Kyouko wasn't quite sure when they'd made it to the restaurant, or even when they'd ordered and the food had gotten to them. Supposedly she needed to keep track of such things, so she knew how much she needed to pay. She figured that reality was just phasing in and out, like it seemed to do lately. Or was it always like that? Taking a glance at the raven-haired girl chewing her meat across the way, Kyouko looked down to her own food. Maybe this food would be different? She stabbed the fork into the meat, bringing it slowly to her mouth and sinking into it with her canines. Taking some time to chew thoughtfully, mulling over its flavor, she sat there motionless for a bit.

Oh. She should've known better.

She let out a small sigh of disappointment, catching the class president's attention. "Is something the matter, Sakura Kyouko? You've hardly touched your food." She motioned to the barely eaten meal on the plate opposite her. 'Which is strange; normally she would be inhaling food, what's gotten into her lately?' Perhaps she should've paid more attention to the redhead during lunch at school. Kyouko sighed again, pulling the fork away from her mouth, taking time to swallow the tasteless meat before she spoke. "Hey…have you noticed?"

Homura took note of her oddly serious expression, one she didn't expect to see on this version anytime soon. Nonetheless, she maintained the calm, almost bored persona she'd kept up during this run. "And what is it that I'm to have noticed?" She drawled, leaning an elbow uncaringly on the table, the other hand dangling the fork leisurely over the plate. "The food." Kyouko motioned to the plate in front of her, frowning at its contents. "It doesn't have any taste!" The class president glanced at the girl's troubled expression, taking it in. Still, she had to maintain an image. "Perhaps you're just a picky eater. It tastes fine to me."

"No, I'm serious!" Kyouko cried, slamming her hands on the table as she rose up, then jabbing her fork into another piece of meat to emphasize her point. "It's not just this food! Apples, cakes, ice cream! Even the one time I went over with Sayaka to that Mami's place, the so-called wonderful cakes and pies she made had nothing! I can't taste it!" Her outburst fizzled out as she dropped back down in the chair, letting one hand dangle to her side while the one holding the fork rested limply against the table. "This is really starting to bum me out…" She muttered, glancing to the side with a troubled expression fixed on her features. Homura stared at the girl, piecing the information together. 'Strange…why wouldn't Sakura Kyouko be able to taste anything? Everyone else can taste things just fine, from what I've seen…'

A flash of images whizzed by in Homura's head; images that, at the time of their occurrence, had no real consequence. It was just an ordinary day of when they'd all gathered together to eat Tomoe Mami's cakes before heading to school, right? What was so important about it?

Well, first it was the day that she had noticed that things seemed a little surreal. But it was that whole day in general, why would that moment in particular…? An image passed by of them all chewing the pieces of cake in delight. As she took a closer look at the picture, however, she realized that, despite the grins and compliments the redhead had spouted earlier, and even after the gathering, during the treat itself Kyouko seemed to have a rather troubled expression on her face. Fork in her mouth, cake slowly devoured, she nonetheless maintained a troubled expression, unless she sensed anyone was directly paying attention to her, at which time she would comment light-heartedly on its deliciousness.

It was then that Homura was whisked back to the moment in time where she and Kyouko had realized that there was something wrong with that world. When they were waiting at the bus stop, Kyouko had muttered something rather peculiar.

"Well, come to think of it, even the food here's been a little strange…"

The braided girl glanced her way. "What do you mean?" She asked, her grip tightening on the schoolbag in hand.

"There's been no taste…"

Homura looked back at the Kyouko before her now, the Kyouko that should've been blissfully ignorant of anything previous. The Kyouko that was supposed to serve as a distraction for that knight! 'How…' She thought to herself. 'How is it that she can tell something is wrong?!' Her complexion paled as she hurriedly began to contemplate the possibilities of how this had come to pass. 'Could it be some kind of trick from Kyuubey!? …No. That can't be. I've fully seized control over that rat. He couldn't be the culprit.' She looked back at the redhead, whose expression seemed to be morphing from troubled to confused. 'Then could she herself be the culprit? I don't see how that could be…'

'Sakura Kyouko's original wish was for everyone to listen to her father, was it not? That, in turn, gave her the ability of illusion, although I myself have never witnessed such a power for some strange reason. Could it be that the power is subtle? Is it one that she's always used, but it has not been obvious? What all would illusion magic entail?' She racked her brains for a moment, too busy to notice the redhead calling out her name. 'She would have the ability to enchant others, I'm sure…at least to throw her opponents off the scent…but would it not also have the power to dispel?' A small voice in the distance was persistently saying something, its voice high and endless like the buzzing of a mosquito. 'A witch's barrier tends to have the effect of enchantment on a person…just as my barrier manages to hold everyone in a dream-like state. Could it be that, somehow, Sakura Kyouko has managed to find a way to dispel certain effects?! If the food has no taste, then it can no longer be conceived as real! She will realize that we are all in a barrier I created!'

"OI, HOMURA!"

Startled out of her thoughts, the raven-haired girl looked with wide eyes towards her dinner partner. "Ehh…ah." Kyouko frowned, tilting her head to the side slightly. "You okay? You seem a little pale. Plus, you've been sitting there all this time; I finished my food a while ago." Homura automatically glanced down at Kyouko's plate. Sure enough, it was empty. For whatever reason, it didn't seem that Kyouko was going to reveal the truth to anyone. At the very least, she'd done what she could to try to act normal. She had to give her points for that. But if the redhead were to slip at any time, it could pose a problem for her plans. If only she wasn't needed to keep Sayaka from getting closer to the truth, she could simply isolate her from the rest of the girls and paint new memories so she never existed alongside them. She could be nothing but a street rat again, where she couldn't get in the way. But the fact of the matter was that she was a necessary tool. "Have you told anyone else about this?" She asked, her tone low and dark. The redhead across from her obliviously tipped her head in confusion. "Huh? Well, no…I mean, I considered telling Sayaka, but she'd probably just laugh."

That was it, then. Before she had the chance to tell anyone about her suspicions, Homura would just have to rein the girl in. It couldn't be that hard – after all, this Kyouko was a naïve fool who wouldn't know danger if it nipped her in the bud. Quietly and suddenly, she dissipated from the spot she was in, appearing by Kyouko's side in her true form. This world being her playground, she could appear however she wanted, but this form she knew was sure to give the girl the idea that she should keep quiet.

Kyouko sat up with a start, noticing Homura's sudden disappearance. A strange feeling, perhaps some ominous aura, quickly directed her attention to her left, where she was met with what she thought was Homura, but looked more like some scantily-clad demon with bright violet, near-crimson eyes that wore Homura's face. "Wha-H-Homura?!" She cried out, but a gloved finger pressed against her lips forced her from saying any more.

"Shh…" The ominous figure formed a smile, one that you would give to a three-year-old who didn't know not to try to get into the cookies. "Hey, Kyouko…do you believe in happy dreams?" The redhead looked up at the creature that had now pulled her finger away, allowing her the chance to speak. As she glanced around her, she could see that they were no longer in the restaurant, but the two of them were surrounded by a strange, dark fog, almost like a miasma. She quickly looked back at the creature, realizing with a start that it, or she, was waiting for a response. "Err-h-happy dream?" The words sounded familiar, as if she'd uttered them before, but she couldn't really remember doing so before just now.

"Yes…" The figure that donned Homura's features reached over and effortlessly pulled the redhead towards her, eliciting a cry of surprise and what might have been fear from the girl. "A dream where no one has to worry about a thing…" She proceeded to spin the girl around in an impromptu dance before she caught Kyouko's hand, running her gloved fingers along its bare surface. She smirked at the girl's shudder before she continued with her pirouette. "Ahhh, such a beautiful dream!" The redhead proceeded to try pulling away from the creature, but she held firm, moving her hands to the girl's shoulders to keep her in place. Realizing that resistance was futile, Kyouko stopped short, lowering her head toward where the floor used to be, her eyes wide and shaky. 'This can't be happening…this just can't be happening!' She chanted in her head, trying her best to shut out the horror that inexplicably forced itself into her life. If she just looked away, maybe it would leave. That was how it worked, right?

"Hey, Kyouko…" The voice, chilly and ominous, resounded in Kyouko's ear as her slender form stiffened up, feeling the strange creature's form close in against her from behind. A gloved hand grabbed at the side of her face, forcing her to once again look upon the monstrosity that she wasn't even entirely sure was Akemi Homura. "Help me keep the dream alive?" She called sweetly to her, somehow sending worse shivers down the redhead's spine. "I…I…" In a burst of adrenaline, she quickly pulled away from the creature, stepping back several paces. "I need to go home! Sayaka's probably worried!" She quickly pulled out her smartphone, checking the time. Strangely enough, when she looked at the screen it was showing nothing but static. "Wha-huh…?" She stared at it in lost confusion, looking helplessly back at the creature. "W-What'd you do!?" She cried out, stepping away further. "Do you honestly think that a simple gadget like that would work here?" The creature smirked. "Still, you're right…you need to return to your dear companion, don't you?"

The next thing Kyouko could see, she was alone in the now empty restaurant. She quickly glanced over at the windows to see that it was dark outside. "SHOOT!" She hissed, quickly looking at the bill that had been placed for the food, hastily paying the amount and leaving a tip on the table, then immediately scraping up her school-bag and rushing quickly out the door and towards the apartment she and Sayaka shared. "Sayaka's gonna KILL me!" She cried out in distress, rushing with all her might down the sidewalk, making sure to avoid anywhere shady at this time of night. She'd rather not have to deal with anything sleazy at this time, especially after that scare.

By the time she got to the apartment door, the moon was high up in the sky. Huffing and puffing to catch her breath – she still wasn't the best at long-distance running – she reached into her other pocket and pulled out a key to unlock the door. At this time, Sayaka had most likely just crashed; tired of waiting for that idiot who didn't even call to say she'd be late. A small sigh escaped her lips as she stepped into the doorway, quietly slipping off her loafers and placing them by the rest of the shoes. She would definitely get an earful from Sayaka tomorrow. If she could help it, she would rather avoid that confrontation. The last thing she wanted was for people to worry about her problems. It was one of the main reasons she'd kept quiet about not being able to taste anything.

One glance into the bedroom told her that Sayaka, in retaliation, was sleeping on the bed in a way that was taking up the entire mattress. The only way to settle into bed tonight would be to rouse her from sleep, which Kyouko really wanted to avoid at this time. Guess it was the couch tonight, then. She quietly and carefully set the school-bag down to the side of the couch, proceeding to then undo the tie ribbon that was around her neck. As soon as she was out of the school uniform – folded neatly to the side of the couch, she proceeded to undo her bow – taking care to remove the precious object hidden within, letting her thick hair fall in waves around her slender form, raining down until it reached her thighs. Left in nothing but her undergarments, Kyouko took the blanket off the back of the couch, slipped onto the furniture and pulled the blanket over her slender form, resting her head on the soft arm it provided.

Sleep didn't come to her so quickly tonight, she noted in lament as she brought the strange yet precious gold object close to her. It meant something important to her – she knew it did; if only she could remember exactly where she'd gotten it from. Bringing the small object to her lips, she kissed it softly, gripping it gently with quivering hands. For some reason, she could feel tears forming in her eyes. Quickly but carefully setting the object on the table beside her, she proceeded to wipe her eyes. Once again, it seemed that she was going to bed with questions unanswered. And because of that class president, more just piled up.

'Please…just show me a happy dream…' She pleaded silently to no one in particular. She was never quite sure who it was she would make these silent pleas to, though it was the first time this silent plea had been phrased like that. Normally she would make a silent plea for a good day, for her and Sayaka to get along, for her to understand the classwork a little better…yet this particular plea struck her as familiar.

'That creature…or was that Homura? She said something about a happy dream…'

Troubled and full of stress, scarlet orbs finally gave in, fluttering closed with tired lashes.

SAYAKA!

I'm such a fool…

WITCH!

These powers mean nothing now…

HOMURA!

Finally, I've caught you…

I CAN'T LEAVE YOU ALONE LIKE THIS!

Should I not have been saving people in the first place…?

It hardly even felt like five minutes had passed since she'd fallen asleep, yet Kyouko was once again awoken by the strange images that flashed by in her mind. Eliciting a quiet groan, she threw the blanket haphazardly back on the rear of the cushion as she pushed herself off, stepping lightly onto the carpet. Reaching for the smartphone she'd placed on the side table, she noted that it was now 6:00, something that she frowned at. Again, these darn dreams had woken her up way too early. But a small snore resounding from the bedroom reminded her that maybe this wasn't such a bad occurrence after all. This way she could slip out of the apartment, buy some time before she had to go to school, and completely avoid any confrontations from Sayaka. She reached for the folded pile resting on the arm of the couch she hadn't been using as a pillow, and proceeded to slip on the uniform unaccompanied. It wasn't that she was never capable of putting the uniform on properly; it was more that she didn't want to bother with it most of the time.

What was the point of school, anyway? It wasn't as if she was really getting any of the subjects aside from English and PE. Even some of the Japanese, for some reason she couldn't fathom, was a little hard for her due to the stroke patterns that she'd managed to keep forgetting. Maybe it was the fact that these dreams had her too distracted. Maybe it was the fact that at school, things felt too…normal.

And that in itself was surreal.

Fixing up the tie ribbon, she proceeded to reach over for the ragged hair ribbon she always wore. Her hand paused over the table as she spotted the gold object, hand hovering in place as she stared absently at it for a bit before she took it in her hand to tuck into the folds of her hair when she tied the ribbon into a wild ponytail. She'd had plenty of practice with this procedure; she didn't even really need a mirror to ensure it was done properly. Still, she did need to make sure she kept up with hygiene, so she headed into the bathroom and applied the deodorant, taking care to make sure none got on the inside of the uniform. Fixing the shirt back up, she placed the stick back and took a look in the mirror for the first time that morning. What she saw looking back at her…didn't quite seem right. She didn't know why. She was still the same her, a simple schoolgirl trying to make her way in life.

Yet, that seemed wrong.

She shook her head, focusing instead on the dark circles starting to form under her eyes. It wasn't too noticeable if one weren't paying attention, but it was bothering her. These dreams were affecting her sleep, making her feel out of sorts. Wasn't this her life?

But then, what did that girl mean by "keeping the dream alive"?

Before she knew it, she was out the door and walking quietly down the sidewalk. She didn't bother with breakfast; although she could've used the nutrients, the lack of taste would've just been one more surreal thing she would have had to endure that morning. She didn't really bother with packing a lunch either, she noted faintly as she walked along, schoolbag slung limply over her shoulder. She supposed she would just take the long, roundabout way to school since there wasn't any place open she could really hang out at during these early hours; nowhere safe, anyway.

As she made her walk, she suddenly found herself walking down the usual path she would take with Sayaka to school, and it was more around the usual time that students would go to school. She didn't think she'd started taking that roundabout route yet…but maybe she was just out of it and didn't notice. As she walked along, alone, her mind began drifting to the other night. Or was it the afternoon? The sudden change in time was confusing to her. "That Akemi Homura…what was with her? And what was that about a happy dream…?" She muttered to herself, glancing to the side with a troubled expression.

"HEY, KYOUKO!"

Footsteps clamored at a past pace behind her, catching the redhead's attention and stopping her in place. "Ah, Sayaka…" She murmured, turning to face the blue-haired girl. Now that she'd caught up to her, there was no avoiding any confrontation. Maybe she could just play it cool and it would just pass by without a hitch. Kyouko glanced down at the usually taller girl, who was hunched over and gasping for breath, hands on her knees. As soon as the blue-haired girl could speak again, she looked up at Kyouko with a fierce glare. "I DON'T SEE YOU ALL DAY AFTER SCHOOL YESTERDAY, AND THEN YOU GO TO SCHOOL ON YOUR OWN?!"

Kyouko stopped for a bit, thinking back. Wait. Was that really just last night? Wasn't the next day a weekend? But what happened to that day? It almost felt like a greater force was attempting to maintain a certain routine, keeping any diversity from spilling out and breaking the balance. Well, there went their weekend, she supposed. "…Ah, yeah. Sorry about that, I've just had a lot on my mind lately…" She said, doing the best she could not to appear troubled. If the downward tug she could feel on her mouth was any indication, she was having a hard time of being successful.

Luckily, Sayaka seemed to buy it. Or at least, her attention was elsewhere at that statement. 'Well, I've had a lot of stuff on my mind, too…' She huffed in response to Kyouko's excuse. "Whatever, let's just go." She proceeded to walk – or rather, stomp – down the path taking them to school. Kyouko watched her go for a bit before proceeding to follow. Due to her fast strides, and Sayaka's deliberate stomps, Kyouko was ahead of her again in no time. Looking over at Sayaka's huffy expression, Kyouko began to contemplate. Would it be okay to maybe suggest something to Sayaka, while she was still distracted? She didn't like keeping this to herself for so long, but she also didn't want Sayaka to worry. If she asked her about her suspicions while she was distracted, maybe it wouldn't have as bad an impact?

"Hey, Sayaka…"

"Hmm?" The blue-haired girl glanced at her, her expression still sour. Kyouko took a small, almost unnoticeable breath to calm herself before continuing. "Do you think…maybe this could all be a dream?" That certainly wasn't what Sayaka was expecting to hear. "HUHH!? What're you talking about?!" Sayaka still had that huffy composure, good. Kyouko watched her movements carefully to ensure she wasn't in full-listen mode, that posture she always gave when she was worried about others' problems, and was getting ready to stick her nose in everything. "I mean, even the food here-" One glance at a nearby tree froze Kyouko in one place. There, hiding just behind the tree, unnoticed by all others, was the class president. Akemi Homura looked directly at the redhead, her expression changing from the cold neutral expression to that even colder, almost reptilian smile she gave last night – or rather, the other day. Everything seemed normal…wasn't it? Kyouko wasn't sure anymore. She was sure she'd seen the world normal a second ago, but now she could see the dark fog seeping in, that creature from before standing where Homura stood, placing her finger over her lips in that motion that Kyouko knew all too well.

"What about the food?" Sayaka questioned, her azure brow rising in confusion. Kyouko really wasn't acting like herself lately; it was clear that something had been on her mind for the longest time. Then again, from what she remembered, Kyouko had always seemed a bit spacy. Even that didn't seem right, but people changed, she supposed. "Kyouko?"

If the redhead said anything, this creature would make sure she paid the price somehow. Wasn't that what happened when you spoke the truth? Quick flashes ran through her head at that moment, each as confusing as they were gruesome, only adding to the redhead's frozen state.

"…ko! KYOUKO!" A tap on the shoulder, and Kyouko flinched in place at the sudden contact. That's right; she was with Sayaka at this time. "Quit spacing out, you idiot! We're gonna be late for school!"

Late, she said. Weren't they late yesterday? Oh, wait. Weren't they late A COUPLE DAYS AGO, and yet they made it to class before the teacher had even arrived?

"R-Right…" Kyouko looked toward Sayaka, her eyes shaky and troubled. Her palms felt sweaty, too – heck, all of her felt a bit sweaty! Yet, she also felt really cold at the same time. She absently took note of the shudders racking her body. "We should go." Her companion gave her a look of concern. "Are you alright? You look a little pale." Sayaka frowned, placing a hand on the redhead's forehead, checking her temperature. "I-I'm fine, Sayaka! Really!" Kyouko protested, although her voice was not nearly as loud and boisterous as it had been known to be. It was more like a small kitten mewling like it was trying to be a mountain lion, failing miserably. "Hmm, you don't seem to have a temperature…" Sayaka noted, taking her hand away from the shuddering girl. "Well, see the nurse if you're not feeling well during school, I guess." She concluded with a shrug, proceeding to walk along. Kyouko looked after her, her expression glassy. So Sayaka couldn't tell that there were any issues, even with her nosiness? Was it really just her? "…Okay." She mumbled, walking at a slower pace after her companion.

"So what was that about the food?" Sayaka asked suddenly, startling Kyouko with a jump two feet off the ground. "N-NOTHING! The food tastes great!" Sayaka glared in suspicion at her hasty response. "What?! So are you saying that MY food is bad?!" Kyouko was now in full-panic mode, she wasn't even really thinking about her response. "N-No, it tastes great!"

"You're a terrible liar, Kyouko!" Sayaka's voice resounded from afar as Homura watched quietly from the tree. 'It's nice to see that even Kyouko will listen to subtle threats.' For the most part, Kyouko wasn't doing too badly in keeping her mouth shut. Oh, but wait. She suggested to Miki Sayaka about the possibility of this all being a dream. A farce. A non-reality. Perhaps not now, but that would certainly lead to Sayaka's memories opening up further in the future, especially with prompting. 'Still, I need to be extra careful if this plan is going to go smoothly.' Her eyes narrowed at Kyouko, who seemed to be trying to apologize and brush off the whole food issue. As naïve as she was, she was still a threat to her plans. Fire burned in her bright-violet irises as she watched the redhead with malice. 'It appears I need to tighten the leash.'