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A Magical Revolution [Azecreth & Wingshadow]

Leaving aside whatever worries Sayaka might be having, given how irrelevant they were right now, Kyoko and Homura continued on in their journey, hardly dissuaded. They managed to avoid any fights for now as they made their way to civilian dwelling, past apartment complexes and stores, avoiding magical girls and civilians alike given how dangerous it was right now. They had no way of knowing who had joined up with the attackers, so it was a risk that wasn't worth taking. When the were sure, then they could move back out into the open.

At last they arrived, coming to a stop in front of one of many houses, seemingly no different from the rest. That would make sense for a safehouse though, and Hmura did not waste any time as she walked right up to it, Kyoko following behind. A key was produced from Homura's shield and she unlocked the door, glancing back before stepping inside and allowing them in as well. There was a slight surge of nervousness at allowing this, but she had no choice. And besides, it was Kyoko, the most reliable one in the cycles. If anyone could handle it, it would be her.

Inside, the house seemed remarkably mundane. There was a living room, a kitchen with a stocked pantry, even if there was a bare minimum of furniture. The other awkward thing would be the room full of guns, of all shapes and sizes, the lab in the garage for making explosives, and the escape route in the basement should they ever need to get out in a hurry. But for now, they would be safe.

Homura took up a silent position as Kyoko sat down on the couch, giving off the impression of relaxing as she looked at the tv. Well, appeared to be, since her teeth were grinding in a way that wasn't exactly indicative of a calm mind. "I've gotta get a message out," she said abruptly. "Let the city know that me and Mami're still alive and kicking. Get in contact with my people. Then we can start kicking these bastards out of my city."

Homura was silent for a moment before providing answers. "There is a hardline connection here. If the military commanders have not been cut off, we can get in contact with them. I would suggest you get some sleep though. It would be better to plan when you aren't tired." She would make the effort, though she had a feeling as to how it would turn out. Then again, this situation was unprecedented enough that she was willing to have some give with her usual strategies.

And indeed she was right as Kyoko snorted. "Please, you think I'm gonna sleep when someone's trying ta steal Mitakihara right from under me? No way." She looked around then, sharp eyes trying to find something. "You got a map in here or something?" Homura nodded, producing a map from her shield and opening it on the coffee table. Time to get to work.

--------------------------

This fight had been difficult as expected, though it could have been worse, Scythe supposed. Mami was doing a good job of using her firepower to her advantage and keeping her distance, even having scored some glancing blows that sent trails of red winding down her force and ripping tears in her clothes. But it wasn't enough to take her down, not without the element of surprise on her side, or some underestimation of her ability. This girl was skilled enough that she wasn't going to go down as simply as the girls in the hospital had, that much was for sure.

"What can I say," Scythe ceded as she pressed the offensive,scythe slashing through the air and coming tantalizingly close to a hit even as Mami pulled herself out of the way. "I like a challenge." At that point the combat style shifted ad she reacted, meeting melee strikes with her own, and deflecting the following shots as best she could. This until Mami pulled herself away with a ribbon, resuming the distance that had been there before, and prolonging this fight.

The surprise was noted and acted upon, though Scythe could only continue on forward as she had thus far, twirling and dodging while getting in close to continue to strike, blade swinging and rippling in the air. It seemed the gunner was a bit off her game, which was a shame. She'd hoped to have faced down the head of the city at her strongest and beaten her anyway, but this would have to do. Certainly Mami didn't seem to have any tricks left to call on besides muskets and ribbons, so now it would be a relatively easy matter. She just had to get past the blond's defense and it would be over. So, confidently, she pushed forward to do just that.
 
Mami continued the fight, but time and time again her reaction times proved too slow to land a decisive blow on Scythe. Bullets whistled past her face and cheeks, but none struck anything remotely vital. Gritting her teeth together Mami swung one of her muskets forward, forcing Scythe back for just a moment before jumping back, slamming her shoulder into a nearby brick wall and smashing through it. Fragments of brick and dust clouded the air and Mami panted, clutching her shoulder as she backed away from the hole she had created.

Fighting one-handed, Mami continued to give ground, only much more rapidly than before. Doubtless Scythe could smell the blood in the air, the anxiety and panic in the blonde magical girl's movements as she switched between attacking and pulling herself to safety with timely utilization of lengths of ribbon. She turned and shifted, her movements so much more lax and rudimentary, it seemed that even her own strict conditioning had begun to fail her.

Mami dashed in toward Scythe, swinging a musket in an upward strike, hoping to catch her off-guard as a last-ditch effort to make an opening. It was now or never, but even then her strike failed to meet its mark, only meeting thin air. Her arms were upward and body extended. In an open acknowledgement of her imminent fate, she mumbled.

"Sorry, Kyoko-"
 
Scythe could feel the advantage, the momentum of the fight shifting her way and pressed it, though it remained similar to how it had been before. And yet while Mami continued to try and speed up, Scythe could maintain her pace, even as the blond smashed through a brick wall in her effort to keep some distance in this fight. That had obviously failed, and with the inability to land a solid hit the outcome would be as conclusive. Especially when the blond was only fighting with one hand. At that point, it was almost unfair how easy it was for her to win this. Perhaps she'd chosen a bad time for this match then.

Well, there was nothing to be done about it now, and she dodged the last, final hit as she swayed backwards, allowing it to pass through thin air before striking on her own, blade swinging in to finish the job that the sniper and the other girls had failed at, and kill her once and for all. It was not the end many would expect, but it was the one she was given, whether it could be considered a blessing or not.

Then sudden motion from the corner of her eye, and scythe dodged quickly, weapon twirling, as a grey figure emerged from the side and deflected her hit, wielding claw blades and moving incredibly fast, at least that was what it seemed like to those present. If she was paying attention, Mami might recognize her as one of the girls that she had seen fighting Sayaka so long ago, only this time she fought on her side, rather than against her.

At that point a voice rang out, a figure of white behind the new arrival. "Would you like to know how this ends? Kirika here is going to let herself be stabbed to kill you. If you'd rather not die, I would suggest that you retreat." Od statements there, but they seemed to have some effect, even if there was no way to know if the girl in white was being serious or not.

And it seemed that Scythe was unwilling to test it as she lowered her weapon and backed away, sighing in resignation. "Fine. Three on one aren't my favorite odds, and beating you when you're like this isn't too fun. Well, don't run into mye again if you don't want a repeat." With that, she was gone, leaving Mami with the new arrivals, the ones who had saved her.

The figure in white, also recognizable from that day, stepped forward then, wielding no visible weapon to fight with. "Are you alright, Tomoe-san," she asked her tone calm and courteous, a person cool under pressure, if appearances were anything to go by. Then again, Mami would be one to know how fragile appearances were, and what might lie beneath them. For now she had survived though, and that would have to be good enough as her rescuers gave her their attention.
 
Mami took two steps back, retaining her footing and once again bringing her weapon to the fore. She noticed some similarity to a magical girl she had seen before, but in light of recent events she could not quite place her at the moment. She maintained her ready stance, not trusting these new arrivals any more than the last. She lifted both her arms, showing that the injury to her left arm had simply been a fake, a ploy to draw her opponent in.

"You let her get away, you know... In a few seconds more I would have had her," Mami spoke to the figure in white, "I suppose you have your own reasons for interfering, correct?" She flipped both her muskets and planted them barrel-down in the floor before reaching her hand up and bouncing one of her hair drills, almost dismissive of the two girls before her as she drew out a tea cup with her free hand and tipped it to her lips.

Mami Tomoe had a tendency to remember faces and names, and the fact that she had a difficult time placing either with respect to these two gave her reason to remain cautious, despite the fact that they had risked life and limb to protect her. She spoke to them through a proxy, a ribbon double who would have served as the perfect trap for Scythe had she managed to land that final blow, but even so she still maintained her distance. Current events forced her to show none of her hand if she wished to live. The real Mami remained some distance away outside the building, having slipped away in the time it had taken her to break through the building's wall and the dust cloud to settle.
 
Whether Oriko knew about the switch that Mami pulled, or the fact that she was now talking to a ribbon clone would be hard to determine. In reality though she was already well aware, thanks to her precognition. But in spite of that she kept where she was, figuring that it would be at least better to pretend, for the blonds peace of mind. She didn't need herself being shot or tied up right now, in a delicate situation such as this. There were a lot of variables and elements at play, throwing the future into flux, and she would have to act carefully to set it onto a path that she wanted, as opposed to one that led to the destruction of them all.

Kirika was more alert, and yet trusting of Oriko at the same time as she responded to the question. "Of course," she admitted. Lying would not be for the best, and so she refrained. At least, in a manner that Mami would be able to discern. "Pointless bloodshed helps no one. Especially when she may be of use against the greater threat that is coming." She said it simply, calmly, and waited for the reaction that she might get to this. Caution was the name of the game, and leading her along. And this, Oriko could do very well.

--------------------------

The city was in chaos, or at least some close approximation of it. Of all the things, neither Miyako nor Etsuko had expected a full on invasion by hostile magical girls. And now civilians were being forced off the streets, there were full scale grudge matches going on, the older sister thought she could hear explosions in the distance, and there had been one too many terrifying sights to behold at the same time. It was madness, chaos, but there it was anyway.

They moved through the streets at a run, having been out hunting when it all went down and now simply trying to get somewhere safe. Miyako stuck close to her sister, eyes wide, and a shudder running through her form as she heard a dying scream from....somewhere. This was all so strange, so terrifying, just like that day she had contracted only worse. It was all she could do to keep up and hope that no one stumbled across their path.

Glancing down, Etsuko could see her sisters worry, and she would admit that she shared it to some extent. But she had to be strong, had to be the tough one, to keep them both going if nothing else would. "Relax. We're going to make it, okay? We just have to stick together." She gave her sisters hand a squeeze, even if it was a bit tighter than she might like. She said the words, and she hoped, but she wasn't how sure she believed them, even with Miyako's illusion magic to work with.

Miyako nodded, squeezing back as she looked up at her sister, cloak flapping in the wind as they moved. "R-Right," she agreed with a hint of hesitation. She knew the bravado enough to see through it, but right now she really wanted to believe that it was true. If not, then who knew what might happen to them? For now they could only run, and hope.
 
"While I do find pointless killing quite distasteful, I do enjoy living," the blonde magical girl replied curtly, "And in my case, living requires that I defend myself against those who make it a point to seek me out with the intention of killing me." If it had been a mere dispute of some kind, Mami had no qualms about utilizing less-than-lethal force. Against commissioned assassins, however, Mami had much less patience.

Mami rested her hands against her waist, the tea cup and the dark fluid it contained residing in her hands, "So I am not the only one who has seen the signs. I was considering how to bring up the topic to Kyoko before my... Unexpected leave of absence." She brought the tea cup to her lips once again, looking over Kirika as well before returning to Oriko. She had certainly seen these two before, and memory fragments had already begun to return to her... Ah, of course. Sayaka had a tussle with them before, and here they were now. The timing was rather impeccable, and she doubted it was a mere coincidence that they had stepped in when they did. She resolved against drawing any conclusions at this point. After all, Sayaka had a way of unintentionally picking fights.

She studied Oriko carefully, watching for any visible cues she might betray, "You are referring to the Walpurgisnacht, correct?"
 
Oriko was calm as Mami stated the reasons for defending herself with lethal force now that she had revealed she was no longer in jeopardy. It was true enough at that, but Oriko had to play her part, and keep the card of her precognition close until she needed it. Knowing would merely invite more suspicion, even if she was glad that Mami seemed to not entirely remember her. Being recognized as someone who had avoided paying the grief tax and had made a point of not coming into contact with her. Hopefully it would stay that way for the moment.

"At the moment it looked like your life expectancy was very short," she pointed out with all due respect. "I'm glad to see that I was wrong." It had not bee a surprise, since precognition accounted for a lot of things at the end of the day. Even the threat that she had seen, which needed to be stopped by any means necessary. And if she had to mislead people like Mami to do it, then she would. The fate of the world defended upon it.

She nodded then, Kirika continuing to watch and wait for any possible threats to Oriko, and as ready to act if it emerged. In the meanwhile, Oriko talked with Mami. "That would be it, yes," she lied to some extent. "Against a foe like Walpurgisnacht, it would be best not to deny ourselves of things that might be useful against it. The Dreadnaught Witch does not have it's reputation for nothing. Especially if the city itself is to be preserved with a minimum of collateral damage." And hopefully they could avoid the aftermath of that, and fulfilling her purpose in life. She'd just have to see if Mami would agree.
 
"Yes, the despair and devastation that it inflicts upon the world whenever it appears is quite terrible, at least if its reputation can be taken as fact," Mami nodded, "It is a horrifying witch, one which is so powerful that it does not need to reside within a barrier to protect itself as it leaves nothing but destruction in its wake." The blonde magical girl understood the dangers well enough, although she had as of yet never seen it herself. Still, why did this silver-haired girl make it a point to bring it up? Did she have her own plans to defeat it?

"I considered calling a meeting with the nearby rulers to discuss a joint effort, but given that not all magical girls believe in Walpurgisnacht's existence makes it a rather risky venture at best. At worst, it could be perceived as a simple ploy to earn their trust before turning on and betraying them," Mami shook her head, "I would like to avoid such misunderstandings, as needless infighting would only make matters worse. It is the strongest witch, and one that could spell doom to any city in which it appears. To take the matter lightly could spell disaster for us all."

"The plan I settled on would be that Kyoko and I would go up against it when the time came. It is our duty to protect this city, and in that pursuit I would gladly risk my life. The two of us have fought side-by-side for quite some time now, and although we are not as close as I would like on a personal level, we do share a strong bond of trust," Mami continued, "Together we have fought against witch and magical girl alike, and never have we encountered an opponent too great for our combined strength. If there was anyone I would ever trust to watch my back, it would be Kyoko Sakura."

She then looked up at Oriko, "So, tell me... What is your plan on dealing with Walpurgisnacht?"
 
Oriko would admit to some relief as Mami noticed nothing amiss, and went along with her explanation for her actions. That would prevent problems, and now they could focus on the things that mattered. Just as she planned really. And now it was only a matter of moving things along to a good conclusion. After all, she didn't care about Walpurgisnacht in particular, but rather what came after that. And even with her precog she wasn't sure whether she should tell Mami about that, given that that future was still in flux, at least if she had her way. There was no need to worry the blond for nothing if she could help it.

"That is true," she agreed with a nod of her head, finding no disagreement there. "But if the other leaders have sense they will listen. There are some signs to indicate it's coming that are hard to miss, much less ignore. The migration of Witches from the surrounding region to Mitakihara, for one, as well as the shift of the underlying magical aura of the city itself." Then again, she didn't really need to try to find out if it was coming herself. She had an excuse. "At the worst, appealing to their self interest would be effective. None would want the Tokyo Authority moving in after the Witch has been defeated or passed on, since it would weaken their overall position in relation to the normal nations." And god forbid that something like that would happen.

Having addressed the idea of a council or meeting to discuss Walpurgisnacht, she turned to the other affair at hand, and the question of her own plan to be presented. She gave a slight bow at that point, graceful in the ceding of the initiative. "I will admit that at this point I do not have a plan guaranteed of success. I was merely acting to ensure that we have the greatest freedom of action in countering Walpurgisnacht when the time comes. While I do not doubt that both you and Sakura-san are skilled fighters, I am also wary that even the two of you will be able to defeat it by your lonesomes,"

She held back a shrug at that point as she went on. "However, all I can suggest is evacuating the city when the time comes, while the magical girls stay behind, as well as what support can be drawn from outside, to face it as one coalition. If that cannot defeat it, then nothing can." And let nothing be said of the Witch that might come after it, if they did not succeed.
 
"Perhaps I may have been too hasty to dismiss a meeting with the other leaders, but even so I find it difficult to believe we could arrange for a suitably neutral meeting place for us to discuss our options within the remaining time left before Walpurgisnacht's appearance," Mami closed her eyes for a moment, mulling over the complications of bringing so many admittedly antagonistic sides together in the same room. Perhaps they would listen to reason, but she doubted that there existed any magical girl who commanded sufficiently universal respect who could preside over the proceedings. While she agreed that working together toward this common goal would be mutually beneficial for all parties involved, the current circumstances made cooperation a difficult proposition to enforce to say the least.

"Yes... I have considered that possibility as well," Mami gave Oriko a slow nod, admitting her own uncertainty, "Failure would spell disaster not only for this city, but any city that is caught in its wake of destruction. However, single-mindedness not only ensures efficiency, it also leaves the window open for unexpected outcomes. The resolution of a conflict is just as important, if not more so, as bringing the conflict to a close in the first place, after all." She shifted her weight to the right, her gaze fixed upon Oriko intently.

"Still, might I ask what overall outcome you seek?" Mami spoke calmly yet firmly, "If you are perceptive enough to have seen the signs so far in advance as I have, why have you waited so long to approach me?" Her words flowed with gentle strength, reserved yet firm. She did not directly accuse Oriko of anything, yet the timing of their meeting could not be denied. Had the invasion attempt merely overshadowed even greater forces in the background, a broad curtain drawn across the stage to conceal the true purposes at work?
 
Oriko was hardly surprised as Mami considered and countered her options, which the seer had no problem with. She hardly would have gotten to this position without being smart after all. And so Oriko would accept them, even as she stood in place. "At the very least you should be able to get the ones in Walpurgisnacht's path," she pointed out. "If you fail then they'll be next." It might not be the most convincing, but she didn't mind in that regard. She knew how this would go, after all. And while the problem of respect was an issue, she was working on that as well.

Under the intent gaze, Oriko was perfectly calm, even as Mami admitted her nervousness with the situation at hand. But so long as she tried, there couldn't be a real complaint about it. She didn't shy away from the question though, even as she shifted on her feet, gesturing to herself at the same time. "Me? I merely want to ensure an outcome that ensures the safety of the world," she replied smoothly. It was the truth after all, even if Mami didn't know the entire reason behind it. That wouldn't help anything.

For the final question, she shrugged slightly. "I didn't think you would meet with me or take me seriously without some credibility built up beforehand. I'm glad to see my worry was unfounded. "A lie, but Mami didn't need to know that fact. Now to see how the blond accepted that reasoning. For how things needed to go, she had to act carefully. But if anyone could handle it, it was her.
 
Oriko's next words caused Mami's eyebrows to raise slightly. Wether she had done so intentionally or not, the magical girl before her had dropped an important hint concerning her identity. "Despite what you may have heard, I have been open and willing to receive all words offered to me from those whom I rule over," Mami replied, then lowered her gaze slightly, "You also do not strike me as one of the ruling magical girls who preside over one of the outlying territories." She paused, in order to allow the full weight of her words to sink in, "Therefore, I must assume you are either a wandering magical girl who has traveled to my territory specifically to meet with me, or you have been operating here for some time and have only recently decided to put your purposes into action."

"The timing of our meeting is not one that I can easily dismiss as mere coincidence," Mami continued, "So, tell me... Who are you, and what is your purpose for meeting me under these circumstances, when you could have easily spoken to me before?" She cast aside Oriko's simple lie, as although not all those whom she ruled over her liked her, none would deny how openly she spoke and interacted with them on a regular basis. The circumstances of the meeting were unusual as well, to say the least. While grateful for this mysterious magical girl's expressed goodwill, she could not shake the feeling that there was more to this girl than met the eye, and that fact alone maintained Mami's raised guard.

While a measure of the magical girl's caution toward Mami certainly had merit, the blonde magical girl had difficulty piecing everything together. Just how did this girl, the earlier insurgents, and Walpurgisnacht all fit together? Some key pieces remained missing, giving rise to the uncertainty which huddled about her heart. In Mami's mind at least, the difference between a valuable ally and a dangerous foe hinged upon Oriko's response.
 
"Guilty as charged," Oriko replied with a bow, while Kirika watched on now that things had turned more delicate than they had been before, even if this was merely a clone and not the real deal. "Though you must admit it would seem a bit odd for any random magical girl from the street to approach someone as important as yourself about a threat like Walpurgisnacht." It didn't matter whether she was correct or not, so long as she got across the message that she wanted to send.

So she went on, providing some more information. "My name is Oriko. My companion is Kirika." That was true, though whether Mami would connect it to her father was a much deeper matter. And frankly Oriko didn't care about that. It was just a means to an end. She then shrugged, nonchalant in her care. "Freelance, though we've been through this area before." Well, that was one way of putting it.

At last she went on, addressing the final question. "No particular reason, that's just the way this sort of thing happens. Though stopping a plot that could have destroyed any chance of beating Walpurgisnacht doesn't hurt either." Let Mami make of that what she would. Oriko was going to play it close to the vest as long as she could, to make sure that her own agenda was fulfilled. "Certainly I would have approached you before if I were able, but circumstances intervened. Your government is hardly a fan of wandering magical girls who refuse to play along with the rules." Now to see how that was received.
 
True enough, such matters would have seemed to an outside observer as a rather absurd task, assuming Mami had not already been aware of Walpurgisnacht and the threat that it posed to humanity and magical girls alike. Mami gave her a slight nod, although the tension in the air did not lift in the slightest. If anything, the air felt colder than before as soon as the magical girl before her spoke her name and that of her companion.

Oriko and Kirika, the magical girls that she had heard of before, who had allegedly aligned themselves with the Shadow Compact. Throwing around unfounded rumors, however, would only spark conflict, and in light of recent events Mami had taken up a much more guarded approach than before. although she inwardly flinched upon hearing their names, she knew better than to allow her emotions to play out upon her face. Instead, she simply nodded, determined to keep track of the pair for now and discuss the matter of the Shadow Compact at a later time. Two against one was not her favored odds, especially against two magical girls whose abilities remained anonymous for the time being. Plus, she hardly felt pleased with the prospect of being forced to attack someone who had just gone out of their way to protect her own well-being. "Well then, Oriko-san, Kirika-san... Allow me to formally introduce myself as Mami Tomoe, and welcome you. I would have preferred our meeting under different circumstances, to say the least."

"What do you mean by that?" Oriko's words peaked Mami's interest, "What do you know about Walpurgisnacht? Are you implying that defeating it aside from the combined strength of multiple magical girls is all but impossible, or is there something about Walpurgisnacht that I have missed?"

To Oriko's final remark, however, Mami could only reply, "It is a necessary precaution, albeit hardly a popular one. Without placing restraints upon the many magical girls opperating under my jurisdiction, there would be no means with which to enforce the peace. While my methods may appear needlessly burdensome and restrictive, they are effective to their intended end. Anyone who threatens the peace, naturally, is not kindly looked upon."
 
If there was tension in the air, then Oriko didn't react to it. She was used to such atmospheres, had dealt with it all the time in her dealings as a magical girl, and if she let it faze her now she would be doing her father a grave injustice. Certainly she could give nothing to a person like Mam Tomoe, who was the leader of the city and perhaps the second greatest threat to her plans outside of Homura Akemi. So she would have to continue to be careful, even as she worked to earn the leader's trust.

"Likewise," she confirmed gracefully, even as Mami moved on to the next topic, that of Walpurgisnacht and what it would take to defeat it. Of course, she didn't want to reveal her futuresight ability if she could help it, if only to keep the edge that she currently had in predicting how events would go. Having them plan around trying to counter her would just be annoying.

She could care less about the restrictions on wandering magical girls though, and let that go in favor of the more important topic. "Perhaps," she replied with that sense of mystery she had held on to thus far. "Personally, I am more concerned with what comes after Walpugisnacht, and the more force that can be brought against the Dreadnought Witch, the greater a chance there is for a happy ending. For all of us."

At that point she paused, before flashing Mami another smile. "While I would love to continue the conversation, this hardly seems like the time for it. Doubtlessly you have better things to do than to listen to me talk all the time." She had nothing more to say, not really, so she sought to end this encounter, before things could be pulled too far along. There was a gesture to Kirika to prepare to leave. Their work here was done.
 
Mami had no qualms about moving past the store topic of the matter of unauthorized magical girls, as the magical girls' purposes extended far beyond simply snatching up grief seeds and thereby committing tax evasion, that much remained clear. Exactly what they sought to accomplish remained a mystery, as her next comment brought to the fore. The ominous tone she set with both her words and her voice mystified Mami, prompting her to prod the magical girl for more information.

"What comes after Walpurgisnacht? Whatever do you mean by that?" the blonde magical girl tilted her head to the side slightly in apparent confusion and dismay. Her words implied that the witch's destruction did not constitute her purpose, yet was still related to Walpurgisnacht to one degree or another. A cold chill ran down her back, the realization that there may have been more to this than even she had anticipated from the start.

Mami knew better than to detain a potentially hostile pair of magical girls, especially when she had much more pressing matters to attend to. The discussion had only increased the number of questions on the table that remained unanswered, yet this one magical girl had hinted at an even greater and deeper truth hiding beneath it all. She gave them a polite nod, "Fair enough, but if you ever feel the need to speak with me again, do not hesitate to come to me directly. My door will always be open to those who have something to say." With that, Mami as well turned on her heel and walked in the opposite direction, her heels tapping as the sound resounded off the hard road and the cold, unforgiving walls on either side.
 
"If I succeed, it won't matter," Oriko replied calmly, obliquely. "I think you would sleep better at night not knowing, Tomoe-san." And that she knew much to be true. How to explain the apocalypse that could be waiting for all of them, were this not guided along in a way that led to a particular resolution. The last thing she needed to do was to risk the stability of one of the strongest magical girls in the city, and one so vital to maintaining the peace there as well. Even she knew better, without the usage of her powers.

She smiled, bowing then before stepping away from the fake as well. "Until we meet again," she called over her shoulder before gesturing to Kirika, who swiftly resumed a place at her side. It was time to get going, and she couldn't delay. She had appointments to keep, even as the city continued to swirl in chaos and violence. The future was still proceeding, and she would not let it go on without her influence upon it.
 
Sayaka's eyelids slowly flickered open, met by a dull ceiling above her head, that strange candeler-like thing Homura had in her livingroom swiging back and forth like an an ancient execution device set to slowly lower and decapatate her in her sleep. She reached up her right hand and wiped the sleep from her eyes as that unpleasant resemblance lingered, her gaze instead turning to the dimly-lit room around her. A few stray blankets lay strewn about on the couches, evidence of the makeshift sleepover their gracious host had arranged. She had never imagined Homura as a particularly artistic individual, but surely she could have come up with something a bit better in terms of taste than brightly-colored couches set in concentric circles. perhaps the previous owner had done the decorating, and Homura simply accepted it as is.

The bluenette slid her feet off the couch and stood up, her bare feet touching the cold floor. Given the absence of the others, she assumed they had already woken up and had moved to another part of the safehouse to discuss their options. She slid her feet across the floor, careful not to stumble into anything in the darkness as she made her way over to the nearest doorknob to look around a bit. A sudden realization struck her, however, as she remembered that they had failed to meet up with Mami the day before. Surely she would be alright. This was Mami Tomoe after all, but even so she could not help but feel a twang of worry for the blonde magical girl. Reaching out, she turned the knob and stepped into the next room, the sharp light from the next room rendering her temporarily blind.
 
It had been a long night, even after they had reached safety from the magical girls that had temporarily thrown the city into anarchy and chaos. They had operated on guard in shifts, though Homura had taken the brunt of it upon herself and allowed her companions to rest. She knew that they were less used to the rigors that their bodies could deal with, and so allowed them to refresh their minds and prepare for the say ahead. It seemed as though it would be desperately needed.

The city outside confirmed that, if nothing else did. Smoke rose into the sky and the air remained filled with noise, from fire and emergency services, to the all out warfare that had developed in the streets between magical girls, criminal elements, and the local police force. It was chaos, and it did not seem that it would come to an end any time soon. At least, so long as things stayed the way they were. But it wouldn't, not if the two members of the triad present had anything to say about it.

Sayaka would emerge to find herself, perhaps unsurprisingly, in the kitchen. It wasn't all that well stocked, in terms of the quality of flavor, but it seemed to be good enough for Kyouko as she dug into the food present. Then again, the way that her teeth clicked and tore chunks out of fruit indicated that it might be less her appetite, and more her anger at the situation at hand.

Meanwhile, Homura looked perfectly fine, as if the sojourn she had had guarding the both of them had done nothing. Her Soul Gem was a bit darker, but it was not to a level that one would consider dangerous, not at all. Shwe stood by one of the counters while Kyouko rested on a chair, the both of them looking at the blunette as they arrived.

"Oi, about time you woke up Blue," Kyouko said, with no respect for her tired state. "Me and Spooky here were just working out how we're gonna retake my city. Grab something to eat and make yerself comfortable, though I should warn you that there ain't much that's actually good here."

Homura was unperturbed by that as she flipped her hair over her shoulder. "The food present in my kitchen is satisfactory for all my nutritional needs, and is not open to your judgment, Kyouko Sakura." It seemed that she didn't care all that much about the food she had to eat in her own house, though given how she acted that might not be all that surprising.

"I think it is, since I'm the one eatin' it right now," Kyouko objected, taking another large and vicious bite.Well then, this was going to be fun wasn't it?
 
"Thanks," Sayaka took a brief look across her breakfast options, seeing none of Kyouko's usual snack choices. She had assumed Homura was more of the instant ramen sort of person, but the selection of fruits suited her just as well. She slid into a chair opposite Kyouko, reachign over a retreaving an apple which she simply held for the time being. with the violence and destruction from the night before still fresh in her mind, the need for sustinence took a backseat to their current predicament.

Sayaka looked between Homura and Kyouko, unsure what exactly they expected her to add to the conversation. Still, it would probably be best to turn the discussion away from the raven-haried magical girl's breakfast choices. "Anyway..." Sayaka cleared her throat, "I think we should find Mami first before resorting to force. She's managed to keep things together before this all happened, so perhaps she has an idea of how to patch things back together again..." She paused, realizing how silly she must sound, "I mean... Its worth a shot, right? With the magical girls attacking across the city, there are just too many of them for us to handle on our own. Sure, you could try to scare them into submission, but the whole reason they are attacking in the first place is because they are afraid. I'm not sure what good it would do at this point."
 
There actually was plenty of instant ramen lying around, as well as other easy to prepare meals, it was just that Kyouko had ignored them and made sure that only stuff that tasted good was laid out to eat. It was a small selection nonetheless, but fortunately she didn't plan on staying here long, and as such it was bearable. She'd need to talk to Mami about the eating habits of their current security chief though, if only for her own good.

Homura nodded in agreement with what Sayaka suggested, another of those momentary bursts of reason that she seemed to possess every once in a while. "Agreed," she replied with a nod of her head, looking between the two. "Regrouping with Mami Tomoe is our first priority."

"Yeah, then what," Kyouko asked as she gestured towards the outside of the building. 'The city's pretty messed up right now, if yah hadn't noticed. How do you plan to solve that?" Given all that had happened, she was finding it difficult to put any faith in Homura right now. Sure, she'd rescued them, but if she'd done her job in the first place then this wouldn't have happened at all. It was a pretty damning condemnation, as far as she was concerned.

Homura glanced over to Kyouko then, calm in laying out the next part of the plan. "From my interactions with some off the magical girls taking part in this assault, it seems they have been forcibly coerced into attacking Mitakihara. Once we have regrouped with Mami, you and her will proceed to the capital, take it back, and hold it against all assaults. Meanwhile, I will track down the headquarters for this invasion, and deal with those responsible." A simple plan, but one that she was confident would succeed.
 
Sayaka raised her hand at this point, "That certainly explains why so many magical girls have flooded into the city in such a short time, but is there really a point in taking the capital? I mean, I'm sure you all want to save face and all that, but if all that is keeping this rebellion in place really is a small number of powerful people working behind the scenes, then won't the situation resolve itself once we take them out? Making a stand at the capital sounds awesome and all, but won't it just be placing Kyoko and Mami in unnecessary danger?"

The bluenette crossed her arms in front of her chest, "Furthermore, if you were not able to preemptively strike against these secret ringleaders, how do you expect to find them in a reasonable time frame? I mean, sure, they might slip up and get bold now that their plan seems to be working. If it takes too long to find them, then what will happen to us in the mean time? I'd rather not involve even more innocent lives than we have to, especially if the magical girls attacking us aren't doing this out of ill-will either." Her reply hit upon two important points, specifically the time and danger involved in Homura's plan. Granted, doing nothing at all would be a far worse option.

"Let's decide what we do toward getting the city under control after we actually find Mami," Sayaka suggested, "If you ask me, that's going to be hard enoguh as it is. She's doubtless trying her best to mask her presence, so what else might tip us off? Do you think she'd leave clues for us or something?"
 
Kyouko nodded in agreement, even as she finished the apple that she was holding. It wasn't often that she agreed with Sayaka, but even she could admit that the girl had a point this time. "I'd like to know that as well," she concurred. "I'm all for fighting but this seems a bit risky. If yah couldn't see this coming, then how are yah gonna find the people who organized the entire thing? They could be in any of the cities surrounding Mitakihara and Kazamino."

Homura frowned, not exactly pleased that she was being doubted by both of the other girls, especially someone who she held only a minimal respect for. But it was a light frown, and she quickly turned to addressing the concerns that had been sent her way. "The capital is a diversion, designed to draw magical girls away from those responsible, so it will be easier for me to reach them. It also serves as a symbol to engender resistance amongst the population, by providing something for them to look up to."

That, as far as she was concerned, was logical, and with it said she moved on to the other bit of business. "As for locating the group responsible, it is reasonable to assume that they have subordinates mixed in with the magical girls attacking us, to provide direction for the invasion and to ensure that they do what they are supposed to do. I will locate one of these individuals, and have them lead me to those responsible. At the very least they will be able to provide information that can be used in narrowing down their location."

Now Kyouko was the one to frown, teeth grinding idly on a Pocky stick which she had procured from...somewhere. "I dunno," she grumbled to herself, leaning back on her stool as she glanced across at Sayaka. 'You haven't exactly thrilled me with your performance so far." At that point she nodded towards the bunette, in agreement. 'That sounds like a good idea. As to where we can find her, she'll probably find a place she knows is safe, or some friends in the city." She had to have a few, right? It seemed like the most likely option.

Homura's irritation had increased even more, but she bowed to the will of the majority for the moment as she took a step forward. "I know some places she may be," she told them, drawing on her memory from past timelines, as well as the research in this one. They would be able to find Mami, if she couldn't find them in the meanwhile.
 
"Resistance? I know Mami-san is popular, but I really doubt anyone would stand up and fight against so many magical girls, especially considering that to their point of view we are desperate," Sayaka shrugged, "But sure, you go do your thing and interrogate a few of the ringleaders and cut off the hydra's heads one by one..." The sarcasm in her tone flowed rather easily. The bluenette had no doubts as to Homura's lethality in combat, as she had seen, or rather not seen, her in action personally. Still, social skills were not her strongest point and obtaining said information would take time, time that they had precious little of if they wished to regain control of the city without fighting upstream the entire way.

"Come to think of it... What exactly does Mami-san do when she isn't working through administrative stuff and making public appearances?" Sayaka mused.

-------------------------------------------

The blonde magical girl, however, had recreation far from her mind. Instead, survival and respite from the carnage stood out much more clearly in her thoughts. Oriko's words from the day before still haunted her, the nagging dread that something even more ominous than the uprising and Walpurgisnacht combined yet loomed just beyond the distant horizon. Her fatigued eyes gazed up at the slowly brightening sky above her as she lay on the soft green grass below a bridge on the east side of town, a single musket laid across her body with her hands folded together at her waist, legs straight and shoes touching. She highly resembled someone resting in an open casket.

She blinked twice, just as a blinding ray of light peaked out from behind a building to shine directly at her left eye, the dull pain reminding her that she had managed to survive the night despite her pursuers best efforts. She slid her hands to her sides and slowly sat up, propping herself up with her arms as she allowed her gaze to survey the sparkling stream of water running below her. "I should meet up with the others... They are probably worried about me," Mami allowed herself the smallest of smiles, "Or perhaps they have already started looking for me. It is difficult to say, really..." She waved her hand and summoned two more rifles, which she grasped and rested on her shoulders as she stood, "But what I do know for certain is that I made a promise to Kyoko-san... and I have every intention of keeping it."

In the distance, a dozen or more shimmering lights gleamed, colored lights announcing that her presence had been discovered once again. She breathed in slowly, then fired two shots, followed by many more. Birds pearched upon the bridge fled in haste, not willing to be caught in a battle between magical girls.
 
"Your sarcasm is not appreciated," Homura replied dryly as she looked away. She knew what she was doing, and she didn't feel the need to explain to Sayaka that this sort of operation had to have a centralized command somewhere. IF she coould take that out, then this could be ended in one fell swoop. It wasn't as if she had to hunt down every single member of the organization involved, and it really wouldn't take that long. This was just building up on her nerves which had been frayed by the attack, the need for constant alertness, and the fact that she hadn't slept at all last night. Just another reason she didn't like the blunette.

Meanwhile Kyouko grinned, glancing between Sayaka and Homura at the same time. "Man, I think I'm liking you more all the time Blue," she noted in a tone that indicated she might have been impressed. Whether it was the truth or not was another story, but she wouldn't be opposed to taking a dig at the failure of a security chief, at least in this situation. It was her fault after all, so Kyouko considered it well deserved.

That merely left the issue of where Mami was, and Kyouko leaned back, arms behind her head and feet kicked up, as she considered it. "Well, she's obviously not at her apartment," she noted aloud. That would just be silly given the current situation, and even Mami wouldn't be that dumb. But past that point she ran into the issue of....well, not actually knowing that much about what Mami did when she wasn't busy. An error, perhaps, but she just hadn't particularly cared up to this moment. As long as they got along well, she could care less. Obviously that hadn't been the wisest choice.

Fortunately Homura had an answer for them. "She is most likely at this address," she said, producing a pad of paper from her shield and handing it over to them with the address written on top. "She has become friends with a pair of magical girls in recent days, who were with her when she was attacked. If she is seeking sanctuary it is most likely that she has gone to them. At the very least it will be a good place to start."

-------------------------------------------

Across town, that same pair of sisters were emerging from their slumber, and a tense night. The fighting in the city had only intensified it seemed like, and Miyako gawked as she looked out the window to see smoke staining the sky, a cacophony of noise undiminished. Needless to say school was probably cancelled for the day, if not indefinitely. Normally she wouldn't have complained, but this situation was so far beyond anything she could have expected. They were just lucky that they hadn't been found yet.

"This is....This is terrible," Miyako said in an awed tone, unable to tear her gaze away from it all. Etsuko had done much the same for a bit, but now she had turned to making breakfast as the level headed of the two. she was remarkably resolute in not letting it bother her, though her sister knew that that was partially the result of her wish. Such as it was, she was still glad for her presence.

Etsuko grunted, finishing up with breakfast before placing it on the table. "Come on, leave that alone and eat breakfast. It's been a long night, you'll need the energy." That she would. And with them being unable to hunt due to all the magical girls about, that was another problem that hey needed to worry about. Their reserves wouldn't last forever, especially if they needed to pay taxes later on. Just another thing to make a bad situation worse.

"Right," Miyako agreed, letting the shades fall closed. She had only made it a step though when a gun retort sounded in the air, following by more in quick succession, and relatively nearby as well. She perked up, recognizing the gunshots, before returning to the window. "Onee-sama, that was...That's Mami-san! She needs our help." She would waste no time in transforming, a flash revealing her robes and her daggers as she stood inside the house and moved for the door.

"Wait, Miyako, don't go! It's dangerous," Etsuko warned with a cry, but she was too late as her sister vanished from sight. "Dang it," she growled to herself before transforming and running out the now opened door after her, and towards the sounds of the battle. She would be damned if she let her sister get killed in this fight.
 
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