"Where are we going?" Kirika kept to Oriko's heels, trying not to get left behind. "Do you know where she is?"

"No," Oriko replied evenly. "But I need to find Madoka. Or Rena. If I could just warn them-"

"How are you going to do that?" Kirika was confused. "Aren't they up in the skies somewhere?"

"Yes," Oriko stopped walking. Holding out a hand, she let her soul gem come out, a ball of pale blue that quickly solidified into a gleaming soul gem.

"Transform with me," Oriko ordered, distracted as she released her magic, letting it clothe her in her pale-coloured magical girl outfit. "I need your magic."

Kirika said nothing, but pulled out her blood red soul gem.

"Hold the magic I send into you," Oriko closed her eyes, sitting on the ground cross-legged. Kirika sat next to her, letting her magic transform her as she settled on the ground.

Kirika glanced at Oriko and saw that the older girl's face was set in a determined and focused expression. As she looked on, she felt her soul gem pulse.

Looking down, Kirika saw her soul gem glowing brighter than ever as magic flowed into it, from an unknown source. A foreboding sense of dread made her turn to Oriko's soul gem, clasped in Oriko's pale hands.

The once brilliant blue soul gem now darkened with the second, grey cloud-like despair flooding through it as Oriko continued channeling her magic into Kirika.

"Oriko?" Kirika whispered, not wanting to disturb Oriko's plans, but fearing for her best friend. "Hey, are you okay?"

Oriko's face barely flickered as she continued to meditate, magic flowing from her to coil inside Kirika's soul gem. Dread coiled in Kirika's stomach like the magic that continued to coil within her soul gem. Oriko's soul gem darkened dangerously by the minute, now a dusky, blue and black. Kirika couldn't help wondering what would happen if her soul gem turned completely black.

A drone filled her ears, registering slowly in her mind. Glancing up, she saw Oriko's lips moving slightly as she muttered something.

Leaning forward, Kirika heard Oriko's barely audible voice mumbling the same words over and over.

"Madoka, Madoka, Madoka, Madoka..."

As she spoke, her soul gem trembled visibly in her hands. A crack appeared, as darkness continued to overflow, seeking a way out of her soul gem. As her soul gem struggled to contain the growing despair, Kirika saw Oriko's body tense and tremble as well, affected.

Why wasn't Madoka coming?

Oriko's mouth opened, a silent gasp escaping as her body fell to the ground, a dull thud resounding.

"Oriko!" Kirika didn't hesitate to scramble over to Oriko's still form and the almost pitch black soul gem.

~~~

"That's better," Mami beamed at Sayaka and Yuuki. "Do you want to try again?"

They sat in a park, in the edge of a clearing, away from all the other families having a picnic. Who knew what they would think if they noticed the three of them using magic?

"I'll pass," Sayaka shook her head. "I've done enough for today." She yawned, stretching her arms out.

"Mind if I try?" Red hair bobbed into view as Kyoko crouched into the circle, her teeth bared into a wicked grin.

"Did you see what we were doing?" Yuuki looked surprised. "I didn't realise anyone was watching."

"Me and Yuma were playing spies," Kyoko's white teeth flashed as she looked up. "Come on down, Yuma!"

"Y-yes," a quiet answering call could be heard as leaves rustled from the tree above. Seconds later, the small form of Yuma landed on the ground clumsily. Leaves blended into her dark green hair, which Kyoko reached over to flick out affectionately.

"You're teaching her bad habits," Sayaka scolded Kyoko, looking over at Yuma. "Really, getting her to spy on others." Kyoko laughed, settling down onto the grass beside Mami.

"It's how we survive," she replied. "If it hadn't been for stealing, I would have died long ago, and Yuma probably would have as well." She bit down on a bright red apple that had somehow appeared in her hand.

"Why?" Yuuki looked intrigued. "Why would you have died?"

Kyoko stiffened, looking over at the brown-haired girl. She didn't know her, Kyoko realised, but she had seen her with Sayaka, laughing like sisters and best friends. Finding Yuma had drawn her away from Sayaka, and because of this, Sayaka found a new friend?

"This is Yuuki," Sayaka interrupted Kyoko's thoughts with a smile.

"She's a friend of my family's. She contracted a while ago, but I never knew," Sayaka's smile grew wider. "I should have realised thou-"

"I have to go now," Kyoko interrupted, brushing the grass off her clothes as she got up. "Come on, Yuma."

The 9 year old looked up in surprise from where she braided long grass stalks into a bracelet. "Why?"

"We had an appointment remember?" Kyoko lied. She had never had an appointment in her life, but Yuma probably didn't know that. "Hurry up."

"Okay," Yuma's fingers remained closed around the grass bracelet as she let herself get pulled along by Kyoko. "Bye bye, Mami, Sayaka, Yuuki!"

Kyoko didn't look back as she fled the park. When she did, it was to check that Yuma was alright.

"Does Kyoko actually have an appointment?" Was the first thing Yuma asked as she walked alongside Kyoko.

Kyoko paused, trying to come up with the right answer. She was a master at lying and covering her mistakes, but this time, just this one time, her mind hit a blank.

"No," she replied slowly, trying to come up with a reason. "I...was hungry."

"Kyoko's always hungry," Yuma sighed in defeated exasperation. Luckily for Kyoko, she didn't make any further comment.

With an inward sigh of relief, Kyoko kept walking down the street, keeping her strides short so as not to lose the 9-year-old next to her.

"That was quick," Sayaka watched Kyoko's retreating form curiously. "She comes in then rushes off like...like...well, she's just so fast."

"She seems angry," Yuuki remarked, plucking at a strand of grass. "Did I say something wrong?"

"Well, you brought up her past," Mami responded gently, pulling some plastic cups from her bag. "She doesn't like to talk about it."

"Oh," Yuuki was silent. "I don't want to pry, but what did happen to her?"

"I'm actually not that sure," Mami paused, thinking. "I know she had some family problems, but she never really told me about - What was that?"

A sharp crack snapped through the air, sound waves throbbing the air like thunder, but the sky was still clear and blue.

"It came from the plateau," Sayaka pointed at the air behind Mami. "There's something strange going on."

~~~

Kirika jumped as the sound of cracking filled her ears. Leaping to her feet, she watched as the sky seemed to split apart, the light blue opening up to reveal a seamless mass of space.

Light poured out of the gap, blinding her, as she heard Oriko gasp.

Pink filled her view then, blocking out the light blinding her, but white cloth rustled past her almost immediately afterwards, bringing back more blindness.

"That was a big risk you took," Kirika heard a childish, but angel-like voice say. "Why did you call me?"

"Madoka," Oriko's strained voice woke Kirika from her stupor.

"Oriko," Kirika held a hand out blindly as she tried to find her way to Oriko. She trusted everything Oriko had told her, but she didn't believe Madoka could erase all the grief she had last seen tainting Oriko's soul gem.

"Over here," a cool hand gently clasped Kirika's outstretched one. "Over here, child."

Another one? Kirika almost opened her eyes again, but light still burned and logic told her to keep them closed.

"Oriko?" Kirika croaked as she felt someone tug her skirt, pulling her into a sitting position on the ground.

"It's me," Oriko's voice was calm and steady. As she heard it, Kirika felt a rush of relief. Oriko was fine.

"Kirika?" The more she heard that voice, the more familiar it sounded, Kirika frowned. "You can open your eyes now."

Slowly, Kirika eased one eye open, the second one following suit as she found, to her relief, that there was no longer light blinding her.

"Madoka," Oriko addressed the pink-haired girl hovering in front of her. Her white dress billowed out behind her, accompanied by the long pink strands pf her hair. "I have to warn you-"

"I watched it all," Madoka interrupted simply, with a smile. "But will Homura-chan really do such a thing?"

"She will," Oriko pleaded deserately. "I saw it. In a vision."

"There's nothing that can be done," Madoka replied softly. "When her soul gem cracks, it is my duty to come and erase the grief. If she wants to take my power, there is nothing I can do."