Chapter 1-Who are you?

Akima looked at her phone's gps reading, and started to become frustrated. She somehow had fallen asleep on the train and it deposited her in some town called "Mitakihara", instead of being in Hokkaido. Since the train ride was reported to be 4 hours, she decided to take a quick nap during the journey, after a few snacks of course. Unfortunately, this resulted in passing out and eventually waking up after missing her transfer stop that would have connected her to Hokkaido

So…here she was. Alone in a city she had no idea about, separated from home by an entire ocean, and her friends were miles to the north of her. Putting her phone away, she decided to fulfill the one important constant in this universe; finding food. Luckily, she had been dropped off near one of the local train stations, so it was a simple matter of catching a train and looking up some restaurants. A nearby mall caught her eye, so she caught the next train headed there. This one happened to be full of middle school students; for the most part, aged 13-14. They weren't that much younger than her, but regardless she could feel the age gap between her and the students. Judging by the animated chatter, it was either lunch time or they had let out for the day. One thing she did notice was a trio of girls talking in hushed voices, and occasionally staring at her. She looked over and took into account her audience. One had flowing green hair and matching eyes. She kept looking at Akima with concern, but it was more for caution than interest. The next girl had pink hair that was tied up with ribbons, resulting in small pigtails to the side. She looked the shiest out of the group and looked away when Akima stared at her. Feeling slightly rude for doing so, she looked away as well, bringing her to the last one.

This one was tall, and her posture indicated a defensive stance in front of her friends while she glared at Akima. Her hair was a vibrant blue that matched well with her eyes, the color broken only by the pair of yellow hair clips behind her left ear. Feeling a sudden surge of resistance, Akima glared right back. The two remained locked in the staring contest for a good two minutes before Pink-hair tugged on the girl, signaling an end to their match. Akima got off as well, but headed in the opposite direction. At least for now she could bring her mind back to finding food rather than picking a fight with someone two years younger than her.

Sayaka glared at the strange girl that had been observing them. She was tall, probably a little older than them, and her entire demeanor placed her as a punk and a bully. Not to mention that her eyes were red. She'd never seen anyone with red eyes before. Homura was creepy, but this girl was downright intimidating, especially with those red eyes of hers. Feeling Madoka tug her along, she put those thoughts away for now. Besides, they were out for lunch, not worrying about strangers

After entering the mall, the three of them arrived at their usual spot. The restaurant itself was frequented by students from Mitakihara Junior High, so the company was welcome. Grabbing some food, she sat down with Hitomi and Madoka, eagerly anticipating her meal.

So….um….uh..why were you glaring at that girl earlier?

Sayaka barely registered Madoka's thoughts filtering into her own, so it didn't' really phase her until Madoka tried again. Without missing a beat, she bit into her hot dog to mask her reaction.

Something about her bothered me. Kinda like how Homura gives off this weird vibe whenever she's around us. Whatever, I wouldn't worry about it for now. Besides, she dresses like some high-school dropout, so she's probably stupid or something. Don't worry, I'll protect you!

She gave Madoka a smile, who promptly returned it. Hitomi frowned and continued her lunch. Clearly she was still having issues with the supposed "relationship" between the two of them, so Sayaka let her keep believing that. They both silently giggled at this and continued with their lunch. Kyubey nestled himself in between them, not adding to the conversation for now. Sayaka was busy running through a list of CDs in her head that she almost missed the strange girl from earlier walking into the café. She glared at her back, trying to bore right through her leather jacket. She watched as the girl struggled with what she wanted to eat. Sayaka's frown deepened when she finally ordered then proceeded to sit down at a table. She carefully watched her as she started eating, then paused and finally looked over at Sayaka. The girl's face went through a range of reactions; from confusion and shock, to angry and frustrated. Breaking eye contact, she resumed her meal, prompting Sayaka to look back to their own food. Madoka looked over and withheld a gasp.

Did she follow us? If so I'm starting to become really scared!

Sayaka fed back some positive vibes through their link and finished her lunch. Seeing the girl finish up her food rather quickly, Sayaka breathed a sigh of relief once she left; for now, she was gone and hopefully for good. Calmly cleaning up her tray, she watched as Hitomi nodded to them both, no doubt heading off to another tea practice. Once Madoka was finished, they both dumped their garbage and headed to the music store.

Akima climbed the escalator, having located the music store she spotted on the way in. If she was going to be stranded here for a while, she might as well have some tunes. Pulling her suit case behind her, she hefted her backpack over her shoulder and headed inside the store. A clerk stopped her to do a bag check, prompting her to remove her baggage and surrender it until she was done. Smaller bags were fine, but hers apparently warranted a bag check. Heading over to the CD racks in the back, she pulled a pair of headphones off the stand and put them on. Her ears were immediately assaulted by a mix of cool beats, riveting vocals, and electrifying instruments. Bobbing her head in time to the music, she let a grin escape onto her face as she scanned the shelves for the original CD. Pulling it out she looked up just in time to see Pink and Blue enter. Ducking behind the rack, she hoped they hadn't seen her, because this was the second time they were in the same space together. Luckily for her, they hadn't yet, so she quickly grabbed another CD and headed to the cash register to make her purchase.
"Oh! Will this be it?" The cashier asked as she wrapped up the two CDs and handed them back to Akima. Nodding, she paid quickly and retrieved her bags. Escaping from the store, she made her way down the escalator and out of the mall, breathing a sigh of relief that she hadn't been seen. She didn't' know why, but being around the blue-haired girl made her feel strange. Pulling out her map, she consulted the city legend to find a hotel to stay in until her train came by again. Unlike the others, this one was an extremely special train that ran every 3 days. Thankfully she had money to check into a cheap hotel until then, and the faster she got away from this city the better.

Kyubey perched on a streetlight and watched Akima make her escape. Tilting his head to the side, he scanned her and was surprised by the amount of emotional energy she radiated. Although, it was giving off a strange reading; the reading itself appeared to indicate that she was not of this world, or this universe for that matter. Which led him to ask himself….how did she get here? And more importantly…..would she be willing to form a contract?

Akima stared at her phone in confusion. It had been several hours since her escape from the mall and the sun was starting to set on the horizon. Sighing, she looked at the building in front of her. There was no way in hell that this was a hotel. The entire building was constructed along the lines of an apartment building, right down to the oversized planters in front. The front door was made of two gilded, sliding-glass doors that were part of a view of the interior, culminating in a window that occupied the building's front. She looked at the address on her phone, then back to the address posted on the building.

Yup, this was the place all right.

Tucking her phone away, Akima pulled her suitcase behind her and hefted her backpack. After having made her escape from the mall, she had stuffed one of the CD's inside her pack and was currently listening to the other. Upon entering the building, she headed for the front desk and tapped at the glass booth. Inside was a man well into his 50s, and behind him laid a small plaque board of keys. The rest were lockboxes of some sort it seemed. When the man didn't stir from his nap, she knocked again, clearly startling him.
"Uh…hi. I'm wondering, do you guys have hotel rooms, because this looks and awful lot like an apartment building." She asked keeping her fingers crossed. The man behind the glass nodded and selected a key from a separate rack.

"Yes. We do have a small collection of rooms available for nightly stays. Only a maximum of five days however. And yes, this is strictly an apartment building, catering to middle-class families. If you'll sign here, I'll get you a room." He responded, handing her a key and release form. Signing it, Akima passed the sheet and payment under the receiving slot and took the key. Bowing in thanks, she turned around and spun the key. She stopped short when she caught a familiar face walking through the doors.

Ol' Blue-hair was back, and she was just as surprised as Akima was to see her.

"YOU!" She shouted, dropping both her school bag and the bag from the CD store.
"Me? What about YOU?! Are you stalking me?" Akima shrieked, clearly not amused by this turn of events. Blue-hair snarled at her and clenched her fists.

"I was about to ask you the same thing, creeper! Why are you following me an' Madoka around?" She took another defensive stance and lowered her posture, as if to charge. Akima felt the static electricity in her starting to warm up, as her hair stood on end. Technically speaking, she wasn't supposed to tap into her electro-manipulation in public, but this called for it. However, at the same time she was really tired and in no mood for a fight. Reducing the charge she had been building, she calmed herself and leveled her gaze at the girl.

"Look, I'm just here for a few days, so stay away from me kiddo." She said, turning for the elevator. Hopefully the girl wouldn't follow her and cause a fight.

As soon as the girl left, Sayaka marched over to the man, pointing at the elevator.
"Who was she?" She asked, a frown etching itself into her features. The man sighed and shook his head.
"Ms. Miki, you know better than to ask me about that." He responded, shutting down her questions without a further glance. Sighing, Sayaka decided to head upstairs for now. If she hurried now ,she could get some homework done! The thought of going out on her first patrol after saving both Madoka and Hitomi last night excited her especially now that it was expected of her. She was a little surprised though, to see the strange girl here of all places. This was the last thing she expected to see, especially after coming back from visiting Kyouske at the Hospital. Her heart skipped a beat as she felt the giddiness returning; the joy she felt at hearing Kyouske play again warmed from the inside out, and sent her mind spinning.

She was happy about making that her wish all right.

Oh so very happy.

After an hour, Sayaka came out and greeted Madoka, happy that her friend was coming along for the ride. Of course this also meant that she'd have to protect her as well.
"So…..Sayaka, who was that girl?" Madoka asked, a little nervous about the subject. Sayaka picked up on her distress and smiled.
"Some creeper probably. Don't worry, as an Ally of Justice it's my job to keep you safe! Besides, you're my waifu! I'm not gonna let anyone lay a hand on you!" She answered, glomping Madoka from behind. She giggled in response to Madoka's cries of protest, ignoring that Kyubey was staring behind them. Madoka tried to break free but Sayaka held on tight. Akima, who had taken it upon herself to actually stalk them had waited for Sayaka's electrical signature to leave her room before tailing after her. Seeing the interaction between the two, Akima rolled her eyes at the display and waited for them to calm down.

Sayaka finally released Madoka and gave her a friendly hug, giggling at the expense of Madoka's distress. The two continued their journey back into the city, with Madoka holding onto Kyubey as Sayaka scanned for a witch. Finally entering one of the shopping districts, Sayaka watched her soul gem glow brighter the closer they got. Smiling to herself she led Madoka towards the witch, eager to make her second kill. Still trailing behind them, Akima felt her stomach growl and started looking for some place to grab a snack. Akima lagged behind them to grab some pocky from a nearby store and was snacking on it by the time Sayaka changed directions. Deciding she was fed up with following them, she headed in the opposite direction, only to catch a flash of long, wavy red hair heading in the opposite direction.

Right after Sayaka.

Curious, Akima followed along, but decided to follow Red-hair this time instead of Sayaka. Making sure to keep her distance, she wasn't prepared for the girl to glow suddenly and reappear in a red dress with a very intimidating spear.

What the? Where did she get that? Akima thought as she watched Red-hair leap from fire escape to fire escape to gain access to the roof. Curious, she followed, but climbed up the normal way instead of attempting silly stunts. Finally reaching the top, she paused for a second to check the amount of pocky she had left, then nodded. If need be, she had enough fuel to recharge her electro-manipulation if she had to be pulled into a scuffle. Who knows, maybe finally using those powers would scare them off? A confrontation was definitely certain between her and Blue-hair at this point, so having an extra ace in the hole was welcome.
Hearing an argument coming from the alley below, Akima approached the edge, carefully climbing down to a better vantage point on the fire escape. Below her, Red-hair was arguing with Blue hair, and it seemed Blue-hair was in one of those fancy dresses that Red-hair had been decked out in. Her's was different in that she had a cape and a sword, compared to Red's spear and dress. The argument ended, however, the minute Blue-hair took a swing at Red-hair, only to have it blocked

In quick succession. Red-hair uttered some dismissive remark, then shoved Blue-Hair back and followed up with an attack from her spear. What? A whip? That thing can turn into a whip? She pondered as Pink-haired cried out "Sayaka-chan!", prompting Akima to assume Blue-hair was called Sayaka. Watching as Red-hair retracted the whip, Akima winced the second Sayaka collided with some water pipes, not only rupturing them, but collapsing into a puddle around the pipes. looked on in wonder as Sayaka became surrounded in a blue-ish glow, healing any wounds she had obtained. Another verbal exchange was made and the two resumed fighting.

"Okay…I've seen enough of this crap." Akima said to herself, charging up her electricity. With a snap-hiss, an electrical sphere coalesced to life in her hand. Stepping up onto the railing, she eyed the scene below and aimed it so she'd drop down behind Red-hair. Taking a deep breath, she leaped down. In a rush of wind and static electricity, she landed, discharging right into Red-hair, who was currently backing up. The surprise electrical attack not only stunned Kyoko, but the resultant static discharge sent a volts through her system. Standing up, she waited for her stun to wear off, watching as Red-hair stood up and leveled her spear at her.

"HEY BACK OFF! I'm teaching this little snot a lesson!" Red-hair barked, brandishing the spear with a smirk "Now, if you want one too, you're gonna have to get in line!"
Akima rolled her eyes at such a display; this girl reminded her of herself on one too many levels. The arrogant smirk, the over-confident attitude, and the smug self-assurance that nothing could break her radiated off of this girl like a bad smell, causing Akima to sigh.

"Really? You're gonna threaten a girl who can summon electricity with the snap of her fingers?" She countered, then summoned another ball of electricity to emphasize her point. "My cat is more threatening than you."

Kyoko looked shocked at that response. Snarling, she turned back to Sayaka "I changed my mind, I'll deal with you later. I gotta cut this bitch down to size!" Without warning, she charged with her spear, then planted it into the ground to get some altitude on Akima. Smirking, Akima backflipped, then flung the ball in mid-flip. Soaring through the air, it connected with Kyoko's abdomen, sending her into a convulsing episode of electrical shocks and uncontrolled flight. Colliding with a fire escape, she landed with a hard smack onto the ground. Picking herself up as Akima rose out of her flip, she spun her spear around.
"You still wanna throw down you little shit? Or are you gonna stop picking on people who aren't worth your time?" She asked, charging up again. She ignored the loud grumbling of her stomach and dropped into a defensive stance, her arms held behind her. Kyoko sighed, the unleashed an attack with the whip of her spear. The motion momentarily confused Akima before she ducked under it and slapped a hand to it. Discharging again, she sneered as Kyoko took the full brunt of the current, stumbling backwards as her body began to numb itself. Akima watched as Kyoko began to breathe heavily, her body clearly not cut out for these attacks. Seeing that this fight was over with, Akima began to clap.
"I gotta hand it to you, you had Blue over here on the ropes, but I don't' like people bullying each other, now get lost." Akima said, watching as Kyoko turned to leave. She turned around as well and was about to leave when she felt a heavy impact from behind. Kyoko's spearhead exploded from Akima's stomach, sending a spray of blood all over the brickwork. Looking down in shock, Akima's mind shut down as she processed that she'd just been impaled.
"Wha-….what, I do-" she managed to say before Kyoko yanked the spear out of her.

""Maybe you shoulda just stayed out of this, dumbass. And as for you," Kyoko said, turning to Sayaka, "the next time I see you out and about, we're finishing what we started." With a flash of her spear, Kyoko leaped up to the fire escape and onto the roof. Akima lay in a puddle of her own blood, coughing on it as it filled up her lungs.

Wait…I'm not….this isn't…this isn't fair, She thought as Kyubey approached her. By Now Sayaka had reverted back to human form and was running towards her.
"This doesn't look good. I'm afraid you're going to die soon if you don't' get help immediately….but! If you make a contract with me, I can save your life!" Kyubey said as Sayaka finally approached Akima. She appeared to be yelling at her, but Akima couldn't make out words; just her mouth moving. She was kind of sad; she wouldn't get to spend some time with her friends after all. She wouldn't be able to spend time with her mom and dad while here, and above all else, she still hadn't gotten a boyfriend.

Wow...this sucks.

This probably would never have happened if she hadn't overslept on the train, or followed Sayaka tonight.

The strange cat thing approached her again, tapping her with its paw.
"Hurry! You don't have much time left!" It insisted, pawing at her again. She looked at him and nodded.
"Okay…..I don't….see….why not. I mean...if you can save me..." She said, finally closing her eyes. Kyubey nodded, then reached forward with his ears to extract her soul.

"Here is your fate,…accept it!"