Sayaka was dreaming. She was back home with both her mother and father which was unusual as they were normally away on business trips for days if not weeks. "How was your day?" her mother asked, being busy at the stove as her father sipped coffee and read the newspaper. "It was okay. I visited Kamijou-kun today. His arm's almost healed, he should be back in school in a day or two. After that I went to Hitomi's house to do homework together." Sayaka responded as she laid the table. Her mother laughed lightly, leaving her place momentarily to ruffle her daughter's hair. "Already planned out whom you want to marry Sayaka?" "Better not," her father responded in her place. "Kamijou-kun is a very nice young man, but it's too early to be thinking about these kind of things." "Mum! Dad! Don't be so embarrassing!"

Both of her parents now laughed. "Okay okay, we'll stop teasing you. Now hurry up and eat your breakfast, we're going to church today."

Sayaka opened her eyes, disappointment catching at her throat when she realised the comfort she had gotten was all from a dream.

Until reality kicked in and she realised a girl looking slightly older than Sayaka was staring back at her with her hand touching Sayaka's cheek.

For a full minute, the two simply did nothing, daring the other to make the first move. Then-

"What the hell are you doing pervert!" Sayaka all but yelped, pushing herself back into the water a safe distance away. What if the girl had brought companions? Should she swim away? But the problem was that Sayaka had nowhere else to go and no knowledge of what lay beyond Kasamino. There was no option of going back the way she came either. Furthermore even though her head was now clearer after resting, Sayaka hadn't really eaten anything for the past two days. Even if she successfully escaped this girl, the chances of finding somewhere else to recover and find food were slim.

"Who the fuck are you calling a pervert?" Kyoko shot back. Thanks to the idiot violently splashing water in order to put distance in between them, Kyoko was now soaked. "You're the one freaking out! I was just checking to see if you were alive!"

Sayaka huffed loudly at this indignation. Who did this girl think she was fooling? "Isn't it obvious? Only an idiot would think I was dead! Creep!" Sayaka folded her arms, partially to show she wasn't backing down, but mostly because she realised that with her luck it was a miracle her jacket hadn't floated away yet and it was getting cold.

"You-!" Kyoko tched, scowling at the girl. Well clearly the church didn't employ people to hunt down mermaids for their manners. "Oi…are you really a mermaid?"

Sayaka was startled by this innocent-sounding question. So it really was by chance the girl had stumbled upon her? Hesitating, Sayaka swum a few metres forward until she was almost where she had been resting earlier. "Yes."

"…" Kyoko was back to square one. What was a mermaid doing here? Over the last few years, their appearances had dwindled almost to nothing, until the popular belief was that the church had succeeded in exterminating them. Something Kyoko considered stupid, since no one knew where mermaids came from or how they reproduced. You would get long periods of time where no one spotted so much as a fishy tail and then all of a sudden someone would claim to have spotted a mermaid near a beach. Well considering that unlike Mitakihara, Kasamino was smaller and its church and followers were less so it would make sense for a mermaid to hide here where people were less vigilant. Especially since Kasamino's church had lost so many followers since that which had ruined its reputation.

Father. Mother. Momo.

"Are you on the run?" Kyoko bluntly said, watching the girl start at her question. Well that answered one question. "Hah, don't look so scared. Why the hell would I want to hand you over to some rich perverted fat guys or the church? Relax." Kyoko stuck a hand in her jacket's pocket, searching. "You want one?" Kyoko pulled out the apple she had stolen earlier, tossing it in the water to bobble near the mermaid. There, a peace offering. Seemed rather symbolic considering the situation. "What's your name? Mine's Sakura Kyoko."

Sayaka considered the apple. Should she take it? Would it seem weak accepting the girl's offer? Her stomach decided to settle the question for her, letting out a rumble. Sayaka's cheeks turned pink, as she reached out for the apple. Holding it in both hands, she took a small bite, her cheeks growing even pinker. "…Thanks. It's Sayaka. Only Sayaka."

"So Sayaka, where did you come from? I thought mermaids lived further out at sea." Kyoko casually said. To be honest, Kyoko had been expecting someone else. Someone taller perhaps. And more elegant. And less foul-mouthed.

"N-not all! I mean-" Sayaka stammered, casting around for words. She had no clue what other mermaids did. She didn't even know where to go and look to find them. Even if she did find other mermaids, would they accept her?

Have they gone through similar experiences like mine?

"…You're rather stupid aren't you." Kyoko snorted, standing up and frowning at her surroundings. As they had been having this little chat, the sun had gone down and it was already twilight. Soon it would be pitch black, and contraire to her earlier thoughts Kyoko did not fancy stumbling through who-knows-what in order to make her way back to the orphanage. Stamping her feet to keep warm, Kyoko cast another glance at the mermaid. She was biting her lip and hugging her arms to her sides, avoiding Kyoko's glaze.

Tch.

"You can't seriously be thinking of spending all night here looking sorry for yourself. Can you come out of the water? I'll try and make a fire or something so you can keep warm."

Sayaka flinched at Kyoko's words as if the older girl had hit her. "I can't. I can't come out of the water. Not fully."

Kyoko's right eye twitched. Would Sayaka bite off her hand if Kyoko waded in and punched her? "You're such a pain in the ass. Here." Kyoko shrugged off her jacket, putting it down. "I have to go back to the orphanage now. I'll leave food here for you too if you want to eat it. I'll come back tomorrow morning." Kyoko turned to go, already thinking that she will never see the mermaid again. It was more than likely that Sayaka would run (swim) away under the cover of the night.

"Why are you doing this?" Sayaka's voice called out from behind her.

"Huh?"

"All this. Giving me your jacket…food…even when it's common knowledge that mermaids like eating humans. Why are you bothering yourself with something like me?" Sayaka forced out the words, the half-eaten apple clenched in her hand.

No stupid. Because it's fun messing with you that's why. "You remind me of another brat I used to know."

And Kyoko left.

Fuck was Kyoko's immediate thought when she drew closer to the orphanage which had no lights on now. It must have been past midnight since that was the time all lights went off for the night, when everyone was supposed to be safely in bed. What should she do now? Maybe she should climb a tree and see whether she could open her window from there, her room was only on the second floor and the windows were old and easy to open if you knew the method. But on the off chance she fell off...Kyoko didn't want to explain a broken leg or worse to the head. Or should she go back and keep Sayaka company? But Sayaka was probably long gone by now and Kyoko didn't feel like blundering her way through the dark again.

A click sound decided Kyoko's choice. The side door had opened, although Kyoko couldn't see who had been the one to open it. A soft-hearted maid? Kyoko entered, narrowing her eyes when she saw who it was.

"What are you doing back so late?" Homura said as she closed the door again, leaving them only with the light of the moon to see each other, as she had not switched on the light lest she woke up the whole orphanage.

"What do you care?"

"Madoka was worried about you. Otherwise, I would not bother to stop you." Homura said, tossing her hair. "Now, answer the question."

Kyoko simply snorted, turning her back on the other girl. "I don't have to answer to you."

Homura's cold purple eyes fixated on the red-headed girl. Slowly, deliberately she said, "The Mitakihara police mentioned on the news that a mermaid named Miki Sayaka escaped from the church two days ago. They said she had short blue hair and a white tail and looked to be around fourteen years old. She's wanted for questioning." Homura said, watching Kyoko's back stiffen.

"They said she'll most likely be traveling at night to escape detection. Anyone seeing her must report her to the police immediately. I just thought you ought to know."

AN: *totally innocent look* I hope you enjoyed this chapter~ The next chapter will focus more on Madoka and Homura and will reveal some of Homura's backstory. The cover image for this story is the art that inspired me to write a Kyoko/mermaid!Sayaka fic and caused me to be dragged kicking and screaming into this fandom. The artist's link is here: (http): / / w w w .(pixiv) / (member). php?id=4542617. Remove the brackets and spaces to view~