A Magical Revolution [Azecreth & Wingshadow]

Just past the door, a very different landscape greeted her than the last, as if the former had been a mere illusion. Suspended within the air were pills and bottles containing medication, floating aimlessly all around her in a completely still and stationary manner. The candy and sweets were still present, as some of the bottles contained hard candies instead of medicine even, but there was something distinctly unnerving about the juxtaposition of candy and medicine within this witch's barrier. Granted, odd sights came with the job of being a magical girl, but this one seemed particularly strange. More mice-like familiars wandered about, still apparently ignorant of or apathetic toward Miyako's presence. They were far too busy performing their ambiguous tasks to bother. Beyond them stood two more doors, the same colors as the last pair. Just how many of these doors would she have to pass through in order to reach the center and the witch that awaited her there?

Deeper and deeper the barrier continued, with each door opening into seemingly wider areas each time she passed through them, almost like a reverse onion where each layer grew larger while progressing inward. Except, Miyako had no way of knowing if she was even going the right way. Directions held little meaning in a Witch's barrier, but if the ominousness of the melted frosting on the walls was any indication, she seemed to be going in generally the right direction for her purposes. She had no way of knowing, however, that she was not the only magical girl who had entered this particular witch's barrier.

Mami stepped calmly, holding a single-shot rifle in her hand as she did so, its muzzle nearly tapping the floor as she walked with its business side held downward. The frosted pastries and cakes held a special irony for her, as Mami had the means to obtain as many such sweets as she desired, but had no one to enjoy them with. The door puzzle did not baffle the experienced magical girl, however, as she could sense the witch's energy more strongly through one door than the other, but the fact that a witch whose familiars were admittedly quite harmless, employed such a trick caused her to feel somewhat uneasy. With such thoughts weighing heavily on her mind, Mami turned a corner, bringing her face-to-face with Miyako. Mami stopped and looked over the other magical girl slowly before offering her a polite curtsy as a friendly gesture, "Good afternoon."
 
Passing through the door, Miyako found herself in a strange new environment, pills and bottles floating in the sky in a strange juxtaposition with the candy that continued to be present. It was strange, and she wondered what the connection was between the two, though she knew she would never know. The familiars continued their tasks, apparently oblivious to her, which was just as good in her mind. The less energy she wasted with them, the better off she would be when it came time to face the witch. Without her sister here to take the lead, she'd need all the advantage she could get.

Further and further in she went, through the doors that continued to open into wider areas, each space larger than the last. She had no idea if she was getting close, since it was a labyrinth after all, but she had to hope she was, and the melting frost seemed to indicate she was. She picked up the pace a little, hoping to get this over with before she wasted too much time here and bad things happened to her, or someone else.

What she wasn't expecting was what came next though, as she rounded a corner to find herself face to face with another magical girl, this one amber colored with a musket in hand. Miyako paused before taking a step back, even as Mami curtsied friendly. Her whipping cloak settled down, and the other girl would now be able to see short cut brown hair and green eyes, appearing from the darkness of the raised hood, her black colored clothes visible as well. "H-Hello," she replied, grip tightening slightly in case the other girl attacked. She knew how this worked, had been in a few battles with her sister against other magical girls over territory or such, and if there was one thing more terrifying than fighting a witch by herself, it was fighting another magical girl by herself, especially at this distance where her magic would be useless.

"I'm sorry, is this your territory? I didn't mean to infringe or steal from you, I just thought....I can leave, if you'll let me." Her voice was hesitant, uncertain, scoping the area in the process as she tried to avoid a fight, even if Sis chastised her for losing territory later. Her life was more important than land after all.
 
"Oh, don't worry about that," Mami smiled, waving her right hand in the air dismissively, the one which did not happen to be holding a musket at the time, "It was not my intention to drive you away or anything... In fact, its rather nice to have someone to chat with while on witch hunts, wouldn't you agree?" Didn't this girl know who she was? Mami had assumed that her fame was widespread enough that virtually everyone knew her from a glance. Apparently this was not the case, as she did not realize that Mami did indeed control the area and only granted hunting rights to those who agreed to the strict grief seed quota.

"You're a new magical girl, aren't you?" Mami continued, trying to put her new acquaintance at ease, "I was once in your position myself, so I know how daunting the life of a magical girl can be at first, but I'm sure you'll get used to it in time." The blonde turned, motioning to the brunette to follow her, "I can feel the witch's presence this way." Mami began walking in the indicated direction without further ado, leaving it up to Miyako to follow after her or make a break for it instead. Mami hadn't shown any outward signs of hostility, so it might work, right?
 
Miyako did indeed know who Mami was, she'd known even before she became a magical girl, and Sis had made sure to tell her not to cross either Mami, Kyoko, or Homura if she valued her life, but she'd never actually seen the girl in person. It was quite a different experience to look at a picture of one of the rulers of the city, and to meet them in person, which was why she hadn't recognized who Mami was upon them meeting. An easy oversight to correct if one were someone like Kyoko, who thrived off the recognition, but with Mami it would inevitably be a different story.

Miyako breathed a barely audible sigh of relief, her previously tightened grip now lessening as it became obvious that there wouldn't be a fight, unless Mami was bating her in to have her let down her guard and make it easier. But somehow she didn't feel like that was the case, and she followed after the drill haired girl, who apparently knew where the witch was. That certainly made things easier, to say the least.

"Yes," she replied with a nod, confirming that she was relatively new. "I usually go hunting with my sister Etsuko, but she had other things to do." She glanced away from Mami for a moment before returning to the path ahead. "This is my first time hunting by myself," she admitted, while wondering if she should have done that. Etsuko had told her that admitting she was a novice was dangerous, that there were girls who could try and take advantage of her inexperience, but that wasn't all girls, right? There had to be some nice ones, and she found herself willing to trust her new companion.
 
Mami, for one, did not see any need to reveal her identity to the inexperienced magical girl. She'd probably either freak out or in the very least become intimidated by her mere presence. Either way it would throw up a wall between them, and that was the last thing Mami wanted to happen. The younger girl triggered Mami's "older sister" instincts to a degree and she easily slid herself into a supportive role as a result.

"I see," Mami nodded, "Well, witch hunting can be very dangerous while hunting alone if you aren't especially careful. One wrong move and you can end up dead." The blonde-haired girl looked over her shoulder and gave her new companion a reassuring smile, "I'll let you fight this witch by yourself if you want. Don't worry, if something goes wrong I'll step up to protect you. You're a precious magical girl underclassman, after all, and its alright to rely on others when you can't handle something on your own." Mami turned her attention back to the path ahead of her, her twin drills swaying slightly with each step.

"Next time, let's all go out hunting together," Mami suggested, "You, your sister Etsuko-san, and myself. That way its easier to conserve our magical energy, and its not quite as dangerous, either." Granted, Mami had access to as many grief seeds as she deemed necessary, but she certainly did not want to unload all of that on her at once. As they walked, the frequency of birthday candles sticking out from the walls began to noticeably increase as well. Mami took some mental notes of this before reaching out and opening one last door which led to an even larger room, a room which was much more open than the previous ones save for the presence of several platforms of various heights spread throughout it.
 
Miyako resisted the urge to pout and say that she knew that already, having heard it from Sis a lot before now. And she knew it was true, that there were times when she would have been overwhelmed in a fight if Etsuko wasn't there to help her out in a pinch. Still, it was comforting to hear that the other girl would be going with her, and helping her out if she needed it. There was the possibility that she was being used as bait, to ascertain the Witches abilities, but she had a limit to even her own cynicism, and wouldn't contemplate that.

"Alright," she replied with a slightly more confident nod, to which she added, "That sounds like it would be fun" She knew though that it would be harder to convince Etsuko to come along. Her sister was older, more seasoned, and not quite as trusting. It would be hard to get her to come along with a stranger, especially after the night Miyako had become a magical girl. She was never the same after that, not really. But she would keep that information to herself. Etsuko had told her that they shouldn't reveal weaknesses, and that counted, according to her.

The number of candles began to increase as they walked along, eventually arriving at a last door that opened into a large room with several platforms of varying heights. "Is this it," Miyako asked as she walked in, looking around attentively for the Witch, if indeed it was.
 
"Yes," Mami nodded, pointing to something that resembled a stuffed animal siting atop one of the raised platforms, "That's the witch... How odd, its pretty small to be maintaining a barrier of this size." She looked about the room, eyes scanning for any noticeable traps or familiars lying in ambush. She'd couldn't sense anything of the sort, however, so she unwisely let her guard drop a bit as she turned to Miyako, "As promised, you can give this witch a go. I'll wait here in case you need help. It doesn't seem like a particularly dangerous witch, but any witch can be deadly if you give it an opening."

Mami figured she could simply blast the witch away with her signature Trio Finale, but it was important to give the younger magical girl much-needed experience in dealing with witches, even if it was harmless compared to many others she'd fought in the past. Some witches were merely passive before they were attacked and would unleash horrifying counter-attacks, so Mami remained close at hand in case she needed to intervene. She summoned another rifle with a wave of her hand, a ribbon winding upon itself briefly before changing form. She caught it in her one free hand before nodding to her new companion, "Go ahead. Show me what you can do."
 
It having been pointed out to her, Miyako saw the Witch, agreeing with Mami, though she wasn't really experienced enough to say otherwise. It was small, like a doll almost, just sitting limply at a table, not moving, or reacting. It made her nervous, though she didn't know why. Still, she could not show fear, lest she seem weak to the other girl. And that would not do at all.

"Alright," she replied with a nod as she watched a ribbon appear, and then form into a rifle. Well then, that was cool. It was something Miyako wished she could do, though she knew she could probably do those types of things as well, she just wasn't skilled at it. But there was no more time for dwelling on that. She turned to face the Witch, arm departing her cloak to reveal a spread of throwing knives in her grip, and she leapt into action.

A few quick steps and she jumped into the air, cloak fluttering as she crossed the gap to land on one of the raised platforms in a crouch. From there she moved clockwise at a run, faster than the average magical girl, and in mid jump she twisted, arm thrown about to hurl the spread of throwing darts like bullets at the doll witch, which would, if she was aiming right, impale themselves in the things limbs and it's head, pinning it. It was a process she would repeat once more, black metal sprouting from the Witch, before she moved in to finish the job now that it was immobilized. It was strange, not fighting with Etsuko, but it hadn't been terrible, she supposed.
 
The darts struck true to their marks, piercing the doll-like witch and pinning her down as if she were nothing more than a pin cushion. It still remained completely motionless, showing no signs of resistance to the magical girl's attacks. Had she made some sort of mistake? Was the "witch" Miyako attacked nothing more than a dummy body? Mami couldn't sense any other strong presences anywhere nearby, so this seemed like a remote possibility at best. A second dart barrage followed the first, tearing sizable holes in the witch's body as she dashed in to finish it off.

Just at the last moment, however, something large and black emerged from the doll-like form. It sprang upward from the back of the doll body before bending down, a round white face with large eyes and a pointed nose staring down at her menacingly. Mami's breath caught in her throat, suddenly realizing her mistake. If she didn't act now, Miyako's blood would be on her own hands. Thinking quickly, Mami tossed aside one of her muskets and reached out her right hand, a single ribbon appearing between her fingertips, the other end quickly wrapping itself around Miyako. Mami gave the ribbon a firm tug, pulling her back just as the monster's sharp jaws descended to where she had stood, snapping at the thin air. A confused look spread across its face. Wasn't there a tasty little magical girl there just a moment ago?

Mami dropped the ribbon, allowing it to fade from existence as she dashed in to confront the witch in its true form. She summoned another musket, pointing and firing both directly at the monster's eyes in order to draw its attention. She turned and spun in midair, firing two more musket rounds as the magical projectiles impacted the witch's body. The worm-like witch turned then dove toward the blonde magical girl, jaws wide. Mami smiled before tugging on a ribbon tied about her own waist, swirling it in the air as it wound itself around the witch, pulling its head backward to prevent its snapping jaws from reaching her. Mami landed calmly on the ground before turning to Miyako, "Are you alright?"
 
Everything was going fine, all going according to plan as Miyako made the Witch resemble a pincushion, magical knives pinning it's limbs to the ground and utterly immobilizing it. Her confidence rose, and she moved in to finish it off, riding high on the buoying success, not considering the possibility that the Witch might have a second form. Call it a fault of her lack of experience. She held a dagger at the ready, guessing that being suddenly bereft of a head would kill the Witch fast and quick, ending this.

Thus, she was taken by surprise as the large black worm emerged from the dolls back, staring at her menacingly with sharp teeth, and she found her motion arrested, staring up at the Witch with wide eyes, unable to use her illusion magic, attack, or otherwise do anything. Was this it? Had the other girl known this would happen? Oh how she wished Etsuko were here. How ironic, that the first witch she fought on her own would be one so incredibly dangerous and tricky.

It lunged down at her, and she could see her life reflected in the descending fangs that sought her soul gem where it rested inside her cloak. But before the jaws could snap together she felt a tug, and was suddenly flying backwards, a ribbon wrapped around her waist, and she was puled to safety while the other girl moved in, firing her muskets while restraining it with a ribbon. "Yes," she replied shakily with a nod, getting back to her feet and clutching with white fingers at the knife she held. "T-Thank you. You...you saved my life."
 
Mami blinked, a soft sort of warmness settling around her heart when she heard those simple words of gratitude. Something blurred past her face before she could voice a proper reply, the object narrowly missing her. Mami quickly turned, recognizing the flying object as none other than one of the witch's familiars which had suddenly become aggressive once its master had become restrained. She looked around as the mice-like creatures began to gather around the two magical girls. They didn't seem very strong at all on its own, but given the rather impressive number of them, they would serve as a suitable distraction as the witch struggled to free itself from Mami's ribbon. The magical girl turned to Miyako and gave her another polite bow, taking her hat off in the process, "No need to thank me... Please allow me to take over from here." A dozen muskets appeared around Mami and she once again placed her hat atop her head before grasping two muskets, one in each hand.

The familiars then began to dart in all at once, a swarm of blue mice diving headfirst toward them. Mami swirled and fired one bullet at each of them, grasping new muskets and tossing them aside after a single shot, a whirlwind of destruction as each shot met their mark, destroying the familiars quickly and efficiently at a faster rate than they could gather. Wave upon wave descended upon the two magical girls, but even so Mami maintained her momentum, swirling and firing with such precision and grace it was almost as if she were dancing. Almost as abruptly as the mice had begun their assault, it came to an end, leaving only piles of spent muskets.

"See? If you stay alert and focused, there really isn't anything to it," Mami let out a sigh, then looked up just as something large and black descended from the ceiling, its jaws reaching down toward her. Ah, yes. She'd almost entirely forgotten about the witch, hadn't she? Her eyes grew wide, realizing that she had half a moment at most to avoid certain death. She tried to sidestep it, but her foot slipped, causing her body to fall to the side while her left arm reached upward out of instinct, trying to grasp something to prevent her from falling.

Crunch.

Mami cried out in anguish as the witch's sharp teeth sliced clean through her arm, severing the arm just past her shoulder. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she somehow managed to suppress the pain enough to launch one final attack. While the witch chewed complacently on what had once been her left arm, Mami reached out with her right, a long length of ribbon swirling, twisting upon itself to form a giant cannon. She clenched her teeth, concentrating before unleashing her final attack at point-blank range, "Trio Finale!" The beam sliced clean through the witch, cutting it in half even as the beam bored a circular hole in the opposite wall. She didn't know if it would be enough to kill the witch, but it was the last move she had available to her.
 
Just as Mami seemed to respond to her thanks, something whizzed past the both of them, and Miyako looked about to see that they were now surrounded by those mice like familiars, which had congregated around them once Mami had restrained the Witch with her ribbon. It certainly didn't help her relax, and she looked around nervously at the significant odds, while putting on the best show of confidence she could. She couldn't show fear, or weakness. She had to fight, and show her strength.

And yet she was perfectly willing to cede to the more experienced magical girl when her companion said she would take the lead. So she stayed as she was and watched, using her superior speed to dodge out of the way of familiars as the girl went about decimating their ranks with her rifles, each shot spot on and always a kill. Miyako's eyes widened in admiration, and a bit of fear as well, for now she realized how outmatched she was, that if this girl had wanted her dead, there would have been no contest. Yet she wasn't, which meant that the offer of friendship was genuine, and that she could be sure of now. She just hoped Etsuko would see it that way.

At last the familiars were dispersed, a veritable sea of discarded muskets surrounded them, and Miyako looked on at Mami in awe. Just as the other girl commented on how easy it was, the Witch descended from the ceiling in some form of dramatic irony, and Miyako spun out of the way, only to watch as the other girl faltered, and with slashing teeth her arm was separated from the rest of her body. Miyako cried aloud, but that didn't seem to matter to Mami as she launched a massive attack upon the Witch, punching a hole through it and the far wall.

No, no no no, everything was going out of control so fast, and she was not going to lose a new friend, not now. So she acted, not checking to see if the Witch was dead but diving forward to stand at her side, and reaching out with her magic, in a familiar pattern. To anyone watching it would seem like the two of them had suddenly vanished, yet there they were, a product of Miyako's illusion magic. "A-Are you alright," she asked, tone verging on panic. Fortunately the magic would maks their voices too. "I'm sorry, I only have a couple Seed's on me." She patted herself down, quickly producing one of the black gems, and holding it out. She had gotten injured protecting her after all, it was the least she could do, even if Etsuko would chew her out for it later.
 
"Thank you," Mami smiled, although the pain required that she drop down to her knees as her right hand grasped what remained of her arm in an effort to lessen the bleeding, "I guess I messed up huh? Its funny, things like this never happen when I'm by myself."

Alone.

Yes, up to that point she felt like it was the only state she could exist in since the accident that had claimed her entire family's lives. She would have died that day as well if Kyubey had not appeared to her and granted her the opportunity to live the life of a magical girl instead. It had been several years since that day, and every day of solitude bore down on her with an even greater weight than the last. Every cup of tea she drank alone served as a testament to that pain, a constant reminder of what she had lost and might never find again.

Yet, in that short span of time Mami felt as if she had formed a connection with the young magical girl. She'd dared to hope that they might become friends, that she might not have to be alone for the rest of her life. Mami's life, however, had an odd way of reminding her that she did not live in a fairy tale universe. No, it was a universe which gave hope to the pained, only to snatch it away right from in front of their eyes. She pitied this girl who showed such genuine concern for her, even offering her a precious grief seed to help preserve Mami's life. She had no idea who Mami was, but even so her kindness extended to her, someone who should by all accounts be dead and forgotten by the world.

"Don't worry, I'll be alright. I should regenerate before too long, but I appreciate the offer," Mami closed her eyes as small particles of light gathered around where her arm once was, collecting together and shaping themselves into the form her arm had once taken. Starting from her fingertips and slowly working backward, her missing arm returned, complete and whole. Mami's soul gem, which she wore as a hair pin, had grown quite dark due to the exertion of her magic and the regeneration of an entire appendage.

Mami reached out and gently pushed the grief seed back toward her. "You offered me something so precious, but I don't believe we have even been properly introduced yet," Mami smiled, fatigue evident in her tone, "My name is Mami Tomoe, and from this moment forth I promise to be completely upfront and honest with you... I was afraid that if you knew who I was, you might make certain assumptions that were not necessarily true. I hope we can get to know each other even better in the future." Mami stood up and looked toward the remains of the witch. The severed face scowled at her, apparently disappointed that it wouldn't be dining on magical girls that day, or any day afterward for that matter. Mami coldly summoned one last musket with a wave of her hand and pointed its muzzle directly at the witch's nose before firing, causing it to vanish in a large puff of black smoke. The barrier around them gradually began to fade, indicating that the witch, indeed, had perished due to Mami's last attack. She reached into her pocket and drew out one of her own grief seeds, pressing it against her soul gem as she bent down and picked up the defeated witch's grief seed before placing it into her companion's hand.

"Here... Take it as a token of my gratitude," Mami smiled. She had to lay down every card she had in her disposal if she wanted this to work. If she wanted to finally break free from the eternal night of loneliness which clung to her like a curse.
 
Blood dripped down to the ground in rivulets, small streams, as Miyako forced herself to look away from the stump of where an arm used to be, instead focusing solely on her face. It was an emotional face, obviously tinged with pain despite having magic to dull that particular sensation. But there was sadness as well, and perhaps happiness? Miyako realized she knew so little about this other girl, yet here they were, bound together by this common experience, this common nature. It was what set them apart from everyone else, what defined them, and at the same time what brought them together.

"Alright," she replied, stashing the Grief Seed back where she had pulled it from, still feeling some regret about her injury. Admittedly, she would be dead if Mami hadn't been there, and getting an arm bitten off was preferable to being dead by a long shot, but she couldn't help feeling responsible for what had happened in a way.

She watched then as the obviously more experienced girl closed her eyes and focused her magic, rapidly healing her lost limb in a manner that would have taken her a significantly longer time to do, but was kind of necessary due to their situation, and how awkward it would be to go around bleeding out with a missing limb in public. She resolved now to talk to Etsuko and try her hardest to get her to trust the other girl, so they could hunt together, maybe even do things outside of magical girl life. It would make for a nice change of pace.

Then, the introduction, and Miyako froze, mind working to comprehend at light speed, and it was fortunate she had her magic in place, or she would most surely have been killed in those moments. Mami...Tomoe, second most powerful Magical girl in the city, that was her? Eyes widened in surprise, alarm, yet she still couldn't shake what she had seen. It was that she was struggling with as Mami killed Charlotte and the barrier faded, leaving only a Grief Seed behind.

She snapped back to reality as Mami approached and placed the Grief Seed in her hands, causing her to start a bit before claiming down. "T-Thank you," she replied gratefully, putting the item away with the other she had. She made a decision then, reaching up to pull her hood back, baring her face to the sun before bowing. "I'm Miyako Komatsu," she said. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Her formality soon vanished as she glanced away. "I...I really appreciate it though. If there's anything I can do, anything at all, please let me know." She owed Mami that much for saving her life, at least.
 
Mami could feel the hesitation in her actions, a clear result of the sudden revelation. She suspected it would be difficult for the young magical girl to both comprehend and accept, that the girl who had saved her life was none other than one of the two revered leaders of the city. Still, Mami had made up her mind. She would not hide behind lies and deception, as a friendship built without mutual trust and understanding was not a real friendship at all. It wouldn't be a real friendship according to Mami's current mindset anyway.

When the young woman reached up and pulled her hood back to reveal her face for the first time, Mami let out a sigh of relief that she did not even realize she had been holding back up until that point. So her name was Miyako Komatsu? The name had a traditional sound to it, which matched well with her ninja-like magical girl garb and abilities. Her polite introduction put Mami at ease, although there was still a fair bit of hesitation present in her tone.

"Don't be silly," Mami waved her hand in the air, "The only favor I could ever ask is that you take care of yourself until we meet again. We are friends now, after all, aren't we?" The blonde-haired magical girl reached out and took Miyako's hand in both of hers, her eyes almost pleading for her to reply in the affirmative. The girl in front of Miyako wasn't the Mami everyone knew about, powerful and efficient in accomplishing her goals. No, this emotionally delicate young woman would have done anything in that one moment to win Miyako's friendship, which she craved above anything else in the world.
 
If there was one thing for Miyako to be grateful of, it was the fact that Mami was the nicer of the ruling duo, and that was apparent all the more as she stayed away from any sort of cockiness, or grandstanding, which Kyoko might have done. She'd rejected the offer of a Grief Seed before, which made sense since she probably had so many, but even now, all she wanted was for her to take care of herself until they met again? A part of her was nervous to hear that there would be another time, but at the same time she was happy as well. She'd just have to somehow convince Etsuko to go along with it. Given her identity though, that should be significantly easier now.

She was taken once more by surprise as Mami took a hold of her hand, practically clinging on for dear life, though it hardly made it across in physical action, and she had to face the other girl once more. But she had come thus far, and she would take the plunge. "I-It would be an honor to be your friend," she replied with a smile. This was definitely not how she had expected today would go.
 
"Likewise," Mami nodded, joy almost literally radiating from her face when she accepted, "May I call you Miyako-san from now on?" Her unbridled enthusiasm gave life to the cold, uncaring back alleyway behind the abandoned theater, a rather unfitting backdrop to the scene to say the least. While she had gone out that day expecting nothing more than to fulfill her duties as a magical girl, she'd gained something much more in the process. She had also lost a great deal at the same time in both focus and attention, but neither of these were realized for the time being. Mami's mind was far too preoccupied with making plans to spend more time with her new friend to even consider the effects the arrangement would have on her capacity to operate as an effective leader and magical girl.

"If you have time, we could meet up tomorrow afternoon in front of the train station," Mami suggested, "Bring your sister with you if you can. I'd love to be introduced to her as well." She paused for a moment to give her a chance to reply before continuing, "We can get to know each other a bit better over some tea before heading out to hunt witches." Was it even possible to refuse a request from the second most influential person in the city? Mami, of course, didn't think of it in that way. From her point of view, the two of them had already formed a bond that would never be broken. Reality, however, had a way of reminding people that the universe that they found themselves in was not so kind.
 
"Sure," Miyako replied to Mami's request with a nod, it uplifting and a tad surprising to see the other girl so happy at her acceptance. While she knew Mami was the nicer of the two, to see her like this was a tad...off putting, to say the least. She was unaware of the difficulties that this friendship might introduce into Mami's life, nor the results that would come from it, but now that she had given her word she would follow it through as best she could, and the older girl's happiness couldn't help but elicit a smile on her own face.

Given the suggested time, Miyako thought about everything she and Etsuko had to do that day, before answering. "Alright." She would try, to say the least. Though, it wasn't like she could really say no, even if it wasn't obvious that this meant a lot to her superior. But she could probably get Etsuko to go along by pointing out that this was Mami Tomoe, and did you really want to get the possibly strongest magical girl in the city angry at you? (She and Kyoko had never had a public fight, so it was more guesswork as to who was really stronger there) "That sounds like fun."
 
"Great, I'll be there at five thirty," Mami nodded before giving the girl one last polite bow as she grasped the edges of her skirt, "See you tomorrow, Miyako-san." Mami then turned and walked down the dim alleyway while her heart practically glowed with ill-hidden joy. She considered going a few more witch hunting rounds before turning in for the night, especially since she now had something to look forward to come tomorrow afternoon. The crescent-shaped moon above her loomed ominously but did not speak its mind on the matter while the late-night hustle and bustle of the city continued to hum in the background.

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After bidding farewell to her friend at her door, Sayaka slowly made her way back to her own home, deciding to cut her own hunting hours short. She'd had plenty of excitement for the day already and she was hardly in any state of mind to step into the jaws of death again so soon. Sayaka took the long way back home, winding about the city streets while deep in thought. She truly had been reckless, but it stung when someone like Homura told her.

How could she become a stronger magical girl when all the others around her treated her like an idiot, either ridiculing or threatening to beat her down at a moment's notice? It didn't help that with the grief seed quota in place, there was even less of an incentive for the magical girls to work together as the more experienced magical girls would have to work extra hard to help the less experienced ones pull their weight. Sayaka understood this already, but it didn't make it any less frustrating.
 
"See you then, Mami-san," Miyako replied, guessing that that was okay to say as she bowed once more. She watched Mami go, the girl with a spring in her step that hadn't been there before, leaving the girl to stand by herself once more. That had been interesting to say the least, an experience she doubted she would ever forget. She just had to make sure she didn't waste this moment, and lose a possible friend.

That thought in mind, she turned and walked the opposite direction of Mami to continue hunting. She did have a quota to meet after all, both hers and her sisters, so she would have to do her best to make sure they didn't get in trouble with the city government. A hard life, but one she accepted. And she moved into the shadows as she pulled up her hood, vanishing from sight.

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The city fell into night, the moon rising overhead, as Sayaka made her way back to her house, ruminating on what had so recently occurred, her near brush with death, and the realization that she needed to become stronger if she was to survive, much less achieve her goal of overturning the system that so dominated the city. A harsh reality, and one that would not be so easily resolved.

But she was not the only element in play in this great game of magical girls and men, not by a long shot. And even now, as she took the long path back, one of those elements prepared to meet her, deeming it necessary for future plans to come into contact with the blunette, despite the risks that could result. And it wasn't too hard, given the powers involved in arranging this meeting.

But Sayaka would only come to that realization as she was interrupted, a voice speaking directly into her head via the telepathy that all magical girls naturally possessed. Excuse me for interrupting Sayaka Miki, but I was wondering if we could perhaps have a chat. Looking about would quickly reveal the speaker, a duo standing on the rooftops above her, one with white hair and a white dress, frilled at the edges, and the other with brown hair that covered her right eye, a long sleeved black shirt, a short white skirt, and white legging, with a three pronged claw held in hand. It was a duo that Homura could have identified if she were here as the girls she was looking for, Oriko Mikuni, and Kirika Kure.
 
Sayaka, however, had no such prior knowledge of the two girls staring down at her from the rooftops above her as she turned and looked up at them, suddenly alerted to their presence. Why had they come to speak with her of all people? Sure, Sayaka had something of a reputation among the magical girls, but she was hardly famous by any stretch of the imagination. The bluenette jumped and deftly ran up the wall to stand on an even footing with the two girls, landing on the same rooftop but a good hundred feet in front of them. Encounters between magical girls were rarely peaceful affairs, especially with the heavy grief seed quota levied upon their shoulders in exchange for permission to hunt within the city limits. Somehow, Sayaka doubted these two had called her out for violent purposes, as they could have just as easily ambushed her instead of asking to speak with her.

Alright, I'm listening. Sayaka replied telepathically, aware that the two standing before her desired a certain degree of privacy to their conversation. How do you know my name, and what business do you have with me? I don't remember seeing either of you before, so its not like we are old acquaintances or anything. She studied them, slowly, while awaiting their reply, nothing the distinct white accents to their clothes. Sayaka kept her hands resting calmly by her sides but ready at a moment's notice to summon as many swords as she deemed necessary. Caution is the better part of valor, after all.
 
Having planned to jump down, Oriko was not too disturbed as Sayaka chose to run up the wall to stand on the roof, her shifting along with Kirika to face the blunette. She wore a downright pleasant smile, not cocky, like Kyoko's, but more like Mami's, trying to instill some sense of her supposedly peaceful intentions. That didn't stop Kirika from watching her carefully, alert for any possible attack, though she knew Oriko would probably warn her if one was coming. Prediction magic was useful like that.

I know quite a bit, Oriko admitted. I may not be the spymaster Homura Akemi is, but I still have my sources. And you're not particularly unknown in this city either. Which is why I'm here. All truthful information, though Sayaka would probably rather not know where said information came from, if she were to inquire about it. Such things didn't matter too much anyway. Tell me, what are you willing to do to achieve your goals, to be that 'hero' of justice and take control, tear down the system that is currently in place? Her tone conveyed curiosity, the answer very important in the grand scheme of things.
 
Sayaka considered her reply for a few moments, gathering her thoughts before voicing her answer. I'll do whatever I need to, as long as it does not compromise my ideals or purposes. There is no point in establishing a just system in the place of the current one if I get innocent people involved in the process. I don't have the strength to oppose Kyoko and Mami directly, but even if I did I don't think simply killing them will do anyone any good. The city and its people deserve justice, but staging an armed rebellion will only make matters worse.

The bluenette shifted her weight to the right slightly, her gaze firm and brimming with ill-suited confidence. That is where I stand, unless you are planning on convincing me otherwise. Sayaka had a reputation of being rather stubborn, after all, which the two of them doubtless were already well aware of. She didn't know what these two were after, but she had a feeling that they were involved in something much larger than they cared to let on. Their ambiguity concerning their source of information only made their words all that more suspicious. Where they somehow involved with one of the outside magical girl confederations she had heard rumors about, the kind that plotted to overthrow Kyoko and Mami and take over their turf for themselves?
 
The two girls listened quietly, Kirika easing a bit as it seemed obvious that Sayaka wouldn't act aggressively just yet. The answer was about what Oriko had expected, a desire to preserve innocent life, aversion to armed revolution, no compromising on her principles, the usual stuff that one would expect from her type of person. Unyielding, and yet at the same time so easy to manipulate as well. And even better, they usually weren't aware of it most of the time. Of course, it was dangerous to do if she found out, but that was a risk Oriko was willing to take.

That's good, Oriko replied. I would hardly want you to change on a dime for no reason. But still, we wish to help you in the pursuit of your goal. She smiled warmly still, taking a step forward with her hands clasped in front of her. As you stated, you don't have the power to fight them directly, and they have a large network of resources to draw upon to prop up their regime. Now, the difficult part. We want to help you, to give you access to our resources, to suppliers, information brokers. Going up against the current regime by yourself is folly, but with others to support you, the impossible becomes a lot easier.

She of course, moved to placate. We don't advocate armed revolution of course. That doesn't help anyone. But if you want change, then the best way to go about it is to work with us, since we're the only ones who will. Homura Akemi won't, Kyoko Sakura won't, the strongest magical girls have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo. Sad, but true. Now to see if Sayaka listened to this reason. It would be a fifty fifty shot either way.
 
This is the sort of chance she had been hoping for, an opportunity to take matters into her own hands and stand out as a driving force for change. Everyone she had met so far who had the power or means with which to change things seemed rather complacent with (or openly supportive of) the current situation. Even though she didn't even know who these people were or what exactly they wanted her to help them do, she felt compelled to believe that they were kindred spirits seeking to establish a better and more just establishment over the city.

Look, I don't want to pour cold water on your enthusiasm, but why did you come to ask me of all people? I mean, I'm sure I'm not the only one in the city who wants to change things. I mean, I know Homura and Kyoko wouldn't lift a finger to do anything about it, but there should be someone else out there, right? Sayaka felt flattered that they would offer her so much assistance, and it all seemed too good to be true that two girls would simply call her out and offer to help her accomplish her dreams. She wanted to believe that all they had in mind was what appeared on the surface, and Sayaka was almost naive enough to simply believe them on their words alone. If they could come up with some sort of reason why they would search her out specifically aside from sharing a common goal, then there was a good chance she'd go along with them with ease.
 
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