A Magical Revolution [Azecreth & Wingshadow]

Now that was certainly interesting to hear, to say the least. Etsuko tried to cook for the two of them, but she wasn't particularly good at it. The food was edible, to be sure, but it always just had a little something lacking. Though whether that was because of her culinary skills or a side effect intrinsic to her wish was hard to say. Not that anyone would get into ruminating the effects of making a wish on one's ability to cook food.

Her offer definitely attracted Miyako's interest, and she could imagine what it must be like, mouth instinctively watering. She would admit, she had a bit of a sweet tooth, which Etsuko tolerated, mostly because she was her little sister, and Etsuko couldn't say no to the puppy dog eyes trick. Manipulation like that might be wrong, but it always succeeded. So she was definitely interested in Mami's offer.

The two looked at each other, and Mami would be witness to a silent conversation, which could either be interpreted as a direct telepathic connection between the two, or that familial bond that lets two people who really know each other communicate. But probably the former. At the end though, Etsuko looked back to Mami and nodded. "Alright," she replied. "Since we have the time." She wasn't particularly looking forward to visiting her dwelling, though it was probably a nice place, but she still gave in to her younger sister. For being someone so strict, she sure couldn't stand up to her sibling when it came to what she wanted.

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Well, things could have gone worse, and though Sayaka had much the reaction that Oriko expected, it was still a salvageable situation She would just have to be persuasive. Luckily, she had plenty of skill in that, and having a good guess of how Sayaka's mind worked certainly helped. Of course, had she tried anything then Kirika would have ended her right then and there, but it was best to not bring such facts to light for the moment. There was no need to make the situation any more tense than it already was.

"Indeed," she replied calmly, sitting back and looking across to the angry blunette. "But they aren't all like that. Just as there are factions in the government, you for example, the Shadow Compact isn't a single homogenous group. They have different opinions, ideals, and stances on the methods for change. This particular group believes that cooperation is the way forward, not armed violence." Kirika watched cautiously, ready to act should things turn violent. "As for how they help us, they can provide supplies, information, manpower to do things that we magical girls can't." Hopefully the manner in which it was presented was effective in altering Sayaka's opinion.
 
Given the looks the two siblings exchanged, Mami presumed they would hash things out between the two of them, with Miyako arguing for the visit and Etsuko arguing against it. Given that she had failed to earn Etsuko's trust by this point, this hardly came as a surprise. While waiting for them to come to an agreement, Mami lifted her teacup to her lips, finishing off the fragrant drink before setting the empty vessel onto the table before her. She had taken extra care to clean her apartment in case they would agree to pay her a visit, with the cake carefully arranged on her tea table as the room's centerpiece.

Mami's face practically glowed with delight when the girls agreed, "I live nearby, so it should not take long to get here." She stood up, placing a few bills down onto the table sufficient to pay for all three girl's tea. She hoped that they wouldn't argue over who should foot the bill, since she'd feel guilty about inviting them out given their uneasy financial state and her essentially secure base. She turned and led them outside the shop and along the sidewalk, her footsteps as light as if soft clouds made up her path. While her apartment was only two city blocks away from the tea shop, her blissful state left her vulnerable.

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"If they want to change things through cooperation, why are they still under the Shadow Compact banner? Most magical girls would straight-up attack you if you even suggested such a thing," Sayaka continued, some of the tension gradually fading from her tone, "I realize that not everyone is the same, just like how the Shadow Compact assumes all magical girls are power-hungry oppressors who think nothing of putting down others. Still, I don't like it... Getting help from an group that carries the same name over them even if they have different ideals leaves a bad taste in my mouth."
 
The two sisters seemed resolved to the visit now, Etsuko still somewhat uncomfortable, but Miyako looking forward to it. At least her home was close, for what it was worth. Both finished their tea as Mami laid down money on the table for the three of the, Miyako about to object before she received a sharp look from Etsuko. While the younger sibling would want to pay, the older was perfectly fine to let Mami use her own resources for this. She wouldn't consider it charity anyway.

That done, the trio departed, the two sisters following beside Mami as she led them to her apartment. The spring in her step was noticeable, happiness evident and exuding from her like an aura, one that lifted Miyako as well. Even Etsuko found it hard to keep her guard up, though she managed it somehow. But they were unmolested as they walked down the couple of city blocks it was to Mami's abode for their visit.
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Oriko didn't seem horribly perturbed as Sayaka pointed out the obvious. Most magical girls probably would have attacked her, even with Kirika here to back her up. Fortunately for her then, she knew Sayaka wasn't like most magical girls, to say the least. That was obvious as she showed a willingness to actually consider the notion that she was being presented with. "I don't know," Oriko replied with a tone verging on a sigh. "You'd have to ask them. But if I had to take a guess, it would have to do with the support network they could draw on, which would be limited if they split, since doing so would invite retribution as well."

She shrugged as she reached down, picking up a glass filled with clear liquid, but not drinking, merely swirling it about as she looked across to the blunette. "Still, if you want to get anywhere with this goal, you're going to need their help. There aren't many others who are willing to contribute, as you've no doubt become aware over time." While principles were nice and all, there still was no other choice in terms of actual aid in this struggle Sayaka had pitted herself.
 
Mami led them straight up to a large apartment building, its tall windows reflecting a blinding gleam from the afternoon sun's brilliant golden rays. She stepped over to the front entryway and pulled out an ID card, swiping it across the scanner which caused the doors to open automatically. The magical girl motioned to them, leading them over to the elevator on the far side of the lobby. At the front desk sat an elderly gentleman, who nodded to Mami in a familiar manner, a gesture Mami returned before stepping into the elevator car. Pressing the number fourteen on the elevator, the doors closed behind them.

"I'm back," Mami announced as she walked in through the doorway to her apartment, which was distinctly western-style. The front door opened into a moderately large entryway where Mami carefully slipped out of her shoes upon entering. A wooden floor hallway led to the kitchen on the left and a living area directly across from it, while further back at the end of the hall were two rooms, one of which, presumably, was Mami's while the other was reserved for guests or perhaps simply used for storage. The large scale felt all the more empty rather than spacious since the blonde magical girl lived alone and scarcely (if ever) entertained guests.

Mami made her way down the hallway, paying little attention to the other rooms as she made a beeline for her own, taking a right at the end of the hall into a warmly-decorated room with a short tea table in the center atop the green diamond-pattern carpet. Large windows overlooked the city on one side of the room, while her bed and a short red couch sat at the other. Atop the table sat a cake with fluffy white frosting, visible through the glass cover Mami had set over it to keep it fresh until could be enjoyed by her guests.

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"I'm honestly surprised that simply taking a pacifistic approach hasn't already invited retribution from their more radical friends," Sayaka remarked with more than a hint of annoyance in her tone. She knew Oriko was correct in her assertion that few people held similar views to herself, and even fewer had the resources necessary to actually do anything about them. As distasteful as it was for her, she resolved to grit her teeth and bear it for the time being, although she remained wary of what true purposes might be hiding behind those peaceful pretexts.

"Fine, but don't expect me to go to any pep rally meetings," Sayaka slumped back in her seat, "If word of this got out to Mami, Kyoko, or Homura, it would be like signing my own death warrant. As strongly as I believe in my ideals, I'd rather stay alive long enough to actually do something worthwhile to the benefit of the cause."
 
Following along, the girl's necks craned as they approached the large apartment building, looking to the top while still following behind Mami, who was understandably eager. She led them inside, and past the front desk to the elevator in the lobby. It certainly seemed like an up class place, a sign of the wealth that Mami would have possessed even without being where she was, as opposed to Kyoko who had a place to stay simply by virtue of being in charge, not that the two could know that. They followed on into the elevator, which played some of that soft elevator music to comfort all the riders as they went up to the fourteenth floor, presumably where Mami's apartment was.

Her statement sparked a bit of confusion, once Etsuko and Miyako could confirm that no one else was present in the apartment as they entered, but they chalked it up to habit and looked about the space as they stepped further in. Shoes were divested at the front entryway and the girls went on, entering the hallway and glancing into both the kitchen and living room as Mami walked on. The former definitely saw a lot of use by appearance, and it was well decorated, but the scale made it seem more empty rather than spacious, a space devoted to people who weren't there. A far cry from their own home, which wasn't quite as opulent, but one could tell that someone lived there, even if they found themselves away often because of their responsibilities.

Following down the hallway, they took a right after her and entered into the warmly decorated room, tea table in the center, with a large view of the city skyline, and a couch and bed. So this would be Mami's room then. But the centerpiece was the cake, sitting atop the table with a glass cover, certainly visually appealing to both girls, and they moved to sit down with Mami. "Nice place," Etsuko commented succinctly. "And the cake looks lovely," Miyako added in a slightly more emotional manner. Yeah, one could say she was impressed, and looking forward to seeing what it tasted like.

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"I didn't expect you to, so you won't have to concern yourself with that," Oriko replied calmly, glad that she had brought Sayaka about to the necessity of this alliance. "I'll handle the go between if you need anything from them." And that she would. The blunette didn't need to worry herself with the pesky details that involved working with the Shadow Compact, and would probably prefer not to know in any case, to give her some plausible deniability should this connection be discovered before they were ready to make their move. The duo were as aware as she was about what the ruling trio would do if they found out about the connection.

At least she had the common sense to realize that dying would get her nowhere, for now anyway. One couldn't deny the usefulness of a martyr though. But for the moment, martyrdom wasn't in the cards. Oriko took a drink before meeting Sayaka's gaze once more. "So, to the other details. How much do you know about our dear trio of rulers? If we're to find the best way to appeal to their desire to protect what they love, we have to know what that is after all."
 
"Thank you. I'm especially fond of the view from up here, since it lets me see the city lights at night before I go out to hunt witches," Mami calmly sat down at the table and removed the class cover before sliding a knife out from under the cake's plate. She wasted no time, starting to cut small slices with the knife and placing one on each of three plates laid out carefully upon the table beforehand. After serving each slice and placing a fork beside them, she slid one plate to each of the sisters while keeping one for herself, "I took a simple vanilla cake and added some whipped cream cheese frosting and sliced strawberries between the two cake layers... I hope it turned out alright." She cut off a small piece and tasted it, looking around the table to see how the two girls enjoyed the flavor.

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"I'll tell you right off the bat that I have no clue what makes Homura-san tick," Sayaka waved her hand in the air, "She always acts so mysteriously that its hard to tell if there is more to her or if she's just acting paranoid and reclusive due to her own preference." That much was true. Sayaka knew precious little about Homura other than her use of conventional weaponry rather than magic to attack and her tendency to keep others at arm's length.

"Kyoko claims she only lives for herself, and she doesn't exactly put much effort to make that attitude of hers a secret. I think she values her life's security more than anything else, as any potential disruption to that makes her upset," Sayaka nodded, having noticed that the redhead was significantly more motivated when there was a possibility of things spiraling out of control to such an extent that her own livelihood might be threatened. She would fight tooth and claw to protect the empire she had built.

"Mami is an odd character. She likes people, but at the same time she passes laws and restrictions that make living harder for those living in the city," Sayaka explained, "At least she acts like she listens to the public at times, though, which makes her significantly more popular than Kyoko in many respects. I really don't know her all that well, but I'd guess that by showing her the effects of her actions first hand, she'd be more likely to see things from our point of view."
 
"It looks very pretty," Miyako agreed, glancing out the window to the city beyond, bathed in the light of the sun. It was definitely a statement she meant, though one more astute could have commented on the symbolism of it, Mami deliberately isolating herself by having a place so high up, to look down on the populace. But, she wasn't a psychologist, so she just enjoyed the aroma of cake as it was uncovered and placed before the two sisters, with an accompanying fork, and a third piece for Mami herself.

Miyako nodded as Mami explained what she had done to make this cake, it sounding all the more delicious, and she wasted no time in digging in, with Etsuko moving more sedately. Each cut off a small piece with the provided forks and ate them at the same tempo, Miyako giving a pleasured sigh as she finished while Etsuko merely nodded.

"It's delicious," Miyako exclaimed, to accompany Etsuko's grudging approval. Her face was lit up with her enjoyment, and she moved back to indulge her sweet tooth, as Etsuko once more took it slower than her sister. "I would say it turned out alright," Etsuko echoed, looking over to Mami while Miyako chowed down in a manner similar to an irascible redhead, if in smaller portion sizes. It was very obvious that she genuinely enjoyed this cake, and wasn't just saying it for Mami's benefit.

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Oriko hummed quietly as she listened to Sayaka describe what she knew of their ruling trio. It wasn't exactly a bounty of information, with Homura Akemi all but enigmatic in the extreme, Kyoko motivated purely by self interest, and Mami with the more human face. Sadly, the situation with the redhead probably meant that getting her to back down would be hard without directly putting her in danger, which Sayaka would probably be averse to, but if the blunette hadn't thought of that, then Oriko wouldn't bring it up.

And that left them with two options really. "Well, it seems to me that we should start with Mami," Oriko replied. "She'll be the one most easily swayed. I'll also get our allies to work figuring out more about our enigmatic Homura then." Whether she was paranoid, or something lurked deeper, she would slip up eventually, and when she did Oriko would be there to learn all about it. Of course, she had no idea of the clash of minds she was in for in that eventuality, but that was for the future, and not now.
 
Although Mami simply smiled in response to their words, her face lit up with excitement while watching the two sisters enjoy the cake. Not at all put off by Etsuko's somewhat lackluster reply, Mami began to enjoy her own slice, the creamy frosting accenting the subtle sweetness of the cake and the sharp strawberry flavoring between the two layers. She felt quite satisfied with her creation, "I will call it, 'strawberry cheese shortcake'." Mami nodded once, as if agreeing with her naming choice although the cake itself did not visually resemble a shortcake much at all.

"Since you two seem to enjoy it so much, I should bake it again sometime," Mami suggested, "Its fairly easy to make once you get the hang of it. The secret is in the frosting. If you make the frosting too thick, it weighs down the cake. If its too light, the flavor is not strong enough to accent the others and fails to give the cake that iconic richness." She giggled, holding her hand up in front of her mouth, "I'm sorry, I suppose I get a bit carried away when I talk about cake."

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"Easier said than done," Sayaka let out a deep sigh, "Mami is pretty deep-set in her ways, too, but I suppose she would probably at least listen to what we have to say to her rather than just dismiss us right away." From Sayaka's point of view, Mami had a way of avoiding things she didn't like dealing with or acknowledging, including troublesome people who thought they could manage things better than she can. Was Mami trying to run away from something? Sayaka could not say for sure, but she felt like Mami's behavior was a bit off at times, like she was forcing to behave in a civil manner toward others when she'd rather not.
 
Miyako had to hold in a slight laugh as Mami named her creation, which was probably a good thing as laughing at this moment could have had disastrous consequences in terms of her currently eating. Fortunately a magical girl couldn't choke to death, but the results would still have been unpleasant to say the least. But she didn't, so that wasn't a concern.

The two ate contentedly as Mami talked on, attention split between her and their meal as the slices of cake vanished in short order, Miyako's quicker that Etsuko's. "I'd enjoy that," Miyako replied happily, already looking forward to that, or the other treats that Mami could make. And leftovers to take home never hurt either. As for Etsuko, she shook her head. "It's fine," she admitted. If Mami was passionate about this, then she could go right ahead. It would pass the time, and was less attention given to her own personal related things. Plus she would admit it was interesting to hear her speak when she wasn't so good at cooking or baking personally.

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What Sayaka said was true, if appearances were any indication, but at the same time Mami was the one most approachable of the three. At least her reaction could be favorable, and she was more easier to talk to than Homura or Kyoko. Oriko, was, of course, unaware of the facts that Sayaka knew of the older blond, but she could have learned it in time. This just made it easier.

"I see," Oriko replied thoughtfully. "Well, we should start with her. We have a better chance with her than with Kyoko Sakura, and I won't pass any judgment on Homura Akemi until I know more. Better to go with the one that everyone generally believes is nice over the one that revels in violence, no?" That seemed a pretty straightforward decision, all things considered. The only question now was of going about it, which made the whole thing easier said than done. "How to do it though," she wondered aloud. "After all, she thinks we're enemies at this point." At the same time, she activated her magic, turning out her minds eye to the whims of time, to try and see the event so she could suggest it's occurrence to the other girl as if she had come up with it on her own. And to Sayaka, it would merely look like she was thinking.
 
Encouraged by Etsuko's reply, Mami resumed talking about various sweets she had attempted over the years, highlighting a few particularly odious failures as well as some of her own smashing successes. Given that Mami herself had been the only one tasting her cakes up to that point, it came as no surprise that she felt rather encouraged that the two girls enjoyed her cooking. She had begun to worry that her tastes had shifted somewhat due to only cooking for herself over the years. Mami's stories were wonderously effective in passing the time, as the sun had already set by the time Mami noticed anything had changed.

With the cake plate empty and the afternoon turning to night, Mami reluctantly stood up from the table, "Well then... I should be heading out to perform my duties as a magical girl soon, but I would appreciate the company if you'd like to join me." She hoped that by then she'd had enough of an impression on the older of the two siblings to such an extent that she at least trusted her enough to fight alongside her. From Mami's point of view, she'd given Etsuko no real reason to doubt her other than the girl's on inherent distrust.

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"Yes, that would probably be for the best," Sayaka nodded in agreement, her own fight with the redheaded magical dictator, if she could even call a beat down like that a fight, remained quite fresh on her memory. She had no intention of trying to force cooperation against someone who so entirely outclassed her. In the mean time, that left only Mami to confront. Sayaka did not consider herself much of a diplomat, but she could get her points across one way or other to the blonde magical girl.

When Oriko activated her powers over time, a dim series of images began to flash across her eyes, each brief and somewhat obscured. She saw several images of Mami's room, from above looking down at Mami seated alone at her tea table and several views directed outward through the tall windows looking outward over the city. Sayaka then appeared in the room, her expression obscured as Mami turned to address her. Unheard words were exchanged, whereupon Mami abruptly stood up from the table, streams of tears running down her cheeks.

"I could talk to her, but I'd need an opportunity," Sayaka continued, "Mami-san isn't the easiest person to get a hold of, given her busy schedule."
 
The stories went on as more cake was distributed, tales of culinary successes that made Miyakos stomach rumble in longing with how delicious they sounded, and failures that brought forth laughs of disbelief and amusement at the same time. They were certainly enjoying themselves, and even Etsuko had relaxed as time passed unbidden, until the sun had set in the sky, stars almost invisible above the illuminated cityscape.

Still, they had a job to do, and the duo rose as Mami did to prepare for the night ahead. Miyako left accepting the offer to Etsuko as the older one, and she considered it. Her natural caution matched up against other factors, all given due consideration by the girl, until at last she nodded her approval. "Alright." After all, there was safety in numbers, and having someone as skilled as Mami around wouldn't hurt, would it? She might be naturally distrustful, but even she could see the advantage in that.

Miyako smiled, glad to hear that they would be going with Mami this time to hunt. She wasn't sure how useful she'd be with the firepower of the older girl, and the strength of her sister, but she'd do what she could, even if it was only with her magic. But now, it was time to get to work, and the two girls looked to see how their superior generally went about that, since they couldn't eliminate jumping out the window as an option of departure. This night could be fun.

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Oriko had ceased paying attention to Sayaka as her powers activated, a series of images playing out before her with her foresight. They were fuzzy, black obscuring portions, no sound to accompany them. She could only guess as to what was happening, and how things turned out as she watched Sayaka perhaps confront Mami, or relay to her bad news. It was a state of affairs she was used to, since the future wasn't set in stone, and thus didn't give her as much of a solid image as it could have, like when she saw the world ending Witch in her first vision. There would always be variables, possibilities that had to be taken into account.

Visions fading, she nodded in agreement with the blunette. "Indeed. Such is the burden of being in charge. Well, I suppose then we will have to learn what her general schedule is like, so we can confront her whilst isolated from the other two once the opportunity presents itself to make a move," she replied thoughtfully. Sadly, those kinds of details were lacking in her futuresight, but she knew they would come in time. She just had to know where to give the right push to make the future she wanted a reality.
 
"Wonderful," Mami nodded, smiling pleasantly at the siblings, "Just give me a minute to get ready." Hurrying about the room, she cleaned up the dishes and freshened herself up a bit, leaving the two of them to look about the room as she pleased. Aside from the before-mentioned decor, a picture of Mami, Homura, and Kyoko stood on the nightstand across from another picture of a younger Mami with a man and a woman, presumably her parents. Considering how little else was in the room, their presence was particularly apparent, especially with the scale of each room further emphasizing what little each area contained.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Mami gestured to the two girls to follow her as she stepped out of her room and down the hall toward the apartment's front door. Despite their ability to circumvent needing conventional meathods of leaving the building, Mami chose the route that even normal humans could use. A few button presses and a bit of walking later, perhaps they would arrive at their intended destination. Only time would tell.

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The bluenette, unaware of Oriko's future-seeing powers, saw this as an opportunity to make a suggestion based on what scant information she did have about Mami's schedule. "Mami usually spends the night hunting witches," Sayaka added, "And first thing in the morning she makes a report to Kyoko. I don't know how long that takes, but I'd guess she would have some free time after that. If we could find out when her meeting ends, we could try talking to her then."

She never even considered interrupting Mami's hunting time, as one of the few things more dangerous than the witches themselves was getting between Mami and the witches she was hunting. While Sayaka had never seen her in action herself, she assumed this spoke to how truly deadly the blonde-haired magical girl could become in a serious fight. Sayaka mused that it was certainly a good thing Mami wasn't nearly as aggressive as Kyoko, as the last thing they needed was two overpowered magical girls bearing down on the populace.
 
The two sisters were left to wait as Mami moved about, cleaning up after their meeting before they went off to hunt Witches, which was probably a good idea all things considered. They'd be dead tired afterwards, so best to get the hard work out of the way and relax once the night had passed by and Witches exterminated. It was a task they had some difficulty doing in their own home, to be honest, but it was made slightly easier by the fact that there were two of them. But Mami's method was probably more efficient, all things considered.

The time did give them the opportunity to look about the room though. Besides the table, bed, and couch, there were a few decorations, a picture of Mami when she was younger with two people that Miyako took to be her parents. Then there was a more recent picture of her with Kyoko and Homura, the former grinning impishly while the latter held the same stoic expression she always wore. That would have been from a month or so ago, when the raven haired girl emerged onto the scene and quickly swept to the top of the government as a result of her powers and knowledge. Some said she had even beaten Kyoko in a fight but spared her life, though there was certainly no evidence to back that up. Still, it accentuated the sense of isolation and loneliness that was present throughout the large dwelling, pulling at mutual heartstrings.

"It's fine," Etsuko replied as Mami apologized, a few minutes not making that much of a difference anyway. It wasn't like they'd be cheated out of any witches, since no one would try to deny or compete with Mami of all people, thus making it easier for them. The two followed Mami as she left by the front door, riding the elevator to the ground floor before exiting the building to go on the hunt, Etsuko pulling out her soul gem to track down the presence of a Witch or Familiar, since those had a habit of showing up as well.

After a bit of walking, they would soon locate one as the signature of a Witch was picked up. It was off the ground this time, and Etsuko and Miyako would follow it and Mami as they ascended to the rooftop of an apartment complex, the barrier nestled between the rooftop exit and some air vents. "This looks like it's it," Etsuko commented as they beheld the barrier itself, a snapped wing with dropping feathers visible along with the multicolored swirling of the barrier.

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Oriko nodded in recognition as Sayaka explained what she knew of Mami's schedule. It certainly would provide a good opportunity, once they were ready for such a confrontation to begin. There only remained the trouble of figuring out when such a good time was, since she would most likely be busy with legislative and bureaucratic activities, overseeing the implementation of policies and such. For some reason though, Oriko didn't feel too bad about interrupting that though.

"Alright then," she replied smoothly. "I suppose I could have some of my contacts look into that, since I assume you haven't had much luck in that particular avenue thus far." Though, to be fair, Sayaka probably hadn't been trying, more intent on gathering allies than gathering information. Not undesirable, and it seemed to have worked out for her thus far. But now that she had those allies, it turned to the details of the plan, and here it seemed she was more forced to rely on the assets of those she had joined with, even if she appeared to be in charge.

She smirked then, still sitting comfortably as she took another sip from her glass. An idea occurred to her, and she took advantage of it, asking her own question then as she leaned forward. "So, tell me about yourself," she said. "This won't work if we don't trust each other after all, so it would be wise to build up some connection, don't you think?" Admittedly, what Sayaka had to say Oriko could probably have learned from her contacts, but she wasn't about to say as much. Let the idealist think she actually cared.
 
The more-experienced magical girl allowed Etsuko to take the opportunity to find a witch on her own, watching her silently while the elder of the two siblings guided them to the witch's barrier. Mami calmly followed her lead, content with their company for the time being, her appearance deceptively calm while her mind buzzed with excitement. It had been quite some time since she last had a companion along for one of her hunts, let alone two. Mami wanted nothing more than to fascinate them with stories about her previous adventures, but managed to restrain herself. She had to set a good example for them, after all, as their senior... But that didn't mean she couldn't show off a little, right?

"Yes, please stay close to me," Mami nodded, placing her first few steps inside the barrier itself carefully as the entered the witch's domain. Color and darkness, mixed with the perpetual feathers which drifted slowly downward, stood together within the barrier. There was no sign of any familiars yet, unless the snapped wing itself was a familiar, and Mami looked about silently while stepping to the front of the group, taking the occasional glance backward toward the siblings behind her. She drew a single musket from under her skirt and held it in her hands, finger resting on the weapon's handle should she need it at a moment's notice. Many of the witches in the area were reasonably weak, but that was not to say that exceptions to this general rule did not exist.

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"To be honest, I've been trying to keep my head above water with the whole grief seed quota," Sayaka admitted sheepishly, as she had enough trouble gathering grief seeds for her own use, let alone meeting the quota imposed upon magical girls operating in the city limits, herself included. Being a member of the ruling class did not exempt her from those annoying things known as taxes. She knew that the first thing she'd change as soon as she had the power to do so would be to abolish the quota which imposed so much grief on the populace.

"Well, what do you want to know about me?" Sayaka's thoughts instantly turned to her unrequited crush, her cheeks flushing slightly as a result as her gaze drifted down toward her feet, "I don't have anything to hide..." She looked up at Oriko abruptly, "And its only fair that you tell me about yourself, too! I mean, just so we get to know each other better." Sayaka had almost completely forgotten by then that Oriko could potentially be a very dangerous person, as her trust in the mysterious young woman had built up somewhat over the course of their discussion.
 
Etsuko nodded as Mami asked that they stay close, willing to give that cessation to safety with the three of them as the barrier was forced open by their magic and they moved inside it, Miyako's hood raised once more as she took up the rear. Etsuko drew her cavalry saber with a flourish, while Miyako readied hidden knives, both of them ready for a fight. It seemed they shared the same thoughts as Mami with regards to this barrier and the Witch inside. Though given that Etsuko wasn't an amateur, that was to be somewhat expected.

The inside of the barrier was much as one might expect. Here, feathers drifted from a clouded sky in slow motion, white and ruffled as they spun and tilted, making navigation something of a challenge. It was that though that probably caused the lack of familiars, those further on inside the Witches lair itself. It certainly seemed the form of a labyrinth, to be sure. Now they just had to find the witch. The two moved then, Miyako clearing the jumps easily with her extra speed, and Etsuko having to pay a little more attention to timing. And all the while they were alert for what might come next.

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Another nod in understanding from Oriko, though fortunately the limitation the blunette suffered was one she was not afflicted with. Being in open defiance of authorities and unregistered had it's perks, even though the ruling trio probably wanted to be rid of her at the first opportunity. But she would need all the Grief Seeds she could get for the conflict ahead, and that meant tax evasion. Oh well, not her loss.

Sayaka's reaction though certainly brought a smirk, her wondering what it was the girl was so embarrassed about, given the statement that she had nothing to hide. Well that was a statement obviously not true. She just didn't want to admit it, in a typically stubborn manner. Well, Oriko would figure out what it was eventually. Such things were the basis for manipulation after all, and that was what she did best. But it would take time for that particular lesson to come across.

"Of course," she replied with a smile as Sayaka asked the same of her in turn. "Both me and Kirika." She gestured to the girl off to the side, who stood ambivalently. She paused to think, before settling on a simple question to begin this little bonding session of theirs. "So what motivates you," she asked simply. "Why fight for justice, equality, when no one else seems to agree with you, and the ones who might are as radical in the opposite direction? Surely it can be a tad discouraging at times." Nonchalant as it was, she sought to understand the blunette more, play her better, and continue to grow that trust that she was carefully cultivating.
 
Mami remained at the front, her attentive gaze looking back at the others every minute or so as they proceeded deeper into the barrier. While some barriers had simpler designs than others, this one in particular offered few clues as to the witch's powers or abilities given they had only encountered feathers while clouds hung suspended amid the abstract swirling of colors all about them. Even the lack of familiars added to the ambiguity, which kept Mami on high alert watching out not only for herself but for the two girls accompanying her. She had a special responsibility to protect them, after all, from whatever might await them deeper inside the labyrinth.

Mami's gaze went inward as well as outward, her determination to prove herself to her new friends and emerge from the barrier with all three of them alive and well taking the forefront of her thoughts. In the background, however, she considered what other acts of trust she could use to build her relationship with the siblings, how she could prove herself to them and earn an even deeper bond. She had gone for so long without true friends that the process seemed an almost foreign concept to her, prodding her toward even more desperate measures even as she sought to restrain herself so that their relationship could develop more naturally over time. The thoughts continued to swirl about her mind, even as the colors swirled about them in the barrier.

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"To be a warrior of justice means that you have to do what is right even if nobody else agrees with you," Sayaka replied confidently, resting her spread arms along the top of the couch while tilting her head back to stare up at the ceiling. With her legs still crossed over each other, her body almost assumed a cross-like position. She closed her eyes, thinking back on the people she had already saved during her short time as a magical girl so far.

"I admit that it can be discouraging at times, but I believe that I am doing the right thing," Sayaka nodded, "I have to stick by my beliefs, because that is what being a magical girl really means. If we do not uphold justice for all, then why do we even have power? To protect ourselves? No, even normal people can have the strength to protect themselves, but only magical girls have the strength to protect others and give them hope. Because we have this power, it is our responsibility to use to to help other people who find themselves in situations that they feel they cannot handle. We can give them the strength to keep fighting and inspire them even as we fight to protect them."

"So, what motivates you two?" the bluenette directed the question back at them in turn, feeling that she had answered the question sufficiently on her own part. She looked first at Oriko, then at the taciturn Kirika. Surely the two of them had some reason they sought to undermine the current establishment.
 
The trio moved along together through the barrier, all alert and ready. Odds were good that any familiar that showed up wouldn't stand a chance against the combined strength of the three of them, so that left only the Witch itself to worry about. With Mami's magical sense she led the way, directing them towards the Witch through the twists and turned of the labyrinth, deeper and deeper inside, towards the center and the Witch that waited within.

As they moved along, the environment shifted, changed. The swirling colors shifting into a sky blue, a beating sun in the far off distance that radiated heat, enough to make one sweat even though it was seemingly only as close as the real sun above. The swirl of feathers continued, some spinning wildly, others moving more sedately, but it was added to. Large globs of yellow-ish material began to plummet from the heavens, whipping past and providing an additional obstacle in the form of hot wax, of all things. Miyako had an easier time dodging, but even if she was caught in some spread from the falling objects, nary a complaint was brought by Etsuko about it.

Then the familiars finally showed up. They were humans, black, like many a seen familiar before, but with wings sprouting from their backs that let them move about this realm with ease. For the moment they paid no mind to the girls, instead going about and grabbing onto feathers, arresting the fall of those soft objects to carry them off to some unknown destination, presumably the Witch. What purpose could be in that would be found out soon, most likely, as they navigated towards the Witch, and the mountain peaks that had visibly sprung up above the clouds some ways away.

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

Oriko listened to the explanation with an almost half ear, most of it being what she had expected about noble ideas, protecting people, bringing hope, that sort of thing. Honestly, people like Sayaka were so easy to read. This, of course, being without the blunette knew what she knew as a result of her visions, so she couldn't entirely blame her, but it would be interesting nonetheless to see if those ideals crumbled in the face of reality. "I see," she replied simply once Sayaka had finished

Asked in turn what motivated them against the establishment, Oriko smiled, aware that this would be interesting,to say the least. She was the only one who would have to lie of course, since Kirika's interests hardly extended that far. But that shouldn't be too hard, she had prepared for this a long time ago. "Revenge, you could say," she replied with a shrug. "The government destroyed my father, so I think it's only fair that I be the one to hold them accountable for their crimes." It was a half truth, since she did indeed feel that way. But at the same time there was the overarching goal she left unsaid. That of the world engulfing Witch she knew would appear at the end of the month.

"As for Kirika, well...." She chose to let the other girl speak for herself. And Kirika did, as she had expected she would. "My only motivation is my undying love for Oriko," Kirika professed, turning to face the two of them, and generally giving off the impression that she meant what she was saying. "That's all I need." Oriko smiled softly back, though whether she entirely reciprocated was left to Sayaka's imagination.
 
"The Witch should be somewhere near the summit of those mountains," Mami pointed, glancing back at the two magical girls that accompanied her. The familiar's appearance both relieved her to an extent, since at least seeing them gave her a measure of reassurance concerning what the witch's ability and strength might be, but it also concerned her. What did winged angels, wax, mountains, an intense sun, and swirling colors have to do with each other? Then again, witch barriers rarely made any amount of sense, so there was little purpose in trying to work anything out to explain even the slightest detail.

She buried whatever lingering concerns that still clung to her mind as she pressed forward, carefully making her way between the falling clumps of melted wax and precarious gaps in the pathways as they made their way closer to the mountains in the distance. Her eyes were subconsciously drawn upward, both to the intensely burning artificial sun as well as the obscured mountain peak somewhere cloaked within the clouds far above them. Just what manner of witch awaited them?

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"Destroyed your father?" Sayaka blinked, repeating her words with a measure of confusion in her voice, "I mean, I'm sure Kyoko and Mami had to step on a few heads to get where they are now, but I don't think they are really that bad of people... I'm sure there is some explanation as to why things turned out as they did, but do you think getting revenge will make anything better?"

The bluenette was an idealist through and through, believing that nobody was beyond salvation, at least in this particular timeline. Unaware of the irony given her actions in other timelines, Sayaka allowed her desire to win over Kyoko and Mami at some point to color her perception of the two city leaders. Perhaps they had done something worthy of Oriko's spite, but could she really just take one person's opinion on the matter, especially someone she just met?

Many questions remained unanswered, but she already began to feel a bit uneasy from merely hearing the accusation. Where there others out there who sought to overthrow the two based on their own personal reasons rather than reforming the establishment for the betterment of all? If what Oriko said was true, then what else could remain hidden in the darkness of obscurity surrounding Mami and Kyoko? She tried to block out her doubts, to remain firm to her resolution to proceed peacefully if at all possible, and for the time being she succeeded.

"By love you mean the friendship sort of love, right?" Sayaka smiled a but uneasily, the manner in which Kirika spoke allowing for a certain amount of leeway in interpretation. She had heard of romantic love between girls before, but she'd never actually met one before. Granted, her own feelings toward her crush were rather firm, for the time being at least, and she'd never bothered to go out of her way to get close enough to anyone other than Madoka to even be aware of her other classmates' romantic interests.
 
"Alright," Etsuko agreed, the two of them weaving across the uneven platforms through the rain of wax, as it were, after her. It was hardly easy, what with the feathers they used for platforms already unstable, the falling projectiles, and the Familiars grabbing platforms to carry them off to where they were going. Not easy, but they managed, even of Etsuko did get a bit of wax on her, but nothing apparently harmful nor detrimental to her movement, which was good with all things considered.

At last they reached the mountain summit, a wide, flattish area with boulders jutting out to make cover, the sun beating down overhead with little relief to it. For the moment the wax and feathers had ceased, but the trail of familiars continued past. Etsuko stepped forward, Miyako hanging back, as they both looked around. "Hm, where is it," Etsuko wondered aloud, sword ready. Hopefully this wasn't some trick of the labyrinth.

Then a shadow fell across the summit of the mountain, and the gaze of the two girls rose to see a shadow eclipsing the sun before it came diving down to hover above them in a semi-Greek style. It was a large person, but instead of arms it had wings, wings which were in the process of falling apart, thus explaining what the familiars were doing as they affixed new material to keep the wings from falling apart completely and the Witch plummeting off the mountainside. If one had to guess, it would be that this Witch had had something to do with lofty ambitions.

"Well, this is gonna be fun," Etsuko commented as she settled into a combat stance, and Miyako vanished from sight completely. Time to see how this went.
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"Well, I suppose I may be exaggerating a bit, but it is a fair approximation of events as they occurred," Oriko replied to Sayaka's query, deciding how best to phrase this to incur the blunette's sympathy as she began. After all, she didn't want to alienate her too much. That would undue all the work that she had done so far, if Sayaka believed that she was merely being used as a tool in some scheme of vengeance. There had to be legitimate reasons, or else it was taking a big risk.

So, she explained. "My father worked for the city government, an upper level bureaucrat, making enough money to give us a relatively well off lifestyle, but a thankless job regardless. Then one day he was caught embezzling money, arrested, and thrown in jail for a very long time." She said that matter of factly, taking a sip from her drink in the process. "As for me, I was subject to what one would call 'guilt by association'. As my father's daughter, the hatred for what my father did was transferred over to me. I was isolated, insulted, cast out of society simply because of what my father had done. And it's that wrong I'm attempting to atone for now."

Kirika shook her head, almost aghast at the suggestion that what she and Oriko shared was merely the kind of love that existed between friends. At least to her, it was so much more than that, as Oriko was the first friend she'd truly had, or so she believed. Hell, she'd even wished to change herself so they could be friends, though that particular fact was unknown to Sayaka at the moment. "I mean a love purer than the stars themselves, one that can survive any hardship. Not like some fleeting crush that is there one day and gone the next," she pronounced with that same passionate, almost haughty attitude of hers. It was definitely a touchy subject for her, if one was to go off appearances.
 
The Witch before them took the shape of a large person, roughly speaking at least, whose wings of wax melted and molted even while its familiars worked tirelessly to repair the damage the intense sun's rays inflicted upon them. It was as if a living representation of Icarus had descended from the heavens to meet with them, and perhaps offer some wise words of understanding concerning ignorantly-held beliefs and ambitions which could not bear up under the intensity and strain of the trials of life. If the girls had spent some time considering the significance of this, perhaps they could have walked away with a better understanding of themselves as well. Unfortunately for the Witch as well as the magical girls below it, they had no such intentions.

Mami's eyes grew a bit wider, as the mere size of the witch was rather impressive. The feathers they had walked upon as platforms had made up its wings at some point, the irony of which not being entirely lost on her as the very feathers which supported its flight had also made it possible for its attackers to reach the deepest parts of its liar. Still, there was no time to waste upon contemplation and hesitation. There was only the fight. There was only the thrill and danger of combat.

The blonde magical girl's eyes closed for a moment and she drew in a deep breath and then released it slowly. When her eyes opened, she had recovered her composure as she reached up with her left hand and lifted her hat, twirling it as muskets fell from its lower rim and landed barrel first about her in a circular pattern. She grasped one in each hand, her left eye closing as her right gazed across the musket sights, lining up the notch at the center of her intended target, "Yes, let us begin."

Her finger pressed down on the trigger, the latch releasing the hammer which struck with a visible spark, sending the magical projectile within the barrel flying forward with explosive force. Mami tossed aside the musket even before the bullet could reach its target in order to send another along the same path, over and over in a successive series of shots, spent muskets cast aside on either side of her as she stood firmly before the massive witch. She would try to draw its attention away from the other two, as Miyako, although invisible to the eye could still potentially be detected and placed in danger due to her inexperience. Etsuko was a melee-type, Mami assumed based on her choice of weapon, which would put her at a disadvantage against a foe capable of flight unless she also possessed sufficient mobility. In any case, Mami felt responsible for the safety of her two friends, and she would do her best to ensure that all three of them returned home safe and sound.

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Sayaka blinked, unsure how to respond for some time as Oriko explained a bit of her own past. While Oriko seemed to acknowledge the wrongs her father had done to some degree, she spoke of it as if it were a small matter that he had committed such a crime. Still, the fact that others had laid some of the shame and blame upon Oriko as well seemed terribly unfair. Sure, according to the culture that they lived in, the sins of the individual would reflect badly upon the entire family by virtue of association, with those directly related to the offender being the most greatly effected. Sayaka could think of no good way to resolve the situation, given the outcome.

"I'm sorry that you had to go through all that... It must have been horrible, bearing the weight of all that on your shoulders," Sayaka finally spoke, shaking her head slowly, "But I do not understand how deposing Mami and Kyoko will help you feel any better. Mami isn't to blame. Its wrong to steal from other people, and she just upheld the law. The real villains here are..." Sayaka paused, somewhat astonished at her own words, "Are... The people out there... The people of society who hated you for something you never did." Wait. If that was true, then who was she really even fighting for? Was she fighting for the sake of these very same thoughtless people who drove an innocent girl like Oriko to consider outright rebellion against the current establishment? No. Not everyone was like that, right?

Sayaka was a bit visibly shaken given the train of thought she entertained, and thankfully Kirika's reply helped her recover somewhat by giving her something else to consider. When Kirika spoke of her love for Oriko, she felt just a bit envious of her devotion and pride in her feelings. There Sayaka sat, having used her wish to save the dream of the one she loved but still she lacked the courage to speak to him about her own feelings when Kirika declared them openly and without reservation. The bluenette smiled, "I'm sorry... I suppose I underestimated your feelings for Oriko-san, Kirika-san. You must feel very strongly about her. I don't really understand it, but if it makes you happy then I think you should do your best to pursue that love."
 
The fight began as Mami spawned rifles and began to fire, bullets whizzing into the sky to strike at the flying witch in the process, eliciting a cry from above with each impact. And there were at that, since Mami was well known for her accuracy, among other things. It was all Miyako could do to not watch her in awe from her hiding spot. Of course, Etsuko wouldn't be outdone either, employing the strategy of throwing her sword at the thing, in a vain attempt that didn't work at that range.

For some reason, the Witch above didn't take too well to being shot at by the girls below, and with a cry it retaliated, reorienting above to throw a near hail of feathers down at Mami, the sharp ends of each projectile smashing through rocks and stone, forcing the other two to scramble as well, lest they be impaled in the short burst thrown down at them. Miyako had it easier, but Etsuko managed to avoid harm as well, for the moment anyway.

If there was any worry about her being left out of the fun though, that was soon rectified as more familiars emerged climbing the mountain slope, these of a kind different to the one seen previously. they were akin to soldiers, with plumed helmets, a spear, and they climbed as best they could able, to crest the ridge and come marching towards the two visible girls that were on the ridge. "I got this," Etsuko said confidently as she interposed herself between Mami and the familiars, trusting that Miyako was nearby. With Mami being the only one who could really hurt the Witch, it would be best to have her focus on that. The familiars approached and she charged forward, blade meeting spear as the melee began

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Finished with her explanation, there was a bit of a silent stretch before Sayaka responded, which indicated that Oriko was continuing to make some headway with the girl. Good then. Things would have gotten slightly more complicated if the blunette had wanted to know more, or not believed her. Fortunately though, the best lies were based in truth, and the story she had told was for the most part true. She just hadn't said all of it. But that was information that shouldn't be said at the moment.

At least Sayaka understood, proving to be a bit more clever than Oriko had expected, as she pointed out that her desire shouldn't be directed against the two in charge, but rather the populace and society that had blamed her. It was an interesting display, and Oriko was suitably impressed in the process. "If I tried to act against the populace directly, Mami and Kyoko would intervene, and nothing would be accomplished. The best way to change things is to be in control after all, so that is why I seek to overthrow the old order."

Kirika scoffed at Sayaka's comment to her, resisting the urge to roll her eyes in the process and giving her a somewhat patronizing look to boot. "Of course I am," she replied. "Why else do you think I'm here?" One could read into that particular sentiment as much as they wanted, but it was where Kirika stood, and she would not be dissuaded from it.
 
Mami maintained the barrage until the Witch began to retaliate, the sharp, pointed tips of the arrow-like feathers that it hurled down at her not the slightest bit appealing to the blonde magical girl. She jumped backward and flipped, firing two more musket shots up at the Witch while retreating a short distance, spinning and jumping to avoid the feathers as they narrowly skimmed her body. Mami occasionally waved her hand and summoned single muskets, taking aim and firing as the opportunity presented itself.

During the pause between when the feather barrage stopped and the familiar assault began, Mami restocked herself with more muskets, unaware of Etsuko's plan until the girl stepped out in front of her. While her initial reaction was to call out to her and request that she fall back, she stopped herself from doing so. Although a twinge of worry huddled about her heart, she resolved to trust the girl to hold her own against the familiars. "Alright," Mami nodded to the older sibling, "I'll count on you to hold them off for me." Not to be outdone, she turned her attention once again to the massive Witch flying overhead. Jumping upward, she held out her right hand, a long length of ribbon swirling upon itself as she channeled her magical energy into it, concentrating as it suddenly took form as a massive cannon. Faced with a witch of such a size, it seemed unlikely that it could dodge her attack, especially given the state of its wings.

Mami's eyes opened as she pointed the massive mussel of the cannon a bit further upward, aiming directly at its center. The hammer snapped forward, striking the back of the chamber to ignite the destructive magical beam of energy. "Trio... Finale!" Mami added her signature wink as the attack streamed across the distance between herself and her intended target. Few witches could take a direct hit from Mami's ultimate attack and survive, but there were always exceptions.

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"Are you sure that getting revenge on society is the best way to handle this?" Sayaka gave Oriko an uneasy smile, "I mean, sure they were wrong to treat you that way, but will it make it any better to get back at them? People won't change unless we give them a reason to change. You could try to force them to change, but you could also prove them wrong instead. Make something out of your life and show that you are different from your father... Instead of harming others for your own benefit, you could do something that would make everyone's lives better."

Sayaka, obviously had either never read or did not agree with the age-old saying that "it is better to be feared than to be loved". Instead, despite her recent uneasiness on the subject, Sayaka remained stubbornly determined to ease Oriko into a more moderate approach. Even she could see the potential for things to spiral out of control if punishing the populace became the overarching goal.
 
With a confident nod back to Mami, the fight resumed, muskets firing as sword and spear met, the two somewhat distracted from Mami besides covering her back from the ascending familiars. They certainly didn't make it easy, but Etsuko was looking forward to a challenge, to the opportunity to show that they knew what they were doing to the blond that fought with them. So she struck and sprang back before striking again, one familiar after another eliminated while Miyako in turn made sure nothing happened to her.

Normally, Tiro Finale was enough to one shot any Witch that hit it, with a few exceptions of particularly strong Witches, and indeed with it's size and the state of it's wings, this Witch would have been hard pressed to dodge. But that was if the attack hit in the first place, which most likely did not predicate on the reality that asserted itself, as the winged Familiars willingly dove in the way of the attack, sacrificing their own existences to give the Witch the time it needed and obstructing her attack in turn so that it didn't hit, or certainly not with the impact it would have had otherwise.

Those familiars that survived immediately went about to rebuilding the damaged wings as more feathers embedded themselves in the rock of the summit they found themselves on. Miyako dodged, but this time Etsuko, moving from one battle with a twisted imitation of a Greek hoplite, didn't. The feather whizzed down and speared straight through her leg, pinning her in place with a nasty crack of bone, blood dripping down to the ground. And in spite of that she didn't cry out, barely flinched in fact, and applied her cavalry sabre to cutting herself free while the invisible force that was Miyako covered her sister's back

Shakily, she got back to her feet and readied her sword once again, applying the magic needed to heal the damage to the point where she could still fight, before moving back in. "It's gonna take more than that to beat me," she said aloud as she fought, swiping aside a spear with her sword, then leaping in to stab and slash. Meanwhile Miyako fought, picking off stragglers and throwing knives to eliminate further off targets, the two working as a well coordinated team. Which was a good thing as the Witches wings flapped, kicking up a strong wind that whipped across the summit, clawing at the three of them to try and toss them clear of the mountain to a long fall into nothingness bellow.

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Kirika fell silent, willing to let Oriko handle the rest of the discussion. Her opinion had been gotten across, and as long as Sayaka didn't challenge her nor her attitude towards Oriko, then things would be generally alright. Beyond Oriko, she could care less about the blunette and her ideals, and wouldn't hesitate to kill her if ordered to. It was a loyalty and determination that Oriko found useful, yet Kirika meant more to her than just that, even if she didn't show it.

As for Oriko, she continued to handle the Sayaka situation, to convince her that she wasn't going about this for the wrong reasons, and that she was 'good' enough for the other magical girl to be aligned with her, or vice versa as it seemed to appear to the casual bystander. Not that Sayaka was making it east for her, to say the least. Still, she knew how to make this play out, the things to say. After all, her type was so easy to predict. And that meant a slight cessation for the moment, to make herself seem reasonable. "Perhaps," she replied, finishing off her drink and placing it on the glass table. "As you have probably noticed though, something like that is....difficult, to accomplish, in the position as a simple magical girl. Which brings us back around to our original goal, doesn't it."
 
Familiars acting in unusual or aggressive ways was nothing new to Mami, but familiars which lept in the way of a fatal blow was something she had yet to see with her own eyes. The powerful beam sliced through the winged familiars, cutting the power of the final strike and giving much-needed time to the Witch to allow it to shift the direct hit to a glancing blow. If Mami wanted to finish off the Witch, even in a weakened state, she would have to at significantly cull the number of familiars first. The familiar's daring act was soon followed by another rain of pointed feathers, which postponed Mami's plans until the next pause gave her an opportunity.

With the distinct sound of cracking bone and dripping blood, a sharp pang of guilt struck Mami, causing her to pause momentarily as she dodged and weaved between the sharp barbs which embedded themselves in the rocky summit. She wanted to interviene, but Miyako beat her to the punch, deflecting attacks and protecting her sister with pointed counters while her elder sibling recovered. just as Mami began to relax, the pointed tip of a feather narrowly missed her head, reminding her of her own precarious situation. She once again resolved to let the siblings pull their own share while she went about her own task, taking down the Witch itself, which currently took upon itself the task of ridding itself of the three annoyances which dared to attack it.

As the wind began to whip at them, Mami threw three ribbons, one for each of the sisters and one for herself, which wrapped around their waists and bound them to a nearby rock, preventing them from being placed at the mercy of the gusts which tugged at them harshly. The ribbons restricted movement to a degree, but even that was better than the demise which awaited them should they lose their footing. The blonde magical girl then jumped backward, the ribbon holding her fast as her body was lifted up into the gale, her arms spread wide. Dozens of muskets appeared around her, all pointed forward, her eyes betraying a hint of amusement as the guns began to fire, raining down on the army of winged familiars and returning cover fire back upon the Witch as well with her widespread attack.

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"Yes, it does," Sayaka agreed with an audible sigh escaping her lips, "The most we can do at the moment is arrange that meeting with Mami to see if it gets us anywhere. If not, we will have to think of something else." The bluenette slumped down slightly in her seat, unaware that the before-mentioned magical girl had her own worries to see to at the moment. From Sayaka's point of view, Mami was most likely spending her days in a relatively carefree manner, between meetings and discussions with various important people from around the city, that is. Granted, the novice magical girl had never delved into the specifics involved in managing a city herself, so her actual knowledge of such areas was rather restricted.

"If you could set up the city however you liked, what would you do?" Sayaka asked, a bit curious as to how Oriko would go about ruling, given the opportunity. She hoped to learn more about what made the mysterious girl tick, so to speak, both out of her own personal interest as well as a deeper desire to know what Oriko was striving toward for the future.
 
The wind whipped about them, making movement precarious to say the least, and eliciting a cry from Miyako who had it worse with her cloak as part of her uniform. Her illusion magic faltered as Mami wrapped ribbons around the two of them to hold them in place for the most part, the ends secured in place with magic, a very useful skills to say the least. It didn't help their movement all that much, but better to find it difficult to move, than to be blown off the mountain entirely, a situation Miyako could appreciate as the wind pushed against her.

Fortunately, where Miyako had defended her, now Etsuko did the same, maneuvering as best she could with the ribbons to get between her sister, now visible, and the familiars that advanced towards them. She threw her blade, summoning a new one to take it's place in repeat until the familiars had closed to a range where she could attack them, and she did then, Miyako throwing knives from her own, relatively secure position. It seemed they were holding out for now, and Mami was doing well too if the crack of guns was any indication.

Meanwhile, the sky filled with the thunder of guns as Mami went about her selected method, familiars dropping like flies as they were smote by the magical broadside, and their numbers began to diminish with her killing them faster than they could replenish themselves. It worked against the Witch as well, the creature shrieking aloud in pain as it was hit with her musket fire, and it fired back with feathers in turn, the wind lessening somewhat when it did that, before picking up again. It seemed it couldn't do both at the same time, and it also seemed that things were swinging their way.

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That sentiment expressed by Sayaka was one that Oriko could agree with, though she had her own ideas regarding the subject. After all, she had quite a few more options available to her as a person aligned with the Shadow Compact, and an unregistered magical girl that didn't have to pay the Grief Seed tax to boot. That certainly helped, and she would work to advance her agenda away from the sight of the blunette, where it couldn't do damage to the relationship she was trying so hard to build here.

She hummed in thought at the second question, having to give it serious consideration now since she hadn't actually contemplated the subject, for the simple reason that she didn't plan to take over. Well, perhaps she did, but if she did that would be in the aftermath of saving this world. Everything else was just a means to that end. "A meritocracy, I suppose," she replied at last. "Those best qualified to run do so, regardless of whether they are a magical girl or not, and regardless of what their past history might be, or their familial connctions. I would open up relations with the outside world, rather than pretending the Tokyo Authority doesn't exist besides the border skirmishes." She then met Sayaka's gaze. "And what about you?"
 
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