirled the umbrella playfully.

Akira shot Tera a mock glare that said 'you-are-the-epitome-of-unbelievable-you-crazy-tiger', then stalked off, saying, "Come, the meeting's about to start. Tardiness is never a virtue."

***

Oriko fussed about Kirika as they settled down at the gazebo with the Strike Force members, making sure her sling was in the proper place. Ever since her arm got broken, Kirika had become incredibly jumpy, flinching at the smallest possible sounds and thinking that Wraiths were upon them.

"What if those bamboozles appear, Oriko? I can't fight them off with this useless lump!" she had cried out when they met her at the hospital. Oriko could only console her and tell her that all would be fine. After all, they've still got Mami and Kyoko, as well as the twins. They could easily fend them off if needed. Kirika didn't look convinced, but she had to make do with it.

"Do you think I should go over to the entrance to meet them?" asked Mami. "They've never been here before, and they could probably get lost."

Oriko agreed that she should, so off went Mami with her yellow umbrella to the main entrance, squinting her eyes for any sign of the Kazaminoans. The mist was making it hard to see anything clearly. There they were, standing next to their car, and was that... ice all around them? Mami blinked hard to make sure she wasn't dreaming. Now, the ice had disappeared and was replaced by a flurry of light snow instead. Maybe the mist was playing tricks on her.

"Hello there!" she called out, waving cheerily. "Kiyomizu-san, Oda-san! We're over here!"

Shika perked up at Mami's voice, and gave a reply, "Tomoe-san, hi!" Akira waved back from under her umbrella, and Tera grinned, lifting up a palm in greeting. Kureha laughed and ran to Mami, dragging Eruna along while chirping energetically, "Wheee, time to meet friends again! Let's go let's go let's go!" Nothing could bring down the young girl for long.

From above a tree, Homura Akemi watched the girls walk off for their meeting, and quietly tailed them, her footfalls making no sound at all even in the damp grass. Her spies had worked well for her; she was glad she managed to enrol them into her service. Ah, such pitiable creatures they were, to stoop down so low, like simple-minded minions. Well, all the better for her. All she had to do was to make sure they got what they want, and that, she could grant easily. She laughed to herself, feeling elated at this unbelievable turn of luck. She was the Demon, and the Demon would always get what she wanted.

The fourteen girls crammed into the elegant little gazebo, with the two factions facing each other as in the first meeting. Homura slunk behind a tree placed conveniently next to the structure, drinking in every single word.

"We meet again, Puella Magi of Kazamino," said Oriko, opening the meeting. "Before we get to the topic of today's discussion, is there anything that needs voicing out?"

"I have something to say," growled Kirika immediately, staring directly at Tera. The tiger girl stared back and curled her upper lip, daring her to continue. Shika saw the both of them tense up, like circling pumas, and she looked away, pretending not to notice. The last time she tired to intervene, the results weren't as expected.

Unabashed, Kirika said, "You, Tera Aido, I'm not done with you yet. Just you wait until this arm heals, then you and I will be fighting to the death."

"Nah then, Brownie, you sure ya wanna do that?" snarled Tera, licking her fangs purposefully. "Wasn't gettin' flipped twice in a row enough for ya? Or do you wanna see even more MMA and judo moves? I'm ready for you, so just come at me." Her cat eyes glinted perilously, and she looked serious about it. Rikka placed a hand on her friend's knee to get her attention, then silently shook her head at her, her melancholic eyes exuding weariness. Tera stalled a further remark and folded her arms, pursing her lips, apparently getting the message to shut up.

Kirika saw that her adversary was quelled, and puffed out her chest, smirking. "Backing down now, eh, tiger? Or should I call you kitty instead? Haha!"

"You will not call me kitty, you insulting bag of foul wind!" said Tera irascibly, almost getting to her feet.

"Oh yeah, then why are you calling me Brownie, dear little Kitty?"

"Jesus Christ, you're so gonna die today, you frickin' piece of shit!"

"Look who's talkin', you're the one that's the little piece of shit!"

"Stop right this instant!" bellowed Akira, her fierce eye glaring at both Tera and Kirika. Everyone quailed at her sudden, ferocious outburst, including Oriko. "I shall not tolerate arguments that may lead to even more injuries. Shame on you, acting like children! Kure-san, show some respect, and don't go around looking for arguments! Isn't having one broken arm enough? And you!" She glared at Tera, who cringed inwards into herself. "If someone wants to pick a fight with you, what should you do? Challenge them? God, no! You show them that you're a civilized being and you won't use violence as a means to solve a disagreement. Do you understand that, Tera Aido?"

"Y-yes, senpai..." mumbled Tera, not daring to look into her senior's wrath-filled face. Rikka grasped the tiger's hand reassuringly, as Tera looked ready to cry.

Why am I still here for Tera? I should be distancing myself from her!

As if scalded, Rikka released her hold on Tera's hand, and looked ahead, her lips quivering. Tera was surprised at Rikka's reaction, but said nothing about it. Maybe Rikka was just having a bad day too.

The samurai girl exhaled forcefully, sweeping her gaze around the subdued Puella Magi. A sudden flash of lightning in the horizon backlit Akira's frame, making her look like the Demon reincarnated. Everyone concluded there and then that it was not a good idea to provoke the descendant of Nobunaga Oda. "That is all," she said in an icy tone. "The meeting may continue. If you please, Mikuni-san."

Oriko, who had wanted to say something about Tera's bad behaviour the other day, saw that the young girl had probably gotten a terrible shock at being screamed at by Akira, and decided to let the matter drop. Besides, she was afraid Akira might get incensed by her remark and start shouting again. Kirika, who was next to her, was twiddling her fingers awkwardly, staring at the tiled floor. It seemed that the brunette too, got a shock of her life.

The leader of the Strike Force said in as nonchalant a way as possible, "Yes, about today's meeting, I shall bring up the topic of everyone moving into my house again, in hopes that you have changed your mind. But if you have not, then I can do nothing about it."

"Our resolution has not changed, and we shall be staying in our own city, Mikuni-san," said Shika calmly, on behalf of the Kazamino side. They had concurred that staying with Oriko would only cause more havoc. "However, if you need our help, we are just a phone call away."

Oriko nodded understandably. "If that is the case then. The only other point I shall make is that of the sighting of Homura Akemi in what seems to be her residence. The twins have reported to me that they have seen the Demon living in the warehouse downtown, where the burnt flats used to be."

"You mean the one where they found the full skeletons of the two police officers?" Mami shuddered, thinking back on the news. Before, they had all thought it was a freak accident, but now they knew that it was the work of a Witch.

"Yes, that very same warehouse. It's no wonder why Homura Akemi would live there, it would only be befitting of such a character as hers. I plan for us to invade her when she would least expect it, and take her down there and then with our combined powers."

Akira raised a hand, a question formulating in her brain. Oriko apprehensively gestured for the senior to voice her thoughts. Whatever Akira had to say, she always found loopholes in her plans and challenged them, making Oriko feel irked.

"You say that the twins saw a sighting of Akemi, and not the real person in flesh and blood, right?" asked the white-haired girl. "What makes you think that she really is there, and it wasn't just an illusion? From what I've heard about this Demon, she is very good at manipulating the mind, isn't she? She may have caused the twins to see her there, when in fact, she is not. It could be her grand scheme to befuddle us, and lure us there as a trap to kill us all."

The Demon bobbed her head slowly, feeling compelled to be marvelled at this girl whom they called Akira Oda. She exuded superiority, and demanded unquestioned obedience. According to her Clara Doll's statement, it sounded like Akira was the third Puella Magi who had appeared on the night she tried to murder Tera Aido. She had seen Akira freezing the mist in the carpark, and was surer than ever that this modern-day samurai was the final Elemental. From what her spies had told her as well, she was not one to be toyed with, and her surpassing intellect in battle and out of it meant that she was a dangerous adversary. Already, Akira was seeing through her plot as if looking through transparent ice - Homura was annoyed, her plan may be foiled if this girl were to make Oriko Mikuni realise that rushing headlong into the warehouse was the stupidest idea on earth.

"If you plan on storming the warehouse without so much as a preliminary recon of the area, then you're mistaken. I refuse to follow this plan of yours until we get concrete proof that she is indeed there. Also, if she were there, we would have to have spies monitor her movements so that we can predict, with as much accuracy as possible, when would be the best time to strike. I expected more from you, Mikuni-san, you didn't seem like the type of person who would rush things, but I guess I was wrong." Akira's lips were pressed in a grim line as she said this, and Shika couldn't help but agree silently with her friend's sharp observation. Having Akira as a fighting partner for all these years had taught her many things, and one of them was to never charge at the enemy blindly without having a strategy first. It had saved them in many skirmishes, for example, the Battle of the Nine Witches, and conserved their magic store greatly.

Oriko flushed red and gave a peevish reply, "It just didn't occur to me that the Demon may have been playing tricks on us. I trust the twins completely though; they have been vital in information gathering and it couldn't have been a coincidence that they saw the Demon there." She glanced at the twins for support, and they nodded vigorously. Eruna cast a jaundiced eye at the pair, and instinctively felt that the two were hiding something. They were up to no good. However, no one else seemed to notice, she she kept mum about it. After all, she wasn't a fellow Puella Magi, and who was she to judge them?

"How about one of us go there now to stake out the warehouse? It's half an hour's walk from here, and would only take ten minutes by car," suggested Mami.

"Good idea, Tomoe-san!" said Oriko, relieved that someone was on her side. "Who volunteers to carry out this mission? At least two people should go, in case of an attack."

Yuma, Nagisa and Kureha were put off the list at once as they were too young; Kirika was excluded because of her broken arm; Oriko excused herself based on the reason that she was no good at defending herself; Eruna wasn't a Puella Magi. So that left Mami and Kyoko, Tera and Rikka, Akira and Shika, or the twins themselves. Akira then said the the twins shouldn't be included as they needed fresh witnesses who were not previously biased by the sighting.

"Since you're so adamant about wanting proof yourself, Oda-san, you should be one of the recon pair," said Oriko smartly. "Only then would you believe, am I not right? You're also the only one who can drive."

"Fair enough," nodded Akira. "In that case, I shall go. Who's following me?"

Tera sulked in her seat, still stung by Akira's earlier telling-off, and did not bother to reply. Rikka's already pale complexion had turned even paler the moment the topic was brought up, so she was out of the equation. Mami was not too eager about the prospect of possibly bumping into the Demon and stayed uncharacteristically quiet. Kyoko was still very hurt from the loss of Sayaka, and didn't feel like helping out right now. Akira sighed.

"Is no one going to come along?" she asked exasperatedly.

"I'll come, Akira," responded Shika. She stood up swiftly, a treacherous gleam in her eyes. Although she might be seeing Homura again so soon after the last encounter, she was not afraid. In fact, if Homura were to appear and assail them, she would retaliate and kill her without question. She could not explain why she felt such an intense hatred for the Demon; somehow, she knew that Homura Akemi had something to do with the One Month, and she wanted to get to the bottom of it. Her face darkened.

Akira recoiled slightly at Shika's savage image. The placid girl did not usually display such hate-filled emotions. Nonetheless, she replied, "Okay, let's go together then, Shika dear. Mikuni-san, the directions, if you please?"

While Oriko was busy drawing out a mental map for the two older girls, Rikka hugged her arms and shuddered involuntarily. The talk about Homura reminded her of the night where the Demon had invaded her house and made her do her bidding. The order to slay Tera was still floating at the back of her mind, nagging at her constantly, almost driving her crazy. A hard lump formed in the pit of her stomach, and she felt like throwing up. She tried not to acknowledge that Tera was looking at her, the tiger's previous bravado now replaced by anxiety. To look at Tera now was like looking Death straight in the face. She couldn't make out Tera's features. All she saw was a maelstrom of black and orange where her face should be.

Why did she ever agree to do it? Once she had agreed to make someone happy, she could no longer turn back due to her wish. Stupid, stupid me! she mentally berated herself, her fingernails digging deep into her flesh.

"Rikka...? Why are you hugging your arms like that?" Tera had dropped the honorific '-senpai' when she called her, and Rikka knew then that the guitarist was worried sick about her.

"I'm just feeling a bit chilly," lied the pretty singer, biting back a cry. She scolded herself over and over again, praying to the Heavens to ease her torture, but found no reprieve.

Very soon, Akira and Shika left, disappearing into the heavy mist. Homura hastily sneaked off towards the entrance, then flew as fast as she could for the old warehouse. They mustn't realise her schemes for them, and it was vital that she fooled the two Elementals into thinking she was indeed staying there. Grinning to herself, her awesome wings took her far and fast to her destination, as she readied herself to cast her ultimate illusion.

Oriko came back to the meeting, looking around the remaining Puella Magi. The tension in the air was gone after Akira's departure, and Oriko felt her confidence returning to her. However, they couldn't really carry the meeting with two important members absent, so Oriko took the opportunity to give Tera a lecture.

"Aido-san, don't you think that you've escaped my fury," said Oriko coldly, addressing the flame-headed girl. Tera snarled back, but wisely kept her mouth shut, as Akira had requested.

"Your behaviour that day was unacceptable. I hope that you will never go about trying to kill comrades ever again. I want to teach you a lesson, personally, but-"

Kureha stood up for Tera, saying defiantly, "It wasn't Tera-senpai's fault that Kure-senpai broke her arm! In fact, it was Kure-senpai who jumped at Tera-senpai, so there!" Eruna creased her brows at Kureha, warning her not to get involved in this, but the little girl was on fire. "If you say one more bad thing about Tera-senpai, I will show you what it means to be deafened by the sound of music. Oh, yes, I use music in my battles, and I leave my foes wailing on the floor, begging to be slaughtered. If you're up for getting your eardrums blasted, be my guest."

Oriko sputtered."A-are all you Kazaminoans that eager to scream and shout?"

Kureha lifted her pointy nose high and retorted, "No, I don't like to fight as much as you seem to hate losing, it's just that I can't stand bullies like you. And Tera-senpai is the same. She won't tolerate being belittled."

Kirika swiped out an arm, gesturing while roaring back, "Well, if only your dear Tera-senpai would keep her big mouth shut, then nothing would have happened! But no, she had to go around insultin' sky and earth, and that's what makes me mad!"

"You were the one that overreacted, else Tera-senpai wouldn't even start an argument! She's the sweetest tiger out there, and if you mess with her, you mess with me, Rikka-senpai and Eruna-chan as well."

"Kureha-chan, please, stop this,"whispered Eruna anxiously, tugging at the girl's shirt. "You're gonna make things worse!" But she might as well be talking to herself.

"Now then, why are we erupting into another argument as soon as Oda-san is gone?" said Mami sternly. "Mikuni-san, you're the leader. Do something about this before there is a mutiny." Next to her, Kyoko cracked her knuckles, simpering wolfishly at Oriko. "Yeah, leader, do something before I decide to overthrow you and put Mami at the head of this so-called Strike Force. I'm sick of this, and I hate you for Sayaka's death."

Oriko's brows knitted together crossly, taking Kyoko's threat seriously. "Stop this instant, all of you. Aido-san, I hope you've learnt your lesson-"

"There aren't any lessons to be learnt here, Mikuni-senpai," spat Kureha. She looked like a right little terror, her blonde hair hanging over her tempestous, electric yellow eyes. "One more word about Tera-senpai, and I'm taking out the big boys."

"Wow, so now, you're the one looking for a fight, eh, little birdie?"

"No, I'm not, but you're forcing me to."

Tera gave a dry laugh as she pushed Kureha back onto the stone seat. "Hah! Okay, you win, Oriko Mikuni and Kirika Kure. I've learnt my lesson, happy now?"

"T-Tera-senpai?!"

"It's fine, Kureha-chan, as long as it gets that woman to shut the eff up."

"Watch your language, kitty," growled Kirika.

"Stop calling Tera-senpai 'kitty'!"

"Then tell her to stop calling me Brownie!"

"Enough! Enough, I say! I'm getting a high-blood pressure from listening to this petty argument!" shrieked Kyoko, pressing her hands to her ears. "If you don't stop right now, I'm leaving!"

No matter what, Puella Magi were not meant to coexist. The Strike Force and the Kazaminoans found an invisible wall building up between them - Harmony? What did that word mean anyway?

***

The wind-shield wipers on Akira's car squeaked as she drove along the abandoned road littered with polystyrene boxes, punctured tyres and broken furniture. Weeds sprang up between the trash, and a rat or two scurried away from the rumbling vehicle. The place looked like it hadn't been visited by humans for a long time. Shika stared fixedly ahead, with only the Demon on her mind right now. If it really turned out that Homura was staying here, then it would be all too easy to launch a surprise attack anytime and kill her.

"Shika darling, do you think I was a tad too harsh on Tera-san just now?" Akira asked hesistantly. She looked downcast as she had said that, and Shika snapped back to reality, replying haltingly, "Maybe you were... But it couldn't be helped. Not in a situation like that... If you hadn't done what you did, I doubt the meeting would continue."

"Right you are, dear," exhaled Akira. "I just wished I hadn't shouted at her like that... She must be hating me right now."

"Don't worry, Akira, we'll find a way to solve this problem," said Shika, somewhat distant. "For now, focus on the mission ahead. It won't do to go barging in feeling unsteady."

"...Of course. You're right." Akira knew something was up with Shika, but daren't ask her. The deer within her was sleeping, and the inner dragon had come out to play.

The warehouse loomed into view, situated on the top of a small hillock. Akira parked her car in a hidden spot, behind a clump of brush, so that Homura may not see it. They got off the car, ignoring their umbrellas in favour for stealth, and carefully picked their way uphill. The earth was muddy and slippery, and was filled with stones and small shards of rubbish. The mist restricted their vision, but at the same time, it kept them well hidden. A blessing in disguise.

The reached the warehouse and skulked over to a grimy window, cautiously peering in. What they saw made their breaths catch in their throats. Expecting to see an empty, sawdust-filled room, the sight of a large array of cryptic timepieces scattered on the floor in a swirling pattern threw them off their feet. From the ceiling hung a large, sickle-like pendulum, swinging back and forth languidly. It looked like it could cut through time itself, such was it's wickedness. Various pictures floated around the space; Incubators, Puella Magi, Witches and Wraiths... but the picture that caught their attention was that of a large creature curled up within a glass dome. It had no definite form, but was alive and moving about in spasmodic twitches.

A cold hand seized at Shika's heart as the whole world melted away from her. All she could see and think of now was that creature. It called out to her in a warped howl, the agony of a multitude of voices infiltrating her whole being. They jabbed and prodded her with mental assaults, and Shika felt stripped to the core - exposed, vulnerable.

Come with ussss... Join usssss, Draakonjord...

Fear gripped her in its cruel talons as she grabbed Akira's hand, her eyes wide and stricken. Akira's quick thinking saw that Shika was being affected by the picture of the malformed creature, and made to pull her away, but the green-haired girl was rooted to the spot, her eyes blank.

A side door clicked open, and Akira immediately took the indisposed Shika around the waist and forcefully heaved them both into the nearby thick bushes. That seemed to shake the girl out of her trance, and the lustre returned to her forest green eyes. They could still look through the window though, and saw the Demon walk out of the room, her purple irises glinting with a light of their own. She has a suspicious look on her features, and headed for the window, scanning the area outside. The two girls held their breath and stayed as still as statues, their heartbeats thumping madly against their ribcage. The Demon's eyes landed straight on the bush they were hiding in, and Shika gulped as Homura stared directly at her. But after three blinks, Homura looked away and flipped her hair, turning her back on them and re-entering her room.

Akira and Shika melted into each other's arms, blowing out in relief. Without a moment to spare, they got out from the bush, wet and jittery, and made for the car in as discreet a fashion as they could.

It was true then, that Homura was staying here.

As the Demon watched the car driving for the Park at full speed, she purred complacently and stroked her Dark Orb. Now that they assumed she lived here, they would surely plan an ambush in hopes of killing her. She only had to wait for her spies to tell her the time and day, and the game would be set. She smirked at the gray skies, still not believing her luck.

"Let the slaughter begin... Haha... Hahahahahaha!"

***

"See, what did I tell you?" crowed Oriko in triumph as Akira related their message to the Puella Magi. Shika was still too afflicted by the encounter to say anything. "Yes, we can definitely set up an ambush for the Demon then. Come now, when would be the best time for this?"

The twins, who had been quiet up until now, spoke up, each taking turns to talk. "As Oda-senpai put it, we can't just rush in without knowing her schedule."

"Someone has to spy on her and monitor her movements-"

"-and from that intel, we choose the best time to strike."

"Wisely said, Queen twins," Akira said, still a little shaky. "However, the spy mission would have to be given to one of you here, as we live too far away to be able to carry it out proficiently."

"We'll do it, seeing as we haven't been really useful in anything," said Estella at once. Luna nodded, adding on, "We'll squeeze out so much information about her, we'll make you proud."

Eruna narrowed her eyes at them, her instincts telling her again that these two were trying too hard to be useful. But again, she said nothing about it, her saturnine mien displaying utter boredom.

Oriko beamed, pleased. "That is good. I shall let you two collect the necessary intelligence, and when you're ready to present it, we will have another meeting to discuss it further."

"Finally, something more productive than arguments," mumbled Kyoko. "Hey, twins, if you ever need someone else to tag along, I'm all open. I can't wait to give Homura Akemi a bashing up for messin' with me..." She was obviously thinking of the judgement she would wreak on Homura for taking away her beloved Sayaka. Yuma and Nagisa, who were next to her, inched away, feeling scared by the red-head's determination. They hadn't said a single thing during the whole meeting for fear of uttering the wrong words and galvanising everyone into a Scream Fest.

Oriko got up from her seat and strutted about like a proud peacock. "Ah, this meeting is going along well. I am very pleased. Is there anything else to be raised before I dismiss everyone?"

The Puella Magi looked at one another, waiting for someone to say something, but no one did. Oriko clapped her hands once, announcing, "Grand. This meeting is ov-"

All of a sudden, the ash-blonde girl clutched at her heart and fell to the floor, the whites of her eyes filling up with green light. Kirika was at her side in an instant, exclaiming, "She's havin' a vision, guys! Stay back!"

Stunned over this new incident, the Kazaminoans kept away, allowing Kirika to handle it. Oriko moaned and wailed as her hands flailed at the air, and Kureha hid herself behind Eruna, scared out of her wits. Eventually, the green glow in her eyes dimmed down, and Oriko stopped moaning. Covered in cold sweat, the girl sat up and placed a palm on her forehead, giving a quavering whisper, "I just saw a terrible vision..."

"What is it, Oriko? Tell us," urged Kirika, her gold eyes wide with fear.

"I saw... the destruction of the world. There was a huge Witch, the size of a mountain, with terrible wings and scales, and..." Oriko choked, lifting a hand to her mouth. "I-I can't remember what happened next."

There was a loud gasp from the girls. "Never mind what you can't remember, but... you were joking, right, Mikuni-san?" laughed Mami nervously.

"I am not joking, Tomoe-san."

"Let's just hope that you saw something wrong then," said Tera quickly, her I'm-freaked-out mode switched on.

"Yes... For once, I agree with you Aido-san. Let's hope I was wrong," admitted Oriko, looking petrified. Whatever she saw, it had driven away all her pomp and splendour, leaving behind a scared husk.

As the members disbanded, the rain fell heavier than before, matching the sombre mood of the Puella Magi. A Mega Witch was upon them, and that was not a very enlightening discovery. Even chatty Kureha had quieted down, and the drive back to Kazamino was unpleasantly mute. Tera was stooped over in her seat, Rikka was gazing out the rain-streaked window, brooding, and Eruna looked as undecipherable as ever. As Akira drove onto the street of the Kazamino School of Music and Arts to drop off the musicians, Kureha asked timidly, "Oda-senpai, do you think the Witch will really destroy the world? I don't wanna die..."

Compassion filled Akira's single stormy eye as she pulled over the curb and looked behind at the demoralised girls. A hand rested on the wheel as she said softly, "We can never predict the future accurately, can we? So why worry about something that is yet to come, that we cannot change? Live your life fully every single day, and never let the negatives bear you down. So we're going to die. Fair enough; everyone dies one day, be it young or old. All we can do now is to hope for the best, but expect the worst. If a Witch like that does exist, then it is our duty as Puella Magi to kill it."

"Yeah..." Kureha sniffed and wiped away a tear. Her friends all enveloped her in a hug as Rikka said, "Don't worry, Kureha-chan. We're all here for you. We'll go through this together."

Shika watched all of this with gimlet eyes, and she noticed that Rikka was merely putting up a brave front. She was, in a way, as good an actor at stowing away her true emotions like her.

Akira reached over to pat the blonde-haired girl's head. "Yes, little Kureha-chan. You have all your big sisters here to take care of you. So, give me a smile, and enjoy yourself at your band practice. Don't let some silly old vision bother you. Do you understand?"

Kureha nodded, giving Akira a watery beam. "I will, senpai. Thanks."

"That's the spirit. Now go and have fun!" Akira gave them one of her rare smiles as they got off the car, running into the building to get out of the rain. They waved goodbye, then turned away to head to their band room.

The instant they were out of sight, Akira hung her head in dejection, murmuring, "Now I really do hope that Mikuni had seen something absurd... I'm scared stiff, Shika..."

"Yeah... me too." Shika gazed at the rain drops falling onto the wind-shield, forming rivulets of water streaking downwards. She closed her eyes and sighed frustratedly.

Sensing that Shika was detached from the conversation, Akira said gently, "Shika dear, what's bothering you? Was it the picture at Akemi's residence?"

Ever perceptive, Akira had seen through her friend's stony mask. Shika, however, shook her head, saying curtly, "I'm completely fine. I just need to be alone for a while..."

Akira felt like a brick dropped on her head. Whenever Shika pushed her away, she felt like she was losing the only true friend she had in the world. "...If you say so."

They drove back in absolute silence, with only the rain mocking at them with their cheerful patter.

As soon as they got back to Shika's house, the girl took her dog and locked themselves in the bedroom, leaving Akira feeling hurt and confused. She wandered around the small house, unsure of what she should do. Her hand went to the bedroom door, meaning to knock on it and tell Shika to come out, but she swerved away at the last second, her courage failing her.

Shika had been on an emotional roller coaster ever since the day she cried at the Central Park, telling her about Kyubey and her role as Messiah. She had cried to her, laughed with her, shied away from her, came to her, joked with her; she was perfectly fine one minute, and the next, filled with seething rage.

Akira sank onto the small, bug-eaten sofa facing the forest outside, and dropped her head in her palms. To have Shika as a friend was her pride and joy, but it also brought pain and misunderstanding. She only hoped that the girl would either come out of this phase by herself, by talking with Yuki, or by opening up to her.

"Shika darling... How I wish I knew what was going on in that mind of yours..."

After sitting in the sofa for a full half an hour, she got up and set about doing her summer assignment, resigning to fate that Shika did not want to see anyone right now. Her phone buzzed once, twice, showing Takahiro's caller ID, but she just rejected the call and put the phone on silent.

Akira, too, wanted to be left alone.

***

As Tera strummed her guitar with increasing unease, she noticed both Kureha and Eruna glancing at each other worriedly, their minds not on the instruments they were playing, but on their lead vocalist. Tera's fingers plucked at her guitar strings automatically as she glanced at her friend. The bluenette was staring into space, her lips moving in a hum along with the bridge of the song they were playing, Close To You. When they entered the second verse, her voice sent chills down their spines.

Why do stars,
Burn up in the sky?
Every time you walk by?
Just like me,
They long so much,
To kill you...

"O-Onee-chan, those aren't the lyrics!" stammered Eruna, her grip on her cello loosening as she flipped the pages of her score to look for the lyrics. The instrument scraped against the wall as she let go of it, and Kureha had to catch it for her before it fell down. All music came to a screeching halt as Tera's final strum went out of tune, screeching harshly in the still air. Eruna jabbed her finger at a page, declaring anxiously, "There, look at this, onee-chan. There's no mention of killing or stars burning..."

Sure enough, their vocalist was singing the wrong things, unconsciously changing the lyrics. Rikka looked at the score in utter dismay, her fingers running across the lines as she read them. She was sure she had them memorised just a while ago. What had induced her to give voice to those horrible words?

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to!" said Rikka in a rush, her hands trembling as she readjusted the sheet music on the stand. She had never made such a trivial mistake in her whole career as a singer.

Thoughts of Homura and her words came into her mind for the hundredth time that day. She felt her fingers crackling with her deep blue energy, trying to summon up a dagger on its own will to be stabbed into the heart of Tera Aido. Turning her back to her worried bandmates, she clasped her hand to her chest, trying to stop it from jerking uncontrollably.

Am I losing my mind?

She glanced at the wall clock ticking away. Time was robbing her of her life, second by second.

God, am I losing my mind? Please tell me I'm not...

The small inset gem on her ring swirled up with black spots, and she turned it over so that she won't see it, refusing to accept her destiny. Tears stung her eyes, but she pushed back the oncoming flow, resisting the urge to cry.

Oh God, please help me... Please answer me. Please! Tell me I'm dreaming, tell me I'll wake up and find that this was a horrible nightmare. Tell me something, anything! Please!

But God did not answer her, like usual, and Rikka felt the desolate emptiness of her mind pressing down like weighted darkness.

What was God anyway if He couldn't answer her prayers and pleas?

She turned back to face her bandmates, wearing a pleasant expression. Her pretty smile crinkled her depthless eyes.

Screw you, God.

"Sorry, guys, I just got lost in my thoughts for a while there," she smiled apologetically. "Come, let's try it again, shall we?"

Tera hefted her guitar onto her thigh, exchanging meaningful glances with the other two girls. She said carefully, "Rikka-senpai, do you wanna postpone this practice to another day? You don't look well enough to sing..."

"You look sick, like you're about to vomit."

"Yes, onee-chan, listen to them. You are not fit to sing today."

Rikka looked at the three girls in turn. Her fingers grew cold as the blood gathered at her head, making it spin. Woozily, she got up and stumbled across to them, her feet catching on the rug. Tera chucked her guitar to the side and caught Rikka neatly as she fell in a faint, soundless with shock. Hugging her close, Tera shook Rikka urgently, saying something in a garbled language. The singer's arms were dangling freely over Tera's broad shoulders, away from the sight of the three girls. Everything was covered in a red haze; she couldn't think properly.

This is it... Kill her now.

Her foggy mind registered the thought, and the dagger gleamed into existence between her fingers.

Yes... Kill her now. Just thrust in the dagger.

Her arms felt like they belonged to someone else. The weapon hand raised itself, readying for the deadly blow. Rikka slipped into half-consciousness, thinking of the Lord's punishment that awaited her in Heaven after she had carried out Homura's deed. But then again, God was never there for her when she needed Him, wasn't He? So why should she fear something that wasn't there?

Screw you, God. Screw you and your insincere existence.

The dagger flew downwards in a black arc, the tip piercing Tera's skin and drawing blood. But it went no further, as Tera herself was gripping at Rikka's arm firmly. The tiger gaped at her friend, not wanting to believe that Rikka had almost killed her. If she had not seen the blue glint of the dagger, she would have been dead by now. The blue-haired girl did not fight back though, and simply crumpled to the floor, out cold. Tera hastily thrust an arm under the singer's shoulders, breaking the fall.

"What just happened...?" breathed Kureha, kneeling next to the fallen Rikka. The colour in her ruddy cheeks was lost, chased away by the horror within her. Eruna's normally hooded eyes were wide with terror.

"Call for a teacher, Eruna, now!" ordered Tera, her husky voice cracking up. Whatever had happened to Rikka, it was not anything they could handle, and they needed help. Eruna raced down the corridor without a word, sprinting for the office.

"Goddammit, Rikka, please be okay!" cried Tera, hugging her friend close. She buried her face in Rikka's hair, suppressing her tears for the sake of Kureha, who was badly shocked and already crying. They waited and waited for the teacher to come, each painful second trickling by like a clogged stream. Kureha pressed herself against Tera and wept like a babe, all the events of the day proving to be too much for her to handle. Tera placed an arm around the little girl and tried to comfort her, but she herself was shaking so badly that no words came, her bile-filled throat unbearable and bitter.

"Unhh...Tera...chan?" Rikka's moan was barely audible, but Tera heard her as clearly as day. Her resolve to not cry was shattered at once.

"R-Rikka?! Oh, Rikka, you scared the shit outta me!" sobbed Tera, breaking out in a cry of relief. She clasped her friend's hand tight as tears squeezed out between her shut eyelids. "Please don't do that to me ever again!" Kureha threw herself onto Rikka, hugging her like she would never let go.

"I'm sorry... I just- I'm just so... tired." Rikka's beautiful eyes glazed over with a watery film, and it was then that Tera felt like screaming, remembering Eruna's words.

After the night where Homura had set the nine Witches loose on them, Rikka had not been the same. For three days running after the meeting with Oriko and her gang, Eruna had called Tera to report about her sister's odd behaviour - how she never seemed to be with her during their daily prayers, how her easy smile never reached her eyes, how she didn't touch her food at all. She cried herself to sleep, was restless all the time, and had snapped at her when Eruna suggested they call her boyfriend, Shin Kobayashi, over to try and cheer her up. Her kind and easy-going demeanour had simply vanished, leaving behind a strained, fake sort of happiness. This was the worst mood swing Eruna had ever witnessed in her sister, besides the time when their parents had died, and she was at her wit's end trying to help Rikka get better.

And now, after today, Tera finally understood what Eruna had meant. Her dear Rikka had disappeared, eaten away by a paranoid, wild-eyed girl.

"Don't you worry, Rikka. We're gonna help you. You won't go through this alone." Tera brushed Rikka's damp blue hair out of her face lightly, her voice shaking with emotion. She had to help Rikka, or she would have to relive the One Month... to see Rikka broken and deranged, to see Rikka dead... Tera slapped away the very idea of it, denying with all her might that Rikka had regressed to the old days, where depression had followed her like a shadow. "You'll be okay soon, right, Rikka? Please say yes..."

The fathomless blue eyes of Rikka betrayed none of her conflicted feelings. "...Yeah, I will. I'm glad I've met you, Tera-chan..." she whispered, reaching out a hand to pat Tera's head. Her smile was crooked as a tear ran across her lips. "And I'm sorry for doing this to you..."

I'm sorry for having to kill you.

The dagger appeared swift and keen in her hand, and before anyone could stop her, it was pushed hard into Tera's chest, up to the hilt. Kureha screamed, while Tera looked at the knife sticking out of her heart, her face contorted in disbelief.

The tiger fell backwards, and Rikka collapsed onto her side, smiling foolishly. "There, Homura Akemi... I've killed Tera-chan for you... Are you happy now? Are you happy with me...?" She gave a delirious hiccup of laughter and blacked out, the world coalescing into a spinning mess of lies and hate.

Hello, guys...
Yes, it's a blasted cliffhanger, and yes, I just made Rikka stab Tera.
I have worked hard in this chapter, and by far, it is the hardest one to write yet. I hope the emotions came through, because as I said, I'm not so good at that yet.
All I have to say now is that updates will be back to normal as my college is coming to an end. I'm aiming for weekly updates.
Hope you err... enjoyed reading this chapter.. ^^""

~SaitheVivana